We Talk To Pentiment Director & Art Director About The Game’s Unique Art & Influences

Pentiment is a different kind of beast for developer Obsidian, who are known for rich RPG titles with multiple paths and some form of action and humour laced into its narrative & choices. From the good Fallout games to The Outer Worlds, they are masters of making players forge their own destinies while being engaging with its design restrictions.
This new smaller title they’re making is meant for mass appeal: Pentiment is a historical adventure game set in the 16th century of Upper Bavaria, Holy Roman Empire, where you play an artist named Andreas who is caught up with murders and scandals most foul, solving them while making art. While not a role-playing game, Pentiment has light RPG elements that allow players to build characters and see the world’s reaction to them and their choices. Even the game’s text during conversations is displayed in a unique way; the game’s font rendering tech includes printed text that is pressed into a page as though by an actual press. And if that’s not your jam, Pentiment’s accessibility option will make sure the text is legible, whether it’s via font changes or increased font sizes.
Obsidian is still sticking to its RPG roots with Pentiment, though the adventure game trappings are indeed new for those familiar with the developer’s portfolio. We’re more than curious, so we talked to game director Josh Sawyer(left) and art director Hannah Kennedy(right) about the game in great detail.

On scaling down for this game compared to other past Obsidian projects
Hannah: Oh yeah, it’s much easier to keep track of these threads with a smaller team than The Outer Worlds. It’s easy to keep liquid and be flexible around resourcing and who wants to do/experiment what. It’s been really fun to work with a small group of people who are extremely passionate and comfortable enough to take risks and do a lot of experimentation.
We did start working on Pentiment pre-COVID when we were figuring out how to work remotely, but the transition here was easier since the team was smaller.

On the impact of art history on Pentiment
Hannah: Art history has had a huge impact on the creation of this game. It is a history and we’re trying to recreate the setting. This is a story about what it’s like being a working artist at the time.
There’s a lot to learn from art history as well as inform the character and how they exist in this world, as well as inform how the game space looks. It was fun to directly reference the art pieces within the story. Our audience will share the same interest in that capacity.
Pentiment’s time period is pre-photography so we don’t have references as to how the historical setting looks like accurately, as well as the social hierarchy at the time; like how artists view themselves. So we referenced different paintings of the time period to give us contextual information on pieces and details of the day-to-day life in that time period.
One example is that Andreas design is influenced by German artist Albrecht Dürer’s self-portrait design, even down to the hair. The Nuremberg Chronicle has so many prints in it, and those really help informed us how to lay out scene backgrounds and the space with the buildings, and sorting out what vistas and large exterior spaces look like.

On Whether Being Art History Buffs Influence How The Game Is Designed
Hannah: Yes, definitely. Josh is a history buff on the specific region and time.
I came from traditional western art school training, with a large background in European art history. It’s interesting to dive into that chapter of history, learning about the artist’s work and what they were doing, and how they did it.
Josh: My father is a sculptor. Growing up, I remember the mini library outside my bedroom there were books about European art and its history. As a little kid, I loved reading these books. When I went to school, I learned regular history, but there was always an intersection between the two. I’ve always been interested in Dürer and Hans Holbein, along with other artists who are popular at the time.

Why Explore This Particular Period In Bavaria?
Josh: My interest in Bavaria and Germany started when I was doing genealogical research. There’s a bit of ambiguity in family as to where my grandparents came from. I just got into learning about my family history; my grandmother was born in Kempten at Southwest Bavaria. When I was studying music and history in college, I just got into the German language and culture. This particular period in time is interesting because it’s a time of social unrest; the German peasant’s lifestyle was rather chaotic and the reformation that preceded it was tangled with that unrest in a lot of interesting ways. I just thought it’ll be interesting to tell a personal story about Andreas and the historical context happening around him and the people he meets.

On Recent Inspirations For Pentiment
Hannah: We watched an animated film called Wolfwalkers. If there was one takeaway from that film, it’s that it really cracked open a progression point for me from an art perspective. We had a similar struggle on how to marry the woodcut, illustration, and manuscript styles together. While Wolfwalkers was more modern and appropriate for an animated feature, we went for a more adaptative look to make sure it fits the tone we’re portraying in a context of a game.
Josh: Another inspiration we didn’t talk about is Andrei Rublev which is the life of the monk who is an iconic painter. What’s fascinating about it is that it takes over a long period of time and you can see how he evolved and changed throughout his life. That’s one thing that is cool tell a story about a single central person who is involved in a community over a long period of time.

On How Xbox Took This Idea; Were They Receptive At First?
Josh: I’ve always wanted to make a history game, but I couldn’t pinpoint the moment where I’m like “why don’t I make a historical game where it’s an adventure game that was small”. But it wasn’t until Microsoft was going to acquire Obsidian where I thought “why not do this idea now?”
This is for two reasons. One: Game Pass as a platform is appropriate for this kind of game. Two: I thought Microsoft would be open to the idea for us to try something unusual. If we tried to get Pentiment funded through traditional publishing, it wouldn’t have worked. From a publisher/developer standpoint, it definitely clicked with Microsoft when they acquired us and when they have Game Pass as a platform.

How Religion Plays Out In Pentiment
Josh: I’m a secular person, but I don’t think we can be secular in 16th century Bavaria at all. This is a world in which religion is real to everyone in society. From history’s records left behind, they’re Catholic (laughs) at least until 1518.
We’re approaching as though everyone in the world is a believer of some sort. People’s beliefs do vary quite a bit. Some are devout, some are observant, some aren’t. Some have strange beliefs, which is common at this time period and European Christianity. We’re approaching it from a historical perspective; people weren’t monolithic in their beliefs, but this is a time where there’s strife and there’s a change in the religion which is so central to everyone’s lives.
If you’ve noticed the trailer, there’s a time wheel that advances and has the manastic hours on it. Before there were clocks in the middle of town, if you live near a monastery, you hear bells rung by the monks who use it to signify prayer times for divine offers. It’s not an exaggeration that people were marking time by referencing the religious people who used bells to mark time with. It’s central to the game, we take it seriously, and try to explore it in a mature fashion.

On Whether The Game Will Have Branching Narratives Or Multiple Endings
Josh: Yes, it does. That’s the Obsidian stuff people are familiar with. One of the things we talked about it is that you have to deal with the suspects. There’s no DNA to take and there’s no forensic science at the time. The justice system here is rather odd. There’s a lot of ambiguity here, so you have to pin the murder on whoever you can, using your best judgment. Maybe there’s someone whom you want to see go, because the punishment for murder at the time is pretty severe. We really want you to see these consequences play out over a long period of time as you play Pentiment.
Having said that, there is a strong connecting narrative that ties in with Andreas. We’re trying to do the classic thing where we interleave the choice and interactivity within a strong storyline.

Is there player choice in developing these relationships?
Josh: Yes. In a lot of the parts of the game, you can’t do everything. There are occasions where you can’t eat meals with everyone in the town, so you have to make choices on who you should eat with. These choices will impact their relationship later. Or there’s a choice you make in public that makes you increase your standing with one person but lower the other. We try not to bog down with visibly tracking these down with a meter or indicators. We’ll let you know when you’re paying attention to the characters and let you know when they’ll come up in conversations again.

On the lessons learned through Pentiment’s development that you both wish to carry through for future Obsidian projects
Josh: This is the first game I’ve worked on personally where there’s a single central character in the narrative. There’s choice and consequence, but it’s a pre-defined character with their story arc and their thing. Most of the RPGs I’ve worked on starred characters who are clean slates; Pentiment is different in that regard; we’re still writing about a character who is much more defined, but it still feels like you can make a ton of choices with dialogue and attitude. You can choose to be different types of Andreas Maler, and that’s cool.
Personally, I would like to work on more games that are like that. I found it very liberating in very cool ways.
Hannah: Because of the pacing, story, and setting, it’s presented an opportunity to add details we want to make the game as realistic as possible and populate the space without relying on cruxes like combat and a collections system. One example is there are a lot of children in our game, which is a facet of life that is overlooked, even in narrative RPGs. In their inclusion, I stumble across them in gameplay and have a positive reaction to seeing children and adults interacting; these little details are reflective of micro-narratives and smaller story moments.
That’s rewarding to make and to see people experience while playing in a way that I wasn’t expecting. I’ll carry that with me moving forward whenever I’m thinking about what information is important to include and what positive experiences to include in RPGs.
Pentiment will be out on Xbox Series, Xbox One, and PC on 15th November.


[Rumour] Star Wars Battlefront 3 Is In The Works

It looks like Star Wars Battlefront 3 might be in development and we could even be getting an announcement from EA soon. Speculation on a new game began recently when two voice actors from Star Wars Battlefront 2 tweeted about working together on a secret project.
Anthony Skordi played Admiral Garrick Versio in Star Wars Battlefront 2, while TJ Ramini played Del Meeko, both of whom are prominent characters in the story of the game.

Right back atcha, mate. So lovely seeing and working with you again. On what, we shan’t reveal, of course ?? ????
— TJ Ramini (@TJRamini) December 19, 2020

Later, there was also some wild rumours circulating on Reddit about Star Wars Battlefront 3 being in early development as developer EA DICE is currently hard at work focusing on another rumoured game, Battlefield 6. Video games industry insider Jeff Grubbs also recently mentioned (in a YouTube video) that despite all the Star Wars game in the works by other companies like Ubisoft, EA will still be making more Star Wars games like Battlefront and Jedi Fallen Order.
If all this turns out to be true, then EA DICE is working on two massive FPS games. Battlefield 6 will likely release first, with Star Wars Battlefront 3 to come in the next few years. Surely they didn’t just give away Star Wars Battlefront 2 for free on Epic Games Store for no reason, right? Speaking of, that game is still up for grabs on the Epic Games Store at the time of writing.
However, take all this with a grain of salt for now. EA has yet to announce any major games for 2021, but we’ll definitely hear more from them in the coming months.


Capcom X ASICS = Mega Man Shoes To Die For

What do you get when you have one of Japan’s famous shoe brands teaming up with one of Japan’s most prolific video game publisher and developer? A pair of retro-esque blue sneakers worth killing 8 bosses living in themed levels for.

These pair of modified GEL-BND sneakers are clad in classic Mega Man/Rock Man shades of blue, complete with 8-bit ASICS stripes. It also comes with a box reminiscent of the original Rock Man Japanese box art and a sneaker bag with some 8-bit designs to remind you of the Blue Bomber. This is definitely something our resident Mega Man nut Mr Toffee would wear.Â
The bad part? These kicks are Japan-exclusive; various shoe and sneaker outlets all across Japan will be selling these blue bombers starting 1st November. However, they will also be on sale in Tokyo’s Capcom store starting 22nd November, so if you have a pal or two heading down there around that time, perhaps you can ask him or her to sort you out.Â Perhaps you could also try your luck on the Capcom e-store.Â


Marvel Teams Up With China Mobile Game Maker NetEase To Create “New Original Entertainment”

NetEase, the China-based company who will be creating the much-hyped action RPG Diablo Immortal, will be teaming up with Marvel to create new original entertainment that includes games, TV shows, and comic books.
The company announced the strategic partnership at its annual games product launch event; it will develop entertainment for both the China market and beyond. Here’s a quote from CEO William Ding.

“Having admired the work Marvel has created over the years, we are excited to incorporate these beloved stories and characters into world-class entertainment content for global fans.
Adhering to NetEaseâ€™s brand statement of â€˜Passion of Gamersâ€™, we will work hard to deliver the type of high-quality content that game players and Marvel fans will be pleased to see.”

What else has NetEase done since then, apart from making a mobile game out of PC’s most-beloved action RPG franchise?

They’ve invested in David Cage arthouse theatre game-making studio Quantic Dream as part of a plan to expand into the West.
They’re still holding the publishing rights to Blizzard’s World of Warcraft for China markets.
They are working with Kabam to take Marvel’s Contest of Champions into the Chinese market.
They are still keeping their PUBG knock-off Rules of Survival, well, surviving.

We’re surprised this didn’t happen sooner.


Tales Of Symphonia Remastered Developers Apologize For Broken Game

Tales Of Symphonia Remastered launched for the PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch on 16 February 2023, but players have been complaining about many game-breaking issues since launch. Now, the developers have posted an official apology statement on Twitter and have promised to improve the game.
The statement reads:
“Thank you for playing Tales of Symphonia Remastered for Nintendo Switch.
We have confirmed that there is a problem with gameplay in this product version that is currently on sale.
We are currently investigating a fix.”

?????????1/3?Nintendo Switch™?????? ?? ?????? ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
— ?????????? (@tales_ch) February 24, 2023

These issues include the game running at only 30FPS when the original Nintendo GameCube version ran at 60FPS. Other issues include broken textures, long loading times and game crashes.
Tales of Symphonia Remastered is a remastered version of Tales of Symphonia, which was released in 2003 and sold more than 2.7 million units worldwide. The adventures of Lloyd and Colette, the Chosen One, in the two intertwined worlds of Sylvarant and Tethe’alla return after 20 years.


Team Malaysia Withdraws From Overwatch World Cup 2019 [Update]

In a recent announcement from the Team Malaysia Overwatch Twitter page, the team’s General Manager Kenn Leandre has broke the news that the team won’t be participating in the 2019 Overwatch World Cup (OWWC).

Team Malaysia Withdraws from Overwatch World Cup
Read: https://t.co/NjllbeXx8u
— Team Malaysia Overwatch (@malaysiaowwc) October 16, 2019

The primary reason why the team has decide to withdrawn is because they’ve failed to raise the funds required to fly out the team to Anaheim, California. In the announcement, it’s stated that several national companies turned down their requests for funding while the financial assistance requested from the country’s sports governing body was reduced to half of what the team needed and would only be available after the OWWC ended.
The General Manager has also implored the Ministry of Youth and Sports to carry forward the promised funds to prepare Team Malaysia for next year’s tournament, as well as for the growth of the Malaysian Overwatch community.
Earlier on, the team’s alternate jerseys were being sold as one of the ways to raise funds. Rest assured, those who ordered the jerseys will be getting them very soon. Pick-up is scheduled for this Saturday, 19 October at a soon-to-be confirmed location in Petaling Jaya.
You can read the full statement here.
Update: the news has been spreading like wildfire over Twitter (via Rakyat Post).

Team @malaysiaowwc represent Malaysia ke Overwatch WorldCup 2019 withdraw dari pertandingan tersebut kerana tidak cukup dana.
Saya minta jasa baik YB @SyedSaddiq utk tolong menangani issue ini. pic.twitter.com/7M2fqlB9Ci
— Pie'e?? (@shafieisonline) October 16, 2019

So @SyedSaddiq – what were your @KBSMalaysia officers doing?
So no Team Malaysia at the Overwatch World Cup.
Not only because corporates won’t back them, but also because your Ministry has failed them.#YouthPower indeed. https://t.co/MoAMzXmTcQ
— ??? ??? (@iamjoelee) October 16, 2019

10mil under Budget 2019
20mil under Budget 2020
Yet still cant support @malaysiaowwc to this year’s event
So, camana ni @SyedSaddiq
This was supposed to be a litmus test of inclusivity as Overwatch may not be highly visible on your or your army of advisors/officials
— Syefri Zulkefli ?? (@chapree) October 16, 2019

Even minister Syed Saddiq talked about it, even mentioning in public the amount that was going to the team: RM60,000.

Peruntukan RM60,000 ke World Cup telah pun diluluskan. Proses menyalurkan bantuan mengambil sedikit masa kerana ini kali pertama bantuan sebegini wujud. Kami komited membantu komuniti Overwatch.
RM10 juta dikongsi bersama MDEC & KBS hanya menerima peruntukan pada bulan lepas? https://t.co/Dgkk1hm7sw
— Syed Saddiq (@SyedSaddiq) October 16, 2019


Diablo Immortal’s Leads On Their Favorite Prime Evils In The Series

Kakuchopurei had a chat with Diablo Immortal’s production director Caleb Arseneuax and game director Wyatt Cheng about the game and its closed beta session, which should be out this Friday for select folks. We also did inquire about their thoughts on the series’ particular lore, because why not?
Specifically about the series’ Prime Evils; the big bads that run the ship in Diablo, Diablo 2, and Diablo 3. Here’s what they have to say about their favorite Prime Evils in the series.
Caleb Arseneuax: Mine is Baal. The reason is because he has a lot of sass. He goes out of his way to torment people who are jailed (Marius). He also has a lot of interactions [in Diablo 2 onward] where he just showcases a lot of attitude. He has the most texture in his character.

Wyatt: Visually, I like Diablo. I apologize for being too cliched, but I just like looking at a big imposing demon, especially the way we’ve rendered him in Diablo Immortal. There’s tons of musculature on him and he just looks really, really powerful.

While he had the safest answer, Wyatt does have a point: the new rendition of the Lord of Terror in Diablo Immortal is a little more muscle-bound than Diablo 3’s feminine demon portrayal, which made sense since part 3’s host was Deckard Cain’s adopted daughter Leah.
It also sucks that there’s no love for Mephisto and his “bone tendril things”, but what can we say: people love their horned apparitions & spider-legged laser-shooting demifiends.


Back 4 Blood’s New DLC Will Be Out Next Week

Warner Bros. Interactive and developer Turtle Rock will be releasing new DLC for its co-op zombie-filled shooter Back 4 Blood, which is essentially Left 4 Dead minus the Valve logo. And arguably the seal of quality.
The new DLC, dubbed Tunnels of Terror, will be out on 12 April and features the all-new PvP area Ridden Hives. Players will also get the following:

2 new playable Cleaners (Sharice and Heng)
7 new Legendary Weapons
12 weapon skins
new cards
8 premium skins
Warped Ridden
A new No Hope difficulty (which comes free as a free update on 12 April too)

The best part? You only need one person in your group to buy the Tunnels of Terror DLC for other players to experience the same content. Check out the trailer below:


Is Xbox Series X Taking Two Steps Back With Proprietary Hard Drive Cards?

Someone at Microsoft loved the PS Vita so much, he decided to take the worst aspect of that handheld and put it on the upcoming Xbox Series X.
I am referring to the new console’s method of expanding its hard disk drive. You’re going to run out of whatever TBs you have left in your console, so Microsoft introduced a costly new solution for players to upgrade their storage. According to a recent Digital Foundry report, the Xbox Series X uses a system called Velocity Architecture, where the SSD and IO system works to provide additional benefits for Xbox games.

Basically, your additional game storage becomes additional memory to make stuff load faster and more efficiently while saving CPU power. The catch? The console will run off a proprietary custom 1TB NVMe Solid State Drive.
1TB may not be enough, so Microsoft decided to provide a slot for expandable storage. You can’t just plug in any hard drive; you need to use a Microsoft-branded proprietary expansion unit. So far, we know the external drive is Seagate-branded.
No price has been set yet, but I’ll bet you if it’s anything like PlayStation Vita’s way of handling memory cards, it won’t be cheap. Guess we’ll find out if it’s going to cost you an arm and a leg when the system is out this Holiday, and even then we’re not too sure about that window thanks to the coronavirus pandemic.Â
Image credit: Digital Foundry


Check Out Spider-Man’s New Threads In The Upcoming Miles Morales Game

Insomniac Games just showcased a few new screenshots of the new Spider-Man outfits you get to use in Spider-Man: Miles Morales for the PS5 and PS4.
The first outfit is a black and white ensemble, called the T.R.A.C.K. suit.

The second is a black-and-red hoodie variant called the Crimson Cowl. It kinda reminds me of a more bloodthirsty version of Spider-Gwen’s costume. Or something Ben Riley wore back in the 90s.

On a related note, the Marvel’s Spider-Man PS5 remaster will get five new Spider-suits. And they’ll be available for the PS4 version of Marvel’s Spider-Man; the one back in 2018.

I spent a bunch of time chasing this for you and I’m pleased to say they will come to PS4. Exact timing TBD
— James Stevenson (@JamesStevenson) October 21, 2020

The remaster and Spider-Man: Miles Morales will be out 12th November when the PlayStation 5 is out.


Kakuchopurei’s Best Of 2018 Awards: Day Two

Welcome again, fellow viewers, readers, and game fans. This is Day Two of our first-ever awards feature.Â Head here for Day One.Â Otherwise, keep reading, friend.
Day Two’s theme is esports-centric. Which esports game sports is the hardest & fastest & has the most “competitiveness”? Is “competitiveness” even a criteria? Find out the results right after these screencaps of 2016’s finest Malaysia sports film Ola Bola.

Best Overwatch League Team
New York Excelsior

Yes, people would point out that the London Spitfire are the Overwatch League Grand Final Champions but the best team should be the one which is consistent throughout the year, and the Excelsior is my team. They’ve proven from start to finish (of the regular season) that they’ve got what it takes when it comes to prolonged performance at the highest level.
While they did stumble in the semis to the Philadelphia Fusion, it was more due to the meta change, than overall team strength. This team boasts the most balanced team roster in any pro-Overwatch scene and needless to say, the team to beat heading into Season 2 of the OWL.
Runners-Up: London Spitfire, Philadelphia Fusion.
Best Overwatch World Cup Team That Isn’t South Korea
China

Honestly, it’s a tie between UK and China. We love the underdogs; UK came through and are determined players who gave US hell with a 3-1 victory. Their Earthshatters and in-time Sound Barrier plays are also nothing to scoff at.
In the end, we have to go with China. Ignore the travesty which was the Shanghai Dragons and their notorious 0-40 record. Team China vindicated the Chinese Overwatch scene with a stellar performance at the 2018 World Cup, eliminating heavyweights in the likes of Finland and Canada in the playoff stages.

Rising stars Guxue, Yvetal, and Lateyoung are sure to give the Koreans a run for their money once Season 2 of the OWL kicks off,Â  and you’d be wise to NOT underestimate any of the Chinese-based franchise next year.
A close second would still be the best team in NA in Canada. Like typical Canadians, they aren’t as loud as their brash neighbours but still, manage to get the job done. Sadly crashed out against a very impressive China team though.
Runner-Up: United Kingdom, Canada.
Best Overwatch Buff Of 2018
Symmetra

In Arcade Play, you either pick Symmetra or TorbjÃ¶rn to troll newbies who can’t get the hang of Overwatch’s PvP mechanic and characters. So naturally Competitive players can see through tactics like these and mow through them pretty quick.
So to shake things up, lead producer Jeff Kaplan and his team reworked the two of them into tournament-viable characters, and we’re digging Symmetra’s new kit and playstyle.Â It’s like she’s a completely different character now.
With her new giant-ass Barrier ultimate, her new method of placing turrets, a more practical teleport kit, and her charged shots, she is now a legit badass who has a ton of use in the pro scene. The fact that she’s out of the troll pick category says a lot about this much-needed update.
Runners-Up: TorbjÃ¶rn, Pharah.
Best Overwatch Esports Moment
Runaway finally winning the big one.Â

This is a team that’s gone through a lot these past few years and nothing tastes sweeter than seeing all that hard work paying off after multiple failures. The boys in pink showed everyone that while they aren’t the most successful team outside of the Overwatch League, they are the most consistent performers with highly underrated corps of players.
With funds from their streamer-slash-mom-manager, Flowervin & fans, Runaway continued to try hard since 2016 to become champion. But they always fell to the “number 2” curse, never winning any championship. But they never gave up.
They tried their best. They went through ups and downs. Players come & go. Runner (founder of Runaway, also husband to Flowervin) almost disbanded Runaway. And yet Runaway stood tall. A lot of sacrifices has been made to bring Runaway to the Finals of Korean Contenders Season 2.
And in a very heated 7-maps match between Runaway & Kongdoo Panthera, Runaway finally, finally able to stand on the stage, holding the winning cup high and above. The players, fans & Flowervin were in tears. It was a moment that everyone was waiting for. It was a beautiful moment for fans who kept it on their saved Twitch clip/video playlist if they want a jolly pick-me-up.
Winning Contenders Korea Season 2 was the icing on the cake; it’s really awesome that these talented players are finally noticed by OWL team owners. We daresay that The Vancouver Titans, who are pretty much the 2018 Runaway team reskinned, will set the Overwatch League on fire in 2019.
Runner-Up: London Spitfire winning OWL.
Best EVO 2018 Moment
Lil Majin Giving His All In Tekken 7

The underdogs are always the ones you root for because they can inspire others to rise up to the challenge. In Tekken 7, a game dominated by South Korean experts like Knee, JDCR, and Qudans (the Daigo of Tekken), along comes Lil Majin who tells them to stick it where the sun don’t shine.
His character of choice? The Mexican grappler King, who used powerbombs and throws to waylay the South Korean offensive. True, he didn’t win the whole tournament but placing 3rd as the only American proves that anything goes in the Iron Fist tournament.
Runners-Up: Super Smash Bros Wii U Grand Finals “Standoff”, Singapore’s Soulcalibur VI dominance at SEA Major 2018, SonicFox switching seats with Go1.
Best Football Game
PES 2019

If you’re into high-level gameplay, Konami’s PES series is where it’s at. Where they lack in licensing, they more than made up for it in the graphics and gameplay department as they again, kicked FIFA’s butt in almost every category you can imagine.
The gameplay is much smoother than an already impressive offering in 2017. Once you tried PES, FIFA would look and feel super awkward; swear to God. This is how football should be played and with a constantly improved Master League and MyTeam Mode with each iteration of the game – how can you not love it?
If Konami is able to lock in several more license deals in next year’s version, EA Sports can’t keep their noses in front with the tepid offering which is FIFA. This is competitive esports football realized and (close to) perfected.
Runner-Up: FIFA 19.
Best Shooter
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4

Never mind the fact that Black Ops 4’s Blackout mode is really fun and, surprise, well-polished. A bigger team of devs and producers are going to make sure the next Activision money-maker is up to par.
What surprised us was the fact that it is anything but a measly cash-grab. A well-made cash grab? Sure, but you can’t deny how well it plays despite lacking any true single-player campaign.
It’s slick, the controls and shooting are just great, and the class/customization system means that you can tweak your avatar to any kind of shooter playstyle you want with no fuss. But most importantly, its touted and hyped-up Blackout mode kicks major ass in so many ways. We’re also bewildered that games like Fortnite and PUBG are still standing amidst this mode’s release.
Give it time, or give it an F2P-only mode of sorts; if Activision and Treyarch can keep up with today’s method of gaming distribution, it may be a contender for “Best Ongoing Game”.
Runners-Up: Far Cry 5, Battlefield V, Warhammer Vermintide 2.
Best Fighting Game
SoulCalibur 6 (Or SoulCalibur VI; Your Call)

It’s a really close battle between the trio of fighters that mattered this year, but SC6 edges out because this series offers flash and substance. A good combination of casual and technical know-how, SC6 combines the old 8-Way Run and fighting mechanic while also sprucing it up with new additions like Reversal Edges and Soul Charges (outside of Nightmare).
Dragon Ball FighterZ was close. Really, REALLY close. DBFZ is the close we’ve gotten to a return to form to the Super Butouden days, but with way better controls and combo-tastic 3v3 fighting featuring a ton of Super Saiyans and despot aliens. Plus, who wouldn’t want to make a 3-man team featuring Cell, Frieza, and Kid Buu?
But network issues lately got in the way; we seem to be getting better lagless fights in SC6 than in DBFZ. Like we said, close call, but there can only be one Kakuchourei fighting game champion this year. Might as well be the one game where you can create your own Cell, Frieza, and Kid Buu but with swords.
Runners-Up: Dragon Ball FighterZ, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Best SoulCalibur 6 Custom Character
Magikarp Voldo

It’s one thing to create a video game internet meme featuring Mario characters. It’s another to take a video game fish and make it work in a video game that primarily features humanoid characters.
And on that note, thank you to the designer in Project Soul who came up with Voldo eons ago during the Soul Edge days. Who knew psychopathic contortionist bodyguards can pose as flopping fishes for cockfighting?
Runners-Up: Bowsette, Mercy, Marge & Homer Simpson, Sonic.
“Please Stop This” Award
RGB Lighting/Backlighting On Gaming Peripherals

This award goes to the nonsense trends that need to die in a fire. The most prevalent one this year? The fact that EVERY single gaming peripheral-making company, be it your high-tier folks like Razer and SteelSeries to your China OEM-acquiring garbage product-sellers, love to put RGB lighting onto their keyboards and mice.
As if having RGB on PC casings isn’t tacky enough, when combined with your peripherals, you have a technicolour nightmare that’s sure to keep you awake at night and chase out whatever decent aesthetic your devices had.Â The golden rule of peripheral lighting: just keep to less than two standout colours. Three or more is just being obnoxious. Peripheral makers: don’t make it a highlight of your product. Let its build and practical functions sell itself.
Runners-Up: Announcements of microtransactions in single-player game, crunchtime humblebrags, mobile game tapping simulators (seriously, why are people still keeping these alive?)


Valorant Is Getting A Dating Sim Expansion, Get Your Waifus & Husbandos Ready

Riot Games today announced an expansion to the beloved universe of the critically acclaimed tactical shooter, Valorant, titled Valorant: Agents Of Romance.Â
Valorant: Agents Of Romance will be Riot Gamesâ€™ first full game in the dating sim genre. This is following the success of League Of Legendsâ€™ Spirit Blossom event, which featured dating sim components that delighted fans around the world.Â

The new title will allow players to take on the role of a new recruit as they train to be a Valorant Agent. As players experience the rough and tumble life of an Agent in Training, theyâ€™ll build meaningful relationships with each of Valorantâ€™s Agents: collecting items, going on dates, and maybe even saving the world in the process.Â

Valorant executive producer Anna Donlon said:
â€œWeâ€™ve been looking into ways to expand and explore the VALORANT universe, even prior to launch, and when we landed on a dating sim, it just made sense. We believe that everyone can relate to and enjoy the Agents of VALORANT, whether theyâ€™re tac-shooter players or dating sim players.â€Â
Valorant and Valorant: Agents Of Romance narrative writer Joe Killeen said:
â€œOur Agents are living, breathing individuals that are as expressive as our players. Agents of Romance allows us to put those inner emotions and human connections front and center, and we can explore who these individuals are when the uniform is off and the guns are stored away.â€Â
Valorant and Valorant: Agents Of Romance game director Joe Ziegler said:
â€œItâ€™s kind of funny. At first, we wanted to launch Agents of Romance as a game mode in VALORANT, but it started to take on a life of its own,â€ said Joe Ziegler, Game Director of VALORANT and VALORANT: Agents of Romance. â€œI donâ€™t remember who suggested it, but at some point we just said, â€˜Screw it. Letâ€™s make this a whole game.â€™â€Â

Valorant: Agents Of Romance is set to launch for PC sometime in 2021.


Captain America 4 Has A Director; Anthony Mackie To Reprise Sam Wilson/Captain America Role

It’s official: the next Captain America film has its director.
The upcoming Captain America 4 film (pending title) will be directed by Nigerian-American filmmaker Julius Onah, known for his work on The Cloverfield Paradox. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Anthony Mackie will reprise his role as Sam Wilson. But he won’t be The Falcon. Furthermore, it’s unclear if Chris Evans would reprise his role as Steve Rogers, seeing that after the events of Avengers: Endgame, he’s probably gone. We’ll probably see flashbacks between him and Sam Wilson, assuming he’s coming back.

Anthony Mackie is reprising his long-time Marvel character of Sam Wilson, but will not, however, portray Wilson’s long-time alter ego and #CaptainAmerica sidekick, Falcon https://t.co/DmPYFmBmgm pic.twitter.com/IvU3OAcmgF
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) July 8, 2022

But wait: isn’t Sam Wilson already the new Captain America in the Falcon & Winter Soldier TV series on Disney+? Did The Hollywood Reporter cover that TV series, knowing that it’s MCU canon? In any case, this prompted a response from Captain America Steve Rogers’ actor Chris Evans, who said that Sam Wilson is Captain America.

Sam Wilson is Captain America
— Chris Evans (@ChrisEvans) July 9, 2022

In any case, the MCU train is still a-rolling with its Phase 4 plans. With certain heroes already gone, there need to be replacements carrying the legacy. Sam Wilson as the literal high-flying Captain America would fit the bill. For more MCU goodness, do check out our Thor: Love and Thunder review & post-movie breakdown.


Mobile Games’ Revenue Is Now Bigger Than Console & PC Combined

It’s not surprising that the video games market is being dominated more and more by mobile games. Anyone with a mobile device can potentially be someone who plays mobile games, while other games require powerful PCs or exclusive consoles. The widespread inclusivity of mobile games is likely why mobile game revenue is now bigger than those of PC and consoles combined.
According to data analyst company Newzoo, mobile accounts for more than half of all game revenues generated via direct consumer spending. It’s worth a whopping US$90.7 billion in 2021. In comparison, PC has generated US$35.9 billion while consoles have generated US$49.2 billion.

The mobile games market is growing so fast that even the biggest PC and console developers are starting to understand its worth and are now eyeing the platform. This includes companies like Activision Blizzard, who are bringing Diablo to mobile after the success of Call Of Duty Mobile across the globe.
Crash Bandicoot On The Run developer King VP of Art Aaron Allport said:
â€˜â€™When you are bringing a predominantly console franchise to mobile, you need to make sure that you consider how playing a game on your phone is different to using a controller on a console, and that the gameplay is complementary to this.”
In another example, Riot Games also now supports three titles on mobile, including League Of Legends Wild Rift, Legends Of Runeterra and Teamfight Tactics. EA also recently purchased Glu Mobile and Playdemic, which marks a big investment into its mobile future, and plans to launch Apex Legends on mobile next year.
The mobile games market is only going to grow bigger, and it’ll be interesting to see how developers will attempt to grow with the tide that is the mobile games industry.


Is There Going To Be A Bleach Sequel?

Remember that manga Bleach that used to be one of the big three of Shonen Jump alongside Naruto and One Piece before its creator Tite Kubo realized that he did not have the knack to do long-form storytelling? Well looks like he’s going to be releasing a special artbook to commemorate those wonder years of hero Ichigo Kurosaki being a Soul Reaper/Shinigami and fighting Hollows/other Shinigami/whatever cool stuff Kubo could come up with at the time.
The artbook will be called Bleach JET andÂ will feature over 700 pieces of artwork being collected in more than 500 pages.

Bleach will receive a new artbook collecting all of the artwork over the last 15 years, Bleach JET –it'll have 500 pieces of artwork. Preorders will remain open until August 20th. pic.twitter.com/sSC6q0xyDn
— YonkouProductions (@YonkouProd) June 1, 2018

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A post shared by BLEACH_official (@bleach_official_pr)

Here’s where it gets interesting: Tite Kubo himself sent out a recent tweet which featured two images. One of them is Ichigo in a graphic tee that says “and little sequel”.Â  Fans are theorizing that there might be a follow-up story in the collection. Whether it’ll be about Ichigo himself, his kid, or his two siblings Yuzu & Karin is entirely up in the air.

As someone who used to read Bleach religiously before it, to put it politely, s*** the bed post-Hueco Mundo arc, I still hold out hope that the last half of the manga was a fever dream. I also hopelessly dream for a follow-up that focuses on Ichigo’s kid and further shinigami exploits from the Gotei 13.


Images of Arkane’s Co-Op Shooter Redfall Have Leaked Online; Watch Out!

Images of an early build of Arkane Austin’s upcoming Xbox-exclusive shooter Redfall have leaked online. So watch out if you’re surfing online.
The images previously appeared via an anonymous Imgur post (via Eurogamer) but is now deleted for obvious reasons. The internet has seen this and is widely sharing it on social media.

The screenshots, while an early build, showcased a number of weapons of various tiers and the game being played from both a first and third-person perspective.
We can’t imagine Bethesda being too pleased with this, as people are already judging the game based on these images. Keep in mind that until Bethesda and Arkane have shown official gameplay footage and screenshots of the title, whatever that’s leaked online isn’t final and indicative of the final product at all.
Redfall will be out on Xbox Game Pass, Xbox Series X, and PC in summer 2022.


Devil May Cry 5 Beginner’s Guide: The Best Skills To Unlock First For Each Demon Hunter

We’re loving Devil May Cry 5 right now.
But we have to admit; it’s pretty tough. And there’s a plethora of options and unlocks that can overwhelm you on your first go. We’re here to help you out with that by breaking down each character and their skills & tricks.
Nero, The DMC4 Guy With The Arm

Nero fights like he does in part 4; he has guns, swords, and an arm to drag enemies to him or zipline to them. He’s got a bunch of new toys to play with this time around.
Wire Snatch
The Wire Snatch move gives Nero the ability to pull smaller enemies directly in front of him or pull himself directly in front of larger enemies.
Many of Neroâ€™s attacks end with him knocking an enemy back. This means Wire Snatch is crucial to keeping combos strung together as you increase your style rank.
Make sure you upgrade the Wire Snatch completely in order to use it from longer distances ala Bionic Commando.
Red Queen
The Red Queen is a sword Nero will use for the entirety ofÂ Devil May Cry 5. The enormous blade delivers impressive damage in just a few strikes, and itâ€™s fitted with a combustion “Exceed” engine to deliver even more destruction when revved up. The Red Queen is what youâ€™ll use to chain most of your combo attacks together, and itâ€™s versatile enough to use in almost any situation.
These are the abilities you should unlock first:
Streak:Â Dash forward and slice your enemy. This ability is similar to Danteâ€™s famous Stinger, but ends in a large slash rather than a fast combination of stabs. Streak is ideal for closing the distance on bosses or enemies who are guarding against ranged attacks. Plus, you can dodge or jump immediately once the Streak animation finishes.
Roulette Spin:Â While in the air, Nero does a combination of slices on an enemy and then throws them even higher into the air. This move can keep specific enemies airborne and out of the fight long enough to cull the herd.
Shuffle:Â Nero will quickly take a step back, then slam forward with a single slash. This is ideal for faster bosses and against single enemies who donâ€™t stay in the same place for very long before moving.
Its damage is impressive, and it can be the first attack you land in a longer chain.
Payline:Â Nero dashes from midair in a diagonal line, striking an enemy on the ground below. Payline is absolutely crucial as a finishing move after juggling an enemy in the air. When paired with Wire Snatch, you can repeat this technique multiple times in a row.
Blue Rose
The Blue Rose is a multi-barreled revolver that fire powerful rounds. It delivers high damage while also being quick enough to use in a pinch. Nero doesnâ€™t need to rely on it as heavily as Dante does with his guns, but it can make certain fights a whole lot easier.
Unlock these abilities first to get the most out of your guns:
Colour Up:Â Load multiple rounds into the barrel at once before firing, dealing extended damage to enemies. Can be used to tie up one target while you focus on others.
Charge Shot:Â Launch an extremely powerful round at an enemy, sending them flying backward. Charge Shot takes quite a bit of time to prepare, but the damage it does makes it great for finishing off enemies at long range.
Devil Breakers (his mecha-arm)
Nero uses disposable Devil Breakers on his right arm, giving him access to special attacks that change depending on which one he has equipped. Itâ€™s worth experimenting with them all ;weâ€™ve detailed a few of the most effective ones below:
Overture:Â Your initial Devil Breaker, the Overture offers great damage and is quick enough that you can do it with little chance of being interrupted. It’s effective against bosses with big weak points.
Punch Line:Â Fires rocket punches at enemies, dealing damage over time. It also allows you to simultaneously slash with the Red Queen or fire the Blue Rose.
Buster Arm:Â Uses special â€œBusterâ€ technique to do enormous damage to enemies. Ideal for one-on-one fights, as itâ€™s extremely expensive to replace.
Ragtime:Â Slows time in a small bubble. Best for when enemies are crowded together near Nero, as you can then tie them up in a combo before the ability runs its course. Ineffective against larger bosses.
Rawhide:Â Swings a whip-like Simon Belmont on amphetamines. Deals damage to all nearby targets, and great for crowd management if youâ€™re getting backed into a corner.
Dante, The OG Devil Hunter

He’s still the same as before with his four styles from parts 3 and 4.
Rebellion (and other swords)
You donâ€™t have to choose between the swords Dante uses inÂ Devil May Cry 5. Later in the game, he will use more than one and your moves will carry over.
Danteâ€™s sword attacks are fast and vicious. They are best used alongside at least one other melee weapon. We recommend unlocking these abilities first:
Stinger with Million Stab:Â These two abilities work together in perfect harmony. The Stinger is similar to Neroâ€™s Streak move, with Dante dashing toward a target to deliver a stab. Add on Million Stab, however, and he ends the move with a series of insanely fast strikes.
Swords Formation:Â This ability conjures swords to fight alongside you. It can be upgraded further to increase its power, and the extra damage youâ€™ll deal can make some of Danteâ€™s more hectic fights easier to manage.
Balrog
The Balrog functions as two weapons, as its “modes” transform it from lightning-fast punching gauntlets into powerful kicking greaves. You can swap between the two instantly, and itâ€™s great for delivering a quick burst of damage after you attack with the Rebellion first.
Get the following abilities first:
Updraft:Â Launch enemies up with a kick. This is a good alternative to the “back-plus-melee” attack Dante can do with his sword and serves as a great starter for a combination of attacks.
Rolling Blaze:Â Damage enemies when you jump in the air. This shouldnâ€™t be used as an attack in its own right, but will let you getÂ somethingÂ out of making an escape from danger.
Cavaliere
Itâ€™s a full-size motorcycle that Dante can rip in half and use as melee weapons. Yes, the one in that post-E3 trailer.
The slowest melee weapon in the game, the Cavaliere is also an absolute monster when it comes to taking down armoured targets. At the end of certain attacks, you can also grind enemies into its wheels for even more damage.
These are the abilities you should unlock for this beast:
Cross Line:Â Dante crosses two halves of the bike over for an extremely powerful attack that can damage anyone & anything in front of him. This is ideal for larger and/or armoured targets.
Highside:Â In midair, Dante does serious damage with the Cavaliere and then soars skyward. Great for linking combo attacks together or for getting airtime while keeping yourself away from enemies.
Braking:Â Dante slams the Cavaliere down and drives enemies into wheels. Ideal for situations when there are low-level enemies that can be easily killed on the ground below, or for quickly dealing damage to armoured targets.
King Cerberus
A versatile, shape-shifting weapon, the King Cerberus can take the form of lengthened nunchucks or a powerful staff, depending on which button you press. You receive it late in the game, and itâ€™s great for quickly damaging enemies on the ground.
Get these abilities first for your hybrid weapon:
Revolver:Â Spin violently into the air and bring chains down on the enemy. Effective against targets directly in front of you.
Long Revolver:Â Electrify your weapon and do several full-length spins. Preparing this attack takes a second, making it less effective in hectic fights but great for fights against one or two strong enemies.
Crystal:Â Sent huge glacial blade at enemies. Good for taking out targets at long-distance, particularly if youâ€™re using a ranged weapon like the Coyote-A.
Ebony and Ivory
Danteâ€™s classic pistols, Ebony and Ivory have impressive range and can keep combo attacks going, but they donâ€™t do much damage in their own right. Their ability to keep targets off balance can be enhanced with one ability.
Charge Shot:Â Dante charges up both pistols and does several seconds of rapid-fire shots. Ideal for breaking guards or keeping a combo going.
Coyote-A
A powerful shotgun with a short range, the Coyote-A does tremendous damage and is perfect for killing flying enemies who evade Danteâ€™s melee attacks.
Make sure you get the following ability to get the most out of it.
Charge Shell:Â Dante launches a super-powerful slug at the enemy. This attack takes a long time to charge up, but if uses at the very beginning of a battle, it can help you quickly gain the momentum.
Kalina Ann and Double Kalina Ann
A rocket launcher acquired near the end ofÂ Devil May Cry 5, the Kalina Ann is perfect for dealing damage from afar to larger enemies and bosses. Itâ€™s less useful in hectic fights against multiple targets though.
A second launcher can be found and turn the weapon into the Double Kalina Ann. Get the following abilities if you want to focus on this weapon:
High Explosive:Â Add explosive to the missile you fire for extra damage.
Cascade:Â While using the Double Kalina Ann, charge up a powerful beam of energy that pierces through targets. Also knocks them back.
Dr. Faust
Dr. Faust is hand-given to Dante by Nico that allows him to spend Red Orbs in exchange for a powerful and rapid-fire projectile attack. It should not be used on your first run through the game, as you should be spending those Red Orbs on other abilities. That said, you should unlock this ability:
Man in Red:Â Surround self in red orbs that deal damage when they hit enemies. Used in conjunction with other attacks to do extra damage.
V, The Poet Who Knoweth

He plays like a wizard in an action game with summons; kinda like a Dragon’s Dogma character if that makes sense.
Trigger Heart:Â Reduces the rate of Devil Trigger expends while Nightmare is active. This is essential for larger fights because a sizable portion of your damage will come from Nightmare. Get it as early as you can.
Griffon
Griffon is a wise-cracking raven who primarily uses ranged combat. His standard electricity bolts wear down enemies, but itâ€™s his larger area-of-effect attacks that are the most useful.
Blockade:Â Summons lightning down that does damage to a wide area. Good for lots of weaker enemies, and when you have multiple targets nearing death.
Flank Attack:Â Charges forward and launches enemies into the air.Â Most useful when battling a single enemy so that Shadow can follow up with is own attack.
Double Check:Â Fires an electric shock forward that slams into enemies. Good for crowd control, especially when you canâ€™t use Nightmare.
Griffon Vigor:Â Essentially a health boost. Stronger defence prevents stalemating from occurring too quickly.
Griffon Vim:Â Allows Griffon to come back more quickly from a stalemate. Get this ability as soon as possible.
Shadow
A deadly panther with impressive range, Shadow is your primary melee weapon. Heâ€™s capable of dealing damage to multiple targets at a time but functions best when in one-on-one scenarios.
Breakthrough:Â Shadow dives forward and dashes ahead, attacking with tentacles in front. Good for getting to targets at a medium range.
Guillotine:Â While in midair, Shadow spins forward or drop attacks on enemies. This can do tremendous damage, especially to targets who are also airborne.
Shadow Vigor:Â Essentially a health boost. Functions identically to Griffonâ€™s ability.
Shadow Vim:Â Allows Shadow to recover from a stalemate more quickly. Identical to Griffonâ€™s ability. Get this ability as soon as possible.
Nightmare
A hulking, golem-like creature, Nightmare appears when you activate Vâ€™s Devil Trigger ability, and it will fight for you until the meter is empty. Nightmare can devastate targets of any size, so you donâ€™t want to waste it on smaller battles.
Domination:Â Nightmare fires a large laser from its eye while V is riding him. This can only be done after performing Illegal Move, which is performed by moving the stick backward and then forward.
Next Page: Blue Orbs, Secret Missions.


[Report] The Batman Movie Villains Already Confirmed

Warner Bros announced earlier this month that Robert Pattinson would be our Dark Knight for the new trilogy of The Batman movies currently in the works. Besides that, details have been scarce and the entire project remains shrouded in secrecy.
However, reports are coming out that the villains for the upcoming Batman reboot have already been leaked.
According to inside sources by Geeks Worldwide, early production documents have revealed who Pattinson’s Batman will be facing in the upcoming movie. What’s even crazier is that there will reportedly be four whopping villains in the first movie alone.
Here are the four reportedly confirmed villains for The Batman:
The Riddler

In the documents for The Batman, the Riddler is described as â€œa criminal mastermind in Gotham City who takes delight in incorporating riddles and puzzles into his schemes, leaving them as clues for the authorities to solve.â€
Director Matt Reeves is looking for a male actor of any ethnicity between the ages of 30 and 40 to occupy this role.
The Riddler was last seen in live-action form with Jim Carrey’s manic turn in 1995’s Batman Forever and Cory Michael Smith as a younger version of the villain in the recently-concluded Fox TV series Gotham.
The Penguin

In the documents for The Batman, the Penguin is described as a â€œGotham City mobster, who is a short, obese man with a long nose, and uses high-tech umbrellas as weapons.â€
Reeves is looking for a male actor of any ethnicity between the ages of 20 and 40 to occupy this role.
The Penguin was last seen in live-action form with Danny De Vito’s grotesque take in Tim Burton’s Batman Returns (1992) and Robin Lord Taylor as a younger, skinnier version of the villain in the recently-concluded Fox TV series Gotham.
Catwoman

In the documents for The Batman, Catwoman is described as a â€œGotham City burglar who wears a tight one-piece outfit and uses a bullwhip for a weapon.â€
Reeves is looking for an actress of any ethnicity between the ages of 20 and 30 to occupy this role.
Catwoman was last seen in live-action form with Anne Hathaway’s more subdued take in 2012’s The Dark Knight Rises and Camren Bicondova as a teenage version of character in the recently-concluded Fox TV series Gotham.
Firefly

In the documents for The Batman, Firefly is described as “a professional arsonist who attempts to burn all the places that he lacked the privilege to go as an orphan child.â€
Reeves is looking for a male actor of any ethnicity between the ages of 20 and 30 to occupy this role.
While Firefly has never appeared in any Batman movie, the villain has appeared in the recently-concluded Fox TV series Gotham. However, that was a female version of the character created specifically for the series, played by two different actresses across four seasons.
While these four villains from Batman’s rogues’ gallery appears in the early production documents for The Batman, the lineup could always change as production is slated to only begin sometime in 2020. A lot of details in the script could change by then, and that includes which villains will ultimately feature in the movie.
In the meantime, head on over here to find out what I think of Robert Pattinson becoming the next Caped Crusader.


Persona 5’s Joker & The Gang Breaks Into Final Fantasy Brave Exvius

Square Enix and Atlus have announced a collaboration between Persona 5 Royal and War Of The Visions Final Fantasy Brave Exvius, which will run from 22 December 2021 until 31 January 2022.
As part of the collaboration, Persona 5 Royal protagonists Joker and Queen will join War Of The Visions Final Fantasy Brave Exvius as obtainable UR units from 22 December 2021 and Violet as a UR unit from 1 January 2022. Players can also look forward to a collaboration event quest, which will feature Cognitive Kaneshiro, Kamoshida and Niijima as bosses in the game.
This isn’t the first time that Persona 5 Royal characters have appeared in another game. Joker previously joined Super Smash Bros. Ultimate as a playable fighter. You can head on over to the official website hereÂ or check out my guide for War Of The Visions Final Fantasy Brave Exvius.
In the meantime, check out the trailer below:


Here’s How and When You Can Get Into The Limited Time Gran Turismo Sport Demo

Still undecided on whether to pick up the latest Gran Turismo game – Gran Turismo Sport or not? Well you’re in luck as you are now able to try it out before its official release via a limited time demo which kicks off next week.
PlayStation Asia earlier today announced that they will be running aÂ Limited Time Demo in Asia for â€˜Gran Turismo Sportâ€™ from Monday, October 9th to Thursday, October 12thÂ  2017, ahead of the game’s October 17th 2017 release date.
While players can start playing the demo from Monday the 9th at 3PM (KUL/ SG/ HK) til 11PMÂ (KUL/SG/HK) on Thursday the 12th, you can only start downloading the game the earliest at 11AM on the 9th October. Would be cool if they allowed a larger gap in between but it’s better than nothing, right?
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bvFI7CinN8&w=560&h=315]
According to the official press release, the Gran Turismo Sport Limited Time Demo will allow players to experience select features from the main game, including the Campaign Mode, Sport Mode, Arcade Mode, Scapes, and the Livery Editor among many others. Quite an awful lot considering the short span for the demo.
However, the best part of the whole demo? Accrued in-game credits (up to 1 million credits) and cars players earn can be carried over into the retail game. Now that’s a smart move, Sony.

Gran Turismo Sport hits the PS4 come October 17th 2017


Deadpool 3 Will See Jennifer Garner Returning As Elektra

It’s been two whole decades since Jennifer Garner played the role of the assassin Elektra Natchios in 2003’s Daredevil alongside Ben Affleck as the Man Without Fear (as well as 2005’s spinoff Elektra), but she is set to reprise her role in the upcoming Deadpool 3.
According to multiple sources (via The Hollywood Reporter), Jennifer Garner will play Elektra again in Deadpool 3, which is currently in production and filming. Confirmed actors so far include Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool and Hugh Jackman as Wolverine.
Not much is currently known about the movie, but rumours are rife that it will feature multiversal elements, which is how the movie can feature characters from other universes, as well as providing a way for Deadpool to officially enter the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
Deadpool 3 is slated to premiere next year on 3 May 2024, which is less than a year from now.
Both 2003’s Daredevil and 2005’s Elektra are currently available to watch on Disney+ Hotstar.


New Super Mario Bros. Movie Trailer Showcases Badass Princess Peach, Karts, Rainbow Road, & Luigi In Peril

Nintendo just revealed the second Super Mario Bros. Movie trailer, featuring the first appearances of Donkey Kong and Princess Peach.
Donkey Kong is voiced by Seth Rogen while Princess Peach is voiced by Anya Taylor-Joy, who was last seen in the black comedy satire film The Menu. The trailer spotlights her role in being a competent ruler of the Toads, even being able to use the trademark Fire Flower powerup at one point, and with Mario himself learning the ropes of being a hero. Filing in the damsel in distress role is Luigi, voiced by Charlie Day.

The last scene in the trailer depicts the heroes riding their karts and bikes on a rainbow road.

It is a rather refreshing update and take that’s sure to make more people look up to another female role model. It also doesn’t seem to show off any signs of it being a musical; perhaps they’re keeping it a secret until the very end. Check out the new trailer below, along with new movie posters and some supercuts from us.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie will be out in 7th April 2023 in USA, though it’ll arrive first in Europe, South America, and Australia on 30th March. Belgium will get the movie on 22nd March, while Japan will be getting the movie on 27th April.


Destiny 2’s Infamously Bugged Weapon Is Now Getting The Spotlight This Season

Destiny 2’s Telesto Fusion Rifle is renowned to be a buggy weapon. However, the latest one may be intentional.
For context, Destiny 2’s Telesto is infamous for breaking the game, ranging from deleting bosses through walls to crashing a player’s game when approaching the Tower’s gunsmith. There are videos of this documenting the phenomenon as well as a website that tracks how long it’s been since the fusion rifle has gone unbugged.

Destiny 2’s latest patch may have given Telesto a unique bug and possibly a new mystery for people to solve. See, the gun now fires coded patterns into the sky while smoking and sparking as you charge the rifle up for a shot. According to Forbes writer Paul Tassi, you will need to hold the reload button to have it firing normally again. Plus the shots are arranged as constellations.

TELESTO is sparking, smoking and shooting out what I believe could be coded patterns into the sky
you have to hold reload to literally smack it to get it firing normally again
no, this is not your average Telesto bug. Get to work… pic.twitter.com/vOy9NNtdJW
— Paul Tassi (@PaulTassi) November 8, 2022

This new Telesto bug may be a key to solving a Destiny 2 community mystery. See, there’s an emblem called Schrodinger’s Gun which was found in the game’s files and there’s the current Destiny 2 Season Of Plunder where you rebuild the Eliksni Quarter by donating materials and currency, which may be tied to the Telesto’s constellation shots. Or maybe not and we’ll have to wait until Bungie launches another update (probably on December), which would hopefully be a puzzle involving this weird “bug”. Until then, the crackpot theories from the community will keep a-coming.


The Steam Deck Launches Next Month

Valve has announced that the Steam Deck will launch on 25 February 2022.
At 1 pm ET on 25 February 2022 (or 2 am GMT+8 on 26 February 2022), Valve will send out the first batch of order emails to reservation holders. Customers will have 3 days (72 hours) from receipt of their order email to make their purchase before their reservation is released to the next person in the queue. The first units will be on their way to customers starting the 28th, and we plan to release new order email batches on a weekly cadence.
In addition, the press review embargo on Steam Deck coverage will lift on 25 February 2022, but there will be some preview coverage and impressions before that.
The Steam Deck was originally announced in July 2021. It’sÂ essentially a portable handheld PC capable of playing Steam games. It is slated to launch in December with three versions featuring different specifications.
Basically, the Steam Deck can play games on Steam just like a PC, and it can also be docked, similarly to the Nintendo Switch (but is sold separately). Itâ€™s powered by a custom AMD Zen 2 + RDNA 2 APU, which is described as capable of â€œdelivering more than enough performance to run the latest AAA gamesâ€.
The Steam Deck is a PC, so you can apparently also install third-party software and operating systems.
Physically, the Steam Deck features a 7-inch touchscreen, two thumbsticks, a D-pad, and a four-button layout. There are also two trackpads; one on either side of the machine and another under the thumbsticks. It also has eight triggers on its back: four on the deviceâ€™s shoulders and four more where the ring and pinky fingers rest.
These include the following:

64GBÂ (US$399)

64GB eMMC internal storage.
Carrying case.

256GBÂ (US$529)

256GB NVMe SSD internal storage.
Faster storage.
Carrying case.
Exclusive Steam Community profile bundle.

512GBÂ (US$649)

512GB NVMe SSD internal storage.
Fastest storage.
Premium anti-glare etched glass.
Exclusive carrying case.

Here are the full specs of the Steam Deck:

CPU:Â AMD Zen 2 4c/8t, 2.4-3.5GHz (up to 448 GFlops FP32)
GPU:Â 8 RDNA 2 CUs, 1.0-1.6GHz (up to 1.6 TFlops FP32)
RAM:Â 16 GB DDR5
Storage:Â 64GB, 256GB, 512GB versions; expandable with MicroSD cards
Display:Â 7â€³ diagonal, 1280Ã—800 (16:10), 60Hz LCD touchscreen
Audio:Â Stereo speakers that â€œpack a punch,â€ says Valve, 3.5mm stereo jack, dual mics, multichannel USB-C/Bluetooth output
Controls:Â Two analog sticks with capacitive touch, D-pad, face buttons, analog triggers, bumpers, assignable grip buttons, â€œviewâ€ and â€œmenuâ€ buttons, gyro
Trackpads:Â Thereâ€™s two of them, andÂ Valve says that they have â€œ55% better latency compared to Steam Controller.â€
Wireless connectivity:Â Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
Wired connectivity:Â USB-C with DisplayPort 1.4 Alt-mode support; up to 8K @60Hz or 4K @120Hz, USB 3.2 Gen 2
Battery:Â 40Whr, â€œ2-8 hours of gameplayâ€
Size:Â 11.7â€³ x 4.6â€³ x 1.8â€³ (298mm x 117mm x 49mm)
Weight:Â Approximately 1.47 lbs (669 grams)


Here’s How XP Progression Works for All Call of Duty Games From Now On

We finally have a proper description on how XP progression is going to happen from Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Season 1 onwards. Following Activision’s gambit in unifying three distinct games – Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019), Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War and their battle royale component, Call of Duty: Warzone – under one umbrella, so does the XP leveling up, Battle Pass, weapon XP and in-game progressions.
As explained by well renown source of all CoD related news, Charlie Intel via Twitter, players are given a variety of ways to earn XP and rank up. Starting December 16 when Season 1 kicks off for Cold War, those who currently own Modern Warfare and still have not jumped into this year’s CoD game can still rank up their Battle Pass even though they are not playing the Cold War core multiplayer games. In their own words;

They also cleared the air on the weapon XP progressions. Recently, Activision announced the move to make all Cold War AND Modern Warfare weapons usable in Warzone. Weapon XP earned only goes to the game the weapons originate from. So for instance, if you do not own Cold War, but picked up a Cold War-type AUG, you will not gain any weapon XP. Activision haven’t clarified whether you’ll be able to redeem these XP later, once you install the game though. But since Activision have a running system which tracks players’ progressions and records across games, our bet is that whatever XP earned will only be reflected for those who own the specific game they are attributed to.

Speaking of Season 1 for Cold War, Activision also released an official reveal of the upcoming season, featuring a smaller, more dense battle royale map called Rebirth Island, new multiplayer maps – one which resembles the interior of the KGB headquarters as seen in the story mode, new scorestreaks, weapons, and operators such as Stitch, Bulldozer and Zeyna. Also worth pointing out is the new gulag which is better lit, less dingy and appears to be set inside a warehouse.

Breaking: Watch the #BlackOpsColdWar & #Warzone Season One Trailer now! pic.twitter.com/5x7jt5FB2H
â€” Call of Duty News (@charlieINTEL) December 11, 2020

And yes. Warzone is still free to play.
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Season 1 starts December 16th.


Magic: The Gathering Now Features Optimus Prime & Transformers

Wizards of the Coast and parent company Hasbro have revealed new Magic: The Gathering cards for the Brothers’ War expansion, and it’s more than meets the eye.
For the first time, the Transformers will be playable Magic: The Gathering cards during Hasbro’s PulseCon reveal. The cards will be featured as the first Universes Beyond set that exists within another normal expansion. The six new cards revealed are:

Optimus Prime, Autobot Leader / Optimus Prime, Hero
Goldbug, Scrappy Scout / Goldbug, Humanity’s Ally
Starscream, Seeker Leader / Starscream, Power Hungry
Soundwave, Superior Captain / Soundwave, Sonic Spy
Flamewar, Streetwise Operative / Flamewar, Brash Veteran
Slicer, High-Speed Antagonist / Slicer, Hired Muscle

Just revealed at #HasbroPulseCon!
Six double-sided Transformers cards which you'll be able to get in #MTGBRO Bundles as well as Set & Collector boosters, in either their normal frame or the "Shattered Glass."
First up: Optimus Prime & Starscream pic.twitter.com/OZOMxc1tjn
— Magic: The Gathering (@wizards_magic) September 30, 2022

And last for today: Goldbug & Flamewar! pic.twitter.com/ZWZS1ALICk
— Magic: The Gathering (@wizards_magic) September 30, 2022

Seeing as these robots can transform into cars and planes, these creature cards will use the double-faced mechanics established since the Innistrad expansion. When you fulfill certain conditions, the face-up card will transform to the card’s face-down side. According to an IGN report, there will be 15 Transformers cards in total. Each of them will be in two different styles; one depicts the G1 versions of the 80s cartoon/toyline, while the other depicts the latest Shattered Glass comics where the Autobots are the bad guys and the Decepticons are good. Nemesis Prime, anyone?
Because of their unique mechanics, these cards are only playable in Commander, Legacy, and Vintage format. So no using these bad boys in Standard tournament formats.
The Transformers aren’t the only popular pop culture IPs integrated into Magic: The Gathering. The CCG company also featured a Warhammer 40K collection, as well as special Doctor Who, The Walking Dead, and Arcane: League of Legends sets.


Monster Hunter: World Has Shipped & Sold Over 20 Million Copies

Capcom’s Monster Hunter series continues to make bank, with its 2018 title Monster Hunter: World surpassing over 20 million copies in sales and shipments.
Here’s the full statement on Monster Hunter: World’s latest milestone via the company’s investor report.
“In recent years, Capcomâ€™s promotion of digital sales has enabled it to realize long-term, global sales for its major titles. With the January 2018 release ofÂ Monster Hunter: WorldÂ in particular, Capcom was able to propel theÂ Monster HunterÂ series to global-brand status with a series-first worldwide simultaneous launch coupled with international promotional activities, establishing the game as Capcomâ€™s best-selling title of all time within a month of its release and being honored with awards the world over.
In the more than three years since the gameâ€™s release, in addition to promoting digital sales, Capcom also launchedÂ Monster Hunter World: IceborneÂ (Iceborne, below), a massive premium expansion for the game, as well as a bundle containing both titles, capitalizing on synergies withÂ IceborneÂ and resulting in prolonged sales that ledÂ Monster Hunter: World to achieve a Capcom all-time record of 20 million units shipped.”
You can definitely expect Monster Hunter: Rise to reach those numbers once the PC version comes out next year. For more on the series, check out our guide for the JRPG spin-off Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin.


Modest US$50k Wonderful 101 Port Kickstarter Finishes At US$2.2 Million

The crowd has spoken: The Wonderful 101: Remastered Kickstarter is truly a-go-go, baby!
The campaign has reached a grand total of US$2.2 million, way ahead of its original US$50,000 pledge. The fact that it reached US$1.5 million stretch goal within hours after it was announced proved that there is a demand for PlatinumGames ports of their more esoteric and challenging titles. The team issued the following thank-you note as follows:

“We at Platinum Games want to express our heartfelt appreciation for all the warm wishes and support for our Kickstarter for The Wonderful 101: Remastered! We couldn’t have done it without all of you!”

The remaster will be out for PC, Nintendo Switch, and PS4 later this year on 19th May. On a related note, PlatinumGames director Hideki Kamiya also announced his latest project: Project G.G., which is basically his homage to Ultraman.Â


Indivisible Is Sublime 90s RPGing 4 Years In The Making

Platform(s): PC, PS4, Xbox One
Genre: 90s JRPG In Lush 2019 2D Southeast Asian Aesthetics
Fantasy RPG Indivisible is a byproduct from people who love fighting games and 2D exploration platformers who also happen to love the art and culture of Southeast Asia. From the padi field village where our heroine Ajna lives to the seedy underbelly reminiscent of Manila’s ugly side, complete with its nod to the ever-famous fast-food chain Jollibee, you can see and feel the love put into its backdrops & detail.
And that’s not even mentioning the fluidity and anime-slash-Western-art fusion style going on with the game’s party members and the way they grace the screen. In a way, that’s also a key element you need to pay attention to once you experience your first-ever fight with a full party.
“Valkyrie”ing & Profilin’

See, Ajna has the ability to “store” people in her mind via the Inner Realm from your repentant warriors to your oddball botanists. Whenever she fights in combat, she and her party members are mapped onto your face buttons on your pad. Pressing them will make them attack a target enemy.
Conversely, you can block and mitigate enemy damage by pressing the same face buttons; press the left bumper button if you want all of your party to block simultaneously.
Here’s where it gets interesting; each character has different forms and styles of attacks and gimmicks. Ajna is straightforward: she can do a regular attack, perform lows and launch attacks by pressing down or up plus the attack button to respectively guard break or juggle foes. Edgelord Dhar can store up to 12 charges and then launch them later for massive damage. The aforementioned botanist Ginseng can heal Ajna and company; its effectiveness is based on how many attacks she’s performed.
And then there’s the super meter on the top part of the screen: once it’s filled up, you can launch a barrage of special character skills and attacks to turn the tide of battle. Or you can just press both bumper buttons on your controller to resurrect whoever KOed in-game.
If you’ve played 1999’s Valkyrie Profile, you’ll know what to do here.

This is just a small sample of the diversity and fighting game influence Indivisible has to offer, and it’s glorious. Half the fun is recruiting the characters you want, and then testing them out in combat to see what power combination works. I’m a pretty straightforward bruiser, so my Ajna is accompanied with the AoE-focused Tungar, mortar-focused Baozhai, and quasi-healer Thorani.
If you want to get creative, you can experiment with the more unique party members like Hunoch/Xiboch, a twofer character with physical and magical ball slams, and Kushi, who is basically Samurai Shodown‘s Nakoruru.
Coupled with the sound design and simple screen effects playing to the ethnic-influenced works of Hiroki Kikuta, and you’ll have a blast connecting hits and doing your own figurative combo video in this facsimile Southeast Asian fantasy land.
A Different Symphony

The other brunt of the game is the Metroidvania structure of exploring Indivisible’s many locales. As you progress the 2D landscape, Ajna will learn new skills to overcome obstacles. She can pole-vault to hard-to-reach places or use special arrows to cover up vertical hazards so she can wall jump her way to the top.
Earlier sections that were barred can be revisited once you unlock a majority of Ajna’s tools and powers. Should you get killed by a pitfall or four, you’ll just resurrect a few steps away; no muss, no fuss.
Usually, these secret caches hold power-ups that improve Ajna’s defense and offense. Granted, the game won’t take you that long to get strong and uncover most of its hidden areas -20 hours or less give or take- but for what you’re paying for, it’s worth the effort. Not many games give you many options to either partake or avoid combat; Indivisible not only satisfies in delivering but at least gives you a healthy amount of choices.
She Is Legion

It’s a shame that the game got a bit easy at the last few hours of the game. If you’re a diligent RPG fan who relishes in the game’s fun combat, chances are you’ll unlock a great party with ample physical and magical attack combos. Or you’re at level 40 or so and can literally button-mash your way to victory.

Still, Indivisible‘s early and mid-game journey is a thrill ride that will hit your nostalgic buttons in the right places, as well as create a fresh experience with its melding of multiple genres into one cohesive package.

I’d honestly be shocked if this Lab Zero creation isn’t on any RPG aficionado’s top 10 list of 2019. This labour of love is more than enough to put most RPG-focused bigwig companies to shame.
Pros

Lovely art & sound.
Fun real-time arcade combat with depth.
Diverse cast with cute & funny personalities & stories.

Cons

Becomes a mash-happy cakewalk in the last third of the game.

FINAL SCORE: 90/100


The “Best” Chrono Trigger PC Reviews So Far

Square Enix announced the beloved classic RPG Chrono Trigger for PC. The problem? It’s basically a port of the iOS and Android version that isn’t even optimized for the platform.
Naturally, people like yours truly are livid about this piece of news. Most people expected this version of the game to be like the Secret of Mana remaster but, well, good. Some wanted to get a perfect port from the SNES version and not having to shell out US$19.90 dollars for it.
Perhaps the only good thing that came out of this PR clusterf*** is the amount of reviews the game is getting on Chrono Trigger. Grab your popcorn, boys and girls: you’re ready for a word-filled ride.

I like the last one’s starting quote. Very poignant; just needs that Lavos cry to make it all the more effective.


Alive Proves There Is Still Life In The Zombie Genre

The South Korea entertainment circuit is no stranger to great zombie content. They have cemented their place in pop culture with the likes of 2016’s Train To Busan, Netflix’s Kingdom, and most recently, 2020’s Peninsula (the sequel to Train To Busan). What else can they do with the genre?
Well, director Cho Il-hyung has proven that there is still more life in the zombie genre, as he gives us a non-conventional zombie movie that focuses less on the zombie outbreak itself. But how a modern young person would survive one, and how he or she copes with the loneliness and despair of experiencing one?
That’s what Alive, the latest film from the director, is trying to tap onto.
Joon-woo Of The Dead

Alive doesn’t take long to reach the good stuff, as the movie starts with the beginning of a zombie outbreak. The story begins with protagonist Oh Joon-woo (Yoo Ah-in) wakes up to find that his family (parents and sister) are not at home. He finds a note saying that they are out for the day, and as young millennials are wont to do, he starts the day by playing PUBG.
You see, Joon-woo is not just a gamer, but a streamer with subscribers. His gaming session is interrupted by chaos erupting on the streets outside his apartment, where people are attacking each other.
Joon-woo turns on the TV to discover that a zombie outbreak is gripping the country and decides to remain quarantined and isolated in the relative safety of his apartment on the behest of his family.
All this happens in the first ten minutes of the movie (which has a runtime of an hour and 30 minutes), and the rest of the movie has Joon-woo trying to survive on his own while fending off the occasional zombie. What distinguishes Alive from other movies is that viewers will be able to witness Joon-woo’s attempts to stay alive and more importantly, mentally sane, while being trapped within his own apartment with little food and worsening conditions outside.
The movie picks up again when he comes into contact with a fellow survivor named Kim Yoo-bin (Park Shin-hye); a girl living in an apartment across the street from his own. I won’t spoil anything, but the heartwarming relationship and sweet interactions between them is a clear highlight of the entire movie.
These will leave you wanting and wishing the best for these two characters, which makes for a great watch that will keep you invested in them until the very end. Will they survive, or will they die?
It is a zombie movie after all, and the best part is seeing who makes it Alive at the very end, especially if they’re characters that you care for (like these two in Alive).
Gamer’s Guide To Surviving The Zombie Apocalypse

Don’t get me wrong, it’s not like the whole movie is all drama and psychological horror. Zombie fans will still find a lot to like in Alive, especially as it seems to be inspired by other iconic movies in the same genre. For instance, the zombies in Alive are extremely fast and aggressive (not Romero’s slow and shifting undead), similar to Train To Busan, which itself followed in the example of 2002’s 28 Days Later.
As the protagonist is a gamer and tech-savvy person (reflecting the trend of young millennials today), he survives using modern tech and facilities. He relies on his flying drone to inspect his surroundings and help him complete other tasks. Social media also plays a huge role in the movie, though I can’t reveal how without spoiling the movie.
Alive is still very much a fictional movie, so it’s not all realistic. However, the actions of the protagonist are very much expected and believable, which makes his character more relatable than most gun-toting action heroes in other zombie flicks (cough Resident Evil cough). What makes Alive an intense and intriguing watch is that Joon-woo is an average Joe.
That said, while Alive is still violent and gruesome (especially in its depiction of it zombies and how they attack humans), there’s noticeably a lack of blood or guts in the movie. This would be glaring for anyone familiar with other zombie movies. Perhaps it’s to avoid this movie from receiving an 18+ rating.
No Train To Busan

Alive is a good zombie movie, but it probably won’t be as iconic or memorable as 2016’s Train To Busan. It doesn’t take as many risks, either in its narrative or horror elements. It might even be considered tame compared to other zombie movies, though this is relative. Maybe I’m just too desensitized toward the zombie genre at this point.
This movie is worth watching, if only for the performances and dynamic between the two main characters, as well as what it’d be like for an actual person to attempt to stay Alive in an apartment during a zombie outbreak. There won’t be much of anything you haven’t seen before though, and that still hurts the movie a little bit.
FINAL SCORE: 70/100


The PS5 Is Coming Out In China This May

Play will have no limits in China soon enough.
During the PlayStation China live stream event today, the company announced that the PS5 console (regular and digital edition) will be out in Mainland China this 15th May. The units will cost 3,899 and 3,099 yuan respectively. If you are in China, you can pre-order the consoles starting 29th April, which is right now.
PS5 owners with a PlayStation Plus membership will also have access to the PlayStation Plus Collection in China, which includes:

Final Fantasy XV
Gravity Rush 2
Hardcore Mecha
Helldivers: Dive Harder Edition
Horizon Zero DawnÂ /Â Horizon Zero Dawn â€“ The Frozen Wilds
Journey
The Last Guardian
LittleBigPlanet 3
Loco Roco Remastered
Ratchet & Clank
Tearaway
WipEout Omega Collection

On a related note, major Chinese RPG title Genshin Impact is now available for the PS5.Â


PlayStation Developers Badgered Sony To Bring Games Onto PC

Turns out that PlayStation’s sudden turn to port their games onto PC was out of duress, according to God of War (2018) director Cory Barlog.
According to the director (via Game Informer), Santa Monica Studio’s creative director said that it was a collective of studios who told Sony that having their games onto PC is aÂ  good idea.
“I think it was the collective of studios all over saying this is a really good idea. We should be looking into this. Eventually, I think it reached that tipping point. When we had sent so many suggestion box suggestions that they were like, â€˜Iâ€™m tired of hearing all this. Fine, weâ€™ll do this.â€™
Itâ€™s a process. Weâ€™re still figuring it out as a company and as individual studios how to do this and what the process and strategy will be.”
Will there be a shorter release gap between God of War Ragnarok’s PS5/PS4 and PC port? Cory said he has no idea.
“Right now, weâ€™re taking it one game at a time, kind of looking at each one and determining, â€˜Okay, is this the best thing?â€™ And weâ€™ll gauge how it does. Do people enjoy it? Did we do it right? Is there anything we did wrong? What can we do better in the future if we do this again?
But at the end of the day, ultimately, itâ€™s Sonyâ€™s decision.”
God of War (2018) is the latest PlayStation exclusive game to be ported onto PC. The port took two years to develop. The port features improved graphics and the same action-filled third-person gameplay that wowed us back then.


Dragon Quest Movie Slammed By DQ V Fans For Plot Twist

That pretty cool-looking if Western-styled CGI animated Dragon Quest movie, Dragon Quest: Your Story, was out in Japan early August. Movie-goers and gaming fans over there watched the film, and have voiced out their complaints in the form of 2-star reviews over at IMDB-like Japanese site Eiga.com (via Siliconera).

But what the heck were they pissed off about? I will need to bring up spoilers as the complaints stem on the game’s narrative. You were warned.

So here’s what happened: the film starts off just like Dragon Quest V’s story save for main hero Lucas’ childhood bits, which was glossed over. The show’s complaints on the site were mostly about the disjointed episodic nature of the film.
However, the film pulls off a twist: when the main villain shows up, he explains that he is a game bug built from the character data of Nimzo. Essentially, the film goes meta on its audience; main hero Lucas is actually a human player embodying the role of Lucas in an immersive VR Dragon Quest V experience. As he is about to be ejected from the virtual world by the Nimzo bug, he gets saved by a Slime he recruited, who turns out to be an anti-bug program in a deus ex machina sort of reveal.
The hero triumphs over fake Nimzo after an arduous battle, and also brought in a weapon from the first Dragon Quest game to finish him off. The game world is then saved, with the player learning a valuable lesson: even if the games are not real, the memories together with the characters in the game will forever live within them.

You can call this video game propaganda from Square Enix, the current makers of 50+ hour JRPGs, if you’re feeling cynical. Heck, a lot of Dragon Quest are being vocal about this turn of events and its moral. They felt as if the director and writer gave up on doing a faithful adaptation of DQV’s story and just added this Sword Arts Online-esque bait-and-switch. Plus, they mentioned that DQV’s Zenithian sword gets shafted in favour of a DQ1 superweapon.
Me personally? Assuming that it’s handled well direction and narrative-wise, I am fine with this. I was told that the film did foreshadow the meta-narrative from the game-like presentation in certain key scenes. The fact that Lucas speaks like a normal kid, as well as the film title, is a dead giveaway.
For many fans, it is considered a cop-out, but for other film-goers who are open-minded and don’t mind the deviation from its source material just to be clever with its message, it’s a welcome sight. There’s no English language release date for this film as of yet; we may get more news on it in the near future.


Xbox Project Scarlett Promises Beefier CPU

4K gaming at 120fps! Minimal to no loading screens! It will even make you coffee!
Okay, that last one is a stretch (unless…) but Xbox Project Scarlett is making a lot of promises and Xbox general manager Aaron Greeberg is saying that their focus on beefing up their CPU will be the game changer.
Speaking to Official Xbox Magazine (now under GamesRadar), Greeberg said that consumers will see more focus on CPU instead of GPU in the next generation of consoles.

“What we’re seeing today is a huge upgrade in GPU – you can output in 4K, a lot of other benefits, memory structure and so on. For next-gen, I think you’ll see a big upgrade in CPU because we want to make sure you don’t have any compromises with frame rate. Yes we can do 4K, but we can also do frame rates up to 120.”
– Aaron Greeberg, Xbox General Manager.
With the announcements of new Ryzen CPUs and the trend of SSDs becoming more affordable, intermediate processes such as loading screens, installation times, instant menu-to-game transitions, and more are becoming faster on PC.
Next gen consoles are always learning from their desktop counterparts and trying their best to implement the same technology in a more consumer-friendly package. Will they be able to offer something great next year?

The tricky thing about making more powerful consoles is keeping the price low or at least at affordable levels. One of the main reasons why people buy consoles instead of gaming PCs is that they’re often cheaper and involve a lot less hassle.
It’ll be interesting to see how both Microsoft and Sony (with their upcoming PS5) are going to balance the power and cost of their next gen consoles.
At E3 2019, Microsoft announced that Xbox Project Scarlett will be released in Holiday 2020 so we can expect it to drop between October and December 2020.


Adorable SG-Made BattleSky Brigade: Tap Tap Clickerfest Saved Its Company

Sometimes, you just have to suck it up and improvise when things don’t go as planned, or when the seemingly bottomless money pit is finite. Just ask Singapore studio BattleBrew Productions.
The original idea for its BattleSky Brigade game was going to be a meaty real-time strategy title with its own three playable races. However, the team mentioned to Channel News Asia that they couldn’t secure enough funds. Their investors were looking for other types of games. But thanks to some suggestions at a Taipei games expo, they made the hard choice and create a clicker game based on the BattleSky Brigade IP.
With the brain-dead simplicity of tapping the screen for stuff to happen for that neanderthal-level gratification, combined with BattleSky Brigade‘s cute aesthetics, the game was downloaded “more than 300,000” times according to Battlebrew CEO Shawn Toh.

“It was tough times and that was a huge reality check. [Luckily, ]Tap Tap saved our lives.Â  Nothing beats the feeling of seeing people playing what youâ€™ve all made and theyâ€™re enjoying it.
Iâ€™ve seen it on the bus, on the train. I think thatâ€™s what makes this whole thing worthwhile.”

At the very least, the spin-off train of thought at least made the company also create a 2D shmup spin-off BattleSky Brigade: Harpooner, which is as nifty as you can get to satiate your simplified mobile-tailored top-down shooting jollies.
Is The RTS Dream Dead?
For those hoping to see that version of BattleSky Brigade, that’s still a work in progress though now it’s under the moniker BattleSky Brigade: Tribes. Here’s the original idea & concept…

…and here’s their latest reiteration, now in (possibly) mobile RTS gaming form.

Original ideas that turn out kinda different isn’t an entirely new concept in video games development. Some games turned out better while others turned out a shell of its former self. *coughBioShockInfinite*
I do hope BattleSky Brigade’s RTS dream becomes the former, though this anecdote does serve as a reminder that game development is not cheap. Even if you’re an indie studio.


Borderlands Series Sold Over 5 Million Units For The Past Three Months

Thanks to the hype generated by the upcoming Borderlands sequel and remasters of past games, the series has been facing a recent windfall as of late. Within 3 months, the game has garnered over 5 million unit sales.
Publisher Take-Two said the Borderlands series has shipped over 48 million units over its lifetime, announcing the news as part of this week’s quarterly earnings conference call. Borderlands 2 accounted for 22 million units. To put things to perspective, the game sold 43 million last quarter. Coupled with some rollover of the financial quarters, this adds up to 6 million or so copies sold within 3 months.
So what’s next? Take-Two wants to grow sales with each title in the Borderlands series. From our side, we wager the company wants to sell more than 20 million copies of Borderlands 3 to surpass its predecessors. How will it achieve that? Simple:

Follow through with their DLC plans for Vault Hunters (new skill trees) and storylines featuring new planets. We talked about this on one of our Borderlands features.Â
Have it out on Steam ASAP after the Epic Games exclusivity clause. Once that gate is lifted, more people will be jumping on the bandwagon.
Refrain from microtransactions for the game. Keep to Borderlands 2‘s way of DLC and add-ons. If it worked then, it will work in the new game.
Keep the SHiFT codes a-comin’.
Pray to god Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford doesn’t get caught for any future shenanigans, or at least behaves himself, for the first year of Borderlands 3‘s debut.

Easier said than done, of course. Borderlands 3 will be out 13th September for PS4, Xbox One, and PC via Epic Games Store. In the meantime, check out the skill trees for the following Vault Hunters:

Zane the Operative
Amara the Siren
Moze the Gunner


Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War Part 2 Release Date Announced

We finally have some exciting news about the release of Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War Part 2! Brace yourselves because this much-anticipated sequel is hitting our screens in July 2023. And here’s the best part: the new episodes will be coming at us back-to-back, starting from 8 July.
The official announcement of the release date for Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War Part 2 has arrived, along with stunning key art that sets the stage for what’s to come. The artwork showcases Ichigo Kurosaki and Uryu Ishida, standing on opposite sides with a powerful theme of “the separation” between them.

New Key Visual! ?? Ichigo Kurosaki will face the rise of Uryu Ishida.#BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War, Part 2 – The Separation streams in six languages starting on July 8. pic.twitter.com/lwfa1gYyKb
— VIZ (@VIZMedia) May 28, 2023

But wait, there’s more! Alongside the release date, we also have a brand-new trailer to feast our eyes on. This exciting preview sheds light on why Uryu and Ichigo find themselves distanced from each other. However, be warned, if you haven’t caught up with Part 1 of the series, the trailer might contain some spoilers. It also offers a sneak peek at the upcoming opening theme song, “Stars” by w.o.d.
So mark your calendars, folks! Get ready for the return of Bleach with Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War Part 2, coming to screens near you on 8 July. It’s time to dive back into the action-packed world of soul reapers, epic battles, and thrilling adventures!