Superman Legacy Cast Adds Hawkgirl, Mister Terrific & Green Lantern Actors

Superman Legacy has added three new actors to its cast (via Vanity Fair). This includes Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl, Edi Gathegi as Mister Terrific and Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner Green Lantern.

James Gunn, who will direct the 2025 movie, has previously already cast David Corenswet as Clark Kent and Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane. The movie will start shooting in January 2024.
Superman Legacy is slated to premiere on 11 July 2025.
According to Warner Bros’ official logline, Superman Legacy tells the story of Superman’s journey to reconcile his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing as Clark Kent of Smallville, Kansas. He is the embodiment of truth, justice and the American way, guided by human kindness in a world that sees kindness as old-fashioned.
Superman Legacy will be the first movie in the newly rebooted DCU or DC Universe. You can read more about that in detail by heading over here for my previous coverage.


Solo Review: Stop Making Star Wars Spin-Offs

What ‘s wrong with the Star Wars brand now that it inspired awe and huge fandoms in the past but can now simply muster an “okay” reaction? What does it say about Solo: A Star Wars Story when directly after watching the movie, I felt like the Star Wars spin-offs should probably stop. “Star Wars fatigue” hasn’t set in yet but if Solo is any indication, that will be the case sooner than later. I really wanted to feel the excitement I felt watching Star Wars as a kid, but all I felt watching Solo was… meh.
Synopsis
Solo: A Star Wars Story is the second installment of the Star Wars spin-off movies after 2016’s Rogue One to be released under the “A Star Wars Story” banner. So far both have been prequels. While Rogue One was essentially a direct prequel to Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, Solo is an origin story of sorts for the iconic Han Solo character. The premise of Solo is basically how Han met Chewbacca and Lando Calrissian, as well as how he came to possess the Millenium Falcon. It’s also the story of how Han Solo becomes the legendary smuggler and outlaw he’s known to be in the original Star Wars trilogy.
Is Alden Ehrenreich a worthy Han Solo?
Even when Solo was initially announced, people have already derided the choice of casting actor Alden Ehrenreich as the young Han Solo. I’m here to say that although I went into the movie expecting the worst, it was better than I expected. Alden actually does a decent job of portraying a younger, more idealistic Han Solo, which then develops throughout the movie into the Han Solo we know and love from the original trilogy.
He even nailed some of the mannerisms from Harrison Ford’s iconic portrayal of Han Solo. However, the charisma we’ve come to expect from Han isn’t present in Solo, as some of the lines and jokes delivered by Alden fall flat when we know that Harrison Ford could have pulled those off in his sleep. However, all of that could be forgiven if observed in the context of an inexperienced Han Solo, who is only just about to come into his own as a character.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPEYpryMp2s&w=560&h=315]
What about the supporting cast?
As for the rest of the cast, Donald Glover and Woody Harrelson are definite highlights of Solo. Their charisma and sheer likability carry their performances as the young Lando Calrissian and Han Solo’s mentor/partner in crime Tobias Beckett, respectively. The supporting cast did great with strong performances all around.
We had Alan Tudyk as K-2SO as the main droid in Rogue One and now we have the similarly excellentÂ Phoebe Waller-Bridge as L3-37, Lando’s companion droid who is also an SJW who fights for equal rights. The writers are surely having a blast writing all these quirky droids now that they have the creative freedom to write about droids who aren’t C3-PO. The other characters aren’t as well-defined, especially Emilia Clarke’s Qi’Ra and Paul Bettany’s role as the crime lord Dryden Vos.
An Empty and Disappointing Plot
The plot of Solo: A Star Wars Story is the most disappointing aspect of the movie. While Rogue One added much to Star Wars lore by explaining how the Death Star plans were retrieved and the reason behind its seemingly ridiculous design flaw, Solo contributes almost nothing. Yes, it shows us how Han met Chewbacca and Lando, as well as how he obtained the Millennium Falcon. It’s insignificant as a Star Wars movie but works if seen simply as a Han Solo origin story, which is totally what it is and presumably what the filmmakers were aiming for. What has Solo accomplished other than merely showing us what we already know? That’s been a problem for prequels in other franchises as well, and Solo is not exempt.
Solo is a fun movie, filled with action. However, when the movie can’t even justify its reason for existing in the Star Wars franchise as a whole, that’s all there is to it. I’m not asking for a movie which exists simply to tease future movies (like what Marvel Studios is doing), but Solo needs something more to make it stand out. The entire second act is supposed to show viewers how Solo completed the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs, as he famously said in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. It pains me to tell you that long-time Star Wars fans will surely be disappointed with the whole sequence. Now we have this mundane action setpiece to picture every time we rewatch A New Hope and Han mentions the Kessel Run line again.
Looks Like A Star Wars Movie, Doesn’t Feel Like One
Don’t get me wrong. Solo looks good, just like every Star Wars movie before it. It maintains the quality of the cinematography and set design. Another positive point for the movie comes from its use of practical effects, which is certainly a welcome and appreciated effort in today’s cinematic landscape where every movie just relies on CGI. Speaking of the CGI, it’s great too, which is not surprising.
However, the fact remains that none of the visuals really pop out and made me stare in awe like I’m a little kid again. All of the previous Star Wars movies had that, Solo, unfortunately, does not. Even seeing the Millennium Falcon again didn’t inspire any feelings of nostalgia for me, when it clearly should. I don’t expect Death Stars or vast space battles but there should have been more epic moments. It’s a Star Wars movie, for pete’s sake.
The Force Awakens Again… Not.
One of the few saving graces in Solo is the unexpected cameo by an iconic Star Wars character. I won’t spoil it but it’ll be a shocker, albeit confusing for those who don’t follow both The Clone Wars and Rebels animated series. It’s good to see Star Wars still being able to provide a second or two of awe and disbelief, although that isn’t such a good thing considering what happened with The Last Jedi. That movie was hollow, filled with surprises and revelations that make no sense in terms of franchise continuity. Thank the Force Solo doesn’t attempt to do so much of the very same thing.
If this is what future Star Wars spin-offs will be like, it will be difficult for fans to sustain any anticipation for future movies in the franchise. Considering how divided audiences were over the Last Jedi, it looks like all the excitement and surrounding Star Wars return to the big screen generated by The Force Awakens only THREE years ago has all but disappeared. It took Star Wars 10 years for a return to the big screen, but it looks like it might take less than half that amount of time for it to get buried again.
Pros

Alden makes a better than expected, decent Han Solo
Great supporting cast carrying the movie
Totally unexpected cameo by iconic Star Wars character

Cons

Doesn’t add anything to the Star Wars lore/mythos as a whole, unlike Rogue One
No sense of purpose or justification for its existence
A Star Wars movie shouldn’t make you feel meh
Looks like a Star Wars movie but doesn’t feel like one

FINAL SCORE: 50/100
Solo: A Star Wars Story opens in Malaysian cinemas on 24th May 2018. We caught the movie on IMAX via press screening, courtesy of The Walt Disney Company (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd.


Square Enix Announces New Card-Based RPG From Yoko Taro & His Nier Crew

If you’re looking for a Nier or Drakengard sequel, you might get one in the form of a spiritual successor of sorts.
Square Enix has announced a new RPG called Voice of Cards: The Isle Dragon Roars, which is a new game featuring an “enchanting story completely depicted by cards”. This is from the mind of Nier and Drakengard series creator Yoko Taro. Here’s a blurb from the recent press release:
“This new title will spark players imagination and open their minds to a different way of storytelling as the narrative unfolds.”
The game’s staff also includes Yosuke Saito as executive producer, Keiichi Okabe as music director, and Kimihiko Fujisaka as character designer. Yes, those are names that are tied in with Nier and Drakengard. No platforms have been announced yet, though we guess it’ll be on PS4 and PS5.
Check out the teaser below.


Battlefield 2042 To Drop Essential Game Component

The next entry in the Battlefield franchise will be Battlefield 2042. However, what’s interesting is that Battlefield 2042 will not feature a conventional or traditional single-player campaign, which will be a first for the franchise since 2002’s Battlefield 1942.
This was confirmed by VG247, who was invited to a private press event where EA revealed more details about the upcoming game. Just like Call Of Duty Warzone and the first Titanfall, Battlefield 2042 will instead infuse narrative into its various online multiplayer modes with every new season. It’s similar to a live service kind of component.
Battlefield 2042 is slated to launch for the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on 22 October 2021. The first look at gameplay will be unveiled on 13 June 2021.
In the meantime, check out the official cinematic trailer below:


These Malaysian Studios Worked On Final Fantasy 16

Score not one, but two for Malaysia’s development and asset-making team. Two companies scored a gig in working on 2023’s biggest JRPG(?).
Lemon Sky Studios and Passion Republic, two Malaysian video game support studios, have worked on Final Fantasy 16. Both companies worked on one of the many animations of the really huge 30+ hour game, according to the end credits (via Sophie Azlan) :
Lemon Sky Studios

Lead Animator: Li-Wen Koh
Co-Lead Animator: Wei-Seng Leow
Animators: Dira Augusta Mulyadi, Sean-Hui Cheong, Adrian Nicklaus, Azizah Nuryasmin, Simon Sai, Kenny Tan, Yean-Shen Tan, Jon Wong
Technical Supervisor: Jun-Yao Liow
Executive Producers: Cheng-Fei Wong, Ken Foong
Head Production, Animation Division: Hon-Gene Loo
Business Relationship Manager: Yumi Aizawa
Project Managers: Cres Lim, Lai-Bung Yau
Translators: Hui-Ling Cheong, Yi-Chyi Lee, Amirah Rosli

Passion Republic

Lead Animator: Julian On Chin Sern
Animator: Ng Kar Hou

local studios spotted in the credits for FF16!!!! congrats to #PassionRepublic and @lemonskytweet !!!!! ???? pic.twitter.com/lQ2qSyDNGW
— 96LIONS! ? ?? its gamedev time (@96lions_) June 22, 2023

Malaysia Boleh x2! Final Fantasy 16 is out now exclusively for PlayStation 5; check out our review of the game here.


Ghostlore Is A Singapore-Made Action RPG With Southeast Asian Spirit-Hunting

If you fancy hunting ghosts in isometric action RPG form, you may want to wishlist this upcoming PC game.
It’s called Ghostlore and it’s made by two Singaporean developers: Andrew and Adam Teo. The game is an “eastpunk” action RPG where you fight monsters from Southeast Asian folklore. The game will feature a detailed item and character customization system, procedurally generated maps, and beautiful 2D isometric art.
So far, the game’s Steam page trailer just screams charisma & action. It looks really good both static and in motion, though it does make us curious as to how it truly plays.

The game will be out for PC (Steam) on Q2 2022. If it plays well from start to finish, it may end up as 2022’s dark horse hit. Here’s a heartfelt message from Andrew (via Singapore Games Association Community):
It is with great excitement and no small amount of trepidation that I announce that Ghostlore has launched its Steam Page.

If you would like to try the game in its present state, I’ll be pretty much giving out Steam keys to anyone who asks. All I ask for in return is a ‘Print Screen’ screenshot showing that you have wishlisted the game on Steam.

Adam and I have worked really hard over the past couple of months and I’m very proud of what we have achieved. I hope you can see from our Steam page that we are committed to delivering the best possible experience with Ghostlore.

But even then, visibility is key for a game to succeed in today’s hyper-saturated market. What we’re up against here is the dreaded Steam Algorithm, which decides which games to recommend to more people based on how many people have added it to their Wishlists. This results in postive (or negative) feedback spirals. Game studios typically pay influencers, streamers, to spread the name of their game far and wide, to convince the algorithm that their game is worth recommending to others.

Unfortunately we’re just two regular guys and cannot afford to blow a small fortune on marketing campaigns. I want Ghostlore to succeed because I’ve always wondered why Singapore couldn’t have its own cultural export like Japan or Korea. I won’t say for sure that Ghostlore will be the thing that does that, but maybe, just maybe, helping Ghostlore achieve some small measure of popularity might make that far-off-dream a little bit more of a reality.

So if this is your dream as well, if Ghostlore is something you genuinely feel is worthy of your time and support, a small click of the ‘Wishlist’ button would go a very long way. Help Ghostlore beat the algorithm by wishlisting on Steam now! Thank you!


Charlize Theron Gives First Official Look At Her Character In Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness

Marvel Studios and Charlize Theron have given us our first official look at the character the actress plays in the first post-credits scene of Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness. However, some might still consider this to be a spoiler, so you’d better stop reading now if you don’t want to know any more details.
Without context or details, you wouldn’t know who she is. Plus, once again, this is officially coming from the source (Marvel Studios/Charlize Theron), so we’re not actually spoiling anything.

In the first post-credits scene of Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness, Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange is walking down the street when a strange (pun intended) woman suddenly appears in the middle of the street. She tells him that his actions involving the multiverse caused an “incursion”. She then rips a portal to the Dark Dimension, and asks Doctor Strange to follow her, which he does.
In the comics, Clea is the niece of Dormammu, and the daughter of Umar (who is Dormammu’s sister). She is of the powerful race of magical beings called the Faltine. She also married Doctor Strange in the comics, and is currently the Sorcerer Supreme of both the Dark Dimension and Earth after Doctor Strange’s death.

However, it’s unclear when we’ll see the next appearance of Charlize Theron as Clea, as a new Doctor Strange movie has yet to be officially confirmed. You can head on over here for our non-spoiler review, or check out my analysis of what’s to come in a potential Doctor Strange 3 in the future.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Charlize Theron (@charlizeafrica)


Here’s How You Can Play The Code Vein Demo On PS4

In less than a month’s time, we’ll be able to find out whether Code Vein is just anime Dark Souls or something more special than that. For those of you who missed the game’s network test back in June, worry not. There’s a new demo for you to play.
A demo titled Code Vein: Trial Edition has just launched for the PS4 and Xbox One on each platforms’ respective online store. Unfortunately, it seems that PC players won’t be getting the same treatment.

The Trial Edition will allow you to play through one of the game’s early areas all the way up to that level’s boss fight. Similar to the Network Test, you’ll also be able to create and customise your own character using all of the features offered in the retail version of the game.
For PS4 players in Malaysia, you can check out the game’s PS Store page here.
Code Vein launches on 27 September 2019 for PS4, Xbox One, and PC (Steam). Read up on the game’s gameplay mechanics and lore here. For more news and our upcoming review of the game, stay tuned on Kakuchopurei.


The Simpsons Is Doing A Death Note Tribute And It Looks Pretty Good; Here’s Why

The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror Halloween specials every October has always been parodying popular animated trends and pop culture to the point of obnoxiousness.
Heck, the 25 years of The Simpsons has been mediocre at best post-Season 8 to even terrible. But sometimes a few uncut gems sneak in to impress even the most jaded of animation fans like myself. Like its Death Note tribute episode in the Halloween special, dubbed the Death Tome. Check out the clip and screenshot previews below:

pic.twitter.com/j8zCG4a4js
— Out of Context Simpsons Treehouse of Horror ? (@OOCCouchGags) October 25, 2022

Yes, that is anime Lisa, Homer, and Marge, and what appears to be Bart as Ryuk the Shinigami. And yes, it looks a lot better than one would expect. The chief reason is that this segment is animated by Korean animation studio DR Movie. That company has a long history of helping out behind the scenes with Western and Japanese animation like The Animatrix and the original Death Note anime. Hence the spot-on parody.
If you’re keen on watching this segment, the next Simpsons Treehouse of Horror special will be out on 30th October, most likely on Disney+ Hotstar in Malaysia, Singapore, and Southeast Asia.


Tekken 8 Roster Adds Nina Williams, Reveals New Gameplay Mechanics

During the Tekken World Tour Finals 2022, Bandai Namco announced that Nina Williams will be part of the Tekken 8 roster. She’s the latest character to be confirmed after Jin, Kazuya, King, Lars, Paul, Jack-8 and Law.
Nina Williams was previously in Tekken 7 as well, but she has a brand new costume and design in Tekken 8. Her combos now also utilize guns, which is awesome.

As for new Tekken 8 gameplay mechanics, Tekken executive director Katsuhiro Harada and Tekken 8 director Kohei Ikeda explained several new mechanics in a 36-minute-long video..
Firstly, there will be a new Rage System in Tekken 8, where players can simply press R2 to execute Rage Arts (which are the game’s version of ultimate attacks or supers).

In addition, Tekken 8 will introduce a new recoverable gauge, where players can recover some of the health that they’ve suffered from damage. However, the health gauge doesn’t recover automatically, since players will now have to hit the opponent or successfully guard to recover their health.

There will also be a brand new gameplay mechanic in Tekken 8 called the Heat System. It’s a bit complicated, but basically, it’s like a temporary heightened state that players can enter to execute more powerful attacks and their attacks inflict more damage. You can either enter Heat Burst by pressing R1, or use specific moves called Heat Engagers (there are five Heat Engager moves for each character).

There will also be two controller styles; Arcade Style and Special Style. Arcade Style is the traditional way of playing the game, while Special Style combines the Easy Combo and Assist modes from Tekken 7, where beginners can assign combos to certain buttons.

Fun fact: Tekken 8 is being co-developed by Akira Nishitani and his company Arika. He’s known for Street Fighter 2/Street Fighter EX/ Fighting EX Layer fame.
?

Both Harada and Ikeda go into these gameplay mechanics in more detail, which you can check out in the video below. For more information on the Tekken 8 Closed Alpha tests, head on over here.
Tekken is slated to launch for the PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC via Steam.


Bowser To Face 10 Years In Jail & US$4.5 Million In Damages For Nintendo Piracy

It’s rather odd to hear a Bowser getting jail time for Nintendo-related crimes, unless it’s in the Mushroom Kingdom. But here we are: the Big N has won a major victory win in a case against a 52-year old hacker Gary Bowser.
Bowser, who is a member of hacking group Team-Xecuter and has nothing to do with Nintendo (both Mario’s nemesis & the company’s CEO with the same surname) except for piracy crimes, has pleaded guilty to two counts:

conspiracy to circumvent technological measures and to traffic in circumvention devices.
trafficking in circumvention devices.

He will be facing a maximum sentence of 10 years for both counts and forced to pay US$4.5 million in restitution to Nintendo, all because he was behind a custom firmware called SX OS and sold it through a network of resellers for profit. SX OS allows you to run Nintendo Switch ROMs on the Nintendo Switch, which means you can pirate Switch games with this form of emulation. Homebrew and jailbreaking-related jobs like these are usually done for free and under open source conditions, so selling these kinds of services illegally is pretty much asking for trouble.
In fact, the Team-Xecuter situation was so bad that it got the US Justice Department helping out Nintendo. So far, Bowser is indicted alongside other Team-Xecuter members like Max Louran and Yuanning Chen. In addition, Bowser was extradited to the US after being arrested in the Dominican Republic, and will be facing 11 felony counts that include wire fraud and money laundering.
The hacker group so far has earned at least “tens of millions of dollars” for selling SX OS devices, with Bowser getting a profit of US$320,000 just for running merchant site maxconsole.com and getting ad revenue payout.


Detonator KR Crowned Overwatch Contenders Pacific Season 1 Champs

Korean-based Detonator KR has been crowned the first ever champions of Overwatch Contenders Pacific after defeating Australian-based Blank Esports at the Blizzard Arena in Taipei yesterday. Easily two of the most dominant teams in the OWC Pacific region, both teams didn’t drop a single set en route to the Grand Final.
Group A champions with a 5-0 record, Detonator KR steamrolled past their oppositions in the playoffs, defeating A Bang (TPE) and MEGA Esports (Tha) by 3-0 eachÂ  to secure a spot in the Grand Finals. Their opponents, Blank Esports were equally impressive, also winning their group with a 5-0 record and defeating their quarter and semi final foes, Talon Esports and Hong Kong Attitude both 3-0.
The Grand Final was played on a best-of-seven ruleset which saw the Australians pull off a surprise early map win, dealing the Koreans their first ever map loss of the season by conquering Ilios 2-0. The Koreans hit back to tie the score with an overtime win on Numbani.

Unperturbed, the Australians rallied and dealt the Koreans their second map loss of the night with a very impressive display on Horizon Lunar Colony. But their joy was shortlived as the Koreans mounted an epic comeback, winning the next three maps – Dorado, Oasis and Hollywood to secure the win 4:2 and walk home with over US$30,000 prize money.
Season 2 of the Overwatch Contenders Pacific starts in about three weeks with theÂ Overwatch Contenders Pacific Trials Season 2 which kicks off on May 25th to May 27th.


Find Out What’s In Monster Hunter World: Iceborne’s 2020 Roadmap

Capcom just announced its full plans for action-adventure game-killer Monster Hunter World: Iceborne this year. If you like fighting new variants of monsters, festivals, and surprises, this one’s for you.
Here are the highlights:

The Astera/Seliana Fest and Grand Appreciation Fest will be in January.Â
The game’s encounter rates and rewards for gold crown monsters and decoration rewards respectively will be bumped up for the month of February.Â
The game will receive a major title update (Ver. 13.0) on March, featuring two new Variant Monsters.
Content between PC and console versions will sync starting April.
Players will get to fight a fan-favourite beastie this May.Â

Here’s the roadmap in full.


Valorant Champions Tour 2023: Pacific League – Offseason Roster Changes

2023 will see the introduction of the new league format in Valorant’s esports ecosystem and with this many big-name organisations have announced that they are stepping away from Valorant as a result of not being partnered with Riot Games. This also means that many rosters have imploded, leaving some star players up for grabs.
For the casual viewer, all these moves can be hard to track, especially across all three regions. So this will be an ongoing and updated list that will help you guys know who plays for who.
In this piece, I will cover just the Pacific League. If you are interested to know the rosters of the other regions then be sure to check the other regions down below.

AMERICAS LEAGUE

EMEA LEAGUE

Bold – Staying

ZETA DIVISION

CURRENT

Laz

crow

Dep

SugarZ3ro

TENNN

barce (Sub)

XQQ (Head Coach)

JUNiOR (Assistant Coach)

IN
OUT

barce (Sub)
Reita

Xdll

DetonatioN Gaming

CURRENT

Suggest

Reita

xnfri

Anthem

Seoldam

takej

HSK (Head Coach)

Melofovia (Assistant Coach)

IN
OUT

Suggest

Reita

xnfri

Anthem

Seoldam

takej

HSK (Head Coach)

Melofovia (Assistant Coach)

Gen.G

CURRENT

Meteor

k1Ng

iNTRO

TS

eKo

Secret

Elmapuddy (Head Coach)

bail (Assistant Coach)

IN
OUT

Suggest

Reita

xnfri

Anthem

Seoldam

takej

HSK (Head Coach)

Melofovia (Assistant Coach)

T1

CURRENT

xeta

Munchkin

Ban

Sayaplayer

Carpe

BeomJun

Autumn (Head Coach)

Stunner (Assistant Coach)

IN
OUT

Ban
dynamic

Sayaplayer
pwny

Carpe

BeomJun

Autumn (Head Coach)

Stunner (Assistant Coach)

DRX

CURRENT

stax

Rb

Zest

BuZz

MaKo

Foxy9

termi (Head Coach)

Argency (Assistant Coach)

glow (Assistant Coach)

IN
OUT

Foxy9
miKa (Trainee)

BeYN (Loan)

Anaks (Assistant Coach)

Team Secret

CURRENT

JessieVash

DubsteP

BORKUM

Jremy

Fayde (Head Coach)

IN
OUT

Dispenser

witz

Paper Rex

CURRENT

mindfreak

f0rsakeN

Benkai

d4v41

Jinggg

CigaretteS (Sub)

alecks (Head Coach)

IN
OUT

CigaretteS (Sub)

Rex Regum Qeon

CURRENT

2ge

Emman

EJAY

Tehbotol

fl1pzjder

Lmemore

Ewok (Head Coach)

Rbtx (Strategic Coach)

IN
OUT

CigaretteS (Sub)
kellyS

Nexi

kvzx

Draxiimov

Talon Esports

CURRENT

Crws

foxz

sushiboys

Patiphan

garnetS

JitboyS

Zeus (Head Coach)

Creative (Assistant Coach)

IN
OUT

Crws
UdoTan

foxz
markL

sushiboys
gnaru

Patiphan
Drei

garnetS
PatMen

JitboyS

Zeus (Head Coach)

Creative (Assistant Coach)

Global Esports

CURRENT

AYRIN

t3xture

WRONSKI

Bazzi

Monyet

SkRossi

Lightningfast

HellrangeR (Sub)

KappA (Sub)

skillZ (Sub)

Kohliii (Sub)

Eraser (Head Coach)

IN
OUT

AYRIN
Rexdreams (Assistant Coach)

t3xture

WRONSKI

Bazzi

Monyet


Star Wars’ Cad Bane Gets His Own Hot Toys

Hot Toys has announced (via Facebook) the Star Wars: The Book of Boba Fett – 1/6th scale Cad Bane Collectible Figure (Deluxe Version).
To those unfamiliar, Cad Bane is a ruthless bounty hunter from the planet Duro and he was the preeminent blaster-for-hire in the galaxy at the time of the Clone Wars and after the conflict ended. Using an impressive arsenal of weapons, the cold, cruel, and calculating Bane would literally track his prey to the ends of the galaxy if required.
This collectible figure features a newly developed head sculpt with amazing likeness, skillfully tailored hat and outfit, wired long coat, a pair of blaster pistols, a flamethrower effect, and a display base. This Deluxe Version exclusively includes a pair of rocket thrusters for Cad Bane’s boots, and the bounty hunter’s techno-service droid Todo 360 as seen in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated series.


The Super Mario Bros. Movie Gets Digital Release Tomorrow

The Super Mario Bros. Movie will launch on digital platforms on 16 May 2023 in the United States of America (USA). You can pre-order the Super Mario Bros. Movie on Amazon (and other Universal-backed digital platforms) for US$29.99, which will be available from 16 May 2023 at 12 am ET (which is 12 pm GMT+8 on 16 May 2023 in Southeast Asian countries).
The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which is a co-production between Illumination (Minions, Despicable Me) and Nintendo, has generated over a whopping US$1.2 billion globally since its release in early April 2023. It’s the biggest film of 2023 so far, ahead of both Ant-Man And The Wasp Quantumania and Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3.
It’s no surprise that Mario, one of the most iconic characters in all of gaming and pop culture, is finally the one that broke the video game curse. Not even Sonic, or the overrated Arcane or Castlevania animated shows, could achieve as much success as the Super Mario Bros. Movie. It’s a testament to Nintendo and how legendary and famous their characters are.
In the meantime, check out our review of the movie by heading over here. In other related news, Jack Black has been on a roll recently, especially with his amazing rendition of “Peaches” for the Super Mario Bros. Movie.


A New Harvest Moon Game Is Coming To Nintendo Switch

Natsume and Rising Star Games have announced Harvest Moon: One World exclusively for the Nintendo Switch. It is slated to launch sometime in fall 2020.
According to the Rising Star Games official website, Harvest Moon: One World will feature a “brand-new way of exploring Harvest Moon that seasoned players and new generations will both enjoy.”
The new game is also described as featuring “a world without tomatoes, strawberries, or even cabbage?” with an adventure that spans “an entire world”, suggesting that this will be the most expansive title in the franchise to date.
Natsume president and CEO Hiro Maekawa said:

“Over the decades, Harvest Moon has evolved but has always retained the traditional, family-friendly farming fun that the franchise is known for.
The new engine and new graphics will upgrade this experience for 2020.
We are so excited to share more about the features of Harvest Moon: One World in the coming months.â€

The Harvest Moon franchise has suffered from years in an uninspired slump, especially since its original developer Marvelous parted ways with IP owner Natsume. Marvelous is now developing their own farming sim franchise with Story Of Seasons, which has been the stronger franchise of late.
The last Harvest Moon game was 2017/2018’s Harvest Moon: Light Of Hope for the PC, PS4, Nintendo Switch, Android and iOS, which was a disappointment. It will be interesting what Natsume and Rising Star Games will do with Harvest Moon: One World to distinguish it from similar games like the Story Of Seasons and Animal Crossing franchises.


[Rumour] PS5 Price Announcement Due This Month

We’re only three or four months away from the official launch of next-gen consoles like the PlayStation 5, but Sony has yet to reveal any concrete details about its official price or release date.
Sony has reported increased profit from strong demand for gaming products, but things remain uncertain due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. This was proven when its operating profit for the quarter ended in June was 228 billion yen (US$2.15 billion), compared to average analyst estimates of only 137 billion yen.
Speaking with Bloomberg, an official at the PlayStation division said that Sonyâ€™s next announcement regarding the PS5 is tentatively scheduled for this month sometime in August 2020, including potential price and release date reveals. However, the individual requested not to be identified because the plan is not yet publicly announced at the time of writing.
The PS5 is expected to cost around US$500 after accounting for many factors and predictions. However, take that with a grain of salt for now, since the official announcement might just be around the corner if sources are to be believed.
Who knows, more details for the PS5 might even be announced at the upcoming Gamescom 2020 Opening Night Live at 2am GMT+8 on 27 August 2020.

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,Â head on over here to check out all our other PS5-related news and feature articles.


SNK And Capcom Are Interested In Bringing Back Capcom VS SNK

Capcom and SNK are fighting game juggernauts then and now, so it only made sense for both of them to team up at one point to make a crossover fighting game between the two factions. That happened with 2000’s Capcom VS SNK and 2001’s Capcom VS SNK 2, with both games being very popular in their time.
Will there be a revival for this? It’s a possibility, according to a recent Video Games Chronicle interview. SNK producer Yasuyuki Oda said that both parties are interested in creating an SNK vs Capcom revival. The collaborative cross promotional posters featuring both Capcom and SNK games sold at EVO 2022 in August reconfirmed the public’s interest.
“Definitely in the future, that’s something that I think everybody on all sides, in both parties, are interested in making a reality. Especially after we saw the reaction to the [EVO posters]… it helped us reconfirm that that is probably one of the most wanted things from the fighting game community across the entire world.
We haven’t really talked in detail with anybody at Capcom about it. It might have come up as a vague comment. However, we have a lot of experience [in crossovers] with things like Akuma and Geese in Tekken, Terry [Bogard] in Fighting EX Layer, Terry in Smash Bros., and Baiken in Samurai Showdown…
“But recently, we haven’t actually done anything with Capcom, even on character collaboration stuff. So that poster [at EVO], in our sense, was the first step towards maybe something like that happening in the future.”

?EVO2022?SNK x Capcom?After more than a decade, SNK and Capcom are back for two collaborative posters from the legendary illustrators Eisuke Ogura and Shinkiro!
Come get yours at the SNK Booth!#KOF15 #KOFXV #Evo2022 pic.twitter.com/s1xTpz2Awg
— SNK GLOBAL (@SNKPofficial) August 5, 2022


Front Mission 1st Remake Limited Edition Now Available On Nintendo Switch

Microids just dropped the Front Mission 1st Remake Limited Edition on Nintendo Switch and it’s got a killer retail version to boot.
For those of you who don’t know, Front Mission 1st Remake lets you play as a member of either the O.C.U. or U.C.S. Customize your Wanzer and use strategic thinking and firepower to take down your opponent. The game is set in the year 2090, where war is waged using giant war machines called Wanzers. Huffman Island, the only place where the Oceania Cooperative Union and the Unified Continental States share a land border, is the centre of a major conflict.
You’ll follow Captain Royd Clive and his O.C.U. reconnaissance platoon as they investigate a U.C.S. munitions plant, only to be ambushed by U.C.S. Wanzers. This sets off a chain of events that leads to an all-out war on the island. And if you’re lucky enough to snag the Limited Edition, you’ll get exclusive physical content made by the talented artists who created the game.

Key features:

Experience an adventure in a complex Geo-political universe and choose your side through two different campaigns.
Customize every part of your Wanzer, improve its firepower, defence, speed and gain combat efficiency.
Take into account your environment and develop the best possible strategy to quickly gain the upper hand over your opponent.
Enjoy the remake in full 3D with enhanced graphics and effects. Play in modern mode with new features or experience the original gameplay.


KKP Best Of 2020: Game #19

#19. Assassin’s Creed Valhalla (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series, PC)

While Assassin’s Creed Valhalla didn’t exactly reinvent or innovate the open-world genre, it’s definitely the best out of the three The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt clones by Ubisoft so far (including 2017’s Assassin’s Creed Origins and 2018’s Assassin’s Creed Odyssey).
Firstly, one of the biggest and most welcome gameplay changes is that traditional side quests are no more. When you open the map, the only things youâ€™ll see at first are a bunch of dots coloured yellow, blue, or white. Some of these are World Events, which are often more interesting that just random fetch quests.
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla also features other improvements like more satisfying melee combat, smarter exploration in general, and a narrative that’s pretty decent, especially for history buffs.
Despite being plagued by bugs at launch (including some game-breaking ones), the game is pretty good, and you’ll squeeze a lot of hours from it for sure. Plus, you get to live out your fantasy of being a Viking; raiding and pillaging old England.


Magic: The Gathering – The Lord Of The Rings’ Mike Turian On The Long-Time-Coming Collaboration

When you think crossovers, nothing feels more appropriate than combining one of the most influential fantasy book series in history with one of the pioneers of competitive collectable card games. Such is the case of The Lord of the Rings trilogy for the former and Magic: The Gathering for the latter.

It took them a while, but it’s actually happening this 23 June in the form of the Magic: The Gathering – Universes Beyond expansion block: you can now summon and cast spells, heroes, and creatures from Middle-Earth lore either offline or online. Check out our recent MTG feature on some of the cards here.
Kakuchopurei managed to speak with The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-Earth’s game architect Mike Turian about the product and game design of the upcoming expansion.

What was the inspiration behind The Lord of the Rings collaboration and how long has this collaboration been in the making?
For The Lord of the Rings and Magic to come together and bring a shared offering has been a work in progress for years now. Personally, I’ve been working on this for four years. With The Lord of the Rings being a genre-defining fantasy novel that helped inspire so much, we knew that Magic fans would love to see Middle-earth brought to life and combined with the gameplay of Magic.

The Lord of the Rings is generally considered to be the grandfather of fantasy and Magic: The Gathering is the biggest TCG in the world. What was the most daunting aspect of bringing the two massive franchises together?
With The Lord of the Rings being the grandfather of fantasy and Magic being the start of TCGs, we knew this would provide both great opportunities and challenges. We wanted Magic to capture everything that made The Lord of the Rings so compelling including the characters, the locations, the objects and the story.
This leaves a lot of ground to cover hundreds of Magic cards. So, to me, from the outset, the thing that was most daunting was how epic The Lord of the Rings is and how we capture each and every piece of beloved content and get the details of that content right so that fans of both franchises would feel that epicness each and every time they open a pack.

The Lord of the Rings is an expansive universe, with a huge roster of characters from Bill the Pony to Tom Bombadil. Were there any characters that were missed that you wish you could have included? How do you decide who makes the cut?
Early on the design teams made a giant layout of everything included as part of The Lord of the Rings. It was broken into Characters & Creatures, Moments & Events, and Places & Things. From there, it was further divided onto a scale from things that everyone who is familiar with The Lord of the Rings knows (Gandalf, Fighting the Balrog, Mount Doom) and the things that only those with a higher familiarity would know (Bill the Pony, The Palantir is recovered, Balin’s Tomb).
I’m proud of how well the team connected Magic to the novel and all of that rich world and content.

Is there anything in particular about The Lord of the Rings set that fans should keep an eye out for?
One of my favourite parts of the set is the Realms and Relics cards that you get as a Box Topper with each Set, Draft and Collector Booster display or inside Collector Boosters. These are some of the most powerful land and artifact Magic cards brought into The Lord of the Rings universe.
I love how we really were able to connect The Lord of the Rings together with Magic’s rich history of fan-favourite cards and turn them into something beautiful.

What do you enjoy most about being a Game Architect?
The reason I love being a Product Architect is that I get to help bring new products and cards to life. Every day, I get to work on my favourite game with amazing people as we strive to make a game that honours its rich history and forges into new space.
As someone who, at 14, discovered a groundbreaking new game, new friends, and a platform to find my way in the world, there is a lot of meaning to now getting to help bring that joy to others.

Outside of Magic: The Gathering, what else do you enjoy playing?
Well first, I love getting to play games and do activities with my family. When I get together with my friends, in addition to Magic, I enjoy playing tabletop games such as Terraforming Mars, Great Western Trail, and Ark Nova (among the many games we play) as well as classic card games. From a video game perspective, I typically enjoy real-time strategy games the most with my all-time favourites of Starcraft and Warcraft III.


GRID Autosport Is Coming To Android

Imagine being able to play one of those AAA racing games on your Android smartphone or tablet. All that high quality polish and great performance right in your hands. Well, that’s about to become a reality very soon.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkoF95CVZIw&w=560&h=315]
Publisher Feral Interactive has just announced that GRID Autosport is coming to Android on 26 November 2019. Judging by what’s being shown in the trailer above, the claim that the game has console-quality graphics is quite convincing. It will have intuitive controls in the form of tilt steering, wheel touch, arrow touch, and even gamepad support.
The original GRID Autosport was released for PC, PS3, Xbox 360 way back in 2014. It made its mobile debut on iOS in 2017. Not too long ago in September 2019, a Nintendo Switch version was launched. Now, we have a port for Android. That’s a five year lifespan for a racing game. Pretty impressive.


Guess Who’s Playing Spike Spiegel In The Upcoming Cowboy Bebop Live-Action Show?

The Cowboy Bebop live-action series on Netflix has its main cast sorted out. Your mileage may vary.
According to a Variety report, we have:

John Cho ofÂ  Searching, the Star Trek reboots, and Harold & Kumar fame, as Spike Spiegel, the cool bounty hunter who knows Jeet Kune Do.
Mustafa Shakir (Luke Cage‘s Bushmaster) as Jet Black, the veteran of the Bebop ship and ex-cop living off the life of bounty-hunting.
Danielle Pineda, fresh off her stint in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, as smokin’ hustlerÂ Faye Valentine. Unless she can pull the character’s sass off, I don’t think this will work.
Alex Hassell (Amazon series The Boys) as Vicious, Spike’s former pal and now arch-nemesis who has mad sword skills and a cool pet raven.

I’ll put up a side-by-side comparison in respective order. You guys & gals decide if it’s fitting or not.

So who will play the wiley kid Ed? We’ll find out soon enough. I for one can’t wait to see the internet up in arms about this casting choice for arguably one of anime’s most beloved series.


Catch Stan Lee’s Touching Final Animated Cameo Here

Everyone’s asking about Stan Lee‘s final live-action cameos, but how about the late legend’s last animated cameo? Was it in Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse? Sorry, true believers, but that wasn’t actually his last cameo in animation.
In the most recent episode of Avengers: Black Panther’s QuestÂ (Avengers Assemble Season 5) titled ‘T’Chanda’, Stan Lee guest-starred alongside Mark Hamill and Hayley Atwell in what will now be recognized as his last ever animated cameo. The episode in question is set in the 1940s, as Captain America and Agent Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell) teams up with Black Panther T’Chanda (T’Challa’s grandfather) to capture Arnim Zola (Mark Hamill) and Baron Zemo.
According to Marvelâ€™s Senior Vice President of Animation & Family Entertainment Cort Lane on the official website, Stan Lee’s speech as a general in the cameo was inspired by his own famous Stanâ€™s Soapbox column from 1968, in which the legend denounced bigotry and racism (which was rampant during his time and sadly, ours too).

“That particular episode [of Marvel’s Avengers: Black Panther’s Quest] has personal meaning for me,” said Lane. “I believe itâ€™s his last recorded appearance in animation. Itâ€™s bittersweet, but Iâ€™m so glad we were able to capture a message that was very true to how Stan felt about the world and that inspired him to write a lot of the stories that he did.â€
Watch the touching final animated cameo of Stan Lee below, and try not to cry (I know I did).
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLPG3XQuNlE&w=560&h=315]

Image Credit (Stan Lee and Mark Hamill): Via Marvel.com


Politiko: The Card Game of Malaysian Politics Review

Politiko is a card game produced by Malaysia-based Centaur Games just before the country’s 13th General Election in 2013. Over the years, several improvements were done, mainly via additions of party and scheme cards to better reflect the ever-changing political scene. To date, they are on their third batch of prints as the cards were highly sought after and with the Malaysian 14th General Election just around the corner, expect the interest for it to be reignited. We revisit and review the card game which put players in the shoes of political party leaders as they scheme and strategize to win an election.
What comes in the boxÂ
A total of 126 cards divided into:

10 Party Cards
58 Scheme Cards
58 Voter cards
Instruction Manual

The Setup
The main goal of the game is to garner as many ‘Voter Cards’ as possible using ‘Scheme Cards’ in the game. While the required number of voter cards for a single player to win is seven, like real-life politics, the game makers allow shifting of the goalposts depending on how the players approach the game e.g creating alliances etc. Such alliances is surely necessary if you are dealt with a useless party that has almost zero chance of winning.
According to the game’s instruction manual, at the start of each game, ‘Every player chooses one Party. The wealthiest player (in real life) chooses first, followed by the poorer players in descending order’.Â They really don’t pull their punches there. However, we tested the random card pick approach and this method does not diminish the value of gameplay whatsoever.
These ten ‘Party Cards‘ reflect real-life Malaysian political parties vying for power in the upcoming General Election. We ain’t gonna risk a limb by saying which one is which but just by looking at them you will be instantly reminded of their real-life counterparts.

Next come the Voter Cards. A total of 58 cards represent the different facets and population breakdown of Malaysians and are divided into four distinct racial groups; Malays, Chinese, Indians and Others (Lain-Lain). These voters can be either Rural or Urban voters and their leanings are divided into three categories; Conservative, Moderate or Liberal. Example of these voter cards are shown below.

Note: There are variations of each race represented in the deck e.g Urban, Liberal Indian Voters or Rural, Conservative Lain-Lain.
Each player/party can only count on voters who are compatible with their party’s ideologies. For example, the Malay Rights Party can depend on ‘Non-Liberal Malays’ as voters while the Chinese Rights Party can only rely on ‘Chinese’ voters.Â  The main goal is to reach the magic number of seven voters, which is easier said than done so a coalition between players is almost always going to happen. By combining forces, the required votes to win also increase e.g 2-Party Alliances : 15 Voters; 3-Party Alliances : 21 Voters.
The Politicking Game
Players take turn in picking two cards from the main deck, half of which consisting of ‘Scheme Cards‘ which can be used to add voters to their respective pile, deny other players voters or even sabotage rival parties. Examples of these cards are shown below.Â  These cards come with various instructions that can swing the flow in any given time.
During each turn, players are allowed to either declare any number of voters that comply with their party or play two schemes.

The full instruction can be found in the accompanying booklet when you purchase the deck which costs RM45. The game has a set structure yet flexible enough for players to include their own rules as long as everyone else agrees to abide by them.
TL;DR
Although not a big fan of politics, we thoroughly enjoyed the game and it felt like a more mature version of Monopoly where strategizing and creating alliances is the meat of the playing experience. You will see friends create and break alliances on a whim – just like real-life politicians or the least likeliest of folks combining forces to win the game.
The game, while may sound intimidating and complicated at first, is easy to pick up and you’ll soon find yourself scheming like everyone else by your second or third game.Â  Each session can take up to 30 minutes of gameplay and we feel Politiko has that high replayability rate that would easily fit perfectly as a great party game.
The only downside we can think of is that the game may be too overwhelming for some players, especially with the need to keep track of multiple schemes played at the same time. It helps to have an independent scorekeeper on the side, and with the game having high potential of getting a bit muddled during the middle part, opens up tons of loopholes and opportunities for players to cheat.
Hold on.
That’s what politics are all about anyway.
Score: 80/100
Retailing at RM45 per deck, you can get Politiko:Â The Card Game of Malaysian Politics at Czip Lee outlets or directly get in touch with the folks behind it here. A Taiwanese version Politiko is also available and just like the original version, reflects the local political landscape.
A mobile version of the game is now available on Android. The iOS version is coming soon. The full review of it goes up soon so stick around will ya?


What’s So Saucy About This Malaysia Esports Youth Initiative? [Update]

Update (24th Aug):Â According to a recent post by our good friends at Malay Mail, a check with the Companies Commission of Malaysia showed that Cleo International is an entity that is barely one week old.
Prior to October 16th,Â it was known as Mideast Peak Sdn. Bhd., a transport and logistics service provider which was incorporated in December 2016. They have also dabbled in other activities such as general trading involving import and export activities as well as providing consultancy and management services.
The third-party involved in this kerfuffle, Orange Esports’ parent company, Esports Business Network Sdn Bhd (EBN)Â toldÂ Malay MailÂ that they were invited to the meeting by Cleo International “to introduce a youth initiative to the Youth and Sports Ministry”.
Why would an established esports organisation rely on a third party bereft of any relevant experience take the lead in an esports discussion is anyone’s guess. We will update you once we have more information on this.

For the past few days, Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq has been getting a lot of flak for having a meeting with a group of people plus one noteworthy kebaya-wearing woman.
Allegations of the woman being a transperson or that she is Saddiq’s secretary were thrown around in social media. Recent clarifications have revealed that she was there to discuss Malaysian esports.
From MalaysiaGazette.
The meeting was held about a week ago. Earlier today, Saddiq clarified that they were there to discuss and plan the execution of a youth initiative programme that also included esports. The woman, simply called Cleopatra based on her Instagram username, is part of a company called Cleo International Sdn Bhd.
Image from Cleopatra’s Instagram page.
When asked by Malay Mail about Cleopatra and the meeting, Saddiq answered that she was a part of a delegation from Orange Esports. Just a few hours ago, Orange Esports released a statement clarifying that Esports Business Network (parent company of Orange Esports) was first contacted by Cleo International to be project partners in the youth initiative.
In the same statement, it was explained that Cleo International and Cleopatra herself are not a part of the EBN group nor are they employed by the group. Apparently, Cleo International is the one leading the youth initiative programme while EBN and Orange Esports are solely service providers for the esports aspect of the programme. Cleopatra is a woman known as Nur Fathiah Syazwana Shaharuddin, according to verification by her ex-husband Datuk Nasir Yaacob via Harian Metro.
Official statement from Orange Esports.
Most people raise their eyebrows the moment they read about Cleo International because it’s a company rarely heard of. I looked up company in the database of the Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM) and it looks like it definitely exists. Prior to this, there have been rumours of Cleo International either being a shell corporation or a Hong Kong company.

Malaysian esports fans have a lot of questions but the two biggest ones are: Who is Cleopatra and why was Orange Esports chosen? We’ll have to wait and see if Saddiq will provide further clarifications.


Grim Guardians Demo Out Now To Sate Your 2D Action Bloodlust

In lieu of Steam Nextfest where a bunch of awesome indie games are coming out for all to playtest, Inti Creates is releasing its latest 2D game in demo form.
The developer’s new title is Grim Guardians: Demon Purge, and it’s coming out in 23 February for PC and Nintendo Switch. The English gameplay showcase shows off dual protagonists Shinobu and Maya; the former has guns while the latter uses melee slashes. You can switch between them for combos and practical platforming/puzzle-solving purposes.
This looks like a great follow-up platformer after the Azure Gunvolt games the company has been making. For folks looking for a Castlevania-style clone but with a dual protag system, you should go check out the demo right now.


Genshin Impact Version 3.0 Sumeru Update Detailed

Developer HoyoVerse has unveiled its version 3.0 update in full detail, slated for 24th August. Here’s what we know so far from the livestream that’s happening right now. We’ll be updating this page with new and developing information.
Version 3.0’s update will introduce players to the world of Sumeru, a forest-and-ruin-filled civilization with a rich temple culture. It also has all sorts of exotic places ranging from forest caches to desert plains. The expansion is so big that its story will be told in three updates: 3.0, 3.1, 3.2, and 3.3.
Speaking of which, the release dates for the many versions are below:

Version 3.0: 24th August 2022
Version 3.1: 28th September 2022
Version 3.2: 2nd November 2022
Version 3.3: 7th December 2022

Dendro Elemental
The main character will be able to use Dendro powers as his/her new element. Using Dendro on his/her end will have them put a bloom pod that explodes eventually, dealing AoE impact. Switching to an Electro or Hydro character will trigger different effects on the bloom.
In terms of elemental reactions, if an enemy is hit with Dendro and Electro, they’ll get the Quicken effect which makes them vulnerable to more damage from Electro (Aggravate) and Dendro (Spread).

New Characters
The game’s first three gacha characters for version 3.0 are Collei, Tighnari, and Dori. All three of them are Dendro users; Collei’s an archer, Tighnari’s a Catalyst user, and Dori’s a Claymore user.
Phase 1’s Event Wish will feature Green Amber Collei (4-star), Tighnari (5-star), and Zhongli (5-star). Phase 2’s Event Wish will be featuring Dori (4-star), Ganyu (5-star), and Sangonomiya Kokomi (5-star).
The full list of Sumeru characters is below:

Tighnari
Collei
Dori
Dehya
Alhaitham
Nilou
Nahida
Cyno

New Bosses

Players will be fighting new bosses like the Jadeplume Terrorshroom  and Electro Regisvine in Sumeru

New Artifacts

Deepwood Memories
2-piece set :Dendro DMG bonus of +15%.
4-piece set: After Elemental Skills or Bursts hit opponents, the target’s Dendro RES will be decreased by 30% for 8 seconds.
Gilded Dreams
2-piece set: Elemental Mastery +80
4-Piece set: Within 8 seconds of triggering an Elemental Reaction, the character equipping this will obtain buffs based on the Elemental Type of the other party member. ATK is increased by 14% for each party member whose Elemental Type is the same as the equipping character, and Elemental Mastery is increased by 50 for every party member with a different Elemental Type. Each of the buffs will count up to 3 characters. This effect can be triggered once every 8 seconds. The character who equips this can still trigger its effects when not on the field.

New Weapons
Here’s what you can craft in Version 3.0.

Mystic Offering System

If you’ve been collecting lots of 5-Star artifacts you don’t need, you can use this system to put three of them in an artifact strongbox to convert them to a 5-Star artifact you want to complete a set for.

Free Primogem Codes
And of course, here are free Genshin Impact primogem codes from the livestream. These codes are valid until 14th August 8pm GMT+8.

8ANCKTWYVRD5
EA7VKTFHU9VR
KT7DKSFGCRWD

Check out the full trailer & recap below:


Here’s Your First Look At Fuga: Melodies Of Steel 2

We adored Fuga: Melodies of Steel for its brutal take on war and its rather harrowing-yet-fun turn-based combat system featuring a tank you can sacrifice children with for maximum firepower. So it’s with much joy that developer Cyberconnect 2 has announced and showed off bits and pieces of a sequel.
Fuga: Melodies of Steel 2 takes place a year after the events of the first. After the children from the first game have suffered a dear loss, they vow to take revenge on the oppressors and take the helm of the battle tank Tarascus once again, Soul Cannon and all.
Here’s the official description:
The sequel to the captivating tale of Fuga: Melodies of Steel has arrived!
A year has passed since then… but the fight didn’t end. Once again the children head towards the chaos of battle aboard a tank! What terrible fate awaits them, and what secrets remain hidden within this world?
This turn-based RPG is back with more tactics, adventure, and drama than ever before! Introducing a ramped-up battle system for more strategy, and a brand new event system that gives you more thrilling choices to affect your experience!
Looking at the screenshots, the core turn-based gameplay remains intact though the narrative tone has changed slightly, though it’s still just as dark as the first game.
Check out the teaser trailer & screenshots below. Fuga: Melodies of Steel 2 will be out for Xbox Series, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and PC (Steam and Epic Games Store) in 2023.


Here’s Our First Look At Star Wars’ The Mandalorian

The Mandalorian showrunners Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni, as well as the show’s stars Pedro Pascal, Gina Carano, and Carl Weathers, assembled during a special panel at Star Wars Celebration 2019 to tell us more about the upcoming Disney Plus series.
Taking place between the events of Star Wars Episode VI: Return of The Jedi and Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens, The Mandalorian explores the same era as the one featured in the currently-ongoing animated series Star Wars Resistance.
The Mandalorian (Pedro Pascal)

Pedro Pascal plays the protagonist known simply as the Mandalorian. Pascal described his character as a “mysterious lone gunfighter in the outer reaches of the galaxy with questionable moral character”, as well as being “in line with some of our best westerns and some good samurai”.
He also cited Clint Eastwood as his biggest inspiration in his performance. His character’s real name remains undisclosed for now, which means that it will probably be tied to the story in some way. Perhaps we’ll hear familiar names like Clan Viszla or even Clan Wren in the series.

Cara Dune (Gina Carano)

Gina Carano plays Cara Dune (spelling unconfirmed at the time of writing), who is an “ex-Rebel shock trooper”. She described her character as a “loner who has trouble reintegrating herself into society” after the Galactic Civil War is over.
Grief Carga (Carl Weathers)

Carl Weathers plays Grief Carga (spelling unconfirmed at the time of writing), who is the leader of a “group/guild of bounty hunters”. He hires the Mandalorian to find and recover a very valuable product for a client.
Razor Crest, The Mandalorian’s Ship

Last but not least, Favreau reveals the name and design of the ship piloted by the Mandalorian, which is called Razor Crest (spelling unconfirmed at the time of writing). A model of the Razor Crest was made to be used in production, similar to the way that footage (with ships like the Millennium Falcon or the X-Wing) were shot in the past.

The Mandalorian Release Date

The Mandalorian is slated to release exclusively on Disney Plus on 12 November 2019, merely days before the release of EA and Respawn Entertainment’s Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. In the meantime, check out everything we know so far about Disney Plus here.
The Mandalorian cast and crew with members of the 501st Legion who were involved with the production.


World Of Tanks Crosses Over With Girls Und Panzer

The waifus from Girls Und Panzer are crossing over with World Of Tanks. The Girls Und Panzer pack will be available until 7 May 2021 at 11.20 UTC.
The Anglerfish Team is in top form and ready to claim the next victory with you. Each of the girls has voiced lines and will respond to situations in battle. If one or more of the girls are missing from the team, Miho will be the sole crew member reporting to you.
Check out the trailer below:


Apex Legends Leak Shows Armor That Encourages Aggressive Play

YouTuber ‘The Gaming Merchant’ has come across some of Apex Legends‘ game files which might be introducing a new armor type. An armor type that ‘evolves’ into a stronger version when you kill more opponents.
Skip to the 1:52 mark for the part where he talks about the armour:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsMEIoZeE-g&w=560&h=315]
It’s not specified how many players you’ll need to kill to level up the armour, we only know that it can go up to Level 4. Here are the levels and their respective damage absorption capabilities:
Level 1 – 50 damage
Level 2 – 75 damage
Level 3 – 100 damage
Level 4 – 125 damage
Just to put things into perspective, wearing the Level 4 armor would bring your total combination of shields and health to 225. There doesn’t seem to be any game files indicating an ‘evolving’ helmet but if it does exists, it might just bump up that number to 300. That’s a sh*t ton of health.
Of course, all of this info should be taken with a pinch of salt. Nothing here is officially confirmed nor can it be verified. However, some Apex Legends fans have been complaining that the game’s current high-tier loot that becomes vital in late game such as legendary golden loot are a bit underwhelming.
Aside from trying to mitigate those issues, the ‘evolving’ armor (if it’s real) could be Respawn’s way of trying to encourage a more aggresive playstyle in the game. It’ll be the first time that the game gets an item that directly benefits from players getting more kills.


New Plague Inc. Mode Makes You The Anti-Plague

In Plague Inc, your usual objective is to spread a deadly pathogen across the world. A new update now offers you the chance to do the opposite and “save the world from a deadly disease outbreak” instead.
“Players will have to balance managing disease progression and boosting healthcare systems as well as controlling real-world actions such as triaging, quarantining, social distancing and closing of public services,” Ndemic Creations wrote. “We are developing this game mode with the help of experts from the World Health Organisation, the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network and more.”
The devs had previously made donations to the Coalition of Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI)Â and the World Health Organisationâ€™sÂ COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund in response to the ongoing Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic, and the idea for the new mode seems to have come from those organizations.

“When arranging our donations with the WHO and CEPI, we were repeatedly asked if we could make a game which let the player work to stop an outbreak,” said the devs.
“Therefore, as well as providing financial support, we are accelerating work on a new Plague Inc. game mode which lets players save the world from a deadly disease outbreak.” They added that they soon promote the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund in-game.

It’s nice to see game developers doing something good in times like this. While the new mode is unlikely to be an exact replication of real-world pandemic responses, much like how Plague Inc. is not meant to a “scientific model“, it’d hopefully help to foster some useful understanding of pandemics nevertheless. And also the importance of social distancing.


Jagged Alliance 3 Gets A New Trailer At THQ Nordic’s Showcase

Announced during THQ Nordic’s showcase last year, Jagged Alliance receives a new trailer with this year’s iteration of the showcase.
Developed by Haemimont Games the game’s Steam ‘About’ section goes as follows:
“Grand Chien, a nation of rich natural resources and deep political divides, is thrown into chaos when the elected president goes missing and a paramilitary force known as “The Legion” seizes control of the countryside. Now, the President’s family has pulled together all their resources, including an arrangement with the powerful Adonis corporation, to hire a group of skilled mercenaries tasked with finding the President and bringing order back to the country.
In Jagged Alliance 3, select from a huge cast of mercenaries all with their own unique personalities, quirks, and backstories. Then go out and explore Grand Chien as you meet new people, earn money, grow your team, and ultimately make your own decisions that will decide the country’s fate.”

KEY FEATURES

Engage in rich, tactical turn-based combat.
Recruit from a large cast of unique mercenaries, including many familiar fan favourites.
Loot, salvage, and customize an arsenal of weaponry and equipment.
Choose from a wide array of special perks to customize your mercs as they level up.
Decide the fate of Grand Chien in an open RPG structure.
Control territory, train the locals, command multiple parties, and defend against enemy forces in an alive, active world.
Experience the campaign with friends in online co-op mode.


DNF Duel: All Characters Revealed So Far & Movelist [Update]

Update (17/12/21): Added movelist for each revealed character for the beta. Open beta starts on 18 December at 10am GMT+8 and ends at 20th December 10pm GMT+8.
Publisher Nexon and developers Neople, Eighting, and Arc System Works are teaming up for a Dungeon Fighter Online fighting game called DNF Duel. It’s a spiffy-looking 2D fighter with combos, hyper combat, and titillating art.
The companies are releasing trailers on a not-so-frequent basis. Here are the characters announced so far:
Mechanic

No official in-game model yet, but this class is confirmed to be in DNF Duel.
Troubleshooter

No official in-game model yet, but this class is confirmed to be in DNF Duel.
Ghostblade

A ronin who fights with a ghost who wields a samurai. Might play similarly to Persona-wielding characters in Persona 4 Arena.
Crusader

Big slow guy with good reach and a Holy Wall that will limit the opponent’s space.

Kunoichi

Fast rushdown character with flame attacks, shurikens, and a toad that shoots out flames. About as mobile as Chipp Zanuff.

Vanguard

Has a lot of footsies and zoning tools thanks to his long-as-heck polearm. His gameplan is to poke you until you’re dead.

Dragon Knight

A mid-ranged character with a persistent baby dragon assist, ready to eff up opponents. Reminds us of Zooey from Granblue Fantasy Versus.

Hitman

Big sword + SMG = mid-ranged combo fiend. Comes with lots of pressure tactics and multi-hit moves, with more options available when he’s Awakened.

Ranger

A ranged character with many ambush moves with controllable properties.

Striker

Pure rushdown character, right down to the tight moves and close-ranged mixups.

Grappler

Just like his namesake, the Grappler can combo his command grabs from his combos. He can change move effects midway from one attack to another.

Inquisitor

A mid-ranged fighter who relies on tools to space enemies away with her axe and judgment tools. She has various moves that shut down and restrict her opponents, and relies on her Burning Hit to deal special damage.

Berserker

A close-ranged fighter who resembles Ragnar the Bloodedge from Blazblue. Probably fights like him too.
Has easy-to-use moves, aggressive aerial to ground techniques, and can sacrifice HP for enhanced attacks.

We’ll be adding more fighters to this list as time goes by. Stay tuned!
Open Beta Date & Time

DNF Duel will host an open beta on the following platforms & times:
Platform: PS4, PS5
Date & Time: 17 December 10am – 20 December 10pm GMT+8


Army Of The Dead Doesn’t Have Much All To Say In All Its Gory Zombie Heist Action

Army Of The Dead director Zack Snyder is probably best known for his comic book movie adaptations like 300, Watchmen, Man Of Steel and Justice League. Way before all of that, many might not remember that his very first movie (and directorial debut) was 2004’s Dawn Of The Dead remake.
After almost two decades, Snyder has returned to the genre that his career originally began with; zombies. Is it a wake-up call for other zombie films, or a made-for-TV show dead on arrival? Let’s find out!
Viva Las Vegas
ARMY OF THE DEAD – Cr: Clay Enos / Netflix Â© 2021
This time around, it’s not just a remake. Army Of The Dead is an original movie by Zack Snyder, and it’s best described as a zombie heist movie. In fact, a prequel movie and spinoff animated series are already in the works, as it looks like Netflix is trying to turn all this into a franchise even before the first movie is out. That’s not always a good sign, but in this case, that might be for the best.
First, let me say this; Army Of The Dead is not a meta horror-comedy like most zombie movies tend to be these days. Even since Shaun Of The Dead and Zombieland, a lot of directors have decided to go with the same tone and style; these movies don’t take themselves seriously. On the other hand, Army Of The Dead isn’t exactly a full-on horror movie like the classic Romero movies either.
Army Of The Dead focuses more on balls-to-the-walls action, with snippets of quieter moments and interactions between the characters (mostly just between Dave Bautista’s Scott Ward and Ella Purnell’s Kate Ward). Their father-daughter relationship forms the emotional backbone of the movie. The rest of the cast are barely fleshed out or developed. Some plot elements, like the origin of the zombies, are not expanded upon or explained, which will likely be cleared up in the upcoming prequel movie and spinoff animated series.
There are bits of political commentary here and there, but nothing on the level of the classic Romero movies. The focus is clearly on the action. There’s more of a fun vibe throughout the movie, so it’s not grim or bleak as other traditional zombie movies. However, that’s not totally unexpected, considering that the trailers did give out a similar tone.
ARMY OF THE DEAD – (L-R) NORA ARNEZEDER as LILLY and DAVE BAUTISTA as SCOTT WARD. Cr: NETFLIX Â© 2021
That said, the movie doesn’t really have much action early on. Army Of The Dead is about two hours and 30 minutes long, which is abnormally long for any zombie movie.
Still, the ‘heist’ part of the movie is the reason why it’s so long, as the movie takes its time to introduce the members of the heist. Everyone who’s ever seen a heist movie will be familiar with this part, as the main protagonist assembles his/her/their gang to get the job done.
In Army Of The Dead, that aforementioned introduction and assembling part takes up more than 30 minutes of the entire movie, and it wouldn’t be until almost one hour into the movie before the gang is completely assembled and finally ready to begin the task for which they were recruited for. The pacing doesn’t feel too slow or draggy, but some viewers might find that the movie takes too long to start delving into the action and the actual ‘heist’.
Just like any heist movie, Army Of The Dead boasts a massive ensemble cast. Besides Dave Bautista’s Scott Ward and Ella Purnell’s Kate Ward, the highlight of the movie is Matthias SchweighÃ¶fer as the eccentric German safecracker Ludwig Dieter and Omari Hardwick as the stoic and serious Vanderohe. Their unlikely but quirky relationship and interactions make for the best and more humorous parts of the movie.
Without spoiling anything, all I can say is that I totally understand why the prequel movie will focus on SchweighÃ¶fer’s Dieter as the main protagonist. The rest of the cast is mostly just there, as is usually expected in a big heist movie like this.
Who Watches The Zombies?
ARMY OF THE DEAD Cr. NETFLIX Â© 2021
I loved Zack Snyder’s Watchmen and one of the biggest reasons for that is the now-iconic opening sequence of the movie; the one featuring the Minutemen and Bob Dylan’s The Times They Are A-Changin’ playing in the background.
In Army Of The Dead, Snyder repeats the same technique. Army Of The Dead opens with a montageÂ depicting the chaotic early moments of the outbreak in Las Vegas with a cover of Elvis Presley’s Viva Las Vegas playing through the sequence. It doesn’t make as much of an impression as the one in Watchmen but it’s still a nice sequence nonetheless.
Oh, and if you’re a horror buff, maybe you’ll be happy to learn that Army Of The Dead revels in its R-rated-ness. It’s gory and bloody as hell, with bits of nudity as well. Expects buckets of blood and violent death scenes (it is a zombie movie after all). That said, the movie could have been improved by including more practical effects instead of relying on CGI.
The zombies are more than just mindless hordes in Army Of The Dead. I don’t want to spoil the movie, but the zombies in this universe (is it too early to call it that?) have a certain hierarchy and even a society of sorts; so they have a measure of intelligence. To clarify, that’s not a spoiler because Snyder himself has already revealed in previous interviews that Army Of The Dead will feature “alpha” zombies. He actually does say a bit more about the zombies in his new movie, but I’ll leave it to you to head on over here if you wish to know more.
Oh, and the zombie tiger (as seen in one of the movie’s trailers) is awesome, though I wish there was more of the undead animal in the movie.
Action, Action And More Action
ARMY OF THE DEAD – (L-R) NORA ARNEZEDER as LILLY, SAMANTHA WIN as CHAMBERS, ANA DE LA REGUERA as CRUZ, DAVE BAUTISTA as SCOTT WARD and OMARI HARDWICK as VANDEROHE. Cr: NETFLIX Â© 2021
Ultimately, Army Of The Dead is exactly how Zack Snyder described it in an interview: “It is a full-blown, balls-to-the-wall zombie heist movie, so itâ€™s genre-on-genre in a great way. So you expect pure zombie mayhem, and you get that, 100 percent.”
Don’t expect full-on horror or smart social commentary/humour. You won’t find much of any of that. If you’re looking for a stylish and gory R-rated zombie movie with loads of action, then Army Of The Dead is for you.
FINAL SCORE: 70/100
We received an early access screener of Army Of The Dead courtesy of Netflix Malaysia. It is slated to premiere exclusively on Netflix on 21 May 2021.


Persona 5 Royal, Persona 4 Golden & Persona 3 Portable Confirmed For Nintendo Switch Too

Atlus has announced that Persona 5 Royal will launch for the Nintendo Switch alongside its recently announced PS4, PS5, Xbox Series, Xbox One, and PC versions on 21 October 2022. They also announced that Persona 4 Golden and Persona 3 Portable will come to Nintendo Switch alongside their PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and PC releases sometime in 2023.

Persona 5 Royal – Forced to transfer to a high school in Tokyo, the protagonist has a strange dream. “You truly are a prisoner of fate. In the near future, ruin awaits you.” With the goal of “rehabilitation” looming overhead, he must save others from distorted desires by donning the mask of a Phantom Thief. Persona 5 Royal makes its epic return with previously released DLC included in the base game!
Persona 4 Golden – They say your soulmate will appear if you stare into a television set on a rainy night… This strange rumor slowly spreads through the rural town of Inaba, the protagonist’s new home, just as a chain of mysterious murders begin. As the protagonist and his teammates chase after the truth, they find themselves opening the door to another world. For the first time, enjoy Persona 4 Golden with text in French, Italian, German, and Spanish!
Persona 3 Portable – If I say there’s an hour “hidden” between one day and the next…would you believe me? This unknown time is the “Dark Hour.” Unfamiliar stillness swallows the city, people turn into eerie coffins, and otherworldly monsters called Shadows swarm. One night, the protagonist is attacked by these Shadows. When all hope seems lost, the power of the heart, their Persona, is awakened. Featuring enhanced graphics, Persona 3 Portable will also be available with French, Italian, German, and Spanish text for the first time!

This news was revealed via the Nintendo Direct Mini Partner Showcase June 2022.


Devil May Cry 5 Sold 2 Million Copies Worldwide

Capcom didn’t need to resort to Dr Faustus levels of farming to get their profit from their latest game thanks to a recent windfall.
During a Devil May Cry 5 panel featuring director Hideaki Itsuno, producer Matt Walker, and senior producer Mitcheru Okabe at GDC 2019, the three of them talked about game design by reverse-engineering emotions. Oh, and also mention the fact that they’ve sold 2 million copies of DMC5 at this point in typing.

DMCV has sold 2 million copies #gdc219 pic.twitter.com/ZOfbFNBoTH
— Isaac Torres ?? (@Delriach) March 22, 2019

The trio also dressed up as Nero, V, and Dante respectively (via Kotaku). Cute.

There’s quite a bit of spoiler material past this point, so I’ll put this up in case:

The talk itself is about what’s necessary for game designers and how they shouldn’t mix up “means” and “objectives”, but instead figure out many different means to solve a game design/mechanic objective (via 4gamer).

The trio also touched upon Hero’s Journey-type arcs, where the hero Nero had to experience setbacks so that his awakening/comeback is stronger and resonates better with players.

You can check out the full recap at 4Gamer; it’s quite a read.Â
As I’ve mentioned before, Capcom is truly on a roll this 2019 just because of DMC5 and Resident Evil 2,Â which I should remind you are single-player games without any need for live services and online play (barring leaderboards and score-keeping stuff for bragging rights). Hopefully this recent development can inspire other bigwig companies to steer their development ship towards this direction.


Epic Games Store Adds Library List View In New Update

Steam recently implemented its library makeover, but it looks like the Epic Games Store also has something up its sleeve. Epic Games has finally updated its own digital storefront platform with a library list view (via Reddit).
The library list view on Epic Games Store allows users to sort games alphabetically, filter by uninstalled games or by you most recently-purchased (or recently-released) games by selecting the “recent” option. This makes it easier for gamers who have already started to amass a sizable amount of titles, especially from redeeming the free weekly games.

Besides that, playtime tracking has now also been added to the Epic Games Store, which users can check by selecting any particular title’s options menu. This is always a welcome feature, and one that I wish would someday arrive on the PS4.
According to the Epic Games Store Trello roadmap, the next updates for the Epic Games Store will include changes to the storefront, an in-game overlay, and mod support. Achievements, wishlists, and user reviews are also planned further down the road.


Xbox Game Pass February 2023 Adds Atomic Heart, SD Gundam Battle Alliance & More

Microsoft has announced new titles coming to Xbox Game Pass this February 2023, which includes the upcoming EA and Koei Tecmo’s monster hunting game, Wild Hearts and more.
Check them out:
Coming Soon
Madden NFL 23 (Console and PC) EA Play – 9 February
The football simulation game is finally coming to PC Game Pass and Ultimate via EA Play. Lead your Ultimate Team as champion and show your determination to win. From 9 February to 9 March 2023, EA Play and Ultimate members can obtain a Supercharge Pack by logging into Madden Ultimate Team.
SD Gundam Battle Alliance (Console, C;oud, and PC) – 9 February
Multiplayer action RPG game, SD Gundam Battle Alliance lets you smash enemies’ solo or with friends in mechanized combat. Get new mobile suits of your favourite Gundam series, level up, and suit up into battle in various missions.
Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord (Console, Cloud, and PC) – 14 February

Set for on an epic adventure in a fictional Dark Ages sandbox that combines strategy and action–RPG gameplay. Carve out your own kingdom or champion another’s cause as you explore the vast, reimagined continent of Calradia in this prequel to the critically acclaimed, Mount & Blade: Warband.
Cities Skylines – Remastered (Xbox Series X/S, and Cloud) – 15 February
The award-winning management game is now remastered for Xbox Series X/S, featuring vast city-simulation gameplay where you can create, build, and manage the city of your dream! Challenge yourself from building a quaint town to giant skyscrapers.
Shadow Warrior 3: Definitive Edition (Console, Cloud, and PC) – 16 February
Explore a mythical Japanese realm filled with magic and ancient samurai technology, ruled by demonic yokai from Japanese folklore. The Definitive Edition adds new features and modes for that fast-paced gunplay, razor-sharp melee combat, and spectacular free-running movement system.
Atomic Heart: (Console, Cloud, and PC) – 21 February

Available on day one with Game Pass: First-person shooter set in an alternate reality Soviet era, take part of the explosive encounters. To accomplish your mission, make use of your environment, adapt your fighting style, and upgrade your equipment.
DLC/Game Updates
Wild Hearts: EA Play Early Access Trial – 13 February

Game Pass Ultimate Members can explore the world of monsters starting 13 February via EA Play. Before the game’s official launch, players can play up to the gates of Minato using EA Play early access trial. You can save 10% using your member discount if you wish to purchase, and the progress carries to the full game.
In case you were wondering what type of monsters you’ll be hunting, head over to our demo preview. Is the game similar to the famous Monster Hunter franchise? Our writer, Lewis provides a closer look of the key elements between the two games.
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Perks
Fallout 76: Modern Living Bundle – Available now
Makeover your C.A.M.P with a modern look using the Modern Living Bundle, includes the Modern Home Rug, Modern Home Wallpaper, Repair Kits, and Carry Weight Boosters.
The Elder Scrolls Online: Dragon Slayer Bundle – Available now
The Ancient Dragon Hunter collection gives you the power to strike terror into the hearts of Tamriel’s most dangerous predators. Players will need to have the Elder Scrolls Online base game to use the Perk content.
Xbox Game Pass Quests
The February Game Pass Quests are now available for you to grab. New Quests each week around Valentine’s Day, football, anime, and more. Hit 500 points to earn the Quest Completionist title.
Your completed Quests can be redeemed on your console in the Game Pass section, or on your PC or through the Xbox Game Pass app.
Available now:

Madden NFL (250 points – Ultimate only): Play 4 Online Games
Opus: Echo of Starsong (5 points): Play
Earn an Achievement in any Game Pass Game (50 points)

Leaving 15 February
The following games are leaving the Game Pass library soon, so make sure you tie up any loose ends before they go. Remember to use your membership discount to save up to 20% on games in the Game Pass library.

Besiege (Game Preview) (Console, Cloud, and PC)
CrossfireX (Console and Cloud)
Infernax (Console, Cloud, and PC)
Recompile (Console, Cloud, and PC)
Skul: The Hero Slayer (Console, Cloud, and PC)
The Last Kids on Earth (Console, Cloud, and PC)


GameStart 2018 Dates Announced So We Can Forget About Last Year’s Lacklustre Showing

The biggest game convention in Southeast Asia (apart from ESGS and Thai Game Show) is back again for another year. Yep, GameStart 2018 is made official and will happen on October 13 and 14 in Singapore, with a theme on “fantasy”.
Just like the past few GameStarts, the South East Asia Major (SEAM) tournament will also be happening. For those who don’t know, SEAM is where the best in Southeast Asia and Japan duke it out in fighting games. Titles featured include Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition, Dragon Ball FighterZ, Tekken 7, Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite, Guilty Gear Xrd, BlazBlue, and Windjammers.
That last one needs mentioning because there hasn’t been any official Asian Windjammers tournament, so that’s nice. So if you want your high-level fighting game fix, mark those dates too.

Apart from that, not much is known and no location is determined yet, but we’re sure GameStart Asia will start announcing more things and featured guests/publishers closer to the October date.
But let’s address that elephant in the room: GameStart 2017. It’s not exactly good.
But Why?
Keep in mind that I’m holding this event to a really, REALLY high standard. The past few GameStart events from 2014 to 2016 were simply amazing; we’ll go as far as to call them the Southeast Asian equivalents of Tokyo Game Show and Penny Arcade Expo.
Off the top of my head, the only highlights I remember from last year’s show are:
-South East Asia Major 2017 Street Fighter V and Tekken 7 hype. That’s good.
-Yoko “Moonface” Taro and some NieR Automata cosplaying. That’s…something.
-Shadowverse and Vainglory tournament hype. That’s good, though that’s more of a B-list event than the main event.
-An indoor bar. That’s good.
-A PUBG showcase that you might as well tune into online and not on stage, because why not cash in on a trending streamer-friendly free-for-all shooter?
-A major tabletop gaming spectacle. I guess that’s fine for the analog gaming folks, but is it really in line with what GameStart Asia established the past four years? Or are they just cashing in on the current fad of people suddenly finding tabletop gaming hip?
-Some new games and some PlayStation VR “experiences”. All well and good, until you realize that your headsets cost half as much as the console it’s used on.
That last point is damning. The past GameStart Asia events were hell-bent on showcasing the latest games for the following year or even brand new game titles. There were also community efforts like the cosplay groups and the retro gaming group, and even the indie game showcases. But that’s all icing on the triple chocolate fudge cake that is the main GameStart Asia events & new upcoming games.
Alas, we got less of that and more community-driven efforts, which is fine but that’s not going to turn heads in the long run and attract the rest of Asia to the little red dot that is Singapore.

Image credit: GameStart Asia

In Their Defense…
The state of video game publishers within the second half of 2017 has been a tad awry, so it’s not like GameStart Asia had much to work with.
–PlayStation had a great first half with new releases like Nioh, Persona 5 (in English) Horizon Zero Dawn, and NieR Automata. The second half? Not so much. What about the 2018 catalogue they had like God of War, Days Gone, and Marvel’s Spider-Man they could have shown? We didn’t get that.
–Xbox did far worse in the first half, but at least had a new version of its Xbox One console to show for it. They had 2018 games they could have shown at this year’s GameStart like Crackdown 3 and Sea of Thieves, but alas we didn’t get that.
–Nintendo‘s 2017 was amazing. But yeah Southeast Asia isn’t going to get any support from the Big N. A shame really, as the Switch and its slew of games could get the crowd going.
All I’m saying in the end is that I’m happy that there’s a GameStart 2018, but I’m calling it like it is about what 2017’s iteration is lacking: a cohesive vision.
Obviously, I’m not speaking for the gaming community here. I’m sure they had good things to say about GameStart 2017. The media in Singapore sure as hell did.
But all I’m saying is: never settle. Don’t blindly accept lacklustre results at face value and demand better from them, especially if you know they can. We criticize because we love and we want it to grow and be better. It’s fine to have one bad lemon in a basket full of awesome fruits. GameStart 2017 is that lemon.
I’m sure the GameStart team knows this way before I even starting typing furiously on my mechanical keyboard. Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, I’m sure they’re going to make me eat crow with a splendid 2018 showing later this October.
For their sake in being relevant, they’d better.


Matt Reeve’s Batman “Fanfic” Is What The World Deserves & Needs Right Now

You know what they say about having fans working on their beloved franchises and media IPs and taking over their creators’ work: said franchise might end up creating low-stakes stories and fanfiction dressed up with a big budget.
Thankfully, Batman fan Matt Reeves -also known for his much-lauded direction and writing of the Planet of the Apes rebooted trilogy- knows the responsibility of knowing the Caped Crusader inside out. While he is aware of the character’s legacy, he also remembers that he’s writing a self-contained story about the vigilante hero solving a mystery and a crime spree that could unravel Gotham’s history as a whole.
Reeve’s team did a great job overall in delivering a well-told tale with visual and audio panache, making it a lovely superhero-laced start for 2022. And he didn’t need to retell the death of Batman’s alter-ego Bruce Wayne’s parents all over again, pearl necklaces and all.
Bat Might

The key players in this pulp action crime story are Batman/Bruce Wayne (Robert Pattinson), The Riddler and his puzzles (a masked Paul Dano), Iceberg Lounge owner & crook Oswald “The Penguin” Cobblepot (a heavily-costumed Colin Farrell), Commissioner Gordon (Jeffrey Wright),Â and full-time waitress and cat burglar Selina Kyle (Zoe Kravitz). The Riddler is out killing important folks who run Gotham City, and it’s up to Batman and Commissioner Gordon to figure things out.
That’s basically the majority of the film: it takes place within a few days where our heroes are on a mad hunt and have to deal with dark alleyways and clubs, a whole lot of detective and recon work, and a few fights and chase sequences that are punctuated and paced out very well. Reeve’s direction and Greig Fraser’s direction of photography also lead to a good number of Stanley Kubrick-esque shots and scenes that feel tightened and also expansive to a point.
If anything, this is a beautiful 2022 film to feed your eyes, as well as a score-rich film for the ears. You can thank composer Michael Giacchino for the themes that can give Hans Zimmer and Danny Elfman a run for their money.
Black & White

Most importantly, actor Robert Pattinson nails the title character, from his movement to how he addresses the situation, be it with a few words or a ton of punches. He easily showcases the reason why criminals are a superstitious and cowardly lot; his imposing presence and the suit just works in this dark and serious drama. This is a Batman who is getting the hang of being Gotham’s vigilante protector: still rough around the edges but he’s still competent and driven.
His Bruce Wayne moments? While he does showcase some heartfelt moments, especially with his butler Alfred (Andy Serkis), this version of Bruce Wayne could use a lot more theatrics. He’s got the low-key part pat from the Tim Burton Batman flicks; now maybe have him flaunt it like with the Nolan Batman films.
Zoe Kravitz works well as Selina Kyle, right down to her amoral behaviour, while Paul Dano’s The Riddler is the right kind of creepy and menacing through and through; what you would expect from a mastermind instead of what Batman Forever gave us: Gotham’s Jim Carrey. Jeffrey Wright’s Jim Gordon, John Torturro’s mob boss Falcone, and Colin Farrel’s The Penguin all give solid performances and make the overall film work to its conventions.
Batman, Ego
And for a film that is almost 3 hours long, I didn’t feel exhausted just watching everything from start to finish. Granted, I could use a few more bits of Batman being Bruce Wayne and a few more edits and trimming, but given the title and “Year One” style of direction here, seeing more Detective Comics-style adventure here -akin to a Batman: The Animated Series three-parter episode brought to life- while also tying in some Batman story arcs of recent years is definitely the best way to go to bring something new to the series.
While non-Batman fans may see this as just a slick and well-shot-if-confusing pulp action film set in contemporary times and in a lot of dark places, I won’t be surprised if this love letter to the Caped Crusader gets placed alongside top spot films like The Dark Knight and Batman (1989).
It ain’t unseating Batman: Mask of the Phantasm anytime soon, but third place in that context is still damn good enough. It’s a helluva start of a new set of Batman movie stories, and that’s what the cinephile deserve and need right now.
Final Score: 80/100