There’s Some Story Love In Square Enix’s Avengers Game, But Little Else

Platform(s): PS4, PC, Xbox OneGenre: Square Enix and Marvel-branded loot-based online action game
I’m not sure what the allure is with games like Destiny. Because of that 2014 online shooter filled with power levels, loot, and “live services” jargon crafted up by the Activision marketing folks, many other companies like Ubisoft and even EA try to replicate that formula in their own way. Some lived through their lifespans while others fail miserably.
In Square Enix’s case, they’ll definitely power through it with their own action game take that’s obviously tailored after Bungie’s finest. This is probably thanks to Crystal Dynamics’ knowhow with story and game-making, as well as the Marvel’s Avengers license handed to them on a silver platter. They know damn well they’ll be in for the long haul with this, and whatever chinks in the proverbial gameplay armour can be fixed over time.
Because as it stands, Marvel’s Avengers for consoles and PC still feels like a rushed product with a ton of gaps and holes that need filling. A shame too, because there’s potential underneath all this tedium-laced rubble.
Some Assembly Required

If anything, Crystal Dynamics did an adequate job crafting a comics and MCU-worthy alternate take on the Avengers storyline. Instead of some origin story of the team, it’s a “get the band back together after a catastrophic fallout” plotline focused on woke crowd-pandering fan-favourite superheroine Kamala “Ms. Marvel” Khan. And the bad guys? A world-changing organization that helped make San Francisco a better place for the past 5 years when the Avengers went missing. Who happens to be Advanced Idea Mechanics, one of Marvel’s most iconic enemy factions.
Is it a masterclass in storytelling? Does it break the story mould and gambled with high stakes story-wise? Hell no, since the writers rely on the template set by the comics and films. Iron Man’s still a loveable douche, while Captain America is your straight-laced leader who gets things done.
All the writing is poured onto Kamala Khan and her greenhorn perspective, and it really shows. Just expect a good old-fashioned comic book story that features some bright sparks and heart here and there, and you’ll have fun with it.
Age Of Boredom

The gameplay itself? We’ll start with the good: the brawling and team-up aspect. Crystal Dynamics has created an instance-based action game where you and three others team up to brawl and beat up robots and all sorts of AIM baddies and robots. Basically it’s Destiny but with more punching and different hero playstyles that involves flying and some jumping puzzles.
In theory, that’s fine. A game of this magnitude and all-ages appeal should at least keep the gameplay simple and polished, and can be fun for multiple playthroughs. And also have a slick UI that makes it easy to jump into and out of games. The gameplay backbone and basis here is pretty decent, especially if you’re laser-focused on the single-player campaign where you play as different Avengers in multiple linear segments, taking down AIM and fighting a couple of famous bosses from Marvel comics.
The fighting and combat feels initially fun; you can zip around the field with Black Widow’s gear and also fly around using Iron Man and Thor. Each of them have their own defensive shtick called Intrinsic Abilities; press or hold R2 to either do a parry or activate a temporary ability that strengthens your characters. Thor can bring up Odinson power to power through attacks, while Ms. Marvel can use her stretchy polymorph powers to increase her attack range & damage by a tad. It’s not only essential, but each character’s skill trees open up more buffs and powerups for these character-specific skills.
In practice, and a few more hours later once you got your first few heroes in your quest, the game becomes messy and turns into a repetitive slog. On the PS4 version, it barely even musters 30 frames per second, with so many particles and effects (some even looking unfinished like Thor’s lightning) bogging the screen while hordes of robots attack your team.
The game relies on cheap parlour tricks to pad up its difficulty and extend replayability. Unblockable attacks that blindside you from a mile away? Enemies that don’t flinch from Thor and Hulk’s Heavy/Power attacks yet they can knock those iconic heavyweights down with regular lasers and projectiles of various LSD colours just because they’re the same level as them? Having the majority of the game be nothing but filled with repeatable grinding missions that consist of level design bits from the campaign?
Yeah, those are not meaningful challenges or fun endeavours. That’s the game being a tad cheap and asking you to grind harder for better loot instead of tweaking your mechanical skills. The Destiny style upgrades you get -the gear you get- all just make tiny incremental changes that just contributes to your ever-rising power level so that you can tackle the next challenges without relying on chance too much. Sure, if you match up a manufacterer’s armour for your character, the benefits get bigger, but that means you’ll have to go through the usual online game grind. The kind where it doesn’t get fun and your post-campaign slog becomes a checklist instead of a gameplay experience that teaches you the nuances of its combat.
You can get the grasp of each Avenger after a couple of hours in the game’s HARM training room. But really, it just feels artificial when you have to grind power levels and gear for Hulk because he gets concussed easily from small AIM soldier fire. Kinda takes the fun out of being an A-lister superhero, eh?
I Could Do This All Day…

At its best, the crowd control is manageable though it’ll be hard to see what’s going on at times. At its worst, it becomes a clusterf*** of low frames-per-second & motion blur beatdown where your random attacking and dodging might save your hide without rhyme and reason. Graphical glitches are all over the place from Thor’s cheap-looking lightning to some cutscenes bugging out animation and skybox-wise. I’ve also experienced a couple of crashes mid-game, but thankfully the checkpoints are pretty generous.
The beta I tried previously showed promise, but this US$60 product is the end result. And it feels pretty rushed, if I’m being honest.
After a couple of hours of getting the resources you need and the gear you kinda want, as well as fully powering up your favourite hero -Kamala Khan in this case – you’ll get sick of it. As I said, it’s fine for games to be inspired by the Destiny gameplay loop, but somehow nothing’s improved or of added value here. It’s cut-copy-paste work here, done blindly just to cater to the bare minimum of a US$60 product.
Heck, even the game’s UI and “moving cursor” bit is identical to the Bungie game. Being inspired is fine and all, but if you’re not doing anything new to make the core loop gameplay and navigation better or superior, what’s the point?
And those couple of bosses? I literally came across just three from the Marvel comics. Every other enemy is either a horde of guys driving AIM mechs, an AIM warbot, an AIM warship, and a giant alien statue. You would think with Marvel’s colourful cast of enemies, the main game you’re paying US$60 would at least feature a lot more than just The Abomination and MODOK. Whatever happened to the hired help like the Wrecking Crew or the science-based baddies like Graviton or Mentallo? For every few steps Crystal Dynamics they took forward with Ms. Marvel & the Avengers dynamic, they took another few everywhere else.
However, with a pal or three online, the overall game is not so bad. Though in this case, misery loves company. You’re teaming up just to kill time and getting better rate drops doing the same kind of missions done in better online fares. We did try a few games and while they’re competently handled here (no frequent dropouts, seamless fighting), it just approaches the bare minimum.
The Fin Fang Foom In The Room

That bit about Square Enix and its meddling? Well, it’s clear as day that they wanted a loot-and-shoot online “games as a service” title under their belt, and what better way than to do that with one of Marvel’s hot properties, right?
Marvel’s Avengers has less-than-ideal money-grubbing and company-filled meddling that’s sure to turn people off if they’re pessimistic about how triple-A games have fared. For instance, Legendary Skins are US$14 while special emotes are US$10.
For 21 cans of Wonda Kopi Tarik, you can get yourself a special Ms. Marvel emote. What a bargain!
Yes, Square Enix and others have said this is optional and cosmetics, but rare digital objects like these will entice fans to shell money out further because of its exclusivity. That, along with the peer pressure factor and other psychological baiting tactics, will affect gameplay and what’s in the game experience as a result.
This “unfinished” game has the gall to charge people US$60 AND also gouge people’s wallets and gullibility with its US$14 or so microtransactions, at launch to boot. While it’s cosmetic, why aren’t they even unlockables in the first place if they’re available in the base game? Let’s not kid ourselves; a property like Avengers knows damn well it’s worth a lot of revenue and money coming in. So a front-page microtransaction store is perfect for weak-willed fans to throw more money at it, as if the US$60 price point isn’t enough to sting people.
Disassembled

Our previously-reviewed Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3, for all of its foibles, at least was easy to distinguish and was varied with its enemy mobs. And only charged for new DLC months after it came out. Here in Marvel’s Avengers, you’ll easily get sick of fighting AIM bots after the many hours of play here. And you also have the privilege to pay extra for that Legendary “real world money only” skin for Iron Man and Kamala Khan, obviously made ready for the game but made chargeable at the last possible second.
It’s a darn shame too, because having a semi-serious Avengers game with co-op mechanics, and a nice-if-simple brawler gameplay featuring an assortment of playstyles can be rewarding if it’s polished and done right. There are shades and traces of a simple yet heartfelt action game buried underneath the corporate-driven money-grubbing muck that clearly needed a few more months of QA and technical fixing.
Hopefully the game’s extra content post-launch will beef it up, including the iconic Avenger member Spider-Man. Unless you are on the PC and Xbox One version, in which case you have the worst version of an already ho-hum brawler experience. Until its updates and content elevates the base experience and assuming the Day One/Week One patch fixes a LOT of these game’s grievances, you’ll have to settle for Earth’s Mediocre Heroes.
Pros
Action and gameplay is adequate.Good story that keeps you invested, especially if you love Marvel.Each hero plays differently and has some variety to their playstyles.Lots of collectibles & stuff to unlock in-game.
Cons
Didn’t need the “games as a service” Destiny model tacked onto it.Doesn’t solve genre’s repetition & cheap difficulty.Bugs & game-crashing glitches aplenty.The microtransaction prices for a US$60 game, good god….
Final Score: 50/100


This Is Why We Haven’t Seen Shadow Of Mordor’s Nemesis System In Other Games

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and Monolith Productions’ Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor (2014) and Middle-earth: Shadow of War (2017) were both notable for introducing the brilliant Nemesis system. The Nemesis system enables smarter AI for enemies, in which they can grow stronger and remember players if left alive, resulting in a unique narrative for each enemy.
However, despite being praised by critics and gamers alike, the Nemesis system was never seen applied or incorporated in any other games over the years. This is strange, considering how fast other developers often are when trying to imitate and incorporate well-received or popular game mechanics into their own games. The answer might be simpler than we expected.
According to YouTuber Game Maker’s Toolkit, Warner Bros. actually patented the Nemesis system. The patent can be found here at this website. Due to the patent, other developers are afraid that trying to implement a similar game mechanic to the Nemesis system would result in Warner Bros. taking legal action against them.
So far, only the Middle-earth games have used the Nemesis system. There’s no indication if other future Warner Bros. games could potentially incorporate the Nemesis system. If so, then the Nemesis system will stay buried for now, and there’s nothing any other game developer can do about it.


World Of Warships Blitz Breaks 2-Million Mark In Player Base

It’s only been two weeks since its global launch and Wargaming.net’s take on naval warfare on mobile devices, World of Warships Blitz has been making waves; all in the right direction. Earlier today Wargaming released some interesting stats following the game’s release, most notably its player base size and that the game have been played cumulatively over 500 years (in overall play time) since launch.

World of Warships Blitz is Wargaming.net’s second Blitz title, the mobile versions of their highly successful multiplayer games on PC – World of Tanks and World of Warships – where players control real-life classic machines of war and got toe-to-toe with other players. The game is free to play with option for players to spend real money in order to obtain cosmetic upgrades and special premium vehicles. It is available for both Android and iOS.


eFootball PES 2021 Data Pack 6 Adds All UEFA EURO 2020 Teams

The free Data Pack 6 update for eFootball PES 2021 has gone live and it adds a lot more content to the game.
Data Pack 6 is now available to download, bringing multiple content additions that enhance the official UEFA EURO 2020 Tournament mode. All 24 UEFA EURO 2020 teams are now fully licensed, as well as updates to a number of kits, including for referees.
Players can now take to the pitch at five UEFA EURO 2020 licensed stadiums in eFootball PES 2021:

Wembley Stadium
FuÃŸball Arena MÃ¼nchen
Amsterdam Arena
Gazprom Arena
Stadio Olimpico

All 24 UEFA EURO 2020 teams are fully licensed in #PES2021 and #DP6 adds updates to a number of kits, including for referees! pic.twitter.com/L9Snx01JD5
— KONAMI UK (@KONAMIUK) May 20, 2021

Data Pack 6 also adds player appearance updates for the likes of:

GRIEZMANN
COOPER
MAEHLE
RONALDO
SÃ–YÃœNCÃœ

#DP6 also adds player appearance updates for the likes of:
?? GRIEZMANN??????? COOPER?? MAEHLE?? RONALDO?? SÖYÜNCÜ
Additionally, official UEFA EURO 2020™ sleeve badges, including a champions badge for the current holders, have been added to #PES2021. pic.twitter.com/sHFa6wvFpu
— KONAMI UK (@KONAMIUK) May 20, 2021

Additionally, official UEFA EURO 2020 sleeve badges, including a champions badge for the current holders, have been added to the game.


Top 5 Overwatch League Jerseys You’d Wanna Get

The official store for the Overwatch League opens in a few days, just in time with the pre-season and today we are going to share our thoughts on the pro players’ jerseys you might wanna consider getting cuz they are oh-so-cool. While we haven’t seen the actual product, we’ve spotted some players looking slick wearing their respective jerseys in the wild, most notably during the players’ summit which took place late last week. And yes – each players will wear a specific number throughout the season – just like in other pro sports. So without further ado, here are five jerseys you’d wanna get once the Overwatch League kicks off.

1. Seoul Dynasty #14 RyujehongÂ
The best Ana player in the world’s name on your back with number 14. It does not get any cooler than that. The all-black with gold sleeved Dynasty kit sits right on top of our Overwatch Jersey rankings and Ryujehong just rolls off the tongue – don’t you think? With minimal text save for the players’ name, this design proves that simplicity works when it comes to designing team shirts.
2. New York Excelsior #9 SaebyeolbeÂ
The star from the recent Overwatch World Cup, SBB is the no doubt the headliner for NYXL at least tilÂ Fl0w3R is cleared to play. The main DPS for the team, expect to see his name appear in many highlight reels in the upcoming months. But damn the team logo is ugly.
3. Philadephia Fusion #13 ShaDowBurn
Nothing represents an esports team jersey more than a nonsensical, mixed-capped name with a #13 printed on a garish orange and black jersey and this is essentially what the best Genji in the world’s jersey is all about. While the orange and black might not appeal to many at first, it does grow on you and stands out from the other teams in the league.
4. Dallas Fuel #23 SeagullÂ
’23’ is synonymous with greatness – Think about it. Jordan, LeBron …Beckham. Also Seagull is easily one of the most liked and most famous Overwatch player in the league which mean it is a no brainer for one to support him and the Dallas Fuel. The Jack in the Box sponsorship might turn off a few folks thought.
5. London Spitfire – Any player – Home AND Away Jerseys (OK perhaps we should change the title to six)
Never in a thousand years we thought we’d think the color cyan look good on anything – til we saw London Spitfire’s official team jersey. Not only does it stand out from the conventional primary and secondary colors used by other teams, it also bears the coolest logo in all of Overwatch League smack in the middle. Just look at them:

To be frank, we think that combination of white, orange and cyan may be the most inspired design in esports jersey history. At time of writing, the official player numbers for Spitfire hasn’t been released yet but if it was up to us, we’d have ‘Rascal’ printed on.
Also, like other team jerseys, it would be cool as well if they allow buyers to customize these jerseys to their own names. Fingers crossed.
Which of these jerseys is your favorite? Intend on getting one but unsure of the quality? Fret not. We would most probably get hold of Ryujehong’s and Seagull’s once the store opens and will review them accordingly. Stay tuned.


Ridley Scott’s Raised By Wolves Is Coming To HBO GO This September

The highly-anticipated HBO Max Original series Raised By WolvesÂ will debut on 3 September 2020 on HBO GO.
From legendary director Ridley Scott of Alien and Gladiator fame, Raised by Wolves centres on two androids tasked with raising human children on a mysterious virgin planet. As the burgeoning colony of humans threatens to be torn apart by religious differences, the androids learn that controlling the beliefs of humans is a treacherous and difficult task.
Scott himself directed the first two episodes of the 10-episode series, marking his television series directorial debut.

The cast includes:

Amanda Collin (A Conspiracy of Faith, A Horrible Woman)
Abubakar Salim (Fortitude, Jamestown)
Winta McGrath (Aloft, Red Dog: True Blue)
Niamh Algar (The Virtues, Calm With Horses)
Jordan Loughran (The Infiltrator, Emerald City)
Matias Varela (Narcos, Point Break)
Felix Jamieson (Game of Thrones, The Ghost)
Ethan Hazzard (The Long Song, Damned)
Aasiya Shah (Call the Midwife, Unforgotten)
Ivy Wong (Star Wars: Rogue One, Maleficent 2)
Travis Fimmel (Vikings)

The series is produced by Scott’s Scott Free Productions, with a team of executive producers that includes Scott himself, writer and creator Aaron Guzikowski, David W. Zucker (The Man in the High Castle), Jordan Sheehan (The Terror), Adam Kolbrenner (Prisoners) and Mark Huffam (The Martian).
In the meantime, check out the trailer below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_2MVii9YPU&w=560&h=315]


Warhammer 40K Darktide Will Eventually Be Stable For Launch

Developer Fatshark is having a field day with its upcoming multiplayer team-based PvE title Warhammer 40K Darktide, particularly its Early Access period.
While the game is coming out on 30th November for PC and Xbox platforms, eager players have pre-ordered the title in advance to play the game’s Early Access mode. And it’s a buggy mess so far; so much so that Fatshark has released an update at this point in time to fix various bugs and crashes.
The 1.07 fix deals with the plethora of crashes the game has to offer, including instances that would occur when players fell out of bounds, tabbed out of the game during cinematics, equipped weapons with certain traits, and encountered the Beast of Nurgle. The patch also made sure the Ogryn, Zealot, and Veteran synergize a bit more naturally.
Despite the issues, Fatshark said that player feedback and data have put things on a “good trajectory to have a stable game” on 30th November.

“We are far from happy and seeing more crashes than we had hoped. At the same time, we also expected some of this and are looking to the pre-launch beta to test and help address many of these issues.
In particular, there is one big category of crashes manifested as ‘GPU-hangs’, that probably still will show its ugly face at times. That said, we are on a good trajectory to have a stable game at the time of release due in large part to the many players that are helping provide us with the required data to help address these issues.”

Check out our Warhammer 40K Darktide hands-on experiences here; stay tuned for the full review during the week of 30th November.


Cyberpunk 2077 Johnny Silverhand Hot Toy Is Here To Rock Night City

Famed toy manufacturer Hot Toys has announced the Cyberpunk 2077 – 1/6th scale Johnny Silverhand Collectible Figure.
Captures stunning details of the character, Hot Toys is thrilled to officially present the 1/6th scale Johnny Silverhand collectible figure from the adventure action Cyberpunk 2077 video game.
Meticulously crafted based on the appearance of Johnny Silverhandâ€™s appearance portrayed by Keanu Reeves in the videogame, the figure features:
A newly developed head sculpt with excellent workmanship.A newly designed figure body with a cybernetic arm and tattoos.Johnnyâ€™s iconic outfit with fine details with weathering effects.An array of signature weapons and accessories including the Malorian pistol, guitar with strap, duffel bag, a bottle of liquor, sunglasses, interchangeable hands for poses, a figure stand with themed character backdrop for display.
However, there is no release date or price as of yet. Stay tuned on the official Hot Toys Facebook page here.
Check out all our other Cyberpunk 2077-related content here.


Diablo Immortal Players Find Themselves Losing Their Eternal Orbs

Diablo Immortal players are losing their marbles. Literally.
What I mean by that is that Diablo Immortal players are losing the Eternal Orbs (the game’s in-game currency) that they have bought from third-party resellers. The price of Eternal Orbs ranges from US$1 for a pack of 60 to US$100 for 7,200, so buying them from resellers is cheaper. Unfortunately, Blizzard is cracking down hard on resellers, and the developer is revoking all the Eternal Orbs illegally purchased from resellers.
On Reddit, a user named Expzero1 said that many players in Southeast Asia were trying to sell their accounts in order to avoid losing money by losing the Eternal Orbs that they have purchased from resellers.
Players with negative orb balances are banned from group activities such as joining parties and participating in rifts and dungeons, and they cannot access the in-game market. However, they can still take part in the PvP Battleground, in which they can utilize the Eternal Orbs that they have accumulated.
In a statement to PC Gamer, Blizzard confirmed that they have taken action to address third-party resellers, and warned that they will continue to do so in the future.
The statement reads:
“We have been looking into abnormal Eternal Orb purchases that have been reported among the community, and taken actions to prevent players from purchasing Eternal Orbs through unofficial channels. Investigations have been made for accounts that have participated in these activities, and disciplinary measures were implemented against accounts that were found to have violated the Blizzard End User License Agreement. We will continue to monitor and take actions as needed.”


First Dune Trailer Teases Sci-Fi Epicness & The Iconic Sandworm

Warner Bros. has finally released the first trailer for Denis Villeneuveâ€™s adaptation of Dune, based on the 1965 novel by Frank Herbert.
The first film of an intended duo-logy stars TimothÃ©e Chalamet as young prince Paul Atreides as he navigates the various forces at work trying to control his planetâ€™s valuable resource, Melange, which allows for space travel, extends life and enhances mental abilities.
The trailer also gives us the first glimpse of Dune‘s iconic sandworm:

The film also stars also stars:
Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica AtreidesOscar Issac as Duke Leto AtreidesStephen Mckinley Henderson as Thufir HawatJosh Brolin as Gurney HalleckJason Momoa as Duncan IdahoZendaya as ChaniStellan Skarsgard as Baron Vladimir HarkonnenSharon Duncan-Brewster as Dr. Liet KynesDave Bautista as Glossu RabbanCharlotte Rampling as Reverend Mother Gaius Helen MohiamJavier Bardem as StilgarStephen McKinley Henderson as Thufir HawatDavid Dastmalchian as Piter De VriesChang Chen as Dr. Wellington Yueh
Dune is slated to premiere on 18 December 2020. In the meantime, check out the awesome trailer below:


Saitama Punches His Way Into Free Fire

Garena has announced a new crossover event that will bring One-Punch Man content into the Free Fire universe. The collaboration features access to playable in-game content from One-Punch Man.
Garena Free Fire Producer Harold Teo said:
“Weâ€™re excited to welcome one of Japanâ€™s most iconic heroes into the Free Fire universe. Weâ€™re always looking to create novel, in-game content infused with influences from across the world and believe that our partnership with One-Punch Man will offer our global community of players even more opportunities to battle in style.”
Free Fireâ€™s partnership with One-Punch Man will offer players the chance to obtain iconic One-Punch Man costumes and in-game items and collectables.
There will be plenty of One-Punch Man-themed content in store for players, so stay tuned for more updates.
You can download Free Fire at the following locations on the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store.


Netflix’s Formula 1 Drive To Survive Season 5 Gets New Trailer

Netflix’s Formula One Drive To Survive Season 5 gets a new trailer ahead of its 24 February 2023 release date. Season 5 of Drive To Survive will include previously unseen behind-the-scenes footage captured across the 2022 season, along with interviews from drivers and personalities up and down the grid.
James Gay-Rees – who produced the Academy Award-winning documentary Senna – continues as Executive Producer alongside Paul Martin – who produced the similarly acclaimed documentary Diego Maradona – for Box-to-Box Films.
The 2022 Formula One World Championship ended with Max Verstappen as the Drivers’ Champion and Red Bull Racing achieving their fifth World Constructor Championship.
It was also notable for being the final season for four-time World Champion Sebastian Vettel, while seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton endured a difficult season with Mercedes, failing to secure either a pole position or Grand Prix win during the season, which was the first time this ever happened in his Formula One career since it began in 2007.
So, there will probably be lots of drama this season.
Check out the trailer below:


Riot Collaborates With Louis Vuitton For Absurdly-Priced LoL Collection

Most of us will probably never understand why some people would spend money on designer brands for pieces of clothing that are just as expensive as they look gaudy. It seems that even video game apparel isn’t spared from this situation.

Riot Games has collaborated with Louis Vuitton to launch an exclusive collection of League of Legends clothing line called LVxLOL: The Collection. If you can afford them, you can start purchasing the 47 products included in the collection on the Louis Vuitton online store.
Back in November, Riot already did another collaboration with Louis Vuitton for LoL skins. Dubbed Prestige skins, they were released for a select number of LoL champions including Qiyana, Senna, Akali, Ekko, and Yasuo.
Just to give you an idea of how ridiculously expensive these things are, the cheapest item is the Monogram BB Bandeau priced at US$170. At the furthest end of sanity, we have the Leather Biker Jacket sold for US$5,650. This is one of those moments where saying “Yikes!” is perfectly understandable.
See this jacket? It’s US$5,650. You could buy two units of RTX 2080 Ti with that money and still have enough for other parts.
It’s quite obvious the collection isn’t targeted to regular mortals like you and me but then again, who is it targeted to? Rich gamers do exists but would they really want to spend on these tasteless items instead of using their money for high-end hardware?
Well, I honestly can’t afford to find out.


We’re Getting Five New Street Fighter 5 Characters &  Three Stages

According to Capcom’s latest developer update, Street Fighter V: Champion Edition will be getting new characters, stages, and costumes. Definitely more of the latter, if the male-focused fanbase is of any indication. *coughChunLiCammycough*
Street Fighter V will be seeing a final season; players can expect five new characters and three new stages. Because of numbering schemes and all.

“Due to the positive reception to Season 4 and Champion Edition, we are planning to do a final Season ‘V’, which will add ‘V’ more fighters to the roster. Three new stages are also being planned.”

Capcom will share more info about the new content “this summer”.Â In addition, the company will be hosting a costume contest that will allow fans to submit their own designs for any of the 40 characters on the roster. You can send your designs from now until 21st July; two winners will be chosen for this. Guidelines are all here.
The company also revealed more costume concept art from the development team. There’s a good chance these will be available as paid DLC in the final season.
It’ll be a while until Capcom can count to 6, but hopefully, we’ll be getting some fan favourites appearing in the game’s final season like Makoto (who is number 2 on a Capcom character popularity poll two years ago), Q, Dudley, Skullomania (?), Fei Long, Guy, and Oro. Personally, I wouldn’t mind seeing Rose, Maki (from CvS2), Sean with SF3 Second Impact tricks, and Garuda popping up sometime.


EA Announces A New Black Panther Game

EA and Cliffhanger Games, a new AAA developer in Seattle, have announced a new original, third-person, single-player Black Panther game in collaboration with Marvel Games. Their mission is to build an expansive and reactive world that empowers players to experience what it is like to take on the mantle of Wakanda’s protector, the Black Panther.
Led by Kevin Stephens (Monolith Productions), Cliffhanger has already brought together accomplished talent with leaders from the critically acclaimed and innovative action-adventure game, Middle-Earth Shadow Of Mordor, along with veterans of top franchises including Halo Infinite, God Of War, Call Of Duty and others.
However, no platforms or release date/window have been revealed.
It’s important to not that this is not the same project as the Black Panther and Captain America World War II game by Skydance New Media, which is led by Amy Hennig, who is formerly the Uncharted series’ creative director.
Kevin Stephens said:
“We’re dedicated to delivering fans a definitive and authentic Black Panther experience, giving them more agency and control over their narrative than they have ever experienced in a story-driven video game. Wakanda is a rich Super Hero sandbox, and our mission is to develop an epic world for players who love Black Panther and want to explore the world of Wakanda as much as we do.”
The development team at Cliffhanger Games will be working in partnership with Marvel Games “to ensure that we craft every aspect of Wakanda, its technology, its heroes, and our own original story with the attention to detail and authenticity that the world of Black Panther deserves.”
He added:
“It’s an incredibly rare opportunity to build a new team around the values of diversity, collaboration, and empowerment. We want our game to enable players to feel what it’s like to be worthy of the Black Panther mantle in unique, story-driven ways, and we want Cliffhanger Games to empower everyone on our team as we collaborate to bring this amazing world to life.”
This will be EA’s second Marvel game after the Iron Man game by Motive Studios, which is currently in development and was originally announced in September 2022.


The Last Of Us PS5 Remake Is Really Happening, Huh?

The PlayStation 5 remake of the original The Last of Us, a game that came out in 2013 mind you, is coming soon in 2022.
According to industry insider Tom Henderson, the remake will be out in the second half of 2022. The project isn’t officially announced yet, but it has been mentioned by dozens of insiders and sources, with PlayStation’s Visual Arts Service Group being its early developer before switching to a support role.
“Heard from multiple people now that the TLOU remake is nearly finished and could release during the latter half of 2022.”

Heard from multiple people now that the TLOU remake is nearly finished and could release during the latter half of 2022? pic.twitter.com/ZxmNU7zS9k
— Tom Henderson (@_Tom_Henderson_) January 5, 2022

Naughty Dog is also reportedly working on a standalone multiplayer title and a The Last of Us Part 2 Director’s Cut. The standalone title could be the cut multiplayer mode that was initially for TLOU 2. Naughty Dog co-president Neil Druckmann did say a few days ago at CES 2022 that the company is working on multiple game projects.
Naughty Dog hasn’t made a peep since the release month of The Last of Us Part 2 in terms of new game announcements, most likely to take a PR break following many people’s passionate thoughts about the controversial sequel.


PUBG Mobile Teams Up With Lamborghini To Put Sports Cars On The Map, Literally

Want to drive a fast car on Erangel? You can now with the latest PUBG Mobile team-up partner event.
PUBG Mobile will be teaming up with famous car company Automobili Lamborghini to bring its car brands into the digital battle royale world. From now until 30th April, players can access the following exclusive vehicles on the game’s signature Erangel map:

Lamborghini Aventador SVJ, packed with a powerful V12 engine.
Lamborghini Estoque, an elegant and stylish four-door GT concept.
Lamborghini Super SUV Urus, which merges a super sports car with the versatility of an SUV.
A secret car for players to discover.

These cars will be available in two colours – in Lamborghini’s classic scheme and a PUBG Mobile limited-edition look. In related news, PUBG Mobile’s 19th Asia Games esports competition representatives will be decided this coming May.


Spider-Man & Venom Films Swing Into Disney+ Hotstar Malaysia This Week

Today, Disney+ Hotstar in Malaysia announced that five Spider-Man films and “Venom (2018)” will be launching on the streaming service in June. “Venom (2018),” along with the five Spider-Man films – “Spider-Man 2 (2004)” and “Spider-Man 3 (2007),” “The Amazing Spider-Man (2012),” “Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017),” and “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018),” will be made available to subscribers on 17 June 2022.
The list of Sony Pictures films and launch dates coming to Disney+ Hotstar in Malaysia can be found below:

Spider-Man 2 (2004) –?Available 17 June 2022

In “Spider-Man 2™,” Tobey Maguire returns as the mild-mannered Peter Parker, who is juggling the delicate balance of his dual life as college student and a superhuman crime fighter. Peter’s life becomes even more complicated when he confronts a new nemesis, the brilliant Otto Octavius who has been reincarnated as the maniacal and multi-tentacled “Doc Ock.” When Doc Ock kidnaps MJ, Spider-Man must swing back into action as the adventure reaches new heights of unprecedented excitement.

Spider-Man 3 (2007) –?Available 17 June 2022

Peter Parker finally has the girl of his dreams, Mary Jane Watson, and New York City is in the throes of Spider-mania! But when a strange alien symbiote turns Spider-Man’s suit black, his darkest demons come to light changing Spider-Man inside as well as out. Spider-Man is in for the fight of his life against a lethal mix of villains – the deadly Sandman, Venom, and the New Goblin – as well as the enemy within himself.

The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) –?Available 17 June 2022

A teenage Peter Parker grapples with both high school and amazing super-human crises as his alter-ego Spider-Man.

Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) –?Available 17 June 2022

A young Peter Parker/Spider-Man begins to navigate his newfound identity as the web-slinging super hero. Peter returns home, where he lives with his Aunt May, under the watchful eye of his new mentor Tony Stark. Peter tries to fall back into his normal daily routine, but when the Vulture emerges as a new villain, everything that Peter holds most important will be threatened.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) –?Available 17 June 2022

Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, the creative minds behind The Lego Movie and 21 Jump Street, bring their unique talents to a fresh vision of a different Spider-Man Universe, with a groundbreaking visual style that’s the first of its kind. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse introduces Brooklyn teen Miles Morales, and the limitless possibilities of the Spider-Verse, where more than one can wear the mask.

Venom (2018) –?Available 17 June 2022

The evolution story of Marvel’s most enigmatic, complex and badass character – Venom! Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) is a broken man after he loses everything including his job and fiancée. Just when his life is at its lowest, he becomes host to an alien symbiote which results in extraordinary superpowers – transforming him into Venom. Will these powers be enough for this new lethal protector to defeat great evil forces, especially against the far stronger and more weaponized symbiote rival, Riot?
Additional titles from Sony Pictures’ film and television library are expected to premiere on Disney+ Hotstar in Malaysia later this year.


VALORANT Episode 6 Act 3 Battle Pass: New Skins & Rewards

It’s finally time for the last act of Valorant’s Episode 6 and it launches on April 25. The act features no new map nor agent, however you do have a cool new battle pass to grind. The Act 2 skins were mostly inspired “by the style and expression seen in street art and streetwear,” but Act 3’s will see more of mythology and diversity.
The newly updated Bind comes back into Competitive and Unrated queues. We say goodbye to Icebox this act!
Additionally, we’ve got the Global Open Beta for Premier kicking off on April 25 as well. Premier is VALORANT’s team-based competitive system that will allow you to build a team and compete across a set of pre-scheduled matches. If you want more information on Premier, we’ve got you covered over here.
There are three skin sets that will be coming in the Act 3 Battlepass, Monstrocity, Moondash and Bound.
EPISODE 6 ACT 3 BATTLE PASS SKINS
GUN SKINS
MONSTROCITY

ARES

SHERIFF

SPECTRE

VANDAL

BOUND

BULLDOG

CLASSIC

JUDGE

MELEE

PHANTOM

MOONDASH

FRENZY

GUARDIAN

MARSHAL

STINGER

PLAYER CARDS

SPRAYS

GUN BUDDIES


Get Some Eyesight Boost With These Monster Hunter Glasses

Earlier this month, Capcom unveiled the gold and silver Monster Hunter World statues which aren’t exactly affordable for most Monster Hunter fans. Fortunately, there’s also going to be a lineup of Monster Hunter products that are more affordable and they can be worn too!

Ladies and gentlemen, I present you Monster Hunter 15th Anniversary X Megane Ichiba glasses. Capcom Japan is collaborating with spectacles company Megane Ichiba to release a lineup of glasses styled after popular monsters in the Monster Hunter series. Each of the glasses will cost about Â¥16,500 (~RM640) and will be launched sometime in spring 2020.

As shown in the above picture, there are 7 styles to choose from with each of them being based on these monsters (From left side to right side of the image):

Fatalis
Rathalos
Nargacuga
Tigrex
Zinogre
Brachydios
Velkhana

As you all might expect, the glasses will only be sold within Japan. Sorry non-Japanese Monster Hunter fans! For more news and updates on Monster Hunter World: Iceborne, stay tuned on Kakuchopurei.
Thanks, Nintendo Soup.


Demon Turf Will Launch An Impossibly Hard Free DLC

Demon Turf just dropped a brand new, free expansion that’ll put your skills to the test. It’s called Demon Turf Tower and will launch on 6 March.

Basically, the wicked Jester has put a hex on our girl Beebz, leaving her powerless and vulnerable. Now, it’s up to the Demon Queen to help Beebz regain her strength by making it to the top of the tower. But, let me warn you, it’s not going to be easy.
The Tower expansion is the hard mode version of the game that’ll challenge both new and old players. You’ll be controlling Beebz and she only has one life to make it to the top of the tower, which has a whopping 50 floors. You’ll need to flawlessly jump, dodge and dash your way to victory because if you fall, it’s game over.
If you’re up for the challenge and beat the Tower, there’s more fun to be had. You’ll be timed on your run to the top and can even compete with other demon players on the leaderboard. Sounds like a blast, right? But, with Beebz’s limited abilities and one chance to restore her former glory, can you beat the Jester’s Tower? Only one way to find out.

And the best part about this new expansion? It’s completely free for all you Demon Turf owners out there. No need to spend any extra cash to experience the thrill of the Tower. You’ll just need to download the update at launch before you can start your ascents.
But, if you’re new to Demon Turf and want to give it a shot, you can purchase the game on Steam, Nintendo Switch, or other platforms. Trust us, it’s worth it.
To stay in the loop about any updates or news regarding the game, be sure to follow Playtonic Games on Twitter. And mark your calendars, because the Tower expansion will be available starting on 6 March.
Get ready to put your demon skills to the test and see if you have what it takes to conquer the Tower.


Game Of Thrones Season 8 Remake Petition Gets More Than A Million Signatures

Game Of Thrones Season 8 has turned out to be one of the most divisive not only in the TV series’ eight-year history but also likely in the history of all TV shows. With only six episodes in its final season, fans are lamenting and decrying what they claim to be “bad writing” and “rushed nonsensical plot that throws away all these years of character development.”
Due to that, a fan decided to publish a petition to remake Game Of Thrones Season 8 online last week, and it has since received an overwhelming response. At the time of writing, it has been signed by a whopping 1,139,000 people.
The petition description reads:

David Benioff and D.B. Weiss have proven themselves to be woefully incompetent writers when they have no source material (i.e. the books) to fall back on.
This series deserves a final season that makes sense.
Subvert my expectations and make it happen, HBO!

HBO’s Game Of Thrones TV series moved past George R.R. Martin’s source material beginning from Season 6 in 2016. According to some fans, that’s when the series started going downhill, despite the fact that Season 6 contained several of the series’ most beloved episodes, like Battle Of The Bastards and The Winds Of Winter.
With the series finale of Game Of Thrones airing earlier today, it looks like the fan backlash is only going to increase. The series finale of most TV shows have often been extremely divisive or hated in the past, including the likes of How I Met Your Mother and Lost.


More The Walking Dead Characters Join The Fun In Brawlhalla

Ubisoft, in collaboration with AMC, has announced that The Walking Dead will be featured once again in Brawlhalla with Negan and Maggie joining the squad as new Epic Crossovers on 22 September 2021.
The latest reunion of fan favourites from The Walking Dead kicks off with an in-game event that features Negan and Maggie joining the previously released Michonne, Rick Grimes, and Daryl Dixon in Brawlhalla. The Walker Attack Game Mode will be featured as the Brawl of the Week, where players must fight off endless waves of walkers for as long as they can.Â
Developed by Blue Mammoth, Brawlhalla is an epic free-to-play platform fighting game that transports over 70 million players to a fight for glory in the halls of Valhalla. Choosing from more than 50 unique characters, players can jump into single-player and co-op modes, as well as online and local competitions.
Brawlhalla also supports cross-platform play between the Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, PS4 and PS5, PC, iOS, and Android devices where players can play custom games and queue together for all online matchmaking.
In its 11th season, AMCâ€™s The Walking Dead remains cableâ€™s #1 drama.Â  Based on the comic book series written by Robert Kirkman and published by Image Comics, The Walking Dead is produced by AMC Studios and executive produced by Scott M. Gimple, Angela Kang, Kirkman, Gale Anne Hurd, Dave Alpert, Greg Nicotero, Joseph Incaprera and Denise Huth.
The epic journey to the series finale continues Sundays 9/8c on AMC, with all episodes available one week early on AMC+, part of a massive 24-episode story arc that will bring the showâ€™s decade-long successful run to conclusion.


Spy x Family Cast Gets The Nendoroid Treatment

Fans of the hit anime Spy x Family, which is a show where a spy, an assassin, and a psychic cute kid have to work together as a fake family to hilarious results, are in for a Nendoroid treat.
Good Smile Company has announced its Spy x Family Nendoroid lineup during the WonHobby G Spring 2022 expo, as part of its catalogue showcase. Check out the super-deformed looks of fake patriarch Loid Forger and fake child and internet meme sensation Anya Forger below.

Adorable, right? The fake matriarch figure Yor Forger will be made as well, but so far her concept art is the only one on public display at Good Smile’s side.

#WonHobbyG Spring 2022 Figure Update!
Good Smile CompanySPY x FAMILYNendoroid Yor Forger
Web Gallery: https://t.co/6am3inKzPf#SpyxFamily #nendoroid #goodsmile pic.twitter.com/dZAXV6Ei8u
— GoodSmile_US (@GoodSmile_US) May 28, 2022

All three Spy x Family characters are in development; there’s no release date for the trio as of now. Odds are they’ll cost about US$50 apiece and will go well on any desk or flat surface with your other Nendoroid collection.
In related Nendoroid news, Genshin Impact will have its gods Zhongli and Raiden Shogun immortalized in chibi form.


Marvel’s Devil Dinosaur Is Getting His Own Disney Plus Show, I S*** You Not

Talk about the mother of all surprises. Disney and Marvel are teaming up with Laurence Fishburne’s Cinema Gypsy Productions for a Disney Plus animated show called Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur.
Yes, THAT Devil Dinosaur of Marvel fame(?). The same one drawn by legendary comic artist Jack Kirby.

According to the recent D23 expo panel, the show is an adaptation of the comic book series of the same name. It follows one of Marvel’s geniuses, Moon Girl a.k.a Lunella Lafayette, whose best friend is the titular Devil Dinosaur. How did he end up in the present? Time travel; it’s already been established time and again in both animated and live-action Marvel fares.
The show will also be produced by Kim Possible producer Steve Loter alongside Fishburne’s company. The man who played Morpheus and Ike Turner said in a press release that he’s thrilled to bring the series to animated life.

“Disney Channel is the perfect platform to explore this pint-sized female African-American superhero and I canâ€™t wait for their audience to enjoy the lighthearted adventures of Lunella and Devil Dinosaur.”

The animated show will debut next year on Disney Plus.

So Who Is Devil Dinosaur Again?
Like we said earlier, Devil Dinosaur is a Jack Kirby creation who appeared in his own comic book series title Devil Dinosaur in 1978. He was paired with a primate named Moon Boy for a ton of adventures and mishaps in a world filled with more dinosaurs than humans.

He also made a climactic appearance in Warren Ellis’ short Marvel superheroes series Nextwave, who basically made the series’ heroes a living hell behind the scenes because of his humiliation of being Moon Boy’s pet.

Devil Dinosaur made his return in the 2016 comic book series Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur with a simple premise: smart girl and dinosaur team up for adventures in the present day. It’s a load of simple fun; nothing too serious but harmless entertainment all the same.


Six Stack: Things We Learned From Week 1 of Stage 3

After a short break dominated with last-minute player transfers and movements, the Overwatch League resumed last week exactly where it left off. High-tier pro Overwatch action with ever-evolving storylines which were equal parts predicted and totally unexpected. Here are the top six things we learned following this week’s matches:
1. Seoul Dynasty Can’t Afford to Bench RyujehongÂ
Being a Dynasty fan myself, it pains me to admit that they are mediocre with the absence of their talisman Ryujehong. Benched in the match against the Valiant, Jehong saw his team again, for the second time running, lose to the Los Angeles Valiant in an otherwise very winnable matchup. They might have boosted their roster with the additions of several players but the fact remains – they cannot afford to rest their core starters if they are to make this stage finals. Not just yet.
2. Dallas Fuel Aren’t Out of the Woods YetÂ
Following the questionable roster movement and strategies leading up to this week, the Fuel somewhat silenced their critics who were also banking on the Dragons to notch their first win last Thursday. However, despite winning the game 3-1, the Fuel weren’t out of the woods yet and their frailty was again apparent as they succumbed to the Gladiators. The bright side though, is that they have found a stable core to bank on and with Seagull forming a solid tank partnership with Mickie, are looking in much better shape than they were at the beginning of stage 2.
3. Valiant Knows How to Beat the DynastyÂ
Despite the drama surrounding the team for the past few weeks, the Valiant stepped up and again showed everyone that they still had what it takes to beat the Koreans. With new addition Custa in the starting lineup, the Valiant looked like a brand new team as they outplayed the shellshocked Dynasty in all departments. The 4-0 win over Shanghai was a formality but with the Shock and Fuel next in line, notching wins in those matches will definitely propel them back on the track they were on during stage 1.
4.Â So Does Houston With the Spitfire
At present, there are very few certain things in this world -Â  death, taxes and Houston Outlaws defeating the London Spitfire. Coming out of a troubled stage 2, the Houston Outlaws, playing without a God-tier Tracer somehow managed to outgun the Spitfire who had the likes of Birdring and Profit in their lineup. However, it has to be pointed out that the maps in this series were stacked against the Spitfire who were never great in control maps and after losing on Blizzard World, had an uphill climb to win the series – two of which were played on Nepal and the title decider, Oasis.
5. Boston May Be Stage 3’s Breakout Team
Just like Houston Outlaws in stage 1 and Philadelphia Fusion in stage 2, the Uprising may be this stage’s breakout team. They are gelling very well and Dreamkazper is turning into one of the league’s deadliest DPS players. He outplayed the Fusion DPS players and repeated the feat when his team dismissed the Outlaws – fresh from dominating the Spitfire – 4-0 earlier today. Assuming that their internal issues are far behind them, we might see a strong stage playoff push from the Uprising, while also solidifying their spot in the seasonal playoffs.
Syke!
All that progress may come to naught if Mistakes fail to emulate Dreamkazper’s exploits on stage. Following Jonathan “Dreamkazper” Sanchez’s dismissal from the team following his inappropriate behavior involving a fan who happens to be a minor, the Uprising have lost half their firepower and are now in danger of falling out of the hunt completely.
6. Despite All the Shock Results, 4th – 7th Is Where the Real Fun is AtÂ
Throughout the season, we can expect a surprise result of two, with the Dynasty, Spitfire and even NYXL suffering the odd losses to teams they should be beating comfortably. But if you’re in it for the drama, then teams currently occupying fourth to seventh in the overall standings – Uprising, Fusion, Valiant, Outlaws – should be your focus.

The drama comes in thick and fast and week-in, week-out, there’s always a spanner thrown into any of these team’s progress. Be it suspension, contract termination or the typical teamwork-related issues. While we’d love to include the Gladiators into the mix, their weak Stage 1 puts them a few games behind and currently have eighth spot locked in for a considerable period. The recent dismissal of Dreamkazper halts Uprising’s progress while both Valiant and Outlaws are still sorting themselves out following a disastrous Stage 2. Our pick for Week 2? The Fusion to overtake the Uprising to momentarily lock in the fourth spot.

The Overwatch League resume tomorrow with the following matches:


PokÃ©mon Snap Returns To The Switch After 20 Years

During today’s PokÃ©mon Presentation, The PokÃ©mon Company announced New PokÃ©mon Snap for the Nintendo Switch. Fans have been asking for a sequel since the original PokÃ©mon Snap on the Nintendo 64 back in 1999.
We donâ€™t know much about the new version just yet, but we do know that itâ€™s being developed by Bandai Namco.
Hereâ€™s the basic premise, courtesy of Nintendo:

Travel to unknown islands with beautiful scenery like lush jungles and sandy beaches.
The PokÃ©mon pictures you take there will be used to build your very own PokÃ©mon Photodex!
This brand-new game brings the gameplay of the 1999 PokÃ©mon Snap game for the Nintendo 64 system to life on the Nintendo Switch system with unknown islands to discover and different PokÃ©mon to see!
Photograph lively wild PokÃ©mon in their natural habitats as you research and explore unknown islands.
Journey through a variety of environments such as beaches and jungles to capture previously-unseen PokÃ©mon behaviors.
The photos you take can also be used to fill out your very own PokÃ©mon Photodex!

New PokÃ©mon Snap is slated to release for the Nintendo Switch, but no release date has been revealed as of yet. In the meantime, check out the trailer below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Vj8zt_tBtk&w=560&h=315]


Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts 2 Trailer Teases New Kuamar Setting

CI Games has revealed a new trailer showcasing the new Kuamar setting in the upcoming Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts 2. It gives players a look at the variety of sandboxes theyâ€™ll complete their contracts in as they snipe, sneak, and firefight with adversaries in the best looking Sniper Ghost Warrior game thus far.
The developer is expanding the rewards to the digital edition, which can be pre-ordered now on Steam. Everyone whoÂ pre-ordersÂ will receive:

Marcus Tactical: A light sniper rifle with great stability.
FFF-45 ACP Luring Pistol: A sidearm with special luring ammo.
Rock AS100: A punishing magazine-fed shotgun, that fires buckshot or slugs.
Blue Servers Skin.
Warning Stripes Skin.

About Kuamar
Kuamar is an original setting in the modern-day Middle East, nestled between the Lebanese and Syrian borders. A brutal dictatorship, led by President Omar Al-Bakr and his wife, Bibi Rashida, has controlled the region for over 20 years and their reign must now be stopped. With intel from Control, players take on the role of Raven, executing contracts across all-new locations in an attempt to topple this insidious criminal organization and bring them to justice.
Kuamar will provide players with a variety of sniper paradises, evolving the sandbox level and objective design fans loved in the first ContractsÂ release. InÂ Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts 2,Â  there are 5 distinct maps that can be approached however a player wishes.Â  Realistic weapons and gadgets are unlocked throughout the campaign, whilst upgrade points can be used to obtain and upgrade skills to create a custom playstyle. As players expand their arsenals and improve their skills, they can revisit each contract with different approaches to collect more rewards.
WithÂ Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts 2, CI Games is setting a new bar for its best-selling first-person sniper franchise of all time, with 1000m+ extreme-range sniping (a record for the franchise), expansive sandbox-style maps, realistic gadgets and weapons, and upgraded visuals and gameplay engine that make this the best Sniper experience yet.
Pre-orders for physical editions on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One areÂ available now from select retailers.Â All pre-orders include an exclusive weapons and skins bonus pack.
Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts 2 will launch at US$39.99. It is slated to premiere PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One and PC on 4 June 2021.
In the meantime, check out the trailer below:
[videopress VSX90Z1S]


Epic Games Store Grabs Nine More Exclusives In 2020

Yes, Epic Games Store exclusives. The dreaded words. Alas, there is no running from this, and it’s worth knowing what Epic has gotten their hands on this time.
The new batch of exclusives was announced as part of the Epic Game Store’s Spring 2020 update, and there are nine titles in total. These are:
Control: The Foundation (27 March 2020)

The first expansion for Remedy’s Control, where you explore the “roots of the Oldest House”.
Totally Reliable Delivery Service (2 April 2020)

Slapstick sandbox game where you try to deliver stuff with up to four friends.
Industries of Titan (14 April 2020)

Industrial city sim and strategy game, set on Saturn’s moon, Titan.
Sludge Life (Spring 2020)

Open-world vandalism game set on a polluted island.
Samurai Shodown (Spring 2020)

The reboot of the “blade-wielding fighting game” series, which released on PS4 and Xbox One last year.
Diabolical (1 June 2020)

Free-to-play arena shooter with, er, egg robots.
Dread Nautical (29 April 2020)

Turn-based tactical RPG set on a cruise ship that’s been boarded by monsters from a different dimension.
Among Trees (Summer 2020)

A “vibrant survival sandbox” set in the wilderness.
Saturnalia (Q4 2020)

A survival horror game where the village layout changes each time you lose.

Not all of these will be stuck with the Epic Games Store for eternity. Totally Reliable Delivery Simulator and Industries of Titan, for instance, will release on Steam in 2021.
It’s not a knockout list, but it’s interesting to see Samurai Shodown here, with no indication that it’ll be a timed exclusive. I’ll probably check out Diabolical, but that’s about it.
You can check out the Spring 2020 Update video below.


Epic Games Store Is Giving Away Three Free Games At The End Of July

From late June to early July, we put our wallets through some excruciatingly good discounts on the Steam Summer Sale. There’s almost nothing better than buying games at a high discount… except getting games for free which is exactly what the Epic Games Store gives us pretty much every week! So what does the EGS have for us this time?
From now until 25 July 2019, EGS users will be able to claim a free copy of Limbo, a 2D platformer set in an eerie black-and-white world. There was a time when the “Are video games art?” debate was getting very heated and this game was often used as a pro-argument. On that merit alone the game is worth trying out.
The beautiful and definitely-not-depressing world of Limbo.
After Limbo’s free period ends, the EGS is going to do something very rare. Instead of getting one free game next week, EGS users can claim two fully free full-fledged games. Starting from 25 July 2019 until 01 August 2019, both rogue-lite RPG Moonlighter and civillian-in-a-war simulator This War of Mine.
Moonlighter puts you in the shoes of Will, who owns a shop in a village that’s set up near Gates which lead to different realms and dimensions. By day, you run the shop and sell items to adventurers who want to venture into the Gates looking for treasure. By night, you become an adventurer yourself and seek your own share of glory and loot hidden within those Gates.

We’re all used to playing as soldiers in games that are set in wars, but have you ever wondered about the lives and well-being of the virtual civilians also stuck in those wars? It’s okay to say you haven’t because really, who does? Well, This War of Mine decides to give you a taste of the struggles of those non-combatants anyway and it does so in a very engaging way. I bought the game back when it was on sale and I’ve spent around 10 hours on the game and that’s just on one playthrough! It’s bleak, depressing, and will make you question the need for wars but it’s all done in an enjoyable way (that sounds weird but just try it).
So what are you waiting for? Go claim those free games!


Sony’s New Studio Is Working With Naughty Dog On A “Beloved Franchise”

Sony PlayStation’s new internal development team is co-developing a game with Naughty Dog based on a “beloved franchise” according to a job listing.
A PlayStation recruitment ad on a recruitment site (via Videogame Chronicle) said that Sony was “building a new internal game development team in partnership with PS5 Visual Arts”, the San Diego-based support studio which worked on The Last of Us Part 1. The ad also said that the unannounced title was being developed in collaboration with Naughty Dog.

“[C]urrently we are co-developing an exciting new project with Naughty Dog in a beloved franchise.”

As to what the beloved franchise could be, we’re guessing it’s an Uncharted remake. Given past Sony rumours about the company remaking its recent games for PlayStation 5, this may not be a stretch. Personally, I’d love to be surprised and see Naughty Dog’s Jakk & Daxter make a comeback of sorts.


Call Of Duty Warzone Takes The Backseat This Update

If you’re a Call of Duty fan, you’ve probably heard that Warzone gets all the love from the developers. But today’s patch is flipping the script and giving some much-needed attention to the OG 6v6 multiplayer mode.
The Season 2 Reloaded patch is bringing in a fresh “core” map for some classic gameplay, as well as a new co-op mission and a sweet new DMR based on the M4. And if you’re feeling like taking a break from the serious stuff, they’ve even dropped some new party modes for some light-hearted fun. So don’t let anyone tell you that the old-school Call of Duty experience isn’t worth your time or money.
Here’s the rundown:

New map: Himmelmatt Expo
New gun: Tempus Torrent Marksman Rifle (also usable in Warzone)
Atomgrad co-op raid episode 2
Party modes: One in the Chamber, All or Nothing, Drop Zone
Warzone anniversary camos
Path of the Ronin event camo challenges
Party queue feature

Last month, Activision made a surprise announcement for Modern Warfare II players. In an attempt to address complaints about the paid side of CoD, they revealed that a 6v6 map would be coming to season 2 ahead of schedule. And true to their word, the Himmelmatt Expo map dropped today, offering a modern chalet with a realistic design complete with a bar, restaurant, and even a pool.

ICYMI ?: A new #MWII MP map will be launching with Season 02 Reloaded.
The @InfinityWard MP team has decided to move the map up, as it’s already play testing well and tracking ahead of schedule. Stay tuned for more details on this core 6v6 map as we get closer. pic.twitter.com/wFsSQjiZ2c
— Call of Duty (@CallofDuty) February 15, 2023

But if you’re not just in it for the scenery, you’ll be happy to know that the Tempus Torrent marksman rifle has also joined the game. This single-fire shooter packs a 20-round magazine and a reportedly speedy fire rate, making it a viable option for players who prefer DMRs over full-auto rifles. However, it also comes with a “noticeable kick up and to the left,” so you’ll have to work to control it. Overall, it’s great to see some attention being given to the classic Call of Duty experience, and we’re excited to see what else Activision has in store for the future!
If you’re looking to take the Tempus Torrent marksman rifle out for a spin, you’ll be happy to know that you can probably kit it up with all the bells and whistles right away. Since it’s based on the M4 platform, many of the attachments that you’ve already unlocked for those guns can be used on the Tempus. However, unlocking the Tempus itself won’t be easy. You’ll need to score 25 double kills with marksman rifles or purchase a bundle from the store to get it early. That might take a bit of effort, but with some persistence and the right strategy, you can make it happen.

As for the new party modes, they sound like a lot of fun. All or Nothing starts everyone with an empty pistol and throwing knives, and you can earn perks by scoring kills. Drop Zone seems like a variation on Headquarters with care package drops, but the real standout is the return of the classic Black Ops mode, One in the Chamber. With one bullet that’s a guaranteed one-hit kill, every shot counts in this mode. It’s a simple concept, but it never gets old.
Finally, there’s a new social feature that’s worth mentioning. The party queue lets you join a friend’s party while they’re still in a match, and then automatically join them in matchmaking once the match is over. This is a huge improvement over constantly refreshing the social tab to see if the “join party” button is available yet. It’s a feature that Overwatch 2 has had for a while, so it’s great to see Call of Duty catching up. Now, if only they could add the ability to spectate your friend’s match while you wait…


PS5 UI Revealed; It Looks Glorious

Sony has finally revealed the User Interface (UI) and User Experience (UX) for the PlayStation 5 ahead of its launch next month.
One of the highlights is a new Control Center, which provides immediate access to almost everything you need from the system at a single press of the PlayStation button on the DualSense wireless controller; all without leaving the game.

There will also be a new feature called Activities, designed to bring players closer to the key elements of gameplay.
Activities are displayed via on-screen cards in the Control Center, which enables players to discover new gameplay opportunities, go back to things you missed, jump directly into levels or challenges you want to play, and much more. Some Activity cards can be put in picture-in-picture mode, so you can view them without having to leave the game.

Check out the PS5 UI in action in the video below:


Sonic The Hedgehog 2 Movie Is Officially In The Works

Sonic The Hedgehog took the world by surprise earlier this year with a movie that was better than it had any right to be. It has generated a worldwide total box office of US$$306.7 million to date, making it a decent success at best. However, that was apparently enough for Paramount Pictures to commence development on a sequel.
According to Variety, Paramount Pictures and Sega have confirmed that a Sonic The Hedgehog 2 movie is officially in the works, with director Jeff Fowler as well as scriptwriters Pat Casey and Josh Miller returning to helm the sequel.
It’s still in very early development, “so decisions have not been made yet regarding casting or a production start date”. Meanwhile, Fowler himself validated the news on his personal Twitter account:

ROUND TWO WITH THE BLUE!! ðŸ¤ŸðŸ’™https://t.co/YTabuZy08C
â€” Jeff Fowler (@fowltown) May 28, 2020
At the time of writing, Sonic The Hedgehog currently has a 64 percent critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes, but an unbelievable 93 percent audience rating. Thatâ€™s a pretty high disparity between professional reviewers and general viewers, but it’s worth pointing out that 64 percent is still considered a “Fresh” rating as well.
A sequel will probably see Sonic finally meeting up with more of his iconic friends, one of whom did appear at the very end of the first movie. Well, due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, it will likely be a while before production can begin on Sonic The Hedgehog 2. In the meantime, check out my review of Sonic The Hedgehog here.


16 Years Later, We’re Getting A New Alien Hominid

Castle Crashers developer The Behemoth have announced their fifth game, Alien Hominid Invasion, which is described as a “re-imagining” of the 2004’s Alien Hominid.
According to the brief announcement trailer, Alien Hominid Invasion will be a co-op arcade shooter, likely in the vein of past entries in the series. The developer promises more information to be revealed at PAX East 2020, which runs from 27 February to 1 March 2020, and EGX Rezzed 2020, which runs from 26 to 28 March 2020 in London.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXmvNbJvBxg&w=560&h=315]
Alien Hominid Invasion will be playable at both events mentioned above, which probably means that the game has been in development for a while now. It may even get a 2020 release date, but all we know right now is that the upcoming game will launch on unspecified consoles and PC.
It’s been a whopping 15 years since the first Alien Hominid, so it’s no wonder that the folks at The Behemoth wanted to return to their very first game after such a long time. It should also be noted that Alien Hominid Invasion will be the developer’s first-ever sequel or follow-up of sorts.


2K Games’ Silicon Valley Studio Will Be Called 31st Union

Call of Duty veteran Michael Condrey started a new game studio under 2K Games early last year. Now it finally has an official name: 31st Union.
Previously, the company was dubbed 2K Silicon Valley. This team:

Features a lot of employees that used to work at Sledgehammer Games, known for making Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare and Call of Duty: World War II under Activision.
Will be focused “on a single new intellectual property and passion is the center of it. [The team] believes diverse perspectives and experiences are crucial to creating a truly global entertainment experience with a deep connection to passionate fans.”

31st Union will be the fourth 2K-owned game development studio with multiple locations worldwide. Other companies under 2K include Cloud Chamber which has studios in California and Quebec, Hanger 13 which has studios in Czech Republic, California, and the U.K., and Visual Concepts which has offices in California, South Korea, China, Budapest, Los Angeles, and Orange County.


Gamer Matters’ Meck & Danial’s Top 10 Games Of 2020

This is Meck and Danial from Gamer Matters where we are â€œDelivering Gaming Info Across Asiaâ€. This Malaysia-based gaming site does the usual gaming news and reviews, but we also have dia.log – The Gamer Matters Podcast, where we talk about video games (most of the time) with new episodes dropping every two weeks.
Kakuchopurei is kind enough to have us on board again to share a Top 10 Games list for 2020. However, this is not Gamer Mattersâ€™ list (check out gamermatters.com for that!). Instead, hereâ€™s our personal Top 5 Games of 2020- glued together into a Top 10 list. This way, we get to highlight even more interesting games on the list based on our personal preferences.
Hopefully, 2021 is a better year for everyone. Cheers, and stay safe!
Meckâ€™s No. 5 – Watch_Dogs: Legion (Ubisoft)

I was never a Watch Dogs fan until 2020. After trying Watch Dogs 2, I found a soft spot for Ubisoft’s open-world romp. It’s what you expect – but there’s potential for shenanigans with NPC manipulation thanks to the hacking ability. It got me through 20 hours before I got bored.
So when Watch Dogs: Legion arrived this year promising an even wilder set of mechanics with the Play As Anyone system, my interest has piqued, and I have to play it. Turns out, I enjoyed enough of Legion to see it through to the finish, despite the rough performance on PC and save issues on launch. Peering into an NPC’s privacy is a gameplay incentive, and I admit to may have stalked some NPCs just to see their life schedule at play.Â
Seeing the diversity of Londoners that eventually rise up and join the hacktivist DeadSec group to take down an authoritarian regime in a cyberpunk near-future is not something I expect to enjoy a lot this year.
Danialâ€™s No. 5- You And Me And Her (a.k.a. Totono) (JAST USA)

Visual Novels have made quite an impact this year with the major release of a certain Atlus game but honestly, it didnâ€™t capture my heartstrings harder than the release Kimi no Kanojo from JAST, after a long 6 years wait. Its official translation is definitely worth the wait.
The storyline of one Miyuki Sone and Aoi is how you properly deconstruct the visual novel romance genre. Itâ€™s final act is some proper stuff that still leaves an impact towards me even after months of completing it. Its unique spin of the decades-old system deserves a sitting next to the top of the good VNs like 13 Sentinels.
Meckâ€™s No. 4 – Ghost Of Tsushima (Sucker Punch)
This is another open-world game, but one that cleverly makes the world a joy to explore instead of a checkbox to tick. Ghost obfuscates the collectibles and makes it matter each time you discover and attempt to collect one, and the sparse but beautifully crafted world is a joy to behold.
If you love samurai films, this game perfectly captures that fantasy with its excellently executed (but familiar) swordplay combat. And you can be a sort-of ninja too.
A simple story and premise, delivered in dramatic fashion will make me remember Ghost Of Tsushima for a long while. Also, the free addition of a multiplayer mode is genius. It’s not doing it for me, but that’s a great looter game by itself, even compared to dedicated looter games.
Danialâ€™s No.4 – Dreams (Media Molecule)
On paper, Dreams looks to be one of those games where after the initial lacklustreÂ launch, itâ€™s fate bounded to be a product obscured by time as people move on.Â
But this one is a bit special. It’s a collage of ideas, creativity and intrigue that if you look at it in a Roblox or Minecraft way of creating something out of nothing, then youâ€™ll see why the community is still standing strong. Creating small games, cutscenes, music and more, so that we as the players, can experience and feel what the creatives are doing with the tools given.
It’s an amazing display of what people can do, which is why I loved this title and once in a while, I would log in to see what ideas and games I could enjoy playing within.
Meckâ€™s No. 3 – Fall Guys (Mediatonic)

The battle royale genre has a new subgenre: the game show game. Fall Guys is what happens when you try to recreate the absolute chaos from the obstacle course challenges from the old TV show Takeshi’s Castle in video game form and it delivers so, so well. Add a charming aesthetic on top of this (supposedly) stress-free online party game and you’ll get one of the surprise hits of 2020.
I barely get any wins anymore but just being part of the show, agonising each loss as another run of bad luck, is a great time for me to unwind in this depressing year.
Danialâ€™s No.3 – Watch_Dogs: Legion (Ubisoft)
One thing that I had enjoyed playing this series is that they try to differentiate themselves from one another and the third entry of this series is by far the most unique. From its unique story beats that’s engaging to the quite fun NPC headhunting to make them become a member of DedSec.Â
The game had improved from the main core of the previous titles to make it a game that has tons of replayability in the future. A game that many brushed away from the buggy mess that was Assassinâ€™s Creed, but for me, this is the Ubisoft game of the year.
Meckâ€™s No.2 – Final Fantasy VII Remake (Square Enix)

I have gone on record multiple times of how I am not sold that Square Enix can deliver Final Fantasy VII Remake. The long development time, the game to be split up in multiple parts, and the insurmountable expectation it has to live up from its die-hard fans of the 1997 classic. It’s going to be an almost impossible task to make a good remake.
I stand corrected. Final Fantasy VII Remake blends action and RPG elements in a much better way than any of Square Enix’s previous entries. The team demonstrates that they understand what the original game meant to the fans (look at the fanservice, my god) and delivered what they expected. But also twist that just a bit- this is not intended to replace the original- but fans old and new will enjoy this.
The first part of this “unknown journey” of how many more entries will be something I look forward to this time.Â  I’ve joined the bandwagon now.
Danialâ€™s No. 2- Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1+2 (Vicarious Vision)
It would take a big backing and impressive expertise to remake a game based on an iconic series that has been on the downwards spiral. But Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1+2 is one of those rare occasions where both of these criteria are aligned and we get one of the best remakes for this premier skateboarding series.
THPS 1+2 is a game that is addictive, fun to play and have tons of replayability. A game which the veterans thoroughly enjoyed and the perfect introduction to this type of extreme sports genre thatâ€™s having a second comeback. It is the extreme short burst of video game perfection that we never knew we needed.
Meckâ€™s No. 1 – Yakuza: Like A Dragon (Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio)

A running joke at Gamer Matters is that we are all fans of the Yakuza series, but never played the new releases on time. So by the time we dish awards, they are a mainstay favourite in the “Best Game We Didn’t Play” award category.
But not this year. I decided to give this a go on day one to break this long curse.
Yakuza: Like A Dragon is the series refresh it needed after seven mainline entries. With a new protagonist, a new setting, a new combat system that turns it into a full JRPG and a fresh story, this is a great place to start for newcomers. It has all the same hallmarks of the previous Yakuza- a serious crime story (that surprisingly has nuance despite the many TV-soap -opera-level twists). It has wacky but heartfelt side quests that are fun diversions. And itâ€™s chock full of mini-games, including actual Sega arcade games.
I know a Yakuza game is coming this year (like every year it now feels), but I never expected to rate Yakuza: Like A Dragon this highly. I do have various nitpicks about the new combat system. Yet this game took over 80 hours of my life and I enjoy almost every minute of it.
An RPG about middle-age folks in Japan climbing out of rock bottom and empathetically explores the world in various shades of grey is my favourite game of 2020.
Danialâ€™s No.1 – Cyberpunk 2077 (CD Projekt Red)

To be fully frank to yâ€™all, I didnâ€™t read up on any info (besides watching the many hype trailers) before launch, perhaps this is why I went into Cyberpunk 2077Â without any expectation and went out feeling quite satisfied with the gameplay and story. Because overhyped expectations is a dangerous game.
But Cyberpunk, bar its ridiculously buggy state, is one game where the story shines even in the mundanity of the many side quests. From helping a neighbour next door to the dismantling of a large corporation in the bid to make Keanu Reeves happy again, are a few reasons why its story is engaging to experience over and over again.
Perhaps after the bugs and issues are resolved, Cyberbug 2076 would be this generation’s Fallout New Vegas, an outlier in between the other, more famous series in the market.


Somerville Still Has The Same Adventure Puzzle DNA As Limbo & Inside, But…

Platform(s): PC (version reviewed), Xbox One, PlayStation 4
Genre: Sci-Fi Adventure
In the new and visually-arresting adventure game Somerville, brought to you by folks who worked on Limbo and Inside via a new studio named Jumpship, you play a father who is separated from his wife and kid in an alien invasion on Earth. It’s up to you to get out of your cabin in the woods all the way to the city and to some semblance of civilization to find them, and perhaps some help along the way.
You also inherit an alien power from a dying alien warrior that emanates from your hand, which will help you solve certain cryptic alien puzzles that require you to break down red-and-black monoliths and barricades as long as you are holding a powered-up electrical/energy item like a lamp or a flare. You use the trigger buttons to shine some of that blue light energy to break it down. Later on, you’ll get an alien powerup that hardens any liquified alien “goop” for puzzle-solving and progress-making. In terms of challenge, you’ll definitely get your grey matter-tingling’s worth as Somerville’s puzzles are tricky but definitely has solutions staring in your face.
Space Jam

At times, you’ll be using a crank for buckets and gates, and at other times you’ll have to figure out where’s the best spot to shine your light to destroy those pesky alien barricades blocking your way. Somerville also has chase sequences involving the not-so-friendly visitors from outer space, either in the form of a scary monstrosity or a giant beam of purple light that will beam you up to your doom. These bits require on-the-fly thinking and running; they definitely do add a bit of excitement right after an environmental brain teaser.
Just like its “predecessor” titles, Somerville’s story may not be what it seems. What starts off as a heartfelt story of a dad trying to reunite with his loved ones ends up becoming a little bats*** insane in the second half of the game. Without going into spoilers, this Skylines-and-Close-Encounter-Of-The-Third-Kind storyline mashup makes a heckuva twist that may undervalue what’s being advertised, but it is interesting, to say the least.
What isn’t interesting and is damning is some of the graphical and immersion-breaking jank that’s prevalent in the game. It’s an indie game with a few people working on it, I get that. But some parts in the latter half just feel very jarring and not programmed properly, like disappearing babies and missing key frames of animation being replaced with assets that aren’t supposed to be there. Thankfully, this isn’t common, but it does deserve some mention.

Somerville attempts to be the next Inside or Limbo, but with colour and a lot more scifi. It mostly succeeds, as some of its off-kilter segments, vistas and art style, conclusions, and developer choices will be seared in your mind for the remainder of 2022. I do hope this adventure game gets a bit more polished from a future update, because some of its graphical glitches can be immersion-breaking.
Final Score: 70/100


Creators Of Persona Announce Metaphor: ReFantazio

Atlus has just dropped a bombshell on us with their latest RPG announcement, introducing us to the exciting world of Metaphor: ReFantazio. It’s clear that this game draws inspiration from two beloved franchises, Persona and Shin Megami Tensei, and we couldn’t be more thrilled.
We were already buzzing with anticipation for the Xbox Showcase, especially after the recent teasers of Persona 3 Reload and Persona 5 Tacticia. Little did we know that Atlus had another surprise waiting for us – Metaphor: ReFantazio, a captivating fantasy RPG that shares some intriguing similarities with Project Re Fantasy.
The reveal trailer of Metaphor: ReFantazio sets the stage perfectly, giving us a sneak peek into the game’s storyline and showcasing a plethora of features that will undoubtedly resonate with die-hard Atlus fans. It’s a treat for the eyes and a tantalizing taste of what’s to come.


LifeAfter x Ghost In The Shell SAC_2045 Crossover Volume 2 Is Now Live

The second volume of the crossover event between the open world doomsday survival game LifeAfter, and the famous Japanese manga and anime franchise Ghost In The Shell SAC_2045 goes live today on 22 July 2021.
The first volume of LifeAfter x Ghost In The Shell SAC_2045 Crossover in February has aroused an enthusiastic response from the players. Players are fascinated by the combination of future science fiction and doomsday survival styles, as well as the exclusive collaboration outfits and items. This time, in addition to the content of the first crossover event, a new series of outfits and items would be added to the game, as well as a special quest â€“ stealth operation with Major.
In order to bring players a brand-new cyberpunk plus post-apocalyptic experience, LifeAfter created new content for the second volume of crossover, including outfits, sports car appearance, drone appearance, furniture sets and sprays.
Players can not only put on Public Security Section 9 themed outfits and feel the pride of becoming a counter-cyberterrorist specialist but also give their best companion — pet dogs, a new look of bionic mask and suit. The mechanical retro style furniture sets, flashing blue and purple sports car, new drone appearance resembling Tachikoma and other supporting items will give players an immersive cyberpunk doomsday survival experience.

There are also lots of benefits for participants this time! During the event time, players can receive the collaboration limited item â€œCombat Motoko Sprayâ€ by logging in. Permanent outfit â€œCool Breeze â€“ Motokoâ€ would also be given to players who stay active during the event for free. In addition to a wealth of collaboration items, players can also experience a collaboration-themed stealth quest this time, in which they need to complete a stealth operation under the instruction of Motoko Kusanagi, the elite from Public Security Section 9.
In the operation, the player’s mission is to infiltrate the Imperial Barracks and get the access card undetected. There is always the possibility of being spotted by the flashlights of imperial soldiers, so players must not let up for a moment! As an expert in this area, Motoko Kusanagi would give instructions to players throughout the mission. With the guidance of the elite combatants, players will be able to improve their stealth techniques and complete the mission successfully.
Furthermore, there will be some benefits for players who want to try out the new crossover event. From 22 July to 28 July 2021, follow the LifeAfter official social media account on Facebook (@LifeAfter.en) or Twitter (@LifeAfter_en). If you click like to the related posts, youâ€™ll have a chance to win a US$50 Google Play gift card.
The event officially starts on 22 July 2021, and ends on 5 August 2021. You can download the game by heading over here.
In the meantime, check out the trailer below:


Dragonheir: Silent Gods X Dungeons & Dragons Coming Later This Year

Nuverse, the publisher behind Marvel Snap, is diving headfirst into the world of Dungeons and Dragons with their latest video game, Dragonheir: Silent Gods. This upcoming release is set to bring some serious RPG action by merging with DnD later this year.
Once Dragonheir: Silent Gods hits the shelves, fans can expect an abundance of new content that brings the game’s diverse universe together with other popular franchises, with Dungeons and Dragons leading the charge.
Dragonheir already shares many similarities with Dungeons and Dragons. It’s an isometric RPG that allows for non-linear adventuring, character customisation, and even requires players to roll a 20-sided die to determine the outcome of their decisions.

The game will feature both friends and foes from the DnD universe. Errtu, a massive balor demon, will be an enemy, while Drizzt Do’Urden, a drow ranger, will join you on your quest to defeat Errtu. Moreover, Matthew Mercer, a renowned voice actor known for his involvement in various games and DMing many Critical Role campaigns, will also lend his voice to Dragonheir. Nuverse isn’t just paying homage to DnD anymore; they’re all in!
It’s clear that Dragonheir’s upcoming crossover with Dungeons and Dragons is just the beginning of a broader soft relaunch of the iconic tabletop game and its related media. With a Minecraft Dungeons and Dragons DLC and a new DnD movie featuring Chris Pine on the horizon, the franchise is expanding its reach to new audiences.

Check out our DnD movie review!
Dragonheir is set in the Adenthia world, where players can select from four classes: entertainer, mage, soldier, and thief. Similar to Diablo 2 and 3, you’ll be able to recruit allies with unique abilities and characteristics to aid you on your journey through the multiversal conflict.
If you’re eager to learn more about Dragonheir, you can find additional details on the game’s Steam page, which can keep you updated by adding it to your wishlist. The game is expected to be released in the latter half of this year.
Take a peek at the official trailer below to witness the thrilling collaboration between Dragonheir and Dungeons and Dragons.


All The New Legendaries In The Borderlands 3 Bounty Of Blood DLC [Update]

Borderlands 3’s latest DLC, Bounty of Blood: Fistful of Redemption, is out now. The main story missions in this sci-fi samurai Western mashup expansion that comes with dinosaur jet hybrid vehicles is fun and all, but also comes with a whole lotta new loot.
Before we get to that, let’s talk about…
What’s New In The Bounty Of Blood Update?
Apart from the DLC itself, the level cap has been raised from 57 to 60. That means 3 extra new skill points, though at the expense of invalidating your level 57 gear that you’ve been amassing since the Cartel mini-event.
There are also new Guardian Rank skills that increase your melee damage.
For some reason, port-a-potties/toilet stalls in this DLC seem to house more Legendary drops more frequent than in the main game and other DLC’s toilets.
Now, on to the loot! Be sure to scroll all the way down to arguably the best Epic/Purple gun you can easily get at the start of the DLC, as well as the best guns in the game right now!

Unkempt Harold – Torgue gun previously from Borderlands 2. Fires 3 shots in a horizontal spread that eventually spreads into 7 pellets. Has a huge splash radius. Dropped from Cober Dowd at Bloodsun Canyon.

Complex Root – Maliwan sniper rifle. Shot splits into a multitude of laser projectiles that ricochet all over in a square root numeral pattern in sharp angles. Can deal friendly fire, so be careful when using this weapon as Amara (Tie That Binds build) and Moze (Splash build). Dropped from Lani Dixon the invisible badass enemy in Ashfall Peaks.

Contained Blast – Torgue assault rifle. Shots from this rifle will spawn mini-bombs that explode after a short period of time, or when you reload. Basically the assault rifle version of the Kaoson. Farm from Abbadoxis in Ashfall Peaks.Â

Light Show – Vladof pistol. Shoots four bullets in a shape of a square; best for up-close shooting. High rate of fire. Farm this weapon from Lasodactyl in Obsidian Forest.
Spade – Torgue shotgun. Fires large spread of bullets that also spawn mini-bombs that explode after a short period of time. Or when you reload.

Satisfaction – Torgue rocket launcher. Fires a spread of 4 rockets that explode after a second or two once attached to its target(s).
Dowsing Rod – Vladof assault rifle. Big magazine. High rate of fire the longer you hold the fire button. Comes with a grenade launcher alt fire.

Stonethrower – Jakobs assault rifle. Features penetrating bullets. Richocet bullets if you land a body shot.Â Farm this in Ashfall Peaks from the boss Kormash.Â
Robin’s Call – Jakobs shotgun. Works like Lucian’s Call and Rowan’s Call assault rifles (get ammo back if you score a critical hit). Farm this in Ashfall Peaks from Garriden Loch.Â
Plumage – Atlas rocket launcher. Fires a “peacock feather” spread of 5 rockets and can alt-fire a tracking grenade that paints targets for the rockets to home onto. Farm this rocket launcher from Wrendon Esk in the Blastplains.Â

Beacon – Maliwan pistol. Can switch between 2 elements. High rate of fire ala Hellshock. Reloading triggers a nova of the gun’s current element. You can farm this from Jerrick Logan at Bloodsun Canyon (near the Presentation Room spawn point).Â

Miscreant – Vladof pistol. Fires explosives rockets that fly in a screwball trajectory. Comes with regular fire and double barrel fire; the latter is less accurate FYI. Farm this from the Quartermaster in Bloodsun Canyon; he’s the main boss of this stage.

Proprietary License – Hyperion SMG. Bullets it fires will create sticky bombs that “drill” downwards to an enemy’s feet, then explodes. Critical shots also ricochet bullets to nearby enemies. You can farm this weapon from the Hydragonian in Obsidian Forest.Â

Bloom – Jakobs pistol. Hold trigger to charge Burst Fire shots. Farm it from Ruin (the last boss of the DLC) at Crater’s Edge.Â

Brightside – Tediore shotgun. If you land a critical, you don’t use up ammo. Perfect for a Fl4k build using Megavore. Farm this gun from Adelai Bronson in the Blastplains (near the Pump and Charge station).Â

Gargoyle – COV Pistol. High rate of fire like an SMG. Corrosive only. Projectiles explode corrosive damage shortly after impact. Has friendly fire, so watch out. Can be farmed at Bloodsun Canyon from Dickon Goyle.Â

Flipper – Maliwan SMG with two switchable elements. Shots split into multiple bullet patterns in rapid succession. You can farm this from Minosaur in Bloodsun Canyon.

Sublime Frequency – Maliwan shotgun with 2 different elements. Fires a charged soundwave shot that has a decent spread.

Pouncing The Blanc – Dahl pistol. Damaging enemies grants +35% weapon damage for a short time when switching between firing modes. Stacks 10 times.

Narp – Hyperion sniper rifle. When reloading, remaining rounds grant bonuses to the next magazine. Bonuses include increased fire rate, higher damage, better accuracy, and stable handling.
For instance, if you’re at 13 rounds and you reload, the bonuses you get are better in the next magazine. You can farm this gun in Ashfall Peaks from Haddon Marr.Â

Peashooter – Jakobs pistol. Super-fast reload and fire rate. Drops explosives close to enemies if you get critical hits. It’s an Epic/Purple weapon, but so far it’s one of the best weapons in the current version of the game.
You can get this weapon by completing the DLC’s main quest “Blood From A Stone”. If you want the best version of the weapon, we highly recommend you hit level 60 before starting the DLC.
NEXT: The top 10 guns


The One Where The Friends Cast Reunite For An HBO Max Special

Guess that fabled Friends reunion is not stuck in second gear.
According to a Variety report, the cast of the 90s groundbreaking TV sitcom will be reuniting for an exclusive untitled and unscripted special on HBO Max. That means for the first time in forever, Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry, and David “best Robert Kardashian” Schwimmer will be together at Stage 24 on the Warner Bros. Studio lot in Burbank to celebrate the long-running 10-season series.
As if prolonged friendship and nostalgia isn’t enough to bring the cast together, each of the actors will be getting at least US$2.5 million each for the project. I’m sure the latter point isn’t the main reason they’re doing this.

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A post shared by Courteney Cox (@courteneycoxofficial)

Friends executive producers Kevin Bright, Marta Kauffman, and David Crane will be directing and producing the special alongside Ben Winston. No word on how much they’ll be paid for this though.
I’m not sure about the rest of the world, but we’re still binging on Friends via Netflix for a while now here in Malaysia and Singapore. Whether this special and the HBO Max exclusivity will affect the comedy’s Netflix streaming run remains to be seen, but we’ll find out soon enough on May.


Guilty Gear Strive Starter Edition 2022 And Cross Play Beta Test Dates Announced

Fighting game fans who aren’t sure about jumping into Guilty Gear Strive in 2022 can do so with the upcoming starter pack.
The Guilty Gear Strive Starter Edition will be out in 9th August 2022 for PS4 and PS5 according to a recent Arc System Works livestream celebrating the game’s 1st year anniversary. This version of the game will feature the base game, all the Season 1 DLC and updates, and extra colours exclusive to this version of the game.

In addition, Arc System Works announced that the cross play beta for the game will be available for testing this Summer 2022. The actual dates will be announced on a later time.
In terms of updates, Arc System Works announced major balances and updates that will go live on June 10th. There will be balance tuning for the entire cast, changes to overall game mechanics that transform the game, and improvement to controls.
Arc System Works also shared the fan-voted results for its popular character and music track poll

The top three popular characters in GG Strive are Sol Badguy, Sin Kiske, and Ramlethal. The second place character isn’t playable, so it goes to show how popular he is. So he’ll definitely be part of the roster in the next season.
The top three songs are “Smell of the Game” (Main Theme), “Drift” (Happy Chaos’ theme), and “Love the Subhuman Self” (Millia Rage’s theme). The 1st place song is a given, but it’s nice to see the community having taste in terms of music.