Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order Marks A New Hope For The Series’ Games

Platform: PS4, Xbox One, PC
Genre: Metroidvania, Soulsborne-lite, & Uncharted-lite
For over four decades of its franchise, Star Wars has translated pretty well into video games. Putting aside all the shooters and racing games we’ve received, games that really allow players to live the fantasy of being a Jedi have ranged from being great (Raven Software’s Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast in 2002 and Bioware’s Star Wars: Knights Of The Old Republic in 2003) to decent if flawed (LucasArts’ Star Wars: The Force Unleashed in 2008).
It’s been a long, long time since we’ve received a great Star Wars game. One could even say that we’ve experienced a Great Star Wars Games Purge of some kind. EA squandered the potential of the Star Wars franchise in video games when they acquired the rights and licensing in 2013, with only two mediocre Battlefront games under their belt since then.
Just when all hope seemed lost, Respawn Entertainment came to shine the Light Side of the Force, and restore hope to Star Wars fans; that Star Wars games could be great again.

That is why I’m extremely happy to say thatÂ Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is not only the best game to bear the franchise name in recent memory, but it is also one of the best Star Wars games ever made, period.

A Veritable Star Wars Fiesta

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order features a dark and bleak story, appropriate considering the timeline of the game’s setting. It takes place five years after the events of Star Wars Episode III: Revenge Of The Sith, and predates anything we’ve seen in either the Star Wars Rebels animated series, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, and Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope.

That puts the game in an interesting position plot-wise, as it is very much considered just as canon to the franchise as the aforementioned movies or animated shows.
The galaxy is still getting used to rule of a newly-risen Empire, even as most of its inhabitants still struggle and recovering from the trauma and devastation left behind by the Clone Wars.

In fact, the majority of the story in Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order directly explores the direct ramifications of the Clone Wars more than any other Star Wars property. None of the movies or animated shows really delved into how the Clone Wars affected the galaxy.
It was deemed a mere footnote in history, which is ridiculous considering how it’s only been several years since it happened in the canon’s timeline (though the Empire might have been actively suppressing information on the Clone Wars, just like they did for the Jedi). The real world never forgot the horrors of World War 2 and that happened about half a century ago, so why would the Star Wars universe just forget about the Clone Wars?

That’s where Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order comes in. The game starts with former Jedi Padawan Cal Kestis (portrayed with motion-capture technology by Cameron Monaghan, best known for having played the Jerome/Jeremiah Valeska AKA the Joker in the Gotham TV series) in hiding on the scrap planet Bracca.
When he was forced to use the Force to save his friend, the Inquisitors (former Jedi who turned to the Dark Side and now hunt other Jedi for the Empire) were alerted to his presence. Fortunately, he was then saved by another former Jedi named Cere Junda (Debra Wilson) and pilot Greez Dritus (Daniel Roebuck). They then embark on a galactic journey to find a Holocron containing vital information to restore the fallen Jedi Order (see what I did there?), with the Inquisitors and the Empire on their trail.

Throughout the journey, we learn that both Cal and Cere have something in common; their traumatic experience of surviving the Clone Wars and bitter remorse over being the only remaining Jedi alive (survivor’s guilt, so to speak).
I was frankly expected more from Monaghan (I even listed him as one of my favourite all-time Jokers), but he seems disinterested most of the time, and a generic good-guy protagonist the rest of the time.
Kyle Katarn he is not.

He’s not bad, but I would have loved to have seen more emotion from the actor. Fortunately, Wilson’s performance as Cere helps pick up the slack, as she looks believably more disturbed by her trauma and past mistakes than Cal is. Together, they make a decent pairing, though the chemistry never reaches the likes of say, Hayden Christensen’s Anakin Skywalker and Ewan McGregor’s Obi-Wan Kenobi.

The supporting characters and antagonists are great too. I grew expectedly close with the charming and adorable droid companion BD-1 in my adventure, but I never expected to even like the crusty and grumpy pilot Greez Dritus, who has a softer side than he would admit.
The antagonist, Second Sister, is also a highlight of the game, portrayed by Elizabeth Grullon, who plays the role with depth and a menacing glee that is seldom seen in the often one-dimensional Inquisitors seen in the Star Wars Rebels animated series (which is where these Jedi hunters were introduced into canon in the first place).
All in all, Star Wars fans are in for a treat of epic proportions. The amount of extensive franchise lore contained in this game is massive and detailed. I was pleasantly surprised by how the writers of this game have managed to derive from lesser-known corners of Star Wars canon.

One of the planets you can visit features a story that’s essentially a continuation of a plot thread from the Star Wars The Clone Wars animated series, while a quest on another planet confirms a long-gestating fan theory and explains a plot hole in Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens.

Those are just several of many aspects that I can’t discuss without spoiling the game, but other instances (that have been revealed in promotional trailers) include the Imperial security droid (RIP K2-SO) and radical rebel leader Saw Guerrera from Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.
It’s incredible how the folks at Respawn has managed to cram something from every nook and cranny of the Star Wars franchise, be they the Original, Prequel, or Sequel trilogy of movies or the animated shows.
That’s an impressive feat accomplished only by hours of research and consulting with the Lucasfilm creatives (who control the franchise canon). It could also be that they’re all just fans like me, which is evident from the game’s expansive world-building.

Most casual players will likely just gloss over these references and details in the game, but the Star Wars fan in me got giddy just from discovering remnants of Clone Troopers and Wookie memorials that serve as a grim reminder that the Clone Wars ended just half a decade ago.

Sights & Sounds

The true measure of a Star Wars property, be it a movie, TV show, or game, is in how authentic it looks and sounds. The franchise has built itself as a brand on how iconic the sights and sounds are. For instance, almost anyone can recognise the sound of a lightsaber switching on, a tie fighter wooshing across the sky, or even the sound of a normal blaster shot.

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order succeeds on both fronts, as Respawn has obviously painstakingly and lovingly created this game to be as authentic as possible.
The soundtrack for this game is not only quintessentially Star Wars but also amazing in its own right. Composers Gordy Haab and Stephen Barton have outdone themselves.

Thanks to the motion-capture technology, the characters in the game look great and well-animated, though some are better than others. A few details do look rough when viewed closely, including some of the Wookie grunts the player meets on Kashyyyk (who look dubiously freaky due to how their fur and faces are rendered) or even the water effects that don’t seem to be up to snuff (yes, there are parts where you have to swim and even submerge).
The Force Awakens

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is an action-adventure game, blending the best parts of every iconic game in the past few generations of gaming. Respawn has decided to take familiar mechanics from popular franchises and making it their own, resulting in a game that doesn’t really offer anything new, but instead gives the player the best of everything.
As Cal Kestis, the player is dropped onto the first planet barely an hour into the game. You’re given a basic objective and a holo-map to guide you. However, how you ultimately reach that marker is up to you. There are no arrows or fixed path for you to follow.
Just like Remedy Entertainment’s Control earlier this year, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order encourages, or rather, emphasizes, exploration. There’s almost always something rewarding (cosmetics or Force Echoes) waiting for you there.

The game’s protagonist, Cal Kestis, has a specific Force-sensitive ability called psychometry.
It works like he’s an empath, able to understand and experience the latent feelings or Force energy left behind on an object or environment.
In the game, players can learn more details about the lore-heavy world crafted by Respawn by finding these Force Echoes strewn throughout the game (oh, and they also reward XP when discovered so that’s an incentive too).

Other collectibles in the game include cosmetic items. There are four accessories that players can customize and change their colours/skin, including Cal’s poncho skin, the colour of Cal’s interior jacket, the droid BD-1’s skin, and the Mantis’ skin (your ship). Fans of the franchise will also appreciate that you can customize your lightsaber hilt’s many different separate working parts; including its emitter, switch, sleeve, material (colour of the hilt), and of course, the colour of the lightsaber beam itself.
It’s refreshing that the game lets you do your own thing and find your own way to the objective. For instance, I encountered my first optional sub-boss barely two hours into the game, on the very first planet I landed on. It took me by surprise, as I didn’t expect anything like that so early in my playthrough of the game.
Just like Control and other Metroidvania games, you won’t be able to explore 100 percent of a planet during your first visit, as many parts of the map will require specific abilities to traverse. Each of these planets is massive in scale and will take you quite a while to really complete exploring, and the game doesn’t force you to go any of these planets in any particular order. It’s up to you.

I would also like to point out how helpful the holo-map is, as it points out which areas you can go (marked in green) and where you can’t go because you still don’t have the necessary ability to traverse it yet (marked in red).
You don’t have to waste time trying to reach that corner or ledge if you know that there’s simply no possible way for you to reach it yet.

For a game that encourages exploration but lacks fast-travel of any kind, it’s a blessing that traversing in the game is such a joy.
Once you gain all your Force abilities, you’ll be wall-running like in the Prince Of Persia games, jumping from ledge to ledge and climbing walls like Uncharted‘s Nathan Drake, and double jumping around like a platformer game mascot on steroids.

Oh, and I appreciate the fact that the developers have decided to remove any kind of fall damage whatsoever. This makes traversal in the game even more enjoyable than it already is, not having to worry about falling and losing precious health just because you fell from a slightly elevated position.

The combat in Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is closest in comparison to the Soulsborne genre of games, as it follows the trend of gameplay mechanics set by games like the Dark Souls franchise and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.
Because of that, you can’t simply hack and slash your way like in Star Wars The Force Unleashed or mash the attack button like in the Batman: Arkham titles.

Well, maybe you can do so on the lowest difficulty, but that’s not the ideal experience. There are four difficulty levels to choose from, each of which controls three variables: the amount of time you have to parry enemy attacks (parry timing window), damage taken from enemies, and enemy aggression. The most vital to changing your combat experience is, of course, the parry timing window.
While the combat in the game seems simplistic at the beginning of the game (with only square for normal attacks and triangle for heavy attacks), you need to parry or dodge to stay alive during combat. Just like in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, both the player and enemies have a parry meter. The key to beating an opponent is to drain or break this meter, which will then allow for killing blows or attacks that deal real damage. Parrying will do more to drain this meter, but enemy attacks that glow in red are unblockable, so you need to time your dodges as well.
Enemies range from different types of Stormtroopers to various types of animals, each of which has detailed pages of text ready for you to read on if you so wish. I love games that feature these sort of Wikipedia codex for each enemy type you face in the game, as I think it adds even more attention to detail, on top of everything else.
Aside from his lightsaber, Cal Kestis has a relatively conservative repertoire of Force skills. There are only three in the game, including Force Push, Force Pull, and Force Slow. These skills can be upgraded via the game’s skill tree (you accumulate XP by killing enemies and finding Force echoes, more on that later). These Force abilities will be used not only during combat but are also required to traverse the world and solve puzzles.

On that note, I’m a bit disappointed that Remedy’s Control actually pulled off Force abilities better than actual Star Wars game. To be fair, the physics system and engine in Control was revolutionary, making the act of executing the Push mechanic in that game feel more satisfying than using Force Push in Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. Perhaps something Respawn could take into consideration when making a sequel.
In Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, players can only save their game by discovering meditation circles ala the bonfires in Dark Souls and idols in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. You can also rest at these locations to restore your health and amount of stim packs (healing items). However, resting comes with a caveat; all enemies will respawn on the map. On harder difficulties, you’d be wise to choose whether to risk resting or not, especially with the dire consequences of death in the game.
Death in Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order feels similar to Sekiro or the Dark Souls games too. In a meta-reference to the iconic “You Died” game-over screen in the Soulsborne games, dying in this game will prompt a black screen with the word “RESPAWN” to appear. Dying will cause you to lose all XP you’ve gained on that map. The only way to regain that precious XP is to face the enemy that killed you.
Thankfully, this game is still less punishing and a lot more forgivable than the Soulsborne games. Players only need to land a single blow on that particular enemy to regain all your lost XP, which essentially gives you a second (or third, fourth, etc.) opportunity to face that same enemy at your best, instead of forcing you to try and beat it again at a disadvantage like in the Soulsborne games.
In addition to the combat and traversal, players can look forward to several setpieces, one of which is the previously-revealed hijacking and commandeering an AT-AT on the planet Kashyyyk. While nothing else beats the sheer manic fun of that particular setpiece, there are still some that inspire awe on an epic scale.
Most players can finish the game around 20 to 30 hours, but that number increases if players take the time to explore and try to search for every single hidden collectible and secret in the game. That’s neither too long or too short in my books, as the length is optimal for a single-player game like this.
However, the ending of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order sort of falls a bit flat, as it feels like the developers wanted to rush to the conclusion and opted for a safer risk-free ending, instead of providing a more definitive one instead. The game would have benefitted from a slower and more methodical pace near the climax.
Playing Star Wars Jedi: Fallen OrderÂ does evoke similar feelings and vibes that I experienced while playing Sony Santa Monica’s masterpiece, 2018’s God Of War. But thereÂ are several reasons (which I’ve listed below) why Respawn’s brilliant game is still miles away from deserving a perfect score like God Of War.
Technical Hiccups & Limitations

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order suffers from several technical problems and limitations. First and foremost, it doesn’t really run well even on my PS4 Pro.
Although the settings offer a Performance Mode for stable FPS at 1080p resolution (which I turned on before playing the game), it didn’t make much of a difference during gameplay, as the framerate would be anything but stable.

How bad is it? Well, you can expect choppy framerate not only during combat situations but also when traversing through the world and during cutscenes. I got used to it after a few hours, but it was jarring at first. Remedy’s Control also suffered from a similar problem on my PS4 Pro.
This choppy framerate becomes a glaring problem in combat situations that require more precise parry timings, or during cutscenes with severe pop-up involving characters, breaking your immersion in the game when characters seemingly appear and disappear into thin air.

I also have bad news for Star Wars fans who expect to satisfy their fantasies of leaning towards the Dark Side. That’s where the game’s narrative causes limitations in gameplay variety, so let me just clarify it right now.
There are no Dark Side Force abilities in Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, and that includes the iconic Force Lightning, which even the flawed Star Wars: The Force Unleashed could boast of featuring. And no, you can’t wield red lightsabers (or dual-wield lightsabers at all times like Ahsoka Tano, for that matter).
Why? The answer is simple. All of the above goes against the game’s narrative, that Cal Kestis is a generic good-guy Jedi dude, and there’s nothing that you can do to change that. This game isn’t an RPG like Star Wars: KotOR, no matter how much you want it to be.
Return Of The Good Star Wars Games

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order captures the spirit of Star Wars in a way that not many games before it has. This game was truthfully the last flicker of hope for a good Star Wars game, and Respawn definitely delivered that with a loving product that will stay relevant in the canon for many years to come.
The best thing about it all is that the ending of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order strongly indicates that Respawn, or the folks at Lucasfilm and Disney, are not finished with making more games like this one. If this game sells well (and I truly hope it does), it will spell a new era for Star Wars game, that hopefully brings even more equally-good games for the franchise in the future.

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is neither perfect nor original. But it is a great game that’s a huge service for its sci-fi and gaming fans. That’s enough for now in this current time of Star Wars gaming deluge.

The Force is with us again, folks, and let’s hope it stays with us for much longer this time. Time will only tell if Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order will be as iconic as other Jedi-centric Star Wars games like Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast and Star Wars: KotOR.
Pros

Best Star Wars game in years.
Great combination of gameplay mechanics from combat to exploration
Attention to detail on multiple planets/worlds.
No microtransactions.

Cons

Technical problems & framerates.
Some gameplay limitations.
Weak ending.

FINAL SCORE: 90/100

This game was reviewed on a PS4 Pro, with a review code provided by the gameâ€™s publisher.


The Haunting Jams of Akira Yamaoka (SoundScape)

Happy Halloween 2020, everyone!
To pay tribute to this lovely haunting week, here’s a mixtape and retrospective of Silent Hill’s music maker & ambience/rock/industrial video game music king Akira Yamaoka.

Timestamps:
0:00 – Intro
1:37 – The 90s (16-bit era with the SNES and Sega Megadrive)
11:52 – Late 90s to 2000s; the Silent Hill stuff (PS1, PS2)
18:23 – 2010 onward, Grasshopper Manufacture music works part 1 (PS3)
26:33 – Grasshopper part 2, freelance work (PS4 onward)
35:43 – Ending


Tales Of Luminaria Is The Next Big Bandai Namco JRPG Entry For Mobile

Publisher Bandai Namco shared new information about its upcoming Tales of entry titled Tales of Luminaria.
The game itself is an action RPG where you control three heroes you can switch in-between combat, each with their own attacks and special Artes moves. It features a roster of 21 characters which you’ll most likely gacha for in the game’s free-to-play model. The game’s story revolves around the conflict between knights-in-training called the Federation and the Empire; you’ll start off with lead characters and childhood friends Leo, Celia, and Hugo.
Check out the gameplay below, both in English and Japanese dub. The game seems to have a sizeable budget to have both English and JP localization:

If the gameplay seems a tad familiar, that’s because it’s being developed by Colopl, a mobile game developer known for its smash hit gacha mobile RPG title White Cat Project/Shironeko. You can pre-register the game on the Apple App Store and Google Play.
In addition, a Tales of Luminaria anime adaptation called Tales of Luminaria: The Fateful Crossroad is in production. The anime will be available on Funimation. There’s no release date for Tales of Luminaria at this point in time.


Overwatch World Cup Jerseys Are Back on Sale

In preparation for the upcoming Overwatch World Cup 2018 qualifiers, player jerseys for select national teams just became available on the Blizzard store. Oddly though, only seven national teams jersey are currently available and bad news for fans of SBB and RyujehongÂ  – South Korea isn’t among them.

However, we feel that this list will be updated soon and the reason we aren’t seeing the Koreans’ shirt yet is because they are set to sport a new design in this year’s competition. We will update you once they add new designs to the list.
Retailing at US$55, no customization options are available and the sizes for these shirts range from XS to XL3. You can order them now from the Blizzard Store.Â Â If you missed out in getting one for yourself last time around, they you better hurry as these shirts are sold during limited periods which make them all the harder to get.


Pedro Pascal Is Mario In New Saturday Night Live The Last Of Us Parody

The Last Of Us actor Pedro Pascal hosted this week’s episode of Saturday Night Live (SNL) and they aired a parody trailer of The Last Of Us featuring characters from Nintendo’s Mario franchise, including Mario, Princess Peach, Bowser and even Mario Kart.
In the funny spoof trailer, it stars Pedro Pascal himself as Mario, Chloe Fineman as Princess Peach, Kenan Thompson as Bowser, Yoshi (Bowen Yang) and. Pedro even utters Mario’s iconic line, “It’s-a me, Mario.” in an edgy and satirical way.
The fake Mario trailer features a world set 10 years after the destruction of the mushroom kingdom. Now they fight against Goombas, which is its version of the infected Clickers.
One of the funniest moments in the trailer is when Pedro Pascal’s Mario eats mushrooms and gets angrily defensive, saying that he eats them because they make him “feel big”.
Courtesy of HBO Asia, we were also lucky enough to be the only Malaysian media to participate in interviews with Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann, Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey, Merle Dandridge and Gabriel Luna. You can also check out our spoiler-free review of the entire season by heading over here.
Check out the full trailer below:

HBO's adapting another iconic game pic.twitter.com/YtsIswwSBb
— Saturday Night Live – SNL (@nbcsnl) February 5, 2023


The Call Of Duty Black Ops Cold War Alpha Can Be Downloaded On PS4

During yesterday’s PS5 Showcase, Treyarch and Raven Software announced that a Call Of Duty Black Ops Cold War Alpha is coming this weekend exclusively on the PS4.
Players can start playing the alpha tomorrow, but the Call Of Duty Black Ops Cold War Alpha download link is now available to download for free on the PlayStation Store. Best of all, you don’t even need a PlayStation Plus subscription to play the Alpha.
Check out the details below:
File Size: 18.6GB
Head on over to this link to download the Call Of Duty Black Ops Cold War Alpha now.
Call Of Duty Black Ops Cold War Alpha

The Call Of Duty Black Ops Cold War Alpha is free for all PS4 players.
The Alpha will begin on 18 September 2020 and end on 20 September 2020.
Players can jump straight into the brand-new Combined Arms: Domination experience or play in a variety of 6v6 gameplay modes.
Combined Arms: Domination introduces vehicle-based combat and 24 players to a single domination match. They can use snowmobiles, tanks, wakerunners, gunboats and more to traverse the map faster and hit the enemy harder.
In the Alpha experience, Combined Arms: Domination will take place on two maps:
Map â€“ Armada
Itâ€™s 1984, and U.S. and Soviet forces are battling it out in the North Atlantic Ocean in search of a prototype nuclear submarine.
Competing squads will take to the high seas with skirmishes on multiple ships, utilizing ziplines, rappel lines, and various seacraft to navigate the rough waters below.
The central ship is a hotspot for combat of all forms, from CQB battles in control stations, to sniper duels with adjacent ships, to aquatic warfare that may take place below the surface. Be sure to explore every nook and cranny of the map to discover new entryways to each objective point, and keep your head on a swivel.
Map â€“ Crossroads
In the middle of the frozen Soviet wilderness, NATO forces have ambushed a large military convoy comprised of mobile ICBM launchers.
Tanks and Snowmobiles will help operatives plow over this snowy tundraâ€™s banks and groves, both of which could be temporary homes to sharpshooters looking for longshot opportunities.
Those planning out their strategy for victory should consider wresting control of the communications station, the lone structure that stands at the dead center of the iced-over lake. Or, for those looking to flank the enemy team, try braving the rickety bridge that spans over a deadly chasmâ€¦ if youâ€™re not afraid of heights, that is.
The Alpha will also include three traditional game modes across two maps designed for 6v6 play.
These include Team Deathmatch (TDM) and Kill Confirmed; a TDM variant where Operators must confirm kills by picking up enemy dog tags dropped by downed players before they are denied by the enemy team.
Then thereâ€™s Domination, an objective mode staple in the Call of Duty franchise. Players can expect a larger capture area than in previous titles, allowing for more cover opportunities and manoeuvrability when attacking or defending while capturing a point.
These three modes will be available on the following maps during the Alpha:
Map â€“ Miami
A prison transport vehicle has been intercepted by Perseus through hired DGI forces, with CIA forces arriving to take them out in the heat of Miamiâ€™s South Beach.
Amid art-deco architecture and neon lights, Operators battle between various buildings, in the streets, and on a stretch of the beachfront itself. Various rooftops and windows act as prime longshot spots for sharpshooters who can take advantage of vistas across empty streets and beaches.
Meanwhile, Operators can weave in-and-out of vacated tourist traps in close-quarters combat, using parts of a parking garage or the beachfront to flank enemy combatants.
Map â€“ Satellite
First teased in the Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War Reveal trailer, Satellite is set in an Angolan desert where a KH-9 American-made satellite has been downed.
Soviet and American forces arrive on a battlefield devoid of any man-made structures, save for the satellite in question at mid-map. Other than this cover-heavy central point, the mapâ€™s rocky outcroppings and archways provide numerous flanking routes and plenty of covers.
Alternatively, the natural sand dunes on the opposite side of the map are perfect territory for snipers, at the expense of any meaningful protection from aerial Scorestreaks or a cross-map high-calibre bullet.
The Alpha gives just a taste of the content to come with Multiplayer this year. For more details and information on the full Call Of Duty Black Ops Cold War Multiplayer experience, head on over here.
Call of Duty Black Ops Cold WarÂ is slated to release for the PS4, Xbox One, and PC viaÂ Battle.netÂ on 13 November 2020, and for PS5 and Xbox Series X sometime this holiday. In the meantime, check out the trailer below.


One Major Franchise Rules Out Battle Royale Mode

Balking against the popular ‘battle royale’ trend, Halo developers 343 Industries, via theirÂ Haloâ€™s Mixer channel assured their fans that they have no interest in dwelling into the much-hyped genre which has taken the gaming world by storm.
During the show, one of the questions brought up was about whether or not Halo Infinite will include a battle royale mode. Responding to it,Â 343 writer Jeff Easterling, a.k.a Grim Brother One, said, â€œIâ€™ll tell you right now, the only BR weâ€™re interested in is Battle Rifle. The original BR. So, calm yourself.â€
"The only BR weâ€™re interested in is Battle Rifle."
In case you aren’t in the know, Easterling was referring to the iconic UNSC weapon of choice, theÂ BR55HB SR made its debut in Halo 3.

With Halo Infinity still a long way to go before hitting shelves, 343’s statement was indeed welcomed as more and more publishers gravitate towards the trend of jumping into the battle royale genre. It was also a statement of confidence that traditional FPS modes are still going strong considering the Halo community is one of the most active scenes in competitive FPS.


Cygames Is Making A New Fantasy Action Game That’s Directed By The Senran Kagura Guy

[Update: we’ve added in official artwork for the game.]
Cygames will be busy at work with a new fantasy action game. The project, called Project GAMM, will be directed & produced by Kenichiro Takaki.

If that name sounds familiar, it’s because he is the creator of Senran Kagura, a game series filled with culture which you can experience below.

Project GAMM will also be getting illustration work by Mogmo, music composed by Shirou Sagisu, and design work by Kiyoshi Arai. Here’s what we know about the game so far (via Famitsu & Gematsu):

The game has PvP (player-vs-player) action battle mechanics.
The game’s setting is in a world of magic and machines, with the machines being powered by magic.
The main character is a young mage, and he/she will have party members that include (but aren’t limited to) a maid, a robot, and a knight.
The title’s focus is on multiplayer, hence the PvP nature.

Sounds like Cygames is jumping into the multiplayer bandwagon again after its hit card game Shadowverse.


Here Are The New Release Dates For Venom 2, Monster Hunter & More

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the entertainment industry, causing many movies to be postponed, delayed, cancelled, or released on other platforms. However, several studios have begun announcing their new schedules for the near future, and that includes Sony Pictures Malaysia.
Check out the new Sony Pictures 2020/2021 lineup below:
Monster Hunter (27 August 2020)

Connected (22 October 2020)
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=toBGv7yvIV8&w=560&h=315]
Escape Room 2 (30 December 2020)
Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway (28 January 2021)
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=euGHcnyUo84&w=560&h=315]
Cinderella (18 February 2021)
Ghostbusters: Afterlife (4 March 2021)
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahZFCF–uRY&w=560&h=315]
Morbius (18 March 2021)
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLMBLuGJTsA&w=560&h=315]
Fatherhood (1 April 2021)
VIVO (3 June 2021)
Venom: Let There Be Carnage (24 June 2021)

Uncharted (15 July 2021)
Hotel Transylvania 4 (5 August 2021)
Man From Toronto (16 September 2021)
Untitled Spider-Man Far From Home Sequel (4 November 2021)


Miasma Chronicles Has Many Flaws But It’s Still The Bearded Ladies’ Most Ambitious Game Yet

Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Genre: Tactical Strategy, Tactical RPG, Turn-Based, Stealth, Post-Apocalyptic
The Bearded Ladies‘ Mutant Year Zero Road To Eden was one of 2018’s best and most underrated games, successfully combining the tactical turn-based strategy from the XCOM franchise with stealth elements. This resulted in a more active and involved gameplay mechanics compared to the traditional XCOM-like genre of games, and the Swedish developer continued that with 2020’s Corruption 2029.
Now, their latest and perhaps most ambitious effort yet has arrived in the form of Miasma Chronicles. But does it fall under its own weight, hampering the final results?
Post-Apocalypse

If you’re familiar with the turn-based mechanics made famous by the XCOM franchise or if you’ve ever played Mutant Year Zero Road To Eden, Miasma Chronicles pretty much plays like those games. In fact, the developer actually brought a lot of their previous mechanics from Mutant Year Zero Road To Eden into Miasma Chronicles. While Miasma Chronicles looks mostly like an XCOM game, the stealth elements are heavier than you’d expect, especially if you’re coming from XCOM or other conventional XCOM-like games. In Miasma Chronicles, you control your team of party members in real time both while exploring the world and during combat.
How does that work? Well, you’ll encounter groups of enemies scattered throughout the levels in Miasma Chronicles. You’ll move in real time and use the game’s stealth mechanics to ambush enemies one by one. While the stealth mechanics may seem optional, they’re actually not. On a difficulty higher than Standard (normal), using stealth ambushes is essential if you want to defeat enemies. That’s because Miasma Chronicles is difficult even by XCOM standards. Plus, the stealth options are still quite limited. You can only do stealth ambushes with specific “Silent” weapons and these are super rare.
I only managed to find two (TWO!) of these in the entire game. Too many of them might have broken the game and made things too easy, but with the enemies in the mid-to-late-game requiring so much damage to kill, more options for stealth kills would have been great. There were many situations when I had no choice but to forget about going stealth and had to go full guns blazing, which was frustrating.
Miasma Chronicles isn’t actually as punishing or unforgiving as XCOM in terms of difficulty but the difficulty can feel extremely unbalanced. Despite being an XCOM veteran with years of experience, Miasma Chronicles forced me to lower the difficulty to Narrative (easy) when I encounter the game’s weird and random difficulty spikes. The developers did put an effort into making the game more accessible by allowing unexperienced players the option of Partial Tactical (less RNG) or Full Tactical (full RNG), but playing the game even on Standard at Full Tactical can still be a frustrating experience due to the random difficulty spikes and other smaller details.
For instance, in Standard, your party members don’t recover their health after battle even though the game’s in-game currency and health supplies are scarce. Meanwhile, in Narrative, your party members all get automatically nursed back to health after every battle. In most XCOM-like tactical turn-based games, there comes a point in the story when you’ll finally feel a bit overpowered or at least not overwhelmed.

Unfortunately, in the 25 hours or so that it took me to finish Miasma Chronicles, I never achieved that same feeling and that feeling of being underpowered and overwhelmed never went away for the entirety of the game. Another aspect of the game that contributes to that feeling is how often forces players into enemy ambushes as part of the game’s story quests. Sometimes you go to an area and just get into a fight you’re unprepared for.
Thankfully, it seems like the developers knew this so they did make it so that every time players get into story ambushes, the game automatically makes a checkpoint save set just before the encounter. I’m sure that the unbalanced difficulty can always be fixed and tweaked post-launch, but as of right now, the game could use a bit more work in that regard, especially since I never had the same difficulty problems with their previous game, Mutant Year Zero: Road To Eden.
While I appreciate that Miasma Chronicles features several accessibility and quality-of-life improvements (such as being able to manually save at any time), it’s strange that the game suffers from some issues that are a bit more obvious. For example, the game features many levels and hubs you can explore, but there is no mini-map or any kind of map to help you navigate them. Sure, their designs are not that confusing but it would have made the game more enjoyable if it featured mini-maps or maps.
Another big problem with Miasma Chronicles is its side quest puzzles. The majority of these puzzles involve exploring, finding a note and figuring out the PIN number to a keypad. The solutions are usually vague and confusing to the point that I have no idea how you’re supposed to find the answer considering how the game’s camera angles work (it’s sort of a far-away top-down perspective). You can’t zoom in and the answers to these keypad puzzles seemingly involved looking for these precise details. How would the player find them if they can’t even zoom in closer?

All that being said, there’s also a lot that The Bearded Ladies did right in Miasma Chronicles. This is their biggest and most ambitious game yet in terms of sheer scale. It shares a lot of mechanics with their previous game, Mutant Year Zero Road To Eden, but this time the developers had the ability to go all out with an original IP. Mutant Year Zero Road To Eden was based on an existing tabletop franchise. It’s clear that the developers have put the utmost effort into this game. It’s not just the graphics, but also the writing and worldbuilding that has improved. The narrative plot and characters seem to be inspired a lot by Dune, Star Wars (very much so, but I can’t go into spoilers without spoiling the game) and other sci-fi stories. It all feels like a potentially great original IP in the making, so kudos to the developers for creating something that’s original in the current games industry that’s full of remakes and games based on existing IP.
May The Miasma Be With You

What I like the most about Miasma Chronicles is one quality-of-life feature that I sincerely believe all games should have, especially ones with RPG elements like this. In Miasma Chronicles, you can re-spec the skill tree of your characters for free at any time without any penalty or in-game charges. Most games, and that’s if they allow you to re-spec in the first place, often incur penalties or charges for players to re-spec. There’s really no reason why other games won’t let you do this, especially since it only makes the game more fun, as well as gives players much more room and creativity to play around with their characters to the fullest without worrying about whether they’re wasting their precious skill point for an upgrade that they won’t even use.
Last but not least, the developers clearly learnt a lot since Mutant Year Zero Road To Eden. That game was a bit too short and the abrupt ending felt rushed and inconclusive. Miasma Chronicle is a much longer game (around 25 to 30 hours or potentially more if you take your time with the side quests and exploration) and the ending is much more satisfying, albeit still being open-ended and teasing future sequels or DLC expansions.

Miasma Chronicles is The Bearded Ladies’ third XCOM-like game set in a post-apocalyptic wasteland and it’s arguably their best one yet. It has lots of flaws, but many of those can be fixed with future patches. The developer continued to improve their mastery with the niche gameplay combo of tactical turn-based strategy mixed with stealth, and this game is an example of that. It’s still worth playing in spite of being hampered by the weight of its ambition.
PROS

Their most cinematic and ambitious game yet.
A good blend of XCOM and stealth mechanics.
Quality of life features such as saving anywhere and being able to re-spec characters’ skills at any time.

CONS

Unbalanced difficulty and difficulty spikes.
No mini-map or maps.
Confusing and vague keypad puzzles.

FINAL SCORE: 60/100
Miasma Chronicles was reviewed on PC based on a review copy provided by the publisher. It is slated to release for the PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC on 23 May 2023.


Official Silent Hill Updates From Konami Coming This Thursday

Rumours of new Silent Hill games have been swirling for years, with the latest as recently as several months ago. Finally, it’s confirmed as Konami has launched a new Silent Hill website which reveals that the Japanese company will announce new updates or new games in the franchise at 5 am GMT+8 on Thursday, 20 October 2022.
The official tweet that announces this news comes with a caption that says,”In your restless dreams, do you see that town?”

In your restless dreams, do you see that town?
The latest updates for the SILENT HILL series, will be revealed during the #SILENTHILL Transmission on Wednesday, October 19th, at 2:00 PM. PDThttps://t.co/8Knoq9xYsa
— Silent Hill Official (@SilentHill) October 16, 2022

It’s also interesting that Silent Hill series monster designer Masahiro Ito has also apparently retweeted the announcement, which means that he may be involved. The last major instalment in the franchise was Silent Hill Downpour, which originally launched all the way back in 2012 for the PS3 and Xbox 360.
Stay tuned for the latest updates on Kakuchopurei.


Is Uncharted Legacy Of Thieves Collection Worth The Replay?

Just like 2014’s The Last Of Us Remastered on the PS4 did for 2013’s The Last Of Us on the PS3, so does Uncharted Legacy Of Thieves Collection on the PS5 for 2016’s Uncharted 4 A Thief’s End and 2017’s Uncharted The Lost Legacy. The appeal of these remastered collections is the ability to play the same games that will look and run better than they ever did on their original consoles.
In that regard, Uncharted Legacy Of Thieves CollectionÂ has definitely achieved that. However, is it as big a leap as The Last Of Us Remastered felt like on the PS4? It depends.
Greatness From Small Beginnings

I originally played both 2016’s Uncharted 4 A Thief’s End and 2017’s Uncharted The Lost LegacyÂ on my PS4 Pro, which means that I already had the added advantage of experiencing those games running on a more stable framerate as opposed to playing on a standard PS4 would. Those games ran at a stable 30 FPS on a PS4 Pro, but the sheer next-gen power of the PS5 has managed to increase that to not only 60 FPS but also a whopping 120 FPS. That’s not even mentioning the 4K resolution (albeit at 30 FPS).
However, being able to experience Uncharted Legacy Of Thieves CollectionÂ at its best means that you’ll have to own a 4K TV with the ability to run 120 FPS, and that’s frankly a luxury that most people won’t have. What if you only have a 1080p TV? Is Uncharted Legacy Of Thieves CollectionÂ still worth it then? Honestly, the answer to that is ultimately up to preference. While playing on a 1080p screen, I did experience the game in smooth 60 FPS, which makes the two great games even more enjoyable to play.

According to the official description, “1080p HD TV players will experience a 1080p resolution super-sampled from a 1440p base with improved anti-aliasing”, but I honestly couldn’t really tell the difference from when I previously played on my PS4 Pro. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, and it’s because the games were already freaking gorgeous on the PS4.
However, I honestly felt like there wasn’t much more to it, especially if you don’t have a 4K TV, or one that’s capable of 120 FPS. They’re still the exact same games with exactly the same content if you’ve played the PS4 versions. Uncharted Legacy Of Thieves CollectionÂ is ultimately more for those who fit the following criteria:

Have never played both games.
Have only played one of the two games.
Owns a 4K 120 FPS TV, allowing for significant improvement in visual experience.

Treasure Hunter

Replaying both games again has made me look back in retrospect. Despite being mostly overlooked at the time, Uncharted The Lost Legacy is arguably the better game of the two. Yes, it’s only half as long at around seven hours compared to Uncharted 4 A Thief’s End (which is approximately double that length). However, the shorter length results in a tighter and more satisfying experience in terms of gameplay. It’s clear that Naughty Dog learned a lot from Uncharted 4 and incorporated them into The Lost Legacy.
Uncharted 4 is more linear and restrictive in level design, while The Lost Legacy is more open. In Uncharted The Lost Legacy, most enemy encounters take place in open spaces with room to manoeuvre. This makes going stealth a more viable option as well, compared to the narrow and linear corridors of Uncharted 4 (which then forces you to play it as a more traditional cover shooter).
The Lost Legacy‘s Chloe Frazer also feels a lot more agile and smoother to control than Uncharted 4‘s Nathan Drake, which feels weightier and more sluggish. Plus, the melee combat and shooting in The Lost Legacy feels more fluid to perform, and that’s probably because it was the last game Naughty Dog worked on before developing 2020’s The Last Of Part 2. I’m not exaggerating when I say that there seems to be leftover DNA of The Lost Legacy in The Last Of Us Part 2.
The only aspect that I feel Uncharted 4 does better than in The Lost Legacy is the emotion and stakes. That’s not really surprising considering that Uncharted 4 is the conclusion of Nathan Drake’s journey, which we’ve been invested in since 2007’s Uncharted Drake’s Fortune. You can’t beat four games’ worth of character development and nostalgia, but the relationship between Chloe and Nadine in The Lost Legacy does feature some of the best writing in the franchise.
If you’ve never played an Uncharted game, all you’ll be doing outside of the amazing cinematic cutscenes include jumping around and scaling cliffs/walls, shooting and punching enemies, as well as solving the occasional puzzle. That’s essentially the basic formula of the franchise, though Uncharted 4 A Thief’s End and Uncharted The Lost Legacy are two of the best in the entire franchise (arguably behind only 2009’s Uncharted 2 Among Thieves).
Among Thieves

For those who already own Uncharted 4 A Thief’s End and Uncharted The Lost Legacy,Â you’ll only need to pay RM40 to upgrade to the Uncharted Legacy Of Thieves Collection. Ultimately, Uncharted Legacy Of Thieves CollectionÂ provides the best value for those who have never played both games, since you’re essentially getting two AAA games for the price of one (RM209 on the PlayStation Store).
The one downside of this Uncharted Legacy Of Thieves CollectionÂ is that there’s no new content at all, which is par the course for remastered collections like these. Still, this collection features the best version of both games, at least until the PC version eventually releases sometime later this year.
Pros

Capable of running both games in 4K 30 FPS or 120 FPS (at 1080p).
The definitive version of both games.
Both games are still two of the best PlayStation exclusives.

Cons

Both games are still exactly the same games, so there’s no additional content.
You need a 4K TV or a TV capable of running at 120 FPS to fully appreciate the improvements.
No multiplayer mode.

Final Score: 80/100
Review copy provided by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Played on PS5. Uncharted Legacy Of Thieves Collection on 28 January 2022 for PS5 and on PC via Steam later in 2022.


Here’s Your First Look At The Arknights Anime

Yostar’s animation studio division -yes, that is a thing- has uploaded a preview of its anime adaptation of Yostar’s hit strategy tower defense furry-filled game Arknights.
The show is called is Arknights: Prelude to Dawn and features 43 seconds of human-animal anime hybrids in modern combat situations. The anime will adapt the first few chapters of the game’s main story campaign “Evil Time”, “Separated Hearts”, and “Stinging Shock”. Characters in the trailer include Amiya (voiced by Tomoyo Kurosawa), Dobermann, Hawk, Medic, Ace, Mephistopheles, and Crownslayer.
It all looks promising, especially if you’re a fan of anime and gun-toting waifus. We do wonder if they’re preserve the chastising of Jessica like in the game’s tutorials and story bits. Trailer’s below:

Arknights: Prelude to Dawn is still in production with no broadcast window announced as of this writing. The mobile game is out now, while a spin-off title called Arknights: Endfield will be out for PC and mobile devices is still in development.


Indonesian City Citizens Banned From Playing Video Games During Ramadan

It looks like some Muslims will have to abstain from more than just food and drinks during the holy month of Ramadan. Those living in the Indonesian city of Banda Aceh will have to live without playing video games of any kind while fasting.
We’re serious, by the way.
CCN Indonesia reported that the Banda Aceh city government has officially prohibited its citizens from playing “PlayStation” and online games during Ramadan. Specifically, they can’t play games from 9am to 4pm local time.
Banda Aceh mayor Aminullah Usman said:
“Not participating in karaoke, operating billiard games, PlayStation , various types of online games and other entertainment during the holy month of Ramadan.
The salon will only be open from 09.00 – 16.00 WIB (Western Indonesian Time).
We will monitor everything together,”
It’s not just games either, as the city has banned karaoke, billiard, and other entertainment-related activities. The local authorities will be deployed to monitor the daily activities of Banda Aceh citizens so that they don’t indulge in any of the aforementioned activities.
In Banda Aceh, all business establishments are also required to close during the Isha’ and Tarawih prayers times. They will only be allowed to re-open from 9.30pm to 12am local time. They also have special guidelines in place to avoid too many people from congregating in one place due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
The Indonesian city has always been known for being a bit strict in enforcing religious matters. Thankfully, this remains exclusive to Banda Aceh for now, while those in Malaysia (and most other countries) can still play video games as usual during Ramadan.
What do you think? Are the actions of the Banda Aceh city government a bit much? Let us know in the comments below. In the meantime, have a blessed Ramadan Mubarak to all our Muslim readers. You can check out our list of favourite Muslim characters in video games by heading over here.


The Best Malaysian-Made Animation That Flew Under People’s Radars

On Kakuchopurei’s first-ever Post Credits video feature, we talk about Malaysia’s ever-growing animation portfolio from 2007 and beyond.

As usual, subscribe to our YouTube channel for more video game and pop-culture features. We post new content every Wednesday & Friday.
This Post Credits vid is an experiment; we’ll be going back to video game features. But if you want more, we might return to non-gaming pop culture topics. We stress on the word “might”.


Knights Of The Zodiac Premieres In Malaysian Cinemas Next Month

Sony Pictures Malaysia has announced that the upcoming Knights Of The Zodiac movie will now premiere in Malaysian cinemas on 11 May 2023. It was previously slated to premiere sometime in June 2023.
The Knights Of The Zodiac movie is a Hollywood live-action adaptation of the legendary Saint Seiya manga. The director is Polish animator and special effects creator Tomasz Baginski, with Josh Campbell and Matt Stuecken (10 Cloverfield Lane) as the screenwriters.
The film stars:

Mackenyu (Pacific Rim: Uprising, Rurouni Kenshin Saish?sh? The Final, live-action Chihayafuru films) as Seiya
Madison Iseman (Jumanji sequels, I Know What You Did Last Summer television series) as Sienna
Sean Bean (Game of Thrones, The Lord of the Rings, Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV, Snowpiercer series) as Alman Kido
Famke Janssen (X-Men, Taken, The Vault) as Guraad
Nick Stahl (Fear the Walking Dead) as Cassios, Diego Tinoco (On My Block) as Nero
Mark Dacascos (John Wick: Parabellum, Hawaii Five-O, Crying Freeman, Kamen Rider: Dragon Knight, Iron Chef America) as Mylock.

The synopsis reads:
Based on the international anime sensation, Knights of the Zodiac brings the Saint Seiya saga to the big screen in live-action for the first time. Seiya (Mackenyu), a headstrong street teen, spends his time fighting for cash while he searches for his abducted sister. When one of his fights unwittingly taps into mystical powers he never knew he had, Seiya finds himself thrust into a world of warring saints, ancient magical training and a reincarnated goddess who needs his protection. If he’s to survive, he will need to embrace his destiny and sacrifice everything to take his rightful place among the Knights of the Zodiac.
Masami Kurumada created the original Saint Seiya manga, which ran from 1986 to 1990. The manga has been adapted into multiple anime series, original video anime projects, anime films, and spinoff manga. The original series has sold 35 million copies worldwide to date.
Check out the trailer below:


2017 Overwatch World Cup Day-1 Roundup + Predictions and Viewing Times for Day-2

After four qualifying stages in four different countries; China, Australia, Poland and the United States, eight best national Overwatch teams converged in Anaheim, California for BlizzCon in pursuit of the right to be called the best and what a day it was. The day went according to plan for the favored teams – Sweden and Canada – early on before France pulled off an epic win against top seed China to turn the form books upside down. Then came in hosts the United States against defending champions South Korea to close off the day with what was easily the match of the day. Here’s a quick roundup of Day-1 of the 2017 Overwatch World Cup.
United Kingdom (6) vs Sweden (4): Swedes WIN 3-0
First up earlier today was the United Kingdom who took on the favored Swedes. While the UK managed to give out a respectable fight against the stacked Swedes, they were nowhere close to the European giants whose all six players will be featured in the upcoming Overwatch League. A 2-0 win on Oasis for a 1-0 lead was followed by Sweden out-playing the Brits on Numbani and Volskaya to roll out comfortable winners.

Canada (7) vs Australia (13): Canada WIN 3-2
While the Canadians started strong on Oasis with some early, flashy kills, they were stunned by the resilient Australians who bounced back to overcome the setback to win Oasis in three maps and outsmart the North Americans on King’s Row for a shock 2-0 lead. The Canadians bit back with a win on Hanamura after overtime and evened the score with a win on Junkertown thanks to a strong start and surprise Bastion tank maneuver by Surefour. They completed their superb reverse-sweep comeback with a convincing win on Nepal for 3-2 overall score and a date with Sweden in the semis.

China (1) vs France (8): France WIN 3-1Â
It was match of epic comebacks as France pulled off a reverse sweep against the top-ranked Chinese after not only going 0-1 down, but also managing a full push on the final map on Junkertown while on overtime to secure the 3-1 overall win. The ‘pirate ship’ strategy was implemented by both squads but the French managed to pull it off better to deny Eileen and Leave from being as effective they would have liked. AKM was easily the MVP of the match where he pulled off some clutch kills to send France into the Semis.

South KoreaÂ (2) vs USA (3): South Korea WIN 4-2Â
They saved the best for last as the loud spectators were treated with competitive Overwatch of the highest quality with the United States showing that they are no pushovers, dealing the Koreans their first map loss in Overwatch World Cup to take a surprise 1-0 followin a win on Nepal. The Koreans bounced back and showed everyone why they are the favorites of the tournament with a convincing win on Eichenwalde to tie the score. Viewers were then treated with a marathon of clutch plays and timely kills but none even came close to the highlight reel known as Flow3r as he displayed an epic Widowmaker performance to cut down the Americans. Score on Hanamura ended 6-6 with no winner and both teams head to the fourth map on Watchpoint Gibraltar which saw the Koreans take the lead thanks to another world class Widowmaker play by Flow3r. The Americans, clearly drained from the marathon on Hanamura earlier surrendered the deciding map on Oasis without much resistance, going down 0-2 and losing the match series 4-2.

The semi-final matches scheduled for today were retimed to tomorrow which sees Sweden take on the Canadians while the French face South Korea in the other match. Losing semi-finalists will then compete in the third-placement matches just prior to the Grand Final. Tentative schedules for tomorrow’s matches are as follows:

Semi-Final 1: Sweden (4) vs Canada (7): Overwatch League Preview #1 1230AM Nov 5 2017 (KUL/ HK/ SG)Â
Sweden and Canada last met in last year’s World Cup during the group stages which saw the Swedes winning 2-0, effectively ending the Canadians’ hopes of qualifying for the playoffs. Revenge is surely in the minds of the North Americans this year andÂ  viewers can expect to see at least ten players who are set to feature in the Overwatch League in this match set.
Prediction: Sweden by 3-1 Sweden have shown great chemistry from the get go in their match against the Brits while the Canadians took more time to warm up when playing against the Australians before scraping off a reverse-sweep. Either the Australians improved a lot in such a short period, the Canadians ain’t as good as we expect them to be or a combination of both, the performance today suggests that there are definitely chinks on the Canadians’ armor and unlike the Ozzies, the Swedes are much less forgiving to any mistakes and weaknesses.
We favor the Swedes to go all the way here, winning 3-1.
Semi-Final 2: France (8) vs South Korea (2):Â  230AM Nov 5 2017 (KUL/ HK/ SG)Â
The teams have never met in the Overwatch World Cup stage and it would be interesting to see how one of the most decorated teams in Europe fare against the Koreans. This may also be the last match the French players – who are all made of Rogue – play together as a group following the organization’s disbandment following their failure to secure an Overwatch League spot.
Prediction: Korea 3-0Â 3-0? That’s what you predicted when the Koreans played against the United States Kenn! What are you drinking?!
Well, first hear me out. If you look at the Korean composition against the States, they started with a very off-meta composition with Ryujehong on his comfort pick, Ana. The Americans who were running the Mercy comp capitalized on this and romped to a 1-0 win, but even that, in three maps. After losing Nepal, the Koreans got better grasp of the Americans and slowly but surely came back into the game. Mechanically and tactically superior, the Koreans were in control throughout and only reason the score looked favorable (at 4-2) was due to the surprise score via the first map, and the epic battle on Hanamura. Once the Koreans got their groove, the Americans had no answer which allowed Flow3r all the time in the world to create his own highlight reel on Gibraltar and Oasis.
It’s hard to imagine the French team eking out a map win here. A comfortable win by the Koreans to set a date with Sweden in the Grand Finals.
Schedules for the Third-Placement and Grand Finals are as follows (tentatively)
Third Placement:Â  430AM Nov 5 2017 (KUL/ HK/ SG)
Grand Finals: 630AM Nov 5 2017Â (KUL/ HK/ SG)


Japan Slows Down Production of the PlayStation Vita

The PlayStation Vita is nearing the end of its lifespan as its production has ended, according to the official PlayStation website in Japan.

According to Gematsu’s translation, just the PCH-2000 ZA11 (PS Vita Black) and the PCH-2000 ZA23 (PS Vita Aqua Blue) SKUs only remain. The shipments for these two last models too are ‘scheduled to end soon’.

At this time, no specific date has been given. However, Gematsu said that when Sony ended production of the PlayStation 3, the same websiteÂ made a similar statement such as the Vita’s just a couple of months before the PlayStation 3 was finally withdrawn.
Sony has already omitted the Vita out of their future plans in regards to the free games from the PS Plus subscription and has reminded developers and publishers that they would no longer be producing physical copies of Vita games by the end of March 2019.
While the PlayStation Vita is about to end its life cycle, there is a glimmer of hope in the future of Sony handheld gaming in the form of this patent. The patent was filed at the Korea Patent Office in November 2017 and was made public in November 2018. According to its design,Â Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. has patented an “electronic game cartridge” device.
There are no specific details of the patent as of yet.


Wildfrost Is A Delightfully Dynamic Deckbuilder

Platform(s): PC (version reviewed), Nintendo Switch
Genre: Strategy
If you’re a fan of tactical deckbuilding games like Slay the Spire, Banner of Ruin, and Monster Train, then Wildfrost may be the game for you. Developed by Deadpan Games and Gaziter, and published by Chucklefish, Wildfrost is set in a world that’s been overrun by an endless winter where you take control of a group of heroes and restore balance to the world.
In Wildfrost, you’ll explore a map that’s randomly generated with battles, merchants, events, and treasures. At the start of each game, you’ll have a basic deck consisting of attack and item cards, but as you complete encounters and take down bosses, you’ll be able to add more cards to your collection.
The card battles in Wildfrost take place on a grid, where your units are lined up against enemy units in two rows. Each turn, you get to take one action, which could mean playing a companion card to add more troops to your army, using an item card to boost your units’ stats, or unleashing an attack card to deal some serious damage. It’s crucial to protect your hero character card at all times because if they fall in battle, it’s game over.

Chill Out

When you start a new game of Wildfrost, you’ll be presented with three options for your starting hero. You’ll also get to choose a pet to join you on your adventure. At first, you’ll only have a few pets to choose from, but as you progress through the game, you’ll unlock more.
The pets you choose will have fixed health and abilities, but your hero’s health and attack stats will be randomized. The additional abilities of your hero will depend on which tribe they belong to. Wildfrost has three different tribes to choose from: the Snowdwellers, the Shademancers, and the Clunkmasters. Each tribe has its own strengths, weaknesses, and special abilities. For example, the Snowdwellers are all about dealing heavy damage and disrupting enemy attacks, while the Shademancers focus on summoning temporary allies to help you in battle.
The tribes each have their own unique look and feel, and everything in Wildfrost is gorgeously designed. From the item cards to the companions to the backgrounds, the game is bursting with colour and detail. The whimsical soundtrack ties everything together to create a world that’s easy to get lost in, whether you’re fighting in a battle or just browsing the menu screen. With so much to explore, Wildfrost is a game you can keep playing for hours on end.

Cold But Gold

Wildfrost stands out from other deckbuilding games with its unique game mechanics. In this game, each unit card has its own attack counter that counts down every turn, indicating when a unit will trigger an attack. Depending on the counter value, a unit may attack once every few turns or only after being hit by an enemy attack. Some item cards can lower the attack counter of a friendly unit or delay enemy attacks, giving you a tactical advantage.
Drawing cards is also different in Wildfrost. Instead of getting a new hand of cards every turn, you have a redraw bell with its own counter. At the start of a game, the redraw bell counter counts down from four. If you want to draw a new hand of cards before the counter reaches zero, you can hit the bell and do so, but you won’t be able to perform any other actions during that turn. When the counter reaches zero, you’ll be able to draw a new hand of cards without any cost.
During battles, there’s a visible wave deployer that shows the number of turns until the next wave of enemies appears. If the counter reaches zero, you win the battle after all enemies have been slain. In boss battles, the battle ends when the boss is killed, regardless of other enemies left on the battlefield. Wildfrost is definitely a unique and strategic experience that will keep you on your toes!

Staying Frosty

In Wildfrost, having a solid plan is crucial to success. Unlike other deckbuilding games, where you can take things one turn at a time, in Wildfrost you need to think ahead. The game’s mechanics, such as the redraw bell, are designed to encourage strategic planning.
For instance, you can remove your companion cards from the board at any time to heal them and then reshuffle them back into your draw pile. However, the catch is that you won’t be able to place them back on the board until you draw the same companion card again, so you need to be mindful of when and how you do this.
Keeping an eye on your companion’s health is essential as well. If a companion gets knocked down before you can reshuffle them back into your deck, they’ll be injured, and their stats will be temporarily lower. Surviving a battle without any injured companions is critical as they will heal and be back to normal. But if they die, you’ll have to find a new companion to replace them.
Careful planning is key when building a strategy. The game has various elements, like the redraw bell and companion cards, that cater to this explicitly. However, you need to be strategic about how and when you use companion cards as they can be taken off the board at no action cost during a turn so they can be healed and shuffled back into your draw pile.
You must keep an eye on your companion’s health as if they are downed in battle before being reshuffled back into your deck, they will be injured, with lower attack and health stats. If they do perish on the battlefield, you’ll have to find a new companion to replace them.
Besides your companion’s health, you must also be mindful of status effects on the battlefield. These can be anything from poisonous shroom clouds that deal damage over time to the ‘demonize’ effect that doubles the amount of damage a unit receives. However, it’s remarkably easy to wrap your head around the mechanics after a couple of runs, and the nature of each effect feels suitably complex to keep things challenging as you progress through the game.

As you traverse the map, you’ll have the option to collect charms that function as one-time upgrades that can be attached to units for the duration of a run. However, once you equip a companion with a charm, you’re not able to unequip it, and if the companion dies, the charm will be gone too. Every item, charm, or card that you pick up adds something of value to a run, and the moments of unlocking the right synergies between different cards are satisfying.
Wildfrost has a dynamic nature due to its procedurally generated map, which keeps you on your toes as a player. Snowdwell, the starting town, functions as a central hub that you return to after a run. You can upgrade and unlock tribes, cards, and charms before starting your next game. You’ll also have the opportunity to complete challenges and unlock things between runs, similar to Darkest Dungeon and Hades.
In addition, you’ll have access to the Daily Voyage mode from Snowdell, which comes with a deck and a set of modifiers that change every day. You can compete for the highest daily score on a global leaderboard or compare your scores with your friends. All of this helps to keep things interesting once you’ve completed the main game. Wildfrost is designed to keep challenging players through a gentle progression, making it a good fit for both brand-new card game fans and seasoned players.
The only feature that felt like it was missing was an in-game glossary. Some additional heads-up on its mechanics and reminders would be helpful in the long run.

Ice Cold
In summary, Wildfrost is a well-crafted and engaging deckbuilding game that offers a dynamic and challenging gameplay experience. With procedurally generated maps, dynamic attack counters, and various status effects, the game keeps you on your toes and provides a satisfying level of complexity without ever becoming overwhelming. Additionally, the ability to collect charms and complete challenges adds depth and replayability to the game. While a glossary would be helpful for newcomers, the game’s intuitive design makes it accessible for players of all skill levels. Overall, if you’re a fan of deckbuilding games, Wildfrost is definitely worth checking out.
Pros

Dynamic attack counter system adds depth and suspense.
Variety of companions, charms, and encounters keep gameplay interesting.
Beautiful visuals and soundtrack enhance overall experience.
Daily voyage mode and engaging challenges provide additional replayability and goals to achieve.

Cons

No in-game glossary.

Final Score: 80/100


Football Player Recreates Street Fighter Pose To Celebrate Goal

Scoring a goal in football is one of the biggest achievements for a football player in a match. After scoring, a player will usually celebrate by running or jumping around for a bit, but some players prefer to be a bit more elaborate. In a recent match between Spanish football clubs Real Madrid and Valencia, Brazillian Real Madrid player VinÃcius JÃºnior apparently recreated an idle pose from a Street Fighter character to celebrate his goal.
When celebrating his goal, it looks like VinÃcius JÃºnior (or Vini Jr) performed the idle pose of none other than Twelve from Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike.
Check it out for yourself below:
https://twitter.com/Sala12BR/status/1479930021221474304
And compare that with this:

However, this is just speculation for now. Vini Jr might be performing another dance entirely. Who knows? If he did recreate a video game pose for a goal celebration, he won’t be the first.

Several examples include the ones below. Both of them are dances from Epic Games’ Fortnite. The first was performed by French national striker Griezmann in a match between France and Argentina during the 2018 World Cup, while the second was performed by Ainsley Maitland in a match between Arsenal and Liverpool.

This dude Griezmann really hit a fortnite dance in a big World Cup game pic.twitter.com/1wFp1fBcvx
— Hurt CoPain (@SaeedDiCaprio) June 30, 2018


Malaysian Director To Helm An Episode of HBO’s Folklore Season 2

WarnerMedia has announced the second season of the HBO Asia Original horror anthology series,Â Folklore.
Principal photography for the seven-part hour-long series will commence early next year in seven Asian territories including Malaysia,Â Indonesia, Japan, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand.
Each episode will be directed by a local director from each territory, with Malaysian Bradley Liew directing one episode.
Liew is an alumnus of acclaimed institutions such as the NAFF Fantastic Film School, Tokyo Talents and Sam Spiegel International Film Lab. His first feature film,Â 2016’s Singing In Graveyards, was awarded Southeast Asian Film Lab Most Promising Project Award.
Bradley Liew
He will be the second Malaysian director to be in the HBO series, as the first season featured Ho Yuhang’s episode, TOYOL.
Helmed once again by Singaporeâ€™s award-winning filmmaker Eric Khoo, the second season of Folklore will ramp up the fear factor as it examines the human condition when exposed to supernatural powers in a mind-bending race against oneself, each story bringing a different take and perspective.
The directors for this season include Sittisiri Mongkolsiri from Thailand, Shih-Han Liao from Taiwan, Erik Matti from the Philippines, Billy Christian from Indonesia, Nicole Midori Woodford from Singapore, and Bradley Liew from Malaysia. Pop singer-songwriter, Seiko Matsuda, will be making her directorial debut in the episode from Japan.
WarnerMedia India, Southeast Asia and Korea Head of Entertainment Magdalene Ew said:
â€œThe horror genre has always worked well in Asia. Following the success of the first season ofÂ Folklore, WarnerMedia has greenlit the second season of the award-winning series, expanding the anthology series to more Asian countries. Folklore Season 2 will feature a mix of established and up-and-coming auteurs, each with distinct sensibilities, including two female directors from the region.â€
Folklore Season 2 will premiere later in 2021 onÂ HBO GOÂ and HBO. You can stream or download the six-part first season ofÂ Folklore onÂ HBO GO now.


[Rumour] We Know How Much The Next-Gen Xbox Costs

The Xbox Series X recently received a release window for November 2020 but we still don’t know the essential details like its official price. We’re probably two weeks or so away from finally figuring out the price of the Xbox Series X at the upcoming Gamescom 2020 Opening Night Live at 2am GMT+8 on 27 August 2020.
However, a new source (via Forbes) has popped up. Former games journalist and current podcaster/YouTuber Alanah Pearce was recently on the Kinda Funny Xcast, and she revealed something interesting.
She said that she was recently DMed by someone working in retail that showed her a photo of their internal screen, revealing a November release date for the Xbox Series X and a US$599 price.

Alanah Pearce says someone sent her a photo from a retail store computer showing Xbox Series X price of $599 pic.twitter.com/etWxdhPtd3— THE RED DRAGON ? (@TWTHEREDDRAGON) August 15, 2020

We should probably take that with a grain of salt for now until Xbox officially confirms the official price, but US$599 definitely sounds possible due to several reasons.
The Xbox Series X is pretty much a PC in all but name, with power that makes it quite possibly the most powerful gaming console ever to be produced. Pricing it at US$599 sounds plausible to make up for the cost of the expensive internal parts of the console.
Many are speculating the PS5 to be around the same price or between US$500 and US$600, for good reason. In comparison, the PS4 only cost US$399.99 at launch back in 2013.
With the potential power of the PS5, itâ€™s entirely possible that the PS5 could be that expensive. Letâ€™s not forget that the PS3 launched at an exorbitant price of US$599 in the US back in 2007, so itâ€™s not like thereâ€™s no historical precedent for Sony putting ridiculous prices on its consoles.
It all pretty much depends on what the PS5 costs as well. I’m sure Microsoft doesn’t want the Xbox Series X to lose out to the PS5 just because it’s more expensive. It’s logical that both companies will be employing similar price points for competitive reasons.
Again, US$599 sounds very potentially likely at this point, despite not being confirmed as of yet. With only several months left to Holiday 2020, time is running out for both Sony and Microsoft to fully capitalize on the moment and lead the way.
In the meantime, stay tuned on Kakuchopurei for all the latest news on the Xbox Series X, and check outÂ all the latest updates and developments on all things Xbox to date here.


Game Of Thrones Prequel Casts Former Doctor Who Star

So far, we’ve heard little news about the upcoming HBO’s Game Of Thrones prequel, House Of The Dragon, but the latest update has confirmed three new additions to the growing cast.

Fire will reign.Olivia Cooke, Emma D’Arcy, and Matt Smith join the cast of @HBO’s #HouseOfTheDragonFor the latest updates: https://t.co/ojAsdiyoWV pic.twitter.com/uKSyIGIJJU— Game of Thrones (@GameOfThrones) December 11, 2020

HBO has cast Matt Smith (Doctor Who), Olivia Cooke (Ready Player One), and Emma Dâ€™Arcy (Hanna) to star in House Of The Dragon. They join the previously-confirmed Paddy Considine (The Outsider).
Based on George R.R. Martinâ€™s Fire & Blood novel, House Of The Dragon will follow the events in Westeros 300 years before the age of Daenerys Targaryen, at the prime of her family’s power in the region.
Clockwise from the top left: Paddy Considine, Olivia Cooke Matt Smith and Emma D’Arcy.
Paddy Considine will play King Viserys Targaryen (he was the first to bear the name, while Daenerys’ brother as portrayed by Harry Lloyd was the third).
Matt Smith will play Prince Daemon Targaryen, the younger brother of King Viserys and a dragon rider to boot. Smith is best known for having portrayed the Eleventh Doctor in Doctor Who Series 5, 6, and 7.
Emma Dâ€™Arcy will play Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen, first-born child of King Viserys and also a dragon rider. Meanwhile, Olivia Cooke will play Alicent Hightower, the daughter of Hand Of The King Otto Hightower.
House Of The Dragon will have 10 episodes in its first season and set to begin production in 2021, but a release date or window has yet to be announced.


Mario Movie From Illumination Features Star-Studded Cast; Out In Holiday 2022

Shigeru Miyamoto broke through today’s early morning Nintendo Direct for 24th October to talk about the upcoming 3D animated Mario movie from animation studio Illumination.
First up, the star-studded voice cast. Here’s the line-up.

Chris Pratt as Mario.
Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach.
Charlie Day as Luigi.
Keegan-Michael Key as Toad.
Jack Black as Bowser.
Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong.
Charles Martinet (the OG Mario voice) in cameo roles.

The movie will be out in North America in December 2022, with a Holiday 2022 release schedule for the rest of the world.


Sonic Origins: How To Skip Levels & Find The Hidden Palace Zone

Sonic Origins will be out tomorrow on 23 June and will feature all four classic Sonic titles from the Sega Megadrive/Genesis/Sega CD/Mega CD. And just like the original games, they have level select codes for you to bypass stages you’ve already played back then.
However, the codes have different inputs and feature different rewards if you enter them. Here they are.
Disclaimer: all inputs are using the PlayStation controller
Sonic Origins: Sonic The Hedgehog/Sonic 1 Level Select Code
On the title screen, as soon as the “Press Button” appears, enter the following: Up, Down, Left Right. You will hear a ring chime. Then press Square (X on Xbox, Y on Switch).

You will now be on the level select screen. You will also gain access to the following options:

Player – Choose which character to play as. 01 is Sonic, 02 is Tails, 03 is Knuckles and 00 is Sonic and Tails together.
Spindash – Turn on or off the spindash move (Down + Jump) introduced in Sonic 2.
Gnd Spd Cap – Turn on or off a speed cap for Sonic when he’s on the ground.
Air Spd Cap – Turn on or off a speed cap for Sonic when he’s in the air.
S1 Spikes – Turn on or off the Sonic 1 spikes rule. If it’s on, Sonic will die if he hits spikes then bounces onto another set of spikes.
Items – Change the Sonic 1 items for Sonic 2 or Sonic 3 items (such as the fire, electricity and bubble shields).
Max Emeralds – choose whether the game requires you to collect 6 or 7 Chaos Emeralds.

Sonic Origins: Sonic The Hedgehog 2 Level Select Code

When the words “Press Button” appear, enter the following: Up, Up, Up, Down, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right. A ring chime will play. Then press Square (X on Xbox, Y on Switch).
This will take you to the level select screen, which features the Hidden Palace Zone. The latter stage won’t be available immediately, so here’s a guide to find the stage.
Sonic Origins: How To Find The Hidden Palace Zone In Sonic The Hedgehog 2
This is the fabled Sonic 2 stage that was in the game’s pre-release build. After much fanfare, the level was recreated by Sonic Mania devs Christian Whitehead and Simon Thomley with permission from Sega.
In Act 2 of the Mystic Cave Zone (which you can teleport to using the cheat above), head right and immediately drop off the bridge. Keep to the low ground. Keep doing right until you can go no further, then drop down and make your way past the rotating crates.

Lower the next bridge, jump off the yellow spring that follows and after this you’ll find a pit with a vine over it.

Instead of pulling the vine to lower the bridge, drop into the pit. This will take you to the Hidden Palace Zone.

Sonic Origins: Sonic The Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles Level Select Code
When the words “Press Button” appear, enter the following: Up, Up, Down, Down, Up, Up, Up, Up. You will hear a ring chime. Then, press a button and move the cursor down to access a hidden Sound Test option. Pick this to enter the Level Select option.

This Level Select also gives you access to new Blue Sphere stages and the five Competition stages (from the original Megadrive version’s multiplayer mode).