Valve’s New Artifact Beta Says Goodbye To Card Selling

Valve is currently working on Beta 2.0 for their card game Artifact, which isn’t too warmly received on Steam at the moment. To show how serious they are about improving the game, they’ve announced a pretty big change.
With the Artifact Beta 2.0, card-selling will be a thing of the past. “We arenâ€™t selling cards, so you wonâ€™t face an opponent with a stacked deck,” said Valve. “Weâ€™ve also added a new draft mode, Hero Draft, that gives you a taste of constructing decks without all the pressure.”
Instead, cards will be unlocked simply by playing the game. However, don’t expect your old decks to remain valid, as Valve said that individual cards are “likely to have been changed, removed, or brand new”.
They’ve also tweaked the gameplay, with players now being able to “access all three lanes at once”. “The majority of effects still work on individual lanes so they still maintain their identity, but itâ€™s less likely that a player will get shut out in the same way they used to,” Valve explained.
There are still plans to sell items, but Valve assured that none of them will include cards or card packs.
I was surprised when Artifact ended up with mixed reviews on Steam, since I always assumed anything Valve released would be considered to be gold. Still, this new beta shows that they do care about their games’ quality.
If you’re in knowing more about the beta, you can check out Valve’s post here. Priority will be given to players who bought the game before the date on which the post was uploaded, although there are plans to have an open beta later.


Animal Well Is The First Game To Be Published By Dunkey’s Bigmode

Several months after Dunkey originally announced his indie publishing company, Bigmode, they have revealed their first game, Animal Well. It’s a Metroidvania puzzle action platformer game with horror elements and a solo project from developer Billy Basso (under the dev name Shared Memory), who has worked on the game for the last five years.

? our first game announcement is here!!! ?
Animal Well is a pixelated wonder rendered in intricate audio and visual detail from @Billy_Basso
see more on our site, and remember to wishlist on Steam & PS5!https://t.co/ngftjverh2 pic.twitter.com/9vGrKjno5f
— BIGMODE Games (@BIGMODEgames) January 8, 2023

In Animal Well, players will explore a dense, interconnected labyrinth, and unravel its many secrets, as well as collect items to manipulate their environment in surprising and meaningful ways. For the horror elements, they will encounter creatures both beautiful and unsettling, as they attempt to survive what lurks in the dark.
Animal Well doesn’t have a release date yet, but it will be playable at the upcoming PAX East 2023. It is planned to release on PC via Steam, as well as on PS5.


Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Release Date Leaks Ahead Of Ubisoft Forward

It seems like Ubisoft just can’t catch a break. Just one day before the planned Ubisoft Forward live stream, the release date for Assassin’s Creed Valhalla has apparently leaked via a now-deleted Instagram post on the official Italian Assassin’s Creed Instagram account.
According to the leaked ad, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla will apparently launch on 17 November 2020. That’s around the time that most people are expecting next-gen consoles like the PS5 and Xbox Series X will be launching. Interestingly, it will also be two days before the release of CD Projekt Red’s Cyberpunk 2077 on 19 November 2020.
Here’s the post in question (courtesy of Gematsu):

Gameplay footage from Assassin’s Creed Valhalla was recently leaked earlier this week as well. Officially, Assassinâ€™s Creed Valhalla is slated to release sometime during Holiday 2020 for the PS5, Xbox Series X, PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Google Stadia.
TheÂ Ubisoft Forward live stream will be taking place this weekend on 13 July 2020 at 3am GMT+8 for Southeast Asian countries like Malaysia. Weâ€™ll see if this release date for Assassin’s Creed Valhalla turns out to be true.


The New Dune 4X Game Has An Early Access Release Date

Dune: Spice Wars is getting an Early Access version ready for 4X game fans and sci-fi aficionados who like getting spice in giant deserts and dealing with sandworms and holy crusade allegories.
The Early Access version of the strategy game will be out on 26 April. There’s no price point set just yet, but at least it’s official: you’ll be playing the game later this month in Early Access PC form.
In addition, publisher Funcom and developer Shiro Games announced the fourth faction of the game: the Fremen. The Fremen are stealth-focused warriors who excel in ambushes, as well as ride on sandworms.

This faction is led by Liet Kynes, and these are her councillors

Stilgar Ben Fifrawi – the Naib of Sietch Tabr. A formidable warrior, but an even wiser ruler, he is deeply respected by all of the Fremen.

Mother Ramallo – a rogue Reverend Mother of the Bene Gesserit. She inspires a strong religious fervour into the Fremen and holds a deep knowledge of all their rites.

Chani Kynes –, the daughter of Liet, and a bold and charismatic woman. Her brilliant and intuitive mind helps her gather facts and figures from the tiniest hearsays.

Otheym – a renowned Fremen fighter. He is also a very good teacher and a great leader, specialising in desert guerrilla warfare.

The main units you control are as follows:

Warriors – masters of the sandy Arrakis terrain.
Infiltrators – stay invisible until they strike, breaking an enemy’s will and focus when they do.
Skirmishers – use grenades to ambush armoured units.
Fedaykins – elite Fremen soldiers that use sound to attack.
Kulon Caravans – hold the clan’s water supply, these can set up temporary camps to heal units.

The three other factions are the Atreides, the Harkonnen, and the Smugglers.


Road to Kingdom Hearts 3: Story Recap Part 1

The Kingdom Hearts franchise officially turns 17 years old in 2019. The almost two-decade-old series is as beloved as it is ridiculed. Its overly-convoluted story has prevented many gamers from fully enjoying what simply began as a Disney-Final Fantasy mashup concept but has since developed and evolved far beyond that.
I’ve recently replayed through all the Kingdom Hearts title available to me in the collections on the PS4. As such, I will attempt to explain and summarized the entire franchise as concise as possible and chronologically. I hope this will help anyone understand the gist of everything ahead of Kingdom Hearts 3.
1) Kingdom Hearts Ï‡ Back Cover

While this is technically the most recent addition to Kingdom Hearts lore, it takes place in the very beginning of the franchise’s story. It acts as a prequel to everything that takes place in all the other games, but the story may not have clear ramifications until the upcoming Kingdom Hearts 3.
Many years before the events in the original Kingdom Hearts game, in the Age of Fairy Tales, there was only one world. In a place called Daybreak Town, there was a man named the Master of Masters (who might be the first Keyblade wielder), with six apprentices. Their main responsibility was to protect Kingdom Hearts, the source of all light. He gave them a copy of the Book of Prophecies, which foretold of a Keyblade War.
The Master of Masters believed that this Keyblade War was inevitable and therefore entrusted unique tasks to all six of his apprentices. These apprentices are actually Keyblade Masters, each with his or her own faction of trainee Keyblade wielders called Unions.
Master Ira: To be the leader after the Master of Master’s ‘disappearance’
Master Aced: To support Ira and replace him if required
Master Invi: To observe her fellow apprentices and act as a mediator
Master Ava: To train ‘Dandelions’, a secret group of elite Keyblade wielders which is separate from all the other Unions
Master Gula: Given a lost page from the Book of Prophecies that warns of a traitor and tasked with discovering who it is
Master Luxu: The only apprentice not given a copy of the Book of Prophecies. Instead, he was entrusted with the Master of Mastersâ€™ Keyblade called No Name, as well as a mysterious trunk that must never be opened. An eye of the Master of Masters was placed on the No Name Keyblade so that he (Master of Masters) can witness events happening in the future after his ‘disappearance’.
After the Master of Masters’ and Luxu’s disappearance, the five remaining apprentices, now referring to themselves as Foretellers, go about fulfilling their respective tasks. However, when it becomes known that a traitor walks amongst them, they start to bicker amongst themselves.
The suspicion that one of the Foretellers have fallen to Darkness escalated, and led to the start of the Keyblade War. This was exactly what the Master of Masters foretold, and the Keyblade War resulted in the original Keyblade or Ï‡-blade (that can unlock Kingdom Hearts) to break into 20 pieces: 7 fragments of pure light and 13 shards of darkness.
Not only did the devastating Keyblade War destroy Kingdom Hearts, but it also fractured the world into three realms: The Realm of Light (made of many different worlds now), the Realm Between and The Realm of Darkness. Thanks to the efforts of the Dandelions, Light continued to remain on all the worlds amidst the Darkness. These Dandelions later became the new Keyblade Masters for a new era.
2) Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep

As the Keyblade War becomes ancient history, a Keyblade Master named Master Xehanort brings a comatose boy named Ventus to the world known as Destiny Islands. Several years later in the Land of Departure, Ventus and his two friends, Terra and Aqua, are training to become Keyblade Masters. Terra and Aqua are ready for their Mark of Mastery exam, overseen by their teacher, Master Eraqus, and Master Xehanort.
Aqua then passes while Terra fails. Terra leaves to hunt down the Unversed, with Ventus following suit. Aqua is then instructed by Master Eraqus to retrieve Ventus. After visiting several Disney-themed worlds, the three of them reunite at Radiant Garden (also known as Hollow Bastion in Kingdom Hearts 1 and Kingdom Hearts 2), where Terra gets angry at Aqua and leaves again.
What you need to understand about the antagonists in Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep is that Master Xehanort is the mastermind, and then there’s Vanitas and the Unversed. Xehanort created Vanitas when he extracted the darkness from Ventus’ heart, which in turn caused Ventus to become comatose (which I mentioned at the beginning of the story). The previously-mentioned Unversed are actually manifestations of Vanitas’ feelings of darkness and hatred.
Master Xehanort’s primary goal is to fuse the pure light half of Ventus’ heart with the half that is pure darkness, thereby forging the Ï‡-blade (from Kingdom Hearts Ï‡ Back Cover, remember?) to open the door to Kingdom Hearts (which he believes will gain him access to unlimited power and knowledge). When that failed, he manipulates Terra to succumb to darkness not only to take control of his body but also start another Keyblade War.
Throughout the events of Birth By Sleep, Aqua meets Kairi, who would later become the main character of the franchise, and so too will Terra when he meets Riku. During these meetings, both Aqua and Terra discovers something special in the hearts of Kairi and Riku, thus blessing them in the process (which is what makes them capable of becoming Keyblade wielders in the future).
Master Eraqus reluctantly tries to kill Ventus when he finds out what Xehanort plans to do with Ventus. Terra stops him from doing so but kills Master Eraqus in the process. Aqua arrives too late and the Land of Departure becomes engulf by darkness. Xehanort awaits them three at the Keyblade Graveyard, the site of the ancient Keyblade War.
In the final confrontation, Terra succumbs to darkness and loses control of his body to Xehanort while Ventus has to fight Vanitas to save Aqua, thereby forcing their separate hearts to become one again and forge the Ï‡-blade. Aqua and King Mickey fight Vanitas, who wields the Ï‡-blade and wins. However, this results in the destruction of both Vanitas and the Ï‡-blade, which in turn causes Ventus to fall into a coma yet again.
Aqua is the only left standing the aftermath. She cradles Ventus’ comatose body and brings it to Master Yen Sid, another Keyblade Master and also King Mickey’s teacher. Yen Sid reveals that Ventus’ heart is sleeping in the Realm Between and until his heart is whole again, he will never wake up. Aqua later brings Ventus to the Land of Departure and puts him in the Chamber of Repose. She locks the world and disguises it as Castle Oblivion so that no one will ever find Ventus.
Back at Destiny Islands, a boy named Sora cries, not knowing that what he feels is the emptiness and suffering felt by Ventus. Why? Because it was his heart that initially filled half of Ventus’ when Xehanort brought his comatose body to Destiny Islands. It’s also why the dark half of Ventus, Vanitas, had Sora’s face.
Aqua later returns to Radiant Gardens/Hollow Bastion, where she meets the Xehanort or Terra-Xehanort or Xehanort in Terra’s body. Aqua had to sacrifice herself to save Terra from being stuck in the Realm of Darkness. However, the only thing this does is embed Terra’s heart even deeper within Xehanort’s, with Xehanort still in control of Terra’s body, and condemning her to be stuck in the Realm of Darkness herself.
In the epilogue, a scientist named Ansem the Wise discovers an unconscious Xehanort and takes him in. Meanwhile, Aqua is stuck in the Realm of Darkness, but because of her sacrifices, Ventus and Terra are still alive, albeit broken and barely alive.
3) Kingdom Hearts 0.2: Birth by Sleep â€“ A Fragmentary Passage

Without any sense of time, Aqua continues to wander in the Realm of Darkness, barely able to maintain her sanity. She worries for the Realm of Light, and what state it might be in now that she’s not there to protect it from the darkness. She’s haunted by visions by both Terra and Ventus. One day, she discovers that she can seemingly contact Terra.
However, that turns out to be Xehanort and not the real Terra. Due to this revelation, she finds out that Xehanort is still alive and that the Realm of Light still needs her. Despite that, she doesn’t know how to escape from the Realm of Darkness.
Later, she encounters King Mickey, who tells her that she’s been in the Realm of Darkness for 10 years and that he’s looking for the Keyblade of the Realm of Darkness. He explains that he and his friends (Sora, Donald, Goofy, you’ll meet them later) are trying to stop the Heartless and the darkness from engulfing the Realm of Light by sealing Kingdom Hearts.
King Mickey asks Aqua to follow him into the Realm of Light as they close the door to Kingdom Hearts but she refuses, as someone needs to stay behind to defend them while someone is sealing the door. After the door is successfully closed, Aqua remains stuck in the Realm of Darkness but with new resolve and determination, now that she knows the Realm of Light is in safe hands.
In the epilogue, Aqua meets a red-robed man, who tells her of Keyblade wielder saving the Realm of Light from darkness. She asks whether it’s Ventus or Terra. The man replied that the boy’s name is Sora, and she smiles.

That marks the end of the first part of our Kingdom Hearts three-parter story recap. Each part will recap the story of three Kingdom Hearts titles, with the next part slated to cover the original Kingdom Hearts game (by release), Kingdom Hearts: Chains of Memories, and Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days.
In the meantime, check out this awesome violin cover of the iconic Kingdom Hearts Dearly Beloved theme.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bzizsJfOlw&w=560&h=315]


Justice League Snyder Cut Trailer Teases Darkseid, Iris West & More

The DC FanDome Justice League Snyder Cut panel took place earlier today, with director Zack Snyder, Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Ray Fisher, Ezra Miller, Gal Gadot and even Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins appearing to answer questions about the upcoming movie, which is slated to premiere on HBO Max in 2021.

During the panel, Snyder also unveiled the first full trailer for Justice League Snyder Cut or Zack Snyder’s Justice League. It features a closer look at Darkseid (or Uxas, his younger self), black suit Superman, and more additional scenes that weren’t in 2017’s Justice League by Joss Whedon.
Iris West (Kiersey Clemons)
Snyder also teased that we will be seeing more of Cyborg and The Flash in the movie this time around, the former of which he described as the “heart of the movie”. He said:
“You’re going to see something with Flash in this film I don’t think you’ve seen before â€¦ He’s a quantum character. He interacts with time and space.”
According to Snyder himself, Justice League Snyder Cut will be released in four separate parts, one-hour each, and international viewers will still be able to watch the movie, as Snyder confirmed that “they’re working on a distribution model” besides HBO Max.
Check out the awesome trailer below:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=z6512XKKNkU


Kakuchopurei’s Best Of 2019: GreedFall

With the fall from grace of former Western RPG masters like Bioware and Bethesda, who is there to pick up the torch from where they left behind? Along came Spiders to help bring life back to a genre once populated by the Mass Effects, Dragon Ages, and The Elder Scrolls of old, with their most ambitious effort yet, GreedFall.
In GreedFall, players assume the role of a Legate De Sardet, a diplomat or ambassador with all the political power and benefits that come with it. It is your job to broker peace or flame the fans of war between the various factions in the game, most of which are modelled after real-world counterparts like the Roman Catholic Church, any country or culture enslaved by colonial forces and more.

The choices that you make in the game actually matter, as they affect the people and everything around you in the game. The side quests are not merely fetch quests, as Spiders has incorporated the best parts of CD Projekt Red’s narrative complexity from The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. GreedFall may not be as good as that masterpiece, but not for lack of trying.
GreedFall may suffer from bugs, glitches, and janky combat, but all of that is circumvented by other elements like the great narrative, choice-driven dialogue options, and more. It’s not perfect, but developer Spiders can only grow better from here on out, and their next game might just be the equal of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt or Mass Effect 2.


Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Remastered Edition Is Coming This August

After several delays, Square Enix has announced that Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Remastered Edition is finally releasing on 27 August 2020 for the PS4, Nintendo Switch, Android, and iOS. It is a new and improved version of the original Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles, which initially launched on the Nintendo GameCube back in 2003.

The action RPG is set in a land threatened by a deeply poisonous gas called Miasma. Players assume the role of a young hero who joins with a Moogle companion or with up to three other friends to travel the world in search of the rare and valuable liquid myrrh. With this precious resource, theyâ€™ll be able to cleanse and maintain a crystal that protects the land and its people.

The Remastered Edition of the game will come with enhanced features, brand new content, upgraded HD visuals, improved audio, new voiceovers, and even online multiplayer for the first time. What’s interesting is that Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Remastered Edition also features cross-play for all platforms.

In addition, thereâ€™s also an entirely new â€˜Mimicâ€™ feature, where players can let their character take on the form of different people they meet on their journey. This can be done by earning special crystals from collecting stamps, visiting Moogle Houses or completing difficult dungeons.
In the meantime, check out the trailer below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJLiLWQnRvE&w=560&h=315]


Disney+ Hotstar Day To Deliver New Content & Special Perks This September

Disney+ Hotstar Day will deliver even more excitement to subscribers with additional content premiering globally on 8 September 2022. New titles include “Obi-Wan Kenobi: A Jedi’s Return,” “Tierra Incognita,” the “Frozen” and “Frozen 2” Sing-Alongs, and “Welcome to the Club,” a new short from The Simpsons.
Disney+ Hotstar Day Content Premieres:
The Disney+ Hotstar Day lineup will feature anticipated global premieres from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, The Simpsons, and more. In addition to the previously announced “Pinocchio,” a new episode of “She-Hulk: Attorney at Law,” “Cars on the Road,” “Growing Up,” and ““Epic Adventures with Bertie Gregory,” the new content coming to the service will include:
“Obi-Wan Kenobi: A Jedi’s Return”
With never-before-seen, behind-the-scenes footage, colorful personal stories and meaningful moments, “Obi-Wan Kenobi: A Jedi’s Return”  showcases the making of Lucasfilm’s original limited series for Disney+ Hotstar, “Obi-Wan Kenobi,” an epic story that begins 10 years after the dramatic events of “Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith.” This insightful documentary from Lucasfilm and Supper Club explores the return of Obi-Wan Kenobi and  Anakin Skywalker to the screen—and  Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen to their respective classic roles. Director Deborah Chow, cast and crew reflect on their journey to tell a new story with iconic Star Wars characters Obi-Wan Kenobi, Darth Vader and Princess Leia, while introducing new heroes and villains into the saga along the way. Complete with visits to the creature shop, props department and more, “Obi-Wan Kenobi: A Jedi’s Return” features the side of filmmaking that makes Star Wars so unique—the respect and passion for the generation-spanning legacy and the beloved characters.
“Frozen” and “Frozen 2” Sing-Alongs
Disney+ Hotstar will release new Sing-Along versions of Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Frozen” and “Frozen 2.” As subscribers watch the Sing-Along version of these films, they will be able to fully immerse themselves in the music with on-screen lyrics.
“Welcome to the Club” (a new short from The Simpsons)
Heart set on becoming a princess, Lisa Simpson is surprised to learn being bad might be more fun.
“Tierra Incognita” (Original Series Produced in Latin America)
“Tierra Incógnita” follows Eric Dalaras (Pedro Maurizi), a teenager who discovers a hair-raising world while searching for the truth behind the mysterious disappearance of his parents eight years before. Raised by his maternal grandparents along with his sister Uma (Mora Fisz), Eric decides to run away from home and go back to his childhood town, Cabo Qwert, to find answers where his parents were last seen: the Tierra Incógnita horror theme park. Together with his friends, his sister and his aunt, Eric must overcome his fears in order to find answers and solve the mystery in a dark and unfamiliar world.
Previously announced titles include:
“Pinocchio”
Academy Award® winner Robert Zemeckis directs this live-action retelling of the beloved tale of a wooden puppet who embarks on a thrilling adventure to become a real boy. Tom Hanks stars as Geppetto, the wood-carver who builds and treats Pinocchio (Benjamin Evan Ainsworth) as if he were his own son. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is Jiminy Cricket, who serves as Pinocchio’s guide as well as his “conscience”; Academy Award® nominee Cynthia Erivo is the Blue Fairy; Keegan-Michael Key is “Honest” John; Academy Award® nominee Lorraine Bracco is Sofia the Seagull, a new character, and Luke Evans is The Coachman.
“She-Hulk: Attorney at Law” (New episodes streaming Thursdays)
In Marvel Studios’ “She-Hulk: Attorney at Law,” Jennifer Walters (Tatiana Maslany)—an attorney specializing in superhuman-oriented legal cases—must navigate the complicated life of a single, 30-something who also happens to be a green 6-foot-7-inch superpowered hulk. The nine-episode comedy series welcomes a host of MCU vets, including Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner, Tim Roth as Emil Blonsky/Abomination, and Benedict Wong as Wong, as well as Ginger Gonzaga, Josh Segarra, Jameela Jamil, Jon Bass, and Renée Elise Goldsberry. Directed by Kat Coiro (Episodes 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 9) and Anu Valia (Episodes 5, 6, 7) with Jessica Gao as head writer. Executive producers are Kevin Feige, Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Brad Winderbaum, Kar Coiro and Jessica Gao.
“Cars on the Road”
The series follows Lightning McQueen (voice of Owen Wilson) and his best friend Mater (voice of Larry the Cable Guy) as they head east from Radiator Springs on a cross-country road trip to meet up with Mater’s sister. Along the way, every stop is its own adventure, with outrageous roadside attractions and colorful new characters. “Cars on the Road” is produced by Marc Sondheimer. The series’ episodes are directed by Steve Purcell (Eps 1, 2, 8), Bobby Podesta (Eps 5, 6, 9) and Brian Fee (Eps 3, 4, 7). Composer Jake Monaco created the score for all nine episodes.
“Growing Up”
Created by Brie Larson and Culture.House, “Growing Up” is an innovative hybrid docu-series that explores the challenges, triumphs, and complexities of adolescence through ten compelling coming of age stories. From Disney Branded Television, the series uses narrative, experimental, and documentary filmmaking to follow one casted individual, ages 18-22, as they tell their story. They represent a wide range of lived experiences, giving audiences emotionally powerful narratives that offer an engaging look at teenage-hood and the diverse social, familial, and internal obstacles young people face on their path to self-discovery and acceptance. Each 30-minute episode features one young person, or “hero,” and their experience growing up. Each episode is anchored by a deeply personal interview that allows our heroes to walk us through their childhood and teenage years. Alongside these interviews, creative cinematic reenactments help bring their major inflection points to life.
“Epic Adventures with Bertie Gregory”
The face of a new generation of aspirational adventurers and natural history filmmakers, 29-year-old National Geographic Explorer Bertie Gregory takes viewers on epic and nail-biting journeys that push into the most spectacular and secretive corners of our wild world. Armed with leading-edge film technology, the Disney+ Hotstar original series “Epic Adventures with Bertie Gregory,” from National Geographic, breaks the mold of the traditional natural history program by telling extraordinary, real-life animal stories and taking viewers with him for every beat of the action. For weeks at a time, the charismatic BAFTA Award-winning cinematographer immerses himself into the animals’ lives to capture the untold stories of iconic creatures living in some of the harshest environments on our planet. This season, we will see Bertie braving the icy worlds of Antarctica in search of the biggest gathering of whales ever filmed and coming face-to-face with specialist buffalo-hunting lions in Zambia. In this multipart adventure series, he will take audiences on an ambitious odyssey across the globe, showcasing the natural world at a time when it faces its greatest challenges.
“THE ZONE: Survival Mission”
“THE ZONE: Survival Mission” establishes its three hosts as representatives of the human race before throwing them into eight episodes of unexpected situations where they will be challenged to survive for four hours and not give up, in order to complete each mission. Pitting the hosts against zombies, a puddle of sticky glue, puzzles and other situations, viewers will find themselves laughing-out-loud as top K-variety hosts Yu Jaeseok, Lee Kwangsoo, and Kwon Yuri struggle to work together and find solutions to the implausible situations they are faced with. The director and mastermind behind the series, Cho Hyojin, was one of the original creators for the internationally popular K-variety show Running Man.
Disney Products Celebrate Disney+ Hotstar Day:
Around the world, Consumer Products, Games and Publishing will also be celebrating Disney+ Hotstar Day. In Malaysia, Disney+ Hotstar subscribers will be able to purchase merchandise inspired by the latest Disney+ Hotstar series on shopdisney.asia/my. With over 1,000 products available online, shopDisney is the official home of Disney, Pixar, Star Wars and Marvel merchandise, bringing shoppers the best from around the world. Stay tuned in the coming weeks for more details on how to join in on the fun.
This year, Disney+ Hotstar Day will lead into D23 Expo: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event presented by Visa in Anaheim, CA that runs from Friday, September 9 to Sunday, September 11.


Ninja Theory Fighting Game Bleeding Edge Is Coming Out Next March

A now-defunct Microsoft Store listing stated that Ninja Theory’s next big game for the Xbox One and PC, Bleeding Edge, will be out on 24th March, 2020.
If this sounds enticing and wish to test the game out early -as per standard for fighting games these days like Grand Blue Fantasy Versus and Jump Force– you can access to two closed beta sessions on 14th February and 13th March. The catch? You have to pre-order the game.
Key features in the upcoming multiplayer brawler include (via the Microsoft listing page captured by TrueAchievements):

No Stopping UsÂ â€“ Synergize with your teammates to become an unstoppable force in the face of your enemies â€“ freeze foes in time, control minds, ride missiles and unleash electrifying guitar solos in exhilarating action combat that rewards technique, timing and teamwork.

Treacherous TerrainÂ â€“ Use your environment to your advantage with deadly arena hazards and gain the upper hand in moments of chaos. Yank opponents into a high voltage electric fence with Buttercupâ€™s saw blade. Charge enemy aggressors into the path of an oncoming train with Makutuâ€™s shoulder barge. Trap careless enemies within Maeveâ€™s magical cage and light a raging fire beneath their very feet.

Mod Your Combat, Show Your StyleÂ â€“ Power up your fightersâ€™ weapons and abilities from a vast arsenal of cybernetic parts, all earnable through gameplay. Customise your hoverboard mounts to ride with style across the vibrant cyberpunk arenas ofÂ Bleeding Edge.

I’m honestly getting an Anarchy Reigns vibe from this game. The only difference is that Ninja Theory might make this brawler stand out further from the rest.


Resident Evil Village: The Mercenaries Guide – How To Get S-Rank & Higher

Once you finish Resident Evil Village’s bats*** insane story campaign, you’ll get a chance to unlock the game’s extra mode: The Mercenaries. It’s a fun arcade mode where you aim to get the highest score and rank by killing enemies and racking up combos without getting hit.
This guide will talk about how to unlock the patented RE mode, how it works, and how to get S-rank or higher.
How To Unlock The Mercenaries
Simple: Just finish the game and unlock it in the Extra Content Shop. You can buy it for 10CP, which is way cheaper than the rest of the bonuses in the shop.
How Does The Mercenaries Work

You start by purchasing any equipment or weapons you need from the shop. Then, when you go out into the field you need to defeat as many enemies as possible within the time limit. Get a good rhythm going and build up combos for extra points!
Once youâ€™ve defeated a certain number of enemies the goal will appear. Touch the goal to finish and to move on to the next area, Complete more areas to rack up even more points for each stage!
You can also touch the yellow orbs for bonus time and keep the action going.
There are also blue orbs that give you special abilities. Each one has three random abilities to choose from. Check out all the cool moves that match your fighting style.
You keep abilities between areas and thereâ€™s no limit to how many you can have, either. Also, if you equip the same ability multiple times it will become even more effective. So keep an eye out for all those orbs.
Any money or time left over when you reach the goal will be counted towards your final score, along with enemies defeated and combos. Your final score determines your rank. The higher your rank at the end of the stage, the better the prize youâ€™ll get.

There are 8 stages in the game, but really, the last 4 are just amped-up versions of the existing 4 stages. You’ll need different strategies for both versions of the stages though.

The Mercenaries Ability List

You can get these from the Blue Orbs during a round. These bonuses stack up and are permanent for the stage you’re in, so collect as many of these abilities as you can!
Healthy – Max HP increases.
Thick Skinned – Damage taken decreases.
Assassination Dash – Movement speed increases when knife is equipped.
All Brawn – Attack increases but speed decreases.
Infighter – Close-combat attacks do more damage.
Adrenaline – Gain a bit of health whenever you attack with a gun.
Fickle Shooter – Attack increases when switching between enemies.
Agile – Speed increases.
Slow Motion – Enemy movement decreases.
Blade Master – Knife deals 5 times more damage.
Corpse Combuster – Enemies will likely explode when they are defeated with a gun.
No Brainer – Headshots do more damage.
Super Guard – Take no damage when guarding.
Shotgun Master – Shotguns deal more damage.
Pistol Master – Pistol does more damage.
Gruesome Gourmet – Recover a little HP when an enemy is defeated.
Masamune – Knife attacks are 10 times stronger, but damage from other weapons greatly decreases. Acquired by getting A-Rank in a stage.

How To Get S-Rank Or Higher In All 4 Stages
What To Buy: Sniper rifle.
What To Sell: Shotgun shells, handgun bullets.
Recommended Abilities From Blue Orbs: Anything revolving damage, like more damage from the initial hit, more damage when enemy health is low, enemies explode when hit, and more damage when the enemy is far away.
When you’re starting out, it’s best to get B-rank for a level so that you can get an additional 5,000 Lei at the start of another level. This mode is meant to be replayed, so your first time out in a stage is to get the lay of the land and enemy placement/spawn locations.

Your basic tactic is to find a nice pathway to kill enemies from a good distance so that you can keep the combo as high as possible. So far, the sniper rifle is the best pick for this due to its range, damage, and its synergy with the blue orbs perks.
In-between rounds, spend the money on upgrading the sniper rifle further. Also, do not reload the sniper rifle at the end of a stage or at Duke’s before the next area. Upgrading the capacity will give you a free magazine, meaning free bullets.

One last thing: for the Mad Village, don’t sell your shotgun shells. For the last round of the Mad Village, we suggest buying a shotgun to get rid of the final boss more effectively.
How To Get S-Rank In The Modified 4 Stages
Your guess is as good as ours, as this is the revved-up tougher version of the bonus game. We’ll do our best.
What To Buy: Grenade Launcher, Flashbangs, remaining cash goes into healing items and explosive grenade rounds.
What To Sell: Handgun, Handgun Bullets.
Recommended Abilities From Blue Orbs: Masamune, Blade Master, defensive skills, initial hit does more damage, more damage on low health enemy.
These modified stages are way tougher than the previous ones because of the new enemies. Also, the inventory at Dukeâ€™ shop is different now. You can no longer buy a Shotgun or a Sniper Rifle so you have to think of something else.
Buying the Magnum would be pointless because you will never have enough ammo to kill enough enemies with it. Same goes for the very expensive Grenade Launcher. What is a mercenary to do?
One effective strategy (via PowerPyx), while being a bit luck-dependent and situational to set up, was the knife. It’s the weakest weapon initially, but with the skill Masamune, you can make the knife the ultimate killing machine. You can unlock the Masamune skill by getting an A-rank on one of the earlier stages, so you should have it by this point.

Masamune skill will make your knife attack 10 times stronger but all the other weapons will do low damage afterwards. The knife doesnâ€™t need ammunition, so you will not run out. Additionally, it stacks with the Blade Master skill, so with some luck, you get both skills from the Blue Orbs and it will make you basically one hit everything in this mode.
This only works in combination with another weaponâ€“ the Grenade Launcher. Flashbang grenades are super cheap (200 Lei a piece) and are the perfect synergy for the knife. Flashbangs stun every enemy in the game instantly for long enough time to kill them with a knife, with only a few exceptions:

The Lycans with metal cages on their head â€“ you will have to shoot the metal cage twice with a regular grenade to destroy it. Afterwards, you can stun them just like every other enemy.
Bela,Â Daniela and Cassandra â€“ you can stun them, but you will not have enough time to kill them while they are stunned with just one Flashbang. You will have to stun them a few times (watch out, they keep slicing even when blinded).

Here’s the bad part: you are not guaranteed to get the Masamune skill each time you start an attempt. You have about a 14% chance of getting the Masamune skill of a blue bubble. So your tactic will be to run to the closest bubble in each level and check for the skill. If it is not in there, just restart.
This method is a bit tedious because of the many restarts and having to go through the selling and buying process each time.
While most guns are fine if your aim is true and you know the ins and outs of each RE Village enemy, the following methods are not recommended:

Relying on the Magnum alone â€“ only low amount of ammunition available, not enough to finish a stage with a high combo.
Using the Handgun â€“ slow killing, combo breaks fast, horrible crowd control, extremely bad for stronger enemies.
Using regular Grenades with the Grenade Launcher â€“ expensive ammunition, not enough ammo to deal with the starting area of Factory 2Â for example.


Sony Is Skipping E3 2020

For those of you who have been keeping up with news about Sony and their media maneuvers, the headline shouldn’t surprise you. They already skipped last year’s E3 and it looks like they might never return to the event.
Expect to see more events like PlayStation Experience. Photo courtesy of Sony Interactive Entertainment.
Speaking to GameIndustry.biz, a spokesperson from Sony Interactive Entertainment confirmed that the company will not be making an appearance at E3 2020. Instead, they will focus on “participating in hundreds of consumer events” all over the world.

“After thorough evaluation SIE has decided not to participate in E3 2020. We have great respect for the ESA as an organization, but we do not feel the vision of E3 2020 is the right venue for what we are focused on this year.”
– Sony
In other words, we’ll be seeing them continue the practice of making big announcements through events such as PlayStation Experience. It’s definitely a lot cheaper compared to hosting a presentation at E3 plus they don’t have to fight for the spotlight with Microsoft and Nintendo.
Can you really blame them though?
Photo courtesy of Sony Interactive Entertainment.
E3 2019 proved that the wide accessibility of digital media has made trade shows somewhat pointless. Companies can now generate the same amount of reach and hype through their own livestreams and presentations. So why waste money on securing expensive venues and media coverage?
There was also the case of thousands of journalists having their personal details leaked. The Entertainment Software Association (ESA), the company that handles E3, responded very poorly when it was happening, forever tarnishing the company’s trustworthiness.
In response to Sony’s statement, here’s what ESA said:

“E3 is a signature event celebrating the video game industry and showcasing the people, brands and innovations redefining entertainment loved by billions of people around the world.
E3 2020 will be an exciting, high-energy show featuring new experiences, partners, exhibitor spaces, activations, and programming that will entertain new and veteran attendees alike.
Exhibitor interest in our new activations is gaining the attention of brands that view E3 as a key opportunity to connect with video game fans worldwide.”

With evidence showing that ESA is planning to turn E3 into a consumer-friendly event, things might change. However, I believe it’s already too late to recover from the damages.


The History of Patches the Trustworthy In From Software’s Dark Souls Titles

With Elden Ring coming out soon this month, let’s take a look at one of the most consistent elements of the From Software dark fantasy-laden Soulsborne games. No, I’m not referring to the difficulty. I’m talking about the character known as Patches.
Patches has been a staple in the SoulsBorne series just as much as the Estus Flask, appearing in almost every game that was directed by Hidetaka Miyazaki. He/it is a notable fan favourite that you can definitely trust and will absolutely never push you off a cliff.
After not appearing in the games since Dark Souls 3, we highly expect that the bald, squatting scavenger will make his way into Elden Ring in some form. So in anticipation of the latest entry, hereâ€™s a brief rundown on the history of Patches throughout the SoulsBorne series.
Patches the Hyena (Demon Souls)
We first meet Patches the Hyena in Demon Souls at Stonefang Tunnel, on a wooden platform standing rather suspiciously next to a Bearbug enemy hanging over an item pickup. He is clothed in a simple leather armor get up, holding a spear and a tower shield in hand. A look that he carries for most of his appearances. Interacting with him will cause him to tempt you to the treasure, offering it as a gesture of goodwill and friendship.
The treasure will obviously be a set up for a trap, as approaching the item will cause the fires-spewing Bearbug to drop down and block your way. Patches will then scurry off and taunt you, saying that the treasure is yours so long as you survive that is. Killing the enemy allows you to walk up to him to which heâ€™ll be shocked to see you survived. Heâ€™ll play it off as an accident and gives you a ring as a sorry gift.
“As promised, the treasure is all yours. If you survive, that is!”
The next time you see him will be at the Nexus, the player hub, acting as a merchant. He claims to have given up the trickery and his thieving habits. However, you meet him again at the Shrine of Storms in a cavern. As you walk into the area, youâ€™ll notice a trail of shiny stones laid out, an item you can drop down to mark a path, which will lead you to Patches again. Heâ€™ll be standing next to a pit, then heâ€™ll promptly do the same set up as you talk to him. Thereâ€™s treasure for you in the pit, itâ€™s all yours he says. Standing next to the pit will trigger a cutscene where he kicks you into it. Escaping the trap and confronting him will cause him to carry out his old schtick again, but it nets you another useful ring.
http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kz1AkPIQjo0
Trusty Patches (Dark Souls)
You meet Patches at the Catacombs. Heâ€™ll be standing next to a lever and a bridge. Interacting with him causes him to ask if youâ€™re a cleric or not. Both answers trigger the same outcome, but his line delivery is more sinister if you answer yes. Walking across the bridge halfway, youâ€™ll find it will overturn and cause you to fall to your death. Confronting him again makes him play the same trick but he gives you a soul in exchange.
http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ZkSpALxKT4
He will then be found at the Tomb of the Giants, overlooking a cliff with a similar trail of shiny breadcrumbs. He will tempt you yet again, and heâ€™ll trigger another â€œThis is Spartaâ€ reenactment. Confronting him will cause him to beg for forgiveness and heâ€™ll provide a Twin Humanities. Patches can then be found at Firelink Shrine, acting as a merchant again. However, if youâ€™re of the cleric class heâ€™ll be furious and ask you how you survived, then promptly attack you.
Heh heh. We’ll be wonderful friends. Heh heh heh…
Patches the Spider (Bloodborne)
After unlocking the Forbidden Woods Patches can be talked to at any interactable door in the game, signified by the red lanterns by the doors. He will then give you directions to a cathedral, boasting about a godhead that will grant you strength. He will then provide you with a key item, the Tonsil Stone, which cannot be removed.
Heading to the place, you will reach a locked door which then a glowing blackhole will attack you, which grabs you, carries you up, then crushes you to death (Youâ€™re in the know, right?). Respawning takes you to the Lecture Hall, with a door opposite you. On the other side is Patches who you can talk to, with cracks on the door showing off his head, but also he looks oddly different this time. He will then taunt you to fight with an Amygdala, proclaiming it to be his god and that the player characterâ€™s death is certain.
*Trigger warning for arachnaphobes*
“Oh, a hunter of beasts, are you? Glory be.”
But itâ€™s not all so bad as it allows you access to an endgame area, way before you should be able to. The Nightmare Frontier is where you face off against the Amygdala boss fight, but before that, you see another trail of shiny coins leading to an item. Surprise surprise, Patches will then push you off, landing you in a poisonous pool full of these tough tentacle monsters.
http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmvdeJEsuhc
You can find your way to the back of that door to reveal a grotesque, oversized spiderâ€¦ with Patchesâ€™ head. Patches will then panic and beg forgiveness, as usual, and will offer you a gesture. He claims that it was nothing personal, and he was only worshipping his god the only way he knows, rather contradictory to his previous faith-hating appearances.
Patches the Unbreakable (Dark Souls 3)
Patches plays a more breakthrough role in the game, being a vital player to two other NPC quest lines and having his own shining moment in The Ringed City DLC.
You have two ways of being tricked by him this time: Buy the Tower Key and get locked in behind you by Patches, or go through another bridge trap, only this time heâ€™ll be wearing the Onion Knight armour set and doing a hilarious Siegward impression. Both events will cause him to ask for your forgiveness and he becomes a merchant at Firelink Shrine, you know the deal.

To save the lovable Greirat from dying in his questline (protect him at all cost!), you will need to inform him that Greirat went to Irithyll, which will cause him to show concern rather surprisingly. Patches owes a debt to Greirat, to which he will don the Onion Knight armor again (assuming you havenâ€™t returned it to Siegward) and save his life.
http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qq6TtvBzaFE
Lapp the Amnesiac (Ringed City DLC)
In the Ringed City DLC, you come across Lapp, a fellow hollow and amnesiac knight. He shares a familiar voice with a certain someone, yet he seems honest and kind, if a little confused. He informs you of a Titanite Slab, the endgame item for weapon upgrading, near the area with the angels but oddly warns you of the danger and asks you to be careful.
In fact, if you choose not to take the risk, you can find Lapp again later and heâ€™ll actually have it for you. What a nice guy!
He’s not squatting because he’s a good guy right now.
Later on, youâ€™ll find him distressed as he is desperate to know who he was before which puts you on a quest to find the Purging Monument that can cure hollowfication and regain Lappâ€™s memories. After finding the monument, you can inform him of the location to which heâ€™ll emotionally tell you no matter who he is he will always be your friend. Near where you first encounter the dragon Midir, youâ€™ll find a bunch of crumbling staircases, with no way out in sight. Youâ€™ll then find Lapp, squatting down next to a cliff. Uh oh.
http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otnzLahoqlY
Talking to him shows that he sounds completely different and sus as hell. Heâ€™ll offer up a treasure as thanks for helping him, which is right over that cliff. You know how this ends.
However, the path ahead actually leads to where you need to go, so Lapp/Patches was helping in a way. Maybe he did keep his promise.
That about covers every version of Patches across the years. What do you think heâ€™ll appear as in Elden Ring? In the meantime, have a look at the gameâ€™s robust character creation.


NieR Duo Yoko Taro and Yosuke Saito Are Currently Working On Two New Games

The games industry in Japan is really busy with future projects next year and so forth, including Yoko Taro and Yosuke Saito.
The two developers, renowned for their work on NieR and NieR Automata, are busy with two upcoming titles according to a recent Games Industry Chit-Chat 2020 Year-End Party (via Games Talk and Gematsu). According to Saito, he wasnt’ keen on one of the titles. It took a lot of convincing and a 1-hour presentation from Yoko Taro for Saito to finally give in and reluctantly work on the game. To quote Saito: “If I could quit, I would”.
Could it be that adults-only project Yoko Taro talked about a while back in 2017? Guess we’ll find out later in 2021 and 2022.


DC Comics Says Goodbye To Its Vertigo Imprint

After 26 years of reboots, DC Entertainment announces that its adult-focused imprint Vertigo will be shuttered as part of a restructuring of its imprint divisions.
The company said that it will wrap up operations in January 2020 onwards, together with its DC Zoom and DC Ink YA brands. It will wrap up its Sandman Universe spinoffs, or just transition them in the newly-updated version of DC’s current Black Label line.
Long story short, Vertigo will be absorbed into one of DC Comics’ three new labels. They are:

DC Kids, for readers aged 8-12,
DC, for readers aged 13 and above,
and DC Black Label, for readers 17 and above. Yes, this imprint is sounding more like a whiskey brand by the day.

Sounds like an end of an era? Not quite; you can still get your Vertigo fix under Black Label, albeit with a different name. Readers will still get “pop up” limited time imprints like Gerard Way’s Young Animal or Warren Ellis’ The Wild Storm from time to time.
Here’s the official press release tidbit from DC Comics:

Weâ€™re returning to a singular presentation of the DC brand that was present throughout most of our history until 1993 when we launched Vertigo to provide an outlet for edgier material. That kind of material is now mainstream across all genres, so we thought it was the right time to bring greater clarity to the DC brand and reinforce our commitment to storytelling for all of our fans in every age group. This new system will replace the age ratings we currently use on our material.

Despite what we said, this still sounds like the end of the Vertigo name and the legacy it carries. Stick around with Kakuchopurei next week as we talk about our favourite Vertigo comics because, at this point of publishing, it’s the weekend and our team need to sleep, goddammit.


Ctrl + Alt Gaming 2018: A Gaming Event for Gamers by Gamers? Sign Us Up!

The first ever community focused event in Malaysia, Ctl + Alt Gaming 2018, a.k.a CAG 2018 will be happening this weekend on the 31st of March 2018 till the 1st of April 2018 at the Jeffrey Cheah Hall, Sunway University. The event has the support of e-Sports Malaysia (ESM) and partnered with Games Fusion, MVP Mobile Arena as well as The Magic Rain.
The event will be showcasing talent in the gaming community through Community Showcases and Tournaments. 7 local game communities that will be present through the event includeÂ Fighting Games community, Nintendo communities, Touhou community, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang community, Monster Hunter community, and Hearthstone community. Don’t forget to bring your arcade sticks as there will be a few fighting tournaments happening: Tekken 7 & Naruto Shippuden Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 on day 1 and Guilty Gear XRD Rev 2 & Dragon Ball FighterZ on day 2.

Among notable attractions of the event include Her Majesty’s Masion: Save Point, a maid and butler cafe which will be running in three different time slots. For RM 25, patrons of the cafe will receive a homemade dessert, drinks, a HMM badge along with never ending affection from your little maids!

A solo cosplay competition hosted by AniManGaki will also be happening on day 2 on CAG 2018.

If you can;t make it to the event do not fret as the event will be livestreamed on theÂ  MVP Arena Facebook page.
Click here for more information on the event!


Deadpool Slices His Way Into Midnight Suns Next Week

2K and Marvel Entertainment have released a new trailer for Marvel’s Midnight Suns’ first post-launch DLC – The Good, the Bad, and the Undead featuring Deadpool.
It will be available as either a standalone purchase or as part of Marvel’s Midnight Suns Season Pass (included in the Legendary Edition), each DLC brings a new recruitable hero and adds three new story missions, a new upgrade for the Abbey, and a selection of new skins and outfits for the hero.
As a recruitable hero, Deadpool brings unique new abilities and his signature brand of chaos to the battlefield, as well as the opportunity to build Friendship and become best friends with the Merc with a Mouth in the Abbey. New enemy types will also be introduced in the story missions and he comes with a unique Research project Food Truck to give you an extra tactical edge on the battlefield.
New story missions will be available after completing the “Spidermaaaans” mission and Spider-Man unmasks in the Abbey during Act One; while Deadpool will be recruitable after completing the new “A Man of Culture” mission.
The Good, the Bad, and the Undead will be available on 26 January 2023 for PC via Steam and Epic Games Store, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. In the meantime, check out our review by heading over here.


How Three Decades of Final Fantasy Shaped VII Remake’s Combat [Part 1]

Few games out there have a cultural footprint as significant as Final Fantasy. Originally a fantasy role-playing game inspired by western titles such as Ultima and Wizardry, the first Final Fantasy in 1987 was a small project that followed four Warriors of Light as they set off on a grand adventure to save their world.
The game was a commercial success and set off a chain reaction that led to many more games being made in its name. After more than three decades, the series has given form to fifteen mainline titles and a dizzying amount of spin-offs. It has its own themed cafes,merchandise, and even movies. When you think Japanese role-playing games, it’s hard not to have Final Fantasy at the top of the list.
A solid argument for why the series managed to become so popular has always been its penchant for innovation. The first Final Fantasy captured the minds of many with its diverse class system, a focus on story, and engaging gameplay. The series has since continually evolved its story, graphics, music, and combat with each new title, striving to offer an experience wholly unique from its predecessors.

This rings true for Final Fantasy VII. Launching in 1997 on the PlayStation, it was the first game in the series to introduce 3D graphics and full-motion video. Putting the traditional fantasy setting of its previous games on the back-burner, the developers at Square instead pushed elements of cyberpunk and science fiction.
This, complemented by an emotional story, lovable cast, and killer soundtrack, catapulted the game into the realm of all-time gaming classics. Though admittedly a dated game now by modern standards, nobody had seen anything like Final Fantasy VII back in the day.
Fast forward to 2020 and Final Fantasy VII is somehow back in a really big way. A remake of Final Fantasy VII is here, and it’s only one part in a massive series. Built from the ground up with modern technology and for a new generation, the games are a bold (and somewhat expensive) reinvention of the PlayStation classic that so many fell in love with.
Some aspects of the original game, such as music and character interactions, have been spruced up for this remake, but plenty of other elements have also been radically changed.

Most interesting of the big changes is FFVII Remake’s battle system. Gone are the random encounters and turn-based battles of the old game. In their place are predetermined battles that happen in real-time. The player controls Cloud and his party, dodging attacks, switching between members, and executing moves on the fly. What happened to the strategic and deliberate role-playing elements that fans had grown to love about the original?
The truth is, we didn’t get FFVII Remake’s action-oriented battle system overnight. While some of the decisions behind this change can be chalked up to caving into gaming trends, much of VII’s combat is still. In fact, an appropriate tribute to the series’ long history of unique battle systems. If you’re wondering what Final Fantasy’s battle systems were like prior to FFVII Remake and whether any similarities have carried over between them, then this article is for you.
NEXT: Humble Beginnings


ASUS Reveals The ROG Zephyrus G14 Alan Walker Special Edition Laptop

ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) today announced the new Zephyrus G14 Alan Walker Special Edition (GA401QEC) laptop, created in collaboration with the legendary artist, DJ and music producer. With unique styling and a custom ROG Remix sampler, this machine is ready for any creative endeavour.
Technology Meets Musicality

Alan Walker developed an interest in computers, programming, and graphic design at a young age, eventually leading to a prominent career in electronic music. Walker began his career as a self-taught producer releasing tracks on YouTube and SoundCloud, rising to fame with his 2015 song Faded.
With billions of streams on YouTube and Spotify, Walker is now an acclaimed artist with a hand in the gaming industry, having produced tracks for PUBG Mobile and Death Stranding.
Never Miss A Beat

When ROG first forged a partnership with Alan Walker, one laptop stood out in the field as the perfect do-anything companion for a self-made creator and gamer. The Zephyrus G14 AW SE blends best-in-class portability with the potent performance of an 8-core, 16-thread AMD Ryzen 9 5900HS CPU and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti GPU.
Alan Walker Customized Design Accents

Never satisfied with merely nudging the envelope, ROG has packed the Zephyrus G14 AW SE with even more premium finishes and personalization. Designed in collaboration with Walker, this special edition G14 features unique colour accents, like the Spectre Blue shade of the AniMe Matrix LED array, exclusive to this machine.
The nameplate sports a similar tone, along with Walkerâ€™s idea to include his own signature next to the ROG logo. This nameplate is manufactured with a physical vapour deposition process for an enticing reflectivity that changes from different angles. Two fabric belts along the lid add ROGâ€™s signature cyberpunk flair, with one belt using reflective text that blends with the matrix LEDs.
“I feel very proud for having the chance to work with ROG and Iâ€™m excited to show the world what weâ€™ve been working on for so long,” said Walker.
The experience begins the moment the user lays their fingers on the container, thanks to a stunning design and acrylic top cover, all selected by Walker himself. The box â€” Walkerâ€™s favourite part of the project â€” is far more than mere packaging: itâ€™s a creative accessory all its own. Connect the box to the G14 with a USB Type-C cable and it turns into the ROG Remix sampler, with conductive pads on the surface that allow users to trigger 18 of Walkerâ€™s own sound effects.
Users can start with one of Walkerâ€™s genre-defining tracks or import their own tunes into the custom software, developed with Walker and his team. ROG Remix also displays unique ROG and Alan Walker inspired animations on the main screen of the laptop and AniMe Matrix panel based on the MIDI inputs selected.Â
The laptop even features a custom boot animation and Alan Walker wallpaper. The glass touchpad is shaded with a customized pattern inspired by a music equalizer, alongside keycaps matching Alan Walkerâ€™s signature colours; plus A and W keys with the producerâ€™s logo printed on top.
To cap it all off, an Alan Walker and ROG-styled baseball cap and pair of socks also come bundled with a special edition of the ROG Sleeve so owners can represent the Republic anywhere.

Specifications
ROG Zephyrus G14 Alan Walker Special Edition (GA401QEC)

Processor
AMD Ryzenâ„¢ R9-5900HS

GPUÂ
NVIDIAÂ® GeForceÂ  RTXâ„¢ 3050Ti

Operating system
Windows 10 Pro

Memory
16 GB DDR4 3200 MHz

Storage
1 TB PCIeÂ® SSD

Display
14â€ QHD (2560×1440) IPS-level panel, 120Hz, 100% DCI-P3, PANTONEÂ® Validated,
supports Adaptive Sync

Keyboard
Backlit chiclet keyboard, N-key support, 1.7 mm key travel, 4 hot keys,Â
power key with fingerprint sensor

Audio
2 x 2.5 W speakers with smart amplifier technology
2 x 0.7 W tweeters, array microphone

I/O ports
1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-CÂ® with DisplayPortâ„¢ 1.4 and Power Delivery
1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-CÂ®
2 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A
1 x HDMIÂ® 2.0b
1 x 3.5 mm headphone and microphone combo jack
1 x Kensington Lock slot

ConnectivityÂ
802.11ax 2×2 WLAN
BluetoothÂ® 5.1Â
*Bluetooth version may vary with OS upgrades

Dimensions
324 X 222 X 19.9 mmÂ Â

Weight
1.7 kg

AC adapter
180 W Power AdaptorÂ
Plug Type :Ã¸6.0 (mm)
Output: 20 V DC, 9 A, 180 W
Input: 100~240 V AC, 50/60 Hz universal


The Medium Shines Old-School Adventure Horror In A New Light

Platform(s): Xbox Series, PC
Genre: Horror adventure game with 2000-era tropes & camera angles
The first hour of The Medium is sure to make survival horror fans gleeful, as it features different static camera angles like a late 90s or 2000s horror game ala Silent Hill or Resident Evil. That’s what developer Bloober Team is going for: a nice throwback to that era. They even brought in composer Akira Yamaoka to compose tracks for the game’s alternate spirit world, which is clearly inspired by classic paintings and a lot of nightmarish places in said classic titles.
Thankfully, that’s not The Medium’s only selling point. It has gorgeous visuals, audio, and a great narrative flow to go along with its fun puzzles and dual-world mechanic.
Double Vision

What works about The Medium is it weaves its story and shows the depths and depravity of its subjects. See, our heroine Marianne can delve into the spirit world which is synchronous to the real world in most parts. She needs to do this as she’s tasked to head to the abandoned Niwa resort to meet a man named Thomas to help him with a spirit problem, right after she made her final rites with her foster dad Jack in the funeral parlour she was raised in.
Along the way, she meets a kid in the spirit world named Sadness, and then she ends up being a pivotal piece in the tale. Without spoiling anything, the revelations all peeled out pretty well, and like the aforementioned genres, you advance the plot by solving puzzles, finding keys, and running away from a big bad that’s hounding you.
That big bad is The Maw. It hunts you at key tense segments, with most of them being fun and thrilling sections in the game where you need to hide, hold your breath to avoid detection, and even use your Medium powers to trick it at times. There are even spirit moths that you can only fight off using spirit barriers and energy, as well as spirit tentacles you can counterattack using a parry shield technique. The game’s challenges are mostly puzzle-based in nature, but the game does throw in some action bits here and there to change up the pacing for the better. Marianne’s walking and running speed is also purposely “nerfed”, speeding up only when The Maw starts chasing her through nightmare corridors.
That gives The Medium a sense of vulnerability. Much like your James and Heathers or human protagonists in horror games, you’re a victim making your way through this hellscape of a mystery. The Medium accentuates that to a tee.

In fact, all of the game’s central theme of duality and dealing with two worlds that are in sync all come to a head when you end up exploring the spirit world psyches of some of the characters. Though you can feel bad for some of these characters, the game doesn’t hammer on home about what is right or wrong: it’s up to you to decide after all is said and done.
The Medium is at its best when it lets its puzzles and story do its talking to you visually and through the many, many collectible notes and discoverables you take your time uncovering in its gorgeous-and-disturbing landscape. And if you’re stuck, you can just press the Insight button to clue you into the right direction.
On that note, the person who made that sound clip when you open a spirit door using your spirit knife should be promoted. That gooey sound is just as memorable as Gears’ headshot splat and Super Mario’s 1-up jingle.
Murky Sight

For all of its positives in delivering its narrative, sometimes the game can get overbearing with its over-narration of things that we can clearly see.Â I wished Marianne would shut it with her monologues when exploring. While she mostly lets the audience figure things out in key story bits, she does go overboard in a number of exploration bits in the game.
Also, the last 15 minutes of the game is a huge cutscene, with the only thing you need to do is walk to the end goal. No climactic chase sequence, no major puzzles, no crazy QTE moments. Just a stroll to the finish line, with some questions answered and brought up, which is pretty ballsy of Bloober Team given that this is their first big title that isn’t a walking simulator with jump scares. Whatever happened to making a classic video game climactic finale if you decide not to surprise us with one last tense puzzle? The Medium was doing really well up to that point.
Well-Done
Still, don’t let that deter you from experiencing of one of this year’s more atmospheric and noteworthy adventure horror titles that’s exclusive to the Xbox Game Pass and Xbox Series. The majority of it is a nice thrill ride that isn’t reinventing the horror genre but just revels in it, while delivering a great narrative up until the end.

It’s a bold proclamation since we’re only early in 2021, but it seems like Bloober Team is coming on their own and actually doing more than just making a horror walking sim game and calling it a day. My eight hours with it shows that there’s actual effort, thought, and detail brought on in The Medium, be it the dual nature of its universes, soundtrack, and its puzzles, or the nature of its story and its lead Marianne.
It’s not a huge triple-A experience, since there are a few graphical glitches here and there, but most horror games shouldn’t aim that high. Think of this more as a B-tier production game during the days when publishers like Focus Home and Deep Silver were encapsulating audiences with their adventure titles. The Medium is a great callback to those days, while also delivering a level of polish and panache to make your stay in a haunted Polish hotel all the more remarkable. It kinda reminded me of an older adventure game title called Dark Seed where your main character had to go to an alternate hellhole to solve puzzles, except this particular game had more substance and a better story to tell than the H.R Giger wallpaper clipshow.
I honestly want to see more Bloober Team horror games of this nature, because it seems this big ambitious project is the best direction to go. In short, The Medium is a great start to bigger and better things.
Pros

A chilling and atmospheric adventure game.
Puzzles and dual-world nature of the game work thematically & are fun to solve.
Great visuals, presentation, and music.
Lots of tense and dangerous moments featuring the game’s central monster

Cons

Overnarration from its lead can be grating in the second half.
Weak climax & ambiguous ending.
Some graphical glitches that break immersion.

Final Score: 80/100


Michael B. Jordan Is Producing A Static Shock Movie

We’re officially getting a Static Shock movie and Michael B. Jordan will be acting as a producer (via his company, Outlier Society) on the upcoming movie. Initially revealed during the DC FanDome event in August 2020, Static Shock will be directed by Reginald Hudlin.
In a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, Jordan said:
â€œIâ€™m proud to be a part of building a new universe centred around black superheroes; our community deserves that.Outlier Society is committed to bringing to life diverse comic book content across all platforms and we are excited to partner with Reggie and Warner Bros on this initial step.â€
Jordan is no stranger to comic books and their movie adaptations. Not only is he a bonafide fan, but he has also played the Human Torch in 2015’s Fantastic Four and Erik Killmonger in 2018’s Black Panther.
The Static Shock movie will follow protagonist Static, who first appeared in 1993’sÂ StaticÂ issue #1 via Milestone Comics, a now-defunct company which was under parent DC Comics.
However, the character only truly gained prominence via the Static Shock animated series, which ran for 54 episodes from September 2000 to May 2004. The series starred Virgil Hawkins, a teenager who transforms into a superhero with electromagnetic powers after being exposed to strange gas.
Static only entered the mainstream DC Comics universe in 2008, but recently DC Comics announced that they would be relaunching the Milestone universe, with new Static Shock comics alongside it.
I’m sure many 90s kids like me had fond memories of growing up with Static Shock. Here’s a jolt of nostalgia for all of you:


Is Psygnosis Making A Comeback?

Sony has renewed the Psygnosis trademark and logo in North America.
According to business analyst Roberto Serrano, the Psygnosis name was renewed in December 2021. This may just be a straightforward renewal to prevent other folks from using the Psygnosis name and classic owl logo in North American regions.
Despite Sony acquiring the company’s successor studio Firesprite, this is just a 10-year renewal process Sony goes through to claim the Psygnosis name. The last time they did this was back in 7 July 2011.
The Psygnosis brand is legendary back in the 80s and 90s days of computer gaming, with the company making titles like Ballistix and Shadow of the Beast, as well as for Lemmings, Puggsy, and Wipeout. The sci-fi racing game, not the obstacle course show.
The successor studio, Firesprite, is working on the upcoming PSVR2 title Horizon: Call of the Mountain.


The Amazon EA Acquisition Is Not Happening After All

It looks like earlier reports and premature rumours of the Amazon EA acquisition turned out to be inaccurate.
It all started when USA Today sources claimed that Amazon will formally announce its offer to purchase EA earlier today. However, CNBC has since refuted that claim.
Speaking on CNBC, reporter David Faber said:
“I have talked to some people who would actually know if there’s something going on, and they say there’s nothing going on.”

Amazon is not going to make a bid for Electronic Arts, sources tell CNBC's @DavidFaber. Shares of $EA surged earlier on a report citing a "rumor." pic.twitter.com/k7wk0Fy7xv
— CNBC Now (@CNBCnow) August 26, 2022

That was after EA stock price increased as a result of the Amazon EA acquisition rumour, climbing a whopping 15 percent. However, as more reports come out refuting that claim, EA stock prices have begun decreasing and returning back to normal.
With all these reports swirling, it’s better to wait for Amazon or EA themselves to officially confirm or deny the rumours. At the time of writing, there has been no official statement from either side.


Rift Of The Necrodancer Gets New Rocking Trailer

The spin-off to Crypt of the Necrodancer is looking sweet. The game is now a mash-up between Guitar Hero and Rhythm Heaven, with minigames interspliced between note-chart rhythm gameplay with wacky scenarios and even wackier boss fights.
The game is slated to be out in 2023 for Nintendo Switch. Check out the gameplay below.


Shin Megami Tensei 5 Feature Video Introduces New Characters & Skill Building Options

Atlus just showcased more new content & features for its upcoming JRPG sequel Shin Megami Tensei 5. You know, the one with the post-apocalyptic Tokyoverse & demon-summoning/recruiting, and the handsome demon protagonist with the lovely blue locks.
New Characters
Here are the official descriptions of the new characters: Shohei Yakumo, Nuwa, and Abdiel:

Shohei YakumoÂ (voiced by Tomokazu Sugita) â€“ â€œI thought youâ€™d be cleaning up the stragglersâ€¦ but he looks like no angel Iâ€™ve seen.â€ A mysterious man who stands in the way of the protagonist as he advances through Daâ€™at. â€œTake solace in our meeting, boy. Iâ€™ll make your death a painless one.â€ He has labeled himself as â€œhe who hunts all demons.â€ â€œMaybe then youâ€™ll see the truth.â€ His motives and true colors remain unknown, but he seems to work alongside Nuwa, a demon. â€œSee gods and demons alike fighting over humanityâ€¦ and Tokyo caught in the crossfire.â€
Nuwa, LadyÂ (voiced by Ayana Taketatsu) â€“ A goddess that appears in Chinese mythology. â€œAre you part of the reinforcements sent by Bethel? The man beside me is Yakumoâ€¦â€ Sheâ€™s worked alongside Yakumo since he was young to fulfill a certain goal. â€œI suppose one could say he is my other half. The angels that infested this area are now dead.â€ She suddenly appears before the protagonist, and attacks. â€œAnd I daresay they could use some company.â€
Abdiel, Archangel & Bethelâ€™s Deputy Angel CommanderÂ (voiced by Romi Park) â€“ An angel who oversees Bethelâ€™s headquarters. â€œAm I to understand you went against the Condemnation?â€ Stern and uncompromising, she eradicates anyone who threatens the order of Bethel through sheer force. â€œAnswer, boy. Bethel will have no mercy for one who violates the will of God.â€ Sheâ€™s fervently devoted to God and is committed to defending his order at all costs. â€œIt is a duty I am sure you will continue to perform.â€

Skill Management System
Players can collect Essences, spiritual entities embedded with demon powers that you can fuse onto the main characters to customize skills to your liking. So if you want to get the power to negate Fire attacks (but also the weakness of Ice) from that red fairy Hua Po, you just fuse her to your hero.
Players can also earn Glory, which you can use to learn power-ups called Miracles. Here are some examples of Miracles:

Enhanced Summon: Demon allies summoned in battle will have a random stat raised by one rank, and they encompass skills that assist you during battle, affect negotiation outcomes, fusions, skill potentials, and even stat-building.
Pacification: If a demonâ€™s mood sours mid-negotiation, they may forgive you.
Unforgotten Memories: Newly fused demons will gain EXP based on the stats of the demons fused.

Other Additions & Improvements
Players can fast-forward special effects for skills during battles by altering them in the Options menu. Players can also turn on Auto Play to repeat standard attacks for those times you want to just farm low-level enemies. Don’t use this if you’re fighting against Physical-Reflecting jerks like Rangda and Girimekhala though.


You Can Get Your Overwatch League Hero Skins Today. Here’s How

After about a week of teasing the Overwatch community with a new menu splash screen, the wait is over for those who could not wait to snap up their Overwatch League team skin for their favorite heroes.
Starting today, you can snap up Overwatch League hero skins in your game as Blizzard made the skins available for purchase using a new in-game currency called Overwatch League Tokens.
As mentioned by the league’s commissioner Nate Nanzer a while back, purchasing these skins are akin to real world merchandising in any franchise league, where proceeds of it are channeled to the respective teams, enabling fans to show their support financially to their team of choice.
Each 26 heroes will get 12 brand new Overwatch League skins of their own, with each variation reflecting the 12 teams competing in the inaugural season. ThisÂ  amounts to a total ofÂ  312 brand new skins being introduced into the game in one shot – the most ever. As to not leave any player behind, every Overwatch player receives 100 Tokens to be used on any hero OWL team skin of their choice starting today and if you feel that one free skin isn’t enough, you can purchase more tokens by heading to your respective console stores. We took the liberty of checking out the PlayStation store and here’s how much these tokens cost:
*1US$: 4.01MYR

Starting from about US5$ for 100 tokens (that’s about MYR20.50), them skins aren’t cheap and the bundle goes up to US$102 for 2600 tokens. If our math serves us right, you’ll need to spend US$1224 (MYR4909) in order to obtain all the skins. But come on – which sportsfan owns ALL the team football jerseys in the NFL eh?!
Since I main Pharah and I currently use her Anubis skin, I may have dodged the bullet there considering the team I support in the OWL, Seoul Dynasty have a similar-schemed look. I might spend my token on my new secondary main, Moira – but then again, her Whiskey skin is also black and yellow. Think I’ll hold on with my pick for now.Â What about you? Tell us in the comments section below


Konami Announces Suikoden I & II HD Remaster

During TGS 2022, Konami announced Suikoden I & II HD Remaster Gate Rune And Dunan Unification Wars. It’s coming to the PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC sometime in 2023.
The legendary Konami JRPGs Suikoden I and Suikoden II have now been remastered in HD. Suikoden I originally launched in 1995 while Suikoden II originally released in 1998, both on the original PlayStation.
The Story of Suikoden I
A once-renowned hero turns into a violent tyrant, and an empire falls into decline.
A Liberation Army is rising up in an act of rebellion against an oppressive rule.
One by one the 108 stars of Destiny gather to shape the course of history.
The Story of Suikoden II
Our story’s hero and his friend Jowy are members of the Unicorn Youth Brigade, which participated in a drawn-out border dispute between the Highland Kingdom and the City-States of Jowstown .
A few months earlier, a truth agreement was signed between the two forces, both of which were happy to see an end to the fighting.
However, hidden under the momentary peace the fires of a new war continued to smolder…
Features of Suikoden I & Suikoden II HD

All background illustrations have been upgraded to HD
Updated effects breathe new life into the pixel art animation
New environmental sounds effects to immerse yourself in this fantasy world
Battle SFX are also now HD and add a new level of realism
Newly added auto-save
Battle Fast Forward
Conversation Log

You can wishlist the game on Steam now.


E3 2019: AMD Pulls Out All Stops With Next-Gen Innovations

The kid gloves have finally come off for Team Red.
Since its teaser at COMPUTEX 2019, what AMD plans to share at E3 2019 has become a highly anticipated announcement. Did whatever they talked about lived up to the hype?
Undoubtedly, as they delivered and then some.
New Graphics Card

There is the unexpected arrival of the high-spec takes on the AMD Radeon RX 5700, the extreme entry for 3rd Gen AMD Ryzen processors, as well as a busload of all-new software for current and next-gen graphics. When Dr Lisa Su, AMD President and CEO, took the stage after the opening intro â€“ she quickly continued from where she left off at Taipei. Her strong and energised greeting immediately set the narrative that she has planned.
This, of course, includes sharing the collaborations that AMD has with Sony, Microsoft, and Google as well as upcoming games that AMD will empower.
New Gaming CPU

First up on Suâ€™s list of reveals is AMDâ€™s next-gen processor â€“ the AMD Ryzen 9 3000 Series. Headlining this all-new line-up is the long-awaited flagship entry: 3rd Gen AMD Ryzen 9 3950X.

As the worldâ€™s first 16-Core mainstream gaming processor that is optimised for gaming, it has finally cemented AMDâ€™s leadership in the gamer hardware space. Complementing the 16 Cores are the 32 Threads and 72MB cache that work together to deliver a 3.5GHz base clock-speed that can boost up to 4.7GHz.
All that on a very low 105W TDP.

During one overclock session with liquid nitrogen, the AMD Ryzen Overclocking Team managed to ramp up the clock-speed to 5.375GHz. This new performance rating for a mainstream processor has clocked a few world-records: 12,167 for Cinebenceh R20, 5434 in Cinebench R15, and 65499 for Geekbench 4 Multithread. Talk about fast & efficient!

“Weâ€™ve made significant technology bets to push the envelope on high-performance computing and give gamers the hardware they need to power the experiences they want,” Dr Su shared.

Graphical Overdrive
This notion is reinforced via the equally as exciting next-gen graphics â€“ the AMD Radeon RDNA line-up. Unlike the Taipei tease, this reveal showcased two new entries: the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT and the limited edition 50th Anniversary Radeon RX 5700 XT. On top of recapping the specs for the latest graphics line-up, Su also revealed how the XT and 50th Anniversary variants take it up a notch in terms of performance outputs.

Complementing the new GPUs are the latest solutions suite that AMD also introduced at E3 2019. This includes open-source FideltyFX, Radeon Image Sharpening upscaler, Radeon Anti-Lag frame-rate optimiser, and support for Display Stream Compression for DisplayPort 1.4.
All of them work together to ensure gamers get the very best in gaming graphics and visual immersion.
No Frills, All Thrills
Throughout Dr Suâ€™s E3 presentation, there hasnâ€™t been a moment where she or her special guests paused to take a quick breather. Itâ€™s something that many have come to expect from AMD now and Team Red is not one to disappoint especially with these breakthroughs in gaming processing and graphics card prowess.
Having captured the next-gen console space and, finally, setting world records â€“ itâ€™s time for Team Red to step up to the plate and continue its home-running swings.


Ranking The Best And Worst Spider-Man Movies

The debut of Sam Raimi’s first Spider-Man movie is a historical event in comic book film history. Many would argue it was the true beginning of the masses finally buying into the appeal of the genre. Many other superhero movies were made prior but almost none were as culturally impactful.
Fast forward to 2019, and we now have eight Spider-Man blockbuster movies. For those of you who have a Netflix account, I’m happy to inform that all eight movies are available on the platform.
Here’s a list of them for your reference:

Sam Raimi Trilogy

Spider-Man
Spider-Man 2
Spider-Man 3

Marc Webb Amazing reboot

The Amazing Spider-Man
The Amazing Spider-Man 2

Marvel Cinematic Universe

Spider-Man: Homecoming
Spider-Man: Far From Home

Sony Pictures Animation

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

Eight movies is a lot. It’s going to take you more than 16 hours to finish them all. You can definitely do that if you want to but if you don’t have the time and want to only experience the best Spider-Man movies, then I’m here to help you out.
The following is a ranking of the above eight Spider-Man movies, starting from the worst and ending with what I consider the best.
8. The Amazing Spider-Man 2

The Amazing Spider-Man series is a mess. Nowhere is that more apparent than in the sequel. It was so badly received that Sony decided to abandon their plans of making the third movie in the planned trilogy.
It transitions from the first movie as smoothly as The Last Jedi transitions from The Force Awakens. From the get-go, there’s a clear ignorance of what Spider-Man learned in the previous movie and he then proceeds to make more mistakes along the way.
If all these miscalculations led to Peter Parker learning some sort of lesson at the end of the movie, then it would be somewhat justified. Unfortunately, that doesn’t seem to be the case. In the end, we are treated to another “mourning in the cemetery” scene which is exactly how the first movie ended.
The movie’s attempt at webbing up multiple plotlines does not work all that well either. Instead of feeling like a movie with three stories heading in the same direction, it felt like watching three different movies miserably trying to meet at a shared ending.
NEXTÂ
Or if you’re into scrolling, here’s everything in one full page:
VIEW IN FULL PAGE


Genshin Impact Players Go On A Review-Bombing Spree; Here’s Why

Ticked off at the lacking anniversary rewards and other factors, Genshin Impact players are doing the opposite of celebrating the game’s anniversary month. In fact, they’re review bombing games that have ties to the online RPG.
At first, players are review bombing Genshin Impact on the Google Play Store for said stinginess. Note the influx of 1-star reviews below:

Some of these players are complaining about Genshin Impact in other mobile games, with some of them not even being made by its makers Mihoyo. The following titles include Honkai Impact,Â Arknights,Â Tears of Themis,Â Clash of Clans,Â Cookie Run Kingdom,Â Fate/Grand Order,Â Epic Seven,Â Punishing Grey Raven,Â Dragalia Lost, andÂ League of Legends: Wild Rift. Both Honkai Impact and Tears of Themis get the highest number of review bombs since they’re made by Mihoyo.

Update[30/9/2021]: even someone review-bombed Malaysia app MySejahtera just to take a shot at Genshin Impact and Mihoyo’s stinginess.

What Actually Led To This Moment?
Apart from the anniversary rewards which by comparison may be less generous than in other F2P mobile games, the deletion of threads complaining about the anniversary on the official forums also provoked players to go about their review-bombing. Prior to this, irate Genshin Impact fans went as far as to harass people unrelated to the anniversary. The English voice actor for new Genshin gacha character Kokomi tweeted about how it was unacceptable to harass voice actors for a game studio’s decisions.

I feel like I don’t necessarily have to say this to the genshin community I’ve interacted with? And it should definitely go without saying, but voice actors aren’t the character, nor are we involved in the backend development, and neither are we your outlets for any –
— Risa?Mei??Queen City Anime Con (@LoveRisaMei) September 27, 2021

This was clearly referencing the harassment faced by the Chinese VO for Kokomi, to the point where she was forced to cancel a livestream.

For anyone wondering, I’ve been fine! I haven’t had any hate directed at me personally, this post was made for Gui Niang who did a PHENOMENAL job with Kokomi. She doesn’t deserve any of the hate directed to her, and for her to cancel a livestream because of the amount of hate she
— Risa?Mei??Queen City Anime Con (@LoveRisaMei) September 28, 2021


US$42 Million Worth Of Fake Anime Toys And Figures Seized In China

If you’re an anime and video games fan fond of collecting figures of your favourite characters, then you’re probably well acquainted with bootleg toys and figures that are sold at cheaper prices and usually lower quality. Even without checking, we all know that most of them come from China.
Image from The Paper.
A recent raid by the Shanghai police on a factory in the city of Dongguan has resulted in the seizing of more than one million fake toys and figures. Chinese website The Paper reports that the fakes included items from popular franchises such as One Piece, Dragon Ball, Gundam, and Pokemon.
With more twenty suspects arrested and over 1,200 toy-making tools and equipment also seized, it’s no wonder that the total amount of seized goods are worth over US$42 million (300 million yuan), as reported by China News.
Bandai Namco was so pleased with the results of the raid that they decided to gift the Shanghai police a gold-plated Unicorn Gundam as a symbol of appreciation. As pointed out by video games industry analyst Daniel Ahmad, the Shanghai police recently appeared on Chinese television to talk about the raid with their gold-plated gift being presented front and center.

Shanghai Police uncovered a group illegally selling fake gundam figures.
More than 1m items were seized with a value of RMB 300 million.
Bandai Namco presented the police with a unicorn gundam figure to thank them, which they presented during a news segment today. lol pic.twitter.com/tnzv7gG3mB
— Daniel Ahmad (@ZhugeEX) October 30, 2019

Merchandising is a big deal in the anime, manga, and video games industry. It’s why franchises like Pokemon have managed to generate more than an estimated US$90 billion in lifetime revenue.
More photos of the raid from The Paper:


Ren & Stimpy Officially Confirmed In Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl; Will Act As One Fighter

After early leaks have alluded to this, publisher GameMill Entertainment has confirmed that the duo of Ren & Stimpy will be coming to Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl.
The cat and dog duo are stars of the weirdest and grossest 90s TV cartoon to ever grace the airwaves: Ren & Stimpy. It’s got a history and a cult following of its own, and did pave way for other unique shows of the Adult Swim variety. So yeah, it’s only fitting the duo gets the fighting game roster inclusion they deserve.

The duo will play as a single character in the platform fighter. They will be using each other as weapons, since they are known as a slapstick duo in the show they debuted in. While they have good range and a decent Log from Blammo projectile, they are slow and heavy so you need to put in the effort to close in on opponents. Check out their gameplay below.

https://thumbs.gfycat.com/CourageousUnacceptableGrison-mobile.mp4

Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl will be out this 5th October for Nintendo Switch, Xbox, PlayStation, and PC. It’s only a matter of time until the Avatar: Last Airbender and Legend of Korra stars make their debut.Â


Super Saiyan Blue Gogeta Is Canon Now

A new Dragon Ball Super Broly trailer has confirmed that fan-favorite character Gogeta is now officially canon. Not only that, it offers us our first look at a Super Saiyan Blue Gogeta.
The short teaser trailer runs at only 30 seconds long, but it shows us a glimpse of the impending fight between Broly and Gogeta in the upcoming Dragon Ball Super Broly movie.

It begins with the appearance of Gogeta, who then turns into a Super Saiyan before finally turning into his Super Saiyan Blue form to fight against Broly in his incredibly powerful Legendary Super Saiyan form.
Gogeta’s previous appearances were in the Dragon Ball Z: Fusion Reborn movie and the Dragon Ball GT anime series, both of which are considered to be not canon to the franchise.
As of now, the official Dragon Ball canon comprises of the original Dragon Ball manga and anime (including the Dragon Ball Z anime) and the Dragon Ball Super anime. Recent movies like Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods and Dragon Ball: Ressurection ‘F’ were canon at their respective times of release, but have since been superseded by Dragon Ball Super (which recounted and retold the same stories with additional details).
In case you missed it, Malaysians won’t be missing out on the action as the Dragon Ball Super Broly movie is slated to arrive here on December 27, 2018. Meanwhile, countries like Japan and the US will be receiving the movie on December 14, 2018, and January 16, 2019, respectively.
In the meantime, check out the new (Japanese) Dragon Ball Super Broly trailer below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwmpBxDmhJM&w=560&h=315]


NetEase’s PUBG-Like Battle Royale Game Now Available for Download

Missing out on PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds for whatever reason? (I am – cuz my gaming PC is kaput). Then fret not. Chinese publishers NetEase has finally released their version of a Battle Royale game for mobile and you can download it right now. Creatively called ‘Survivor Royale’, the game looks a ton like PUBG down to its menu and feel.

What about the gameplay? We’ll soon find out as we’ve just downloaded the game and will be sharing you our thoughts of it in the upcoming days (maybe weeks considering it IS Battlefront 2 release week).Â  Meanwhile you can have a glimpse of it via this recorded footage from YoutuberÂ Maximumandroid – Just Good Games
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZMcmP-mj4E&w=560&h=315]
The official description of the game on its download page read:
“Up to 100 players are spread across a large map. They all begin unarmed, compelled to scavenge for the weapons that are randomly spawned through the area. Over the course of 20 minutes, the playable area contracts, forcing survivors into a fight to the death. Last man standing.
[100 contenders for ONE chance of living! ]
100 players, one fair battlefield, only the best stands till the last.
[HD maps, a huge world to survive in! ]
Extra large maps, sophisticated geography, diverse buildings — a fight that’s so real!Â
[Team up, warriors! ]
Both solo and cooperative 2- or 4-player modes are available.
[Weapons and Vehicles Almost Too Real! ]
A wealth of weapons, attachments and vehicles to be scavenged. Are you ready for it?”
We swear we did not made that up.
Utilising a free-to-play model with in-app purchases (of course!), the game is available for both Android and iOS and you can download it right now. The download file for the game on Android is about 500MB. We will update you with the file size for iOS devices soon enough.