A New Hope: Why Star Wars’ Future Should Be On TV

Compared to the likes of other iconic science-fiction properties like Star Trek or Battlestar Galactica (which began life on TV), Star Wars originally started as a cinematic and theatrical venture in 1977. Star Wars Episode IV A New Hope was the first time that a science fiction movie truly broke into the mainstream and became a blockbuster box office phenomenon.
The Star Wars movies and the quality of their visual effects have always been the defining feature of the franchise This prompted other science-fiction IPs to hop on the bandwagon and make their own motion pictures (with varying and mixed effects; looking at you, Star Trek The Motion Picture).
Disney CEP Bob Iger recently confirmed that the Star Wars franchise will be taking a break from movies and focus on TV instead. During a quarterly earnings call (via IGN), he said:

“Weâ€™re taking a bit of a hiatus in terms of theatrical releases, we finished the nine-episode Skywalker Saga and weâ€™re developing both television and features.
The priority in the next few years is television, with The Mandalorian Season 2 coming in October and then more coming from The Mandalorian thereafter,
including the possibility of infusing it with more characters and the possibility of taking those characters in their own direction in terms of series.
And then we have a prequel to Rogue One and an Obi-Wan series also in development.
So the priority for Star Wars in the short term is going to be television for Disney+ and then weâ€™ll have more to say about the development of theatrical soon after that.”

As an avid Star Wars fan myself, I believe that the future of Star Wars should be on TV as well. Here’s why:
Brimming With Potential For Expansion Than Ever

It’s not like Star Wars hasn’t tried to dabble on TV before Star Wars The Clone Wars and The Mandalorian came along. It’s just that fans preferred to leave them in the dust of obscurity, due to how terrible they were.
The most infamous example is probably the accursed 1978 Star Wars Holiday Special, but there were also several others, including two Ewok-themed TV specials and two animated series that never took off for good reason; 1985’s Star Wars Droids and two freaking seasons of Ewoks. You can catch a glimpse of that monstrosity below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WFjM3QWKlE&w=560&h=315]
Besides the fact that George Lucas definitely loved Ewoks too much and clearly tried too hard to push the cuddly creatures on fans, the problem is that there wasn’t enough lore (or content) yet for the franchise to truly thrive on TV.
However, thanks to the Prequel Trilogy and (*sigh*) even the disappointing Sequel Trilogy, we now have a lot more actual content to explore and expand on in the history of the franchise. While the upcoming Star Wars The Clone Wars Season 7 is set to conclude the final chapter of the Prequel Trilogy for good, the Sequel Trilogy era remains largely unexplored outside of the movies.
Despite the fact that Star Wars Resistance was set in the Sequel Trilogy era, it did almost nothing to explore or expand on the lore in significant ways. It was complacent on just providing cheap and mindless entertainment for kids. It was truly a waste of time, money and resources.
On the other hand, The Mandalorian is a perfect example of how to salvage the poorly-received Sequel Trilogy era. It manages to cohesively cram influences and lore from all three eras of the franchise while simultaneously expanding the lore of the Mandalorian race and perhaps even Master Yoda’s unknown race in the future, two canon aspects of the franchise which has rarely been touched upon.
We might eventually receive the Sequel Trilogy’s answer to Star Wars The Clone Wars; a series that fleshes out those years where Luke was rebuilding the Jedi Order, Leia rebuilding the New Republic, and Ben Solo’s fall from grace (though this is already being explored in an ongoing comic published by Marvel).

Successfully doing that would go a long way in redeeming Disney and Lucasfilm (and the entire Sequel Trilogy) in the eyes of fans, many of whom have gradually lost faith in the franchise over the years.

The Best Star Wars Creatives And Talent Are In TV

Of course, brilliant TV content for the franchise like Star Wars The Clone Wars and The Mandalorian was only made possible thanks to the incredible pool of talent and creatives working on it. This is the advantage of Star Wars on TV, as they’re relatively free from the chaos and indecisive turmoil that currently plagues the movie division.
Leading the pack is Dave Filoni, who was responsible for both the Star Wars The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels animated series, as well as co-developing The Mandalorian. He also created Star Wars Resistance, but hey, no one’s perfect.

George Lucas also personally recruited Filoni to work together with him way before Disney bought Star Wars. After Lucas himself, Filoni is probably the next most reliable master keeper of knowledge and source of all things Star Wars.

If Filoni paved the way for Star Wars animation on TV, we have Jon Favreau to thank for the franchise’s foray into live-action TV. I still can’t believe that it took Star Wars 42 years to make a proper live-action TV show, but it was certainly worth the wait. With these two front and centre (as well as other contributors), Star Wars on TV is in good hands, which is a lot more than I can say for the current sorry state of the movies.
Jon Favreau on the right.
The Rise Of Skywalker Broke The Franchise

Say what you want about the Sequel Trilogy, but there’s no denying that Disney and Lucasfilm wasted all the momentum and goodwill generated by Star Wars Episode VII The Force Awakens. While they admittedly weren’t financial failures, the Sequel Trilogy is a broken mess that disrespects the franchise and its long-time fans.
They never had a clear plan for a proper trilogy. In comparison, at least the Prequel Trilogy was mostly coherent. Sure, George Lucas made some stuff up on the fly over the years as well (*cough* Darth Vader being Luke and Leia’s father *cough*), but he had an outline for the bigger picture of the franchise. Heck, Lucas even had outlines of the Prequels and Sequels years in advance before they even came into fruition.

The Star Wars movies will always be more epic in scope but are more limited in other ways. For example, Solo: A Star Wars Story would have worked better as a TV series, rather than a movie so middling and inconsequential that it doesn’t deserve to be called a Star Wars movie.

The Prequel Trilogy depicted the very beginning and end of the galaxy-spanning Clone Wars, but it’s only thanks to Star Wars The Clone Wars that we truly understand how complex and expansive that conflict truly was in the larger scheme of Star Wars lore.
Great TV shows like Star Wars The Clone Wars and The Mandalorian both complement the movies and can stand on their own as great Star Wars IP. Meanwhile, Star Wars Episode IX The Rise Of Skywalker is forced to rely on supplementary material to fill in their own plot holes and blanks.
This Is The Way

Focusing on TV doesn’t mean that Star Wars should completely abandon the movies. In the meantime, Lucasfilm should re-prioritize and plan ahead for their future movies. If the reports of a Knights Of The Old Republic trilogy does turn out to be true, I sincerely that they will have learnt from their Sequel Trilogy mistakes by then.
The Original and Prequel Trilogies inspired their respective generations of youth to pick up sticks and pretend to be in lightsaber duels or to feel a proud camaraderie of being in fandom as the iconic Star Wars theme plays. Everyone has their own reason to love Star Wars.
I grew up with the Prequel Trilogy and watched the Original Trilogy later, but still loved both of them very much. I canâ€™t, and probably never will say the same about the Sequel Trilogy.

Here’s hoping that Star Wars The Clone Wars, The Mandalorian and future TV shows like them (Cassian Andor, Obi-Wan Kenobi) will inspire fans once again.

In the meantime, check out my top tenÂ Star WarsÂ characters of all time, orÂ head on over hereÂ for the chronological guide toÂ Star Wars The Clone WarsÂ (and the best story arcs in the series to date).


Why Is The Blizzard CEO Raid Boosting For World of Warcraft?

Blizzard co-chief Mike Ybarra caused some controversy among World of Warcraft players, as if this year’s Blizzard lawsuits aren’t enough.
Ybarra tweeted about a “heroic Sanctum of Domination sales run” where it seem like a regular invitation to watch a WoW raid in progress. Savvy players however see this as an offer to carry under-qualified players through the high-end raid in exchange for in-game gold. That’s what we call “raid boosting” in the business.

Likely streaming our heroic SoD sales run and high'ish end m+ tonight (20-23) starting at 5pm PT. ????
— Mike Ybarra (@Qwik) October 16, 2021

The act of raid boosting isn’t illegal, but it is frowned upon by the community. Basically, lower-skilled or underleveled players pay other veteran players to guide them through the toughest raids in the game, and then reap the rewards for it. The veteran player gets in-game gold for their troubles; the unskilled player gets the loot. Some players see this as a form of cheating from an ethical standpoint: it’s basically you getting a shortcut by gaining access to equipment and experience you haven’t properly earned.
So seeing the current boss of Blizzard doing this ethically-unsound act is not a good look for the WoW community.
https://twitter.com/teflononline/status/1449856828599410689?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1449856828599410689%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pcgamer.com%2Fblizzard-boss-draws-heat-for-raid-boosting-which-many-players-hate%2F
There are two sides to this debate of raid boosting though; one Twitter user said that raid boosting is akin to having a plumber fix his toilet because he doesn’t want the headache of doing it himself.

I remember buying the Starcaller title in Wrath because I've always been really good at making gold and it's fun.
I also remember paying a plumber to fix my toilet because I don't want the headache.
People that are mad at this should also fix their own toilets.
— Pando (@PandorriaDH) October 18, 2021

So far, Ybarra’s public comment about this incident is generally about people working together; he’s purposely keeping it vague. Also, his raid went well.
“Gaming is a unifying force… bringing us all together across the hobby we enjoy and love. While everyone has differing views and opinions, let’s be kind and make epic memories in games we enjoy.”

Few nice keys done tonight with @dos_guild mates. pic.twitter.com/ARo4DsTndY
— Mike Ybarra (@Qwik) October 17, 2021


San Diego Comic-Con 2020 Is Cancelled

The COVID-19 pandemic is still ongoing and are making event organizers for gaming, comics, and pop culture expos very antsy about hosting events in the latter half of the year. The next casualty? This year’s San Diego Comic-Con.
According to a recent press release, San Diego Comic-Con 2020 is cancelled for the first time in its half-century history due to the ongoing COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic and subsequent lockdown orders in the US state of California. The show will, however, make its return on 22nd to 25th July.
Initially, the organizers at Comic-Con International were hoping that worldwide events would relax in the summer months; that wasn’t the case if you’ve been keeping up with the news.
Here’s the official statement. In the meantime, the organizers will be undergoing an extensive process of refunding tickets and hotel bookings.

“Recognizing that countless attendees save and plan for its conventions each year, and how many exhibitors and stakeholders rely upon its events for a major portion of their livelihood, they had hoped to delay this decision in anticipation that COVID-19 concerns might lessen by summer.
Continuous monitoring of health advisories and recent statements by the Governor of California have made it clear that it would not be safe to move forward with plans for this year.”


Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Gets Free Epilogue Chapter

The DLC train for Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is still ongoing, even after Dawn of Ragnarok.
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla will get a free DLC quest called The Last Chapter, which ties up some of the game’s major storyline involving the main character Eivor and Odin. He/she will meet up with key characters and influential historical ones.
The DLC will be free; no release date has been announced yet but will be out in 2022.


Heist Game Payday 3 Launches This September

During Xbox Games Showcase, publisher Prime Matter and developer Starbreeze Studios announced that Payday 3 will launch for the PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC on 21 September 2023.
Payday 3 was originally announced back in 2020, while Payday 2 was launched in 2013. The franchise is an action-packed, four-player co-op shooter that lets players go on epic crime sprees. Players are free to choose anything from small-time convenience store hits or kidnappings, to big league cyber-crime or emptying out major bank vaults. Up to four friends co-operate on the hits, and as the crew progresses the jobs become bigger, better and more rewarding. Along with earning more money and becoming a legendary criminal comes a character customization and crafting system that lets crews build and customize their own guns and gear.
Check out the trailer below:


Devil May Cry Mobile Game Teased

If reports from MMO Culture were to be true, we are set to getÂ anÂ action RPG, Devil May Cry game on mobile devices in 2018, calledÂ Devil May Cry: Pinnacle of Combat.Â This follows reports from China where a little-known games studio and publisher, Yunchang Game has obtainedÂ the IP rights from Capcom to develop the first mobile game based for the popular hack and slash franchise.
The game is said to be powered by Unity 3D and will feature a unique combat system tailored for mobile experience. In addition to that, the devs/ publishers also confirmed that there will be online modes, including team battles and real-time PVP. They also released a handful of in-game stills as shown below:

From what we can gather via these screencaps, expect some flashy combos, dynamic cameras and the ability to customize Dante throughout the game. The controls look pretty basic tho, with several button layouts for specific combos and dash or jump movements.
However, we are yet to ascertain if the game will ever be released outside the Chinese market. We will update you folks once we have more info related to that.


Multiple Blizzard Games Are Experiencing Outages Due To DDOS Attack [Update]

Update: it’s fine now.
Multiple games by Blizzard Entertainment that run on Battle.net are experiencing outages like Overwatch, Hearthstone, and Diablo 3 up to now.
This is due to a confirmed distributed denial-of-service attack, or DDoS, targeted at Battle.net itself. The outages and bugs happened over the course of the morning in GMT+8 time. Tech support at Blizzard has confirmed the server issues will disrupt players; no doubt this will cause disconnects and high latency for online play. You may have to avoid competitive play for now until the DDoS issue is resolved.
For more on Diablo 3’s latest season, head here.


eRacing Grand Prix SEA Trials Taking Place In Sepang This Weekend

The first-ever eRacing Grand Prix SEA is taking place this weekend at the Sepang International Circuit from 6 to 7 July 2019, opening with the first leg of the time trial rounds with PS4 exclusive Gran Turismo Sport.
The objective of the eRacing Grand Prix SEA is to transform virtual racers into real-life motorsport champions, having initially made its debut in Hong Kong last year. The man responsible for bringing this genre of motorsport to the SEA region is former Malaysian Formula 1 driver and Axle Motorsport founder, Alex Yoong.
The time trial stage will be spread over a few weeks, giving each contestant a total of five trials per entry. The top 45 racers with the best times will then be split into three groups for the semi-final round.
This will be followed by the top 5 of each group advancing to the Grand Finals where they will battle it out for the Championship crown.
Yoong said:

â€œThere are many passionate people who I see are very serious about taking part in this competition.
I am expecting it will be similar to the Hong Kong edition where we discovered some really good drivers.
If you have an access to a simulator, donâ€™t just do the lap time around the track but also practice racing with other cars and also think about tyre management with different tyre compounds.
If the participants make it to the top 45, they will need to be equipped with skills such as overtaking and defending his position. Watching a lot of races helps them to get the idea.â€

After this first leg at Sepang International Circuit, the next eRacing Grand Prix SEA time trial is scheduled to take place at Centre Court, Atria Shopping Gallery from 13 to 14 July 2019.
The eRacing Grand Prix will then head to the Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, Vietnam, and Thailand as their next stops where the winner in each country will be trained and offered a spot in the Formula 4 South East Asia Championship (F4SEA),
The F4SEA is an unmissable experience worthÂ Euro $100,000, set to be the first step for the winners of each country towards achieving their dream of becoming a professional race car driver.
The eRacing Grand Prix is only open to Malaysian citizens who are 14 years old and above. Tickets are available to purchase now at a price of RM180 for participants (at the time of writing).
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c809hQjUkdo&w=560&h=315]


The Lord Of The Rings Fans Express Concerns On Amazon Games New MMO Announcement

In a surprising announcement yesterday, Amazon announced they were back working on an MMO (massively multiplayer online) game based on The Lord of the Rings (LOTR). The game is still in its early stages of production and to launch for consoles and PC on a date yet to be determined. Even though it’s great news for fantasy MMO fans, fans of the LOTR franchise remain sceptical that the game will live up to its world.
CHECK OUT THE ORIGINAL ANNOUNCEMENT
There are several reasons why fans are concerned about Amazon Game Studios’ attempts to make The Lord of the Rings into an MMO form: fears over how the source material is handled, the game’s performance, and especially New World’s not so rave reviews. It seems like this may put Amazon Games in a tight situation as the case with New World has been pointed out by many on social platforms.
A Twitter user by the name of Scott, an Unreal Engine developer commented, “Fool me once and all…”.

*stares at new world*
I dunno… we've been down this road before… fool me once and all…
— Scott (@Dorizzdt) May 16, 2023

As mentioned during the Amazon Games Twitter announcement, the makers of New World, Amazon Games Orange County will be in charge of the game’s development, which made fans wary of how it will turn out;

"The game is in early stages of production, with Amazon Games Orange County—makers of the popular open-world MMO game New World—leading development."
Well that doesn't sound good
— Michael Loda (@MichaelLoda) May 15, 2023

On the other hand, some users provide advice on how to improve from the previous MMO, making the upcoming game much more interesting for fans of LOTR and MMO alike.

Please take your time and do it right, and get real gamers to do the testing. It would be nice to have well designed, out of the box classes with decent skill trees that allow players to play more than one way.
— gamez With sully (@gamezWithSully) May 15, 2023

However, that does not mean all fans are pessimistic. There are some players who will look forward to exploring Middle-earth in an MMO with a more modern user interface than Lord of the Rings Online, which was launched all the way back in 2007. It’s not surprising that Amazon wants to introduce a new game. Since the game is still in its early stages, they have plenty of time to make things right.
What’s your thought on the Amazon Games’ announcement? Would you try out The Lord of the Rings open-world game? Let us know in the comments below.


YouTube Drops Return In Hearthstone Grandmasters This Weekend

To celebrate the launch of Grandmasters 2021 Season 1, Blizzard will be activating YouTube Drops during this weekendâ€™s live broadcasts. All you need to do is create a Blizzard account and link it with your YouTube account, then sit back and collectÂ Year of the PhoenixÂ packs as you watch 48 of the top Hearthstone players from around the world compete over eight weeks.
In addition to opening weekend Drops, youâ€™ll have a chance to receive twoÂ Year of the PhoenixÂ packs over the course of Week 2 through Week 7, and then twoÂ Forged in the BarrensÂ packs during Playoff weekend, for a total of six drops during the first season of Grandmasters.
Best of all; this isnâ€™t just for Season 1: Blizzard is also giving packs away all year, with Drops during Season 2, the next five Masters Tours, and the upcoming World Championship.
Earning Grandmasters Season 1 Drops
On one of the eligible YouTube Gaming channels, watch two total hours to receive one pack and two more hours for your second.
Time watched is cumulative within each of the three reward blocks, so even if you canâ€™t watch for the full four hours in one sitting your time will still count toward earning the Drops.

Grandmasters Week 1:Â Year of the Phoenix (max 2 packs).
Grandmasters Weeks 2 – 7:Â Year of the Phoenix (max 2 packs).
Grandmasters Playoffs:Â Forged in the Barrens (max 2 packs).

Eligible Channels

English (Hearthstone)
English (HearthstoneEsports)
Japanese
Korean
Mandarin
Portuguese (LATAM)
Spanish (LATAM)

Connecting Your Accounts
Before you can receive rewards, youâ€™ll need to link your YouTube and Blizzard Battle.net accounts.
Hereâ€™s how:

Log in or create an account on YouTube.
Navigate toÂ Account SharingÂ under â€œConnected Appsâ€ in Settings.
Select â€œConnectâ€ next to Battle.net
Follow the simple prompts to finish connecting accounts.
When connecting accounts, be sure that youâ€™re currently logged into the Blizzard account on which youâ€™d like to receive your Drops.
Click hereÂ for a full set of official rules for Hearthstone Grandmasters 2021 Season 1 YouTube Drops.


Coffee Talk Is The Chillax Visual Novel We Need In Such Tumultuous Times

Platform(s): PC, PS4, Nintendo Switch
Genre: Chillax Visual Novel With Coffee-Making Minigame
As much fun as I had with hyper action games & tense 1v1 fighting online, sometimes you need to tone it down with a little exquisite point-and-click-on-text-box experience or two. That’s where the visual novel genre comes in, along with its expected (and sometimes unwelcome) storytelling tropes, structures, and branching paths.
Gameplay and skill-testing conundrums are always welcome, but I rather balance out my gaming diet with some slice-of-life stories and characters and some appropriate original music to go with it. That said, iconic titles like the Ace Attorney, Danganronpa, and Nonary games blend in great narratives with logic puzzles that test you. If you’re good, you proceed and find out more about the story arc and its mysteries.
Coffee Talk from Indonesian game studio Toge Productions is not that kind of visual novel. And that’s OK.
Cupping Lifestyle
You play as a barista of a self-owned store to a bunch of elves, orcs, and fantasy race tropes in an alternate version of Earth similar to that Netflix movie Bright, but less terrible and better laid out lore-wise.
All you do here is just listen to the many folks and people who visit your store from a journalist struggling to write her big break novel to an elf and succubus couple going through a rough patch in their 10-year relationship. You serve them the appropriate drinks for the situation and see how the story plays out.

Coffee Talk’s main game mode doesn’t cerebrally challenge you. Its only gameplay mechanic is figuring out someone’s order, serving it, and maybe draw some nice latte art. All your recipes for your drinks are laid out on your phone via the Brewpad app; just refer to it, tap buttons and objects on the right side of the screen when prompted, and you’re good to serve.
Sometimes you need to experiment and figure out drinks on your own that aren’t on the Brewpad, but all it takes is just some know-how and process of elimination-type thought processing to sort it out.

Using the fantasy hybrid theme, you’ll get different anecdotes concerning racism, classism, immigration, and family ties. All of them are written pretty adequately and offer just a nice slice of payoff and resolution in this title’s relaxing context. Assuming you picked the right choice and brew, of course.

Kudos to the tiny Toge team for not only doing this but also beefing it up with lovely 2D visuals and a nice lo-fi soundtrack that’s sure to go on the 2020 version of this eclectic video.
Get A Drip
Coffee Talk doesn’t punish you much save for story bits you might miss out on; you can always reload from a previous save, though you’re only allocated one slot per playthrough. This basically removes all semblance of a challenge, but I do believe that is Toge Production’s intent; to foster a relaxed gaming and story-driven experience.

And it’s doing a decent job at that. From the aforementioned soundtrack to the warm colours, all the way to the optional latte art minigame, the game begs that you take your time with it. I do wish there were more story arcs that went to different pathways instead of the usual “good or bad ending” story scenario that entails most visual novel titles with humble-sized teams backing it up.
It isn’t going to supersede other chillax visual novels like VA-11 Hall-A in scope, Coffee Talk at least offers an arguably better user interface, more eye candy, and a few relevant topics you can relate to in this corner of the world.

Even with all the werewolves, vampires, and cat people walking outside your store, Coffee Talk’s stories are as real as you can get.

If you want more than a campaign though, the game does offer an Endless and Challenge mode. Endless lets you experiment drinks and concoctions with willing subject Freya, while the latter makes you fulfil as many correct orders as possible for a high score.
These are pleasant distractions at best, though Toge should do well to refine the latter mode as free DLC to get a competitive digital coffee-serving scene going. Just throwing it out there, as someone well-versed in the competitive gaming scene.
Trifecta Or Flat White?

Coffee Talk doesn’t fight and test you. But it will calm and soothe your core with its honesty & seemingly-mundane-yet-impactful short tales. In the start of 2020, it couldn’t have come at a better time, especially given a lot of crap going on right now this month involving airborne viruses in China and impending worldwide talk about invasions.
All in all, this is one comfortable drink worth ordering. Just don’t expect it to blow your mind if you’re looking for a transcendent experience.
Pros

Lovely aesthetics & presentation.
Good stories that touch upon social topics.
Loveable characters.
Extra modes help pass the time.

Cons

Will not change/blow your mind about visual novels.
Not many branching paths.

FINAL SCORE: 70/100


Fantastic Beasts The Secrets Of Dumbledore Trailer Teases Return To Hogwarts

Warner Bros. has revealed the first trailer for the upcoming Fantastic Beasts The Secrets Of Dumbledore, which will be the sequel to 2018’s Fantastic Beasts The Crimes Of Grindelwald.
The synopsis reads:
Professor Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law) knows the powerful Dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald (Mads Mikkelsen) is moving to seize control of the wizarding world. Unable to stop him alone, he entrusts Magizoologist Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) to lead an intrepid team of wizards, witches and one brave Muggle baker on a dangerous mission, where they encounter old and new beasts and clash with Grindelwaldâ€™s growing legion of followers. But with the stakes so high, how long can Dumbledore remain on the sidelines?
The returning cast members include Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler, Alison Sudol, Ezra Miller, Callum Turner, William Nadylam, Poppy Corby-Tuech, Jessica Williams, Victoria Yeates, and Jude Law.
Mads Mikkelsen has replaced Johnny Depp as the antagonist, Gellert Grindelwald. Mikkelsen is no stranger to being a dark wizard, considering that he portrayed the dark sorcerer Kaecilius in 2016â€™sÂ Doctor Strange.
Fantastic Beasts The Secrets Of Dumbledore is slated to premiere on 15 April 2022.
In the meantime, check out our review ofÂ Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes Of GrindelwaldÂ here, orÂ head on over hereÂ for my scathing critique of the movieâ€™s utter disregard for established Wizarding World lore.


Goodbye Kings Canyon; Apex Legends Season 3 Comes With A New Map

Respawn and EA have officially revealed Apex Legends Season 3, titled Meltdown, with a new cinematic trailer that shows off two of the season’s biggest additions: A new map called World’s Edge and the new hacker Legend which we’ve all been anticipating, Crypto.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEAWC9eK1Ts&w=560&h=315]
World’s Edge is set in an entirely differently planet which has searing hot volcanoes and blistering cold winters. I’m thinking this isn’t just a change of scenery with the trailer showing geysers that could be used to boost jumps and a moving train which even has loot on top of it. Definitely game-changers for those playing competitively.
Kudos to the data miners who managed to dig up Crypto’s skills because they definitely got it right on his drone having the ability to dish out some sort of EMP strike that seems to either stun or slow enemies. Poor Gibraltar becomes the victim to this skill in the trailer.

Reddit user Smurfson’s leak of the game getting new Titanfall weapons also appears to check out. That part where Crypto is aiming at Mirage with a weapon emitting an orange beam? That’s the Charge Rifle and damn, I never thought they’d actually put it into the game because it’s often used as a Titan killer in the Titanfall games. Maybe those rumoured mechs are coming in Season 3 as well?

So far, that’s all I’ve picked up from trailer. Spot any other cool details or clues? Share them with us at our Facebook or Twitter page!
Apex Legends Season 3 ‘Meltdown’ launches on 1 October 2019 for PC, PS4, and Xbox One. The game is still free-to-play so if you haven’t gotten into Apex Legends, now is a pretty good time to do so.


Warhammer Underworlds Online Is Now Out Of Early Access

Warhammer Underworlds Online, the video game adaptation of Games Workshop’s Warhammer Underworlds deck-building board game hybrid, has left Steam Early Access.
Set in the Mirrored City of Shadespire, the setting of the board game’s first season, the video game currently contains all of the warbands found in that season, with more to be added as DLC. The represented factions include the heroic Stormcast Eternals, the bloodthirsty Blood Warriors of Khorne, the undead Deathrattle, Orruks (basically Orcs), and the rat-like Skaven, which were heavily featured in the Vermintide games.

“Warhammer Underworlds: OnlineÂ is a digital adaptation of the explosive, high-stakes, turn-based strategy tabletop game fromÂ Games WorkshopÂ that pits mighty warbands from theÂ Age of Sigmar universe against one another in an eternal player versus player battle for Glory,” reads the Steam description. “Choose a warband, build your decks and carve a path to victory using dice-and-card mechanics that offer boundless strategic depth.”
I’ve only played the physical version (up till the second season, Nightvault), but Warhammer Underworlds: OnlineÂ looks like a pretty faithful digital replication so it could be a nice alternative, especially in these social distancing times. It’s a lot cheaper than the board game too, costing only RM51 (currently RM40.80 due to a sale); in comparison, the physical version’s Season 3 (Beastgrave) starter set costs around RM270, while the single-faction expansion packs cost slightly over RM100.
The Steam page is also keen to point out that future Universal cards will be free unlike the board game, and will be added via “regular release packs”. I assume that the faction-specific cards will be tied to the DLCs, which don’t have any price details yet, but this is already a much more generously-priced offering than the board game. There’ll be both casual and ranked matches, and cosmetic items to be earned as well.
Unfortunately, despite the mostly positive rating, there are a number of negative reviews that stand out. A few say that the game is pretty clunky at the moment, and one points out that since not all of the Season One cards have been added yet, some factions in the game are a bit hamstrung.
If that doesn’t dissuade you from duking it out in the Mirrored City, you can find the game here.


Bandai Namco Reveals Dragon Ball Fighter Z Opening Cinematic

Bandai Namco Entertainment earlier today revealed the opening cinematic of its highly anticipated, upcoming fighter, Dragon Ball FighterZ. Set to hit current-gen consoles and PC come January 26th 2018, the trailer focuses on the playable characters in the game including Goku (duh), Trunks, Vegeta, teenage and adult Gohan and Piccolo on the good side and the likes Frieza, Cell and Beerus filling in on the side of the villains. Check it out:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IW8iG0Bqd3Y&w=560&h=315]
We can’t wait for January 26th 2018 to arrive and here’s a great news to all of you who share the thought; the beta for the game drops January 14th 2018, and a day earlier for those who pre-ordered it.


Dune Actor TimothÃ©e Chalamet Declares The Sand Walk A Future TikTok Trend

Dune actor TimothÃ©e Chalamet, who plays the main protagonist Paul Atreides, said that a key scene in the sci-fi film may end up becoming an internet trend after it’s released.
During an interview about the film at the Venice Film Festival’s Dune press conference with director Denis Villeneuve and the rest of the cast, Timothy talked about how he did the sand walk in the film. Basically, this is the important bit in the film where Paul Atreides needs to do a special ritual to summon the sandworm (the giant beast in the trailer).
“We had one of the best choreographers in the world, Benjamin Millepied who actually came up with the sand walk. Rebecca Fergurson and I saw a video of him doing it in Santa Monica.
I’m afraid that if I show it here, I’ll be in rhythm and the room will be engulfed by the sand worm. [short pause] Bad joke.
It was something that Denis had to direct in a very grounded way. It wasn’t something to be too precious, but it was something where we were ‘hey, let’s not be goofy about this; let’s really get this right’. [Rebecca and I] had the scene in Abu Dhabi. We found the dialogue to it afterwards and had the walk down.Â
TikTok’s going to be on this [laughs along with Denis & the cast].”
Rebecca Fergurson, who plays Lady Jessica in the film, added her thoughts on the sand walk.
“I remember saying to myself ‘I needed to study this’ and then said ‘thank god, I’m not supposed to know it’. I can get away with it and not look silly.”

TimothÃ©e also said that he did his research on the previous main actor Kyle Maclachlan for the 1984 Dune adaptation, and has huge respect for it. However, he said the following, confirming that his version of the character is closer to the source material.
“When Denis Villeneuve asks you to do his version of the film, you forget all that and you be humble to the source material.”
Dune will be out this 14th October in theatres worldwide. Hopefully in Malaysia as well.


Dungeons & Dragons Dark Alliance Will Be On Xbox Game Pass Day One

If you’re planning on playing the upcoming co-op dungeon-running action game Dungeons & Dragons Dark Alliance on the Xbox, keep in mind that the game is free to play on Xbox Game Pass on Day One, 22nd June.
In addition, the game will support PC (Windows 10) and console crossplay. Dungeons & Dragons Dark Alliance lets you have up to four players fighting over 30 iconic D&D enemies in a slew of harsh locales like Icewind Dale, all in third-person action gaming glory. You have four iconic heroes to pick from: Drizzt, Catti-brie, Bruenor, and Wulfgar. They have over 50 different moves, special abilities, and team attacks for you and your pals to experiment with.

Dungeons & Dragons Dark Alliance is also coming out for PS4, PS5, and PC (Steam), 22nd June.


Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts 2 PS5 Version Adds 4K Visuals & DualSense Support

Following its successful launch on PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One and PC in June 2021, Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts 2 now takes PlayStation 5 players deep behind enemy lines with the most immersive version of the highly challenging modern warfare shooter, yet.
Released today, the PS5 â€œElite Editionâ€ offers eye-opening 4K resolution alongside updated visuals and textures, further improving what was already the best-looking entry to the series.
The DualSense Adaptive Triggers means each weapon feels unique, providing greater control over those all-important 1000m+ extreme-range sniper shots, while Haptic Feedback ensures players feel every bullet like never before. As for those untimely deaths, lightning-fast SSD loading times will deliver persistent assassins straight back into the action faster than ever.
From publisher CI Games, the PS5 edition also includes a free copy of the â€œCrossbow Carnageâ€ DLC weapons pack, giving players access to the fan-favourite arbalest, in addition to a host of equally high-power weaponry. It also includes the title’s recently-released major expansion, â€œButcherâ€™s Banquet.â€
The PS5 SGWC2 Elite Edition Features:

Upgraded visuals and textures
Choice between Visual Mode (4K, 30 FPS) or Performance Mode (2K, 60FPS)
DualSense Adaptive Triggers
Haptic feedback
SSD Loading Times
â€œCrossbow Carnageâ€ weapons pack: Crossbow, 550 TRV Sniper Rifle, Mad Sheriff 9 Revolver, Car K8 Assault rifle, Zebra skin.
â€˜Butcherâ€™s Banquetâ€™ Expansion

Set in a lawless region of Kuamar, Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts 2 follows contract sniper assassin, Raven, as he takes on a series of treacherous assassination missions to overthrow a ruthless dictatorship. The game features expansion sandbox maps, a variety of missions that can be approached in a number of ways, a wide range of realistic weapons and gadgets, unlockable skills and equipment, and, of course, the flagship feature: a highly realistic sniping experience.
Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts 2 is out now on PS5 in both physical and digital formats priced at US$39.99 USD, and is also available on PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One and PC.
You can also head on over here for our review of Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts 2.


All The Games From the PlayStation 5 Digital Showcase

During the PS5 – Future Of Gaming live stream, Sony announced many of the upcoming games slated to arrive on the PlayStation 5 in the future. These include both third-party and first-party exclusives, which you can check out below:
GTA V
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P20ASB1MdnI&w=560&h=315]
The first game to be revealed during the live stream isn’t exactly a new title, but it’s a big one nonetheless. Rockstar Games is bringing Grand Theft Auto V to the PS5 sometime in the second half of 2020.
It will feature a range of technical improvements, visual upgrades and performance enhancements to take full advantage of the consoleâ€™s powerful new hardware. In addition, a new standalone version of GTA Online will also be available for free exclusively for PS5 players during the first three months.
Starting today, all PlayStation Plus members on PS4 will get GTA$1,000,000 (deposited within 72 hours into their in-game Maze Bank account) each and every month that they play GTA Online until the eventual launch of GTA Online on PS5.
Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHzuHo80U2M&w=560&h=315]
Insomniac Games revealed our first look at their follow-up to 2018’s Marvel’s Spider-Man with Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales. It is slated to be an exclusive launch title for the PS5 in Holiday 2020.
Gran Turismo 7
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oz-O74SmTSQ&w=560&h=315]
Polyphony Digital has announced Gran Turismo 7. It will feature everything from classic vehicles and tracks to the reintroduction of the legendary GT Simulation Mode, as well as promising an even more realistic driving experience thanks to haptic feedback and immersive 3D audio.
It is slated to be launch exclusively for the PS5, but no release date or window has been given.
Ratchet And Clank: Rift Apart
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ai3o0XtrnM8&w=560&h=315]
Insomniac Games announces another PS5 exclusive game with Ratchet And Clank: Rift Apart, showing Ratchet and Clank travelling through multiple dimensions and alternate worlds. There’s even one with a pink female “Ratchet” lombax.

It is slated to be launch exclusively for the PS5, but no release date or window has been given.
Project Athia
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=doe3kUqHIcM&w=560&h=315]
Project Athia is a new story-led and action-packed adventure from Square Enix’s new studio, Luminous Productions. It is slated to be launch for the PS5 and PC, but no release date or window has been given.
Stray
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u84hRUQlaio&w=560&h=315]
Stray is a unique experience from BlueTwelve Studio and Annapurna Interactive, where players will assume the role of a cat in what seems to be a dystopian world with robots. It is slated to be launch for the PS5 and PC sometime in 2021.
Returnal
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jv4BjWoB-NA&w=560&h=315]
Housemarque revealed their new game, Returnal. It combines action with roguelike gameplay into a third-person shooter where players fight to survive a hostile planet that changes with every death. Players can switch instinctively between firing modes by using a single adaptive trigger and can get right back into the action after dying.
It is slated to be launch exclusively for the PS5, but no release date or window has been given.
Sackboy A Big Adventure
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUwI6e-em3o&w=560&h=315]
Iconic PlayStation hero from the Little Big Planet franchise, Sackboy returns in an all-new 3D adventure with a deeply immersive and expressive control scheme. Players can go on this epic platforming journey solo-style, or they can team up with friends for collaborative, chaotic multiplayer fun.
It is slated to be launch exclusively for the PS5, but no release date or window has been given.
Destruction AllStars
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNO1k5NCDOk&w=560&h=315]
From developer Lucid Games, this looks like Rocket League meet Twisted Metal. It is slated to be launch exclusively for the PS5, but no release date or window has been given.
Kena Bridge Of Spirits
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxzWlIbnp3U&w=560&h=315]
Kena Bridge Of Spirits is a story-driven action-adventure from developer Ember Lab, set in a charming world rich with exploration and fast-paced combat. Players find and grow a team of tiny spirit companions called the Rot, enhancing their abilities and creating new ways to manipulate the environment.
It is slated to be launch for the PS5 and PC, but no release date or window has been given.
Goodbye Volcano High
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahCPSAUKFR4&w=560&h=315]
Goodbye Volcano High is a cinematic, choice-based narrative game from Montreal-based studio KO_OP, set in the final year of school for a bunch of dinosaur teens, on the cusp of graduation and the rest of their lives.
It is slated to be launch for the PS4, PS5 and PC sometime in 2021.
Oddworld Soulstorm
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9b-_jCCBhg&w=560&h=315]
Oddworld Soulstorm is a sequel to 2014’s Oddworld New ‘n’ Tasty! by developer Oddworld Inhabitants
Based on the concept of Scavengerâ€™s Economy, players will loot from trash cans, pickpocket, and search through lockers for items to craft into weapons and tools to use to help save fellow Mudokons while they try to unlock the dark secrets behind Brew.
Oddworld Soulstorm gives you more choices to replay with different approaches, along with light RPG elements, leaderboards, trophies for completionists, and a progression system.
It is slated to be launch for the PS5 and PC, but no release date or window has been given.
Ghostwire Tokyo
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4tkNjJsOvY&w=560&h=315]
From Shinji Mikami and the team at Tango Gameworks comes Ghostwire Tokyo, a next-gen action-adventure game coming to PS5 and PC sometime in 2021.
Players can explore a beautiful city that blends ultra-modern cityscapes and stunning ancient shrines. Armed with a bevvy of formidable, upgradeable powers, they will face off against evil spirits (referred to as The Visitors) haunting the city of Tokyo.
JETT: The Far Shore
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDPu9bwZc2k&w=560&h=315]
Jett: The Far Shore is a new cinematic action-adventure from Superbrothers that invites you to embark on an interstellar trip. Carve out a future for a people â€˜haunted by oblivionâ€™ while skimming over an ocean of music and 3D sound.
It is slated to launch for the PS4 and PS5 in Holiday 2020.
Godfall
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oal1EbvDxCk&w=560&h=315]
From Counterplay Games comes Godfall, where players are the last of the Valorian knights, god-like warriors able to equip Valorplates, legendary armour sets that transform wielders into unstoppable masters of melee combat.
They will be able to master five weapon classes, unlock various Valorplates through gameplay, level up and learn new skills, and choose to fight solo or alongside friends with three-player PvE online co-op play.
It is slated to launch for the PS5 and PC in Holiday 2020.
Solar Ash
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrNgfmkf0uI&w=560&h=315]
From Hyper Light Drifter developer Heart Machine comes Solar Ash, where players journey through the Ultravoid, a ravenous rift in space swallowing worlds, blasting through high-speed traversal challenges with wild gravity and beautiful vistas while slaying massive monsters and meeting other lost souls.
It is slated to launch for the PS4, PS5 and PC sometime in 2021.
Hitman 3
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsJyTTsp-PE&w=560&h=315]
Hitman 3 is the dramatic conclusion to the World of Assassination trilogy and will put players back into the shoes (and stylish suit) of Agent 47, a ruthless professional assassin who must take on the most important contracts of his career.
It is slated to launch for the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC in January 2021.
Astro’s Playroom
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lu5VXrEqgco&w=560&h=315]
Astro and his crew lead players on a magical introduction through PS5 in this fun platformer that will come pre-loaded exclusively on the PS5. There will be four worlds, each of which is based on the PS5â€™s console components.
Little Devil Inside
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FqsyNSYSKc&w=560&h=315]
Little Devil Inside is an action-adventure RPG from developer Neostream with survival elements set in an atmospheric, semi-open world. The trailer reveals new scenes, monsters and glimpses of gameplay in various environments.”
It is slated to launch for the PS4, PS5, and PC, but no release date or window has been given.
NBA 2K21
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NSQahGpqv0&w=560&h=315]
Featuring 19-year-old New Orleans Pelicans rookie Zion Williamson, players can look forward to next-gen sweat (no, really). It is slated to release for the PS5 and Xbox Series X in Fall 2020.
Bugsnax
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-v1BxSETvI&w=560&h=315]
Bugsnax is a first-person adventure, where players play as a journalist who receives a mysterious film from the disgraced explorer, Elizabert Megafig. Lured by the promise of a great story, players travel to the island to interview Elizabert and her group of misfit grumpuses, hunt Bugsnax, and solve the mysteries of the island.
It is slated to launch for the PS4, PS5 and PC in Holiday 2020.
Demon’s Souls
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TMs2E6cms4&w=560&h=315]
From JAPAN Studio and Bluepoint Games comes a remake of the PlayStation classic, Demonâ€™s Souls. Entirely rebuilt from the ground up and masterfully enhanced, this remake invites players to experience the unsettling story and ruthless combat of Demonâ€™s Souls in unparalleled visual quality and incredible performance.
The remake slated to be launch exclusively for the PS5, but no release date or window has been given.
Deathloop
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mc2hz3LJhTY&w=560&h=315]
From Dishonored franchise developer Arkane Studios comes Deathloop, a new immersive first-person shooter, where the main antagonist might be another player. Players willÂ experience Deathloopâ€™s main story as Colt, hunting down targets across the island as you try to break the loop.
Meanwhile, another player might temporarily enter the story in the role of Julianna, a rival assassin with her own singular goal: Protect the loop by eliminating Colt.
Of course, if players are feeling particularly villainous, they can slip into the shoes of Julianna themselves, jumping into someone elseâ€™s Blackreef for a tense game of cat-and-mouse.
However, this multiplayer invasion element is completely optional. The game is slated to launch for the PS5 and PC in Holiday 2020.
Resident Evil Village
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRpXEc-EJow&w=560&h=315]
Resident Evil Village is the eighth main entry in Capcom’s Resident Evil franchise. Taking place a few years after the events of Resident Evil 7 (in which protagonist Ethan Winters travelled to Louisiana to search for his missing wife, Mia), Resident Evil Village sees the reunited Mia and Ethan living happily together and putting their shared nightmares of the Bakerâ€™s plantation house behind them.
finally able to move on from those horrifying events, Ethanâ€™s world suddenly comes crashing down once again when Chris Redfield, an unexpected yet familiar face makes an appearance, setting off a chain of events that sees a distraught Ethan seeking answers to Chrisâ€™s shocking actionsâ€¦ and ultimately finding him in a mysterious village.
This will retain the first-person perspective of its predecessor, but with a greater focus on combat and exploration. It is slated to release for the PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC sometime in 2021.
Pragmata
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoxCboik0Is&w=560&h=315]
Pragmata is a mysterious new game from Capcom. Little is known about the game, but the trailer shows a man in a spacesuit grappling with reality-bending stuff and he somehow ends up on the moon with a girl.
Weird stuff. Anyways, it is slated to release for PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC in 2022.
Horizon Forbidden West
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lq594XmpPBg&w=560&h=315]
Guerilla Games announces the sequel to 2017’s Horizon Zero Dawn with Horizon Forbidden West. It will pick up where the previous game left off, with Aloy heading out further west to a post-apocalyptic America to counter a new threat.
The trailer shows off new gameplay mechanics like underwater exploration and massive new robotic creatures to battle (including giant machine mammoths) It is slated to release exclusively for the PS5, but no release date or window has been given.

You can also watch the entire presentation below:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RuLci-lSeCo&w=560&h=315]
In the meantime,Â head on over here to check out all our other PS5-related news and feature articles.


The Main Reason We Aren’t Getting A Full Season Release Of Peacemaker

The first three episodes of Peacemaker Season 1 is now streaming on HBO GO and HBO Max. The series explores the origins of the character that John Cena first portrayed in James Gunnâ€™s 2021 film, The Suicide Squad. However, many fans must be wondering; why didn’t HBO just release all eight episodes of Season 1 all at once?
The answer is simple; they couldn’t.
In response to someone stating that HBO should have just released the whole season at once, Peacemaker showrunner James Gunn explained on Twitter that post-production for the final episode of Peacemaker is unfinished and still in post-production.
One new episode of Peacemaker will be released every week starting from 20 January 2022 until 17 February 2022, which is when the eighth and final episode will premiere on HBO GO or HBO Max.

Not possible, as the post isn't fully done. Just recorded the orchestra for episode 8, which is INCREDIBLE. @iamclintmansell @KinerMusic #Peacemaker https://t.co/wSsqz2vtwA
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) January 13, 2022

It is this writer’s opinion that a weekly release schedule is ultimately better to fully appreciate each episode and build more hype, as more and more streaming services like Amazon Prime Video and Disney+ now also follow the same format. Not many services are still following the full season binge format popularized and still in use by Netflix.
In the meantime, you can check out my spoiler-free review ofÂ PeacemakerÂ byÂ heading over here or check out my breakdown of the first three episodes by heading over here.


Go Westeros: Inside Iain Glen’s Head, The Guy Who Plays Game of Thrones’ Biggest Cuckold

Poor Ser Jorah; he can’t catch a break. When he’s not exiled by his one true love Daenerys Targaryen, through most of his own doing to be fair, he now has to contend with the fact Jon Snow is getting cozy in that dragon roost. Still, he’s taking what he can get.
“I think he’s back within the loving embrace of Daenerys which is where he’s been working towards for the last couple of seasons,” actor Iain Glen said in a HBO interview transcript exclusive to the media, with emphasis on “think”. “Obviously, the Great War is impending. There have been movements towards the end of the last season of trying to take on the Army of the Dead and trying to persuade people of their existence. That’s where he is.
“He’s her head of the military and right-hand man. I think he has accepted Tyrion is now her wise advisor and that he has a different role now. There have been manoeuvrings around Daenerys about whose role is whose but I think he’s very content where he is.”
From Triangle To A Straight Line
Thanks to recent Season 7 developments, he’s putting his libido in check while observing the going-ons between her and Jon Snow. “I think he’s shed any sexual passion for her after having been accepted back so completely by her.”
Perhaps it’s the character’s noble soul that makes him approach the cock-blocking Stark bastard boy diplomatically. At least, that’s what Iain thinks. “[Ser Jorah is dealing with it] quite well, in the sense that you would obviously not lose entirely the feelings that you had for her, but I think he has been so removed from her and wanted to be with her for so long that he would not want to jeopardize that.”

“Deep down,” he added, “something must be tearing inside him.” Would Ser Jorah do the unthinkable and maybe find some way to take Jon Snow out of the picture mid-battle?
Or just stay on the course of being the noble chivalrous hero, despite the fact that’s what get most men and women killed in Westeros?

Either way, he has no time to deal with that since he’s got that greyscale affliction to sort out.

Fight. Club.
But enough about the lovey-dovey soap opera; how about Ser Jorah’s story arc and his pivotal moments throughout the show? “We’ve got to take on the unbeatable,” Iain said when referring to the Night King and his undead army in Season 8. “It’s like the human against the superhuman, but there are other variables including dragons â€“ and there’s one of them working for the other side as well.”
“It’s about the battle of all battles and whether we can succeed. Everything is thrown up in the air. There’s dispute and confusion, even within alliances.”

“It’s a very disparate bunch of people who have been at loggerheads for eight seasons that are now trying to unite and serve the same purpose.
Anything could go any which way.”

In all the 9 years he’s been doing this, the iconic scene he uses to introduce his character is the gladiatorial sequence in the Great Pit of Meereen in front of Daenerys. And that’s not including all the other hard work and toils he’s done to make the entire show’s many character arcs gel.

“It was very beautifully done,” said Iain. “It’s like you fast track a story of arriving, surprise, fighting, nearly dying, saving the day. Then there were some very sweet words on the back from [showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss].”
“[In retrospect], sometimes the scale of it and what was required meant that you had to be around to go out to do a minute’s work or not be used or wait around.”
True, Iain has felt frustrated as an actor because he couldn’t get his acting muscles up in certain moments, leading to reshoots. He recalled his shooting work in Iceland where the actors and crew had to get up in ungodly hours and max out on the daylight shoots and scenes. “[Y]ou’re getting up early, dragging yourself there, getting covered in shit…it’s hard when you’re doing that day after day.”
“But then,” he added, “you take a step back and you remember that you are a part of a bigger whole and you appreciate why that is.”
“[I]n those days you were in the most breathtakingly stunning scenery. You do it and you feel both high and exhausted. Then, you go do that journey all the way back home to have drinks with everyone. It’s the hard graft of it that makes it what it is, makes it Thrones. Deep down, you don’t begrudge a second of it.”

Iain summed up his whole Game of Thrones acting experience in one eloquent sentence: “It’s the difficulty that makes it so pleasurable.”

Game of Thrones Season 8 will be out 15 April, Monday at 9am on HBO (Astro Channel 411/431 HD).Â


Critical Role Gets Amazon Animated Series Next February

If you ever wonder why fake nerds and geeks have been getting into Dungeons & Dragons for the past few years, you can thank live D&D shows like Critical Role. This group of talented voice actors and actresses (most of them good-looking) livestream their D&D play sessions.
With actual talent doing these shows on a weekly/monthly basis, it’s no wonder the tabletop and analog gaming scene has seen some level of resurgence.Â And now the group’s hard work has paid off to the point where their Legend of Vox Machina campaigns are getting the Western animation treatment. During New York Comic Con 2021, the Critical Role group showed off the title intro of its upcoming animated series Critical Role: The Legend of Vox Machina for Amazon Prime Video streaming service.
It looks hella good.

The show will be a two series 24-episode adventure, with key cast members also serving the executive production role: Laura Bailey, Taliesin Jaffe, Ashley Johnson, Liam O’Brien, Matthew Mercer, Marisha Ray, Sam Riegel, and Travis Willingham. Here’s a line read session from the group:

Critical Role: The Legend of Vox Machina will be on Amazon Prime Video on 4th February, 2022. Don’t worry: you don’t need to be a poser to enjoy the show.


Almost Every Halo Game Can Now Be Played With Mouse & Keyboard On Xbox

Thanks to a new update, players can now play all the games in Halo The Master Chief Collection using a mouse and keyboard on Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S.
These titles include Halo CE, Halo 2, Halo 3, Halo 3: ODST, Halo: Reach, and Halo 4 as of the latest April 2021 patch. In addition, you can now also adjust your field of view, crosshairs, and bind controls across multiple inputs, just like the experience of playing on PC.
What makes this great is that players who prefer mouse and keyboard can choose to play on Xbox consoles instead. The advantage of playing on consoles is that it’s less likely to encounter cheaters and exploiters, compared to PC, where cheaters are more likely to thrive and pop up.
According to the full patch notes, the update also adds new accessibility options, a new â€œEscalation Slayerâ€ game variant, a new map for Halo 3, and you can easily set your in-game chat and audio devices separately now on PC. Players can also look forward to a whole new season’s worth of content with Halo The Master Chief Collection Season 6, which has been dubbed Raven.


The Pillars And Icons Of The Rhythm Game Genre

Rhythm games have become a staple genre of video games, dating back to the mid-1990s, but considering that there are so many control schemes and themes that they use now. It’s important to understand where they came from, not just for their memorable songs and flashy visuals. While it’s impossible to cover every single control scheme, this article will cover the most iconic and important rhythm games, with revolutionary features or iconic controls, acting as the pillars of the genre.
Each game will be covered by the first game in the series, or the first version that resembles the modern classic version of the game. This includes specific releases, such as the arcade, console or PC release of the game, depending on which one is seen as the best modern classic of the series.

Beat Mania

Beat Mania was an arcade rhythm-based game, developed by Konami in 1997. The game puts the player in the shoes of a club DJ, which was rather fitting for the time it was released. Beat Mania features a set of buttons to press that resemble a DJ deck, adding to the immersion of the game. The player reacts to notes falling down columns on the screen and taps the correct button when the note reaches a point at the bottom of the screen.
While this type of gameplay is now seen as simple and generic, Beat Mania revolutionized the falling notes style of gameplay, where the player reacts to notes that fall down the screen in rows. Beat Mania also introduced the timing system to measure the player’s timing of button presses, measured from Perfect Great to Poor as well as the accuracy system to show how accurate the player was in each level overall, which almost all rhythm games have implemented in some form or another since then.

Dance Dance Revolution

Konami also developed and published Dance Dance Revolution, released in 1998 in arcades. Dance Dance Revolution takes a similar “Notes in Rows” style of gameplay but pairs it with the iconic Dance Pad as the main controller, using the player’s feet to give inputs on arrow keys as if they are dancing. Just like Beat Mania, Dance Dance Revolution has a high score, accuracy, timing system and combo counter on top of a life meter, which determines if you fail or pass the level. The life meter goes up or down depending on your hitting or missing notes.
Throughout all the Dance Dance Revolution games, on PC, arcade and console, each song also has different difficulty levels within it, with modern games having difficulties ranging from Beginner to Challenge. These difficulties affect the speed, the number of notes that appear as well as the complexity of the notes that appear on screen, which is also a staple mechanic of modern rhythm games.

Taiko No Tatsujin

Taiko No Tatsujin was first released in 2001, developed by Bandai Namco. The game featured a side-scrolling notes style of gameplay, with players utilizing a drum controller and drumsticks to hit specific notes by hitting the center or ridge of the drum. This is based on the traditional Taiko drums of Japan, which are used for all kinds of festivals and ceremonies, including celebrations. The drum controller used by the arcade game is almost exactly like a real Taiko drum down to the drumsticks bouncing off the skin of the drum.
One unique game mechanic is the multiple types of spamming obstacles, where you need to hit the drum a certain number of times quickly to pass the obstacle. Difficulty increases also add on to the speed and number of notes to hit, much like the previously mentioned rhythm games.

Guitar Hero/Rock Band

Guitar Hero was released in 2005, originally developed by Harmonix. Guitar Hero was a smash hit on consoles, coming with a Guitar-shaped controller that used buttons and a strum bar in order to react to notes on the screen, mimicking the chords on a real guitar. The game also included a career mode, competitive and multiplayer modes to compete with your friends or play through all the songs solo.
Company RedOctane, which specialized in making unique gaming controllers, helped to create the signature controller for Guitar Hero, which helped to add more at-home controllers for rhythm games. While the further spiritual successor made by Harmonix would continue and expand on this trend, Guitar Hero was the pioneer for the control scheme and the at-home rhythm game genre.

Speaking of which, in 2007, after Guitar Hero was bought out by Activision and the development was handed off to Neversoft, Harmonix began working on Rock Band. Rock Band is a very similar game to Guitar Hero, a game that expanded on the formula that Guitar Hero set by adding on other instruments such as a drum kit, lead guitar, bass guitar and keyboard as well as even vocals using a microphone, allowing for you to either choose an instrument to play or play with a group of friends.

Osu!

While the original Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan games were not nearly as successful, game developer Peppy was inspired to create a more modernized PC version of the game. Osu! is a free-to-play rhythm game that focuses on a mix of timing taps to the beat with aiming to click notes and sliders that appear on the screen. Osu! has a very unique gameplay style as it is equal parts aiming and rhythm, with both playing a key part in the skill ceiling.
Another reason that Osu! has become such an icon of the rhythm game community is, well, the community. Every beatmap is made by a community member or members, including the visuals, level design, multiple difficulties and so on. There is a live leaderboard for each level as well as a total scoreboard using the Performance Points (PP) system, which tracks all players globally.
There are also Multi matches, which are live matches in that players can compete again each other, with a live score tally to keep track of who wins. Osu! has been community-driven ever since the beginning and it is still thriving to this day, with a new updated version called Osu! Lazer being in development currently.


Ubisoft’s Far Cry 6 Free Weekend Begins Today

Far Cry 6 is available to play for free until 20 February 2023 on Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, as well as PC through the Ubisoft Store and the Epic Games Store.
New players will have access to the full game, including the crossover missions, Rambo: All the Blood, and The Vanishing, a Stranger Things mystery. During the free weekend, players who play together in co-op will automatically get the White Lotus Sniper Rifle as a reward. Players who purchase the game will have their progress carried over in their continued fight to liberate Yara.
For a limited time, players can get up to 70 percent off the Standard, Deluxe, and Gold Editions of Far Cry 6, up to 67 percent off Game of the Year Edition, and save up to 60 percent on the Game of the Year Upgrade pass and Season Pass. Players can also get Far Cry 6’s recent expansion, Lost Between Worlds, for up to 50 percent off.
In the meantime, you can check out our review of Far Cry 6 by heading over here.


iQiyi Announces Summer Anime Slate With Tokyo Revengers & More

iQiyi is the first-of-its-kind and fastest-growing on-demand video streaming service which has been making waves in Malaysia with its Asian-centric video streaming service. They have just announced their most recent anime lineup for summer 2021.
Regarded as the Asian leader in anime streaming, iQiyi has rolled out more fan favourites including Tokyo Revengers, That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime (part 2), The Case Study of Vanitas, The Duke of Death and His Maid and RE-MAIN voiced by Natsuki Hanae on its international service this Summer. This is after the great reception of Attack on Titan, Jujutsu Kaisen, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, One Piece, Dragon Ball Super earlier this year.Â
Hailed as one of the most anticipated anime in 2021, Tokyo Revengers features a tight-knit plot about time travel and crime-solving, combined with a vivid depiction of the Tokyo Bosozoku culture and exciting street fights scenes. Another eagerly awaited mystery thriller The Detective Is Already Dead is an anime series and a namesake of the award-winning Japanese light novel written by Nigojuu.Â
More excitement for isekai fantasy fans as various new shows arriving on iQiyi: That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime returns for the second half of Season 2 along with the heroic adventure How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom and romantic comedy My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom!Â
Moreover, RE-MAIN a sport-themed anime created by MAPPA, the reputable studio behind Jujutsu Kaisen and the final season of Attack on Titan will light up your inner passion with its high school water polo story. The Case Study of Vanitas will satisfy your cravings in fantasy, vampires in Paris!Â
iQiyi Summer Anime 2021

Title
Genre

Tokyo Revengers
Action, Suspense, Science Fiction

The Case Study of Vanitas
Fantasy, Adventure, Vampire

The Detective Is Already Dead
Fantasy, Romance, Suspense

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime S2 Part2
Fantasy, Adventure

My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom! S2
Romance, Comedy

How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom
Isekai, Harem

RE-MAIN
Sports

The Duke of Death and His Maid
Romance, Comedy

Remake Our Life!
Time travel, School

SONNY BOY
Isekai, Superpowers, Fantasy

I’m Standing on a Million Lives S2
Adventure, Fantasy

Girlfriend, Girlfriend
Romance, Comedy

Tokyo Revengers.
The Case Study of Vanitas.
The Detective Is Already Dead.
That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime S2 Part2
My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom! S2
How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom.
RE-MAIN.
The Duke of Death and His Maid.
Remake Our Life!
SONNY BOY.
I’m Standing on a Million Lives S2
Girlfriend, Girlfriend.
Best of all, Anime fans need not wait to enjoy all these and more offerings by iQiyi anywhere, on the go, even on their mobile devices. This is made possible through FREE ad-supported and VIP subscription services, on which iQIYI delivers premium dramas, movies, variety shows, and anime; with local languages and subtitles; powered by cutting-edge technology.
For more information and to enjoy these offerings now, you can visit the official website now.


[Report] PlayStation’s Upcoming State of Play & PlayStation Gathering Dates Confirmed

If the rumour is to be believed, Sony PlayStation’s State of Play event will be filled with tons of huuuuuuuge top-tier gaming news that’ll rock the gaming scene to the core.
According to an alleged leak as reported on Neogaf, the State of Play video showcase, scheduled for 1st November, will involve the launch trailers for two highly anticipated titles: Death Stranding and The Last of Us Part II. First unveiled at E3 2019, Respawn Entertainment’s Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order complete the trio of titles which headline this State of Play instalment.Â
However, don’t expect even a whiff of Ghost of Tsushima as the title isn’t on the menu this time around. Apparently, despite all the progress the development of the game has been going, it also encountered some ‘considerable delays’ which are mostly related to texture and frame rates issues – problems which may be solvable through the upcoming PlayStation 5.
As a result, all marketing strategies and focus will be channelled towards promoting Death Stranding and The Last of Us Part II – two titles we assume would be the marquee sendoff titles for the outgoing PlayStation 4 system.
When Is Next Gen?
Speaking of the PlayStation 5, a meeting involving major publishers such as EA, Ubisoft, Activision and Square Enix is set to take place on 12th February next year. While the full details of this meet is yet to be confirmed, rumour has it that its contents will primarily discuss Sony’s plans in regards to the next-gen gaming console.
Lastly, the PSVR2 prototype which has shown ‘excellent results’ recently was also discussed. Word has it that the marketing team are currently planning for a marketing presentation of the device ahead of the start of the 2021 fiscal year.
Despite this being just an alleged slew of leaks, it’s still great news for Sony fans.


The Latest Dell & Alienware Powerhouse Desktops Will Be Powered By Intel’s Latest Processor

Dell & Alienware has announced that its mainline high-end computers will be sporting Intel’s newly-launched 11th Gen Core processors. And with new insides come new price tags.
The Alienware Aurora R12 with 11th gen processors will start at RM6,699 and will come with the starting specs:

Processor: 11th gen i5
RAM: 16GB
HDD: 512GB + 1TB
Graphics card: NVidia GeForce RTX 3060 Ti 7GB GDDR6
The XPS Desktop with 11th gen processors will start at RM3,699 and will come with the following starter specs:

Processor: 11th gen i5
RAM: 8GB
HDD: 512GB
Graphics card: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 SUPER 4GB GDDR6
The XPS Desktop is built with a 500W power supply, which means it’s future-ready and easy to upgrade. Both computers will be available for purchase in Malaysia starting at the end of March. These look like great & hefty additions to the Dell and Alienware family, though if you’re expecting a price drop, keep dreaming.
The new core processors push out more power for PC gaming and intensive program-running without the bulk that’s usually required.


PUBG MOBILE To Collab With Malaysia’s BoBoiBoy

PUBG MOBILE has announced an upcoming collaboration with Malaysian animated character BoBoiBoy produced by Animonsta Studios.
Earlier today, producer Animonsta Studios uploaded a snippet onto their social media pages with the caption “Winner, Winner …” as part of the famous phrase exclaimed to victory in PUBG MOBILE teasing the release of the collaboration has fans thrilled to get back in the game.

To add to the excitement, the first taste of the 16-second teaser video launching today (which will be uploaded at 8 pm GMT+8 on the PUBG MOBILE official social media pages) featuring the voice of the hit animation star Boboiboy. The tagline “Kuasa Tidak Mengenal Usia” or “Powers Knows No Age’ showcased in the teaser is a shout-out to fans of BoBoiBoy and PUBG MOBILE that playing with unimaginable powers knows no boundaries inclusive of age.
Stay tuned for more announcements regarding this collaboration in the near future. The partnership between PUBG MOBILE and Animonsta Studios is one of many local collaborations set to launch this year. In this collaboration, players could dive into the battlefield using the exclusive BoBoiBoy 3D parachute, set, and hat.


Doraemon Story Of Seasons 2 Chills You Out With Its All-Ages Story & Farming

Platform(s): PC (version reviewed), Nintendo Switch
Genre: Farming simulation from the OG Harvest Moon devs, plus Doraemon & annoying kids
I honestly wouldn’t think that a Harvest Moon-style farming game featuring licensed anime franchises would work, but clearly I missed out on the first Doraemon Story Of Seasons game when it launched back in 2019. It was basically the fun parts of a farming simulation with an anime plot that charts your progress, with space cat android Doraemon lending a helping hand with his gadgets and the children from the show working on the farm in some shape or form. It’s earned quite a reputation that it now has a sequel in 2022.
And so far, not much has changed. But then again, does it need to when the farming and chill simulation vibe already works, and comes equipped with easy-on-the-eyes aesthetics?

Farm Ville

The Marvelous and Bandai Namco mash-up farming game has a plot: Nobita and his pals, along with Doraemon, end up taking a ship to a different planet to escape the wrath of their overbearing parents during the summer holidays. Somehow, they come across a prince who owns a farm and needs help rebuilding it to its former glory. Because Nobita and his friends are keen as they adopt a “sure, why not?” attitude prevalent in legacy anime protags, they accept. Thus begins a farming journey like any of Marvelous’ past Harvest Moon/Story Of Seasons games where the only thing omitted is the marriage and romance system, because it would be goddamn awkward to see underage children go through all that puberty nonsense.
The rest of the gameplay and mechanics aren’t, and are just as relaxing and as chore-heavy as possible: you plant crops, clean up farm plots, buy seeds and ingredients from vendors nearby, and even sell off your harvests and bounties for loads of cash. You can also fish and mine, bug-catch for collection and profit (a feature that’s missing since Story of Seasons: Trio of Towns), as well as build furniture for your summer farmstead. There’s also an overarching plot with the denizens and asshole nobility; it’s all G-rated stuff, but it’s fun to help them out as everyone is good-natured and ends up learning G-rated lessons throughout the course of the plot.

Field Of Dreams

The overall game is catered towards people who like farming sims and nobody else, which is good or bad depending on your tastes. I’m not a big farming sim guy, though games like Rune Factory with its monster-killing gameplay half does do it for me, but the relaxed and less-stressful nature of managing a farm while keeping in mind your stamina (which can be upgraded over time) when doing chores and activities is done well here. Plus, the addition of co-op where you and your pal can play as Nobita and Doraemon means you can get more chores done and cover more ground, though at the expense of a shared stamina meter.
The only issue I can find is that the in-game map needs work since its layout is confusing, though a later gadget from Doraemon can sort you out via fast travel. Also, there’s no way to expand the 10-item slot bag without forking out a lot of money, and that fills up very fast in a game full of collecting resources.
Still, this farming sim excels at not giving you deadlines and timed events so you can just do what you do best in a farming sim: harvest, plant, grow, fish, mine, and relax. That’s what the Story of Seasons games are known for, and this Doraemon-laced sequel keeps the harvest boon streak going with noteworthy additions like co-op and more locations to explore. Why replace the cow when the milk gets better with each squirt?

Final Score: 70/100
Review copy provided by Bandai Namco.


Original Boba Fett Actor Jeremy Bulloch Dies At 75

Jeremy Bulloch has died at the age of 75. He died on Thursday from health complications after living with Parkinson’s disease for many years.
In an official statement to the BBC, the late actor’s agent said:
“He had a long and happy career spanning more than 45 years.He was devoted to his wife, three sons, and 10 grandchildren and they will miss him terribly.”
Bulloch was best known for playing iconic Star Wars character and bounty hunter Boba Fett in Star Wars Episode V The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars Episode VI Return Of The Jedi.
Bulloch also appeared in James Bond film Octopussy in 1983, and the long-running sci-fi series Doctor Who in the 1970s.
The character has since returned alive and well in the second season of The Mandalorian. However, this time around Boba Fett is portrayed by Temuera Morrison, who played Jango Fett in Star Wars Episode II Attack Of The Clones.
We will always remember you, Mr. Bulloch. May the Force be with you, always.
Several Star Wars actors have also given their tribute to the late Bulloch:

Jeremy Bulloch was the quintessential English gentleman. A fine actor, delightful company & so kind to everyone lucky enough to meet or work with him. I will deeply miss him & am so grateful to have known him. ? #RIP_DearJeremy pic.twitter.com/SMvjtQsSwZ— Mark Hamill (@MarkHamill) December 17, 2020

        View this post on Instagram            A post shared by #DanielLogan (@instadaniellogan)


Sony’s Solution To Combat PS5 Shortage Does Not Make Sense

We’re in the second year of the PS5, and the latest Sony console is still extremely difficult to find and buy. Most places are still out of stock and even when they get new ones, these PS5s get snapped up in a heartbeat. What is Sony’s solution to this problem?
By increasing production of the PS4.
According to a report by Bloomberg, a Sony spokesperson confirmed that PS4 production would continue this year.
They said:
“It is one of the best-selling consoles ever and there is always crossover between generations.”
While it doesn’t seem to make sense that Sony is making more PS4 to combat the PS5 shortage, there’s nothing they can realistically do for the latter. The chip shortage means that it’s impossible to make more PS5s. The solution to that is making more PS4s, as the older console uses older and less advanced chips. More PS4s could offset even a bit of the demand for PS5s out there. Plus, future PlayStation exclusives like God Of War Ragnarok and Horizon Forbidden West will also be available on the PS4, alongside the PS5 version.
Despite the PS5 becoming the fastest Sony console to reach 10 million units sold inÂ July 2021, it has already fallen behind the sales pace of the PS4 since then due to lack of supply. The chips in shot supply include unremarkable but essential gear like power management chips. Chipmakers like Toshiba and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing have warned that the problem will continue into 2022. Many are frustrated by the lack of PS5 supply, including game developers and publishers.
The PS5 will remain in tight supply through 2022 and it will be challenging for the company to produce enough units in order to achieve Sonyâ€™s target of 22.6 million sales in the next fiscal year.


PUBG Wants YOU To Test Its Ranked Ruleset

PUBG‘s developers would like players to test its Ranked Ruleset via the PUBG Labs feature.
“A ruleset like this needs feedback though, so like our previous skill-based rating test, weâ€™re looking to PUBG LABS to gather your feedback as quickly and efficiently as possible,” they wrote.
What IS Ranked though? Well, the dev team aims for it to be an experience that merges “the strengths of both public and esports ruleset settings to build a new ruleset specifically made for competitive play”. The number of players in a Ranked match will be reduced to 64.
Among the other tweaks it makes are increased item spawn rates, such as for primary weapons, Level 2 equipment, 4x scopes, and First Aid Kits. The “tempo” of the Blue Zones will “grow faster”, and the plane is “more likely to fly closer to the first safe area”. The Motor Glider is also currently unavailable in Ranked, as the team isn’t yet sure if it’s suitable for a competitive experience.
Players can try out the Ranked Ruleset in both first-person and third-person modes. Erangel, Miramar, and Sanhok are available, but will be picked randomly.


After 14 Long Years, Sakura Wars Is Making A Comeback

The winds of war blow once more. Sega’s RPG-slash-turn-based mecha combat-slash-dating sim video game hybrid Sakura Wars will be making a comeback after for so long.
During Sega Fes this weekend in Japan, the company released a trailer of its next game dubbed Project Sakura Wars.Â And yes, the game’s most memorable anthem is back when you go past the 1:03 mark.

I’m getting the feels just hearing it again.
If you wonder why everyone looks like they came out from the hit-then-miss shonen series Bleach, it’s because Tite Kubo is the game’s main character design. Which means every female in this game will remind you of either Rukia, Orihime, or Rangiku.Â Kohei “Gravity Rush & One Piece” Tanaka will be back to do the game’s music, while Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine DoorsÂ producer Jiro Ishii will be in charge of the story.
For those not in the know, which is probably a LOT of you newbie JRPG fans, the Sakura Wars games let you do the following:

Roleplay as a male sword-wielding commander and manage your mech-piloting team, who are comprised of females.
Fight demons invading your steampunk version of Japan in turn-based glory using mechs called “spiricle armour”.
Motivate and even romance your team members Mass Effect style so they can perform well in combat.
Pretty stellar anime production values. This is one of Sega’s flagship titles back in the day, though it’s a Japan favourite rather than a Western thing.

But Screw That Noise, Here Are Your Squad Members
Based on their design, you can take a wild guess who is the tsundere, yandere, kuudere, and dandere of the group.
Sakura Amamiya, the first girl everyone’s going to date for their first playthrough. She looks a tad familiar though…

Hatsuho Shinonome, tomboy shrine maiden and possible Rangiku Matsumoto stand-in.

Azami Mochizuki, the bratty young ninja prodigy. She looks like Rukia Kuchiki with smaller eyes.

Anastasia Palma, a voluptuous singer and actress. No wait, THIS is the Rangiku Matsumoto stand-in.

Claris Snowflake, a curious bookworm from Luxembourg who knows black magic. Possible Orihime stand-in, sans endowment.

I wasn’t even kidding about the Mass Effect bit.

Let’s not forget that there are mechs in this game; they look like revved-up versions of past Sakura Wars bots.

It’ll be out in English in Spring 2020 for PS4; I’m sure you fans can keep waiting a little longer for your perfect date sim JRPG featuring mechas and steampunk Japan.Â The last English Sakura Wars title was released back in 2005: Sakura Wars V – So Long My Love. Since then, the game and its past cast members made cameos in mobile games like Chain Chronicle, also from Sega.


Fan-Made Final Fantasy IX Memoria Project Showcases Gameplay Demo Trailer

Final Fantasy IX Memoria Project is a fan-made passion project led by a team of over 50 professional developers and artists in the video game industry that aims to reimagine what the legendary game could look like if it was remade with modern graphical capabilities. After three years of development, they have finally given us a look at the project in action.
However, it’s important to note that due to copyright, Final Fantasy IX Memoria Project is only for the purposes of proof of concept, and is not meant to be a playable product.
The 25-minute video showcases what Final Fantasy IX would look like if recreated in Unreal Engine 5, and it looks good. This just further proves that the next Final Fantasy title that Square Enix should remake is definitely Final Fantasy IX, which is second in popularity only to Final Fantasy VII.
Check out the gameplay demo below:


Meet Noble Steed Games: Designers, Developers, & Consultants

Coming out of Australia is Noble Steed Games – previously No Moss Studios – a development studio and consultancy that provides various services to studios worldwide, alongside making their own original works. This relatively small team has had a massive impact on the industry, and continues to do a great service to the weird and wonderful world of indie games and indie game development.
We had the chance to speak with Ann Li Khaw, the Marketing Coordinator for the studio, and get their thoughts on Noble Steed’s work and journey, as well as their hopes for the industry moving forward.
Can you tell us a little bit about Noble Steed Games?

We’re an indie game studio and consultancy based in Sydney. We were originally operating as No Moss Studios, growing from a small group of game developers who loved games to our current team of 7+. Still small, but we’re 6 years old now and working on even more cool and wonderful games to bring joy, tell soulful stories, or educate others! ;D
In addition to that, a big part of our studio’s culture is uplifting the game development community. We’re active hosts/participants of a variety of local gamedev events and take delight in sharing our knowledge and resources.
As a consultancy, what do you typically do?
In addition to developing internal projects, we provide a variety of help for clients. This ranges from Unity Development support, QA services, porting, multiplayer networking and more! Our team’s made up of experienced game developers, eager to help bring games to the market and succeed. Rising above technical challenges is our forte, basically.
Do you typically work with indies who make games in a specific genre?

Not particularly! We’ve had the joy of working on games for a variety of game genres for a variety of platforms— Multiplayer co-op games, side-scroller platformers, puzzle games and more. These projects have been on the typical mobile, Nintendo Switch, PS 5, XBOX, AR/VR platforms, but also more bespoke ones like Arcade Cabinets and feature phones! We have been assisting with more multiplayer games and their server infrastructure recently though, likely because this is an area of high technical difficulty for many teams.
Do businesses approach you for your services, or have there been instances where you’ve approached the businesses instead?
Bit of both! We keep a keen eye out for cool projects that could benefit from our help and are always happy to chat about games, whether as a helpful listening ear or in working capacity. We’ve also had several past clients refer us to new folks, or rehire us for new and exciting projects!
You’re doing a great service for the industry as a whole! What are your hopes for the games industry moving forward?
We love the vibrance of the indie game development scene, and want it to grow and thrive. As a small studio, we hope to support that, whether by helping their games reach more people, providing their team with the knowledge they need, or otherwise.
We look forward to more wonderful, weird and delightful games, made by well-supported creative people!


Batman The Long Halloween Part Two Trailer Looks Even Darker

OriginallyÂ announcedÂ in 2020,Â Batman The Long Halloween Part Two has received an official trailer. Part One is slated to premiere on 22 June 2021, while Part Two will premiere sometime in fall 2021. Whatâ€™s interesting is that Part One is rated PG-13 while Part Two is rated R.
For those unfamiliar with the source material,Â Batman The Long HalloweenÂ is a 13-issue comics story arc from Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale that was first published in 1996, which chronicles an early period in Batmanâ€™s crime-fighting career that sees him on the trail of the Holiday Killer, a serial murderer who claims a new victim on each major holiday.
It was iconic for having Batman, James Gordon and Harvey Dent (before he became Two-Face) going up against some of the Dark Knightâ€™s best villains, including the Joker, the Riddler, Poison Ivy, Scarecrow, Mad Hatter, and more.
The synopsis forÂ Batman The Long Halloween Part TwoÂ reads:
Inspired by the iconic mid-1990s DC story from Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale, Batman The Long Halloween Part Two continues as the Holiday Killer is still at large and, with Bruce Wayne under the spell of the venomous Poison Ivy, Batman is nowhere to be found.
Liberated by an unlikely ally, Bruce quickly uncovers the real culprit: Poison Ivy’s employer Carmine Falcone.
The Roman, his ranks decimated by Holiday and his business spinning out of control, has been forced to bring on less desirable partners – Gotham City’s rogues’ gallery.
In the meantime, Harvey Dent is confronting battles on two fronts: attempting to end the mob war while also dealing with a strained marriage.
And, after an attack that leaves Harvey hideously disfigured, the District Attorney unleashes the duality of his psyche that he’s strived his entire life to suppress.
Now, as Two-Face, Dent decides to take the law into his own hands and deliver judgment to those who’ve wronged him, his family and all of Gotham.
Ultimately, the Dark Knight must put together the tragic pieces that converged to create Two-Face, the Holiday Killer, Batman and Gotham City itself.
Hereâ€™s the full voice cast forÂ Batman The Long Halloween Part One:

Jensen Ackles as Bruce Wayne/Batman.
The late Naya Rivera as Selina Kyle/Catwoman.
Josh Duhamel as Harvey Dent.
Billy Burke as James Gordon.
Titus Welliver as Carmine Falcone.
David Dastmalchian as Calendar Man.
Troy Baker as Joker.
Amy Landecker as Barbara Gordon.
Julie Nathanson as Gilda Dent.
Jack Quaid as Alberto.
Fred Tatasciore as Solomon Grundy.
Alastair Duncan as Alfred.

Itâ€™s a pretty star-studded cast, with Supernatural star Jensen Ackles as Batman and the late Naya Rivera as Catwoman, not to mention Troy Baker reprising his role as the Joker.
Part Two will also feature several new additions to the voice cast. These newcomers include Robin Atkin Downes as both Scarecrow and Thomas Wayne, John DiMaggio as the Mad Hatter, Laila Berzins as Sofia Falcone, Jim Pirri as Sal Maroni and Zach Callison as Young Bruce Wayne.
The animated movie is directed by Chris Palmer, who also directed 2020â€™sÂ Superman Man Of TomorrowÂ animated movie. It begs the question; are they both in the same universe? Weâ€™ll find out later this year.
Check out the trailer below, courtesy of IGN:


Forspoken PC Requirements Seem Hefty

If you’re planning on buying Square Enix’s Western isekai adventure game starring a girl and her talking bracer, you may want to gear up.
Square Enix has revealed Forspoken’s PC specs and requirements, and they seem massive, requiring an i7 processor and GTX 1060 at the minimum and 150GB of install space.
Here are the minimum/maximum specs with words and the graphic, along with a PC feature video for the game:
Minimum requirements (720p 30fps display resolution)

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 1600 / Intel Core i7 3770 (3.7GHz or better)
GPU: AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT 8GB / Nvidia Geforce GTX 1060 6GB
RAM: 16GB
HDD/ SSD Space: 150GB or more

Recommended requirements (1440p 30fps display resolution)

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 / Intel Core i7 8700k (3.7GHz or better)
GPU: AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT 12GB / Nvidia Geforce GTX 3070 8GB
RAM: 24GB
SSD Space: 150GB or more

Ultra requirements (2160p 60fps display resolution)

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 5800X / Intel Core i7 12700 (3.8GHz or better)
GPU: AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT 16GB / Nvidia Geforce GTX 4080 16GB
RAM: 32GB
SSD Space: NVMe SSD 150GB or more

Also, due to fan feedback, the Forspoken demo on PS5 is getting a few tweaks. This includes button-mapping functionality, fixed tech issues, adjusted text size, and tweaks to the lock-on system. Do give it a shot if you haven’t: it’s basically an open-world superhero-style game where you sling spells instead of webbing. It controls real well too. Check out the first 20 minutes of the game below.