Malaysian Game Re:Legend Will Fully Launch In Spring 2021

505 Games and developer Magnus Games have announced that Re:LegendÂ will launch for PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC viaÂ SteamÂ sometime in spring 2021.
Re:LegendÂ is an RPG featuring simulation mechanics like farming, crafting, fishing, and evenÂ PokÃ©mon-like monster breeding.Â In our review, we gave it a 60/100, though it should be noted that the game is still currently in Early Access on Steam since August 2019.
The best thing about the game is that it is being developed by Malaysian-basedÂ Magnus Games Studio.
The Early Access version of the game is currently available at a 40 percent-off discount price of RM29.40 as part of the Steam Autumn Sale.
505 Games also released a very brief look at the Nintendo Switch version of the game. Check it out below, courtesy of Gematsu:

In the meantime, check out our exclusive interview with Magnus Games Studio co-founder DC Gan at Level Up KL 2019 below (orÂ head on over here for the written article), as he spoke about what games heâ€™s currently playing, the origin ofÂ Re:Legendâ€™s name, and more.


HBO GO & Warner TV March 2022: Our Picks & Highlights

Iâ€™m sure you wonâ€™t want to waste time sifting through HBO GOâ€™s extensive catalogue of shows and movies just to decide on what to watch. The streaming site updates its site every day, week, and month with new content, so Iâ€™m here to save your precious time.
Here are my personal recommendations and highlights forÂ HBO GO March 2022 lineup and how to fill up your free time with worthwhile content at home:
Kamikaze (3 March 2022)

In this series, based on the novel Muleum by Erlend Loe, a young womanâ€™s privileged life is torn apart when her family dies in a plane crash. Suddenly left alone in a large mansion with material possessions that most people only dream about, she embarks on a wild and turbulent adventure, travelling from her native Denmark to the far corners of the world, seeking a reason to go on. Stars Marie Reuther.
It premieres on 3 March 2022.

Our Flag Means Death (3 March 2022)

Loosely based on the adventures of Stede Bonnet, this comedy series follows the life of a pampered aristocrat who leaves his family and riches for a life out on the high seas. Stede has no idea what heâ€™s doing as pirate captain, and his crew knows it. In addition to a potential mutiny, he also has to face the most famous pirate of all â€“ the possibly insane Blackbeard. Stars Rhys Darby and Academy Award winner Taika Waititi.
It premieres on 3 March 2022.

Kung Fu Season 2 (10 March 2022)

After returning from a life-changing journey, San Francisco native Nicky Shen strives to protect her family and community from the Triad. Although her martial arts skills and Shaolin values serve her well, fresh developments point to more challenges and conflicts to come. Stars Olivia Liang, Shannon Dang, Jon Prasida, Gavin Stenhouse, Eddie Liu and Singaporean actress Tan Kheng Hua who starred in 2018â€™s Crazy Rich Asians.
It premieres on 10 March 2022 at 9.50 pm GMT+8 on Warner TV (Astro Channel 712 / UnifiTV Channel 451).

F9: The Fast Saga (18 March 2022)

Just as life seems perfect for Dominic Toretto, with a young son and Letty restored to him, his family and crew are faced with yet another threat to their peace and safety â€“ none other than Jakob, Dom and Mia’s estranged brother. Stars Vin Diesel, Jordana Brewster, Michelle Rodriguez, John Cena, Tyrese Gibson, Ludacris, Sung Kang, Helen Mirren, Nathalie Emmanuel, and Charlize Theron.
It premieres on 18 March 2022.

Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins (26 March 2022)
Henry Golding plays Snake Eyes in Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins from Paramount Pictures, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and Skydance.
As a young loner, Snake Eyes is welcomed into an ancient clan, the Arashikage, in return for saving their heir apparent. As he is taught the ways of the ninja, secrets from his past are revealed. In the process, his honour and allegiance will be tested and he faces losing the trust of those closest to him. Stars Henry Golding, Ursula Corbero, Andrew Koji, and Haruka Abe.
It premieres on 26 March 2022.

Twisted Strings (27 March 2022)

Renowned Taiwanese filmmaker Hou Hsiao-hsien tells the stories of seven people from different walks of life, exploring the unexpected turns and twists of their fates and destinies. Written and directed by Golden Horse-nominated director Huang Xi, the anthology stars an ensemble award-winning cast including Golden Horse-winning actor, Lee Kang-sheng, in his first lead role in a series.
It premieres on 27 March 2022 at 9 pm GMT+8 on HBO GO and HBO (Astro Channel 411).

The Batman Celebration

Gear up for the theatrical release of the new movie The Batman with a daily line-up of the Caped Crusader. From 26 February 2022, catch Batman in themed episodes of Teen Titans Go! followed by an adventure-filled Batman movie including LEGO DC Batman: Family Matters, Scooby-Doo! & Batman: The Brave & the Bold, LEGO DC Attack of the Legion of Doom!, LEGO Batman: The Movie – DC Super Heroes Unite and more.
These premiere daily from 26 February 2022 to 6 March 2022, at 1.30 pm and 6.30 pm GMT+8 on Cartoon Network (Astro Channel 615).

Those are just several selected highlights from next monthâ€™s offerings of new TV series and movies on HBO GO next month. Now you can plan your HBO GO watchlist for March 2022.


Anthem Is The Result Of Bioware Falling Behind [Update]

Update: We finally assigned a score to the game after checking out the game post-Day One patch.Â
Update #2: It’s been 8 months, and so far there are no signs of this game being improved in any significant way. Kakuchopurei has made some changes to the review to reflect this sentiment.
Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One
Genre: Loot-And-Shoot Action RPG Work-In-Progress/Dead-On-Arrival
With my Iron Man-esque Javelin armour all fitted and ready to roll, my random party members and I fly off to complete a Stronghold fight filled with humanoid cockroaches called the Scars and random spider scorpion thingies coupled with wolf-like creatures that dish out frost attacks.
Wave after wave, I darted in and out of the fight dealing damage like a ninja with my Interceptor Javelin, out of shield and almost dead. Luckily I had a Colossus buddy activating his Ultimate just in time, mopping up the rest of the high-levelled enemies with a barrage of explosive mortar fire.
A lot of dead mobs and one giant dead spider boss later, we relished in our spoils of the blue and green variety. No yellow-graded legendary loot; I’m still less than 10 hours in EA and Bioware’s latest action RPG loot-hunting game: Anthem.
And if this experience is indicative of Bioware’s future, then may God have mercy on these devs who have to keep this game continuously running. But I’m getting ahead of myself.
Taking Flight
[wpvideo C6PpunFx]
That’s pretty much the experience so far: co-op shooting at its adequate-ness and familiar-est. You enter the Bastion, where all of the action of Javelin-flying and enemy-hunting happens. To its credit, the expanse itself is lush, and it’s filled with a ton of open areas, dungeons, and waterfalls to cool off your flight engines (for prolonged flight), all ripe for exploration. This virtual playground is perfect for free-flying and firefights.
The game’s freeplay mode and the combat is serviceable with some bits of joy here and there. Most notable: the chaining system when you’re fighting enemies. When you afflict an enemy with an elemental status effect, another player can use the correct attack to trigger massive damage on that same enemy.

Seeing those numbers turn yellow and shoot up to a thousand is pretty fun to see while also seeing that prompt that you’ve pulled the trigger combo off; it’s like a pavlovian effect of sorts that warms the cockles of your action RPGing heart.

And then there are the four Javelins, each of them different and being given the gift of flight. The loadouts, the feel, and the look of each Javelin also help differentiate each of them. I picked the two extremes: the Interceptor and the Colossus. One’s super-fast and is as close as I can get to a Warframe space ninja but with flight. The other is a hulking brute with a shield and a bunch of mortars to dish out damage while taking it.

I felt that achievement when mastering one of these hulking war machines, especially when pulling off a combo for that sweet, sweet critical damage against that heavily-armoured Scar elite. I also enjoyed customizing each and every one of my loadouts with augments, the best support and offensive abilities, and the light/heavy weapons they’re able to use. My Interceptor can now chuck hard-hitting ninja stars and throw out explosive shadow clones like a cyber-Hokage.
I also recently unlocked the Storm Javelin; think of this class as the DPS wizard. It can succumb to damage easily, but you’ll have to be aggressive with your lightning bolts, your ice spells, and hovering every single time you’re in combat. Not only can you hover longer than the other Javelins, you have an amplified shield to preserve your life longer. All in all; a fun class to wreak havoc with if you cannot deal with the Interceptor’s mobility.

It’s a good thing the game itself is serviceable, because somehow Bioware forgot to put in an involving story to make all this spreadsheet-style fighting worth it.

Preaching To The Jaded

Let’s be fair: it’s hard to tell a cohesive story in an online game. Try as they might -WoW, Destiny, FFXIV- it’s tough to convey a narrative to a chosen one when in reality there are dozens or 100s of other players claiming that accolade. Bioware tried its darndest, but I’m not biting.
All the choices you make when you talk to the denizens of Fort Tarsis, the game’s hub, is meaningless save for a few laughs and some insight about Anthem’s world. Every character from Owen to your previous freelancer buddies Haluk and Faye are all voiced and acted competently, but we’ve seen Bioware flesh out better characters in past games. The only guy I remember is an old guy named Yarrow, one of your mission givers, and only because of his accent. Accents are not characters.
And then there’s the goddamn fort itself. It’s not a fun place to be in despite all these stories and codex stuff waiting to be uncovered within its walls.Â This hub is not as bustling and as lively as the E3 trailers would have you believe. Instead, it’s hollow, it’s exposition city, and it’s a pain to go from one location to another because your character moves really slow.

And guess what? You have to do this again and again after every goddamn mission. Never mind the fact that most story missions have you defending a point until time is up, or have you searching for echoes to unlock a gateway, or collect artifacts that temporarily halt your flight; they can get a bit repetitive. You have to also contend with the long loading times for each segment.
Go to the Forge from Fort Tarsis to customize your Javelins? That’s one load screen. Starting an expedition? That’s a long load screen. Couldn’t catch up with your Javelin online buddies because your loading took longer than expected? Teleport to your pals and, you guessed it, get another load screen for your troubles.
Going deeper into the dungeons and then getting out? That’s two loading screens.Â Done with your expedition? Go back to either the Forge, the Launch Bay, or goddamn Fort Tarsis, each of them with load screens of their own.

In terms of flow and user experience, Anthem is a technical nightmare. In retrospect, Mass Effect’s elevators aren’t so bad.Â Bioware, you cannot cram in a first-person equivalent of Dragon Age: Inquisition‘s Skyhold in an online game and then make your players crawl to their objective-givers.

Simply put, I just want to get the hell away from Fort Tarsis so that I can get back to flying around the Bastion and teaming up with random players to kick ass and collect loot and crafting materials. And even when I’m doing that, it’ll be nice if I could at least have some semblance of communication with my new teammates.
When you’re down for the count, you can’t slow crawl your way to your teammates or even ping for help. Heck, there’s no way to open up a text box to talk to anyone.

You’d think with Apex Legends’ communication system, Bioware and EA would have cribbed that for their game. Please improve your co-op options in your next update, Anthem.

Singing The Blues

I have a lot more to add: the technical glitches and sudden audio mutings of my gameplay sessions when doing the Archivists missions. And then there’s the repetitive quest structure early on that’s commonplace with most loot-and-shoot games. But I’ll keep on trucking and save it for the final review, when I’m able to play the game with way more people post-22 Feb and when the first major content update is primed and ready.

Truth be told, I really want to like Anthem and its fresh new game world. I really want this game to at least keep Bioware alive while under the rule of EA. But so far during my 10+ hour-or-so playthrough, I am not impressed.

This is the same developer who created the Mass Effect trilogy and Dragon Age: Origins, the same guys who do not follow trends but make their own, right? I do expect a particularly high level of polish from these folks.
So until something drastic happens, I may as well put my faith in other action loot-and-shoot games that are either upcoming or are already well-established. You may want to watch this space in the next few days to see this feature morph into a proper review, score and all.
After playing through the game post-Day One patch during the weekend, I have this to say: maybe there’s a diamond in this rough somewhere. I partially enjoyed the Strongholds but they’re not as creative as one would think. I like the feeling of reaching Level 30 and getting purples and masterworks items to outfit my guy (it’s nice to wield more than one masterwork weapon FYI).
However, the same addiction can be attributed to the loot-and-shoot stigma. It’s part of the process of enjoying these games, and no matter how much loot there is that’s unique, you can’t help but feel that you’ve done this before but in a fancier suit and shinier coat of paint.
Plus those loading screens; it’s not as bad now, but it’s still there and they stunt the flow of the game.
It’s just that this one doesn’t seem to do anything else interesting and noteworthy than the rest of the games out there like Destiny and Warframe. It’s fine at being adequate, but people like me want more than just “adequate”. So what if you can fly in a giant map? If the rest of the game is as rote and uninspiring, your mechanic shouldn’t be the main feature of your magnum opus.
Pros

Flight and freeplay exploration can be fun.
Game looks pretty.
Combo system is fun to play around with.
Javelins offer varied playstyles.

Cons

Cookie-cutter narrative with copy-paste Bioware characters.
Shooting and looting mechanics doesn’t stand out from other similar games.
A lot of technical gripes and load screens.
Soulless hub and generic world that’s hard to be invested in.
No significant updates even after 8 months.

FINAL SCORE: 40/100


Streets of Rage 4 DLC Will Be Out This July

At long last, the upcoming Streets of Rage 4 DLC, Mr. X Nightmare, has a release date.
The long-awaited add-on to the hit 2020 2D beat-em-up sequel will be out on 15th July for all major consoles according to the DotEmu trailer below. The DLC will also add in a Survival Mode where you beat up waves of enemies in a simulation and upgrade your character, lasting as long as possible before you die.

The game will also get a new physical edition on Nintendo Switch and PS4 on 24th September, which includes the full game and all DLC.

Iconic beat 'em up #StreetsofRage4 is back with an awesome Anniversary Edition, including Mr X Nightmare DLC & a jam-packed survival mode.
Coming to #PS4 & #NintendoSwitch on September 24th! pic.twitter.com/1dBVv1peLl
— Merge Games (@MergeGamesLtd) July 1, 2021

Official mode description below:
The announcement brings first details forÂ Mr. X Nightmareâ€™s Survival mode, an inventive, immensely replayable challenge forÂ Streets of Rage 4â€™s most versatile brawlers. Fighters beat down endless waves of foes and earn perks for as long as they can stay alive across two session variations: Random, which keeps each fight unpredictable through generated runs; and Weekly, a series of static gauntlets generated each week.
Each completed level offers two randomized perks to choose from, granting stackable bonuses to power up combatants in unique and devastating ways until theyâ€™re defeated. Braving Survivalâ€™s onslaughts also permanently unlocks new moves for use across any ofÂ Streets of Rage 4â€™s modes, allowing players to personalize movelists for their favorite characters. Progress unlocks devastating new weapons within both Survival mode and an incoming training mode, as well as gallery content. The modeâ€™s leaderboards keep track of the communityâ€™s well-fought runs too; who will be Wood Oak Cityâ€™s finest fighter?


[Report] We Might Be Getting A New League Of Legends Spinoff Action Game

Riot Games’ Riot Forge may be busy with another new League of Legends spin-off this year.
According to a leak from South Korea’s Game Rating and Administration Committee (via Gematsu), an LoL spinoff called Mageseeker is in the works; it’s an action game where players control the mage Sylas as he seeks to save the city of Demacia. If you need a short recap on who Sylas is, check out this 3-year-old LoL promo video. The character made his way in the MOBA game in 2019.

According to the report, the game will be for PC and will feature “continuous battle scenes against humans/non-humans”. Beyond that, nothing else is known about the Riot Forge-published title; not even a hint on who is developing the title.

Riot Forge has previously published two titles: the pretty decent Hextech Mayhem and the pretty fun JRPG Ruined King from Airship Syndicate.


What You Should Watch on Netflix This Christmas in December

The year ain’t over yet, and we still have the jolliest time of the year to look forward to. Netflix will be offering Christmas treats galore for viewers in December 2018, with the premiere of many movies and series, including the exclusive and highly-anticipated Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle.
Check out my personal picks from Netflix’s upcoming December 2018 lineup below.
Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle (December 7, 2018)

When the first week of December arrives, you’ll already have a big one waiting for you. Award-winning motion-capture master Andy Serkis (of The Lord of the Ring’s Gollum and Planet of the Apes’ Caesar fame) spins his take on the beloved classic story of the boy raised by wolves in the jungle.
Starring an all-star cast including the likes of Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Benedict Cumberbatch, Andy Serkis, Freida Pinto, and more, perhaps this movie might turn out better than Disney’s live-action The Jungle Book in 2016. Catch Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle starting from December 7, 2018.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVBjPpUlQrE&w=560&h=315]
Now that’s just the beginning of Netflix’s offerings for December 2018. My other personal Netflix Original highlights of the month include the Watership Down: Limited Series, The Protector, and Bird Box.
Watership Down: Limited Series (December 2018)

If you’re an animation nut like I am, I’m sure you’ve heard of the controversial 1978 animated movie Watership Down. If you haven’t, here’s a crash course. It features rabbits and forest wildlife, but they kill each other brutally with blood and gore. Many a parent and their children ended up buying the movie thanks to the cute rabbit cover and ended up scarred forever. Check out some animated animal-on-animal violence in the video below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPBck3xcUJc&w=560&h=315]
Are you still here? Good. Netflix’s Watership Down: Limited Series is an adaptation of the original 1972 novels, of which the 1978 movie was also based on. I’m not sure if the upcoming miniseries will be as violent as the movie, but I’m still excited nonetheless.
Starring the likes of James McAvoy, Nicholas Hoult, John Boyega, Ben Kingsley, and more, the Watership Down: Limited Series will arrive sometime in December 2018.
The Protector (December 14, 2018)

I’m a sucker for exotic locations so when I heard that this Netflix Original series was going to be a Turkish production with Turkish actors based in Turkey, I was hyped. It looks great and seems to feature its own unique mythology, although it still relies on the chosen one trope.
I’m holding out for this one when it arrives on December 14, 2018. In the meantime, check out the official trailer for The Protector below for some awesome action taking place around the historical city of Istanbul.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80dqOwAOhbo&w=560&h=315]
Bird Box (December 21, 2018)

At first glance, Bird Box might seem to be just another post-apocalyptic science fiction movie, but it’s not. For starters, the screenplay is written by new sci-fi superstar Eric Heisserer, who also wrote the 2016’s Arrival (one of the best sci-fi movies of modern times). It is based on the novel of the same name by Josh Malerman.
The reason why I’m excited for Bird Box is that it’s perfect for Eric Heisserer, who proved his penchant for timey-wimey elements with Arrival. Bird Box’s story is partially told via flashbacks and takes place in a whopping three different time periods. If anyone can handle that, it’s Heisserer. You’ll know what I mean if you’ve watched Arrival.
Bird Box will arrive on December 21, 2018. In the meantime, check out the official trailer below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2AsIXSh2xo&w=560&h=315]
Those were my personal picks for Netflix’s December 2018 Christmas lineup. These are just some of the new content Netflix has in store for viewers next month. Besides new Netflix Originals, other movies like Forrest Gump, Alien Vs Predator, and more will be releasing in December.
Looks like I’ll be staying in most of next month and celebrating Christmas with Netflix. Don’t judge me.


Apple Announces A Bunch Of Expensive Peripherals In Its 2022 Presentation

Apple, the creators of the iOS, iPhone, and a bunch of other marked-up and predominantly white tech gadgets within its own closed-off ecosystem, just announced a bunch of new pricey products in its 2022 Apple event.
Here’s a list of computer products and smart devices the company has announced in its recent event that is sure to be talked about by many Apple fanboys all over Malaysia and the world who may have the spending power to afford these luxury items. I know we’re predominantly a video games site and all, but chances are these new phones and PCs may be your future video game platform (via the App Store), so I might as well recap the new product announcements here.
Mac Studio

One of the highlights from the 2022 event is the Mac Studio, a desktop system that is packed to the brim with the M1 Ultra processor, a small 7.7 inches x3.7 inches chassis, a bunch of Thunderbolt 4 ports, and a promise of delivering 50 percent faster CPU performance than a Mac Pro with a 16-core Xeon.
The Mac Studio with M1 Max will start at US$1,999, with M1 Ultra models starting at US$3,999.
iPad Air With M1 Chipset

Apple announces a new iPad Air, which seems to be a mid-end tablet choice for those who don’t want the cheap iPad and the expensive iPad Pro models.
Like I said in the subheader, the iPad Air comes with Apple’s M1 chipset and optional 5G support. The base model is Wi-Fi only though. The iPad Air features a new ultrawide front camera with Center Stage functions (auto-pans during video calls), a 12MP rear camera, landscape stereo speakers, and a USB-C port that transfers data two times faster.
The iPad Air will cost US$599 (base price) and comes in Space Gray, Starlight, pink, purple, and blue colour. The Wi-Fi+5G model starts at US$749. If you want extra junk, I mean stuff, you can get the US$129 2nd gen Apple Pencil, the US$299 Magic Keybaord, the US$179 Smart Keyboard Folio, and the US$79 Smart Folio covers.
New iPhone 13 Colours
The flagship iPhone model, number 13, now comes in simple Green and Alpine Green (for the Pro version).

Cool, I guess; it’ll be joining the existing Starlight, midnight, Blue, Pink, and Red colours. These new colours will ship after 18 March.
iPhone SE (2022)

The third-generation iPhone SE will be catering for those too poor to afford the aforementioned devices above, but still want to enter the Apple app ecosystem because of supercharged FOMO. It looks the same as the iPhone 6, but the insides are different.
The internal bits include the Apple A15 chipset, three options for storage space (64GB, 128GB, 256GB), bezels above and below to make it look big, and a tough ceramic shield for improved durability because you’re too goddamn clumsy to hold these things.
The iPhone SE (2022) will be on pre-order this Friday (11th March) and will start at US$429 to buy. The phone will ship out on 18 March within 30 countries. Doesn’t look like it’s available for purchase in Malaysia, but that may change in a few hours.


The Light At The End of Alpha Beta Omega’s Tunnel Towards Success

These days, itâ€™s not that hard to open up a tiny-as-heck video game company provided you have funds and you have your countryâ€™s current government having entertainment and media bodies supporting them with facilities and, you guessed it, even more funds.
Thatâ€™s pretty much Singaporeâ€™s Info-communications Media Development Authority (loving acronymized to IMDA; we know “acronymized” isnâ€™t a word) place in the gaming ecosystem they like to talk about time and again; giver of grants within reason and co-working spaces like the PIXEL Building to garage-sized indie gamers, taking their time in honing their ball-busting games and breakout indie hits.
One could argue that with all the time spent honing this sector even before 2008, Singapore would have its world-class triple-A home-made game by now, but thatâ€™s another conversation for another time. Go indie, right?
So what makes newcomer indie game development company Alpha Beta Omega different than the others? Why create a studio in a very saturated marketplace? Simple: because the co-runners of the company, CEO Michael Khoo and CTO Pavel Kuzmin, seem to be more determined and disciplined. And also realistic.
“We are big on relevancy and purpose,” said Michael. â€œFor example, the games we build; weâ€™re not picking any game that is trending online because many people are playing it. Thereâ€™s gonna be a lot of [saturation].â€

“Weâ€™re looking for game models that allow us to work with the resources we have and bring out the maximum profit. Yes, weâ€™re passionate but we need to feed ourselves.”

We canâ€™t be in this dream state where we can separate the two; we need to bring them together. Those are our strongest points.” Talk about going straight for the exposed vein when it comes to getting to the truth.
Who Are They Again?
Perhaps a short intro is in order before we dive right in: Michael Khoo (pic below) is a man who has been around the games industry for 8 years; he had a hand in all walks of the games media and games industry business from journalism (Playworks) to marketing (GX, PLAYe) to even mobile app development (goGame), project management, and even esports management duties.

Pavel Kuzminâ€™s (pic above) technological prowess is only limited by his imagination as a software engineer. Heâ€™s done it all too: from diversity-focused travel services to mobile games to even mass-production beauty service apps catering to thousands of clients per day.
And thatâ€™s not even including the odd contract or two that he urged us not to bring up for fear of breach of contract. Even with his past companies faltering thanks to geo-political issues back in Russia (the whole Russia invading Ukraine shake-up back in 2014) and the Russian rubleâ€™s dwindled value, that didnâ€™t stop him and his family from taking a chance working in Singapore.
The two of them met when they were at Sega subsidiary goGame for a year-and-a-half. After that, they came to an agreement to work together and found ABO because they just want to deliver fun to the gamers and players of today the only way how: through the power of mobile gaming.
And in case you’re wondering if they’re truly in it for the money, they’re both actual gamers. Michael has covered a ton of video games, interviewed a lot of developers, and even ran app production and project management, to the point where he can switch to being a game producer in your Ubisofts and 2K Games if he felt like it.
Pavel has been making games out of pen and paper D&D modules since he was 5, loves SEGA and Sonic The Hedgehog, and won a few game programming awards including the Mobile Premium Awards 2018 International competition, Russian division, ran by Appcircus.
In other words, they know what they’re talking about.
Getting It Done
The team (L-R): Paul Wong, Lester Wong, Michael Khoo, Pavel Kuzmin, Neo Koh, Alden Tan
Going back to those keywords “determined” and “disciplined”, Michael believes that with a small team thatâ€™s disciplined, they donâ€™t need to bloat out and keep their game-producing budget to a realistic chunk. “A lot of (video game publishers and developers) here have this interesting stigma of going overboard,” said Michael.
“Letâ€™s say they have a specific budget they can play with. They like to overspend it. Weâ€™ve been through many companies, 15 to 60 people, and half of [the staff and manpower] do not do anything [or contribute much]. Itâ€™s a lot of money wasted.”
“Itâ€™s not a bad philosophy for some, but we feel we can bring a certain change where we donâ€™t need that kind of extravagant approach in developing games and apps. We just need a lean mean team to do the work thatâ€™s required, and then move on from there. This also means that if weâ€™re given a big budget, we know how to stretch that dollar value as much as we can.”
To complement that statement, we should ask this question: how many people does it really take to make a fun game these days? If you answered “six”, you may be onto something there, according to Pavel. “Itâ€™s funny because weâ€™re always asked: how many people does it take to make a project of a [mobile gaming] scale? The answer is ‘six’.”

“This is followed up with “How long will that take?”, to which we answer “four months”. They usually reply “are you kidding?”. The way we see it, the projects we received so far arenâ€™t massive. “Itâ€™s an interesting project, but six people can finish that”.

“Iâ€™ve seen senior project companies who cannot handle 50 people on site. [At the end of the day], itâ€™s not about the number of people, itâ€™s about the amount that people contribute within a small team. Our clients have seen us work, observe our progress, and understand how things can be done properly with people who appreciate what they do.”
It also helps that the CEO and CTO run the ABO ship in its entirety. They stated that the extravagent spending and staffing made the team uncomfortable, so they decided to set out on their own. “Most of the work is done by Pavel and I,” said Michael. “We make sure every specification is doable and find the right person to do it. If thereâ€™s extra fluff we donâ€™t need, we take it out immediately: simple as that. It saves us time, manpower, and cost; thatâ€™s good for everyone in general.”
Enough Talk; How About Them Games?

Alpha Beta Omega’s starting point in games-making involves shining a light within the dark decrepit state of the video game industry in the region. That’s probably stretching a metaphor a bit too thin, but their upcoming game is about a lighthouse shining a beacon in an unexplored fantasy-esque steampunk land. Darkless, their iOS/Android game makes players tap their way to victory, with little imps carrying resources to help power up your main function.

After playing through the most recent build, itâ€™s safe to say that the team knows what aiming for; a zen-like clicker gaming experience tailored for all kinds of players and gamers.

Even if the demo I played is in a pre-alpha state (as the team is working on the final build as we speak), the idea and feel is already solid. Just tapping and keeping the darkness away while the gameâ€™s imps continue giving you coloured resources is simple, but thereâ€™s not time limit or penalty if youâ€™re idle. Plus, thereâ€™s a huge portion of the gameâ€™s map to uncover as you progress further and further to make the light shine brighter and further.
It piqued the interest of the MDA, hence why ABO are working in the Pixel building in the Ayer Rajah area in Singapore. The game should be done by this month, in which they then have to decide where to soft-launch it at in Southeast Asia.

The duo and the team’s combined life lessons meet full circle to enable them to create fun and simple mobile games with a charming aesthetic. They actually have more games in their streamlined and efficient pipeline. Catris, which is a puzzle game paying homage to Tetris and the internet’s number one subject -cats- will be their next focus after Darkless goes live.
After that comes their magnum opus: Dusk Tower, a mass multiplayer mobile action RPG where you play a vampire on the hunt for power, artefacts, and dominance.
As vampires level up via destroying buildings and sucking NPC blood, they look more different and can eventually fight against other players. Thanks to their partnership with Cloudzen, a cloud gaming studio, they can make the game they want: an MMO-esque game that can support thousands of players in the same game session and is not restricted by device hardware limitations.

“We want to create [mass multiplayer] games that are streamed constantly; no need to be downloaded. The beauty of the game is you can run it off the PC. Most mobile phones cannot handle [2,000 or more players] in a single instance. With the tech we have and who weâ€™re partnering with, we can achieve this.”

“Itâ€™s not just a technical showcase weâ€™re aiming for,” added Pavel. “We want to make sure [Dusk Tower] is fun to play as well as have high-level graphics.” While Darkless and Catris are their stepping stone games, Dusk Tower is the big project they want to cap off with. At least until they have other new ideas in the future.
“With our direction for ABO,” added Pavel, “we have lots of possibilities with our own projects. There’s no need for triple-A game development on our end; we can do simple mobile games that are fun for all.”
The Future

Speaking of which, we had to ask the duo about their plans moving forward in the next five years. Among all the questions asked during this interview, Pavel struggled the hardest with this one to the point where he would rather reduce it to one year. “[ThisÂ  year] we will still move in our pipeline strategy.”
“After releasing our first game, weâ€™ll move on to the next. Weâ€™ll move in the same speed and force, hoping to maintain our team and investment; these two will scale because our big game Â (Dusk Tower)will need bigger pools of resources.”
“We will still deliver cool content. Not huge ones, but exciting games nonetheless.”
We have to admit, his answer comes attached with the kind of genuine sincerity missing in most video game developers in Singapore as of late. Some talk big. Some take too long to release just one single game. Some were at their peak but faltered through due to political and/or personal reasons.
We’ve seen firsthand and, for some of us, experienced this.Â The one thing that’s sorely lacking in the scene is humility and transparency.

“Before meeting Pavel,” Michael confessed, “the way I did business before was much simpler. I find someone who needs this, I deliver and just do it. All of this changed after meeting him; what I learned from him is that there are things I can do without.”

“There are lots of things that need a purpose before it becomes a reality. It wasnâ€™t all fancy when we started ABO; we correct each otherâ€™s way of thinking. Pavel needed to understand how Singaporeans work. I needed to understand how he can build such a big company in Russia before the Ukraine incident.”
As mentioned before, combining both passion and profitability is ABO’s main game. Going back to the previous question about their 5-year plan, Michael said that ABO will still do what the team likes to do, but they plan to be flexible about how they approach it.

“Our mission is to bring delight to all of our users, as gamers ourselves. We know what works and what doesnâ€™t.”

“We are more than the games we are currently developing; we definitely can do so much more as time goes by. We are open to new projects, developments, this is an industry where things change overnight. Back to relevance and purpose; we are a dynamic team that can adapt to what a market wants.”
Before It Ends
Michael’s advice for budding game developers? Adapt.
“In the games industry,” he said, ” you have to learn a lot on your own. I had to change industry and change skillset to even do things like mobile app development; a bit of coding here and there. Immediately after the app was launched, I had to market it as a video game marketing guy. This was 3 years worth of hustling and learning”. He stressed that he wouldn’t have made it to where he was if he didn’t learn to change.
In all honesty, Michael never thought about going into game development in the first place. “Throughout my experiences,” he said, “I learned that sometimes itâ€™s not about what you want and what youâ€™re looking for.”

“Life just decides to deal cards to you; you have to make do with it. We’ve come to a point in time where weâ€™re like ‘hereâ€™s what we can do, itâ€™s doable, we have a budget to float us through our first game; letâ€™s do it’.”

For more updates on Alpha Beta Omega, visit their Facebook page and official website.Â


Hideki Kamiya Talks About Bayonetta 3 On Twitter

Here’s a newsflash: Platinum Games head developer Hideki “I made Devil May Cry & Okami” Kamiya is on a Twitter ramble again. But thankfully it has nothing to do with calling out white people or calling fanboys silly names.
Instead, it’s about Bayonetta 3, which is coming out for Nintendo Switch on an unspecified date or year. Check out the tale below (compiled by @JosephTico), where he is transparent about Bayonetta’s situation with Sega and Nintendo, and even a slight allusion to Scalebound’s cancellation.
Hideki Kamiya talks about Bayonetta 3
Long story short, Platinum Games is indebted to Nintendo for their funding, and we get to see a third Bayonetta game. Hooray for everyone, except for everyone else who has yet to buy a Nintendo Switch. Which is still a lot of people in Southeast Asia because it’s pretty darn expensive.


Hearthstone Grandmasters Conclude, Finalists Confirmed For Blizzcon

The first season of the Hearthstone Grandmasters has concluded. Here are the finalists who were champions of their own respective regions:

PNC (Americas)
Surrender (Asia-Pacific)
Fenomeno (Europe)

These finalists will be advancing to the Global Finals this November at BlizzCon 2019 with a prize pool of US$500,000 to fight for.
Hearthstone Grandmaster product manager Drew Higbee said:

“The inaugural season of Hearthstone Grandmasters has been a huge success and I want to say congratulations toÂ PNC,Â Surrender, andÂ FenomenoÂ for qualifying to the Global Finals at BlizzCon!
I’m also excited to share that we’ve been cooking up some changes with input from our Grandmasters to make things even better for Season 2 and beyond.”

Meanwhile, the Hearthstone Masters Tour will take place in Seoul, South Korea, from 16 to 18 August 2019 before Grandmasters Season 2 begins later that same month on 23 August 2019.


Like A Dragon: Ishin! Review-In-Progress – Best Of RGG Studio In A While

Picture this: take everything you love about the beloved Yakuza series, the over-the-top performances, the compelling characters, and the intense action, and transport it all back in time to 19th-century Japan.
That’s what you get with Like A Dragon: Ishin!, a historical drama that manages to maintain the franchise’s signature brawling gameplay and ridiculous humour. While the gangs have been replaced with political factions in a turbulent time in history, the game still delivers on what Ryu Ga Gotoku (RGG) Studio is best known for.
Fans have been eagerly awaiting the release of Yakuza: Ishin, a game that originally came out in 2014 for PS3/PS4 but wasn’t brought to the West. The new version of the game is somewhere between a remaster and a remake, but it still feels a bit dated when it comes to gameplay. Despite this, the game’s story and characters are as engaging as ever, keeping players hooked from one chapter to the next.

In Like a Dragon: Ishin!, players are transported to a time of great change in Japan, where foreign trade deals are being established and political attitudes are shifting. As Sakamoto Ryoma, a real-life historical figure with a Yakuza-inspired redesign, players must clear their name after being framed for the assassination of Ryoma’s adoptive father.
Fans of the series will immediately recognize the familiar character design, as Ryoma bears a striking resemblance to Yakuza’s protagonist, Kazuma Kiryu. Along the way, players will encounter a number of familiar faces from previous games in the franchise, adding to the game’s charm and fan service.
In this historical setting, players will need to quickly get up to speed on the complex caste system and other related terminology of late Edo-era Japan. But fear not, the game provides helpful explanations when needed, allowing players to fully immerse themselves in the game’s storyline.
Like any good Yakuza game, there are twists and turns aplenty, with formidable foes to take down. As Ryoma becomes invested in the struggles of the people of Kyo, players are reminded of the familiar themes of loyalty, honour, and redemption that make the Yakuza universe so captivating.

Sword or Gun? or Both?

Like A Dragon: Ishin’s combat system is intricate, offering four unique styles to choose from: Brawler, Swordsman, Gunman, or a hybrid of the two latter dubbed Wild Dancer. Each style has its own moves and abilities that can be utilized in different scenarios.
As you progress through Kyo, you’ll come across groups of foes that you’ll need to defeat with a mix of attacks to boost your heat meter. When the meter is full, you can unleash a flashy finisher that can vary from shooting an enemy at close range to making them swallow an orange whole.
At the end of each battle, you’ll receive rank and experience points for the styles you used, which can be spent to unlock new abilities and moves. You can also allocate Trooper cards to each style, providing a range of power-ups and special abilities that can be earned by completing various activities.

Despite the game’s intricate combat mechanics, they are gradually introduced to the player, ensuring that they’re not overwhelmed. Additionally, the game features an extensive weapon upgrade and crafting system that is accessible by completing combat missions, enhancing the game’s immersion.

Get Lost

While Like a Dragon: Ishin’s main focus is on melodrama and combat, there’s plenty of worthwhile side content in the streets of Kyo. One minute the game can be serious, and the next it can be wacky, but it never feels out of place because of the organic way you can interact with the characters.
Substories are scattered throughout the city and can range from a comedic love story to taking down loan sharks. The writing in these quests is strong and doesn’t detract from the main storyline. Instead of an overload of quest markers, most of these stories are found naturally while exploring.
The game also offers a variety of minigames to play. For example, after levelling up your relationship with an Udon store, you can take and make orders for cash. Of course, classic Yakuza minigames like Karaoke are also included with a Samurai twist.
The map is relatively small, so there’s more time to engage with the side content, and the balance between the main story and the side content feels just right. This is the only game in the series where the optional farming and fishing mechanics are worth spending time on.
In Like a Dragon: Ishin, there’s no shortage of things to do, people to talk to, and battles to be had. This creates a vibrant world that may not be the largest, but it’s definitely the most packed. It’s a space where Ryoma could truly exist, which is the highest compliment one can give to a game with open-world qualities.
The smaller scale of the game makes everything more manageable and less overwhelming. The pacing is smooth and you won’t be bored by any of the activities you choose to participate in.

The Verdict so far…

Honestly speaking, so far, it seems as if RGG Studio has struck gold with Like a Dragon: Ishin! The game offers a fresh setting, plot, and characters that intermingle to create an immersive open-world adventure. Players can spend hours wandering around, engaging with the locals, farming, or taking down the Shogunate. Like a Dragon: Ishin is the perfect blend of RGG Studio’s signature formula and new features, creating a cohesive and entertaining experience.
Stay tuned for the full review on Kakuchopurei next week!


South Korea To Field Heavyweights For Esports At 2022 Asian Games

South Korea has chosen her champions for the upcoming 2022 Asian Games.
According to a press release (via Not A Gamer) by the Korea e-Sports Association (KeSPA), the initial shortlist of players for the Korean League Of Legends team for the 2022 Asian Games include the LCK Spring 2022 champion and three Gen.G Esports players in the lineup:

Top: T1 Zeus, GEN Doran, NS Canna
Jungle: T1 Oner, DK Canyon
Mid: T1 Faker, GEN Chovy, DK ShowMaker
Bot: T1 Gumayusi, GEN Ruler, DRX Deft
Support: T1 Keria, DRX BeryL

KeSPA will choose the official team of five main players and one reserve player from the 13 shortlisted names stated above. Kim “kkOma” Jeong-gyun will be the Korean national team’s head coach. The South Korean League Of Legends team lost to China in the finals back in the 2018 Asian Games.
The Asian Games first paved the way for esports representation with its inclusion as a demonstration sport in 2018. In 2020, and now 2022, esports is part of the official program and a medal event.
In this 19th Asian Games, PUBG MOBILE will join seven other games in the program: Arena Of Valor Asian Games Version, DOTA 2, Dream Three Kingdoms 2, EA SPORTS FIFA branded soccer games, Hearthstone, League Of Legends, and Street Fighter V.


Check Out These Awesome Overwatch Custom Sneakers

A few days ago, Overwatch fans in South Korea were treated to the reveal of the new Busan map and that pretty hype D.Va short. Fans managed to also check out the custom sneaker works of upboy, who used Air Force 1 shoes and transformed them into these bad boys.
We get to see sneaker colour variants based on D.Va, Widowmaker, Genji, Mercy, and Zarya. Not only do we get to see the colours used in the right places, but there are also neat little UI touches on the heel and side. Do give upboy some love!Â Maybe someone from Nike or Adidas will approach him if there’s enough fanfare and demand!


Overwatch League: Here Are Your All-Star Rosters

After weeks of voting, we finally have the 12 players that will be featuring in Overwatch League’s first ever All-Star game. On top of these twelve, an additional 24 players – 12 for each division roster will be picked by Overwatch League players, coaches, casters, and staff. The complete rosters lists will be revealed in July.
For the Pacific Division, we have Fissure, Custa, Geguri, Fleta, Ryujehong, and Seagull. Meanwhile, for the Atlantic Division, we have Jjonak, Saebyeolbe, Pine, Ark, Carpe, and Gesture.

A bit lopsided don’t you think? With all due respect to the likes of Fleta, Fissure and Ryujehong – but the lineup on the Atlantic Division is scarily good. However, we are glad to see Seagull in the lineup as he’s been the bright spark in the otherwise tepid Dallas Fuel season. Also props to Custa for being the other non-Korean player to make it to the All-Star roster – that’s no mean feat!
The All-Star Weekend festivities kick off on Saturday, August 25 with a series of custom skill matches. On Sunday, August 26, the Atlantic and Pacific Division All-Stars go head-to-head in the official All-Star Game.
The All-Star Game will be streamed live onÂ Twitch,Â OverwatchLeague.comÂ and the Overwatch League app, and onÂ MLG.comÂ and on the MLG app.


Of Course Epic Games Is Pulling Infinity Blade Series From The App Store

A few days after Epic Games announces its brand-spanking new Epic Games store -after being advertised heavily during the Video Game Awards 2018 show, the company decides to pull the acclaimed Infinity Blade games from Apple’s App Store. The company said it will no longer sell the trilogy or in-app downloadable content for the iOS games.
In Epic Games’ official statement on why they’re pulling the plug, the company and its Chair Entertainment division will be focusing on the J.J Abrams/Bad Robot game Spyjinx instead.

“At Epic we strive to put players first and to provide a supported, full-fledged experience in every game we publish. With the development ofÂ SpyjinxÂ and other projects, it has become increasingly difficult for our team to support the Infinity Blade series at a level that meets our standards.”

The company will support Infinity Blade 3 over the next month with special items, Clash Mobs, and other surprises.
This isn’t the end of the Infinity Blade series though. The company said fans and gamers will find the game popping up “in places you wouldn’t expect”. Like, oh say, an app store or digital game store that its parent company currently runs and owns that’s been advertised heavily on a recent game awards show.


Here Are Homegrown Talents Flying The Malaysian Flag High On Disney+ Hotstar

From Michelle Yeoh to Ronny Chieng, Malaysian homegrown talents are making remarkable strides in the entertainment industry firmly establishing Malaysia’s presence on the world stage. Support these five national treasures and watch their craft on Disney+ Hotstar.
Michelle Yeoh – American Born Chinese, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the TenRings

Fan favourite Michelle Yeoh, is truly an icon in the film industry, making history as the first Asian woman to win an Oscar for Best Actress. The Ipoh-born actress never fails to strike us with her impeccable and versatile performances. Watch her display elegance and strength in American Born Chinese, where she plays the role of Guanyin, the goddess of mercy.
Ronny Chieng – American Born Chinese, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Doogie Kamealoha, M.D. Season 2

Captivating audiences with his brilliant comedic performances, Ronny Chieng has made us all proud with his career in comedy and film in Hollywood. The award-winning, Johor Bahru born comedian has played Jon Jon in the first Asian superhero film with a predominantly Asian cast, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and Dr. Lee in season two of Doogie Kamealoha, M.D. He continues to put Malaysia on the map internationally, as he stars in the upcoming series, American Born Chinese, as Ji Gong, an unconventional monk.
Suki Low – Pinocchio

Born in Seremban, Suki Low, a multi-talented singer-songwriter flaunts her vocal talents in the Malaysian dubbed version of Pinocchio. Watch as her voice shines through the characters in the film as Fabiana the puppeteer and Sabina her marionette who are Pinocchio’s friends in the Disney live-action film. Celebrate her standout performance in the film as she showcases her impressive and dynamic voice-acting.
Adele Lim – Raya and The Last Dragon

A successful career woman in the film industry, Adele Lim is a well-known screenwriter who has laid the foundation for Southeast Asian representation in Hollywood. Born and raised in Petaling Jaya, she illustrates Asian culture in her screen-writing which birthed Disney’s first Southeast Asian warrior princess in the 2021 Oscar nominated animated feature, Raya and The Last Dragon.
Lyon Liew – Coco, Luca, Incredibles 2, Turning Red

Lyon Liew, the lead technical director at Pixar Animation Studios never ceases to move audiences with his work in animations such as the Oscar-nominated and tear-jerker, Turning Red. Lyon led his team in the creation of Mei’s panda character – making sure its fur moved realistically. His great attention to detail and passion for visual storytelling truly brings the characters to life. Admire his other incredible high-profile work in Coco, Luca, and Incredibles 2.


Now Would Be A Good Time to Get Overwatch

As Blizzard celebrates the second anniversary of their hero shooter game, Overwatch, those who are yet to pick up the game due to financial constraints may finally have the perfect reason to do so between now and June 12th as Blizzard are slashing US$20 off the game on PC.
Originally retailing at US$39.99 and US$59.99 for Standard and Legendary Editions respectively, the game, for a limited time, will be retailing at US$20 cheaper for both versions.Â If PlayStation 4 is your platform of choice, then you are also in luck as the PlayStation store had the game at a 33% discount for its Legendary Edition.

Standard or Legendary; and what do you get with the Legendary Edition? For starters, you areÂ guaranteed a select set of 5 epic and 5 legendary skins, including Okami Hanzo, Shrike Ana, and Mystery Man McCree.

They will also lump in five vintage hero skins – the same ones that those who purchased the Origins Edition got; Blackwatch Reyes, Strike-Commander Morrison, Overgrown Bastion, Security Chief Pharah, and Slipstream Tracer. That’s fifteen Epic and Legendary skins right out of the box!

By now though, we have to stress to you folks who aren’t accustomed to Overwatch; these skins give you no advantage whatsoever except killing other players (or getting killed) in style. Apart from the Overwatch items listed above, you’ll gain access to Tracer in Heroes of the Storm, a baby Winston pet in World of Warcraft, Mercy wings in Diablo III and to round thins up, StarCraft II In-game Portraits and a Hearthstone Card Back.
So is it worth it getting the Legendary Edition? It really depends on how deep your pockets are and how desperate you are for those Epic and Legendary hero skins along with the extra goodies. The choice is yours. But we think picking up one of the best multiplayer games in the market at the moment at a cut price AND get fifteen rare skins is a good deal already.


Here’s How You Can Win A Samsung 49â€™â€™ Odyssey Neo G9

Samsung Malaysia has announced the #DefyReality social media challenge, where participants can stand a chance at winning a 49â€™â€™ Odyssey Neo G9 gaming monitor. There will only be one winner in the whole of Malaysia, and keep in mind that each participant is eligible to submit only one entry throughout the period of the contest.
Hereâ€™s how to take on the #DefyReality challenge:

Take a lightning-fast 30-second video of yourself preparing to level up for an ultimate gaming battle whether at home or with your gaming kakis.Â
Upload the video on your Facebook page with a unique caption on â€˜How you think the Odyssey Neo G9 will raise your gaming experience to the next levelâ€™.
Tag @samsungmalaysia and use #SamsungOdysseyMY and @SamsungDefyReality hashtags in your posting, and make sure to set your Facebook profile to public.Â
Participants will be judged based on their creativity and originality.

The contest is open to all Malaysians, aged 18 years old and above, from 25 November to 10 December 2021. The ultimate winner will be announced on Samsung Malaysiaâ€™s official Facebook page.Â
To participate, you can visit https://www.samsung.com/my/offer/defy-reality-2021.
https://www.facebook.com/SamsungMalaysia/posts/6646781252030272


Halo: Master Chief Collection Is Coming To PC & Steam This Year; Now With Reach

Halo fans are in for a treat today as we share two major announcements that deliver on the Halo community’s requests. The first bit is Halo: Reach is added to the Halo: The Master Chief Collection, the second bit is that The Master Chief Collection is coming to Steam!
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88VBun17AMI]
The Master Chief Collection (MCC) was released on the Xbox One in 2014 and offered four complete games in one package. Later down the line, Halo 3: ODST was added into the mix, rounding out the collection of classic Halo games.
The 343 Industries team has been working hard and listening to the community. Through months of feedback, the MCC has become the best version of itself ith improved and modernized matchmaking and services, support for 4K/HDR, offline LAN, better controls and input customization, and more. Last September, the enhanced and improved MCC landed on Xbox Game Pass and was the opportunity to relive the epic saga, or to some, experience it for the first time.
What’s The Plan?
It is slated later this year that the three classic Halo experience will arrive on PC via Microsoft Store, and, to everyone’s joy including me, on Steam. This is an incredible opportunity to bring the Halo Universe to a new audience as PC players can step into the saga on the PC platform of their choosing.
The PC release will happen in stages with each title releasing one by one over time. This is to ensure that each game goes off correctly and giving a chance for players to jump right in as opposed to wait for the whole thing to drop, as stated by the development team.

They have stated their plans and would begin with the origin story of Master Chief by starting off with Halo: Reach. Then, the rest of the games will release in chronological order;  Halo: Reach, Halo: Combat Evolved, Halo 2, Halo 3, Halo 3: ODST (Campaign), and Halo 4. Each will be available for individual purchase within MCC as they become available. The games will also be updated over time with community input.
This is great news to both fan and newcomers alike. New players can finally step into the franchise without breaking the bank with a new console or switch to Microsoft Store as they will release the game onto the more accessible Steam platform.


PUBG Mobile Are Collaborating With Koenigsegg Yet Again

PUBG Mobile announced another phase of its partnership with Koenigsegg after a successful first ride in 2021.
27 years after Christian von Koenigsegg set out to build the ultimate supercar, Koenigsegg remains at the forefront of the automotive field, and by cementing its partnership with PUBG Mobile is once again providing players with the in-game opportunity to sit in the driver’s seat of some of the finest hypercars in the world.
PUBG Mobile is bringing back both the limited production Jesko, a Koenigsegg mega car with a 5.0 litre twin-turbo V8 engine capable of producing up to 1600hp, and the mighty Gemera, Koenigsegg’s first four-seater and the world’s first Mega GT. From today until 31 August, players can obtain both cars in three different colours.

In addition to the release of the Jesko and Gemera, a new Koenigsegg supercar will also be introduced to PUBG Mobile, a one-to-one variant of the Agera with an output of one megawatt – also available in Phoenix, Jade and Cyber Nebula, but with an additional secret colour for players to unlock. On top of this, until 11 August players can share the event to get a limited-time speed drift voucher worth 30UC.


Happy Lunar New Year! Here Are The Best Tigers In Video Games

The coming of the new year means that Chinese New Year is just around the corner. In case you didnâ€™t know, 2022 is also the year of the Tiger.
So, to celebrate the Lunar New Year and this yearâ€™s animal zodiac, we at KKP have listed out several tigers throughout gaming worth mentioning, in no particular order.
1. Long – Bloody Roar

Starting things off is Long from the Bloody Roar series! Remember that fighting game? The one where you can transform into animals and there was that chameleon dude that looked like Ed from Ed, Edd & Eddy went through years of drug abuse?
Edgelord turned good-willed paragon of justice, Long is a martial arts master and former assassin with the power to transform into a bipedal tiger, technically making him a furry. Always dressed in traditional Chinese clothes, we expect Long to be dressed for the occasion in the coming festivities.
2. Ty – Ty the Tasmanian Tiger

Next up is a blast from the past, Ty the Tasmanian Tiger. Okay, heâ€™s not technically a tiger but hey, itâ€™s in the name so heâ€™s on the list. Back when everyone and their mother was competing to make the next platforming mascot, Ty was Krome Studiosâ€™ shot at making the lineup of Spyro, Gex, and Crash Bandicoot.
He fights using a pair of flaming boomerangs and hails from the Land Down Under. His quest is to retrieve the magical artifacts known as “Thunder Eggs” in order to power the Talisman Machine. Imagining him celebrating CNY will probably feel just like catching up with that cousin of yours who studies in Australia, just with more boomerang hijinks we reckon.
3. Bengal Tiger – Animal Kaiser

Who else remembers Animal Kaiser? Those arcade gacha machines were literally everywhere in Genting way back then. The Bengal Tiger from this series makes the third entry on the list. Animal Kaiser was a franchise that begged the question; â€œWho would win in a fight, a tiger or a king cobra?â€Some executive was probably also thinking, â€œHey we could make a card game outta this!â€, and thus Animal Kaiser was born.
The physical trading cards could be slotted into the machines and you could use the animal in the game, so if youâ€™ve ever had a bad pull from those machines the Bengal Tiger definitely owes you some Ang Paos.
4. Escort Tiger – Saints Row the Third

The escort missions in the Saints Row franchise have been a series staple, making you act as an escort driver while your customers do the nasty, with hilarious commentary to accompany it. However, one of these missions stands out from the rest which is the Tiger Escort mission.
The side mission has you escorting a tiger in a convertible to â€œmaster your fearâ€, making you gather speed to increase your courage meter, and an animal rage meter that will maul at you if you cause a bumpy ride if it rises.
5. King – Tekken series

Okay, you can stop your groaning. We know heâ€™s not a tiger but itâ€™s my list so I make the rules. The leopard masked luchador has been part of the OG lineup since the first Tekken, and is the grappler of the series fighting with wrestling moves and lariats.
Itâ€™s unknown what King really looks like under the mask, but he communicates exclusively in various growls and roars which everyone seems to understand clearly for some reason.
Honourable Mention: Sagat’s Tiger

Given the Street Fighter boss’ penchant for shouting “Tiger” for his projectile, uppercut, and knee thrust, it’s only natural for him to have a pet tiger as his valet. Pretty badass, though he/she doesn’t do more than just show up for his Street Fighter 5 intro.
So that wraps up our Year of the Tiger list! Let us know what your favourite tigers in gaming are, maybe we mightâ€™ve missed them. For more gaming news and content, stick with us at Kakuchopurei.com.


5 New Shows & Movies You Should Catch On Netflix This Weekend

The weekly problem almost everyone experiences is how to spend their weekend. Sure, you have Netflix but I’m sure you don’t want to waste time sifting through the extensive streaming giant’s catalogue of shows and movies just to decide on what to watch. Sometimes you end up just watching that same old movie or a couple of episodes of your favourite sitcom (Friends, How I Met Your Mother, etc).
Well, Netflix updates its site every day with new content, so I’m here to save you some trouble and your precious time. Here are five (5) newly-released shows and movies you should totally check out this weekend.
1. Wu Assassins
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tXQMq967PY&w=560&h=315]
If you’re a fan of classic Hong Kong kung fu martial arts action movies, then Wu Assassins is the series for you. It stars Indonesian actor Iko Uwais as a mild-mannered chef named Kai Jin, whose connections to the Triad in San Francisco becomes a problem when he gets the “power of a thousand monks” and chosen as the Wu Assassin.
Although the writing/acting is as corny and cringeworthy as it can get, you’re here for the awesome fighting scenes anyways, and it delivers that in spades. Iko Uwais is famous for kicking ass in other action movies like 2011’s The Raid and 2018’s The Night Comes For Us, so you should expect some traditional silat moves in action.
Wu Assassins also stars Katheryn Winnick of Vikings fame, and she also gets to show off her real-life martial arts chops here as the badass undercover cop Christine “CG” Gavin. Trust me, Netflix is making up for their crappy Iron Fist with this show.
2. Rocko’s Modern Life: Static Cling
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Now4KeAiys&w=560&h=315]
Fans of the original 90s animated series Rocko’s Modern Life will be happy to learn that its highly-anticipated animated special has finally arrived exclusively on Netflix. The zany anthropomorphic Australian-immigrant wallaby protagonist named Rocko officially returns after more than two decades.
In Rocko’s Modern Life: Static Cling, it turns out that Rocko and his friends have been in space for 25 years, which is awfully convenient for the writers. Now they’re back on Earth and struggling to get used to modern technology like smartphones and hipster coffee shops, so he attempts to get his favourite TV show back on air as it is the last remaining remnant of his past.
The original voice cast returns for the animated special, so it’ll be like you never left the 90s at all.
3. The Naked Director
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_jqHR_T-E8&w=560&h=315]
Outside of the United States of America, the country with the biggest (or at least, most popular) pornographic industry would probably have to be Japan. You can thank Toru Muranishi for all that Japanese porn.
In Japan, Muranishi is known as the Emperor of Porn, introducing the quasi-documentary style in Japanese AVs. If that title alone doesn’t tell you how much he’s contributed to the Japanese adult entertainment industry, I don’t know what will.
The Naked Director is a biographical comedy-drama TV series chronicling the tale of how Muranishi revolutionized the Japanese porn industry in the 1980s. You’ll be hearing a lot of loud and exaggerated moans in this one, so don’t forget those headphones.
4. The Family
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7knN2TXQPzw&w=560&h=315]
This is for all the conspiracy nuts out there. Any “truth-seeker” worth his salt will want to learn about The Family, or The Fellowship, a U.S.-based secret religious and political organization that’s been pulling the strings in Washington, D.C. in the U.S. since 1935.
They’re basically the closest thing to a real-life Illuminati or group of Freemasons. In The Family, director Jess Moss uncovers the history of The Family through investigative reporting, interviews and scripted reenactments.
After watching this, you probably won’t be seeing U.S. politics in the same way ever again. I reckon it’ll probably explain why Donald Trump managed to ascend to the Presidency in 2016 too.
5. GLOW Season 3
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQaCxIJX0J0&w=560&h=315]
The third season of GLOW is now upon us, as it continues the lives and times of the women in the syndicated women’s professional wrestling circuit, the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling (or GLOW) back in the cool 80s.
While most of the old cast will be returning (including Alison Brie and others), GLOW season 3 will introduce Geena Davis as Sandy Devereaux St. Clair. In case you didn’t know, GLOW is made by the same team who gave us Orange Is The New Black, so give it a chance if you’re a fan of that.

Those are just some of the highlights from this week’s latest offerings of TV shows and movies on Netflix. Now you can plan your Netflix binge-fest accordingly. Have a great weekend ahead!


Soul Hackers 2: Ending Guide & New Game Plus

Soul Hackers 2 is out right now, and it’s an Atlus RPG that’s based on the Shin Megami Tensei franchise that’s available on most major platforms: PlayStation, Xbox, and PC. It’s flashy and fun, but not particularly deep when compared to titles like Xenoblade Chronicles 3, but them’s the breaks.
Still, there are some bonuses to unlock in Soul Hackers 2, like endings and New Game+. Here’s how you can get to those; spoiler warning of course.

Soul Hackers 2: How To Get The True Ending
You can achieve the best ending in Soul Hackers 2 in a single playthrough. All you have to do is complete all available side quests and reach each character’s fifth Soul Matrix floor. You don’t have to complete the latter.
Soul Hackers 2: Good, Normal, & Bad Ending
To get the bad ending, when you’re at the bit where there are four hologram-like recreations of characters you met, you’ll be asked whether you agree with their past choices. Saying “I do” will net you the Sunlight Keys, which leads to the Bad Ending.
If you say “I don’t”, you get the Moonlight Keys. When you defeat the final boss, choose the dialogue option “Let her go”. This leads you to the Normal Ending.
If you choose the dialogue option “reach out to her”, you’ll get the Good Ending. Completing all available side quests & getting to the fifth Soul matrix floors of each character will net you extra scenes which makes it the True Ending.
New Game+: Extras & What Carries Over

These are the new additions in New Game+.

Soul Levels grow at an increased rate with each New Game+
Additional Personal Events
Additional new requests
Selections already chosen in past playthroughs will be marked

New Game+ allows you to start a fresh playthrough while carrying some of the data from your cleared game.
Depending on your clear data, this is what you get when you start New Game+.

Shop inventories
Outfits (Characters start with defaults)
Accessories (Characters start with defaults)
Data on defeated enemies
Data on consumed meals

This is data you can choose to carry over in New Game+.

Character levels
COMP upgrades
Automapping
Money and Mistiquartz
Items
Mistiques
Demon Compendium and unlocked fusions


Here’s When You Can Pre-Load & Play Cyberpunk 2077

Cyberpunk 2077 is only one week away from its release date, and CD Projekt Red is serious about it this time. We even have worldwide preload and unlock times now.
Cyberpunk 2077 Pre-Load Times
Pre-loading on GOG will begin at 7pm GMT+8 on 7 December 2020.
For those on Steam and Epic Games Store, you will able to pre-load from 12am GMT+8 on 8 December 2020.
For those on PlayStation consoles, you will be able to pre-load the game two days before 10 December 2020.
For those on Xbox consoles, you will be able to pre-load from 12am GMT+8 on 4 December 2020.
Cyberpunk 2077 Unlock Times
On PC, the unlock time will be simultaneous worldwide, which means different times depending on where you live.
For those in Malaysia and Southeast Asia, you will be able to play Cyberpunk 2077 at 8am GMT+8 on 10 December 2020.
However, console players are on a slightly different schedule. The PlayStation and Xbox versions will release in each region at midnight local time on 10 December 2020.
You can check out the whole map below:

The wait is almost over!If you're looking to play #Cyberpunk2077 as soon as it's available, here's a map with global release timings. For PC and Stadia players, the release is simultaneous and scheduled for midnight GMT, and for all console players – midnight local time. pic.twitter.com/W0QLIFAhH1— Cyberpunk 2077 (@CyberpunkGame) December 3, 2020

In the meantime, check out the latest PC specs for the game here, or head on over here for the contents of the gameâ€™s final Night City Wire live stream.


Gory Chainsaw Man Trailer Reveals October Premiere Date

MAPPA has announced an October 2022 release window for the upcoming anime adaptation of Chainsaw Man in a brand new trailer.
The new trailer also revealed the main cast members, which include Tomori Kusunoki as Makima, Kikunosuke Toya as Denji, Shogo Sakata as Aki, and Fairouz Ai as Power. Crunchyroll previously confirmed that they will simulcast the Chainsaw Man anime.
The ongoing Chainsaw Man manga originally debuted in 2018, which is written and illustrated by Tatsuki Fujimoto.
The staff for the anime includes Ryuu Nakayama (Gamers! opening director and storyboarder et al., Macross Delta main animator, The Ryuo’s Work Is Never Done! opening director and storyboarder, etc.) as director, Kazutaka Sugiyama (Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation) as character designer, Tatsuya Yoshihara (Black Clover director) as action director, and Hiroshi Seko (Attack on Titan: The Final Season series composer) as scriptwriter, Makoto Nakazono (A3! assistant director) as chief episode director, Kiyotaka Oshiyama (Deca-Dence cyborg designer, DEVILMAN crybaby devil designer) as devil designer, Yusuke Takeda (Vivy -Fluorite Eye’s Song-) as art director, Naomi Nakano (Kemono Jihen) as color designer, Youhei Miyahara (Fate/Grand Order – Absolute Demonic Front: Babylonia technical director) as screen designer, and Kensuke Ushio (Japan Sinks: 2020) as music composer.
Check out the trailer below:


Assassin’s Creed Valhalla The Siege Of Paris Guide: Overcoming The Franks

Assassinâ€™s Creed Valhalla The Siege Of Paris expansion is out now for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PC. It’s the latest DLC for the game. While there’s really not much to the expansion besides a few new mechanics like the Black Box infiltration missions, perhaps this brief guide will help a little against the threat of the Franks.
You can also head on over here for our review of the Assassinâ€™s Creed Valhalla The Siege Of Paris expansion.
You Only Need To Do 20 Rebel Missions To Reach Max Infamy Level And Get All The Reaper Set Gear Pieces

One of the new mechanics in Assassinâ€™s Creed Valhalla The Siege Of Paris, which are basically just randomly generated generic missions you’ll do for a character named Pierre and his merry band of rebels. They’re mostly mindless and repetitive so I get it if you don’t want to waste time on this mechanic.
However, reaching the maximum Infamy level is required to unlock all the Reaper set gear pieces; which is one of only two new gear sets in the expansion. The Rebel Missions are easy so you don’t need tips on how to complete them. However, I can confirm that you only need to do 20 Rebel Missions in order to reach the maximum Infamy level.
To complete Rebel Missions faster, choose the ones that are started as “nearby” since you won’t need to waste even more time just getting to where the Rebel Mission is.
Check out what the fully-upgraded Reaper set looks like below if you need more of an incentive to grind the 20 Rebel Missions:

Here’s What The Only Other New Gear Set In Assassinâ€™s Creed Valhalla The Siege Of Paris Looks Like

For the Paladin set, you’ll have to do a bit of exploring as pieces of gear are scattered throughout the new map in Assassinâ€™s Creed Valhalla The Siege Of Paris. Long story short, there are only two new gear sets in Assassinâ€™s Creed Valhalla The Siege Of Paris.
There’s Only One New Enemy Type In Assassinâ€™s Creed Valhalla The Siege Of Paris; Here’s How To Easily Take Care Of Them

The Assassinâ€™s Creed Valhalla The Siege Of Paris only features a measly one new enemy type in the form of Frankish cavalry units. There are two variants of them, but the only difference is that the Heavy Cavalry is stronger than the Light Cavalry.

Basically, the only tip you should know when facing these guys are listed in the Codex entries. However, I would like to emphasize that the most important one is to “wait for them to come to you”. These guys are on horses so you can’t just rush them like any other enemy, especially if you’re using slower weapons like Heavy Axes or broadswords.
I recommend using faster and lighter weapons like the spear to counter the Cavalry enemy units. Just wait for them to come charging at you, then dodge and attack them. They can dish out damage as well as take a lot of it, so be patient with these enemies. There’s even one boss fight where you fight a Cavalry unit, as you can see below:
[videopress cZJLnCJg]

How To Find The Ulfberht Sword

Finding this legendary sword will check out a region’s wealth immensely. You also get a pretty powerful sword. The quest to find this sword won’t appear on your quest log, so you’ll need to hunt it down the old fashioned way. If you leave straight from Pruvinis, it won’t take you very long to find the sword. If you head northeast from the location, you’ll find Bilhaut close to a river crossing. In these ruins, you’ll see a bunch of dead soldiers lying around and one lone Norse Man. Save your game before continuing. Approach the Norse Man. He’ll tell you his story.
You have three choices after that:

Use Charisma to get the sword (You must have Charisma Level 2 or above).
Pay him 3000 silver for the sword.
Fight him for it.

The sword has a power of 500 depending on your power cap level. It also increases your Stun-dealing amount after each hit, up to ten times.
Sword image credit: Gaming Dope.com


There Is No Cyberpunk: Edgerunners Season 2, Producer Says

In a “No s***, Sherlock” moment, the producer of the hit Netflix anime Cyberpunk: Edgerunners had to remind the public that the show is a one-off standalone limited series.
CD Projekt Red’s Japan country manager Satoru Honma said in a Famitsu interview that there are no plans to continue the story even with the massively positive reaction which may lead to a second season.

“I personally would like to continue to work with Japanese studios to produce more anime in the future, partly because we have received very good feedback. However, just to be clear, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners was planned as a standalone work, so there’s no such thing as ‘we are actually working on Season 2 in the background.
Even if we could make more anime in the future, I don’t know if it would be Season 2 or something completely different.”

If you have finished watching Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, it’s clear as day that the show is a standalone series, given how it ended. Regardless, the show itself is a huge hit and is on Netflix’s global top ten for over a month, and even got people playing Cyberpunk 2077 in droves. Heck, it even made Honma state that Studio Trigger’s work saved the Cyberpunk 2077 game franchise.

“Overseas people say that the anime has given CDPR a second chance. We are grateful to TRIGGER for giving us the chance to enjoy the story of V and Johnny Silverhand after watching the anime.”


SDCC 2019: Batman Beyond Season 5 Possible If Blu-Ray Sells Well

Batman Beyond fans have a lot to be excited for after Batman Beyond 20th Anniversary panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2019. Series co-creator Bruce Timm announced an official Blu-Ray remaster release for the iconic animated series, which is slated to launch on 29 October 2019.
The new limited edition Batman Beyond Blu-Ray set will include the complete series (four seasons), a chromed Batman Beyond Funko Pop, new featurettes, the Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker movie, and lenticular art cards.
While all 52 episodes of the series are included, only 41 of them will be fully remastered. The remaining 11 have since been damaged, so the files have been upscaled into a higher resolution for the Blu-Ray release.
However, that’s not all that fans have to look forward to. Timm also revealed that if the Batman Beyond Blu-Ray remaster sells enough units, it would make a potential fifth season much more likely. He said during the Q&A session (via IGN):

“If this thing sells like crazy on Blu-ray and creates buzz, that would make it more possible.
We would totally do it.”

Running from 1999 to 2001, Batman Beyond featured a future in which teenager Terry McGinnis dons the mantle while being mentored by an old and crankier-than-ever Bruce Wayne. Old and new threats surfaced, forcing this Batman of the future to rise up to the occasion.
The animated series remains beloved and iconic to this day, as fans ask for the character to be featured in more stuff, including live-action movies. Perhaps Batman Beyond Season 5 could even venture even further into the future and explore a future in which an older and more experienced McGinnis has to cope without Bruce Wayne by his side.


Stray Blade Trailer Shows Off Action RPG Combat

505 Games and Point Blank Games have release a new combat trailer for Stray Blade. It’s an action RPG where you play a rogue Adventurer exploring the ancient Valley of Acrea with your companion, the Xhinnon wolf Boji. Unveil the history of the forgotten valley and master the powers of the three Acrean Metals to restore balance to this war-torn land.
You can also apply to the private beta by heading over here for a chance to explore the ancient Valley of Acrea before anyone else.
Stray Blade will be available on PC via Steam and Epic Games Store, Xbox Series X/S, and PS5.


The Last Of Us Day 2020 Reveals Board Game, PS4 Theme & More

This year has been a huge year for Naughty Dog, as they finally released the highly-anticipated The Last Of Us Part 2 (and we liked it very much, check out our review here).
The annual celebration for The Last Of Us franchise has always been called Outbreak Day (and held on 26 September 2020), but due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the developer has decided to change it to The Last Of Us Day instead.
The Last Of Us Part 2 Original Soundtrack 2XLP Vinyl + Limited Edition Posters
Naughty Dog is collaborating with artists from Mondo for a special vinyl release of The Last of Us Part 2 Original Soundtrack by Gustavo Santaolalla and Mac Quayle, as well as twoÂ new screen-printed posters.
Renowned illustrator Tula Lotay designed the stunning album art for the special 2XLP Vinyl release, as well as the two new posters.
More will be revealed and available for pre-order tomorrow starting at 12am GMT+8 on 27 September 2020.
The vinyl will be available while supplies last, but the posters will be timed editions with pre-orders that end on 1:59pm on 2 October 2020. In other words, after pre-orders close, theyâ€™re gone and wonâ€™t be printed again. Keep your eyes onÂ MondoShop.comÂ for more information.
Announcing The Last Of Us Board Game

Naughty Dog is working withÂ CMON, makers of Bloodborne: The Board Game and God of War: The Card Game, to develop a brand new board game for The Last Of Us.
The Last Of Us Part 2 Abby Cosplay Guide

It’s an official cosplay guide for Abby. This downloadable PDF features high-resolution renders of every facet of Abbyâ€™s design, including detailed shots of her clothing, weapons, equipment, and hair style.
You can also find information about materials, colour reference, and more.
New The Last Of Us and The Last Of Us Part 2 Premium Statues

Naughty Dog is collaborating once again with Gaming Heads; makers of the Clicker statue we revealed forÂ The Last of Us Day 2015, to produce a new 16-inch Ellie statue from The Last Of Us Part 2 that is available in three unique editions.
In the base version, Ellie stands at the ready with her machete, while the Stealth Edition adds interchangeable arms and a head piece that allow you to alter Ellieâ€™s expression and swap out her machete for a bow.
A special Hunter Version offers everything in the Stealth Edition, but features a special paint finish. All three can be pre-ordered starting today and more info can be found viaÂ GamingHeads.com.

There will also be brand new modular figures from Mamegyorai Collectibles. Sculpted and painted by Masato Ohata, these two individual figures of Ellie and Joel stand at 1/9th scale and can be displayed individually or adjoined to form a unified scene. The set is available for pre-order viaÂ Mamegyoraiâ€™s websiteÂ and will ship in March 2021.
Free New The Last Of Us Part 2 PS4 System Theme

For The Last of Us Day, a new free PS4 theme for everybody is now available.Â Get it now on PlayStation Store.
All existing The Last Of Us Part 2 themes and avatars will also be free on PlayStation Store from now until 29 September 2020 at 2.59pm GMT+8.
Save on The Last Of Us Remastered, Left Behind, and on The Last Of Us Merch

The PlayStation Gear Store is introducing new items to their The Last Of Us collection, including the Joel Funko Pop! (while supplies last) and a brand new t-shirt and mug available tomorrow.
There will also be a limited number of the special edition The Last Of Us Part 2 Taylor 314ce and GS Mini guitars back on the store for The Last of Us Day (for one day only).
Existing The Last Of Us merch not added for The Last of Us Day will be discountedÂ up to 40 percent on PlayStation Gear StoreÂ and PlayStation Store will be hosting aÂ The Last Of Us Day SaleÂ with a 50 percent discount on The Last Of Us Remastered, The Last Of Us: Left Behind, and select The Last Of Us Remastered Factions Bundles all weekend.
The Last of Us Day PlayStation Gear Store and PlayStation Store sales start today and end on 29 September 2020 at 2.59pm GMT+8.Monday.


Genshin Impact KFC Crossover Event Shuts Down Due To Pandemic Concerns

When you combine a hit anime waifu RPG game with a giant fast-food crossover event, you’re bound to get a huge crowd; a big no-no in a COVID-19 world right now. As such, the Genshin Impact and Kentucky Fried Chicken crossover event in China has been shut down.
Due to a ton of people filling up KFC outlets in Shanghai and Hangzhou and inadvertently violating China’s ongoing COVID-19 prevention measures, the KFC outlets in the country had no choice but to announce the bad news on Weibo recently. Basically, the event gave fans a chance to win special pins featuring characters such as Noelle and Diluc. Customers were asked to shout the following phrase when attempting to get the pin:
“Meet in another world, enjoy delicious food!”

To get the KFC themed Diluc and Noelle pins you must go up to a KFC employee in store and loudly say "Meet in another world, Enjoy delicious food".
Then you will be given the pin with your meal. https://t.co/LgFLfpc7cu pic.twitter.com/B5i9LQiRzt
— Daniel Ahmad (@ZhugeEX) March 12, 2021

Compared to the rest of the world, China got the pandemic under control. Still, having large crowds gathering at KFC fast food joints for copious amount of hours -a LOT of people are playing this game FYI- is cause for concern. This isn’t stopping Mihoyo from bringing fast-food crossovers like this globally and outside of China, albeit with different rewards.
The next Genshin Impact event is happening later on 16th March. Find out more about it here.


The Chainsaw Man Anime Trailer Features Demon Action & A Chainsaw-Headed Protagonist

The first-ever teaser trailer for the Chainsaw Man anime, based out of the hit manga, is out now and is looking fresh.
The teaser starts out gentle with main character Denji and his associates enjoying some downtime, then cuts to a bunch of action scenes from the manga with the soundtrack gradually going haywire.
There’s no release date for the show though. Check out the dark fantasy and action bits below, animation courtesy of MAPPA:

Chainsaw Man is set in a world where devils are born from human fear. The show revolves around a man named Denji who somehow merges with his doglike chainsaw devil Pochita after making a pact, thus transforming into Chainsaw Man. He now works for a shady government devil-hunting body after being persuaded by the manipulative agent Makima. It’s quite a thrill ride, I’ll tell you that.


Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands Gets Season Pass, No Surprise

Because it’s the in thing these days, publisher 2K and developer Gearbox Software have released new info about Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands Season Pass. A triple-A game wouldn’t be complete without post-game passes, after all.
The looter shooter game will feature four upcoming post-launch content drops involving the Mirrors of Mystery and fearsome new boss encounters. Here’s the full breakdown:
Each of the four new content drops begins in Dreamveil Overlook, where the enigmatic fortune teller Vesper awaits an audience. Peer into the Mirrors of Mystery she oversees and youâ€™ll be whisked away to illusionary environments, each consisting of five levels to fight through followed by a fearsome new boss encounter. Each Mirror of Mystery content drop will be available for individual purchase, but you can punch your ticket to all four with the Season Pass.
The final boss within each Mirror of Mystery will grow more powerful over time, and Vesperâ€™s tales are designed to be replayed so you can test your mettle against the rising difficulty. Each time you successfully vanquish the bossâ€™ increasingly fearsome forms, youâ€™ll earn Lost Souls that let you spin Vesperâ€™s Wheel ofÂ Fate. Spins of this creepy contraption can reward you with Legendary weapons, gear, and other items.
In addition, the fourth post-launch content drop will add a new seventh class to the roster of six classes with its own Class Feat and Action Skills.
The first part of the Season Pass will be out on 21 April. Check out the trailer below:

Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands will be out on 25 March for PC, Xbox Series, Xbox One, PS5, and PS4.


Sega Announces Sin Chronicle, The Spiritual Successor To “Hit” RPG Chain Chronicle

Earlier last month, Sega teased a new JRPG in the works. Turns out that it’s the sequel to its hit mobile RPG Chain Chronicle.
Sin Chronicle is the next big mobile JRPG from Sega, and it’s made by the same team who created Chain Chronicle. The game is a turn-based RPG (with a real-time overworld exploration gameplay) where you control up to four party members.

Each character has BP points, and their attack commands and spells cost various amounts of BP. Your turn ends when your BP points are depleted, so you have to use it all up to pull off commands.

Sin Chronicle will also feature pivotal story bits where you have to make crucial story decisions; you cannot go back and change it once you’ve made it. The allies you make will affect the outcome of the story.
Basically you can choose your own ending and live with it; the game’s tagline is “Two choices of fate, and only one opportunity to choose. Your hands will shake, and your soul will tremble.”Â Also, each chapter of the game’s main campaign is roughly 10 hours long.

The game’s music is composed by Kevin Penkin, who is known for his work on Made in Abyss. Guest composers include Yoko Shimomura of Kingdom Hearts fame, Yuzo Koshiro of Streets of Rage/Actraiser fame, Yasunori Mitsuda, Masashi Hamauzu, and Kenji Ito of SaGa fame.
The game’s predecessor, Chain Chronicle, was published in English back in 2014 before it stopped operations in 2016, allegedly due to poor sales and marketing. Western critics have praised Chain Chronicle for its blend of real-time action RPG and tower defense-style gameplay as well as its storyline and character art. The game’s Japanese version is still ongoing since its release back in 2013.

Pre-registration for the game starts right now, at least for the Japanese version of the game (iOS and Android). The game will be out on 15th December; closed beta sessions will be starting soon this October in the meantime; you can check out the website for more information.


HBO’s The Last Of Us Release Date Possibly Leaked [Update]

Update (3/11/2022): Naughty Dog made the date official – it’s 15 January as mentioned.

You have no idea what loss is. #TheLastofUs premieres January 15 on @HBO @hbomax #TLOU pic.twitter.com/qzxNH09vvK
— Naughty Dog (@Naughty_Dog) November 2, 2022

Original story
The most recent teaser for HBO’s The Last Of Us TV series confirmed that the series would premiere sometime in 2023. However, it looks like the release date might be sooner than expected.
YouTuber DomTheBomb posted on his Twitter account that the official HBO Max page for The Last Of Us has allegedly revealed its premiere date to be on 15 January 2023. Underneath his tweet, many others have corroborated his claims by saying that they are also seeing the same thing. Unfortunately, we at Kakuchopurei can’t confirm it ourselves because HBO Max is not available in Malaysia.

This might be true, or it might just be a mistake. We’ll have to wait for HBO or HBO Max to officially confirm or deny the leak.
In the meantime, check out my review of the recently-released The Last Of Us Part 1 for the PS5 by heading over here, or check out my review of The Last Of Us Part 2 here.
Until then, check out the latest teaser below:


Ragnarok X Next Generation Celebrates 1st Anniversary With Attack On Titan Collaboration

On June 18th, 2022, Ragnarok X Next Generation will mark the 1-year Anniversary of its launch, a historic milestone for this beloved MMORPG. To celebrate this momentous occasion, ROX will be collaborating with the world-famous manga series Attack On Titan, where there will be plenty of exclusive prizes, accessories, and even an event-dedicated game mode on offer. Come be a part of the festivities!
ROX x Attack on Titan Collaboration

Once players’ Base Level ?20, they will unlock a limited-time?War of Freedom?game mode, which will put two groups of players into roles of the Survey Corps and the Titans, respectively. The Titan Camp will take on the roles of Colossal Titan, Armored Titan, and Beast Titan, while the Survey Corps Camp will take on the role of 5 humans. Using the weapons, strategy, and the abilities available to them, each side must fight to be the last ones standing, with the winning team receiving amazing rewards!
As always with these collaboration events, players can also expect to see special collaboration accessories in the form of costumes, mounts, and pets. For costumes, players can take on the role of the prodigious Captain Levi with the?Levi Cleaning Face Covering?and?Levi Cleaning Bandana?based on the character’s iconic appearance, as well as the?Training Corps Uniform? ?Survey Corps Uniform?and?3D Maneuver Gear. Adventurers can ride into battle atop the?Cart Titan?, or summon the?Colossal Titan?pet to tag along next to your adventurer, or even give a helping hand in battle!
Last but not least, express your respect and appreciation for your fellow adventurers with the iconic?Sacrifice Heart?emote from Attack on Titan.?Sacrifice Heart?is a new social action – act it out with pride! Gather your friends in your finest Survey Corps cosplay for a photo at Prontera’s fountain and make this an unforgettable memory for all!
Visit the Anniversary Pre-Registration Page for a look at the event’s PV and Poster, along with plenty of in-depth information regarding the collaboration.
Discover New Levels of Power with New 2nd Classes!

In addition to the exciting new collaboration event, the 1-year Anniversary update also welcomes the arrival of two new 2nd Classes, Monk and Crusader. Players can visit the Anniversary Pre-Registration Page today to apply for these second classes, with a Tome of Travers awarded to those who complete the corresponding pre-registration milestone.
A variant branch of the Swordsman class line, the Crusader is the embodiment of the sword and shield, charging into battle with powerful skills while protecting their teammates with holy magic. The Crusader can also be promoted into Paladin and lastly, the Imperial Guard.

Acolytes who wish to walk a more ‘aggressive’ path, the Monk is a master of both melee and ranged combat, equally capable of splitting the battlefield apart, breaking armies by delivering a single deadly blow against the strongest of the opponents. The Monk can also be promoted into Champion, and lastly, the Shura.
Multi-Class: Also accompanying the two new 2nd Classes is the Multi-Class function, allowing players to change between various classes instantly while retaining base level and job level from their original Class.
Pre-Register for the Event for a Chance to Win a HUAWEI Mobile Phone!

Between June 3rd and June 20th, 2022, players can visit the Anniversary Pre-Registration Page, where all ROX players old and new can register for the upcoming event to receive a celebratory “Poring’s Party Hat” – making it so that their in-game characters can join in the party as well! Registering will also allow them to stand a chance to win plenty of amazing prizes including a brand-new HUAWEI nova 9 or HUAWEI MatePad 10.4!
Additionally, the Pre-Registration Page also features a hidden Easter Egg that will reward all who find it with high-value Gift Packs in the game. A little hint: The adorable Kafra maids may or may not have something to do with this…