Team Ninja Showcase Reveal Trailer For Rise Of The Ronin

Team Ninja have unveiled a new IP dubbed Rise of the Ronin slated to release exclusively on PS5.
The game will take place in the late Edo period right was Western colonisers began to set foot on Japanese soil. The game follows a ronin as we experience with him Team Ninja’s telling of the transitioning of periods, as well as some teases of open-world gameplay with horse-back riding and sleek combat.
The gameplay shown looks to be a semi-open world similar to that of Assassin’s Creed, and is slated for a 2024 release.


Twitch Now Owns The IMDB Of Video Games

Even if you rarely peruse the Internet Movie Database (IMDB), you surely know about it thanks to its usefulness when finding basic information about almost any movie in existence. The video games counterpart of the IMDB is the Internet Game Database (IGDB).
Recently, the IGDB was acquired by streaming service Twitch. IGDB owner Jerome Richer De Forges wrote that joining Twitch will allow them to move forward in further developing their website into a version that fits their vision.

“By joining Twitch, we will be able to tap into their experience, resources, and skills, which will enable us to accelerate our progress and deliver the version of IGDB we all always dreamed about.”
– Jerome Richer De Forges, creator of IGDB.
The website’s API which is used to gather and analyse data surrounding video game releases and ratings will largely remain the same. The great new change is that IGDB is merging their premium and free tiers into one single new free tier.
Up to this point, Twitch’s game directory has been based on Giant Bomb (via PC Gamer). It explains why a lot of streamers who choose to play lesser-known indie titles are often put under the bus. Hopefully, that changes with this.
Read Jerome’s full Medium announcement here.


Let’s Talk About Final Fantasy VII Remake’s Bizarre Ending [Major Spoilers]

Many of you are taking advantage of the recent MCO extension to play through Final Fantasy VII Remake, which we totally love. In fact, a few lucky folks have finished this game by today. God bless you.
This feature is all about the remake’s ending. So if you don’t want to be spoiled, I suggest you walk away and keep playing. Even if you’ve finished the original 1997 game and its numerous ports, I will be talking about the remake.
Last chance: these are Ultima and Flare-level spoilers. You’ve been warned.

Alright, let’s dive into Final Fantasy VII Remake’s climax, ending, and future ramifications.
The Whispers & Their Role
The Whispers of time that chase you around throughout the game (the hooded ghosts), exist to ensure that events in Final Fantasy VII RemakeÂ follow the timeline of the original FFVII game. This suggests a few things and raises a lot of questions.
For example, do Cloudâ€™s visions of events like Reunion and Aerithâ€™s death in the Whisper Harbinger fight (below) imply that he’s already been through the original game once before? Or is it just the side effects of Cloud’s Mako-poisoning in Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII? Speaking of which…

Zack Fair
There’s a huge segment that showcases Zack from Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII and his final stand. After killing the Whisper Harbinger and Sephiroth in the lost time section, he survives.

Also, Stamp is a different breed of dog. The camera seems to slow down at this bit just to highlight that things are a little different now.

By showing us these changes, the developers have established the existence of multiple timelines in the FFVII universe. This is presumably created when your party defeated the Whisper Harbinger and Sephiroth.
Will we be playing through alternate realities in subsequent games & sequels? Is Zack going to pop back to life in the proper timeline? Why does Aerith miss Midgar’s sky? How did Aerith notice Zack’s presence in that parting shot?

The only answer we have is yes, this game WILL have sequels. This is Square Enix we’re talking about.Â
The Game’s Title
The title of the game makes sense, at least from a narrative standpoint. Thereâ€™s no “part one” on the end of Final Fantasy VII RemakeÂ because this is the only part that’s a remake. From here on out, we’re in uncharted territory.
We may see familiar FFVII locations and characters like the Gold Saucer, as well as shapeshifting emo kid Vincent Valentine, kleptomaniac ninja Yuffie, and swearmonger pilot Cid, but the events may end up different.
There are so many possibilities here. Will Zack join the party? Will Sephiroth turn into a good guy and help fight Jenova? Will Aerith avoid death this time around?

A New Path?
No doubt this ending will piss off a LOT of hardcore FFVII fans. But this being Square Enix’s “reiteration” of the franchise, I’m alright with this deviation. What I’m not happy about is the fact that it’s all under director Tetsuya Nomura’s hands, the man who cannot tell a cohesive story if his life depended on it.
He had so many chances with the Kingdom Hearts franchise and utterly failed, at least in my perspective. What makes anyone think that the future stories of FFVII Remake will have a chance? I just hope that his colleagues Yoshinori Kitase, Motomu Toriyama, and Kazushige Nojima can keep his idea diarrhoea in check for future instalments.
Barring that, I’m hopeful for this franchise’s future.
Do you have your own opinions & thoughts on how FFVII Remake ended? Did you also enjoy that new “Hollow” song that came with it? Let us know here or on Facebook!Â


Left 4 Dead Dev Reveals First Look At New Zombie Game Back 4 Blood

Last year, Left 4 Dead developer Turtle Rock Studios announced that they were working on a new online co-op multiplayer FPS zombie game, Back 4 Blood. More than a year has passed, and they have revealed the first concept art from the upcoming game.
Posted on their official Twitter account, the Back 4 Blood concept art shows off what seems to be a makeshift human settlement or fortress of some kind, which is presumably to keep away zombies. Interestingly, it’s surrounded by fortifications and traps for defensive purposes.

Getting to this 4th of July has been tough on all of us, so we wanted to give you a sneak peek and a bit of Hope. pic.twitter.com/buGOBayz5N
â€” Turtle Rock Studios (@TurtleRock) July 4, 2020
It’s still too early to say at this point, but those fortifications and traps may mean that players will be able to utilize them in the game to hold off zombies and enemies. Of course, that has yet to be confirmed by the developer.
Turtle Rock Studios have already previously clarified that Back 4 Blood won’t be a sequel to Left 4 Dead 2, though it will retain many of the same elements with the addition of new and unique stuff as well.
Back 4 Blood is slated to release for the PS4, Xbox One, and PC, though no release date or window has been announced.


World Of Warcraft 9.2 Patch Goes Live This February

World of Warcraft players have been waiting for the latest patch to go live, so it’s good to know that it’ll be happening in a week or so.
World of Warcraft’s 9.2 patch, Eternity’s End, will go live on 22 February. It’s the last big content update for WoW’s Shadowlands expansion and features a new zone called Zereth Mortis. The place is described as “an otherworldly location that defies all concepts of reality or physics”.
There’s also a new raid called Sepulchre of the First Ones, featuring 11 new bosses including Anduin Wrynn and Zovaal the Jailer at the end. You’ll be allied with a new faction called the Enlightened who grants players the ability to equip two legendary items simultaneously. The 9.2 patch will also see the end of Shadowlands PvP Season 2 and Mythic+ season 2.
In related news, the upcoming 9.2.5 patch will allow humans and orcs to fight together in raids and dungeons, essentially breaking down the key hook that made WoW unique from other MMOs then and now. Good job, I guess?


Overlord Is The Call of Duty Zombie Mode Movie You’ve Always Wanted

1-and-a-half hours later sitting through Overlord’s gore-laden ode to America’s army laying the smack down on Nazi occupants in France during World War II, I’m not sure what to feel.
On one hand, I am convinced that with some slick direction, great score, and charismatic-if-stock characters, you can make a well-worn R-rated trope of “soldiers vs undead abominations” feel exciting and fresh again. On the other, well, I wanted more beyond what I got.
Ghoul Metal Jacket
I’m surprised Activision hasn’t put their stamp all over the simple concept: a group of American soldiers have to bomb a radio tower in France so that air support can help out.

Problem is, said tower that’s on a church houses a deep dark scientific secret. If you’ve seen the trailers and played a lot of shooters, you’ll know what’s up. Just like its possible digital interactive inspiration (alongside a bunch of Rob Zombie songs), it’s meaty enough without coming off as too short, it’s simple to follow, and it’s flashy without being too heavy-handed. Oh and the violence and gore effects are pretty detailed. Get ready to wince at some key scenes in the second half.
The American army team of Boyce (Jovan Adepo), Ford (Wyatt Russell), Tibbet, and Chase all work well within the action horror trappings of Overlord. Boyce is the greenhorn private who goes from newbie to badass throughout the film. Ford is the no-nonsense leader who puts the mission above everything else, though he shows a soft side at the second half of the film.
Tibbet is the chatterbox who needs to be semi-obnoxious and have a sort of side arc with the kid in the show. Yeah, there’s a precocious kid Paul and his sister Chloe, played respectively by Gianni Taufer and the not-quite-typecasted-in-a-damsel-role French villager Chloe.

You also get an antagonist in the form ofÂ Pilou AsbÃ¦k as a Nazi officer Wafner who relishes in holding captive the French town the heroes are stuck in and also being a slimy bad guy from start to finish. He gets over-the-top halfway in the film, but in a film featuring science experiments and undead abominations as soldiers for the future Reich of the Nazi army? I’d expect nothing less.
Falling A Bit Short?
The film attempts to add a touch of class in the form of poignant moments and quiet scenes where Boyce and co. talk to each other and even find out more about the French village and Chloe. Alas, they were cut short in favour of the real meat of the show: the second half bit with the church basement and the undead business.
It’s also weird that the film could have had a great final act but was also reduced to a tease in favour of a standoff between Wafner and the two lead soldiers of the company. Not that it’s bad, but it could have elevated this film from standard action flick to a marvel that sits alongside the first Predator, Aliens, and Army of Darkness.
Production house Bad Robot, writer Billy Ray, and director Julius Avery made a pretty decent throwback to schlock exploitation films featuring Nazis and the undead but with a higher budget and a solid script. I wished it went a bit more off the rails, but hey, I’m quite okay with what we got.
Final Rating: 70/100


Did Blizzard Scrapped Plans For A Diablo 4 Video For BlizzCon 2018?

BlizzCon 2018 was fun, right? We had great Overwatch matches, some cool game announcements, and Diablo going mobile. Much to the chagrin of a lot of people online and on YouTube.
Amidst the many rumours and speculation, was there really going to be a Diablo 4 announcement? Or were there even plans for it before it was changed at the last minute? Well, the story’s easy to break down (via Kotaku).
-Blizzard recorded a video where co-founder Allen Adham talked about a new Diablo game.Â
Here is the company’s official statement:
“First off we want to mention that we definitely hear our community. We generally donâ€™t comment on rumors or speculation, but we can say that we didnâ€™t pull any announcements from BlizzCon this year or have plans for other announcements. We do continue to have different teams working on multiple unannouncedÂ DiabloÂ projects, and we look forward to announcing when the time is right.”
-The video isn’t planned for BlizzCon 2018 at all. Two people familiar with Blizzard’s plans confirmed the aforementioned video, but the video is meant for the future.
-Yes, Diablo 4 is confirmed to be in development. But as usual, it won’t be announced so soon. According to sources, the game has gone through two different iterations under different directors, thus they cannot commit to an announcement.
Until then, we’ll be playing Diablo Immortal when it’s out. As wise men say, good things come to those who wait.


EnVyUs Secures Top-Dog Status with OWC S1 Final Win Over FaZe Clan As Gigantti Upsets Misfits

The Boys in Blue capped their preparation for the Overwatch League in the best way possible earlier today with an emphatic 4-0 win over FaZe Clan to not only win the North American circuit of Overwatch Season 1 and walk home $40,000 richer, but also cementing their position as the top dog in the North American Overwatch scene.
Seagullâ€™s debut with EnVyUs could have not been any better as he gelled with the team like a duck to water with his perfect projectile plays resulting in a 7-0 record of map wins over a span of two days. And what better way to assert his dominance as he played a crucial part in securing the capture point early on by out-maneuvering Shadowburn from the opposite end.Â
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRTCNnT3nWY&w=560&h=315]
His air dominance brings a new dimension to EnVy’s approach to fights as it frees Effect and Taimou to wreck havoc on the ground and they did so to devastating *ahem* effect. As the commentators put it – “EnVyUs have more threats than you can keep track of” and if even FaZe Clan have no answer to that, who does? We are really enjoying this much more aggressive and direct yet still very methodical EnVyUs and it is hard to see any NA nor EU team to come even close to the level these guys are at the moment.Â  It felt more of an exhibition match as EnVy easily won 2-0 on Ilios followed by a 2-1 win on Hollywood to put them in a very comfortable position.Â
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=paXpPU-LQlM&w=560&h=315]
FaZe Clan gave quite a fight in the third map, Anubis forcing a tiebreaker round but were still unable to overcome EnVy who were miles ahead of their closest competitor. The closest they got was on the fourth round on Route 66 where they again forced a tiebreaker round but again fell short. This time, unable to even reach the first check point following a strong EnVy push powered by a surprise Bastion pick by Taimou. A good takeaway from the new EnVyUs setup was that the team is now running on the old adage of ‘offense is the best defense’, whence opponents who are too busy staying alive won’t have time to attempt flanking maneuvers to endanger EnVy’s support backline.
On the EU side of things, Team Gigantti had their revenge against season favorites Misfits with a thrilling win over seven games. Having raced ahead with an opening win on Oasis, Gigantti was pegged back as Misfits won the following round on Eichenwalde in a very convincing manner, stopping the payload short of the second checkpoint. Gigantti then sent shockwaves across the pro scene as they won the following two maps; on Anubis and Route 66 to lead 3-1.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhO6su-T0e0&w=560&h=315]
Then a weird series of events happened as both teams head to map #5. Needing a win to ensure they are still in the contest, Misfits again picked Eichenwalde much to the dismay of many. While nothing in the rulebook forbids them from doing so, it was somewhat a show of desperation as they returned to the map which they dominated so convincingly just a few rounds prior, which they duly repeated to cut the deficit to 3-2. Not to be outdone, Gigantti’s turn to pick the map saw them choosing Temple of Anubis as the sixth map. However things didn’t go out as they planned for Gigantti as Misfits, having learned from their earlier bout, outsmarted the Fins for a win and to tie the series 3-3.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iATWawNQ0Dk&w=560&h=315]
Moving forward from playing on repeated maps, the deciding round was played on Ilios which saw Gigantti regaining their composure and seeing out the match with a 2-0 win thus earning their revenge and the title as the best team in Europe. The $40,000 was the cherry on the cake and hopefully we are able to see these boys in action soon at the Overwatch League.
While it was great seeing EnVyUs dominating Overwatch Contenders Season 1 from start to finish, today would be the last day Taimou, Chipshajen, HarryHook, Mickie, cocco, EFFECT and Seagull play together as EnVyUs after they team rebranded as Dallas Fuel for the upcoming Overwatch League. Thanks for the great time, boys. Now go kick some butt at OWL.


Superman Legacy Cast Adds Yet Another Superhero With Metamorpho

James Gunn has added yet another DC Comics superhero to his upcoming Superman Legacy movie. Anthony Carrigan has been cast as archaeologist Rex Mason AKA Metamorpho (via The Hollywood Reporter).
Just yesterday, several cast additions were announced, including Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl, Edi Gathegi as Mister Terrific and Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner Green Lantern.
Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Carrigan said:
“I like comic books, but I’m not a diehard, but I did when all my hair fell out, go through the kind of pantheon of all of these bald superheroes and supervillains and made note of all of them. I remember seeing Metamorpho and I think he had like a giant like hammer for a hand and I was like, that guy’s badass. Noted. We’ll store that one away.
This character from what I’ve learned of the source material, he didn’t like the way he looked, and I can really relate to that. You know, when he got his powers he thought it was a curse. That’s something that I really felt as well. In my case, I turned it around and saw it as a blessing. So I’m excited to bring that to the table with this character.”
Metamorpho, created by Bob Haney and Ramona Fradon in 1965, can transmute elements in his body into various forms, taking those properties on as powers. After first being an archaeologist, his abilities set him on the path of heroism. He later became a detective and a founding member of the supergroup known as the Outsiders.
Carrigan is no stranger to DC characters, having previously played Kyle Nimbus AKA Mist in CW’s The Flash series and Batman villain Victor Zsasz in the Gotham series.
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.


The Falcon And The Winter Soldier Zemo Dancing Clip Surpasses A Million Views

Last week’s episode of The Falcon And The Winter Soldier (Episode 3) introduced a brief seconds-long scene that has since taken the Internet by storm.
Zemo (Daniel Bruhl) dancing.
What’s even crazier is that according to Bruhl himself (when speaking with EW), the scene was supposed to be much longer than just several seconds.
He said:
â€œIt was a long dance. Thereâ€™s more to it, but they cut this little moment [for the show].â€
Thankfully, Marvel knows what we all want and that’s more of Zemo dancing. We got exactly that, and then some.
The official Marvel Entertainment YouTube account posted a one-hour-long loop of Zemo dancing and it’s glorious as expected. At the time of writing, it has even surpassed a whopping one million views.
Also, if you havenâ€™t, you can check out my previous breakdown and easter egg articles for The Falcon And The Winter Soldier Episode 1, Episode 2 and Episode 3.
Feast your eyes below:


The Sights & Sounds Of PvP Esports Championship In Singapore

It’s not everyday Singapore gets the exclusive esports spotlight next to Southeast Asia Majors and that one epic Vainglory Worlds tournament last year. This year, the little red dot south of Semenanjung Malaysia gets a large-scale 3-day esports tournament in the form of the PvP Esports Championship.
If you’re a fan of Dota 2, Arena Of Valor, and Hearthstone, this was the place to be since the best of Southeast Asia and the rest of the world are competing in this once-in-a-lifetime event. And we have pictures!
For a first-time Singapore esports-centric event, it’s a really good first effort that warrants a second and third big-scale try. Check out the photos below if you aren’t convinced; it’s got everything from Dota 2 pro players to even a surprise appearance from Razer’s Min-Liang Tan.

Image credit: PvP Esports Championship
Image credit: PvP Esports Championship
Image credit: PvP Esports Championship
Image credit: PvP Esports Championship
Image credit: PvP Esports Championship


Blacksad’s Game Is Out And It Looks Like Furry Heaven

Ever heard of the Blacksad comics? They tell the story of a private investigator named John Blacksad. It takes place in 1950s America and has everything you’d expect from a film noir style mystery comic book. Here’s the twist: everyone is an anthropomorphic animal.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTHc_TCGrDo&w=560&h=315]
Blacksad: Under the Skin is a video game adaptation of the comics. It’s developed by Pendulo Studios who has a track record of making graphic adventure games such as Yesterday Origins and the Runaway series. The game comes out tomorrow 15 November 2019 (for Southeast Asia) and the launch trailer is definitely intriguing, to say the least.
For those of you who know of the comics, the game takes place sometime between Arctic Nation and Red Soul. We’re put in the shoes of the cat detective himself to solve the disappearance of a gorilla boxer named Bobby Yale. The case is particularly morbid due to the fact that Yale’s coach and owner of the boxing club he trains at, Joe Dunn, is found dead on the same day.
If you’ve ever played games like Telltale Games’ The Walking Dead and The Wolf Among Us, then you’ll be quite familiar with how this game plays. It’s got dialog options, puzzles, and even QTEs for those life-threatening moments.
Blacksad: Under the Skin launches on 14 November 2019 for PC, macOS, PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. You can check out the game’s Steam page here.


The Top 15 PlayStation 1 Games That Should Have Been On The PlayStation Classic

I took the PlayStation Classic for a spin recently. And while a few of the games deserved to be on the retro-throwback cube, I felt that there should be other worthy titles in the mix.
As it stands, the motley of games on the mini retro console is, how shall I put it, lacking. I’m not saying I know better, but as someone who lived through the 90s and has experienced parts of high school and college with the PlayStation 1….well, I guess I do know better. Heh.
Just a heads up: I won’t include the following games because they’re already on the PlayStation Classic and they totally deserve to be on the machine to highlight the glory days of the PlayStation gaming arm. Plus, they don’t need much introduction.

Final Fantasy VII: best PS One JRPG that pushed JRPGs to the mainstream.
Metal Gear Solid: best iteration of Kojima’s stealth game-slash-movie yet.
Tekken 3: third time’s a charm for this classic fighting game.
Jumping Flash: best retro 3D platformer that showcases the PS 1’s horsepower.
Oddworld- Abe’s Oddysee: combines dark humour with a deep layer of 2D platforming and puzzle-solving bits.
R4 Ridge Racer Type 4: the best final form of the classic racer from Bandai Namco.
Arc The Lad 2: great JRPG that succeeded its prequel; on the JP version of the PlayStation Classic.

And now, let’s bring up the best PlayStation One games that also should have been on the PlayStation Classic. The ones that deserved the “system seller” & “killer app” moniker because they stood out from the rest, be it for the niche crowd or mainstream players back in the PS1’s heyday.
Bushido Blade (1997)

In a sea filled with too many one-on-one beat-em-ups, even ones with weapons like Samurai Shodown, Squaresoft (back before they morphed into Square Enix for good and ill) and developer Light Weight took a stab at the fighting game genre. And it worked like a charm.
Nevermind the fact that the 3D graphics haven’t aged well; the fact that the game emulates the art of swordfighting well in a 3D versus game is a testament to its uniqueness. Unlike other fighting games, you kill your opponent with just one stab. No lifebar, no time limit: just you, your opponent, and the battlefield in which to wander in. You can either go for the fatal blow quickly or just disable their limbs bit by bit.
With the landscape layout, selectable characters with their specific weapon proficiencies, and the various blades -each with their own quirks- there’s a ton of depth to be found in this classic unorthodox fighter.
Xenogears (1998)

Tetsuya Takahashi’s opus for Square Enix is fondly remembered for its Judeo-Christianity themes interlaced with sci-fi mecha battle action. It’s also known for its long-spanning narrative, likeable heroes like Fei, Elly, and Citan, and mechs. Tons of turn-based combo-savvy mecha and kung-fu action. And pretty grating platforming sections.
Has time been kind to this game that was clearly influenced by the likes of Neon Genesis Evangelion? Kind of. While the second disc leaves a lot to be desired in terms of progression, the rest of the game is still a joy to play. Three-fourths of the game revolves around semi-open world JRPGing and turn-based fighting with your mechs, all to an epic score composed by the legendary Yasunori Mitsuda.
If you ever wonder how games like the Xenoblade Chronicles series got its start, its stride, and its mecha-obsession, look no further than this flawed-but-well-meaning and grand experiment.
WipeOut 2097/XL (1996)

Why isn’t this classic futuristic racer on the PlayStation Classic? It boggles the mind; without this version of WipeOut, there wouldn’t be PlayStation 1 units sold across the world.
This racing game is the bastard child of F-Zero and Super Mario Kart – a fast and frenetic weapons-based racer that comes packaged with its own style, physics, racing controls, and crazy-sleek futuristic visuals. While the first WipeOut introduced a generation to a more hyper-version of a console racing game, the sequel just added everything and the kitchen sink to make up a bigger and better package.
Chrono Cross (1999)

The Chrono Trigger sequel we need, and perhaps the one we deserve. The developers of this RPG challenged every single old-school aspect of JRPGs. From its colour-coordination-savvy battle system and multiple story routes featuring a huge assortment of recruitable characters, Chrono Cross is one heckuva trip.
One that’s masterfully scored by Yasunori Mitsuda. Anyone who tells you otherwise is a dirty, no-good liar.

Of course, this game came with a huge slap in the face for Chrono Trigger fans, since you uncover the dire fates of the beloved Chrono Trigger cast. But hey; I’d rather take this sombre sequel than a pandering fan-service heavy one any day of the week.
Colony Wars (1997)

Anyone who said that space flight sims don’t work on consoles should take a long hard look at this Psygnosis classic. While not as groundbreaking as LucasArt’s X-Wing and Origin’s Wing Commander, this game was built from the ground up for the PlayStation 1.
Instead of going insanely big and out of its scope, Colony Wars focuses on delivering a very focused and action-packed space flight sim experience with a ton of replayability.
EinhÃ¤nder (1997)

Squaresoft had a hand in trying out the 2D shooter genre and nailed it with EinhÃ¤nder, a shooter where you can snatch guns and energy blades from enemies. Like Colony Wars, it doesn’t break new ground; it’s basically the company’s version of the Thunder Force series.
However, it excels in delivering standout visuals, perspective shifts, and creative ship/boss designs in 3D. Plus, that soundtrack is trippy and EDM as all hell. This proved that the 90s truly was Squaresoft’s game since they could dabble in any genre and do no wrong.

Mega Man Legends, Mega Man Legends 2, Misadventures of Tron Bonne (1998)

I firmly believe all three of the PS1 Mega Man spinoff adventure games needed to be on the PS Classic, if only to show that if Capcom really tries, you can turn a long-standing franchise into a completely different and charming game.
This Mega Man game pits our main hero Mega Man Volnutt and his airship crew as they search for the special treasure called the Mother Lode on the island of Kattelox. What makes this adventure stand out is not just the action, but its setting. Kattelox is a lively island filled with recurring characters, a bustling town in which you help out because you’re Mega Man and you default as the good guy of the story, and a huge-ass labyrinth filled with ruins beneath the island’s core.
The story and main quests go from helping a pregnant woman to reach the hospital before she goes into labour to destroying a giant satellite from wiping out all life on the island.
Special props should go to the Castle In The Sky-inspired sky pirates called the Bonnes; they steal the show for all two games. Heck, Tron Bonne even got her own game and comes with its own gameplay mechanics, new location, and the ability to control her Servobot minions. Yeah, these little guys were, and still are, adorable AF.
Klonoa: Door To Phantomile (1997, 1998)

This charming Namco game (before the Bandai merger) was released post-Super Mario 64, so of course, it got lost in the shuffle of platformers and people jumping on board 3D games. But the first Klonoa game is perhaps the best iteration of a 2D platformer with 3D-powered aesthetics.
If you’re a fan of the first Yoshi’s Island on SNES, you’ll adore this game in a heartbeat. Main character Klonoa can hover briefly over platforms, grab and toss enemies like projectiles, and perform a double jump by using bad guys as leverage. The first Pandemonium game may be the first 2D platformer with 3D aesthetics, but Klonoa: Door To Phantomile does a better job at it thanks to great controls, a unique protagonist, smart level design, and a cute-yet-kinda-messed-up storyline.
All this from Hideo Yoshizawa, the man responsible for the awesomeness that is the NES Ninja Gaiden.
Incredible Crisis (2000)

You want to see the game that inspired the Nintendo WarioWare games? Well, Incredible Crisis is exactly that.
Born out of the mind of one Kenichi Nishi, it’s about a Japanese family who sets out to buy birthday gifts for their grandmother. Somehow or other, the nuclear folks end up foiling bank robberies and fight teddy bear kaijus in mini-game form.
This game proved that with the right medium and the power to stream an awesome soundtrack, especially from the Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra, any PS1 adventure game that can’t be settled on a predefined genre can blow your mind. Incredible Crisis did just that with its oddball premise and fun ride.
Street Fighter Alpha 3 (1998)

Back in the 90s, fighting game fans flocked to the Sega Saturn because it handled 2D sprites in fighting games better than the PlayStation can. Of course, Capcom found a way around that and decided to cut a few frames of the PlayStation port of Street Fighter Alpha 3 in favour of a lot more additions, making it almost superior to its coin-op cousin.
Not only did this version featured fighters like the Alpha 3 incarnations of Fei Long, T.Hawk, Deejay, and Guile, it also featured new modes like the two-versus-one Dramatic battles and the RPG-esqueWorld Tour mode. PlayStation owners had it good with a fighting game that surpassed the console’s limitations.
Final Fantasy Tactics (1998)

Who knew that a lone Final Fantasy offshoot from the Tactics Ogre folks from Enix could create what could be the greatest Final Fantasy narrative of all time? Think Othello and Hamlet but with Zodiac stones and chocobos. Even with the borked localization (thankfully updated in the War of the Lions PSP re-release and mobile ports), the game’s narrative is both epic and tragic.
Plus, the strategy game here is great too. You have the patented Final Fantasy Job system in place and a deep turn-based strategy system where positioning and elevation of terrain matters a heckaton. Just be careful of the bottleneck encounters; Final Fantasy Tactics taught me personally that a second or third save slot is VERY important.
I’m looking at you, Riovannes Castle at Chapter 3.
Resident Evil 2 (1998)

There’s a reason why Capcom took so long to remake and remaster a Resident Evil 2: because the PS 1 original is so legendary in being superior to the very first Resident Evil, which was admittedly a more polished Alone in the Dark (the original Infogrames one, not the one with the Keanu Reeves Edward Carnby lookalike). To touch it would mean to mess with a classic.
What made this RE title the best one? Why the setting, of course. Raccoon City is the perfect playground for your zombie/virus outbreak. The narrative and gameplay shifts between rookie cop Leon and first game protagonist’s sister Claire Redfield, whose paths cross to paint a full picture of the Raccoon City incident.
Like great sequels, RE2 expanded upon the first game with new cinematic moments, secrets, great action beats and challenges, and way more tension.Â  At the same time, the tank controls, the fixed camera angles, and strict inventory system mean the game designers made sure that players were always tense and unsafe.Â Given the fact that a city is bigger and can fit in more zombies and biological terrors than a mansion, it’s no surprise that survival horror fans vote the second PS1 game as their all-time favourite of the series.
Castlevania Symphony Of The Night (1997)

I am well aware that theÂ Castlevania RequiemÂ collection exists and delivers this game on the PS4. But c’mon, Sony. Why not put the game that single-handedly created the most overused genre name that came with a stellar 2D action platformer masterpiece onto the PS Classic?
In any case, there isn’t much to be said about SOTN except (a) it’s well-designed from beginning to end, (b) the twist halfway through the game is still bonkers, (c) Alucard is a heckuva main character, and (d) the soundtrack is just bliss.
And to think this sequel to the poorly-selling Japanese version of Castlevania: Rondo of Blood for the PC-Engine would be the death knell for the Castlevania series. No, that honour goes to the Castlevania: Lords of Shadow games. Zing!
Parappa The Rapper (1997)

This music rhythm game is the key to combining CD-quality audio into a contextual game. Combined with an outlandish story of a rapping dog who wants to woo the heart of a sunflower girl with the power of music, who also rap battles a driving instructor moose and a reggae-trippin’ frog at a flea market? Pure genius.
True, the game is short, but it’s nothing if not innovative and really pushes the PS1 to the limit. With the power of ever-changing raps when you do actually rap battle your opponents and a surreal adventure, it’s also proof that the best ideas usually happen if a publisher like Sony trusts their developers and studios.
Vagrant Story (2000)

To top off this extravagant list for the ages, we cap it off with the game that really needs to be shown to today’s generation of action RPG gamers: the one-time Yasumi Matsuno-designedÂ Vagrant Story.
The game combines a fantasy horror story, a detective caper, and a Shakespearean script, coupled with detailed visuals and a soundtrack to back it up. The game itself uses a semi-turn-based RPG combat system that lets you target individual body parts of enemies and lets you deal critical damage and extend combos if you can keep up with the button presses and timings. The system also extends to platforming and puzzle-solving too, so it’s not just brute force that saves the day when wandering around in the depths of LeÃ¡ Monde.
My only gripe? The game suffers from Mega Man syndrome where you have to fight previous bosses through a gauntlet. It’s more or less padding that’s holding back an otherwise stellar fantasy RPG experience. Even giving it the RPG mantle doesn’t do justice as to how unique this Squaresoft game was. If anything, this treasure deserves a remaster of sorts and also showcased Squaresoft’s ever-remarkable talent when not being burdened by the Final Fantasy name.

Know any PlayStation greats we didn’t mention here? Should these games be on the PlayStation Classic? Let us know!


Malaysian Tabletop RPG Game Reaches Kickstarter Goal In Less Than 30 Minutes

Malaysia-based Centaur Games is best known for their POLITIKO: The Card Game Of Malaysian Politics, which has also been adapted into a mobile game. Now, their latest project is a tabletop RPG adventure book inspired by the caves of Southeast Asia titled Reach Of The Roach God and it was successfully funded in just 27 minutes after its Kickstarter launched on 9 November 2021.

Having surpassed their initial goal, the crowdfunding campaign now offers more stretch goals, three of which have been achieved in seven hours. They have managed to raise their goal of US$9,283 (RM38,539.71) for the project.Â
At the time of writing, the campaign already has the support of 785 backers who have pledged US$44,501 (RM184,768.15) in total funding.Â
Reach Of The Roach God is part of A Thousand Thousand Islands, a fantasy Southeast Asia world-building project by visual artist Munkao and writer Zedeck Siew. The project was first created as a series of zines back in 2017 and has since gained a following in fans of tabletop roleplaying games worldwide for its unique imagination of fantasy that weaves from material cultures, lived stories and mythic stories of the Southeast Asian region.Â
Zedeck Siew (left) and Munkao (right).
A Thousand Thousand Islands.
Centaur Games is a game design collective based in Malaysia. They make POLITIKO: The Card Game of Malaysian Politics and A Thousand Thousand Islands. You can check out our review of POLITIKO: The Card Game of Malaysian Politics here, as well as our review of the POLITIKO mobile game here.
You can also check out the official Centaur Games Instagram page here or head on over to the Reach Of The Roach God Kickstarter page here.


Series Creator Gives Update On Dragon Quest XII

Near the end of 2019, Square Enix revealed that 2018’s Dragon Quest XI: Echoes Of An Elusive Age managed to sell more than 5.5 million copies worldwide. That’s impressive for a niche and traditional turn-based JRPG game. Now Dragon Quest creator Yuji Horii has provided an update on the next instalment of the long-running franchise.
In his New Year message, Horii confirmed that Dragon Quest XII has been in development since 2019 and that a whole lot of Dragon Quest content is yet to come in the near future. However, it will still be a while before we’ll see the release of Dragon Quest XII.
Here is Yuji Horii’s New Year message in full (via Gematsu):

Happy New Year. In addition to [what I said in the New Yearâ€™s card] below, there are some things I still cannot say, but as for [Dragon Quest] XII, it is still a little while ahead.
However, there may be things we can release before that. Please give me your support again this year.
Happy New Year. Last year, we released the Dragon Quest movie Dragon Quest: Your Story, as well as the Switch version of Dragon Quest XI.
We also released Dragon Quest Walk for smartphones, and announced anime and game adaptions for Dragon Quest: The Adventure of Dai.
And now, 33 years after the first game, I am extremely happy to be able to challenge new things such as the production of [Dragon Quest] XII.
To all the fans who have supported Dragon Quest thus far, as well as the many staff who have sustained it, thank you so much.
While Iâ€™m not sure how long Iâ€™ll be able to keep this up, I want to work as hard as I can for a little while longer.
May this year be a wonderful one for everyone. Please give me your support again this year.

In the meantime, head on over here for my review of Dragon Quest XI: Echoes Of An Elusive Age.


Marvelâ€™s What Ifâ€¦? Episode 5 Breakdown & Easter Eggs

The fifth episode of Marvelâ€™s What Ifâ€¦?Â is now streaming on Disney+ Hotstar Malaysia. Iâ€™ll be discussing heavy spoilersÂ so if you havenâ€™t seen it or want to avoid spoilers, nowâ€™s your chance to stop reading.
Marvelâ€™s What Ifâ€¦?Â features fan-favourite characters, including Peggy Carter, Tâ€™Challa, Doctor Strange, Killmonger, Thor and more. The new series, directed by Bryan Andrews with AC Bradley as head writer and Brad Winderbaum as an executive producer, explores hypothetical stories in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
It focuses on non-canonical stories like what happens if Peggy Carter became Captain Britain and if Tâ€™Challa/Black Panther was abducted by the Ravagers instead of Peter Quill/Star-Lord.
You can check out my previous breakdown ofÂ Marvelâ€™s What Ifâ€¦? Episode 1Â here,Â Episode 2 here,Â Episode 3 here. and Episode 4 here.
If you havenâ€™t, you can check out my previous breakdown and easter egg articles forÂ WandaVisionÂ Episode 1 and 2,Â Episode 3,Â Episode 4,Â Episode 5,Â Episode 6,Â Episode 7,Â Episode 8Â andÂ Episode 9.
ForÂ The Falcon And The Winter Soldier, you can check out my previous breakdowns forÂ Episode 1,Â Episode 2Â andÂ Episode 3,Â Episode 4,Â Episode 5Â andÂ Episode 6.
For previous breakdowns ofÂ LokiÂ episodes, check outÂ Episode 1 here,Â Episode 2 here,Â Episode 3 here,Â Episode 4 here,Â Episode 5 hereÂ andÂ Episode 6 here.
Courtesy of Disney+ Hotstar Malaysia, we were recently lucky enough to participate in a roundtable interview with Marvelâ€™s What Ifâ€¦?Â Executive ProducerÂ Brad Winderbaum, Head WriterÂ AC Bradley, and DirectorÂ Bryan Andrews. You can check out that interview byÂ heading over here.
Recently, we also interviewed Marvelâ€™s What Ifâ€¦?Â EditorsÂ Graham Fisher and Joel Fisher, Animation SupervisorÂ Stephan Franck, and Head of Visual Development and Character DesignÂ Ryan Meinerding. You can check out that interview byÂ heading over here.

It Takes Place At The Beginning Of Avengers Infinity War

Remember when the Heimdall sent the Bruce Banner AKA the Hulk through the Bifrost back to Earth and he crash-landed in the Sanctum Sanctorum?
In this universe, that happened too, but the Earth he finds himself on is different…
Marvel Zombies!

The first zombie that Bruce Banner encounters is a zombie Tony Stark / Iron Man, as well as a zombie Doctor Strange and Wong.
In the rest of the episode, we learn that most of the Avengers did get infected, except for a select few…

The Surviving Heroes Include…

Hope Van Dyne AKA The Wasp and Spider-Man.

What Created The Marvel Zombies?

In this universe, it turns out that Janet Van Dyne contracted a Quantum Realm virus which made her a zombie. When Hank Pym went to save her, she brought the virus back to Earth.
Other Surviving Heroes Include…

Bucky Barnes AKA the Winter Soldier.

Sharon Carter AKA Agent 13.

Okoye of the Dora Milaje.
Oh, and Happy Hogan is still alive too.
However, not all of these characters survive until the end of the episode.
In Case You Don’t Remember Who Kurt Is

In this universe, one of the surviving guys in the group is a Slavic dude named Kurt. He’s not just some random dude. If he looks familiar, he’s actually from 2015’s Ant-Man and 2018’s Ant-Man And The Wasp. He was portrayed by David Dastmalchian, who reprises his role by voicing the character in this episode.

This Episode Proves Why Spider-Man Is Such A Great Hero

This isn’t an easter egg, but it’s interesting when Hope asks Peter how he manages to be so “upbeat” despite the zombie apocalypse. Well, this is actually a core character trait of any version of Spider-Man across all mediums. The reason why Spider-Man is so positive and always make witty jokes even while fighting usually isn’t for himself, but to inspire hope in everyone else; hope that things can and will get better no matter how bad things get.
A quote from Peter in this episode perfectly encapsulates this:
“But my Aunt May says; used to say, that if we don’t keep smiling when they can’t, then we might as well just be gone too.”
It’s also worth pointing out that this is the first time that Peter actually says Uncle Ben’s name aloud in the MCU (sort of, since this actually takes place outside the MCU, but you know what I mean).
Vision Is Alive And Scott Is Now Just A Head

The Late Chadwick Boseman As Black Panther

The Scarlet Witch Is A Zombie And She’s Resistant To The Cure

The World Is Doomed Anyway

At the end of this episode, it turns out that a zombie Thanos already possesses all the Infinity Stones, which means that the world is already doomed despite what Spider-Man, Ant-Man and Black Panther will do. That’s a dark ending to the darkest episode yet, though at least this one didn’t end with the absolute death of a universe… yet.
Thatâ€™s all for this week, folks. Until next week, Excelsior, true believers!


World Of Tanks ANZ Premier League Rolls Out Season Five

Friday 26 August will see the kick-off of Season Five of the World of Tanks ANZ Premier League. With a new team joining the league and roster changes this season’s looking to be extremely exciting.
Returning to safeguard their crown, are Season Four champions the North Sydney Sentinels, and their formidable finals competitor, the South Sydney Skorpions. Taking the place of the Brisbane Bulldogs is a new team, the Cairns Comets, who’ve made their way up the ladder from the ANZBL.
The first-ever player trade of the competition, Trax heads over to the Adelaide Action X, while Saxon joins the rebranded Christchurch Conquerors. The Melbourne Matildas and Penrith Panthers round out the six teams competing this season.
Kevin Zhu, World of Tanks ANZ Community Evangelist, says as the league gets bigger, the team use each new season to roll out significant changes and better ways to engage with the community.
“We’ve introduced changes to the Grand Finals format, created more variety with map selection, and Mines have been substituted this season for the Siegfried Line. The ever-popular Fantasy League is back and we’re added in a new weekly prize pool,” said Kevin.
Season Five’s Grand Finals will now feature a ‘best of 9’ format, which means teams who earn their right to play on stage, live from Fortress Melbourne, will need to take five victories and spread their diversity across the map.
To heat up the competitiveness further, a team can now no longer pick the same map as a tiebreaker for the week. This means if a tiebreaker occurs, it will always be on a new map. So, commanders will have to be more prepared this season since maps will be unknown until mere hours before the match.
The season starts with the roll-out of Update 1.18, which will include a new line of Italian tanks. New tactics are sure to be displayed with the arrival of six tanks, including the Tier X TD (the Minotauro) and the re-worked AMX M4 54.
Last but certainly not least, the mighty Fantasy League returns, where the best over the competition can take home the lion’s share of the prize. This season, a weekly prize pool has been added where the person who earns the most points in that specific week, earns a cool 500 gold.
The World of Tanks ANZ Premier League (ANZPL) is a 5v5 competitive World of Tanks mode, featuring state-based teams, a double round robin group stage, a grassroots league in the ANZBL, and an offline LAN final to determine the best team across Australia and New Zealand.
Season Five will commence on 26 August, with the finals culminating on 26 November, you can catch all the action on the official World of Tanks Twitch channel.


Go Westeros: What Conleth Hill and Carice Van Houten Will & Won’t Miss From The Game Of Thrones

As we approach to what is inevitably the end of Game of Thrones, there will definitely be that void in our hearts telling us we’ll miss certain moments of the show. That might sign to let go and stop dwelling in George RR Martin’s concluded universe of Game of Thrones.
While we’re definitely sad that the show has to end, the actors and actresses have another perspective on that.
Let’s hear what the people playing Lord Varys and the Red Witch Lady Melisandre, which are Conleth Hill and Carice Van Houten respectively, has to say about the end of the epic saga.
What Will They Miss

Reminiscing back in the early days of the production, Hill highlighted the growth of the crew, from six or seven vans plus the trailer and the makeup truck, to what now looks like a rock festival.

I must admit my favourite scenes were always the two handers with me and Littlefinger or the two handers with me and Peter [Dinklage] or even me and Diana [Rigg] in those early seasons.

Hill also said that he’ll miss the intimate stuff, as will most actors. I’ll be honest, we’ll be missing those stuff too, and much more.
Van Houten will also be missing Liam Cunningham’s goofiness. According to the actress, he’s the first thought that comes up on her mind when she thinks of the show. The two are very close and would joke around most of the times.
“When he was not there I could totally feel that he was not there and I was missing his craziness,” Van Houten added to the things she’ll miss.
What They Won’t Miss

Well, since the longest winter is coming, one can expect the temperatures to drop hard, and Hill despises the cold more than ever. That, and shaving his head every time another Game of Thrones season is about to start.
Van Houten, on the other hand, has troubles with her tricky costume. “You can’t see it but there’s a long shawl and I am very small so everything that’s big that just falls off my shoulders. And it was really heavy,” said Van Houten in one of a media-exclusive HBO interview transcript. She had to hold it while she wades through the mud and was tiring.
Given the considerable number of horses in the show, Van Houten also shared her fear of horses and allergies to them.

“Yes. I always felt really cool unless they shat or something., Van Houten confessed about acting around horses,
“That always felt like I was farting in public or something.”

Moments to Reminisce
Van Houten looks back at the show, and she loves the experience as a whole. “It was a huge thing,” she said. “I’ve done other things that I’m just as proud of, but as a character, the whole experience was something I’ve never had before,” she added.
“Also, the people that I’ve met and then the crew give you that sense of family. I will miss them all.”
“For me, my highlighted moment is with Miss Carice here,” Hill shares his prized moment on the Game of Thrones set.

“It was on Fair Head, which is five minutes from where I grew up. It was just very surreal, very brilliant, and couldn’t have been with nicer company. That scene on top of the cliff where we used to play as kids was all very strangeâ€¦ but brilliant.”

With the saga coming to an end, Conleth Hill wraps up the series and his feelings.
“I can’t wait until this series is all out and over, there’s so many more secrets to this season than there were before.”
Fans around the world can only wait to discover the secrets the final season has to offer.
Game of Thrones Season 8 will be out 15 April, Monday at 9 am on HBO (Astro Channel 411/431 HD).Â


Kakuchopurei’s Comic Book Movie Guide 2019

I know I always say this, but it’s a great time to be a comics fan. There’s never been a better era for comic book adaptations and that includes comic book movies. Every year has been bigger than the last, and 2018 was an especially incredible one, with critically-acclaimed already-iconic Avengers: Infinity War and Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse.
2019 is set to be the biggest year yet for comic book movies, with not only Marvel and DC but some surprising new additions to the list as well. I’ve compiled them below, and the Malaysian release dates are based on the most recent information available. Stay tuned because this article will be updated with the latest details from time to time.
1. Glass (17 January)

The first comic book movie isn’t based on a Marvel or DC property, or any other existing comic book property at all. I’m talking about M. Night Shyamalan’s Glass, the third and final movie in what some are dubbing the “Eastrail 177” trilogy (which consists of 2000’s Unbreakable and 2016’s Split).
Glass is still very much a superhero movie and one that looks like it’s going to subvert many of the genre’s tropes, just like both Unbreakable and Watchmen did during their respective times. Unlike those two (due to how well-received comic book movies are nowadays compared to back then), Glass is sure to grab the world’s attention.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4jwXxoHDzo&w=560&h=315]
2. Captain Marvel (7 March)

The first of three Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) movies slated to release in 2019, Captain Marvel has the tough act of not only being a prequel of sorts (taking place in the past, during the 90s) but also serving as the bridge between 2018’s Avengers: Infinity War and 2019’s Avengers: Endgame.
Head on over here for an introduction to the character, and to learn more about Carol Danvers. Meanwhile, check out my breakdown and analysis of the most recent Captain Marvel trailer here.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LHxvxdRnYc&w=560&h=315]
3. Shazam! (4 April)

The first of two DCEU or Worlds of DC movie slated to release in 2019, I have particularly high hopes for Shazam after Aquaman, which ignited my faith in the studio. In fact, Shazam! looks to be molded after the tone of Aquaman more than its predecessors like Man of Steel or Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.
Shazam is different compared to other DC heroes. He’s a kid who turns into an adult with the powers of multiple gods, so that means an entirely different dynamic even compared to teenage heroes like Robin or Cyborg. Let’s see if Warner Bros and David F. Sandberg will be able to pull off what is essentially a magical version of Superman.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=go6GEIrcvFY&w=560&h=315]
4. Super Sapiens Hellboy (11 April)

While some still can’t get over Guillermo Del Toro’s iconic take, I’m actually looking forward to a darker R-rated Hellboy with closer ties to the comics. I was overwhelmed by the number of comic book references and easter eggs contained in the first trailer for the new reboot, which I detailed in my breakdown and analysis article here.
Hellboy deserves to be in the spotlight as much as any of the characters from Marvel and DC. Mike Mignola himself (the creator of Hellboy) is co-writing the script this time, so we know that that this movie will be the most authentic adaptation of Big Red yet. Fingers crossed for the beginnings of a Hellboy cinematic universe or Mignola-verse.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dt5g5_1cKVk&w=560&h=315]
5. Avengers Endgame (25 April)

Avengers: Endgame is perhaps the most highly-anticipated comic book movie of 2019, and rightly so. It is the culmination of more than a decade and four phases of the MCU, which will then probably give birth to a new era.
While the first trailer for the movie doesn’t reveal much, it does set the stage for the darkest and bleakest MCU movie yet. Head on over here for my breakdown and analysis of the Avengers: Endgame trailer. What’s more is that this won’t even be Marvel Studios’ last movie of the year, because that goes to another upcoming movie.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hA6hldpSTF8&w=560&h=315]
6. X-Men: Dark Phoenix (6 June)

X-Men: Dark Phoenix was initially scheduled to release in late 2018, but it was then delayed due to last-minute reshoots. This movie is set to be a more faithful adaptation of Chris Claremont’s beloved Dark Phoenix Saga. The X-Men will be wearing their classic yellow spandex again, but this time it’s closer to the Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely designs.
The movie takes place in the 90s, about a decade after the events of X-Men Apocalypse. It’s funny how there’ll be two comic book movies set in the 90s in 2019 (now I feel old). On another note, X-Men: Dark Phoenix will probably be one of the last X-Men movies to be produced by 20th Century Fox thanks to the company’s acquisition by Disney.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWbMckU3AOQ&w=560&h=315]
7. Spider-Man Far From Home (July)

Spider-Man: Far From Home is set to be the first MCU movie post-Avengers Endgame and the beginning of a new phase. The only thing we know about this movie is that it will take place in Europe, as well as featuring villains Mysterio and the Elementals.
While I’m not fond of the MCU Spidey, I’m still excited to see what the world will be like after the events of Avengers Endgame.
8. The New Mutants (1 August)

The New Mutants will most likely be the last X-Men movie to be produced by 20th Century Fox, but at least it’ll be unique. The movie is said to be a thriller with horror elements, which is a first for an adaptation involving the Children of the Atom.
In the comics, The New Mutants is to the X-Men what the Teen Titans is to the Justice League, starring a group of teenage group of in-training mutants. It was relatable to younger readers while exploring mature emotional themes at the same time.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bu9e410C__I&w=560&h=315]
9. Joker (October)

The final comic book movie of the year is Joker. In an unconventional twist, this movie will not be part of the main DCEU universe established by Man of Steel. Instead, it will be standalone, acting as a Joker origin of sorts.
Don’t expect to see Batman or any DC hero in this low-budget affair starring Joaquin Phoenix as the Clown Prince of Crime and directed by Todd Philips. Although Venom proved (to a point) that a movie focusing on a villain can be successful, it remains to be seen if the Joker can hold his own without the presence of the Dark Knight.

Did we miss anything out? Which of these nine is your most anticipated comic book movie of 2019? As usual, share us your thoughts in the comments section below.


My Southeast Asian Major 2019 Experience Pt. 1: The Esports Tour

Southeast Asia Major.
As a member of the Malaysian fighting game community for almost the past decade now, it seems like weâ€™ve always acknowledged that SEAM is the biggest, most important annual fighting game tournament in our region.
Whether or not that will actually hold true in years to come remains to be seen, especially given the massive spectacle of a fighting game event that was this yearâ€™s REV Major in the Philippines.
But as of this year, SEAM still holds the status of being the most important event in the region due to the fact that it plays host to the Capcom Pro Tour Asia regional finals, the Dragon Ball FighterZ World Tour and the Soul Calibur Asia League Finals (but strangely enough, not the Tekken World Tour).

Naturally, the endorsement of SEAM by the developers and publishers of these games lends it a premier status and allows it to attract the best competitors from around the world as they have a greater incentive to travel and compete thanks to the larger prize pools and more importantly – the ranking points for their respective world tour finals.
As weâ€™ve come to expect from SEAM, the pools from every game were stacked, as always, and all the games on offer had a decent turnout for their respective tournaments.
There was a ton of fighting game action going on over the weekend, so letâ€™s go game by game.
Street Fighter V: Japan Nation
This yearâ€™s Street Fighter V Open Premier didnâ€™t bring in as many top western players as previous years, but the vast majority of top players from the Asia-Pacific was in attendance, minus a couple of notable Japanese players. Daigo. Tokido, Fuudo, Sako, Nemo, Bonchan, Itazan, the Denesis boys from Hong Kong, the Australian FGC, Yang Mian, Xiao Hai, Jiewa – they were all there.

The brackets were an absolute nightmare for almost everybody involved. My second round opponent in pools wouldâ€™ve been Bonchan, if he sent me to losers, my opponent would be whoever turned out to be the loser of a first round match between Itabashi Zangief and Tachikawa. I went 0-2 in record time – but at least I wasnâ€™t the only one.
Once Iâ€™d drowned in my pool, I went over to the other side of the SFV setups, peering between the shoulders of Tokido and Nemo, I saw my fellow Malaysian Kofmaster playing against his first opponent – StormKUBO. Kofmaster won 2-1 in an incredibly tight set. Kofmaster proceeded in to his second opponent, Saunic – a veteran player from Hong Kong who had just beaten Trashbox, the #1 ranked online player in SFV.
Trashbox and StormKUBO would have to play each other in the first round of losers in an elimination game. 1 of these 2 elite players was going to go 0-2. See, when the brackets are these stacked, it could happen to anyone. It happened to StormKUBO. Meanwhile, Kofmaster beat Saunic and what was his reward? A match against Fuudo that he had to win in order to qualify from pools.
I could go on at length about Kofmaster and Chuanâ€™s exploits. They fought valiantly against some of the toughest opponents in the Asia-Pacific, beating top players from Japan and Australia, but long story short – between the 3 Malaysians competing in the SFV Open Premier, not one of us made it out of pools. Then again, in a tournament where every single pool has at least 2 players that are good enough to be in the top 8 of EVO, no one can really be guaranteed to qualify out of pools.

Fuudo ended up breaking his 2nd place curse to win the Open Premier in clutch fashion, landing a hit confirm into super to close out the grand finals match against Gachikun in the last round of the last game while being one hit away from death and a bracket reset.
The next day we had the Asia regional finals, and Fuudo was close to being a champion on back to back days on the same weekend, but Tokido wouldnâ€™t have it, eliminating Fuudo in losers finals with an emphatic dash-up Raging Demon.
The grand final set of the Asia Finals tournament felt eerily similar to another major event that took place on our shores earlier this year – FV X SEAM 2019. Once again it was Fujimura vs Tokido with the latter fighting from the losers bracket. There was no bracket reset this time around, but Fujimura would beat Tokido once again in an extremely tense match.
Andâ€¦.that was it. There were no SFV or CPT related announcements after the match, and that was a wrap for SEAM 2019. Huh…
Dragon Ball FighterZ: A Battle Of Attrition?
Being a Tenkaichi event on the Dragon Ball FighterZ world tour, itâ€™s only natural that at least a handful of top international players would show up for this one.
The scale of this tournament wasnâ€™t quite on the level of SFV, but we still had some big names in attendance like Fenritti, BNBBN, Kazunoko, Apologyman, and a whole bunch of high-level players from the Japanese and SEA DBFZ community.
With this being an Asian event and GO-1 being notably absent, the elite Japanese players which we donâ€™t normally get to see much of in international events took full advantage to make the presence and skills known.

A presence so strong that it filled 7 of the top 8 slots with Japanese players, with the last slot taken by Xanxus from the Philippines – the lone SEA representative in top 8 of SEAM.
Needless to say, things didnâ€™t go well for him there.

With all of the SEA representatives eliminated like supporting characters in your typical DBZ arc, the mood surrounding the DBFZ tournament was somewhat subdued. The fact that top 8 started at 9am on Sunday (before the event was even open to the public), mightâ€™ve also had something to do with that.
Still, if youâ€™re an honest fan of good, clean DBFZ tournament action, the DBFZ World Tour Tenkaichi event at SEAM was a decent showing, even if Fenrittiâ€™s 3-0 win in grand finals was anti-climatic.
SoulCalibur VI: Singapore Justice Burns

Quite possibly the most stacked tournament at SEAM right next to SFV. With this tournament being the Soul Calibur Asia League finals, the winner would get a spot at the Soul Calibur World Invitational happening in November. As such, pools were packed with EVO finalist calibre players. Even the EVO Champion Yuttoto was there – sponsored to travel from Japan to Singapore by a community effort organised and partially funded by Shen Chan, Singaporeâ€™s top player and the no.1 ranked player in the Soul Calibur Asia League.
The competition was so stacked that the EVO Japan champion: Keev, was unable to even make top 8 after travelling all the way from France to compete.

Yuttoto would end up winning the Soul Calibur tournament with Shen Chan coming in second place, but the biggest story of this tournament wasnâ€™t the result, but the aftermath.

Yuttoto was already qualified for the Soul Calibur World Invitational, and by winning Asia League finals at SEAM, he had unknowingly gatekept Shen Chan from getting the spot in the World Invitational. The Soul Calibur World Invitational organisers had failed to communicate the rules clearly beforehand, and as such, it was only revealed on stream during the top 8 of the tournament that if a player who was already qualified for the World Invitational won the Asia League finals, then the qualifying spot for the World Invitational would actually go to the winner of a last chance qualifier rather than being given to the first runner up, who was Shen Chan.

There has been a huge outcry from the Soul Calibur community on Twitter who have been using the hashtag #justiceforshenchan in order to draw attention to the injustice caused by this rule, with dozens of notable players and community members chiming in. As a result, Bandai Namco has made an official announcement that they will be reversing their initial decision and will be allocating the World Invitational spot to Shen Chan.
Truth be told, there really isnâ€™t a more deserving player than Shen Chan to represent Asia in the Soul Calibur World Invitational. Heâ€™s the highest-ranked player in the Soul Calibur Asia League, a brilliant community leader who has done a lot to build the Soul Calibur scene in his region, and a highly skilled player who finished in 2nd place at EVO Japan and 5th place at EVO this year.

Shen Chan will definitely be a brilliant competitor to have at the Soul Calibur World Invitational to represent both the SEA FGC and the international Soul Calibur scene as a whole. Credit goes to the SCVI community for expressing their support for Shen Chan, and to Bandai Namco Esports for taking the communityâ€™s feedback into account and acknowledging the shortcomings of the previous rules!
Thatâ€™s it for part 1 of our retrospective/recap! Head here for part 2 where weâ€™ll be covering the remaining games that made up the more community-driven side of SEAM 2019!
Top image credit: Resurgence


Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Gameplay To Debut On Inside Xbox Live Stream Next Week

Xbox has announced a new Inside Xbox live stream presentation that will showcase next-gen gameplay 0f third-party Xbox Series X games from various developers. It will be streamed live at 8am PT on 7 May 2020, or 11pm GMT+8 on the same day for Southeast Asian countries like Malaysia.

You want to see games for the Xbox Series X? We want to show you games for the Xbox Series X.
Check out First Look next-gen gameplay from our global developers partners within #InsideXbox on Thursday, May 7 at 8am PT. pic.twitter.com/xVdgIeRBJX


Korean’s Gen.G Wins First-Ever PUBG Global Tournament

Last weekend, 16 of the best teams in the world battled it out to be crowned the victors of the inaugural 2019 PUBG Global Championship (PGC), the Grand Finals of which took place in Oakland, California, with a total prize pool of US$4 million.
The Grand Finals of the tournament saw Chinese team FaZe with Gen.G from South Korea with 90 points each. Ultimately, Gen.G surprisingly found themselves becoming the champions of the tournament after accumulating the most points, despite Natus Vincere of Ukraine winning in the last game.
Gen.G brought home a whopping US$2 million, and the bragging rights of being the first team in history to win the world’s biggest PUBG esports tournament.

We present to you 2019 PUBG Global Championship CHAMPIONS, Gen.G PUBG#PGC19 #GrandFinals #Champions #WeAreGenG #TigerNation pic.twitter.com/DnQ9hSiJ6w
â€” ì  ì§€ ì´ìŠ¤í¬ì¸  | Gen.G Esports (@GenG_KR) November 25, 2019
Check out highlights from the Grand Finals of the PUBG Global Championship 2019 below.


Adventure Game Time On Frog Island Launches Next Month

The pleasant-sounding adventure title Time on Frog Island now has a release date.
For those not in the know, Time on Frog Island is about a captain who is stranded on an island filled with amphibians -feral and civil- and has to fix his boat and find a way home. The game focuses on trade and breaking down language barriers, as you need to learn the frog language to get the boat-fixing materials.
Features & trailer below; Time on Frog Island is out on 12 July for PC, Xbox Series, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, and Nintendo Switch.

Explore at Your Own Pace

Make your own path in this island sandbox, you never know what will be around the next corner!
Get to know the froggy locals and help out where you can.
Discover new items by fishing and farming, and concoct simple brews that will change how you traverse the island.
Learn from the frogs and put your new skills to the test around the island.

Trade to Fix Your Boat

Ask around for the items you need, but bear in mind that you might need to do a frog a favor to get what you want.
Solve interesting puzzles to get your hands on required items.
Try not to get too sidetracked by island life!

Experiment with Everything

Run faster, jump higher, fall slower—anything is possible if you’re holding the right item.
Discover different ways to complete those crucial trades.
Each object you pick up could end up being the key to something bigger.


A Cyberpunk 2077 Anime Is Coming From Studio Trigger

During the Cyberpunk 2077 Night City Wire live stream presentation, CD Projekt Red surprised everyone with a shocking announcement; that a Cyberpunk 2077 anime spinoff series is coming from Netflix and Studio Trigger, the company behind popular anime like Kill la Kill and SSSS.GRIDMAN.
The Cyberpunk: Edgerunners anime is set in the same universe as Cyberpunk 2077, featuring a standalone, 10-episode story about a street kid trying to survive in a technology-and-body-modification-obsessed city of the future. Having everything to lose, he chooses to stay alive by becoming an ‘edgerunner’; a mercenary outlaw also known as a ‘cyberpunk’.
Hiroyuki Imaishi (Gurren Lagann, Kill la Kill, Promare) will direct the series along with assistant director Masahiko Otsuka (Gurren Lagann, Promare), creative director Hiromi Wakabayashi (Kill la Kill), character designers Yoh Yoshinari (Little Witch Academia, BNA: Brand New Animal) and Yuto Kaneko (Little Witch Academia), and the adapted screenplay by Yoshiki Usa (SSSS.GRIDMAN, Promare) and Masahiko Otsuka (Gurren Lagann, Kill la Kill, Promare).
Best of all, gamers will appreciate that the original score for Cyberpunk: Edgerunners will be composed by Akira Yamaoka (Silent Hill series). It will premiere sometime in 2022.
In the meantime, check out the trailer below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7dKVCw7bkE&w=560&h=315]


Dragon Age 4 In The Middle Of Production, New Mass Effect In Prototyping Phase

Bioware has officially provided an update about its upcoming RPGs.
First up: Dragon Age 4. The next game is in a more advanced stage than its other upcoming Mass Effect RPG. This is according to Bioware studio general manager Gary McKay:
“For the next Dragon Age, we are right in the middle of production, which is a great feeling. Our blueprint was completed last year, so weâ€™re now focused on building out our vision: creating amazing environments, deep characters, strong gameplay, impactful writing, emotional cinematics â€“ and much more. The blueprint for the game is well understood and the team is focused.
â€œLater this year, you will start to hear more from the Dragon Age team in the form of blogs and social content. As we move through development weâ€™ll also be in regular communication with players who sit on our community council. As passionate fans like you, we take their feedback seriously. We are also listening to all of you as you share your thoughts and experiences, so keep talking to us!”
In related news, he confirmed that a senior Bioware figure involved with Dragon Age 4 has left: Christian Dailey. He reassured that the team will remain well-positioned for success following his departure.
What About Mass Effect?
That RPG is still ongoing, with prototypes for game ideas still being hashed out.
“The team, led by Mike Gamble, is made up of a team of veteran developers as well as some new, really talented people. They are all actively prototyping new ideas and experiences. AAA next-gen games take a long time to make â€“ and we know our fans may want them sooner. But our Number One priority needs to be quality, and that simply takes time to get it right.”


[Report] League of Legends Fighting Game In The Works

Since 2011 or so, League of Legends has become a household name for colourful MOBAs with easy-to-play-but-hard-to-master mechanics and a thriving esports scene. So what better way to share the LoL love than with a rumour that it’ll spin off into a fighting game, of all things?
According to a Vesper Arcade video, there’s been word of a League of Legends fighting game being developed by a studio called Radiant Entertainment. This studio is special to hardcore fighting game folks because:

It’s run by Tom and Tony Cannon, the guys who founded EVO and created the GGPO netcode. Yes it’s the same one most fighting games used back in late 2000.
The studio created an alpha state fighting game called Rising Thunder, which featured simple controls and a lower execution barrier in favour of MOBA/cooldown mechanics. It also had robots from different countries speaking in their native language; it’s pretty cool.

This report seems to line up just fine with Radiant Entertainment’s modus operandi because it was acquired by Riot Games in 2016. The aforementioned video pointed out some evidence concerning Tom Cannon’s commitment to fighting games, though it should be noted that Radiant Entertainment’s latest game Stonehearth came out on 25th July.
One more thing to note: SSF2T US legend Seth Killian also worked on Rising Thunder as a lead developer; he is now at Riot Games as one of its lead designer. While this report should be taken as a grain of salt, it would be interesting if all of these pieces fit together and we end up getting fighting game news unlike anything the world has seen or heard.
Also, I’ll main Ahri and Caitlyn if they end up as mid-range/zoners.


Activision Blizzard Is Telling Its Shareholders To Vote Against Proposed Harassment Report

The Activision Blizzard harassment and discrimination saga continues.
A report on Axios stated that the company is hosting an annual meeting of shareholders on 21 June and has sent a notice to all shareholders advising them of the five proposals that will be voted on at the meeting. The noteworthy bit includes them recommending shareholders to vote against two proposals: the “nomination of an employee representative director” and the “preparation of a report about the company’s efforts to prevent abuse harassment and discrimination”. The latter proposal was submitted by the New York State Common Retirement Fund, which has over 1.5 million shares in the company.
The report they’re attempting to reject requires the following details:

total number and aggregate dollar amount of disputes settled by Activision Blizzard related to sexual abuse, harassment or discrimination.
reducing the average length of time it takes to resolve complaints (either internally or through litigation).
total number of pending sexual abuse, harassment or discrimination complaints the company has to resolve (either internally or through litigation).
consolidated data on pay and hours worked.

The reason for the rejection? The company believes that it would be a waste of resources.
“First, the Board believes that, rather than diverting energy and resources toward creating yet another report, we should continue to directly respond to employee concern. Focusing all our attention on these concerns is the best way quickly and effectively to create genuine change in our workplace.
Second, the proposed report itself, even if completed after significant time and expense, would create a set of metrics that are simply not the best measures of how the Company is responding to employee concerns. The Board is committed to measuring the speed and effectiveness of our changes accurately, not based on metrics that are not precisely tailored to our Company’s situation.
As such, the Company is of the view that continuing to focus its efforts on responding directly to employee concerns and continuing to implement workplace improvements is the best path forward.
While our Board believes that the views of the Company’s shareholders are of the utmost importance and will carefully consider the outcome of the vote expressed by our shareholders when making future disclosure decisions, the vote will not be binding upon them.”
For the record, this is the company Microsoft has bought for US$68.9 billion.


Razer Pay Beta Now Available In Singapore

Shortly after launching Razer Pay in Malaysia late last year, the gaming peripherals giant announced its plan to bring the cashless e-wallet service to Singapore in 2019. Now Razer is beginning to fulfill that promise by announcing the Razer Pay Beta for both Android and iOS platforms in Singapore.
Gamers and Razer fans alike in Singapore can now apply for access to the Razer Pay Beta service by heading to the official website here. Successful applicants will receive a unique access code via text message in the next several days.
Besides that, Razer has also announced its partnership with FOMO Pay to enable the acceptance of Razer Pay at more than 4,000 merchants. To date, Razer is already working with other brands like NETS, Reebonz, Sistic, SP Group, and WTS Travel.
Singaporean gamers can look forward to experience the full functionality of Razer Pay and enjoy frequent gaming-focused promotions, as well as events such as giveaways by Razer Gold, Razer PIN, and other digital content. Thanks to FOMO Pay, users can also make payment at all 48 Buzz convenience stores, as well as all Dunkin Donuts outlets nationwide during the beta.
Feedback from beta users will help optimize operations for a smooth public launch in the coming weeks. The full version of the app is still slated to arrive sometime in the first half of 2019.
Razer co-founder and CEO Min-Liang Tan said:
â€œWeâ€™re thrilled to offer all Razer fans and gamers in Singapore the opportunity to sign up for the closed beta launch of Razer Pay and play a part in helping us ready the app for its full public launch. Razer Pay is already one of the largest e-wallets in Malaysia and we plan to provide for interoperability across the border to Singapore in the future.
Over the next few weeks to months, we expect tens of thousands of new merchants to begin enabling Razer Pay as part of our partnerships with NETS and FOMO Pay in Singapore. Early adopters who join us now will be among the first ever to shop and pay with Razer Pay as we progressively roll out.â€
In other related news, Razer recently opened its first official headquarters in Malaysia. Situated in Bangsar, it is set to be a hub for financial technology in the region. Check out the full story here.


HP Launches New OMEN 16 & Victus 16 Gaming Laptops In Malaysia

HP Inc. Malaysia held an event at Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia revealing their newest additions to both of its gaming laptop lines with the OMEN 16 and the Victus 16.
Today at 4:00 PM, HP held a pop-up event announcing the launch of its OMEN 16 and Victus 16 gaming laptops.

“As gaming becomes more vibrant, realistic and entrenched in people’s lives, HP is driving the growth of the gaming industry with our innovative technologies, ecosystem and investment in the community,
We are bringing “Play to Progress” to Malaysia to empower people of all backgrounds to share their passion for gaming, strengthen their connections, and advance in their gameplay so they truly feel the power of community.”
– Alex Tan, Managing Director of HP Inc. Malaysia
OMEN 16

Revamped Thermals: Upgrades in the form of an added fifth heat pipe and fourth outflow vent have additionally contributed to a -3% GPU hinge and -14% bottom SSD temperature while also running 5% quieter compared to last gen so gamers can Zen out and stay fully immersed in their favourite titles.
Processors in Harmony: Cooperating with a built-in IR thermopile sensor, OMEN Dynamic Power within OMEN Gaming Hub can precisely detect real-time CPU and GPU capacity and dynamically allocate power between the two. This creates extra headroom and optimizes in-game FPS based on current game activity to allow the best experience possible in any game. This technology has contributed up to an 18% performance increase in 3D Mark Time Spy and up to a 36% increase in CPU performance over last year’s model.
Extreme Performance: Stunning graphics bring the newest titles to life with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Laptop GPU and the latest MAX Q technologies or AMD Ryzen RX 6650M. Clear levels faster than ever with Intel Core i7-12700H series processor or AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX Mobile Processors. Avoid untimely memory bottlenecks with up to 32GB DDR5 4800 MHz and take advantage of speedy access to vital files with up to 2TB PCIe Gen4x4 SSD.
Immersive Visuals: Action on the screen flows brilliantly across the QHD10 165Hz IPS panel with 3ms response time and 100% sRGB. Experience low blue light with Eyesafe display certification12 by TÜV Rheinland and an auto-brightness sensor that works to keep eyes fresh during the grandest of adventures. The bright visuals continue on the keyboard with per-key RGB lighting with OMEN Gaming Hub Light Studio integration to achieve a look that is on point with any gaming setup theme.

VICTUS 16

Powerfully Compact: The 16-inch display features options with up to FHD 144 Hz and Eyesafe low-blue light and fits snug atop a design that boasts a nearly 15-inch footprint for practical everyday portability. Pixels have never moved faster with graphics powered by NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU 6 GB and AMD Radeon RX 680M. Lightning-fast speed and responsive gameplay with options by Intel Core i7-12700H series processors or 8-core AMD Ryzen 7 6800H Mobile Processors up to 32 GB DDR5-4800 MHz memory.
Chill Drives: Wide rear vents add a visual flair on top of enhanced thermal efficiency which is bolstered by five-way airflow and a four-heat pipe design to help keep things running cool when the action gets hot. With a single SSD up to Gen4 1TB PCIe storage or Dual SSD supporting RAID 0 storage options, as well as optional Intel Optane memory, are quick and simple for gaming and other activities.

OMEN GAMING HUB
Both OMEN 16 and Victus 16 Laptops ship with OMEN Gaming Hub preinstalled to take advantage of powerful internal features such as Performance Mode, Network Booster, and System Vitals to help games run lit. The new Optimizer feature takes this even further by enabling enthusiasts to free up system resources and tweak low-level OS settings to maximize FPS regardless of if their PC is OMEN, Victus, custom built, or others. Additionally, access to other features like Gallery, Rewards, Oasis Live, and OMEN Light Studio with support for Twinkly lights raises gaming experiences in new and exciting ways.
PRICING & AVAILABILITY

OMEN 16 is available with the latest Intel or AMD Ryzen 9 processors. The OMEN 16 with AMD is available for purchase now on the HP Online Store and through Shopee and Lazada for a starting price of RM7,599; the Intel version is available for purchase now on the HP Online Store and through Shopee and Lazada for a starting price of RM7,799.
Victus 16 is available with the latest Intel or up to AMD Ryzen 7 processors. The Victus 16 with AMD is available for purchase now on the HP Online Store and through Shopee and Lazada for a starting price of RM4,299; the Intel version is available for purchase now on the HP Online Store and through Shopee and Lazada for a starting price of RM3,749.

HP GAMING TRUCK IS BACK

And lastly, HP is bringing back the much-anticipated HP Gaming Truck to empower gaming fans to #PlaytoProgress around Klang Valley, Johor and Penang. Equipped with the latest HP OMEN and Victus laptops and accessories, gamers can go head-to-head with gaming influencers in popular gaming titles (CS:GO, Dota 2, PUBG, Valorant).
Running from 9 September till the end of October 2022, gamers can join the #HPGameOn9 Challenge for a chance to win amazing prizes, including a brand new Victus 16!