Gran Turismo 7 Is The Most Accessible Game In The Franchise Yet

Platform(s): PS4, PS5 (Gran Turismo 7 version played)
Genre: Sim racing, racing simulator
It’s been almost a decade since the last mainline title in the franchise, Gran Turismo 6 for the PS3 in 2013, but the “real driving simulator” is finally back. 2017’s Gran Turismo Sport was a worthy multiplayer-focused experiment by Polyphony Digital, but fans of the series have been waiting for a more traditional Gran Turismo experience, and Gran Turismo 7 definitely delivers on that.
For full transparency, I would like to clarify that I played and reviewed Gran Turismo 7 as a casual fan of racing games. They’re not my forte in any way and the last Gran Turismo title I previously was Gran Turismo 4 for the PS2 (so you’ll know where I’m coming from). Still, the reality is that there’ll be just as many casual gamers interested in Gran Turismo 7 as hardcore fans, but this review will be prioritising more on the perspective of the former.
So, if you’ve never played a Gran Turismo title or if you don’t really play racing games in general, should you get Gran Turismo 7? I’ll be answering that in my review.
Put The Pedal To The Metal

The most important I should point out is that Gran Turismo 7 is a racing simulator, first and foremost. It’s closer to the annual F1 titles (a couple of which I previously reviewed) compared to say, arcade racing franchises like Need For Speed, Burnout or Forza Horizon. Hardcore sim racing fans may think it’s dumb of me to point this out, but many casual gamers may not realise just how different sim racing games play in comparison to arcade racers. You can’t just get a faster car and speed your way to victory by pressing the accelerate button.
Well, that’s not entirely true, either. Sure, Gran Turismo 7 has a bunch of extensive assist mechanics in the options menu that you can turn on, but ultimately, you still need to get good to win, usually. My point is this; there’s a steeper learning curve to this game that’s not in other more arcadey racing games. That said, with assists on, I had a much easier time than I expected, though the game is still pretty difficult for casual racing fans. You have to race more meticulously, and not just press the accelerate button.
Gran Turismo 7 is obviously a racing game, but what do you actually do? Well, Gran Turismo 7 doesn’t feature the open-world system of games like Forza Horizon 5 or the Need For Speed titles. In the GT Simulation Mode single-player campaign, you’ll get access to the World Map, which is a hub where you can access different locations for various purposes. These include the CafÃ©, the License Center, Tuning Shop, Garage, and more. More places will open up and be accessible as you progress through the game, including Scapes, Livery Editor and more.
The places you’ll visit the most, especially earlier on in the game before you unlock anything else, are the World Circuit and CafÃ©. The World Circuit speaks for itself; it’s where you’ll be selecting the tracks, races and championships you’ll be racing in. And no, the CafÃ© isn’t a place you’ll be having a virtual lunch or dinner at. It’s actually where part of the progression system is. You’ll go there and complete objectives as part of Menu Books. You’ll gain new cars simply by winning races at the World Circuit by completing the objectives on the Menu Books (which is the game’s primary method of unlocking new cars, besides using in-game money CP to buy new ones).

These Menu Books aren’t just all races either. They’re good for introducing players to try something new on the World Map. For example, when I unlocked the Scapes mode, one of the Menu Books’ objectives was simply to head there and take a picture. The Scapes mode is sort of like the game’s Photo Mode, where you can choose any car and any selected landscape/background of your choice for a picture. To my fellow Malaysians, yes, there are several Malaysian selections as well, including beautiful backgrounds set in Kuala Lumpur and Malacca.
Gran Turismo 7 also features a levelling system called the Collector Level. As you win more races or challenges, you’ll gain experience points and increase your level, thus unlocking more places on the World Map and more content. After winning a certain amount of races and completing a certain amount of Menu Books, you can participate in Championships. However, to take part in some of these Championships, you’ll need to acquire the required licenses at the License Center. This is where the game might frustrate players who are less skilled in racing games.

To acquire the licenses, you’ll need to complete a bunch of tests for each one. Most of the early ones teach you how to do corners and stuff, but to pass the tests, you’ll need at least Bronze. This, in turn, requires players to complete a particular test in a specific amount of time. Basically, these tests are time trials, and they can be annoying if you’re a perfectionist who strives for Gold. You only need Bronze for each test to acquire the license but trust me, some of these are difficult to pull off in the allotted. It’s frustrating when you’re just seconds or nanoseconds away from getting that Bronze, Silver or Gold, and there’s nothing you can do but to get good and practice until you can complete them.
You need these licenses to unlock more races and progress through the game, so you have no choice. That’s why it’s important for me to point out the “racing simulator” part of the game, so casual gamers will know what to expect. You can’t just trailblaze through this game. You have to consider what time of car you’re using, the track you’re racing on, the weather conditions (especially if it’s raining), and more. Thankfully, Gran Turismo 7 does make upgrading the performance and tuning of your car easier by giving each of them an overall performance level called PP. You’ll know that a 100,000 PP car will definitely be slower than a 200,000 PP car.

To be completely frank, I was expecting Gran Turismo 7 to be just as frustrating as other racing simulators out there. Using the assists in the F1 games made me feel like I’m not playing the game like I should, which made the experience unearned and therefore less satisfying. I didn’t have much of the same problem with Gran Turismo 7.Â There were still many races that frustrated me, but none of them was unfair. After familiarizing myself with the tracks and tuning my cars appropriately, I could still win those races and felt like I earned them.
One gripe that I do have with the game is that you have to be online at all times in the game in order to save your progress or even play the game. That’s right, despite having a single-player campaign, you can’t even play the game offline. The only thing you can play offline is the arcade mode. Everything else, including your progress, has to be done while online. That’s not exactly a big problem for me, since I always have my console connected online, but I’m sure there are some of you who’d prefer being able to play and save the game without needing an Internet connection at all times.
Gran Visuals

If there’s one thing that’s undeniable about Gran Turismo 7, it’s the visuals. The franchise has always impressed with near photo-realistic visuals but this one is no exception. Case in point, I had a few cousins over who watched the game while I was playing it, and they were marvelling over how lifelike the cars were to their real-life counterparts, including both the exterior and interior of the cars. After any race, the post-race replays look remarkably cinematic and are as close to photorealism as the series has ever been.
I’m not exaggerating when I say this is perhaps one of the most beautiful racing games I’ve ever seen. That may sound obvious if you’ve seen the trailers, but even as someone who’s normally clueless about cars, I would sometimes leave the post-race replays playing just because of how gorgeous the game looks. I had no qualms about sacrificing framerate to play the game in 4K with HDR activated. The game has to be seen to be believed.
However, the game isn’t exactly visually perfect. The environmental visuals could have been better. The developer went for a more subdued and subtle aesthetic when it came to the game’s environments. Perhaps the purpose of this was to make the game look more realistic. However, compared to the vibrant and lively visuals of the environments and settings in the Forza Horizon franchise, the world around the cars in Gran Turismo 7 can sometimes look a bit bland.

Ride Or Die

Polyphony Digital has definitely succeeded in making a racing simulator that even a casual gamer can enjoy. I remember having a harder time in Gran Turismo 4 and the more recent F1 titles. In comparison, Gran Turismo 7 is a lot more accessible, perhaps even the most accessible the franchise has ever been. It still has a few issues, but if you’re willing to put some effort into your racing skills, the game can be enjoyable and satisfying.
Pros

One of the most beautiful racing games we’ve ever seen.
Lifelike attention to detail on cars and more to satisfy fans.
An easy-to-understand progression system that regularly unlocks new cars.

Cons

The steep learning curve for casual racing game fans, even with all the assists.
Completing the time trial tests for acquiring licenses can be frustrating.
You have to be online at all times to play and save the game.

Final Score: 70/100
Review copy provided by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Played on PS5. Gran Turismo 7 releases for PS4 and PS5 on 4 March 2022.


[Rumour] SNK Might Be Going PlayStation Exclusive

Bloomberg recently reported that Sony is considering a bid for Leyou Technologies. Why is that significant in the gaming industry business? Because Leyou is the parent company of SNK Corporation, the folks behind the King of Fighters, Fatal Fury, and Samurai Shodown series.
Anonymous sources from Sony also said that Sony Corporation are working with a financial adviser on a potential offer for Lenyou Technologies. If it pans out, Sony will be the parent company of SNK. Which means that your future SNK titles may be going the PlayStation exclusive route.
At this point in time, SNK has been on the up and up for the past year or so, with a brand-new Samurai Shodown title, a slew of Neo Geo Pocket ports, and a King of Fighters XV in the works. I’d like a new Twinkle Star Sprites with rollback netcode, but a guy can only dream, eh?


Throwback Article: WHAT DC IS DOING WRONG – MY TAKE FROM SDCC 2015

This article first appeared on IGN SEA a couple years back, right after SDCC 2015 and just prior to BvS and Suicide Squad hitting the cinemas. To say that I have the power of clairvoyance would be spot on.
Anyway, have a read on what I wrote about a couple years back and see which parts I got spot on (tons of them), and those that I missed – which I think was almost zero.

Now before I get haters calling me a Marvel fanboy, here’s a fact – I grew up a Batman fan. Loved and watched tons of Batman: The Animated series growing up, and a bulk of my comic book collection are made up of Batman comics, tradepaperbacks and my favorite graphic novel of all time is The Dark Knight Returns. My favorite rendition of Batman on the silver screen is a bit more modern; Christian Bale in Christopher Nolan movies and for print, it’s a tie between Frank Miller’s old-Batman and Scott Snyder’s version in the New 52. Now that’s out of the way, let’s get on to the meat of it, shall we?
DC are copying Marvel’s superhero movie formula – Sans the Foundation
Warner Brothers and DC Comics seem to be on course for a bumper year in 2016, with two highly promoted movies at Comic Con this year;Â Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad. While the masses are excited to see #Batfleck and #LetoJoker on the silver screen, I’m much more skeptical and worried that DC is on course for another wave of superhero movie trainwrecks.
Say what you want DC fans; but DC are copying Marvel’s superhero movie formula except that they have theirs on super fast-forward, copying only the fun parts at the end. Imagine it as copying the last, near-answer section of an algebra equation sans all the early steps which lead to it.
For most comic readers, we all had an inkling of what was to come when we saw Captain America’s shield in Iron Man or Thor’s hammer at the end of Iron Man 2. Each movie was part of a much larger universe where a big finale is waiting. Call them a tease but it was a tease worth having. In between, fans and newbies were introduced to lesser known characters via several movies; each with legit reason to be in the bigger equation. B or C-list characters such as Hawkeye and Widow were all introduced at their own pace.
Heck, even less mainstream titles such as Guardians of the Galaxy and Ant-Man got their own movies and have proven to be a huge success. Why? Because Marvel took time to tell us a story about their characters and with that, create new fans who attach themselves to said characters.
The past few years saw a myriad of awesome Marvel movies with interlinking storylines which ultimately culminated in an epic Avengers movie. They are set to go one up next year with Civil War. A genuine geekgasm moment there of course. But it didn’t happen overnight; definitely not over the course of one single movie.
Suicide Who?
DC? Nonono. Remember that algebra analogy I used earlier? Now imagine having presented a final answer which is correct, having providing a copied equation to only be questioned later on why and how you came about with the answer. That’s exactly where DC is heading to in the next 24 months or so.
For example; Suicide Squad. Who are the Suicide Squad? Might as well call the movie “Harley Quinn and a Bunch of C-List Baddies”. You know DC is desperate to play catch up when:
1. Instead of reintroducing a brand new Joker in his own movie – that boat has long passed, guys – they decided to rush his ‘reboot’ and toss him into a movie featuring much, much lesser known comic characters.
2. Instead of allowing fans to know who’s who in Suicide Squad, they brought in Joker to pique the masses’ interest towards the movie. In the beginning, I assumed his appearance will be more of a cameo but from the looks of it, it’ll be substantial. Hopefully this is all down to how the trailers were cut.
Might as well call the movie “Harley Quinn and a Bunch of C-List Baddies”.
But why the need to emphasize so much on Joker? So he seems relevant to appear in ANOTHER rushed movie rushed into production; Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, that’s why.
In retrospect, Marvel had confidence in their characters and movies. You might not have heard of Star-Lord prior to Chris Pratt’s rendition, but now he is one of the most-loved Marvel characters. “I am Groot” is now a catchphrase! Goes to show that if you believe in your product, it will take off given proper care and attention. Marvel didn’t even have to toss in obvious Iron Man nor Captain America reference to make people want to watch it.
Ten bucks says that the Leto Joker will outshine other characters in Suicide Squad and viewers will end up feeling robbed off the opportunity to potentially watch two full, fun, independent action-packed comic supervillain movies. Now that is sad.
The Case of BvS
Batman Vs. Superman is one of the storylines comic lovers have been yearning for years, being pretty much on-par with Marvel’s Civil War in terms of scale and impact. But that’s where the parallel stops.
Civil War took years to come by. While the tension between Tony Stark and Steve Rogers ignited right off the bat in the Avengers movie, Marvel knew what their fans wanted, expected and understood that their fans aren’t stupid. They want a meaningful, solid reason for the two to come at loggerheads. And by the time Captain America 3: Civil War kicks off, there would have been at least two movies showing Cap and Stark’s difference in ideologies and now both are at boiling point considering the outcome of Age of Ultron.
In the comics, it took a nuclear war, years of pent-up frustration and anger from Bruce Wayne towards Superman which led to the fight in Crime Alley. It was about differing ideologies, outlook and personalities which brought the two biggest names in DC comic verse to duke it out, not simply via flashbacks of the Man of Steel movie. It just does not cut.
Screw the build up. Screw the back stories. Screw legacy. We want a crossover movie with superheroes and supervillains LIKE NOW now. Of course, any comic fan would welcome this arc but the truth is, one movie simply does not give justice to this rivalry.
It all boils down to this: DC wants to rush the production of a Justice League movie. While no solid news as yet, ask any comic book fan – they will tell you the same. Wouldn’t it mess up the whole timeline? Of course. But considering how DC has been rushing to hit peak with rushed Joker introduction, Suicide Squad and BvS, I would not discount them of retconning it to be a ‘How they were before shit hits the fan’ angle.
Deep down, I really hope that DC and WB won’t screw this up. It will be too much to take and may very well spell the end of their attempt to give Marvel a good run for their money; which would be a huge loss for fans all around.

Fast forward two years down the road: They messed things up. Nuff said.


Mafia II: Definitive Edition Was Free On Malaysian PlayStation Store…

Talk about a major error.
According to a recent tweet from Wario64, Mafia II: Definitive Edition is free on PlayStation Network right now. Hope you have 56GB or so free on your PS4.

Mafia II Definitive Edition is free on Malaysia PSN https://t.co/1xz0FBVtnq
you will need to make an account for that region. yes, you can play the game on your primary PSN account after you get it pic.twitter.com/Vpg7cvojei
— Wario64 (@Wario64) May 19, 2020

Or at least it was. PlayStation fixed the situation. At the very least, you can still buy the Mafia Trilogy which contains the remastered versions of Mafia II and Mafia III, as well as the upcoming Mafia remake.
We’re not sure if this is an actual PlayStation Network free game deal, or if there’s an error in the system. But if you’re awake right now and want to see a remastered Mafia II in action on your PS4, now’s a good time as any to get it.


Outriders Is Giving Out Appreciation Packages To Make Up For Launch Issues

After a launch plagued by severe server issues, Outriders developer People Can Fly are giving out a Community Appreciation Package to any player who tried the game in its first two weeks.
According to the Reddit post, the developer said that they’re still working on the Community Appreciation Package, but they plan to make the rewards available for anyone who played Outriders between launch on 31 March 2021 and 11 April 2021.
The gift is for your highest-levelled character, which includes:

A level appropriate Legendary Weapon

A level appropriate amount of Titanium

The emote “Frustration”, which is otherwise unobtainable at this moment in time. The irony here was not intentional but is fitting.

However, it’s unclear when exactly players will receive the Community Appreciation Package.
In the meantime, you can check outÂ what we thought about theÂ OutridersÂ demo here, orÂ head on over hereÂ for our guide on how to get the best legendary weapons and armour in the game.


Tokyo Game Show 2023 New Key Visual Revealed; Exhibitor Registration Now Open!

The Computer Entertainment Supplier’s Association (CESA) has revealed the main visual for Tokyo Game Show 2023. The theme for this year is: “Games in Motion, the World in Revolution”, which is expressed through a new visual work. This visual is created by Kukka, the illustrator for Tokyo Game Show over the past four years.

Kukka had this to say about this year’s fresh new visual:
“We play games sometimes as a way to relax and sometimes to escape from reality. Based on this year’s theme, I drew game characters reaching their arms to our physical world, with a composition as if you were drawn into the world of games. I tried to create the work to feel a lot of vibe and actions. More than anything, I wanted to feel a fun atmosphere there, so I used vivid colours and played with iconic game items such as explosions and other special effects!”

CESA is accepting registrations for exhibitors for both TGS 2023 and TGSVR 2023 until Friday, 26 May 2023, which is now one week away. Additionally, the virtual venue, TGSVR 2023 will also be expanded in order to host the largest-ever hybrid event. On top of the same four days as the real-venue exhibition, TGSVR 2023 will be held until 1 October 2023 (Sun), which is one week longer than the physical event.
For more details, you can visit the official website or the event page itself.


Abandoned Is A Survival Horror FPS Coming Exclusively To PS5

Netherlands-basedÃ‚Â Blue Box Game StudiosÃ‚Â has announced first-person survival shooterÃ‚Â Abandoned for PS5. It is slated to launch sometime in Q4 2021.
According to PlayStation Blog, Abandoned is a cinematic, first-person horror survival shooter set in a highly detailed open world environment and favours a realistic approach to survival.
The story is centred around Jason Longfield, who wakes up in a strange forest. Abandoned and not remembering how he got there, Jason soon finds out that he was kidnapped and brought there for a dark purpose. Fighting for his survival, his main goal is to escape.
According to the developer, every event has an influence on your character. If Jason is out of breath after sprinting (or is afraid), his firing accuracy will suffer. Unlike action shooter titles, firing weapons in AbandonedÃ‚Â will be realistically slow. You will need to be tactical in order to survive.
There will also be an emphasis on realism through user immersion. With the DualSense wireless controller, players will feel each and every interaction during gameplay, such as being struck by a bullet. Pulling the trigger on a loaded or unloaded gun will feel different. Equally 3D audio will help shape your decisions and tactics, using the accurate positioning of gunshots out in the wilds to help decide your next move.
The power of the PS5 allows the developer to process high-quality motion capture, all running at 60 FPS and rendered at a native 4K resolution. The developer has promised that a full gameplay reveal trailer is coming Ã¢â‚¬Å“soon”.
In the meantime, check out the teaser trailer below:


Crisis Core Final Fantasy VII Reunion Gets A December 2022 Release Date

During Nintendo Direct September 2022, Square Enix announced that Crisis Core Final Fantasy VII Reunion will launch for the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC and Nintendo Switch on 13 December 2022.
Crisis Core Final Fantasy VII originally released for the PlayStation Portable (PSP) in 2007.
Play as SOLDIER operative Zack Fair and trigger the events that lead up to FINAL FANTASY VII. Engage in fast-paced real-time action combat to uncover the dark secrets of Shinra’s experiments and the monsters they create.
This new version enhances the graphics to HD and updates all of the 3D models in the game. Full voiceovers and new music arrangements present this epic tale of strife and heroism, presenting FINAL FANTASY VII in a brand-new light. Enjoy a more beautiful and accessible CRISIS CORE, going way beyond just a simple HD remaster.
Check out the trailer below:


Street Fighter 6 Year 1 Characters Announced; Will Be Out Starting Summer 2023

Capcom has announced four new post-launch fighters for Street Fighter 6 as part of its Year 1 DLC.
The new fighters are:

Rashid, from Street Fighter 5. Has wind attacks, prioritizes rushdown, and is super-fast.
A.K.I., brand-new to the game.
Ed, Balrog’s protege who also has some Psycho powers.
Akuma, the renegade shoto with the air fireballs and Raging Demon.

Rashid will be out in Summer 2023. A.K.I. will be out in Autumn 2023. Ed will be out in Winter 2023. Akuma will be out in Spring 2024.

The four characters were previously leaked last year, but now they’re officially announced as post-launch DLC. Speaking of which, Street Fighter 6 will be out in June 2nd; a PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 demo of the game is available right now. In the meantime, check out more Street Fighter 6 gameplay below:


The Few Times Malaysia Was Featured In Video Games [Update]

Happy birthday Malaysia! To celebrate the actual birthdate of this fine country (since Sarawak & Sabah fully gained independence on this date), we should look back at the few times the country was portrayed in a video game.
Not all of them are accurate, but god knows game devs are trying their darndest. Special thanks to writer Aero and his WordPress post that made this all possible.
Hitman 2
Agent 47 had to assassinate a high-profile target in Kuala Lumpur at one point in the 2002 sequel. And we must say: IO Interactive did a good job with the environments and level design.
While the KL Twin Towers look nice and all, there are just a number of things lost in translation. For one, the accents and slangs don’t match up. Two: the cops are wearing brown uniforms from the 70s.

Still, the stage itself is well-done. We hope the upcoming Hitman sequel reboot has a stage taking place in good ol’ Kuala Lumpur again. Just make sure the cops are in dark blue attire, okay?
Just Cause 2
The sandbox in this open-world action game sequel is fictional, but Panau Island bears some resemblance to a mild Sarawakian coastal town like Mukah, Miri, or parts of outer Kuching. With places like Tanah Raya, Pulau Berapi, and Gunung Gila Pangkat, you know you’re going into a fully-voiced masterpiece containing a rojak of Malaysian, Indonesian, and Singaporean accents.

Hell, even the Panau Falls Casino looks like a glammed-up gaudy version of the Petronas Twin Towers. God bless developer Avalanche Studios for putting all of the prominent Southeast Asian races into one racially-harmonized digital island while having one Mexican stereotype with a grappling hook and unlimited parachutes to eff it all up.

Burnout Dominator
Image credit: a4rzero
Not everyone remembered the Burnout game that came out in-between Burnout 3 and Burnout Paradise, but a lot of Malaysians probably did. Why? Because the game’s Spiritual City courses are in fact based on Kuala Lumpur’s Sultan Abdul Samad & Dataran Merdeka square.
KL’s prime area is lovingly recreated, with KL Sentral and Petaling Street also added in for good measure (they’re called ST Central and Chinatown respectively). The game also has the KL Twin Towers on display in the backdrop, only they’re called the Spiritual Towers. Even the course’s traffic contains Perodua MyVis and Kenaris for you to wreak havoc upon.
If you ever want to take your frustrations out onto actual KL traffic, you may need to search for a working PS2 and a copy of this to do so.
SOCOM 4
If you ever wanted to see a NATO-sanctioned civil war unleashed in Malaysia, look no further that the PS3 exclusive shooter SOCOM 4. While devs Zipper Interactive stated that the warzone is in Southeast Asia, observant gamers can tell that the battlefield in question is a facsimile of Kuala Lumpur. From the buildings to the denizens, there’s quite a bit of Malaysian flavour going on here that’s set aflame.

One nitpick though: the Proton Saga cabs are the wrong colour. It’s red and white, guys, not yellow and black.Â One thing to note: the terrorist group is called Naga, which is “dragon” in Bahasa Melayu. Subtle as a sledgehammer. Great Malay accents though.
2010 World Cup FIFA South Africa
Back in 2010, there was a Malaysian team playing in the 2010 World Cup, though they didn’t qualify for it. Here, they’re called the Harimau Malaya and their ratings are not exactly the highest…

To be fair, the devs at EA Sports did their best to make them look good and play in accordance with their skill level. This is probably the very rare instances where a full Malaysian team was featured recently in the game. Nowadays in football games like your FIFAs and PESs, it’s mostly individual players.
Uncharted 4
Image credit: Coconuts.co
There’s a chapter in the game that says “The Malaysian Job” where our resident grave robber Nathan Drake gets a contract about salvaging some wrecks across a coast in Malaysia. Unfortunately, he turned it down because of legal issues, which means no Malaysia level in an Uncharted Naughty Dog game. Boo!
Dirt 2

This rally game from Codemasters features an extreme X Games course on the Rawang trail in good old Malaysia. It’s full of crazy twists and turns, and a lot of split paths. In short, probably one of the better rally courses out there.
A S***load of F1 Games
Malaysia prides itself with the Sepang International Circuit when it comes to the F1. So naturally, the course is featured in most F1 games from Codemasters from 2010 to 2017’s iterations of the game. The course is what you would expect from a prestigious F1 circuit: lots of curves and difficult turnings to master and pull through.

Alas, our prestigious course was only featured in the last F1 game, F1 2017, since the Sepang International Circuit will not feature any more F1 races. I’ll quote a recent F1 2018 review from our side:
For my fellow Malaysians, I have some grave news indeed. I already pointed out last year that F1 2017 would be the last time that an F1 game will feature our prized Sepang International Circuit. The aforementioned circuit has been removed in F1 2018 since the Malaysian Grand Prix 2017 was to be our last such event, and that from then on the Sepang International Circuit will no longer hold Formula One races.
So long, and thanks for all the bends and curves!
If you think we missed any other Malaysia cameos & appearances in video games, let us know. Do check out the original feature that inspired this piece right here:Â https://a4rzero.wordpress.com/category/video-gaming/


More Fatal Fury/Garou: Mark Of The Wolves 2 Info Details Single-Player Mode & Terry Bogard

Early this August, fighting game fans at EVO 2022 and viewers online get to see SNK debut the teaser to Garou: Mark of the Wolves 2, a sequel to the hit 1999 arcade 2D fighting game that gave Street Fighter 3: Third Impact a run for its money. We now know a bit more beyond the initial reveal.

According to a Twinfinite news piece, the game’s chief producer Yasuyuki Oda and associate producer Joshua Weatherford shared a bit more. SNK considers Garou: Mark of the Wolves 2/the new Fatal Fury a big release game, and has been in development before its reveal. The team wanted to keep it hush-hush until EVO 2022 because they wanted it to be perfect.
Furthermore, the game’s single-player mode will play a more important role, most likely to continue the story of Rock Howard post-MOTW and the rest of Southtown’s denizens and fighters. The developers admit that there’s been a large gap story-wise between MOTW and new KOF games now, but they have plans to fix that. We’re thinking a compendium or even a story recap in visual novel form.
The game will still focus on online and VS play. And most importantly, Terry Bogard is also confirmed to be on the game’s roster. Hey, at least we know the Saudi Arabia funding SNK received is heading towards something positive for old-school fighting game fans, right?


Eat 4Fingers Chicken Wings – Win A PS4 Console Or Even Fly To E3!

In one of the weirder non-endemic video game promotions and tie-ins to date, 4Fingers Crispy Chicken- in collaboration with SIE Asia (SG)- will be sending lucky patrons to Los Angeles in June.
Starting today from 20th April to 20th May 2018, patrons to any of the chain’s 17 outlets in Malaysia and Singapore stand to win a paid trip to E3 in Los Angeles as part of their 4FINGERS x God of War campaign.
Hereâ€™s how you can win:

Diners who purchase 4FINGERSâ€™ â€œWings of Powerâ€ Combo meal will get a chance at the Treasure Chest lucky dip to win the grand prize of a paid trip to the famous Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) gaming conference in Los Angeles.
Other prizes include Limited Edition God of War PlayStationÂ® 4 Pro consoles, copies of the God of War game, and other exclusive merchandise.

Heads up!
God of War is now out exclusively on the PlayStation 4. Our reviewer Mr Toffee thought it was awesome; you can read his review here.
If you have questions about the game, check out another awesome non-spoiler piece also by Mr ToffeeÂ right here. In case you are already about to start the game, we have some tips and tricks youâ€™d want to know before starting.


Bloodstained Gets Randomizer Mode & A Playable Zangetsu

Last year’s Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is a nice ode to Metroidvania titles, though not a game that revolutionizes the genre. Still, we had fun with it. And now we get to replay it again with this new update.
The game will be getting a randomizer mode that tweaks a handful of aspects of the main game. Working as a replacement to the cancelled roguelike mode, the randomizer controls eight parameters of a playthrough. These include reshuffled save rooms, key items, shards, and shops. Three end goals can be selected as the game’s win state so you have different objectives to consider.
The DLC will also bring in a new playable character: Zangetsu. Previously he was part of the game’s story and also the protagonist for the 8-bit spin-off Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon. He has sword and magic attacks, ergo he has a straightforward playstyle that forgoes the need for loot.
The free update will be available on 7th May.


Final Fantasy 9 Steam Update Apparently Removed The Entire Game

Game updates can involve removing content instead of only adding them. In the case of Final Fantasy IX‘s Steam version, however, things leaned a bit too far towards the former.
Yesterday, a Steam update for the JRPG basically deleted the game for everyone. In the Steam forums, users reported that the game no longer started, and those that tried to download it said that they ended up with a 0kb download. However, those who backed up their game files were able to overcome the issue, it seems.
There are no official patch notes, but SteamDB has some unofficial patch notes that provide the answer to this strange situation. It seems that the update ended up removing a ton of stuff, including level data, various streaming assets, and the steam_api.dll file. It’s a long list.
While it was most likely just an unintentional mistake on Square Enix’s part, deleting an entire game is quite the move. Fortunately, users say that a new download has brought Final Fantasy IX back into existence on Steam.
On the downside, some players have found issues like duplicated names or missing save files, and one noted that the new update restored a beta version of the game instead of the full release. Dang it, Square Enix.
On a related note, check out our Final Fantasy features below. Is FF9 in any one of them? You’ll have to find out for yourself.


[Sponsored] How Genshin Impact Markets Itself Successfully Thanks To SocialPeta

There is no doubt that Genshin Impact is currently one of the best games that you can play on your smartphone. This successful game released a 1.2 update on 23rd December which included new characters, a new snowy region, new storylines, and a fair amount of balancing changes.
Genshin Impact caused a big stir when it was released back in September; it dominated various game sales & mobile charts in a short time. Letâ€˜s recap the market performance of this crazy game over the past few months.

Genshin Impact grossed $60 million on App Store and Google Play in the first week of its release.
Genshin Impact overtook Tencentâ€™s Arena of Valor as the worldâ€™s highest-grossing mobile game in the first month of its release.
Genshin Impact is now reportedly the mobile RPG (role-playing game) making the highest first-month revenue in the US market, which amounts to $45 million.

Leveraging its development experience in Honkai Impact 3, the end result is a high-quality game that not only has great graphics and gameplay but also features good advertising opportunities for advertising intelligence experts like SocialPeta.
What kind of marketing and advertising strategy can make a game achieve such a huge success in a short period of time after its releaseï¼ŸLet’s take a look at the three key strategies and takeaways employed by SocialPeta.Â

Media Buy Trends
Advertising ChannelsÂ
Creatives Analysis

With the aid of advertising intelligence tool SocialPeta, we can observe Genshin Impact buying traffic on iOS, and it seems that it has been placing clear, targeted ad creative.
I. Media Buy Trends: Genshin Impact gains soaring popularity with three waves of advertising
The figure below shows the media buy trend of Genshin Impact in the past half-year. We can see the trends of advertising delivered by Genshin Impact at a specified time and the proportion of material type.
For example, on 23rd November, the video materials accounted for 48.96% of the total amount, and the Images was 37.15% In addition, you can also view detailed data such as Ad Copy, advertising duration, the number of total ads, and so forth in SocialPeta’s advertiser analysis.

Let’s take a look at the Genshin Impact’s Advertising trends in recent months from SocialPeta. We can see that a significant increase in creative magnitude occurred on Sep. 7, Sep. 25, and Nov. 3, respectively, which have something to do with a few key events of the game, according to our online data inquiry.

September 7 warm-up for PC public beta

Genshin Impact scheduled its PC public beta for 15th September, the earliest launch of all versions, and initiated the first wave of advertising on 7th September, (a week ahead) to warm up for the official launch. Most of the creatives during this period mainly lead up to registration on mobile.

Sep. 28 public beta testing on all platforms: The number of ads soared.

Genshin Impact started public beta testing on all platforms on 28th September, ushering in the second wave of advertising. SocialPeta fetched more than 400 pieces of creatives for the iOS version of Genshin Impact in a single day.Â

October 30 new version release: a bit more advertising to keep the game hot.

The latest climax of advertising occurred on 30th October, when Genshin Impact released the 1.1 version update, enriching the main storyline and characters. During the two weeks after the new version was released, Genshin Impact continued to carry out advertising. Combined with the new main storyline and characters, they can create more video materials that show the gameplay to attract players. So most of the creatives during this period are mainly in the form of video.

II. Advertising Channels: Genshin Impact seeks global exposure through Google Ads & Bilibili
Through SocialPetaâ€™s advertising channel analysis, we can gain insight into the proportion of a gameâ€™s placement on various advertising platforms. The simple-looking data chart is supported by the massive database of SocialPeta, which is fetched from 73 top publishing networks across 46 countries. The entire database collected more than 980M creatives, this is a strong assurance and proof to the fact that SocialPeta really provides an in-depth analysis.Â

Genshin Impact employs Google Ads as the primary network of global advertising. What followed was a placement of more creatives on FB networks to ensure long-term, stable exposure.

In China, Genshin Impact chooses Bilibili as its primary network of advertising with more than 50% of its creatives placed there. As Chinaâ€™s biggest ACGN (Anime, Comic and Games) community, Bilibili abounds with young players fond of ACGN culture.Â
III. Creatives Analysis: Customize creatives based on audience interests in different regions
In SocialPeta’s Ad Creative Analysis, you can find any ad you want through the filter options. Such as category, network, ad format, language, date, CTA type, marketing objective and etc. To explore creatives in a designated region, here we will use the region filter. The following search results show the creatives of Genshin Impact in Japan:

From the ad search results, we found the following differences in different regions: the hottest character in Western countries is the first playable character Amber. She is a more mature female character, hence the appeal.

Gamers in Asia prefer lolitas. This is why the hottest character in China is the cute zombie lolita Qiqi.

In addition to customized ads for the above different regions, there are also giant boss ads specifically for hardcore players.

As an ARPG, a giant-sized boss is definitely indispensable to Genshin Impact. The super-high tension and seemingly unavoidable skills in boss battles are what make action RPGs like this game uniquely charming.Â
Summary
Genshin Impactâ€™s global success has awakened more manufacturers to the infinite commercial value of ACGN mobile games. Meanwhile, the superb performance of this game can not be divorced from its effective marketing and advertising strategies. Because developing and launching a game is only the beginning. It should stand out in the crowd and persuade the users to download the game.Â
If youâ€™re thinking of launching a new game or application, SocialPeta can save you thousands of hours of research. All you need to do is to search for your competitors, find their strategy, explore millions of inspirations to build your own marketing plan. Thus, we can say that SocialPeta is one of the revolutionary tools in the internet marketing industry.
Disclaimer: in case you couldn’t tell, this post is sponsored by SocialPeta. We are obligated to put this disclaimer here in case.


Afterlove EP Is The Next Adventure Game From The Coffee Talk Creator

If you loved Coffee Talk and What Comes After, you’ll love this next piece of news.
Pikselnesia just announced a new adventure title called Afterlove EP, which is part visual novel and part music rhythm title that’s about love, lost, and lyricism.
It’s set in Indonesia and it’s about a musician named Rama who lost his girlfriend Cinta and is struggling to make music. And it’s got a pretty nifty art style too, as well as original music from Indonesian band Alfalfa. The story is penned by Mohd Fahmi who created Coffee Talk and What Comes After.

Afterlove EP will be out for Nintendo Switch on Summer 2022.


Age Of Empires 4 Surpasses 70K Players On Launch Weekend

Age Of Empires 4 launched on PC and Xbox Game Pass on 28 October 2021. Since then, it’s had a very good opening weekend. Not only did the highly-anticipated RTS game launch at the top of the Steam Top Sellers list, it also managed to exceed a whopping 70,000 concurrent players at its peak.
Even today on 2 November 2021, the game’s peak concurrent player count is 65,017 at the time of writing, according to Steam statistics. That’s certainly impressive for what is a niche genre, especially in the current gaming landscape where the RTS genre is pretty barren compared to a few decades ago.
It’s good to see the RTS genre still thriving with games like Age Of Empires 4, the various Total War games, and upcoming titles like Company Of Heroes 3.


Assassin’s Creed Valhalla The Siege Of Paris Is Frank-ly More Of The Same

Platform(s): PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PCGenre: Open-World, Action RPG, Stealth, Historical
We’ve been to the green lush fields of England and the wild hills of Ireland, but now we’re going to one of the most well-known cities in the world, Paris of France, albeit before its heyday. Just like the previous major expansion, Wrath Of The Druids, the Assassin’s Creed Valhalla The Siege Of Paris DLC begins with a mysterious arrival in Eivor’s settlement, Ravensthorpe.
With Assassin’s Creed Valhalla The Siege Of Paris expansion, we’re getting a new map, new mechanics and more content. Is it a worthy addition to the already massive open world of the base game? Let’s get to it.
To Be FrankÂ

To be frank, while Assassin’s Creed Valhalla The Siege Of Paris does introduce a new map to explore, it’s pretty small compared to Wrath Of The Druids’ Ireland and especially the main game’s England. There are only four new regions on the new map. The reason why it’s smaller is due to the fact that the map only features the city of Paris itself and the surrounding areas outside of the city.Â
This does make it easier and less of a chore to explore the entire map of this town around, especially for completionists, though it does also mean that The Siege Of Paris takes less time to complete. It will take most players around 10 to 15 hours to complete the DLC. It only took me around 15 hours or so to reach 100 percent in the expansion, including doing all the side content like collectibles and quests.
What’s new in the Assassin’s Creed Valhalla The Siege Of Paris expansion? Well, the main highlight of the game is the return of Black Box infiltration missions from older games in the franchise. In case you’re not familiar, these are missions where the goal is to assassinate a specific target but the players have the option to follow various clues and multiple ways to reach the intended target.
The fun of Black Box infiltration missions is that you have multiple approaches to the same objective and it’s up to you how to do them. The game gives you clues and you follow them. If you manage to find the clues and perform what’s required, you’ll be rewarded with a cool and dramatic choreographed cinematic assassination cutscene at the end of the mission.

That’s all there is to them. Sure, the Black Box infiltration are fun to complete as they give players a bit more freedom to assassinate targets but all of them are tied to the story, so you’ll have to do them anyways. After playing through them, they’re nothing much to talk about. There’s nothing here that comes close to the complexity of something like Hitman, but they’re engaging enough.
Another new mechanic in the Assassin’s Creed Valhalla The Siege Of Paris expansion is the rat swarms. You’ll usually find these in narrow sewers or rooms. They’re meant to be obstacles to puzzle-solving and traversal, but they’re mostly just annoying to deal with. You can’t kill them permanently, but you can attack them and lead them back into holes or grates temporarily. They fit with the whole theme of an era-appropriate plague-ridden Paris, so there’s that.
In addition, there are optional side missions called Rebel Missions. They’re basically just randomly generated generic missions you’ll do for a character named Pierre and his merry band of rebels. These Rebel Missions usually just consist of repetitive objectives like going to a place and killing a group of enemies; rinse and repeat. You can also bring along some brain-dead AI companions, which you can upgrade. The only reason for doing these Rebel Missions is that you can increase Infamy levels, which is just to unlock more unique weapons, gear and cosmetics (which you have to then purchase using the special currency/points obtained from Rebel Missions).
Last but not least, there are new gear sets and weapons to collect in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla The Siege Of Paris. These include a new weapon type in the form of scythes and several new short swords to boot (short swords were only recently added to the game prior to the release of this DLC). The scythes feel powerful to swing around but they’re a bit too slow for my liking, despite having attacks with a wide sweeping range. I still prefer faster weapons like my spears or the new short swords.
Paris; City Of Rats?

If you’re wondering why I haven’t written much about the narrative, it’s practically a bunch of Vikings and Franks, including the Carolingian Emperor Charles The Fat and Sigfred. Fans of history will appreciate the way that Paris is depicted in this expansion, considering that this era is set during a decline of the Frankish kingdom, which is why the famed city is a shadow of what it was and would later become; ridden with disease and dirt.
This is not the majestic Paris you’ll have been accustomed to all your life, and I appreciate that. Plus, the Frankish kingdom was one of the earliest incarnations of the Holy Roman Empire, which explains the zealotry and very Christian-heavy influence in the expansion. Even the DLC’s new antagonistic faction, Bellatores Dei, is just another extremist Christian organization obsessed with spreading their “pure” version of the faith.
Speaking of Bellatores Dei, there aren’t any new trees featuring a bunch of people that you’ll have to hunt down and kill like the base game’s Order Of The Ancients or Wrath Of The Druids’ Children Of Danu. You’ll assassinate each of the Bellatores Dei members just by progressing through the story. So, yeah, there isn’t much unnecessary padding in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla The Siege Of Paris, besides the Rebel Missions.
Oh, and the story doesn’t do much to advance the main franchise narrative regarding the Isu or whatnot. Just like Wrath Of The Druids, this is just another side adventure for Eivor into another country. Before I end this review, I would also like to point out that I encountered several issues while playing the DLC, including my game freezing and forcing me to restart, as well as corrupted saves that prevented me from auto-saving or manually saving.
Frankly, My Dear

Ultimately, the Assassin’s Creed Valhalla The Siege Of Paris expansion is more of the same from the base game and Wrath Of The Druids. I’ve already put in more than 160 hours into the game (after playing The Siege Of Paris) so I would certainly know what I’m talking about.
If you’re a fan of the era or just want more content, you should totally check out Assassin’s Creed Valhalla The Siege Of Paris. However, other than the Black Box infiltration missions and some new weapons/gear, there’s really not much else on offer in this latest DLC from Ubisoft.
Pros

Black box infiltration missions are back.
No unnecessary padding.

Cons

Rat swarms are annoying.
Rebel Missions are repetitive.
Bugs and glitches.

Final Score: 60/100
Review copy provided by Ubisoft. Played on PS5 and PC.


Dead Island 2 And The Next Saints Row May Be Epic Store Exclusives

The Apple vs Epic Games trial continues, and with it comes more document reveals.
The latest includes an Epic Games Store “Review of Performance and Strategy” document from October 2019 during the trial. The document states that Dead Island 2 is an Epic Games Store exclusive. The game is officially under development at Dambuster Studios, and has shifted hands between Techland, Yager, and Sumo Digital.
There’s also a mention of a new Saints Row sequel, though the document and its wording could have alluded to Saints Row 3: Remastered, which was exclusive to Epic Games Store starting 22nd May 2020. At the very least, a Saints Row 5 is happening courtesy of Koch Media. Based on the amount of funding Epic Games is willing to give to big studios to make their games, it wouldn’t be surprising if Koch Media were to kowtow to this exclusivity deal.
On a related note, Epic has spent at least US$1 billion on launch exclusives for its storefront.


Here Are The Best Skills To Start Off With In The New God Of War (Plus Some New Tips)

Update (28 April): Added the secret Muspelheim Tower treasure
Update (24 April): Added in Niflheim guide.Â
God of War is an awesome action game with a breathtaking story and really fun combat mechanics. It’s also bats*** tough, especially if this is your first God of War game. Even veterans like myself had a tough time getting the hang of the more intimate and duel-esqueÂ nature of the game’s new combat system.
Fortunately, we’ve played a lot of it so we can give you these tips, tricks, and even a skill tree tip or four to help you out with the major meat of this game.
Disclaimer: we’re still playing the game on the hardest difficulty setting right now. And Jesus it’s friggin’ tough. You won’t hear tips on that mode anytime soon.Â
But First, Some Basic Tips & Tricks

Parry, parry, parry.
The best offence is a good defence. This timeless rule applies here. If you parry at the right time, you get to recover first and counterattack. So practice the timing and get the frames down pat in the first few hours. After a few hours when the game throws even more enemies at you, the parry animation works to your advantage because its range affects enemies in front of you. So master it well:
The down d-pad button is your best friend.
In God of War, you will get a lot of indicators popping up to warn you if an enemy is going to attack you from the back. This is where you press down on the d-pad and then guard the attack.
When all else fails, press X to dodge.
Roll out if you see an unblockable attack coming your way; that’s usually an attack where a red circle flashes. Everything else can be blocked, parried, and reflected.
Don’t spam attacks (too often).
As fast as Kratos’ attacks are, they do have recovery time, especially with some moves involving the Leviathan Axe. This is where enemies will take a cheap shot at you. If you’re fighting Draugr grunts without shields? Spam your Lights and Heavies away!
Never back yourself into the corner.
There is nothing as frustrating as being mobbed by 3 unflinching draugrs and reavers and not being able to dodge out of the way. Be sure to actively roll away from corners when possible. It can be hard if you’re in the frenzy of a fight, but it makes you survive longer.
Push enemies off the cliffside/river/lava pool when possible.
You’ll still get XP and items if you use the “cheap” method of ringing out your opponents. This can also work on the Dark Elves, but only if they’re on their feet. The best weapons to push enemies is the Shield/Melee combo; Kratos has a Spartan kick that pushes enemies back a considerable distance. This tactic is especially useful when you’re doing Muspelheim trials.
Don’t start your first playthrough on God of War mode.
Trust me; you’ll regret it. We know you want to prove your hardcoreness, but there are so many changes and curveballs in this mode, you will “get rekted”, big time. Enemy patterns are tougher to suss out, and they can power up if you so much as damage them for a bit. Also, unlike games like Bayonetta, starting over on the hardest setting does not carry your loot, items, and upgrades over.
Just suck it up, play the entire game on either Normal or Hard, and THEN try out God of War mode.
The Best Skills To Start Off With
When you kill things or complete quests/sidequests, you get experience points. You need these to buff up Kratos and Atreus. Here’s a quick rundown on what you should get first per weapon.
Leviathan Axe

Executioner’s Cleave (Melee): Kratos charges up for a devastating one-target heavy attack. There are a number of enchantments that give you bonuses if you land an Executioner’s Cleave, so do get those, practice the timing of this move, and whack away. This is best used if Atreus has the grapple ability mid-game.
Grinding Storm (Melee): Hold R1 to do a spinneroonie multi-hitting axe attack after your first light attack. Very useful since it travels at a short distance and can hit foes around you.
Precision Throw Combo (Ranged): After landing a precision axe throw (weak points and headshots), press Triangle during the flash to recall the axe and cause the next throw or melee attack to explode on contact, inflicting Frost damage.
Guardian Shield

Block Break: Double Tap L1 to break an enemy’s block. Perfect against the Viken, the heavier Draugr, and those goddamn Dark Elves who can turtle you like mad.
Guardian Sweep: You hold R1 to do this attack after your first Light attack. You’ll do a sweep attack that knocks enemies off balance and deal a moderate amount of stun damage. When you’re bare-handed, you always want to get an enemy’s stun meter to escalate, so this is one early move that will help you in the long run.
Countering Strike: Press R1 after a last-second block (parry) to counter the attack with aÂ  powerful shield strike. Good to keep lighter and medium enemies off your back.
Spartan Rage: Honestly, you don’t need to upgrade this one too much. The default homing superman punch move and multi-hitting fist attack is good enough.
Atreus/Talon Bow

Your son is pretty damn useful after he gets his bow and after you unlock the first few skills in his skill tree. Maxing him out means that he gets 4 special shots that recharge quick.
Shock Conduit: His shock arrows can be chained between multiple enemies. Go for this skill ASAP when you get access to it.
Teamwork: Atreus will help Kratos if he’s attacked, or an enemy if they’re in vulnerable states.
Acrobatics: While Atreus is choking an enemy, he can perform a combo if Kratos launches or hits an enemy from far away.

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Blades Of Chaos
Say hello to Kratos’ old pair of friends! The blades are back, and they’re useful as ever in the mid-range attack department. Kratos can also pull off a Scorpion where he launches one of his blades to harpoon an enemy, then pull them closer to him. His follow-up attack from there can juggle enemies (see below).
Whirling Chaos – You hold R1 to perform this attack. This basically lets you hit multiple enemies multiple times in a short burst. Very handy for extra damage and it’s fast too.
Elemental Surge – press and hold the R1 when in aiming mode. When he hits an enemy, Kratos will detonate a ball of energy and launch all enemies within the blast radius of the blade. Good for launching enemies from far away.
Skill Tree In Video
Leviathan Axe

Guardian Shield

Talon Bow/Atreus

Blades of Chaos

The Best Talismans Early In The Game(via Polygon Guides)
Golden Talisman of Protection
This talisman lets you recover faster after being hit by an attack. It also increases your defence when youâ€™re guarding with your shield. Best of all, it increases your parry window, which means you don’t need super precise timing for your parries and reflects.

Amulet of Kvasir
This talisman makes you slow time down when you dodge, like Witch Time in Bayonetta.

Brok & Sindri’s Secret Treasure (via Reddit)
Head to the Muspelheim Tower and stand in the circle at the top of the tower.
“To Reveal the great treasure stand inside the golden circle and look straight ahead to tyrs temple now look to the left brazier look back to tyrs temple look to the right brazier and back to left brazier”
“Having just looked to the left brazier now look back straight ahead to tyrs temple again now look down to the floor then look up to the right brazier and then back to the left brazier and finally look to tyrs temple to reveal the forgotten treasure”

You get the axe pommel for your troubles. It boosts up all your stats while adding an extra shockwave at the end of your light attack combos.
View post on imgur.com

Niflheim Guide (via Reddit)
Basic Map

Legend

V = Valkyrie.
R1, R2, R3 = Room 1, Room 2, Room 3. Enemies are randomized here.
B, grey circle = Booby Traps, from spinning blades to crushing walls.
B, square = beginning area
T= Treasure Room
E= Exit

Tips

After you run the Niflheim maze a few times, you don’t really need the map. However, this can help people who aren’t sure of where to go when you begin the grind.
Opening chests add to your Niflheim maze timer so that the opening animation doesn’t take anything away. In fact, you come out a bit ahead of time.
The spinning blades do not one-shot kill you. If Kratos is at max HP, they will kill you in 4 hits.
Killing the Valkyrie resets the Niflheim maze timer. She has less health than the others so don’t expect a long drawn-out fight.
Once you clear the Valkyrie out of that room, there will always be a rune-locked box in the first room. The runes are on spinners in the three corners. These spinners can have two correct runes, so sometimes you have to backtrack to get all 3 locked in. The runes are always in order of R1 – R2 – R3 fromÂ left to right on the box.
There will be a gong-locked box somewhere in the grey rooms. One gong will always be either on the far outside or inside of the maze.
Be sure you look down each path between rooms if there are two. You are looking for indents in the wall. Indents can have a gold, red, or brown chest.
If you fully clear everything you should come out with at least 5000 mist. The most I have gotten was a little over 10,000 mist due to multiple gold chests between rooms. You should also be accumulating about 50k or more hackSilver.
The 5,000 mist chest in the centre offers the best return. Do the tears last.
There should always be time between large rooms for all of your runic attacks to finish their respective cooldowns. If you walk into the room and spam all of Atreus’ arrows then use his summon, the summon should be ready for the next large room.
With 3 pieces of Mist GearÂ (the Ivaldi armour sets), you’ll finish the whole thing with around 1/3 to 1/2 of the timer left if you don’t have to backtrack to fix the runes.
The 5,000 chest is an axe upgrade (post-game).
The tears are a talisman that features an AOE weakness curse, and a hilt/pommel that applies weakness.


KONAMI Announces Seven New League Licenses For PES19

Konami has announced thatÂ PES 2019Â will feature seven new fully licensed leagues, with seven confirmed, and two more to be announced at a later date. Part of KONAMIâ€™s ongoing commitment to increase the number of licenses within the PES series, the confirmed seven new authentic leagues available inÂ PES 2019Â include: Danish Superliga, Portugalâ€™s Liga NOS, Belgium Pro League, Swiss Super League, Scotlandâ€™s Ladbrokes Premiership, Superliga Argentine, and exclusive toÂ PES 2019, the Russian Premier Liga. All teams within the leagues will be fully licensed inÂ PES 2019Â as well.

Announcing seven new, official football leagues for PES 2019 is a clear sign that we are committed to giving fans more of what they want â€“ more licensed content,â€Â commented Jonas Lygaard, Senior Director for Brand and Business Development atÂ Konami Digital Entertainment B.V.Â â€œWe are more confident than ever in the direction the franchise is headed and this is just one of many steps we are taking to elevate PES to new heights. We continue to believe in the Power of Football and PES 2019 will be our most powerful game yet featuring more fully licensed leagues and clubs than ever before.â€ he added.Â
PES 2019Â will be available on the PS4 and Xbox One on August 28thÂ in the Americas and August 30thÂ globally. We discussed about the available editions of the game here as well.Â


Is The Samsung Galaxy A52 Right For Gaming & Other Smartphone Essentials?

At first glance, the mid-ranged tailored Samsung Galaxy A52 Android OS phone is sleek. It’s got a medium-sized frame with decent bezels surrounding its ultra-clear screen -not too thick, not too thin- that’s designed for this generation of phone users and comes with a ton of bells and whistles out of the box.
Upon further testing & inspection, it’s safe to say that this new Samsung phone is a beast that can do a lot of phone-related things at once. Photo-taking, browsing, stuff-loading, and even gaming. Samsung’s flagship mainstream brand line is done justice with the new and improved A52.
Oh, and it does calls just fine. Can’t forget about the sole reason why people want phones in the first place, right?
Picture Perfect
Jesting aside, the A line of Samsung Galaxy phones are meant to be “all-in-one” multimedia phones but without the absurd price tag & power of the S line. For one, the Super AMOLED screen is hard to pull away from. It’s not only has a fast touch panel, but it’s bright and comfortable to use outdoors even with the sun around. The 90Hz high refresh rate also helps in making all your on-screen scrolling and action a lot smoother and responsive (which you can also turn down to 60Hz to save battery).
It’s also nice to hold and comes with nice and sleek colours, like Violet here. The phone comes in Black, White, and Blue, but Violet is the clear winner in the aesthetics department here.

The phone also features water and dust resistance, meaning that the phone is still fine even if it drops in a puddle. Just don’t forget to dry it if that happens. Oh, and don’t submerge it in freshwater deeper than a single meter for more than 30 minutes.
Based on the multiple lenses at the back of the phone, it’s clear that the A52 wants you to use its camera to the fullest. The highlight feature, a Quad Camera setup that has night photo options, can make objects and subjects pop up even in the dimmest of environments. The camera also comes with ultra-wide features (for wide-as-heck shots), a multi-lens feature that makes your shots/video-recording stable and sharp, and a 5MP Macro Camera that captures a ton of detail from subjects and viewpoints it takes. You can also choose to take photos with manual light settings, or just use the fun tools for your selfie/chat group-sharing purposes.
Here are a few examples of the detail I was talking about, with just regular lighting:

Video features include 4K@30fps capture, which is pretty darn good for its price tag. This is as close as you can get to a “pro-consumer” digital camera in a decent frame, and is a good contender against the Google Phone’s camera offerings without destroying your wallet.
Since this Samsung Galaxy phone is from the A line, some compromises have to be made to make sure it doesn’t cost a bomb. While the A52’s Octa-Core CPU does a good job loading apps and doing functions just fine, it can heat up a bit after an hour or so. It’s not the worst thing to happen, but it’s something to keep in mind if you like your phones at a regular temperature. The grip of the phone is smooth and rubbery at the same time; it has some heft to it but it isn’t too thick and heavy.

Beyond that, all other smartphone activities like emailing, typing, messaging, internet browsing, and loading/switching between apps is all seamless and manageable. All that RAM in the A52 is put to great use, with Samsung’s in-house memory and space manager app to periodically clean up your phone and sort out some messes; the kinds you find from torrent, streaming and illegal-hosting manga/comic book sites. Not that we do that, of course.
It’s also nice that this particular smartphone has the decency to retain its 3.5mm that other phones of this age and class usually ditch.
But Does It Play Games Well?
Yes, that’s what you’re here for: the headline on this phone review. With other expensive offerings in the market like the bats*** expensive Asus ROG phone, is the Samsung Galaxy A52 a good and practical choice? Yes it is, but I’m speaking as a person who owns his own gaming consoles and a gaming PC, but also dabbles in mobile phones because it’s pretty stupid to run Bluestacks on your PC when you have a phone like the A52 to sort out your mobile gaming and gacha jollies.
The majority of my short-spanning game time is pretty comfortable and hassle-free. The phone’s frame makes it optimal for prolong usage, the heat generated from gaming is negligible at worst, and the touchscreen is responsive and feels great when you’re furiously tapping in rhythm games like Project Sekai or mobile RPGs like Dragalia Lost.
The phone works with most games save for a particular popular mobile RPG: Genshin Impact. For some reason, it’s not optimized to run on the Samsung Galaxy A52’s current specs. You can only run the game in Low to Medium settings lest you want to overheat your phone in less than a few minutes. Games that are intensive on phones and require faster chipsets will suffer on the A52, unfortunately.

Speaking of game sounds, the phone’s stereo speakers are pretty loud at max volume; just nice if you want to play without headphones for a few minutes. It’s a good enough speaker that can even play over a regular crowded coffee shop (both the hawker and Starbucks variant). When it comes to battery life, the A52 isn’t too shabby as it can last you a day if you’re constantly doing short gaming sessions and switching between apps with the display brightness set to medium with adaptive brightness turned off. If the latter is turned on, you can save more power and have the battery lasts for a day and a half. That’s pretty nifty given the phone’s multi-tasking and all-in-one functionality.
All I’m saying is your current mobile games like Call of Duty Mobile, League of Legends: Wild Rift, and your anime-laced gacha RPG will run just great and dandy on the A52. Sure there’s going to be one or two games that need work when running it on the phone, but a “4 out of 5” hit count isn’t too shabby. And they run on 90Hz by default, at least the less intensive titles.
This is especially helpful if you want a “jack of all trades” kind of phone that masters a few essentials with a good mid-range price tag. In fact, you’re doing yourself a favour by saving an extra RM1,000+ by picking the Galaxy A52 over any competitor’s smartphone. Unless you really want your gacha games to run at 120fps, this particular Samsung mainline phone favours value for money and then some, without feeling like you’re being shortchanged. This mid-ranged smartphone deserves its alphabet for sure.
Final Score: 80/100

Vital Statistics
Platform: Android 11 OS, One UI 3.1
Body: 159.9×75.1×8.4mm, 189g
Frame: Plastic back, Gorilla Glass 5 front with IP67 dust/water resistance
Chipset: Qualcomm SM7125 Snapdragon 720G (8 nm)
CPU: Octa-Core 2.3GHz, 1.7GHz
GPU: Adreno 619
Display: Super AMOLED 120-Hz, 6.5 inches, 101cm
Memory (Internal): 256GB 8GB RAM
Main Camera: 64 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 12 MP, f/2.2, 123Ëš (ultrawide), 5 MP, f/2.4, (macro), 5 MP, f/2.4, (depth)
Sound: Stereo speakers, 3.5mm jack
Battery: Li-Po 4500 mAh, non-removable
Price: RM1,499


Fortnite Rules Streaming Scene – Yet to Break Into Esports Realm

Do Fortnite and esports go together like peanut butter and bread? At this point in time, we’re not sure.
The latest data fromÂ Newzoo,Â a video games market intelligence for games, esports, and mobile, shows that while Fortnite rules the streaming realm thanks to its popularity, the game is still a way off from being globally accepted as an esports title.
As shown in the latest finding -September 2018 to be exact- Fortnite dominated the overall table for both Twitch and YouTube but trail when it comes to esports hours. Newzoo described ‘Esports hours’ as contentÂ from professionally-organized esports competitions and does not include individual (pro-player) streams.
Combining this number withÂ consumer content makes up the total hours watched (see below).
Twitch.tv – Esports Hours

YouTube – Esports Hours

Twitch.tv – Total Hours Ranking

YouTube – Total Hours Ranking

Our key takeaways:Â

Twitch.tv is still the preferred platform to stream games by both professional teams and casual gamers.
League of Legends and CS:GO owe a lot to their respective esports scenes for their stream hours as both occupy the top two spots on Twitch and Youtube’s esports rankings.
Streams of battle royale titles are exclusively community-driven at the moment despite its popularity.
Games with professional circuits rely a lot on its ongoing tournaments and events to keep the numbers up – for example, Overwatch suffered a drop in viewership as the Overwatch League head into post-season. 3.5m hours of esports viewership in September was a far cry from its high of 17m in March when the Overwatch League was in full swing.
We estimate that Call of Duty: Black Ops IIII‘s battle royale mode, Blackout may have a lower overall number than Fortnite and PUBG for October statistics but could very well clock a higher number under the esports category.
Twitch.tv is the go-to platform for Blizzard titles (Heroes of the Storm, Overwatch, WoW, Hearthstone, StarCraft II)
Youtube is the more popular choice for FPS and RTS titles, while Twitch offers a wider variety of games (e.g Hearthstone, Rocket League)
Youtube is the preferred platform for mobile RTS with AOV and Mobile Legends: Bang bang breaking into the top ten for both overall and esports segments.
Certain titles are almost purely driven by its esports scene: CS:GO, Rocket League, Age of Empires; while
Some are almost entirely dependent on its casual players base. Examples includeÂ Fortnite, PUBG, Destiny 2, and World of Tanks.
On rare occasions, some title have a good balance of a healthy esports scene alongside a vibrant casual player base. These includeÂ DotA 2, Overwatch, League of Legends, and Hearthstone.

Hopefully the data above sheds insight to folks who plan to take up streaming as a career. It will also be helpful for those who are still unsure which platform is best for the games they intend to stream.
What do you think of the findings above? Which is your preferred streaming service by the way? Is Facebook a viable option at this moment? Sound off in the comments section below.


LEAP 2023 Season 1: Grand Finals – Recap & Results

Last Saturday, gaming fans and esports enthusiasts celebrated the Liga Esports Antara Parlimen (LEAP) Season 1 Grand Finals at the ATO Gaming Cafe in TTDI, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Qualified players from team Setiawangsa and team Bangi competed for 4 major game titles – Fifa 23, GigaBash, Street Fighter 6, and Mobile Legends Bang Bang. Furthermore, the event includes a Free-To-Play zone, pop-up booths by The Magic Rain/The Cham Drinkers and Passion Republic, an exhibition match between MP Setiawangsa and MP Bangi, and prize giving for winners.
Among the attendees of the Grand Finals were gaming media publications, supporters from both parliament and gamers with diverse backgrounds. There were notable local and popular streamers supporting LEAP, not to mention MP from Setiawangsa, YB Nik Nazmi, and MP from Bangi, YB Syahredzan Johan officiating the Grand Finals.

LEAP Grand Finals kicks off at 9:30am with Kakuchopurei and appointed on-ground Marshals from The Magic Rain, ready at each station in greeting visitors and players from both constituencies. Our Free-To-Play Zone started at 10am, allowing fans and visitors to play games featured in the Grand Finals and other fighting game titles.
We are able to capture moments where guests play against qualified players and other gamers from various backgrounds bond over a couple of matches and bring the esports scene to life.
The Cham Drinkers founders spoke about their organization’s goals and vision for growing Southeast Asian streamers and content as well as creating supportive online spaces for the local gaming community. One of the founders of The Cham Drinkers, Nathalie Tay is also a part of The Magic Rain – core speciality in ACG events (Animation, Cosplay, and Gaming) and provides services spanning a wide range of platforms — from social media to on-ground activations, critical reviews to film.

An instrumental performance by Ian Fewbeats featuring a couple of League of Legends songs. Ian is a local musician and also an avid Malaysian cosplayer. You can check out his profile here.

The Exhibition Match
Undoubtedly, the highlight of the Grand Finals was the show match between two parliamentary district representatives: Setiawangsa by YB Nik Nazmi and Bangi by YB Syahredzan Johan. Before the match started, each MP got on stage to share their aspirations in promoting grassroots esports circuits regardless of their respective locations, supported by local communities. Esports is commonly viewed as an unhealthy addiction in Malaysia, which needs to be changed into an activity that can be cultivated into a viable hobby and career for generations to come.

YB Nik Nazmi and YB Syahredzan Johan went head-to-head, showcasing their expertise and fighting spirit in intense matches in FIFA 23 and Street Fighter 6. Starting with FIFA, YB Nik Nazmi chose team Liverpool and YB Syahredzan with team Everton. YB Nik Nazmi scored the first goal in the first half. In the second half, YB Syahredzan landed one penalty score, tying both teams for the first match.

In the second match, both MPs failed to score and landed on a penalty shoot-out. YB Nik Nazmi scored the first penalty goal followed by YB Syahredzan scoring the second and last penalty shoot-out. FIFA 23 ended in a 3 – 2 victory for team Bangi representing YB Syahredzan against team Setiawangsa, YB Nik Nazmi.

For Street Fighter 6, YB Syahredzan chose Dee Jay and YB Nik Nazmi chose Ryu. YB Syahredzan won the first match, ending it with a heavy kick attack. The second match was between Luke (YB Syahredzan) and E. Honda (YB Nik Nazmi). Luke knocked out E. Honda with rage combos in the first and second rounds.
In the final match, Cammy (YB Syahredzan) and Chun-Li (YB Nik Nazmi) face off. YB Nik Nazmi won the first round, followed by YB Syahredzan. With both tied, the crowd was on the edge of their seats. YB Syahredzan went full force and used special combos to knock out YB Nik Nazmi. With a score of 3 – 0, YB Syahredzan defeated YB Nik Nazmi in Street Fighter 6.
It was an epic showdown between the two constituencies that left fans and supporters with an unforgettable experience.

The Grand Finals
After eliminating several qualified teams in the Semi-Finals, the first Final match started with GigaBash, followed by Street Fighter 6, Fifa 23, and Mobile Legends Bang Bang. Here are the results:

FINALS

Games
Team
Player Names

1
GigaBash
Setiawangsa
MUHAMMAD NUR ‘AIMAN BIN NORDIN
&
MOHAMAD KHAIRULAZAM

2
Street Fighter 6
Setiawangsa
SYED ARIFF SHAH BIN SYED @ MEE

3
FIFA 23
Setiawangsa
AHMAD FARID BIN AB AZIZ

4
MLBB
Bangi
MUHAMMAD NADHAIL BIN ABDUL RAZAK (TEAM EREN)

Under GigaBash, team Setiawangsa won RM1000 cash prize for the Grand Finals, plus RM500 for the preliminary winner and RM250 for the preliminary runner-up.

With RM1000 from the Grand Finals and RM500 from the preliminary tournament, Syed Ariff Shah won the cash prize for his team Setiawangsa under Street Fighter 6.

In FIFA 23, Ahmad Farid defeated opponents in both the preliminary tournament and the Grand Finals and won a total of RM1,500 in cash prizes.

In Mobile Legends Bang Bang, a fierce competition between two teams resulted in Team Eren from Bangi being the winner, receiving RM1000 for the Grand Finals and RM500 from the Bangi Preliminary.

The overall atmosphere of the event was electric, as fans and enthusiasts came together to share their passion for esports. Laughter, friendly banter, and enthusiastic conversations filled the room, creating a sense of camaraderie among the attendees. The event successfully brought together a community of like-minded individuals, united by their love of video games and esports.
The LEAP Season 1 Grand Finals was an incredible celebration of gaming, fierce competition, and community. Cementing the first-ever Liga Esports Antara Parlimen between two constituencies in its first season. Would this be the end of LEAP in 2023? Definitely not, as Season 2 begins in Q4 this year!
Huge shoutout to The Magic Rain team for assisting LEAP throughout the first season! Check out what’s in store for The Magic Rain on their official website.

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, and LinkedIn for LEAP Season 2 announcement!


This 80s-Styled  Australian-Made Arena Brawler Is Flashy AF

We do love our arena brawler games; right now I’m hooked on Brawl Stars for mobile. But what about the console arena brawlers with tactile feedback and an 80s retro-future twist?
We’re missing those as of late, which is why we should thank Australian developer Bit Dragon for Hyper Jam. The official description from the PlayStation Blog, if you please:
Hyper Jam is a fast-paced arena brawler with a killer synthwave soundtrack and a dynamic perk drafting system that makes each match different from the last.
The game will allow players to reflect projectiles back with a parry system, a perk drafting which lets you bring in new buffs per round (see below), and also features online multiplayer if you want to get your fight on online.

I’m personally excited since it combines my favourite things in life: “fighting game mechanics” and “80s synthwave”. That recent video I did should be indicative of the latter. Hyper Jam will be on sale on PS4, PC, and Xbox One on 12th February.
Check out the sweet, sweet gameplay clip below.


Ghostrunner Guide: How To Be The Best Cyberpunk Ninja Around

Ghostrunner is out this week; we highly recommend this first-person ninja platformer. Its aesthetics are great and its gameplay is slick and thrilling if you’re into chase sequences and acrobatics ala Mirror’s Edge.
Just a warning: Ghostrunner can be pretty tough and challenging. So here are some tips to get you ahead and some video walkthroughs for some of the tougher sections.
Basic Tips To Cyber Ninja Your Way Out Of Oppression
Always Be In Motion
View post on imgur.com

If you stand still in Ghostrunner, you either fail a puzzle or you die: simple as that. Most puzzles in Ghostrunner’s dystopian cyberpunk cities and underground plants will have you wallrunning, superjumping, and even throwing ninja stars while you’re on the move. Never let go of the W key (or forward on your left analog stick).
Never Spam Your Katana Attacks
You cannot get through Ghostrunner by just wailing your sword and hoping for the best. Yes, you can parry some projectiles with a sword swing and the range of your melee slashes is pretty generous, but there’s a cooldown after each consecutive swing. Enemies can counter you with a single attack to kill you. So your best tool is to slash and dodge. Speaking of which…
Always Jump & Activate Slow Motion When You Can
Ghostrunner features a Sensory Boost technique that slows down time around you. Pressing and holding the Shift key suspends you in mid-air, in which you then can dodge left or right, or forward. This ability slows down bullets too and your jump arc so you can land on walls and platforms accurately. This move is one move you can use over and over again; in fact, it’s necessary if you want to make it out of the level with the least deaths.
Just mind the walls and climbable objects when you’re jumping all ninja-like. When you jump and hug a wall, you automatically wall-run. This can hinder you as you will be a slow-moving target to enemy fire when you accidentally run onto the side of a giant garbage chute.
When You Use The Grapple Hook, Be Precise With Your Aim
View post on imgur.com

We cannot stress this tidbit enough. There are way too many times we fell to our deaths because we didn’t aim our mouse cursor at the exact grapple point when swinging mid-air. Ghostrunner emphasizes on hardcore controls, meaning you will need to be stable with your aiming no matter what. If you’re even off just a few clicks, the grapple won’t register.
Tempest Is The Most Optimal Powerup
Throughout your adventure, you will receive four powerups: Blink, Tempest, Surge, and Overlord. Blink makes you do a dash-slash attack that pierces through multiple targets and projectiles. Tempest is a force push.
Surge is a horizontal fireball you can chuck, while Overlord hacks into an enemy and makes him/her/it fight at your side temporarily. While generally you should customize and pick the powerups relative to the situation, we feel that Tempest is the go-to skill to off enemies quick.
There’s a Tempest powerup on the Upgrades panel (the bottom option screen with the Tetris blocks you slot in empty spaces with) that lets you keep your skill energy if you kill two or more enemies at once with Tempest. That alone helps you kill enemies quick, especially the annoying red shield enemies.

NEXT: Video Walkthroughs


PlayStation Exclusives Will Be “Built From The Ground Up” For PS5 Despite Also For PS4

Sony Interactive Entertainment President and CEO Jim Ryan said that PS5 games will be “built from the ground up” to take advantage of the new hardware, even though they will also be for PS4.
According to a Telegraph interview, Jim said that PlayStation exclusives will be both for PS4 and PS5 consoles, but obvious next-gen emphasis means they’ll be made from scratch for the PS5. Here is the official statement from the man himself:

“The first thing to say is that our PS5 experiences or versions of these games are built from the ground up to take advantage of the PS5 feature set. So I think offering a PS5 version of these games for the PS5 community and then a PS4 version of these games to the PS4 community, I don’t see what’s wrong with that.
We’ve got a community of PS4 gamers 100 million-strong. It would be wrong to walk away from those people too early. And they’ve been engaged with their PS4s this year under lockdown to a greater extent than at any point over the course of the cycle. They’re using their PlayStations. They’re happy with their PlayStations. Why would we stop giving them games?”

Man has a point. To recap, the following PlayStation exclusive titles are both for PS4 and PS5:

Spider-Man Miles Morales
Sackboy: A Big Adventure
Horizon Forbidden West

In addition, Sony’s SVP of Global Product Strategy and Management Hideaki Nishino added that the full generational transition from PS4 to PS5 “will take about three years”. So really, as long as you have a working PS4, there’s no need to humour scalpers by purchasing a PS5 for double its retail price for FOMO reasons. Three years is a good time to wait for all the PS5 games you actually want to play to come out.


Shazam Fury Of The Gods Gets New Action-Packed Trailer

Warner Bros Pictures has revealed a new trailer for Shazam Fury Of The Gods. It doesn’t show much of anything new, except new shots of Billy AKA Shazam wielding the wizard Shazam’s staff and of him punching a dragon, amongst other smaller brief shots of the Shazam family.
Shazam Fury Of The Gods stars returning cast members Zachary Levi as Shazam; Asher Angel as Billy Batson; Jack Dylan Grazer as Freddy Freeman; Adam Brody as Super Hero Freddy; Ross Butler as Super Hero Eugene; Meagan Good as Super Hero Darla; D.J. Cotrona as Super Hero Pedro; Grace Caroline Currey as Mary Bromfield / Super Hero Mary; Faithe Herman as Darla Dudley; Ian Chen as Eugene Choi; Jovan Armand as Pedro Pena; Marta Milans as Rosa Vasquez; Cooper Andrews as Victor Vasquez; with Djimon Hounsou as Wizard.
Joining the cast are Rachel Zegler, Lucy Liu and Helen Mirren as three goddesses, with the latter being the film’s antagonists. The film is directed by David F. Sandberg and produced by Peter Safran. Rachel Zegler will play the youngest of the three goddesses.
Shazam Fury Of The Gods is slated to premiere on 17 March 2023 after being delayed from its original December 2022 release date.
In the meantime, check out our review of Shazam here or check out the best Shazam stories you should read if you’re interested in knowing more about the character.
Check out the new trailer below:


Famous Twitch Streamer Amouranth Reveals Husband Abuse History On Twitter

Folks may remember the hot tub streamer trend a while back; it was all started by Twitch streamer Kaitlyn Michelle Siragusa, better known as Amouranth. She became a cosplayer and erotic model with an OnlyFans page; she’s multi-talented, to say the least.
It turns out that she has been a victim of abuse for a long while. Amouranth in reality is married, but her husband has been abusive to her. This was all revealed on a 15th October livestream.
He has threatened to kill her dogs, takes all their money, and forced her to stream. He has forced her to continue saying she was single and commit to being a hot tub streamer, hence the trend a few years ago. The videos stated that the husband has control over all of Amourath’s accounts, even threatening to leave her with only US$1 million and burn everything else on cryptocurrency.
Amouranth’s personal life has been well hidden, with rumours circulating that she had been married but recently divorced. She also claims that she didn’t disclose her marriage due to her husband’s instructions, telling her that it would ruin their “business model”.
Check out the tell-all Twitch clip video below, along with the damage that her husband wrought:

Amouranth showed text messages from him calling her a dumb f*ck and supposedly throwing away money and her accounts as threats when she wasn't responding to him
(4/4) pic.twitter.com/ralvzIsskh
— GUARD Hunter (@HUN2R) October 16, 2022

#Amouranth : damn pic.twitter.com/0h9G1e7wD0
— TopTwitchBot (@TopTwitch_EN) October 16, 2022

There’s definitely more to the story here; we’ll be sure to update it as new information comes in.
If you’re suffering domestic abuse in Malaysia, contact information for the Women’s Aid Organization is below:

WAO Hotline: +603 3000 8858 (24 hours)
SMS/WhatsApp TINA: +6018 988 8058 (24 hours)


Cat Quest II Captivates Co-op Catventurers With Simple But Mewanced RPG Gameplay

Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Android, iOS
Genre: Light role pawing action with drop-in and drop-out co-op.
As someone who never played the first Cat Quest, I went into this game thinking it was going to be just another very easy family-friendly lite-RPG that would be suitable for short sessions with your pups and kittens.
To my surprise, I was only half correct. Cat Quest II is definitely family-friendly but it does pose a sensible level of challenge.
The Purremise
First of all, let it be known that you don’t need to have any knowledge of the first game to enjoy this sequel. There are a few refurrences here and there but not getting them won’t ruin your experience.

In Cat Quest II, you’re put in the paws of two ancient kings, one cat and one dog, who have been revived to reclaim their thrones from oppressive usurpers. The main storyline does have its fair share of twists and turns, but don’t expect it to provide you that “Oh I can’t wait to see what’s next” level of motivation.
On the plus side, every moment I wasn’t playing the game had me feeling excited to see what other cat and dog puns were waiting to be discovered through the game’s dialogue. If you loved the cat puns in the first game, then you’ll love this game even more because now they have dog puns too! The game’s developer The Gentlebros really knows how to throw their fans a bone.
Casual Catventures In Calamitous Caverns
I would describe the RPG gameplay of Cat Quest II as “simple but not easy”. You’re expected to fully use only three actions in battle: attack, dodge, and cast spells. The challenge comes from learning the attack patterns of different enemies.
A lot of basic enemy attacks are telegraphed through a red circle that indicates where they’ll hit while enemies who can cast spells will form more elaborate danger zones.

Growth and progress in Cat Quest II are more about managing your equipment rather than min-maxing stats. There are only three main stats in the game: attack, magic, and defense. Health is tied to attack while magic damage and mana regeneration are tied to magic.
This item-stat relation makes it easier for non-RPG fans to enjoy the game. Whoever equips a melee weapon will become the tank and melee DPS because their higher attack stat gives them more health. Wielding a staff means you regenerate mana quicker and some staffs even have healing bonuses, so you naturally become the support and healer. A very simple system but it works.

Being an RPG, it’s only appropriate for Cat Quest II to be littered with sidequests and due to how mechanically simple the game is, 90% of them are just fetch (boy, fetch!) quests. Fortunately, quests that you get from the kittizens and pupfolk will rarely take more than 10 minutes to complete. It’s not too bad of a deal because you get a decent amount of EXP, good loot, and most importantly, more puns.
Like Paired Puppies In Playgrounds

Let’s talk about what every fan of the first game and every parent reading this review wants to know: how’s the co-op?
In a muttshell, it’s pretty damn fun.

One of my frustrations about playing solo was that the companion A.I. often died and didn’t know when to use the right spells. That’s why I consider co-op to be the best way to enjoy this game. Being able to work together to exploit elemental weaknesses and properly apply buffs and heals allowed me and my sister to have a pawsome time playing this game.
Spells and equipment cannot be shared so it prompted me and my sister to re-plan our builds whenever we got new loot. One of us would always be a melee damage dealer who could cast one or two elemental spells while the other would be a mage who would deal damage from afar and be the healer.
Going into the technical aspects, I played the game on PC and all I needed to do was plug in another controller (I used a Dualshock 4). My review copy didn’t come with rebindable keyboard controls but they will be available in the launch version. Still, the keyboard controls were very easy to use. Do note that the game doesn’t support online co-op on PC and as far as I’ve read, the same goes for consoles and mobiles.
Sight For Slit Eyes
You’ve seen the screenshots I put up in this article. It’s painfully obvious that this isn’t a game that demands a lot graphically. The game is played in a perspective similar to most isometric RPGs. Just take out all that brimstone and blood and replace them with bright and beautifully coloured grasslands, forests, oceans, and so on.

Though I must warn you that the design of the dungeons get repetitive even just after two hours of playing the game. That point aside, everything about the visuals is acceptably cute and colourful.

There’s no dialogue in this game, by the way. As in, no voiced dialogue whatsoever. You’ll hear some meows, barks, and other sounds from nature but you won’t find any character uttering words. Dialogue is only available in text form but they only pop up outside of combat so don’t worry about missing any of the puns.
Despite putting about 7 hours into the game, I don’t really remember any tunes from the soundtrack. There’s definitely music in the game but nothing memorable. Sound effects from attacks, spells, and enemies are typical of what you’d get in a mobile game which shouldn’t be surprising since this game is also released for mobiles.
Cat Scratch Fun
Cat Quest II is a good co-op RPG that can be enjoyed in short sessions with a close friend or family member. The simplicity of the game’s combat coupled with its little RPG nuances makes it an interesting experience for both casual gamers and fans of the genre.
If you enjoyed playing solo in the first Cat Quest (well, there’s no multiplayer in that game anyway), I think you’ll like Cat Quest II. Being able to switch between two characters who each have their own equipment and spells can still be pretty exciting if you know how to balance things out.

I definitely don’t recommend this for those of you looking for a deep RPG adventure that will have you browsing Wikis to set up overpowered builds. If you get this game looking for that kind of experience, you’re barking up the wrong tree.

Pros

Simple RPG gameplay with nuances.
Co-op is super fun and encourages role-playing.
Ameowzing amount of cat puns.
Also lots of dog puns.

Cons

Companion A.I. sucks at staying alive and providing support.
Sidequests can feel like a drag sometimes.
Most dungeons look similar

FINAL SCORE: 80/100


Streamer Disguised Toast’s VALORANT Team Signs yay

After long last, VALORANT’s El Diablo makes his return to competitive VALORANT after weeks of suspense and silence.
That’s right, Jaccob “yay” Whiteaker has finally confirmed his plans for the VCT 2023 season. In an exciting reveal on 10 April, streamer Jeremy “Disguised Toast” Wang announced that yay will be joining his VALORANT team, Disguised (DSG) to fill the gap left by Drake “Exalt” Branly’s departure midseason.

DSG Roster Update: pic.twitter.com/VNRrl555Jt
— DSG (@Disguised) April 10, 2023

At first, Toast had made an April Fools joke about dropping his entire roster to make way for yay, which had fans wondering whether the move was real or not. But to everyone’s surprise, it turned out to be partly true! Disguised Toast released a fun announcement video featuring himself, Sentinels streamer Tarik “tarik” Celik, and yay.

Welcome, DSG @yay.
However, in order to afford him – we had to drop our original roster. DSG games will just be Yay by himself against the enemy team. pic.twitter.com/SwLVKo9dYg
— DSG (@Disguised) April 1, 2023

To celebrate the news, Disguised Toast even hosted a friendly match on Twitch, pitting pros tarik and yay against a team of “noobs” that included fellow streamers LilyPichu, Sykkuno, Hasan, TinaKitten, and Disguised Toast himself.
With yay on board, the current Disguised roster for VCT Challengers North America: Split 2 includes

Joseph “clear” Allen
Amgalan “Genghsta”Nemekhbayar
Joshua “steel” Nissan
Damion “XXiF” Cook
Jaccob “yay” Whiteaker

There’s no doubt that yay is a force to be reckoned with in the world of Valorant esports. He’s known for his impressive firepower and is considered one of the top players for Riot Games’ tactical shooter. He made a name for himself with OpTic Gaming in VCT 2022 and as part of Team Envy in VCT 2023.
Unfortunately, yay’s dreams for VCT 2023 were briefly shattered when he was dropped from the Cloud9 professional roster due to financial and role issues. Fans were understandably concerned about his future in the ongoing season.
Meanwhile, Disguised qualified for the first split of VCT Challengers North America through open qualifiers and dominated against competitors like Oxygen Esports and OR Esports. However, they faced challenges in the first split after Exalt’s departure. Although substitute Chris “riku” Piasecki stepped up to fill his role, the team fell short of expectations for the rest of the split and the Mid-Season Faceoff.
But with yay on their side, Disguised is now one of the strongest teams in the North American non-pro circuit and could soon take the lead in Ascension. Let’s see what they bring to the table in their upcoming debut in VCT Challengers North America: Split 2, starting on April 18, 2023!


Marvel’s First Ultraman Comic To Revisit The Original Ultra

Marvel Entertainment originally announced that they were going to publish new Ultraman comics and graphic novels starting in 2020. The publisher recently revealed the story details and cover art of their very first Ultraman comic book at C2E2 2020.
The Rise Of Ultraman #1 will revisit the original Ultra Warrior or Ultraman from the 1966 Tokusatsu series. The creative team will be co-writers Kyle Higgins and Mat Groom, with art by Francesco Manna.

Higgins is best known for having written Boom Studios’ Mighty Morphin Power Rangers comics while Manna has previously drawn for Jason Aaronâ€™s Avengers and Dan Slottâ€™s Fantastic Four runs.
In a press release, Higgins said:

â€œA few years ago, thanks to my time on Power Rangers, I was able to discover and learn more about Tokusatsu.
With its wildly different conventions and inspirations, Tokusatsu â€” and Ultraman in particular â€” has been a huge source of joy for me.
Itâ€™s a genre so ripe with possibilities, even down to what we conceive of in the structure of Super Hero storytelling.
Itâ€™s both an honour and a privilege to bring Ultraman to Marvel.â€

Ultraman #1 will launch sometime later this year. Fingers crossed forÂ Malaysiaâ€™s Ultraman Ribut and other iconic Ultraman heroes to make their debuts, such as Ultraman Taro, Tiga and others.