Street Fighter 6 Kimberly & Juri Officially Revealed [Update]

Update (8/8/2022): The trailers for both characters are up via EVO 2022 after the Street Fighter 5 finals. Also, official pics and screenshots added.
Update (29/8/2022): Kimberly & Juri music tracks added.
Street Fighter 6 will be getting a couple of new characters in its ever-growing roster, though this happened by accident.
Capcom’s German Twitter account (via ResetEra) accidentally leaked two characters in the game, presumably for the intended reveal during EVO 2022’s Street Fighter 5 top 8 tournament which will happen early morning Monday 8th August GMT+8. The posts have obviously been deleted, but the internet never forgets.
Here are the two characters along with the Twitter descriptions:
Kimberly, The Ninja

“Kimberly invited herself to be Guy’s student in the art of bushinryu. She is infatuated with 80’s pop culture, which is why she always carries a portable cassette player with her.
As a devoted student to Bushinryu, Kimberly has trained body and mind in order to execute traditional ninja techniques. Street Fighter fans may recognize a few of Kimberly’s special moves from Guy or Zeku’s kits such as Sprint, a swift dash forward, which can be followed up with a variety of moves depending on the situation. Nue Twister is an air throw where Kimberly grabs an airborne opponent and smashes them into the ground below.
Being a spunky new ninja, Kimberly incorporates an urban twist to reimagine what Bushinryu means to her. She uses Genius at Play to stock up on a spray can, which can then be thrown to the ground as a Shuriken Bomb. During Hidden Variable, Kimberly conceals herself in colorful smoke before instantly appearing in front of the opponent for a surprise attack.”
Here are Kimberly’s Super Arts:
Bushin Beats (1 Stock) – Kimberly rushes forward and knocks down an opponent, then follows up with a flurry of attacks. If a Shuriken Bomb is stocked up, Kimberly uses it to add additional damage.
Bushin Scramble (2 Stocks) – Kimberly sends the opponent into the air and parkours along the edge of the stage pelting them with mid-air attacks, then ensnares them with a dive bomb-like attack.
Bushin Ninjastar Cypher (3 Stocks) – Get ready to drop the beat! Kimberly detonates an arsenal of spray cans around the opponent culminating in a chromatic graffiti tag on the ground.
Juri, The Sadist

“Juri is still a thrill seeker and takes great pleasure in destroying her enemies. Her main motivation used to be revenge against M. Bison, but since his fall in Street Fighter 5, all she cares about is the next thrill.
Juri’s signature Fuhajin returns where she performs an upwards kick and stores Fuha stocks upon completion. Saihasho, Ankensatsu, and Go Ohsatsu are special moves that can be performed without Fuha stocks, but they become more powerful and can be chained together when Fuha stocks are available. This opens up more creative options for Juri’s playstyle and can take an opponent off guard.”
Juri’s Super Arts are as follows:
Sakkai Fuhazan (1 Stock) – Juri fires multiple ki blasts with a kick and follows it up with another giant ki blast to knock an opponent away.
Feng Shui Engine (2 Stocks) – First appearing as an Ultra Combo in Super Street Fighter IV then a V-Trigger in Street Fighter V, Feng Shui Engine returns as a Super Art. Juri unleashes the power of the Feng Shui Engine embedded in her eye, allowing her to cancel normal moves into other normal moves or even unique moves.
Kaisen Dankai Raku (3 Stocks) – Straight from Super Street Fighter IV, Juri unleashes the full power of the Feng Shui Engine to perform a brutal sequence of attacks fitting for the vengeful sadist.
Check out both their gameplay below: Kimberly fights using ninja tech and hit-and-run moves, as well as comes with her Izuna drop. Juri has her SF4 and SF5 moves back, though we don’t see her projectiles. We do see her using a special Drive move where she pushes forward and chains attacks with ease.

Kimberly Artwork & Screenshots

Juri Artwork & Screenshots

We’ll most likely see gameplay of the two characters tomorrow morning during the SF5 top 8 tournament. And maybe more, who knows? Kimberly was teased a few months ago during Street Fighter 6’s debut gameplay reveal, while Juri was confirmed in an earlier leak among other additions like Ken, Rashid, and Akuma.
Street Fighter 6 will be out in 2023 for consoles and PC.


Aliens: Fireteam Elite Heads To Xbox Game Pass For Console & PC This Month

The Aliens-themed Left 4 Dead clone is making its mark on Xbox Game Pass this month, along with a long-awaited Season 2 update.
Aliens: Fireteam elite pits four players against the xenomorph threat in online third-person shooter action. The Xbox Game Pass version will be out on 14th December for PC and Xbox consoles, coinciding with the Season 2 update. The update itself features a new game mode called Point Defense, a new Lifetime Stats feature, a bunch of new weapons, attachments, and cosmetics, and new challenge cards.
Here’s what developer Cold Iron Studios has to say about it:
“Following the September release of â€œSeason 1: Phalanx,â€ this new season includes free items for all players, including a new mode called â€œPoint Defense.â€ This fast-paced alternative to Horde Mode will challenge players in a new survival-based defensive match where your fireteam must protect, repair, and hold three different strategic points through multiple attack waves from the xenomorph hive. Players may buy temporary consumables to even the odds by utilizing Fabrication Points earned during the mode and can unlock up to 20 new rewards by completing the mode at various difficulties.
Coinciding with the release of Season 2, the second â€œEndeavor Passâ€ downloadable content pack, â€œThe Nostromo Salvage Pack,â€ will also be made available. Emerging from a 57-year hypersleep, this pack includes over 20 exclusive items, including two Nostromo-themed class kit skin designs, eight weapon colors, four decals, four head accessories, four emotes, and more!
The complete four-downloadable content Endeavor Pass is included with the Deluxe Edition of the game, available for US$69.99. Individual Endeavor Pass cosmetic downloadable content packs are available separately for US$9.99 each. The Standard Edition of the game is available for $39.99, with an option to upgrade this to the Deluxe Edition.”
Aliens: Fireteam Elite is out now for PC, Xbox consoles, and PlayStation consoles. If you’re into co-op shooters and rather kill swarms of xenomorphs instead of zombies, you could do worse.


Ori Director Attacks Cyberpunk 2077 & No Man’s Sky Developers

Moon Studios CEO Thomas Mahler have unleashed a vicious attack on Cyberpunk 2077 developer CD Projekt Red and No Man’s Sky developer Hello Games on gaming forum Resetera.
In the very, very long post, Mahler expresses his frustrations with what he claims are deceptive marketing practices being employed by several developers, including the aforementioned developers, Fable franchise creator Peter Molyneux and No Man’s Sky creator Sean Murray. He refers to them as â€œsnake oil salesmenâ€, accusing them of deceiving gamers with false marketing when they don’t deliver what they initially promised.
Mahler wrote, starting his complaints by attacking Molyneux:
â€œIt all started with Molyneux.
He was the master of â€˜Instead of telling you what my product is, let me just go wild with what I think it could be and get you all excited!â€™
And that was fine, until you actually put your money down and then the game was nothing like what Peter was hyping it up to be.â€
Then, he went on to call out Murray:
“Then came Sean Murray, who apparently had learned straight from the Peter Molyneux handbook.
This guy apparently just loooooved the spotlight.
Even days before No Man’s Sky released, he hyped up the Multiplayer that didn’t even exist and was all too happy to let people think that No Man’s Sky was ‘Minecraft in Space’, where you could literally do everything (you being able to do everything is generally a common theme behind the gaming snake oil salesmen, cause hey, that sorta attracts everybody!).”
Last but not least, Mahler took a shot at CD Projekt Red’s controversial launch with a bug-ridden Cyberpunk 2077 on last-gen consoles like the PS4 and Xbox One.
“And then came Cyberpunk.
Made by the guys that made Witcher 3, so this shit had to be good.
Here’s our Cyberpunk universe and – trust us – you can do fucking everything!
Here the entire CDPR PR department took all the cues from what worked for Molyneux and Murray and just went completely apeshit with it. Gamers were to believe that this is “Sci-Fi GTA in First Person”.
What’s not to love? Every video released by CDPR was carefully crafted to create a picture in players minds that was just insanely compelling.
They stopped just short of outright saying that this thing would cure cancer. This strategy resulted in a sensational 8 million pre-orders.
What happened then was this.
The product was a fraction of what the developer hyped it up to be and on top of that it barely even ran on consoles that it was supposed to ‘run surprisingly well on!’.”
Not enough with attacking his fellow developers, Mahler even rags on gamers and games journalists, saying:
“Weâ€™d be in a better spot if gamers and especially the gaming press would look at things with a bit more of a critical eye instead of just buying into the hype.
I know this whole thread might come off as me sounding bitter and Iâ€™m sure thereâ€™ll be some people that see this as me shitting on other devs.
No, Iâ€™m not. Iâ€™m shitting on liars and people that are okay with openly deceiving others.â€
Ultimately though, Mahler’s rant does sound bitter and petty, considering that Hello Games did eventually manage to turn around and improve No Man’s Sky with updates over the years. As for Molyneux, he might have over-exaggerated and under-delivered but the Fable sequels were okay titles if anything. The only one even possibly deserving of Mahler’s attack is probably CD Projekt Red, but they did give out refunds to players after the debacle of a launch.


Apex Legends Battle Charge: All You Need To Know About Wattson

Season 2 of Apex Legends is coming in two weeks time, and with Battle Charge, comes many new features and updates. The next season also introduces a new Legend to the roster. Her name is Wattson and she has an electrifying array of abilities.
What Can She Do?

Wattson appears to be a Defence role Legend. Quite similar to Caustic, she lays arc traps while creating space for teammates to push or tactically deny an area, perfect to recover from tight odds.
Tactical Ability

Perimeter Security -Â Connect nodes to create electrified fences that damage and slow enemies.
Ultimate Ability

Interception Pylon -Â Place an electrified pylon that destroys incoming ordnance and repairs damaged shields as long as it stands. (Max: 3)
Passive Ability
Spark of Genius -Â Ultimate Accelerants fully charge your Ultimate Ability, and standing near interception pylons boosts your Tactical Ability recharge.
Her Backstory
Like we’ve previously covered during the Season 2 reveal at EA Play during E3, Respawn is now focusing on building lore and story for the Apex Legends’ world.
Wattson’s full name is Natalie Paquette, and it’s said that she knows the Arena better than the back of her hand. Her father died the day the Apex Games Arena was revealed and she plans to continue her father’s legacy.
The full lore can be read below.
Natalie â€œWattsonâ€ Paquette is a familiar face in the Apex Games, though for a different reason than most. Daughter of the Gamesâ€™ lead electrical engineer, she studied his manuals to stay close to him, and discovered her calling at a young age. Though she could be completely distracted one moment and hyper-focused the next, electricity grounded her â€“ its ordered, predictable flow made sense in a way the rest of the world didnâ€™t.
She devoured every book she could on the subject, and eventually became such a skilled engineer that she was commissioned to build the Apex Gamesâ€™ Modified Containment Ring. Unfortunately, her father died the day it was revealed, leaving her alone. At her lowest moment, a group of competitors invited her to return to the arena with them, assuring her she would always have a home. She now fights alongside her friends in the arena she helped build, destroying incoming missiles, recharging shields, creating fences, and using her pylon to silence fights that get too loud. Nobody knows the arena better than Wattson â€“ anyone who underestimates her is in for a shock.
When Is Season 2 Dropping?
Season 2 of Apex Legends, aptly named Battle Charge, will be live on 2 July and will introduce new weapons such as the L-STAR EMG, new loot, some weapon changes, a new mode and something big.


You Can Sign Up For The EA Sports FIFA 23 Global Series ePremier League Right Now

EA and the Premier League announced the return of the ePremier League for the 2022/2023 season.
FIFA 23 players will be competing for a prize pool of £100,000, with four competitors from the top two clubs earning spots in the EA Sports FIFA 23 Global Series Playoffs and Play-Ins. While the tournament is open to UK residents, the tournament will most likely be livestreamed for the world to see and witness.
Here are the dates; links to the streams will be provided in the near future:
Online Qualification Tournaments

Qualifier 1 1/2 November 2022
Qualifier 2  5/6 November 2022
Qualifier 3  8/9 November 2022
Online Qualifier Playoff  5/16 November 2022

Club Playoffs: November/December 2022 (precise dates to be confirmed by each club)
Grand Finals: 25-26 March 2023
FIFA 23 has garnered over 10.3 million players in its first week of availability. For more on the footie title, here’s our review.


Ghost Recon Breakpoint’s Pay-To-Win Microtransactions Have Been Removed But…

If you’ve been paying attention to most news surrounding Ghost Recon: Breakpoint, then you’ve definitely found out about the game’s inclusion of purchasable ‘time savers’. With real money, you can buy weapon upgrades and other items that would give you an edge in gameplay.

The latest update of the game will remove those time savers but only for a while. Ubisoft community manager UbiBorghal posted on the official Breakpoint forums saying that the “Time Savers have since been removed from our Store for now”, indicating that they will return in the game at some point.
I still remember Ubisoft pulling the same trick in Assassin’s Creed Odyssey. The game sold extremely well so it’s not surprising to see that Ubisoft has grown comfortable with incorporating that design philosophy into future games. This time, their argument is that it was put in to allow new players to easily catch up to those who’d been playing for a longer time.

“These items were designed as an optional way for players arriving later to the game (Post-Launch) to catch up with those who have been playing for longer and enjoy our co-op and challenging end-game experiences.”
– UbiBorghal, Ubisoft Forums community manager.

Ghost Recon: Breakpoint has an open multiplayer system that allows players to drop in and out of other players’ sessions to do co-op on missions or just to explore the game’s island setting. The regular version of the game goes live on 4 October (today) while those who pre-ordered the Gold, Ultimate, or Wolves Collector’s Editions got to play earlier.
List of time-savers that will be temporarily removed include:

Skill point bundles
XP Boosters
Weapon parts bundles

As of writing this, the time savers have yet to be removed in my review copy so maybe the update is rolling out soon. No matter what fixes Ubisoft introduces now, it’s hard to avoid thinking that the game’s design has been negatively affected by the inclusion of these optional purchases.
Read UbiBorghal’s full post here.


Dragon Ball FighterZ Adds Super Baby 2 Next Month

Bandai Namco and Arc System Works have announced that Dragon Ball FighterZ will add Super Baby 2 to its roster on 15 January 2021.
In addition, Gogeta (SS4) was announced as the final fighter for the FighterZ Pass 3.

It looks like Dragon Ball GT fans will have a lot to love in FighterZ Pass 3. They’re getting arguably one of the best villains in that series with Super Baby 2, despite the fact that he’s technically just another Vegeta.
Super Saiyan 4 Gogeta is another fan-favourite that will surely be popular amongst fans. Now they can settle the debate on who is stronger: Super Saiyan Blue Gogeta or Super Saiyan 4 Gogeta.
Check out the new trailer below:


PUBG Mobile Crosses Over With Dragon Ball Super

PUBG MOBILE will be launching its landmark partnership with Dragon Ball Super on 13 July 2023. This collaboration will include an unprecedented gameplay overhaul in the Version 2.7 Update. With unique new Dragon Ball Super modes, items, vehicles, areas, and more, this represents one of the most significant partnerships in PUBG MOBILE history.
The first of the two ground-breaking Dragon Ball Super modes will take place in-game from 13 July 2023 until 4 September 2023 featuring Dragon Ball elements merged with classic PUBG MOBILE battle royale gameplay. Through this mode, players can collect seven Dragon Balls to summon Shenron and make a wish at the Shenron Summoning Altar for powerful in-game buffs.
Players will have a chance to discover four new Dragon Ball Super areas in Erangel, Livik and Sanhok built to replicate locations and architecture from the series! “Dragon Ball Village”, “Tenkaichi Budokai”, “Kame House”, and “Karin Tower” all contain goodies for players to find. What’s more, players will be able to throw the new “Hoipoi Capsule” for it to transform into the three-seater “Air Car” to traverse the battlegrounds.
There’s a “Ki” component to this update, integral to the Dragon Ball series! Gather “Ki” like Energy for enhanced mobility, and to use the legendary “Kamehameha” beam to take out enemies and the “Buku-jutsu (Levitation technique)” to fly freely at running speed. When players find themselves low on “Ki”, they can eat scattered “Senzu Beans” to regain it along with Health and Energy.
What’s more, those craving an extra challenge should stay tuned for more details on the hidden Dragon Ball Trial. Here, players will be tasked to search for seven Dragon Balls, all while their location is visible to other teams! To win the game, players must successfully secure the Dragon Balls, defend the Sheron Summoning Altar, and then make a wish.
The second of the two Dragon Ball Super modes will bring a gameplay makeover never-before-seen in PUBG MOBILE, transforming the battlegrounds into a stylistic animated art style world from 15 July 2023 until September 4th. Players will abandon their traditional weaponry and instead embody one of five of Dragon Ball Super’s characters – Son Goku, Vegeta, Frieza, Piccolo and Ultimate Gohan – using their unique main and support moves in battle and strive to be the last one standing!
As part of this brand new mode, players will gather Spirit Crystlets and Spirit Crystals from the ground to restore energy and upgrade their moves, the highest being Level 4, and use a variety of new features such as Teleport Points and Updraft to traverse and manipulate the map.
Vincent Wang, Head of PUBG MOBILE Publishing at Tencent Games, said:“One of the world’s most iconic Japanese manga and anime franchises, Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Super have achieved something truly exceptional in staying relevant and meaningful to the generation that grew up watching and reading it, whilst constantly engaging new and young audiences. In addition to its multi-generational and international appeal, its famous theme of conquering challenges really resonates with PUBG MOBILE and our players, and meant PUBG MOBILE team really worked hard to make this one of the most impressive in-game brand collaborations.
Get ready for the multitude of Dragon Ball Super-themed outfits and items coming on 14 July 2023, including special outfits featuring Son Goku, Vegeta, Frieza and the companions, Pilaf and Karin! There will be more to come later on in the partnership on 11 August 2023, so players should keep their eyes peeled for more content.
The Version 2.7 Update also debuts a host of gameplay enhancements, including improvements to the World of Wonder creative mode with a new editable Summer Brawl gameplay template, and the new assault rifle ACE32, which will be available on all maps. Additionally, Cycle 5 Season 13 is updated with new content, rewards and cosmetics to unlock and enjoy, and the latest Royale Pass Ace will bring new core rewards along with Season Missions.
Finally, players should stay tuned for more to come, as PUBG MOBILE will soon announce an upcoming partnership with an iconic British luxury car manufacturer.
Complete details about what’s included in PUBG MOBILE’s Version 2.7 Update can be found in the official patch notes available here.
PUBG MOBILE’s Version 2.7 Update will be available on 13 July 2023. You can download the game for free on the App Store and Google Play Store.


Netflix Unveils First Look At Avatar The Last Airbender, Coming In 2024

During Netflix TUDUM 2023, Netflix gave us our first look at the Avatar The Last Airbender actors in costume for the first time, as well as confirmed that the live-action series adaptation will premiere sometime in 2024.
Check them out below, from top to bottom (Gordon Cormier as Aang, Kiawentiio as Katara, Ian Ousley as Sokka, Dallas Liu as Zuko):

Goi, Jabbar Raisani (Lost In Space), and Roseanne Liang (Shadow In The Cloud) will direct the series, with Liang also serving as a co-executive producer. It’s important to note that the original creators of Avatar The Last Airbender animated series, Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, had already left the project since last year.
The Netflix Avatar The Last Airbender live-action series cast includes the following:

Gordon Cormier (The Stand, Lost In Space) as Aang: A fearless and fun-loving twelve-year-old who just happens to be the Avatar, master of all four elements, and the keeper of balance and peace in the world. An air bending prodigy, Aang is a reluctant hero, struggling to deal with the burden of his duties while still holding on to his adventurous and playful nature.
Kiawentiio (Anne With An E) as Katara: A determined and hopeful water bender, the last in her small village. Though only fourteen, sheâ€™s already endured great personal tragedy, which has held her back from rising to her true potential, though itâ€™s never dimmed her warm and caring spirit.
Ian Ousley (Physical, 13 Reasons Why) as Sokka: Kataraâ€™s sardonic and resourceful 16-year-old brother. Outwardly confident, even brash, he takes his responsibility as the leader of his tribe seriously, despite his inner doubts over his warrior skillsâ€¦ doubts that he masks with his wit and deadpan sense of humour.
Dallas Liu (Shang-Chi And The Legend of the Ten Rings) as Zuko: A skilled fire bender and the intense and guarded Crown Prince of the Fire Nation. Currently roaming the world in exile, heâ€™s on an obsessive quest to capture the Avatar because he believes that is the only way to reclaim his life and live up to the demands of his cruel and controlling father, the Fire Lord.

Previously announced cast members include Gordon Cormier (Aang), Kiawentiio (Katara), Ian Ousley (Sokka), Dallas Liu (Zuko), Elizabeth Yu (Azula), Paul Sun-Hyung Lee (Iroh, Daniel Dae Kim (Fire Lord Ozai), Maria Zhang (Suki), Tamlyn Tomita (Yukari), Yvonne Chapman (Avatar Kyoshi) and Casey Camp-Horinek (Gran Gran). Now that a host of new actors has just been announced, you can learn more about the latest additions and their characters below.
WATER TRIBE
Amber Midthunder (she/her; Prey, Roswell) as Princess Yue:
The compassionate spiritual leader of the Northern Water Tribe.
A Martinez (he/him; Cowboy Bebop, Ambulance) as Pakku:
The veteran waterbending master of the Northern Water Tribe and a fierce defender of their traditions.
Irene Bedard (she/her; Pocahontas, The Stand) as Yagoda:
An empathetic healer who serves as a role model for her tribe’s female waterbenders.
Joel Oulette (he/him; Trickster, Ruby and the Well) as Hahn:
A strong and skilled warrior with an unwavering loyalty to his tribe.
Nathaniel Arcand (he/him; Heartland, FBI: Most Wanted) as Chief Arnook:
Father to Princess Yue and the respected leader of their tribe.
Meegwun Fairbrother (he/him; Burden of Truth, Mohawk Girls) as Avatar Kuruk:
A previous Avatar with a haunted past.
EARTH KINGDOM
Arden Cho (she/her; Partner Track) as June:
A tough and persistent bounty hunter known for her ruthless efficiency.
Utkarsh Ambudkar (he/him; Ghosts, World’s Best) as King Bumi:
The ancient and mercurial ruler of the Earth Kingdom city of Omashu.
Danny Pudi (he/him; Mythic Quest, Corner Office) as the Mechanist:
An eccentric inventor and engineer who’s doing his best to raise his son in a war-torn world.
Lucian-River Chauhan (he/him, Encounter, Heartland) as Teo:
The idealistic and high-flying son of the Mechanist.
James Sie (he/him; Stillwater) as the Cabbage Merchant:
A long-suffering vegetable vendor in Omashu.
FIRE NATION
Momona Tamada (she/her; Secret Headquarters, One: Thunder God’s Tale) as Ty Lee:
An energetic and upbeat teen and one of Princess Azula’s best friends.
Thalia Tran (she/her; Raya and the Last Dragon, Little) as Mai:
An unflappable and deadpan teen who, along with Ty Lee, is one of Princess Azula’s closest allies.
Ruy Iskandar (he/him; Yes Day, Benders) as Lt. Jee:
The first officer of Prince Zuko’s ship.
Hiro Kanagawa (he/him; Altered Carbon, The Man in the High Castle) as Fire Lord Sozin:
The ruthless and ambitious previous ruler of the Fire Nation and grandfather of Fire Lord Ozai.
C.S. Lee (he/him; Dexter, Warrior) as Avatar Roku:
A wise and benevolent past Avatar from the Fire Nation.
François Chau (he/him; The Expanse, American Gigolo) as The Great Sage:
The venerated spiritual leader of the Fire Nation and guardian of Avatar Roku’s shrine.
Ryan Mah (he/him; The Good Doctor, Snowpiercer) as Lt. Dang:
Commander Zhao’s second-in-command.
SPIRIT WORLD
George Takei (he/him; Star Trek, Resident Alien) as the voice of Koh:
An ancient, predatory spirit.
Randall Duk Kim (he/him; Kung Fu Panda, John Wick) as the voice of Wan Shi Tong:
Appears in the form of a giant owl and is also known as the Spirit of Knowledge.
Check out the teaser below:


Brawlhalla Crosses Over With The Walking Dead

Ubisoft has announced that Michonne, Rick Grimes, and Daryl Dixon from AMCâ€˜sÂ The Walking DeadÂ are now available in Brawlhalla as Epic Crossovers.
The in-game event that kicks off today until 28 October 2020 features Walker Attack, a new game mode where players and their friends have to fight off endless waves of walkers for as long as they can.

It also features a new map depicting the survivorsâ€™ prison from seasons 3 and 4 ofÂ The Walking Dead, a new â€œDays Gone Byeâ€ podium, and a new â€œWalkerâ€™s Graspâ€ KO effect.
Three newÂ The Walking DeadÂ Epic Crossovers
Michonne â€“ Epic Crossover for Koji â€“ With her sword and bow, the expert swordswoman is ready to fight, and sheâ€™ll do whatever it takes to win.Rick Grimes â€“ Epic Crossover for Barraza â€“ Armed with his hatchet and revolvers, Rick Grimes is here to show everyone what needs to be done to survive.Daryl Dixon â€“ Epic Crossover for Ember â€“ He brought his motorcycle, his crossbow, his knives, and a few other weapons to help him come out on top.

Each Epic Crossover is available for 300 Mammoth Coins via the in-game store. All items, Epic Crossovers, game modes, and maps will still be purchasable and playable after the Event ends.
Developed by Blue Mammoth, Brawlhalla is an epic free-to-play platform fighting game that brings players to the fight for glory in the halls of Valhalla. It also supports crossplay between the PS4, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch, iOS, and Android.
In the meantime, check out the trailer below:


Resident Evil 3 Remake Demo Is Dropping Later This Week

Fans can finally get a taste of the highly-anticipated Resident Evil 3 Remake ahead of its release date when the demo drops later this week on 19 March 2020 for the PS4 and Xbox One. Meanwhile, PC players will be able to access the demo via Steam starting from 20 March 2020.
The Resident Evil 3 Remake demo lets players play as Jill Valentine as she teams up with Carlos Oliveira and the Umbrella Biohazard Countermeasure Service (U.B.C.S.) to evacuate civilians from a crumbling Raccoon City.

In the demo, players can also test their limits with a Mr. Charlie scavenger hunt within the demo. A total of 20 Mr. Charlie statues are strewn across Raccoon City; the challenge is whether players can find and destroy all of them while being pursued by Nemesis.

An on-screen counter will help players keep track of their acquired statues and a final count will be displayed upon the demoâ€™s completion.
Later this month, players will even get to try the Resident Evil 3 Remake multiplayer experience Resident Evil Resistance in the open beta starting from 27 March 2020 on PS4 and Xbox One, and 28 March 2020 on PC.

Players will have the option to take on the role of two of the gameâ€™s Masterminds, Annette Birkin or Daniel Fabron, to run twisted experiments using various bioweapons and traps on a group of everyday civilians.
In turn, players can band together as one of four of the six Survivors, each possessing a unique ability to help their team escape the experiment before time runs out. However, the open beta will end when the full game launches on 3 April 2020.


Diablo Immortal Has Made US$24 Million From Microtransactions

New data from industry tracking website AppMagic (via PCGamesN) has revealed Diablo Immortal’s revenue from microtransactions, the very thing people are talking negatively about regarding the new Blizzard action RPG spinoff. And it’s a doozy.
Diablo Immortal has made US$24 million within the first two weeks of its release. Major whales and folks who are giving Blizzard money here are players from the United States and South Korea; the game isn’t officially out in Southeast Asia until 23 June. The US contributed 43% of those earnings while South Korea contributed around 23%. I should say “contributing” as people are still giving money for the game’s loot boxes and other in-game purchaseables and drop chance increases.
It should be mentioned that the game is not getting any good PR as of late, with the game getting a really low user Metacritic score and people noticing discrepancies in the game’s way of drip-feeding legendary gems and other valuables so that players are forced to come back to play more. If they want to make the most out of their grinding experience post-game and post-level 60, they’ll have to comply.


Sin Kiske Will Be In Guilty Gear Strive This Month

A new fighter has entered the Guilty Gear Strive ring, and it’s a fan-favourite: Sin Kiske.
The son of Ky Kiske is the next fighter according to an IGN Live video reveal; he’s an ever-growing wild boy with great footsie tools and rushdown attacks, using his flag to ward off foes and doing three-hit-or-more Rekkas. He can cancel his special moves with another special as long as he has Stamina in his unique Stamina bar.
Unlike his Guilty Gear Xrd version, he won’t need to manually eat food to regain lost Stamina; it regenerates over time. The developers also warned players that his overhead attack is potentially one of the best attacks in the game’s current season.
He made his first-ever appearance in the action title Guilty Gear 2 Overture.
Sin Kiske will be available in the game’s Season Pass 2 which costs RM138/US$24.99 and is available starting 24 November. That’s 2 days from now. Check out his moveset in action below, along with a few demo matches showcasing his mixups and dangerous overhead.


[Rumour] Horizon Zero Dawn Remaster & Multiplayer Spin-Off In The Works

PlayStation is at it once again with PS5 remakes/remasters that may be out too soon.
A report from MP1st stated that PlayStation might either be remastering or remaking Horizon Zero Dawn, an action-adventure title from developer Guerilla Games that came out in 2017. The remaster will feature an improved lighting system, overhauled textures, and better animations with new character models to match the ones in the sequel. The remaster/remake will be out exclusively for PlayStation 5.
That’s not all: the other half of Guerilla Games is making a Horizon online multiplayer game for the PlayStation 5 and PC. The rumoured game will feature co-op mode, with customization options using the different tribes from the series.
Horizon Zero Dawn’s sequel, Horizon Forbidden West, was out earlier this year to rave reviews. In some way, it makes more sense to have a multiplayer spin-off than a full-on remake, assuming both reports are true.


It’s Almost Been A Year, & Injustice 2 Is Still Awesome

Last year, Tekken 7 and Marvel vs Capcom Infinite had single-player story modes that, for better or worse, felt a little different and tried to be a little cohesive with its made-up lore.
Where did they rip the “play as different characters in the game’s narrative” concept off from? Well, from the Injustice series of games. But those two games, as fun and as deep as they are, are just imitating the formula, not duplicating it. Injustice 2 basically ups the ante by letting you pick between two characters when you’re presented with a duo in a storyline.
Why is it still great? Our reasons are fivefold:
1.The Ever-Growing Roster (With Fan Favourites)
Now we have new characters in the fray, like Enchantress. Oh wait, no one cares about her. But they do care about Hellboy and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The latter hasn’t been in a fighting game since that Smash Bros. rip-off done up by Ubisoft.

It’s not a lazy haphazard job: these characters have unique moves and playstyles that match their personas. And NetherRealms have been doing their homework and listening to people. Yes, we comic book geeks want Starfire & Black Manta. Yes, we Mortal Kombat fans want Sub-Zero and Raiden. And yes, we pop culture junkies want four anthropomorphic turtles named after Renaissance painters.
2.The Improved Fighting Game Mechanics
Yes, the characters still move funny, but that hasn’t stopped anyone from jumping in with their favourite DC Comics characters. It has a simple 2D fighting game style where characters have special traits (eye lasers, Greek god powers, trick shots, the works), along with other creative mechanics like interactables doing damage to characters, stage transitions, and a clash mechanic where you wager meter for a comeback factor.
All these elements gel really well together, making for a substantial fighting experience with its own deep strategy & intuitiveness. We’re still surprised that Injustice 2 gets less love than other fighting games that are basically doing the same thing and not evolving as much.
3.The Ever-Growing Scene
Even with new players like Dragon Ball Fighter Z, there’s still a void for American-made superhero “Mortal Kombat”-esque fighters in major tournaments. Injustice 2 fills that void very well. Guys like SonicFox, Grawlix, and Burrito Voorhees are keeping it real with top tier and multi-character plays.
And no, they don’t use Deadshot all that much.

4. People Are Still Going Online Opening Mother Boxes…
The ever-updating daily and weekly ladder fights, and the Multiverse mode equals free loot boxes (called Mother Boxes here) up for grabs if you play this game on a daily basis. True, Warner Bros. is rather in-your-face about getting people to pay additional money for these, but it’s been toned down following the Shadow of War kerfuffle. The important thing is that you can still earn these in-game and through perseverance.
5…And Customizing Their Favourite Heroes!
Now with totally new gear and a higher character level cap, the game’s non-tournament sanctioned gimmick gets more traction than usual. So if you rather play a slightly-more RPG-ish fighting game where gear matters just as much as player skill, Injustice 2’s ever-changing Multiverse mode is sure to entertain you to no end. If only other fighting games gave as much a damn to theirÂ single-player modes from the get-go.
Does this game still have problems? Yeah, but mostly on the subjective nitpicky side. The NetherRealms fighting game engine, while solid, isn’t exactly as flexible as your anime fighters or 2D Japanese-made games, so that takes some time getting used to. It’s also harder to master: you need a lot of prep work in terms of memorizing stage layouts (for interactables) and keep the Clash wagering system in mind to save yourself. And it’s not as saturated and as colourful aesthetics-wise as the other fighting gamesÂ I mentioned.
Still, don’t let that discourage you from getting this lovely ode to DC Comics fans. You get the action of a Zack Synder superhero flick without the excess baggage, and even then the story in Injustice 2 is a better Batman versus Superman story than the actual Batman v Superman P.O.S we got in theatres.
Pros

A better version of last year’s game…
…with all the DLC characters and alternate costumes….
…and a bunch of new stuff worth ploughing through

Cons

Doesn’t mean squat if you already owned Injustice 2 last year…
..along with the same problems.

Final Score: 80/100


Legendary Pokemon Spotted in Detective Pikachu’s Latest Trailer

The photorealistic cuddly detective buddy Pikachu gets a new trailer for Detective Pikachu,Â and there’s a Legendary Pokemon!
The trailer doesn’t reveal much of its plot, but it continues to tease us with its photorealistic rendition of Pokemon such as Bulbasaur, Charizard, Snubbul, Snorlax and many more, especially that one Legendary Pokemon. I don’t think I have to tell you how cute and terrifying all these CGI creatures are. It’s the uncanny valley mushed into a movie trailer.
Have a look for yourself below:

To be honest, that got me hyped.Â Detective Pikachu will be zapping to a cinema near you on 10 May.


Gundam Fans Have Until 2024 To Visit The Life-Sized Mobile Suit In Japan

Bandai and Evolving G have announced that the life-sized Gundam attraction at Gundam Factory Yokohama will be available for another year, up until 31 March 2024. Located at Yamashita Pier in Yokohama, Japan, it was originally planned to be closed in March 2023.
According to Dengeki Hobby, the reason for the extension is because the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a decreased number of visitors over the past few years. Now things are getting better and gradually improving, so they have decided to make it available until next year since the number of tourists is increasing again.
The Gundam attraction has been open since December 2020. This is all great news for fans of Gundam, who can now plan their trip to Japan up until next year to check out the life-sized mobile suit.
In the meantime, check out our review and recap of the first cour of the current Mobile Suit Gundam The Witch From Mercury anime series.


This Is How Street Fighter 5’s New Character Fare On The Tier List Of 2022

It’s already been a month since Luke came out in Street Fighter 5, so he’s definitely got his place sorted in the game’s ever-changing tier list. With the game reaching its roster limit, it’s only a matter of time until the game’s tier list gets cemented.
For now, we have one of the world’s top players already sorting out the 45 characters and their rankings. Capcom Cup 2019 champion Derek “iDom” Ruffin has offered the internet his tier list. It’s what you would expect when you have a new character shaking up the scene:
S Tier

Cammy, Rashid, Karin, Dhalsim, Urien, Poison, Luke, Guile, Balrog
New character Luke makes a strong debut as an S-tier character in online play. A number of top players like Punk and Daigo Umehara have stated Luke being a great character to use. This is because (a) he can switch between a rushdown and a zoning character thanks to his V-Skill and V-Trigger offerings,(b) he has great normals (standing LP, standing MP, standing HP) and decent health, and (c) his V-Trigger meter doesn’t drain automatically when it’s active, so opponents cannot wait it out until it’s drained.
Capcom kept it simple with Luke and succeeded. The rest of the S tier characters are the usual suspects: Cammy, Rashid, and Karin’s rushdown and mixups outmatches most of the cast, Dhalsim has great zoning tools in addition to his rushdown game, and Urien and his Aegis Reflector comeback. Poison, Guile, and Balrog round out the list.
A+ Tier
Kolin, M.Bison, Ken, Zeku, G, Chun-Li, Sakura, Seth, Akuma, Menat, Akira, Juri, Cody
Kolin, Seth, and M.Bison are still formidable foes, though in iDom’s eyes they don’t hold a candle to characters like Poison and their recent buffs. It’s also good to see characters like Juri rising up despite their complicated kit.
A Tier
Birdie, Alex, Laura, Falke, Ed, Vega, F.A.N.G, Abigail, Ryu, E. Honda, R. Mika, Sagat, Ibuki
While iDom is top-tier in using Laura, she may not be ideal to use if you plan on winning matches consistently since characters like Rashid and Cammy have better rushdown options.
B Tier
Nash, Rose, Zangief, Necalli, Kage, Lucia, Gill, Blanka, Oro, Dan
These character’s playstyles and gimmicks (Oro and Dan in particular) can only carry them so far up to Gold, and not any higher due to the rest of the cast above this tier.


Destiny 2 Crossplay Is On Its Way

Developer Bungie has revealed new details about Destiny 2 crossplay Xbox, PlayStation, PC, and Stadia coming in Season 15 of the game.
According to the blog post, Bungie will require all Destiny 2 players to create a “Bungie Name” that will stay the same across all platforms. These Bungie Names will consist of the player’s Bungie Name, display name, and numeric ID.
Along with a Bungie Name, players will have a roster called Bungie Friends, which can even be filtered based on platforms as well. You can even team up with cross-platform clan members. To add friends to Bungie Friends, players will have to search for their friends on their preferred platform and send friend requests.
Destiny 2 Season 14 will end on 24 August 2021, including The Witch Queen expansion. However, we still don’t know exactly when Destiny 2 crossplay will arrive.


Is Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse The Best Spider-Man Movie Ever?

Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse currently stands at a rating of 99 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, with over 95 positive reviews and only 1 negative review. It is the most critically-acclaimed Spider-Man movie of all time (to date) and that’s counting all the live-action ones.
Even if I was to dismiss the critics, its still well-received by many, and I personally consider it to be the best Spider-Man movie ever made.
Let Me Count The Ways…
One of the biggest reasons why is that Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse fully embraces its comic book roots, including the stylistic and aesthetic choices. The movie not only looks like a living comic book (kudos to everyone at Sony Pictures Animation for that), but it feels like one. It’s not afraid to showcase the fact that it came from the comics (unlike the movies that sometimes tries to put their own on established comic book tropes and failing).
There’s no other comic book movie out there like Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse. None of the MCU movies and DCEU movies have delved into the multiverse (except perhaps the Knightmare sequence in Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice). The multiversal aspects of the comics have often been ignored in the movies, presumably as to not confuse (and alienate) normal audiences.
However, now that people can accept a purple alien killing half the universe with a rainbow-coloured glove, what’s stopping them from enjoying the all the craziest and wackiest stuff that comics have to offer? That’s what Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse symbolizes; a bold new step for all future comic book adaptations and one that hopefully signals a new era for the genre.
With fatigue already setting in and the threat of the superhero bubble bursting, Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse is a refreshing and unique take on Spidey and one that subverts many existing tropes established by the movies (and comics). In the vein of The Lego Movie and Wreck-It Ralph 2, it is also self-aware and meta, which means that the jokes are witty and smart.
Besides that, it’s incredibly impressive how Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse still manages to retain heart and emotion without toning down anything else. The previous live-action movies have struggled with maintaining a balance between heart/emotion and jokes/laughs. The best Spider-Man stories (in the comics) have always had plenty of both elements, and that’s a testament to how goodthis movie is.

Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse is fun, emotional and features different Spider-People, but more than that, it encapsulates the most innate and defining lessons of the iconic character.

“With great power comes great responsibility” is only one of the many lessons Spider-Man teaches us. Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse also features three other traits that I believe defines the character as the late Stan Lee and Steve Ditko intended:

In the words of the late Stan Lee himself, Spider-Man “helps others simply because it should or must be done, and because it is the right thing to do.”

Spider-Man never gives up. Everytime he gets knocked down, he will get up again.

It’s the painful truth that Spider-Man can’t save everyone, but he never stops trying.

Under the mask, anyone can be Spider-Man, regardless of race, creed or gender.

That last lesson is especially vital to this film, as it is the first ever movie to feature a Spidey that’s not Peter Parker (read: white male). Miles Morales, Gwen Stacy (Spider-Gwen), and Peni Parker are living embodiments of the movie’s most important lesson; that we can all be Spider-Man.
What does the post-credits scene mean for the Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse Sequel?
Reports have confirmed that a Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse sequel is currently in development, along with an all-female spinoff. The movie’s post-credits scene strongly hint at what could be coming in a future sequel.
So I’ll put multiple spoiler warnings here since the movie is still pretty fresh at this time of writing.

The Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse post-credits scene begins with a caption that states â€œMeanwhile, in Nueva York”, with a female hologram recounting the events that occurred in the movie to an unknown person.
If (like me), you would have likely known who this mysterious figure is the moment Nueva York popped up, and you would have been right as Spider-Man 2099 does appear in all his glory.
Spider-Man 2099 is a Spider-Man from the future, similar in concept to DC Comics’ Batman Beyond. In the year 2099, a scientist named Miguel O’ Hara attempted to recreate the abilities of the original Spider-Man, and in doing so, accidentally had half of his DNA re-written with the genetic code of a spider, thereby gaining all the powers of Spider-Man (except Spider-Sense).

Voiced by Oscar Isaac (of Poe Dameron Star Wars fame), Spider-Man 2099 then receives a special watch allowing him to travel between dimensions, with one goal; gathering as many Spider-Men and Spider-Women as possible for an unknown mission.
His first recruit is the Spider-Man from the classic Spider-Man 1967 animated series, leading to a hilarious recreation of the “two Spider-Men pointing at each other” meme. The post-credits then ends on that note.
That post-credits scene is interesting because it seems to have more ties to the 2014 Spider-Verse comics crossover. Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse can be regarded as a preview or prelude of sorts (probably to warm people up to the idea of multiple Spider-People) and the sequel will be the one to explore the full potential of the Spider-Verse.
In the comics, various Spider-Men and Spider-Women had to work together to defeat the Inheritors. a family of life-sucking vampires who feed on Spider-Totems (Spider-People linked together by a mystical force called the Web of Life and Destiny).
Interestingly, the watch that Spider-Man 2099 wears in the post-credits scene seems to be very similar to the devices used by Spider-People in the comics to travel to different worlds through the Great Web.
Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse is already pretty dark and doesn’t hold back on deaths, but if the sequel is adapting the Spider-Verse comics, then viewers should be prepared for even more death as there will surely be many more casualties in the war between the Spider-People and the Inheritors.
This is all speculation for now, but it is likely what’s going to happen in the sequel. With the movies embracing the multiverse aspect of the comics, the possibilities are endless, and I for one am extremely excited to see what’s in store.
Imagine all these Spider-People in one movie.


Blizzard Unleashes the Ultimate Prop for Genji Mains Out There

While us at Kakuchopurei don’t do cosplay, we do love our games and movie props, especially those 1:1 replicas which look good in hand, as well as on the shelf. So it came as no surprise that we are super stoked with Blizzard’s unveiling of the Ultimate Genji Sword which is now available for pre-order.

My blade is ready to be unleashed!
Pre-order the all-new Ultimate Genji Sword featuring LED illumination, motion-activated sound effects, and a decorative stand.
ðŸ‰ https://t.co/XOjuWL4fr5 pic.twitter.com/twAnSRvHgc
â€” Overwatch (@PlayOverwatch) September 20, 2018
Measuring at about 46.75 inches long, (about 119cm) the sword comes with illumination on the green portion of the blade, sound effects and is of ‘premium construction’. It comes shipped with its own sheathe and retails about US$200 (MYR826) and if you plan to order it from this part of the world (Southeast Asian countries), then prepare to shell out an extra $15 (MYR62) for shipping.

Some might balk at the price but if you consider that other sword-like props such as Hasbro’s Black Series Force FX Lightsabers retail starting from MYR999 and custom lightsabers which you can get online start from MYR1200, that total of MYR888 (inclusive of shipping) isn’t that bad.
Pre-orders are now open and it is limited to 10 units per customer.


NieR Replicant Remaster Is Getting More NieR Automata Content

Publisher Square Enix and developer Toylogic have released a new trailer showcasing NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139â€¦â€˜s extra content.
The full lineup of extra content includes:

Extra Dungeons: â€œ15 Nightmaresâ€Â â€“ Previously released as downloadable content for the original release in Japan and similar to â€œThe World of Recycled Vesselâ€ content in the west, fans will be able to undertake a series of challenging dungeons as the â€œ15 Nightmaresâ€ protagonist in the world of recycled vessel. Playing through the dungeons will unlock a variety of weapons, as well as extra costumes, â€œKabukiâ€ and â€œSamurai.â€ You will also be able to change the appearance of enemy bullets to Emilâ€™s face through the option menu after obtaining either of the costumes.
Extra Costumes: â€œKabukiâ€ and â€œSamuraiâ€
Extra Costumes and Weapons: â€œ4 YoRHaâ€Â â€“ Starting at launch, players will be able to download a free â€œ4 YoRHaâ€ costume pack to swap their characterâ€™s costumes and weapons to fan favorite designs fromÂ NieR: Automata, including 9S, 2B and A2.

Guest Cast fromÂ NieR: AutomataÂ â€“ The English and Japanese voice actors of 2B and 9S will be featured in the game.

Yui Ishikawa
Natsuki Hanae
Ayaka Suwa
Ao Yuki
Kaoru Akiyama
Kira Buckland
Kyle McCarley

Soundtrack fromÂ NieR: AutomataÂ IncludedÂ â€“ Players will unlock an option to switch to select background music tracks from the critically acclaimedÂ NieR: AutomataÂ after completing the first playthrough.

Extra Episode: â€œMermaidâ€Â â€“ â€œA wrecked ship and a little girl. What you see there is a Shade that could never be killed.â€ Originally included as a short story in the original game, â€œMermaidâ€ is now included as an episode in the main game. One of the most popular episodes among fans. Players can enjoy a new scenario and exhilarating boss battle by playing through the game.

NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139â€¦ is slated to release for the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X on 22 April 2021 in Japan and Asia, before releasing on the same platforms as well as PC via Steam on 23 April 2021.
In the meantime, you can check out our preview of the game here.


Doctor Strange 2 Ending & Plot Details Explained (MAJOR SPOILERS)

Doctor Strange 2 is out in cinemas right now, and it’s a heckuva wild ride. Fair warning: you will need to do a bit of Marvel MCU homework to catch up and get the plot bits of the film, like tuning in to shows like WandaVision and Marvel’s What If?
You definitely won’t be bored watching the film this weekend during the Hari Raya holiday period. With that said, here are the explanations of what’s going on in the film provided you’ve watched and are still confused. Spoiler warning, of course, because we will be talking about the major bits of the film, all the way to how it ends. This is your last warning.

How Many Doctors Are There In The Film?
There are three four versions of Doctor Strange.

The first one has a ponytail. He helps out America Chavez at the start of the film. He ends up betraying her, taking her multiverse-hopping powers but ends up getting killed by the demon. His body ends up being in the MCU 616 Universe and will be important later.
The second Doctor Strange is the title character. You met him in the first Doctor Strange movie.
The third one is in Earth 838 and is part of the Illuminati. We’ll talk about those bits later.

The fourth Doctor Strange is NOT the one from Marvel’s What If?: Strange Supreme/Dark Strange, though he is kinda similar. This Dark Strange has the Darkhold book and is corrupted by it. And he also killed other Doctor Stranges in alternate universes trying to find happiness via a new Christine. He also spawns a third eye thanks to the Darkhold’s influence. He’s obsessed with having a happy life with Christine Palmer, to the point where he would barter with 616 Doctor Strange for this.
Wait, Did You Say 616 Universe?
Yes, this is the first time the MCU main universe is officially dubbed the 616 universe in the movies.
The universe that Doctor Strange ends up Multiverse-hopping in with America Chavez when escaping from the big bad is called 838.
Who is the Big Bad in Doctor Strange 2?

It’s ex-Avenger Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch. After what she’s gone through in Avengers: Infinity War (killing Vision for the greater good) and WandaVision (using magic to create a new reality where Vision is alive and she has two children), as well as possessing a dark sorcery book called the Darkhold that is corrupting her, the natural progression story-wise is to have her be the antagonist who just wants to go to a reality where she can be with her two kids Tommy and Billy.
In Doctor Strange 2, she literally kills people and sorcerers just to get America Chavez’s multiverse-hopping powers. And yes, Doctor Strange add in a quick joke about her not being on an Avengers lunchbox for being this evil.
The Darkhold is a magic spellbook with dark magic spells and sorcery held by Agatha Harkness (WandaVision). Wanda Maximoff has possession of it in WandaVision and now in Doctor Strange 2. It made her crazy, more or less. It also corrupted Dark Strange; more on how that panned out later.
What About Baron Mordo?

Oh, he’s the new Sorcerer Supreme in the 838 universe when 838 Doctor Strange sacrificed himself to save his universe from Thanos. He greets 616 Doctor Strange and America Chavez, then drugs them with sleep-inducing tea (oldest supervillain trick in the book) to cart them away to the Illuminati, who reside in what may be the BAXTER building.
Yes, THE same BAXTER building where science stuff is done in all other facets of the Marvel universe.
Wait, How Did Doctor Strange And America Chavez Ended Up In the 838 Universe?
By accident. America freaks out, creates star portals, and escapes Scarlet Witch during her assault in Kamar-Taj.
How Is Scarlet Witch Going To Capture America If She’s In Another Multiverse?
This is when Scarlet Witch uses the technique called Dreamwalking where a being of magic powers can use a source like the Darkhold to possess a counterpart in another multiverse; like how one controls a puppet in another place remotely to do stuff far out of your reach. 616 Scarlet Witch possesses 838 Wanda Maximoff, who has her own kids by the by which triggers 616 Scarlet Witch to really want to go through with her vengeful mission, and heads off to find America.
How Many Versions Of Christine Palmer Are There In This Film?
Two: one in the 616 who is happily married to some guy who claims to be a big fan of Doctor Strange.

There is also a 838 version of Christine Palmer who works as a scientist from the BAXTER foundation who also knows how magic relics and MCU magic works. She also had a thing with Doctor Strange before that got, well, enstranged.
She also fixed Doctor Strange’s magic cloak, which got a burnt patch during the fight with Scarlet Witch.
The Illuminati: Are They Real?
Yes, they are, and they have their own army of Ultron robots too.

The 838 Universe Illuminati consists of Baron Mordo (above),

Captain Carter (Hailey Atwell),

Captain Marvel, the Monica Rambeau version (Lashana Lynch),

Black Bolt of the Inhumans (Anson Mount),

Dr. Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic (John “Jim Halper” Krasinki), also the guy who runs the BAXTER Building,

…and Charles Xavier/Professor X of the X-Men (Patrick Stewart), complete with a short-but-sweet orchestral remix of the 1992 X-Men: Animated Series theme song. It should also be mentioned that both Mr. Fantastic and Professor X’s reveals received the biggest cheers and pops in the cinema we were in. Professor X was also on his hyper-sleek futuristic wheelchair like in the comics and ’92 series!
The Illuminati are hosting a trial to judge 616 Doctor Strange, who said they were just in 838 by accident and were escaping from Scarlet Witch. The Illuminati, formed by 838 Doctor Strange, had to judge 616 Doctor Strange because they concluded that all Doctor Stranges have tampered with forces beyond their control. This is evident with 838 Doctor Strange who used the Darkhold to dreamwalk onto different multiverses. He caused an Incursion in one of them, which is a catastrophe where the world’s reality and the interloper’s reality gets messed up (from something powerful like a dreamwalk) and cannot be fixed. Thus, both worlds become ruined. To prevent this, they have to put 616 Doctor Strange in magic-dampening cuffs and judge him.
As for 838 Doctor Strange? He managed to get the Book of Vishanti to defeat Thanos. However, his Darkhold multiverse tampering didn’t go unpunished; he had Black Bolt kill him with his powerful voice as judgment for his magic crimes.
SPEAKING OF DARKHOLD, WHAT HAPPENED TO IT?
The book gets destroyed halfway. After interrogating Sorcerer Supreme Wong (Benedict Wong), she finds out that the one she’s been using is a copy. The original spells being inscribed onto the walls of an ancient ruins located in the Wundagore Mountain. She gets Wong to teleport her there, brings him along as a hostage, and then ends up in a temple feature servants of Chthon.
What Is Chthon?

An evil elder god of Chaos in the comics; the first demon to walk the Earth in the MCU. Probably where all Chaos Magic and the Darkhold comes from. His servants look like big hulking black creatures that can shoot chaos magic; they help keep Scarlet Witch safe.
So Back To Scarlet Witch. Did She Find America?
Yes, in the Baxter building. But before she could approach her, she is accosted by the Illuminati. They tried stopping her, but her reality-altering magic is too much for the group. She killed Black Bolt, Mr. Fantastic, Captain Carter, Captain Marvel, and Professor X in pretty gruesome but PG-13 fashion.
Black Bolt got his mouth removed and accidentally kills himself with his voice, Mr Fantastic gets shredded to ribbons, Captain Carter gets sliced in half with her own shield, Captain Marvel gets depowered and crushed by a Doctor Strange monument statue, and Professor X gets his neck snapped by 616 Wanda while he’s in 838 Wanda’s mind.
So Marvel Just Introduced Old And New Heroes, And Just Killed Them Off Like That?
For shock value, yes. But rest assured, they’ll appear again albeit in different multiverse forms. This also confirms that Marvel and Disney are guaranteed hard at work on a Fantastic Four and X-Men project in the MCU universe. Which means we’ll eventually get an Avengers VS X-Men type movie thing in the far, far future…

…and we’ll finally see long-lost Fantastic Four villains be given the proper MCU treatment they deserve.

Back To The Plot. Let’s Wrap It Up

Doctor Strange and Dark Strange fight each other after Doctor Strange says “no” to trading 838 Christine for Dark Strange’s Darkhold. A pretty cool battle involving bringing musical notes to life happens. Doctor Strange won, pushing Dark Strange out of the window and getting impaled by the fences outside his Supreme Sanctorium in Dark Strange’s messed-up Incursion-filled world.
Doctor Strange uses Darkhold magic to use Dreamwalk on the dead ponytail Doctor Strange’s corpse back in the 616 universe, so that he can rescue America Chavez and stop Scarlet Witch. Possessing the corpse means dealing with dark spirits that can literally guilt users to death, but 838 Christine helped and Doctor Strange can now command the dead spirits. The corpse and spirits managed to incapacitate Scarlet Witch, and Doctor Strange convinces America that he won’t sacrifice and absorb her powers like ponytail Strange. Instead, he insists that she believes in her powers.

She does, and ends up using her star portals to bring her to the 838 universe to make 616 Scarlet Witch guilty, as 838 Wanda’s children are now terrified of her. She regrets her actions, gets everyone to flee from the temple, and destroys the whole place, having it collapse onto her and ponytail Strange’s corpse. By destroying the Darkhold source, she destroys all copies of the Darkhold in other multiverses.
Doctor Strange, Wong, 838 Christine, and America escape and head back to their respective universes. All’s well that ends well, thanks to wise words from Wong to Doctor Strange to just be content with the hand you’re dealt with because having kickass superpowers and helping lives is pretty awesome. America Chavez is also a student at the Kamar Taj.
Also, Doctor Strange ends up growing a third eye, probably due to the Darkhold magic that’s now residing in his being. And Baron Mordo is trapped in magic-dampening handcuffs back in the 838 universe like a bitch.
What Is The Obligatory Mid-Credits Scene?
A sorceress in purple getup played by Charlize Theron meets up with Doctor Strange in the middle of New York and asks for his aid. He accepts and gets ready his magic cloak and third eye to head off into what looks like Dormammu’s realm in the first Doctor Strange movie.
Who Is Charlize Theron Playing In The MCU?

A sorceress named Clea. In the comics, she’s a Sorcerer Supreme of the Dark Dimension. She also ends up taking the mantle of Doctor Strange Sorcerer Supreme when he died in the comic universe.
This is a Sam Raimi movie. Where Is Evil Dead actor Bruce Campbell?

He plays a pizza ball seller who resides in the 838 universe. He pissed off Doctor Strange, and ends up being cursed to slap himself for 3 weeks straight. He also made an appearance at the post-credits scene as a punchline, so to speak.


Netflix’s City Hunter Live-Action Adaptation Cast Adds Misato Morita

Netflix has announced that Misato Morita (The Naked Director) will take the role of Kaori Makimura in the upcoming City Hunter film, joining previously announced Ryohei Suzuki as Ryo Saeba. The film is set for release in 2024 with Yuichi Sato (Kisaragi, Strawberry Nights and The End of the Tiny World) directing.
Well-known by fans of the original manga, the XYZ message board at the east exit of Shinjuku Station will once again be an integral starting point for all of Ryo’s and Kaori’s adventures around Tokyo.
The story takes place in modern-day Shinjuku and with the cooperation of the city, the local Tourism Association, and the Kabukicho shopping district, large-scale filming in Shinjuku and Kabukicho areas is now possible in order to authentically bring the story of City Hunter to life. Successfully weaving in the elements of comedy, action and romance, City Hunter’ has been captivating fans around the world since its initial release. And now, the newly announced film will expand the franchise with stories about the beloved characters that have yet to be told.
The legendary manga City Hunter was first serialised in Weekly Shonen Jump from 1985 to 1989, with a total circulation of over 50 million copies, which was also released worldwide. Then in 1987, an anime series based on the manga was first aired and remained popular until its last special broadcast in 1999.
Misato Morita (Kaori Makimura) said:
“For decades, City Hunter has been infused with the love of countless many. To be able to stand in the shoes of someone as beloved as Kaori Makimura makes me nervous, but also gives me the greatest joy. Kaori is hardworking, vigorous, loving, and charming. The more I gaze into her heart, the more I find myself captivated by her charm. I intend to pour everything I have into playing Kaori so that I can touch even a small fragment of what makes her so special in the fans’ hearts.”
Ryohei Suzuki (Ryo Saeba) said:
“We have now spent several months as Kaori and Ryo together and I’ve gotten to know Misato as an honest and hard-working actor, bringing to life the Kaori I‘ve loved since my childhood. I cannot wait for people everywhere to see for themselves that there is no one better than Misato stepping into the role of the beloved Kaori.”


Main Game: How To Watch Malaysia’s Premiere Video Game Show Created By Kakuchopurei & RTM

It’s time: the latest video game show Main Game is available for viewing right now.
Main Game is a new 30-minute video game show that is a joint collaboration between Malaysia-based video game publication site Kakuchopurei and Malaysian broadcast station RTM (Radio Televisyen Malaysia). The show delves into topics about video games, new game releases, insights, esports info, exclusive interviews, and a whole lot more.
The debut episode is focused on YB Nik Nazmi and LEAP 2023’s first season (a brand-new grassroots esports circuit), the history of esports during the 70s to 90s, and Street Fighter 6. Apart from that, we have episodes about action RPGs and the latest releases from August 2023 onward. Yeah, we’ll have one or two blocks of the show talking about new games, but the majority of the show will be on evergreen subjects.
That’s Cool. How Do I Watch Main Game Episode 1?
The show is available for viewing on RTM Klik. We also have the debut version of the show right here. The HD version will be out on RTM at a later date. For now, check out the ad-less version below:

How Do I Watch The Rest Of Main Game?
You can head to RTM Klik for all available episodes. We also have an archive of the episodes below:


Diablo 4: Blood Minion Necromancer Build Guide

Diablo 4 will be out for PC and consoles starting 2nd June, and with all top-tier RPGs, there’s always a new build being made for any of the game’s five classes.
This guide will teach you how to Necromancer using your skeleton minions, ranged skills and blood-based attacks to kill off foes and enemies fast from Tier 2 all the way to Tier 4. But hey, if you want to use this build from the get-go, by all means…

Overview

This Necromancer build relies on a lot of point-and-click, critical strikes, and obviously your skeleton minions. With this build, you’ll be able to handle most skirmishes with ease, dealing a great deal of burst damage all the while keeping your distance from your foes.
The skill tree is built to maximise the potential out of your undead minions along with your Hemmorage and Blood Surge attacks.
Use your early skill points to get Sever and its Enhanced/Paranormal unlocks, as this will allow you to make enemies vulnerable, maximising your damage output from your basic skills as well as your minions.

Blood Minion Necromancer Build
Skills & Specialization
Skills: Raise Skeleton, Golem, Sever, Army of the Dead, Hemmorage, Blood Surge
Skeletal Warriors: Reapers (2)
Skeletal Mages: Cold (2)
Golems: Iron (2)

Skill Tree
Basic Skill (Tier 1): Hemmorage (5), Enhanced Hemmorage, Initiate’s Hemmorage
Core Skill (Tier 2): Blood Surge (5), Enhanced Blood Surge, Supernatural Blood Surge
Core Skill (Tier 2): Sever (5), Enhanced Sever, Paranormal Sever
Agile Skill (Tier 3) Passives: Spiked Armour (3), Skeletal Warrior Mastery (3)
Defensive Skill (Tier 4) Passives: Skeletal Mage Mastery (3)
Imbue Skill (Tier 5) Passives: Gruesome Mending (1), Transfusions (2), Tides of Blood (1), Coalesced Blood (1), Drain Vitality (1)
Ultimate Skill (Tier 6): Army of the Dead (1), Prime Army of the Dead (1), Supreme Army of the Dead (1)
Ultimate Skill (Tier 6) Passive: Golem Mastery (3), Inspiring Leader (3), Hellbent Commander (3), Bonded in Essences (3), Death’s Defense (3), Stand Alone (3)
Core Passive (Tier 7): Rathma’s Vigor (1)

Gear & Skill (Aspects)
Helm: Aspect of Might (Dry Steppes)
Chest Armor: Aspect of Disobedience (Kejhistan)
Gloves: Blood-bathed Aspect (Fractured Peaks)
Pants: Aspect of the Protector (Fractured Peaks)
Boots: Blood Getter’s Aspect
One-Handed Weapon 1: Accelerating Aspect
One-Handed Weapon 2: Aspect of Rathma’s Chosen
Two-Handed Weapon: –
Amulet: Unyielding Commander’s Aspect (Hawezar)
Ring 1: Aspect of Reanimation (Scosglen)
Ring 2: Aspect of Frenzied Dead
Gems
Weapon: Ruby
Armour: Emerald
Jewellery: Skull

Paragon Board
To be updated…


Cyberpunk 2077 DLC And Updates Are Delayed To 2022

CD Projekt Red just updated its Cyberpunk 2077 update roadmap, and it looks like fans are going to have to wait a while for more new content.
The free DLC and next-gen update for the sci-fi RPG will only be popping up after 2022 instead of 2021. Check out the yellow-heavy roadmap below.

As you can tell, the many, many hotfixes from 1.1 to 1.22 have shown up. Everything else? It’s only happening in 2022 and beyond.
Cyberpunk 2077 was launched with many bugs and problems, though some of it has been ironed out since. For more on Cyberpunk 2077, check out our review and guides.


You’ll Need An RTX 3080 To Play Outriders PC On Ultra Settings

If you want to play Square Enix and People Can Fly’s latest co-op loot-and-shoot game in the best fidelity and detail possible, you’ll need to pony up for a high-end graphics card.
Outrider’s PC requirements and recommendations spec list is out, and it requires an RTX 3080 or RX 6800XT to run the game on Ultra settings in 4K. Still, the rest of the requirements are pretty normal if you’re just aiming for High or below.
Long story short, you’ll be fine if you have an i7-9700 or higher motherboard and the equivalent of a GTX 1660.
Minimum Specs/Low Presets (720p, 60fps)

Â CPU:Â Intel i5-3470 / AMD FX-8350
Â Memory:Â 8GB
Â GPU:Â GeForce GTX 750Ti / Radeon R9 270x
Â DirectX:Â 11
Â Storage:Â 70GB

Recommended (1080p, 60fps)

Â CPU:Â Intel i7-7700 / AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
Â Memory:Â 16GB
Â GPU:Â GeForce GTX 1070 8GB / Radeon RX Vega 56 8GB
Â DirectX:Â 12
Â Storage:Â 70GB

Ultra (2160p, 60fps)

Â CPU:Â Intel i7-10700K / Ryzen 7 3700X
Â Memory:Â 16GB
Â GPU:Â GeForce RTX 3080 10GB / Radeon RX 6800XT
Â DirectX:Â 12
Â Storage:Â 70GB

Stay tuned to Kakuchopurei for our full Outriders legendary loot guide this weekend. The game launches 2nd April midnight in SEA countries using GMT+8.


Alienware 15 Review – Out Of This World

I’ve had my share of gaming laptops over the years.
From the tank-like, thick and bulky behemoths to the MacBook Air-lookalikes, they all came in many shape and size. Each trying to stand out from one another with bells and whistles that half of the time does not contribute even an iota to the machine’s performance. In more recent times, some brands have incorporated features without realizing these additions were in fact, counter-productive to what they were trying to achieve with the product.
So what makes a good gaming laptop? What do people look for when they spend a small fortune equivalent to, if not more than their monthly paycheck?Â For starters, depending on one’s priorities, the answer is subjective and varies from one person to the next.
However, after spending some time with the Alienware 15, I can confidently claim that this device may very well occupy that top spot when it comes to leading gaming laptop models released in 2018. It ticks all the right boxes, delivers where it matters and most importantly, lived up its claims.
Form is Temporary, Class is Permanent
While the brand has been relatively quiet over the past few years, eclipsed by new competitors in the gaming laptop market sprouting left, right and centre, Alienware never really ‘left’ the scene. Just like how Ferraris are to supercars, you can never disassociate Alienware from gaming and this year, with their range of new i9 machines, may have effectively reclaimed the throne they once dominated.
Staying true to its lineage, the Alienware 15 is built like a tank. Everything from its chassis, to the keyboard and screen, felt premium. This isn’t something that is going to fall apart after a year’s use. No, no, no. Unless someone intentionally subjected the machine to extreme abuse (we are looking at you, Zack Nelson from JerryRig), or the klutziest person alive put it through a catastrophic drop, this is one machine that will run through the most extreme of usage.
There are many pretenders to the throne but the one thing that separates an Alienware from their competitors is the feeling you get when you pick one up. It is hard to describe, so allow me to use an automative analogy here.Â Compare the feeling when you shut the door of a Ferrari to that of a Lotus. You paid good money for one of these and boy does it make every single cent count.

Some may argue about the thick-ish build which does not toe the en vogue, waif-like silhouettes of other brands’ gaming laptop but it is a tradeoff for better cooling. Never once were we bothered by the heat emanating from the device, nor face issues of it throttling due to the extra work it was forced to do. It’s just a case of functionality over form and we don’t see Dell backing down anytime soon.
These guys know their stuff.
Flash Gordon
A staple of every Alienware gaming laptops are the light-up features. The 2018 Alienware range comes with tons of flashy lights which will make you the centre of attention whenever you prop your laptop – a formula which has been copied to death by other brands in the market to this day.
There are light up strips on either side of the frames as well as the back of it; all of which are customizable via the AlienFX program. While this feature adds zero effect to your gaming, it’s a nice addition to personalize your machine. Our minor gripe here would be that the keyboards aren’t individually lit but instead are controlled via specific sections.Â But as we mentioned earlier, these are simply aesthetics and to consign negativity upon the device solely based on this would be unfair.
Clickety Clack
In my personal opinion, the most important feature on a gaming laptop is its keyboard. Now before you lynch me for saying that – yes, I agree; the CPU, GPU and everything under the hood are essential components to make a gaming laptop perform at the highest possible level. But it all will be for nothing once you pair a dodgy keyboard to it. I’ve had the experience of handling powerful machines whose performance were nullified by subpar keys and poorly designed arrangements.
Not long ago, hardware makers jumped on the mechanical keyboard wagon and were regurgitating the whole ‘this is literally your desktop pc on the go!’ spiel. But do we really need mechanical keyboards for laptops?Â While it became the standard inclusion only in the last few years for some gaming laptop brands, luckily for us,Â  Alienware stuck to their guns and to date, still offers the best feeling keyboard to not only slay people online, but a darn awesome one to type on.
My daily driver has always been a MacBook Air and I dare say, the most seamless transition from the Alienware 15 when it comes to typing. The keys are perfectly spaced, feels right to the touch; clicky but without feeling plasticky.
In case you are wondering, no, the screen does not have any touchscreen functionality. I know it’s a useful feature to some but come on – who buys a gaming laptop for touchscreen monitors? What do you plan to do with it? Play Angry Birds?
Under the Hood
The unit I reviewed had the Core i9-8950HK CPU @2.90GHz processor and a GTX1080 graphics card. Needless to say, this thing is buttery smooth and would take on anything you throw at it without a flinch.Â  You can overclock the machine but to be honest, if overclocking is your thing, you’d be better off spending that money on a dedicated desktop setup.
Sound-wise, the two front-facing speakers are easily one of the better systems coming out of a gaming laptop and we don’t have anything to complain there. Both speakers offer punchy, hard-hitting sounds and if you’re high on audio-intensive games, you are in for a treat. We ran World of Warships on it and boy were we blown away by the roar of the main guns.
We count over twelve ports throughout the chassis; our favourite part of it all is that Dell decided to reposition the power ports to the rear. This decision not only reduce wire clutter, it also allows either side of the laptop for mouse use.Â  Speaking of power, you’d be able to run the laptop solely on battery for at least four hours on normal usage before requiring to plug it in.
The available ports are as follows:

Type-A SuperSpeed USB 3.0 Port
Type-A SuperSpeed USB 3.0 Port with PowerShare Technology
Type-C SuperSpeed USB 3.0 Port
Killer Networks e2500 Gigabit Ethernet NIC
Mini-Display Port 1.2 (certified) Output
HDMI 2.0 Output
Thunderbolt 3 Port
Alienware Graphics Amplifier Port
Power/DC-in Jack
Noble Lock port
Headphone 1/8″ Port (retaskableÂ for Microphone/Line-In analog audio input) |
Audio Out 1/8″ Ports (Compatible with inline mic headset).

Thicc Thoughts
There are few negatives we can point out regarding the Alienware 15, mostly related to its bulky frame and weight.Â  Weighing approximately 3.5kg, this is one of the heaviest 15-inch laptops in the market. Top that with the power brick alongside other peripherals and you’re lugging at least five kilos on your back.Â You’d require a special bag to lug it around; don’t let the 15-inch screen size fool you.
Despite sporting a 15-inch screen, the laptop occupies the landmass of a small automobile. You would require either a specific Alienware backpack or a carrier tailored for 17-inch devices.
It is that huge.

Pros
+ Sturdy build all around
+ Still delivers the best gaming laptop keyboard in the market
+ Tons of ports; repositioned power jack is a godsend.
Cons
– Still bulky as always. But hey; where else are you gonna get your core workout from?
– It isn’t the cheapest option out there; but then again, so are Ferraris.
Full Score: 95/100

The Alienware 15 (2018) unit was loaned to Kakuchopurei.com for review from Dell Malaysia.Â Base tech specs are as follows;

Processor: 8th Generation IntelÂ® Coreâ„¢ i9-8950HK
RAM:Â 16GB, DDR4, 2400MHz; up to 32GB
GFX:Â NVIDIAÂ® GeForceÂ® GTX 1080 with 8GB GDDR5X

You can purchase similar configuration via the local Dell Online store here.


Get Some FFVII Remake In Animal Crossing New Horizons With These Downloads

Want some Square Enix clothing in your session of Animal Crossing on Nintendo Switch? With this pattern code, you now can!
Twitter user The Regressor has been designing the following costume recreations of the main costumes worn by Final Fantasy VII Remake’s protagonists Cloud, Barret, Tifa, and Aerith. You can get the pattern code below:

The #FF7R party patterns all in one place~#AnimalCrossingNewHorizons #ACNHDesigns pic.twitter.com/Fs58bmA8Kz
— The Regressor: Comms closed??????????? (@the_regressor) May 7, 2020

There are additional codes for alternate skin tones in patterns that show skin since that “skin” is actually part of the costume. There’s no guarantee that your Animal Crossing villager’s skin will be the same colour, so just use the other code if the previous one doesn’t look good.
In other news, Animal Crossing: New Horizons is the highest-selling Animal Crossing title in the franchise.Â


Jurassic World Dominion Runs Way Too Long, But Hey, More Dinosaurs

It’s been seven years since 2015’s Jurassic World and now the conclusion to the entire Jurassic era, which started with 1993’s Jurassic Park, is finally here. With the iconic trio from the original cast returning for this final movie, this movie attempts to tie a neat bow around the franchise’s saga, sort of like what Star Wars Episode IX The Rise Of Skywalker did for its respective franchise. Does Jurassic World Dominion succeed, or is it just another Star Wars Episode IX The Rise Of Skywalker?
End Of An Era

I won’t lie: it was good seeing the original trio, Laura Dern’s Dr. Ellie Sattler, Sam Neill’s Dr. Alan Grant and Jeff Goldblum’s Dr. Ian Malcom, again after all this time. Unfortunately, they can’t really do much to make Jurassic World Dominion much better when the script is so derivative and generic. Obviously, I won’t spoil the movie’s plot details, but if you’re expecting the movie to be more unique and innovative, it’s not. The movie mostly rehashes the original Jurassic Park and Jurassic World formulas, with a few exceptions.
Jurassic World Dominion doesn’t really fulfill its premise’s full potential. The idea of humans and dinosaurs co-existing should have meant that there would be more scenes set in cities and urban areas where people actually live, but we don’t see much of that. There’s only one major sequence that takes place in a city/urban area, and part of that’s already been shown in the trailers. So, yeah, there’s nothing like what we saw in the climax of 1997’s The Lost World Jurassic Park.
Still, I’m sure most viewers will watch this movie for one thing, dinosaurs, and there’s definitely a lot of that. The highlight of the movie is the intense and dread-filled horror-tinged scenes featuring the cast being stalked or attacked by dinosaurs (look out for the scary and vicious new feathered dinosaurs). These are exciting, and begs for the movie to be watched on IMAX and the biggest screens possible. You won’t be disappointed if you’re looking forward to some dino action.

However, therein lies another problem, because the movie is almost a whopping two hours and 30 minutes long (it’s actually the longest in the entire franchise). Most of the best scenes take place in the second half of the movie, especially in the third act. Meanwhile, the pacing of the first half in Jurassic World Dominion feels somewhat plodding and slow, as it mainly sets up the second half and the climactic third act of the movie.
Despite the movie’s flaw, I’m sure many fans of the franchise will appreciate that it looks like Jurassic World Dominion features more animatronic dinosaurs and practical effects than its two predecessors. Visually, the animatronics and practical effects add more a more powerful impact to certain scenes that CGI wouldn’t have accomplished. There’s a reason why the best horror movies still tend to rely on practical effects and not fully CGI; viewers are more scared of something that’s actually there, rather than something that’s clearly made of pixels.
The best performances in the movie are from the aforementioned original Jurassic Park trio, which is no wonder why they were so heavily promoted for the movie’s marketing. The rest of the returning Jurassic World cast are just like they were before, but we do get to see Chris Pratt’s Owen Grady and Bryce Dallas Howard’s Claire Dearing play parents to Isabella Sermon’s Maisie Lockwood. I would also like to praise Bryce Dallas Howard for killing it in showing how terrified Claire was while getting stalked by dinosaurs. The MTV Awards have an award for Most Frightened Performance. If anything, she definitely deserves to win at least that.
Claire (BRYCE DALLAS HOWARD) in JURASSIC WORLD DOMINON, directed by Colin Trevorrow
It’s A Dino World, And We’re Stuck In It

Is Jurassic World Dominion a perfect conclusion? Nope, it isn’t. If you’re here for a rollercoaster ride with dinosaurs, it’s a flawed one with a slow start and no genuine surprises, but at least it delivers on the dinosaur spectacle.
Jurassic World Dominion is a fun blockbuster action flick that your whole family can enjoy, just like Jurassic Park and Jurassic World. However, there is wasted potential in its premise, which could have been made into an even better and more memorable film, considering that it’s the supposed final movie of a trilogy and the end of a saga.
FINAL SCORE: 60/100
We attended a press screening of Jurassic World Dominion courtesy of United International Pictures (UIP) Malaysia. Jurassic World Dominion premieres in Malaysian cinemas on 8 June 2022.


Overwatch League Teams Preview Part 2

In the second part of our Overwatch League teams preview, we shall be focusing on teams from the Atlantic Division of the Overwatch League. Unsure on how the league is to be played? Fret not. Head over here where we explain in detail how the competition is run.Â
But let’s get back to the reason you’re here. Here are the teams you should be looking out in the Atlantic Division of the Overwatch League. For Part 1 and also preview of the favorites in the Pacific Division, head here.
1. London Spitfire
London Spitfire
Lineup:

The coolest team name with an equally impressive lineup, London Spitfire is an amalgamation of two of the top three teams in the South Korean Overwatch circuit right now and are not to be taken lightly. Initially consisting of players from KongDoo Panthera before it was renamed Cloud9 KongDoo following Cloud9’s takeover of the squad, the final roster of London Spitfire is now complete and twice more impressive with the addition of players from OGN APEX Season 4 champions, GC Busan.
2. New York Excelsior
New York Excelsior
Lineup :

A bit slim in terms of squad depth but don’t let that fact fool you. The boys from NYXL are seasoned Overwatch pros having competed under the banner LW Blue in the OGN APEX Overwatch circuit for a few seasons prior. Constantly overshadowed by the likes of Lunatic-Hai (Seoul) and KongDoo Panthera (London) in Korean soil, perhaps a change of scenery will provide the impetus for Saelbyeolbe and crew to break the duck and show the world they are among the best there is. Fans of Overwatch were treated with spectacular plays from the New York boys during the recent Overwatch World Cup where Saebyeolbe and Fl0w3r shined for Team Korea en route to defending their title. It is worth mentioning that Team Korea consisted of three Excelsior players – Saebyeolbe, Mano andÂ Fl0w3r; so needless to say – these guys know how to win.
3. Shanghai Dragons
Shanghai Dragons
Lineup:

Built on the backbone of one of the most successful Overwatch teams in the Chinese Overwatch scene, LGD Gaming, Shanghai Dragons are one of the silent underdogs heading into the inaugural season of the Overwatch League mostly due to the fact that most outlets see the tourney as a Koreans vs North American & EU-based players. Most of their players are relatively unknown compared to players from other teams but we are pretty confident the Chinese players’ names will be on everyone’s lips once the league starts. Keep a special lookout for Undead and Roshan who we feel are set to light up the league real soon.

You can check out Part 1 of our Overwatch League teams preview here.Â Â The inaugural Overwatch League season is set to kick off January 10, 2018, with preseason starting December 6, 2017. The regular season concludes in June 2018 and will be followed by a playoffs and finals. All regular season games will be played at theÂ Blizzard Arena Los AngelesÂ for the inaugural season.


Superman Red Son Sets A New Bar For Complex Comic Book Animated Movies

Superman Red Son is one of the most iconic Elseworlds DC Comics IP of all time. Back in 2003, Mark Millar’s seminal comic book miniseries featured an intriguing premise; what if Kal-El/Superman’s shuttle crashed landed in Soviet Russia at the height of communism as a baby, instead of Kansas in the good old US of A?
Now, Warner Bros Animation has adapted Superman Red Son into a standalone animated feature film, which has surprisingly managed to leave the moral ambiguity and political complexity of the source material mostly intact.
For Stalin, Socialism, And The Communist Way

Superman Red Son takes place on an alternate reality where Kal-El/Superman’s pod landed in the Soviet Union in 1946. When he turns twelve, he shows his great secret to a dear friend, Svetlana, who then convinces him that it is his duty and responsibility as a communist citizen to use his powers for the good of the state.
Years later, the Cold War erupts, pitting the Soviet Union against the United States. Raised by Soviet Union premier Stalin himself, Superman (Jason Isaacs) grows up to be the living symbol of Communism, with the hammer and sickle emblazoned on his chest. Industrialist Lex Luthor (Diedrich Bader) is tasked by US President Eisenhower to assist the country against this seemingly all-powerful invincible Communist puppet.

Jason Isaacs is an English actor famous for many roles, including portraying Captain Gabriel Lorca in Star Trek Discovery and several prominent voicing roles such as the Grand Inquisitor in Star Wars Rebels and Admiral Zhao in Avatar: The Last Airbender.
He performs an amazingly-authentic Russian accent (or one that’s not cringe-worthy, at least), with all the heart and earnestness that Superman should have.

Other highlights include Diedrich Bader as Lex Luthor, who pulls off a great ‘good guy’ Lex Luthor while still somehow sounding like a villain with all his sleaziness, and Roger Craig Smith as Russian Batman, with all the menace of a Dark Knight. None of the actors (who voice the Russian characters) are actually Russian, but you won’t notice it.
The story essentially explores the opposite of Grant Morrison’s All-Star Superman (which also has an animated adaptation of its own), albeit with the same overall message. If you take out the ‘Kindly Couple’ from the equation, will Superman still be Superman?

Without Truth, Justice and the American Way, is Superman still a hero?
Without spoiling any of the plot points, the answer is this:
Superman Red Son strives to prove that Superman fundamentally remains Superman at his core no matter the circumstances, whether that be under the flag of America, Russia, or any political entity/ideology.

Fixing The Flaws Of Other DC Movies

The Superman in Red Son is sort of similar to the one in NetherRealm Studios’ popular Injustice games. However, he is not as overtly evil, nor is he an unhinged maniac who kills without remorse. It’s refreshing to see a Superman who’s not clearly-defined in being inherently good or evil; a grey Superman if you will.
Though, in an effort to add that depth to Superman, this movie has made its Batman a bit too dark and less heroic in the process, which is a departure even from the one featured in the source material. It’s not a bad thing, but overzealous fanboys may get triggered over this version of the (Russian) Dark Knight.

That said, Superman Red Son does feature some major changes from its source material, the biggest of which is the ending of the original comic.
In the comic, the brilliant plot twist at the end incorporates temporal paradoxes, which may have been too confusing for normal viewers, as well as harder to adapt into animation.
Director Sam Liu went for a simpler and more grounded yet still effective ending, which is an acceptable compromise.

Other standalone animated movies based on DC Comics properties tend to either be too long or too short, stretching the source material past its breaking point (2016’s Batman The Killing Joke) or just cutting too much stuff that it ends up butchering the source material (2019’s Reign Of The Supermen). I’m glad to say that Superman Red Son has managed to strike a balance without sacrificing too much of the source material.
Putting The “Action” In Action Comics

If you’re worried that Superman Red Son might cast a sleeping spell on you with all talk and heavy-handed philosophical stuff, you have nothing to worry about.
If there’s one thing that every DC Comics animated movie has, it’s great action, and this movie is no exception.

Recent DC animated movies have made the mistake of trying to be too edgy with action that features excessive gore and blood like they’re set in the freaking Mortal Kombat universe. Fortunately, Superman Red Son dials back on the unnecessary violence, though there’s still some plenty of blood in there for those who are into those things.
The Most Ambitious DC Animated Movie Yet

While it might not be perfect (what is, really?), Superman Red Son is one of the most ambitious DC Comics animated adaptations yet, which makes for a compelling and memorable entry into its already-massive library.
This is what we deserve to see more of from the folks at Warner Bros Animation. If they keep this up (and keep improving as well), maybe it’s finally time to trust them with adapting one of the most requested comics ever; Mark Waid and Alex Ross’ Kingdom Come.
FINAL SCORE: 90/100


Project Cars 3 First DLC Pack Is Now Live

The Legends Pack, the first add-on content Pack for Project CARS 3, is now available for all players on PS4, Xbox One, and PC. The Legends Pack is available as part of the Season Pass, but can also be bought separately as an individual pack.
The challenging Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi will also be available today, for free, for all owners of Project CARS 3.
The Legends Pack comes packed with content, including three legendary Japanese sports cars from the â€™90s:
1994 Toyota Supra mkIV Turbo1994 Mazda Rx-7 R21997 Acura NSX
Each of these legends also comes with its own full Race Conversation Kit.
The Legend Pack also includes:
16 themed events.New legends-based achievements and trophies.12 Liveries / 20 Decals / 5 Patterns.5 Rims / 10 Tyres.10 License Plates / 5 Race Numbers.One new character with 10 outfits and 10 helmets.

The Legends Pack is the first of four scheduled Packs coming to Project CARS 3.
December will see the launch of the Style Pack, followed by the Power Pack and the Electric Pack sometime in 2021. Each add-on will include new and unique cars as well as customization items. One free track for the community will also be added with each Pack.
In the meantime, check out the trailer below:


We Interviewed Metal Gear Solid Theme Singer Donna Burke About Her Past Work

Back during Animangaki, we had a chance to talk to famed singer Donna Burke, whose work you recognize from the Metal Gear Solid Series -specifically for Peace Walker and part 5. Remember “Heaven’s Divide” and “Sins of the Father”? That’s all her!
But did you know she also did vocal music work for the Tales series, the God Eater series, and even Sega’s racing title Outrun?Â Straight out of Animangaki a week or so ago, here’s our exclusive feature on the artist where we ask her about her frame of mind when singing tunes of her past.