These Are The Best Fighting Game Plays In Last Weekend’s Combo Breaker Tourney

Last weekend’s Combo Breaker fighting game tournament in the US was filled with so many eye-popping fighting game moments. It’s not even EVO 2018 yet and we’re witnessing many godlike plays left and right.
Here are our top picks and highlights.
Street Fighter V
Despite our main video highlight subjects ending up in second and third place, Xian and Infiltration have shown a lot of mettle and prowess with their respective characters: Ibuki for the former, and Menat/Juri for the latter.
Xian switches sides using a Super Street Fighter II Turbo technique.
https://clips.twitch.tv/embed?autoplay=false&clip=CulturedRichRhinocerosTriHard&tt_content=embed&tt_medium=clips_embed
This is Xian again fighting tooth and nail against Infiltration. Naturally, he won thanks to some insanely tricky mixups that even the Korean FGC god can’t predict.
https://clips.twitch.tv/embed?autoplay=false&clip=EnergeticWildTrollSmoocherZ&tt_content=embed&tt_medium=clips_embed
https://clips.twitch.tv/embed?autoplay=false&clip=UnsightlySpeedyCrowEleGiggle&tt_content=embed&tt_medium=clips_embed
Infiltration was no slouch either. His mastery over Juri and Menat, two esoteric characters in SFV, is peerless in this tournament.
https://clips.twitch.tv/embed?autoplay=false&clip=ElegantSuaveMosquitoDxAbomb&tt_content=embed&tt_medium=clips_embed
https://clips.twitch.tv/embed?autoplay=false&clip=GenerousTenaciousHorseradishTheTarFu&tt_content=embed&tt_medium=clips_embed
https://clips.twitch.tv/embed?autoplay=false&clip=FuriousBashfulEyeballThisIsSparta&tt_content=embed&tt_medium=clips_embed
What would an SFV match be without a long-ass combo during a finals? Thanks for the memories, Infiltration!
https://clips.twitch.tv/embed?autoplay=false&clip=AgileTardyGerbilPRChase&tt_content=embed&tt_medium=clips_embed
Dragon Ball FighterZ
SonicFox finally beats his nemesis Go1. Even during the Winner’s Finals, the foxman popped off like nobody’s business.
https://clips.twitch.tv/embed?autoplay=false&clip=RelievedBlindingSquirrelPogChamp&tt_content=embed&tt_medium=clips_embed
Here’s a lovely clip of a reset from Go1 after withstanding SonicFox’s many barrages.
https://clips.twitch.tv/embed?autoplay=false&clip=AuspiciousTriumphantZucchiniStoneLightning&tt_content=embed&tt_medium=clips_embed
Still, it wasn’t enough as SonicFox clutches towards a one-character victory with Gotenks and a mixup from his Cell. Guess we can add Dragon Ball FighterZ to his list of major wins next to his Mortal Kombat X and Injustice 2 accolades since he won the Combo Breaker tournament.
https://clips.twitch.tv/embed?autoplay=false&clip=SucculentFurryKeyboardKappaRoss&tt_content=embed&tt_medium=clips_embed
https://clips.twitch.tv/embed?autoplay=false&clip=PlacidJoyousHippoStoneLightning&tt_content=embed&tt_medium=clips_embed

Tekken 7
Perhaps the best comeback series in the Tekken World Tour 2018 series, American player Anakin changes his Jack-7 playstyle to deal with CuddleCore’s Alisa, poking him like nobody’s business.
https://clips.twitch.tv/embed?autoplay=false&clip=AmazingModernOrcaTebowing&tt_content=embed&tt_medium=clips_embed
https://clips.twitch.tv/embed?autoplay=false&clip=BlindingRockyDoveSoonerLater&tt_content=embed&tt_medium=clips_embed
https://clips.twitch.tv/embed?autoplay=false&clip=MoralSpunkyGrasshopperTheThing&tt_content=embed&tt_medium=clips_embed
Sometimes, a good button is all you need, as demonstrated by Mr. Whooppee’s Leo when he was fighting Rickstah’s Akuma.
https://clips.twitch.tv/embed?autoplay=false&clip=RoughAgitatedMagpieMingLee&tt_content=embed&tt_medium=clips_embed
Super Street Fighter II Turbo
Not really a gameplay highlight, but still a highlight nonetheless. SSTÂ player “Killer Miller” proposed to the tournamentâ€™s winner “eltrouble”, only to discover that the latter was carrying a ring around for the same purpose. Congratulations!

.@KillrMillerTime & @eltroubleSRK are engaged now.. what a beautiful moment. I love the FGC. :') pic.twitter.com/jY7CMr7esT
— Alex Myers (@AlexMyersFGC) May 27, 2018


Angelina Jolie May Be Joining The Marvel Cinematic Universe Soon

While Angelina Jolie might not be a stranger to comic book movies in general (she starred in 2008’s Wanted), she may soon be dipping her toes into the world of superheroes. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the actress is in talks to star in the upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) movie, The Eternals.
Details are scarce for The Eternals right now, as it was only announced in early 2018. Director ChloÃ© Zhao will be helming the movie, but no casting choices have been officially announced as of yet.
The Eternals were created by the late comic book legend Jack Kirby in 1976. In the comics, a race of space gods called the Celestials arrived on Earth millennia ago and created two offshoots of humanity: the Eternals and the Deviants. Therefore, the Eternals can best be described as what ancient humans would call ‘gods’, or you can just imagine them to be ‘gods’ in the way that Marvel’s Asgardians are ‘gods’.
The upcoming movie will purportedly focus on a love story between two members of The Eternals: Ikaris, a man fueled by cosmic energy, and Sersi, who relishes moving amongst humans.
There could be several possible roles for Angelina Jolie in The Eternals. If I’d have to guess, it could be either Sersi or Thena, both of which are prominent members of The Eternals. Thena is more physical-oriented and warrior-like (imagine Marvel’s own Valkyrie) while Sersi is more subtle and seductive with her powers.
Check out what they look like in the comics below.

				Sersi

				Thena

If you want to get technical (although it hasn’t been confirmed whether by Marvel Studios or in the MCU itself), Thanos is supposed to be a member of the Deviants in the comics, though his parents were part of the Eternals. Perhaps we’ll see more of Thanos’ MCU origins in Avengers Endgame.


The Hideo Kojima and Xbox Deal Has Reached Its Key Milestone

Video game auteur Hideo “Metal Gear” Kojima and Microsoft Xbox have signed a letter of intent. The document states that the two parties will work out the details on a publishing agreement for a new Xbox game from Kojima Productions.
According to sources close to parties (via Venturebeat), this is a key step in negotiations between Kojima Productions, the Metal Gear Solid creator, and Xbox. Lawyers associated with the partnership and deal are in the process of hashing out the minute details.
Both parties have spent months discussing a possible partnership, with this piece of news basically confirming that Kojima will be making an exclusive Xbox game for the platform and for Xbox Game Pass by proxy. For more on Kojima’s recent game, head here.


Here Are The Oscars 2022 Winners

The Oscars 2022 came and went like a slap to a renowned comedian’s face. Literally. What would have been just another pretty uneventful Academy Awards event turned out to be the most shocking one since 2019 (when Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite won Best Picture).
At the time of writing, the aforementioned “shocking” event has already gone viral. While being on stage as one of the hosts, Chris Rock joked about how he can’t wait to see Jada Pinkett Smith in G.I. Jane 2. In case you didn’t know, the joke highlighted Jada’s baldness, which is the result of her suffering from an illness called alopecia.
Will Smith reacted by going up on stage and hitting Chris Rock in the face. After going back to his seat, Smith can heard shouting: “Keep my wife’s name out of your fucking mouth!” twice. You can check out what exactly what happened in the uncensored clip below:

The Full Uncensored video of Will Smith’s altercation with Chris Rock at the #Oscars pic.twitter.com/cGQ3plSEiz
— Movies (@moreoffilms) March 28, 2022

On a more cheerful note, we also received the first-ever live performance of Encanto‘s We Don’t Talk About Bruno:

Check out the list of winners and nominees for each category of the Oscars 2022 below:
Best Picture
BELFAST
Laura Berwick, Kenneth Branagh, Becca Kovacik and Tamar Thomas, Producers
CODA – WINNER!
Philippe Rousselet, Fabrice Gianfermi and Patrick Wachsberger, Producers
DON’T LOOK UP
Adam McKay and Kevin Messick, Producers
DRIVE MY CAR
Teruhisa Yamamoto, Producer
DUNE
Mary Parent, Denis Villeneuve and Cale Boyter, Producers
KING RICHARD
Tim White, Trevor White and Will Smith, Producers
LICORICE PIZZA
Sara Murphy, Adam Somner and Paul Thomas Anderson, Producers
NIGHTMARE ALLEY
Guillermo del Toro, J. Miles Dale and Bradley Cooper, Producers
THE POWER OF THE DOG
Jane Campion, Tanya Seghatchian, Emile Sherman, Iain Canning and Roger Frappier, Producers
WEST SIDE STORY
Steven Spielberg and Kristie Macosko Krieger, Producers
Actor in a Leading Role
Javier Bardem in BEING THE RICARDOS
Benedict Cumberbatch in THE POWER OF THE DOG
Andrew Garfield in TICK, TICK…BOOM!
Will Smith in KING RICHARD – WINNER!
Denzel Washington in THE TRAGEDY OF MACBETH
Actor in a Supporting Role
Ciarán Hinds in BELFAST
Troy Kotsur in CODA – WINNER!
Jesse Plemons in THE POWER OF THE DOG
J.K. Simmons in BEING THE RICARDOS
Kodi Smit-McPhee in THE POWER OF THE DOG
Actress in a Leading Role
Jessica Chastain in THE EYES OF TAMMY FAYE – WINNER!
Olivia Colman in THE LOST DAUGHTER
Penélope Cruz in PARALLEL MOTHERS
Nicole Kidman in BEING THE RICARDOS
Kristen Stewart in SPENCER
Actress in a Supporting Role
Jessie Buckley in THE LOST DAUGHTER
Ariana DeBose in WEST SIDE STORY – WINNER!
Judi Dench in BELFAST
Kirsten Dunst in THE POWER OF THE DOG
Aunjanue Ellis in KING RICHARD
Animated Feature Film
ENCANTO – WINNER!
Jared Bush, Byron Howard, Yvett Merino and Clark Spencer
FLEE
Jonas Poher Rasmussen, Monica Hellström, Signe Byrge Sørensen and Charlotte De La Gournerie
LUCA
Enrico Casarosa and Andrea Warren
THE MITCHELLS VS. THE MACHINES
Mike Rianda, Phil Lord, Christopher Miller and Kurt Albrecht
RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON
Don Hall, Carlos López Estrada, Osnat Shurer and Peter Del Vecho
Cinematography
DUNE – WINNER!
Greig Fraser
NIGHTMARE ALLEY
Dan Laustsen
THE POWER OF THE DOG
Ari Wegner
THE TRAGEDY OF MACBETH
Bruno Delbonnel
WEST SIDE STORY
Janusz Kaminski
Costume Design
CRUELLA – WINNER!
Jenny Beavan
CYRANO
Massimo Cantini Parrini and Jacqueline Durran
DUNE
Jacqueline West and Robert Morgan
NIGHTMARE ALLEY
Luis Sequeira
WEST SIDE STORY
Paul Tazewell
Directing
BELFAST
Kenneth Branagh
DRIVE MY CAR
Ryusuke Hamaguchi
LICORICE PIZZA
Paul Thomas Anderson
THE POWER OF THE DOG – WINNER!
Jane Campion
WEST SIDE STORY
Steven Spielberg
Documentary (Feature)
ASCENSION
Jessica Kingdon, Kira Simon-Kennedy and Nathan Truesdell
ATTICA
Stanley Nelson and Traci A. Curry
FLEE
Jonas Poher Rasmussen, Monica Hellström, Signe Byrge Sørensen and Charlotte De La Gournerie
SUMMER OF SOUL (…OR, WHEN THE REVOLUTION COULD NOT BE TELEVISED) – WINNER!
Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, Joseph Patel, Robert Fyvolent and David Dinerstein
WRITING WITH FIRE
Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh
Documentary (Short Subject)
AUDIBLE
Matt Ogens and Geoff McLean
LEAD ME HOME
Pedro Kos and Jon Shenk
THE QUEEN OF BASKETBALL – WINNER!
Ben Proudfoot
THREE SONGS FOR BENAZIR
Elizabeth Mirzaei and Gulistan Mirzaei
WHEN WE WERE BULLIES
Jay Rosenblatt
Film Editing
DON’T LOOK UP
Hank Corwin
DUNE – WINNER!
Joe Walker
KING RICHARD
Pamela Martin
THE POWER OF THE DOG
Peter Sciberras
TICK, TICK…BOOM!
Myron Kerstein and Andrew Weisblum
International Feature Film
DRIVE MY CAR – WINNER!
Japan
FLEE
Denmark
THE HAND OF GOD
Italy
LUNANA: A YAK IN THE CLASSROOM
Bhutan
THE WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD
Norway
Makeup and Hairstyling
COMING 2 AMERICA
Mike Marino, Stacey Morris and Carla Farmer
CRUELLA
Nadia Stacey, Naomi Donne and Julia Vernon
DUNE
Donald Mowat, Love Larson and Eva von Bahr
THE EYES OF TAMMY FAYE – WINNER!
Linda Dowds, Stephanie Ingram and Justin Raleigh
HOUSE OF GUCCI
Göran Lundström, Anna Carin Lock and Frederic Aspiras
Music (Original Score)
DON’T LOOK UP
Nicholas Britell
DUNE – WINNER!
Hans Zimmer
ENCANTO
Germaine Franco
PARALLEL MOTHERS
Alberto Iglesias
THE POWER OF THE DOG
Jonny Greenwood
Music (Original Song)
“Be Alive” from KING RICHARD
Music and Lyric by DIXSON and Beyoncé Knowles-Carter
“Dos Oruguitas” from ENCANTO
Music and Lyric by Lin-Manuel Miranda
“Down To Joy” from BELFAST
Music and Lyric by Van Morrison
“No Time To Die” from NO TIME TO DIE – WINNER!
Music and Lyric by Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell
“Somehow You Do” from FOUR GOOD DAYS
Music and Lyric by Diane Warren
Production Design
DUNE – WINNER!
Production Design: Patrice Vermette; Set Decoration: Zsuzsanna Sipos
NIGHTMARE ALLEY
Production Design: Tamara Deverell; Set Decoration: Shane Vieau
THE POWER OF THE DOG
Production Design: Grant Major; Set Decoration: Amber Richards
THE TRAGEDY OF MACBETH
Production Design: Stefan Dechant; Set Decoration: Nancy Haigh
WEST SIDE STORY
Production Design: Adam Stockhausen; Set Decoration: Rena DeAngelo
Short Film (Animated)
AFFAIRS OF THE ART
Joanna Quinn and Les Mills
BESTIA
Hugo Covarrubias and Tevo Díaz
BOXBALLET
Anton Dyakov
ROBIN ROBIN
Dan Ojari and Mikey Please
THE WINDSHIELD WIPER – WINNER!
Alberto Mielgo and Leo Sanchez
Short Film (Live Action)
ALA KACHUU – TAKE AND RUN
Maria Brendle and Nadine Lüchinger
THE DRESS
Tadeusz ?ysiak and Maciej ?lesicki
THE LONG GOODBYE – WINNER!
Aneil Karia and Riz Ahmed
ON MY MIND
Martin Strange-Hansen and Kim Magnusson
PLEASE HOLD
K.D. Dávila and Levin Menekse
Sound
BELFAST
Denise Yarde, Simon Chase, James Mather and Niv Adiri
DUNE – WINNER!
Mac Ruth, Mark Mangini, Theo Green, Doug Hemphill and Ron Bartlett
NO TIME TO DIE
Simon Hayes, Oliver Tarney, James Harrison, Paul Massey and Mark Taylor
THE POWER OF THE DOG
Richard Flynn, Robert Mackenzie and Tara Webb
WEST SIDE STORY
Tod A. Maitland, Gary Rydstrom, Brian Chumney, Andy Nelson and Shawn Murphy
Visual Effects
DUNE – WINNER!
Paul Lambert, Tristan Myles, Brian Connor and Gerd Nefzer
FREE GUY
Swen Gillberg, Bryan Grill, Nikos Kalaitzidis and Dan Sudick
NO TIME TO DIE
Charlie Noble, Joel Green, Jonathan Fawkner and Chris Corbould
SHANG-CHI AND THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS
Christopher Townsend, Joe Farrell, Sean Noel Walker and Dan Oliver
SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME
Kelly Port, Chris Waegner, Scott Edelstein and Dan Sudick
Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
CODA – WINNER!
Screenplay by Siân Heder
DRIVE MY CAR
Screenplay by Ryusuke Hamaguchi, Takamasa Oe
DUNE
Screenplay by Jon Spaihts and Denis Villeneuve and Eric Roth
THE LOST DAUGHTER
Written by Maggie Gyllenhaal
THE POWER OF THE DOG
Written by Jane Campion
Writing (Original Screenplay)
BELFAST – WINNER!
Written by Kenneth Branagh
DON’T LOOK UP
Screenplay by Adam McKay; Story by Adam McKay & David Sirota
KING RICHARD
Written by Zach Baylin
LICORICE PIZZA
Written by Paul Thomas Anderson
THE WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD
Written by Eskil Vogt, Joachim Trier


BlizzCon: Blizzard Releases New Overwatch Animated Short

Blizzard showed off the newest Overwatch animated short film last night focusing on a young Reinhardt and how he lost his left eye. It also touches on present-day Reinhardt as he answers Winston’s call to Overwatch. Check it out:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQfk5HykiEk&w=560&h=315]
We also finally get see how his old friend, Balderich von Adler loses his life in Eichenwalde, and how it shaped our favorite crusader to be the person he is today. The animated short is the newest one released in almost three months following the last reveal of Mei’s animated short prior.


How The Heck Did The Redo Of Healer Anime Get Public Broadcasting Rights Is Beyond Me

Stop us if you heard this one: a tortured male character seeks revenge against his oppressors by enacting humiliating torture onto them with his newfound power in the show’s first few minutes. Said oppressors consist of an all-female ensemble who committed heinous acts onto the male in the past. When he approaches one of them, he basically dishes out the same level of cruelty onto them, to the point where he gets his sadistic jollies.
Sounds like your typical 18-and-above revenge hentai flick/series, right? Well, that’s the modus operandi of the public consumption anime series Redo of Healer, an anime adaptation of a pretty twisted isekai/dark fantasy light novel series. I’ve seen two episodes, and they come in both regular and “uncensored” flavour. More on that later. Also, some light spoilers, so…

The aforementioned male character is Keyaru, a talented healer who ended up being exploited by other party members and so-called allies for his healing power. One day, he realizes that his healing power in this universe is top tier; the healer class is the strongest there is. While he ended up realizing this too late in his life, he pulled off the equivalent of a Superman deus ex; he used his healing magic onto the world to go back four years, to redo everything. Hence the title.
The isekai reset-the-world plot device comes into play here, but this is basically the setup for the show’s revenge porn plot. He finds his former allies and torturers, kills off the male ones, and then victimizes and plays with the main females on the show’s production art posters.

You’re just tuning in to see how he uses healing magic using malicious intent, be it disguising himself or using cursed healing to make someone a temporary paraplegic.

In the early episodes alone, Keyaru succeeds in infiltrating Princess Flare’s castle, kills off her loyal guard through healing magic chicanery (face regeneration equals masks), and has his way with her. But not without demeaning her into calling herself a sow and forcing her to masturbate in front of Keyaru. After he threatens to forcibly shove a hot poker in her special place. She does attempt to run away, but Keyaru used that cursed healing to make her legs limp.
Oh, and he also breaks her fingers one by one to start off his revenge. And then regenerates them again so that he can break them once more to make her writhe in pain and agony. Yeah, it’s pretty graphic & horrifying, but it’s animated pretty well. Kadokawa is backing this series, so there’s some nice animation in the OP and some of the action and healing scenes.
Curing What Ails You?

The show also stretches the definition of fantasy game healing in a creative fashion: not only can healing magic regenerate limbs, but its user can inherit the good (and bad) memories of the healed. When the show starts -ignore the spreadeagled Princess Flare if you can- Keyara seems to gain superhuman reflexes and resistance; a byproduct of him healing a sh**ton of people. He even used it to dispel the undead, something smart Final Fantasy players do with their curatives and resurrection spells when fighting ghosts. It’ll be interesting to see how things go for Keyara and how he stretches the definition of the “Curaga” spell.
However, we’ll also see Keyara perform many, MANY acts of depravity towards the women and folks who wronged him in the past. The future issues of the light novel has our “hero” setting one of his oppressors up to be gang-raped by zombified soldiers, along with other sick things you expect from a hardcore hentai plot.

Yes, the bad guys do deserve bad things to happen to them because this is a revenge show in the most extreme. However, it’s not an all-ages show with pretty depraved themes. Which is why the show comes in regular and uncensored flavours.

The regular version craftily cuts away from offending scenes, while the latter version shows almost everything in its glory, nipples on giant bitch princess tits and all. This also includes a bit where Keyaru uses healing magic to regenerate his boner, and then uses it to slap Princess Flare’s face while she’s down. I think the censored version is worst because the stuff you imagine off-screen can end up being more harrowing and graphic in your head. But that’s just me.
What’s important is that if the stuff in Goblin Slayer is too tame for you, give Redo of Healer a go. Be warned: it’s pretty trashy and you’re not going to find anything to like about Keyaru apart from the fact that he’s getting away with every revenge fantasy thought up by embittered incels.


Sekiro Might Be the Game That Finally Makes Me a Soulsbourne Fan

During E3 2018, I remember being excited for the reveal of what looked like a new Onimusha game. It wasn’t until the end of the trailer that I saw the developer’s name and game title that my hopes deflated.
From Software‘s Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.
I have never played any Dark Souls title or even Bloodborne for that matter. You can call me a casual, noob, or whatever you like, but I was just never interested in those games. Until I tried Sekiro, that is.
Fresh off completing the Kingdom Hearts 3 demo, I entered the Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice booth. There I was, probably one of the few gamers who has never played Dark Souls. I picked up the controller, bracing myself for what the game would throw at me.
And I died. Repeatedly. Many times.
The Versatile Grappling Hook

Let’s rewind a bit. The Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice demo began by dropping me in a massive castle compound. The developer definitely chose a perfect level for the game’s demo, as the huge open areas gave me the freedom to try out the much-hyped grappling hook feature as much as I liked.
Zipping from rooftop to treetop and vice versa felt exhilarating. Not only is the grappling hook useful as a means of easily traversing the environment, but I also used it to my advantage in the demo’s final boss fight against an enemy named the Corrupted Monk (which was definitely the highlight of the demo). However, I still had scores of normal enemies to cut through before I even reached this boss.
Satisfying Combat With No Stamina Meter

I got the hang of Sekiro‘s gameplay relatively fast in the time I was given to play the game. Given the choice of parrying or dodging, I would always choose the latter and that was the strategy I went with. Unlike recent action games, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice doesn’t feature a stamina bar. Instead, both the player and enemies in the game are given a posture bar.
During combat, enemies will either parry or shield themselves from your attack. In order to break their guard or ability to parry, players need to repeatedly strike enemies to fill up the posture bar. When the posture bar is full, the enemy’s shield or guard will break, rendering them vulnerable to a devastating finishing move (which will either kill them outright or take away a huge chunk of their health bar).
Filling up the posture bar and delivering the finishing move felt satisfying, especially against bosses or larger enemies. These finishing moves are also positively bloody and violent as well, as they usually end with blood gushing from the enemy’s wound like we’re in a Tarantino movie.
The few enemies I faced in the Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice demo were mostly different variants of Samurai-type enemies. Some were equipped with katanas, while others had spears, rifles, bows, and even shields. Most of these enemies went down with a few hits, their posture meter filling up almost instantly. However, I did face a Samurai General that felt more like a mini-boss.
In terms of weapons, players have access to more than just their trusty katana. The player’s left-hand does more than just shoot grappling hooks, as it also boasts a variety of additional prosthetics. These include shuriken throwing, a heavy axe attack, and a blast of fire not unlike Geralt’s Igni sign from The Witcher 3.
I experimented with these prosthetics but they had limited uses. Using any of these prosthetics will use up white spirit emblems, which fortunately are often dropped by defeated enemies.
Imagine my surprise when my katana caught on flames and inflicted more damage when I attacked with my katana immediately after unleashing that prosthetic fire attack. I’m sure the other prosthetics have their own unique combos and follow-up attacks too but I ran out of white spirit emblems to test them.
Exhilarating Boss Fight

The main highlight of the Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice demo was the boss fight with the Corrupted Monk. However, had I not managed to defeat him, I might be thinking differently now. It took me many frustrating tries, and I genuinely lost count of the times I had to experience the death screen.
By the time I finally memorized the boss’ attack patterns and movements, I was already running empty on prosthetics and item debuffs. I had to fight this boss with only my katana, my wits, and my reflexes.
The Corrupted Monk had three health bars, not to mention a long-ass posture bar. I had to resort to carefully dodging his attacks and sneaking a few hits to fill up that posture bar in order to deliver the finishing move. Every finishing move I did against her only removed one health bar, so I had to grit my teeth and try not to make mistakes.
Unfortunately, every once in a while the Corrupted Monk will initiate a phase where she becomes invincible by summoning a fog and illusions that attack me. Just like Marvel’s Spider-Man, the key to surviving this was to keep moving and not stay in one place. In Sekiro, that means flitting from one branch to another while evading attacks from smoke illusions in a fog.
By the time I defeated the Corrupted Monk, it was 4pm and I found myself alone in the Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice booth. Every other games journalist and media person had gone home, and I might have been one of the few (or the only one) to complete the demo that day. I was glad that I persevered and improved my skills in the span of only a few hours.

I realized then, that this feeling of utter satisfaction and relief -plus the adrenaline- was probably what Dark Souls and Bloodborne players feel too when they overcome the game’s punishing gameplay.
Before this, I would have said that the odds of me playing Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice would be slim to none. After experiencing the demo numerous times, I’m sold. Not only will I buy the game when it releases, but I might even get into the Soulsborne games.
Maybe.
Sekiro Shadows Die Twice is slated to release for PS4, Xbox One and PC on March 22, 2019. In the meantime, check out gameplay footage of the very same demo I experienced below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndZv4mix9qg&w=560&h=315]


Malaysian Studio Reveals New Rhythm Game Star Symphony

Isekai Studio, a Malaysia-based gaming firm, is pleased to reveal “Star Symphony”, its highly anticipated competitive rhythm game with integrated blockchain technology. At the “New Frontier of Rhythm Games” event, held today at DADI Cinema – Pavilion KL, the studio presented its latest progress on their game which brought together industry leaders, notable influencers and gaming enthusiasts for on-site demos, previews, and a speaker panel.
Star Symphony is an innovative rhythm game that offers unique features such as powerful spell systems and strategic gameplay to give players a competitive edge. A key highlight of the game is its blockchain-based gaming ecosystem, which enables players to have complete ownership and control over their assets, participate in peer-to-peer trading, collect rare digital assets within the game, and earn digital tokens to enhance their progress in the game.
With its diverse range of campaigns, music, and modes, Star Symphony caters to different gaming preferences and interests, appealing to not only casual and competitive gamers but also anime and music enthusiasts worldwide.

Shas Fung, CEO and Co-Founder of Star Symphony, said:
“Our team is thrilled to introduce Star Symphony to the world. With its innovative game design, powerful mechanics, captivating in-game story and blockchain-friendly features, we believe it will revolutionize the rhythm game genre. The game opens up new possibilities for players to experience an elevated level of immersion and interactivity, and we are excited to see the public’s response to the game upon launch.”
Stephanie Wong, COO and Co-Founder of Star Symphony, added:
“Star Symphony as a blockchain integrated rhythm game sprouts potential for greater transparency and fairness to our gamers. Our decentralized marketplaces empowers gamers to take control of their virtual assets and even monetize them. This can create a new economy around gaming, one that’s more accessible and inclusive than ever before.”
Star Symphony will look to support a content creator economy that is set to empower indie musicians of all genres. With its collaborative “Discovery Platform” for innovation and community building, Star Symphony is poised to disrupt the gaming industry by providing a unique creator platform that celebrates creativity, talent and hidden gems within our indie music creators community.
In addition to the game’s launch, Star Symphony plans to expand Symphonia with new story tracks, including “Constellation Wars” and a Winter festival theme for the Christmas season. These additions will provide players with fresh and engaging content as they explore the vibrant and dynamic world of Symphonia.
Prior to today’s event, Star Symphony had successfully sold out its presale Elder Pass NFTs, which were oversubscribed by 56%. The presale saw participation by industry thought leaders such as Keungz, Rumjahn, and PGodjiraz (Shan).
The studio is fortunate to count industry experts Kai Huang, Co-Founder of Guitar Hero, John Yao, CEO of Team Secret, Rachid Belrhiti, Head of Marketing at Sandbox and Harpreet Singh Maan, CEO & Co-Founder of Blocklime amongst its trusted advisors, as it looks to launch Star Symphony in the next half of 2023.


Disney Surpasses US$10 Billion In Movie Box Offices Thanks to Remakes

We’re always joking about how all forms of entertainment will eventually be owned by Disney in the future. Well, it looks like that future isn’t too far off. The studio has just broken another record this year.

According to Variety, Disney has earned more than US$10 billion at the worldwide box office. Not only is it the first studio to hit those numbers in box office history, all of that money was made within a year. The record was previously set by Disney themselves in 2016 where they earned a total of US$7.6 billion.
Mind you, we’ve still got Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker to look forward to. Back in March, Disney also acquired 21st Century Fox and the above US$10 billion figure doesn’t include earnings from movies such Ford v. Ferrari and X-Men: Dark Phoenix.Â  It’s estimated that the amount would go up to almost US$12 billion with those films accounted for.
Aside from obvious money-makers such as Avengers: Endgame and Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Disney’s remakes were also major contributors to those numbers. The Lion King grossed US$1.6 billion while Aladdin made US$1.05 billion. These are films that literally do nothing more than take an original idea that worked and put on a fresh coat of high definition CGI on them.
With The Rise of Skywalker expected to be another big release rivaling that of Endgame, it’s scary to imagine how utterly succesful Disney is this year. I want to say that I’m hoping for Disney to dish out more original movies instead of remakes next year but since the formula is successful, I doubt they’ll change it.


The Witcher 3 Next-Gen Update: The Full Patch Notes

The Witcher 3 will be getting a next-gen patch later this week on 14th December for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series. It’s free and it’s a great reason to go back to the titular Wild Hunt.
To sum it up, the update brings in ray-traced global illumination and ambient occlusion, some fan-favourite mods built-in, and a host of improvements. Here’s the full patch list:
The Witcher 3 Next-Gen Update Patch Notes
PC AND NEXT-GEN EXCLUSIVES

Added ray-traced global illumination and ambient occlusion.
Additionally, PC players with compatible hardware have an additional option to turn on ray-traced reflections and shadows.
Added various mods and mod-inspired content to the game to improve visuals and overall game quality. We’ve included some community-made favourites in addition to our own modifications in areas such as environment and cutscene improvements, realistic pavements, and many decoration upgrades.
Community-made and community-inspired mods include:

The Witcher 3 HD Reworked Project by HalkHogan
HD Monsters Reworked by Denroth
Immersive Real-time Cutscenes by teiji25
Nitpicker’s Patch by chuckcash
World Map Fixes by Terg500

Upscaled texture to 4K for various characters, including Geralt, Yennefer, Triss, Ciri, Eredin and more.
All main characters, including Geralt, now cast high-resolution self-shadowing even outside cutscenes. Additionally, hair clipping through armour as well as some other armour-clipping issues have been fixed.
Environmental improvements:

Added a new weather type – “Gray Sky”
Updated sky textures
Vegetation and water improvements
Various mesh improvements
Improved some select VFX
Updated global environmental lighting

Added AMD FidelityFX™ Super Resolution (FSR) 2.1
Added photo mode, allowing players to take stunning pictures within the world of The Witcher 3.
Added the option to pause the game during cutscenes.
Added an alternative camera option that’s closer to the player’s character and that reacts more dynamically to combat and movement. You can find this new setting in Options ? Gameplay under Exploration, Combat, and Horseback Camera Distance.

PC-SPECIFIC

Added “ULTRA+” graphical settings on PC, which significantly increases the visual fidelity of the game. The graphical settings available on ULTRA+ effect:

Number of background characters
Shadow quality
Grass density
Texture quality
Foliage visibility range
Terrain quality
Water quality
Detail level

Added DLSS 3 support. Available only on compatible hardware.

NEXT-GEN CONSOLE-SPECIFIC

Improved the overall quality of graphics on next-gen consoles. Including enhanced textures, improved fidelity, shadow quality, greater draw distances and crowd density.
Ray Tracing Mode — provides ray-traced global illumination and ambient occlusion with dynamic resolution scaling targeting 30 FPS for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X.
Performance Mode — ensures smoother gameplay targeting 60 FPS with dynamic resolution scaling for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X.
The Xbox Series S version has no ray-tracing features. Quality Mode provides increased resolution and better image fidelity targeting 30 FPS, whereas Performance Mode targets 60 FPS and prioritizes smoother gameplay over visual quality.
Implemented the use of adaptive triggers and haptic feedback on PS5 DualSense controllers.
Added Activity Cards for PS5.

ONLINE FEATURES

Added a cross-progression feature between platforms. Your latest saves will be automatically uploaded to the cloud so you can easily pick up where you left off on other platforms. Cross-progression provides the latest save for every save type. This feature becomes available after you log into your account.
By signing up for MY REWARDS in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, players can receive:

Swords of the Nine-Tailed Vixen
White Tiger of the West Armor
Dol Blathanna Armor Set
Roach Card

Detailed information on how to redeem the rewards will be available from Dec 14th, 1 AM CET at thewitcher.com/my-rewards.

ADDITIONAL CONTENT

Added a new side quest, In The Eternal Fire’s Shadow, in Velen. Rewards are inspired by Netflix’s The Witcher series.
Added an alternative appearance for Dandelion inspired by Netflix‘s The Witcher series. You can enable it in Options ? Gameplay.
Added an alternative Nilfgaardian Armor set inspired by Netflix’s The Witcher series. You can enable it in Options ? Gameplay.
Added Chinese and Korean voice-over. Availability on consoles varies by region.
Various improvements and changes to Russian voice-over, including fixes for accelerated/slowed lines in the vast majority of scenes.

QUALITY OF LIFE CHANGES

Added a Quick Sign Casting option. It allows signs to be switched and cast without opening the radial menu. You can find it in Options ? Gameplay.
Added a new default map filter. The new filter hides some icons such as “?” and boat icons in order to reduce icon clutter on the map. These icons can be turned back on with the “All” map mode toggle.
Adjusted the minimum height for fall damage, allowing the player to survive falls from higher heights.
Herbs can now be instantly looted with a single interaction – without the additional loot window.
Added options that dynamically hide the minimap and quest objectives when not in combat or using Witcher senses. You can find it in Options ? Video ? HUD Configuration ? Hide minimap during Exploration and Hide objectives during Exploration.
Added the option to slow walk when playing with a controller. You can now slow walk by lightly pushing the left stick forward.
Added an alternative sprint mode option when playing with a controller. It’s activated by tapping the left stick. You can find it in Options ? Control Settings.
Added an option to make target-lock unaffected by camera inversion. You can find it in Options ? Control Settings.
Improved the radial menu so bombs, bolts and pocket items can now be switched dynamically without opening the inventory.
Added the option to scale the font size for subtitles, NPC chatter and dialogue choices. You can find it in Options ? Video ? HUD Configuration.
Added various other small fixes, tweaks, and quality-of-life changes, including a few secrets to be discovered by players.

GAMEPLAY

Added the mod Full Combat Rebalance 3 by Flash_in_the_flesh which includes balance changes and various fixes to gameplay. We took a curated approach to this mod, with some elements further tweaked from what you’ll find in the mod by default, while other elements were omitted.
Scavenger Hunt: Wolf School Gear – Fixed an issue where the chest at the Signal Tower couldn’t be opened.
From Ofier’s Distant Shores – Fixed an issue where the diagram in the chest at the bandit’s hideout could be missing.
Hard Times – Fixed an issue where Geralt couldn’t talk or give the letter to the blacksmith.
Swift as the Western Winds – Fixed an issue where the quest could sometimes fail despite winning the horse race.
Echoes of the Past – Fixed an issue where, after defeating the Foglets, the quest could get stuck and it wouldn’t be possible to talk to Yennefer.
Wine Wars – Fixed an issue where the quest couldn’t be completed if the player destroyed one of the required monster nests during exploration.
Fixed an issue where clearing the Ruined Inn Abandoned Site situated on the southern shore of Ard Skellig was not possible in certain scenarios.
Fixed an issue where the Grandmaster Wolven Set wouldn’t require Mastercrafted items.
Various small fixes to quests and cutscenes.


The Mandalorian Season 3 Has Already Begun Pre-Production

The Mandalorian Season 2 isn’t out yet (it’s due in October 2020), but it seems that a third season is already in the works.
As reported by Variety, pre-production for the third season is already underway. It seems that creator Jon Favreau has been “writing season 3 for a while”, while the art department started working on Season 3 concepts a few weeks ago. Meanwhile, production design started just a few days ago on 20 April.

One source told Variety that they’re “looking into further adventures for The Mandalorian in Season 3″, while another said that the production design department needs â€œsuch a huge lead timeâ€, hence why â€œthe gears have started grinding really early on”.

It’s clearly still too early to know what Season 3 will be about, and we don’t even know much about Season 2 yet, although it seems that it’ll feature a Gamorrean. Disney Plus isn’t even available in Southeast Asia yet, but if you don’t mind using a VPN and stuff, check out our review of The Mandalorian’s first season to see if it’s up your alley.


How Insomniac’s Spider-Man Do Justice to Comic Superhero Video Games

As I watched Spider-Man swing from the Empire State building to The Avengers tower near Park Avenue during the closed preview session of Insomniac’s Spider-Man in Kuala Lumpur a few weeks back – it hit me. This game may be the video game equivalent to what Robert Downey Jr’s depiction of Tony Stark in 2008’s Iron Man was for Marvel’s Cinematic Universe.
It’s like square one to a much larger universe and like how ol’ Shell Head was spearheading it on the silver screen, we have the wall crawler laying down the foundations for Marvel’s footprint in the video games world.
One Big Leap
When asked if this is a sign of a larger, linked video game universe, Insomniac Games’ Community Director, James Stevenson replied “It’s all for Marvel Games to say since it is their IP. But what I would say is that we are just focused on this game and obviously it is set in a larger Marvel universe. We’d like people to realize that. They (the Avengers) exist in our world hence the (Avengers) tower; and we are living in a ‘Marvel New York’.”

Reiterating that their focus is solely on this game, and nothing beyond that, Stevenson added “The MCU started with just Iron Man – it wasn’t a Marvel Cinematic Universe back then- they just focused on making a good movie.”

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4zm30yeHHE&w=560&h=315]
In the most impressive depiction and recreation of the Big Apple to date, Marvel’s Spider-Man by Insomniac not only fleshed out the Spider-Man current-gen home consoles deserve, but also a brand new take on the character we’ve always known throughout the years.
This isn’t an origin story. In this game, Peter Parker is a 23-year old adult with about eight years of web-slinging experience under his belt. He’s no bumbling teen in spandex, but an experienced crime fighter who have formed a complex relationship with the city and its inhabitants which he protects. As confirmed by Stevenson, Spider-Man in their game lives separately from the movies, comics or any other iteration produced prior.
A Yuuuuge, Big Apple
When talking about an open-world game, the scale is important. Commenting on how close is the map size compared to real-life New York, Stevenson said “It’s not a 1:1 scale to the real thing, but it’s pretty close.”

“It’s the largest map we’ve created, several times bigger than Sunset Overdrive,” Stevenson added.Â “It wasn’t necessarily being 1:1 for us, but more of getting the feeling right. So as you swing, the neighborhood changes and feels like it should.”

[wpvideo hkV1REpB]
Elaborating more on the New York City and its inhabitants, Stevenson commented “The buildings are in the right place, the city is populated, there’s traffic and it feels like a bustling New York.”
As you swing around the city, you can hear passersby holler and comment on you which adds a bit more life to the surroundings. Our only gripe was that we anticipated more surprised reactions when we land unexpectedly into the middle of a crowd – but then again, we were playing a preview build hence we expect this minor bit to be fixed once the game hits retail.
THWIPPPPPPPPP!
Parkour, fluid wall-to-wall acrobatics and swinging are the core movement mechanics in the game and Stevenson let in on a dirty secret to make it much more fun. “We did cheat a bit in terms of scale, as the buildings in the game are taller than they actually are (in real life) to make the swinging much more fun.”
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Sn5x1aLrUY&w=560&h=315]
But that does not mean they skimped on the detail.

“We took a lot of time with the fire escapes,” Stevenson enthused. “People wanted fire escapes because if you don’t have them, it isn’t New York anymore. So you can play around the fire escapes – there are a lot of custom animations like if you try to run up one. We’ve put a lot of work on that. It’s crazy but that’s the sort of stuff we were doing to make it feel accurate.”

While Insomniac did include some assistance for the players when it comes to web-slinging from one block to another, the game accords the players satisfying controls and prompts allowing them to either jump of any obstacle, web-catapult or even wall-run creating an almost seamless transition between animations which translates into that rewarding feeling of being the most acrobatic four-limbed living being to ever set foot on Earth.
Tracing the Web Back to Marvel
“Very early on, during the first few months of the game we worked closely with Dan Slott (The Amazing Spider-Man, The Superior Spider-Man, Iron Man, Silver Surfer) in conceptualizing the story and some of the initial ideas.
Most of the project, our writers worked with Christos Gage (House of M: Avengers, Spider-Man/ Fantastic Four, Superior Spider-Man) who coincidentally is working on the upcoming Spider-Geddon (with Dan Slott) series which will see OUR Spider-Man from OUR Spider-universe join other Spider-Men for one giant crossover.

Combat
You just cannot make a superhero video game without putting extra care on its combat mechanics. In Spider-Man, Insomniac was very well aware of what separates and is expected of a Spider-Man game compared to other superhero titles.
Take Rocksteady’s Arkham series for example. Batman has always been a bruiser who focused on power to implement quick, efficient and brutal takedowns. Spider-Man on the other hand is more on the acrobatic, improvise-as-you-go kind of style.
If we are to compare them to cinematic martial artists of opposite styles, it would be Batman’s Bruce Lee to Spider-Man’s Jackie Chan. The former knocks you out cold before you hit the floor while the latter uses everything in sight to embarrass you before he too, deal that knockout blow.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xew1WivOfC4&w=560&h=315]
Insomniac allow players to experiment and create their own favored fighting style based on their preference. I tend to silence the gun-totting goons first with quick web shoots before pulling off a combo to take everyone out in one chain move.
You may prefer utilizing everything in sight like manhole covers and letter boxes to deal some serious damage instead. The choice is yours and with the deep skill tree available to unlock even cooler power moves later on, you’d be hunting for thugs around the city in no time just so you could pull off that perfect chain combo finish.
Against the bosses, Insomniac ramped everything up to 11 which forces players to be more aware of their surroundings while at the same time formulate the best way to handle the opponent on the fly.

Without giving too much away, Wilson ‘Kingpin’ Fisk is the first boss battle in the game and in that fight, players can try a multitude of ways to take down the behemoth of a man. I’ve seen other players opting to throw back whatever was flung their way while me on the other hand, focused more on executing chain hits after webbing Fisk.

I do hope there’s an option to revisit these boss fights once you’ve unlocked new moves in the skill tree though. Imagine the replayability.
Sign Webbed, Delivered…
Our biggest takeaway from the two hours spent on the game as along with Insomniac’s representative was that it only jacked up our enthusiasm for the game’s release much more. Everything points towards the right direction and dare we say it – this is the Spider-Man game every PlayStation 4 owners deserve.

Exclusive to the PlayStation 4, Insomniac’s Spider-Man hits stores September 7th 2018. Sony Interactive Entertainment recently released a special, red PlayStation 4 Pro Edition tied to the game and you can read more about that here. We also reported on the available versions of the game at launch, and what each edition entail.


The Idolmaster Is Making A Comeback

The Idolmaster series has been in the hearts of many fans since 2005, at least in Asia. Its last major release on consoles was The Idolmaster Platinum Stars, which came out in 2016 for the PS4.
After a couple of years, we’re getting another one of these, which is sure to sell gangbusters.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRNvwVPDy-4&w=560&h=315]
Bandai Namco recentlyÂ  unveiled The Idolmaster: Starlit Season for the PS4 and PC (via Steam). Unfortunately, there’s no news of a worldwide release yet, but it’s confirmed that it will come out in Japan later this year (via Gematsu).
Similar to other games in The Idolmaster series, you play the role of a producer working at a talent agency. Your job is to recruit young women who aspire to become idols and train them to peak stardom and success while also making some much-needed cash along the way.

In this particular iteration, you’ll play as a producer working for 765 production and your CEO is none other than the series’ own faceless overseer Junjirou Takagi. This time, he wants you to assemble a brand new special idol unit comprising of members from different agencies. The new unit will be called Project Luminous.
Fans of The Idolmaster series will rejoice to hear that the girls from four major Idolmaster titles will be appearing in Starlit Season. You’ll be able to work with the talented young ladies who appeared in from the original The Idolmaster, Cinderella Girls, Million Live!, and Shiny Colors.

As shown in the screenshots in this article, the game is running on the Unreal Engine 4. There’s no doubt that this will definitely be the best-looking Idolmaster game so far. Let’s hope it gets an English release.
More idols and info on the game will be revealed in April 2020. For now, you can check out a bio of all the girls announced so far at the game’s official website. Or just enjoy this one notable Idolmaster music video that paved the way for mash-up artists to create works of art like these.Â


Red Dead Redemption 2’s Realism Is a Double-Edged Sword

Platform: PS4, Xbox One
Genre: Western, Open-World, Action-Adventure
I’ll flat-out say it: Red Redemption 2 is not perfect. It does not deserve a 10 out of 10.
There, I said it.
Everyone else is praising Rockstar Games‘ latest effort like it’s the greatest game of this generation. I scoff at that notion. Does RDR2 fulfil the lofty expectations of gamers who have been waiting for this supposed Western magnum opus?
Yes and no. Red Dead Redemption 2‘s realism is ultimately a double-edged sword. It is also filled with bugs and glitches that break the immersion, which is pretty ironic for a game striving so hard for realism.
Welcome to the Wild West
Ignoring Open-World Trends
First, let’s see how much open-world games have progressed in the eight years since 2010’s Red Dead Redemption. Almost every open-world game in recent times has followed a familiar template, one that has been popularized by Ubisoft franchises like Far Cry and Assassin’s Creed. They are systematic in nature and everything is laid out for the player in terms of narrative and gameplay.

In that sense, Red Dead Redemption 2 bucks the trend, seemingly arriving from an alternate world where open-world conventions follow a different set of rules.

Don’t believe me? Here’s an example:Â Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, Far Cry 5, The Witcher 3, Marvel’sÂ Spider-Man, Horizon Zero Dawn, and God of War all feature branching RPG skill trees and clearly-marked collectibles. Red Dead Redemption 2 does not.
All of these aforementioned open-world games all feature maps littered with optional icons, each of them featuring familiar gameplay tropes when visited by players. Red Dead Redemption 2 does not. Yes, RDR2 does indeed feature collectibles and side quests. However, they’re anything but conventional and predictable.
You look bear-y intimidating there, Arthur.
The Sharpest Edge
Red Dead Redemption 2 is at its best when the narrative spins yarns of unexpected moments of brilliance, and that’s when the game shines the most. RDR2 is sincerely one of the few open-world games to really live up to the claim of containing a living and breathing world shaped by the player’s actions and choices.
I liked the idea of stumbling upon strangers and random events when travelling through the world, further accentuating the feeling of discovery and of not knowing to expect around every corner. These random encounters made the game feel lived in; like the world actually goes on with or without the player’s involvement.
For instance, while en route to my next destination, I heard a person crying out for help. I searched for the source of that desperate plea, and I found a man on the ground, reeling from a snake bite. He asked for my help, and I gave him one of my medicine tonics. Once I’ve confirmed that the man was safe, I went on my merry way.
A few in-game days later, I went to a nearby town to buy supplies and met the same man that I saved from the snake bite. He called out to me, saying that I could have any one item from the local store for free.
That example is only one of many. Each random stranger or event the players encounter will have stories to tell, and many of them will have a narrative just as complex as the one I recounted above.

That’s the magic of the open-world crafted by the developers, where the stories find you and not the other way around.

Apparently, new age cults with tiki torches existed in 1899.
The Dullest Edge
Now let’s get to the other edge of the metaphorical sword that is Red Dead Redemption 2‘s realism.

Realism in games doesn’t have to mean cumbersome or tedious gameplay mechanics nor does it have to mean frustratingly slow and forced animations. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what Rockstar Games thinks realism in games means.

Other reviewers have pointed out that Red Dead Redemption 2 protagonist Arthur Morgan’s movements are clunky and sluggish. Although the reaction and input response could be snappier, I realize that RDR2 isn’t a full-blown action game and that makes me appreciate the weight of every action I take. Thanks to this fact, the gunplay feels satisfying, with every shot resonating like it should.
The cumbersome and tedious gameplay mechanics I mentioned earlier refer only to actions taken out of gunfights and combat. Every single time you loot something or skin an animal, the game forces the player into these frustratingly slow and forced animations. As of now, there’s no option to skip any of these, so you’ll have to watch Arthur painstakingly open and close every drawer more than a thousand times throughout the course of the game.
Trust your steed with every deed.
I Fought the Law, & The Law Won
I also have a bone to pick with the game’s unbalanced Honor (morality) system. This is one part where realism should be applied more subtly. There were many times in the game where I accidentally “collided” with civilian NPCs while on foot or riding on my horse, and they acted as if I’d killed their closest family members or friends.
They will then proceed to attack me, and I retaliate by defending myself. Somehow this is still considered a dishonourable act, resulting in a bounty on my head and decreased Honor points. Simply put, this is really dumb.
That’s not all; as it turns out, the Honor system is extremely one-sided. The perks are clearly better for those who work towards performing good deeds and being ‘nice.’ This system is out of place in a game where the protagonists are robbing and murdering outlaws. A “black and white” morality system contradicts the game’s main narrative, which begs the question of why the developers decided to add it in the first place.
A game also shouldn’t have to resort to unnecessary busywork to pad gameplay, which is what the gang’s camp in Red Dead Redemption 2 essentially amounts to. I like the idea of maintaining a camp filled with ‘living’ supporting characters.
The game tries to achieve this by making Arthur do menial chores around camp and making ‘contributions’ in the form of money and other resources. It feels worthless in the long run and doesn’t make much of an impact in terms of gameplay (which it should have considering how important the gang’s camp supposedly is.)
[wpvideo Lnl3m7rf]
Did Ubisoft Make This Game?

For a game so obsessed with trying to be as realistic as possible, it annoys me to no end that several bugs and glitches broke this immersion for me.

The illusion of a perfect game insinuated by other reviews faded away when my Arthur suddenly had hollow eyes. Not only was his eyeballs gone, but his mouth was also a portal to another dimension (no teeth).
When I changed clothes or enter cutscenes, my body and limbs would disappear into the ether, rendering me virtually invisible. Doesn’t that remind you of another infamously buggy open-world game (*coughAssassin’s Creed Unitycough*)?
I went from this…
The worst part of it all is that this wasn’t a one-time thing where the bug would miraculously go away if I restarted the game. It was a recurring glitch, happening every time I booted up the game.
I even attempted uninstalling and reinstalling the game, which was no small feat considering the game is 100 GB in size. It did not fix the problem. One week after release and there’s not even the slightest hint of whether Rockstar Games even at least acknowledges these bugs and glitches. This is a AAA title we’re talking about.
to this.
Look, ma, no hands!
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
It’s High Noon
Like I’ve stated before, Red Dead Redemption 2 is not perfect and by no means the best game of the generation. My sincere opinion is that it does not deserve a rating of 10/10.
Despite all that, it has the potential to be one of the finest games around if it just refuses to be stubborn and fixes its problems instead of overwhelming everyone’s senses to the point of blinding them. Anything less would be a disservice to the long hours and toil dedicated by the hard-working folks at Rockstar Games in making this game a reality. Still, potential doesn’t equate to great experience. It did its job being a high-budget triple-A title, but apart from its story, it doesn’t wow us with its tedious gameplay.
[wpvideo wmx5pBJq]
Pros:

Achieves a living and breathing world unheard of in other open-world games.
Bucks the trend popularized by other open-world games by adhering to its own set of rules.
The weight of gunplay and combat feels satisfying.

Cons:

Cumbersome and tedious gameplay mechanics, with unnecessary animations.
Unbalanced Honor system.
Busywork micro-management.
Bugs and glitches break immersion.

Score: 60/100
Red Dead Redemption 2 was reviewed on the PlayStation 4 Pro.


Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse Is Delayed To 2023

The return of animated Miles Morales in cinemas will take a lot while longer according to Sony Pictures.
The company announced that Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse, the sequel to the highly acclaimed Spider-Verse film of 2018, will be released in the week of 1st June, 2023. It’s been pushed back 8 months from its 6th October 2022 release period. Sucks, we know.
Good news though: we now know the second part of the Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse film will be out on 29th March 2024. Furthermore, the Spider-Man spin-off film Madame Web by Dakota Johnson will be out on 7 July 2023. That’s around the same period as the upcoming Spider-Verse sequel. According to writer Christopher Miller, the production team needed more time to make Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse great.

More time to make it great ?
— Christopher Miller (@chrizmillr) April 21, 2022

Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse will have director Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, and Justin K. Thompson on board, with the script written by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller. Actors Oscar Isaac, Shameik Moore, and Hailee Steinfeld will be playing Spider-Man 2099, Miles Morales, and Spider-Gwen respectively. Watch the trailer below as a reminder that it’ll be a while to see more Spider-Men in action.


Doom Co-Creator John Romero Is Making A Brand New FPS

John Romero, one of the four co-creators of the Doom franchise has announced that his studio is working on a new first-person shooter.
Romero was a founding member of id Software, the studio that brought the world-renowned shooter Doom into existence.
In 1996, Romero parted ways with id Software and went on to start Ion Storm Inc. along with a number of other game development companies over the many years since the release of Doom.
His most recent endeavour, aptly named Romero Games, has come out with an announcement on Twitter that they are looking to expand their team as they are working on a new FPS and are looking for game developers that have experience with Unreal Engine 5.

Exciting news! We’re hiring for new FPS! https://t.co/3t6n6Oe2yP pic.twitter.com/bJ8Jd8lxWM
— Romero Games Ltd. (@romerogamesltd) July 19, 2022

For those interested in joining the Romero Games team, visit the company’s Careers page. Open positions include coding and programming, level designer, lead animators, and lead character artists.


Malaysia’s Lemon Sky Contributed To Marvel’s Avengers

Malaysia-based CGI art and animation studio Lemon Sky Studios have announced that they contributed to the development of Marvel’s Avengers by Square Enix, Crystal Dynamics and Eidos Montreal.

https://www.facebook.com/lemonskystudios/photos/a.269696176385647/3489768804378352/?type=3

Lemon Sky helped provide 3D modelling to help create the characters seen in thegame, including the main heroes of the title such as Captain America and Kamala Khan/Ms Marvel.
For this project, Lemon Sky also utilized Crystal Dynamicsâ€™ proprietary platform – â€œHorizonâ€, which was used to create the materials required for the gameâ€™s assets and character models.
They were previously involved in several projects with major game developers/publishers in the past, including Naughty Dog’s The Last Of Us Part 2, the Resident Evil 3 Remake, and the Final Fantasy VII Remake.

In a press release, Lemon Sky Studios CEO and co-founder Cheng-Fei Wong said:
“It was a great pleasure working with the team at Crystal Dynamics, especially for this Marvel Avengers game.This was such an awesome title for us to work on as we are all big fans of the Marvel franchise.We feel proud as a Malaysian studio to be able to work on a AAA game like this one which features such a historic franchise.”


Here’s Your First 4-Minute Gameplay Look At Soulframe

Digital Extremes has released new gameplay for its upcoming free-to-play action game Soulframe.
Soulframe is a massive multiplayer online RPG that features Dark Souls-like combat and melee fights, so it’s a far cry from the company’s previous game Warframe. The devs mentioned that this build will be using loads of “stolen assets” from Warframe, which is fine since it’s their game and can do whatever they wish to make the development process efficient.
“This is an internal combat prototype to show you a bit of how the pacing and flow of Soulframe is going to be. There’s lots of stolen assets from Warframe, there’s lots of janky stuff… so again, this is not intended to be a traditionally publisher saying ‘Worldwide Reveal!’ This is just us making a… bad decision and showing you the hard process.”
Check out the gameplay footage below. Soulframe has not platform or release date at this point of writing.


Fallout-Like MMO Ashfall Beta Test Drops This July

NetEase Games and Legendary Star Studio have announced that Ashfall is getting a closed beta in July. Interested players can sign up now by heading over here.
Ashfall is a post-apocalyptic shooter MMORPG developed by Legendary Star Studio. In the future, AI rises up and launches a nuclear war against humanity. After that, nothing other than ruins are left in the world. You must leave the Vault to find the Core of Creation—the key to saving the world.
The game also supports multi-platform crossplay on PC and mobile. Another highlight of the game is that the music will be co-produced by Oscar winner and Hollywood composer Hans Zimmer, renowned composer Steve Mazzaro, and Fallout series music producer Inon Zur.
It is slated to launch for PC via Steam and mobile devices sometime in summer 2024.
In the meantime, check out the trailer below:


Tencent In Talks With USA To Keep Its Riot & Epic Stakes

As we all know, giant Chinese tech company Tencent has its hands and fingers on every tech pie worldwide. Chief among them is Epic and Riot Games, as the conglomerate has stakes in both companies.
A new Reuters report states that Tencent Holdings is talking with the United States’ Committee on Foreign Investment since late 2020 to make sure it can keep its stakes in Riot Games and Epic Games. Basically, the US committee can force the Chinese company to pull out from both companies. Currently, Tencent owns the whole of Riot Games and owns 40 percent stake in Epic Games.
Why are they doing this? For the interest of national security, of course: it needs Tencent to prove that its handling of US personal data is not posing a threat to USA. Tencent is currently negotiating risk-mitigation measures, though this is pretty vague at this point in time.
The USA’s Biden administration seems to be cautious around China, especially on personal data that Tencent has via its many games and apps. So far, both Riot Games and Epic Games said that they have not shared user data with Tencent.


The Themes & Tracks That Define The Many Final Fantasy Games

With the release of Final Fantasy XV on PC, I feel that I should fill this week up with some Final Fantasy truth bombs. I’ve done a video about the best and worst numbered Final Fantasy games. Now let’s talk about the musical track that defines their respective entries.
Because these gameâ€™s soundtracks are so good, itâ€™s not that hard to pick one theme or significant tune that symbolizes that entryâ€™s place in the JRPG world. There’s always that one song that clicks in your head, the one that reminds you of the good and bad times of an FF game.
These are my personal choices of songs that clicked with me when I play a specific entry. Your choices may vary; let us know which tunes did that to you on this here article and Kakuchopurei’s Facebook page.
Also, it’ll be a while until I can do something Final Fantasy-related, so cut me some slack.
Final Fantasy I – “Overworld Theme”

The first Final Fantasy title didnâ€™t have a lot to work with. So Nobuo Uematsu made up a simple inspiring and adventure-laden theme that set the stage of FF1â€™s heroics and eventual time-travelling nonsense.
Final Fantasy II â€“ “Rebel Army”

The theme that plays when you end up in the rebel camp fighting against the Palamecia empire is rather uplifting. However, it’s probably the only motivating tune since the game’s overworld theme and every other piece of music that isn’t from a town is dark and dread-inducing.
Final Fantasy III â€“ “Eternal Wind”

Honestly, it wasnâ€™t until part IV where things got interesting and that Nobuo Uematsu’s potential was fully realized with better sound chips. But hey, you get some nice minimalistic gems like this overworld theme.
Final Fantasy IV – “Main Theme”

The ballad of Cecil Harvey, all crammed into one motivating-yet-insurmountable-odds-filled theme.
Final Fantasy V – “Ahead On Our Way”

As soon as I press the start button on the PS1, this song played. And holy crap I was already hyped to see where this chocobo-riding hero will take me. This tune from Nobuo Uematsu is just so inspiring and sets the light-hearted swashbuckling tone of this entry. Is it any wonder why I used this theme for my Nobuo Uematsu tribute video?
P.S: If you haven’t seen that video, go watch it here and give it some love, thanks.
Final Fantasy VI â€“ “Omen”

What’s the best way to start one of Square Enix’s masterclass JRPG? With escalating organs, duh! Before you press the start button, you’re treated to a scary and shocking little number that sets the dark tone of the game. Then you proceed to the narration that shows a world that’s pretty messed up, then get treated to a title crawl with a music of hope amidst the bleakest of times.
This is FFVI’s Omen, and it is perhaps one of THE most epic ways to start off a JRPG journey.
Final Fantasy VII â€“ “Opening Theme, Bomb Mission”

This one’s a no-brainer. That intro at the start of the game along with the musical build-up, leading to a climactic terrorist moment from your heroes (still subjective at this point in the game); it all clicks.
Final Fantasy VIII â€“ “Man With The Machine Gun”

FFVIII was bold, crazy, and most importantly fun. The game took standard JRPG conventions and flipped them upside its head. How else is it going to follow up after the juggernaut that is FFVII?
This theme for secondary protagonist Laguna Loire perfectly encapsulates the thrill ride and bold new direction it has taken the series to. Itâ€™s a great mix of disco pop, techno, and video game synths all rolled into one infectiously catchy battle theme. Sometimes I just let this Laguna battle theme play on, monsters killing me be damned.
Final Fantasy IX â€“ “Crossing That Hill”

Once you’re out of that damn castle, this music kicks in. This song just says “yep this FF throwback game is your oyster. Try not to get killed by all the huge number of random encounters we’re going to throw at you!”
Final Fantasy X â€“ “The Sight Of Spira”

The changing of the guard was official. Junya and Masashi Hamauzu are taking charge of FFâ€™s music from here on out after Uematsu passed some leitmotifs over. Personally, this one set the stage of FFX for me; the sombre nature of the game’s story is played out bit by bit with this “Suteki Da Ne” melody prelude. With ukuleles.
Final Fantasy XI – “The Sanctuary Of Zi’Tah”

The best game music that defines an RPG are usually the ones that set the tone for the whole series. Nothing quite beats this FFXI flute-and-guitar-heavy “kampung” ditty.
Final Fantasy XII – “Giza Plains”

This Final Fantasy took some bold steps in being different. A fresh cast, a fresh take on the existing world of Ivalice, a new open world to explore and fight seamless battles in; this deserves a soundtrack unlike any other. Hitoshi Sakimoto and his Basiscape crew pulled off all the stops in filling the world of Ivalice with breathtaking orchestra and grand-sounding tunes like our pick: Giza Plains.
It starts off whimsical and playful, then bombards you with brass and epic overtures. Just like the rest of the soundtrack, FFXII’s music plays with your expectations and then surprises you in the best way possible.
Final Fantasy XIII â€“ “Blinded By Light”

The FFXIII theme that will stick to you like glue. The build-up, leading up to those blaring horns playing out the main melody accompanied by strings, and the chorus medley of violins and drums that hit you like Lightning’s Army of One: pure magic.
Final Fantasy XIV – “Answers”

This is the one song everyone remembers about FFXIV because it’s the one that plays when the Realm Reborn trailer hits. What better way to send the garbage fire that was the original FFXIV than with an epic fantasy ballad sung by Susan Calloway?
Final Fantasy XV – “Sunset Waltz”

People like Somnus more, but this one showcases Yoko Shimomura’s preference for opera-style ballads and slow ballet pieces.This one plays while you’re traipsing around Eos with your bros; this short but sweet piece couldn’t be more fitting.
Bonus Track
Final Fantasy Tactics – Antipyretic
The many themes of Final Fantasy Tactics, from its political intrigue to fantastical elements and Shakespearean machinations, is all summed up in this strong dramatic orchestral piece. The determination of making it out of that battle alive; the emotional sorrow of the never-ending war in the game’s narrative filled with betrayals and broken friendships. Truly this is the apex of Final Fantasy music outside of the mothership titles.


The Netflix Anime Festival 2020 Is Happening Later This Month

Netflix has announced the Netflix Anime Festival 2020, which will take place later this month. During the live stream, Netflix will be revealing their slate of upcoming new anime for the streaming platform, as well as a panel discussion with anime creators.
However, we still don’t know what the lineup will consist of (yet). The Netflix Anime Festival 2020 will take place on 27 October 2020 from 9am to 11am GMT+8 on the Netflix YouTube channels like this one.
It will be streamed live in both Japanese and English simultaneously, but a specific live stream link will be available closer to the actual live stream. Stay tuned on Kakuchopurei for all the latest news.


New Ys X: Nordics Gameplay Features Tag-Team Action, Naval Sailing, & Boss Fights

Falcom just revealed a ton of Ys X: Nordics gameplay during its Ys Memoire livestream as a surprise. And what a lovely surprise it was, given that we do want more Adol.
The new Ys X gameplay features the game’s tag-team action where can switch between hero Adol and Karja, or both of them on-screen at the same time, some ship-piloting gameplay, and a boss fight with a stone golem that’s on-par with past Ys boss fights.
Check out the 7-minute gameplay bits below. Ys X: Nordics will be out in 2023 for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch.


Honkai Star Rail 1.1 Update: All Character Quest Walkthroughs

HoYoverse JRPG Honkai Star Rail has received its first-ever major update in the form of a 1.1 patch, and it’s packed with activities and content.
Most importantly, it debuts the banner of new gacha hacker Silver Wolf, and also her Character Quest. This feature will be talking more about how to complete her quest and how to spec her if you are lucky enough to score the new character.

Honkai Star Rail 1.1 How To Unlock Companion Quests
To unlock the following Companion Quests, you need to complete the Humming Antlers, Entwined Horns Trailblaze Mission. You cannot miss this as this is part of the main storyline under the Xianzhou Luofu questline.

Honkai Star Rail 1.1 Silver Wolf Companion Quest Walkthrough

The quest “Punklorde Mentality” is pretty straightforward; the video guide will show you the ropes and what to do. Timestamps are below:
0:00 – Intro
6:14 – Full Walkthrough
1:00:17 – Ending

Bailu, Loucha, Yanqing Companion Quest Walkthroughs
Unfortunately, these character quests will only be out on 28 June 2023. Stay tuned to this page for more info and updates.

Honkai Star Rail 1.1 Trailblaze Missions
There isn’t any news about new Trailblaze missions yet. Stay tuned to Kakuchopurei for more information.


Don’t Forget To Claim These Free September 2019 PS Plus Games

One of the greatest perks of being a PS Plus subscriber is that you’re guaranteed to get two free games every month. Sometimes you get smaller titles like Spelunky or Horizon Chase Turbo, other times you get AAA titles like Detroit: Become Human and Borderlands: The Handsome Collection.
September 2019 will be a great month for us PS Plus owners because both of the free games we’re getting will be AAA titles: Batman: Arkham Knight and Darksiders III.

Arkham Knight was released way back in 2015 and is often criticised as the weakest entry in the Arkham game series (everyone just ignores Arkham Origins). As someone who loved Arkham Knight, I think it’s great that more people will get to play this game and make their own judgements.
It’s actually a bit sad to see Darksiders III being offered as a free PS Plus game. It hasn’t even been a year yet since the game’s release in November 2018. Unfortunately, the received a lot of mixed reviews and didn’t exactly sell very well. On the bright side, THQ Nordic did announce that the game sold enough to make back its development and marketing budget.

Personally, I believe both are great games and anyone who hasn’t tried either of them should at least keep them in your backlog for whenever you feel like trying out something new or simply when you don’t have enough money for whatever new game you actually want to buy.
Batman: Arhkam Asylum and Darksiders III can be claimed for free by PS Plus subscribers starting from 4 September 2019. Until then, you can still claim this month’s lineup: WipEout Omega Collection and Chronicles of Teddy: Harmony of Exidus.


Hi-Fi Rush Player Stats Reveal Who Caught Best Waifu In Cutscene & How Many People Murdered SCR-UB

Bethesda and Tango Gameworks have revealed a ton of stats of its recent hit rhythm action game Hi-Fi Rush, and it’s a doozy.
The stats are calculated based on 2 million players, featuring a ton of cool tidbits. For instance:
-Those base of players have played with robot cat 808 over 3 million times.
-67% caught best waifu Korsica after her boss fight in that segment’s last quick time event. I’m in the 33% that didn’t.

-The top 3 SP attacks by usage are Powerchord, Double Riff, and Pick Me Up!
-The most-purchased SP attacks are Double Riff, Overdrive Slash, and Pick Me Up!
-The most-used chips for Chai during combat are Peppermint Compatibility Lv.1, Health Kick Lv.1, and Peppermint Compatibility Lv.2. Everybody loves the default chip options.
-The top alternate outfits for Chai are Rock Rider Jacket, Mystical Cat T-Shirt, and Rock Ripped Jeans
-The most-killed enemies in combat are the BES-102 sword bot (2 million+), the ES-101 fire punch bot (1.2 million+), and WA-ES-2 samurai bot (978,999).
-Those numbers pale in comparison to the number of innocent SCR-UB bots killed in the line of fire: a whopping 5,633,087! Deep down, we’re all monsters.

Hi-Fi Rush is out right now for Xbox consoles and PC, as well as Xbox Game Pass. We gave it glowing praise for its gameplay, art style, music, and rhythm action bits.


EA To Release New Plants Vs. Zombies And Need For Speed Games This Year

Electronic Arts has just released its latest quarterly financial report and overall, things are looking good for the company. I have no doubts that their totally ethical and definitely-not-predatory monetisation features have played a huge role in making them successful. Obviously no one is surprised about this so let’s talk about something more important: new games!
Somewhere near the end of a game company’s financial report, we can often find a list of upcoming games. Intended to boost shareholder confidence, the list also allows consumers like you and me to identify what else is in store for us. In EA’s case, we’re getting a new Plants vs. Zombies game and also a new Need for Speed. Both for consoles and PCs.

About two weeks ago, Plants vs. Zombies 3 was announced but only for mobiles. So there’s a strong possibility that we might be getting Garden Warfare 3 later this year. If you’re wondering “who the heck plays Garden Warfare?” then you ought to know that Garden Warfare 2 was actually the second best-selling game in its release week in the UK (via Gamespot).
If it’s true that a new Need for Speed is coming out, then it’s pretty weird that EA didn’t reveal it at E3 2019. A series as big as NFS would definitely have turned heads and gotten a lot of attention at E3. The last NFS game released was Need for Speed Payback which came out in November 2017.
For now, there’s not much to go on but the fact that these games are confirmed for release in 2019 is already exciting enough. Let’s hope we’ll get a few teasers and trailers dropped our way soon.


EA Sports FC 24 Ultimate Edition Cover Revealed

EA Sports have unveiled the cover for EA Sports FC 24 Ultimate Edition.
The cover features the most iconic football players from across history and recent players as well, including David Beckham, Ronaldinho, Virgin Van Dijk and more.
Check it out:

The stars of The World’s Game are in the club.
Presenting the #FC24 Ultimate Edition Cover #EASPORTSFC pic.twitter.com/zEzGWdbHwa
— EA SPORTS FC (@EASPORTSFC) July 10, 2023

EA Sports and FIFA officially ended their 30-year partnership in May 2022 after they failed to strike a new licensing deal.
The new EA Sports FC logo is set to debut in the real world this weekend in more than 100 matches set to be played across the from the Premier League, LaLiga, German Bundesliga and Ligue 1 to the Women’s Super League and the National Women’s Soccer League.
The same modes will be in EA Sports FC as well, including Ultimate Team, Career Mode, Pro Clubs and VOLTA Football. EA also claims that more than 19,000 players, 700 teams, 100 stadiums and 30 leagues will still be there, including exclusive partnerships with the Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga, Serie A, the MLS and more.
More about EA Sports FC will be revealed later this month in July 2023.


DC Comics Adaptation DMZ Comes To HBO GO This Month

Based on Brian Wood’s acclaimed DC graphic novel of the same name, brand new four-part Max Original limited seriesÂ DMZÂ premieres with all episodes the same day as the U.S on Thursday, 17 March 2022 only on HBO GO.
This adrenalised drama is executive produced by Roberto Patino, Ava DuVernay, and Paul Garnes, and stars Rosario Dawson as a woman who navigates a demilitarized zone in a harrowing quest.
Leaping off the pages of the popular DC graphic novel into the visual landscape of a dangerous and distorted Manhattan,Â DMZÂ follows intrepid medic Alma Ortega (Rosario Dawson) on her tireless, eight-year search for her missing son in a near-future America embroiled in a bitter civil war.
With no other options, Alma negotiates her way into the only place she hasn’t been able to look: Manhattan – now a lawless demilitarised zone overrun by rival factions vying for power as a race for control plays out between ruthless community leaders Parco Delgado (Benjamin Bratt) and Wilson Lin (Hoon Lee). While Alma’s harrowing quest thrusts her into the middle of this dangerous no man’s land, she unexpectedly emerges as a vital source of something needed most in the DMZ, which is hope.
Other cast members include Freddy Miyares, Jordan Preston Carter and Venus Ariel. The series also stars guest cast Rutina Wesley, Nora Dunn, Jade Wu, Rey Gallegos, Mamie Gummer, Agam Darshi, Juani Feliz and Henry G. Sanders.
DMZ was created for television by Patino, based on the comic book series published by DC written by Wood and illustrated by Riccardo Burchielli. Patino also serves as showrunner and wrote the first episode, which was directed by DuVernay. Acclaimed filmmaker Ernest Dickerson directs and executive produces three episodes. Carly Wray is a co-executive producer.
You can ubscribe to HBOÂ GOÂ onlineÂ atÂ https://www.hbogoasia.my/Â or the mobile appÂ via theÂ App StoreÂ orÂ Play Store forÂ as low as RM23.30/month. HBOÂ GOÂ is also available on Android TV, Apple TV, LG TV and Samsung Smart TV – and comes with AirPlay and Google Cast functionality.


Persona Theory Games Tackles Malaysia’s Statutory Rape Culture In This New Mobile Game

The Malaysian developers who made the dark & meaningful adventure game Fires at Midnight are at it again with a hard-hitting topical title.
Persona Theory Games has just released a new mobile adventure game called Half Light as part of the Games For Change Asia Pacific initiative. In this title, you play student journalist Julia, who is on a redemption arc after spreading cruel online rumours about Vivian.

Apart from sporting lovely 2D artwork and a vertical visual novel style of play (being a mobile title and all), the game’s narrative tackles statutory rape, gender violence, and sexual discrimination. Persona Theory Games is clearly commenting on Malaysia’s underage rape culture in the country’s school system with this bold title.

Half Light is out now via itch.io for Android devices; you can name your own price if you wish to buy it.


Marvel’s Spider-Man PS4 Game Gets A Hot Toys Treatment

We are all excited about the upcoming PlayStation 4 exclusive Spider-Man game by Insomniac games so you can guess our excitement when we found out that Hot Toys are releasing a 1/6th scale of Spider-Man as depicted in the game! Standing about 12-inch tall, the figure showcases a true-to-game Spider-Man Advanced suit which shows off the white spider logo.
It seems like the suit for the figurine is made from the same material used in Hot Toys’ older Deadpool figures – with enough detailing to imitate full-sized costume yet stretchy that it does not impede the figurine’s poseability.

The 1/6th scale Spider-Man (Advance Suit ) Collectible Figure specially features include:
– Authentic and detailed likeness of Spider-Man in Marvelâ€™s Spider-Man game
– A newly developed masked head sculpt with three (3) pairs of interchangeable eye pieces that can create numerous combinations of Spider-Manâ€™s expressions
– Approximately 30cm tall
– Newly developed body with over 30 points of articulations
– Twelve (12) pieces of interchangeable hands with cobweb pattern including:
– One (1) pair of fists
– One (1) pair of opened hands
– One (1) pair of web shooting hands
– Three (3) pieces of gesture hands
– One (1) left hand for cobweb swinging
– One (1) left hand for holding web bomb
– One (1) right hand for holding accessories
Costume :
– One (1) newly developed white, red and blue colored Spider-Man suit embossed with navy blue trims, cobweb pattern and white spider emblem on chest
Accessory:
– Three (3) pairs of different expressions shooter
– Five (5) strings of spider web in different shapes and lengths, attachable to the web-shooters
– One (1) open spider web effect accessory
– One (1) Spider Drone
– One (1) Spidey Plush
– Two (2) trip mines
– Two (2) web bombs
– Two (2) Spidey signals
– One (1) Vulture Jammer
– One (1) smart phone
– One (1) spider sense
– One (1) piece of web sticker
– A specially designed Spider-Man dynamic figure stand with game logo, character nameplate and a character backdrop
While the game is set to hit stores this September, the figurine will only be available in the market around Q2-Q3 of 2019. We estimate it to retail around the MYR900 mark, or US$220 / SG$302.


Final Mulan Trailer Is The Most Action-Packed & Wuxia-Filled Yet

Disney has released the final trailer for its upcoming live-action Mulan movie, and itâ€™s the most action-packed one yet. While it is an adaptation of the iconic 1998 animated movie of the same name, this new trailer doesn’t hide the fact that it’s essentially an English-language wuxia film.
Just for reminder, Mushu the dragon and songs from the original animated movie will be absent from the live-action adaptation, as the live-action Mulan movie screenplay is based on the narrative poem â€œThe Ballad of Mulanâ€.
The final trailer showcases more epic war battle scenes, as well as the level of wuxia action one can expect from the upcoming movie. It looks more like a Chinese production with a massive Disney budget behind it, rather than a typical ‘faithful’ remake like 2019’s Aladdin or The Lion King.
Directed by Niki Caro, Disney’s Mulan stars Liu Yifei as Mulan, Donnie Yen as mentor figure Commander Tung, Yoson An as a fellow soldier (and love interest) Chen Honghui, Tzi Ma as Mulanâ€™s father, and Jet Li as the emperor of China.
Disneyâ€™s Mulan is slated to premiere on 27 March 2020. In the meantime, check out the trailer below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-eFm–k21c&w=560&h=315]


Broomstick League Is The Quidditch Game Harry Potter Fans Have Always Wanted

Psyonix’s Rocket League is football meets cars. What happens when you combine Rocket League-like gameplay with Quidditch, the fictional sport from J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter franchise?
You get something like Broomstick League.
Developed by Virtual Basement, Code Headquarters, and Blue Isle Studios, Broomstick League is a fast-paced, high-flying online sports game where players divide into teams and streak across massive arenas atop their trusty broomsticks.
The objective is to take possession of the ball and rush it through the stadium while outmanoeuvring other players in order to score. Equipped with a broomstick and wand, players must hone their flying skills and use magic.

These include blast spells that can knock the ball from opponents and blink spells that can instantly teleport players to another position in the arena. In addition, players can also customize their witch/wizard to equip a variety of unlockable broomsticks, wands and other magical cosmetics.
Broomstick League is out now on PC via Steam in Early Access for only RM32, but the developers have confirmed that the game will also be releasing on the PS4 and Xbox One for its eventual full release.

According to the game’s Steam page, it is expected to be in Early Access for nine to twelve months, which means that it will be a while before it arrives on consoles. In the meantime, check out the trailer below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=km_Tvn6BNJQ&w=560&h=315]


Life-Sized Persona Arsene Shows Up At Jump Festa 2020

Jump Festa 2020 took place last weekend from 21 to 22 December 2019, where Atlus exhibited Persona 5 Scramble: The Phantom Strikers at their booth, allowing attendees to try out a demo of the PS4 version of the upcoming game.
Everyone who played the demo was given a Persona 5 Scramble: The Phantom Strikers exclusive sticker, though one of the real attractions of the Atlus’ booth was a life-sized replica of Persona 5 protagonist Joker’s Persona, Arsene.
Check it out below:

There was also a 1/16 scale mech from 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim.

Check out more pictures from the event below, courtesy of Persona Central’s Facebook page:

Persona 5 Scramble: The Phantom Strikers is slated to release for the PS4 and Nintendo Switch in Japan on 20 February 2020, with no confirmation for an official localized international version as of yet.


The Big 4 Director Timo Tjahjanto Reveals Why He’s Finally Doing A Comedic Movie

Indonesian director Timo Tjahjanto is best known for his horror content, including directing segments in horror anthologies like 2012’s The ABCs Of Death, 2013’s V/H/S/2 and 2021’s V/H/S/94. However, he also made 2018’s The Night Comes For Us (which is also on Netflix), so he’s no stranger to great action movies as well. Now, he’s dabbling into new territory with action-comedy The Big 4, which will premiere on Netflix today on 15 December 2022.
Courtesy of Netflix Malaysia, we were given the opportunity to join a press conference with the cast and crew of The Big 4. During the press conference, Timo Tjahjanto was asked why he chose to finally direct an action comedy, which he’s never done before in his career.
He said:
“Actually, I feel like I’m a funny person.
Honestly, it was the presence of Arie (Kriting) and Kristo (Immanuel) who has the most experience with comedies, so they’re important in the film. While this movie is an action comedy, sometimes it veers into slapstick territory.
To those who will watch this film, some of the funniest moments are when Arie and Kristo work together.”
Check out our review of The Big 4 here.


A Transforming Mecha Joins The Brawlhalla Roster Today

Ubisoft’s Super Smash Bros-like brawler Brawlhalla welcomes a new addition to its roster today on 23 September 2019. The transforming mecha is the 47th Legend to join the game, and his name is Vector.
Vector comes with suitably timey-wimey convoluted backstory too. Here’s the official description of the new fighter:

Travelling across the galaxy from a future universe, cybermarine Arcturius Vector entered a time portal to go from 3006 to 1987, pursuing his nemesis the Mechassassin Blackstorm, far into the distant past of New Earth.
Vectorâ€™s mission, to stop the Mechassassin from eliminating an ancient leader named ‘Sen-tin-el’, didnâ€™t go quite according to plan.
Upon arrival, Vector found Sentinel, a Superhero, locked in deadly combat with the evil enemy KABAL.
Joining forces with Sentinel, Vector led the counterattack against KABALâ€™s alien invasion force and fought the Mechassassin Blackstorm and a squadron of super-intelligent super-jets.
Today in Valhalla, Vector fights, builds jet engines with Scarlet, and pursues other hobbies.

Vector is available to purchase for 7200 Gold. He comes with three different skins; Hyperdrift Vector, Vector Model 01, and Dragonaut Vector, each of which costs 140 Mammoth coins.

				Dragonaut Vector

				Dragonaut Vector

				Vector Model 01

				Vector Model 01

				Vector

				Vector

				Hyperdrift Vector

				Hyperdrift Vector

In addition, the Autumn Shard 2019 animated avatar and the Autumn Wind Katars weapon skin will be available for purchase for a limited time from 24 September to 9 October 2019 (to commemorate the Autumn Championship from 28 to 29 September 2019).
Brawlhalla is out now for the PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC. Check out Vector (in action!) in the trailer below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZWK59_2N0I&w=560&h=315]


[Rumour] LEGO To Release Mario’s Princess Peach Castle

The LEGO Mario set will be getting a companion piece in the form of a famous mushroom-filled castle.
A post from Jay’s Brick Blog mentioned that LEGO revealed a Princess Peach playset. The set is meant to be announced on 10th March US time to celebrate Mario Day, which is an annual celebration of Nintendo’s flagship franchise.
The LEGO set comes with the castle, Princess Peach, Mario, yellow Toad, and Ludwig von Koopa in LEGO form. The set may cost fans US$229.99; the official price has yet to be confirmed considering this news is a leak.
In the meantime, check out the pictures of the set below: