Crossfire Legion Update Removes Store, Adds Campaign Act II & More

Crossfire Legion, the fast-paced action-packed RTS game currently available to play in Early Access, have announced the latest addition of content including some truly exciting news:

Store removed
Its presence led players to wonder about the introduction of gameplay affecting microtransactions in the future and pay-to-win in general.

While units and gameplay-affecting items were never intended to be locked behind hard currency, only soft-currency tied to player progression, the developer acknowledges that the way this was presented was fairly confusing. They have also heard player feedback about locking units and/or commanders behind player progression.
As a result, the developer is scrapping both the store and the unit unlock system with the upcoming update. What this means is that:

All current and future units will always be available immediately to all players.
No need to unlock gameplay-affecting items – ever.
Operations to be removed as a result of the above, and replaced at a later date by a new progression system.
DLCs still planned for the future.
Campaign Act II
The battle rages on with the next 4 missions of our immersive, character-driven campaign – featuring new locations and story beats. Continue to immerse yourself in the expansive world and lore of the Crossfire universe.
New game mode : “Battlelines”
Battlelines allows for 1v1, 2v2 and 3v3 matches with a focus on army composition rather than the micromanaging of units. This is a macro-focused game mode where players place their units in formation within the designated area and watch them spawn waves that will autonomously fight their way towards the other team’s HQ.
New payload map : “Badlands”
In Badlands, players fight to secure each payload amongst the thick foliage and tricky jungle terrain – making the most of numerous narrow lanes to setup ambushes and focused attacks.
Other important updates based on player request including “Hotkey Mapping”, “Game Economy Adjustments” etc.

The First-Ever Crossfire Legion ESL Champions
These past days saw the finals of the Crossfire Legion inaugural ESL tournaments played across Europe, America, and Asia. An overview of the results can be found here: https://play.eslgaming.com/crossfire-legion.
Crossfire Legion is now available via Early Access on Steam.


PUBG Mobile Malaysia National Championship 2018 Announced

PUBG Corporation and Tencent have announced the PUBG Mobile Malaysia National Championship (PMNC) 2018, which takes place across four (4) different cities in Malaysia including Johor, Sabah, Sarawak, and Kuala Lumpur. The total prize pool is RM60,000, with the Grand Finals winning team eligible for a whopping RM20,000.
PMNC 2018 Prize Pool Breakdown
Sponsored by Vivo and Yoodo, the PMNC 2018 qualifiers will be held in each state on different dates, as follows:

AEON Tebrau City, Johor – December 22, 2018
Kompleks Karamunsing, Sabah – December 25, 2018
Emart Batu Kawa, Sarawak – January 6, 2019
Sunway Velocity, Kuala Lumpur – January 12, 2019

Each city or region will have 4 qualifying slots to fill, where the 16 top teams will advance to the PMNC 2018 Grand Finals at Sunway Velocity, Kuala Lumpur on January 26, 2019.
To participate in the PUBG Mobile Malaysia National Championship (PMNC) 2018, head on over to the official website here to register your team for the upcoming qualifiers. May the best team win!
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-o7hDxJo5w&w=560&h=315]


Virtuos Signalling: How Game Asset-Creating Company Are More Than Glorified Sweatshops

When you think games like Street Fighter V or Uncharted 4, you think Capcom and Naughty Dog. But you never think of names like Streamline Studios or even Virtuos. The reality is those latter companies are knee-deep in developing these games moreso than you think.
The third-party asset-creation company is integral in getting deadlines sorted and post-production in gaming done within a seemingly unrealistic timeline. And they’ve already grown to ginormous proportions to help these studios.
Making Magic
Virtuos is one good example. Before opening a new Singapore branch focused on research & development, the companyÂ has teams in China, Vietnam, Canada, France, and Japan, and all over. These branches help with the graphics and assets-creation for a lot of games from Bandai Namco and Square Enix, so they’re not small fries and industry greenhorns.
Furthermore, Virtuos is considered one of the stablest companies in the games industry that has the highest ratios for employment and empowerment of women, alongside comprehesive training programmes for improving long-term career paths.
However, there’s a common misconception that they’re just asset creators and 3D graphic-makers who create the work and aren’t completely involved with the base project. As talented as they are, they do more than that.
Virtuos CEO Gilles Langourieux (picture below; the man holding the bottle of champagne) said his company is unique in the video game industry because they don’t stop at just producing art assets to complete games and films. The other main half of Virtuos’ modus operandi is game development. After all, the distinction between artists, designers, and developers is fading as teams are unified in creating game worlds together through a well thought-out structure and pipeline.

“[W]e have the ability to form full game development teams to help our clients make bigger games,” he said, “and take their existing games to new platforms.

“While artists at Virtuos have produced thousands of assets, we are also training them to become increasingly integrated world builders, instead of mere external asset makers. This is the direction in which technology and our clientsâ€™ needs are taking us.”
That is true: the team has experience in co-developing, co-engineering, and delivering full level game design and working levels for existing games like with Uncharted, Dark Souls, and also the reboot Tomb Raider series.
The last one needs mentioning because they produced full levels for last year’s Shadow of the Tomb Raider, right down to how the gameplay beats and puzzles work.

At the same time, they’re not hogging the limelight. All game publishers, for all the talent they have with their studios, do need to hire additional assistance in the form of third-party studios to co-develop games with big names.
This is important in the ever-expanding and always-expensive method of video games making in the triple-A space.
“The process of AAA game development has become more complex and expensive in recent years,” said Gilles. “Gaming platforms are getting access to more processing power and more storage than ever before through advances in technology and cloud computing.”

“Harnessing this power requires larger and more specialised teams. Game studios are struggling with two risks â€“ losing their creativity when trying to keep hundreds of people in sync, having to let many team members go when a game has completed its core production.”

Companies like Virtuos can help big game companies sort out production management. “Once a game’s production cycle is over,” said Gilles, “the client’s core teams can remain intact while Virtuos moves on to work on another project. We deliver the extra capacity and flexibility that AAA development requires. ”
What The Future Holds For Asia
However, one does wonder if that is all to it to game design and game creation in Southeast Asia. Is asset-making all there is for the future of Asia’s game-developing market for triple-A titles made overseas?
Gilles is quick to point out that the games industry is hit-driven. “The success of any given company cannot be sustained unless it has accumulated a lot of capital with one major hit, or it has established enough scale to rely on a portfolio of clients and projects.”

Even with long-time companies like Thailand’s Sanuk Games or Singapore’s Witching Hour Studios already closed down, there are always new ones taking their place and keeping the cogs of games-creating in Southeast Asia alive.
“The games industry may be changing, but the nature of it is not,” said Gilles. “Traditional business models and approaches to producing content are always evolving, with roles becoming more diverse. ”
Virtuos’ secret? Scaling; this allows companies to diversify their risk in such an industry full of it. He said that Virtuos has evolved from a content provider to a full-fledged content-creating team.
Another secret? Embracing new technology that enables them to keep working on triple-A games. After this year’s GDC, the company is well in-tuned with current trends like Google Stadia that help break down game platform barriers that allow games to be of high quality and production value regardless of where you play.
“Cloud gaming and cross-platform experiences will definitely demand higher requirements and present greater challenges for Virtuos’ future business. But at the same time, I see more opportunities and possibilities.”
“Developers will roll out bigger games on more platforms, and Virtuos will stride alongside them in this increasing demand for high-quality content.”
Having said that, the company is also aware of Asia’s uniqueness when it comes to games consumption. Mobile games are always going to work out in the region, as opposed to the Western favouritism of consoles. “If you look at the number of studios and the number of people employed by game studios in SEA, it continues to grow,” said Gilles when talking about how Southeast Asia’s game industry is shaping up.
Hired Help
He hopes that in the far, far future, Virtuos will be the first name that crops up when game creators in the world, from your EAs to your Neteases, asks the question of who can help them make a better game.

“To this end,” said Gilles, “we are investing in game creation expertise with plans to open or acquire new studios in Asia, Europe and North America.”

Our teams are also hard at work, developing â€œmagicâ€ tools in R&D, growing our AAA game development capabilities, and adding a strong engineering practice to our offering.”
Long story short: Virtuos and other similar companies in Asia are filling in a much-needed void in getting games shipped and near-perfect. Looking at the current state of the industry with live service games shipping in a precarious state, triple-A companies will be needing these burgeoning production houses more than ever.
There is a flip side to all of this; stay tuned to our upcoming opinion piece regarding the triple-A asset-making business next week.


[Report] Crash Team Racing Remaster To Be Announced At Game Awards 2018

The leaks just keep on coming. Not only are we allegedly getting a Mortal Kombat XI, but we might also be getting a remaster of a PlayStation 1 fan favourite: Crash Team Racing.
The teases came about this week with gaming personalities like AngelMelly and Hollie Bennet getting Crash-related gifts from Activision.

Now more than just one person are receiving Crashmas cookies from Activision!
We're getting into the same situation than with the Spyro purple eggs!
It's happening, people! https://t.co/xD4lQOsj8D
— WumpaGem | ? #ABetterABK (@WumpaGem) December 3, 2018

For all the Crash fans out there, this is interesting for a few reasons:
– Orange card written in a similar fashion to the one included w/ Spyro eggs– Orange fuzzy dice, typically hung in cars– An emphasis on "sliding" in
So, yeah – we're looking at Crash Team Racing, folks. https://t.co/JOaz6eErVs
— Resurrect Fortesque ? (@SaveMediEvil) December 4, 2018

We also have some details from a 4Chan leak. Here’s what we can expect:

This complete remake of CTR will be developed by Vicarious Visions.
This remake will have a higher production budget than the Crash Bandicoot N.Sane Trilogy remasters.
Composer Josh Mancell will be returning to help remaster the OST. If you don’t like it, you can always switch back to the original OST.
The game will be out in Q3 2019.

2019 is looking mighty fine indeed, especially for fans who started gaming on the PS1 and had their first taste of go-kart gameplay with CTR. Next to Mario Kart, CTR’s the most-played go-kart multiplayer splitscreen racer in the late 90s.


EA Teases Command & Conquer Remasters

Anyone here hyped up for the mobile Command & Conquer: Rivals game? Yeah, me neither. Insert your own brand of EA hate hashtag here.
That’s ok, because there’s a good chance we might get a bunch of EA-approved Command & Conquer remasters of Tiberium Wars, Red Alert 3, and Tiberian Twilight. According to a recent Reddit post from Electronic Arts producer Jim Vessella, EA knows that fans want to see the series make a proper PC master race-laced return and are working hard to make it happen.
The “PC master race” bit is hyperbole, but the rest of the statement is real.

Following the reveal of Rivals, we heard you loud and clear: the Command & Conquer community also wants to see the franchise return to PC. And as a fan of C&C for over 20 years, I couldnâ€™t agree more.
With that in mind weâ€™ve been exploring some exciting ideas regarding remastering the classic PC games, and already have the ball rolling on our first effort to celebrate the upcoming 25th Year Anniversary.

Nothing specific is set in stone yet, but EA will be talking to fans in a variety of ways over the next few weeks and will ask for feedback via the C&C Reddit subthread. The fact that Vessella is going on record on Reddit means that EA has something in store for the next few years. Probably two years, since the 25th anniversary they stated is but a couple years away.
To celebrate this ray of hope for us old-school C&C fans, here are my choice tracks from legendary C&C composer Frank Klepacki.


PlayStation Days Of Play 2019 Sale Starting Next Week

Sony Interactive Entertainment Singapore Private Limited (SIES) has announced that its PlayStation Days Of Play sale will be returning next week from 7 June to 17 June 2019, offering not only great deals and discounts on various PS4 games, software, and peripherals but also a brand new PS4 Days Of Play Limited Edition 2019 console.
PS4 exclusives will be offered at discounted prices, with some as low as RM59. Check out the best deals below:

Days Gone – RM189
God of War – RM79
Marvel’s Spider-Man – RM79
The Last Of Us Remastered – RM59
Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End – RM59
Uncharted: The Lost Legacy – RM79

Customers can also grab special PS Plus deals like 3 Months/12 Months PS Plus membership at 30 percent discount or the 12 Months PS Plus membership with an additional 3 Months free membership.

Meanwhile, the new 1TB PS4 Days Of Play Limited Edition 2019 console comes with a sleek Steel Black finish on top and Dark Grey on the bottom, as well as the iconic PlayStation button symbols embossed in silver on the top surface and a matching Steel Black Dualshock 4 controller. ItÂ will be priced at RM1349.


ASUS Ramadan Bonanza Offers Deals On Laptops

The ASUS Ramadan Bonanza promotion is happening from 14th April to 30th May 2022, with discounts of up to RM500 on some of their latest models, with a total of 16 models in varying specifications. You can head on over here for more details: https://bit.ly/ASUSRamadanDeal_f

https://www.facebook.com/asusmalaysia/posts/10159907820094116
The full list of models/SKUs available in the ASUS Ramadan Bonanza Deal are in the following list.


Henry Cavill Cosplays As The Witcher This December

The upcomingÂ Witcher series on Netflix now has an official release date: 20th December.
Check out the new trailer below, orgies and all. With a little bit of swordfighting, foreshadowing dialogue, medieval politics, and fancy-as-heck set and clothing designs to make the world of The Witcher a tad more gritty yet fantastical.

Roach bugs not included though.


How The Latest Morbius Trailer Connects To The Spider-Man Universe

Sony Pictures has released a second trailer for Morbius, which gives us a closer look at what Marvel’s Living Vampire looks like.
Interestingly, we see several connections to the wider Sony Spider-Man Universe n the trailer.
First, we see the Oscorp building, which was in The Amazing Spider-Man movies. Oscorp is the name of the company of the Osborn family, namely Harry and Norman Osborn.

The second is a Daily Bugle newspaper with the same font and style as the one seen in the Venom movies.

Also, this Spider-Man art mural looks suspiciously like the Tobey Maguire Sam Raimi version of Spider-Man. But why would it?

At the end of the trailer, we even get a direct Venom name-drop, as Morbius says the words:
“I. Am. Venom.”
Directed by Daniel Espinosa and written by Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless, the movie centres on a biochemist who becomes a vampire after attempting to cure himself of a rare blood disease. Jared Leto portrays Michael Morbius alongside a cast that includes Matt Smith, Jared Harris and Tyrese Gibson.
Morbius is set to premiere on 28 January 2022. Watch the new trailer below. If you want to learn more about who or what Morbius is,Â head on over hereÂ to our handy guide.


Kakuchopurei’s Best Of 2019: Bloodstained – Ritual Of The Night

Oh Metroidvania genre, how fast and bountiful you’ve flourished.
Yet for every Hollow Knight and Axiom Verge out there claiming all the praise and awards, it would be nice to see a gothic vampire-laden horror-bound “anime” version of that. Especially from the king of the genre himself, Koji “I love whips & cowboy hats” Igarashi”.
Thankfully, the crowdfunded PC and console game Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is exactly that.

This Metroidvania title takes a few steps forward in improving the formula, yet purposefully retained its trappings and quirks into making it an unabashed Symphony of the Night spiritual successor. Minus all the Konami red tape and nonsense.
We likened Bloodstained to a pair of comfortable jeans fresh out of the factory; it doesn’t revolutionize the genre like the aforementioned Western-made action-adventure games, but it sure as heck still fun to play and experiment with.

Never have I been more invested in a game’s simplistic-yet-rewarding alchemy and farming system than in Bloodstained.
Coming from a guy who abhors this in MMOs, this is a huge compliment to an otherwise great ode to the then new-age Castlevania map-intensive adventures.

I’m still not a fan of murdering giant-headed toy dogs and cats, no matter how evil they are in this title.


PUBG Challenger Rumble Season 2 Kicks Off Next Week

The PUBG Challenger Rumble Season 2 marks the return of teams across Southeast Asia; from Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and the Philippines.Â
Taking place from 31 July to 15 August 2021 (every Saturday and Sunday), the top professional teams across these four countries will face off to secure their spot in the PUBG Continental Series 5, where they will go head to head with the best of the APAC region.Â
With the country qualifiers taking place on the 17 and 18 July 2021, teams from Indonesia, theÂ Philippines and Malaysia/Singapore went head to head for their chance at securing a slot at the PUBG Challenger Rumble Season 2. After intense competition over the weekend, the stage is set for PCR with the top four teams from the Indonesia Qualifiers, top three teams from the Philippines Qualifiers and top three teams from the Malaysia/Singapore Qualifiers, heading to the main event.
Indonesia Pool 1Â

 2ARC
 SANGAT SOPAN SANTUN

Indonesia Pool 2Â

 FUEGO
 MONKEY BOSS

PhilippinesÂ

 NRX ESPORTS
 BAHAMUT GAMING
 NOMADS

Malaysia/SingaporeÂ

 FRIENDLY FIRE GAMING
 BOT SLAYER
 FRIENDLY FIRE ACADEMY

The PUBG Challenger Rumble Season 2, organised by Geek Events, will also feature exclusively invited teams from the Philippines and Indonesia; Arkangel Predator, The Colony, From The Future, Eagle 365 Esports, Team Extraordinaire and 4 Samurai.Â
While Victim Rise held the initial invitation, the team disbanded early last month, shortly after PUBG Continental Series 4: APAC, the invitation was then passed on to From The Future, who held 7th place at the PUBG Challenger Rumble Season 1. All teams will take it to the battlefield to determine the champion of the PUBG Challenger Rumble Season 2 and secure themselves a spot in PUBG Continental Series 5: APAC.
With a prize pool of US$5000 USD to be spread among the teams, the champion will be determined based on the team that has accumulated the highest amount of prize money (US$4500 USD) within the 3-week tournament. This season will also see a special prize of US$500 USD set aside for Overall MVP (US$250 USD) and Team with Most Kills (US$250 USD).


The Surge 2’s First Major DLC Comes Out Next Week

When it comes to Souls-likes, The Surge series have always been one of the more obvious clones in the sub-genre. With the release of The Surge 2, it’s becoming clearer that the series is its own thing and for fans of the game, more is coming your way.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McDhW39Dfek&w=560&h=315]
The Surge 2‘s first DLC titled Kraken will be released on 16 January 2020 for PC, PS4, and Xbox One. Those of you who bought the Season Pass can start playing it two days earlier on 14 January 2020.
Kraken features an entirely new location which looks to be like some sort of suburbia neighbourhood. The interesting part is that it’s located on top of a decommissioned aircraft carrier. Expect to face robot pirates, rogue security systems, and a new boss.

Of course, the DLC will add new weapons, armour, and implants. Unlike the other minor DLCs released for the game before, Kraken will feature new story content. Still, I’m pretty sure everyone’s just super excited for a new boss who will kill us again and again.


We Talk To Pakatan Harapan’s Nik Nazmi About Esports

It’s no secret that every country these days want to get in on the esports train, but only because they truly believe that it’s a legitimate serious sport that has the opportunity to open up new job opportunities and entertainment avenues. Plus, most of us do want to put our long hours into DOTA 2, LoL, and Mobile Legends to good professional use.
France’s Overwatch World team support by its people, Singapore’s Esports Academy venture; these are but a few examples of a country’s government supporting esports in their own way. Why bring this up? Because we were graced with the presence of Pakatan Harapan’s Nik Nazmi via this very special TCSS episode.
Here, we had a chat with the esteemed government official about Malaysia’s current esports climate. And this wouldn’t be the last vid we’ll be doing that concerns esports and competitive gaming: stay tuned to Kakuchopurei.com for more news & features like this one!


Man City Dominates The Top 25 Premier League Players In FIFA 23

In anticipation of the release of FIFA 23, EA SPORTS has revealed who the Top 25 Highest-Rated Players are in the Premier League.
Only five teams populate the Top 25, and unsurprisingly, Manchester City—the most recent Premier League winners—have the highest population of nine players. Liverpool follows with six and Chelsea in third with 4. Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspurs tie in the fourth-fifth place with only three players each.
I also mentioned in the piece where I covered the 23 highest-rated in the world, that Haaland is definitely deserving of a higher rating regardless of what team you support.

Kevin De Bruyne, 91 – Manchester City
Mohamed Salah, 90 – Liverpool
Virgil van Dijk, 90 – Liverpool
Cristiano Ronaldo, 90 – Manchester United
Son Heung-min, 89 – Tottenham Hotspur
Casemiro, 89 – Manchester United
Alisson, 89 – Liverpool
Harry Kane, 89 – Tottenham Hotspur
Ederson, 89 – Manchester City
N’Golo Kanté, 89 – Chelsea
Erling Haaland, 88 – Manchester City
João Cancelo, 88 – Manchester City
 Rúben Dias, 88 – Manchester City
 Bernardo Silva, 88 – Manchester City
Fabinho, 87 – Liverpool
Rodri, 87 – Manchester City
Andrew Robertson, 87 – Liverpool
Kalidou Koulibaly, 87 – Chelsea
Trent Alexander-Arnold, 87 – Liverpool
Hugo Lloris, 87 – Tottenham Hotspur
David De Gea, 87 – Manchester United
Édouard Mendy, 86 – Chelsea
Aymeric Laporte, 86 – Manchester City
Raheem Sterling, 86 – Chelsea
Riyad Mahrez, 86 – Manchester City


Netflix Gaming Teams Up With Ubisoft For Three New Mobile Titles

Netflix announced that it’s teaming up with famous French game developer Ubisoft, known for Rainbow Six games and the FarCry series among other things, to make exclusive mobile games on the Netflix platform.
When asked on why the streaming giant is teaming up with Ubisoft on this, Netflix external gaming lead Leanne Loombe said that it’s due to Ubisoft’s giant gaming legacy and reputation, as well as their games library.
What Are These Games?

Here’s what the partnership entails:
Valiant Hearts sequel – A new Valiant Hearts game, sequel to Ubisoft’s multi-award-winning game Valiant Hearts: The Great War, is directed by the original core team and will retain the same DNA while featuring a new story. The game will be out on January 2023.
Mighty Quest –The Mighty Quest will come to Netflix in 2023 with a new game. This time, the game will draw inspiration from the roguelike genre to deliver an experience that celebrates the series’ premiere hack-and-slash combat in a fresh and highly replayable format. Out in 2023.
A yet-to-be-untitled Assassin’s Creed game – This mobile-exclusive title based on the AC franchise is in lieu with the live-action TV series for Netflix. No release date has been announced yet.
These three games will be exclusive to Netflix, nowhere else. More info will be dished out at this year’s Ubisoft Forward event this weekend, 11th September.


Battlefield 2042 Is On The Worst-Reviewed PC Game Steam List

With all the overwhelmingly positive hype around Halo Infinite multiplayer and the bad launch of Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto The Trilogy The Definitive Edition, EA DICE’s Battlefield 2042‘s launch went a bit under the radar. However, that hasn’t stopped players from bashing the game with negative reviews on Steam due to bugs and other issues with the game.
It’s now one of the worst-reviewed games on Steam only several days after launching on 19 November 2021. At the time of writing, it’s currently at eighth place, according to this website. Check it out below:

eFootball 2022
Flatout 3: Chaos and Destruction
Urielâ€™s Chasm
Kinetic Void
Spacebase DF-9
Identity
GASP
Battlefield 2042
RollerCoaster Tycoon World
Godus

Many of the game’s negative reviews cite many bugs and technical problems. Players also complained about the game feeling like it’s missing many features and a lot of content, including the lack of a traditional scoreboard and others.
The Steam review currently marked as “Most helpful” even lists down a bunch of them, and there’s a lot:
Missing Core Features

> No standard server browser
> Fewer standardized game modes
> Fewer base game maps than any other title (even including portal the map count is only 13)
> No persistent lobbies You have to matchmake after EVERY round
> Fewer in-game assignments None outside of cosmetic unlocks
> Less character customization options (than BF5)
> No profile progress/stats page in the menu
> No battle log/stats tracker for other players
> No global leaderboards
> No end of round assignment progress screen
> No custom emblems
> Fewer achievements
> No medals
> No swelling crescendo of dramatic music near the end of a match. Static Noise does not count
> Less destruction
> Only a small handful of destructible buildings on each map
> No map altering levolution
> No spectator mode
> No permanent community servers (would be useful for clans and events)

Missing from Infantry Gameplay

> Fewer guns Even including all the portal guns, BF4 still had more at launch
> Fewer infantry gadgets
> No manual leaning
> No diving while swimming
> No high wall vaulting
> No crouch sprinting
> No backwards prone
> No explosion knockback
> No rolling after falling from heights
> No ammo or health pickup off teammates
> No scope zeroing
> No thermal optics
> No indirect fire gadgets
> Less anti-tank launchers
> No lock-on launchers The M5 works with the SOFLAM but that requires 2 people
> No AP mines/claymores
> No static weapon emplacements
> No fortification building
> No resupply stations
> No suppression mechanic This one I don’t mind but it was a staple and now it is gone

Missing from Vehicles

> Fewer vehicle types Separate vehicle progression per faction even though they are functionally identical.
> No naval vehicles Except I guess the hovercraft technically
> No vehicle gunner direction indicator
> No lock on direction indicator
> No vehicle enter/exit animations
> No tank turret decoupling This was in BF4
> Less vehicle driver/pilot customization options
> No tank zoom customization options
> No tank gunner customization options
> No helicopter gunner secondary weapons
> No separate helicopter/fixed-wing controls
> No control input while looking behind/free looking in aircraft

Missing from Scoring System

> No squad wipe scoring
> No player damage points
> No vehicle damage points
> No vehicle kill assist points
> No headshot bonus
> No long-range kill bonus
> No assist counts as kill bonus
> No squad objective play bonus
> Oversimplified teamplay scoring (i.e. healing a teammate always gives you +5xp rather than the amount of health you give)
> Squad and Teamwork
> No commander
> No special squad call-in abilities
> No squad field upgrades
> No in-game VOIP
> Fewer factions (with almost nothing to give the 2 factions any distinction)
> No cross-team chat
> No “create new squad” option
> No clans
> No view of squadmates while in the spawn screen
> No “Medic incoming” indicator in downed state
> No rank names/icons, just a number.

Missing from UI and Quality of Life

> Less control customization options
> Less UI customization options
> No HUD/icon opacity customization
> No HUD scaling customization options
> No gunsight reticle customization options
> No network performance graph
> No individual player scoreboard
> Less detail in the ‘who killed you’ screen
> No ultrawide monitor support. Cannot move UI elements to suit screen size
> Very poor friend joining system

BROKEN

> 45 tick rate servers
> Rubberbanding
> Deploy bugs, revive bugs. Downed state bug that prevents you from being revived if you clip through anything. There times where you have no countdown and cannot respawn
> Janky animations
> Performance is horrible on PC. Unplayable framerates from what looks like CPU bottlenecking
> Unlock three different silencers for the same weapon that have no effect on the stats of the weapon
> Exact same attachment on two different guns having an opposite effect
> Hovercrafts are able to scale vertical surfaces, as well as fly in the right circumstances.
> In rare cases, a player will become unable to damage enemies. This player will also lose their nameplate, causing them to appear as hostile to allies. This is fixed by dying and respawning.
> Broken Bullet Registration
> Broken Bullet Spread
> Broken Weapon Balance
> Broken Vehicle Balance


Genshin Impact Trailer Teases Raiden Shogun’s Story

miHoYo has released a new Genshin Impact trailer teasing the continuing story of Raiden Shogun.
The description reads:
A nation that surges ahead has become stuck in a fleeting shadow of a moment. Perhaps only if time stands still will Inazuma truly shine eternal…
Using her blade, she purged all obstacles to Inazuma’s progress, making a promise of a beautiful vision of eternity to her subjects.
Such is the singular will of the Raiden Shogun over the land of Narukami.
Check out the newly-released trailer below:

In the meantime, you can also head on over here for our full walkthrough of Genshin Impact Watatsumi Island, Seirai Island, and Raiden Shogun.
Or you can just watch our complete two-hour-plus walkthrough below instead:


Sonic Origins Is A Decent Retro Gaming Collection Even With Its Nonsense DLC Approach

Platform(s): PS4 (version reviewed), PS5, Xbox Series, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch
Genre: Sega-themed retro game collection featuring its best 2D mascot with attitude
It’s no secret that there’s a huge appeal of classic 2D Sonic The Hedgehog platformer titles. They offer a great alternative to the methodical Mario titles of the time, they have a charismatic lead character and his group of friends and foes, they have great level design with emphasis on balancing speed and exploration, and they have awesome music that has influenced many generations of composers and fans. So leave it to Sega to cash in on the fanbase with a retro-collection via Sonic Origins. At the very least, it’s a decent attempt for 2022 since it’s been a while since fans had a revelation like Sonic Mania.
Blue Streak
Sonic Origins contains four(ish) titles: Sonic The Hedgehog, Sonic The Hedgehog 2, Sonic The Hedgehog 3 combined with Sonic & Knuckles, and Sonic CD. The games here can be played in their original 4:3 forms or their Anniversary forms that come with a few tweaks. They play in 16:9 aspect ratio with some entries getting a few bonuses. For example, the anniversary version of the first Sonic The Hedgehog game adds in the spin dash from part 2 and takes away the instant-death spikes rule. Sonic The Hedgehog 2 adds in the Hidden Palace Zone recreated by Sonic Mania’s Chris Whitehead that’s accessible via the Mystic Forest zone.
And you can play as Tails in Sonic CD if you wish. The game’s original visuals and gameplay remain intact, though some of Sonic The Hedgehog 3’s music has been replaced due to legal reasons, possibly involving the people who still handle Michael Jackson’s licenses and rights.

Regardless, these classics play really well in both the original and their anniversary versions. Moreso the latter because they ditch the life system in favour of coins. No longer do you need to restart the entire game if you died enough times; just play through the last checkpoint over and over until you get it right, which is a boon for players who want to experience the classic games without experiencing the outdated lives system. The coins can either be used to unlock Museum unlockables or cash out to retry failed bonus stages. These are very useful in Sonic 1 and Sonic CD as these opportunities are not as plentiful compared to the other two titles in the collection.
Dr. Robotnik’s Mean Lean Paywall
The games themselves are just as good as you remember them, whether in classic or anniversary mode. Rather, it’s the rest of the presentation that’s lacking. The Museum, while featuring new animated cutscenes, are pretty lacking as they’ve been seen in other Sonic titles and collections way older than Sonic Origins. We’re missing all the weird Japanese commercials and Sonic media that could have fit at home in Sonic Origins.

Speaking of unlockables, Sega isn’t doing a great job at handling the game’s DLC. For an additional cost you can get a few “hard” missions, extra wallpapers for Classic Mode, additional music, and decorative extras and camera angles on the menu screens. Why aren’t these unlockables via normal gameplay, especially if Sonic Origins is lacking extras in the first place? I’m already knee-deep with coins in my playthrough of all four games and even the Story Mode (which is just all four games in chronological order at one go). These would be perfect to unlock in-game rather than being microtransactions.
Long story short: if you’re not an avid collector of the Blue Blur, Sonic Origins is a good place as any to start with the best Sonic games available. It’s the best way to find out why these Megadrive titles are regarded as top-tier 2D platforming even up to this day, and also remind you why the 3D Sonic games will never ever age well.
As for the rest who has seen a lot that’s offered by Sega back in the day up to now? You could do worse.
Final Score: 70/100


Blazing Strike Looks Like A Phenomenal Throwback To 2D Fighting Games

With major 2D fighting games going 3D aesthetics-wise, it’s good to know some smaller teams are still keeping it real with pixel art. Aksys-published fighting game Blazing Strike is one such title.
Developer Rare Breed Makes Games just revealed the first look of its 2D fighting game Blazing Strike, features lovely 2D pixel art and a “unique games system with modern mechanics”. All I’m seeing is some lovely fisticuff action playing on scanlines, a pretty solid roster of 14 characters with funky movesets (so far), and a trailer soundtrack that’s reminiscent of Street Fighter 3: Third Strike’s musical beats. And that’s A-OK in my book.
Blazing Strike will be out in 2022 for “various platforms”. Check out the trailer below. I’ll probably be maining Alexander or the unnamed zoner with the mirror mask.


RWBY: Arrowfell Is Baby’s First Action Platformer, Fit For Its Fanbase

Platform(s): PC (version reviewed), Nintendo Switch
Genre: 2D action platformer with search action-like elements
The last time production house Rooster Teeth lent their Western animation/anime license RWBY out for a video game is for the Arc System Works fighting game crossover BlazBlue Cross Tag Battle, and that worked out very well for them. But as a standalone game? Well, they had decent luck with online co-op hack-and-slasher RWBY: Grimm Eclipse, so why not try their luck with a 2D action platformer with the huge development assist from experts WayForward?
I’ll say this: if “decent” is what you want, you’ll definitely get it in RWBY: Arrowfell. Just don’t expect anything mind-blowing.
Four Play

RWBY: Arrowfell takes place during RWBY Volume 7 where our four anime heroines -Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and Yang- are licensed huntresses and are tasked to protect the continent of Solitas, uncovering an underlying mystery involving dangerous military tech and even rival huntresses. You start the game off as Ruby, but right off the bat, you can switch between the three other warriors each with their own melee attacks and Semblance powers. Each of them is unique and can help the girls progress through the many simple puzzles laid across the 5-hour experience. Ruby can dash horizontally either on the ground or mid-air, while Weiss can summon an ice platform above her head.
Blake can summon a shadow clone to distract enemies or use pressure platforms as part of a puzzle, while Yang has a ground pound that destroys barricades. They also share a lifebar -3 hearts at first which you can upgrade further- as well as a green “mana” bar that’s used as a “damage shield”. If the green bar is empty and you get hit, you lose hearts instead in a dramatic screen freeze fashion. And you can only refill the bar by killing enemies and breaking stuff, so there’s an incentive to keep on fighting instead of avoiding.
Later on, you’ll get upgrades to your Semblances to access previously-blocked areas in previous map sections. RWBY: Arrowfell is a Metroidvania, but in the shallowest sense; there’s no map you can refer to, though each stage is short and simplistic enough that you don’t really need it. Oh, and you also have a ranged attack that uses the green bar, but those pea shooters are so useless and insignificant that the melee attacks can get the job done better and quicker.
See, Team RWBY can collect Skill Points that can be distributed among four stats: melee damage, defense, energy generation, and ranged attack. The last two stats are useless in the long run; if you hit hard and take the least amount of damage, you can pretty much steamroll through the entire game if your 2D platforming is up to snuff.
This Won’t Be The Day…

I get that RWBY: Arrowfell is adopting a simple RPG and search action levelling-up approach, but it does make the entire game a cakewalk. The repetitive use of the Ambush segments (where you’re stuck in a room and have to kill all enemies), simple boss patterns and telegraphs also do not help with the lack of challenge and variety. At the very least, the game’s controls are great, and switching between the lead ladies is painless and trying out their kit is fun. The game’s “chibi” aesthetics and decent music (complete with new scores & vocal numbers from the show composers) get the job done in being a title that fits the license property it’s using. There’s also the search action problem of backtracking a ton, but there’s an Exit Level option so that you don’t need to retrace your steps if you’ve found a key item and have to leave.
As far as game license cash grabs go, RWBY: Arrowfell could have been worse. At the very least, there’s a serviceable action platformer game here with loads of potential, but it’s squandered by boring-level design and all-around simplicity. So it’s keeping in line with the show’s tone, really. As long as you don’t expect too much to blow you away and if you have time to spare from other better action platformer search action-ish offerings out there in 2022, you’ll be fine with RWBY: Arrowfell.

Final Score: 60/100


Surprise! The Original Titanfall Is Now On Steam

The original Titanfall launched back in 2014 for the Xbox 360, Xbox One, and PC, but exclusively via EA’s Origin platform. Now, six years later, Respawn Entertainment’s multiplayer shooter finally makes its way to Steam with a surprise launch.
Not only that, but Titanfall is celebrating its Steam launch with a sale that will last until 26 November 2020. Titanfall Deluxe Edition, which includes the base game and the Expedition, Frontier’s Edge, and IMC Rising DLC packs, is currently RM31.60 at 60 percent off on Steam.
However, you can also grab the Titanfall Collection, which contains both Titanfall Deluxe Edition and Titanfall 2 Ultimate Edition, at only RM56.70 after a 71 percent discount.


BBC’s The War Of The Worlds Trailer Looks Pretty Good

H.G. Well’s classic novel The War Of The Worlds remains one of the most influential science fiction stories in history, which is why it’s no wonder that it keeps getting adaptations from time to time. The latest is a three-part BBC miniseries set in Edwardian England in the early 1900s (just before World War 1).
It follows George (Rafe Spall) and his partner Amy (Eleanor Tomlinson) as they attempt to defy society and start a life together, facing the escalating terror of an alien invasion, while fighting for their lives against an enemy beyond their comprehension.
Sci-fi period pieces are often fascinating due to the clash of technological capabilities and way of thinking. It will be interesting to see how this more faithful adaptation will differ from Steven Spielberg’s 2005 movie adaptation, which went for a modern contemporary setting instead.
The production values look uncharacteristically high and lavish for something produced by BBC, so we’ll have to wait until The War Of The Worlds releases sometime in fall 2019. In the meantime, check out the trailer below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-yas0yPbLU&w=560&h=315]


Moon Knight Episode 2 Breakdown & Easter Eggs

The second episode of Moon Knight is now streaming on Disney+ Hotstar Malaysia. ll be discussing heavy spoilers so if you haven’t seen it or want to avoid spoilers, now’s your chance to stop reading.
Moon Knight follows Steven Grant, a mild-mannered gift-shop employee, who becomes plagued with blackouts and memories of another life. Steven discovers he has dissociative identity disorder and shares a body with mercenary Marc Spector. As Steven/Marc’s enemies converge upon them, they must navigate their complex identities while thrust into a deadly mystery among the powerful gods of Egypt.
Check out my breakdown of Moon Knight Episode 1 here.
You can check out my previous breakdowns of Hawkeye Episodes 1 and 2 here, Episode 3 here, Episode 4 here and Episode 5. and Episode 6 here.
In addition, you can check out my previous breakdowns of Marvel’s What If? Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5, Episode 6, Episode 7, Episode 8 and Episode 9 here.
If you haven’t, you can check out my previous breakdowns and easter egg articles for WandaVision Episode 1 and 2, Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5, Episode 6, Episode 7, Episode 8 and Episode 9.
For The Falcon And The Winter Soldier, you can check out my previous breakdowns for Episode 1, Episode 2 and Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5 and Episode 6.
For previous breakdowns of Loki episodes, check out Episode 1 here, Episode 2 here, Episode 3 here, Episode 4 here, Episode 5 here and Episode 6 here.

Marc tells steven about being an avatar of khonshu

In the comics, Khonshu was the one who saved Marc Spector from dying and gave him his powers. Moon Knight is the avatar of Khonshu and is also known as “The Fist of Khonshu”. Moon Knight’s strength, endurance, and reflexes are enhanced.
Scan The Barcode And Get A Free Comic

If you scan the barcode on locker 43, you’ll get to read a free comic book issue of Moon Knight via Marvel Unlimited. It’s unclear what the significance of the number 43 is, but the issue that you get is actually Werewolf By Night Volume 1 #33, which is the second issue of the first meeting between Moon Knight and Werewolf By Night.
You can also still read Werewolf By Night Volume 1 #32, which was given away in last week’s episode. Werewolf By Night has yet to appear in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but he will be played by actor Gael García Bernal in the upcoming Disney+ Halloween Special, which is slated for later this year in October 2022.

Meet Layla

Played by May Calamawy, Layla El-Faouly claims to be Marc’s wife. The last time Layla and Marc met, Marc asked for a divorce. It looks like they were both looking for the scarab, which Layla refers to as Ammit’s ushabti.
Arthur Harrow Is A fORMER aVATAR Of Khonshu

In a surprise twist, Arthur Harrow reveals that he’s a former Avatar of Khonshu. He also reveals that he wants to resurrect Ammit, the goddess that he’s now serving, as well as the revelation that the scarab they’re looking for is a compass to Ammit’s tomb.

Arthur Harrow Can Open Portals To The Du’At

Arthur says his cane contains a sliver of Ammit’s power, which can open a portal to the Du’at. the realm of the dead in ancient Egyptian mythology. That’s how he summoned the Egyptian jackals.
Welcome Mr Knight

Contrary to what people might think, Mr. Knight was never another personality or alter in the comics. It’s just a suit or a role. I’m glad that the Marvel Cinematic Universe followed suit (pardon the pun), albeit with a twist. This version of Moon Knight has actual powers (the one in the comics does not), and can summon a suit. It seems that the suit is tailored according to the person, which is why Marc is annoyed at the Mr. Knight suit.
And he even summon weapons out of thin air, including his iconic truncheons.

This turns out to be true, as when Marc takes over, the suit immediately morphs to the classic Moon Knight armor.

He even has his iconic moon-shaped boomerangs, or moonarangs.

This Version Of Marc Was Also Saved By Khonshu

We find out that, just like in the comics, Khonshu saved and revived Marc. The biggest reason why Marc became Moon Knight is not only because he wanted to repay his debt to Khonshu, but also avoid from Khonshu taking his ex-wife Layla as his replacement.
To Egypt

Marc wakes up and finds himself in Egypt. After two episodes in London, it’s nice to see a new place we’ve never really been to in the MCU.
Until next week, true believers, excelsior!


Here’s Every Version Of Shenmue III And Their Respective Bonuses

We’re only two months away now from the release of Shenmue III. The cult-classic has gone through a messy period of post-production chiefly due to its Epic Games Store deal. I believe that fans who are getting the game on PC shouldn’t be too quick to dismiss it.
After all, you guys have been waiting for this game for almost 20 years.

For those of you in Asia, the game will be published by Oasis Games and Sega will be assisting in the distribution of physical copies. The physical version comes in a Day One Edition which will include a Snake Spirit Starter Pack and a Blazing Kick Advanced Technique Scroll.
On the digital side of the game’s release, there will be two versions: Standard Edition and Deluxe Edition. The Deluxe Edition will come with in-game item “Ryo’s Flight Jacket”, Burning Sandstorm – Advanced Technique Scroll and the Season Pass which will give access to 3 DLCs.
Shenmue III is coming out on 19 November 2019 for PS4 and PC (Epic Games Store). Check out the game’s latest trailer here:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4v14cLKTvok&w=560&h=315]


Koei’s Touken Ranbu Warriors’ To Release In English On 24 May

Developers of the legendary hack-and-slash Dynasty Warriors, Koei Tecmo’s newest title Touken Ranbu Warriors releases next week, 24 May on both Steam and Nintendo Switch.
In collaboration with DMM Games, Touken Ranbu Warriors was originally released in Japan for the Switch and PC back in mid-February, but now will release globally for both platforms on 24 May, for $59.99/RM263.61.
For those who aren’t as familiar with Koei’s most famous franchise, Dynasty Warriors is a hack-and-slash game during the era of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms in early-mid 3rd century China. Usually, you play throughout the timeline, tending to side with one of the many kingdoms and factions.

I can’t say that Touken Ranbu Warriors will be the same experience as it’s adapted from DMM Games’ pre-existing online collectable card game of the same name.
The first notable difference is in the graphics and art style. In comparison, the overall design isn’t as detailed as other modern Koei games to help maintain the original games’ anime-esque art and aesthetic.
As for gameplay and combat, that’s where you’ll get a taste of Koei. Deviating a tiny bit from their traditional combat system to help cater to this new world we’re being introduced to, but overall mostly the same.
Below is the about section from Touken Ranbu Warriors’ Steam page.
A secret Sengoku Era drama begins now.
Touken Ranbu Warriors is an action game that is a collaboration between the “spirits of blades” simulation game Touken Ranbu: Online presented by DMM Games and Nitroplus, and the thrilling “1 vs. 1,000” Warriors series of Koei Tecmo Games.

Touken Ranbu is in 3D at last. Witness the most beautiful graphics in the history of the Warriors series.

The Touken Danshi characters, which will be familiar to fans of the source material, rush about the battlefield in 3D.
In addition to the thrilling action you expect from the Warriors series, you can enjoy battles with a plentiful variety of animations, such as battling together with a partner and dueling.
Experience battles with the Touken Danshi that are both fierce and beautiful.

Fifteen blades incarnate from a drifting honmaru base set out on a historical drama in the Sengoku Era. Experience an original epic story that can only be found in this game.
Story

The Touken Danshi, 15 blades incarnate who had been drifting aimlessly without a Saniwa master, are suddenly attacked by the History Retrograde Army. After the battle, they are assigned by the Government of the Time to undertake “onslaught investigations.”
The masterless blades have no choice but to depart for the chaotic world of the Sengoku Era, whose history had already begun to be altered.
The honmaru serves as the base of the Touken Danshi. Enjoy tons of special events and elements that can only be found in this title.

The Touken Danshi can be placed freely within the 3D-depicted honmaru, the characters’ base where they live.

Players can also see how the Touken Danshi are doing at the honmaru, as well as view original events unique to this title in which they interact with one another.
Between battles, players can take a break and enjoy mini-games such as “Pose Matching” and “Tag.”
Photo Mode, in which players can take pictures of the Touken Danshi, is also included.

Easy Mode has been included, so even players who are less proficient at action games can control the game easily.

Two types of controls are included: “Regular Mode,” which features the control scheme traditionally used for the Warriors series, and “Easy Mode,” which uses controls for players less proficient at action games.
The latter only requires simple button inputs, so players will be able to enjoy the beautiful actions.

Digital Deluxe Edition
The Touken Ranbu Warriors Digital Deluxe Edition is a discount set that includes the main game, as well as the content below.
Content included in Digital Deluxe Edition:

Five honmaru backdrops (*1)
Five additional music pieces (*2, *3)
16 uchiban outfits (*4, *5, *6)

*1: Under certain conditions, changes made to your honmaru backdrop will not be applied.
*2: The additional music includes three battle music pieces, and two honmaru music pieces. You can listen to additional music by selecting “Memoirs” – “Music Album” from Honmaru.
*3: “Change Honmaru Music” can be used after clearing the game.
*4: Uchiban outfits are variations of outfits from the source material Touken Ranbu: Online that can be worn into battle.
*5: Uchiban outfits can only be worn at the honmaru or during a “Replay” battle. They cannot be worn for a “Sortie” battle.
*6: Characters wearing uchiban outfits will not be in an Injured State. While wearing the outfits, the Hissatsu Gauge will fill more easily.
Notes:

Touken Ranbu Warriors is also available. Be careful to avoid making a redundant purchase.
Each of the downloadable content items included in this content is the same as the respective item available for individual purchase. Be careful to avoid making a redundant purchase.
When update data from the latest version is required, please update your game before use.

So if the looks of this game tickles your fancy then all you have to do is just wait a week until it finally gets released on 24 May on Steam and the Nintendo Switch for $59.99/RM263.61, be sure to check out the Gameplay Features Trailer below for more.


Kena Bridge Of Spirits Launches On Steam Today With Anniversary Update

Independent game development and animation studio Ember Lab has announced that Kena Bridge Of Spirits launches for the first time on Steam today, alongside the Anniversary Update for all existing platforms.
The Anniversary Update is the biggest piece of DLC for Kena Bridge Of Spirits to date, including New Game+, Charmstones, Spirit Guide Trials, Kena Outfits, accessibility features, and more. Available for free on PS4, PS5, and Epic Game Store, the update is also part of the expanded Kena Bridge Of Spirits launching on Steam today for RM65 (with a discount of 25 percent, so RM48.75 for a limited time).
Josh Grier said:
“Kena Bridge Of Spirits was our very first game and, as you might expect, means a great deal to everyone at the studio. It’s one of the reasons why developing this DLC has been a labor of love. In particular, we can’t wait to see fans play the New Game+ mode, which will allow players who’ve completed the game to restart Kena’s journey with all of their previously unlocked abilities, upgrades, outfits, Rot, etc, as well as redesigned and more challenging combat encounters.”
One of the most talked about adventures from an indie studio in recent years, Kena Bridge Of Spirits offers players an action-adventure game that combines a compelling narrative with exploration, puzzle solving, and fast-paced combat. The game delivers a journey of self-discovery as Kena, a young Spirit Guide, restores balance to an ancient village in a once-thriving environment.
The Anniversary Update includes:

New Game+ – Players who’ve completed the game can set out on Kena’s journey from the beginning, taking advantage of their previously unlocked abilities, upgrades, outfits, Rot, etc, to take on completely redesigned and more demanding combat encounters.
Charmstones that are individually equipable – these unique collectibles each provide different adjustments to Kena’s stats and abilities.
Spirit Guide Trials, a new game mode challenging players’ skills with a variety of replayable challenges across three different categories: Obstacle Courses, Wave Defenses, and Boss Reflects.
Completing the Spirit Guide Trials unlocks outfits for Kena, each one inspired by one of the characters she meets along her journey. Succeeding at bonus objectives within each trial can unlock colour variations of each outfit, as well as some unique Charmstones.
New outfit, exclusive for Deluxe Edition owners.

Kena Bridge Of Spirits launches on Steam today along with the Anniversary Update, free for all owners.
In the meantime, check out our review of the game here.


2000AD & Batman Writer Alan Grant Is Dead

Sad news for comic book fans across the globe; writer Alan Grant has passed away. He was 73.
Alan Grant was renowned for his work on Tarzan and 2000AD with John Wagner around the 60s and 70s. This led to the both of them teaming up to co-write Judge Dredd in the 80s.

Grant’s work on Batman in the 80s for DC Comics prompted him to create a Batman sidekick character named Anarky as a means to spread his own anarchist political views via his art. He was also a fan of the demon Etrigan, pitting both the demon and Batman in a battle that leads to a rather odd yet endearing climax.
Alan Grant’s last work was a Judge Anderson story in 2018 and a war story in the Battle Special in 2020. He will be missed.


Elden Ring Sold 20 Million Copies Less Than A Year Since Release

It pays to be a Tarnished, it seems.
Bandai Namco has announced that its action RPG Elden Ring, made by From Software of Dark Souls fame, has sold over 20 million copies in just under a year. The game came out on 25th February 2022 for PC and consoles.
The PC version of Elden Ring has very positive Steam reviews that span under half-a-million. In addition, we also get this line from Bandai Namco’s official press release concerning the latest sales milestone.
“The companies would like to thank everyone who has played this game from the bottom of their hearts, and will continue to develop various ways for the fans to enjoy the world of Elden Ring in the future.”

Our heartfelt thanks for your support and companionship on this journey.#ELDENRING pic.twitter.com/S8eqiNk0Uv
— ELDEN RING (@ELDENRING) February 22, 2023

Hopefully that news about Elden Ring DLC comes soon. As for said milestone, that’s well-deserved given the quality and pedigree of the game. Elden Ring is one of our highly-rated games of 2022; check out our GOTY video segment on it below, as well as our written review.


Infinix Malaysia Collabs With Mobile Legends To Promote Healthy Gaming Among Students

Infinix Malaysia aims to empower Malaysian youths through their partnership with Mobile Legends Bang Bang (MLBB) for the upcoming Moonton Student Leader (MSL) Championship 2023. As the official gaming smartphone sponsor for the MLBB MSL Championship, Infinix Malaysia is excited to support the annual competition which brings together college and university MLBB teams from across Malaysia.
Jackie Chen, Country Manager of Infinix Malaysia, said:
“As a brand, Infinix is committed to empowering students who are looking to pursue their career in the e-sports field by providing innovative and affordable high-tech products. Our partnership with MLBB for the MSL Championship reflects our dedication to encouraging healthy gaming habits and fostering academic and gaming excellence. Through this collaboration, we encourage the youth to unlock their full potential and reach new heights in the gaming scene.”
The primary aim of the MSL Championship is to encourage healthy gaming habits and help amateur players improve their skills in both academics and gaming in line with their slogan, Grade Up, Level Up!. This partnership serves as a platform for Infinix to showcase their most recent innovative and trendy gaming smartphones, equipped with remarkable features that improve the mobile gaming experience, to avid mobile gamers, which aligns with Infinix’s upcoming NOTE series.

Mark your calendars for May 21st, 2023, as the highly anticipated MLBB MSL Championship kicks off with the Group Stages. With 128 teams competing, participants can battle their way to the top for a chance to win thrilling prizes, including MLBB Diamonds. Registration is now open for students ready to showcase their skills and join in the excitement.
As the competition heats up, the MSL Championship Playoffs and Grand Finals will take place on 29 July 2023. With Infinix as the official gaming smartphone sponsor, they will be sponsoring a generous cash prize of RM30,000 as well as a customised gift box with the upcoming NOTE series device worth more than RM5,500 to the Grand Final Winning Team. In addition, Infinix is planning an array of campus engagement events during the MSL Championship season, commencing from May until July 2023.
For more information on this exciting collaboration and tournament which will be featuring the Infinix NOTE series, check out Infinix Malaysia’s official website, Facebook page, Instagram page and  TikTok channel.


F1 23 Launches Next Month

EA and Codemasters have announced that F1 23 will be released on 16 June 2023 across PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC, via EA App, Epic Games Store, and Steam.
Headlined with the return of the epic story mode Braking Point, F1 23 is home to every team, driver and circuit for the 2023 season, including the highly anticipated Las Vegas Grand Prix and L?u??o?sail International Circuit, Qatar. Building on the exciting new partnership with Max Verstappen, who now boasts EA SPORTS branding on the chin of his helmet, the back-to-back World Champion is confirmed as the cover star for the digital-exclusive F1 23 Champions Edition.
Lee Mather, Senior Creative Director at Codemasters, said:
“The return of Braking Point allows players to immerse themselves in a racing story, which provides a unique look at F1 alongside the authentic race features our players know and love. Our close relationship with the teams has allowed us to refine our handling model, adding greater realism to pad-play, and implementing a new colour encoding system used in film and TV creates a more true-to-life experience.”
Braking Point returns for a bold new chapter following the careers of young upstart Aiden Jackson, and protagonist, Devon Butler, now teammates for Konnersport Racing Team, a fledgling organisation hoping to succeed against the current real-world F1 teams and drivers. Adding a host of new characters, fresh rivalries, and racing challenges, both aim to take their careers to the next level, but there will be twists, turns, and pitfalls along the way.
F1 23’s handling has been upgraded from last season, allowing for more predictable behaviour, and new vehicle physics gives the cars better traction when braking, accelerating, and cornering. By incorporating actual F1 team feedback, a greater balance between aerodynamics? and tyre grip results in a more realistic feel. Engine torque and inertia improvements also mean throttle control is more authentic and offers a greater level of connection to the car. Alongside these improvements, Precision Drive controller technology will give pad players better control and confidence in those crucial race moments.
Following community feedback, 35% race distance makes its debut, providing the perfect sweet spot between the previous short and long race options. Additionally, red flags add a new strategic element to F1 23, and the ability to react quickly could change the outcome of a race, both for better and worse. Alongside the full 2023 season calendar, which expands to include Las Vegas and Lusail, the game also boasts three legacy circuits, with Paul Ricard (France), Shanghai (China), and Portimão (Portugal) all confirmed for launch.
The introduction of the F1 World hub delivers a fresh experience with content inspired by the real-world calendar. Helping introduce players to the complex world of Formula 1, F1 World brings together multiple game modes, including Time Trial and Grand Prix, offering an exciting new way to play the game. A new progression system allows players to level up by completing challenges to unlock car upgrades, new liveries, race suits, and helmets. A new safety rating system links online and offline play, encouraging drivers to race cleanly. This system also helps pair like-minded drivers more efficiently for improved online racing.
The digital-exclusive F1 23 Champions Edition comes with time-limited Las Vegas content*, Max Verstappen Race Wear Pack, Braking Point 2 Icons and Vanity Item Pack, Dual Entitlement**, four new My Team Icons, an XP Boost, F1 World Bumper Pack, 18,000 PitCoin and three days early access starting on 13 June 2023.
A physical and digital Standard Edition featuring EA SPORTS ambassador Charles Leclerc alongside Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris will be available from 16 June 2023 with F1®World Starter Pack and 5000 PitCoin for those who pre-order.
F1 23 will release across, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One, and PC via EA App, Epic Games Store, and Steam.
Check out the trailer below:


World of Tanks: How to Survive Longer on the Battlefield

Today as part of their ongoing ‘Explaining Mechanics’ YouTube series, Wargaming.net released a really useful video for tank commanders who more often than not find their vehicles destroyed on the battlefield.
Focusing on tanks’ survivability and increasing the odds of living through engagements, the video discusses in-depth methods to nullify threats or at least lessen the effects when under fire. Emphasizing on understanding the basic principles of angling and using your tanks’ unique traits, the video also shared some advanced tricks to take down your enemies as well.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wp1iqzWI4P0&w=560&h=315]
Everything taught here can be applied to both PC and console versions of the free-to-play game and if you are thinking of trying it out on a dated PC, well you’re in luck as Update 1.0 makes the game playable on an impressive state even on older machines.

World of Tanks is a free-to-play game by Wargaming.net. You can download the game for free from their client here or just head over to your respective console market to download it.


Party Racing Game KartRider Drift Closed Beta Is Now Live

KartRider Drift is offering players a taste of the high-speed thrills to come with its third Closed Beta Testing period â€œTest Drive”. It is now live and will run until 15 December 2021. Selected racers can join the action on PC, Xbox One and, for the first time ever, PS4.
It is an upcoming multiplayer kart racing party game, taking inspiration from earlier titles in the franchise, delivering drift-fueled racing action and featuring multiple game modes and deep player-created kart and character customization. KartRider DriftÂ offers free-to-play online cross-platform play and progression to challenge friends.
During the â€œTest Driveâ€ period, players worldwide will have the opportunity to burn rubber in two different modes: â€œItem Modeâ€ and â€œSpeed Mode.â€ For players wanting to team up with friends, â€œItem Modeâ€ provides the perfect setup in which racers are allotted two items each to attack opposing teams or defend their allies. Racers with a need-for-speed can compete in the â€œSpeed Mode,â€ during which theyâ€™ll need to use both fast-reaction skills and strategy to earn and use boost items to blast ahead of the competition.
Players can expect the following content during the â€œTest Driveâ€ period:

â€œItem Modeâ€ and â€œSpeed Modeâ€
â€œDriving Assistanceâ€ system to assist new racers who are unfamiliar with the controls

Includes â€œDriving Directionâ€ to ensure players know which direction to drive and â€œTrack Guidelinesâ€ to show players the ideal path on each track

Tutorials for first-time racers, led by the friendly in-game companion, Joy
Seven playable characters, each with a variety of wearable outfits
Over 20 karts to choose from with customizable components such as front, side and rear parts, wheels, license plates and balloons etc.
Livery system which provides more detailed customization, including colour, pattern, wraps and decals

Players can choose from existing options or create their own custom designs

17 new tracks, including village, forest, mine, desert and Moonhill City themes
â€œLicense Modeâ€ missions where players can improve their driving and drifting skills across a diverse range of in-game missions

Interested racers who missed the registration window need not worry, as an additional registration period is also now open until 9am GMT+8 on Monday, 13 December 2021. Selected players will be announced at 5pm GMT+8 on the same day.
To celebrate the upcoming Closed Beta period, all participants who log into the game and create a racer name will receive a â€œPit Chief Brodiâ€ costume which will be sent to their Nexon account at the official launch. Players can join in the action from 9 December to 15 December 2021. Racers on Xbox One and PS4 must link their Nexon account to participate.
Pit Chief Brodi.
This Closed Beta test will focus onÂ verifying the technical stability of PC and console play, as well as accessibility, specifically for new racers adapting to the gameplay and controls.


She-Hulk Episode 4 Breakdown & Easter Eggs

The fourth episode of She-Hulk Attorney At Law is now streaming on Disney+ Hotstar Malaysia. I’ll be discussing heavy spoilers so if you haven’t seen it or want to avoid spoilers, now’s your chance to stop reading.
Check out my spoiler-free review of She-Hulk here.
The synopsis reads:
In Marvel Studios’ “She-Hulk: Attorney at Law,” Jennifer Walters (Tatiana Maslany)—an attorney specializing in superhuman-oriented legal cases must navigate the complicated life of a single, 30-something who also happens to be a green 6-foot-7-inch superpowered hulk. The nine-episode comedy series welcomes a host of MCU vets, including Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner/Hulk, Tim Roth as Emil Blonsky/Abomination, and Benedict Wong as Wong, as well as Jameela Jamil, Josh Segarra, Ginger Gonzaga, Jon Bass and Renée Elise Goldsberry.
The series is directed by Kat Coiro (Episodes 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 9) and Anu Valia (Episodes 5, 6, 7) with Jessica Gao as head writer. Executive producers are Kevin Feige, Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Brad Winderbaum, Coiro and Gao.
Courtesy of Disney+ Hotstar, we were given the opportunity to interview She-Hulk head writer, executive producer and showrunner, Jessica Gao. She is also best known for winning an Emmy Award for writing the famous Pickle Rick episode on the Rick And Morty animated series.

In the meantime, Jessica Gao also recently revealed that She-Hulk scrapped plans to include meta comic book text boxes in our coverage of the recent press conference.
Check out my breakdown of She-Hulk Episode 1, Episode 2 and Episode 3 here.
Check out my breakdown of Ms. Marvel Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5 and Episode 6 here.
Also, check out my breakdowns of Moon Knight Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5 and Episode 6 here.
You can check out my previous breakdowns of Hawkeye Episodes 1 and 2 here, Episode 3 here, Episode 4 here and Episode 5. and Episode 6 here.
In addition, you can check out my previous breakdowns of Marvel’s What If? Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5, Episode 6, Episode 7, Episode 8 and Episode 9 here.
If you haven’t, you can check out my previous breakdowns and easter egg articles for WandaVision Episode 1 and 2, Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5, Episode 6, Episode 7, Episode 8 and Episode 9.
For The Falcon And The Winter Soldier, you can check out my previous breakdowns for Episode 1, Episode 2 and Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5 and Episode 6.
For previous breakdowns of Loki episodes, check out Episode 1 here, Episode 2 here, Episode 3 here, Episode 4 here, Episode 5 here and Episode 6 here.

Magician Opens Portal To Somewhere

This magician who calls himself Donny Blaze opens a portal to somewhere during his performance. This place looks dark and has heads on spikes so a threat might come through it. Maybe its Svartalheim?
Possible Johnny Blaze Easter Egg

Donny Blaze seems to be an easter egg to Johnny Blaze, who is Ghost Rider and has only appeared in Marvel’s Agents Of SHIELD, which may or may not be canon to the MCU.

Wong Appears Again

It’s impressive that they could get Wong to appear again.
According to Wong, Donny Blaze is a former student of the mystic arts at Kamar-Taj.
Titania Now Owns The Name She-Hulk

And she’s suing Jennifer Walters for it. More courtroom drama awaits.
Post-Credits Scene

The post-credits scene for this episode is just Wong and Madisynn hanging out and watching The Sopranos.
Until the next episode, excelsior!


Modern Warfare Takes A Leaf Out of Its Original Game With Multiple SP Characters

To this day, I remember the rush of the original Modern Warfare‘s first mission ‘Crew Expendable’ which had us storming onto a container ship in the middle of a storm and then the frantic escape as the ship falls apart after being attacked by fighter jets.
Despite not being a big fan of shooters, I’m still really excited for the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare reboot’s singleplayer campaign. It’s bound to be full of cinematic moments interlaced with heart-pumping tactical action. They’re also bringing back that whole multiple protagonists shtick.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1y3mojuTWro&w=560&h=315]
Most Call of Duty singleplayer campaigns involve multiple military organisations carrying out missions around the world. Players are usually swapping places throughout the campaign so that they get a clearer perspective of the entire scenario.
In Modern Warfare, we’ll be playing as three different characters: SAS soldier Sergeant Kyle Garrick, CIA operator Alex, and Urzikstan freedom fighter Farah Karim. I’m actually a bit disappointed because I thought we’d be playing as Captain Price but being able to fight alongside him is still pretty neat. Something tells me Price will actually stab us in the back.
According to the developers, the game seeks to explore the grey areas in which military operatives are forced to make split second decisions. They’ve consulted experts from military organisations, writers, and even journalists. Still, it’s another ‘major superpowers using terrorists to wage proxy wars and still biochemical weapons’ plot.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is coming to PC, PS4, Xbox One on 25 October 2019. For more news and our review of the game, stay tuned on Kakuchopurei.


Guess Which Famous Pop Star Is Teaming Up With PokÃ©mon?

The PokÃ©mon Company just released its 25th anniversary video to celebrate its many years of imaginary cockfighting with play monsters and beasties. You might want to watch the video until the end to see the big hubbub and the headline.

Yep, you saw that right: pop star, and American Idol judge Katy Perry is headlining P25, which is a yearlong collaboration with Universal Music Group artists. It’s clearly going to be music-related, given Katy Perry’s talent as a singer and creator of infectious tunes like “Firework”.

Honestly, the press release we got is pretty vague as The PokÃ©mon Company calls it a “massive, yearlong music campaign” featuring “some of the biggest names in music, from rising artist to award-winning global superstars”. So yeah, music videos involving PokÃ©mon. Here’s a quote from Katy Perry herself:
“PokÃ©mon has been a constant in my life from playing the original video games on my Game Boy, to tradingÂ PokÃ©mon TCGÂ cards at lunch, to the adventures of catching PokÃ©mon on the street withÂ PokÃ©mon GO. Iâ€™ve even visited the PokÃ©mon CafÃ© in Japan while on tour! It is an honor to be chosen to help celebrate a franchise that has given me so much joy in the last 25 years, and to be able to watch it evolve in the ways itâ€™s provided that kind of electric joy for the kids in my life and around the world.”
Katy Perry’s favourite PokÃ©mon? It’s Pikachu, of course. Totally not a phoned-in answer at all. Give her credit though; this isn’t her first video game collaboration stint: the pop idol had worked on The Sims franchise with EA and is a Final Fantasy character.Â


[Rumour] Is Ash From Evil Dead Really Going To Be In Mortal Kombat 11?

Mortal Kombat 11 is filled with a number of prominent guest characters like the T-800 from Terminator, Joker from Batman, and Spawn from the mind of Todd McFarlane. And based on this latest leak, the game’s roster will be more star-studded. Groovy, even.
According to the bottom Twitter post, Warner Bros. may have let slip that tidbit in their emails about the Spawn DLC.

Ummm did Warner Bros just leak Ash from the Evil Dead in their Spawn e-mail campaign? Read the footer. LOL! pic.twitter.com/TcLZDQyJPz
— Taco ? (@TacoMGM) March 25, 2020

It could be a good Photoshop edit, but let it be said that Ash Williams from the Evil Dead series has been a rumour floating around since MK11’s release. Honestly, he’s a great fit: he’s got the boomstick and chainsaw combo, he’s got the one-liners to keep us entertained, and he’s a renowned horror movie icon.
The question remains: how much will NetherRealms shell out to get Bruce Campbell to do the VO work?


Overwatch League Transfer Tracker

(Updated 03/09/2018)
With the inaugural season of the Overwatch League firmly behind us, the scene moves on to the transfer period where teams are able to sign and release players in preparation for Season 2. With the start date of Season 2 still unconfirmed, here are the details we know so far regarding player movements:
August 1st: Teams are allowed to sign contract extension deals with current players or sign up players from their affiliated Contenders team. Trades can begin as well.
September 8th: Players whose contracts not renewed by their Overwatch League teams become free agents.
September 9th – October 7th: New Overwatch League expansion teams get priority to sign free agents.
October 8th: Free-agent signing window opens for all teams.
December 1st: Teams are free to form their teams before this deadline. Minimum requirements include that all teams must have a minimum of eight players under contract.
*Â Teams may sign or trade players until a final deadline during the 2019 season that will be announced at a later date.
*Beginning with the 2019 season, the term of player agreements will no longer be fixed at one year with an additional one-year option. Players and teams may negotiate contracts for up to three years, with a maximum of one year as an option in addition to one or two guaranteed years.
*All contracts must be submitted to the League Office for review and approval.
Roster Changes: Players

Player
Position
Old Team
New Team
Signing/Trade Details

Brandon “Seagull” Larned
Flex
Fuel
???
Retired

Chan-hyung “Fissure” Baek
Main Tank
Gladiators
Dynasty
Signed

AndrÃ© “iddqd” DahlstrÃ¶m
Hitscan DPS
Shock
???
Released

Daniel “dhaK” MartÃnez
Main Support
Shock
???
Released

David “Nomy” Ramirez
Main Tank
Shock
???
Released

Jin-woo “Gambler” Heo
Main Support
Dynasty
???
Retired

Woo-yeol “Kalios” Shin
Off Tank
Uprising
???
Released

Connor “Avast” Prince
Main Support
Uprising
???
Released

Mikias “Snow” Yohannes
Main Support
Uprising
???
Released

Luis “iRemiix” Galarza Figueroa
Main Tank
Gladiators
???
Released

Joon-seong “Asher” Choi
Hitscan DPS
Gladiators
???
Released

Ted “silkthread” Wang
Flex DPS
Gladiators
???
Released

Joon-hwa “Janus” Song
Main Tank
Excelsior
???
Released

Yage “Altering” Cheng
Main Support
Dragons
???
Released

Peixuan “Freefeel” Xu
Flex Support
Dragons
???
Released

Zhaoyu “Fiveking” Chen
Main Support
Dragons
???
Released

Wenhao “Roshan” Jing
Main Tank
Dragons
???
Released

Junjie “Xushu” Liu
Off Tank
Dragons
???
Released

Gi-hyeon “Ado” Chon
Projectile DPS
Dragons
???
Released

He “Sky” Junjian
Flex Support
Dragons
???
Released

Dae-min “Daemin” Kim
Hitscan DPS
Dragons
???
Released

Russell “FCTFCTN” Campbell
Main Tank
Outlaws
???
Released

Stanislav “Mistakes” Danilov
Hitscan DPS
Uprising
???
Released

George “ShaDowBurn” Gushcha
Projectile DPS
Fusion
???
Released

Joe “Joemeister” Gramano
Main Support
Fusion
???
Released

Jeong-hwan “DayFly” Park
Flex Support
Fusion
???
Released

Jin-hyuk “Miro” Gong
Main Tank
Dynasty
???
Released

Seok-woo “Wekeed” Choi
Projectile DPS
Dynasty
???
Released

Gi-do “Gido” Mun
Flex Support
Dynasty
???
Released

Matthew “Clockwork” Dias
Hitscan DPS
Outlaws
Outlaws
Signed as coach

Lucas “Mendokusaii” HÃ¥kansson
Flex
Outlaws
Outlaws
Signed as streamer

Christian “cocco” Jonsson
Main Tank
Fuel
Fuel
Signed as coach

Sebastian “chipshajen” Widlund
Flex Support
Fuel
???
Released

Johan “CWoosH” Klingestedt
Main Tank
Mayhem
???
Released

Andreas “Logix” Berghmans
Hitscan DPS
Mayhem
???
Released

Sebastian “Zebbosai” Olsson
Main Support
Mayhem
???
Released

Aleksi “Zuppeh” Kuntsi
Flex Support
Mayhem
???
Released

Tim “Manneten” Bylund
Off Tank
Mayhem
???
Released

Joonas “zappis” Alakurtti
Flex
Mayhem
???
Released

Stefano “Verbo” Disalvo
Main Support
Valiant
???
Released

FinnbjÃ¶rn “Finnsi” JÃ³nasson
Flex
Valiant
???
Released

Seb “numlocked” Barton
Main Tank
Valiant
???
Released

Roster Changes: Coaches / Managers

Coach
Team
Signing Details

Ho-jeong “alwaysoov” Chae
Dynasty
Released

Yo-han “nuGget” Kim
Dynasty
Released

Yoon-ho “Bubbly” Cho
Dynasty
Released

Ho-cheol “Hocury” Lee
Dynasty
Promoted to GM

Justin “Jayne” Conroy
Fuel
Signed

Louis “Tikatee” Lebel-Wong
Fuel
Signed

Emanuel “Peak” Uzoni
Fuel
Released

Chang-geun “changgoon” Park
Spitfire
Released

Chang-geun “changgoon” Park
Dynasty
Signed

Dong Gun “KDG” Kim
Dynasty
Signed

Hyeong-seok “WizardHyeong” Kim
Excelsior
Released

Jun-young “Kong” Son
Dragons
Released

Jia “Nai8” Jia
Dragons
Released

Via r/CompetitiveOverwatchÂ

We will keep the list above updated as we receive more news going forward.


Psychonauts 2 Is Getting New Quality Of Life Patches

As great as Psychonauts 2 is, the game clearly has a few bugs here and there that could impede enjoyment for some. Luckily, developer Double Fine is on the case and has addressed a number of these issues.
Here’s a list of the new features the game has from the official Double Fine video:

Bonus Psychoseismometer unlocked in Otto’s lab after finishing Gisu’s quest, making it possible to unlock enemy achievements during the post-game state.
Checkmarks appear in location selection menus to indicate if all collectables in a location have been found.
Otto-Spot photo filter to show collectables in the Otto-Shot photo mode.
Show all available figments in the figment viewer menu even if you haven’t found them yet.

Here are the bug fixes for the game following the new patch that came out recently.

General stability improvements for all platforms.
Improve environmental collision to prevent players and objects from rarely falling through walls and floors.
Fix issues related to fall death and water curse, and prevent them from being broken if interrupted by a cutscene.
Fix duplicate characters and stray animation appearing in some cutscenes.
Fix the issue that could cause flickering around objects submerged in water.
Improve save checkpoints to prevent the player’s save data from getting into a bad state.
Improve photo mode stability.
Expand the mental health advisory message.
HUD improvements to prevent extra health brains from appearing.
Improve xCloud streaming touch controls.

If you rather have the patch notes start off with the sweet crooning voice of Double Fine CEO and Psychonauts 2 creative director Tim Schafer, check out the video below.

Psychonauts 2 is out now for PC, Xbox Series, Xbox One, and PS4, as well as on Xbox Game Pass. We highly recommend it; it’s a worthy sequel that is years in the making.


The Least Interesting Fatal Frame Gets A Release Date & A Slew Of Ports

I appreciate the Fatal Frame games back in the day for their inventiveness. However, I’m not really down with the latest iteration which takes away all sorts of immersion and atmosphere for cheap thrills and fanservice. That’s the former Wii U exclusive Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water, a survival horror game where you can spot and kill off ghosts with your special ghost camera while you’re a nubile female.
Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water will be out on 28th October for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series, and for the very first time, PC. The new version of this Fatal Frame features sharper graphics, a new photo mode that lets you check out any ghost model you’ve found while adding in backgrounds and filters for random snaps you want in-game, and new costumes and accessories for our protagonists to wear.

Oh, and a special Dead or Alive Ayane chapter post-game, because Koei Tecmo’s meal ticket fighting game series can’t keep its tits off other titles.

Still, if you aren’t put off by all this extra shilling and nonsense, you might find a decent time with this horror entry. Check out the trailer below.


[Updated] First Major Southeast Asian Warzone 2.0 Tournament Announced By ONE Esports

The Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0 ONE Esports New World Royale is a Warzone 2.0 Southeast Asian tournament happening from 25 March to 2 April starting at 4:00 PM (UTC+8), you can watch the world’s best players battle it out online in a series of 11 free-for-all community tournaments across Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand, the Philippines, and Singapore.
This tournament is brought to you by ONE Esports and Activision Blizzard and features the Quads game mode, where players will compete for a total prize pool of US$5,100 in cash and US$10,000 worth of COD Points. These points can be used to unlock new in-game content for the Multiplayer and Special Ops game modes.
The action starts with two Qualifiers on 25 and 26 March, and the top teams will progress to the Semifinals on 1 April. The tournament will culminate in the Grand Final on 2 April, where the top 10 teams will share the prize pool.
You can watch the Semifinals and Grand Final live on ONE Esports’ Facebook, Twitch, and YouTube channels in English, Mandarin, and Thai. And if you’re feeling competitive, you can sign up to compete on Battlefy, a free registration process open to all gamers.
So, mark your calendars and get ready for an epic showdown. With huge prizes up for grabs and the world’s best players battling it out, the Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0 ONE Esports New World Royale is not to be missed.
Update: To deliver an improved competitive experience, ONE Esports and Activision Blizzard have decided to reschedule the tournament to a later date. Be sure to check back when the new dates have been confirmed. Teams which have signed up for the initial tournament will be automatically registered for the new one, with no further action required.


Here’s When You Can Play The Nioh 2 Open Beta

If you’re a big fan of samurai games and also dying a lot in samurai games, then you will probably love Nioh 2, assuming you don’t already love the first game of course. Scheduled to be released in early 2020, Nioh 2 has only been announced for the PlayStation 4.

Yokai hunters, ready to face the Dark Realm? Play the Nioh 2 Open Beta starting November 1 to 10, available at PS Store pic.twitter.com/EPPoqWBsiZ
— PlayStation (@PlayStation) September 15, 2019

For those of you excited for the game but didn’t get to test out the closed alpha, worry not! There will be a free open beta happening from 1 November to 10 November 2019. All you need to have is a PlayStation account to download the beta.
No specific details has been released concerning what bosses and enemies you’ll encounter in the beta. Stay tuned on Kakuchopurei for more updates and news on Nioh 2.


Here’s When The Jujutsu Kaisen 0 Movie Is Coming To Malaysian Cinemas (Update)

Updated on 24 February 2022:
TGV Cinemas has announced that tickets for the general screening of the Jujutsu Kaisen 0 movie are now available to be purchased.
You can head on over here to get your tickets now.

*Kindly note that the showtimes for each location will be reflected on the website and app gradually.
??https://t.co/z8w78go9oD#JujutsuKaisenatTGV #???????0 #JujutsuKaisenZero #JJK0 #JujutsuKaisen #TontondiTGV pic.twitter.com/ewM2XfHBId
— TGV Cinemas | #TontondiTGV ?? (@TGVCinemas) February 24, 2022

The highly anticipated Jujutsu Kaisen 0 movie is heading to Malaysian cinemas on 10 March 2022. The anime originally premiered in Japan in December 2021, but it’s finally coming to Malaysia soon.
The news was announced via the TGV Cinemas Twitter account earlier today:

It's official guys!On 10 March, stake everything and break the curse with #JujutsuKaisen0 at #TGVCinemas! ?#JujutsuKaisenatTGV #Anime #AnimeMovie #TontondiTGV pic.twitter.com/Phh9xb9E5M
— TGV Cinemas | #TontondiTGV ?? (@TGVCinemas) February 11, 2022

Based on the hit Jujutsu Kaisen manga series, Jujutsu Kaisen 0 tells the story of a young isolated high school student named Yuta Okkotsu suffering from a curse from his late girlfriend who follows him everywhere. Upon meeting a sorcerer named Satoru Gojo, Yuta decides to follow him to his school, in order to control the power of the curse.
The Jujutsu Kaisen 0 movie is a prequel to the popular Jujutsu Kaisen anime series, both of which are produced and animated by studio MAPPA.
In the meantime, check out the trailer below:


Xbox Series X Controller Gets New Red Colour

The Xbox Series X/S controller has received a new variant colour; Pulse Red. This is in addition to the previously-revealed Carbon Black, Robot White, and Shock Blue.
Check it out below:

[videopress AWIxbjgF]
You can pick up the Xbox Wireless Controller in Pulse Red for US$64.99 or roughly RM260+ starting from 9 February 2021 in most Xbox markets and starting tomorrow in China.


Narita Boy Walkthrough & Level Guide: How To Wake The F*** Up, Samurai

Narita Boy is now out for most major consoles and for the PC. While its art style and music are great, it has this habit of letting you get lost and not giving you a clear direction, much like last year’s other Metroidvania title Carrion.Â
It’s all the more frustrating especially if you’re just here for the game’s engrossing story. Fortunately, we have a number of video walkthroughs here for your reference. Just keep in mind that these videos are spoiler-filled and contain solutions to all the major puzzles. You’ve been warned.

Prologue

Act 1: Creator’s Tears

Act 2: Yellow House

Act 3: Blue House

Act 4: Red House

Act 5: Digital Kingdom & Final Stage


Overwatch League: Musical Chairs In Full Swing as Fuel & Shock Acquire New Players

The Overwatch League player musical chairs continues as two DPS mains switched teams earlier today. First up is Nam-jooÂ “Striker”Â Kwon who left Boston Uprising to beef up the Korean contingent at San Francisco Shock. Joining his Korean compatriots in Architect, ChoiHyoBin, smurf, Viol2t and Rascal in San Francisco, Striker’s departure was an odd one considering he’s been the Uprising’s standout performer towards the end of Season 1.

Today we bid farewell to @STRIKER_OW.
Thank you for your hard work and we wish you the best with @SFShock.
ðŸ”—: https://t.co/fO6NyQd29K pic.twitter.com/nd5UYedZOD
â€” Boston Uprising (@BostonUprising) December 3, 2018
Excited for their latest acquisition, the Shock welcomed Striker with the following skit:

Chef @ShockCrusty is cooking something special for Season 2 of @OverwatchLeague…
One ingredient was missing… Until now pic.twitter.com/dhO5Rq6tGx
â€” San Francisco Shockâš¡ (@SFShock) December 3, 2018
With Striker’s addition, the SF Shock now have a fully-stacked roster of twelve players, featuring five DPS mains. An odd decision considering the tank-heavy GOATS meta going about.
Source: liquipedia.net
Next up is the Dallas Fuel who after weeks of speculation, has confirmed the capture of ZacharyÂ “ZachaREEE”Â Lombardo. Formerly of Philadelphia Fusion’s developmental team, Fusion University, we were given a glimpse of what he could do at the recent Overwatch World Cup. While he didn’t really get the chance to shine following Team USA’s early exit at the hands of Team UK, Dallas Head Coach who also served as Team USA’s Head Coach at the tournament surely have seen enough to warrant Zacharee’s recruitment to the Fuel.

Give a warm welcome to our 10th player and new flex DPS, @zacklombardo! ðŸ”¥ðŸ’™ pic.twitter.com/QUIAi9hahD
â€” Dallas Fuel (@DallasFuel) December 3, 2018
Like Striker’s move to San Fran, Zacharee’s addition to Dallas was also a head scratcher considering the thin tank line of the Dallas Fuel. With OGE alone serving as main tank, their logical plan B is to either resort to Taimou switching to Hog, or Mickie on D.Va to support OGE. However, it’s important to note that the Fuel still have two empty slots to fill.

The second season of the Overwatch League kicks off next February. With the league bumping up the number of participating teams from 12 to 20, we now know all of the competing teams asÂ Washington DC Justice and Vancouver TitansÂ finally unveiled their branding and team colors last weekend.


SoundScape: The Fantastic Castlevania Tribute Of Dead Cells’ New DLC

It’s not every day you get to work on the main inspiration of your hit search action title with the roguelike twist to it. Dead Cells creator Motion Twin did just that with its new DLC dubbed Return To Castlevania, where they worked with Konami to create a fun Dead Cells roguelike experience with new Castlevania biomes that entertain.
The best part? The music absolutely slaps! The arranged versions of classic Castlevania tracks from the 80s and 90s titles, courtesy of composer Yoann Laulan, uses the Dead Cells’ atmospheric lute strings-based and percussions-heavy music to the fullest. It pays respect to the tracks made by Konami music veterans Kinuyo Yamashita, Satoe Terashima, and Michiru Yamane, while also retaining its lute-savvy identity, making for a brand-new aural experience.
But don’t take my word for it: check out the video below and listen to it yourselves. We play the new arranged tracks and the original music one after the other so that you can listen to the melodies and changes, appreciating what’s modified. These include gems like the Castlevania: Symphony of the Night clock tower music to even the Super Castlevania IV prologue theme. Brilliant stuff!


E3 2018: All Our Major Coverage & Videos In One Spot

In case you weren’t sure, we did a bunch of videos during E3 week where we TCSS in the wee mornings and late nights. We also wrote a lot of awesome stuff during that special week that is sure to entertain you or make you question our sanity.
If you missed all of them due to work and stuff, fear not! We have amassed all the episodes here on one major post. Check them out below in the order of appearance.
Disclaimer: This feature is still developing. This feature was also originally published on 15 June.
Videos
https://www.facebook.com/kakuchopurei/videos/1445808012190276/

https://www.facebook.com/kakuchopurei/videos/1447254092045668/

https://www.facebook.com/kakuchopurei/videos/1448230525281358/

https://www.facebook.com/kakuchopurei/videos/1438687646235646/
https://www.facebook.com/kakuchopurei/videos/1439890409448703/

https://www.facebook.com/kakuchopurei/videos/1444273965677014/

https://www.facebook.com/kakuchopurei/videos/1444447605659650/

https://www.facebook.com/kakuchopurei/videos/1445265832244494/
https://www.facebook.com/kakuchopurei/videos/1451704174933993/

https://www.facebook.com/kakuchopurei/videos/1451093721661705/

https://www.facebook.com/kakuchopurei/videos/1451750578262686/

https://www.facebook.com/kakuchopurei/videos/1452908351480242/
Articles
The Other Cool Games You Missed
When Are These E3 2018 Games Coming Out?
PlayStation Delivers Despite Death Stranding
Tetsuya Nomura On FFVII Remake
5 Things We’re OK With About Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
That Devil May Cry 5 Trailer Song Is Mad Popular
Latest Halo To Balk Multiplayer?
Did Capcom Learn Anything From The Last Devil May Cry?
Is This The Best Time To Remake Resident Evil 2?
Why We Are Most Excited About Ghost of Tsushima
When Will The NeXt Xbox Come Out?
Ubisoft Hits All The Right Notes
Does Xbox Mark The Spot?
Bethesda Hits Home Run With E3 Showing
Is Cyberpunk 2077 The Sci-Fi Escapade We Need?
Nintendo Assumes The Whole World Loves Smash Bros.Â


Marvel Studios To Film Its Movies In Australia For The Next Five Years

It looks like Marvel Studios is moving away from the US and heading to Sydney, Australia, for the next five years.
According to sources from Metro UK, upcoming movies under Marvel Studios will be filmed and produced in the land down under. Taika Waititi’s Thor Love And Thunder is already filming in the country. However, Jon Watt’s untitled Spider-Man 3 is filming in New York, so it hasn’t been put in concrete terms yet.
Upcoming movies like Guardians Of The Galaxy 3, Doctor Stranger In The Multiverse Of Madness and others are likely to be filmed in Australia.
Speaking with The Daily Telegraph, the insider source said:
â€˜There is nowhere in the world where films can be shot in the way they can be here in Australia.
Sydney is the perfect place for the Marvel blockbusters because most are essentially shot in front of a green screen.
The whole studio is essentially transporting itself from the US.â€™
However, we should take all this with a grain of salt for now. Marvel has yet to officially announce the move to Australia and they’re unlikely to confirm it either. In the meantime, check out my WandaVisionÂ episode breakdown articles onÂ the first two episodes,Â Episode 3,Â Episode 4,Â Episode 5,Â Episode 6Â andÂ Episode 7.


Ember Knights Leaves Early Access This July

Co-op action RPG Ember Knights will be out of Early Access pretty soon.
The upcoming game will be out for PC and Nintendo Switch on 18th July in 1.0 form. During its early access run since last April, the game has received 95% positive reviews on Steam as of May 2023.
Check out the new trailer and feature list below. If you’re into co-op dungeon hacking with colourful graphics, this one’s probably your jam. \\
Features:

Blazing action roguelite. Legendary warriors, the Ember Knights are skilled in the wielding of more than a dozen weapons and skills.
Ignite deadly combos. Create unique and deadly builds by unlocking new skills, equipping game-changing relics and looting rare items. From a damage-resistant crowd-controlling swordsman to a poison spreading archer with summons, forge your own build during your runs.
Face Praxis’ hordes. Beasts, specters, sorcerers, and creatures of all sorts… Fight against dozens of unique monsters each with their own unique attacks and behaviors.
Incur the wrath of the bosses. The real challenge for the legendary Knights will lie in the epic bosses and their corrupted variations. From the Royal Phalanx to the Plague Bringer, Praxis will summon anything in his power to stop you.