New DC Comics Game Outlaws Leaked

It’s been a while since a decent DC Comics game was released, the most recent of which was Rocksteady’s Batman Arkham Knight in 2015. A new DC game is long overdue, and it looks like a new one might finally be announced soon.
According to ResetEra user Ibuki, a promo image for a new DC Comics game titled Outlaws will purportedly be posted on the official Warner Bros Games Twitter and Instagram accounts later tonight at 3 AM GMT+8 on Tuesday, 23 April 2019 or 12 PM PST on Monday, 22 April 2019.
In the image, the Wayne Enterprises building can be seen in the Gotham skyline, as well as an Epic Games trademark at the bottom part, which probably indicates that the game will be powered by Unreal Engine 4.

Ibuki also claims that Outlaws could be a multiplayer-centric DC Comics game or Batman title, which is in line with another earlier leak by ResetEra user Rodjer. From the title of the leaked game, I can surmise that it could be related to Batman’s secret group of vigilantes called the Outsiders, or Jason Todd’s band of vigilantes called the Outlaws.
We’ll have to wait until later tonight to see if the leaks come true. Until then, stay tuned on Kakuchopurei.
Last year, there were rumors that Rocksteady was working on a new DC Comics game titled World’s Finest, featuring both Superman and Batman. While that game was later denied by the developer, there’s always a chance that it could be related to this leak.


[Report]: Anthem Will Be Getting An Overhaul

With the “success” of Anthem, it’s only a matter of time until EA and developer Bioware took action to correct their course.
According to a Kotaku report, the duo has been planning an overhaul of the online shooter, dubbing it “Anthem Next” or “Anthem 2.0”. Let’s break it down:

There is no timeline just yet, but right now Bioware is figuring out whether to release all their updates at once or over an extended period of time.
The company is taking cues from games like No Man’s Sky: botched at launch, but got better after a couple of years.
The game’s mission structure, loot, and world will change drastically, though the devs don’t know how the game will look like in the future.

Here’s a quote from someone in the project, obviously anonymous:

“We spent a few months just tearing it down and figuring out what needed to change fundamentally (a lot). And weâ€™ve been rebuilding for another few months since.”

So yeah, it looks like Bioware isn’t going to abandoned the Javelin-filled loot-and-shooter just yet. Sure, we’ll still make fun of it on our Wrapsody videos from time to time, but we should give props for the company for being persistent.


Gears 5 Is Free To Play Right Now

Gears 5 came out in September 2019, which is still pretty recent. So it’s surprising that the third-person shooter is now free to try for the next four days (at time of writing).
The game is currently part of Microsoft’s Free Play Days, which lets Xbox Live Gold and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members try “select, fully-featured hot games for free”. But the free period also extends to Steam, so you can try the game without being a member.
Players can likely finish Gear 5‘s campaign within that the given time frame, so perhaps Xbox Game Studios is hoping that the multiplayer will attract prospective buyers. The game recently received the Operation 3: Gridiron update, which added a single-life capture the flag mode, new characters for the Escape, Horde, and Versus modes, a new Versus villain, and new maps.

The game is 50 percent off at RM118 on the Microsoft Store too, though that’s still more expensive than Steam’s base price of RM95. Meanwhile, the Ultimate edition is 45 percent off at RM173.25 on the Microsoft Store, versus Steam’s base price of RM130.


Remnant 2 Launches July 25

Remnant 2, the long awaited sequel to Remnant: From the Ashes is finally releasing on July 25th. During the Summer Game Fest show today, Gunfire Games’ ‘Dark souls with guns’ showed a newly released trailer which showed off some of the new realms players will be able to visit.
Players will be able to choose between different class and can even tech into dual-class options much later on in the game. The game is mostly single-player but supports co-op gameplay up to three players.
The game will be available for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC via Steam and Epic Games Store.
Check out the newly released co-op gameplay trailer here:


Black Widow Cast Sends A Special Message Ahead Of Next Month’s Premiere

Marvel Studios has released a bunch of new teasers and featurettes for Black Widow (weâ€™ve lost count of just how many there have been).
This one gives us a glimpse of the behind-the-scenes production of the movie:

This one is essentially a new brief action-packed teaser:

Check out this special and amusing message from cast members Scarlett Johansson, Florence Pugh and David Harbour:

InÂ Black Widow, Natasha Romanoff confronts the darker parts of her ledger when a dangerous conspiracy with ties to her past arises. Pursued by a force that will stop at nothing to bring her down, Natasha must deal with her history as a spy and the broken relationships left in her wake long before she became an Avenger.
Directed by Cate Shortland and produced by Kevin Feige, the movie stars Scarlett Johansson reprising her role as Natasha Romanoff. Florence Pugh stars as Yelena Belova, David Harbour as Alexei Shostakov aka Red Guardian, and Rachel Weisz as Melina Vostokoff.
Black Widow will premiere in cinemas on 8 July 2021.


Malaysia’s Streamline Studios Worked On City Building Sim Industries Of Titan

Malaysian developer Streamline Studios has announced that they contributed to the development and have worked on Industries Of Titan. Their Kuala Lumpur-based team collaborated closely with Vancouver Canada-based indie game studio, Brace Yourself Games, on this city-building game.
Streamline Studios’ Malaysian programmers and designers worked together to co-develop various game elements in time for the game’s official launch early this year. Industries Of Titan is an industrial city-building sim/strategy game set on Saturn’s moon, Titan. Players can create a sprawling industrial city and compete with other rival corporations to stake their claim to the industries of Titan.
The game is currently available on Epic Game Store and Steam.
Since 2001, Streamline has serviced international developers, publishers, and brands, including Genvid, Balenciaga, Capcom, and Microsoft from production studios in Southeast Asia, Japan, and The Americas. As an active member of the games and tech global industry for over twenty years, Streamline has always committed to driving meaningful change through diversity, inclusion, and accessibility for emerging markets and social and economic minorities.
Streamline continues to underscore its commitment to supporting the growing demands of global game development by actively recruiting emerging talent within the gaming and tech industries. Streamline is hiring on-site and remote teams across its Colombia, Malaysia, USA, and Japan offices. For more information about job opportunities, visit Streamline Studios Careers.
For more details on what they worked on for Industries Of Titan, check out the video below:
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=6906536086030393&ref=sharing


Gamescom 2020 Is Going Digital This August

After weeks of speculation over whether Gamescom 2020 will be replacing its cancelled event this year, the organizers have officially announced their plans for a fully-digital event taking place from 27 to 30 August 2020.
According to the press release, the Gamescom 2020 digital event will feature a dedicated Gamescom Now platform as a content hub for all latest information and updates, a Devcom Digital Conference for game developers and other trade visitors, as well as the main event, which will be Geoff Keighley’s Opening Night Live, which will now take place on 27 August 2020.
Last year’s Opening Night Live featured major announcements and reveals for games like Kojima Productions’ Death Stranding, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt for Nintendo Switch, PS4 exclusive Erica, and more.
In addition, there will also be several shows like Awesome Indies (focusing on announcements and news about the most anticipated indie titles), Daily Show (focusing on the daily highlights of the event, as well as the shows and promotions of gaming companies and partners), and Best of Show, which will conclude the entire event with highlights and a presentation of the Gamescom award.
Anyone can access the Gamescom 2020 digital event without having to purchase any tickets. In an official statement, Gamescom 2020 managing director Felix Falk said:

â€œThis year, all our energies for Gamescom 2020 is going into digital.
In a short amount of time and working in close tandem with some of the worldâ€™s most important gaming companies on the Gamescom advisory board, we have been able to develop a powerful and focused concept for gamescom 2020.
We are anticipating surprising shows, numerous world premieres, announcements and special promotions that will set the entire games world all abuzz about gamescom at the end of August.”

Further information on specific schedules will be updated on the new official Gamescom 2020 website.


[Rumour] Two PS5 Consoles Incoming

If the rumours are to be believed, Sony will be releasing two PS5 consoles this year.
As reported by TweakTown, vetted NeoGAF user VFXVeteran claims to have heard of both Sony and Microsoft developing two consoles each. In Sony’s case, there is the base PlayStation 5 model with nine teraflops and another “top of the line” model to go head-to-head with the Xbox Series X. In Microsoft’s case, it will apparently have a “base Xbox Series X that is slower” than the currently revealed model.
The exact pricing for the high-end models are unknown but will be “expensive”. VFXVeteran guesses that they will be around $600 (RM2500+). Previously, we wrote that the regular PS5 might be sold for around $500 (RM2000+) due to high production costs.
Head here for more updates on the PS5 and all its entailing juicy bits.


New Ahsoka Trailer Reveals That Sabine Trained As A Jedi Under Ahsoka Tano

Disney+ and Lucasfilm have released a new trailer that reveals that Sabine Wren has been training (or HAD been training) as a Jedi under Ahsoka Tano, in between the events of Star Wars Rebels Season 4 and Ahsoka Season 1. announced a proper release date for the upcoming Star Wars series, Ahsoka, which will now premiere on 23 August 2023.
Set after the fall of the Empire, “Star Wars: Ahsoka” follows the former Jedi Knight Ahsoka Tano as she investigates an emerging threat to a vulnerable galaxy.
In addition to Rosario Dawson in the title role, “Ahsoka” stars Natasha Liu Bordizzo as Sabine Wren, Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Hera Syndulla, Ray Stevenson as Baylan Skoll, Ivanna Sakhno as Shin Hati, Diana Lee Inosanto as Morgan Elsbeth, David Tennant as Huyang, Lars Mikkelsen as Grand Admiral Thrawn and Eman Esfandi appearing as Ezra Bridger.
The series is written by Dave Filoni, who executive produces alongside Jon Favreau, Kathleen Kennedy, Colin Wilson, and Carrie Beck. Karen Gilchrist is co-executive producer.
The first two episodes of Ahsoka will premiere on Disney+ Hotstar on 23 August 2023.


Far Cry 6 Is Free-To-Play Again This Weekend

Ubisoft has come out and announced that Far Cry 6 is now available for pre-load in anticipation for the game to be free-to-play again from 4 August until 7 August 2022.
YOU CAN CHECK OUT OUR REVIEW ON FAR CRY 6
That’s right, you will be able to play Far Cry 6 for free during the aforementioned dates on the Xbox Series X | S, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, as well as PC through the Ubisoft Store and the Epic Games Store.

You will have access to the full game including all free DLC to date, all playable together in co-op. Players can team up with friends to save Yara, fight alongside Danny Trejo to deliver tacos, join forces with a Rambo superfan, rescue Chorizo from The Shadow Place, and more.

Those who want to continue their fight against Antón Castillo’s regime in Far Cry 6 will keep their game progression and enjoy discounts on the game, Season Pass and DLCs:

PC via Ubisoft Store: From 4 August until 16 August, players can get 60% off Standard, Gold and Ultimate editions of the game, 50% off the Season Pass and all three DLCs, as well as receive an additional 10% off on their entire order when they purchase Far Cry 6 during the promotional period.
PC via Epic Games Store: From 4 August until 8 August, players can get 60% off all editions of the game, and 50% off the Season Pass and all three DLCs.
Xbox: From today until 15 August, players can get 60% off Standard and Gold editions of the game, and 50% off the Season Pass, as part of Xbox’s Achievement Hunter Sale.
PlayStation: From today until 17 August, players can get 60% off Standard and Gold editions of the game, and 50% off the Season Pass, as part of the PlayStation Store’s Summer Sale.

Additionally, Far Cry 6 announced a Photo Mode contest, starting on 4 August at 10:00 PM (GMT+8) and ending on 13 August at 11:59 AM (GMT+8).

To participate, players worldwide can use the photo mode feature to post an in-game photo, video or GIF that best captures their “summer vibe” on Twitter, Instagram or TikTok.
All entries must include the hashtag #FarCry6FreeWeekendContest for a chance to win exciting prizes, including AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT graphics cards, Far Cry 6 collector figurines, Tobii eye trackers and Corsair headsets.
Five winners will be selected by the Far Cry 6 community development team and 10 winners will be randomly selected from all valid submissions. For official rules, you can visit this site here.
Since its worldwide launch on 7 October 2021, Far Cry 6 added new Special Operations, free Danny Trejo, Rambo and Stranger Things crossover missions, as well as three major downloadable content episodes as part of the Season Pass: Vaas: Insanity, Pagan: Control, and Joseph: Collapse.
For more information about Far Cry 6 and its Season Pass, you can check out the official Far Cry 6 website.

Far Cry 6’s Vaas DLC Isn’t Anything Remarkable But Still Entertains
Does Far Cry 6 Put The Rev In Revolucion?


[Updated] VCT 2023: Pacific League – Teams, Schedule, & Results

The inaugural season of VALORANT’s first partnered league is upon us as the best teams throughout the Pacific region battle it out, week after week in Korea as they cement themselves as the best team in the region. The top 3 will qualify for Masters Tokyo as well as VALORANT Champions later on in the year. With that said, here’s a breakdown of the league’s schedule, teams and format.

NOTE: All Times & Dates will be in (UTC+8)

Details

Date: 25 March – 28 May (UTC+8)
Venue: Sangam Colosseum Jangchung Arena, Jung District, Seoul, South Korea

Format

Regular Season: 25 March – 16 May

Single Round Robin

All matches are Best of 3

Top 6 teams advance to Playoffs
Bottom 4 teams are eliminated

Playoffs: 19–28 May

6 teams in a Double-Elimination bracket

All matches (excl. Lower Final and Grand Final) are Best of 3
Lower Final and Grand Final are Best of 5

Top 3 teams will advance to Masters and Champions

Final Results

Place
$ USD
Qualifies To
Participant

1st

$100,000

VALORANT Champions 2023

TBD

VCT 2023: Masters Tokyo

2nd

$65,000

VALORANT Champions 2023

TBD

VCT 2023: Masters Tokyo

3rd

$40,000

VALORANT Champions 2023

TBD

VCT 2023: Masters Tokyo

4th
$25,000
VCT 2023: Pacific Last Chance Qualifier
Gen.G Esports

5th-6th

$10,000

VCT 2023: Pacific Last Chance Qualifier

Team Secret

ZETA DIVISION

7th
–
VCT 2023: Pacific Last Chance Qualifier
Rex Regum Qeon

8th
–
VCT 2023: Pacific Last Chance Qualifier
Global Esports

9th
–
VCT 2023: Pacific Last Chance Qualifier
Talon Esports

10th
–
VCT 2023: Pacific Last Chance Qualifier
DetonatioN FocusMe

Teams

Detonation FocusMe
DRX
Gen.G
Global Esports
Paper Rex
Rex Regum Qeon
T1
Talon Esports
Team Secret
ZETA DIVISION

GROUP STAGE RESULTS

STANDINGS

1
DRX
8-1
16-4
249-170
+79

2
Paper Rex
7-2
15-6
249-186
+63

3
T1
6-3
12-9
217-204
+13

4
ZETA DIVISION
5-4
11-12
239-248
-9

5
Team Secret
5-4
11-10
228-226
+2

6
Gen.G Esports
4-5
10-11
197-217
-20

7
Rex Regum Qeon
4-5
10-11
208-221
-13

8
Global Esports
3-6
9-12
231-227
+4

9
Talon Esports
3-6
9-12
197-230
-33

10
DetonatioN FocusMe
0-9
2-18
161-247
-86

Matches
Regular Season – Week 1
25 March

5:00 PM (UTC+8) – ZETA DIVISION [0] vs [2] DRX
8:00 PM (UTC+8) – T1 [2] vs [1] Global Esports
26 March

5:00 PM (UTC+8) – Paper Rex [2] vs [0] DetonatioN FocusMe
8:00 PM (UTC+8) – Team Secret [2] vs [1] Talon Esports
27 March

5:00 PM (UTC+8) – Rex Regum Qeon [0] vs [2] Gen.G
Regular Season – Week 2
1 April

5:00 PM (UTC+8) – ZETA DIVISION [2] vs [1] Rex Regum Qeon
8:00 PM (UTC+8) – Talon Esports[0] vs [2] T1
2 April

5:00 PM (UTC+8) – Team Secret [2] vs [1] Paper Rex
8:00 PM (UTC+8) – Gen.G [2] vs [1] DetonatioN FocusMe
3 April

5:00 PM (UTC+8) – Global Esports [0] vs [2] DRX
Regular Season – Week 3
8 April

5:00 PM (UTC+8) – Rex Regum Qeon [2] vs [0] DetonatioN FocusMe
8:00 PM (UTC+8) – T1 [0] vs [2] Paper Rex
9 April

5:00 PM (UTC+8) – ZETA DIVISION [2] vs [1] Global Esports
8:00 PM (UTC+8) – Talon Esports [0] vs [2] DRX
10 April

5:00 PM (UTC+8) – Team Secret [0] vs [2] Gen.G
Regular Season – Week 4
15 April

5:00 PM (UTC+8) – Paper Rex [0] vs [2] DRX
8:00 PM (UTC+8) – Team Secret [0] vs [2] Rex Regum Qeon
16 April

5:00 PM (UTC+8) – T1 [0] vs [2] Gen.G
8:00 PM (UTC+8) – ZETA DIVISION [2] vs [0] DetonatioN FocusMe
17 April

5:00 PM (UTC+8) – Talon Esports [0] vs [2] Global Esports
Regular Season – Week 5
22 April

5:00 PM (UTC+8) – Paper Rex [2] vs [1] Global Esports
8:00 PM (UTC+8) – Gen.G [1] vs [2] DRX
23 April

5:00 PM (UTC+8) – T1 [2] vs [0] Rex Regum Qeon
8:00 PM (UTC+8) – Team Secret [2] vs [0] DetonatioN FocusMe
24 April

5:00 PM (UTC+8) – ZETA DIVISION [0] vs [2] Talon Esports
Regular Season – Week 6
29 April

5:00 PM (UTC+8) – T1 [2] vs [1] DetonatioN FocusMe
8:00 PM (UTC+8) – ZETA DIVISION [2] vs [1] Team Secret
30 April

5:00 PM (UTC+8) – Global Esports [2] vs [0] Gen.G
8:00 PM (UTC+8) – Rex Regum Qeon [1] vs [2] DRX
1 May

5:00 PM (UTC+8) – Talon Esports [1] vs [2] Paper Rex
Regular Season – Week 7
6 May

5:00 PM (UTC+8) – Talon Esports [2] vs [0] Gen.G
8:00 PM (UTC+8) – ZETA DIVISION [0] vs [2] Paper Rex
7 May

5:00 PM (UTC+8) – Rex Regum Qeon [2] vs [0] Global Esports
8:00 PM (UTC+8) – Team Secret [0] vs [2] T1
8 May

5:00 PM (UTC+8) – DRX [2] vs [0] DetonatioN FocusMe
Regular Season – Week 8
12 May

5:00 PM (UTC+8) – Paper Rex [2] vs [0] Gen.G
8:00 PM (UTC+8) – ZETA DIVISION [1] vs [2] T1
13 May

5:00 PM (UTC+8) – Team Secret [2] vs [0] DRX
8:00 PM (UTC+8) – Global Esports [2] vs [0] DetonatioN FocusMe
14 May

5:00 PM (UTC+8) – Talon Esports [0] vs [0] Rex Regum Qeon
8:00 PM (UTC+8) – ZETA DIVISION [0] vs [0] Gen.G
15 May

5:00 PM (UTC+8) – T1  [0] vs [2] DRX
8:00 PM (UTC+8) – Team Secret [2] vs [0] Global Esports
16 May

5:00 PM (UTC+8) – Talon Esports [2] vs [0] DetonatioN FocusMe
8:00 PM (UTC+8) – Rex Regum Qeon [0] vs [2] Paper Rex
Playoffs
19 May

4:00 PM (UTC+8) – ZETA DIVISION [0] vs [2] Team Secret (Upper Bracket Quarterfinal)
7:00 PM (UTC+8) – T1 [2] vs [1] Gen.G Esports (Upper Bracket Quarterfinal)
20 May

4:00 PM (UTC+8) – DRX [2] vs [1] Team Secret (Upper Bracket Semifinal)
7:00 PM (UTC+8) – Paper Rex [2] vs [0] T1 (Upper Bracket Semifinal)
21 May

4:00 PM (UTC+8) – Gen.G Esports [2] vs [1] Team Secret (Lower Bracket Quarterfinal)
7:00 PM (UTC+8) – ZETA DIVISION [1] vs [2] T1 (Lower Bracket Quarterfinal)
22 May

4:00 PM (UTC+8) – DRX [0] vs [2] Paper Rex (Upper Bracket Final)
6:00 PM (UTC+8) – Gen.G Esports [0] vs [2] T1 (Lower Bracket Semifinal)
27 May

4:00 PM (UTC+8) – DRX [0] vs [0] T1 (Lower Bracket Final)
28 May
4:00 PM (UTC+8) – Paper Rex [0] vs [0] TBD (Grand Final)

Where to Watch?
Twitch / YouTube / Facebook


Star Wars Andor Episode 1, 2 & 3 Breakdown & Easter Eggs

The first three episodes of Star Wars Andor are now streaming on Disney+ Hotstar Malaysia. I’ll be discussing heavy spoilers so if you haven’t seen it or want to avoid spoilers, now’s your chance to stop reading.
Check out my spoiler-free review of Andor here.
The Andor series will explore a new perspective from the Star Wars galaxy, focusing on Cassian Andor’s journey to discover the difference he can make. The series brings forward the tale of the burgeoning rebellion against the Empire and how people and planets became involved. It’s an era filled with danger, deception and intrigue where Cassian will embark on the path that is destined to turn him into a rebel hero.
Diego Luna returns as Cassian Andor and is joined by cast members Genevieve O’Reilly (who will portray a young Mon Mothma), Stellan Skarsgård, Adria Arjona, Denise Gough and Kyle Soller. The executive producers are Kathleen Kennedy, Sanne Wohlenberg, Diego Luna and Michelle Rejwan. Tony Gilroy is the creator and showrunner.
In the meantime, check out my interview with Andor actors Kyle Soller and Denise Gough by heading over here for the written article, or you can watch the entire interview below:

Check out my breakdown of Obi-Wan Kenobi Episode 1 and 2, Episode 3, Episode 4 and Episode 5 here.
You can check out my previous breakdowns of The Book Of Boba Fett Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5, Episode 6 and Episode 7 here.

Episode 1
What We Learned About Cassian Andor

His original name was Kessa and he’s from Kenari. When he was a kid, a ship crash landed on his planet. Now, in the present, he’s searching for his sister. Besides that, not much was revealed in this episode. So far, Andor is very standalone and doesn’t feature much in the way of big easter eggs.
Corporate Security

Andor introduces the Pre-Mor Security Inspection forces. Who are they? They seem to be the main police or peacekeeping force in these parts of the galaxy, where perhaps the Empire has yet to establish a foothold.
Episode 2
Corporate Tactical Forces

The Pre-Mor Security Inspection forces are described as the “Empire’s first line of defence”. They seem to be the main police or peacekeeping force in these parts of the galaxy, where perhaps the Empire has yet to establish a foothold.
It’s The Thing Cassian Wants To Sell

The Imperial tech object.
A Republic Ship Crash Landed

The ship that crashed landed on Kenari seems to be from the Republic, judging from the insignia and symbols. Also, in the present, we learn that Kenari was already abandoned by the Empire after a mining accident which made the planet toxic. That’s probably why Cassian Andor wants to fight against the Empire.
Stellan Skarsgard Character

Stellan Skarsgard is a big actor, so this must be a significant role. However, this character remains a mystery. From the credits, we know his name is Luthen Rael, but who is he and what is his purpose?

Episode 3
Stellan Skarsgard’s Character Is Bix’s Contact

It seems that Stellan Skarsgard’s Luthen Rael is Bix’s contact that she mentioned back in Episode 1. However, there must be more to him than meets the eye.
Cassian Was Taken Off Kenari By Maarva

Cassian broke into the Republic ship and was taken off-planet by Maarva for his safety.
Luthen Rael Wants To Recruit Cassian Andor Presumably For The Rebellion

It seems like Stellan Skarsgard’s Luthen Rael is only there to buy the thing that Cassian wanted to sell. That’s disappointing.
Cassian Finally Leaves The Planet Ferrix

After three whole episodes of mostly being relegated to one planet, Cassian finally leaves the planet with Luthen Rael to escape the clutches of the Pre-Mor Security Forces.
There you have it, folks. Until the next episode, excelsior!


Pixar Announces Inside Out 2 Featuring A Teenage Riley

During the Studio Showcase Day 1 at D23, Disney Pixar confirmed that they’re working on Inside Out 2, a sequel to 2015’s Inside Out.
According to Deadline, Kelsey Mann will direct Inside Out 2 with Meg LeFauve returning as screenwriter and Mark Nielsen producing. Amy Poehler (who voiced Joy in the original film) said that Inside Out 2 will again “take place inside Riley’s head, only this time she’s a teenager,” with Riley this time encountering a new set of personified emotions that haven’t yet been named.
However, it’s currently unknown which of the voice cast will be returning with the sole exception of Amy Poehler as Joy. The original Inside Out grossed nearly US$859 million worldwide after releasing in June 2015. It then went on to win the Oscar for Best Animated Feature.
Inside Out 2 will release sometime in summer 2024.

Oh JOY! Amy Poehler is back to star in Inside Out 2. Directed by Kelsey Mann, produced by Mark Nielsen, and written by Meg LeFauve, Disney and Pixar’s Inside Out 2 releases Summer 2024. pic.twitter.com/HMHY391vN9
— Pixar (@Pixar) September 10, 2022


Ms. Marvel’s Animated Visuals Were Inspired By Spider-Man Into The Spider-Verse

Courtesy of Disney+ Hotstar, we were given the opportunity to join a press conference for the upcoming Ms. Marvel series. It was attended by Iman Vellani (Kamala Khan / Ms. Marvel), Rish Shah (Kamran), Yasmeen Fletcher (Nakia), Matt Lintz (Bruno), Mohan Kapur (Yusuf Khan), Zenobia Shroff (Muneeba Khan), Saagar Shaikh (Aamir Khan), Sana Amanat (Producer and Writer), Meera Menon (director), Bisha K. Ali (showrunner), Adil El Arbi (director), Bilall Fallah (director) and Kevin Feige.
They answered a bunch of questions, including how Iman received her casting call via Whatsapp all the way back in 2020, and the fact that they filmed Ms. Marvel‘s AvengerCon sequence right next to Spider-Man No Way Home‘s set.
One of the most interesting parts of the press conference was director Adil El Arbi explaining how they came up with the distinctive and unique visual animations that pop up in certain scenes in Ms. Marvel.
They answered:
“For us, we always wanted to find a way to translate her imagination and her fantasy world in a cool way. And that’s how we came up with the idea of injecting that animation aspect to it. But we were a bit afraid that Kevin (Feige) and the rest of Marvel would say no because it’s different from all the other shows in the MCU.
So we made a whole presentation and a whole dossier with YouTube videos and all that, explaining why it was important to have those sequences. Surprisingly, he said yes. He said, “Don’t go overboard and don’t do it every five seconds but if it’s true to the story and the character, let’s go for it.”
That’s how we had that style, we were also inspired by (Spider-Man) Into The Spider-Verse. So, thank you, Kevin, for allowing us to do that.”
You’ll have to see for yourself what exactly he means when Ms. Marvel premieres on Disney+ Hotstar on 8 June 2022. In the meantime, check out our interview with Ms. Marvel showrunner and head writer Bisha K. Ali by heading over here.


Tales Of Luminaria Will Shut Down Mid-June, Less Than A Year After Its Release

Not every free-to-play mobile JRPG can be a Genshin Impact, or even a Dragalia Lost. Such is the case of Bandai Namco’s latest cash grab using the Tales of name.
Bandai Namco has announced the sudden closure of Tales of Luminaria, which came out on 3rd November of last year. The mobile game will stop service cease to exist on 19 July. The game will keep its doors and online service open until then, though eight months in service is considerably short; even shorter than Tales of Crestoriia which shut down recently on 6 February. Bandai Namco however did state a plan to release an offline archive version of Luminaria for existing players to reminisce about the characters and the soundtrack.
Why Did It Shut Down?
It is a shame that a pretty game like Tales of Luminaria with all-new characters and a decent score from Go Shiina has to shut down. But speaking from personal experience, the game doesn’t seem to have any staying power, a surefire gacha mechanic to line up Bandai Namco’s coffers, and has pretty basic gameplay, as well as the fact that it ran like ass on most phones unless you dial down the settings. And the loading in-between stage transitions and going to menus is just mind-numbingly tedious. And the fact that a mothership Tales of game is purchasable -Tales of Arise- might have a lot to do with the faltering of a mobile game Tales title that can be perceived as “inferior” to a heavy JRPG experience.
Check out the full farewell message from the Bandai Namco team:
As always, thank you all for playing Tales of Luminaria.
We regret to announce that the service for Tales of Luminaria will be sunset on July 19, 2022 PDT.
As the first completely original mobile title in the “Tales of” series, our sincere intent was to make this game fun and, by taking on various challenges, to bring “Tales of” to a wider audience around the world, not only Japan. Additionally, we have tried our best to make this service playable over a long time, encouraged by the supportive comments and feedback we have received on SNS.
However, we could not do enough, and we sincerely apologize to all those who have supported and played Tales of Luminaria.
?About Future Episodes
Weekly episode distribution will end with this announcement. We apologize for the sudden notice, as you may have been expecting a new announcement of the next episode. We unfortunately will not be able to fully depict the fate of the 21 heroes and must end the episodes in the middle of the story. Even more, some characters will be left without getting an episode 2. We are very sorry for leaving these stories untold.
Even though we could not complete all the storylines for each character, we have been considering whether there is any way to bring closure to their story, even if only slightly. With that thought, we have prepared a special “Episode Final,” which takes place right before the anime Tales of Luminaria: The Fateful Crossroad. This episode focuses on why Hugo eventually sided with the Empire. We truly regret not being able to provide full closure to this story, but we hope you will enjoy this “Episode Final.”
?Regarding the Archiving of Works
We are considering archiving the costumes, designs, illustrations, etc. of the characters released during the service out of application as a “digital archive,” so that players can continue to experience and reminisce about Luminaria’s universe and its characters even after the service ends. We are also working on a soundtrack for the in-game background music.
We will reach out again as soon as we have more details.
[…]
Finally, we would like to sincerely thank you for all of your support of Tales of Luminaria.?We apologize again for not living up to your expectations and having to announce that the service will be sunset. Although there is only a short period of time remaining, we hope that you will enjoy this game to the end. Thank you.
– The entire Tales of Luminaria Team


Combo Breaker 2022 Results | Guilty Gear Strive, KOF XV, Tekken 7, & More

One of the major fighting game esports tournaments is going offline for the first time in years. Combo Breaker 2022 saw a huge crowd turnout, with a 1,000 people participating in the tournament’s Guilty Gear Strive segment. Top players like Arslan Ash, Tempest NYC, SonicFox, and MenaRD have attended. Sadly, no Infiltration due to a ton of factors in play.
Regardless, here are the results; we’ll be updating these periodically (via Eventhubs).

Guilty Gear Strive
1. TempestNYC (Leo)
2. Razer|Umisho (Happy Chaos)
3. LostSoul (Happy Chaos)
4. Moist|Hotashi (Nagoriyuki)
5. PepperySplash (Zato-1)
5. Intel|Razzo (Leo)
7. Zando (Ramlethal)
7. STG|Pluto (May)
The King of Fighters XV
1. TMG|Tamago (Benimaru, Rock, Krohnen | Rock, Blue Mary, Krohnen)
2. Pako (Chizuru, Luong, Elisabeth)
3. FATE|Arslan Ash (Athena, King, Elisabeth)
4. Reynald (Joe, Gato, Krohnen | Joe, Krohnen, Yamazaki | Others)
5. AR|Wero Asamiya (Athena, Yuri, Rock | Yuri, Athena, Iori | Others)
5. Grilla|NYChrisG (Kula, Rock, Meitenkun)
7. Grilla|Romance (Yuri, Mai, Elisabeth)
7. TxC|Khriz (Yuri, Mai, Athena)
Tekken 7
1. FATE|Arslan Ash (Zafina)
2. DUSG|Gen (Shaheen, Fahkumram, Lidia)
3. RB|Anakin (JACK-7)
4. BIG|Sephiblack (Miguel)
5. Disrupt|Shadow20z (Zafina, Claudio)
5. DUSG|Rangchu (Julia, Panda)
7. DUSG|Pinya (Master Raven)
7. CLG|CuddleCore (Alisa, Xiaoyu)
Street Fighter 5
1. XSET|iDom (Poison, Laura)
2. Bandits|Caba (Guile, G)
3. RR|Mono (F.A.N.G)
4. ChrisCCH (Luke, Sakura)
5. Filipinoman (Rose, Chun-Li)
5. END|Shine (Cody, Ibuki)
7. UpToSnuff (Necalli)
7. Bandits|MenaRD (Luke, Balrog)
BlazBlue: Central Fiction
1. G.U.|Monarch (Es, ? -No.11-)
2. HCL|DLZ (Susanoo)
3. Psykotik (Carl)
4. Uri (Litchi)
5. Jibca (Bullet, Naoto)
5. BrkrDave (Arakune)
7. PG|KizzieKay (Jin)
7. Badlime (Hazama, Tsubaki)
Melty Blood: Type Lumina
1. ScrawtVermillion (Mario)
2. George W Burst (Arcueid)
3. Masoma (Vlov)
4. Foxof42 (Red Arcueid)
5. BloomingLotus (Dead Apostle Noel, Aoko, Hisui & Kohaku)
5. Reaper|BearBeaver (Miyako)
7. Infinity (Saber)
7. Bearell (Mario)
Dragon Ball FighterZ
1. Hive|LegendaryyPred (Teen Gohan, Lab Coat 21, Android 21)
2. Kayne (SS4 Gogeta, Lab Coat 21, Tien | Blue Vegeta, Lab Coat 21, Super Baby 2)
3. Yasha (Blue Gogeta, Vegito, Android 17)
4. Zane (Fused Zamasu, Lab Coat 21, Beerus)
5. LDN|Jila (SS4 Gogeta, Lab Coat 21, Vegito)
5. Rise|Nitro (Blue Goku, Lab Coat 21, Android 21)
7. PG|HookGangGod (Base Vegeta, Broly, Lab Coat 21 | Base Vegeta, Broly, Piccolo)
7. LDN|Wade (Base Vegeta, Lab Coat 21, Hit | Ultra Instinct Goku, Hit, Android 21)
Granblue Fantasy Versus
1. ZomBmu (Cagliostro)
2. Buscar Luz (Lowain)
3. Flowerman (Ferry)
4. Neokarsh (Djeeta, Katalina)
5. Guard User (Zooey)
5. Shuaboo (Seox)
7. Cascoon|Jukem (Lancelot)
7. DaFeetLee (Seox)
Under Night In-Birth EXE: Late[cl-r]
1. Foxof42 (Vatista)
2. AOR|Grey (Nanase)
3. Psykotik (Waldstein)
4. BNP|Knotts (Wagner)
5. Rikir (Enkidu)
5. 4AM|Garmfield (Hyde)
7. Masoma (Byakuya)
7. Str4ng3r (Vatista)
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
1. IE|Onin (Steve)
2. Loaf (Wario)
3. PG|WaDi (R.O.B., Ice Climbers, Mewtwo)
4. Ned (Sephiroth)
5. HPT|Atata (Ness)
5. MVD (Snake)
7. 26R|Zinoto (Diddy Kong)
7. BHOP|SamteaSilver (Mario)
Mortal Kombat 11
1. T7G|Nicolas (Fujin, Spawn, Kabal, Johnny Cage)
2. T7G|Scorpionprocs (Kotal Kahn, Kano, Kabal, Johnny Cage, Others)
3. Rewind (Kano, Johnny Cage, Shang Tsung)
4. AOT|Han Rashid (Fujin)
5. DF|Grr (Geras)
5. HOE|PerfectShini (Cetrion, Jade, Jacqui)
7. NW|Aztec (Kotal Kahn)
7. CGL|VideoGamezYo (Johnny Cage, Shao Kahn)
Skullgirls: 2nd Encore
1. Penpen (Ms. Fortune, Annie, Robo-Fortune)
2. EG|SonicFox (Ms. Fortune, Annie, Robo-Fortune)
3. EG|Dekillsage (Filia, Annie, Big Band)
4. RW|Cloud (Valentine, Cerebella, Double)
5. Triviality (Peacock, Robo-Fortune, Squigly)
5. ATK-Mode|Swiftfox-Dash (Peacock, Cerebella)
7. WingZero (Filia)
7. RT|Adeveis (Parasoul, Squigly, Big Band)
Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3
1. Grilla|NYChrisG (Morrigan, Dr. Doom, Vergil)
2. DeadXPride (Vergil, Dr. Doom, Strider)
3. HB|Evasion (Zero, Dante, Vergil)
4. Lilmonix3 (Spider-Man, Dante, Hawkeye)
5. XSET|iDom (Dormammu, Dante, Dr. Strange)
5. Livinlegend26 (Chris, Wesker, Akuma)
7. Flux (Zero, Vergil, Dante)
7. Ronan Healy (Taskmaster, Dr. Doom, Sentinel)
Killer Instinct
1. PAR|Nicky (Fulgore)
2. HW|Daa Chronicle (Aria, Kan-Ra)
3. SD117|SonicDolphin117 (Kilgore)
4. TGZ|Svm (Rash, Shin Hisako, Spinal)
5. HW|Tyme2Dul (Kan-Ra, Aria)
5. ThrashHeavy (Eagle)
7. UYU|Aphex (Rash)
7. Element (Hisako)


Sega’s Old Dreamcast Squash Game Is Getting A PSVR 2 Facelift

Did you remember space squash game Cosmic Smash on the Sega Dreamcast? Yeah, me neither. But Sega plans on bringing it back in the form of a new PSVR 2 game.
Publisher RapideEyeMovers and developer Wolf & Wood, together with Sega, have announced C-Smash VRS for the PSVR 2. The game will be out in 2023, with a demo slated for 23 March.
Check out the announcement trailer & feature list below. Anything that reminds me of Rez can’t be all bad, right?

What Virtual Reality Was Born to Be – Imagine playing the ultimate sport while feeling both stimulated and relaxed, your mind and body at one with the best music and stunning visuals. A truly transportive experience.
Single-Player, Versus, and Co-Op Go on a transformative Journey to the edge of space and time—alone or with a friend—or play a variety of competitive modes against players worldwide. Experience the ultimate workout with the Infinity mode.
Music You Want to Live In – Original tracks from DJ Ken Ishii (Rez Infinite) and Danalogue (The Comet is Coming, Soccer 96). Your avatar’s body and dynamic environments pulse to the beat—pure synaesthesia.
A New Breed in Future Sports – C-Smash VRS fuses the best of racket sports—squash, tennis, racket, paddle ball, and beyond—as well as other sporting disciplines into a stellar physical experience.
Design Made Physical – Built from the ground up by virtual reality pioneers Wolf & Wood and an international dream team of artists, designers, and musicians, all committed to changing how a game can make you move, see, hear, and feel.
Intuitive Controls – Learn the basics in minutes before going on to master mind- and time-bending Trick Shots and special techniques.
Full Body Immersion – Transport your whole body to another universe. A total mind and body experience.
Fitness Without the Stress – Get fit to the beat while having fun as you build up a sweat.


Zootopia+ Features Several Disney Easter Eggs, Including One From Wreck-It-Ralph 2

Zootopia+ is a new spinoff series of 2016’s Zootopia that heads back to the fast-paced mammal metropolis of Zootopia in a short-form series that dives deeper into the lives of some of the film’s most intriguing residents, including Fru Fru, the fashion-forward arctic shrew; ZPD dispatcher Clawhauser, the sweet-toothed cheetah; and Flash, the smiling sloth who’s full of surprises.
Courtesy of Disney+ Hotstar Malaysia, we were lucky enough to participate in a press conference with Zootopia+ cast and crew, including Bonnie Hunt (voice of Bonnie Hopps, “Hopp on Board”), Don Lake (voice of Stu Hopps, “Hopp on Board”), Josie Trinidad (Director), Trent Correy (Director) and more.
During the press conference, Zootopia+ director Trent Correy revealed the series features several hidden Disney easter eggs and references, but he spills the beans on one of them, which Disney fans will surely want to know about.
He said:
“Oh, boy. There’s a lot eh, Josie?
I have to say too, because we didn’t have a writer on the series so it was really just Josie and I in the story room just trying to make each other laugh. Like Don mentioned before with the recordings, we were just drawing silly drawings and trying to figure out where easter eggs could go.
So, I’m going to throw one that is, if you look closely in Episode 2: The Real Rodents Of Little Rodentia, when they go to shop for their wedding dress, that is actually the princess room from Wreck-It-Ralph 2.
There’s a couple hidden princess dresses right there shrunk down to shrew size. You might see a little Belle dress back there, or a Tiana dress, really tiny.”
If you’re unfamiliar, 2018’s Ralph Breaks The Internet featured an iconic sing featuring various Disney princesses interacting with each other in the same scene.

Zootopia+ premieres on Disney+ Hotstar on 9 November 2022. Check out the trailer below:


Genshin Impact Fishing Guide: How To Catch The Big One

Genshin Impact version 2.1 adds in a much-requested feature that’s usually a staple for all RPGs: fishing.
Yes, the craft of catching aquatic life for sport is now a bountiful thing in Mihoyo’s money-making anime-inspired RPG. Also, jumping into bodies of water and just hitting the F key to catch fish is getting a little old; it’s time to catch fish with some class and pizazz.
Besides, there are some materials and blueprints you can get by exchanging the deadliest (?) catch with specific characters and vendors. Before we start, do check out our existing Genshin Impact guides:
Genshin Impact Starter Characters + Top Characters Guide
Genshin Impact Beginner Guide
Genshin Impact Endgame Guide: Whatâ€™s Next?
Genshin Impact V1.2 Dragonspine Zone Guide
Genshin Impact Inazuma Continent Guide (First Half)
Genshin Impact Inazuma Second Half (Watatsumi & Senrai Island)
How To Unlock Fishing In Genshin Impact
You need to have Adventure Rank 30 or above, as well as have the Serenitea Pot housing system unlocked.
Then, you can take part in the Exploding Population quest via talking to Katherine at the Adventurer’s Guild in Mondstadt. You’ll then speak to Nantuck the angler who will teach you the basics of fishing in Genshin Impact.
How To Fish

Press F near a fishing school to get started.
Hold the left mouse button to aim to begin fishing.
Release it to cast your line.

Wait until the fish is attracted to the bait; the splash animation is your cue. Press the left mouse button not hook it.
If you’re successful, a tension bar will appear. You’ll need to click and release the mouse button alternately to keep the indicator within the specified area (ala Breath of Fire series).
Do this until the circular bar fills all the way. When that’s done, you’ve caught your fish; congratulations.

Keep in mind that different high-tier fishes will need specific bait, so you need to do your research on which bait is best. Pick up bait blueprints from the various Fishing Associations all over Teyvat, then create them at the crafting bench.
Genshin Impact Fishing Locations
Here are a few maps on where you can cast your angler and start fishing (via PC Gamer).

Golden Koi and Rusty Koi Locations
You can catch these rare fishes at the Wangshu Inn fishing spot, the Guili Plains spot, the Luhua Pool spot, and the Koseki Village spot (via Gosunoob). The best bait for these exquisite fishes are Fruit Paste Bait and Glowgrass Bait.

For more Genshin Impact help, check out our Inazuma second half content guide.


Disney Ups Fox Bid To US$71.3 Billion; Rejects Comcast

The House of Mouse will soon own a majority of 20th Century Fox for a tidy sum. How much, you say? Try US$71.3 billion.
According to Bloomberg, just a week after Comcast launched a US$65 billion all-cash bid for Fox’s entertainment assets, Disney countered with this megaton amended agreement with the media giant for the aforementioned sum that is split between cash and stock.
Fox said that the proposal is “superior” to Comcast’s previous deal. While this offer still needs to be voted on by shareholders and a possible surprise offer can be made by other companies, we highly doubt that they can top US$71.3 billion.
So what does this means to us pop culture-watching folks? Simple:

Disney will fully own 20th Century Fox franchises like the X-Men, Deadpool, the Kingsmen, Aliens, the Planet of the Apes, Ice Age, The Simpsons, and a couple more.
Disney will be able to add in more TV shows from Fox’s side for their upcoming streaming service that is planning to rival Netflix.
Disney will also gain majority stake in streaming service Hulu. Previously, Disney, Fox, and Comcast had 30 percent.

While the dream of a massive Marvel X-Men vs Avengers crossover is close to being a reality, let’s not forget that monopoly isn’t just a friendship-ruining boardgame; it’s concept that can spell a potentially crappy future where there’s no incentive for competition among TV and streaming broadcasting networks.


VFX Company Reveals Real-Life Scale Of Attack On Titan

Attack On Titan is probably one of the biggest anime and manga properties on the planet right now, especially after the release of Attack On Titan Final Season. However, that was only the first part, and a second part is coming sometime in 2022, even though the mange has concluded its run.
However, realism probably isn’t why the series is so popular since it’s set in a post-apocalyptic wasteland where humanoid giants roam the Earth and the remnants of humanity stay behind fortified walls. Nevertheless, the folks from YouTube channel Corridor Crew decided to investigate what Attack On Titan would look like according to real-life scale.
One of the biggest points in their video is how the famous wall surrounding the human settlement in Attack On Titan is described as being 50 metres tall, but is overexaggerated and visualized to look more like it’s 200 metres tall. You can watch all their arguments and amazing VFX work in their video below:


The Next Live-Action Transformers Movie Will Adapt Beast Wars

Long-time fans of the Transformers franchise will be happy to learn that the next live-action movie will finally adapt the beloved Beast Wars. Paramount announced that the movie, Transformers Rise Of The Beasts, has only entered production. The upcoming movie will be set in 1994, taking place between 2018’s Bumblebeeâ€™s 80s setting and the Michael Bay movies (which are set in the 2000s).
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Optimus Prime will be the filmâ€™s protagonist and he will appear in his classic G1 form, as well as once again will be voiced by Peter Cullen. The movie will introduce Maximals and Predacons from the original Beast Wars animated shows and toy line, while also introducing a new threat, the Terrorcons, who will be the main antagonists of the film and led by Scourge.
Three Maximals have been confirmed so far; including Airazor, Rhinox, and Optimus Primal. Meanwhile, actors Anthony Ramos (In the Heights) and Dominique Fishback (Project Power) are going to be the main human protagonists. Fishback will play Elena; an artifact researcher at a museum trying to get ahead despite her boss constantly taking credit for her work, while Ramos will play Noah; a Brooklyn-born young man who has returned home to his mother and younger brother after military service and is trying to find his feet in mid-â€™90s Brooklyn.
Transformers Rise Of The Beasts is slated to premiere on 24 June 2022. All we have so far is the official logo and title card for the upcoming movie, which you can check out below:


Kakuchopurei’s Best Games Of 2019: Part 3 & 4

Here’s #11 to #20 on our Best Games of 2019 list. Stay tuned next week & the following week for #21 to #30.


Lost Ark 1-50 Leveling Guide: How To Speed Through The Game In 10 Hours

This guide is still under development…
Lost Ark is out for PC right now, and it’s got quite an endgame worth getting to, with Raids and special dungeons with loot galore. Of course, it’ll take you a while to get there from level 1 to 50.
Fortunately, there’s a way to go through all of it within 10 hours or so. Here’s a primer on what to do and how to get to level 50 quick (for MMORPG standards). If you need help picking the right class for you, check out our Lost Ark best class guide.
Skip The Prologue

You’ll shave 20 minutes off of your progress. Don’t worry about missing the Arthetinean Engineer’s Goggles Chest reward. These Goggles can be obtained on a new character and traded between any class archetype in your shared warehouse, as long as they’re left inside the chest they came in. Just remember: once it’s opened by a class archetype you own, it’s locked to that archetype.
Doing Quests > Farming Monsters
Main Quests dish out more experience points than killing random monsters on an instance. Focus on the quests and don’t waste time on bad guys.
Follow This Optimal Leveling Route
Just follow the Main Quest line with the following icon:
Follow the questlines in this order
-Rethramis (up to saving Prideholme from the demon attack)
-Yudia
-West Luttera
-East Luterra
-Sea of Gienah. Equip the sailer Eshu and follow the World Quest leading you to Tortoyk.
-Tortoyok
-Anikka
-Arthentine
-NorthVern. At this point, you should be at level 50.
Just Do Normal Mode Dungeons Instead Of Hard
They’re quick to do and yield the same amount of experience as Hard Modes. Run these dungeons only once, preferably alone to speed up the process.
Be Efficient With Your Spells & Skills

You have limited access to powerful skills early in the game, so donâ€™t waste them on individual monsters. Group up enemies and kill them with Area of Effect (AoE) skills for maximum efficiency. Also when equipping weapons and items, prioritize accessories that have Crit and Specialization.
Do Not Use HP Potions
Throughout the game, you’ll get two different potions that heal you. Health Potions and HP Potions are different: Health Potions heal a set number while HP Potions heal a set percentage. Use the former for your main quest and save the latter for the endgame. HP Potions are valuable.
More Tips & Tricks For Efficient Speed-Leveling & Moving

You can travel to Triports directly from your overlay map by holding alt + left mouse click on the Triport of your choice.
While at sea, you can set auto-paths to any location by holding alt + left click. This pathing can be extended up to four times by repeating the action.
You can teleport directly to the Port from anywhere inside of a Continent by opening your World Map (M) and pressing “Ready to Sail” in the bottom left.

Want to play Lost Ark but are stuck outside of USA and Europe? Here’s a handy guide on how to play the game in Malaysia, Singapore, The Philippines, and other Southeast Asian regions.


The Last Of Us Premieres On HBO GO Malaysia On 16 January 2023

The nine-episode first season of the HBO Original drama series The Last Of Us debuts on Monday, 16 January 2023 on HBO GO.
The Last Of Us takes place 20 years after modern civilization has been destroyed. Joel, a hardened survivor, is hired to smuggle Ellie, a 14-year-old girl, out of an oppressive quarantine zone. What starts as a small job soon becomes a brutal and heart-breaking journey as they both must traverse the U.S. and depend on each other for survival.
The cast includes Pedro Pascal as Joel, Bella Ramsey as Ellie, Gabriel Luna as Tommy, Anna Torv as Tess, Nico Parker as Sarah, Murray Bartlett as Frank, Nick Offerman as Bill, Melanie Lynskey as Kathleen, Storm Reid as Riley, Merle Dandridge as Marlene, Jeffrey Pierce as Perry, Lamar Johnson as Henry, Keivonn Woodard as Sam, Graham Greene as Marlon, and Elaine Miles as Florence. Ashley Johnson and Troy Baker also star.

The Last Of Us, based on the critically acclaimed video game of the same name developed by Naughty Dog exclusively for the PlayStation platforms, is written and executive produced by Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann. The series is a co-production with Sony Pictures Television and is executive produced by Carolyn Strauss, Evan Wells, Asad Qizilbash, Carter Swan, and Rose Lam. Production companies: PlayStation Productions, Word Games, The Mighty Mint, and Naughty Dog.
You can subscribe to HBO GO online at https://www.hbogoasia.my/ or the mobile app via the App Store or Play Store for as low as RM23.30/month. You can also access HBO GO via Astro. HBO GO is also available on Android TV, Apple TV, LG TV and Samsung Smart TV – and comes with AirPlay and Google Cast functionality.
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:


Rage 2’s Shooting Elevates An Otherwise Ho-Hum Open World Experience

Platform: PS4, PC, Xbox One
Genre: Shooty Mcshooterson With Some Open World Bits Shoved In
Honestly, most of us were surprised to see Rage 2 announced at last year’s E3 (barring the leaks). And that one Andrew W.K tune to go along with its Burning Man-style party aesthetics combined with its open world post-apocalyptic gameplay. Oh, and having it co-powered by Just Cause makers Avalanche Studios is a nice bonus.
So what are the final results for this union between Avalanche and Id Software after dredging up this IP out of obscurity? Pure shooting bliss. Yes, this is coming from me, who loved 2015’s reboot of Doom for its plethora of shooting and twitch action. Rage 2 so far has come close to that stellar title in that regard when it comes to the patented “running around and blasting everyone in the face while staying alive” gameplay of yore.
The rest of the open-world bits surrounding Rage 2 and its “take down the big bad called the Authority” narrative? They don’t fare as well, but let’s focus on the bright side of this apocalyptic-fiesta first. At least, the side that matters in the grand scheme of things.
Gun-Shy? Hardly

Weapons-wise, Rage 2 impresses. What the game lacks in weapon quantity, it solely makes it up with quality thanks to the inventive secondary fire modes each arsenal contains. Want to light up the place? The Firestorm Revolver lets you activate burn damage via the iron sights trigger. Need to fudge around with tethers and test Rage 2’s physics engine to the fullest? The Grav-Dart Launcher is your main baby, though you’ll have to fight a bunch of air-dropped armoured goons to claim your prize.

Rage 2 also proves once again that shotguns are Id Software’s forte. They seem to be the only FPS-centric developer that gets these close-ranged weapons right.

Rage 2‘s Combat Shotgun, which you’ll get way before the two-hour mark, has the best heft and kick when it fires. Its secondary fire is the perfect knockback weapon to throw opponents off cliffs and ledges (and deathtraps) since its range extends just slightly while lessening its spread and damage. Heck, even in an open field where the shotgun is theoretically nigh-useless, I can use my Ranger powers to bob and weave close to my opponents to deliver the coup de buckshot blast.

Speaking of which, the skills you get from your Ranger suit power-ups also makes this game akin to your Crysises of back then, where experimentation is key.

Most of the time, you’ll be fighting in sprawling battlefields with junk and scrap for cover/verticality to fight swarms of enemies in. Furthermore, holding the Focus button pings enemy locations temporarily so you know what you’ll be fighting and how you’ll be ambushing them.
In no particular order, your Ranger suit can shoot out a vortex that sucks enemies in, then blows up to scatter their bodies all over the field, lets you do a Shatter melee that breaks down armour, and perform a ground pound Slam attack that is amplified by the height you’re falling from. Bigger drop, bigger boom.
And how do you power up your skills and weapons? By getting weapon mods and nanotrites to amplify your skills. You also need feltrite (the game’s blue essence that’s part upgrade points and part health) to unlock weapon and skill tiers, so scouring every nook and cranny in the game is essential to get the most out of your Ranger.
The missions dished out by the three different factions net you Project Points, which you can use to upgrade your character tenfold. These range from clearing out bandit settlements to Authority sentry towers; all of which require you to use your powers and weaponry.
Mad Maxed

After 12 hour or so doing all of that while assaulting raider gas stations and funky “Smash TV” segments, I can:
-multi-select targets for my wingstick/boomerang side-weapon
-take less damage just sprinting and dashing into my opponents firing at me
-play tennis with grenades. Enemies chuck ’em in my direction? I just melee it back to their faces. Grenade on the ground? Melee it and it’ll eventually find its owner.
-warpshock enemy faces in and proceed to shotgun/melee themÂ  to kingdom come
-get into Overdrive quick.
Yeah, about that: Overdrive is when your character goes “Super Saiyan” and powers up his shots while also regenerates health back quick. The only way to activate it is if you fill up your “Kill Meter” until the skull icon starts shimmering, begging you to unleash the fury.
Different weapons have different Overdrive properties; your firestorm revolver now acts as a long-range flamethrower/firestarter while your bullet weapons just bifurcate enemies like butter. You can also unlock more perks via Project Points to get to Overdrive quicker, or just bolster it further.

You generally want to keep your kill count going with no break in-between so that you can Overdrive longer.

I usually save it for bosses and bigger foes as a rule of thumb, but when you start dealing with the Shroud, the Authority, and other heavily-armoured goons, you may want to start activating it when you get the chance.
I could go on about how Rage 2 offers a lot more options and playstyle choices that make killing and fighting in the wasteland a ton of fun. I could also go on how detailed and lush the post-apocalypse look, from your dirty sewer grates to your random forest swamp area which looks like a war-torn Florida county. Hell, there’s even a section in the game filled with bamboo for some odd reason, to which I’ll say “sure, why not? It’s their world!”

The bottom line is that Rage 2’s gameplay will sate your lust for gunplay and open-ended first-person combat. I won’t be going on about the game’s plot and open world, because clearly that isn’t the focus of the studio’s ambitions and work.

Ark Light

Story-wise, it’s not the most inventive scenario: as the last Ranger, you have to help out three factions to open up Project Dagger to take down the big bad known as the Authority. Fans of Rage, all three of you, will see familiar faces, and the town hubs and trade centres do look pretty and funky with its detailing, lighting, and overall landscape layout. But it’s nothing to shout about; the towns and hubs feel very barren much like the desert and wasteland it’s set on.
And lest I forget to add: the driving is also a bit on the uneven side. While the default car, the Phoenix, is fun to drive when fighting against heavily-armoured convoys and Fury Road groupies, you won’t be impressed with the other cars and big rigs in tow.
The game’s driving controls are not ideal for racing at all, thanks to how they turn way too fast and how the camera “turn-and-snaps” to the side too quick to the point you’ll be disoriented. And the less said about the audio hiccups and bugs that crop up time and again unless you update the game on day one, the better.

At the very least, all of this is just a mild albeit annoying transition that gets the job done. That job in question? To give you that lull sense of comfort before you get back to the heat of things.

In over 12 hours or so,Â Rage 2 doesn’t overstay its welcome and flexes its action muscles, all the while lets its open world backdrop become your playground of destruction. True, there’s a lot of busywork to do, but the actual combat and shooting make the eventual grind a tad more enjoyable than it should.
Until a game like Doom Eternal shows up to challenge our preconceptions on what makes a great shooter, Rage 2 is a great way to sate your shooter action jollies by the boatload. Dig in!
Pros
-Great punchy weapons; all hail this game’s shotgun!
-Lovely set of skills and perks to tinker with.
-Best shotgun in 2019 so far.
-Incredibly pretty game.
-Everything combat-related is exhilarating…
Cons
-…the exploration bits? Pretty substandard.
-Open-world feels lifeless.
-A few annoying bugs, especially on the audio side
FINAL SCORE: 70/100


Halo Infinite: How To Get A WASP In The Campaign

Halo Infinite’s campaign takes place in the Zeta Halo, an open-ended battlefield with areas to capture and secrets to uncover. Of course, you can only get around on foot for an amount of time until you start yearning for vehicles.
The Mongoose and Warthogs are available for driving in the first hour or so upon touching down onto Zeta Halo, but what about flying vehicles? Well, here’s a quick guide to that.
How To Unlock the WASP
The WASP is a hovercraft that will get you around Zeta Halo by air. The catch? You can only unlock it by reaching reward 24 in the list of FOB rewards in the menu. Basically, it’s the last few rewards on the campaign, close to the third act of the game.
To achieve this, you need to gain Valor, which you can get by completing main story missions, liberating FOBs and outposts, and destroying Banished Propaganda Towers. Just like other open-world games before Halo Infinite.Â
Once you get a WASP, it’ll be easier to get Hidden Skulls in the game. Here’s a guide on how to do just that.


Knives Out 2 Adds Dave Bautista To The Cast

Knives Out 2 was originally announced in January 2020, but now Dave Bautista has joined the cast, according to Variety.
He joins Daniel Craig, who is the only other actor confirmed to appear in the upcoming sequel. They previously worked together in the 2015 James Bond film Spectre. In March 2021, Netflix purchased the rights to Knives Out 2 and Knives Out 3 for US$468 million. Rian Johnson is returning to direct the sequel, which is planning to start production in Greece in summer 2021.
In the meantime, you can check out our review of Knives Out here.


Just Dance 2021 Gets News Songs In Season 3: Festival

Ubisoft has announced a new content update for Just Dance 2021, the latest instalment of the #1Â Music Video Game Franchise of All Time, to celebrate the upcoming season. This update offers Just Dance 2021 owners exclusive songs only accessible via Just Dance Unlimited, the dance-on-demand-streaming service, as well as free new content including premium songs available for a limited time and online contests.
The third seasonÂ Festival! is a colourful season, all about fun and happiness. Summer vibes, blue sky and warm sun, all ideal conditions are gathered to connect to each otherâ€™s and encourage self-expression. Itâ€™s time to celebrate who you are and who you want to be. Itâ€™s your turn to shine so get your best festival look and join the parade.

From 8 July to 22 July 2021, this third season will bring a new playlist and two iconic songs to Just Dance 2021, â€œDonâ€™t Stop Me Nowâ€ by Queen and â€œSweet Sensationâ€ by Flo Rida.
Then, from 15 July until 5 August 2021, Season 3 Festival! will reveal the three new exclusive songs accessible via Just Dance 2021 with an ongoing Just Dance Unlimited Subscription or an active trial period. Players will be able to celebrate their love for dance on these 3 favourite tracks:

â€œHead and Heartâ€ by Joel Corry ft. Mnek, available on 15 July 2021.
â€œIntoxicatedâ€ by Martin Solveig & GTA, available on 22 July 2021.
â€œJohn Cenaâ€ by Sho Madjozi, available on 29 July 2021.

Along with the release ofÂ Festival!,Â happy hours and tournaments will be available in the Just Dance 2021 World Dance Floor, the online mode of Just Dance.
These events are available for all Just Dance 2021 owners on Nintendo Switch, the Xbox One family of devices including Xbox One X and Xbox Series S/X, PS4, and PS5.


PlayStation Now November 2021 Adds Celeste, FFIX & More

Sony Interactive Entertainment has announced PlayStation Nowâ€™s November lineup, which includes: Mafia: Definitive Edition, Celeste, Final Fantasy IX and Totally Reliable Delivery Service all await subscribers starting from tomorrow, Tuesday, 2 November 2021.
Mafia: Definitive Edition

The Definitive Edition faithfully recreates the organised crime epic with an expanded story plus gameplay and visual improvements. Rise through the ranks of the Mafia during the Prohibition era, experiencing a faithfully recreated 1930â€™s cityscape, filled with interwar architecture, cars and culture.
After a run-in with the mob, cab driver Tommy Angelo is thrust into a deadly underworld. Initially uneasy about falling in with the Salieri crime family, Tommy soon finds that the rewards are too big to ignore.
Mafia: Definitive Edition is available on PlayStation Now until Monday, 28 February 2022.
Totally Reliable Delivery Service

Buckle up your back brace and fire up the delivery truck, itâ€™s time to deliver! Go it alone to ensure the safety of your deliveries, or join your friends and put your teamwork to the test and haphazardly get the job done in an interactive sandbox world. Unpredictable ragdoll physics meets snappy platforming.
Sprint, leap, dive, and grapple with ease, but collide with something and youâ€™ll be knocked out cold! Want to take a break from deliveries? Then play around. The world is chock full of toys, vehicles, and machines that can be used for work or play.
Final Fantasy IX

Strange events transpire on the Mist Continent, one of the four main lands of Gaia. The kingdom of Alexandria, ruled by Queen Brahne, begins their invasion of other nations under orders of Kuja, the â€œangel of deathâ€ from Terra. An accidental encounter in Alexandria brings Zidane, Vivi, and Garnet together, and they set out on a journey that leads them to discover the secrets of their past, the crystal, and a place to call home.
CelesteÂ

You can do this. Help Madeline survive her inner demons on her journey to the top of the massive Celeste Mountain â€“ 700+ screens of hardcore platforming challenges and devious secrets â€“ in this super-tight, hand-crafted platformer from the creators of multiplayer classic TowerFall. The controls are simple and accessible â€“ simply jump, air-dash, and climb â€“ but with layers of expressive depth to master, where every death is a lesson.
Lightning-fast respawns keep you climbing as you uncover the mysteries of the mountain and brave its many perils. This narrative-driven, single-player adventure also features a charming cast of characters and a touching story of self-discovery. Want more of a challenge? Unlock brutal B-side chapters, built for only the bravest mountaineers.


EA Teases Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order Reveal This Weekend

EA and Respawn Entertainment are set to officially reveal Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order at the Star Wars Celebration event this Saturday on 13 April. The reveal will be live-streamed on EA’s Twitch channel at 1.30 pm CDT or 2.30 am GMT+8 (for Malaysia and the rest of Southeast Asia) on Sunday, 14 April 2019.
The news was announced via social media, along with a brief clip showcasing our first look at official artwork from the upcoming game. It features what appears to be a broken lightsaber hilt on a stone surface covered with glowing runes along with the tagline, “Don’t stand out”.

Become a Jedi. Tune-in for first look at #StarWarsJediFallenOrder this Saturday, at 1:30pm CDT from #StarWarsCelebration. Watch live at https://t.co/iI4qodqiOf, stay up to-date with the latest from Celebration at https://t.co/mVXi17qoJk. @EAStarWars pic.twitter.com/3B3bR3XDmn
â€” Star Wars (@starwars) April 9, 2019
That phrase may be alluding to Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order‘s storyline, which follows a Jedi Padawan who survived the Great Jedi Purge, also known as Order 66. This particular era has been explored various times in comics and even in LucasArts’ 2008 game, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed.
Since Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order will be part of EA’s long-term exclusive deal with Disney (who owns the Star Wars brand), it will most definitely be considered canon to the franchise, which is an exciting prospect for fans.
Respawn Entertainment is best known for FPS games like Titanfall and Apex Legends so it will be fascinating to see how the developer will approach an action-heavy most-likely-third-person title like Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is slated to sometime during the holiday season in 2019. In the meantime, we have embedded EA’s Twitch stream below for your convenience.


New Power Rangers Battle For The Grid Update Adds Lord Zedd & Story Finale

A new major update (v1.4) has arrived for Power Rangers Battle For The Grid on all platforms, introducing the arguably most iconic Power Rangers villain (sorry, Rita Repulsa) and adding the long-awaited story finale for the game.
Lord Zedd

Known as the Emperor of Evil, Lord Zedd is the iconic main antagonist of the Power Ranger Mighty Morphin series. He’s so much cooler and menacing that Rita Repulsa will ever be. Here’s the official description for his arrival in the game as the third Season One character:

The self-proclaimed “Emperor of Evil,” Lord Zedd has conquered and enslaved much of the galaxy.
Initially leaving the “insignificant” Earth for Rita Repulsa to conquer, he returns to punish her for her failure and finish what she started.
Lord Zedd wields his Z-Staff to blast his enemies from range but can also pull them in to close to unleash devastating attacks.
His combo potential is high and even more impressive when he calls upon the Putties to help aid in him in battle.

His ultimate attack is calling his patsies to kick the crap out of Rangers while sitting on his throne. You’ll never be as cool as Lord Zedd.
Lord Zedd is now available for purchase as part of Season One Pass for US$14.99 or roughly RM62+ (which also includes Trey of Triforia, Jenn Scott and the Jason Lee Scott with Dragon Shield character skin). However, he can also be purchased individually for US$5.99 or roughly RM25+.
Power Rangers Battle For The Grid Story Finale

The official description for the story finale is as follows:

Story Act III: The Finale:
Lord Drakkon and his army continue to travel through dimensions, conquering the Rangers and threatening all existence.
With the fate of reality at stake, Zordon and Commander Cruger ask Rita Repulsa to join forces in order to stop Lord Drakkon and his powerful army.
Tune into Act III and find out if Rita has been convinced to join the Rangers to defeat her old apprentice.

Gameplay Improvements
The new Power Rangers Battle For The Grid update also includes:

Combat improvements to make the battles even more fun and engaging
The ability for players to preset their favourite teams
Improved PS4 online play
Online matchmaking improvements

Power Rangers Battle For The Grid is now available for the PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. In the meantime, check out Lord Zedd in action in the trailer below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svCKga4QcCA&w=560&h=315]


New Dungeons & Dragons Movie Slated For Early 2023; Stars Chris Pine And Hugh Grant

The tabletop gaming juggernaut Dungeons & Dragons is seeing some semblance of mainstream and pop culture success and relevance as of late. We can thank YouTube shows like Critical Role and Amazon series like The Legend of Vox Machina (an offshoot of the previous YT show) continuing the trend. With that said, it’s high time we have a respectable D&D movie adaptation that isn’t so bad it’s good. We need something legit.
We may be getting that with the upcoming Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves movie. The film will star Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Regé-Jean Page, Justice Smith, Sophia Lillis, and Hugh Grant. The film is slated for a 2nd March 2023 release, and will be directed by Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley. Distributor Paramount Pictures and production houses Entertainment One and Sweetpea Entertainment stated that the D&D film is a reboot, most likely to distance itself away from the direct-to-TV shows done prior.
Here’s a quote from Goldstein regarding the project:
“It’s a dream come true to bring the forgotten realms and the sword coast to life. We just wrapped shooting in some of the world’s most incredible locations.”


Marvel Games & Skydance New Media Teams Up For New Interactive Game

Back in 2019, former Uncharted franchise writer Amy Hennig became the president of Skydance New Media, a division of Skydance Media that would focus on interactive content. Now, their first project has been announced; a partnership with Marvel Entertainment to develop a narrative-driven, blockbuster action-adventure game featuring an original story and take on the Marvel universe.
In a press release, Hennig said:
â€œI canâ€™t imagine a better partner than Marvel for our first game. The Marvel universe epitomizes all the action, mystery, and thrills of the pulp adventure genre that I adore and lends itself perfectly to an interactive experience. Itâ€™s an honor to be able to tell an original story with all the humanity, complexity, and humor that makes Marvel characters so enduring and to enable our players to embody these heroes that they love.â€
Marvel Games executive vice president and head Jay Ong added:
“Amy has been setting the bar for narrative adventure games for decades and we are happy to be collaborating with the talented and experienced New Media team at Skydance. Their ambition and vision for making innovative entertainment using beloved Marvel IP was obvious from our first meeting. Weâ€™re excited to share more with Marvel fans when the time is right.â€
If it turns out to be anything like the recent Marvel’s Guardians Of The Galaxy by Square Enix and Eidos Montreal or Marvel’s Spider-Man by Insomniac Games, we would definitely be happy. Maybe we’ll even get another Telltale-like Marvel game, that’d be nice as well.


Saints Row (2022) Vehicle & Weapons Unlock Guide

Saints Row (2022) is out now for consoles and PC, and if you love Grand Theft Auto sandbox-style games, you’ll love what’s in store in Volition’s latest. Even if it’s very rough around the edges, there’s some semblance of over-the-top shenanigans to be had.
Here’s a list of vehicles and weapons you can unlock in this wacky game. This guide is as spoiler-free as possible; we won’t detail the narrative and plot of the missions; we’re just revealing the mission name. Also, this list will be constantly updated as Saints Row (2022) is a huge game with a bunch of secrets.
Vehicles

Monster Truck Gargantua

Head to the Southeast part of Santo Ileso (see below). This is the same location JR will give you for one of the JR Auto venture missions where you’re stealing cars for parts. Take it back to JR’s and then drive it in the garage; it’s yours after that.

Prototype RTP 62-8S Hoverboard

First, you’ll need to buy the Eurekabator! criminal venture business for $100,000. It’s only available if your Criminal Venture Tier Level is at 2; just complete story missions and open up a couple of cheaper criminal ventures to level this up.
After that, you’ll be doing a number of Venture missions for Eurekabator! involving awesome high-tech vehicles and weaponry. The very first mission is testing out the hoverboard. Just complete the mission to unlock it.
MDI-707B Hoverbike

Finish the mission “Corporate Retreat”.
MDI-344T Battle Tank

Complete the mission “Severance Package”. It’s one of the late-game missions.
MDI-921V VTOL Craft
Finish the endgame missions starting with “Afterparty”.

Weapons
Rocket Launcher
You can get this classic launcher weapon when you’re done with the early game mission “Be Your Own Boss”.
Focus Rifle

Finish the mission “Non-Compete Clause”.


Gigapocalypse Will Unleash Kaiju Chaos On Consoles This June

Headup Games and Goody Gameworks have announced that retro-inspired side scrolling city-smasher Gigapocalypse is coming to PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch on 2 June 2022.
Inspired by Kaiju monster movies like Godzilla and King Kong, as well as gaming classics like Rampage, Gigapocalypse gives players a roster of monsters, or “Gigas”, to choose from as they reduce cities to rubble to the beat of a pumping heavy metal soundtrack as they create their own monster apocalypse!
With every run you undertake to try and get to each location’s boss, your Giga will become more powerful and earn mutation points. Spend these points to upgrade your Giga with new mutations, skills, skins, and even up to five tiny minion pets who will accompany you on your outings of urban destruction. Take care of your Giga in Tamagotchi-style minigames and decorate your Giga’s home with cool items that will improve your Giga and make them even more menacing.
Gigapocalypse offers nine monsters to choose from – three ‘Old Gods’, three prehistoric monstrosities and three horrors from outer space. You can take these beasts of destruction into a host of fun city locations from across multiple timelines, ranging from the Wild West to the modern day.
In a statement, developer Goody Pundit said:
“It’s been great to see the positive reactions to Gigapocalypse as we’ve added more and more to it throughout the game’s time in Early Access on PC. With the many updates and improvements we’ve made, the game is better than ever and I hope console players are looking forward to picking a Giga and laying waste to everything in front of them!”
Check out the trailer below:


Diablo 2 Gets First Class Balance Changes After 11 Years

Diablo 2 is getting its first major update after 11 years. Technically it’s for Diablo 2: Resurrected, but it’s still a milestone nonetheless.
The upcoming 2.4 patch will adjust every character for the sake of expanding build diversity and provide more opportunities to explore the unique capabilities of each class.
“This is incredibly special, as the last patch to make balance changes to classes in Diablo II was Patch 1.13c, which was released back on March 23, 2010! Now, 11 years later, weâ€™re making new changes to expand character build diversity, and retain class fantasy and specialty! These goals are crucial. Weâ€™re reviewing underused skills, assessing casting delays, making tooltip quality-of-life changes, and more to fulfill these goals.”
Here’s a breakdown (via the news site):
Amazon

Blizzard want to buff the strengths of certain underused melee skills such as Impale and Fend to give more reasons to use them. Blizzard is also looking into freeing up synergy requirements for melee skills to give more skill point freedom for other possibilities.
Assassin
Martial Arts skills can become increasingly challenging to perform in higher difficulties, so Blizzard is re-evaluating how to improve generating and spending Combo Points. Furthermore, various Trap skills are not often used. So, Blizzard is re-evaluating synergy requirements to promote more trap builds and damage scaling buffs.
Barbarian
Blizzard is looking into adding more possibilities with Combat Skills such as Leap Attack and Grim Ward, while also re-evaluating skill synergy requirements to promote more reasons to spend points on certain Combat Skills. Additionally, Blizzard thinks Throwing Barbarians can be more viable, so Blizzard is looking into enhancing the Double Throw and Throwing Mastery skills.
Druid
From Blizzard’s perspective, Druid Fire skills are underperforming. Blizzard is re-evaluating Casting Delays for Fire skills, exploring improvements to some of their Physical Damage components, and improving synergies. Blizzard is also looking at potential tweaks affecting other Elemental skills that are underused. We want to improve the controls for Arctic Blast too, such as allowing more free form while channelling and no longer locking your targeting onto one enemy at a time.
Regarding Summon skills, Blizzard believes Summons are weak in high difficulty. On this front, weâ€™re evaluating health gains per level, quality-of-life improvements, damage output, and new synergies for Ravens, Wolves, and Vines.
Lastly, Blizzard is evaluating improvements to the Werebear skills, primarily focused on synergy improvements.
Necromancer

Blizzard is balancing elemental damages of Skeletal Mages and making lesser-used Golems more effective. Additionally, Blizzard sees opportunities for Bone skill improvements in high difficulty. Blizzard is tweaking synergies on this front.
Paladin
Blizzard is exploring ways to make lesser-used skills (I.e., Fist of the Heavens) more utilized, so players have more reasons to spend skill points to unlock these skills.
Blizzard also sees an opportunity to scale Offensive Aura skills as well. This includes making improvements to AoE Damage auras to make them more effective at closer range. Blizzard also want to improve Thorns so that it can scale better and deal more reliable damage at higher levels.
Sorceress
Regarding Cold Skills, Blizzard believes there can be more diversity with the armor skills (I.e., Frozen Armor, Shiver Armor, and Chilling Armor) for distinctive advantages.
Blizzard is also looking into adding more build possibilities around lesser-used Lightning skills by exploring more skill synergies.
Lastly, Blizzard is also revisiting Fire skills, to improve underused ones, like Hydra. Similar to Arctic Blast, Blizzard is exploring making player control improvements to the Inferno skill so that it is less clunky to use.
Ladder Play
In addition to class updates, there will be ladder play where exclusive Diablo 2 runewords not seen in the regular game reside. So you’ll have to level up from scratch for four months to get these powerups.
Four ladder modes will be available:

Standard Ladder: The casual version of Ladder play that encompasses playing with four acts.
Hardcore Ladder: The hardcore (only 1 life) version of Ladder play that encompasses playing with four acts.
Standard Expansion Ladder: The casual version of Ladder play that encompasses playing five acts, as it includes the â€œLord of Destructionâ€ expansion content.
Hardcore Expansion Ladder: The hardcore (only 1 life) version of Ladder play that encompasses playing five acts, as it includes the â€œLord of Destructionâ€ expansion content.

In addition, Blizzard will be improving mercenaries, adding new Horadric Cube recipes, making changes to set items, and also patch out some bugs.


Tokyo Game Show 2022’s Attendance Was Half Of 2019; Here’s Why

While it’s nice that public events and gaming expos are making a comeback post-pandemic, the latest Tokyo Game Show attendance numbers are expected.
According to the official press release, organizers CESA (Computer Entertainment Supplier’s Association) reported that 2022’s show had a total attendance of 138,192 visitors. For comparison, that is half the 262,076 visitors in 2019’s show before the global pandemic.
These drops in numbers are expected due to restrictions on younger visitors and Japan’s continued restrictions regarding foreign tourists, business persons, and foreign media. See, attendees of TGS 2022 were required to pay a fee to get their travel documents and permission letters sorted by CESA and a country’s embassy, in addition to the media accreditation details. Apart from that, CESA was selling a limited amount of tickets due to keeping in line with Japan’s government policies regarding COVID-19 and expos.
Long story short, Japan’s continued COVID travel restrictions have impacted TGS 2022’s visitor numbers, as the country is still not fully open to overseas visitors.
There is a silver lining to this: international publications who covered TGS 2022 online and from home during the week of 12th September all the way to 18th September did get a lot of news and features out and about. At least on our end, Kakuchopurei has experienced a huge surge in viewership numbers in that week, breaking past the one million unique views mark for its website and YouTube channel platforms combined.

Sure, it’s not quite the same as being at the event in an offline capacity, but it’s better than nothing.


[Rumour] A Certain Perverted Old Man May Be Joining Dragon Ball FighterZ

Fighting game fans may be getting more new Dragon Ball FighterZ characters. The latest news in the rumour mill seems to hint that Goku’s sensei and legendary anime pervert will be joining the cast as a playable fighter.
A screencap via Chinese message board Baidu shared a quick screenshot of this DBFZ victory screen with an all-new win quote from Android 18. It says “The old man is no slouch. Would be nice if he wasn’t a perv…”

Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z fans may recognize the fact that Android 18 is referring to Master Roshi. You know, the old man who not only taught Goku, Krillin, and many others the Kamehameha, but also happens to be around at times like these…

…and somehow thought that his disguise in Dragon Ball’s tournament arc was effective.

Still, to see him fight in DBFZ would be grand indeed. He was the original Tung Fu Rue anyway. We’ll have to wait until Bandai Namco makes an official announcement before we start jumping to conclusions.


Tokyo Game Show 2020 Is Cancelled

One of the biggest video game events on the planet is cancelled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. We’re talking about this year’s Tokyo Game Show.
Here is the official statement so far:

“Due to the outbreak of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) on a global scale and the situation remains unpredictable in Japan as well, the organizer and the co-organizers have reached this decision after a long consideration to place the utmost priority on the health and safety of visitors, exhibitors and stakeholders.
We ask for your kind understanding and cooperation.”

Cheer up: there’s going to be an online showcase instead, most likely to be held in September. Stay tuned to the official TGS website in the next few weeks for more on that.
Other game events that have also been cancelled, postponed, or turned into digital events due to COVID-19 include Paris Games Week, E3 2020, Gamescom 2020, EVO 2020, QuakeCon 2020, and Taipei Game Show 2020. Stay safe, everyone!


The First Four Eliminations Of M4

Day 3 of Mobile Legends: Bang Bang’s M4 World Championship was do-or-die for the eight teams competing in Round 1 of the lower bracket as four of them end their run in the tournament.
With the games only being a Best of 3, there was no room for mistakes. But looking at the results it seemed that all the teams that progressed to the next round deserved it as none of the games went to a Game 3.

Check out our M4 Schedule with live score updates!Â

RSG Singapore vs. S11 Gaming
The M4 World Championship came to a premature end for RSG Singapore as they became the first team to be eliminated at the Knockout Stage. They suffered a crushing defeat against Argentina’s S11 Gaming in the Lower Bracket round, losing 2-0. Unfortunately, RSG Singapore’s Gold Laner, Jovan “Babycakes” Ong was unable to compete directly on stage for undisclosed reasons., which likely contributed to the team’s loss.
S11 Gaming put on a fantastic performance, with player Darien “Chan” Barraza playing a key role in their victory. In the first match, Chan’s mastery of the hero Yve resulted in a win for S11 Gaming, and in the second match, S11 Gaming’s Rodrigo “Erwin” Herenu’s Khufra dominated the battlefield, tearing through RSG Singapore’s defences and securing the team’s elimination from the tournament. With this loss, RSG Singapore’s journey ends with a ranking of 12-16 in this season of the M4 World Championship.
Game 1

The initial match between the two teams was quite a nail-biter, with both teams putting up a strong performance. RSG Singapore brought out some of their best heroes, including Martis, Beatrix, Lylia, Yu Zhong, and Chou, in an attempt to secure the win. On the other hand, S11 Gaming countered this strategy by fielding two marksmen in the form of Benedentta and Grock, along with Yve, Granger, and Brody.
As the match progressed to the mid-game, S11 Gaming began to demonstrate the effectiveness of their strategy. The movement of Yve, played by Chan was particularly disruptive and created problems for RSG Singapore. Additionally, the successful capture of the second Lord by S11 Gaming made it much easier for them to destroy the base turrets of RSG Singapore, helping them secure a lead over their opponents.

In the end, the Argentines were able to close out the match in the 17th minute after Chan managed to secure a Maniac and defeated the opposing team. This concluded the match with a final score of 1-0 in favour of S11 Gaming.

Game 2

S11 Gaming’s win in the first game gave them a boost in confidence, as they came out looking more dominant in the next match right from the start. Chan and his teammates were quickly able to assert their dominance over RSG Singapore, leaving them far behind. The match didn’t last long, with Erwin playing as Khufra, he successfully got First Blood on opposing Jungler quite early in the match.
This defeat was a significant blow for RSG Singapore, especially given they had previously secured the enemy’s, Purple Buff. After that point, S11 Gaming became even more aggressive and just 11 minutes into the match, they had amassed a gold lead of 10,000 over their opponents.
Knowing they were far behind, the players from RSG Singapore attempted to make a comeback by securing the second Lord and attacking the opponent’s base turrets. However, this move proved to be futile as S11 Gaming was able to end the match in just 13 minutes
In the match, Erwin’s Khufra received a lot of attention for his precise skill usage and ability to create momentum for his team. As a result, he was named the Most Valuable Player of the second match. Additionally, this win secures S11 Gaming’s spot to continue competing in the M4 World Championship.

Incendio Supremacy vs. MDH Esports
The second match of the Lower Bracket stage was between Turkey’s Incendio Supremacy and Vietnam’s MDH Esports. Previously Incendio Supremacy defeated Falcon Esports in the Group Stage, but as all three teams ended with the same number of points, Incendio Supremacy, Falcon Esports, and Blacklist International had to participate in a Tiebreaker round. Despite having a strong performance in the Group Stage, Incendio Supremacy was not able to win both matches, which led them to continue their journey in the M4 World Championship through the Lower Bracket, where they faced MDH Esports. Applying the Best of 3 system, Incendio Supremacy were able to claim a 2-0 landslide victory against MDH Esports.
Game 1

The match between the two teams in the Lower Bracket was intense. In the first game, Incendio Supremacy adopted the meta-healer strategy that Blacklist International used when facing RRQ Akira.
The team from Incendio Supremacy used a lineup of Estes, Lesley, Grock, Martis, and Valentina, while MDH Esports tried to counter this with Xavier, Lolita, Hayabusa, Claude, and Fredrinn.
The match was evenly matched from the start, with both teams exchanging blows. However, Incendio Supremacy’s Tienzy managed to initiate a play that opened up opportunities for Incendio Supremacy, which they capitalized on and ultimately resulted in a win for them.
Game 2

In the second match, Incendio Supremacy abandoned their meta healer strategy and instead secured Gloo, Kaja, Pharsa, Brody, and Leomord as their Jungler. MDH Esports, on the other hand, used the heroes Karrie, Khufra, Faramis, Aamon, and Benedetta in their lineup.
In this match, Incendio Supremacy again set the pace of the game, building on their confidence from the previous match. They were able to maintain their dominance and played the match objectively. As the first Lord was defeated, Incendio Supremacy set their focus on destroying MDH Esports’ base turret. Despite MDH Esports’ solid defence, Incendio Supremacy was able to take advantage of GNART‘s blunder on Khufra and secure a landslide 2-0 victory.

The Valley vs. Burn x Team Flash
The Valley had a strong performance in the Lower Bracket Knockout Stage of the M4 World Championship, despite a rough showing in the Group Stage. They had high expectations of easily securing a spot in the Upper Bracket, but ended up losing twice, to RRQ Akira and Team HAQ.
This led them to the Lower Bracket where they faced off against Burn x Team Flash. In this match, The Valley once again demonstrated their dominance, easily stopping their opponents.
The Gold Laner for The Valley, Peter “Basic” Lozanoachieved Maniac twice in the second match and was close to achieving a Savage at the end of the game. Unfortunately, his Savage was stolen by his teammate, Ian “FwydChickn” Hohl’s Esmeralda.
Game 1

The match between The Valley and Burn X Flash in the opening match was challenging and intense. Up until the 13th minute, both teams had an equal number of kills with 4 to 3. Both teams preferred to play objectively, but during the struggle for the second Lord, the teams were inescapable to fight each other.
Burn x Team Flash suffered a significant loss as they were unable to secure Lord and lost two of their players. Seeing this opportunity and with Lord heading towards the Bottom Lane, The Valley destroyed the opponent’s turrets one by one.
The great initiation by FwydChickn put Burn X Flash on the back foot, especially when The Valley successfully defeated the opponent’s high-ground heroes and became more confident to attack the Burn x Team Flash base turrets. As a result, The Valley were able to destroy the enemy’s defence line and secure their first victory.
Game 2

In the second match, Basic’s Karrie was absolutely outstanding. The Valley, who started off the match playing at a slower tempo, now appeared more confident. From an objective point of view, the two teams were evenly matched. Burn x Team Flash was able to save Turtle more than The Valley.
But as the match progressed to the mid-game, The Valley’s dominance grew after they secured the first Lord. Burn x Team Flash attempted to push back The Valley’s players but made a blunder which Basic was able to capitalize on by using Karrie, and managed to get his second Maniac, and almost got a Savage but was thwarted by his own teammate FwydChickn.
Despite this, The Valley were able to win and move on to the next round. They will be facing TODAK in the next match.

Malvinas Gaming vs. Occupy Thrones
Occupy Thrones are the sole representative of the Middle East and North African (MENA) region. As they travelled a long distance to participate, they were determined not to return home empty-handed. Their first match in the Lower Bracket was against Malvinas Gaming from Peru.
Game 1

If one were to compare the kills between Occupy Thrones and Malvinas Gaming in their two matches, the former were almost never superior. However, luck seemed to be on the side of the team from MENA, as seen in the first match, Lio, the Jungler of Occupy Thrones, managed to backdoor and secure the first point for his team even though they were under attack.
Game 2

The second match was a closely contested match that lasted for a long time. Both teams secured Lord twice but neither were able to win the match. The turning point came when, with the help of the fifth Lord, Occupy Thrones succeeded in breaking down Malvinas Gaming’s defence line, securing the victory and full points for them, and forcing Malvinas Gaming out of the M4 World Championship.


PES2019 Gets Release Date & Editions Available At Launch

Konami last night revealed that the next Pro Evolution Soccer game, PES2019 is set to hit stores this 30th August.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fgZD42pGDo&w=560&h=315]
Available in three editions (two for physical), the Legends, Standard and David Beckham Editions, PES 2019 is expected to top what we already believe is the best football game of 2018, PES2018. Yes. We really think that PES2018 is way better than FIFA once you strip all the licensing bits. A detailed discussion of it can be found here.
Despite losing a major license – the UEFA Champions League – in their 2019 game, Konami seems to be hitting all the right notes for the PES when taking into account how they have been operating PES2018. The ability to recruit licensed legendary players into MyTeam is no small feat and their decision to partner with 90s footballing icon in David Beckham is a masterstroke of marketing.
The digital-only Legends Edition gets you these items:

The free premium agent a week for thirty weeks is definitely helpful in building your myClub squad. On top of that, you’ll have the icon himself, David Beckham to sort the right side of your midfield.Â 1000 myClub coins, a PES Brazil Legend loan along with Barcelona’sÂ UNGRATEFUL BRAZILIAN RATÂ  midfielder, Phil Coutinho who will also be available on loan is available to bolster your squad early on.
You will also be guaranteed of one of these eleven legendary players. Who wouldn’t fancy a Maradona or Nedved in their midfield eh?

What do you get with the David Beckham and Standard editions you ask? Well flip over.


Aerith Gets The Best Makeover In Final Fantasy VII Remake

In our glowing review of Final Fantasy VII Remake, we mentioned Aerith as being one of the best things in the remake. Here’s a video that explains why.

If you prefer some form of a guide or just funny nonsense, perhaps you can check out our Final Fantasy VII Remake video page hub.