Spider-Man: Far From Home – Unraveling The Mystery Of Mysterio & Why He’s A Big Deal

Spider-Man Far From Home is set to feature a villain from the character’s rogues gallery that has never been adapted into live-action, despite having debuted in The Amazing Spider-Man #13 way back in 1964, making him one of the earliest (and most recurring) foes that the wall-crawler has had to face.
Who is Mysterio and why is he so mysterious? Unlike other Spider-Man villains such as Venom and the Green Goblin (who are iconic bad guys), the trailers and promotional material for Spider-Man Far From Home have all shown Quentin Beck AKA Mysterio to be an ally of Spider-Man instead of the villain he has always been in the comics.
Here’s a rundown to unravel the mystery of Mysterio.
Origin Of Mysterio

Created by the late Stan Lee and Steve Ditko (may these comic book legends rest in peace), Quentin Beck was a former stuntman, actor and (most importantly) special effects artist who left Hollywood when he realized that there was no future left for him there. He decided to turn to crime to further utilize his talents of being an illusionist, as he was capable of making extremely convincing illusions and smoke-and-mirror tricks.
While he may not have any actual superpowers or extraordinary abilities, his mastery of special effects and illusions, not to mention an array of gadgets and tech, makes him a formidable foe even for Spider-Man.

Quentin Beck AKA Mysterio started his supervillain career by hatching a plan to frame Spider-Man for a slate of robberies and pretending to capture him in the act) by impersonating Spider-Man and his abilities). Basically, he wanted to trick the world into believing that he was a hero, but he was ultimately outed and thwarted by Spider-Man in the end.
He even managed to create a special gas that effectively negates or turns off Spider-Man’s Spider-Sense, rendering the wall-crawler essentially ‘blind’.

While Mysterio may not sound impressive on paper, he’s been a thorn in not only Spider-Man’s but the lives of other superheroes as well. Most underestimate him for his subtle and what seems to be unremarkable talents, but he has managed to accomplish many infernal acts of evil throughout the years.
Here’s a list of them.
Mysterio’s Evil Feats

Remember how in the 2017 Logan movie when it was revealed that Professor X inadvertently caused the death of the X-Men? In the Old Man Logan comics, it was Mysterio who tricked Wolverine into believing that his teammates were deadly villains using his illusions. Wolverine kills them all, only realizing that he slaughtered his own friends and family once the illusion wore off.

While the events of Old Man Logan technically transpired in an alternate future reality, it cemented Mysterio’s deadly reputation and potential as one of Spider-Man’s most dangerous foes.
In the main 616 universe of the comics, he was one of the members of the original Sinister Six, which included the likes of himself, Doctor Octopus, Electro, Kraven the Hunter, Sandman, and Vulture.

Mysterio would later rise again to supervillain prominence when he became the main protagonist in Kevin Smith and Joe Quesada’s Daredevil: Guardian Devil storyline. in Guardian Devil, Quentin Beck learned that he is dying from cancer caused by the chemicals and radiation of his own special effects and illusions.
He wanted one last attempt at glory but was disappointed to discover that the current (at that time in the late 90s) Spider-Man was a clone (he wasn’t but the Clone Saga is better off forgotten), so he turned his attention to Daredevil instead.

He proceeded to hatch an intricate plan to drive Daredevil insane and ultimately coerce the hero into killing him. Mysterio does this by using artificial insemination to impregnate his lover Karen Page, drugged his best friend Foggy Nelson, posed as Karen’s doctor to fake an HIV diagnosis, and hired Bullseye to lure Daredevil to him for a final confrontation, which resulted in the death of Karen Page.

When his plan failed, Mysterio committed suicide. However, he has since returned back to life (don’t ask me how) and resumed his criminal activities. During the 2012 Spider-Men storyline, it was revealed that the Mysterio of both the primary Marvel (616) universe and Ultimate universe (1610) are the same person, namely Quentin Beck of Earth-616. He’s been traveling between both universes and controlling a robotic avatar of himself in the Ultimate universe.

Most recently, Mysterio has seemingly retired from his villainous ways, despite the efforts of others like his daughter Misty Beck and that of Neo-Hydra in persuading him to re-don the cape. Then, he died yet again, killed by a new Spider-Man villain named Kindred. If we know Mysterio, he’s bound to return sometime in the future.

Oh, Mysterio has also appeared in multiple animated series and video games over the years. I’m sure many gamers still remember facing against him in the classic PS2Â Spider-Man 2 game, where after all the hassle of foiling his plans, he actually goes down in just one measly punch.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1MZIU_feIk&w=560&h=315]
He was also in Insomniac’s Marvel’s Spider-Man for the PS4, though that was more of a glorified easter egg (it was a person cosplaying as Mysterio at a Halloween party) instead of an actual appearance by Quentin Beck.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5tZFhvJbPE&w=560&h=315]
Mysterio In Spider-Man: Far From Home

The Mysterio in Spider-Man Far From Home seems to be markedly different than his comics counterpart. In the trailers, the MCU version of Quentin Beck claims to be a superhero from another universe (833), who entered Spider-Man’s universe (616) to follow the Elementals (monsters who destroyed his earth).
In the comics, Earth 833 is already home to its own version of Spider-Man named William â€œBillyâ€ Braddock. Calling himself Spider-UK, he is actually a member of the Captain Britain Corps, an organization that protects the Multiverse.
In the trailer, Mysterio says to Spider-Man; â€œI could use someone like you on my world.â€ could have two implications. One, that he is lying about there being no Spider-Man on his Earth, thereby making him a villain with a hidden agenda, or two, the Spider-Man on his Earth did exist but is now dead maybe due to the Elementals or some other threat.

I do have another theory; that another Spider-Man villain named Dmitri Smerdyakov AKA the Chameleon is actually in cahoots in Mysterio in Spider-Man: Far From Home. With the ability to impersonate whoever he wants, the Chameleon could be essential in maintaining whatever lies this Mysterio is spewing.

This is Mysterio we’re talking about so despite all the promotional materials depicting him as a good guy and a hero, I’m almost certain that he will still definitely turn out to be a villain. However, it’s not like Kevin Feige and Marvel Studios not to have subverted our expectations in the past, like with the Mandarin / Trevor Slattery fiasco in 2013’s Iron Man 3 and the Skrulls being misunderstood innocent refugees in 2019’s Captain Marvel.
Spider-Man: Far From Home is slated to arrive in cinemas on 4 July 2019, with sneak previews available on 2 and 3 July 2019 in selected Malaysian cinemas. In the meantime, re-watch the trailer below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nt9L1jCKGnE&w=560&h=315]


Sony’s Twisted Metal Reboot Reportedly Changes Studios

Last year, it was reported that Sony PlayStation was working on a new Twisted Metal reboot. However, they have yet to officially announce one yet. Now, a new report has claimed that the new Twisted Metal reboot has changed studios, from Destruction All-Stars developer Lucid Games to an unidentified first-party studio somewhere in Europe.
A Twisted Metal game reboot being in development is likely to coincide with the upcoming Twisted Metal TV series, which is confirmed to be in the works at PlayStation Studios with the writers behind the Deadpool and Zombieland movies, as well as Captain America actor Anthony Mackie in the lead role.
According to sources from VGC, the reason why Sony decided to switch studios is due to the bad reception to Destruction All-Stars when it came out last year. Despite releasing on PS Plus, it struggled to build a stable player base. However, none of this has been confirmed by Sony or PlayStation yet, so let’s take all this with a grain of salt.
The only thing confirmed so far is the Twisted Metal TV series. Maybe we’ll hear more about this new Twisted Metal game this year? Fingers crossed. The last Twisted Metal game was 2012’s Twisted Metal Black for the PS3.


Comedian Bob Saget Has Died

Bob Saget, a stand-up comedian known for playing Danny Tanner in the 90s sitcom Full House and old Ted Mosby’s narrator voice in How I Met Your Mother, has died. He was 65.
According to the police (via Variety) His body was found unresponsive at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Orlando, Florida. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities are currently finding out the cause of death and further information.
Bob Saget recently kicked off a nationwide stand-up tour last September, and was planning to run it through June 2022.

Loved tonight’s show @PV_ConcertHall in Jacksonville. Appreciative audience. Thanks again to @RealTimWilkins for opening. I had no idea I did a 2 hr set tonight. I’m happily addicted again to this shit. Check https://t.co/nqJyTiiezU for my dates in 2022. pic.twitter.com/pEgFuXxLd3
— bob saget (@bobsaget) January 9, 2022


Microsoft Has Laid Off Around 1,000 Employees Including Xbox Staff

It has come to light through a Business Insider report that Microsoft has laid off around 1,000 employees across their entire workforce.
According to the report, cuts have affected staff from the Xbox division, as well as those from the Microsoft Strategic Missions and Technology organisation.
It’s also been revealed that Studio Alpha, which was created as a “serious gaming initiative” to make cloud-based wargame simulations for military and commercial customers, is among the departments being closed down entirely.
Greg Chapman, who was the principal architect at Studio Alpha, privately tweeted that he and his entire team had been let go.
“Whelp, it’s been an adventure,” Chapman tweeted. “Today me and my entire team were laid off. 12 years here at Microsoft, and 25 in game development. Details shortly once the shock wears off.”
Meanwhile, KC Lemson, who joined Microsoft as a Software Test Engineer in 1998 and was most recently a group product/program manager, revealed on Twitter that she was one of the employees who had been let go from the company.

Welp, who’s got two thumbs and just got laid off from Microsoft this morning?
2022 has been quite a year. pic.twitter.com/JfsbwKvKfV
— KC Lemson (@kclemson) October 18, 2022

Microsoft’s Mission Engineering team, which studied space technology, has also reportedly been affected, with employees being told in an email that the group would be “deprioritising work already underway”, and that team leaders would be working with staff who are “part of a prioritisation change” to “wrap up existing work and determine next steps”.
In a statement to Insider, a Microsoft spokesperson said: “Like all companies, we evaluate our business priorities on a regular basis, and make structural adjustments accordingly. We will continue to invest in our business and hire in key growth areas in the year ahead.”


Here’s The Full List Of Sega Genesis & Megadrive Mini 2 Titles

Sega will be releasing its second 16-bit mini console, the Sega Genesis Mini 2 and Sega Megadrive Mini 2, later this 27 October.
With that classic mini console comes a ton of Japanese and North American titles that made the system what it was back in the roaring 90s. And there’s a plethora of them for each console region. Here’s the full list, along with their respective trailers reminding you of that sweet 16-bit synth and graphics that will warm your ever-jaded gaming heart.

Sega Megadrive Mini 2 Games List (Japan)
Cartridge Games

Atomic Runner
Crusader of Centy
Devi & Pii
Granada
Honoo no Toukyuuji Dodge Danpei
Midnight Resistance
Party Quiz MEGA Q 2022
Party Quiz SEGA Q
Ranger X
Space Harrier II
Star Cruiser
Super Locomotive
VS Puyo Puyo Sun

Sega/Mega CD Titles

Captain Tsubasa
Night Trap
Silky Lip

Sega Genesis Mini 2 Games List (North America)
Cartridge Titles

After Burner II
Alien Soldier
Atomic Runner
Bonanza Bros.
ClayFighter
Crusader of Centy
Desert Strike: Return to the Gulf
Earthworm Jim 2
Elemental Master
Fatal Fury 2
Gain Ground
Golden Axe II
Granada
Hellfire
Herzog Zwei
Lightening Force: Quest for the Darkstar
Midnight Resistance
The Ooze
OutRun
OutRunners
Phantasy Star II
Populous
Rainbow Islands: Extra
Ranger-X
The Revenge of Shinobi
Ristar
Rolling Thunder 2
Shadow Dancer: The Secret of Shinobi
Shining Force II
Shining in the Darkness
Sonic 3D Blast
Splatterhouse 2
Streets of Rage 3
Super Hang-On
Super Street Fighter II: The New Challengers
ToeJam & Earl in Panic on Funkotron
Truxton
VectorMan 2
Viewpoint
Virtua Racing
Warsong

Sega CD

Ecco the Dolphin (CD Ver.)
Ecco: The Tides of Time (CD Ver.)
Final Fight CD
Mansion of Hidden Souls
Night Striker
The Ninja Warriors
Night Trap
Robo Aleste
Sewer Shark
Shining Force CD
Silpheed
Sonic The Hedgehog CD

Bonus Games

Devi & Pii
Star Mobile

New Ports
Fantasy Zone
Space Harrier II (+Space Harrier)
Spatter
Super Locomotive
VS Puyo Puyo Sun


Guardians Vol.2 Script is Now Online and Available for Free

In a year laden with comic superhero movies, several stood out for great reasons, while some for awful ones (yes, we are talking about you, Justice League) and one of the better ones coming out of 2017 is easily Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2.Â  Last week, Guardians Vol.2 Director and Writer James Gunn made the entire script available online for your reading pleasure and in case you missed it here it is.

As promised, the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 script is now online. Read it here for free: https://t.co/xXGha4EhMH
â€” James Gunn (@JamesGunn) November 21, 2017
You can read and/or download the script hereÂ to pick up some pointers on writing a good superhero movie script, or just have a good laugh. It chronicles the entire movie from start to finish including the soundtrack which plays in the background as well as detailed characterization in each scene. Here’s an example:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbCM8UEwqoo&w=560&h=315]
Be sure to check out the Groot and the red button scene as well.


Malaysian Rappers Debut The Rise Of Skywalker-Inspired Music

Disney Malaysia is collaborating with local Malaysian rappers SonaOne and Alif for special a Star Wars-inspired music track titled, â€œRiseâ€. This will be Disney Malaysiaâ€™s first collaboration with both artists on a music video inspired by Star Wars.

‘Rise’ is now available on Spotify and other music streaming platforms like Apple Music, Deezer, and more. Check out the full list of available streaming platforms here.
However, the music video will be available on the official DisneyMusicAsiaVEVO YouTube channel very soon.
The lyrics to ‘Rise’ by SonaOne and Alif refer to the Skywalker Saga, and the recently-released Star Wars The Rise Of Skywalker in particular. In their statement, SonaOne and Alif said:

“Never in a million years would we have thought our love for Hip Hop and Star Wars could come together in the most perfect way imaginable.
We feel honoured to be a part of this, and as Star Wars fanatics ourselves, we hope to connect with all you other fans and celebrate the end of the saga in the â€˜littestâ€™ way possible.
RISE RISE RISE!”

In the meantime, check outÂ my review ofÂ Star Wars The Rise Of Skywalker, orÂ head on over hereÂ for my 4000-word spoiler FAQ of the movie, discussing all its problems and more.


Final Fantasy XIV Surpasses 24 Million Players, Becomes Most Profitable FF Game Of All Time

During a recent Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker preview event (via Easy Allies), director Naoki Yoshida said that that Final Fantasy XIV has now surpassed 24 million players. The game is now the most profitable Final Fantasy game in the series; of all time basically.
Yoshida revealed that the game’s player count has hit 24 million players, about 11 years after the game came out back in 2010. FFXIV player count was 4 million registered players back in 2015, with that same number going up to 10 million in 2017. That’s when the third expansion Stormblood came out. That number doubled within the next four years up to now.
The director had this to say:
“It’s perhaps unbecoming of me to say but in terms of our business, we’ve been able to achieve great success. Moving forward, we’re going to spare no expense with our investments to ensure that this game continues to be one which our players can enjoy.
You all know just how hard things were for us with the original Final Fantasy 14. Since then, we were able to transform the title into one that provides a major contribution to our company’s profits.”
Truly this is one of the rare comeback stories in video game history where all’s well that ends well. While we’re on the subject of MMOs, he’s also not a fan of the whole FFXIV vs World of Warcraft debacle that’s going on. On a recent PC Gamer interview, he said people are making too big a scandal out of the recent Blizzard lawsuits and people leaving WoW for FFXIV because of it. He’s happy people are passionate about games, but he is concerned with the mentality that fans of a game have to be completely dedicated to it:
“But I also worry about some of these people getting a little too enthusiastic to the point where they are sort of binding people down, chaining people down and going into the community and almost attacking those people who want to take a break sometimes and maybe enjoy a different game and chain them down in that way.
The hard work we’ve been putting into Final Fantasy 14 did pay off. But this whole conversation about surpassing WoW is the wrong conversation to have and it’s honestly irritating.”
FFXIV: Endwalker will be out the end of November this year and will cap off the game’s current storyline.


Watch The First Hour Of The Outer Worlds DLC Here

We got our hands on the new DLC to Obsidian Entertainment & Private Divisions’ RPG The Outer Worlds, and it’s looking sharp so far.
Titled Peril on Gorgon, the DLC takes place during your Outer Worlds sci-fi adventure; you can access it right after doing the story missions in Monarch for the main game. The gist is this: you’re hired by rich woman Wilhemina Ambrose to search for her dead mother Olivia’s journal on the planet Gorgon.
The catch? The planet is filled with drug-hopped marauders and short of the docking station and the bar next to it, the place is teeming with people and space animals trying to kill you. Gorgon itself used to be a Spacer’s Choice factory and colony that specializes in a productivity drug called Adrena-Time before it was abandoned.
Naturally, you and your crew of the good ship Unreliable will have to get your hands dirty. Here’s an hour’s worth of game footage of us doing just that: getting our clothes & appendages tainted with killing, stealing, sneaking around, and lying. So far, Gorgon is a “beautiful” purple-ish wasteland filled with space drug addicts who are surprisingly fast and good with Spacer’s Choice weaponry.

We also should bring up some noteworthy additions to this DLC which may sate Obsidian RPG min-max fans:
-Since the game’s level cap is bumped up to 35, players can now allocate more skill points to their skills. In fact, they can min-max one or two of them up to 150, which opens up Virtuoso skill bonuses.
Virtuoso bonuses are endgame-level bonuses that can help you with your current specialization if you choose to max them out. For example, having 150 points in Engineering lets you remove mods from guns at no extra cost or sacrifice, while having 150 in Persuade makes enemies cower again after a 10-second cooldown. And also open up high-level options to solving some of Gorgon’s later missions.
-Your companions also get two extra “character-specific” perks. For example, Felix gets a Tier 4 character perk that gives him 50% weapon damage if he’s using Tossball weapons, while Parvati’s Tier 5 character perk gives you 25 percent Tactical Time Dilation meter if she kills an enemy. Fun!
-There is a mission where you help a stranded crew figure out what the differences between an alpaca and a llama are. Basically, The Outer World’s warped sense of humour is still intact, in case the bartender robot on the video isn’t a dead giveaway.
Stay tuned for our review when the DLC is out on 10th September. It should set you back US$14.99 for PC (Epic Games Store), Xbox One, and PS4.


Here’s How To Get Free Apple TV+ On Your PS5

PlayStation and Apple have announced a special offer for users with a PS5. Here’s how you can redeem the six months of free Apple TV+ subscription if you have a PS5:
You can redeem your offer between now and 22 July 2022 to start watching critically acclaimed Apple Originals series and films. These include fan-favourites like Ted LassoÂ starring Jason Sudeikis,Â See starring Jason Momoa with Dave Bautista and Alfre Woodard, and the upcoming highly anticipated sci-fi drama Foundation.
You can also watch one of the best sitcoms ever made about the video games industry; two full seasons of Mythic Quest. Check out my in-depth review of Mythic Quest Season 2 here if you want to learn more about the brilliant series.
After six months of free Apple TV+ are over, you can renew for RM19.90 per month.
Here’s what you need:

An account for PlayStation Network
An Apple ID

Here’s how to redeem your offer:

Find the Apple TV app from your PS5 consoleâ€™s search bar, or find it under â€œAll appsâ€ in Media home.
Download and open the Apple TV app and follow the on-screen instructions.
Sign in with your Apple ID or create an Apple ID if you donâ€™t already have one.
Enjoy your six free months of Apple TV+.


Ex-Capcom Veteran Game Devs Are Making A New Edo Haunted House Roguelike

You may not be familiar with the names Kenichi Iwao and Tatsuya Yoshikawa, but they’re well-known in their game developer circles as they’ve worked at some renowned game companies. Iwao worked on the first Resident Evil game and directed Parasite Eve II for Square Enix, while Yoshikawa did the artwork for Capcom’s Breath of Fire RPG series (notably parts 3, 4, and Dragon Quarter) and the Devil May Cry titles.
The two of them have formed a Japanese game studio called WODAN, and they’ve announced a new game in the works: a roguelike named Shinonome. The title is based on the concept of a haunted house from the Edo period, where you have to find the main exit in each maze you’re trapped in while fighting off demons with your wit and trickery. Your character Yono isn’t exactly equipped for head-to-head fighting, so you’ll have to find ways to trap demons or just avoid conflict, or get them to fight each other while you run to the nearest exit.
The title will be in Early Access on PC (Steam) on 11th November. This version will feature all three main game modes; user feedback will be most appreciated in improving the game further during this phase. The Early Access period will last two to four months.
Check out the game’s key features and trailer below:

Japanese Horror – Enjoy a unique and terrifying experience as you explore the old Japanese house, which combines rustic beauty with darkness.
Diverse Ways to Play – Draw them in and trap them. Set up a trick and run. Draw in their natural enemies…There are countless ways to take care of the ayakashi. This game finds its true beginning when you discover your own way to work through it.
Highly Replayable – Overcome to finely detailed haunted house in “Harae.” Escape from a randomly generated haunted house as you work to preserve your tools and food to survive in “Misogi.” Explore the endless dungeons and towers taking short breaks at stores and kitchens inside them in “Gyou.” Each of the games three modes will keep you coming back for more.


Slime Rancher 2 All Slimes List Guide: Where To Find Them

Slime Rancher 2 puts you in the shoes of a slime wrangler, building farms for slimes, capturing and rearing them, and feeding them with fruits and livestock depending on what kind you’re breeding. Learning what these adorable creatures do and eat are important in the game, as well as knowing where they’re found in the world of Slime Rancher 2.
Here’s the list of slimes you can breed and keep in your farm(s). Note that each slime has different-valued plorts (Slime excrements that are worth cash when sold).
New Slimes in Slime Rancher 2

Angler Slime
Batty Slime
Cotton Slime
Flutter Slime
Ringtail Slime
Saber Slime
Yolky Slime

Returning Slimes in Slime Rancher 2

Boom Slime
Crystal Slime
Fire Slime
Honey Slime
Hunter Slime
Phosphor Slime
Pink Slime
Puddle Slime
Rock Slime
Tabby Slime
Lucky Slime
Gold Slime
Largo Slimes
Feral Slime
Tarr Slime
Gordo Slimes

Now let’s break down each Slime from the common ones to the rare breed.
Pink Slime
Found: Everywhere
Diet: Fruit, veggies, meat
Favourite Food: None
The most common slime to find in Slime Rancher 2. Since their plorts are worth the least, you only want them around to breed pink Largos.
Tabby Slime
Found: Rainbow Fields, Ember Valley
Diet: Meat
Favourite Food: Stony Hen
These cute slimes require you to own a chicken coop if you wish to keep them in your farm alive and well.

Cotton Slime
Found: Rainbow Fields, Ember Valley, Starlight Strand
Diet: Veggies
Favourite Food: Water Lettuce
The rabbit slimes are new to Slime Rancher 2 and are found early. These cuties are introduced to teach players about new slimes and the value of plorts from different slimes.
Phosphor Slime
Found: Everywhere but only at night
Diet: Fruit
Favourite Food: Cuberry
These slimes cannot survive in daylight, so you need to equip their cages with solar shields.
Angler Slime
Found: Ember Valley, Starlight Strand
Diet: Meat
Favourite Food: Sea Hen
The new Angler slime’s glowing lure can stun other slimes.
Rock Slime
Found: Ember Valley, Starlight Strand
Diet: Veggies
Favourite Food: Heart beet
These slimes are harmful due to their overtly playful nature and hard forms. If you’re careful, you can still vacuum them from a safe distance.
Hunter Slime
Found: Starlight Strand
Diet: Meat
Favourite Food: Roostro
Hunter slimes are just as rare and valuable like in the first game. These critters can appear invisible and their Largo variants spawn feral ones. If you don’t want to stress yourself out too much with Hunter plort collecting, just look out for stray Hunter plorts on the ground and feed then to another source slime.

Honey Slime
Found: Starlight Strand
Diet: Fruit
Favourite Food: Mint Mango
Honey slimes are valuable for Newbucks collection since their plorts sell for high prices. They also smell sweet and can attract other slimes from great distances. However, stray Honey Slimes can attract hunger Tarrs who feed on Slimes, so keep them contained in corrals with high walls and sky nets.
Ringtail Slime
Found: Starlight Strand
Diet: Anything
Favourite Food: None
What’s cuter than cat slimes? Raccoon slimes! This brown slime turn to stone in the daytime, meaning they don’t s*** out plorts during this phase. So invest in solar shields so that they’re in their regular forms.
Boom Slime
Found: Ember Valley
Diet: Meat
Favourite Food: Briar Hen
These slimes are harmful and they can explode sporadically. Since their favourite food is rare, you should breed them with Rock or Cotton slimes so that their Largo kin eat veggies or fruit, which are easier to come by.
Crystal Slime
Found: Ember Valley
Diet: Veggies
Favourite Food: Odd Onion
These slimes are harmful due to their crystal sharp bits. You may want to invest in auto-feeders and plort collectors so that you can keep your distance while taking care of them.
Batty Slime
Found: Ember Valley
Diet: Fruit
Favourite Food: Pomegranate
These slimes are agitated in the daylight; you need to keep them in solar shields and have sky nets in case.
Fire Slime
Found: Ember Valley
Diet: Ash
Favourite Food: None
Fire slimes require a specific environment to be kept in; they need to be housed in the ash tray of an incinerator. To feed them, you need to cook food items into ash so that they can eat them.
Puddle Slime
Found: Starlight Strand
Diet: Water
Favourite Food: None
These slimes must be housed in ponds to survive. They’re also useful in churning out plorts automatically.

Flutter Slime
Found: Starlight Strand
Diet: Nectar
Favourite Food: Moondew Nectar
Your corrals for these slimes need sky nets since they fly. They’re also hard to feed, so you may need to combine them with a veggie-or-fruit-eating slime for easier feeding.
Saber Slime
Found: Powderfall Bluffs
Diet: Meat
Favourite Food: Thundercluck chickens
Yolky Slime
Found: Everywhere
Diet: None
Favourite Food: None
These slimes only pop out of hen nests. Pop a Yolky Slime in a chicken coop with lots of chickens and space, and you may get a giant egg that may contain Yolky plorts.
Lucky Slime
Found: Anywhere (rare spawns)
Diet: Meat
Favourite Food: None
More cat slimes! Feeding them meat will net you Newbucks.
Gold Slime
Found: Anywhere (rare spawns)
Diet: Plorts, any food, chickadoos
Favourite Food: None
Feeding these rare creatures will give you Gold Plorts, the highest-valued plort in the game.
Largo Slime
Found: Anywhere
Diet: Same as source slimes
Favourite Food: Same as source slimes
Largo slimes are slimes that are created from two source slimes. When one slime eats the plort of another slime, it will take on the combined form of the two.
These big boys are the best ways to farm plorts as housing them requires less corrals. Making Largo Slimes out of certain source slimes make them easier to feed as their food options are increased.
Feral Slime
Found: Anywhere
Diet: Same as source slimes
Favourite Food: Same as source slimes
Feral slimes are just hungry Largos who turn angry when they’re ignored for long. They can return to normal with a snack.
Tarr
Found: Anywhere
Diet: Other slimes
The conflicts in Slime Rancher 2 will revolve around these critters. They are formed if a Largo eats a third plort type that isn’t matching its type.
Do not allow slimes to roam free range, as this will attract Tarrs. To deal with Tarrs, you can suck them onto the end of your vacuum and chuck them into the sea. It’s better to upgrade your vacuum with a water tank so that you can shoot them.

Gordo Slime
Found: ???
Diet: Same as source slime
Favourite Food: Same as source slime
Found in secret locations all over the island. If you find one, feed them 60 food items and they’re burst into smaller versions of its slime type. It also offers bonus rewards too, usually in the form of plorts.


Diablo 4 Already Has 2 Expansions In The Works

Diablo IV has now been fully released worldwide but one standout feature of the game is its live service component, which allows Blizzard to swiftly address issues like an unfortunate bug that spawned multiple elite enemies, amusingly named the “Darcelpocalpyse”. The focus is firmly set on providing players with a steady flow of substantial content.

Check out our review!
So, in a recent chat with Kinda Funny, Rod Fergusson, the big shot overseeing Diablo, spilt the beans about the game’s early response and dropped a major bombshell—brace yourself for not just one, but two expansions already in the works! Fergusson spilt the tea on Diablo IV’s development approach, revealing that they’re going for the long haul rather than rushing things. You see, Blizzard wants to make sure the game’s creators don’t end up burnt out by the time it hits the market.
Fergusson stressed the importance of a sustainable development process, explaining, “You gotta set up your team and structure in a way that keeps things going because you’re constantly churning stuff out.” And boy, are they churning! He spilt the deets on their current workload, sharing that they’re about to launch the main game, tying up loose ends for season one, cooking up season two, brewing expansion one, and yup, even starting the ball rolling on expansion two—all this before the game’s official release.
Based on Fergusson’s tone and vibe in the interview, it’s safe to say we won’t have to wait for eons for these expansions. He admitted that Diablo III fell short in delivering juicy extra content over time, but fear not! They’re determined to make amends with Diablo IV’s live service approach. Fergusson was hyped about this, saying, “It allows for more content in seasons compared to Diablo III—think deeper, richer, and more content.”
Oh, and get this—Fergusson spilt the beans on a necromancer skeleton situation. They had to do a quick fix on them, nerfing them at first, but they quickly realized they’d gone too far and buffed them back up within a few hours. Talk about fast service, huh?
During the interview, we also learned that the game’s seasons will follow a quarterly schedule. This nifty plan ensures that even casual players have plenty of time to soak up all the content and score some sweet rewards. Fergusson wanted to assure us that any in-game purchases will only affect appearances, like snazzy cosmetic items on the premium battle pass. No need to worry about buying power-ups and all that jazz. Good news, especially considering we’ve already shelled out for the game itself.
Lastly, Fergusson, a self-proclaimed necromancer aficionado, got a tad playful when asked about which class he’d love to see in the future. He slyly dodged the question, refusing to utter the word “paladin.” Oh, the suspense! But wait, there’s more disappointment for hardcore fans—he flat-out rejected the idea of a cow level in Diablo IV. Apparently, it’s too silly for their taste. Well, that alone has some fans labelling it as the worst Diablo ever. No cow level? Bummer.


Halo Infinite Fracture: Tenrai Event: How To Score Cool Samurai Armour

343 Industries just started a new Halo Infinite multiplayer event called Fracture: Tenrai. It’s basically a limited-time playlist filled with nothing but Slayer PvP battles where you get random weapons when you start/respawn.
The prizes? The samurai armour you see in this article’s feature image. The event will run from now until 30th November; yes, that’s a one-week marathon of PvP you need to go through either on Xbox or on PC. However, the event will go back up again in future weeks.
Here’s everything you need to know about earning Halo Infinite’s Yoroi armour and the affiliated reward.
You Don’t Need The Premium Battle Pass
The event is free for all players. Here’s the schedule:

Round one: Today through 30th November 30
Round two: 4th January, 2022, through 10th January, 2022
Round three: 1st February, 2022, through 7th February, 2022

The Tenrai event will occur 6 times over the course of Halo Infinite’s planned first season.
What’s The Playlist?
Like we said, the playlist for Fracture: Tenrai features the Fiesta playlist, a legacy mode in Halo multiplayer that spawns players with randomized primary and secondary weapons. You also get random equipment like the repulsor and drop wall. Spawn points for weapons and gears are disabled.
The following maps will be on the playlist: Recharge, Live Fire, Bazaar, Launch Site, behemoth, Aquarius, and Streets. These maps are considered close-quarter type.
What Are The Challenges?
These include tasks like “earn 10 assists” to “get a double kill in Fiesta PvP”. Here’s a list:

Earn assists in Fiesta PvP.
Stop an enemy killing spree in Fiesta PvP.
Kill enemy Spartans with a headshot in Fiesta PvP.
Complete Fiesta PvP matches.
Kill enemy Spartans in Fiesta PvP.
Earn double kills in Fiesta.
Earn a killing spree in Fiesta PvP.

However, to get the good stuff, you’ll need to be at least Level 25, which will take you a while to get to given Halo Infinite’s current progression system. The base armour is acquired when you reach level 5, while the Yokai helmet is at level 25.
What Are The Prizes For Each Level?
Glad you asked! Here’s the full list:

Level 1 â€“ Torii Reflection (backdrop).
Level 2 â€“ Challenge Swap consumable.
Level 3 â€“ XP Boot consumable.
Level 4 â€“ Samurai (nameplate).
Level 5 â€“ Yoroi (armour core).
Level 6 â€“ Challenge Swap consumable.
Level 7 â€“ XP Boot consumable.
Level 8 â€“ XP Boot consumable.
Level 9 â€“ Samurai (vehicle emblem).
Level 10 â€“ Gatekeeper (left shoulder pad).
Level 11 â€“ Challenge Swap consumable.
Level 12 â€“ XP Boost consumable.
Level 13 â€“ XP Boost consumable.
Level 14 â€“ Samurai (armour emblem).
Level 15 â€“ Gatekeeper (right shoulder pad).
Level 16 â€“ Challenge Swap consumable.
Level 17 â€“ XP Boost consumable.
Level 18 â€“ XP Boost consumable.
Level 19 â€“ Samurai (weapon emblem).
Level 20 â€“ Sol Devil (MA40 AR weapon coating).
Level 21 â€“ Challenge Swap consumable.
Level 22 â€“ XP Boost consumable.
Level 23 â€“ XP Boost consumable.
Level 24 â€“ Whispered Sky (MK50 Sidekick weapon coating).
Level 25 â€“ Yokai (helmet).
Level 26 â€“ Challenge Swap consumable.
Level 27 â€“ XP Boost consumable.
Level 28 â€“ Whispered Sky (BR75 weapon coating).
Level 29 â€“ Spring Blossom Filter (helmet attachment).
Level 30 â€“ Swordsmanâ€™s Belt (utility).

If you have the premium battle pass, your progress will be unlocked faster.
That’s Going To Take A While, Huh?
Halo Infinite’s dev teams are on it. Community manager Brian Jarrard said the team will be hard at work on fixing player progression complaints. Right now, the team is on a post-launch break, and a well-deserved one at that given the game’s long development history.

Been traveling so slow to respond – but please know the constructive feedback is being heard loud and clear. Changes will take time and our priority this week is giving the team a much deserved break for the holiday after a long final stretch. Thank you for understanding. ?
— Brian Jarrard (@ske7ch) November 24, 2021

Besides, the game was surprise-launched last week; bugs and online issues are expected for something online-only anyway.


Are We Finally Getting Borderlands 3?

Borderlands 2 was released over 7 years ago, and fans have been clamoring for a proper sequel ever since. After a narrative-centric Telltale title and a prequel spinoff, we might finally be getting Borderlands 3 after all.
Developer Gearbox Software tweeted a peculiar post earlier today, which shows a billboard stating, “March 28, Boston, MA.” The date and location point to the upcoming PAX East event happening at the same time and place.
What’s interesting is that the art style of the image seems to evoke the unique visuals of the Borderlands franchise. The cartoon-style cel-shaded graphics is a distinctive hallmark of the franchise, which differentiates it from other shooters.

ðŸ‘€ pic.twitter.com/pGGEpIi0V9
â€” Gearbox Official (@GearboxOfficial) March 12, 2019

In only two weeks, Gearbox Software might finally be announcing Borderlands 3, which would be a positive turnaround for the developer. The last major new game released by them was Battleborn, an arena-based shooter which had the unfortunate luck of launching around the same time as Blizzard’s Overwatch.
However, it could also just be Borderlands: GOTY Edition for consoles, which was rumored thanks to a trophy/achievement list leak earlier this year. Fans wouldn’t be too happy if that’s the developer has in mind later this month. In the meantime, let’s wait until PAX East and see if Borderlands 3 will finally be announced.


Due To Popular Demand, The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe Is Delayed To 2020

One of the games that often pops up in arguments supporting video games as an art form is The Stanley Parable. The game’s success on PC has prompted the developers to work on an expanded edition that will also be released on console but it looks like we won’t be getting it this year.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MDu3xocHV0&w=560&h=315]
Developer Crows Crows Crows recently uploaded a humorous video on their YouTube channel to address fan concerns regarding the release of The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe which was initially scheduled to be released sometime in 2019. The expansion has now been officially delayed to 2020.
As much as I would like to write about how charming and funny the video is, I think it’s much better for you to watch it yourself. Believe me, it’s still extremely entertaining even for those of you who have never played the game.
In short, they make it seem as if the fans are the ones who are asking for the game to be delayed so that the end product is of the highest quality. That doesn’t sound too farfetched since it needs to be ported to the Unity game engine so that it can be played on consoles. Gamers are often very forgiving when studios and publishers are upfront about these things.
For now, there isn’t a specific release date but we can expect The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe to launch sometime in mid-2020.


Here Are The Ticket Prices For The Mobile Legends M1 World Championship

Last month, Moonton announced that the biggest Mobile Legends: Bang Bang esports tournament will be held at the Axiata Arena in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Boasting a prize pool of US$250,000, the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang M1 World Championship is set to be one of the biggest esports events in the region.
You can now start purchasing tickets to watch the Main Event which will be happening from 15 November until 17 November 2019. Here are the ticket categories and their respective prices:

1 Day Pass:

Bronze Ticket

Friday – RM15
Saturday – RM20
Sunday – RM25

Silver Ticket

Friday – RM20
Saturday – RM25
Sunday – RM30

3 Day Pass:

Bronze Ticket

Early Bird – RM50
Original – RM55

Silver Ticket

Early Bird – RM63
Original – RM70

Gold Ticket

Early Bird – RM99
Original – RM110

Early Bird ticket sales start on 30 August 2019 and end on 13 September 2019. Starting from 14 September 2019, all 3 Day Pass tickets will be sold according to their original prices.
All tickets will allow free seating and participation in the lucky draw. Those who purchase 3 Day Passes will get Mobile Legends in-game items. If you buy the 3 Day Pass Gold Ticket, you’ll also get an exclusive goodie bag.

You can start purchasing tickets right now through the official M1 World Championship website here.


Genshin Impact 3.3 Update Arrives Next December

Christmas has come early for Genshin Impact fans!
The upcoming 3.3 update for HoYoverse’s big online anime JRPG will be out on 7th December for PC, PlayStation consoles, and mobile devices. Here are the highlights:
New Gacha Characters: Wanderer & Faruzan

This is basically a playable version of ex-bad guy Scaramouche. He’s an Anemo catalyst user with quick moves and fancy spells.

New Anemo character Faruzan is a 4-star bow user who can summon constructs to aid her.
In-Game Card Game

Genshin Impact now has a TCG called Genius Invokation. It combines Genshin Impact’s element-based combat system with strategy development.
Genshin Block-Breaking

Genshin Impact’s 3.3 update has a new minigame in Inazuma called Akitsu Yuugei/Test of Courage. It’s basically 2-player Breakout/Arkanoid where you break bricks/blocks with a paddle below. Looks really fun!
Check out the rest of the upcoming features of 3.3 below.

And as usual, there are redemption codes up for grabs from the livestream:

8ARAU6FNBNPV: x100 Primogems and x10 Mystic Enhancement Ore
NS8BD6EPS77Z: x100 Primogems and x5 Hero’s Wit
ET9SUPENB765: x100 Primogems and 50,000 Mora


AMD Unveils New Next-Gen Gaming Graphics Cards Built On AMD RDNA 3 Architecture

AMD has unveiled new graphics cards built on the next-generation high-performance, energy-efficient AMD RDNA 3 architecture – the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX and Radeon RX 7900 XT graphics cards. Following on the highly successful AMD “Zen”-based AMD Ryzen™ chiplet processors, the new graphics cards are the world’s first gaming graphics cards to feature an advanced AMD chiplet design. They deliver exceptional performance and superb energy efficiency to power high-framerate 4K and higher resolution gaming in the most demanding titles.
The AMD RDNA 3 architecture’s chiplet design combines 5nm and 6nm process nodes, each optimized for specific jobs. The breakthrough architecture delivers up to 54% more performance per watt than AMD RDNA 2 architecture, and features the world’s fastest interconnect linking the graphics and memory system chiplets at up to 5.3 TB/sii. It also offers up to 96 new unified compute units, second-generation AMD Infinity Cache technology, and up to 24 GB of high-speed GDDR6 memory with up to a 384-bit memory interface. It also includes increased AI throughput that delivers up to 2.7X higher AI performance, and second-generation raytracing technology that provides up to 1.8X higher raytracing performance than AMD RDNA 2 architecture.
Altogether, these features and advancements deliver up to a 1.7X performance uplift in select titles at 4K compared to AMD RDNA 2 architecture. The new graphics cards also support DisplayPort™ 2.1 displays capable of delivering ultra-high framerates and stunning visuals at up to 4K 480Hz and 8K 165Hz refresh rates.
Scott Herkelman, senior vice president & general manager, Graphics Business Unit at AMD, said:
“These new graphics cards are designed by gamers for gamers. As we were developing the new cards, we not only incorporated feedback from our customers, but we built in the features and capabilities we wanted to use. We also realized that we needed to do something different to continue pushing the envelope of the technology, and I’m proud of what the team has accomplished with AMD RDNA 3 and the Radeon RX 7900 Series graphics cards. I can’t wait for gamers to experience the powerhouse performance, incredibly vivid visuals and amazing new features these new graphics cards offer.”
Radeon RX 7900 Series Graphics Cards
The Radeon RX 7900 Series are the industry’s most advanced gaming graphics cards, unlocking new levels of performance and efficiency and delivering a host of new and enhanced features that supercharge the gaming experience. The AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX graphics card delivers up to 1.7X higher native 4K performance than the Radeon RX 6950 XT graphics card in select titles, while the Radeon RX 7900 XT provides up to 1.5X higher performance than the Radeon RX 6900 XT graphics card in select titles. Key features include:

AMD RDNA 3 Architecture – Featuring an advanced chiplet design, new compute units and second-generation AMD Infinity Cache technology, AMD RDNA 3 architecture delivers up to 54% more performance per watt than the previous-generation AMD RDNA 2 architecture. New compute units share resources between rendering, AI and raytracing to make the most effective use of each transistor for faster, more efficient performance than the previous generation.

Chiplet Design – The world’s first gaming GPU with a chiplet design delivers up to 15% higher frequencies at up to 54% better power efficiency. It includes the new 5nm 306mm2 Graphics Compute Die (GCD) with up to 96 compute units that provide the core GPU functionality. It also includes six of the new 6nm Memory Cache Die (MCD) at 37.5mm2, each with up to 16MB of second-generation AMD Infinity Cache technology.
Ultra-Fast Chiplet Interconnect – Unleashing the benefits of second-generation AMD Infinity Cache technology, the new chiplets leverage AMD Infinity Links and high-performance fanout packaging to deliver up to 5.3TB/s of bandwidth.
Expanded Memory and Wider Memory Bus – To meet the growing requirements of today’s demanding titles, the new graphics cards feature up to 24GB of high-speed GDDR6 memory running at 20Gbps over a 384-bit memory bus.
Dedicated AI Acceleration and Second-Generation Raytracing – New AI instructions and increased AI throughput deliver up to 2.7X more performance than the previous AMD RDNA 2 architecture, while second-generation raytracing technology delivers up to 1.8X more performance than the previous generation.
DisplayPort 2.1 Support – The industry’s only high-end gaming graphics cards to support DisplayPort 2.1 technology with UHBR 13.5, offering up to 54Gbps of display link bandwidth and enabling high-refresh 4K (up to 480Hz) or 8K (up to 165Hz) gaming on next-gen displays.

New AMD Radiance Display Engine – Provides 12 bit-per-channel colour for up to 68 billion colours and higher refresh rate displays compared to AMD RDNA 2 architecture and includes support for DisplayPort 2.1 and HDMI 2.1a.
High-Refresh Gaming – DisplayPort 2.1 provides increased display bandwidth compared to DisplayPort 1.4x, with the ability to support up to 900Hz, 480Hz and 165Hz refresh rates for 1440p, 4K and 8K displays, respectively.
Dual Media Engine – Supports simultaneous encode or decode streams up to 8K60 for HEVC and supports AV1 encode, delivering up to 1.8X higher engine frequency than AMD RDNA 2 architecture.

AMD FidelityFX™ Super Resolution 2.2 and AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition Technology
To support the new graphics cards, AMD is also announcing several updates to its software suite, including:

AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR) 2.2 – FSR is now available and upcoming in 216 games, and the next iteration of the popular FSR temporal upscaling technology, FSR 2.2, features enhancements that are designed to improve visual quality. It is expected to be available in the first title on November 8, 2022, Forza Horizon 5. It will also be available to game developers soon at GPUOpen.com.
AMD FSR 3 – AMD plans to release a new version of AMD FSR featuring AMD Fluid Motion Frames technology in 2023, expected to deliver up to 2X more FPS compared to AMD FSR 2 in select games.
AMD HYPR-RX – Targeted in the first half of 2023, a one-click preset which enables various AMD Software features – including AMD Radeon Anti-Lag, AMD Radeon Boost and AMD Radeon Super Resolution technologies – to work together at the same time, reducing latency and delivering up to 85% higher FPS in Dying Light 2 Stay Human with the Radeon RX 7900 XTX graphics card and AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition™ 22.40.00.24, than stock settings.
New AMD RDNA 3 Media Engine – Features AV1 hardware encoding enabling up to 7X faster video encoding at 8K compared to a software-only solution, and integrates Xilinx Content Adaptive Machine Learning technology to enhance text quality for lower resolutions and bitrate streams.

Improved Video Recording and Streaming – AMD collaborated with OBS to improve video streaming quality on AMD Radeon RX 6000 and Radeon RX 7000 Series graphics cards. In addition, the AMD RDNA 3 Media Engine includes AV1 hardware encoding to help improve quality and transform live streaming.

AMD Advantage for Desktop PCs
Building on the success of AMD Advantage laptops, AMD is bringing the AMD Advantage framework to desktops, fusing together the top-of-the-line AMD Ryzen 7950x processors and AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX graphics cards with AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition technology and AMD’s smart technologies to deliver the ultimate platform for gamers and creators. AMD Advantage certified desktops will feature select AMD smart technologies that amplify performance, including AMD Smart Access Memory™ technology and the new AMD SmartAccess Video technology that intelligently divides the decoding and encoding workloads across AMD Ryzen processors and AMD Radeon graphics cards, delivering up to 30% uplift in 4K multi-stream encoding.
AMD Advantage desktops feature world-class performance, stunning graphics with the AMD Radiance Display Engine and supported AMD FreeSync™ Premium technology-enabled monitors. They are built to game with high-quality chassis, CPU liquid cooling, a minimum of 2TB of NVMe SSD storage, 32GB or more of DDR5 AMD EXPO memory, 80 plus gold power supplies, and optimized acoustics, and are designed to be easily customizable.
New AMD Advantage desktop systems are expected to be available soon from leading SI partners, including CSL, Cyberpower, eBuyer, Falcon Northwest, Maingear, Origin PC, and XIdax.
AMD Radeon RX 7900 Series Product Specifications

Model
Compute Units
GDDR6
Game Clock (GHz)
Boost Clockxviii (GHz)
Memory Interface
Infinity Cache
TBP
Price
(USD SEP)

AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX

96
24 GB
2.3
Up to 2.5
384-bit
96 MB
355W
$999

AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT
84
20 GB
2.0
Up to 2.4
320-bit
80 MB
300W
$899

 Pricing and Availability
AMD Radeon RX 7900 Series graphics cards are expected to be available from AMD.com beginning December 13, 2022, and from leading board partners including ASRock, ASUS, Biostar, Gigabyte, MSI, PowerColor, Sapphire, Vastarmor, XFX and Yeston beginning mid-December. The AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX is priced at US$999, while the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT is priced at US$899.


Should Pixar Call It Quits With Toy Story 4?

To answer the headline on this Toy Story 4 review: yes. But it’s not for the reasons you suspect.
Against all odds, Toy Story 4 did the impossible: it made it past the third film and still has a lot of collective ideas and narratives left to make you emotionally invested in hand-me-down toys given to a kindergarten-level kid from a college student. It also made me give a damn about a made-up arts-and-craft character and even, dare I say, a semi-creepy 50s doll.
Pixar should stop making Toy Story movies because I feel they are at their apex with this fourth film, at least where the franchise is concerned. Some may argue that Toy Story 3 gets the top spot in quality storytelling and life lessons, but Toy Story 4 is up there because it leads up to a great sendoff for the cast, particularly for one 50s toy cowboy voiced by Tom Hanks since day one.
Plus, I’m not sure if I can handle another Toy Story entry on an emotional level, because goddamn these folks know how to make adults sincerely cry a few tears.
Back In The Toybox
Toy Story 4 picks up a few months after part 3: the group embark on a road trip with Bonnie and a new addition to a group: a makeshift plastic fork toy named Forky. After some shenanigans, Woody ends up reuniting with long-lost friend/lover Bo Peep. Yes, we do get a quick showcase on how that Toy Story and Toy Story 2 side character got shafted in Toy Story 3, which now becomes the main focal point of this fourth tale. Like how Princess Schala was bumped up to important status in Chrono Cross. Only with Disney/Pixar CG toys.
Both of them are worlds apart: one still believes in the toy-child dynamic while the other is living free. Tom Hanks and Annie Potts show great chemistry as they attempt to hook up again while working together to help Forky (Tony Hale) out of an antique shop predicament, made complicated by a 50s toy named Gabby Gabby (Christina Hendricks) who resides in said shop with ventriloquist dolls as her cronies.
For a person who is directing a major theatrical film for the first time, Josh Cooley seems to knock it out of the ballpark with his choice of location -a carnival next to a sleepy town- and setpieces. Views we take for granted all look majestic and lovingly-rendered through Pixar’s action figure-level perspective. He and the team also made sure that everyone from the new characters and returning ensemble gets enough ample screentime.

While it’s obvious that Woody and Bo get the limelight, we get to see Tim Allen’s Buzz Lightyear work alongside director-comedian Jordan Peele and partner-in-crime Keegan-Michael Key as Bunny and Ducky respectively. Bonnie’s toy troupe like Trixie (Kristen Schaal) and Buttercup (Jeff Garlin) get a few laughs here and there together with Jessie (Joan Cusack) and the ever-loveable Rex (Wallace Shawn). Cameos like Keanu Reeves’ Duke Caboom and Carl Weathers’ Combat Carl play out their personas as action figures based on made-up 80s TV show archetypes to humourous effect.
From literal interpretations of inner voices to overactive imagination gags, the jokes and slapstick offer just as much essential weight as its emotional narrative regarding the idea of letting go and being free. Kudos to the team for perfecting that balance once again that entertains kids and makes adults and juveniles think a little deeper about what it means when you’ve fulfilled your purpose in life.
Finish Line
Much like how the MCU’s 10-year story arc comes to a close with Avengers: Endgame, so too does Woody’s story concludes with Toy Story 4. It’s going to be really hard for Disney/Pixar to top this current act with another sequel, but they’re welcome to try. For now, let’s not dally on a far future thing; revel in the present and give Toy Story 4 a watch or two.
You can believe an animation studio can outdo themselves like how Duke Caboom can jump 40 feet and stick the landing.
FINAL SCORE: 90/100


Netflix’s Scott Pilgrim Anime Cast Revealed To Be The Same As 2010 Movie

Netflix originally announced the Scott Pilgrim anime back in January 2022, but now we know that the cast from the 2010 Edgar Wright Scott Pilgrim Vs The World movie will be reprising their roles.
These include Michael Cera as Scott Pilgrim and Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Ramona. Other actors from the movie who will be lending their voice for the Netflix series are Satya Bhabha as Matthew Patel, Kieran Culkin as Wallace Wells, Chris Evans as Lucas Lee, Anna Kendrick as Stacey Pilgrim, Brie Larson as Envy Adams, Alison Pill as Kim Pine, Aubrey Plaza as Julie Powers, Brandon Routh as Todd Ingram, Jason Schwartzman as Gideon Graves, Johnny Simmons as Young Neil, Mark Webber Stephen Still, Mae Whitman as Roxie and Ellen Wong as Knives Chau.
Bryan Lee O’Malley and BenDavid Grabinski, the author and artist of the graphic novels published from 2004 to 2010, will serve as executive producers, writers and showrunners. Edgar Wright — the director, co-writer and producer of the 2010 film — will serve as executive producer on the new project while Science SARU will serve as the animation studio with executive producer Eunyoung Choi and director Abel Gongora.
O’Malley and Grabinski in a joint statement (via Deadline) said:
“We’re getting the band back together! A stellar cast, perfectly assembled by Edgar Wright. And, with Science SARU leading the phenomenal animation, we couldn’t ask for a better team for this adventure. We can’t wait for fans and newcomers alike to see what we and our partners at Science SARU have been cooking up. It’s going to be a wild ride.”
Edgar Wright said:
“One of the proudest and most enjoyable achievements of my career was assembling and working with the dynamite cast of Scott Pilgrim. Since the film’s release in 2010 we’ve done Q&A’s, remembrances and charity read throughs, but there was never the occasion to reunite the whole gang on an actual project until now. Original creator Bryan Lee O’Malley, along with writer Ben David Grabinski have conjured up an anime series of Scott Pilgrim that doesn’t just expand the universe, but also…well, just watch it. I’m more than happy to announce that I have helped coax the entire original cast back to voice their characters on this epic new adventure. You are in for a treat.”
Science SARU is a Japanese animation studio best known for Devilman Crybaby (2018) and Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken! (2020).
Check out the announcement below:


Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege Year 8 Season 2 Is Out Now

Ubisoft just dropped some exciting news for all you Rainbow Six Siege fans out there! They’ve announced the arrival of the second season of Year 8, Operation Dread Factor, and it’s packed with a bunch of cool stuff. Brace yourselves!

New Operator: Fenrir

First off, let’s talk about the star of the show: Fenrir, the new Swedish Operator. This tactical Defender brings some serious firepower to the table with his F-NATT Dread Mine gadget. This sneaky device releases a gas called Fear Effect, which messes with your field of view, giving attackers a hard time. You can strategically place it to disrupt their plans, keep an eye on entry points, and cover your flank for a short while. Fenrir is a solid two speed, two health Operator, and he’s armed with either an MP7 or a SASG-12 as his primary weapon, while the BAILIFF 410 serves as his trusty secondary.
But wait, there’s more! The Consulate map is getting a complete makeover this season. Ubisoft has revamped all the floors and sites to make it more balanced, complex, and rewarding for players. They’ve also made changes to the Attacker spawns to reduce frustration and improve safety. This means fewer vulnerable spots outdoors, and attackers can now make their way from the spawn location to the building without much trouble. The reworked Consulate map offers a fresh experience every match, with major changes to the garage section and the upper floor, inspiring players to come up with new tactics and strategies.
Now, let’s dive into the gameplay updates. The Shooting Range has received some awesome improvements, turning it into the ultimate training ground for all you serious gamers out there. They’ve introduced a new feature called the Aiming Lane, which lets you fine-tune your aim with customized training options. You can adjust target types, movement speeds, and distances, and even go headshot-only if you’re up for a challenge. Plus, they’ve added a breakable wall so you can test out the destructive power of different weapons. And that’s not all—the update also brings a new permanent playlist where you can jump into Arcade modes for quick and unique matches. You’ll find favourites like Headshots Only, Snipers Only, and Golden Gun, but they’re also throwing in a brand-new game mode called Free for All.

Operation Dread Factor

Now, let’s talk about some balancing updates. Operation Dread Factor introduces a new gadget called the Observation Blocker. This nifty device creates a digital barrier that blocks the line of sight for opponent drones and Observation Tools. They won’t be able to spot you or your gadgets on the other side. The catch is, this barrier is only visible from a drone or an Observation Tool and not to Operators themselves.
Another exciting addition this season is the first part of the balancing for Grim. They’re looking to improve his loadout and his gadget, the Kawan Hive Launcher. The tweaks will make his Hives release their swarm charge faster and increase the chances of catching a nearby Defender. The swarms will be bigger and last longer, although they won’t track a Defender for as long after they step out of the swarm.
But wait, there’s more! Operation Dread Factor brings some quality-of-life updates too. They’ve introduced new controller layouts with alternate inputs for shooting, crouching, and leaning. This aims to make the Siege experience more comfortable for all you controller players out there. And that’s not all—you can now use a free camera during match replays, allowing you to view recorded footage from any angle. This is perfect for capturing epic moments and creating awesome content. Oh, and here’s a cool feature for squads: squad members can now let the squad leader know when they’re ready to play. This lets them skip the remaining timer and jump right into matchmaking.
So, there you have it, folks! Operation Dread Factor is jam-packed with exciting additions and improvements that’ll keep you on the edge of your seat. Get ready to unleash your tactical skills, explore the reworked Consulate, and dominate the competition with Fenrir and all the other awesome updates. It’s time to dive into Rainbow Six Siege and experience all the action!


The Starship Troopers RTS Game Is Deploying This June

Developer The Aristocrats and publisher Slitherine Software have announced that Starship Troopers Terran Command is now slated to release on 16 June 2022 for PC via Steam. The RTS game was originally set to release on 31 March 2022.
The statement reads:
“We know many will find this announcement disappointing and we apologize. We truly feel that a few extra months of further polish and bug fixing will make a significant difference. We intend to deliver a finished and polished game, and it is very important for us that you are able to fully enjoy the game from day 1, without any issue spoiling your fun or without having to wait for future patches or hotfixes.”
Starship Troopers Terran Command will feature a singleplayer campaign made up of 21 missions, beginning (just like in the 1997 movie) with the attack on Klendathu. If you’ve seen the movie, you’ll know that it doesn’t go well, and as a result, the player gets redeployed to Kwalasha; a desert backwater world that’s gained sudden strategic importance thanks to the discovery of some very rich mineral deposits.
The Starship Troopers franchise has long fizzled out into straight-to-video obscurity after the success of Paul Verhoeven’s Starship Troopers movie in 1997. The first movie was the only one that barely managed to capture the satirical and sardonic tone of the original novel by Robert A. Heinlein.


World Of Warcraft Shadowlands Has Been Delayed

Blizzard has announced that the World Of Warcraft Shadowlands expansion has been delayed from 27 October 2020 to sometime â€œlater this year”. However, the company did not reveal a new release date.
In a post on the official Blizzard website, executive producer John Hight stated:
Over the past several months of testing, weâ€™ve made significant progress iterating on and polishing the core features and gameplay ofÂ Shadowlands. Weâ€™re at a point where the zones, the campaign, the level-up questing experience, and the story we have to tell are essentially ready to share. Weâ€™re excited by the Covenants at the heart of the expansion, and itâ€™s been a thrill to see Torghast take shape into a fun new kind ofÂ WoWÂ experience, thanks in no small part to your input.However, as everything started coming together and weâ€™ve been listening to and building upon your feedback, itâ€™s become clear we need a little more time for additional polish, and to balance and iterate on some interlocking piecesâ€”particularly those related to the endgame.Â ShadowlandsÂ is one of the most intricate expansions weâ€™ve yet created, and while weâ€™ve made great progress, the challenge of tuning the endgame was compounded by the team having to work from home.
Hight also announced that the World Of Warcraft Shadowlands pre-patch is slated to release on 13 October 2020. It will include “revamped character levelling,” the newÂ Exile’s Reach starting zone, and “a host of new character customization options”.


V Rising Is A Vampire Survival ARPG With Potential Bite

Platform(s): PC
Genre: Survival, ARPG, Crafting, Action
V Rising is an early access, open world survival game from Swedish developers Stunlock Studios, best known for 2017’s Battlerite. Their new game is basically an ARPG with survival and crafting mechanics, where you’re a vampire. It’s sort of like Valheim but with vampires but with a top-down perspective and MMO elements.
You start off as a vampire who wakes up from their coffin. You then immediately head into the map of Vardoran to hunt prey, kill humans, build a castle, collect resources, and take down a list of bosses. As you build your castle and take down more V Blood bosses, you unlock new recipes and abilities that power up your vampire and unlock more stuff for your castle.
What’s great about the game is that you’re not forced to play online or multiplayer. Players can choose to play solo and co-op online or offline. You also have the choice to play in either PvE or PvP.

Instead of gaining experience and levelling up normally, your vampire gets more powerful by increasing their Gear Score in V Rising. To do that, you need to equip gear with better stats and Gear Score values. You can get higher gear-level items through crafting, or if you’re playing on a full loot PvP server, you can defeat other players.
Unfortunately, there’s not much of a narrative in V Rising. Once you build a blood altar and your castle, you get a list of bosses you need to kill to unlock new abilities and better technologies. That’s the main progression loop and routine in the game. Between hunting these V Blood bosses, you’ll spend most of your time gathering resources and crafting stuff, which feels like a slog if it’s not your cup of tea. Gathering resources is slow going, and refining them at crafting stations takes even longer. There’s a lot of waiting around for ore to smelt or for boards to be milled.
Your weapons in V Rising are simultaneously your resource-gathering tools. An axe is ideal for chopping trees for wood. A sword is great for cutting down vegetation. A mace is required for mining stone and ores from rocks.

There are a few interesting mechanics with potential. For instance, when you feed on an enemy, your blood type will change and you’ll gain temporary buffs. Feeding from a Worker-class enemy will give you better mining and gathering yields. Feeding from a Creature-class enemy gives you a boost in movement speed and sunlight resistance. Feeding from a Rogue-class enemy gives you increased critical hit chance and damage potential.
Another annoyance is that since it’s a survival game, you have to keep sustaining your gear (which deteriorates), and your castle (which decays) by continuously feeding on blood and gathering blood essence. Unlike other survival games, there’s no procedurally generated map in this game. It’s more like an MMO, where the map is always the same, and it’s to your advantage to learn everything about it as you explore.
The biggest obstacle to your enjoyment of V Rising will probably be the grind. Like I previously mentioned, outside of combat, you’ll have to collect resources and do a lot of crafting. You have to do that because you can’t progress or get stronger through combat alone. While there’s hours and hours of content to look forward to, the mechanics can still get old and boring fast because there’s a lot of grinding.

V Rising has all the basic pillars of a decent survival and crafting game. There’s exploration, there are enemies to fight, weapons and armour to craft, technologies to unlock, bosses to slay, and giant castles to build. If you look past the vampire theme, it’s really just another survival crafting action game in a sea of the same genre.
Early Access preview copy provided by Stunlock Studios. Played on an Acer Predator Triton 500 (2020). V Rising is now available on Steam Early Access for RM39.


Enter The Anime Is A Self-Indulgent Documentary Promoting Netflix’s Own Offerings

I went into Enter The Anime on Netflix not really expecting to suddenly become the expert on all things anime, but at least to come out of it having learned something new about Japanese animation.
I may not be much of an anime fan myself, and I wouldn’t call myself an otaku, but I still grew up on it (and still watch it from time to time). My favorites are Fate/Zero and Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood, so make of that what you will. I’m more of a comics guy anyways.
This new Netflix exclusive documentary film is purportedly an effort of a non-anime fans’ attempt to explain the popularity of anime to other non-anime fans. I’m sorry to say Enter The Anime fails at doing that.
Instead, I found it to be a cringe-inducing self-indulgent piece of content that aims to promote and glorify the anime that are exclusively available and streaming on Netflix. It doesn’t take an otaku to figure that out just ten or twenty minutes into the documentary.
It’s definitely suspicious when director Alex Burunova is supposed to dissect the anime culture and discuss it as a whole, but instead only interviews animators and directors of anime streaming exclusively on Netflix.
In Enter The Anime, Burunova interviews Castlevania director Adi Shankar, LeSean Thomas of Cannon Busters fame, Baki director Toshiki Arano, Aggretsuko director Rarecho, Toei Animation chairman Kozo Morishita, and many others.

Precious little of them really offer great insights into anime and its place in global pop culture. I was especially fascinated by one from Cannon Busters’ LeSean Thomas, in which he said:

“I feel like as an American, Japanese animation as a medium, as an art form is a truly trans-genre medium. They have animation content for toddlers, to young boys and girls to teens and adults to porn.”

Enter The Anime tries to delve into the world and history of anime but merely scratches the surface. It explores a bit of the role of music in anime, and the many niche subcultures spinning out of anime, but they’re skin-deep and basically just simplistic observations.
It’s not all bad, as the documentary featured Neon Genesis Evangelion fans will appreciate Cruel Angel’s Thesis singer Yoko Takahashi appearing in the documentary, though she doesn’t really provide anything to the overall narrative.
There are also snippets of interesting pieces of information, like how Toei Animation was based on Disney and formed after World War 2 to give hope to children, as well as how Kawaii culture started in the 60s as a form of rebellion to adulthood and authority.
These are what the entire documentary should have been full of, but instead what we received is one full of anime fluff. You’ll leave this documentary knowing a bit more about the anime currently streaming on Netflix, but almost nothing about the wider world of anime.

Heck, even the director herself admits multiple times throughout the duration of the documentary how she doesn’t really understand anime. She often makes dumb observations and asks inane questions. Lost In Translation, this is not.
Look at how she describes animators and manga artists here:

Or seeing her prance around like a typical gaijin tourist lost in Japan.

She finally sums up anime with the following words at the very end:

“The thing that unifies anime and makes it special is the way it makes you a part of something bigger than yourself. How it accepts you into this crazy community. And the way it makes you feel like you’re not alone. Made by misfits, for other misfits.”

Sure, that could apply to anime. At the same time, her statement is so generalizing that it can even be applied to various other industries, like comics, gaming and more. For a documentary that’s titled ‘Enter The Anime‘, it’s all pretty pretentious and presumptuous when it should have been unbiased and more encompassing.
I literally laughed out loud when the credits rolled. This sentence popped up like it wasn’t obvious to anyone who was at least ten minutes into watching this documentary.

“All anime titles covered in the documentary are available and now streaming on Netflix.”

Enter The Anime is an hour-long product placement ad masquerading as a documentary, blatantly promoting only the anime exclusively available on the streaming platform. Netflix could have done much better. I’m not even a self-professed anime fan, and I noticed all this. What would a true anime fan feel when watching this farce?
Enter The Anime is now streaming on Netflix.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRyP5pvMAXM&w=560&h=315]


Free Fire Celebrates Its 6th Anniversary This Weekend With In-Game Rewards

Garena Free Fire’s sixth-anniversary celebrations begin this weekend. Look out for the main in-game attraction, Color Cube, as it powers up and transforms into a massive floating island. By completing a mission on this island, players can stand to win a revival chance in Battle Royale mode. Activities not to be missed include the 6th Anniversary Rank Protection event from 7 to 16 July 2023, which grants players immunity from losing stars or points in Clash Squad and Battle Royale; and Hat Relay starting 14 July 2023, which gifts players an exclusive sixth anniversary-themed hat.
Nearing the peak of the festivities on 14 July 2023, players can explore carnival-themed Craftland events that will be refreshed weekly. In the meantime, all are encouraged to log in during the anniversary period and take part in missions to collect free souvenirs and rewards, such as:

Awakened Alok bundle and Awakened Alok emblem: Redeemable through progressing the Graffiti Interface
6th Anniversary Celebration emote: Redeemable through completing a mission from 14 to 19 July 2023
Alok-themed Motorbike Skin: Redeemable through logging in for 7 days

To commemorate Free Fire’s sixth birthday, a music video for the new theme song “We Win” will be released on 7 July 2023. The video showcases the four members of the T.R.A.P. squad, joined by Awakened Alok, leading players to battle in Free Fire. Besides immersing in the fervent melody and rousing narrative portrayed in the music video, fans can catch a glimpse of the latest T.R.A.P. Chroma Series and the iconic sixth-anniversary foating island.
Iconic Free Fire idol group T.R.A.P. returns with a new fashion range T.R.A.P. Chroma Series

T.R.A.P. is the first and only virtual idol group released in the Free Fire Universe, comprising Kelly, Antonio, Moco, and Miguel. Following its establishment in 2020, the group went on to be one of the most popular series of the year, with players favouring the group’s memorable debut track together with each member’s unique and trendy outfits. The group will now return as New T.R.A.P., featuring Tatsuya as its latest member in place of Miguel who plays a Special Forces Elite Soldier in Free Fire.
This anniversary, New T.R.A.P. will launch a range of stylish hip-hop fashion collectibles starting 1 Jul. These include character bundles T.R.A.P. Chromablack Bundle, T.R.A.P. Chromawhite Bundle, T.R.A.P. Stage Bundle, and the T.R.A.P. Hip Bundle, as seen on members Tatsuya, Kelly, Antonio, and Moco respectively. The T.R.A.P. Evo MP40 Chromasonic will also be available with revamped abilities and features such as firing effects and a bullet trail.
Additionally, the T.R.A.P. Emote Lead – Chromatic Pop Dance, as well as Booyah Pass Bundles featuring Antonio and Moco’s character bundles, will be obtainable from 1 July 2023.
Engage in time-limited Color Playground Craftland gameplays

Throughout the whole of the sixth anniversary period, players can indulge in several time-limited Craftland gameplays with the theme of Color Playground. These include:

Colour Hide & Seek (7 to 13 July 2023): Players will either be a hider or a seeker. To win, hiders have to survive till the end without being found, while seekers have to find all hiders. This updated anniversary-themed gameplay features a brand-new amusement park map with a colourful ferris wheel and carousel. Players can also hide and seek among carnival puppets for a thrilling experience.
Colour Spray (14 to 20 July 2023): A new social gameplay that will have players use spray guns to mark as many parts of the map with their assigned colours. The spray guns can also be used to eliminate opponents.
Fort Feud (21 to 27 July 2023): A total of eight players are required to start this gameplay. After being grouped into four pairs, players will have to build and defend their homes to win, all while eliminating enemies and destroying their homes.
Mystery Town 2.0 (28 July to 3 August 2023): Players will randomly receive one of three roles: Sheriff, Assassin, and Civilian. While Sheriffs and Civilians have to find the Assassins to achieve victory, the Assassins will have to eliminate all other players by the end of the game to have the last laugh.

Free Fire Clash Squad SEA Cup Afterparty Showmatch

At the height of Free Fire’s sixth-anniversary celebrations, fans can tune in to a celebratory event on 23 July at 7pm GMT+8, following the conclusion of the Free Fire Clash Squad SEA Cup (FF CS Cup).
The Afterparty Showmatch will star one top team each from regions of Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, and MCPS, with each region represented by two professional Free Fire players and two local KOLs. MCPS will be represented by popular content creators Mr D and Suaa Gaming. Starting next week, fans can vote on the Garena Free Fire Malaysia Facebook page for their favourite MCPS players to be featured in the Afterparty.
Stay tuned to the matchday as teams come together to compete in a themed map specially created for the game’s sixth anniversary, which also features some of the most popular Free Fire gameplay elements to cater to the likes of fans and players.
Latest news on Free Fire and the FF CS Cup can be found on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
Free Fire can be downloaded on both the Apple iOS App and Google Play store.


Private Division Will Team Up With Game Freak For New Action Adventure Title

The makers of Drilldozer, Pokemon, and Little Town Hero will be teaming up with a Western developer for a new project.
Game Freak will be partnering with Private Division to publish the developer’s new game code-named Project Bloom. Little is known about the title except that it’s an action-adventure title and will only be out during the fiscal year 2026 of Private Division’s parent company -Take-Two Interactive. That will start on 1st April 2025 and end on 31 March 2026.
Here’s the full statement from Game Freak director Kota Furushima regarding the new partnership:
“We’re thrilled to have the opportunity to create new IP that is bold and tonally different from our prior work.
From the beginning, Private Division was the publisher we wanted to work with on our new game. Their track record and global expertise give us all the confidence to create a sweeping new action-adventure game that we can’t wait to share more about in the future.
“Over the past three decades, you’d be hard pressed to find a studio which has released more iconic hits than Game Freak. We’re ready to help Game Freak unleash their potential and we’re honored to be the first western publisher to work alongside this exceptionally talented and proven team to bring a bold new IP to market.”
No platforms have been announced for Project Bloom yet. Fans who wish to see Game Freak do something other than Pokemon games should be stoked for this, though it’ll take a while since it’s only expected to be out between mid-2025 to 2026.


Portal & Left 4 Dead Designer Now Works For Xbox

Kim Swift, a designer known for working on Portal and Left 4 Dead, is now hired by Microsoft and is part of the developer group in Xbox Game Studios.
This is confirmed on a recent Xbox Game Studios tweet. Her new role is “to accelerate our innovation and collaborate with independent studios to build games for the cloud”. This is in line with Xbox’s announcement to create a “console-free” streaming device, since the company is working with TV manufacturers to embed the Xbox experience directly into internet-connected TVs.

Our team focuses on three pillars in our games: Community, Innovation and Inclusivity. Today, @K2TheSwift joins us in XGS Publishing to accelerate our Innovation and collaborate with independent studios to build games for the cloud.
Welcome to the team, Kim! pic.twitter.com/pM3E5Xxyrt
— Xbox Game Studios Publishing (@XboxPublishing) June 21, 2021

Kim Swift is known for her work at Valve. After developing Portal and Left 4 Dead (among other Valve titles), she then worked for Amazon Game Studios, Ouya, and even created the puzzle game Quantum Conundrum for Square Enix before doing work at Google Stadia and EA Motive. The latter company is probably going to announce a new Dead Space title this July.


Spelling Out the Success of the Chef’s Shift

The Chef’s Shift by Panitia GameDev is a typing game where you’ll cook fun foods and serve them to customers, also there’s mention of the mafia. It was previously a game jam game, and it’s being expanded into a full project. On top of that, the Chef’s Shift is the latest recipient of the Toge Game Fund Initiative by Toge Productions.
We had the opportunity to sit with the Indonesia-based team and find out more about their upcoming release, and what it was like to go from strangers to teammates. Find out more below!

Tell us about The Chef’s Shift!
The Chef’s Shift is a chaotically fun typing game in a restaurant setting, where you’ll both cook & serve food to hungry customers, all done by TYPING.
It could not be more simple than that!

How did each of you get into game development?
Ah, we are a team of 6 consisting of 3 programmers and 3 artists. We met on GameJam+, so yes we are strangers to each other at first. But this occasion makes us a team. So because of that, the reason why we get into game development is different.

Ali Jaya Meilio Lie (Project Manager, Lead Programmer, Lead Narrative): I’ve known the gamedev community since I was in junior high school (15 years ago). I started pretty early, I stumbled upon this community because I found a book on how to make a game with Flash in a bookstore.
Then it fades after high school, then I revisited the idea of making a game again 2 years ago. Firstly helping my friends completing their game and of course joining a game jam for fun!

Roni Setiyawan (Gameplay Programmer): It started long ago when I was still a teenager, always having thought to myself:
“Why didn’t this game have this feature?”
“It would be great if this feature was in the game”
And then I realized I could make those features myself and put them in the game by using mods. And then my mind got blown: “Why not create the whole game?”
Ever since then, I’ve taught myself how to program using free resources from the Internet. After a while, I got an opportunity to get into the industry by joining a game academy to train myself on how to make a video game. It’s all because I love creating. Especially something that I enjoy, and hopefully others enjoy it too.

Jonathan Franzeli (Programmer, Storywriter, Audio Engineer):
My gamedev journey started from my love of gaming since childhood. Since I was young, it was my dream to make a game that creates an everlasting experience and impression to people all over the world. To achieve that, I’ve been training my skills and applying it to private projects, internships, and my current gamedev team projects. Hopefully one day I can contribute to making a game that achieves my goal.

Muhammad Fajar Rafif (Lead Artist, UI Artist, Storywriter): I developed an interest in gaming at a young age and subscribed to a magazine that, at one point, featured a make-your-own-game tutorial. From there, it created a butterfly effect, so to speak.
As I realized how “simple” it was, of course, from that point on, I was dead set on making AAA title, which, obviously didn’t happen (yet!) – long story short, years come by and I decided to set my idealism aside & rekindled my interest in game development, and game jams sound like a good remedy: a hobby to do in my spare time while I’m not working my day job as a video editor.
It’s a nice thing to add to my portfolio!  But the goal has always been there, and my next quest would be: to release a commercial title.

Mega Putri Anjani (2D Environment Artist, Social Media Manager): I was studying Film Animation and since I love video games, I joined a Game Incubation programme called “Indigo Game Start-up Incubation” or IGSI on batch 2 as a solo beginner artist.
They matched me up with a game company and that’s how I got into game development. I left the company after 1 year and 7 months to continue my studies abroad, and learn more about Animation. I just got back to game development in 2022 with another random Match up from Game Jam Plus 2022. Fortunately, we were very lucky and won the competition, and got the funding from TGFI… So here we are now 6 passionate people pursuing our Dream.
Oh, my Instagram is @Yellow_hhn, just in case! Haha.

Elvira Ayuniar (2D Character & Food Artist): I’m a freelance illustrator that mostly does poster illustrations, fanart, or pet illustrations, but I do have an interest in game concept art and the game illustration industry in general.
Unfortunately, my skill is still way behind what is required to be in the Blizzard or Riot illustrator line. Then GameJam+ Indonesia was held, and one of my teammates in Panitia asked me if I wanted to participate. This jam was my first game development experience ever, despite being a gamer myself, and I feel so lucky to be part of this awesome team and be able to create an absolutely cool game that brought us this far.

Why a typing game?
Short answer: We want to cheat the game jam (laughs).
Long answer: Basically, the game jam is only 48 hours long. We want to start before the theme is revealed, so in theory we will have more time to develop it.
We kinda thought about what kind of mechanic that would fit any theme that will pop up later. We already know that we want to make a 2D game, but not a platformer or hack and slash type. Then, we brainstormed on simple mechanics that are interesting but easy to make in 48 hours.
We stumbled upon the typing game “Z-Type”; it’s kinda like space invaders where you need to type to shoot the enemy. Then, we started to make the typing mechanic without any theme yet.
After the theme is revealed, it’s fortunate that the theme is really broad, so we thought that any mechanic would fit the theme. We had two possible themes to make; “A Restaurant Management like Diner Dash”, or “Spaceship Simulation like Faster Than Light”.
Both have resonance with the typing game, which is hectic and need to focus on management and the ability to prioritize. We then decided on the restaurant management theme, because we feel it has strong appeal to everyone. We could create cute art – and who doesn’t love food!

The game started as a game jam game, yes? How did you decide to escalate development beyond the game jam prototype?
Yes, initially The Chef’s Shift starts as a submission to GameJam+. It’s an international game jam that has multiple sites. At first we competed in the Indonesia region, organized by Indie Games Group Indonesia. It’s a 48-hours game jam and we won “Best Pitch” for our game, and got a nomination on “Best Design”, “Best Visual”, and honourable mention on “Best Game”.
We continued to the incubation phase for about 2.5 months. Before this, we hadn’t had plans to do the game for the long run, but this incubation process was a perfect excuse to continue our game. Our team also has full-time things to do; three of them work full-time, and the other three are still in university, so we need to pay attention to the scope of the game because we can’t work on it full-time.
After the incubation period came to an end, our game competed with another game in Asia Region. Surprisingly our game got the “Best Game” for Asia Region, and we got a free flight ticket to attend the Final Ceremony in Brazil!
And now, we continue again to the project acceleration phase. Here, we slow down the development process and focus our attention on getting a publisher and funding for this game. This part is especially crucial because until this stage, we haven’t received any kind of funding. And if we want to be serious about this game, getting the funding is fundamental for survival.
We reached out to many publishers and grants, and also started to market our game so everyone knows about us! Now we have a grant from TGFI and our game is competing in GameJam+ Grand Final. We hope this game wins!

Congratulations on being recipients of TGFI! Tell us about your experience applying and how it felt to get it!
Thanks! We are pretty glad to be accepted in TGFI program! Now we have funding to go on for several months.
Toge Game Fund Initiative is a grant where Toge Productions will give $10,000 to indie game developers to create their vertical slice of the game. Toge wants to help small indie in Southeast Asian countries to kick start their game, and we are one of them.
Basically, they will ask for the pitch deck and optionally the demo of the game. Fortunately, we already have both. So we just needed to submit it.
We submitted our form in mid-February 2023, and got replied at the end of April 2023. It takes a pretty long time for them to reply because we submitted it when Toge Productions is still busy with their current game launch, Coffee Talk 2.
After they replied to us and said they are interested in our game, we were in a dilemma because there is another publisher that was also interested in our game. But after discussing it with the team, we decided to take the TGFI grant. Let’s hope this grant will continue a long-term partnership with Toge publishing our game!

What should we expect from the final release of The Chef’s Shift?
The most exciting part for us in developing this game is we will show many foods from different cultures!
We plan to have 6 different restaurants, each representing a different food culture.
The first one is an Italian Restaurant, where you could try it on our demo on Steam.
Next, we will have Chinese, Mexican, Korean, Japanese, and Indonesian Restaurants. The majority will be Asian foods, because we want to start from the most familiar to us.
And of course, there will be more fun (or annoying) customers to serve! We plan also to add a mini-game when preparing foods, and the player could upgrade the restaurant to make life easier. And finally, we will discover what will happen to Lorenzo and co.

Any final words?
Yes! Please try our demo and wishlist our game on Steam. It will help us to have a successful launch at a later date!
Follow Panatia GameDev on Twitter, and download The Chef’s Shift demo on Steam!


Borderlands 3 August Hotfix Buffs A LOT Of Weapons Like The Call Guns & Fastball

Borderlands 3 is getting an early August hotfix that will buff some weapons. Oh, and also introduces the Bonus Boss Loot mini-event, which is nice and all.
The event will last from today until 13th August 9am PST time and will give players an increased chance of Legendary loot dropping from bosses. The hotfix also added the following:

Discounted the listed Item of the Day in the Veteran Rewards Machine
Updated the Beastmasterâ€™s Interplanetary Stalker skill so that weapon damage is affected by Big Game while using the Cosmic Stalker Class Mod
Added tags to Punk enemies to mark them as humanoid
Addressed a reported concern where the Gunner would lose bonuses from Sleeping Giant after entering Iron Bear
Addressed a reported concern that switching Mayhem levels could cause some areas to spawn more Eridium than intended
Disabled the ability for enemy adds to spawn infinitely during the King Bobo fight

Most importantly, some Legendary weapons in the game are getting the damage boost they need.Â  Guns that ricochet extra bullets and has projectile chaining are buffed. No sign of the Recursion shotgun getting that buff, but at least what we got today is more than sufficient.
Here’s the full list:
Lead Sprinkler

Increased weapon damage

Reflux

Increased the chance for projectiles to chain

Brainstormer

Increased the chance for projectiles to chain

Hyperfocus

Increased weapon damage

Carrier

Increased weapon damage

Unseen Threat

Increased the damage of homing bullets with critical hits

Wagon Wheel

Increased weapon damage

Bearcat

Lowered the ammo cost from 4 to 3

Rowanâ€™s Call

Increased accuracy

Lucianâ€™s Call

Reduced the spread of projectiles
Increased weapon damage

Kingâ€™s/Queenâ€™s Call

Increased weapon damage

Tiggâ€™s Boom

Increased weapon damage

Complex Root

Decreased weapon charge time

Moonfire

Increased rate of fire

Fastball

Increased grenade damage

Mongol

Increased weapon damage

Cutsman

Increased weapon damage


Free Guy Has A Bunch Of Nifty-Looking Game Tribute Posters

Free Guy is an upcoming comedy featuring Ryan Reynolds as an NPC who gains self-awareness and is trying to get out of the Grand Theft Auto game world he’s in. As such, expect a ton of video game tropes and references present in the film’s narrative and trappings.
To amp up the film’s marketing, 20th Century Studios just released a bunch of posters that pay tribute to video game box arts we know and love. These include nods to Doom, Grand Theft Auto, Street Fighter, and even bad boxart Mega Man. Check them out below:

Free Guy will be out in cinemas worldwide(?) on 13th August. Lord knows if it’ll be available in Malaysia, given the current MCO situation.


Street Fighter 6: E.Honda Move List & Guide

Street Fighter 6 is coming out on 2nd June, which is just less than a month away. As such, the game’s roster for its launch is set with 18 characters, each with their various playstyles.
In this entry, we’ll be focusing on the sumo wrestler extraordinaire E.Honda.
Note: This guide is still in development.
All inputs are in numpad notations. For example, Hadouken from player 1’s starting side is 236P.
Attack buttons are as follows: LP, MP, HP are light punch, medium punch, and heavy punch respectively. LK, MK, and HK are light kick, medium kick, and heavy kick respectively. None of this Fierce or Roundhouse bulls*** in Asia.
Info & video credits: Fighting Game Anniversaries, WoolieVS, FlawlessDeku, Capcom, Reversal

Street Fighter 6 E.Honda Overview

E.Honda is a heavy-hitter who relies on getting in close with his patented Sumo Headbutt. He also has footsies that can deal a lot of damage.
Use moves like Sumo Headbutt to close the gap, do simple hard-hitting up-close combos with Hundred Hand Slaps (now a motion input), and catch people sleeping with a command grab and a Sumo Smash. He can also negate projectiles with his Neko Damashi and buff up his Hundred Hand Slaps with Sumo Spirit.
New to E.Honda’s classic arsenal is Sumo Dash, a sumo shuffle move that has follow-ups to help with your pressure game. Or just a straight-up launcher for potential combos which will most likely end with Sumo Headbutt.
Play If: You like heavy-hitting characters with good footsie tools, you like a mix of charge and motion inputs for special moves, like big damage at mid-range
Avoid If: you like rushdown characters and playstyles more, prefer faster & mobile characters

Street Fighter 6 E.Honda Move List

Special Moves
Hundred Hand Slaps: 214P. Now a motion input, not an attack you can mash. Still good to create combos from normal moves.
Sumo Headbutt: [4]6P or [1]6P. Great combo ender and a good way to catch opponents off-guard from full-screen.
Sumo Smash: [2]8K or [1]8K or [3]8K.
Oicho Throw: 63214K. Command grab. Good to surprise enemies.
Sumo Dash: 236K. Sumo shuffle dash with follow-ups. P>P for follow-up attack, 2P for launcher.
Neko Damashi: 22P. Negates projectiles, but can also be used as an attack.
Sumo Spirit: 22K. Powers up your Hundred Hand Slaps.
Super Arts
Show of Force (Level 1 Super): 236236P. Good as a wake-up/reversal option.
Ultimate Killer Head Ram (Level 2 Super): [4]646K. Horizontal Headbutt attack with big damage; goes through projectiles and can be worked into combos.
The Final Bout (Level 3 Super): 214214P. Has long reach and comes out quick.
Unique Attacks
Harai Kick: 6HK. Trademark poke. Cannot be blocked standing.
Power Stomp: 3HK. Overhead.
Flying Sumo Press: While jumping, 2MK. Can cross-up enemies.
Double Slaps: LP>MP. Target combo. Can be cancelled into special moves.
Toko Shizume: MP>3HK. Target combo with the second hit being an overhead.