Grooming For Success: Onward’s Hair Shader Tech According To Hometown Heroine Kiki Poh

Disney’s Onward is quite a looker of a 3D movie with its awesome blend of CGI Pixar art style and near-photorealistic backgrounds and vistas. The show also has pretty awesome hair and fur physics as portrayed by Ian Lightfoot’s curly hair and the Manticore’s lion-esque fur. Both effects did keep folks in awe at how high the bar for animation has been raised.
Part of this is attributed to Pixar’s Malaysian export Kiki Poh, whose official role in the film is Shading and Grooming Technical Director. Yes, the film is so massive with its art direction and production, there’s actually a specific person needed to make sure the tufts of hair and fur on the show’s key characters move and render the right way.
She was responsible for setting up the hair shading and hair inherited pipeline for the entire show, while also grooming main characters like Ian Lightfoot the blue elf, Inspector Gore the centaur, and the Manticore. Even if it sounds like something minor, it was anything but.

Combover
Part of Kiki’s job is to make sure the design language of Ian’s hair “speaks correctly” from the long curls to the short ones. “I had to make sure his hair appears well-presented in all different angles in many different situations and conditions; to give out appropriate rhythms when on-screen.

On top of that, we had to imagine lighting and portraying blue hair, which is pretty unusual. Finding references for real blue hair was tough, so it took us a while to get the “correct” shading and illumination.”

Her other task is to also make her animator colleagues’ life easier when it comes to hair rendering and physics. Since Onward features different furry fantasy creatures with different hair physics, Kiki helps create one pipeline for a species so that other animators can use it as a base template for a character they’re tasked with.
The show has many satyrs running around, so she creates a specific hair pipeline for that species so that their bobbing hair physics and shading are in line with every other satyr in the show, background characters and otherwise. Thus, the workflow goes by faster to make Onward reach its shipping date.
Lion’s Share

Speaking of mane attractions, Kiki took it upon herself to make sure the hair on the Manticore is portrayed and rendered right. Her biggest challenge is getting her head hair right. “It’s a really tight curly specific kind of hair, she said. “Because I’m grooming her in two different hairstyles; the first part is her “tavern” hairstyle, and the second part is her “wild style” halfway in the film.”

“I needed to create a simple way for the hairstyle to meet the scene criteria without manually adjusting every strand & curve, as well as easier to control. That way, if I get design notes for changes, it’ll be easier for me to make the adjustments while maintaining the curls that add to her personality & current mood”.

The second part of her challenge is the Manticore’s body hair. “Her body is big,” she added, “so there’s a lot of hair memory. We had to create a balance so that she exuberates the look of a lion without looking too scary.”
Given that Octavia Spencer’s voice and the look of the Manticore was one of Onward’s many highlights, it wasn’t surprising to say that this experiment was a success. KikiÂ and the whole of Pixar learned a lot about how to portray fantasy creature hair efficiently and spectacularly. “With our current in-house tools, we can use what we did in Onward for future projects that require us to create hair pipeline and rigs for non-human species.”
It still didn’t answer the elephant in the room: the reason why the show’s elves are blue. “It’s a creative and character design choice,” said Kiki.
Taking The Cake
Sometimes, the stars need to align to get what you really want, even with the hard work you put in. So how did Kiki land her job at Pixar back in 2010? It’s the case of “right render, right time” as Pixar was looking for someone who can showcase and create convincing food items in 3D.
Kiki’s portfolio at the time was, of all things, cupcakes.
“I studied at Savannah College of Art and Design since 2007,” she said. “In 2008, Pixar came down to our college to check on our year-end portfolio; they were looking for interns. So I applied for it.”
She stressed at the time that rendering food in loving detail during her course was “incredibly tough”, but it paid off as it got their attention of the company’s then-Lighting Director of Photography, who then proceeded to show it to the higher-ups.
Because of this, she was picked for the internship in 2009 and eventually worked full-time with them. It also helped that she was labelled “Cupcake Girl” by Pixar; it was easier for them to remember standout works using nicknames.
Kiki’s food render that got her the Pixar internship and eventual job of her dreams.
Food indeed does bring people together, even if it’s in inedible CGI. Onward is currently showing in Malaysia right now; check out our review of the film here.Â


Atelier Ryza 3 Japanese Presentation Showcases More Combat, Alchemy, & Gameplay

The Atelier series from developer Gust and publisher Koei Tecmo is going very strong thanks to Atelier Sophie and Atelier Ryza; both lead ladies and their games have that secret sauce of JRPG, anime aesthetics, and wholesome adventuring. That, and some curves on the latter protagonist.
Thunder Thighs Ryza has a third game coming, with both companies showcasing more Atelier Ryza 3 gameplay for all to see. The JRPG has confirmed three new party members for the game: Patricia Abelheim, Empel Vollmer, and Lila Decyrus.
Atelier Ryza 3: Alchemist of the End & The Secret Key will be out for PS5, PS4, Nintendo Switch, and PC on 24 February worldwide.


The Futurama Gang Returns Next Month With A New Season

Hulu has unveiled the trailer for the upcoming revival of Futurama, the iconic animated series by The Simpsons creator Matt Groening. Futurama ended back in 2013, so this will be a continuation of that, with Futurama Season 11.
The upcoming Futurama Season 11 will follow a weekly release model, instead of releasing all the episodes at once.
Here’s the official synopsis for the new season:
After a brief ten-year hiatus, Futurama has crawled triumphantly from the cryogenic tube, its full original cast and satirical spirit intact. The ten all-new episodes of season eleven have something for everyone.
New viewers will be able to pick up the series from here, while long-time fans will recognize payoffs to decades-long mysteries – including developments in the epic love story of Fry and Leela, the mysterious contents of Nibbler’s litter box, the secret history of evil Robot Santa, and the whereabouts of Kif and Amy’s tadpoles.
Meanwhile, there’s a whole new pandemic in town as the crew explores the future of vaccines, bitcoin, cancel culture, and streaming TV.
The show’s original voice cast of Billy West, John DiMaggio, Katey Sagal, Tress MacNeille, Maurice LaMarche, Lauren Tom, Phil LaMarr and David Herman returns for the new season. Creators Matt Groening and David X. Cohen are the executive producers with Ken Keeler and Claudia Katz.
However, at the time of writing, it’s unconfirmed if this will be released on Disney+ Hotstar as well.
Check out the trailer below:


Borderlands 3 Celebrates Its Second Anniversary With Loot Opportunities Aplenty

Gearbox is celebrating two years of mayhem, since it’s now the second anniversary of long-running looter shooter game Borderlands 3.
Starting today, the Loot the Universe series of min-events will be up until 10th September GMT+8. This is when each planet in the game take turns becoming a bastion of better Legendary Loot drops. each planet’s affected zones have their own dedicated Legendary weapon type (Pistol, Shotgun, SMG, Assault Rifle, Sniper Rifle, or Heavy), and may also have increased chances for Legendary gear types (Class Mods, Artifacts, Shields, or Grenade Mods).

From 10th to 17th September GMT+8, there will be the Mayhem Made Mild and Show Me The Eridium mini-events happening in tandem. The former will feature Easy modifiers for all levels of Mayhem mode, while the latter grants increased Eridium drops and Eridium item discounts. Basically, August and September will be filled with two months of crazy loot & Eridium drops, with the latter being more useful since you can use it to reroll anointments for your cherised guns.
Speaking of celebrations, Borderlands 3 also has few bunch of hotfixes concerning loot drops:

Addressed a reported concern that Tom & Xam were sometimes not dropping Soulrender
Addressed a reported concern that Aurelia was sometimes not dropping Julietâ€™s Dazzle


Far Cry 5’s Latest Trailer Has ‘Murica!’ Oozing Out Of Your Screen

The latest Far Cry 5 – The Resistance trailer dropped earlier today and if it does not get any more hillbilly America than this. Basically dishing the baddies their own medicine – medicine in the form of bullets and RPGs – the trailer tells players that liberating more areas equate to more help on their side, pivotal in the war against Joseph Seed’s Eden’s Gate cult.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3NrifiZXiM&w=560&h=315]
Developed by Ubisoft Montreal, with Ubisoft Toronto, Ubisoft Kiev, Ubisoft Shanghai, and Ubisoft Reflections offering assistance, the game is set in the fictional Hope County, Montana drops March 27th 2018.


The Mandalorian Dark Troopers Are Getting The Hot Toys Treatment

The Mandalorian Season 2 was one of the highlights of 2020’s TV offerings. There were many fan-pleasing moments in the series, but one of the biggest and most memorable aspects was the introduction of the Dark Troopers into official Star Wars canon. They looked deadly and menacing until they were ultimately cut down by a legendary Jedi Knight, that is.
The Star Wars The Mandalorian Dark Trooper 1/6th Scale Collectible Figure features a highly-detailed helmet and mechanical armour parts, specially-applied black armour painting, LED light-up functions, a blaster, and a display base. It’s a must-have for fans of the Dark Trooper, which originally appeared in the now-non-canon 1995’s Star Wars Dark Forces video game.
There’s no official price for the Dark Trooper Hot Toys figure yet, but it is slated to release sometime in Q2 or Q3 2022 (according to the official website). You can head on over here for our analysis of The Mandalorian Season 2 ending and post-credits scene, as well as what the future might hold for the series moving forward.
Check out the Dark Trooper Hot Toys figure in all its glory below:


Genshin Impact Windtrace Event Guide: How To Play Mondstadt Hide & Seek Like A Champ

Mihoyo has made its new week-long limited PvP event live for Genshin Impact. It’s called the Windtrace event and it’s essentially hide-and-seek/cops-and-robbers with anime waifus and husbands.
Here’s a quick guide on how to start, what the rules are, and how to be the best in this weeklong PvP mode (since it ends on 23rd May).
How To Activate This Event
To start Genshin Impact’s Windtrace event, you will need to:

Be at Adventure Rank 20.
Visited the following Statues of the Seven: Springvale, Dawn Winery, Qingce Village, Wuwang Hill, Starglow Cavern.

Since this is a multiplayer PvP event, you will need to matchmake with online players. This means you have to go in the queue solo; if you’re in co-op, you have to leave that mode.

Talk to Gygax at Mondstadt plaza. He’ll give you the lowdown. Once that’s done, you can start matchmaking.
How To Play
Like we said, Windtrace is basically a combination of hide-and-seek and cops-and-robbers: two teams go at each other in hiding and seeking each other out. One player acts as the Hunter, while the three other players act as the Rebel team.
Rebels need to find places to hide for a set amount of time. Rebels can turn into boxes or barrels as disguises. These are called Windward Arts.

Once the hiding timer has expired, the Hunter needs to spend four minutes to find all three Rebels. The Hunter can ping the surrounding location that can reveal nearby Rebels. This is the Hunter’s Windtrace Art.
Rebels must remain hidden until the timer has expired to win the match. Hunters need to find ALL Rebels to win the match.
Over time, Favors can descend into the area at random. Picking them up will help charge a player’s “Secret Favor”, which can help either the Rebels or Hunter.
Rewards

This event will reward players with Windtrace Coins. You can trade these coins with XP booklets, talent booklets, gold, and primogems.
The amount of Windtrace Coins you get is based on your performance. Basically, you get more if you win or be the last man standing, or if you can still get away scot-free even if you are marked by a Sensor Aura. The following achievements will net you 100 Windtrace Coins:

Getting a win either as a Hunter or Rebel.
â€œFinal Countdownâ€ â€“ As a Hunter, capture all Rebels within two minutes.
â€œCleanup Timeâ€ â€“ As a Hunter, capture all Rebels before the round ends.
â€œLast Sparkâ€ â€“ As a Rebel, be the sole escapee in a match.
â€œIn Broad Daylightâ€ â€“ As a Rebel, get marked by the Sensor Aura three times but still achieve victory without getting captured.
â€œFight to the Finishâ€ â€“ As a Rebel, achieve victory without getting captured.

Keep in mind that you can only hold up to 1,200 Windtrace coins. Each day, the cap increases by 600.
You can also gain Mora from Windtrace Challenges. Complete the following in a match to win some money in the bank.

Obtain one “Favor” during a single match – 50,000 Mora
Capture a Rebel within 10 seconds of using Mysterious Hunch – 50,000 Mora
Detect a total of 5 Rebels using the Sensor Auro – 50,000 Mora
Win once as a Rebel without using Disguise – 50,000 Mora
Use “Lay Bait” to obscure a Hunter’s vision a total of 5 times – 50,000 Mora

How To Win As A Rebel
Know the map – Just find a nice spot and camp. It’s best to know the lay of the land, as well as hide at spots with neatly arranged props (like scarecrows or barrels). Hunters will usually miss anyone hiding at these spots at first glance; just don’t rely on the same spot.
Use your Windward Arts – Lay Bait lets you drop an item that copies your disguise. Use this in tandem to your “hidden state” to make your opponent second-guess himself, or help obscure their vision if they choose poorly. After you’re in Disguise (E key) for a few seconds, it’s usually best to turn on Transparency, go invisible, and find a new hiding spot (with Disguise of course). Hunters have a “ping” ability to find nearby Rebels, so staying at one spot isn’t ideal.
Use a faster character – Characters like Mona have a slight mobility boost when compared to the rest of the cast. You can use this if you need to give chase after being discovered. When all else fails, just use Starstep (Q key) to gain a huge movement boost for 30 seconds. You’d be surprised how effective this move can be especially in the last 30 seconds of the match.
How To Win As A Hunter
Know the map – This would be especially useful if you’re familiar with a map’s object placement all across the map. So if you spot an object arrangement that looks suspicious, you can just start your search there.
Use your Windward Arts – Use Sensor Aura to ping a small area around you; this lets you know if there are any Rebel scum nearby. Mysterious Hunch lets tracks appear on the ground to indicate the general direction of a hiding Rebel. Use these back-to-back to make your search effective.
Imprisoning Curse removes the disguise of a Rebel and traps them in place temporarily. Insight reveals every Rebel on the minimap, with aÂ  bright light marking them. Hunter’s Intuition reveals a single Rebel and lasts longer than Insight.


Here’s A Neat Little Sonic The Hedgehog Easter Egg From Google

Happy Monday, everyone. Here’s a little Sonic The Hedgehog trivia we found on Google’s search bar.

First, type “Sonic the Hedgehog” on the Google search bar.
Wait for results.
Now check out the right side where you see a Sonic sprite next to the Google search item profile.
Click on the sprite. You can now make him jump and spin, much to his chagrin.

Here it is in motion (via Google Malaysia’s Twitter feed).
[wpvideo aTc88Nhq]
Have fun!


All Hail The Claw! Behold: The Development Of Crab God

Crab God is an upcoming atmospheric underwater god game, where you’re the Crab God and you’ve got to save the seas for your children. Build beautiful coral reefs, grow your crabby religion, and explore a hostile, yet beautiful ocean world
The game is currently in development by Chaos Theory, an Australian game development studio. We were lucky enough to snag an interview with the game’s team leads – Nico King (Co-founder and Creative Director), Elric Milton (Game Designer), Jennyfer Ong (Lead Artist) and Pete Turnbull (Senior Unity Developer). Check it out!
All hail the crab god! Can you tell us about where the idea for Crab God came from?
Nico: Praise the Claw!! Many of our team, particularly our creative director Nico King, love god games and have always wanted to make a game in this genre. We were inspired by games such as Reus and Kingdom, which have straightforward controls but deliver a captivating and rich world to fall in love with.
Focusing on coral reefs and ocean environments was a natural fit when conceiving the setting. Our team has created several nature games and loves bringing life to beautiful environments and cute creatures. We haven’t seen any underwater god games before and want to combine our love for the underwater world with our passion for god games.
Why crabs? We wanted a God character in the game; crabs were the only choice that made sense. Crabs are the ultimate life form we will inevitably evolve into one day.

What are the highlights of Crab God’s development?
Pete & Elric: It has been a humbling and fun experience developing an underwater ecosystem-driven god game! Seeing these cute critters come to life and act out at the most inopportune moments has made me smile many times. They have their mentalities and often get up to mischief when they think you aren’t looking.
Seeing how far we have come as a team in such a short time has been amazing. Every department has been contributing crazy ideas or implementing entertaining content that has given the game a lot of personality.
Another significant aspect of crab god is the eco-rewards system, where players are rewarded for in-game actions with real-world conservation donations. As someone who wants to see our world thrive, it’s been great to tie two of our passions together (making great games and saving the world).
Some of the best moments have been when we throw weird and wonderful ideas to bring this world to life. e.g. Mounted Crablings with rainbow lances and cowboy hats (upvote the Twitter thread if you want to see this in the game) or bioluminescent jellyfish that protect you from scary creatures at the bottom of the ocean.

Seeing some of those crazy ideas supported by the team and implemented into the game has been incredibly rewarding.
Were there any specific development challenges that happened along the way?
Pete & Nico: We ran into some roadblocks when dealing with ‘realistic moving fish’ that also need to obey commands and be able to perform a plethora of actions. How do we make the world feel alive while being predictable and understandable? We have developed some great solutions for this, but it has been challenging.

Prototyping a God Game has come with a series of challenges. The game requires a certain amount of world-building, a rich simulation with complex AI running around, and god-like controls that feel free to use. We have benefitted from having the whole team committed to the vision and working together to implement features quickly. Still, it took a bit longer than expected to get all of those components working together to deliver on the vision.
What are some of the inspirations behind Crab God’s art style?

Abzu and Finding Nemo were the goalposts for atmosphere and lighting, with very distinct biomes with their own tone, while all felt cohesive and beautiful. We also looked at how Subnautica achieved its wild variation and tonal shifts between biomes for inspiration in our biome development.
Beyond Blue was a more realistically-styled game with intricate detail and species variety, which spoke to us since Crab God heavily focuses on ecosystem development. We also particularly liked the restrained colour palettes and lush plant life in the art for games like Astroneer and No Man’s Sky. We drew on those for inspiration since we wanted to avoid a traditionally blue-washed ocean screen throughout the game.
Any final thoughts?
Crab God is an epic game with heaps of personality! It’s been a blast to work on, and we can’t wait to bring it to players’ hands (or claws).

There’s currently no release date for Crab God yet. But you can wishlist the game on Steam right now!


Xena Warrior Princess & Battlestar Galactica Are Free To Watch On SyFy Right Now

The COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic is still going on, and we’re still stuck at home, but that doesn’t mean that there’s a lack of any actual entertainment content to consume. SyFy is here to save us, allowing everyone to watch cult classic Xena Warrior Princess and the iconic Battlestar Galactica series for free.
You don’t even need to sign up or anything.
SyFy has all six seasons (134 episodes) of Xena and all four seasons (76 episodes) of the Battlestar Galactica 2004 remake by Ronald D. Moore, including the two-part miniseries/movies Razor and The Plan.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxhDbNlUHlk&w=560&h=315]
You have a whole lot of Lucy Lawless, not-so-subtle homoeroticism, and old-school fantasy swashbuckling to look forward to in Xena Warrior Princess. Meanwhile, if you haven’t watched the 2004 Battlestar Galactica series, do yourselves a favour and watch it, especially if you’re a sci-fi fan.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPBzHa2PcS8&w=560&h=315]
On the other hand, if you’re hankering for some good animated stuff to watch, Samurai Jack is also currently free to watch.


Star Wars Jedi Survivor Is Getting A New Patch That Fixes Major Issues

Just a week after the last patch, EA and Respawn Entertainment have announced another patch coming to Star Wars Jedi Survivor. It will deploy today on Tuesday, 9 May 2023 for both the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S versions, while a patch is coming for PC later this week.
Check out the full patch notes below:

(PC only) Updated occlusion behaviour for raytracing, reducing idle time stalls.

(PC only) Updated streaming budgets that will help alleviate traversal hitching.

(PC only) Performance improvements for some VFX.

Coming soon to console

(PC only) Updated data handling when toggling raytracing, improving non-raytraced performance.

(PS5 only) Fixed an HDR value mismatch that would cause HDR setups to display incorrectly for PS5 users.

Fixed various save state errors.

Fixed a streaming issue that causes some streaming scenarios to end on a black screen.

Fixed an issue where one of the vents did not properly activate in Stone Spires.

Audio fix for a narrative moment where music was behaving incorrectly.

Fixed lightsaber marks not displaying correctly in some scenarios.

Fixed a scenario where the player could enter a progression blocked state in the Lucrehulk.

Fixed an elevator to prevent the player from falling through it and entering a progression blocked state.

Fixed a bug where Rayvis would become unbeatable.

Fixed a severe animation issue that would break a late game narrative sequence.

Fixed a collision bug where players can get stuck inside a Meditation Chamber.

Added a note explaining that some of BD-1’s abilities are not available while in combat.

Improved text scrolling.

Minor text translation fixes.

Various crash fixes.

Additionally, here are a few known issues the team is currently investigating and working on for future patches.

(PC only) Improving performance on newer i7 and i9 CPUs that have efficiency cores.

(PC only) General performance improvements to improve both CPU and GPU utilization while reducing idle time, both with and without raytracing.

(PC only) Improving some hitching which can be attributed to streaming raytracing data, assets, and a gap in our prebuilt shaders.

Various bug fixes.

In the meantime, check out our review and guide here.


HBO’s The Last Of Us Adds Tommy’s Voice Actor From The Games

Jeffrey Pierce, the voice of Tommy (Joel’s brother) in The Last Of Us and The Last Of Us Part 2, will join HBOâ€™s The Last Of Us as Perry, a rebel in a quarantine zone.
According to Deadline, another two voice actors from the games, Murray Bartlett and Con Oâ€™Neill, have also joined the cast of the HBO series. Bartlett guest stars as Frank and Oâ€™Neill is Bill, two post-pandemic survivalists living alone in their own isolated town.
Check them out:
(Left To Right) Jeffrey Pierce, Murray Bartlett and Con O’Neill.
They join a cast that already boasts the likes of Pedro Pascal,Â Bella RamseyÂ Gabriel Luna, andÂ Merle Dandridge, and Nico Parker, who will play Joel, Ellie, Tommy, Marlene, and Sarah, respectively.
HBOâ€™sÂ The Last Of UsÂ will be written and executive produced byÂ ChernobylÂ creator Craig Mazin and the original game director Neil Druckmann. It will be co-produced by Sony Pictures Television, PlayStation Productions, Word Games, and Naughty Dog. No release date or window has been announced as of yet.
Druckmann has previously said that there will be changes and deviations from how it originally happened in the game. You can find the full details of his quote byÂ heading over here.
The Last Of Us Part 2Â is out now for the PS4. In the meantime,Â check out my full spoiler-free review of the game here, orÂ head on over here for a guide and tips for the game. If youâ€™ve already played the game, then I suggestÂ checking out my 4000-word spoilerific articleÂ on why the hate for the game isnâ€™t justified.


Ant-Man And The Wasp Quantumania Trailer Breakdown & Easter Eggs: Kang The Conqueror & New Cassie Lang

Marvel Studios has released the first trailer for Ant-Man And The Wasp Quantumania.
Our First Look At Kathryn Newton As Cassie Lang

Cassandra ‘Cassie’ Lang was previously portrayed by Abby Ryder Fortson in 2015’s Ant-Man and 2018’s Ant-Man And The Wasp, and Emma Fuhrmann in Avengers Endgame. Ant-Man And The Wasp Quantumania will be the first time that she’s played by the beautiful and talented Kathryn Newton.
In the comics, Cassie Lang eventually becomes a superhero named Stature with the same powers as Ant-Man and joins the Young Avengers. Maybe we’ll see that happen in the MCU soon too.

Possible Chronopolis

This might be Chronopolis, the capital city of Kang’s empire.
In the comics, it looks like this:

First Look At Kang The Conqueror

Jonathan Majors play Kang The Conqueror, who is the next major villain of the MCU after Thanos. This is the first time we’re meeting this version of the character, as the one we met in the Disney+ series Loki Season 1 finale was He Who Remains, a variant (alternate version) of Kang.

Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in 1964’s The Avengers #8, the man named Nathaniel Richards is best known as Kang The Conqueror. Hailing from the 30th century, Kang jumped back and forth through time, battling the likes of the Avengers and Fantastic Four.
Several of his most iconic storylines include the Avengers Forever miniseries (by Kurt Busiek and Carlos Pacheco) and Kurt Busiek’s Kang Dynasty crossover, along with his involvement in the Young Avengers and Uncanny Avengers.

Avengers Forever.

Kang Dynasty

He is a complicated character, as different versions of him exist as different characters altogether. His future self is also a supervillain who goes by the name of Immortus, while his younger self is actually a superhero who joins the Young Avengers as Iron Lad.

Kang The Conquerer.

Immortus.

Iron Lad.

Billy Murray’s Mystery Character

Our first look at Bill Murray’s mystery character. It could be anyone at this point.
We still don’t know why Cassie Lang is exploring the Quantum Realm and what the main premise of the movie will be. However, it’s still about four months away so there’s plenty of time for Marvel to reveal more details.
Ant-Man And The Wasp Quantumania will premiere on 17 February 2023.
Check out the official poster and trailer below:


The Final Ghostbusters: Afterlife Trailer Quotes A Bible Passage, Features Multiple Zuuls, & Teases A Comeback

Ghostbusters fans both old and new can look forward to the upcoming true sequel to the film, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, which should hopefully wash off the terrible stink of the 2016 film that tarnished the brand name.
The latest and final trailer of the 2021 film crams a lot in just a minute or so. Revelations passage to herald the end times? Check. A portal to Hell? Check. (Almost) the old gang back together (Bill Murray, Dan Ackroyd, Ernie Hudson), at least in a teased shot so that people can get their butts to the cinemas on launch day? Check.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife will be out 2nd December all across Southeast Asia cinemas.


JETT The Far Shore Given Time Expansion Launches Later This Month

Superbrothers and Pine Scented Software have announced that the JETT The Far Shore Given Time expansion will launch on 31 January 2023 alongside the PC version’s release on Steam. The expansion will be free to everyone who owns the game.
Describing Given Time, creative director Craig D. Adams said (via PlayStation Blog):
“The new ‘Given Time’ campaign takes place three years following the end of the events of JETT: The Far Shore. Note: some very light plot spoilers ahead in this paragraph. As the player character Mei, you’ll awaken to find yourself in an emptier and quieter Ground Control. With only one other scout awake and a weathered JETT waiting outside for you, this solo journey offers more freedom and less dialogue as you investigate new and mysterious phenomena. Given Time’s gameplay revolves around finding rainbow resonances and hatching brine wisps, which are hidden in unique locations and offer interesting problems to solve.
“With the release of ‘Given Time,’ JETT: The Far Shore‘s vision is fully realized. The expansion is a generally relaxing and open-world action-puzzle survival experience set in a rich and unique science fiction world that is best experienced… Given Time.”
JETT The Far Shore is available now for PS5 and PS4, as well as PC via the Epic Games Store.
Check out the trailer below:


Deathloop Has Been Delayed To September 2021

Publisher Bethesda Softworks and developer Arkane Lyon have announced that they have delayedÂ DeathloopÂ from itsÂ previously planned 21 May 2021 release date.
Deathloop is now slated to launch for the PS5 and PC on 14 September 2021.
This is the second major delay for the upcoming game from the developer of Dishonored.Â It was originally planned to release sometime in holiday 2020, before getting delayed to 21 May 2021.
The full statement from Arkane Lyon reads:
Weâ€™ve made the decision to delay the launch ofÂ DeathloopÂ to September 14, 2021.
Weâ€™re committed to quality and preserving our teamâ€™s ambitions forÂ DeathloopÂ while ensuring the health and safety of everyone at Arkane. Weâ€™ll be using this extra time to accomplish our goal: create a fun, stylish, and mind-bending player experience.
We apologize for the extended wait and thank you all for your passion and excitement. It is the fuel that powers our creativity and our hard work. We canâ€™t wait to show you moreÂ DeathloopÂ soon!
â€“ Game Director Dinga Bakaba, Art Director Sebastien Mitton, and the Arkane Lyon team

pic.twitter.com/f0OWWxdUkt
— DEATHLOOP (@deathloop) April 8, 2021


Princess Connect! Re: Dive Gameplay Guide & Character Tier List

Heyas! If youâ€™re here, then odds are youâ€™re joining the perpetually peckish Pecorine and her Gourmet Guild on an adventure into the world of Princess Connect! Re: Dive.
Thereâ€™s delicious food to eat and a colourful cast of characters to meet. In terms of presentation, this game has a lot to offer. Between the detailed CGs, animated cutscenes, and fully voice-acted dialogue, we canâ€™t blame you for wanting to dive into a mobile game that checks all the boxes for a cute and well-made game. You may have also come across the anime adaptation of the game, which was all about adventuring with friends and finding new dishes to sample.

For better or worse, Princess Connect! Re: Dive (or Priconne for short; the title is long in the tooth) prides itself as an accessible game, taking a mostly hands-free approach to gameplay and relying on its story presentation, lovable characters, and high production values to do the legwork. Itâ€™s an auto-battler through and through (albeit a cute one) where you set up chibi units in a team and have them fight.
You strengthen them by levelling them up and upgrading their equipment and then have them tackle even tougher content. Pretty straightforward stuff, right? Well, yes and no.
While all of the important stuff like story and events aren’t walled off to casual players that pay attention to their power levels, dedicated players might want to dig into specific units, team setups, and investment goals to pull through some of the gameâ€™s tougher content in a reasonable amount of time.
But donâ€™t fret; thatâ€™s where we come in.
Gameplay Breakdown

Before we get into the nitty-gritty, hereâ€™s the lowdown on how Priconneâ€™s combat works. Before any fight begins, you start off by setting up a team of five characters. Your characters each come with different positional types, consisting of either a front row, middle row, or back row.
These rows essentially dictate how a unit is arranged in the party, and by extension who certain enemies will target first. For example, the unit on the rightmost side of the party (usually a front-row type) will often take the brunt of incoming damage, so itâ€™s essential that this unit has high HP and defense to keep damage received away from the rest of the party (which are either middle row or back row units).
Occasionally, an enemy might target someone in the middle or back row regardless. You can overcome these situations by either getting stronger or by trying out different character abilities.
Once youâ€™ve formed your team, itâ€™s time to send them into the fray, so sit back, relax, and enjoy watching these units fight for you. Theyâ€™ll attack as well as activate their abilities automatically, of which there are varied effects. These abilities can come in the form of healing, offensive debuffs, and more.

As your units fight, theyâ€™ll also build their TP gauge. Once filled, characters gain access to an ultimate skill called a Union Burst. Union Bursts are the only gameplay element you have control of in the heat of battle. Simply tap the glowing portrait of a character and youâ€™ll see a fancy anime cut-in followed by the skill itself. If youâ€™re having trouble clearing a particular fight on auto, perhaps well-timed Union Bursts will make all the difference.
For the most part however, Priconne is a game thatâ€™s more focused on the prep rather than the actual battles. Keep in mind of team compositions and try to construct ones that offer the most synergy. Even so, if a fight still seems impossible, then it might simply be a matter of getting stronger, which is the next subject that weâ€™ll get into.
How To Level Up And Get Stronger
Raise your level caps

If youâ€™ve been around the block with gacha games, youâ€™re probably no stranger to Player Levels. Beyond a few minor things, Player Levels by and large function to show how experienced you are with the game. You play the game more, you gain experience and your level goes higher. In a way, itâ€™s a cool veteranâ€™s badge to show off to your friends.
The same is true for Priconneâ€™s Player Levels, except there is an interesting twist. Quite crucially, every characterâ€™s max level is directly tied to your own Player Level. This means that to some extent, your characters can only get stronger relative to how much time you invest into the game. It isnâ€™t too much of a hassle though, as overcoming this hurdle is as simple as clearing quests and doing your dailies (which are fairly easy here compared to most other gacha games).
Speaking of dailies, please do them. It may seem like a small thing, but aside from Jewels for rolling on the gacha, daily quests also give you a small chunk of Player EXP. They say Rome wasnâ€™t built in a day, so if youâ€™re out to succeed in all that Priconne has to offer, youâ€™d better be diligent with these sooner rather than later.
Find new equipment and refine old ones

While your Player Level exists as a long-term method of getting stronger, this isnâ€™t to say itâ€™s the only solution you have. When push comes to shove, you can opt to grind for equipment to strengthen your units. Each character will ask you for specific equipment pieces, obtainable as drops from certain Main Quests. But youâ€™ll probably notice that there are a lot of quests that drop the same equipment, and some with worse drop rates than others. The game does not make this clear, but a general rule of thumb to follow is to make sure your desired equipment appears on leftmost of the item list in the quest preview. The further to the left it is, the higher its drop rate.
Equipment can also be refined for extra stat boosts. If you need more attack, HP, TP, etc, refining your equipment is a valid option. Keep in mind however that the stats that get boosted are the same as the equipment piece youâ€™re refining, and the amount will be roughly double the original stats. Also, since refining is a costly endeavor, you should only do so if you truly think you are stuck on a particular quest. Your investment in these refines will disappear completely should you decide to rank up.
About Rank Up
Whenever you collect the complete list of equipment at any given rank, youâ€™re given the choice of ranking up your character. Ranking up consumes all of your existing equipment and then permanently upgrades the stats of your character (all equipment refines are lost in the process). After that, the game will provide you with a new list of equipment to grind, which generally involves clearing higher level Main Quests. Itâ€™s important to maintain a balance between knowing whether you ought to grind for new equipment or whether to refine existing ones, so that you donâ€™t waste unnecessary resources for when it’s finally time to rank up. How crazy is that?
Memory Shards Rule All

Now weâ€™re getting to the fun part. You might have noticed that despite appearing to have a layout for five-star characters, Priconne does not actually offer anything beyond a three-star rarity character through its gacha. In truth, any character you own can become a five-star character. However, for a character to reach their full potential, you will actually have to ascend them, and to ascend them youâ€™ll need Memory Shards.
Memory Shards are ascension materials that appear as cube-shaped items with a characterâ€™s portrait on them. You can grind for these items from Hard Mode quests, purchase them from the shop, or earn them through events.
Each characterâ€™s Memory Shard is unique to only some of these sources, so depending on the character, their materials are either painlessly easy or excruciatingly slow to collect. For instance, Kokkoro gets two Memory Shard nodes very early on in Hard Mode, at quests 1-1 and 4-1 respectively, making her one of the easier characters to ascend. Meanwhile, Makotoâ€™s Memory Shards are only obtainable from the Clan Battle shop, making her an extremely difficult unit to ascend by comparison. Ascending characters can take weeks or even months to pull off, so make sure youâ€™re well aware of the best characters to invest in for the long haul (weâ€™ll cover this for you in a bit).
Priconneâ€™s PvP-oriented Arena modes, Clan Battle, and Dungeons will give out currency that you can use to purchase Memory Shards at the shop, so pay extra attention to these modes and try to engage with them if you can.
Next, Divine Amulets are given out to you whenever you receive a character you already own from the gacha. With Divine Amulets, you can obtain Memory Shards for any character of your choice, so long as you already own them. This is a great way of bypassing some of the harder-to-grind Memory Shards, such as those in the Clan Battle shop. Alternatively, you can also save these for limited-time units, as Memory Shards for such characters will not be so easily available.
Before we move on, keep in mind that you can also use Memory Shards to unlock characters. With enough Memory Shards, you can have just about any permanent character you want, with the catch only being the time you dedicate to it.

The Top Tier Characters in Princess Connect! Re: Dive

Whether you consider this a good or bad thing, the global version of Princess Connect! Re:Dive is roughly three years behind the release of its original Japanese counterpart. Interestingly, this puts international players in a unique position to accurately predict who the best characters are and how to tackle future content.
Weâ€™ll only go through the characters from the launch roster of Priconne, but weâ€™ve handpicked the ones that are guaranteed to give you an easy time for a good chunk of the game.
Best 1-Star Characters

Pecorine
The poster girl of the game. If you donâ€™t have a second tank, youâ€™re pretty much stuck with her. Sustains herself with self-healing and physical/magic defense buffs. A decent tank that gets the job done in any situation. Starts seeing potential in later updates after she receives upgrade paths towards becoming a literal wall. Memory Shards are easily farmable from Hard Mode quests. Best used in any content (unless you have a better tank).

Kokkoro
The very first character that joins you. Has exceptional utility due being able to buff the partyâ€™s speed. Not a tank but can withstand a decent amount of damage thanks to her self-heal. Memory Shards are available from early Hard Mode quests, making her easy to ascend. Best used in Main Quests and Clan Battle.

Yui
Like Kokkoro, a free unit you receive after beating the tutorial. Valued for her party-wide heals. Though her healing potency isnâ€™t much in the beginning, it reaches significant numbers as she gets stronger (around Rank 7). She also inflicts attack down debuffs and casts physical defense up buffs, cementing her as a solid defensive support. Memory Shards are easily farmable from Hard Mode quests. Best used in Main Quests.

Yukari
One of the key support characters in the game. Occasionally recovers the HP of an ally with the lowest health. Her Union Burst protects allies against magic attacks with a damage-nullifying barrier. Sheâ€™s a versatile unit that can solve a lot of problems with her barrier and targeted healing, keeping her relevant even late into the gameâ€™s lifespan. Memory Shards are purchasable from the Dungeon shop. Best used in any content.
Best 2-Star Characters

Miyako
Everyoneâ€™s favourite pudding ghost. An incredible physical tank with great self-recovery and periodic invincibility. Sheâ€™s great for most PvE content but may suffer at times in PvP modes due to being generally weak against magic. Memory Shards are purchasable from the Princess Arena shop. Best used in Main Quests and PvP.

Shiori
A decent physical attacker that gets more powerful as time passes. Shiori relies on stackable attack buffs, so the longer sheâ€™s around in a fight, the better odds you have of winning. Also, seeing as sheâ€™s a back row unit, keeping Shiori alive to achieve her potential damage is easiest as can be. Memory Shards are farmable from Hard Mode quests. Best used in Clan Battle and Main Quests.

Kuuka
A powerful magic tank capable of self-healing and taunting enemies. Makes for a decent pick against magic-based PvP teams, but might not see much action in the physical-focused environment of PvE encounters. Sheâ€™s a niche unit but nonetheless crucial whenever a powerful magic opponent decides to show up.

Tamaki
Tamaki is a situational unit that excels at hunting down enemies with the highest magic attack. While not particularly incredible in Main Quests, her kit is great for shredding high profile targets in PvP, as dangerous magic units are often protected behind multiple beefy characters. Memory Shards are purchasable from the Arena shop. Best used in PvP and Clan Battle.

Suzuna
If you have some units built around inflicting physical def down, Suzuna is a great pick. She can hit big damage numbers by landing her Union Burst on enemies under the debuff. Due to having to manually time her attack with the debuff, however, her performance level may depend on how willing you are to eyeball the progress of fights. Memory Shards are purchasable from the Princess Arena shop. Best used in Clan Battle and Main Quests.

Mitsuki
With an AoE physical def down and Curse abilities on hand, Mitsuki can weaken enemies to enable powerful AoE physical attacks. That being said, sheâ€™s also capable of dealing her own AoE damage if no one else can. Memory Shards are purchasable from the Dungeon shop. Best used in PvP and Clan Battle.

Kaori
A powerful physical unit that pairs well with physical defense debuffers such as Makoto. She buffs her own physical attack and punches things to death. Sometimes simplicity is the best policy. Memory Shards are purchasable from the Princess Arena shop. Best used in Clan Battle and Main Quests.
Best 3-Star Characters

Nozomi
The best 3-star tank you can get. Nozomi has access to decent crowd control in the form of her taunt and stun. Like most good tanks, sheâ€™s difficult to kill and does a good job of making sure her allies donâ€™t die either. Her Memory Shards are easy to obtain, so farming to unlock her is a viable option if you canâ€™t get her from the gacha. Memory Shards are purchasable from the Dungeon shop. Best used in any content.

Monika
Monika excels as an offensive support by providing allies with large boosts to physical and magic attack, as well as attack speed. The catch, however, is that she can only cast these buffs once per enemy wave, and her own damage is too low to make up for those buffs disappearing. Her AoE damage Union Burst is her one saving grace should those buffs end.
Hence, Monika is the ideal character for fights that only last a short while, such as those in the Arena. Memory Shards are purchasable from the Arena shop. Best used in PvP.

Rino
Rinoâ€™s middling single-target damage is easily forgiven thanks to her Union Burst. Itâ€™s a reliable wide-hitting AoE that lands on enemies multiple times. Due to her ability to buff her own attack and critical rate, her Union Burst becomes one of the more painful AoE attacks in the game. Memory Shards are purchasable from the Arena shop. Best used in PvP and Main Quests.

Maho
If Yukari is focused on magic protection, then Maho is the physical equivalent. Besides a Union Burst that provides magic attack and physical defense, she inflicts Blind on enemies, causing physical attacks to miss more frequently. Her single-target heal prioritizes an ally with the lowest health and gives them a small bit of regen in the process. A great healer to look into for Main Quests due to the abundance of physical enemies there. Memory Shards are purchasable from the Dungeon shop. Best used in PvP and Main Quests.

Hatsune
Hatsuneâ€™s entire schtick revolves around sniping down the highest physical attacker. Her high magic attack and stun ability make her not only a great killer of physical units, but also a decent support. Despite her low durability, her position in the back row offers her good protection, allowing her to stick around for longer than her enemies would like her to. Memory Shards purchasable from the Princess Arena shop. Best used in PvP and Main Quests.

Makoto
Debuff extraordinaire. Because of her multiple physical debuff abilities, Makoto is arguably a must-have if you want to make the top ranks in Clan Battle. While she isnâ€™t amazing in regular content such as Main Quests, her kit is still great against bosses, of which youâ€™ll encounter a fair number throughout your adventure. Since her Memory Shards are difficult to farm, Makoto is the number one character you should reroll for (reinstalling the game for free gacha rolls until you find her in your ideal character lineup). Memory Shards are purchasable from the Clan Battle shop. Best used in Clan Battle.

Saren
Sarenâ€™s Memory Shards are by far the easiest for newcomers to farm among the 3-star units. For their troubles, theyâ€™ll find that sheâ€™s capable of charging the TP of her nearest ally, allowing them to use their Union Burst more often. Besides that, she functions as a middle row bruiser who deals AoE physical damage and gets more powerful as her HP falls. If youâ€™re just starting the game, Saren is one of the strongest units to focus on due to her easy availability. Memory Shards are easily farmable from Hard Mode quests. Best used in PvP and Clan Battle.


Puzzle-Platformer Super Magbot Now Available On Switch & PC

Team17 and Astral Pixel have launched magnetic puzzle-platformer Super MagbotÂ on PC and Nintendo Switch.
The debut title from Astral Pixel,Â Super MagbotÂ sees players guide the robotic Magbot as he tries to save his home planet of MagTek from the peril tearing through the planetary system of Magnetia. Although incapable of jumping, Magbot is armed with powerful magnetic abilities that help him traverse the many traps, platforms, and enemies heâ€™ll encounter throughout the galaxy.
What’s unique about this puzzle-platformer game is that there’s technically no traditional jumping. Players will have to figure out how to solve each level via their magnetic abilities.

Super Magbot Features:

Harness magnetic power:Â Answer MagTekâ€™s call for help, and use the power of magnets to traverse through dozens of puzzle-filled levels brought to life in colourful 16-bit retro visuals.
Unlock secrets: Find Star Fragments throughout the gameworld that hide further secrets along the way and add an extra layer of difficulty to Magbotâ€™s adventure.
Attract or repel competitors:Â Global leaderboards showcase each levelâ€™s best times as players rise to the challenge to save the Magnetia system.
Assist Modes:Â Swap the frantic action for a relaxed puzzle experience with a mix of infinite colour charges, endless air time and mid-level checkpoints.

The standard edition ofÂ Super MagbotÂ is available with a 20 percent discount until 5 July 2021 on both Nintendo Switch and Steam. The deluxe version on Steam subject to a further 15 percent bundle discount that includes the game and both digital soundtracks.
In the meantime, check out the trailer below:


Metro Exodus’ Second & Final Expansion Will Be Out Next Month

If you loved Metro Exodus’ lush post-apocalyptic landscape and shooting, well, you’re going to get more of that next month.
The second and final DLC of Metro Exodus (via its Expansion Pass) will be out on 11th February for PC, PS4, and Xbox One. The DLC will be called Sam’s Story and it will be told in the perspective of former US marine called Sam (duh) as he explores a large “sandbox survival” level filled with “new faces, guns, and enemies”.
Nothing else is known, so savour these high-res screenshots of the upcoming DLC. And if you haven’t played Metro Exodus, do check it out; we heard it’s pretty awesome.


Call Of Duty 2021 Is In Development By Sledgehammer Games

After rumours circulated earlier this year, Activision has finally confirmed in its latest quarterly earnings report (via GameSpot) that Call Of Duty 2021 is being developed by Sledgehammer Games, the same studio behind 2017’s Call Of Duty WW2 and 2014’s Call Of Duty Advanced Warfare.
Activision president and COO Dan Alegre said:
“We are very excited for this year’s premium Call Of Duty release.
Development is being led by Sledgehammer Games.
The game is looking great and on track for its Fall [2021] release.”
The next Call Of Duty game is confirmed to be released sometime in fall 2021, and that it will feature a single-player mode, a multiplayer mode and a co-op component of some sort. They also said that it is “built for next-gen”, but stopped short of saying whether or not it will be coming out on last-gen consoles like the PS4 and Xbox One.
Another important bit of information is that the new game is also built to “integrate with and enhance” Call Of Duty Warzone. It will likely be similar to how it currently works with Call Of Duty Black Ops Cold War.
Coinciding with these new details, the official Sledgehammer Games Twitter account also posted a cheeky tweet to acknowledge the fact that it’s now officially known that they’re making the next Call Of Duty game:

pic.twitter.com/CPkGyz1Y5J
— Sledgehammer Games (@SHGames) May 4, 2021

For more on Call Of Duty, read our review of the last game.


Konami Delays eFootball PES 2020 Euro 2020 DLC

Almost every major international sporting event in 2020 have been cancelled, including the Tokyo Olympics 2020 and UEFA Euro 2020. The latter was initially slated to release as a DLC expansion pack for eFootball PES 2020 on 30 April 2020, but it has now been officially postponed until further notice.
On its official PES Twitter account, Konami has announced that they have delayed the UEFA Euro 2020 DLC for eFootball PES 2020. The reason is because the real-life equivalent of the tournament has been postponed indefinitely, not to mention that Japan is currently in a state of emergency.

[NOTICE] Regarding the UEFA EURO 2020â„¢ DLC#eFootballPES2020 pic.twitter.com/74FTKjXzsK
â€” eFootball PES (from ðŸ ) (@officialpes) April 16, 2020
Konami has also cancelled the planned special physical version of eFootball PES 2020 with a UEFA Euro 2020 cover. However, the UEFA Euro 2020 DLC update will still be made available for free to anyone who already owns eFootball PES 2020, as part of an upcoming Data Pack.

Besides that, Konami confirmed that the UEFA eEuro 2020 sports tournament will proceed as planned but fully online instead, with the finals slated to take place from 23 to 24 May 2020.


Anthem Guide: How To Start Out As The Ranger

This Ranger-focused guide is courtesy of our pals at PlayStation Galaxy. Check out the original here.Â
Anthem is out for 6 days now and Iâ€™ve already maxed out to level 30 and already reached Epic status for my Ranger Javelin. At the time of this writing, I recently finished the mission where I have to find Haluk at the Fortress of Dawn, completed Tyrant Mines in Grandmaster Level 1 once (two Missions and one Agent Contract on Grandmaster Level 1 difficulty), already got five Masterwork weapons (two Wyvern Blitz, one Artiniaâ€™s Gambit, one Elemental Rage, and one Avenging Herald), one Masterwork Frost Grenade, and one Masterwork Component (Airborne Advantage). I still have to write my review before this week will end though.
I stumbled on guides through guides and noticed that they have only spent 10 hours or even just looted a couple of Rare items and mostly Uncommon ones in below 200 Power Level. I wonâ€™t name any publications, but I would rather read guides that were written by a player who spent his or her time getting as far as Level 30 and gotten a few Masterwork gears â€“ and took Tyrant Mines in Grandmaster Level 1 difficulty at least once or twice.
After 29 hours with the game, I’ve come up with a guide on how to use the Ranger Javelin effectively.
RANGER JAVELIN

The Ranger Javelin is the standard suit there is in Bastion. Itâ€™s not as bulky and spongy like the Colossus, itâ€™s not as fast as the Interceptor, or even cast lightning bolts on top of an enemy group, but a balanced Javelin thatâ€™s great for players who wanted to still pack a lot of damage and can easily outmaneuver enemies.
It has an Assault Launcher, a Support Gear, and can pack Grenades. You have to utilize what you have equipped, change loadouts when needed, and have the right mix of Components to maximize your play using the Ranger Javelin in Strongholds, World Events, Missions, and Agent Contracts.
If you get tired of changing Assault Launchers to Pulse Blast and other gears, you can use the extra 4 loadout slots to switch back and forth easily in the Forge. In my case, I have four specific saved Ranger loadouts with their own armor customizations (for the sake of looking cool) and named them for certain scenarios:Â Frost DefensiveÂ (Missions/Agent Contracts),Â OffensiveÂ (Agent Contracts),Â StandardÂ (Missions), andÂ TyrantÂ (for Tyrant Mine Strongholds) â€“ Iâ€™ll get into specifics about my different Ranger loadouts in a separate article.
COMPONENTS

The most important core aspect of each Javelin is its Component. Some of these Components are unique for each type of suit, and this is where you have to get the right mix of gears to get the most out of your Ranger Javelin.
You can equip up to 6 Components per loadout, however, you have to make sure to progress at Level 4, Level 6, Level 12, Level 14, Level 18, and Level 23 to unlock slots.
There are 11 Components in total exclusively for the Ranger Javelin, each with its unique features that can be proven useful in combat.

StandardÂ (Common to Epic)
Ranger Combat AugmentÂ â€“ Increases combo damage by 50% of base damage.
Useful for:Â Doing combos, initiating with a Primer Grenade (like a Frost or Inferno Grenade) or Assault Launcher (like the Venom Darts) then setting the combo off with a Frag Grenade or a Pulse Blast can increase only its base damage by 50%.
Advanced CircuitryÂ â€“ Increases melee damage by 30% of base and electric effect by 30% of base.
Useful for:Â The Shock Mace (pressing Triangle) melee attack will get additional damage with an elemental effect.
Assault AugmentÂ â€“ Enhances the assault launcher to increase damage by 5% of base damage.
Useful for:Â All Assault Launchers like the Blast Missile, Pulse Blast, Spark Beam, Seeker Missile, and Venom Darts will all get a slight increase in damage.
Convergence CoreÂ â€“ Increases impact damage by 35% of base and decreases blast damage by -35% of base.
Useful for:Â Seeker Missiles and Blast Missiles. With the Seeker Missiles equipped, damage dealt by impact will be at around 135% on a single enemy. However, with the Blast Missiles equipped, its area-of-effect damage will decrease from 100% to 75% while maximizing its impact damage to the targeted enemy by 35% at the same time.
Crossed ArmsÂ â€“ Increases blast damage by 50% of base and lowers impact damage by -20% of base.
Useful for: Blast Missiles, Frag Grenades, and Sticky Grenades.
Firearm Calibration CoreÂ â€“ Increases damage with all guns by 25% of base damage.
Useful for:Â All weapons.
Grenade AugmentÂ â€“ Increases grenade damage by 5% of base damage.
Useful for:Â Frag, Sticky, Inferno, and Seeker Grenades. The Gambit and Grand Opening Masterwork grenades also get increased 5% base damage.
Grenadier InscriptionÂ â€“ Increases grenade recharge rate by 35% of base speed.
Useful for:Â Frag, Sticky, and Seeker Grenades. Most effective when Inferno (and its Masterwork variation, Explosive Blaze) and Frost (and its Masterwork variation, Cold Blooded) Grenades are equipped.
Thermal RegulatorÂ â€“ Increases fire damage max heat capacity by 20% of base values, and fire resistance by 20%.
Useful for:Â Spark Beam.
Vented ThrustersÂ â€“ Increases the threshold before overheating occurs by 35% of the base threshold.
Useful for:Â Flights.

Masterwork
Airborne AdvantageÂ Â â€“ Increases impact damage by 50% and decreases blast damage by -20%. Hovering increases all resistances by 10%.
Useful for:Â Seeker Missiles and Frag Grenades for higher damage since it does not have Blast effects.
Understanding each feat is significantly important as this shows how strong your Javelin will become.
ASSAULT LAUNCHERS

Assault Launchers provide tactical strengths for your Javelins, especially with the Ranger. Since most of its ability is to set off combos to maximize the damage dealt to an enemy, the Ranger Javelin can effectively dominate the battlefield when its Assault Launcher is used properly.
StandardÂ (Common to Epic)
Blast MissileÂ â€“ Clear the field with a missile that damages a huge area around the point of impact.
Seeking MissileÂ â€“ Fire a projectile that seeks out a single target and others immediately around them.
Pulse BlastÂ â€“ Blast a single target with a massive energy burst
Spark BeamÂ â€“ Unleash a beam of energy that does continuous damage to anything it touches.
Venom DartsÂ â€“ Inflict burning acid damage with a volley of darts.
Masterwork
Argos MaceÂ â€“ Upgraded Blast Missile that explodes on impact. This also detonates an electric explosion when defeating an enemy
Avengers BoonÂ â€“ Upgraded Pulse Blast with the Strikerâ€™s Strength effect, which increases melee damage by 110% for 20 seconds when hitting an enemy with this weapon.
GRENADES

Grenades are pretty standard for basic troopers, and in Anthem, itâ€™s only the Ranger who gets to use them.
StandardÂ (Common to Epic)
Frag GrenadeÂ â€“ Blast everything in a large area with massive damage.
Frost GrenadeÂ â€“ Freeze your opponents in place.
Inferno GrenadeÂ â€“ Set your enemies on fire, dealing immediate and continuous damage.
Seeker GrenadesÂ â€“ Lob in one grenade that splits into multiple.
Sticky GrenadeÂ â€“ Hit an adversary with a grenade that latches onto them, dealing damage with extreme prejudice.
Masterwork
Explosive BlazeÂ â€“ Upgraded Inferno Grenade that detonates a fire explosion after applying the fire effect to 2 enemies.
Grand OpeningÂ â€“ Upgraded Seeker Grenade that splits into seeking submunitions. Has the Ambusherâ€™s Fury effect, which grants 75% increased weapon damage for 20 seconds when defeating enemies from above.
The GambitÂ â€“ Upgraded Sticky Grenade. Hitting an enemy with this grenade detonates an ice explosion.
SUPPORT GEAR

Rangers can act like supports too in certain situations. Need a place to take a breather? No problem! The Ranger can deploy a dome shield. If you need an increase on weapon damage, the Ranger can set up a spherical shield that enhances it for a short period of time but the caveat is that it does not protect you from incoming enemy fire.
While this doesnâ€™t seem like much, both support gears that the Ranger have can be vital to your expeditionâ€™s success.

Bulwark PointÂ â€“ Keep enemies out of your bubble with a spherical shield that protects your squad.
Major tip for using the Bulwark Point: If you want to use the Bulwark Point as means to block incoming attacks for a long period of time, it wonâ€™t work. The Bulwark Point can help sometimes especially reviving downed squad members, but not when Legendary and Elite enemies are throwing everything they have at your shield. If theyâ€™re melee based attack units, theyâ€™ll just waltz right inside.Â In short, use the Bulwark Point to defend against heavy attacks and then in a second or two, fly out and look for a place where you get proper cover; and to also repair your fellow Javelin since it gives you the right amount of time to bring them back up and escape.

Muster PointÂ â€“ Cover your teammates with a spherical shield that increases weapon damage.
Major tip for using the Muster Point:Â When deploying the Muster Point to gain more damage, you have to put in mind that it does not protect you from the enemiesâ€™ attack. Strategic positioning is key to maximize the usage of the Muster Point for everyone in the squad including yourself.
RANGER COMBO

One of the greatest feats of Anthem is its Combo mechanic. Meaning, you can use a combination of attacks â€“ may it be from you or your squad members â€“ to increase the damage output onto enemy units. Teamwork is key when taking expeditions in higher difficulty levels, especially in Grandmaster due to the fact that theyâ€™re harder to kill and you have to take them out as fast as you can.
Unlike the Colossus, Storm, and Interceptor, the Ranger basically initiates the combo by throwing Primer attacks at the enemy so fellow squad members can set off the combo for maximum damage. It doesnâ€™t mean you are not able to do this as a Ranger, you can since there are Assault Launchers and Grenades that can be Primer and Detonators.
Detonators:
Seeking Missile â€“ single target.
Pulse Blast (or the Avengerâ€™s Boon) â€“ single target.
Frag Grenade â€“ blast/area damage.
Sticky Grenade (of the Gambit) â€“ blast/area damage.
Primers:
Venom Darts â€“ single target, can fire twice.
Frost Grenade (or Cold Blooded) â€“ blast/area effect, no damage.
Inferno Grenade (or Explosive Blaze) â€“ blast/area damage.
Grand Opening â€“ blast/area damage, the only variation of the Seeker Grenade that can be a primer.
Best Combo Mix As A Ranger:
Venom Dart (Primer)Â +Â Frag Grenade (Detonator)
With the ability to fire twice using the Venom Dart Assault Launcher, you can get to trigger a combo on two enemy units affected with a blast detonator like the Frag and Sticky Grenades. Even if there are only two enemies for the damage combo, all other enemy units nearby will be affected with the Frag/Sticky Grenadeâ€™s blast damage. Itâ€™s a win-win situation but this requires a lot of skill and timing.
Some may say the Frost Grenade paired with the Pulse Blast is highly effective against enemy units, this is partly true â€“ but only for some cases. If youâ€™re up against tons of hard-hitting Elite units, especially Legendary brutes, you canâ€™t take them alone with just the Frost Grenade and a Pulse Blast combo. You can only take them out one at a time, provided that your Grenade cooldown duration is quick, you can take out 2 to 3 max. The Frost+Pulse combo is deadlier if you focus on a single target, not groups of enemy units.
I hope this basic guide will help you through your adventure as a Freelancer Ranger in Bastion! After my review of Anthem by the end of the week, Iâ€™ll have an article out that focuses on builds and share to you what I have for my Ranger Javelin.
Note: All screenshots captured using a PS4 Pro.


Square Enix Mana Series Gets 30th Anniversary Orchestra Concert This April

To celebrate the Mana RPG series’ 30th anniversary, Square Enix will be hosting an orchestra concert on 3 Aprili 2022.
The concert will take place physically at the Bunkamura Orchard Hall in Tokyo, Japan. The Tokyo Symphony Orchestra will perform tracks from the Mana series during the show. Original composers Kenji Ito, Hiroki Kikuta, and Yoko Shimomura will be appearing as guests during the proceedings.
There will be a day and night performance, with each day cycle featuring exclusive tracks. Here’s the list:

Both Day and Night Performances

â€œRising Sunâ€ fromÂ Final Fantasy Adventures
â€œAngelâ€™s Fearâ€ fromÂ Secret of Mana
â€œMeridian Childâ€ fromÂ Trials of Mana
â€œLegend of ManaÂ ~Title Theme~â€

Day Performance (13:00 GMT+8) Only

â€œWhere Angels Fear to Treadâ€ fromÂ Trials of Mana
â€œSwivelâ€ fromÂ Trials of Mana

Night Performance (17:30 GMT+8) Only

â€œNostalgic Songâ€ fromÂ Legend of Mana
â€œCity of Flickering Destructionâ€ fromÂ Legend of Mana


The Borderlands Movie Adds Creed 2 Actor As Krieg

Florian Munteanu joins Cate Blanchett,Â Kevin Hart,Â Jamie Lee Curtis, Jack Black and Ariana Greenblatt in the upcoming Borderlands movie directed by Eli Roth. Munteanu is best known for starring as Viktor Drago (the son of Dolph Lundgren’s Ivan Drago) in 2018’s Creed 2.
He will be playing the role of Krieg, one of the six playable characters from Borderlands 2 and part of the game’s Psycho class. Born to a family of bandits, Krieg endured abuse from his mother who viewed him as a weakling. Spurred by his mother to become stronger, Krieg grew to become one of the strongest members of his family on Pandora. However, his strength was no match for Hyperion’s forces when he and many other bandits were taken by Dr. Benedict as experiments to become Psychos subjected to horrible abuse and experiments with the lucky ones being the first to die as each surviving batch only endured even more inhumane experiments where traits like self-harm, suicidal impulses, and reckless behaviour were encouraged.
Rather than bringing out his psychotic side and destroying his sanity, it only made him feel more powerless. Eventually, a fractured remnant of his psyche, manifesting itself as an “inner voice” in his mind as a means for Krieg’s sane side to maintain hope and the will to survive. Learning that he was to be disposed of with the rest of the subjects and Dr. Benedict plans on using children as the next group, he breaks out of the facility and kills Benedict to prevent them from suffering the same fate. However, by that point, Psycho Krieg became the dominant personality and Krieg could no longer communicate properly.
Later on in his life, Krieg had engaged in vault hunter-esque activities and worked for the Crimson Raiders, such as aiding the needy and getting paid with loot. The voice also seeks to control Krieg’s lust for murder by limiting his victims to those deserving punishment. However, because of Psycho Krieg’s personality, he was unable to establish any meaningful bonds with the Raiders and believed they always hated him and saw him as a weapon towards their enemies.
Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Eli Roth said:
“Florian brings real humanity and multiple layers to a character who on the surface seems totally insane and brutally savage.
Krieg was by far the most difficult role to cast, and Florian brought him to life and grounded him in a way that I didn’t know was possible.
He’s going to be a brilliant Krieg and will fit in perfectly with our incredible cast.”
Borderlands developer Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford himself confirmed the news onÂ Twitter.

Florian Munteanu will play Krieg in the Borderlands movie. pic.twitter.com/UJg7vYjfwY
— Randy Pitchford (@DuvalMagic) March 9, 2021

Directed by Eli Roth, theÂ BorderlandsÂ movie doesnâ€™t have a release date yet but is slated to begin production soon inÂ Hungary.


That Ni no Kuni Mobile Game Is Coming To iOS & Android This 2020…

What happens when you have Level-5’s Ni no Kuni RPG and Netmarble’s mobile gaming ingenuity combined? You get Ni no Kuni: Crossworlds!
The massively multiplayer online RPG will be out for iOS and Android this 2020, but in Japan. There’s no word on an English release just yet, but it may happen if the game becomes popular enough. It’s not like Netmarble hasn’t published English versions of its many, many mobile games.
Trailer below, in all its Studio Ghibli-esque glory, now on mobile phones.


Cartoon Network Celebrates Raya With Mechamato Marathon

Cartoon Network, together with Monsta, the creative studio behind BoBoiBoy and new hit series Mechamato, present fun Craft Your World projects that fans can enjoy in the run-up to Hari Raya. Plus, fans can enjoy a Mechamato Week Marathon from Monday, May 2 to 8, 11am to 1pm, kicking off Cartoon Network’s Redraw Your Summer programming block, a weekly themed collection of fan favourites, all on Cartoon Network (Astro Channel 615 HD). New episodes of Mechamato premiere every weekend, 3pm.
One of the top-rated animated series on Cartoon Network in Malaysia today, Mechamato has gained many ardent fans since its debut in December 2021.
Set in Kota Hilir, which is inspired by Bandar Hilir in Malacca, the show introduces the world to Malaysia’s unique culture and traditions, and the exciting adventures of a young boy named Amato and his mechanical friend Mechabot, a robot with the ability to mechanize everyday objects into high-tech devices. Together, they have their hands full keeping their friends and their town safe from the nefarious plans of other bad robots.
In the first week of Redraw Your Summer, a five-week block that includes Teen Titans Go!, Looney Tunes Cartoons, Krypto the Superdog and We Bare Bears, kids can catch a total of 13 episodes in the Mechamato Week Marathon. From cyberbullies and kidnappers to dangerous robots threatening to encase the town in ice or engulf it in flames, each episode demonstrates acts of bravery, friendship, and innovation as they face each challenge as a team.
Now, Amato and Mechabot invite fans to inject a little creativity and innovation of their own with these cool Craft Your World x Mechamato ketupat casing, Raya packet, and Raya greeting card DIYs, to welcome Hari Raya in Mechamato style. The craft videos will debut on Cartoon Network social media pages @cartoonnetworkasia on Monday, 2 May 2022.
Get creative with Mechamato on this special occasion and catch the Mechamato Week Marathon from 2 to 8 2022, from 11am to 1pm daily, only on Cartoon Network (Astro Channel 615 HD). In the meantime, check out my interview with Monsta Chief Content Officer and Mechamato showrunner Anas Abdul Aziz.


The Flash Star Marries Half-Malaysian La Thoma

Barry Allen has found his real-life Iris West. Congratulations to Grant Gustin and La Thoma for officially tying the knot!
The Flash star Grant Gustin, 28, and half-Malaysian U.S. citizen Andrea La Thoma, 30, reportedly got married in a private ceremony at the Valentine DTLA in Los Angeles on Saturday, December 15, 2018.
Though the newly-married couple has yet to comment on their marriage on social media, Gustin’s rep confirmed the news to E! News earlier today, stating: “They were surrounded by their families and close friends, and it was a beautiful ceremony and an unforgettable day.”
Speaking of close friends, fellow Arrowverse co-stars Melissa Benoist (Supergirl herself!) and Chris Wood (Mon-El in Supergirl) were on their guests’ list, along with other names such as RJ Brown, Max Chucker, Daveed Diggs, Adam Kaplan, Jared Loftin, Ben Ross, Leela Rothenberg, Taylor Trensch, RenÃ©e Mittelstaedt and Ryan Phillips.
Gustin’s manager took a picture with the newlyweds and shared it on Instagram, which you can take a look at below:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Robert Stein (@robertadamstein)

Contrary to what some might believe, while Gustin did propose to La Thoma in April 2017, they did not get married in Malaysia when they were briefly visiting La Thoma’s Kadazan family in Sabah in December 2017. According to Gustin, they only participated in “a beautiful, symbolic Kadazan ceremony to honor LA’s ancestors.” Thoma later added that they wore the traditional Kadazan outfits, and had “a shaman and a medicine-man do all of the blessings.”
Andrea La Thoma was born in Ohio, the United States, to American James Thoma and Malaysian, Sabahan and Kadazan Judy Thoma. She now works as a physical therapist, who is also quite the Instagram star with almost 500,000 followers. In an interview with The Star newspaper, she said that “her family returns to Sabah every few years so as not to lose touch with their Borneo heritage.”
(Photo Credits: The Star)


GreedFall Is Getting PS5 & Xbox Series X Rerelease, Plus New Content

Publisher Focus Home Interactive has announced that Spiders’ 2019 RPG GreedFall is getting a release on PS5 and Xbox Series X. However, no release date or window was revealed in the press release.
They also confirmed that a new expansion and more content are coming to the game, though no further details were revealed as well. This is still good news, considering that the game managed to sell more than one million copies in less than a year.
We called GreedFall one of 2019’s best games, since it brought back the spirit of BioWare’s best like Mass Effect and Dragon Age games, albeit with its own flaws.
You can check out my full review of the game here.


PlayStation Plus Three-Tiered Service Launches In Asia This May

Play will have no limits soon and in subscription form, now with an official release date.
The new PlayStation Plus with the three-tiered subscription service will launch on 23 May in Asia markets excluding Japan. In addition, the cloud streaming access will be available for a total of 30 markets. Here’s what Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Jim Ryan has to say:
“We’ve been working on this massive global effort to provide flexible options, quality games, and greater value for our members for quite some time now—and we’re just a few weeks away from our first regional rollout. We want to thank our PlayStation community for the ongoing support, and we’ll have more to share as we get closer to launch.”
For more on the service, here’s our PlayStation Plus breakdown. Basically if you want to have it all -PlayStation classic games and PS Plus titles- you’ll need to fork over RM50 for the PS Plus Premium version. But don’t worry: it’s easy to switch between the various tiers offered. Sony plans to allow players to transfer to different tiers, the cost of which will adjust with how much time is left on the user’s current plan.
“You can easily upgrade to a higher benefit plan at any time. To do so, you’ll need to pay the difference between the current plan and your new plan, adjusted for the remaining time of your subscription.”


Overwatch 2 Reportedly Set To Release This Year

Overwatch is getting a sequel. We’ve all known that since it was officially announced during BlizzCon 2019. They even released a cinematic trailer. What they didn’t give us was a release date.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKXS_YA9s7E&w=560&h=315]
A lot of fans have been speculating that Overwatch 2 is coming out this year and a recently deleted tweet from PlayStation Brasil might have confirmed that. Brazilian gaming website Voxel managed to take a screenshot before the tweet was deleted.

The very first sentence of the tweet basically translates to “2020 will be the year that Overwatch 2 comes to PS4”. The link at the end of the tweet leads to an interview between PlayStation and assistant game director at Blizzard Aaron Keller.
Seeing as how the PlayStation Brasil Twitter account is an official validated account and the tweet was deleted, it’s highly likely that it’s true. However, a lot of people are already expecting the game to drop later this year so it’s not too big of a reveal.
Overwatch 2’s biggest new feature (compared to its predecessor) is a co-op mode that will pit players against hordes of A.I. enemies. It will also come with new maps and game modes.


VanillaBeast Retro Knock-Out Is A Raunchy Throwback That Needs To Be More Accessible

Platforms: PC
Genre: Boxing, Retro, Sports, Parody, Spoof, Satire
Games these days tend to be more politically correct and less willing to take risks in fear of getting ‘cancelled’. However, indie developers like Vanilla Gaming Company don’t really have to worry about that, and that’s evident in their latest game, VanillaBeast Retro Knock-Out.
It’s essentially a parody of the iconic Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out game but with the R-rated humour of the Leisure Suit Larry franchise.
Punch-Out

While VanillaBeast Retro Knock-Out is a prequel to VanillaBeast Ace In The Hole, you don’t need to have played that game. VanillaBeast Retro Knock-Out follows protagonist Vanilla as he works through the boxing ranks facing off against tons of parody boxing opponents on his way to becoming the undisputed champion of the Venereousville Boxing League.
Older gamers will appreciate the retro game design and visuals, though some of it does look and feel rough. The gameplay is simple enough; just like Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out. You use the D-Pad buttons to dodge (left or right) or block (down), while on the Xbox controller, you press A for a left hook punch and B for a right hook punch.
You can get special punches by punching enemies when they give their “tell”. One punch costs one stamina point, and dodging/getting hit while blocking will also use up one stamina point. Getting hit directly will cause players to lose two whole points.

As someone who didn’t grow up playing Punch-Out, VanillaBeast Retro Knock-Out feels punishingly hard and unbalanced. Perhaps that was intentional on the developers’ part to invoke that “retro” game design feel, but players take way too much damage even when blocking, while enemies are damage sponges who can soak up so many punches before they go down.
It feels like the game is designed to force players to play using the dodge mechanic and punishes you for blocking because players take way too much damage. This means that the only viable playstyle is dodging, so players are forced to “git gud”.
Even the very first fight in the game is already hard as hell, and there are no difficulty options. One can go retro all they want in terms of gameplay and visuals, but accessibility options shouldn’t be sacrificed for that, especially in this day and age. It’s unacceptable, considering that I tend to rely on a blocking playstyle when playing boxing games, and that’s just not viable in VanillaBeast Retro Knock-Out, or at least, it very much feels that way.

As for the humour, this game is offensive and doesn’t mince words, which is a lot like the old Leisure Suit Larry games. For instance, the second enemy boxer in the game is a stereotypical Mexican who plays with rattling maracas when he knocks you out. Plus, there is also nudity during cutscenes and there are even adult film stars (or entertainment stars or p*** stars) in the game; since the main collectible in the game is cards featuring very suggestive and sexy pictures of this person.
It’s very much NSFW and not politically correct at all. That’s actually refreshing in this day and age when most games tend to play it too safe. In that way, VanillaBeast Retro Knock-Out feels a lot like a game from the 90s or early 2000s. That being said, the developer did take streamers into account, so you can play the game in a censored mode. This censored mode cuts all the nudity, which is featured in the story cutscenes and aforementioned collectible images.
One Punch

If you’re looking to relive your days of playing Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out but with an adult twist, perhaps VanillaBeast Retro Knock-Out is for you. For everyone else, the game is just too hard.
Until the developer adds easier difficulty options, it’s just a frustrating experience that no amount of R-rated jokes are able to save and only a niche minority will be able to enjoy.
PROS

Requires skill and fast reflexes; challenging for players.
Mature humour that’s not afraid to be raunchy and offensive.

CONS

Too difficult (no difficulty options, perhaps to preserve retro feel).
Very offensive, so it might not be for certain sensitive players.

FINAL SCORE: 60/100
VanillaBeast Retro Knock-Out was reviewed on PC based on a review copy provided by the publisher. It is slated to release for the PC on 14 July 2023.