Chinese Action Game Lost Soul Aside Aiming To Release In 2020

If you’ve never heard of Lost Soul Aside, I don’t blame you. The game was initially being entirely developed by one person, Yang Bing. After being incorporated into Sony’s China Hero Project, he got himself a proper team in the form of Ultizero Games.

In a recent report by Xinwen Zongheng, Yang Bing said that the studio is aiming to release the game this year. It’s safe to assume that this confidence comes from finally having a team to support him.

“The milestone in 2020 is to release this game.”
– Yang Bing
Before this, the game never really had a release date. Yang Bing first released a trailer of the game back in 2016. While you’re watching it, keep in mind that he was still a one-man studio at the time. It’s only appropriate for Sony to be impressed with his work.
Details about the game are still scarce but what’s confirmed is that it will be an open world game. Combat appears to be fast-paced hack-n-slash reminiscent of the Devil May Cry games. Even in its incomplete form, the game already looks like it’d be really fun to play.

Being the part of the China Hero Project potentially implies that the game will be a PS4 exclusive. With the PS5 rumoured to have backwards compatibily with the PS4, there’s a good chance that it will still be relevant even if it comes out in late 2020.
For more information on the game, check out the official website here. You should also watch that 2016 trailer:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5El-yYNUwU&w=560&h=315]
Thanks, Gematsu.


Spotify Disney Hub Now Available In Malaysia, Offers Marvel & Star Wars Music Too

Starting from 21 January 2020, Spotify listeners in Malaysia will finally get to experience the magic of Disney on the dedicated Spotify Disney Hub. The hub will include playlists, soundtracks, and podcasts for Disney fans of all ages, including:

Disney Hits Malaysia:Â Â All the favourite Disney hits including Asian artist versions.
Disney Hits: Stream Disney Hits to hear the top songs from the biggest Disney and Pixar films globally.
Disney Favorites: Like Disney Hits, Disney Favorites will have everyoneâ€™s favourite current tunes, plus the ones you loved when you were a child.
Disney Classics: Kick back with Disney Classics, a nostalgic playlist that includes songs from the Disney Parks, live-action and animated classic soundtracks, and songs from Disney Channel originals.
Disney Sing-Alongs:Â From the shower to the car, Disney songs that you canâ€™t help but sing along to.
Disney Princess:Â From Belle to Cinderella to Ariel to Moana, Disney Princess has the love ballads as well as the coming-of-age breakaways.
Marvel Music:Â All the best songs and scores from all your favourite Marvel films and shows.
Best of Star Wars:Â Enter, Darth Vader.

To find theÂ Spotify Disney Hub, Spotify users in Malaysia can simply search â€œDisneyâ€ on the Spotify app. They will be able to stream all the music behind not only some of their favourite Disney movies and TV shows but also everything from Marvel and Star Wars movie scores/soundtracks.
In addition to the international playlists, Spotify has also curated a localized Disney playlist made for Malaysia featuring Asian artist versions like Rise – Music inspired by â€œStar Wars: The Rise of Skywalkerâ€ by Alif and SonaOne,Â Bebaskan – Malay VersionÂ by Marsha Milan Londoh, and more.
Spotify Southeast Asia Head of Music Culture & Editorial Eve Tan said:

â€œTogether with Disney, weâ€™ve curated a magical hub of songs, playlists and soundtracks that is easily accessible for Disney fans of all ages.
Weâ€™re delighted to partner with Disney to bring this experience to our listeners as we continue to focus on making discovery as seamless as possible.â€

Courtesy of Disney, here’s a list ofÂ  Disney favourites by Spotify listeners in Malaysia:

â€œHow Far I’ll Go – Alessia Cara Versionâ€ – Alessia Cara (from Moana)
â€œA Whole New World (End Title)â€ – ZAYN, Zhavia Ward (from Aladdin)
â€œSpeechlessâ€ – Naomi Scott (from Aladdin)
â€œLet It Goâ€ – Idina Menzel (from Frozen)
â€œHow Far I’ll Goâ€ – Auli’i Cravalho (from Moana)
â€œTry Everythingâ€ – Shakira (from Zootopia)
â€œInto the Unknownâ€ – AURORA, Idina Menzel – (from Frozen)
â€œYouâ€™ll Be In My Heartâ€ – Phil Collins – (from Tarzan / Soundtrack Version)
â€œA Whole New Worldâ€ – Alan Menken, Brad Kane, Lea Salonga, Tim Rice – (from Aladdin)
â€œI See the Lightâ€ – Alan Menken, Glenn Slater, Mandy Moore, Zachary Levi (from Tangled / Soundtrack Version)

The Disney Hub will continue to be updated with additional content in the future.


[Rumour] These Esports Orgs Have Been Shortlisted For Valorant Partnership

Reports claim that The Guard, Version1, NRG, TSM and Cloud9 have been shortlisted for Riot Games’ Valorant partnership system that’ll initiate next year.
According to Dot Esports’ sources, multiple North American esports organisations are to undergo meetings with Riot Games to divulge financial information. It is also believed that for Korea, DRX is also likely through to the next round.
The report does preface that this does not mean that selection for partnership is guaranteed, all it means is that they have moved on to the next phase of the selection process. It’s very possible that other teams can enter the fold since there was a minimum of a dozen teams shortlisted for the next round in North America alone.
Teams such as T1 and G2 Esports may run into some issues. Regardless of their prominence in the Korean market, management seems set for T1 to remain in North America for Valorant. G2, a European-based organisation is looking to expand into North American Valorant next year. So for both teams, it’s hard to tell whether Riot will allow these foreign organisations to take up slots in the Americas league.

Teams proceeding to the finance interviews are considered to be at the second to last before Riot decides who will be selected for partnerships going into next year. Dot Esports’ report states that by the end of the selection, there should be six to eight teams from North America that will be placed in the Americas league.
With VCT Champions on the horizon, the Last Chance Qualifiers are going to take place sometime in August. It will be around then we can expect Riot to finalise their decision on partnered teams.
In regards to the rest of the slots in the Americas league, we can expect four to six teams from Latin America and Brazil. Teams were informed that each league would have eight to ten spots, meaning that 12 would be the absolute maximum if there were to be expansion.


Elden Ring Is Getting Negative Reviews On Steam [Update]

Update: From Software has heard your pleas. The company is fixing it as we speak. We’ve posted the patch notes below:

Fixed an issue where the graphics card was not being used, resulting in slow performance.
Fixed a bug that caused the game to quit under certain conditions during a battle with the Fire Giant.
Fixed other bugs.

(1/2)
Patch 1.02.2 for PC and PS5 available now.
PC:?Fixed an issue where the graphics card was not being used, resulting in slow performance.?Fixed a bug that caused the game to quit under certain conditions during a battle with the Fire Giant.?Fixed other bugs.
— ELDEN RING (@ELDENRING) March 2, 2022

Original story
Elden Ring is a damn good albeit challenging action RPG, but its current PC technical prowess? It isn’t so hot.
At least according to a huge number of Steam reviews; about 40% of them are negative. The problem? Stuttering frame rates and overall performance despite having the best graphics card and PC systems to run the game on Ultra settings.
Here are a number of quotes:
“Struggling to maintain 60fps/1080p on a [GeForce RX] 3080, massive stuttering and drops to the mid-20s, crashed four times within two hours of game time, 60fps cap, and no ultrawide support.”
“Never would I have expected to give Elden Ring a downvote based on the gameâ€™s performance on PC,â€ wrote another. â€œIâ€™m hardly an FPS snob and I can live with the lack of ultra-widescreen support (in 2022), because the game itself is brilliant and itâ€™s bound to deliver on everything people expected and more. But that just makes this whole dilemma so, so much worse regarding the poor performance on PC.”
“Stuttering problems despite having a rig above the recommended settings,â€ another review reads. â€œNo ultrawide support, 60fps lock. Itâ€™s 2022 andÂ FromSoftware is repeating the same mistakes for the fifth time.”
“Elden Ring? More like Stutter-Ring.”
Let’s hope the game’s latest patch can fix this; we heard from a few associates that the PC version ran just fine before the Day 1 patch hit. For more on Elden Ring, check out our review and guide.


HBO’s The Last Of Us Episode 8 Breakdown & Easter Eggs

HBO’s The Last Of Us Episode 8 is now streaming on HBO and HBO GO (HBO Max in the US). Check out our breakdown of Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5, Episode 6 and Episode 7 here.
The Last Of Us, based on the critically acclaimed video game of the same name developed by Naughty Dog exclusively for the PlayStation platforms, is written and executive produced by Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann. The series is a co-production with Sony Pictures Television and is executive produced by Carolyn Strauss, Evan Wells, Asad Qizilbash, Carter Swan, and Rose Lam. Production companies include PlayStation Productions, Word Games, The Mighty Mint, and Naughty Dog.
The Last Of Us takes place 20 years after modern civilization has been destroyed. Joel, a hardened survivor, is hired to smuggle Ellie, a 14-year-old girl, out of an oppressive quarantine zone. What starts as a small job soon becomes a brutal and heart-breaking journey as they both must traverse the U.S. and depend on each other for survival.
The cast includes Pedro Pascal as Joel, Bella Ramsey as Ellie, Gabriel Luna as Tommy, Anna Torv as Tess, Nico Parker as Sarah, Murray Bartlett as Frank, Nick Offerman as Bill, Melanie Lynskey as Kathleen, Storm Reid as Riley, Merle Dandridge as Marlene, Jeffrey Pierce as Perry, Lamar Johnson as Henry, Keivonn Woodard as Sam, Graham Greene as Marlon, and Elaine Miles as Florence. Ashley Johnson and Troy Baker also star.
Courtesy of HBO Asia, we were lucky enough to be the only Malaysian media to participate in interviews with Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann, Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey, Merle Dandridge and Gabriel Luna. You can also check out our spoiler-free review of the entire season by heading over here.
Spoilers ahead:

That’s Troy Baker AKA Joel’s Voice Actor In The Games

He plays a character named James in the HBO series.
Ellie’s Horse Ride Segment

It was longer and more epic in the game before her horse was eventually shot down.

The Interrogation Scene

They kept the intense interrogation scene from the game.

Faithful Boss Fight With The Cannibal

Boss fight.

Until next week, excelsior!


Diablo 4: How To Unlock Your Mount

Diablo 4 features a new open-world location for you to wander around and kill monsters for loot and levelling-up. But sometimes you want that extra boost in speed and movement.
Thus, Blizzard has added a feature new in the series: the ability to use a mount. Yes, you can finally ride a horse and speed around Sanctuary to places! Here’s how you can get one in the full version of Diablo 4.

Diablo 4 How To Unlock Your Mount

Unlocking the ability to ride horses is easy: just go through the game’s Story quest until you reach to Act 4.
You will eventually head back to Kyovashad to the church to meet a person named Donan. He will give you a quest called “Donan’s Favor”, which will lead you to the stables in Kyovashad; this is the first place you met Lorath in Act 1. After you talk to the stablemaster, that’s it: you have unlocked the ability to ride mounts and scored a free horse in the process. Hooray!

Press Z on the keyboard to ride a horse at any time (except in indoor areas). Here’s what you can do with a mount:

Dash with the horse by pressing the spacebar.
Use a dismount attack by pressing 1. Your character leaps out of his/her mount and do a cool attack from above. These include rain of arrows from the Rogue to a ground slam from the Druid. It’s pretty cool.


San Francisco Shock & Shanghai Dragons Are Overwatch Leagueâ€™s Countdown Cup Champions

The final regular season tournament of the Overwatch League 2020 season is complete, with the San Francisco Shock winning the North America tournament and the Shanghai Dragons recapturing the Asian title.
Shanghai Dragon’s win has earned the team the top overall seed in the Asia bracket for the 2020 postseason.

Meanwhile, San Francisco Shock won a back-and-forth series over runners-up Philadelphia Fusion to capture the Countdown Cup title in North America. The team also won the May Melee tournament earlier this season.
Both team’s performance in the next two weeks will determine which gets the No. 1 North America seed in the 2020 postseason.
Cast Your Vote For 2020 T-Mobile Overwatch League MVP

The 2020 T-Mobile Overwatch League MVP will be awarded to the best player in the league. Starting today through 28 August 2020 (PDT), fans can vote for their pick from the top 10 MVP finalists:

Alarm â€“ Philadelphia Fusion
Carpe â€“ Philadelphia Fusion
Choihyobin â€“ San Francisco Shock
Cr0ng â€“ Guangzhou Charge
Eileen â€“ Guangzhou Charge
Fleta â€“ Shanghai Dragons
Viol2t â€“ San Francisco Shock
Void â€“ Shanghai Dragons
Xzi â€“ Paris Eternal
Yaki â€“ Florida Mayhem

You can cast your vote on the official site.
To vote on Twitter, use the hashtag #OWLMVP and either the Twitter handle or Battle.net name of your MVP candidate. For example, you can vote for Jae-Hyeok â€œCarpeâ€ Lee using #OWLMVP Carpe or #OWLMVP @carpe_ow.
You can visit the official team pages for more details on each player and their teams. Fan votes account for 25 percent of the overall tally, with the other 75 percent coming from a combination of general managers, head coaches, broadcast talent, and media.
Previous OWL MVP Winners included (2018: Seong-Hyun â€œJjonakâ€ Bang, NYXL) and (2019: Jay â€œSinatraaâ€ Won, San Francisco Shock).
The winners for 2020 T-Mobile Overwatch League MVP will be announced during the postseason broadcast on 13 September 2020 (PDT), which starts on 3 September 2020. The winner will receive the MVP trophy, a hefty US$100,000 cash prize and an MVP jersey patch for the 2021 season.
Overwatch Global Sale

From today until 19 August 2020, Overwatch will be up to 50 percent off, with the Standard Edition priced at US$14.99 and the Legendary Edition priced at US$19.99 for PC. You can find the sale details at the Blizzard Shop.


Jupiter’s Legacy Trailer Teases What Could Be Netflix’s The Boys

Netflix has unveiled the first full trailer for Jupiter’s Legacy.
The synopsis reads:
No legacy lives forever.
The first generation of superheroes have kept the world safe for nearly a century.
Now their children must continue their legendary ideals.
Jupiterâ€™s LegacyÂ is an adaptation of the comics of the same name. Itâ€™s about The Union, the first generation of superheroes whoâ€™ve been active since the 1930s with the Utopian as the leader. However, as they get older, theyâ€™re forced to look to their super-powered children to continue their legacy, which isnâ€™t an easy thing to live up to.
Jupiterâ€™s LegacyÂ stars Josh Duhamel, Leslie Bibb, Ben Daniels, Elena Kampouris, Andrew Horton, Mike Wade and Matt Lanter.
Millar, who is best known forÂ Kick-AssÂ andÂ Kingsman, debutedÂ Jupiterâ€™s LegacyÂ in comics in 2013 with artistÂ Frank Quitely. They are executive producing with Lorenzo Di Bonaventura, Dan McDermott, Steven S. DeKnight, James Middleton and Sang Kyu Kim.
This might turn out to be Netflixâ€™s answer to Amazon Prime Videoâ€™sÂ The Boys. The first season will consist of eight episodes and will premiere on 7 May 2021.
In the meantime, check out the official poster and trailer below:


The Best & Worst Sonic Clones Out There

The Sonic The Hedgehog movie is out this week. Seeing the blue furball in action did trigger some unpleasant memories.
No, we’re not talking about the first draft Sonic we saw with the human teeth. This turn of events reminded me of the number of video game clones made to cash in on the success of Sega’s first-ever Sonic The Hedgehog game.

Yes, there was a slew of these in the 90s, and even some of them were made a couple of years back via indie devs who loved the Blue Streak. And surprisingly, some of them were decent and arguably better than the source material.
Let’s define what a Sonic clone is:

It’s got to be a 2D platformer that relies a lot on speed, be it movement or level design catering towards going left to right real well.
It also has to star a mascot-like character with some level of attitude. Said star doesn’t need to be an anthropomorphic mammal.

And with that, let’s talk about the worst, the decent, and the best.
The Worst
Kid Chaos

Year Released: 1994
Platform: Amiga
Whatever Nintendo and Sega had, the Amiga is sure to clone or imitate. While the computer had some decent titles which we’ll get to, they had at least one or two stinkers.
One of them stars this caveman-looking beefcake-imitating guy whom you want to punch in the face for looking dorky. Originally the caveman was supposed to be an anthropomorphic cat called Claws, but the developers redesigned him to be this blonde kit to avoid possible repercussions from Sega. Well, Sega still had grounds considering the game is basically an Amiga version of a 2D speed-based platformer. Except with janky floaty controls. And boring level design.
The Bubsy Series

Year Released: 1993
Platform: SNES, Sega Megadrive
The developers at Accolade and creator Michael Berlyn had the best of intentions when making this 1993 garbage fire of a series: they wanted to create a mascot platformer that paid tribute to the Warner Bros. cartoons of yore in video game form.
Unfortunately, they forget to fine-tune and work intensively on the bit that mattered the most: the actual platforming. For all of the flash and pizzazz Bubsy had in graphics and animation, the games he was in controls way too fast and cheaply-designed to antagonize both hardcore players and newcomers to the then-new console fold. Half the time, you can’t see what’s in front of you until it’s too late, and you don’t have much protection since it’s a one-hit kill affair.
Each entry in the game, save for part 2, is significantly worse than the other, especially when it went 3D.Â It also didn’t help that Bubsy’s VO in-game was to the point of obnoxious, rivalled only by the protagonist in the next entry…
Awesome Possum Kicks Dr. Machino’s Butt

Year Released: 1993
Platform: Sega Megadrive
Who knew that a console game could have problems with framerate and delayed controls? Well, this not-so-Awesome Possum can show you how!
While the game had its heart in the right place with its eco-friendly message, it basically botches everything else. The controls are sluggish and out-of-your-hands at the same time. The levels are boring and tedious. And Awesome Possum himself says a quip every few seconds to the point of madness-inducing migraine.
NEXT: The Mediocre


Monster Hunter World Iceborne X Resident Evil 2 = Weirdest Crossover Ever

Whatever Capcom was smoking to create the trailer below? I want some of that too.

So yeah, in case you couldn’t tell from this event trailer, Leon and Claire will be in Monster Hunter World: Iceborne this November as part of a weird shared Capcom universe crossover.
You’ll be fighting zombified versions of monsters, while also playing as zombie versions of your hunters. Oh, and the RE2 duo will be at your side as well. And I think you also team up with the infamous Mr. X for some of these fights? Is he the cat slave stand-in for this crossover or something?
All this and more will be revealed closer to November. The expansion is out now for PS4 and Xbox One; the PC version is slated for early 2020.


Pirates Outlaws: A Shipwreck of In-App Purchases

Platforms: iOS, Android
Genre:Â Pirate Card Game ala Slay the Spire

Mobile games are primarily developed with casual players in mind. All the players would love to have is to have something fill in their time casually, as opposed to devoting their time to full mobile games like Mobile Legends: Bang Bang or PUBG Mobile. With that said, casual games don’t mean that one can skimp on quality.
I’ll admit, the game got me, ahem, hooked. But, after weeks and weeks of playing Pirates Outlaws, it dawned on me and I realised that the game happens to violate the casual gaming ‘rules’, and I’ll tell you why.
But before I do, I’ll just say that I’m glad to finally let this all out after being pent up. Let’s talk about the good bits of the game first.
Set Sail
The mobile game is developed by Fabled Game Studio. It features a turn-based card game with all things pirates.
Players have a choice of 6 heroes to pick with, each with their own set of cards and customisations. These heroes are;

Gunner
Sword Master
Explorer
Curse Captain
Alchemist
Admiral

Each character will have their own unique perk. By default, the first character you unlock is the Gunner. However, you need to unlock the other heroes with a considerable amount of gold. The Admiral is RM14 though.
The other currency is reputation which can also be used to unlock characters.
Full Speed Ahead
Gameplay is handled with randomly generated levels with paths you can choose. Each path has random battles and events happening along the way.
The game offers you multiple paths that culminates in a boss fight.
In the end, you’ll face a boss regardless of any path you choose. It’s a pretty standard roguelike card game, just with a pirate twist. Youâ€™ll choose from one of three islands to explore, the latter two of which you unlock with gold and reputation.
Along your course, you’ll be fighting bandits, visiting taverns and shops, encountering random happenings that could give you a relic that provides bonuses for each level. You’ll also receive new cards that pad up your deck.
This accounts for interesting gameplay as each path you take is unique and each level is randomly generated. This translates to that luck is a huge factor whether you would have a good or bad run of the level.
En Garde!
In term of combat, you’ll be using your cards to make your way through the battles.
There are a few types of cards that can be played, such as shields, bullet shots, punches, and sword swipes. Each of this card has a cost in the form of ‘ammo’. Think of it as your mana per turn.
Minimalistic design is everything in 2019, but too minimal makes it quite bland.
Cards can also be upgraded in shops so it would boost the effect of the card. For instance, attack cards will have their damage boosted while shield cards can block more damage.
This economy is a huge strategy element that could make or break your run towards the boss since most of the cards are pretty worthless against mid-level enemies and above.
This is partially due to the depth of gameplay, or rather, the lack of it. The hand size is capped at five cards. You have to discard your entire hand every turn, regardless if the card is used or not, so there is no holding on to a card to wait for a potential combo in future turns. It’s essentially rolling dice.
Your starter deck consists of about 10 cards, so you’ll burn through them quickly. And since you cannot edit the deck, you will just have to rely on what you have until you win some more cards, which usually happens in the middle of your journey. Plus, most of it is random, from card draws to the enemy encounters to winning new cards.
This would mean your strategy would mean nothing if RNGeesus or Lady Luck or whoever you believe in is not on your side. With each level being a unique run, the game will never be stagnant. It always pushes you new encounters requiring new strategies.
Riposte
As a premium game, this costs RM3.99 on the App Store or Google Play Store.
I’m fine with that. It’s a small price to pay for a pretty game and with quirky piratey music. The music is bright and happy, fitting for a pirate game.

However, I’m not fine with developers padding up their game with tons of in-app purchases as a way to squeeze money from their players. Especially when consumers have paid the entrance fee of RM3.99.

The heroes and the other areas can be unlocked by gameplay alone, no money spent whatsoever. They cost about 1000 gold (or 500 reputation) for each hero, and 5000 gold for new areas.
Sounds doable, right? Wrong.
This is my character after a month of gameplay. Nothing special to report.
For each run on a level, you will earn about 20 to 40 gold and around less than 10 reputations per run. I usually get around 30 gold on a good run. So it would take me ages to unlock a new character.
And don’t get me started on unlocking levels.
You can defeat bosses to unlock the next areas, but bosses are so durable that they would whittle your health down quicker than you can, unless you have most of your cards upgraded, and yes, you guessed it, real life money. You need to spend some cash to have most of your cards upgraded, unless you want to grind some gold to upgrade your cards.

The game is hiding a pay-to-win structure behind a preposterously high progression wall, and that’s absolutely ridiculous coming from a game that asks you to pay before you play.

Again, I’m fine with that if it was a free-to-play game, but in reality, it isn’t.
It’s insulting by how obvious this game forces you to participate in its in-app purchases model.
See that 1% of progress? That’s a month worth of blood, sweat, and tears.
Another huge criticism on my end is the unresponsive touch. Coming from a game that costs as much as a whole lunch’s meal, the touch response is appalling. You’d have to mash or double tap on anything on the screen to highlight the objects. Thank God swiping isn’t affected as you’d mostly be swiping to complete battles.
This was tested on both a Sony Xperia Z5 and HTC One M8, in which both of the phones are working perfectly fine.
Does Pirate Outlaws Mark The Spot?
I tried to ignore the flaws over the few weeks of playing, but today I snapped. It’s a good game with great concept regrettably plagued by a pay-to-win model camouflaged behind a steep progression wall.
I thought it would be a casual time burner in which I could play when I’m idling or having some free time, but no. I had to grind to progress further. Grinding beats the concept of a mobile casual game.
The lack of depth spoils what could be a strong roguelike deck builder such as Slay the Spire.Â All these fatal flaws drag this game straight down to Davy Jones’ Locker.
Pros:

Interesting gameplay.
Beautiful minimalist graphics.
Cheerful pirate music.

Cons:

Pay-to-win.
Bad touch response.
Lack of depth.
High progression wall.
Tedious gameplay loop.
Success goes down to luck.

FINAL SCORE: 30/100


Malaysia’s Ministry of Youth & Sports: “Develop Own Esports Games For Export”

Image credit: egg Network’s Facebook page
Oh my, we’re in quite a pickle. It seems that our country’s Minister of Youth & Sports Syed Saddiq wants Malaysia to be an exporter of esports games, not just an esports-playing country.
He said the following to Malay Mail during a trip to Thailand to check out the plethora of esports facilities there.
“We want youngsters in Malaysia not to just play the games but canÂ also develop and export them. It generates income for the country as well as createsÂ quality jobs.
[Esports “factories” like True Axion Interactive and Games AcademyÂ  are] paid between US$1,500 to US$3,000 (RM6,277 to RM12,554) a month to produce triple-A games.”
He also urged talented Malaysians working overseas on games to return to their home country since the government is now working to attract esports software developer companies to invest in the country. In addition, the ministry has developed a co-operation with Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation Sdn Bhd (MDEC) and industry players to produce more young ones to develop games of an esport nature.
Yeaaaahhhhh…….let’s break this down into point form:
-Nobody creates a game with the objective of being esports in mind. It’s more of a bonus. Games like Overwatch and CS:GO are built to be balanced and fun in the first place. The esports bit comes later once the game gets a huge following and community on a competitive level.
-There are already a bunch of competitive games out there that have the potential to go big within a region. Why not find a competitive game that’s growing in popularity in Malaysia and spend that money on grassroots/high-reaching tournaments & events instead of wasting resources in creating something new that may be a crapshoot?
–Making competitive multiplayer games that’s fun AND balanced is not cheap AND is not even a guaranteed formula for success. As much as I love games Battlerite, I can admit that it’s not going to surpass Dota 2 and League of Legends in terms of popularity and community/competitive fanfare. Remember Evolve, that competitive “esports” game made by the Left 4 Dead folks? Totally tanked and didn’t set the world on fire either.
Long story short, Malaysia is in the limelight again and not in the best kind due to spoutings like this.


The Biggest League of Legends Tournament In The World Starts This September

Good news, League of Legends and MOBA esports fans: the 2020 World Championship will be held from this September until October in China. Rejoice!
In addition to the entire tournament being livestreamed as usual (via Twitch and YouTube), all stages of the tournament will be held in Shanghai starting 25th September. Yes, we know the current state of the world for offline events are iffy at best, but this is to ensure the health and safety of everyone involved in bringing the tournament to life.

“Hosting the event in a single city will reduce travel throughout the tournament and give us the ability to more closely control the show environment. We continue to use the guidance from various health organizations and local and national authorities to prioritize safety for our players, fans, and everyone involved with bringing Worlds 2020 to life.”

The top teams will be flying over and playing their hearts out until the tournament concludes on 31st October.Â
The finals will be held at the Pudong Soccer Stadium in Shanghai, which is home to the Shanghai SIPG football club as well as the future hosting ground for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup. Furthermore, Worlds 2021 and 2022 will be hosted in China and North America respectively, assuming the world hasn’t gone to heck just yet.
Check out the announcement trailer below featuring incredibly dramatic music fit for arm-folding picture-posing esports players.


Monster Hunter World PC Sold More Than PS4 Version In Asia

Monster Hunter World continues to be one of Capcom’s best-selling games. However, fans have often wondered which platform version of the game has sold the most number of copies. Well, now we have the answer.
According to leaked Capcom sales numbers (via Resetera), Monster Hunter World sold the most number of copies on PC in Asia. However, specifically in Japan, the PS4 version of the game still reigns supreme.

Capcom MHW sales numbers were leaked. PC USA: 1.616milPC EU: 1.570 milPC Asia: 2.531 milPC NonJP Total: 5.717 milSony USA: 2.392 milSony EU: 1.702 milSony Asia: 1.414 milSony NonJP Total: 5.509 milPC Japan: 236kSony Japan: 3.184milGuess it DID sell well in Jp.— AsteriskAmpersand (@AsteriskAmpers1) November 25, 2020

The same applies for the Monster Hunter World Iceborne expansion as well, with the addition of the West.

Iceborne Leaked SalesPC USA 748kPC EU 529kPC Asia 1036kPC Jp 137kSony USA 741kSony EU 453kSony Asia 792kSony Jp 2559kAnd because I missed it last time:Xbox Base Game 1.789 milXbox IB 448k— AsteriskAmpersand (@AsteriskAmpers1) November 25, 2020

In other related news, Monster Hunter World Iceborne is getting special Monster Hunter movie content starting later this week.


Riot Games SEA Announces Valorant Champions Tour 2021 Stage 3 Challengers Playoffs

Due to emergent COVID-19 developments in key tournament markets, the group stage of the VCT Stage 3 – Challengers SEA – Playoffs will be pushed back by one day and will now take place between 13 to 16 August 2021. This change does not affect the Playoffs finals dates which remain from 19 to 22 August 2021, and the overall tournament format and our roster of casters will remain the same.
Playoffs Overview
16 teams in the Valorant Champions Tour Stage 3 – Challengers SEA will meet for two intense weekends of competition on 13 to 16 and 19 to 22 August 2021 as the regionâ€™s best teams compete for one of two slots to represent Southeast Asia at the upcoming Masters 3: Berlin in September 2021, where they will play shoulder-to-shoulder with the best teams from North America, EMEA, Brazil, LATAM, Japan and Korea.
These teams are also competing for championship points that will count towards a qualification at Valorant Champions, the final event of the 2021 VCT.
Which Teams Are Qualified?
16 teams have proven their mettle against hundreds of participants during the VCT Stage 3 Challengers Qualifiers period that took place throughout the month of July. The following teams have demonstrated strong regional performances and have earned their country slot in the VCT Stage 3 Challengers Playoffs through the qualifier tournaments.
Here are the qualified teams â€“

Teams have been segmented into groups based on regional performance at previous events throughout 2021. Given Vietnamese teams were, unfortunately, unable to participate in the VCT Stage 1 competitions back in March 2021, Riot has allotted 3 seeds to Vietnam for the Stage 3 Playoffs in Pool 3 providing Vietnamese teams with an opportunity to gain circuit points in this playoff round.
How Does It Work?

GROUP A

Bren EsportsÂ (PH)
CBT GamingÂ (TW/HK)
EGO (VN)
Sharper EsportsÂ (TH)

GROUP B

Onic EsportsÂ (ID)
Full SenseÂ (TH)
Five AcesÂ (TW/HK)
Paper RexÂ (MY/SG)

GROUP C

X10 EsportsÂ (TH)
Galaxy RacerÂ (PH)
Team Big BAAMÂ (VN)
BOOM EsportsÂ (ID)

GROUP D

UwU (MY/SG)
Alter EgoÂ (ID)
Cerberus EsportsÂ (VN)
Oasis GamingÂ (PH)

Playoffs will take place over two weekends. In the 1st weekend (13 to 16 August 2021), teams will be drawn into four groups that will play single round-robin, best-of-two matches where they will be awarded points based on the best-of-two results.
Groups in this first weekend cannot have two teams from the same region. Points in this group stage will be awarded along with the following outcomes:

A 2-0 result would provide the winner with 3 points.
A 1-1 draw will award 1 point to both teams.
Tiebreakers will be decided by head-to-head scores based on maps and then rounds.

The two best teams from each group will then move on to the Playoff finals at the 2nd weekend (19 to 22 August 2021). These teams will be drawn into an 8 team, double-elimination bracket with the added rule that teams from the same group cannot meet each other in the first round. 2 teams will emerge victoriously and will move on to represent Southeast Asia in Masters 3: Berlin in September 2021.
All 16 teams will be competing for a combined prize pool of US$100,000 and a total of 260 championship points.

How To Watch It & Stay Updated
The action starts on Friday, August 13th, with matches commencing from 11am GMT+8 during the two tournament weekends.
Twitch will continue to be the English broadcast partner for VCT Challengers Stage 3. Full details of the schedule can be found on VALORANTesports.comÂ or on our local partner pages, with broadcasts for the following languages –

English:Â PPGL Twitch,Â VALORANT Twitch
Tagalog:Â PPGL Facebook,Â PPGL YouTube
Thai:Â VALORANT TH Facebook,Â ESL TH Twitch,Â ESL TH YouTube,Â ESL TH Facebook
Bahasa Indonesia:Â VALORANT ID Facebook,Â VALORANT Esports ID YouTube (operated by One Up)
Mandarin:Â Talon Esports Twitch
Vietnamese:Â VALORANT VN Facebook,Â VALORANT VN YouTube,Â VALORANT Esports Vietnam Facebook (operated by VNG)


You Can Vote Now For The OWL 2019 All-Stars Roster

The Overwatch League (OWL) All-Star Game Powered By Intel will be happening on 16 May to 17 May at the Blizzard Arena in Los Angeles. This all-star game will be played in between Stages 2 and 3 of the Overwatch Leagueâ€™s 2019 season.
Teams will compete in a series of custom games pitting Atlantic and Pacific All-Stars against each other on May 15, followed by the main event on May 16. Details on the game modes played on May 15 will be announced closer to the event.
The OWL 2019 All-Star Game Powered by Intel will take place on Thursday, May 16, and
will consist of a first-to-four series. Such as last season, the highest-voted players in the Atlantic and Pacific Divisions will kick the games off.
Fans are able to vote now up until 29 April. Get voting

In addition to the six starters voted by fans in each division, 12 additional reserve players per division will be named All-Stars and will be eligible to compete both days. Those players will be selected via player, coach, broadcast talent and staff voting.
All-Star starters will be unveiled in early May, and reserves will be announced shortly thereafter.
The matches will be broadcasted on Thursday, 16 May, 9 am local time(GMT+8) on Twitch, OverwatchLeague.com, and ESPN2.


65 Movie Trailer Pits Adam Driver Against Dinosaurs

Sony Pictures Malaysia has unveiled a new trailer for the upcoming 65 movie, a sci-fi thriller from the writers of A Quiet Place and producer Sam Raimi, as well as starring Adam Driver, Ariana Greenblatt, and Chloe Coleman. It is written and directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, as well as produced by Sam Raimi, Deborah Liebling, Zainab Azizi, Scott Beck and Bryan Woods.
The synopsis reads:
After a catastrophic crash on an unknown planet, pilot Mills (Adam Driver) quickly discovers he’s actually stranded on Earth… 65 million years ago. Now, with only one chance at rescue, Mills and the only other survivor, Koa (Ariana Greenblatt), must make their way across an unknown terrain riddled with dangerous prehistoric creatures in an epic fight to survive.
65 premieres in cinemas sometime in March 2023.
Check out the poster and trailer below:


Balan Wonderworld & Sonic Creator Yuji Naka Leaves Square Enix

Yuji Naka has officially announced that he has left Square Enix. He is best known for co-creating Sonic The Hedgehog, Nights Into Dreams, and most recently, Balan Wonderworld.
In a tweet he posted earlier today, he said:
â€œI resigned from Square Enix at the end of April.
While I cannot share the reason right now, I hope to be able to discuss it when the time comes.
As for what Iâ€™ll do in the future, Iâ€™m already 55 years-old, so I may as well retire.â€

????????????????????????????????1?? – GAME Watch https://t.co/lQspdbr1OS @game_watch??
— Yuji Naka / ???? (@nakayuji) June 5, 2021

Balan Wonderworld received almost universally negative reviews and reception from both critics and gamers alike. We also gave Balan WonderworldÂ a pretty bad review (check it out here), and itâ€™s also currently showing a Mixed rating on SteamÂ as well.


Xbox Game Pass Boasts 10 Million Subscribers; Has Record Engagement

Microsoft has revealed in a recent earnings call that it has more than 10 million people subscribed to Xbox Game Pass, the service that gives players a library of games to play in exchange for a monthly subscription.
Why the high numbers? Most likely due to people practicing social distancing, hence spending more time at home playing games. And with a pretty low price for access to a ton of titles from the Xbox library? That’s too good to pass up.
Here’s an official quote from Microsoft:

“People everywhere are turning to gaming to sustain human connection while practicing social distancing. And we continue to deliver new exclusive, first and third-party content to attract and retain gamers”

On a related note, the two top games you should play on Xbox Game Pass right now are Ori and the Will of the Wisps and Gears Tactics. We gave them stellar reviews because of their well-designed gameplay.


The Reason Why Thai VALORANT Prodigy Patiphan Changed His Name To “Patt”

If you have been paying attention to Talon Esports’ player Patiphan then you may have noticed that he’s changed his in-game name to ‘Patt’. This name change has been officially recorded in the VALORANT Champions Tour Global Contract Database and was first spotted during the opening week of the VCT Pacific League.

Check out our schedule for VCT Pacific here!
According to Patt, he decided to change his name to create a clear separation between his personal and professional life. However, he also clarified that this change only applies to his VALORANT competitions, and his social media handle will remain the same.
“I’m not going to use the name Patiphan anymore,” he told ONE Esports Thailand. “I don’t want to carry my own name with me [in VALORANT], but the name that I’ll be using [Patt] will only be for playing VALORANT. Everything on social media will stay the same.”
Patt’s first game in the VCT Pacific League was against Team Secret, marking his return to the server after a 471-day absence. His last game was during the 2021 VALORANT Champions, where he and X10 made it to the top eight of the tournament. After the tournament, Patt went back to his roots in the Overwatch League with the Los Angeles Gladiators, winning two trophies at OWL 2022’s Kickoff Clash and Midseason Madness. Now, he’s returning to the VALORANT scene with three of his former X10 CRIT teammates to represent Thailand in VCT 2023.
Patt sees the name change as a fresh start and is determined to make his mark on the international stage once again. “From now on, I’m locking everything, my emotions, my body, everything. It’s time for me to train myself again. Now, I’m competing with myself and calling it a fresh start.”


Super Nintendo World Theme Park In Japan To Get Donkey Kong Expansion In 2024

Nintendo has announced that its Super Nintendo World theme park in Universal Studios Japan in Osaka will be getting an extra expansion.
The park will receive a Donkey Kong-themed expansion later in 2024. The expansion will have guests “take a walk on the wild side through the lush jungles where Donkey Kong and his friends live”. The expansion will feature a roller coaster and interactive experiences, as well as increase the size of its themed area by 70%.
We’ll say this: the experience will not be complete without endless loops of Dave Wise’s Donkey Kong Country soundtrack playing in this section of the park. Not that we’d mind: it totally fits.


Obscure Cult Games Get New Lease of Life with Blade Strangers

After the huge Marvel VS Capcom Infinite appeared to much fanfare and critical flip-flops, one would think that such attempts are over. Not so for Studio Saizensen, the guys behind Code of Princess EX.
One of its latest outings is the upcoming Blade Strangers, a 2D fighter entry that is non-exclusive; indeed, it’ll launch on Sony PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch. It will feature a mix of characters from a pool of titles from Studio Saizensen and Nicalis. The latter joins the mix as the publisher for Blade Strangers.
The game will be both an online and offline brawler and will pack in graphics that uses anime-style 2D graphics; it somewhat feels like Guilty Gear Xrd Sign with less frame-rates.

When announced in late April 2018, the list below confirms who are in the main fighter roster:

Curly Brace (Cave Story+)
Solange (Code of Princess EX)
Ali (Code of Princess EX)
Liongate (Code of Princess EX)
Master T (Code of Princess EX)
Kawase (Umihara Kawase series)
Noko (Umihara Kawase series)
Emiko (Umihara Kawase series)
Lina (all-new character)
Helen (all-new character)

It’s a decent enough selection…until the extended trailer aired two weeks back. No teasers here as it’ll give-away the goods!

Blade Strangers is now open for pre-orders and will launch in mid-2018.
(Source: Gematsu, Nicalis)


You Can Play Borderlands 3’s Revenge Of The Cartels Event Right Now

Borderlands 3’s Revenge of the Cartels mini-event is out now. Not only that, there’s also Mayhem Mode 2.0 that you can fiddle around with to give yourself that extra level of challenge.

From today until 4th June, you can participate in this mini-event that features a new area called the Villa Ultraviolet, new enemy types, limited-time Challenges, and new Legendaries/Anointments.
Just like the Halloween event last year, you need to do a repeatable quest before you can reach Villa Ultraviolet. You have to shoot down Cartel Operatives who appear randomly all over Pandora and the game’s solar system -they glow neon, so they’re easy to spot.
Once you take them down, they’ll summon cartel goons and thugs; killing them will net you Hideout Coordinates. Getting a set number of these will then allow you to head to Villa Ultraviolet.Â  Here, you have to fight Eridium Cartel members and their own underbosses who drop their own specific set of Legendary weaponry and equipment.
While you’re doing this, you can also attempt the event’s limited-time challenges, which rewards you with cosmetics once completed.

Three Challenges: â€˜VECH-tor Graphicsâ€™ ECHO Device Skin
Six Challenges: â€˜Retro Outrunnerâ€™ Weapon Trinket
Ten Challenges: â€˜Framed Firewallâ€™ Room Decoration
14 Challenges: â€˜Hotline Pandoraâ€™ Vault Hunter Head
18 Challenges: â€˜Death by Filigreesâ€™ Vault Hunter Skin

Wait, There’s More?!?
In addition to all of that, players can participate in the Loot the Universe mini-event. This mini-event takes you across the game’s solar system to loot specific types of Legendary Loot for the next four weeks. Basically, one of the planets in a particular week will have an increased chance of dropping their own dedicated Legendary weapon and gear types. Here’s the schedule:

Week 1 (00:00 GMT+8, 24th April to 11:59 PM GMT+8, 29th April) â€“ Pandora
Week 2 (00:00 GMT+8, 30th April to 11:59 PM GMT+8, 6th May) â€“ Promethea
Week 3 (00:00 GMT+8, 7th May to 11:59 PM GMT+8, 13th May) â€“ Eden-6
Week 4 (00:00 GMT+8, 14th May to 11:59 PM GMT+8, 20th May) â€“ Nekrotafeyo

Say you want to farm an anointed Hellshock from Gigamind. Your best bet is to start farming in Week 2 to get what you need since that boss is located in Promethea.
Moze Gets A Buff?
The Revenge of the Cartel patch not only fixes some bugs, but somehow buffs one of its Vault Hunters: Moze. She now gets health regen buffs that help sort out her survivability and damage. Here are the buffs she’s getting for her skills:
Dakka Bear â€“ The seldom-used turret skill will not give Iron Bear extra damage if a player is using the turret.
Force FeedbackÂ â€“ Not only does it start recharging your shields immediately, you now get a 10% instant shield bump.
Rushin OffensiveÂ â€“ Now if you shoot while sprinting, Moze gets Lifesteal.
ScrappyÂ â€“ Now gets weapon damage in addition to handling, mode switch speed and swap sweep.
Torgue Cross-PromotionÂ â€“ Also increases splash damage in addition to splash size now.
Vladoff IngenuityÂ â€“ Now also gives bonus shield regen speed in addition to a larger shield at the cost of health.
While this isn’t going to change the current Moze meta (Auto Bear builds are still FTW), she can probably live long enough while Iron Bear is on cooldown. That’s a win for Moze players anyway.


Marvel’s Spider-Man Miles Morales Features Another Hidden Chadwick Boseman Tribute

Two weeks ago, we discovered that the end credits for Marvel’s Spider-Man Miles Morales featured a touching tribute to the late Chadwick Boseman. However, gamers have discovered yet another tribute to the late Black Panther actor.
Reddit userÂ RollieDellÂ has discovered that a street inÂ Marvel’s Spider-Man Miles MoralesÂ was named after the late Chadwick Boseman.
Boseman Way has replaced 42nd Street in the game’s version of New York City. It can be found between 1st and 3rd Street.
The number 42 is a meaningful tribute, considering that the late Boseman starred as legendary baseball player Jackie Robinson in his breakout movie, 2013’s 42.

 I found another tribute to Chadwick Boseman is Spider-Man: Miles Morales. 42nd Street becomes Boseman Way between 1st and 3rd Street. Mr. Boseman’s big breakout role was in the film, “42.” from      marvelstudios

You canÂ head on over hereÂ to check out our full review ofÂ Marvelâ€™s Spider-Man Miles Morales.


Players Can Now Link Their PSN & Steam Accounts In PlayStation PC Games

Players can now link their PlayStation Network and Steam accounts in PlayStation PC games, starting with Marvel’s Spider-Man. It received a patch which added the feature and it’s the first PlayStation PC game to have the feature added.
A new registration page on the PlayStation website which allows players to connect their accounts is also now live. The page description reads:
“Link your Steam Account to PlayStation Network to receive unlocks in this and other PlayStation Studios games. You will also receive the latest news, updates and offers from PlayStation Studios games on PC or PlayStation platforms. Register by creating a Sony account for PlayStation Network, or by signing in with your existing Sony account and password.
For new accounts, you may opt-in for email and console messages when creating your account. For existing accounts, opt-in for messages via the ‘Notifications’ tab in your Account settings.”
It’s currently unclear if Sony’s other PC games will be updated with the same feature.

Link your Steam and PlayStation Network accounts today to get early unlocks and Skill Points in #SpiderManPC!
?? Early Unlock: Resilient Suit? Early Unlock: Concussive Blast?? 2 Skill Points
Read more: https://t.co/h0uUObeMJa pic.twitter.com/QyoYrPAofp
— Nixxes Software (@NixxesSoftware) October 6, 2022

In the meantime, check out our review of Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered on PC by heading over here.


Tin Hearts Will Charm You With Its Toy Soldier Story & Puzzles

Platform(s): PC via Steam (version reviewed), PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch
Genre: Narrative, puzzle platformer, adventure, fantasy
Remember the good old days when Lemmings was once considered a hit game in the early 1990s? Well, many game studios have tried to capture what makes an outstanding puzzle game that stands out over the years, and Tin Hearts by Wired Productions and developer Rogue Sun may be one of the best ones to date.
While Lemmings quickly becomes challenging and complex for young players, Tin Hearts offers simplicity, functionality, and challenges befitting for puzzle fans and casual players alike.
BUTTER-WORTH MAGIC

Tin Hearts is a narrative puzzle adventure that takes you on a journey to explore the magical toys and memories of a Victorian toymaker, Albert J. Butterworth, and his family. The game offers 4 gameplay chapters and over 50+ levels for you to progress inside Albert’s magnificent Victorian townhouse, viewing memories of events that occurred there. Interestingly, from the designs of the toys to how the rooms are decorated, there is exceptional attention to detail in all aspects of the house, making the gameplay experience rich and immersive.
The gameplay is where Tin Hearts shines the most. The game challenges players to guide tin soldiers from point A to point B, without directly manipulating them. This can be done using specific toy inventions in the room to clear a pathway from a small toy box to an exit door, necessary for players to progress to the next level. The overall objective of the game is to navigate the soldiers to their destination in unravelling Albert’s emotional, thought-provoking story.
MAKE WAY, SOLDIER

What’s fun is that each room will surprise you with Albert’s inventions in order to assist the tin soldiers’ journey such as angled blocks to turn them, drums to bounce them, cannons to knock objects down to build bridges, and many more. These inventions may aid the journey or pose obstacles to keep you on your toes.
Fortunately, the PC controls respond well, making it easy to navigate your movements throughout the game, which made the game’s announcement delay all the worthwhile. During the process of solving a level, you have free control over time. Controls such as zoom, pause, rewind, fast forward, and even possess are included in it. The most useful feature of all is the electrifying path that will give players a rough idea of the tin soldiers’ pathway. Feeling impatient? Fast forward to the soldiers! Want to change something? Rewind until you are satisfied!
Whether you control Albert or the Tin Soldiers, the developers put a lot of care into making Tin Hearts enjoyable.
Audio-wise, the soundtrack blends well with the game’s setting and Victorian aesthetics. Moreover, the voice actors did a great job conveying the emotional tone of each game’s character through their voices, as if you are in an English movie watching this family’s lives through Albert’s memories.
A LITTLE POLISH GOES A LONG WAY

Although we find no major flaws in Tin Hearts, there are a couple of things that would be nice if they were to be introduced in the game. Like, oh say, an option to control room brightness. Despite the fact that certain rooms are designed to provide the tone of the game, it can sometimes hinder your visual ability to find clues around the environment. Besides that, certain objects are hidden up high, making it difficult to navigate using a mouse. It would be splendid if there was an option to save where you left off. For example, if you made a pathway halfway through the level and then opted to exit, you will be sent back to the beginning of that particular level, having to redo your path again at point A. That can get cumbersome for those who want to take a break and stop the game halfway.
Still, Tin Hearts offers a wholesome experience for puzzle fans regardless of age or skill level. Is the cost worth it? Well, the game costs around US$30/MYR130 for the PC version and based on our opinion, it’s money well spent for a game this immersive and beautifully narrated. If you’re playing for its puzzle or story, both are worth the time it takes to solve Rogue Sun’s latest entry, Tin Hearts.

Pros

Engaging challenges that’ll keep you on your toes.
Heartfelt story.
Stunning visual and audio.

Cons

Dim light in certain rooms, thus visibility issues.
Hard to select objects placed high above during certain levels.
No save option.

FINAL SCORE: 70/100
Review copy provided by Renaissance PR.


5 Reasons Why The Latest Yakuza Sequel Is Sorta Fun

Platform: PS4
Genre: Action Adventure, Japanese Drama, Thug Life
The swan song to Kiryu Kazuma’s escapades is now out in English, but is it worth pursuing after all the five other entries and the Kiwami remakes, and also part Zero?
Before we start, we should clarify some things about the Yakuza series.

It’s not GTA with Japanese mafia. GTA games have large filled-up open sandbox cityscapes with tons of stealable vehicles. Yakuza games have small but filled-to-the-brim city areas which you can explore by foot.
It’s not Sleeping Dog. See above.
It’s comparable to Shenmue. But unlike that game, this one has no sailors.

All good? Let’s dive right in.
#1.It Caps Off The Story On A Great Note

The game’s plot deals with former yakuza member Kiryu Kazuma who gets out of a 3-year jail sentence and then gets embroiled in a conspiracy involving his foster daughter and her new baby son. You get to travel to two major cities: the revved-up metropolis of Kamurocho and the sleepy town of Onomichi.
Hope you like cutscenes and talking heads expositions, because Yakuza 6 has tons of them to explain. Yeah, they’re all skippable, but if you care about the politics and plot threads of the series, this aspect of the game hasn’t changed at all and you’ll still be pressing X all the way to make the dialogue text scroll faster. The tedium is still there, but at least this finale to Kazuma’s storyline wraps up in the best way possible.
#2.Levelling Up Makes Sense Now

Unlike the other entries, everything you do here gives you experience points. Experience is divided into 6 categories(Strength, Special), with different activities giving more experience to a particular category than others.
For instance, beating up thugs net you more Strength and Skill experience while some side quests net you more Special experience. In practice, it’s easy to follow. Certain skills you unlock for fighting or for passive use (like being a ladies’ man) require your other divvied experiences, so you need to go to cabaret clubs to level up that particular section of Kazuma.
#3.The Fighting Is Still Great

With a new PS4-built engine comes a new fighting engine. You still beat up hordes of gangsters and yakuza, but now you can choose to get away from these fights. However, they’ll follow you to the ends of the earth sometimes, which can result in fights in convenience stores and usual safe havens. Kazuma now can access Extreme Heat mode where he is literally fired up in a blue aura and can pull off powerful moves like using bikes as bludgeoning weapons, or even withstanding attacks that would normally knock you down.
Our biggest gripe? You only have one style of fighting. Kiryu has Beast and Rush mode before in the Kiwami remake and Yakuza Zero, so this feels kind of like a step back. But still, it’s an effective fighting style that gets the job done, especially when fighting large groups.
#4.The Minigames Are Still Fun

Granted, they’re not as plentiful as in Yakuza Zero, but they are surprisingly detailed. The old games like Sega retro arcade titles, darts, mahjong, and karaoke are still around. New ones include cat-recruiting, live chat with sexy models, spear-fishing, and a revamped card-based cabaret club dating Game.
You can even form your own yakuza clan and partake in a real-time strategy battle mode where you command your army to beat up enemy yakuza teams. I spent way too many hours on this timesink just to see the side story through. That’s pretty much your motivation: money, special items, and quirky story resolutions.

Oh, as an aside…
#4(b) A Singaporean Makes A Cameo In The Game

If you play darts in Kamurocho in one of the pubs, you’ll come across a darts minigame. Play it against this one guy for the first time, and you’ll have pro darts expert Paul Lim popping by to tell Kiryu that he has what it takes to be a dart-chucking pro.
True, Paul is representing the US in international competitions nowadays, but he was in Singapore. This is probably aÂ highlight for our neighbours down south: getting some representation in the legendary Yakuza series.
#5. It’s Staying True To Itself, For Better Or Worse

I’ll be frank: this is not the ultimate Yakuza game. That honour goes to Yakuza Zero because it’s bigger and comes with two different storylines with different beats. However, Yakuza 6 is still big and fun and stays true to the open world-but-not-quite experience. Plus, the new cast you meet in Onomichi is filled with cool folks you want to buddy up with.
It’s actually a better game for longtime fans of the series than for newbies. So if you want the ultimate Yakuza payoff and a great send-off, you can’t go wrong here.
Pros

Great story with lots of pathos and some resolution
Lovely fighting & progression system
A heckaton of fun mini games & sidequests
New game engine makes everything look and feel good

Cons

Same old Yakuza game
Not the best entry for new fans

Final Score: 70/100


Darth Vader Actor David Prowse Dies At 85

David Prowse has died at the age of 85, as confirmed by his agent Thomas Bowington (via The Hollywood Reporter) and tweeted by the management agency as well.

It's with great regret and heart-wrenching sadness for us and million of fans around the world, to announce that our client DAVE PROWSE M.B.E. has passed away at the age of 85. #DaveProwse @starwars #DarthVader #GreenCrossCodeMan #iconic #actor #bodybuilder #MBE pic.twitter.com/dL2RmdIqg8— Bowington Management (@BowingtonM) November 29, 2020

The late actor was best known for being the physical actor for legendary Star Wars character Darth Vader in 1977’s Star Wars Episode IV A New Hope, 1980’s Star Wars Episode V The Empire Strikes Back, and 1983’s Star Wars Episode VI Return Of The Jedi.
However, Prowse’s voice was deemed not suitable for Darth Vader, so Star Wars creator George Lucas hired James Earl Jones to provide a darker and deeper voice. In fact, Darth Vader’s face as glimpsed at the end of Star Wars Episode VI Return Of The Jedi wasn’t Prowse’s, but that of actor Sebastian Shaw.
David Prowse as Darth Vader.
Besides his Darth Vader role, the late Prowse also starred as Julian in Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange, and as Frankenstein’s Monster in several movies, including a 1967 James Bond spoof Casino Royale and later in 1970’s Horror Of Frankenstein and 1974’s Frankenstein And The Monster From Hell.
The late actor was also the personal trainer for the late Christopher Reeves, helping the latter bulk up for his role as Superman.
Speaking with Rock Cellar Magazine in 2012, the late actor once said:
“Nobody will ever forget Darth Vader, and it is a great honour for me to have played the ultimate screen villain of all time.”
How right you were, Mr. Prowse, we’ll always remember you. May the Force be with you, always.

(Image Credits: Sky News)


Former Batman: Arkham Games Coder Develops New Strategy Title

It’s no secret that most developers and workers in big triple-A companies want to branch out on their own. Such is the case of Adam Doherty, a former coder who used to work on the Batman: Arkham series; he’s now directing a new title called Trials of Fire under indie studio Whatboy Games.

Trials of Fire is a single-player game in which players guide their party through an overworld map of a fantasy land. The players are expected to gather resources and relay them back to the settlement. The game also features moral decision-making which forces you to choose a path as you go.
The game’s combat system revolves around the use of cards. Players will draw cards to use abilities and repositioning your heroes to make the most of those attacks, and your options will present unique combos based on what cards you play and when. The characters’ gear can be switched during travel and this will affect card abilities on the character.
Trials of Fire is expected to land on Steam Early Access on 3 May. It’s projected that the game will be in Early Access for a year before its full release. New content and improvements will be added over the course of the year. Here’s hoping for a great indie game from an experienced developer.


Genshin Impact New 1.5 Update Launches This April; Features New Ice & Fire Gachas & Housing

Mihoyo has unleashed a ton of details of its upcoming 1.5 update, slated in the next few weeks. The company also teased a bit of what’s in the future, particularly with a certain new continent the game’s Traveler will get to visit soon.
New 1.5 Gachas

What would Genshin Impact be without new heroes & adventurers? Joining the current roster are Cryo swordswoman Eula (5-star) and Pyro magician Yanfei (4-star).
Eula (5 star)

A claymore user who wields the nickname Spindrift Knight. She’s the captain of the Knights of Favonius Reconnaissance Company.
Elemental Skill: Icetide Vortex
Press attacks deal swift Cryo damage. If it hits an opponent, Eula gains a stack of Grimheart (up to two times). Grimheart buffs increases Eula’s DEF and resistance to interrupts.
Hold attacks deals AoE Cryo damage. If Eula has Grimheart stacks, she can debuff an enemy’s Physical RES and Cryo RES.

Elemental Burst: Glacial Illumination
Eula deals Cryo DMG to nearby opponents and creat a Lightfall Sword that follows her around. All of Eula’s attacks will charge the sword. When the sword’s duration ends, the sword will explode and deal big Physical DMG to nearby opponents.
Yanfei (4 star)

A renowned legal adviser who works in Liyue Harbor. She has dedicated herself to studying and interpreting Liyueâ€™s extensive legal code and helping her clients extricate themselves from even the most complicated of legal wrangles.
Character Gimmick
Regular attacks will give her Scarlet Seal buffs (up to three). Each Scarlet Seal will decrease Yanfei’s stamina consumption, but only temporarily.
Elemental Skill: Signed Edict
Yanfei summons flames that deal AoE Pyro damage. Opponents hit by the flames will grant Yanfei Scarlet Seals.

Elemental Burst: Done Deal
Triggers a spray of intense flames that rush at nearby opponents, dealing AoE Pyro damage. Yanfei gets max Scarlet Seals and the Brilliance buff.
Brilliance gives Yanfei a Scarlet Seal at fixed intervals and buffs her charged attacks.
Serenitea Pot Housing Option

Finally, players can now own a house in a magical teapot, because why not? You talk to some old bird who can sort out your new accommodations.
Players can buy new things to decorate their new house. The housing bits are fully customizable worlds that you can explore with friends. You can change between three different sceneries for your housing, like this beauty below.

And yes, they’ll be lots of furniture and decorations you can buy.
New World Bosses
You get to fight an angry Archon called Azdaha, a Cryo Hypostasis, and the Abyss Herald. These bosses should be fun to fight against, since they boast a ton of loot and materials for character ascension & weapon powerups.

Azhdaha, the â€œLord of Vishaps,â€ is a formidable adversary sealed deep underground, with the power to unleash various elemental attacks and change the environment of the battlefield. Once unlocked, Travelers will be able to challenge the Trounce Domain â€œBeneath the Dragon-Quellerâ€ and claim rare weekly rewards.

The Cryo Hypostasis is the latest addition to the Hypostasis series, and as well as bringing its unique combat style to the mix, Travelers will also need to contend with Sheer Cold during the battle.

Abyss Lector: Violet Lightning is a new enemy from the Abyss. Unlike the Abyss Herald introduced in Version 1.4, the Abyss Lector prefers to use ranged attacks and wields the power of both Electro and Hydro. If that isnâ€™t enough to deal with, some of its attacks also deduct Elemental Energy from the player.
New Events

Players will get to experience a new Story Event “Beneath The Light of Jadeite” starring Zhongli. In addition, there will be new hangout events and CGs involving Noelle and Diona.
The game will also feature a bunch of new quality of life improvements. The first three times you claim rewards in a week from Trounce Domains, it will only cost you 30 Original Resin. Also, you will now gain double the amount of Companionship EXP for gameplay completed in co-op mode.
Also, new artifacts. Here’s the list:
Tenacity of the Millelith

Two-Piece Set:Â HP +20%
Four-Piece Set: When an Elemental Skill hits an opponent, the ATK of all nearby party members is increased by 20% and their Shield Strength is increased by 30% for three seconds. This effect can be triggered even when the character who is using this artifact set is not on the field.

Pale Flame

Two-Piece Set:Â Physical DMG +25%
Four-Piece Set:Â When an Elemental Skill hits an opponent, ATK is increased by 9% for seven seconds. This effect stacks up to two times and can be triggered once every 0.3 seconds. Once two stacks are reached, the two-set effect is increased by 100%.

Everything listed above will be available later this month on 28th April.
New Continent Tease

The new continent in the game will be called Inazuma, and it’s a Japanese-esque feudal land with samurai, ninjas, shrine maidens, and the works. Think Nioh, Onimusha, and Monster Hunter: Rise, but anime and saturated. All this will be out in the next update after v1.5.

Free Primogem Codes
Oh yes, the early Chinese stream for v1.5 content had a number of free Primogem codes that work for all region accounts of the game. Here they are:

4BNSD3675J8D
FS6SU367M279
ATPTUJPP53QH

Use them now, because they are only active for 24 hours.
Full trailer below:


Magical Girls & Cannons Combine In Third Person Shooter MaguSphere

PLAYISM and OHBADO have announced that they will release MaguSphere Magical Cannon Girls for unspecified consoles and PC via Steam in 2022.
How do I describe this game? Well, the game is described as a Musou-style third-person shooter, but all you really need to know is that you can destroy enemies and buildings with anime-style magical girls wielding giant magical cannons.
It is set in the near future, where a huge ring suddenly appears on the moon. From this ring emerge mysterious beings known as Gremlins, who use copies of humankindâ€™s most powerful weapons to begin their invasion of Earth. The protagonist is a girl named Hoka, who is bestowed with the power of the Magical Cannon.
In the meantime, check out the trailer below:


Netflix’s Slumberland Teases Jason Momoa In A Land Of Dreams

Starring Jason Momoa, Chris O’Dowd, Kyle Chandler, and introducing Marlow Barkley, Slumberland premieres 18 November 2022 on Netflix.
Slumberland takes audiences to a magical new place, a dreamworld where precocious Nemo (Marlow Barkley) and her eccentric companion Flip (Jason Momoa) embark on the adventure of a lifetime. After her father Peter (Kyle Chandler) is unexpectedly lost at sea, young Nemo’s idyllic Pacific Northwest existence is completely upended when she is sent to live in the city with her well-meaning but deeply awkward uncle Phillip (Chris O’Dowd). Her new school and new routine are challenging by day but at night, a secret map to the fantastical world of Slumberland connects Nemo to Flip, a rough-around-the-edges but lovable outlaw who quickly becomes her partner and guide. She and Flip soon find themselves on an incredible journey traversing dreams and fleeing nightmares, where Nemo begins to hope that she will be reunited with her father once again.
Slumberland is directed by Francis Lawrence (I Am Legend, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire & Mockingjay), written by David Guion and Michael Handelman (Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb) and produced by Peter Chernin, Jenno Topping, David Ready, and Francis Lawrence. The film also stars Weruche Opia, India De Beaufort, and Humberly Gonzalez.
Check out the trailer below:


This Is Metacritic’s Top 10 Games Of The Decade

Top score aggregate site Metacritic just released its top 10 games of the decade list determined by its user score. And it’s quite a doozy.
The Last of Us sits at first place, followed by The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, The Witcher 3, Red Dead Redemption 2, and Mass Effect 2. Full list is below:

This is coming from a site where users are known for collectively review-bombing potential titles and are getting away with most of it, so you may take this ranking with a grain of salt.
Are they all great games? For the most parts, yes. But if we’re thinking “influential games” of the decade, only two of them belong on this list. You really don’t need me to point out what they are.
On a related note, we are in the midst of revealing our top game picks of 2019. Head here to find out what #1 to #20 are.Â


Malaysian Football Set To Make A Comeback In Video Games Via eFootball PES 2020

Malaysia football will once again be represented in a video game, as the Johor Darul Taâ€™zim (JDT) football club is set to make its debut in eFootball PES 2020. Our friends at JomGaming discovered this when Konami recently published a list of all the teams who will be playable in the upcoming game.
Johor Darul Taâ€™zim (JDT) is listed alongside football clubs from other Asian countries underneath the AFC Champions League category. This marks the first-ever occasion where a Malaysian football club has appeared in a major AAA football game since FIFA 98, which featured the Malaysia Super League (Liga Super Malaysia).
However, the national Malaysian football team was most recently playable in the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil video game for the PS3 and Xbox 360. That was the very last time that Malaysian football was represented, until now, that is.
Konami probably included JDT in the upcoming game because they were the champions of the Malaysian Super League 2019 edition. It’ll be interesting to see how the JDT team will be recreated in the game.
In other related news, check out the specs for the PC version of eFootball PES 2020 here, and head on over here to find out more details about the upcoming game. eFootball PES 2020 is slated to release for the PS4, Xbox One and PC on 10 September 2019.


The Best Marvel’s Spider-Man Photos I’ve Seen Online

Thanks to Sony and Insomniac Games’ genius move of adding in Photo Mode to their magnum opus Spider-Man open world game, no doubt we’ll be seeing a lot of creative shots and entries online. If the Daily Bugle was real, we’d probably be making J.Jonah Jameson a very happy man.

But first, I’ll show you mine:

				Marvel’s Spider-Man_20180909221442

				Marvel’s Spider-Man_20180909204216

Yeah, they could use some work. Which is why the internet exists. Here are my personal picks (thanks Reddit & Reset Era). Keep them coming; we’ll add more even when this feature’s already published.
chairhome made a lovely screenshot just for an exclusive Spider-Man comic book cover.

Wizzah2 calls this one majestic. I can see why…

User ConorTheFish12 took this electrifying photo. His Spider-Man died many times for this shot.

User headspawn sure loves to see the sun set.

J2tharod sure spent lots of time on Photo Mode, just like most of us PS4 users.

Flutter believes that Peter Parker IS the night.

GuyHigh017 pays tribute to the best Spider-Man adaptation on film. And if you say Marc Web, so god help me I will end your life.

Channel5News rocks out with his Spider-C*** out.

JokerofGotham, is nothing sacred to you?

Want to share your own Spider-Man pics that will make J. Jonah Jameson proud? Share it on our Facebook page; we’ll be sure to post them up on Kakuchopurei.com.


Become A Rabbit With A Giant Robot Arm In F.I.S.T.

A lot of great titles have been showcased at ChinaJoy 2019 but nothing grabbed my attention like F.I.S.T.
The game’s newest trailer shows off it’s side-scrolling combat and it looks really fun. You play as a rabbit that’s equipped with a giant robot arm bigger than itself on its back. No idea what the story is yet but it seems to be set in a universe of animals and robots.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yg2lStjBXOc&w=560&h=315]
It seems that the robot arm isn’t limited to just grabbing and punching enemies. It can also be turned into a Gurren Lagann-worthy drill and a blade like weapon that create a tornado slash. Just give me this game already.
No release date has been announced yet but there is a playable demo at ChinaJoy 2019 so I’m expecting to arrive latest by mid-2020.


A History Of Single-Player Games With Microtransactions, Sparked By DMC5

Word on the street is that Devil May Cry 5 will feature optional microtransactions to save players from grinding your Neros and Dantes. According to a GameSpot report during Tokyo Game Show 2018,Â players can pay real-world money to purchase the series’ in-game currency, red orbs. Much like halos in Bayonetta, red orbs can be used to buy moves, weapons, upgrades, and one-off items.
Here’s what director Hideaki Itsuno have to say about it, justifying it by saying it’s player choice:

“With giving people the ability to purchase Red Orbs, itâ€™s something we want to give people as an option. If they want to save time and just want to get all the stuff at once, those people can do that.”

There are just so many things wrong with this PR-laden nonsense and corporate greed-influenced decision that I can go into. However, folks like Angry Joe and Jim Sterling have said enough on the matter.
Rather than just repeat what they said, we should bring up other single-player games with microtransactions that affected gameplay and devalue the worth of the weapons and rewards you get through sheer skill and tenacity.
Dead Space 3

Let’s go with the first offender of the list, starting with everybody’s favourite sequel-churning publisher EA. The first two Dead Space games were awesome action horror games in their own right -god bless the now-dead Visceral Games. The third game was tolerable at best thanks to its expanded Dead Space universe and co-op play; if it worked with Resident Evil 5, surely it might work in Dead Space, right?
Alas, the crap on the mediocre sundae turns out to be the microtransaction screen where you can speed up the scavenging process to craft better weapons with a little moolah. “You can buy resources with real money, but scavenger bots can also give you the currency that you can use on the marketplace,” said Dead Space 3 associate producer at the time Yara Khoury. “So you don’tÂ haveÂ to spend [real world] dollars.”
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided
As if having the Kickstarter-esque reward system for pre-orders isn’t bad enough, the actual game has mandatory features that you have to pay with real money. Reddit at the time brought up and complained about the single-use and single-save pre-order items.
Once the DLC items were transferred to an inventory in one game, they could not be used again even on another playthrough. As if that wasn’t bad enough, players are given the choice to pay real money for the in-game items below.

So why was this added in a game that really did not benefit from it? An Eidos Montreal community manager said that these “consumables” and other microtransaction nonsense was because of “first-party constraints” involving Sony and Microsoft.
To quote Adam Jensen, we never asked for this.
Forza Motorsports 7

So far, there hasn’t been any lootbox or microtransaction shenanigans in Forza Horizon 4, thank god. Microsoft and Xbox have hopefully learned their lessons following the uproar and attention Forza Motorsports 7 received.
Why? Because you can actually pay real money for Forza 7’s loot boxes to get mods, items which help boost your CR-earning rate (in-game money, btw) in various circumstances and conditions. So you’re paying real money for a chance to get better items that can help you earn in-game money? In a game where you can tweak the difficulty to your liking and can rewind segments of your race? Come the f*** on, guys.
At least they came to their senses; Forza 7’s microtransactions and loot box system will be removed this Winter.
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain

Hideo Kojima’s last Konami game before he was let go unceremoniously is an epic Metal Gear experience even if it’s soured by two things: its ending and its microtransactions system. We’ll focus on the latter.
Thanks to Konami’s meddling, players are given a choice to buy Mother Base Coins using real-world money. You use this to expand your base in the game’s multiplayer mode. As you expand your base, you can boost the resource-earning rate in your single-player campaign. So yeah, another clear example of real-world money affecting the single-player game in some shape or form.
Here’s another kicker: Mother Base Coins cost at most US$79.99 for a 6,000 coin bundle. Jesus.
Assassin’s Creed Syndicate and Assassin’s Creed Origins

Not to be outdone by Konami, Microsoft, and EA, Ubisoft also went the single-player microtransaction route with their flagship games. Players can buy Helix Credits to buy most of the items you can earn online.
A Ubisoft rep said the following during the time of Assassin’s Creed Origins release last year.

In Assassinâ€™s Creed Origins, anything that players can purchase with real money is also unlockable by just playing the game.

Though to their credit, some of the items you can buy are cosmetics like the Unicorn and the extra assassin garbs. Why not put them as unlockables or something instead?
Middle-Earth: Shadow of War

Probably one of the biggest and most recent offenders in the space, Warner Bros really done f***ed up with the sequel to Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor, a pretty awesome Lord of the Rings action adventure game. How so? As soon as you’re done with most of the game, you’ll be given a bunch of endgame content and fortresses to deal with.
The problem? You have to grind for more powerful orcs and weapons. To skip that or at least make the endgame grind bearable, you can go to the in-game market option, spend real money on War Chests, and then enjoy your “hard-earned” loot.
Good job in making your almost-perfect and improved LOTR game into a clusterf*** of obsolescence, all because of corporate greed.
Money, Money, Money…
These are the most egregious examples of single-player paid games that gives you “player choice” to skip the grind or power up your character using real-world money. What irks many, including myself, is that the publishers are using the same “player choice” justification to have these options available.
I also bring up two recent single-player games that did gangbusters and do not have microtransaction options: God of War and Marvel’s Spider-Man. Publishers & developers: please have more respect for your single-player games; it’s always a red flag when you toss in some form of power-up and grind-reducing method via credit card transactions.
Can you imagine what the reception would be like if PlayStation put in the option to pay money for souped-up Leviathan Axe in God of War or even a quick jump to Level 50 in Marvel’s Spider-Man? PlayStation fans and gamers will be out for blood.
Long story short: single-player microtransaction player choices can go f*** themselves.


NVIDIA Geforce RTX 2060 Arriving Later This Month

NVIDIA has announced the NVIDIA Geforce RTX 2060, which is set to be the new generation’s equivalent of the older GTX 1060. It will be available for sale starting from 15 January 2019 at a price of US$349 or roughly RM1400+.
The RTX 2060 will be 60 percent faster than the GTX 1060, and it even beats the gameplay of the GTX 1070 Ti. This was proven by testing over 23 benchmarks including but not limited to graphically-demanding games like Doom, Far Cry 5, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Wolfenstein 2, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, and more.

Equipped with 6GB of GDDR6 memory and 240 Tensor Cores that can deliver 52 teraflops of deep learning horsepower, it improves gaming performance through a feature known as Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS). Turing’s RT Cores and Tensor Cores make such an improvement possible, capable of running Battlefield V with ray tracing enabled at 60 frames per second. According to EA DICE, a future update will bring DLSS support to Battlefield V.
For a limited time only, those purchasing the RTX 2060 or a PC equipped with the RTX 2060 can choose to receive a complimentary free copy of either Battlefield V or the upcoming Bioware title, Anthem.
â€œNext-gen gaming starts today for tens of millions of gamers everywhere,â€ said NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang at CES 2019. â€œDesktop gamers are demanding, and the RTX 2060 sets a new standard â€” an unbeatable price, extraordinary performance and real-time ray tracing that blurs the distinction between movies and games. This is a great moment for gamers and our industry.â€


Disney Pulls Out All Stops For Star Wars In Latest Reveals

Riding high on the successes and uptrend of their prized Star Wars IP, Disney went all out during their most recent Investor Day announcements. These include the unveiling of a good mix of upcoming and anticipated shows, as well as unexpected but welcomed ones.
According to Disney, they plan to release over thirty new series and movies which will go straight to their Disney+ streaming service.

Over the next few years, roughly 10 @Marvel series, 10 @StarWars series, 15 Disney live action, @DisneyAnimation, and @Pixar series, plus 15 all-new Disney live action, Disney Animation, and Pixar features will be released directly on @DisneyPlus.
â€” Disney (@Disney) December 10, 2020

Announced earlier this morning, Disney sent the internet into a frenzy by bringing one of the most requested and sought for show to life by announcing that we are getting a live-action Ahsoka Tano series.

Ahsoka, a new Original Series, starring @RosarioDawson and set within the timeline of @TheMandalorian, is coming to @DisneyPlus. pic.twitter.com/jD8byvNvDP
â€” Star Wars (@starwars) December 10, 2020

Most recently seen in Season 2’s fifth episode ‘The Jedi’, Rosario Dawson returns as the beloved Tongruta who first made her on-screen appearance in the 2008 Clone Wars animated film. To be set within the same timeline of the current The Mandalorian series, one can only speculate to encounter several characters believed to still be alive including Luke Skywalker, Ezra Bridger, and even Cal Kestis.
Also set within The Mandalorian timeline is the all new Rangers of the New RepublicÂ series. We don’t have much info on this but it sure does give some Republic Commando vibes.

Rangers of the New Republic, a new Original Series set within the timeline of @TheMandalorian, is coming to @DisneyPlus. pic.twitter.com/EMzFuiqdOs
â€” Star Wars (@starwars) December 10, 2020

Milking all they could from what is easily the best Star Wars movie of the past five years, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Disney decided to focus on Captain Cassian Andor. Diego Luna returns to reprise his role.

â€œEverything I did, I did for the Rebellion.â€ Andor, an Original Series set in the Star Wars universe, is streaming in 2022 on #DisneyPlus. pic.twitter.com/q2IT2qzEeR
â€” Star Wars (@starwars) December 10, 2020

While don’t expect to see Felicity Jones to appear as Jyn Erso in it, we do anticipate seeing more of her father, Mads Mikkelsen as Galen Erso who would have already started working on the Death Star. Speaking of the Death Star …

Hayden Christensen returns as Darth Vader, joining Ewan McGregor in OBI-WAN KENOBI. The Original Series begins 10 years after the dramatic events of Revenge of the Sith, and is coming to #DisneyPlus. pic.twitter.com/9WR2npRUkk
â€” Star Wars (@starwars) December 10, 2020

Yep. You read it right. Adding more hype to an already highly anticipated show, Hayden Christensen will finally reprise his role as Anakin Skywalker and don the Darth Vader suit once again. The confrontation between him and Obi-Wan is inevitable, and we would not be surprised to even see a certain dual-wielding Zabrak to also make an unexpected cameo in this series.
Other notable mentions are the reveals of a spin-off series from The Clone Wars animated series, Star War: The Bad Batch and Star Wars: Visions. The Bad Batch focuses on … well, The Bad Batch Squad which is made up of, according to Commander Cody, ‘defectively born clones who underwent unique and “desirable” mutations’.

A sneak peek at Star Wars: The Bad Batch, an all-new animated Original Series from Lucasfilm Animation, coming soon to #DisneyPlus pic.twitter.com/V0jQc4XNIe
â€” Star Wars (@starwars) December 10, 2020

Star Wars: Visions, an Original Series of animated short films, celebrates the @StarWars galaxy through the lens of the worldâ€™s best Japanese anime creators. Coming in 2021 to @DisneyPlus. pic.twitter.com/lmCZGSHEhY
â€” Star Wars (@starwars) December 10, 2020

A brand new ‘event series’ – whatever that means – focusing on Lando Calrissian is also coming, but not much info was given apart from that Justin Simien is in the early stages of developing it. Following the recent trend of things of Disney allowing actors and actresses reprising their roles , you can expect to see Donald Glover to return as Lando.
And we save something that to many, may be the best for last.
Patty Jenkins (Wonder Woman, Wonder Woman 1984) will direct a Rogue Squadron movie. Yes. THE Rogue Squadron. The final reveal of this short video gave us the chills.

pic.twitter.com/e3N00xCr5i
â€” Patty Jenkins (@PattyJenks) December 10, 2020

So there you have it. All the big Star Wars-related stuff from this morning. Which announcement got you most hyped up? For us at KKP, it’s definitely a tie between an Ahsoka-led series and the potential showdown #2 between Obi-Wan and Anakin which should also be their first for Anakin as Darth Vader. Rogue Squadron isn’t far behind on the hype scale; it’s truly a nice Life Day Christmas surprise for fans all over the world.


All The Games From Nintendo Direct Mini Partner Showcase 2020

The last Nintendo Direct Mini took place in March 2020, but now we’ve finally received a new one. The 8-minute presentation showcases a lot of exciting stuff for Nintendo Switch owners to look forward to for the rest of the year.
Check out my full recap and roundup of the Nintendo Direct Mini Partner Showcase 2020 below:
Cadence Of Hyrule Crypt Of Necrodancer Featuring The Legend Of Zelda

Cadence Of Hyrule Crypt Of Necrodancer Featuring The Legend Of Zelda is slated to receive three new DLC packs, including:

DLC Pack 1: Character Pack (Impa, Aria, Shadow Link, Shadow Zelda and Frederick); slated to launch later today.
DLC Pack 2: Melody Pack; slated to launch before the end of October 2020.
DLC Pack 3: Symphony Of The Mask (play as Skull Kid); slated to launch before the end of October 2020.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPycD9OwojQ&w=560&h=315]
Rogue Company

Hi-Rez Studios’ (the developer behind mythology-based MOBA Smite and the Overwatch-like Paladins) Rogue Company is a co-op third-person shooter which follows a mercenary group of the same name as the game, with players tackling objective-based missions in 2v2 Wingman or 4v4 Extraction modes.
It is slated to release for the Nintendo Switch sometime in 2020. More information will be revealed later today.
WWEÂ  2K Battlegrounds

Developed by Saber Interactive, WWE 2K Battlegrounds will focus on â€œsocial pick-up-and-play funâ€ with â€œarcade-style action and over-the-top Superstar designs, environments and movesâ€.
It is slated to release for the Nintendo Switch on 18 September 2020.
Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne HD Remaster

Atlus has announced that Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne HD Remaster for Nintendo Switch will launch on 29 October 2020 in Japan, and in spring 2021 worldwide.
It is also coming to the PS4 (according to the official website).
The official description for the game reads:

Itâ€™s been 17 years since the original release of Shin Megami Tensei III, known in the U.S. as Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne.
Now, the apocalyptic legend returns in a full high-definition remake of the classic game, coming to Nintendo Switch in spring 2021.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7NOzFb_1MI&w=560&h=315]
If you thought Persona 5 was tough, wait until you play the original Megami Tensei titles.
Shin Megami Tensei V

Shin Megami Tensei V will launch for the Nintendo Switch in 2021 as a simultaneous global release. This comes almost three years after the latest entry in the long-running JRPG franchise was initially announced back in 2017.
The official description for the game reads:

The next numbered entry in Atlusâ€™ beloved Shin Megami Tensei series is coming exclusively to Nintendo Switch.
In this epic role-playing game, order itself has crumbled and chaos reigns over all.
Shin Megami Tensei V will have a simultaneous global launch on Nintendo Switch in 2021.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHyt_-Rz0h4&w=560&h=315]

Nintendo Japan’s version of the Nintendo Direct Mini Partner Showcase 2020 also took place at the same time as the US version, but it also featured additional exclusive regional games.
These include:
Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & The Secret Fairy
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxywPdCuRNQ&w=560&h=315]
Publisher Koei Tecmo and developer Gust have announced Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & The Secret Fairy for the PS4, Nintendo Switch, and PC (via Steam).
It is slated to release sometime in winter 2020 worldwide and will be a direct sequel to 2019’s Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness & The Secret Hideout. In this upcoming game, Ryza makes her triumphant return as the protagonist, marking the first time in franchise history that the same protagonist appears in two successive titles.
Set three years after the conclusion of the first game, Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & The Secret Fairy sees Ryza set out on an all-new escapade, joined by a cast of both old and new friends.
More details and information will be revealed when the official website launches on 29 July 2020.
Sakuna: Of Rice And Ruin
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unF6ICX39vQ&w=560&h=315]
Publisher Marvelous and developer Edelweiss have announced Sakuna Of Rice And Ruin for PS4 and Nintendo Switch, which is slated to release on 12 November 2020 in Japan.
Meanwhile, the game is due out for PS4, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam later in 2020 worldwide via publishers XSEED Games and Marvelous Europe.
Sakuna Of Rice And Ruin is a brand new title from Edelweiss (the developer behind Astebreed), combining side-scrolling action with deep crafting and farming simulation. Players take on the role of Sakuna, a proud yet lonely harvest goddess who is banished to a dangerous island with a group of outcast humans.
Momotaro Dentetsu: Showa, Heisei, Reiwa mo Teiban!
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zheX3zX8DU&w=560&h=315]
Published by Konami, Momotaro Dentetsu: Showa, Heisei, Reiwa mo Teiban! will launch for Nintendo Switch on 19 November 2020 in Japan.
In Momotaro Dentetsu: Showa, Heisei, Reiwa mo Teiban!, players assume the role of a railroad company president and must acquire properties across Japan with the goal of having the highest total assets in the country.
There are also all sorts of events that occur across Japan, as well as numerous famous monsters specific to each area, which can either become an ally or an obstruction.

You can watch the entire 8-minute presentation below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNtacp8-GoI&w=560&h=315]


Life Is Strange Dev Dontnod Teases New Game Reveal Tomorrow

Dontnod Entertainment has teased a new game announcement tomorrow on Tuesday, 31 May 2022, Malaysian time (or Wednesday, 1 June 2022 US time).
Their tweet reads:
A little birdie told us that if you come back here tomorrow, you’ll see some news from us and maybe even get some clues as to what we’ve been working on!
Dontnod’s last game was 2020’s Twin Mirror for the PS4, Xbox One and PC. It makes sense that two years later, the French developer would finally be ready to announce a brand new game, or perhaps even a sequel to any of their previous titles, including 2018’s Vampyr.
Stay tuned on Kakuchopurei to find out what it is soon.


Fire Emblem Three Houses Characters, Ranked By Someone’s Mother

We’ve talked about how awesomeÂ  Fire Emblem for the Switch is, but how about from a different perspective?
Twitter user Eiouna, who has a pretty rad Pixiv art account, posted a tweet that recently went viral on Reddit. Basically, it’s about the artist’s mother and what she thinks of the men in the game.
Eiouna’s mom rated the men in the game solely based on their looks, with hilarious results.

This really needs to be a video. We’re just sayin’.


The Demon Slayer 3D Anime Fighting Game Will Get 6 New Characters Post-Launch

Aniplex, Sega, and CyberConnect2’s Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba 3D fighting game, subtitled The Hinokami Chronicles, will have post-release content after its release this October.
The game will receive 3 free updates with each of them adding 2 new playable characters, totalling 6 characters in the roster. We’re definitely getting playable demons from the series here, though we’re not sure if all 6 of them will be a mix of demon hunters and demons.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Hinokami Chronicles will be out for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series, and PC via Steam on 15th October worldwide.