Fortnite and God of War Are the MVPs of the PlayStation Awards 2018

We have the winners for the PlayStation Awards 2018; some were expected but there were also several surprises as well.
The PlayStation Awards 2018 officially recognizes titles that have been released on the PS4, PS3, and PS Vita from October 1, 2017, to September 30, 2018. Unlike other awards shows like The Golden Joystick Awards or the upcoming The Game Awards, most of the PlayStation Awards focuses on the best-selling games instead of those it deems to be the best in any conventional category.
Here is the list of winners for each category:
Indies & Developer Award
These are 3 titles that have contributed to the expansion of PlayStation.

Abzu (Giant Squid)
Dead Cells (Motion Twin)
Ultimate Chicken Horse (Clever Endeavour Games)

PlayStation VR Award
These are 3 titles that have contributed to PlayStation VR.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR (Bethesda Softworks)
Gran Turismo Sport (Sony Interactive Entertainment)
No Heroes Allowed! VR (Sony Interactive Entertainment)

User’s Choice Award
These are the top 10 titles voted by PlayStation gamers in Japan and Asia.

Assassinâ€™s Creed Odyssey (Ubisoft)
Dark Souls Remastered (From Software)
Detroit: Become Human (Sony Interactive Entertainment)
Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age (Square Enix)
Fortnite (Epic Games)
God of War (Sony Interactive Entertainment)
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV ~The End of Saga~ (Nihon Falcom)
Marvelâ€™s Spider-Man (Sony Interactive Entertainment)
Monster Hunter: World (Capcom)
Yakuza: Kiwami 2 (Sega)

PlayStation Network Award
These are the top 3 titles that with the best network sales.

FIFA 18 (Electronic Arts)
Fortnite (Epic Games)
Monster Hunter: World (Capcom)

Gold Prize
These are software titles with an accumulated shipment quantity (including download quantity) exceeding 500,000 copies.

Call of Duty: WWII (Sony Interactive Entertainment)
God of War (Sony Interactive Entertainment)
Gran Turismo Sport (Sony Interactive Entertainment)
Jikkyou Powerful Pro Yakyuu 2018 (Konami)
Marvelâ€™s Spider-Man (Sony Interactive Entertainment)
Pro Evolution Soccer 2018 (Konami)
Super Robot Wars V (Bandai Namco Entertainment)

Platinum Prize
These are software titles with an accumulated shipment quantity (including download quantity) exceeding one million copies.

The Last of Us Remastered (Sony Interactive Entertainment)
Persona 5 (Atlus)

Quadruple Platinum Prize
The only software title with an accumulated shipment quantity (including download quantity) of over four million copies.

Monster Hunter World (Capcom)

Personally, I’m happy to see that Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age managed to grab an award (especially one that I voted in myself). This JRPG masterpiece has gone virtually unnoticed by the mainstream gaming community at large, but it’s understandable for a game that caters to the niche classic turn-based JRPG crowd.
It’s also pretty impressive how Monster Hunter World sales exceeded four million copies, which means that it sold half of its total sales tally in Japan and Asia alone. We all knew Persona 5 was successful, but it’s still heartening to see that it won an award. Last but not least, Fortnite won two awards, despite always being the butt of many gamer’s jokes during this award season.
Before you leave, check out some screenshots of God of War‘s dashing director Cory Barlog picking up the User’s Choice and Gold Prize awards for the PS4 exclusive at the PlayStation Awards 2018.
User’s Choice Award
Gold Prize


The Best & Worst Aprilâ€™s Fool Jokes In Gaming This Year

Another April’s Fool Day (on an Easter Sunday now, eh?), another recap of game publishers and developers one-upping each other in their skills in Photoshopping and elaborate fake announcementsÂ from their marketing budget leftovers.
Let’s check out what came out on this auspicious day. Whether they’re worth your time or too lame, that’s all up to you because humour is subjective. Disclaimer: we’ll be updating this page with more new jokes if we find any more. Tip us off on our Facebook page if you can.Â
PlayStation: The Board Game
https://www.facebook.com/PlayStationAsia/photos/a.159028020796545.32430.158782694154411/1889753274390669/?type=3
Whoever made the packaging for that deserves a medal, especially if they suggest this as a real idea. Not included: the ability to change your PSN ID and an invisible translucent PS Vita board piece.
Razer’s Project VenomV2
https://www.facebook.com/razer/videos/10157378081442576/
Razer’s trying too hard yet again. Leave the psychedelic stuff to the Devolver Digital folks, guys.
Eevee In Tekken 7

Eevee from the Pokémon series joins TEKKEN7 as a guest DLC character!https://t.co/JVYVGcJTL8pic.twitter.com/EcEauREtwB#TEKKEN #Pokémon #Aprilfools
— Katsuhiro Harada (@Harada_TEKKEN) April 1, 2018

A bit Farfetched, but I can see Lucario and Charizard in a Tekken game. Charizard can use Azazel’s rig and model from Tekken 6.
Pokemon GO’s New Graphics

For the whole day, Pokemon GO will be using 8 -bit graphics to represent their critters. Personally, I wish this was a permanent feature.
Final Fantasy XIV Go

Did anyone ask for augmented reality harvesting FFXIV style? Here you go! Protip: KLCC is good for fishing, while Singapore’s Punggol Waterway is rich with ore.
CD Projekt’s Latest Job Ad

As a Designer of Game Environments working in CD PROJEKT RED you’ll be responsible for digging up bugs, fetching missing code and sniffing up plot holes. Sounds good? Apply now!
Details: https://t.co/ssf9RcQxt8 pic.twitter.com/mCt1o863Wd
— CD PROJEKT RED (@CDPROJEKTRED) April 1, 2018

CD Projekt always goes the extra mile with its jokes. Check out the hilarious job description in a nutshell

Understanding human psychology and gather feedback.
Optimizing tail wagging.
Debugging the lawn.
Reformulating geometry of household items.
Identifying your coworkers by smells.
Bringing positive atmosphere to the game and office environment.

Path of Exile’s New Battle Royale Mode

A rare case of a joke that is playable.
Corsair’s #GPURescue

Corsair’s hilarious answer to the current GPU shortage due to cryptocurrency mining. Guess they’re not fans of Etherium and DogeCoins, eh?
Warframe’s Horror Pet Pack

We think that our pets should look as good as they make us feel. Get the new Tenno’s Best Friend Genetic Upgrade Pack and give your Companion a unique look!
Mod your companions, train them, but most of all, love them! pic.twitter.com/AGGaDAVRGz
— WARFRAME (@PlayWarframe) April 1, 2018

KILL IT WITH FIRE!
Platinum Games’ Pocket Sato

Hey, PlatinumGames fans! Have you ever dreamed of having PG President & CEO Kenichi Sato around to keep you company at home, at school or in the workplace? Of course you have!
Today your dream comes true – With new, collectible Pocket President Sato figurines! Collect all eight! pic.twitter.com/mGHlgMANCD
— PlatinumGames Inc. (@platinumgames) April 1, 2018

Do you want the CEO of Platinum Games in your pocket? Well, your weird-ass prayers have been answered.
Rock Band 4’s Meditative Mode

Take a deep breath, close your eyes, and preview a new mode coming soon to Rock Band 4. #mindfulness #wellness #meditation pic.twitter.com/cQfP2xvsj0
— Rock Band (@RockBand) April 1, 2018

This would have been funny if Rock Band 4 still remained relevant.
Horizon Dawn’s Body Pillow

Smooth. Firm. Alluring, yet strangely disturbing. May we present to you: the official Horizon Zero Dawn 'Nil' bodypillow
Available on April 1st here: https://t.co/8pr9Set7BK pic.twitter.com/papIouWdlN
— Guerrilla (@Guerrilla) March 31, 2018

It’s the character you most requested: Nil. Why settle for Alloy when you have the sexiest hunter in the metal wilderness?


PUBG Mobile Players Can Unlock Special Rewards With Mountain Dew

Mountain Dew has announced a global partnership with PUBG Mobile, marking the next pivotal step in the ongoing mission by Mountain Dew to drive innovation and excitement in the gaming industry by reaching additional generations of esports professionals and fans.
Alongside PUBG Mobile, Mountain Dew is committed to championing the esports community and bringing gamers even more access to unique and exciting activations.Â Â
Fans in specific international markets, including Malaysia and Singapore, can also unlock rewards and in-game prizes with the purchase of specially marked Mountain Dew products.

https://www.facebook.com/MountainDewMalaysia/posts/3568098246602445

Mountain Dew is also the official beverage sponsor of PUBG Mobile Pro League Americas, PUBG Mobile World League, and PUBG Mobile Global Championship in 2020.

Pepsico APAC Senior Marketing Director Salman Butt said:
“Mountain Dew has been a part of the esports journey for many years and we are excited for this partnership with PUBG MOBILE Esports Program for its 2020 PUBG MOBILE Pro League South Asia. It has always been great to see the impeccable talents in this gaming community and we look forward to harnessing the passion within this ever-growing ecosystem.”
For more than fifteen years, Mountain Dew has manifested its trademark, bold style within the world of gameplay through a string of partnerships with industry-leading gaming titles.
In 2017, the brand organised the Dota 2 Tournament in line with the increasing popularity of eSports in Malaysia and Singapore. It was aimed at growing the amateur players within the nation and setting Mountain Dew as the pioneering brand in Malaysia to host an amateur Dota 2 tournament.
Now, Mountain Dew is reinforcing its position at the epicentre of gaming culture with the PUBG Mobile collaboration, pushing the boundaries of whatâ€™s currently possible in gaming.
PepsiCo Beverage Marketing Lead Jennifer Lee said:
â€œWeâ€™re thrilled to join forces with PUBG MOBILE and we look forward to engaging with some of the top gamers in Malaysia and Singapore.Mountain Dew is also introducing the PUBG Mobile Dew Challenge 2020 (which ends on January 30, 2021) in Malaysia and Singaporeâ€™s Largest Amateur PUBG Mobile Championship to showcase these talents who will compete for their share of RM 200,000 in prize pool, with RM100,000 for the champions, and RM50,000 and RM29,000 for the second and third placing respectively. This global collaboration establishes a new chapter in gaming innovation and drives our promise to energize the next generation of esports enthusiasts with unparalleled activations.â€
You can stay tuned on the Mountain Dew Malaysia official Facebook page for the latest news on this collaboration.


[Report] Devil May Cry 5 DLC To Include A Playable Fan Favourite & Bloody Palace Matchmaking

We’ll give you a hint: it involves Nero’s parentage. This latest tidbit on Devil May Cry 5 is pretty spoilerrific, so we’ll put these in case:

According to some datamining that’s been making the rounds on Reddit via stealthcl0wn, Devil May Cry’s Vergil may be playable in a future update or DLC. The reason why he isn’t playable in this sequel is because he’s part of the game’s story. He’s the one who caused all of this demon plant mess in the first place.
Also, there will be matchmaking in the upcoming Bloody Palace mode -a gauntlet where you kill an endless number of enemies through x amount of floors until you reach the top of the palace.

This would suggest the following:

The Bloody Palace may be an online co-op affair like Bayonetta 2’s co-op mode.
Vergil will be one of the playable characters in Bloody Palace mode.

This is probably going to wet most Devil May Cry fans’ pants since the blue-coded sword-slinging demihuman is a huge fan favourite. Speaking of which, our pants are also wet thanks to the awesomeness of the fifth game. Read Mr Toffee’s review here, and check out our guide too.


Nike Air Force 1 Street Fighter III Celebrates EVO Moment #37

The special Nike Air Force 1 Street Fighter III commemorating EVO Moment #37 has now returned. One of the most iconic esports feats in history is known as EVO Moment #37 when Daigo Umehara’s Ken parried every single kick of the super attack unleashed by Justin Wong’s Chun Li in Street Fighter 3 Third Strike at EVO 2004.
The shoe celebrates EVO Moment #37 on the inner tongue label of the shoe with the “Blue Void” hue mirrored from the insert, heel tab and rubber outsole. The rest of the shoe’s uppers feature a “White Fossil” shade with a layer of lateral Swooshes to represent Street Fighter III. The box reads “FINAL FINAL ROUND” while the canvas carry bag is stamped with “IT’S NEVER OVER TIL IT’S OVER”.

For those in the US or Japan, you can head on over to StockX or GOAT for the shoe.
You can check out the iconic moment in the video below:


Assassin’s Creed Codename Red Could Be Out In 2024

A new LinkedIn post this year could allude to a release window for a new Assassin’s Creed game.
Announced last year, Assassin’s Creed Codename Red is an upcoming Ubisoft action-adventure game featuring assassins and ninjas, set in Feudal Japan. The game doesn’t have a release date or window, but there’s a LinkedIn post that has accidentally set the latter. The post from Ubisoft business development executive Arisa Lagunzad said the company was looking for a Japanese partner to work on “the biggest blockbuster of 2024”.
“We are seeking sponsoring partner for this title Assassin’s Creed Codename RED for next year.”
The upcoming game will feature two playable characters and have a strong focus on stealth even if it’s going to be an action RPG in the veins of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla and Assassin’s Creed Origin. In related news, the next two flagship games after this year’s Assassin’s Creed Mirage will be codenamed Red and Hexe.
Assassin’s Creed Codename Red will be out for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series.


Sony Pictures Malaysia Sets Guinness World Record For Largest Spider-Man Gathering

On Saturday 3 June 2023, many people gathered at AEON Mall Bukit Tinggi to witness the history-making moment where Malaysia breaks the Guinness World Records title of the largest gathering of people in Spider-Man costumes. The previous record for the largest gathering of people dressed as Spider-Man is 601 and was achieved by Sony Pictures Entertainment (India) on 15 December 2021.
The event was organized by Sony Pictures Malaysia and AEON Mall in celebration of the release of Spider-Man Across The Spider-Verse which was released on 1 June 2023.

The attempt started at 4 pm at the Centre Court of AEON Mall Bukit Tinggi where people dressed as Spider-Man gathered in the designated attempt area. The Official Guinness World Record Adjudicator, Mr Kazuyoshi then announced the start of the attempt, and all people dressed as Spider-Man were required to remain in the attempt area for at least 5mins.
At 4.40 pm, the Official Guinness World Record Adjudicator, Mr Kazuyoshi then announced that Malaysia has successfully broken the record of the Guinness World Records title of the largest gathering of people in Spider-Man costumes with a total of 685 Spider-People. The event ends with a certificate presentation ceremony from Guinness World Records to the Managing Director of Sony Pictures Malaysia, Mr Simon Foo and Chief Property Officer of AEON, Mr Lee Beng Beng.
With a high 96% Audience Score on Rotten Tomatoes, Spider-Man Across The Spider-Verse has received great reviews worldwide since its worldwide opening on 1 June 2023. The film is currently the biggest animation opening day post-pandemic.
In the meantime, check out my review of Spider-Man Across The Spider-Verse here, as well as the biggest cameos in the movie, my ending explained and post-credits scenes breakdown, and what to expect from Spider-Man Beyond The Spider-Verse.


You Will Geek Out On These Two New Hot Toys Sets

The MandalorianÂ Season 2 was one of the highlights ofÂ 2020â€™s TV offerings. There were many fan-pleasing moments in the series, but one of the biggest and most memorable aspects was Temuera Morrison as an older Boba Fett.
The Star Wars: The Mandalorian – 1/6th scale Boba Fett (Deluxe Version) Collectible Set comes with the formidable bounty hunter in his black robe and in his iconic armour, so you’re getting not one, but two figures.
https://www.facebook.com/hottoys/posts/10157841107722344
The armoured Boba Fett figure features meticulously crafted Mandalorian helmet and armour with distressed effects, his iconic jetpack with a detachable rocket and firing effect, weapon firing effects, a blaster, a chain code effect accessory, and a rocky diorama display stand.
The Deluxe Version depicts Boba Fettâ€™s appearance before the retrieval of his armour and highlights include a newly developed head sculpt with stunning likeness, masterfully tailored black robe outfit, a gaffi stick, a cycler rifle, a damaged stormtrooper helmet, and a uniquely styled rocky diorama display stand.
However, Boba Fett can also be seen wearing a newer shinier version of his armour later in The Mandalorian Season 2, so fans who want that suit will have to wait a bit longer to see if Hot Toys releases that version as well. Personally, I would go for the shinier new armour, though maybe Hot Toys is saving that figure for when The Book Of Boba Fett TV series releases at the end of 2021.

Star Wars fans aren’t the only ones getting a gift, as Hot Toys is also releasing a Marvelâ€™s Spider-Man: Miles Morales – 1/6th scale Miles Morales (2020 Suit) Collectible Figure.
The highly accurate figure is crafted based on Miles Morales in 2020 Suit from the Marvel’s Spider-Man Miles Morales video game. It includes a newly crafted masked head with LED light-up function and multiple interchangeable eyepieces for different expressions; a newly developed body; 2020 Suit with LED light-up chest panel to recreate the signature design; faux leather textured jacket with red Spider emblem; interchangeable hands for signature poses; assorted spider-web effect accessories; and a dynamic figure stand with cybernetic workshop inspired backdrop for a complete display.
This was one of my favourite original suits from last year’s excellent game, so it’s must-have for any Spidey fan.
https://www.facebook.com/hottoys/posts/10157841123867344


Moon Knight Holds Record For Least Number Of Reshoots In Marvel Studios History

Courtesy of Disney+ Hotstar Malaysia, we were recently lucky enough to attend an online press conference for the upcoming Moon Knight series. It featured Oscar Isaac, May Calamay, Ethan Hawke, Mohamed Diab, Justin Benson, Aaron Moorhead, and Grant Curtis. What’s interesting is that Moon Knight director and executive producer Mohamed Diab pointed out how the series currently holds the record for the least number of reshoots in Marvel Studios history.
He said:
“I have to thank Marvel for giving us the chance. I think you gave us the chance to develop this show when you gave us the chance to do those table reads. Everyone who’s sitting here added his soul to the project and I have to say that we hold the record of least additional photography in the history of Marvel.
Because we rehearsed a lot.”
Oscar Isaac also had this to say about it:
“Every weekend while we were shooting, we would sit around the table and have Sunday brunch, and we would just talk about the episodes, talk about the show, what we’ll do.”
That’s a nice bit of information, considering that Marvel Studios projects are often notorious for having extensive reshoots, which often leads to more online leaks. Perhaps this record is why we still don’t much about the upcoming series, so kudos to the teams behind the Moon Knight series for the achievement.
Moon Knight premieres on Disney+ Hotstar on 30 March, and will comprise of six episodes. Stay tuned for our review and more coverage of the series.


Netflix October 2020: Our Highlights & Picks

Since everyone is (still mostly) staying home because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Iâ€™m sure you wonâ€™t want to waste time sifting through Netflixâ€™s extensive catalogue of shows and movies just to decide on what to watch. The streaming giant updates its site every day, week, and month with new content, so Iâ€™m here to save your precious time.
Here are my personal recommendations and highlights for Netflix Malaysiaâ€™s October 2020 lineup and how to fill up your free time with worthwhile content at home:
Hubie Halloween (7 October 2020)

Hubie Dubois (Adam Sandler) thanklessly spends every Halloween making sure the residents of his hometown, Salem, celebrate safely and play by the rules. But this year, an escaped criminal and a mysterious new neighbour have Hubie on high alert. When people start disappearing, itâ€™s up to Hubie to convince the police (Kevin James, Kenan Thompson) and townsfolk that the monsters are real, and only he can stop them.
Hubie Halloween is a hilarious family film about an unlikely hero with an all-star cast including Julie Bowen, Ray Liotta, Noah Schnapp, Steve Buscemi and Maya Rudolph, produced by Happy Madison.

The Haunting Of Bly Manor (9 October 2020)

From The Haunting of Hill House creator Mike Flanagan and producer Trevor Macy comes The Haunting Of Bly Manor, the next highly-anticipated chapter of The Haunting anthology series, set in 1980s England.
After an au pairâ€™s tragic death, Henry Wingrave (Henry Thomas) hires a young American nanny (Victoria Pedretti) to care for his orphaned niece and nephew (Amelie Bea Smith, Benjamin Evan Ainsworth) who reside at Bly Manor with the estateâ€™s chef Owen (Rahul Kohli), groundskeeper Jamie (Amelia Eve) and housekeeper, Mrs. Grose (Tâ€™Nia Miller).
But all is not as it seems at the manor, and centuries of dark secrets of love and loss are waiting to be unearthed in this chilling gothic romance. At Bly Manor, dead doesnâ€™t mean gone.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=tykS7QfTWMQ

La RÃ©volution (16 October 2020)

1787, France. While investigating a series of mysterious murders, Joseph Guillotin – the future inventor of the world famous â€˜Guillotineâ€™ – uncovers an unknown virus: the Blue Blood.
The disease, quickly spreads amongst the French aristocracy, driving them to murder ordinary people and soon leads to a rebellionâ€¦ What if the French Revolution didnâ€™t happen the way we were told?
It’s been a while since we’ve seen a historical epic from Netflix (RIP Marco Polo). Hopefully, this new French-language series will satisfy historical fans everywhere.

Star Trek Discovery Season 3 (16 October 2020)

With Season 3,  the crew of the USS Discovery are travelling some 930 years into their future to the year 3188. In this future, the Federation has mostly collapsed after an event ominously referred to as â€œthe Burn”. The season will follow the crew as they attempt to restore the galactic organization.
In addition to Martin-Green, the cast for the third season of Star Trek Discovery includes Doug Jones (Commander Saru), Anthony Rapp (Lt. Commander Paul Stamets), Mary Wiseman (Ensign Sylvia Tilly), Wilson Cruz (Dr. Hugh Culber), David Ajala (Cleveland â€œBookâ€ Booker) and Michelle Yeoh (Philippa Georgiou).
It will feature 13 episodes, each of which premiere on a weekly basis.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=1OqsXlO-cH8

Barbarians (23 October 2020)

Three people’s fates are interwoven in the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest in 9 A.D., during which Germanic warriors halt the spread of the Roman Empire.
The cast includes Gaetano Aronica (A Case of Conscience), Jeanne Goursaud (Einstein), Jeremy Miliker (M â€“ Eine Stadt sucht einen MÃ¶rder), Laurence Rupp (Murder by the Lake), David SchÃ¼tter (The Valley), Bernhard SchÃ¼tz (Babylon Berlin), Eva Verena MÃ¼ller (Wilsberg), and Sergej Onopko (The Last Kingdom).
It’s been a while since we’ve seen a historical epic from Netflix (RIP Marco Polo). Hopefully, this new German-language series will satisfy historical fans everywhere.

Over The Moon (23 October 2020)

Fueled with determination and a passion for science, a bright young girl builds a rocket ship to the moon to prove the existence of a legendary Moon Goddess.
There she ends up on an unexpected quest and discovers a whimsical land of fantastical creatures.
Directed by animation legend Glen Keane, and produced by Gennie Rim and Peilin Chou, Over The Moon is an exhilarating musical adventure about moving forward, embracing the unexpected, and the power of imagination.
The film stars Cathy Ang (Fei Fei), Phillipa Soo (Changâ€™e), Robert G. Chiu (Chin), Ken Jeong (Gobi), John Cho (Dad), Ruthie Ann Miles (Mom), Margaret Cho (Auntie Ling), Kimiko Glenn (Auntie Mei), Artt Butler (Uncle), and Sandra Oh (Mrs. Zhong).

Blood Of Zeus (27 October 2020)

Set in the world of Greek mythology, the series revolves around Zeus trying to save heaven and earth.
Produced by Powerhouse Animation Studios, Blood Of Zeus, formerly known as Gods & Heroes, is an upcoming original anime-style web series created by Charley and Vlas Parlapanides for Netflix.
Supergiant Games’ Hades has been taking the world by storm since it recently left Early Access on Steam (check out our review here). Perhaps this series will scratch more of that Greek mythology itch for fans.
You Animal! (29 October 2020)

Nimfa, the pretty pussy cat, sells perfume at a department store. Her boyfriend, Roger, the macho askal, is a janitor. Nimfa meets Inigo, the bourgeoisie business dog, and their chemistry ignites.
Will Nimfa and Rogerâ€™s love for DVDs and cheap beef noodles keep them together or will Inigoâ€™s high society charms tear them apart?

Those are just several selected highlights from next monthâ€™s offerings of new TV series and movies on Netflix. Now you can plan your Netflix binge-fest for October 2020.


Check Out These New Hammer/Horn Moves For Monster Hunter World: Iceborne

Capcom teases more new moves for Monster Hunter World: Iceborne‘s lineup of weaponry. If you missed it, we’ve also covered the new moves for the Long Sword, Great Sword, Dual Blades, Sword & Shield and the new gadget, the Clutch Claw. You can catch them in action here.
This time it’s for the Hammer and the Hunting Horn. These blunt weapons are perfect for bashing the monster’s skull in.
Here are the new moves.
Hammer
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vW0X5s5k93o]
Hunting Horn
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdRn1HCpvRY]
Both of these weapons get deadly new bash moves but the Hunting Horn sings the song of glory with it’s ‘blender’ move! I mean, what the heck is that?!
This expansion is looking over-the-top with every passing reveal, and I love it. I’m considering on pre-ordering theÂ IceborneÂ expansion now!


Donna Burke & Ganime Jazz To Perform Game & Anime Covers In KL This August

Good news, anime and video game music fans! Donna Burke, the lovely voice behind that awesome Metal Gear Solid V song “Sins of the Father” and a whole slew of other favourites will be performing here in Malaysia.
She will be singing alongside Ganime Jazz to perform tunes from the aforementioned Hideo Kojima-made game, Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles, the anime Tokyo Ghoul, and a whole bunch more.
Details are below.
Date: 18,19,20 August
Venue: Animangaki expo (18,19 August), No Black Tie (20 August)
https://www.facebook.com/donnaburkesinger/posts/10155740578647406
Donna Burke’s Discography
Because I’m such a nice guy, I’ll lay out Donna Burke’s work below. And yes, they’ll be a SoundScape episode on her in the near future; count on it!
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers

Tales of Legendia

Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker

Tokyo Ghoul


Octopath Traveler 2 Launches In February 2023

During Nintendo Direct September 2022, Square Enix announced Octopath Traveler 2, or Octopath Traveler II, which is a sequel to 2018’s Octopath Traveler.
Discover a brand-new entry in the OCTOPATH TRAVELER series, the first installment of which was initially released in 2018 and sold over 3 million copies worldwide. It takes the series’ HD-2D graphics, a fusion of retro pixel art and 3DCG, to even greater heights.
In the faraway realm of Solistia, step into the shoes of eight new travelers, each with their own origins, motivations, and unique skills.
Some people thrill to glamorous stars of the stage and industry, while others are brought to tears by war, plague, and poverty.
Explore the land as you see fit, using their unique talents to aid you along your journey.
The eight protagonists include:

Octopath Traveler 2 launches for the Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, and PC on 24 February 2023.
Check out the trailer below:


Bring Some Love In Apex Legends’ Latest Update & Limited-Time Event

Love is in the air today as it’s Valentine’s Day. This is the day where couples show affection to each other, while lonely people like me stick to what I do best. Video games!
And what’s a better way to play Apex Legends with some new updates from Respawn! They never stop delivering, do they?
Respawn Entertainment added the first substantial update to Apex Legends today with the introduction of a limited time Valentine’s Day event as well as squishing some bugs and improved performance overall.
The small update today marks the start of the event and the limited-time event offers players a “Live Die Live” Banner Badge reward if they can revive a squad member between February 13th to February 19th.
There are also a, ehem, couple of love-themed skins in the store. One for the Longbow appropriately named “Through The Heart” and a Pathfinder Banner Frame titled “Love of the Game“.

Some Tweaks & Balances Too
Fixes were rolled out in this patch too.
For example, the Arc Star now shows a grenade warning indicator. The world, King’s Canyon, has also received a fix that addressesÂ a number bugs with map geometry like holes you could fall through and areas that players could get stuck in plus a bunch of other polish issues.
Another big fix is that the death box would now stay on the supply ship after death. Previously, it would float away in the event of a fallen player, and this caused complications in reviving a teammate. Unless you’re Pathfinder, of course.
The bulk of the update came in the form of stability improvements and bug fixes as listed below:

Various improvements and tweaks to UI.

Extended timeout that was causing players with slower hard drives to crash.

Addressed a number of client and server stability issues.

Fixed exploit where you could keep duplicating items in your inventory.

Addressed a number of stability and performance issues.

Fixed issue where players would get a gray screen in lobby when connecting for the first time.

Fixed issue where your friends list showed all your friends as offline and unable to party.

Shortened duration of Bloodhoundâ€™s Eye of the Allfather clones to remain in the world by 1 second.

Now, the last one looks like a nerf, but the clones only show where the enemy was when the ability is triggered, thus having the image on the screen for a shorter time should make it less confusing for Bloodhound and his teammates to track the enemies.
Respawn ended their patch notes by saying that they still have a lot of work to do and would put an effort to fix disconnects and crashes as well as improve stability and performance and provide more visibility for everyone.
That’s a wholesome patch added into the game. But the one that matters most is that Mozambique buff we’ve been waiting for. Now that gun really needs love. Bad.


Young Justice Season 3 Officially Returns in January 2019

When Young Justice Season 3 premieres, it will have been almost six years since the DC Comics animated series was prematurely canceled in 2013. Fans can rejoice, now that we know Young Justice Outsiders will be premiering on January 4, 2019 on the DC Universe streaming service.
The official Young Justice Season 3 release date was recently unveiled in a new teaser trailer. It only runs for 30 seconds, so there’s not much to dissect. In the brief video, we can see the planet Earth with strands of DNA hovering over it, before revealing the planet Apokolips in its place.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXnWaCKXyUY&w=560&h=315]
What Does The Teaser Trailer Mean?
The strands of DNA hovering over Earth must be referring to the threat of metahuman trafficking, which will be one of the major story arcs featured in Young Justice Season 3. The entire world will be embroiled in a superhuman arms race of sorts, where the main commodity will be metahumans.
Speaking with IGN at San Diego Comic-Con 2018, producer Gregg Weisman said: “The big thing is metahuman trafficking. So now everybody is trying to capitalize on the meta-gene. First world nations, third world nations, rogue nations â€¦ criminal organizations. You name it.”
Young Justice Season 2 ended with The Light leader Vandal Savage establishing an alliance with Darkseid and the New Gods of Apokolips. Thus, the appearance of Apokolips in the teaser trailer must herald the coming of Darkseid.
Besides that, Young Justice Outsiders will also feature the return of fan-favorites like Nightwing, Superboy, and Tigress, as well as new characters like the New God Forager and more. The new Young Justice team roster is already confirmed to include Static, Kid Flash, Robin, Wonder Girl, Spoiler, Blue Beetle, Thirteen, Arrowette, Arsenal, and Beast Boy.

We’ll have to wait until January 4, 2019, to see what’s in store for our budding young heroes. If you have Netflix, I recommend re-watching the first two seasons of Young Justice while you still can. In the meantime, check out the original Young Justice SDCC 2018 trailer below for glimpses of the new season.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHEU6WBpHMc&w=560&h=315]


Lunatic-Hai Crashes out of APEX S4

The Overwatch APEX circuit is set for a new champion as Season 3 defending champions Lunatic-Hai crashed out of the tournament after bowing out 0-3 to GC Busan on Friday. Requiring a win in a do-or-die match to salvage their yo-yo season on APEX S4, the day started badly for Lunatic-Hai as they went down in three sets on their favored Lijiang Tower despite winning the first map.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_xnO2U0pI0&w=560&h=315]
While even the commentators were confident that LH stood a bigger chance in advancing to the knock-out stages, it is worth mentioning that GC Busan won their first encounter with Lunatic Hai in their opening match of Group Stage #2 by 3-0.

Some called that unexpected GC win as an anomaly, or even lucky strike considering two out of the three matches had to be decided on double overtime but GC proved their doubters wrong this time with much more convincing wins to send the fan favorites packing early and a bit extra time to prepare for the upcoming Overwatch League where they will be representing Seoul.
Following the win, GC Busan will aim for another big scalp as they take on last season’s runners-up, the newly-rebranded Cloud9 KongDoo in the semis who cruised through season 4 literally unscathed. Winner of that match will face either RunAway or NC Foxes for the title as Champions of OGN Overwatch APEX Season 4.

We will be covering APEX Season 4 til the very end so make sure to stick around!


Spellbreak Gets First Major Update

Battle royale fans, you may want to give Spellbreak a chance if you haven’t. It’s a fantasy spell-slinging take on the genre with a unique elemental-combining mechanic featuring awesome spells and explosions, a fun team-based mechanic, and is generally favoured by a lot of people playing it on PC (based on its Steam release as far as I know).
It’s so popular that right now there are 5 million players in its player base, and it’s now on its second season. Developer Proletariat announces Spellbreak’s Chapter 2 update dubbed The Fracture. It adds a new 5v5 objective-based mode (involving zone control & point-capturing), a new seasonal ranking system, and new outfits to buy and more regions to explore.

The Chapter 2 update is huge, adding a copious “amount of gameplay and balance updates, environment features, bug fixes, matchmaking improvements, UI/UX refinements, and much more”.
On a related note, we’re giving away a good number of Spellbreak Chapter 2 Trickster Pack codes. If you want them, head to the Facebook link below:
https://www.facebook.com/kakuchopurei/posts/3446786585425732?__cft__[0]=AZWVWCeiIo6PGzFDroaa1ErOZ8cVYA9JYG5zvqS–RNJLBHftms_dNBXbBNCVeWCp4ynf95YYiR0l1L7SjuLPediLzSgtLVd2FKQ1k74DpNYWrB0KGWkDktPQBWsdhUfBN0tumR0GCdYVM5kBZ3PLKidABSHxPAp08ZD1hDWkPzxbeGsUv5Kh6Gam1WUHluk-5c&__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R


Pokemon Scarlet & Violet New Trailer Features Treasure Hunt, New Pokemon, & Team Star Rivals

The Pokemon Company and Game Freak have dished out a ton more info about its upcoming JRPG Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, featuring new mechanics, oddball characters, and new Pokemon.
But first, we can’t start off a Pokemon infodump without the latest Nintendo Switch OLED Model featuring the colours of Scarlet and Violet. The dock has both Legendary vehicle Pokemon on its white body, while the controllers are scarlet on the left JoyCon and violet on the right JoyCon. It’ll cost you US$359.99 and it’ll be out on 4th November; a week or so before Pokemon Scarlet and Violet comes out.

Onto the hot stuff.
New Pokemon
New creatures for collection and cockfighting include Armarouge, Ceruledge, and Klawf.
Armarouge (Pokemon Scarlet)

Type: Fire/Psychic
Ability: Flash Fire
Armarouge’s set of armour belonged to a distinguished warrior and is the source of the energy used for its Psychic-type moves. It also uses the psychic capabilities of this armour to control the fire energy within its body and unleash attacks.
Ceruledge (Violet)

Type: Fire/Ghost
Ability: Flash Fire
Ceruledge dons an old set of armour steeped in grudges and wields blades made of fire and ghost energy. In battle, these blades transform into great swords to increase Ceruledge’s power. Cuts from these great swords leave wounds from which life energy will flow.
Klawf

Type: Rock
Ability: Anger Shell/Shell Armor
Klawf can rotate their protruding eyeballs to see everything around them, eliminating all their blind spots. They can latch upside down onto cliffs to ambush their prey from above, however, they eventually get dizzy from the blood rushing to their heads, so they cannot stay upside down for very long.
Treasure Hunt Mode
The school that you’ve enrolled in hosts a special independent study project. The theme of this assignment is “A Treasure Hunt.” Explore the world and seek out your very own treasure!
Three stories will be woven into your adventure while traversing the sprawling Paldea region. Along Victory Road, you will go to Gyms in different locations in order to to achieve Champion Rank. On the Path of Legends, you can join Arven in search of rare ingredients. And in  Starfall Street, you’ll challenge Team Star, a group of delinquents causing trouble for the school.
These stories are set in an open world, so where you go is all up to you. A world teeming with Pokemon and people to meet is waiting for you—traverse the Paldea region wherever your heart desires.
Team Star, Your New Rivals

Team Star was formed by the school’s most rebellious students and is made up of several squads. Each squad is led by its own boss, each with their own base scattered across the Paldea region. These class-cutting delinquents cause trouble for all those around them, giving the academy’s students and teachers a hard time by disturbing the peace and using pushy recruitment tactics.
Dealing with Team Star and their bases is easy: invade their base, take on and defeat enough trainers and grunts, then challenge the boss who rides down the battleground with their Starmobiles. The first of these is Mela, Boss of the Schedar Squad.

Mela is the boss of Team Star’s Fire crew, the Schedar Squad. As the team’s best all-rounder, Mela fixes any and every problem thrown her way, though her methods are heavy-handed. She leaves a forceful and gruff impression, but her steadfast devotion to completing anything she puts her mind to has earned her the trust of her teammates.
Speaking of battles, there’s a new feature in the game called…
Auto Battles
Auto Battles are a new way of battling that can be activated by using the “Let’s Go!” feature. Doing so will send out a Pokemon to battle wild Pokemon without needing orders from its Trainer. Your Pokemon can be sent into an Auto Battle against any wild Pokemon you see on the field, and it can even find Pokemon to engage in Auto Battles on its own.?
When your Pokemon is out and engaging in Auto Battles, you can do what you want—stay by its side to watch over it, or try looking for items nearby. By defeating wild Pokemon in Auto Battles, your Pokemon can also earn items and Exp. Points!
Check out the full trailer below, including new Gym Leaders like Ms Geeta and Brassius.


[Sponsored] Apex Legends is Back; Bigger and Bolder in Season 4

This sponsored post is brought to you by Electronic Arts.
Get your jetpacks ready and pick a landing spot. The final word in team-based battle royale is back and better than ever!
The fourth season of Respawn Entertainmentâ€™s hit title features a revamped map, new legend, updated weapons, and improved drop rates. Most importantly, a brand new battle pass which offers tons of exclusive cosmetic items to unlock.Â
The introduction of Hammond Roboticsâ€™ Planet Harvester onto the Worldâ€™s Edge map has ravaged the landscape of the once tranquil settlement, opening up chasms filled with boiling lava to go alongside the towering installation in the middle of the map.Â
Not only that, a new legend joins the fray in the form of the assassin robot Revenant.Â
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QzfsGxrCD4o&w=560&h=315]
Revenant comes with a kit which rewards aggressive play, thanks to his ability to scale higher and move while crouched faster compared to other legends. His Ultimate, Death Totem, protects you from death; instead of getting killed or downed, you will return to the totem.
This awesome move rewards tactical players with a second chance and is sure to shake up the meta and how the game is played.Â
Adding diversity to the gameplay is the introduction of the Sentinel bolt-action sniper rifle.Â  With the ability to charge up its shots and destroy body shields from a distance, the Sentinel rewards accurate players. This allows for a quick takedown no matter the distance. In addition to that, the devastating LMG, the L-Star is now a common drop, with the Devotion LMG replacing it as a care package drop item.

For the more competitive players, Ranked Series in season 4 comes with a twist. The new series will be split after three months, with the second half being played on the much-loved Kingâ€™s Canyon map. A new tier- Master- will also be added between Diamond and Apex Predator, making that climb to the pinnacle a whole lot more challenging yet rewarding.Â
Speaking of rewards, purchasing Season 4â€™s battle pass will grant players awesome items such as Health Drain Lifeline, Blue Steel Crypto, Cyberpunked Wattson, and Heat Sink Flatline once they hit Level 100.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFY_scgPl80&w=560&h=315]
On top of all this, you can expect seasonal events to be introduced throughout the season, with the most recent one being the Valentineâ€™s Day Rendezvous Event in February. Players can also revisit Season 1 Kingâ€™s Canyon map for a limited time, with more surprises to come soon.Â
Apex Legends is developed by the folks behind Titanfall 2 and Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, Respawn Entertainment. Published by Electronic Arts, the battle royale game is free to play and is available for download on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC.


Resident Evil Village Winters’ Expansion Launches Next Month

During Capcom TGS 2022 live stream, Capcom announced that Resident Evil Village Winters’ Expansion is launching on 28 October 2022 for the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC, with a bunch of new content.
Shadows Of Rose is a sequel to the story in Resident Evil Village, featuring an adult Rose Winters (Resident Evil Village protagonist Ethan Winters’ daughter). However, unlike Resident Evil Village, this DLC story expansion will be fully in third-person. It takes place 16 years after the events of Resident Evil Village.
She has the power to freeze enemies.

Resident Evil Village Mercenaries Additional Orders will allow players to play as Chris Redfield, Karl Heisenberg and even Lady Dimitrescu.

Resident Evil Village will also be getting a new Third-Person Mode.

Check out the trailer below:


Redfall Requires Online Connection In Single & Multiplayer Mode, Which Is Normal In Today’s Standards

Bethesda and developer Arkane has mentioned in its recently-published FAQ that players will need to be permanently connected online, regardless of whether they’re in single-player or multiplayer mode.
While players can go through the game solo without an Xbox Gold subscription, they will still need to stay online and connected. In addition, a Bethesda.net account is required to even access the game.
“Q: will playing Redfall require an online connection for single player as well as co-op?
A: A persistent online connection is required for single player and co-op.”
For those wondering if single-player games needing to stay online is uncommon, we should remind you that Redfall is primarily a multiplayer co-op title. Much like how action RPGs like Diablo 3 and Path of Exile’s single-player modes require you to stay online as they both have multiplayer components, Redfall is basically doing the same thing here.
Then again, titles like Gotham Knights and Marvel’s Avengers allow for offline play in single-player mode, but who the f*** cares about those two games now?
On a serious note, this may go against the recent promotion Xbox has done in favour of game preservation via its backwards compatibility program; basically the ability to play old titles and doing it offline without any online checks whatsoever. It remains to be seen if Arkane can do a workaround in making the game go single-player offline, depending on the game’s network and co-op infrastructure. That’s something that is usually hard to backtrack after years of developing a game in a certain way (multiplayer co-op in this case).


All The Games Coming In November & December 2020

This is it, folks. We’re in the last stretch of 2020, and it’s an exciting one. The next-gen consoles (PS5 and Xbox Series X/S) will be launching in November 2020, and that means a lot of great new titles that will push the boundaries of gaming even further.
The year isn’t over yet, so here are the games across all platforms that you can still look forward to in November and December 2020.
Dirt 5 (6 November 2020 – PS4, Xbox One, PC / 10 November 2020 – Xbox Series X/S / 12 November 2020 – PS5)

Developed and published by Codemasters, Dirt 5 is the latest instalment of a racing franchise that focuses on off-road racing. It includes a dynamic weather system and seasons, as well as a narrative-focused career mode. Stay tuned for a review of Dirt 5 later this week.
Need For Speed Hot Pursuit Remastered (6 November 2020 – PS4, Xbox One, PC / 13 November 2020 – Nintendo Switch)

Published by EA and developed by Criterion Games, Need For Speed Hot Pursuit Remastered is a remastered version of the original 2010 racing game, which will be playable in 4K 60FPS and includes all the DLC.
Destiny 2 Beyond Light (10 November 2020 – PS4, Xbox One, PC, Stadia)

https://youtube.com/watch?v=cthLUnEqT5k

Developed by Bungie, Destiny 2 Beyond Light is the latest major expansion for the looter shooter. It will introduce a changed universe, with a new destination, new adventures, and even new powers to explore.
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla (10 November 2020 – PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC / 12 November 2020 – PS5)

Developed by Ubisoft, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is the latest entry in the long-running franchise, where players will assume the role of Eivor and lead the Vikings.
Check out all our Assassin’s Creed Valhalla-related coverage here.
Devil May Cry 5 Special Edition (10 November 2020 – Xbox Series X/S / 12 November 2020 – PS5)

Developed by Capcom, Devil May Cry 5 Special Edition will add a playable Vergil, Turbo Mode, Legendary Dark Night difficulty mode, and ray-tracing. For existing owners of Devil May Cry 5 on PS4, Xbox One, and PC, Vergil will be available on 15 December 2020.
Yakuza Like A Dragon (10 November 2020 – PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, PC / 2 March 2021 – PS5)

Developed by Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio and published by Sega, Yakuza Like A Dragon shifts the focus on a new protagonist named Ichiban Kasuga and will be a turn-based JRPG with wacky summons and stuff.
Marvel’s Spider-Man Miles Morales (12 November 2020 – PS4, PS5)

Developed by Insomniac Games, Marvel’s Spider-Man Miles Morales is the follow-up to 2018’s Marvel’s Spider-Man. Players can look forward to a brand new story with Miles Morales, new enemies and new suits.
Demon’s Souls (12 November 2020 – PS5)

Developed by Bluepoint Games and Sony Interactive Entertainment Japan Studio, Demon’s Souls is a remake of the 2009 PS3 game. It will be playable in 4K 30FPS, and improved with several quality-of-life changes.
Godfall (12 November 2020 – PS5, PC)

Developed by Counterplay Games, Godfall is a new promising action RPG, which is described as the first looter slasher of its kind.
Just Dance 2021 (12 November 2020 – PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch / 24 November 2020 – PS5, Xbox Series X/S)

Developed by Ubisoft, Just Dance 2021 is the latest entry in the dancing rhythm game. Players can expect a bunch of new tracks, including Blinding Lights by The Weeknd, Without Me by Eminem, and more.
The Pathless (12 November 2020 – PS4, PS5, PC)

Developed by Giant Squid (the same studio behind ABZU), The Pathless is a mythic adventure featuring an archer and an eagle in a vast forest. Players take on the role of the Hunter, a master of archery who travels to a mystical island to dispel a curse of darkness that grips the world.
Bugsnax (12 November 2020 – PS4, PS5)

Developed by Young Horses, Bugsnax is a new adventure game where players explore a mysterious island and attempt to capture the half-bug-half-snack PokÃ©mon-like creatures.
It’s also going to be the first free PS5 games to be offered as part of PS Plus in November 2020.
Sackboy A Big Adventure (12 November 2020 – PS4, PS5)

Developed by Sumo Digital, Sackboy from the Little Big Planet franchise returns in an all-new 3D adventure with a deeply immersive and expressive control scheme. Players can go on this epic platforming journey solo-style, or they can team up with friends for collaborative, chaotic multiplayer fun.
Call Of Duty Black Ops Cold War (13 November 2020 – PS4, Xbox One, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC)

Developed by Treyarch and Raven Software, the latest Call Of Duty instalment brings players to the height of the Cold War in the 60s.
Kingdom Hearts Melody Of Memory (13 November 2020 – PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch)

Developed by Square Enix, Kingdom Hearts Melody Of Memory will be the first rhythm game in the franchise, but players can probably look forward to the next chapter of the story.
Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate (17 November 2020 – PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC, Nintendo Switch, Stadia)

Developed by NetherRealm Studios, Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate will include Kombat Pack 1 (six playable characters, including Shang Tsung, Nightwolf, Sindel, The Joker, Terminator T-800, and Spawn), Kombat Pack 2 (including Mileena, Rain, and Rambo), and the Aftermath expansion.
Hyrule Warriors Age Of Calamity (20 November 2020 – Nintendo Switch)

Developed by Omega Force (the same studio behind the Dynasty Warriors franchise), Hyrule Warriors Age Of Calamity is a new musou hack-and-slash title. It acts a prequel to 2017’s The Legend Of Zelda Breath Of The Wild.
December
Empire Of Sin (1 December 2020 – PS4, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch)

Developed by Romero Games, Empire Of Sin is an XCOM-like turn-based tactics game set in Prohibition-era Chicago where players engage in the seedy underworld of mobsters, bootleggers and mafia.
Twin Mirror (1 December 2020 – PS4, Xbox One, PC)

Developed by Dontnod Entertainment (the same studio behind Life Is Strange), Twin Mirror is a narrative adventure game, where players control investigative journalist Sam, who has returned to his hometown of Basswood, West Virginia.
Worms Rumble (1 December 2020 – PS4, PS5, PC)

Developed by Team17, Worms Rumble is the latest instalment of the long-running Worms franchise. It’s turning away from the franchiseâ€™s traditional turn-based combat and introducing new real-time combat.
Immortals Fenyx Rising (3 December 2020 – PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC)

Developed by Ubisoft, Immortals Fenyx Rising is a new new open-world action-adventure RPG game inspired by Greek mythology. Players assume the role of Fenyx, a new winged demigod on a quest to save the Greek gods and their home from a dark curse.
Dragon Quest XI S Echoes Of An Elusive Age Definitive Edition (4 December 2020 – PS4, Xbox One, PC)

Developed by Square Enix, one of the best JRPGs of the current generation is returning with a Definitive Edition. This version of the game adds new side stories, a retro 2D mode, Japanese audio, full orchestral soundtrack, and more.
Cyberpunk 2077 (10 December 2020 – PS4, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC)

Developed by CD Projekt Red, Cyberpunk 2077 is the next open-world RPG from the studio behind 2015’s The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt. It’s one of the most anticipated games this year, so let’s hope that this release date sticks.
The Medium (10 December 2020 – Xbox Series X/S, PC)

Developed by Bloober Team, The Medium is a new psychological horror game where players will be able to explore two worlds at the same time as protagonist Marianne; a medium who can visit the spirit world. The soundtrack is done by one Akira Yamaoka, FYI.


RIP Gilbert Gottfried, The Man Who Voiced Aladdin’s Iago & Superman’s Mister Mxyzptlk

It’s a sad day for comedy and pop culture, as actor Gilbert Gottfried has died. He was 67.
The comedian, known for his roles as Iago in Disney’s Aladdin and Mister Mxyzptlk (Mix-Yes-Spit-Lick) in Superman: The Animated Series, passed away on 12th April 2:35pm ET due to recurrent ventricular tachycardia from myotonic dystrophy type II. This was officially stated by Gilbert’s publicist Glenn Schwartz.

pic.twitter.com/STHhfpVSKU
— Gilbert Gottfried (@RealGilbert) April 12, 2022

Apart from those roles, he also has performed stand-up comedy for over 50 years, with his most renowned bit being his 9-11 jokes during the Friars Club Roast of Hugh Hefner. He also played comedic roles in Beverly Hills Cop II, Problem Child, and Look Who’s Talking 2.

Other comedians and actors have shared their condolences regarding his passing.

I am so sad to read about the passing of Gilbert Gottfried. Funny, politically incorrect but a softie on the inside. We met many times; he even pranked me on a plane, replacing my intepreter @655jack(they're like twins). Sending love to Dara & his children. RIP #gilbertgottfried pic.twitter.com/R4mxWBRsNo
— Marlee Matlin (@MarleeMatlin) April 12, 2022

Gilbert Gottfried made me laugh at times when laughter did not come easily. What a gift. I did not know him well but I loved what he shared with me. My best wishes and sympathy to his family. #ripGilbertGottfried
— jason alexander (@IJasonAlexander) April 12, 2022

Gilbert Gottfried meant more to me than you probably know. I have talked about this on my podcast and on his, but when I was 14 I got to see him do stand up, and it changed me. His subversiveness and bravery were unparalleled. And he made you fall down laughing. This sucks.
— Brian Koppelman (@briankoppelman) April 12, 2022

Sending love to @RealGilbert’s wife Dara, his family & fans. Gilbert Gottfried was never not funny. He was a lovely guy, always friendly & made many people happy.
— Dane Cook (@DaneCook) April 12, 2022

I saw Gilbert perform in 1985 and when he entered to applause he said, “Thank you, thank you very much.” He then continued to say “thank you” repeatedly for ten full minutes. It was the nerviest, funniest thing I had seen. So sorry to lose this sweet and delightfully funny man.
— Conan O'Brien (@ConanOBrien) April 12, 2022

We would like to wish condolences to Gilbert Gottfried’s family.


Rocket League Becomes Second Game To Support Cross-Play On All Platforms

Sony has announced that it’s finally allowing cross-play for Rocket League on the PS4, which means that players can now virtually play the game with each other across all platforms, including the Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and PC.
The popular game developed by Psyonix is only the second game to join Sony’s historic PlayStation Cross-Play Beta program after Fortnite in September last year. To enable Rocket League cross-play on the PS4, just to the Main Menu, select Options and ensure that the Cross-Platform Play box is checked under the Gameplay tab.
A cross-platform party system will arrive in Rocket League in its first incoming update for 2019, confirms Psyonix. This upcoming feature will allow players to partner up with friends on any platform with the push of a few buttons.
“Todayâ€™s announcement is an important one for us here at Psyonix because we know how much our community has wanted full cross-platform support for quite some time,” said Psyonix Vice President of Publishing Jeremy Dunham. “Itâ€™s because of you, our fans, and our generous partners on all systems and services that have made this possible in the first place. On behalf of the entire team, THANK YOU for your passion and persistence as we continue to do our best to make Rocket League the best experience we can.”
This is great news for the gamers around the world, as we get closer to a world where players can play with or against each other in any game on any platform they so choose. While that future may still be a long way off from becoming a reality, every small step counts towards accomplishing that dream of a more inclusive gaming community for everyone.


NetEase Free-To-Play Marvel MOBA Starts Beta Phase Next Month

One of the reasons why Arena of Valor became popular was thanks to its inclusion of some DC Comics characters such Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman. It prompted many of us to wish for a Marvel mobile MOBA.
Well, that’s exactly what we’re getting soon, folks. Chinese gaming giant NetEase has just announced Marvel Super War, a free-to-play mobile MOBA that will have a full roster of Marvel superheroes and supervillains. Similar to Arena of Valor and Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, the game will be played in a 5v5 format on a three-lane map.

Here’s a list of confirmed characters so far:

Captain America
Iron Man
Thor
Captain Marvel
Magneto
Star-Lord
Deadpool
Storm
Thanos
Groot
Ant-Man
War Machine
Black Widow
Vision
Loki
Hawkeye
Rocket Raccoon
Quicksilver
Scarlet Witch
Winter Soldier
Iceman

There’s no specific release date yet but those who live in Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, and India can start pre-registering now for the beta that begins on 21 November 2019. Currently, pre-registration is only open to Android users. The game will be available on the Apple App Store in the future. You can pre-register here.
For future updates and news on Marvel Super War, stay tuned on Kakuchopurei and follow the Marvel Super War Facebook page.
More screenshots of the game:


JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Book 6: Stone Ocean Anime Adaptation Confirmed

The next anime adaptation for the hit manga series JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is confirmed.
The JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Book 6: Stone Ocean anime adaptation is announced during the JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure The Animation Special Event – JOESTAR Inherited Soul livestream event just a few minutes ago. The anime will star Ai Fairouz (How Heavy Are The Dumbbells You Lift?) as Jolyne Cujoh. No release date or year has been announced yet.
The Stone Ocean manga is the sixth part of Hirohiko Araki’s long-spanning series and takes place after the previous story Golden Wind. It centers on Jotaro Kujo’s daughter Jolyne Cujoh who is framed for murder and sent to prison. There, she has to fight against the ex-followers of Dio using her Stand, which is basically special ghosts that help unique individuals and is the tradition of all JoJo manga and anime since the third story Stardust Crusaders.
This part of the manga ran from 1999 to 2003 and has 17 volumes. On a related note, Book 4: Diamond Is Unbreakable and Book 5: Golden Wind are now available on Netflix in Malaysia, Singapore, and Southeast Asia.

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— TV????????????????? (@anime_jojo) April 4, 2021


Mundfish Is Reportedly Planning For Atomic Heart 2

Developer Mundfish is reportedly planning to work on a sequel to its alternate-history first-person shooter Atomic Heart.

In a recent YouTube video, Russian YouTuber Aleksey Makarenkov asked Mundfish what its plans are for Atomic Heart 2. The studio unexpectedly responded: Atomic Heart 2 is already in the planning stage. This should come as a surprise for fans of the first game, which was recently launched on 21 February 2023. As for what the studio is working on right now, it’s stated that the development team is currently working on DLC for Atomic Heart.
Moreover, Makarenkov also discovered from two trustworthy sources at VK Play that the game’s sales already covered its licensing and advertising costs by a “good margin”. He pointed out that the information provided by these sources is likely to be accurate since they have access to such data. Although, it will take some time to develop the sequel.
Despite the game’s controversy around its title’s themes and content as well as the developer’s Russian origins, Atomic Heart managed to surpass Hogwarts Legacy and Steam Deck in terms of sales during its launch. Though the game now respectably stands at 47 on Steam sales charts, followed by “very positive” based on 13,000+ user reviews.
if you’re unfamiliar with Atomic Heart, worry not! We had our hands on it, so go check out our gameplay review. Are you excited for Atomic Hearts 2? Let us know in the comments below.
Atomic Heart is currently available on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC via Steam.


Arena Of Valor International Champioship 2022: Groups Unveiled

The mobile MOBA Arena of Valor’s fifth International Championship is officially on its way as the results of the Group Stage draw conclude.
16 teams across 10 regions gather to compete at the biggest AoV tournament of the year, Garena and Level Infinite’s Arena of Valor International Championship (AIC) 2022.
The theme for this year’s AIC 2022, “New Rivals, New Honor”, encapsulates the rising rivalry within the AoV community, as more up-and-coming young teams across new regions enter the battlefield to vie for the ultimate honour.
AIC 2022 seeks to honour the grit and tenacity displayed by teams as they strive to overcome all odds in their journey to victory.
All times listed are GMT+7.
GROUPS & TEAMS
Hailing from across 10 regions, the 16 teams will be facing off their strongest opponents during the Group Stage from 16 June to 19 June.
Fans and players can look forward to a dynamic viewing experience as teams showcase their best skills and strategy while scaling the championship ladder.

Group A: Nova Esports, KFC x Talon, Team Flash, Starry Hope
Group B: Saigon Phantom, YaLLa Esports, ONE Team Esports, Valencia CF Esports
Group C: INFLUENCE RAGE, Bikertopia Esports, Dewa United Esports, A Dope Team
Group D: MAD Team, V Gaming, Next RuyaRüya, Bacon Time

FORMAT & DATES

The AIC 2022 Group Stage will be split into 2 phases, where all matches will be played in a single round-robin format.
Taking place on 16 June and 17 June, the first phase of the Group Stage will see matches being played in a Best-of-1 (BO1) format, with the top 3 teams of each group advancing to phase 2.
Phase 2 will then be played on 18 June and 19 June, with the top teams of each group advancing to the playoffs.
Matches in phase 2 will be played in a Best-of-2 (BO2) format, in which a result of 2-0 will earn the winning team 3 points and 0 points will go to the losing team. Tying 1-1 will give teams 1 point each.
The global ban pick rules will also be implemented to enhance the strategy and pick diversity of the teams.

WHERE TO WATCH
If you’re interested in watching the matches live, you’ll be able to catch all the action on the official Arena of Valor YouTube channel.


The Mandalorian Shows Off His Skills In This Special Look Trailer

Ahead of its release on Disney Plus later today, Disney unveils one last special look at The Mandalorian. The special look trailer features an extended sequence of the cantina sequence seen in clips during previous trailers.
In the scene, the titular Mandalorian enters a bar and gets heckled by a bunch of thugs after he accidentally spilt one of their drinks. He does nothing until one of them scratches his armour, which is when he goes into full bounty hunter mode and opens a can of whoop-ass.
The first episode of The Mandalorian is set to premiere on 12 November 2019, with a second episode several days later on 15 November 2019, before resuming its weekly schedule with its third episode on 22 November 2019.
It will take place between the events of Star Wars Episode VI: Return of The Jedi and Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens, focusing on the rise of the First Order. The Mandalorian stars Narcosâ€™ Pedro Pascal as The Mandalorian, Gina Carano as Cara Dune, Carl Weathers as Grief Carga, and more.
In the meantime, check out the special look trailer below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RVnrBLOBcI&w=560&h=315]


Here’s A Side-By-side Comparison Of The Super Mario Bros. Movie With The Games

The Super Mario Bros. Movie trailer from Universal Studios, Nintendo, and Illumination looks pretty solid. It may be a teaser, but the voice casting with Chris Pratt as the titular Mario brother and Jack Black as Bowser seems appropriate for now.
That said, some comparisons between the adaptation and the source material are inevitable. Here’s what we compiled from our end. We not only play each character to their most recent versions in the game, but also compare their voice work with the ones from the earlier titles. It’s a helluva improvement, if we say so ourselves.

The Super Mario Bros. movie will be out on 7th April in cinemas worldwide.


Upcoming RTS Stormgate Shows Off Its First Gameplay; Looks Exactly Like A Brighter StarCraft

If you miss Blizzard’s StarCraft and original WarCraft real-time strategy games, you’re in luck: Stormgate is coming.
The upcoming PC strategy game has new gameplay footage courtesy of developer Frost Giant Studios (via PC Gamer), and it looks like a mish-mash between the aforementioned games, scouts and all. Frankly, we’re all the better for it, especially if you’re into the genre that’s neglected by many big publishers these days.
For more on Stormgate, check out our interview with the developer.


Garena Free Fire x Maybelline Collaboration: SuperStay Matte Ink Free Fire Edition

Yes, you heard that right. Garena Free Fire has announced its first collaboration with Maybelline New York, one of the top cosmetic brands for their best-selling lipstick range “SuperStay® Matte Ink” line.

The limited-edition lipstick range will blend fantasy and reality by bringing Maybelline into the virtual world as popular female in-game characters will be seen wearing the shades and bringing Free Fire to life. Fans of both get to don 8 bestseller lip shades from this exclusive edition. The shades are named according to the famous female characters; Kelly, Caroline, Kapella, and Moco. SuperStay® Matte Ink Free Fire was first seen on famous influencers in the gaming and makeup community platforms.

Product Features
Level up your beauty experience as the features are focused on female gamers for a boost of 8 smudge-proof shades that can wear up to 16 hours! Who says you can’t be fabulous and awesome at the same time?

Kelly: For the Happy-go-Lucky and Young at heart

Shades: #210 Versatile, #135 Globetrotter
The warm tones are great for those who prefer a simple go-to makeup to look fresh and peachy. It has never been simpler to style for any battle rises.

Caroline: For the Elegant Social Butterfly

Shades: #225 Delicate, #205 Assertive
Get the spotlight with Delicate and Assertive shades. From sweet princess vibes using Delicate, a soft pink shade to the queen of the red carpet with a dash of dark red. Are you the versatile girl?

Kapella: For the Energetic and Obeservant

Shades: #65 Seductress, #130 Self-Starter
Feeling cheeky and playful? Seductress and Self-Starter are your go-to! These charming pink tones definitely exude a touch of zest into that bubbly personality.

Moco: For the Edgy and Driven

Shades: #220 Ambitious, #80 Ruler
Be that GirlBoss or unleash the girl power with the Ambitious and Ruler shades. Make a bold statement with these stunning hues that stand for the renowned prowess of Moco. When in doubt, go red.

SuperStay® Matte Ink Free Fire Edition was first unveiled by notable gaming influencers as well as beauty cosplayers. They have shared their experience with the line through various product demo, unboxing video, ‘torture’ tests, and makeup tutorials inspired by the females-in-game characters on social media platforms!
With discounts of up to 25% during the partnership time, the Maybelline SuperStay® Matte Ink Free Fire Edition is currently available for retail purchase on all official Maybelline New York e-commerce sites in Singapore for $18.90. RM42.90 on all official Maybelline New York e-commerce sites in Malaysia, with up to 35% off during the collaboration period, and PHP399 on all official Maybelline New York e-commerce platforms in the Philippines.

Have you experienced any of the shades above? Let us know in the comment section below. Sign-up on our website for more beauty-gaming related news.


Microsoft’s True Rivals Are Amazon & Google, Not Sony, Says Xbox Head

The new gaming generation is officially starting later this year with the release of the Xbox Series X and PS5. However, it seems like Microsoft doesn’t consider Sony or Nintendo to be their main competitors or rivals in the larger scheme of things.
Speaking in an interview with Protocol, Xbox head Phil Spencer said:

“When you talk about Nintendo and Sony, we have a ton of respect for them, but we see Amazon and Google as the main competitors going forward.
Thatâ€™s not to disrespect Nintendo and Sony, but the traditional gaming companies are somewhat out of position.
I guess they could try to re-create Azure, but weâ€™ve invested tens of billions of dollars in cloud over the years.”

To be fair, Microsoft and Xbox haven’t been focusing much on gaming as evident from the past years, as they aligned their efforts to further develop cloud infrastructure. Azure is their baby, Microsoftâ€™s massive cloud computing service that is utilized by Xbox’s own Project xCloud games streaming service, as well as many other companies.

The console wars will probably get less intense now that Microsoft and Xbox have decided to pursue cloud-based tech in gaming, instead of going toe-to-toe with Sony’s PlayStation and Nintendo. It’s a good future-proof movie on their part, especially with how far ahead (of Microsoft) Sony and Nintendo currently are in the gaming industry.
Spencer continued:

“I donâ€™t want to be in a fight over format wars with those guys while Amazon and Google are focusing on how to get gaming to seven billion people around the world.
Ultimately, thatâ€™s the goal.”

Both Google and Amazon already have huge cloud infrastructure and tech of their own, the former with Stadia and the latter unrevealed as of yet. What this means is that another war is coming, and it won’t be between consoles like it has been for the past several decades.
On the other hand, console gaming is an established cycle which repeats every generation. Cloud-based tech for gaming, in particular, has yet to prove itself as a viable or profitable alternative to traditional hardware-based gaming. Perhaps that will change in the future, but until then:
Begun, the Cloud Wars have.


We’re Getting A Resident Evil 4 Remake Demo Tomorrow Morning

A new ad for Resident Evil 4 Remake hints that a demo will be out tomorrow morning.
Specifically, an ad for the game appeared on Twitch and states that the demo is “available now”. It’s most likely activated a tad early, which means that the Resident Evil 4 Remake will come out around the same time as tomorrow morning’s Capcom digital presentation, which is on Friday 10 March after 6:30am GMT+8.

I just saw it just now????? ? pic.twitter.com/w4pl0ZlDkR
— Daniel S. Kennedy ???? (@DanisabeastXD) March 9, 2023

The full game will be out on 24 March for PC, Xbox Series, PS5, and PS4. The remake aims to preserve the essence of the original game while introducing modernized gameplay, a reimagined storyline, and better graphics.


Sonic Frontiers Prequel Animation Is Out Now

SEGA has released a six-minute animated short film that is a prequel to their latest and highly anticipated game, Sonic Frontiers titled Sonic Frontiers Prologue: Divergence.
Sonic’s rival, Knuckles, takes the spotlight in the animated short. While contemplating his situation as the last descendant of the Knuckles Clan, he has a chance encounter with a Portal Gear. This prequel animation shows the events leading up to Sonic Frontiers, so make sure to check it out in preparation for launch.
Sonic Frontiers officially launches on Tuesday, 8 November on PS5, PS4, Switch, Xbox Series X | S, Xbox One, and PC via Steam.


Arma 3 Apex’s New Scenario Lets You Be A Badass Old Man

A new – and free -Â  singleplayer scenario has been added to Arma 3‘s Apex DLC. It’s titledÂ  Old Man, and will put you in the role of a retiree called back into action.
The premise of this 10-hour long open-world scenario is that the South Pacific island of Tanoa has been hit by a new Malaria strain, with the government failing to deliver a vaccine. While all this is going on, your character, a former Legionnaire in the French Foreign Legion, hears of a plot and joins forces with a former military contact to stop it.

“An old man, in a job where men die young… Well, that is not a man you wanna mess with,” says the trailer’s voiceover.
It’s a familiar B-movie-type plot where, albeit delivered within the framework of Bohemia Interactive’s military sim than a Hollywood movie. “The new scenario drops you into Tanoaâ€™s 100 square kilometer tropical terrain with just a few instructions,” says the blog post.

“Itâ€™s up to you to find your way around, gather intel, obtain weapons and equipment, and decide on the best tactics to accomplish objectives.
While the scenario aims to offer an authentic experience, you do have access to a few convenience features, such as the option to wait and skip time, and the ability to fast travel between known safe houses.”

If you want to (try to) be a badass old man in a military sim but don’t own Arma 3 and/or Apex, Bohemia is having an Arma 3 sale on both Steam and its own store right now. Both Arma 3 and Apex are 70 percent off on Steam, making them RM35.70 and RM23.70, respectively.
In addition, the Old ManÂ beta was originally released via Steam Workshop, so Bohemia recommends that you unsubscribe from it to prevent compatibility issues with the new release.


HBO GO Has Several Oscar-Winning Content, Including Everything Everywhere All At Once

The Oscars 2023 or 95th Academy Awards have now come to a close but fans can catch Oscar-winning titles Everything Everywhere All At Once, CNN Films and HBO Max documentary Navalny and Top Gun Maverick on HBO GO.
Everything Everywhere All At Once, which had a ground-breaking awards season, took home seven awards at the 95th Academy Awards including; ‘Best Picture’, ‘Best Director’ (Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert), ‘Best Actress’ (Michelle Yeoh), ‘Best Supporting Actor’ (Ke Huy Quan), ‘Best Supporting Actress’ (Jamie Lee Curtis), ‘Best Original Screenplay’ and ‘Best Film Editing’. Watch Everything Everywhere All At Once on HBO (Astro Channel 411) and HBO GO.
Directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, Everything Everywhere All At Once is an irreverent and big-hearted sci-fi action adventure about Evelyn Wang, a flustered Chinese American mother who is contacted from a parallel universe and told that only she can save the world. The unlikely hero learns to channel her new-found powers and fight through the splintering timelines of the multiverse to save her home, family and herself. The global hit stars Michelle Yeoh, Stephanie Hsu, Ke Huy Quan, Jenny Slate, Harry Shum Jr., James Hong and Jamie Lee Curtis.
Awarded the Oscar for ‘Best Documentary Feature’, CNN Films and HBO Max co-produced documentary thriller Navalny was directed by Daniel Roher and explores the life and work of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who, after years of campaigning against corruption, has developed powerful enemies. Navalny chronicles the politician and activist’s brave stand against the government that tried to silence him – and his never-ending fight for democracy. The feature is available to stream on HBO GO.
Top Gun: Maverick available on HBO (Astro Channel 411) and HBO GO took home the Oscar® for ‘Best Sound’. After more than thirty years of service as one of the Navy’s top aviators, Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell is where he belongs, pushing the envelope as a courageous test pilot and dodging the advancement in rank that would ground him. Maverick then finds himself training a detachment of Top Gun graduates for a specialized mission no living pilot has ever encountered. Stars Tom Cruise, Miles Teller, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm and Glen Powell.
You can subscribe to HBO GO online at https://www.hbogoasia.my/ or the mobile app via the App Store or Play Store for as low as RM23.30/month. You can also access HBO GO via Astro. HBO GO is also available on Android TV, Apple TV, LG TV and Samsung Smart TV – and comes with AirPlay and Google Cast functionality.
In the meantime, head on over here for the full list of Oscar winners.


The Next World of Warcraft Expansion Is Dragonflight

A new leak suggests that a new World of Warcraft expansion is in the works.
While Blizzard announced that it has plans to make a major WoW announcement during 19 April, website Wowhead has reported on the upcoming expansion’s leaked public source code. An update on the official WoW website had lines of code for the Dragonflight Base, Heroic and Epic Expansion prepurchases, and a URL listed as “dragonflight.blizzard.com”. Wowhead’s usual report on datamined WoW info is usually spot-on, so it’s safe to say the cat’s out of the bag.
Still, this may be good news for WoW MMORPG players looking for a new expansion after Shadowlands. Blizzard usually releases a new WoW expansion every two years, so this is on par for the course announcement-wise. On a related note, Blizzard will be purchased by Microsoft, meaning the future of WoW will be under Xbox and Microsoft ownership in some form.


Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness Conjures Almost Half A Billion In Opening Weekend

Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness is conjuring up some powerful magic, as it manages to garner a global box office total of US$450 million, with over US$185 million of that in the US alone. That’s the fourth biggest opening weekend of all time, followed by Avengers Endgame (US$1.2 billion), Avengers Infinity War (US$640 million), and Spider-Man No Way Home (US$587.2 million).
At this rate, the top ten biggest opening weekends will probably be dominated by Marvel Studios’ Marvel Cinematic Universe films soon, if not already. Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness opened at No. 1 in all major markets overseas, where COVID-19 restrictions have lifted in recent weeks and months. However, the movie has not, and will not, be released in China, Saudi Arabia and several other countries.
You can head on over here for our non-spoiler review, or check out my analysis of what’s to come in a potential Doctor Strange 3 in the future.


First Official PS5 Box Art Looks Mighty White

Sony has revealed our first look at the official box art design for physical PlayStation 5 games, and it looks… mighty plain. Instead of the blue theme and aesthetic used for PS4 box art, Sony has apparently decided to lean into the new white theme of the PS5 console and implement that for the next-gen console’s physical games.
Feast your eyes on the PS5 box art for the upcoming Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, which is slated to be a launch title and release sometime this Holiday 2020:

In comparison, check out the PS4 box art for Marvel’s Spider-Man in 2018.

Personally, I think the PS5 box art looks weird because the physical casing is still blue, which clashes with the white theme. It would look much better if the physical case is black or white instead, which Nibel has provided some mock-ups of below:

Quick and dirty PS5 box mockups ðŸ¤” pic.twitter.com/HYdF4V7Oim
â€” Nibel (@Nibellion) July 9, 2020


Scoob! Is Coming To Malaysian Cinemas Next Week

Earlier this year, Warner Bros. announced that the Scoob! animated movie would be going digital and forego cinemas in the US. However, now the animated movie will be releasing in selected international cinemas, including in Malaysia on 6 August 2020.
Directed by Tony Cervone,Â Scoob!Â tells the origin story of how Scooby and Shaggy first met, as well as how they joined with Fred, Velma and Daphne to form the iconic Mystery Inc. Still young, they now face their biggest mystery ever, teaming up with superhero Blue Falcon to stop the villain Dick Dastardly.
The cast ofÂ Scoob!Â (which boasts a pretty impressive cast) includes:

Will Forte as Shaggy
Frank Welker as Scooby-Doo
Mark Wahlberg as Blue Falcon
Jason Isaacs as Dick Dastardly
Gina Rodriguez as Velma
Zac Efron as Fred
Amanda Seyfried as Daphne
Kiersey Clemons as Falcon Fury pilot Dee Dee Skyes
Ken Jeong as the Falcon Forceâ€™s Dynomutt
Tracy Morgan as Captain Caveman

In the meantime, check out the final trailer forÂ Scoob! below. Stay tuned for our review next week!
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzlEnS7MmUo&w=560&h=315]


MultiVersus Cinematic Trailer Reveals Taz, Iron Giant, And Velma In Fighting Game Roster

Warner Bros. Interactive just launched a new cinematic trailer for its upcoming 2D platform fighting game MultiVersus. If you love DC Comics characters and Warner Bros. characters duke it out, you’ll love it.
The trailer also introduces new characters in the current roster: Taz the Tasmanian Devil, The Iron Giant, and Velma from the Scooby Doo series. This rounds up the cast to 16 characters so far, with more revealed soon. Here’s a quick description of the new characters:

Taz (Bruiser Type)
Like the offspring of a tornado and a particularly angry electric razor, the Tasmanian Devil is a spitting, surly ball of manic energy. If you can get him to calm down, they say he’s as sweet and gentle as a kitten, but that’s a pretty big “if.” Taz has a temper that’s outmatched only by his appetite and, trust us, you don’t want to see this Devil when he’s hangry.
Iron Giant (Tank Type)
The enigmatic, mechanical marvel nicknamed “The Iron Giant” crash-landed off the shore of Rockwell, Maine shortly after the launch of Sputnik in 1957. With no memory of his past and no clear direction for his future, he was found by a young boy named Hogarth Hughes, who quickly became his best friend. Loyal and brave, the Iron Giant is a defender of the innocent and has vowed to always emulate his hero: Superman.
Velma (Support Type)
Velma has been solving mysteries since most people were still in diapers. With her insatiable appetite for answers and expert nose for knowledge, she’s the perfect mystery-solving machine. These days, she’s the undisputed super sleuth of Mystery, Inc., traveling with her friends to uncover criminals and bust hoaxes wherever she goes. She can sometimes get in over her head when she forgets to take her nose out of her books, but don’t underestimate her – Velma Dinkley can still kick some serious butt when she needs to.
Check out the trailer below. The MultiVersus open beta will start on July 2022, with a closed alpha happening this month. The game will launch as a free-to-play title for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series, Xbox One, and PC; it’s scheduled for a worldwide 2022 release. It’ll also have current/original voice-overs like Kevin Conroy (Batman) and John DiMaggio (Jake The Dog), which is pretty essential if you want an authentic platform brawler experience with renowned characters and icons.


E3 2018: When Will The NeXt Xbox Come Out? [Report]

Xbox head honcho Phil Spencer said during its E3 press conference that the Xbox team is working on a slew of new Xbox consoles. Obviously it’s way too soon to say when they’ll be ready, but some sources have some inkling.
According to a tip-off from a Brad Sams on Thuttrott.com:

He predicts that after a round of price cuts and worldwide stock-clearing, the new Xbox will be out in the year 2020.
Codenamed Scarlett, it’s going to be a “family of devices”. This means multiple pieces of hardware released on that year.
Because of Xbox’s backward compatibility support and its Game Pass service,Â the Scarlett devices may support current gen games but will also offer more advanced features and align possibly with its upcoming game-streaming services.

Here’s an excerpt from the article for full context:
“This past week, I was tipped off that the next generation Xbox was codenamed Scarlett and in an effort to track down if this information was accurate, I was able to view content that highlighted several unannounced Microsoft products that are coming in the next two years.
Microsoft is planning for the next Xbox console release to arrive in 2020. But what is more interesting, is that Microsoft describes â€˜Scarlettâ€™ as a family of devices; meaning we may see multiple pieces of hardware released that year.
That date may seem relatively close considering that the Xbox One X launched last year but Microsoft is aggressively moving ahead with hardware in the console space to shake up the industry. But what we donâ€™t know is if this is a brand new set of devices or simply a more â€˜powerfulâ€™ Xbox One that is again, fully backward compatible with all the content available today.
Considering how much effort Microsoft has put into backward compatibility, I would expect the Scarlett devices to support current gen games but offer more advanced features and align possibly with Microsoftâ€™s upcoming game-streaming services.
As with any leak this far out, timing and plans can change but I was able to verify the information I viewed as being authentic and fully believe that the company is on-track to release the new console in two years.”
My take on this? We’ve already gone past what tech can do in terms of game visual fidelity; how a game looks like is still up to its art direction in the end. In the end, it’s still about the games and how convenient it’ll be to access all of them in one go.
This report is still speculation, but this does make sense for the company and its long-term goal to become the “Netflix of video games”.


Xenoblade 2’s Monolithsoft Are Hiring For A New Zelda Game

Turns out Monolithsoft, the guys behind the awesome Xenoblade Chronicles 2 and its prequel Torna: The Golden Country, will be working on a new TheÂ Legend of Zelda RPG. According to a Monolithsoft job post, they are hiring technical artists, programmers, planners, designers, and management support for the studio.
At this point in time, Monolithsoft is pretty huge and is growing. They have three studios: one main one in Tokyo, one in Kyoto, and one in Iidabashi. The Tokyo and Kyoto studio might be working on the Legend of Zelda game; it’s not confirmed though.
Is the company going to make another Xenoblade-like project? Yes, they are: the Tokyo studio recruited a number of people in late 2018 to work on a “Production 1” project alongside the Xenoblade team.
This sounds really awesome; after all the Xenoblade team know how to make open world-esque titles with a huge RPG slant.


Melty Blood Type Lumina Features Maids & 2D Anime Fighting; Out This September

Developer French-Bread and publisher Project Lumina just released a ton of info about its upcoming 2D fighting game Melty Blood Type Lumina.
The game will be coming out on 30th September for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC (via Steam). That last platform was being speculated until today’s official announcement from Project Lumina. The game will only be out in digital form for the Western market. The Deluxe Edition of the game will cost US$69.99 and will feature a digital copy of the Melty Blood guide book, and a music player featuring the game’s soundtracks old and new.
For Japan markets, the game will be available both physically and digitally for 7,480 yen. A Melty Blood Archives physical limited edition will also be available for 11,880 yen, which includes a copy of the game, Takashi Takeuchi-illustrated artwork packaging, 96-page art book featuring visuals, history, and interviews, and the three-discÂ Melty BloodÂ Sound Collection.
Apart from awesome-looking 2D graphics and a revamped anime fighting system that stays true to the combo-centric nature of the series (chain combos, counters, character installs, Supers), the upcoming fighting game has also confirmed its roster as of now:

Arcuied Brunestud
Ciel
Akiha Tohno
Hisui, a fan favourite
Kohaku, another fan favourite
Shiki Tohno

Check out the gameplay below at the 1:29 mark.

For those who don’t know, Melty Blood is a 2D fighting game basd off Type Moon’s visual novel Tsukihime. The last game, Melty Blood Actress Again Current Code, only received a worldwide Steam release by Arc System Works on 20th April 2016, 6 years after its arcade release back in 29th July, 2010. The game also features rollback netcode, which I’m sure this new sequel will sport when it’s out later this year.


Netflix’s Castlevania Season 4 Announced

The Netflix Castlevania series has been quite entertaining to watch, and stands as one of the few video game adaptations to actually succeed. It burns slow, yes, but the payoff is usually worth it.
Now we get to enjoy all that again; the streaming company will be renewing its Castlevania animated series for a fourth season.

pic.twitter.com/ZuPyKxGRDF
— Netflix Geeked (@NetflixGeeked) March 27, 2020

No other details have been revealed yet; most likely the show will drop mid-2021 or much later. After all, Season 3 premiered in March 2020.
My Thoughts
We didn’t get a review of Season 3 up, so let’s do one right now: the show still retains its combo of humour, supernatural horror, violence, and emotional beats, especially with the 10-episode runtime of Season 3. Warren Ellis’ writing really shines and stands out in combining all these very, very exquisitely.
Perhaps the strength of the show lies in such non-action-packed moments like this one…

Chilling.


E3 2018: Super Smash Bros. Ultimate According To Two SG Experts

Meet Jonne “Lyonaris” Lyonne and Alex “Angelican” Wong. They are but a few of the guys who help organize and flourish the Super Smash Bros. community in Singapore. They are also pretty good at the game and are training younger players to be better than them at the fighting game.
In case you didn’t know, Super Smash Bros. is a pretty big deal in the US and in Europe. You remember an earlier EVO tournament back in 2014 where the players and the commentators were hyped up all the way from start to finish? Here:

You can’t say the same for the Southeast Asia scene. Not yet at least, because it’s still in a grassroots level and is slowly but surely gaining traction thanks to recent events like the Asia Gaming Festival and previous GameStart Asia side tournaments (see pictures below):

So why bring the two up? Because there’s a new Smash Bros. game coming for the Nintendo Switch -technically a port of the Wii U original- and it features all of the fighters. If you want great feedback and legitimate thoughts on an upcoming sequel to a fighting game, it’s best to ask the pros and the community leaders about it.
So take it away, Jonne & Alex.
Jonne “Lyonaris”:

Let’s start with the most obvious: everyone was NOT expecting Solid Snake and the whole “everyone is here in Smash Bros.” Including Wolf and Ice Climbers.Â
We started noticing that the game looked faster than Super Smash Bros. for Wii U. There was a lot less lag on a number of moves and that was just before they introduced the new tech like the directional air dodge from Super Smash Bros. Melee.Â
The dodge itself looks different; there’s no hangtime after the air dodge ends, which means your character will start to fall immediately after. The one thing a lot of us are wondering is whether the dodge has endlag on landing.
The dash cancel to Smash attacks is new too. Previously we could always cancel dash with Up + Smash attack. Now, we can do it with all Smash attacks. There’s also a lot of hype going around with the character redesigns, especially with Princess Zelda.

Long story short: we are damn hyped for the huge-as-heck roster. The new mechanics look super-fun especially when combined with the various character changes both mechanically and aesthetically.

Alex “Angelican”

Personally, I think Inkling will be placed quite high once people find out about her movesets and speed. He/she has awesome moves and mobility, but there’s just one major setback in competitive play: he/she has to recharge his/her ink supply as and when necessary.
This additional resource management is similar to that of Olimar in which when you run out of steam you’re pretty much trying your best to go and get the space you need to recharge.

Compared to most of the other characters this might be a setback that players have to work around.

For Ridley, I think it’s too hard to tell given the demos we saw did not showcase his abilities adequately and at a professional level.

I think he will be somewhere in the middle: he has high damage but it’ll be hard to get hits in.Â

Do check out the Singaporean Smash Bros. community at SmashG.Â Super Smash Bros. Ultimate will be out 7 December for Nintendo Switch.Â


Talon Esports Takes Flight Ahead Of Overwatch 2 Launch

Hong Kong-based esports organisation, Talon Esports bid farewell to their Overwatch Path To Pro team and are stepping away from Overwatch after four years.
Talon Esports has come out and announced that they would no longer be fielding a team in Overwatch for the foreseeable future. Talon has dominated the top spots in the Overwatch Contenders scene since its inauguration back in 2018.

Today we say farewell to the @owpathtopro community as we have decided to step away from @playoverwatch at this time. It has been 4 incredible years full of amazing memories. We remain very excited for OW2 and for the game to flourish once again.
See comments for more ? https://t.co/Zq63rrIyup
— TALON (@Talon_esports) September 29, 2022

Below you can find Talon’s late roster that was released:

Kim “Attack” Jun-hwa – Tank
Kim “D0NGHAK” Min-Seong – Tank
Park “SeonJun” Seon-jun – DPS
Lee “KNIFE” Seon-woo – DPS
Kim “Tougen” Yo-han – DPS
Jeong “TopDragon” Seung-yong – DPS
Kim “Sley” Jae-hwan – Support
Bong “search” Wook – Support
Kim “Swingby” Kwang-bok – Head Coach
Kong “Harang” Ji-won – Assistant Coach

The announcement was made ahead of Overwatch 2’s release, so the timing does make sense. This provides players some time going into the sequel to explore their options, although, it would have been better if this happened at least a couple of months before.
The organisation states that they remain excited for Overwatch 2, and are in high hopes that the competitive scene will flourish once again. With that said, don’t expect Talon to be gone from Overwatch forever. If Overwatch 2 sees a lot of success in the competitive scene then we can expect them to return.
Talon Esports was initially founded as an organisation that fields Taiwanese and Hong Kongese players exclusively. The organisation has since expanded to field teams from South Korea in Overwatch, Rainbow 6 Siege and Clash Royale. They also have a Dota 2 division that is based in the Philippines and consists of one Australian, two Thais and 2 Indonesians.
Their League of Legends roster is also partnered with French football club Paris Saint-Germain’s esports division and competed under the name PSG Talon.