Meet Vantage, Apex Legends’ Newest Scout

No, we haven’t been baited like we were with Forge and Revenant, Vantage is really coming to Apex Legends with the release of Season 14: Hunted on 9 August.
Here’s a little bit of info about her:
Born to a wrongfully-convicted criminal who gave birth to her alone on the barren ice planet Págos, she learned from an early age one simple truth: everything wants to kill you. As she makes her debut in Apex Legends: Hunted, Vantage has grown into the ultimate survivalist and an expert sharpshooter.
Vantage becomes the 22nd Legend next week with the launch of Apex Legends: Hunted and her abilities show why she has become such a master at survival.

Spotter’s Lens (Passive) – Using her Spotter’s Lens to read tactical information on enemy squads at a distance, Vantage always has the upper hand with critical intel like Legend name, Shield rarity, team size and range.
Echo Relocation (Tactical) – Vantage’s companion Echo is at the ready to help her reposition herself in a fight. Using her modified jetpack and targeting system, Vantage can launch herself towards Echo’s position and take the high ground.
Sniper’s Mark (Ultimate) – There’s nowhere to hide from Vantage’s custom sniper rifle, which reveals enemies with its scope and with its ammunition: a successful hit highlights opposing squads for 10 seconds accompanied by a diamond marker, and damage scales up with each hit.

Respawn Entertainment Leaked Their New Apex Legend
Apex Legends Season 14 Will Breathe New Life Into Kings Canyon
Apex Legends Season 14 Will Increase Level Cap


Don’t Sleep On Drinkbox Studio’s Newest Standout Action RPG Of 2022

Platform(s): Xbox Series (version reviewed), Xbox One, PC, PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch
Genre: Action RPG with flexible Job System that isn’t called Final Fantasy
Ever want to see a pale naked guy transform into a horse that can shoot arrows and summon circling disembodied fists? In Nobody Saves The World, you can!
In this quirky action RPG from game studio Drinkbox, the folks renowned for the equally zany search action title Guacamelee, you play an albino amnesiac who suddenly possesses a wand that can change him/her into different Forms. Our white hero can transform into a speedy rat, to a bodybuilder, to even an ass-kicking Monk, though he/she has to start from the bottom of the proverbial food chain and level up to open up new Forms. Heck, there’s even a joke Form that starts out useless but is essential for getting the game’s uber Form in the late game.
Essentially it’s another take on the patented Job system that’s famous in your high tier Final Fantasy entries, but with a twist on its upgrade system. See, you’re given a slew of quests that are either general or specific to the Form. Complete the former to level up your character’s base stats and complete the latter to upgrade the Form you’re in. Better Form grades equal more skills active and passive. Newer Forms also open up previously-barred places when exploring; you can’t navigate past the water unless you’ve unlocked a Form that either lets you swim or float across it.
Quest For Glory

In addition, completing quests will net you a Star key, which you’ll need to unlock main story dungeons. Quests come in many, many forms and are the crux of Nobody Saves The World. Some are standard like completing dungeons from gingerbread houses to even literal bellies of dead beasts, or help out one of the many townsfolk and NPC with a quest in the area. Form-related quests include killing a good amount of foes with specific abilities, or even doing achievement-level feats like pulling off an attack that lasts 10 seconds or so, or even killing a group of enemies with specific skills.
These quests even go as far as to make sure you also take certain abilities of a Form and use it on another Form, to ensure that you experiment the best combination for action RPGing. Remember when I said you could transform into a horse with arrow-firing abilities? I was not kidding; if you level up enough, you can equip your horse with that ranged attack and anything else that’s available and unlocked.
And to do the latter, you’ll need to complete and grind a buttload of quests. That’s the beauty of Nobody Saves The World: quests are doled out bountifully so that you can complete them whenever and wherever you are at in the game’s weird-ass fantasy setting featuring wizards, thieves, chaos magic, and snark. There’s a ton of the latter in the game’s narrative and sidequest NPC dialogue; a standard in a Drinkbox-made title. It’ll make you chuckle a bit, and keep you engaged in its colourful and silly aesthetics.
Best of all, the gameplay loop of unlocking Forms, upgrading Forms, and killing the many, many enemies in style with all your options available is addictive and feels cathartic thanks to the game’s spot-on controls and easy inputs. Having the Monk deal a screen-clearing Ray of Light attack that stuns and poisons foes, while having it heal you is an example of game-breaking combos you want to aim for with Nobody Saves The World’s fun and flexible system.
Of course, the game does take a few hours to get into gear with its plethora of Forms and abilities mix-and-matching; you only start off with 3 or so in the earlier parts of the game. Once you’re tasked with searching the rest of Nobody Saves The World’s map for the MacGuffin gems – about 4 to 5 hours through- the aforementioned place is your playground. You’ll get lost knee-deep in quests, dungeon-trekking, and achievements-hunting unlocking Forms and buffing up the ones you have.
You can also co-op with another albino shapechanger for JRPG tag-teaming action. If that’s not enough, there’s even a New Game+ so that you can start with all the forms you’ve unlocked and experience a buffed-up challenge. All in all, score one more for Drinkbox Studio’s portfolio from this 2022 esoteric and Job-filled take on the action RPG genre that’s too hard to put down.
Pros

Fun action RPG controls and combat feel.
Tons of Forms/Classes & skills to experiment with.
Charming aesthetics and humour.
New game+ options.

Cons

Starts slow and limited.

Final Score: 80/100


PS4 System Update 8.00 Is Now Live

The latest system software update for the PS4, version 8.00, is launching today globally. It should already be downloading automatically as soon as you boot up your console.
This update includes changes to the existing Party and Messages features, new avatars, updated parental controls and more.
Here are some of the key features in this update:
Updates to Party and Messages
Following this update, Party and Messages will be more tightly linked together and you will see changes to the UI. Both apps will now use the same â€˜Groupsâ€™ of players for Party voice chats and message exchanges, instead of having different groups setup across the two apps.
Now players can start a Party chat or send a message to the group that they’ve previously chatted with across PS4, as well as PS5 when it launches.
New Avatars
An array of new avatars from our favourite games have now been added, including Bloodborne, Journey, Ghost Of Tsushima, God Of War, The Last Of Us Part 2, The Last Of Us Remastered, Uncharted 4: A Thiefâ€™s End and many more.
Mute all Mics from Quick Menu
There is now an option to â€œMute all Microphonesâ€ in the Quick Menu, so you can easily mute your mics while gaming.
Simplified and more flexible Parental Controls
Under Parental Controls, the â€˜Communicating with Other Playersâ€™ and â€˜Viewing Content Created by other Playersâ€™ settings have been combined into one; â€˜Communication and User Generated Content’. This offers a simpler setting thatâ€™s easier for parents to understand and apply to their children.
In addition, children can send a request to their parents to use communications features in specific games. When a child sends this request, the parent will receive an email notification and can choose to make an exception for that game and allow the child to use its communications and UGC features.
This will provide more flexibility to both parents and children.
Enhanced 2-Step Verification
The 2-Step Verification (2SV) feature on PS4 has been enhanced to support third party authenticator apps as an option during the activation flow and 2SV sign-in across PS4, mobile and web.
Removal of Event Creation and Private Community Creation
After 8.00, you will no longer be able to create Events or access existing Events created by other users.
The ability to create private Communities under the Community app on PS4 has been removed. However, if you already have existing private Communities, you can continue to access them.
Updates to Remote Play App on Mobile and PC
At the same time as 8.00, the existing PS4 Remote Play app on mobile (iOS/Android), Windows PC and Mac, will change its name to PS Remote Play, and the option to connect to PS5 will be added. However, youâ€™ll need to sign in to PSN from your PS5 (once it launches this November) to be able to access the feature.


CS:GO Skin Prices Rocket After Counter-Strike 2 Reveal

Valve’s recent announcement that Counter-Strike 2 is on its way has sent shockwaves through the gaming community. Instead of scrapping everything that made CS:GO work, Valve is creating Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) as a 2.0 version of the classic shooter.
CS2 will support all of the skins and customization options that players have enjoyed in CS:GO. This has resulted in a frenzy of skin case openings, with a whopping 39.5 million cases opened in March 2023 alone.
While some players are excited to use their unlocked skins in the new game, others are looking to sell them for a profit. The announcement of CS2 has caused skin prices to skyrocket, with rare skins and cases fetching top dollar.
CS:GO has been breaking records since the announcement of CS2, and it’s possible that this new game could kickstart Valve sequels for other franchises like Half-Life, Portal, and Team Fortress. It remains to be seen whether or not CS2 will live up to the hype, but we’ll find out this summer when it launches on PC.


Netflix Geeked Week Day 3: Stranger Things, Fear Street, Lucifer & More

Netflix Geeked Week is a free five-day event that runs from 7 June to 11 June 2021. There will be tons of exciting announcements and exclusive first-looks to new trailers, celebrity appearances and so much more.
ALL THE NEWS & SNEAK PEEKS FROM DAY 3
Fret not if you canâ€™t watch Geeked Week live because weâ€™re compiling all of the latest news, hottest clips and lots more this week to keep you up-to-date and on top of the action. You can check out all the highlights and announcements fromÂ Netflix Geeked Week Day 1 hereÂ and Day 2 here.
Stranger Things Season 3

all aboard! the Duffer Brothers are here with special news that they want to personally share with you. @stranger_things #GeekedWeek pic.twitter.com/TVheNMqgUl
— Netflix Geeked @ SDCC #NetflixSDCC (@NetflixGeeked) June 9, 2021

New cast members announced:
McNulty (Anne With an E) will play Vickie, a â€œcool, fast-talking nerd,â€ per her character description, who catches the eye of one of the core cast members. Her credits also include the feature film Morgan and the British seriesÂ Agatha Raisin. She is repped by Silver Lining Entertainment and Lisa Richards Agency.
Truitt (Queen Sugar, The New Edition Story) will play Patrick, a Hawkins basketball star who has talent, friends and a good life until shocking events send his life spiralling. Truitt has recurred on Black LightningÂ and is in the cast of Starzâ€™s upcoming dramaÂ Black Mafia Family.
Chen (The Falcon and the Winter Soldier) plays Ms. Kelly, a popular guidance counsellor who takes a special interest in students who are struggling. Her credits also include Queen of the South, Black LightningÂ andÂ Watchmen.
Van Dien (NBCâ€™sÂ The Village) will play Chrissy, the head cheerleader at Hawkins High and the most popular girl in school â€” whoâ€™s also carrying a dark secret. Van Dien was a regular on the first two seasons of Netflixâ€™s Greenhouse Academy and starred in Huluâ€™s movie The Binge. Sheâ€™s repped by Link Entertainment and Innovative Artists.
Stranger Things will cross over with Smite:

Nendoroid Eleven:

Bandai Namco Hopper figure:

Fear StreetÂ Trilogy Trailer

Check out the brand new trailer for the upcoming Fear Street Trilogy.
FEAR STREETÂ PART 1: 1994Â releasing globally on Netflix on 2 July 2021.Â
FEAR STREETÂ PART 2: 1978Â releasing globally on Netflix on 9 July 2021.Â
FEAR STREETÂ PART 3: 1666Â releasing globally on Netflix on 16 July 2021.
The synopsis reads:

In 1994, a group of teenagers discovers that the terrifying events that have haunted their town for generations may all be connected â€” and that they may be the next targets.
Based on R.L. Stineâ€™s best-sellingÂ Fear StreetÂ horror series, the trilogy follows the nightmare through Shadysideâ€™s sinister history.

The School For Good And Evil

Meet The Coven of The School for Good and Evil. Demi Isaac Oviawe is Anadil Kaitlyn Akinpelumi is Dot Freya Theodora Parks is Hester #GeekedWeek pic.twitter.com/5q36OsMlfc
— Netflix Geeked @ SDCC #NetflixSDCC (@NetflixGeeked) June 9, 2021

Lucifer

Awake

Don't sleep on Awake, starring Gina Rodriguez and Shamier Anderson – now streaming on Netflix. #GeekedWeek pic.twitter.com/OQehNlzuix
— Netflix Geeked @ SDCC #NetflixSDCC (@NetflixGeeked) June 9, 2021

Black Summer Season 2

During a zombie apocalypse, you do what you must to survive. Here's a look at season 2 of Black Summer, coming to Netflix on June 17th.  #GeekedWeek pic.twitter.com/oexOuCd2NN
— Netflix Geeked @ SDCC #NetflixSDCC (@NetflixGeeked) June 9, 2021

LuciferÂ

Watch this! (You'll understand that reference once you watch these Lucifer bloopers.)
LUCIFER Season 5 Part 2 is now on Netflix. #GeekedWeek pic.twitter.com/VkicFhhEEK
— Netflix Geeked @ SDCC #NetflixSDCC (@NetflixGeeked) June 9, 2021

Gunpowder Milkshake

Hunch smunch. These women do things by the book ?
Fresh out of #GeekedWeek here's a brand new clip from GUNPOWDER MILKSHAKE, coming to Netflix in the US on July 14th. pic.twitter.com/5KdnfGCepg
— Netflix Geeked @ SDCC #NetflixSDCC (@NetflixGeeked) June 9, 2021

TreseÂ

On Wednesdays, we wear black. Get a first look at Trese, dropping this Friday on Netflix. #GeekedWeek pic.twitter.com/xVRTYSwUo7
— Netflix Geeked @ SDCC #NetflixSDCC (@NetflixGeeked) June 9, 2021

Check out the first five minutes of Filipino anime Trese, which will premiere on 11 June 2021.
The synopsis reads:
Set in a Manila where the mythical creatures of Philippine folklore live in hiding amongst humans, Alexandra Trese finds herself going head to head with a criminal underworld comprised of malevolent supernatural beings.
You can watch the entire Netflix Geeked Week Day 3 live stream below:


We’re Getting A New Streets Of Rage; Here’s What We Want In The Final Game

Rejoice, beat-em-up fans of 90s video games based after The Warriors! Streets of Rage is making a comeback with a fourth installment (fifth if we count the equally-awesome Streets of Rage Remake fan game) thanks to DotEmu, Lizardcube, and Guard Crush Games.
Check out the Streets of Rage 4 video below which features Axel in a beard, Blaze who hasn’t aged one bit, and a short bit of gameplay that looks like a heavily-modified and brighter version of the original side-scrolling beat-em-up with lovely 2D animation.

https://www.facebook.com/kakuchopurei/videos/511340022643945/
Looks good, right? As a self-proclaimed retro-enthusiast, I do have a couple of requests for the upcoming sequel that has yet to have a release date. So here we go:
Bring Back Adam, Max, & Skate

While we need Axel and Blaze in this since they’re the official mascots of the game, we also need the rest to represent the streets. Adam is a pugilist cop guy who hits hard, while Skate is his younger street brother with the fastest movement speed among the cast. Max the (probably Hispanic) wrestler is the giant powerhouse who takes the “giant tank who walks super-slow” role in most beat-em-ups.
Having a balanced and colourful roster with varied fighting styles is a pretty important trait in a beat-em-up. And this goes without saying: 5-player drop-in & drop-out co-op.
Bring Back Roo Too!

There are too many humans and robots in the past games. Let’s change it up a notch and have Roo on board, perhaps bringing the roster up to 6 main characters. Also add in tigers, lions, bears (oh my), and a few other carnivores to spice up the vigilante violence lifestyle.
Make EVERY Character Unlockable, Then Add In A Colosseum Free-For-All Mode

Remember Guardian Heroes’ versus mode where you can play anyone and anything from the heroes to even the big bosses, as long as you unlock them in the main game? Bring that mode here in Streets of Rage 4. Have your Galsias, your Yellow Signals, and your Elektras selectable in an Arena mode once you beat up a sufficient number of them.
Then you can see how underpowered/overpowered they can be in a free-for-all with either the AI or your pals.Â It won’t be balanced, but it’ll be hella fun.
For the record, please bring back Ash. The world needs more gay stereotypes to raise unnecessary ire in today’s climate.
Bring In New Generations Of Bad Guys

Mr. X, his martial artist son Shiva, and all the other SoR staples like the Thai kickboxers and big fat guys may make a return. Some of them are already confirmed in the trailer above, but why stop there? Maybe bring in the younger versions of SoR’s Mona and Lisa (palette-swapped Blaze clones that are tough to hit), or new variations of the blue and green ninjas.
The new SoR shouldn’t get too hung up on the past and introduce new challenges and curveballs that make you switch up your spam tactics.
Add In Branching Paths

Some beat-em-ups introduce new pathways that lead to new areas or even new scenarios with new enemies and objectives. SoR did that with the third game: you can either beat up a Mr. X in a green mecha suit, or head to where the president lives and beat up a powered-up Shiva. The SoR Remake also introduced multitudes of different pathways leading to different endings.
SoR 4 should just outright take that idea and add in new kinds of stages like a bike run or a “rescue one guy before he dies” objective. The devs can go nuts here and even implement these stages as separate Challenge/Time Attack modes where you can upload your score on an online leaderboard.
Add In Some New Features In The Combat

Double Dragon Neon introduced the gleam system where if you dodge an attack, you deal double damage temporarily. SoR can surely introduce something new into its beat-em-up mechanic, like a simple fighting style selection or a method that rewards aggressive and evasive play depending on the character.
Axel has his Grand Upper and hard-hitting brawler moveset, but perhaps he can use an alternate fighting style which makes him a tad more defensive. Think Samurai Shodown’s Bust and Slash mode; feature two styles of attacks and supers for each hero to add a bit more variety in the combat system.

It’s still too damn early, but I’m pretty sure the devs might be working on some of these ideas if they’re true beat-em-up fans. One of them’s already in my good books: Guard Crush Games a.k.a the makers of the awesome digitized graphics side-scrolling beat-em-up Streets of Fury. They need to solve the repetitious nature of the genre while also making the art of close combat fun and addictive.
Few reboots & sequels have succeeded; let’s hope SoR 4 is one of them.


The Dead Cells iOS/Android Port Is Happening; How Will You Play It?

Last year’s best indie game that combines Metroidvania games with Dark Souls is making a fine-crafted appearance on iOS this summer.
The game will cost players US$9.99 and will feature “carefully redesigned” controls and user interfaces so that you can play the game like you would on PCs and consoles. Except that virtual controllers are never, EVER going to be as tactile and as accurate as the physical thing.
But hey, you can now play it on the go if you don’t have the Nintendo Switch version! Check out the iOS version in action below:

The Android version will be released at a later time.


Fortnite Esports Players Tend To Be Much Younger Than Sports Counterparts

The inaugural Fortnite World Cup took place last week, ending with 16-year-old Kyle â€œBughaâ€ Giersdorf becoming the champion and bringing home a whopping US$3 million. Despite being the first-ever tournament of that scale for the battle royale game, it managed to garner more than two million concurrent viewers online.
However, those numbers are not the most surprising numbers to come out of the massive esports competition. It’s actually the revelation that the average/median age of both Fortnite fans and players tend to be much younger compared to other sports like English Premier League (EPL) football/soccer, golf, or even its own esports counterparts.
According to statistics provided by the Financial Times, the average/median age is in the 60s and 40s for golf and EPL fans, respectively. That’s quite a lot older than the average/median age for esports fans/players in general, who are mostly in the mid-20s.
In comparison, the average/median age of Fortnite players who participated in the Fortnite World Cup is 16. That’s right, most of them are teenagers who are barely old enough for a driving license.
This was made even more apparent when Fortnite World Cup solo second-place winner Harrison Chang said that he represented “the old dudes” in the tournament. He is currently just 24 years old.
Esports athletes have always been relatively young, which also means that they peak at a younger age than most sports athletes. A footballer would probably be at his physical and career peak around the age of 30, but esports players would already be far past his/her own peak and will likely be in a managerial or coaching position by then.
This is why it’s essential for esports players to start young. In order to do that, more people, specifically those who raise children, should be more open and less restrictive to their loved one delving into gaming at a young and tender age.
Having younger esports players is a good thing for both the gaming and esports industries since it will spread the idea that the youth can play games and still be productive at the same time. Still, there’s nothing wrong with gaming non-competitively, which remains a healthy hobby (as it always has been) in moderate sessions.
In the meantime, check out a recap video of the Fortnite World Cup finals below to catch a glimpse of what all the hype is about.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVqdNWHM4wQ&w=560&h=315]


Yakuza: Like A Dragon Goes Full-On Turn-Based RPG & Sticks The Landing

Platform(s): Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC
Genre: RPG set in fictional cities in Tokyo and Yokohama
Yakuza: Like A Dragon may not star series mainstay Kazuma Kiryu since his story arc is already complete, but its new lead Ichiban Kasuga offers a new and fresh perspective. Unlike Kiryu, the brash but well-meaning Ichiban has to start from the low rung of the ladder of society in the backwaters of Yokohama (the fictional town of Isezaki Ijincho) due to taking the blame for a past transgression in his former Yakuza family.
As a result, he’s been imprisoned for 18 years and is out of touch with society when he’s let out. He is then joined by former male nurse-turned-homeless person Nanba and ex-cop Adachi to basically try to get jobs and fight crime and chaos caused by the Yokohama criminal triad. Ichiban gets new party members to help his cause like mama-san bar owner Saeko. But generally, it’s a story of middle-aged men in a mid-life crisis trying to fight crime while also touching upon Japan’s problem with homelessness and the downtrodden of society.
It’s also a game where you solve most problems with righteous brute force, help folks out by acting as a Rent-A-Hero type fellow, fill up a criminal database for a professor’s “Sujidex” in the most obvious nod to Game Freak’s juggernaut RPG series, and also pass the time playing go-kart and karaoke. And your hero is such a huge fan of Dragon Quest, he basically enacts his fights in turn-based form and imagines his enemies as parodies of fantasy tropes.

It sounds pretty deranged, sure, but that is the magic of the Yakuza series: balancing the serious crime drama with the absurd in a spectacularly cohesive fashion. It’s sincere with its storytelling and message, but at the same time it opens up avenues of levity like when you have to help a guy find baby formula only to find a yakuza group who like to be in nothing but diapers.
Journey Of The Cursed King

Much like the changing of the guard that is Ichiban’s lead role, so too does the game morphs from a 3D action brawler to a turn-based combat fare. It’s a refreshing change for veterans and also a nice new way to rope newbies in. If you’ve played a few turn-based RPGs back in the day, you’ll know how to play through Yakuza: Like A Dragon’s combat. Depending on who’s fast and dexterous on the turn scale, you and your enemies take turns hitting each other while keeping you and your party healthy and buffed.
The outrageous Yakuza franchise attacks and environmental prop usage are still there: Ichiban clobbers his foes with either his fists or bat that he lifted out of the ground King Arthur legend-style, while Nanba uses flaming breath and debilitating breath attacks like a Final Fantasy black mage would. You can also call in game-breaking “summons” called Poundmates, where you pay a lot of money for the service of to get a muscled black man have his way with your enemies. Its inspiration and nod to classic JRPG series is not subtle, but it is welcome and fits within the context of a Yakuza title.
My only gripe? Since combat has you pacing back and forth on the open-world map, you have to also consider positioning and placement of objects on the street and in dank dungeons. When you have enemies in front of you, switching to another target means you are prone to them interrupting this transition. Also, AoE attacks are affected by this; half the time enemies may shuffle here and there, meaning they’ll be out of range of your carefully-planned area attack, so think fast!
There are rare times when Ichiban and co. miss an attack because an oncoming car hit my target and made my attack completely miss during a scuffle down the busy street. Still, these are few and far between; almost all of my major fights are designed well and have no glitches and unintended obstacle issues. It does make combat a tad lively.

This is also due to the game’s diversity with character roles. Yakuza: Like A DragonÂ implements a Job system like the better Final Fantasy titles: you can change up Ichiban and his party member’s roles to create the perfect party and synergy. Don’t want Ichiban to be a Hero class? Why not change him to be a Breaker or a Bodyguard to mix things up and get more unique attacks? Rather have Adachi tank due to his high HP? Have him be a Foreman and Enforcer class to break out the AoE and defense-buffing skills. You don’t need to stick to preset archetypes; you can have Ichiban and Adachi take on support and “mage” roles like Host, Fortuneteller, and Idol. You have all the time to experiment and find the best combinations to power through either the main story or the side content.
Chapters Of The Chosen
And yes, there’s a plethora of side content. The fictional town of Isezaki Ijincho (based on the Yokohama district of Isezakicho) is packed with a lot to do, from the aforementioned go-karting and the part-time hero business. And also side games like mahjong and Sega classics like Virtua Fighter 2 and Outrun. And also taking pop quizzes in a vocation school to improve your Personality, opening up more conversation avenues and other combat and non-combat perks.
There’s even a sidegame where you manage a rice cracker company, getting out of the red by employing two elderly women and a chicken as its figurehead. And also attending shareholder meetings to keep your company afloat. And it’s actually pretty fun & packed with awesome rewards!

You can even head to your bar hideout located northwest of the town and either karaoke the night away or talk to your party members, strengthening your bonds with them and opening up new moves and attack buffs for future combat.
The activities here range from the fun to the bizarre, and you’ll get a ton of rewards from lots of money to rare items needed to craft the best gear for your party. Not only that, but you’ll also get a lot of backstory and narrative unlocked for your reading pleasure. If you’re not a fan of text and cutscenes however, then you may not be a fan of Yakuza as a whole. It’s half drama and half expositions told in the straightest and bombastic of ways akin to your current South Korean dramas, with a little bit of side nonsense thrown in for good measure.
I don’t call that a minus because this entry’s story is well-told and features a lovely cast to root for, from Ichiban’s eagerness to Nanba’s pragmatism. But it may not be for everyone; just a heads up, really.
Seeds of Salvation

Yakuza: Like a Dragon is a great entry point for newbies willing to jump into the Yakuza series, next to Yakuza Zero anyway. Veterans will find a lot to love, but if they’re expecting huge shake-ups in its narrative, lore, and its open-world shenanigans, they’ll be disappointed. Just like past games, Yakuza: Like A Dragon still retains the magic of balancing the serious and the absurd side-by-side with deft precision and skill.
Also if you’re an RPG fan and need a Dragon Quest fix without the contemporaries and baggage of the series, Yakuza: Like A Dragon will sort you out and then some. You won’t regret this trip down Isezaki Ijincho and getting enamoured by its 40-hours plus journey.
Pros

Epic story about poverty & homelessness in Japan.
Great turn-based take on Yakuza’s past combat system.
Lovely cast of new characters to enrich the universe.
Lots of open-world activities that are bizarre and in-depth.

Cons

Non-controllable positioning during combat is annoying.
Lots of dialogue, text, and cutscenes, which is standard for a Yakuza title.

Final Score: 90/100


Ubisoft Going Forward With September Games Showcase Despite Controversies

Ubisoft, a company that’s now associated with terrible years-old systemic abuse within its office space and also using a Black Lives Matter icon in its latest Tom Clancy mobile game cash grab (that’s thankfully removed), is going ahead with its Ubisoft Forward livestream.
The livestream will air on 11th September at 3am GMT+8. Gamers who aren’t yet violated by the company’s breach of trust to its employees and fans may watch it on YouTube, Twitch, and Ubisoft.com.

Games that are featured include Watch Dogs: Legion, Hyper Scape, Rainbow Six Siege, Immortals: Fenyx Rising (formerly Gods & Monsters), and more surprises. Hopefully, these surprises are just kept to its games and not some leak about new sexual harassment/casual racism issues in offices like their Singapore branch. Or even the fact that the CEO’s son is running a games division as a general manager the same year after earning a master’s degree in computer science.


AESF Teams Up With World Cyber Games For The Future Of Grassroots Esports & Asian Games

The Asian Electronic Sports Federation (AESF) and World Cyber Games (WCG) will be teaming up.
Both esports organizations, which are highly prominent and well-known in the region’s esports scene, have formed a Memorandum of Understanding to partner up for the advancement, promotion, development, and protection of grassroots esports. AESF and WCG will collaborate to ensure that Esports is accessible and widespread for everyone, with the aim of creating a positive impact on esports’ popularity and well-balanced platforms from the grassroots to the highest tier, which is the professional esports scene.

Through a highly accessible platform like WCG, Esports fans can expect to be more connected than ever before to their favourite professional gaming athletes or teams. Most importantly, the next major medal-level esports tournament will be held at the Asian Games in Hangzhou in 2023 via this partnership. Previously, the Asian Games in Hangzhou was supposed to happen earlier this year before COVID 19-related complications postponed the event.
Says AESF President Kenneth Fok and AESF Director General Sebastian Lau:
“We are delighted to be working with WCG and excited by the opportunity this partnership presents for the entire Esports Movement. WCG’s initiatives to advance the grassroots of Esports align with the AESF’s vision to facilitate and nurture the development of world-class athletes at an international level.
This is a partnership with purpose that leverages on WCG’s significant experience in organizing tournaments to realize the AESF’s goal of developing grassroots and education initiatives in Esports, as well as expanding our reach throughout and beyond Asia.”
CEO Of Bigpicture Interactive and WCG organizer KwangJun Song said that the WCG and AESF partnership makes sense in raising the quality of global gamers and competitive gaming on a grassroots level.
“WCG has been a positive influence in the global Esports industry for 20 years. AESF has also contributed to building a high-quality esports infrastructure and has provided various experiences to gamers. Therefore, WCG plans to expand the grassroots esports experience to global gamers through MOU with AESF, and will continue various activities to raise the quality of lives of global gamers.”
The WCG is one of the well-known and biggest international esports competitions on a worldwide scale; this is quite a big deal for esports teams and followers within the Asian scene.


PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds Now Available on Mobile Worldwide

PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds on mobile is now available worldwide. After less than a week going on a trial run in North America following months of limited availability in the Chinese market, the massively popularÂ crawling simulator battle royale/ survival game is now available on mobile devices worldwide for both Apple and Android devices.

Worried you won’t be able to play it on your phone? Well, we tested the game on our three-year-old Google Nexus 6 and it ran fine albeit on lower settings. It is safe to say any mid-tier phone released within the past three years should be able to run it. Then again, the game isn’t the prettiest even on highest setting when on PC anyway.
And as expected, the game drains the battery heavily and does put a massive strain on your phone’s processing as we noticed slight drop in responsiveness and heat buildup on the iPhone 7 which we also tested the game on.
To the uninitiated, the core for the game is all about survival and out-witting your opponents – and who’s best at playing hide-and-seek. Controls-wise, it’s pretty much similar to other third-person shooter games on mobile with the left thumb controlling players movement and you swipe about to pan and direct where your character is facing. If you tested the Chinese-market exclusive then it’s pretty much the same.
With Fortnite: Battle Royale being available on mobile soon in addition to its cross-play capabilities across different platforms, the release of PUBG mobile can’t be any more timelier as publishers Bluehole and Tencent sought to close the gap with their rivals.
You can download the game from the Google Play Store here or the Apple Store for free.


The Outer Worlds On Switch Is Coming In Early 2020

Obsidian Entertainment’s The Outer Worlds has released to rave reviews for the PS4, Xbox One and PC since it launched on 25 October 2019 (including ours, which you can check out here), but it has yet to release for the Nintendo Switch. However, now we know when to expect the RPG to arrive on the hybrid console, and it’s pretty soon.
According to publisher Private Division’s investor call earlier today (via Polygon), The Outer Worlds for the Nintendo Switch will launch during the 2020 fiscal year, which means that the release date will be at any time before 31 March 2020.
Besides that, we still don’t have any details about the Nintendo Switch version of the game. It will likely feature scaled-back visuals and framerates, though the experience will largely remain the same incredible RPG reminiscent of Fallout: New Vegas.
In the meantime, check out our guide on how to be a space badass in The Outer Worlds here.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3AI_u_0oJRQ&w=560&h=315]


Kakuchopurei & RTM Team Up For Main Game, A New Original Video Game Show For All

Malaysia-based video game publication Kakuchopurei is teaming up with long-running Malaysian public broadcaster Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM for short) to publicly air a brand new and revolutionary video series focused on the wide world of video games: Main Game.
Yes, you heard right. We are working alongside THE RTM; the one you’ve grown up with in Malaysia during your childhood and younger years.
Main Game is an all-new show that aims to educate and entertain viewers about video games, esports, gaming culture, and the games industry. The show will be focused on the incredibly popular hobby that is worth more than US$300 billion and has 2.9 billion players active worldwide.
Each episode will feature 3 segments talking about various evergreen topics in video games, ranging from competitive gaming history to interviews with game creators, like-minded experts, game changers, and professional players. We’ll even review a game or two, but in a way that’s more long-running and relevant even after its release months later. The show’s main host is RTM veteran news anchor & TV presenter Iffah Hazim, with co-hosting done by Kakuchopurei’s own esports writer Lewis Larcombe.
Main Game is a joint collaboration production between both brands who are enthusiastic about creating a streamlined show about the long-running and dense scene, as well as initiating the movement to create content for teenagers and young adults. Our expertise in creating video game content and features are a perfect match for RTM’s new content-creation vision and 59+ years of TV production knowledge & experience.
“With Main Game,” says Kakuchopurei CEO and Co-Founder Kenn Leandre, “we aim to produce a never-seen-before type of program which caters to and features deserving Malaysians equally. I grew up watching shows like Top Gear and always wanted to create something like that. Content which is equal parts educational and equal parts fun. Of course, we have lots to learn and improve, on but I am positive that we are on the right track.”
“Esports is highly popular with a huge number of interest and following,” says RTM’s Director General of Broadcasting Suhaimi Sulaiman. “As a broadcaster, RTM aims to deliver and share new and relevant information to our present and new audience. Main Game is the result of a great working relationship with Kakuchopurei who are experts in their field of video games and esports media.”
Main Game Season 1 will feature 13 episodes, with the first episode airing on Malaysia’s public TV channels on 1st July, 11am GMT+8. Check out the promo video below for a short glimpse at what’s to come.


Is God Of War Coming To PC?

Sony shocked the gaming industry and loyal PlayStation fans all around the world when they announced that Horizon Zero Dawn would be coming to the PC later this year. It was an unprecedented move, considering how sacred PlayStation exclusives have become in the eyes of the legions of long-time PlayStation fans.
PlayStation games on the official website tend to have the ‘Only On PlayStation’ sticker. For instance, games like Dreams Universe and Ghost Of Tsushima (which are both first-party exclusives) feature the ‘Only On PlayStation’ sticker on their respective pages.
LINK
LINK
Meanwhile, games like Death Stranding and Horizon Zero Dawn: Complete Edition (both of which were PS4 exclusives at launch) don’t have the ‘Only On PlayStation’ sticker anymore. PC versions of both titles have since been announced, so it makes sense that the ‘Only On PlayStation’ stickers are no longer there.
LINK
LINK
To the detriment of PlayStation fans, Worldwide Studios Head Hermen Hulst previously said that they plan to “stay open to new ideas of how to introduce more people to PlayStation, and show people maybe what theyâ€™ve been missing out on”, which means that more PS4 exclusives could potentially be released for the PC.
What if the next potential PS4 exclusive to launch for PC is Sony Santa Monica’s brilliant masterpiece, 2018’s God Of War? Some eagle-eyed gamers have already noticed that the God Of War page no longer features the ‘Only On PlayStation’ sticker (that is, if it ever did).
LINK
Sure, it could happen. However, God Of War is already close to perfection on the PS4, where it belongs. Releasing it on PC won’t change anything, besides improved framerates and slightly better visuals. It has managed to sell more than 10 million copies on the PS4 alone (as of May 2019), so why would Sony release it on PC?
All of this remains speculation for now, but God Of War on PC will always be possible, especially after Horizon Zero Dawn started a new precedent for PlayStation exclusives to release on PC. If they do this, they’ll be losing one of the few advantages the PlayStation currently has over their rivals; great exclusive titles.


Kingdom Hearts 3 Promises Flashy Setpieces, But Is That Enough?

Kingdom Hearts 2 was released in 2006 while Kingdom Hearts 3 will be releasing in 2019. That’s more than a decade; whole franchises have started and died in that span of time.
While some might mock the Kingdom Hearts franchise due to its annoyingly convoluted storyline and confusing cash-in game expansions (1.5, 1.8, 2.5, 2.8, Final Mix, etc), I have always liked it for successfully recreating Disney worlds in a game and combining them with Final Fantasy elements.
The fact that that this unlikeliest of combinations would work in a video game has never ceased to amaze me, bringing out child-like wonder from even my current 24-year-old self. However, the Kingdom Hearts 3 demo didn’t really evoke those emotions in me but that’s because it wasn’t clear what it wanted to achieve.
There were two parts to the Kingdom Hearts demo, both of which actually debuted earlier this year. Footage of the gameplay demos is even available to watch on YouTube. These include the Olympus boss battle and the Toy Box gameplay.
Olympus Out Of The Ordinary?

I started by playing the Kingdom Hearts 3 Olympus demo, which featured the boss battle against the rock Titan from Disney’s Hercules. The demo showcased a new gameplay feature for the franchise, in which walls or vertical surfaces that shine can be scaled by the player.
I understand how Sora running over the side of a mountain in danger of falling debris and rocks would make for a thrilling setpiece. However, the way it feels during gameplay is anything but. It felt clunky, especially since Sora can only move upwards, downwards, and sideways like he’s on a fixed path. It doesn’t feel as dynamic as it should.
At the top of the mountain, I encountered a few Heartless to battle. If you’re a longtime fan of the franchise, it feels almost exactly like Kingdom Hearts 2, which could be a good thing or a bad thing according to your preference.
The Olympus level layout also seems to feel like it’s a leftover level from the Kingdom Hearts 2 days, down to its unremarkable level of detail and design. When I finally encountered the rock Titan, what should’ve been an epic fight was anything but. I simply hacked at its legs, which had health bars of their own.
Even when Sora is scaling the Titan’s huge frame, it was unexciting. After attacking its head for a bit, a prompt appeared, telling me to press the Triangle button to summon the Big Rocky Mountain. It turned out to be the famous Disneyland Ride of the same name, conjuring out of thin air to help you defeat the Titan. A railgun shooting mini-game ensues, which lasts until the Titan is defeated.
Yawn.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cup9vSD-ys8&w=560&h=315]
Toying Around With The Toy Box

Fortunately, it was a good choice for me to have played the much better Toy Box segment after Olympus. Instead of the drab and uninspired level that was Olympus, the Toy Box demo finally gives me part of what I wanted in a Kingdom Hearts game. Meeting my favorite characters from classic Disney/Pixar worlds.
As nostalgia bait as it was, hearing some of the original voices of the Toy Story cast in Kingdom Hearts 3 gave me a fuzzy feeling. The circumstances were typical for a Kingdom Hearts setting. Sora, Donald, and Goofy find themselves in a new world which has just been attacked by Heartless, and this one just turns out to be the one populated by Woody and the gang.
Say what you want about Square Enix delaying the game just to change the engine, but I believe the results speak for itself. Rendered in Unreal Engine 4, the Kingdom Hearts 3 Toy Story world looks amazing with its incredible lighting and attention to detail.Â  The recently-released potential Game of the Year (for me, at least) Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age was also developed with Unreal Engine 4, and it shows just how good a game can look even with cartoony and anime-style graphics.
Additionally, the Toy Box demo also featured another new gameplay mechanic which is probably unique to the Toy Story world. I was able to pilot giant toy mechas, with three different types available. It was fun piloting a mecha with different special abilities but ultimately it felt like a distraction from the core Keyblade combat.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_c0kde-7zc&w=560&h=315]
The Kingdom Hearts 3 playthrough so far isn’t impressing a long-time fan of the franchise like myself, which says a lot about the demo. It fails at its one job, which is to convince me to buy the game when it releases.
It certainly wouldn’t appeal to non-fans who have never liked Kingdom Hearts in the first place. It’s more of the same franchise we know and love, and that’s probably what Square Enix intended to cater to from the beginning. Those who plan to purchase Kingdom Hearts 3 will be those who already have their hearts set, and it won’t be gaining new fans.
Hollow Bastion? Or Fulfilled Promise?
In hindsight, it does seem to be the case that Square Enix is marketing the game more heavily towards the younger generation, or for lack of a better word, millennials. Have you noticed how the trailers have mostly focused on Tangled, Frozen, and Big Hero 6? These are all newer Disney properties that would be more familiar to the youth.
As a fan who have waited years, I will be purchasing the game regardless of how good or bad the demo is. It is exactly what I expected: nothing more and nothing less, which means to say that there wasn’t anything in there that was a breath of fresh air.
Experience the Kingdom Hearts 3 demo yourself at the ‘Play Everything’ PlayStation Lounge at Sunway Pyramid this weekend from 23rd until 25th November 2018. Kingdom Hearts 3 is slated to release for the PS4 and Xbox One on January 29, 2018. In the meantime, check out the latest ‘Together’ trailer below
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-fmsw5m0Ag&w=560&h=315]


New Octopath Traveler II Trailer Features Gangster-Lookalike Merchant And Scholar

Square Enix and developer Acquire have released the next Octopath Traveler II trailer, which features Partitio the Merchant and Osvald the Scholar.
Partitio’s tale revolves around making his pioneer town the best it can be with his salesman ability, while Osvald is out for revenge after he’s been accused of murdering his wife and child, planning his jailbreak and his plans after. Partitio’s skill includes buying items from people for the right price and also hiring them as his muscle. Osvald can scrutinize people for information as well as steal from them if diplomacy has failed.
Watch the new trailer below.

Octopath Traveler II will be out on 24 February 2023 for Nintendo Switch, PC (Steam), PlayStation 5, and PlayStation 4.


New Paper Mario Announced For Nintendo Switch

The paper-thin Nintendo Switch 2020 lineup is looking a lot thicker with the announcement of a new Paper Mario recently.
Dubbed Paper Mario: The Origami King, the series will be making its debut on the Nintendo Switch this 17th July. Check it out below:

Yep, it’s laced with a ton of puns and a lot of cute papercraft aesthetics. Here’s the synopsis:

Mario faces one of his most thrilling challenges yet inÂ Paper Mario: The Origami KingÂ when the dangerous King Olly unleashes his plan to fold the entire world. Just when matters couldnâ€™t get worse, heâ€™s bound Princess Peachâ€™s Castle in giant, colored streamers and transported it to a distant mountain. Heâ€™s even transformed Bowserâ€™s minions into Folded Soldiers and enlisted them in his treacherous cause.

The game will feature a new ring-based battle system that lets you “flex your puzzle-solving skills to line up scattered enemies and maximize damage”. Sounds cool!


This Game Beat Fortnite As Most Downloaded F2P Game On PlayStation

Gamers love their free games. What’s not to love? Many of these games are online multiplayer titles, which means that they’re getting a lot of value for essentially nothing. PlayStation has revealed the most downloaded free-to-play games on the PS Store in 2019, and number one surprisingly isn’t Fortnite anymore.
According to PlayStation Blog, Respawn Entertainment’s Apex Legends grabs the top spot for the most downloaded free-to-play game last year, which is an impressive feat for a new IP that only launched in February 2019.

Grats to @Respawn! Apex Legends was the most-downloaded Free-to-Play game at PS Store last year: https://t.co/0oZutnDFgT pic.twitter.com/xQTcqGKyJY
â€” PlayStation (@PlayStation) January 11, 2020
Meanwhile, Fortnite came in second place, with other games like Dauntless, Realm Royale and Brawlhalla taking third, fourth and fifth place, respectively. The rest of the list is populated by titles such as Warface Live, Donâ€™t Even Think, Warframe, H1Z1: Battle Royale, and 3 on 3 Freestyle.
It remains to be seen of Apex Legends will be able to hold onto the crown in 2020. However, with no competition in sight (for now), it seems like the battle royale game will continue to dominate on the PlayStation Store for the foreseeable future.


Hoyoverse’s Honkai Star Rail Final Closed Beta Begins Next Month

HoYoverse announced today that Honkai Star Rail Final Closed Beta will launch on PC, iOS, and Android on 10 February 2023. As the latest entry in the beloved Honkai franchise, this spiritual sequel unfolds an epic intergalactic adventure. The beta will showcase new characters, areas, as well as many fresh in–game features, drilling down to the core gameplay and storyline of this upcoming title. The Final Closed Beta sign–up is now available on the official site.
Honkai Star Rail is a brand-new space fantasy RPG title featuring a journey towards vast unexplored worlds. The game features an intuitive turn-based combat system, large maps with maze explorations, puzzle-solving gameplay, and immersive storylines that together compose an interstellar melody filled with surprises and rewarding experiences, echoing in the entire universe!
In this universe, there are the [Aeons], incarnations of universal principles that are able to freely travel between infinite worlds using some kind of primitive force. The galaxy is packed with varied worlds that have unique landscapes and stories; the [Aeons] roaming the universe uphold their own beliefs. The protagonist, who was implanted with a [Stellaron], embarks on a trip aboard the Astral Express with a group of passengers who claim to have inherited the spirit of [the Trailblaze]. Together they will pursue the trails of [Aeons] to explore the realms of the universe.
In the Final Closed Beta, players will be able to experience the origin of the story in Herta Space Station, and then set sail for the galaxy by exploring Jarilo-VI and Xianzhou Luofu, two major destinations with distinctive culture and scenery: Jarilo-VI, an ice-cold planet, has innumerable mysteries and dangers frozen beneath its snow caps awaiting further investigation. Xianzhou Luofu, which is unveiled for the very first time, is a gigantic dreadnought belonging to the Xianzhou Alliance, one of the most powerful and influential factions in the universe.
As the second stop of the trailblazer’s grand journey, with its bustling cityscape and splendid architecture, the Xianzhou Luofu foreshadows the upcoming expedition infused with eastern fantasy, where tension ferments among various groups! Besides roaming the worlds, uncovering mysteries, and bonding with characters, Trailblazers can also build their four-person combat team from a wide range of playable characters, among whom Bailu, Yanqing, Qingque, and Tingyun make their debuts. Players can hone their unique battle skills to address different kinds of opponents through the thrilling strategy turn-based combat system.
In addition, the Final Closed Beta will see Honkai: Star Rail implement new gameplay features such as co-op mode, companion missions, photo capturing, and more. For more information and updates, please visit the official site or follow Honkai Star Rail on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.


Guess Which Malaysian Pro Gamers Are Flying Off To EVO 2021?

2020 is coming to an end, but we need at least one major piece of news to cap off the year apart from the eventual winner of this year’s Capcom Cup. So here’s one: the winners of the Yoodo FV Major Cup tournament and the Flash Vision representatives of next year’s EVO fighting game tournament in Las Vegas, USA.
On the Street Fighter 5 side of things, IAmChuan won the entire tournament with his high-level Guile play. He basically stonewalled second place winner Yoodo.FV| KOFmaster and third place winner Infinite Carnage | Fit3amir. IAmChuan won all of his matches 4-0.

On the Tekken 7 side, Yoodo.FV | Fate won 4-0 against his two compatriots: Yoodo.FV | Zaba and Yoodo.FV | Koman.

You can watch the entire replay below. Congratulations to both IAmChuan and Fate who will be flying off to Las Vegas for next year’s EVO 2021 tournament to represent Flash Vision and Malaysia.


Here’s How To Play The Ghost Recon Breakpoint Beta This Weekend

Ubisoft has announced that the Ghost Recon Breakpoint closed beta will take place this weekend, from 6pm GMT+8 onÂ 5 September 2019 to 6pm GMT+8 on 8 September 2019. Players on PC and Xbox One can already pre-load the beta while those on the PS4 will have to wait until tomorrow noon (11am GMT+8 on 5 September 2019).
The Ghost Recon Breakpoint closed beta is available to those who have pre-ordered the game, and those who participated in the gameâ€™s Online Technical Tests, as well as randomly-selected players from those who have registered on the Beta sign-up page on the official website.
Ghost Recon Breakpoint closed beta players will receive access to takeÂ part in Man Down, a special in-game charity event to raise money for the global NGO Childâ€™s Play, as well as several provinces and missions to explore in up to four-player co-op or solo.

Missions available include two Operation Greenstone missions, taken from the main storyline; Auroa Missions, which include side missions to discover more about the island and its inhabitants, and Faction Missions, which include eight new missions per day.
Drone Areas are also available to test playerâ€™s strength in battle, where they can face-off against Murmurs, small flying drones that can swarm players; Aamons, which are mid-size land drones and Behemoths, which are huge, heavily armored drones with intense firepower.

In addition, Ubisoft has also announced the post-launch plans for Ghost Recon Breakpoint Year One, which will begin with Operation Greenstone, followed by Episode 2 and 3, coming every 4 months. Every episode will feature the following:

New Adventures: New story-driven content that expands the main story of the game will be available with each episode.
New End-Game Content: Every Episode will bring new End-Game content. Episode 1 brings the Project Titan Raid. Players will explore an active volcano on a new island in the Auroa archipelago where they need to use all the skills learned on Auroa in intense four-play co-op challenges. The Raid is replayable and adaptable for all play styles.
New Faction Missions:Â Factions in the game will evolve over time and every month, new narrative Story Faction Missions will be released, bringing context as well as character development. New Faction Missions will be available daily and will provide objectives to support the factions and their narrative arcs.
New Classes:Â Three new classes will be introduced in Year 1, starting with the Engineer which brings expertise in hacking.
Live Events:Â These events will feature VIPs that will help Nomad tackle new, terrible threats.Â  A new Event will be available with each Year 1 Episode and lasts one month.Â Â
PvP Updates:Â In addition to the three new classes coming Year 1, which will be fully playable in PvP, new maps and updates will keep Ghost War players on their toes.Â Â
Regular New Content:Â New content such as new missions, activities and unlockables will be available with each new episode.

Ghost Recon BreakpointÂ is slated to release on 4 October 2019 for PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Google Stadia (November 2019). In the meantime, check out the latest trailer featuring actor Jon Bernthal as Cole D. Walker, leader of the Wolves.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLTbqYcv6yQ&w=560&h=315]


Assassin’s Creed 15th Anniversary Continues With New Free Content In Valhalla

Ubisoft has released a free game update for Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. It includes a new game activity, the second part and conclusion of Tombs of the Fallen, and a new feature, the Rune Forge. On the occasion of the brand’s 15th anniversary, special rewards are available in-game to all players for free.
More free content will be coming to Assassin’s Creed Valhalla in October with the Oskoreia Festival, and by the end of year with The Last Chapter story. In addition, starting today, everyone can enjoy the different pieces of art that artists from all around the world have been creating as part of the franchise’s celebrations via a unique digital art exhibition available on Assassin’s Creed website.
Today Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is getting an update with new free content coming to the game:

The Rune Forge is available to build in players’ settlement once it has been upgraded to Level 4. With the forge, players can turn the perks of their currently owned gear into new runes in exchange for silver*.
Players can play the final part of Tombs of the Fallen. They will have to find their way through three mysterious tombs rigged with ancient traps and complex puzzles. Only the most dedicated adventurers will discover buried secrets from a fallen civilization. Scattered throughout England, these enigmatic tombs are available from the moment players unlock Ravensthorpe, their settlement.
Additionally, special rewards are available in-game via Ubisoft Connect to celebrate the 15th year of the franchise. Players can enjoy the AC15 settlement pack and ink their character’s skin with a dedicated AC15 tattoo set.

More free content will be coming to Assassin’s Creed Valhalla by the end of the year. First, the Oskoreia Festival takes place from October 20 to November 10. Players will take on the festival’s Wild Hunt by defending their settlement from harmful spirits’ threat and prove the strength of the Raven Clan. The festival will offer activities, quests and a variety of new rewards. Later this year, new content will release including The Last Chapter story.
Since the launch of the first Assassin’s Creed game 15 years ago, the Assassin’s Creed franchise has sold more than 200 million games worldwide. The brand is now established as one of the best-selling series in video game history. Recognized for having some of the richest, most engrossing storytelling in the industry, Assassin’s Creed transcends video games, branching into numerous other entertainment media.
To continue the celebration of the franchise’s 15th anniversary, Assassin’s Creed has collaborated with talented artists from all over the world. They shared their own vision of the iconic crest brand through unique pieces of art, their creations can be found on the AC15th dedicated website:  assassinscreed15.com.
The list of artists:

Aleksandra Miroslaw
Chabaegi
Dani Sanz
EFIX
Fabrizio Tzinaridis
Falling In Sand
Fat Cap Sprays
Kerby Rosanes
Kim YoungJu
KoA
Laura Rubin
Lee SuYeon
Marcello Barenghi
Mars aka Mr.Moris
MONQ
MORT x Lndmrk agency x Festival Mapp
Raita Kazama
Rilke Roca
Rudy Willingham
The Butcher Billy
Tushar
Woo YongGok


Oscar-Nominated Producer BloodPop Launches New Game Studio Genpop Interactive

BloodPop, Oscar-nominated and Grammy-winning songwriter and producer who worked with renowned artists such as Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, John Legend, and Justin Bieber, has founded a new game studio named Genpop Interactive, alongside Aubrey Tennant, former DeNA and BANDAI NAMCO executives.
They’ve got some serious backing too, with participation from 1Up Ventures, headed by Xbox co-creator Ed Fries, and Japanese entertainment firm Good Smile Company, the studio recently raised USD6.5 million in seed funding. BloodPop will be taking on the role of CEO and game director while Aubrey will be serving as the co-founder and COO of Genpop Interactive.
In addition, over 25 developers are currently working at the studio, who are all highly experienced creators with decades of experience in production, AI, design, and development. They have worked on titles such as League of Legends, Halo Infinite, Cyberpunk 2077, Call of Duty, Red Dead Redemption 2, The Sims, and many more.
Genpop Interactive’s ambitious goal is to “drive forward the next-gen of music, fashion, and gaming culture”. This made a lot of sense with current trends of superstar singers and bands collaborating with video game companies in catering for the Gen Z audience. We’ve seen BlackPink and PUBG Mobile, Travis Scott’s Fortnite concert, and Free Fire x BTS Show, which are just some of the few well-known collaborations between the music and video games industry.
According to BloodPop in a statement, the studio wants to expand beyond gaming and tap into broader pop culture:
“At a time when low risk tolerance among established studios has resulted in predictable re-releases capitalizing on millennial nostalgia, Gen-Z is eager for new IP that speaks to them, and has a long legacy that defines their generation. Major studios have become complacent, relying on giving the Weekend at Bernie’s treatment to their old IP with their publicly traded necromancy. We aren’t just on a mission to create the next great game, but nurture the next generation of popular culture”.
So what can we expect from Genpop Interactive? Well, the studio’s first project is being described as “an ambitious third-person shooter with novel movement and combat mechanics”. The game is still in its early development stage and has yet to release any further details in terms of its release date or which platforms will it be released on. Although, the studio did reveal the first splash art of the game, and honestly, it looks interesting.

It’s always exciting to see new game studios taking an innovative direction in shaping the gaming industry as well as colliding with fashion and music. We’ll definitely be keeping an eye on Genpop Interactive to see what they come up with next.


PlayStation State Of Play February 2022: Gran Turismo 7 Gameplay Details

During todayâ€™s PlayStation State Of Play February 2022 live stream, Sony focused entirely on Gran Turismo 7, which is slated to release for the PS4 and PS5 on 4 March 2022.
The game will feature over 400 cars, as well as over 34 locations and 97 layouts. It will feature a dynamic weather system and more. There will also be the following features:
Music Rally

The Music Rally is an arcade-style race where you can enjoy some music while trying to reach checkpoints before time runs out. For new players, this is also a way to experience GTâ€™s driving simulation gameplay and an opportunity to set your steering and pedal operation type and driving assist presets (Auto Brakes, Braking Zones, Driving Lines, etc.).
Purchasing A Car

As seen in the State of Play live stream, the World Map is your home base in the resort-themed world of Gran Turismo 7. After that, you can stop by the GarageÂ and then head to the new CafÃ©.
CafÃ©

This comfy locale offers you â€œMenu Booksâ€ of activities to complete for new cars and other game-progression goodies.* The first Menu Book request is to acquire three Japanese compact cars, one of which you already purchased earlier. So thatâ€™s one downâ€¦ but how do you obtain the other two? By winning them from specific races called out in the Menu Book.
Venture out to those courses in the World Circuit area of the map, fulfil the placement requirements (3rd place or higher in this case) and voila, new cars are yours.
License Center

Next you unlock the License Center, featuring rigorous driving tests know to GT veterans all over the world.
Tuning

With a handful of cars now in your garage and new skills at your command, a CafÃ© menu will direct you to the newly opened Tuning Shop. This place is loaded with parts of all shapes and sizes, with even more to be unlocked as you play. As you acquire new cars, for instance, you build up your Collector Level, and hitting level 4 unlocks the â€œClub Sportsâ€ category in the Tuning Shop.
The CafÃ© Menu will also guide you to new areas and modes, so fulfilling those is a great way to ensure youâ€™re taking advantage of all the sights & sounds of GT7.
All this content is experienced within the first hours of the game (depending on winning races, fulfilling Menu Books and so forth), at which point youâ€™re off to a special championship event at the High Speed Ring. This will open Brand Central, where you can purchase brand-new vehicles from over 50 car manufacturers and tuners.
As you progress through the game you will open many more features to explore, such as the GT Auto where you can dress up your cars and perform maintenance,Â the Livery Editor, Scapes, Race photos, and more.
You can check out the full live stream below:


Is The Razer Zephyr Filter Mask Misleading People With Its Marketing?

Razer’s recent Zephyr filter mask has been all the rage the past couple of months, with many outlets and influencers brandishing it loud and proud while singing its praises. And there’s a new Razer Zephyr Pro coming out soon that amplifies your voice from behind the mask.
That goodwill and progressive thinking may all be for naught if this piece of news is true. It turns out that the Razer Zephyr’s N95 Grade filters for its air purifier apparatus do not make it an N95 mask. According to renowned China-based tech and DIY YouTuber Naomi Wu (via PC Mag) most people will see the “N95 Grade filters with two-way protection” phrase to assume that the Razer Zephyr mask is an N95 mask.

Please RT folks?? @Razer is aggressively pushing this dangerous product as a viable mask for COVID mitigation. Countless news outlets have been promoting it without fact-checking and it's an uphill battle.
Thanks to @PCMag for the update:https://t.co/wOHCZZ1uqn
— Naomi Wu ???? (@RealSexyCyborg) January 8, 2022

To be fair, Razer’s fine print regarding the Zephyr masks state that both the standard and Pro versions are “not medical devices, respirators, surgical masks, or personal protective equipment (PPE) and are not meant to be used in medical or clinical settings”. Despite adopting standards set forth by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), the mask has not been certified by the agency.

And then there are these additions in 2022 on the Razer Zephyr site:

Regardless of how you see it, that didn’t stop Razer from using the N95 Grade filters to market its mask as a “be all, end all” device that’s cool with gamers and supposedly compliant with medical standards. Despite not being personal protective equipment and not being officially certified as stated above, the top of the product page states that Zephyr uses “replaceable N95 Grade filters for daily protection”. That seems a bit contradictory in our books.

Then again, that’s how Razer has always positioned itself since the company’s inception: being the omega line of gaming peripherals that get away with charging people a lot for top-of-the-line gaming and gamer-like products. When it comes to masks that can help with the COVID-19 situation even for a tad bit, it’s still considered misleading marketing no matter how you frame it and how many disclaimers you have.


Guess Which Football Superstar Is Making Â£40 Million From FIFA 21 & Pissing Off A Number Of Folks?

The latest FIFA 21 game may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it is a windfall for many football players who got in on the FIFA license. One of them is David Beckham.
According to the Daily Mirror, the football icon who played for Manchester United, Real Madrid, and more, is paid Â£40 million over three years to appear as a gaming “icon” in FIFA 21 and future games. Sources confirm that EA Sports, the folks behind the FIFA games, offered him Â£30 million over 3 years, but he somehow got a better deal.

“It is a big addition to the Beckham brand and the easiest money he’s ever made.”

A lot of EA Sports folks aren’t too pleased about this, but the one football player who is making a ruckus about this is AC Milan star football player Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Who gave FIFA EA Sport permission to use my name and face? @FIFPro? I’m not aware to be a member of Fifpro and if I am I was put there without any real knowledge through some weird manouver. And for sure I never allowed @FIFAcom or Fifpro to make money using me
— Zlatan Ibrahimovi? (@Ibra_official) November 23, 2020

Furthermore, former FIFA cover star and Tottenham Hotspur player Gareth Bale is also pretty livid about these turn of events. Guess we’re going to see some fireworks later concerning players not being properly credited and paid for their licensed appearances in multi-million dollars worth football games.

.@Ibra_official Interesting… what is @FIFPro? ? #TimeToInvestigate
— Gareth Bale (@GarethBale11) November 23, 2020

Honestly, this current issue is a tad complicated. Generally, it’s an ongoing battle for separate image rights & licensing between some football agents and football body FIFPro who is supposed to represent the interests of footballers. The thing is Beckham hasn’t been playing football since his retirement in 2013, and EA Sports is the official video game partner of AC Milan and Tottenham. All we can say is that Gareth and Zlatan will need to high-level lawyer up to get their dues, if they’re even any in the first place.


Scarlet Nexus Is Damn Fine Anime Action RPGing Goodness

Platform(s): Xbox Series, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, PC
Genre: Action RPG with sci-fi and loads of loveable anime tropes
In the first hour or so of Bandai Namco’s action RPG entry Scarlet Nexus, it goes out of its way with its anime tropes. The plucky earnest male protagonist, the tsundere female who you can also choose to play as, the childhood friend who wants to confess her true feelings to the aforementioned male character.
The game has a pretty clear background: you play as either Yuito or Kasane who are New Himuka-stationed cadets in the Others Suppression Force (OSF), a group that has to rid the current Earth of monsters called Others. Oh, and both our heroes have psychokinesis powers so you can launch trucks and rocks into their opponent’s faces while you wail on them with either your sword or magic flying daggers.
5 hours later, the story takes a pretty crazy left turn that doesn’t ever let up. Yes, the gameplay and combat is fun and all, but the real hook is its narrative and where it takes you.
Stringing You Along

Without spoiling anything, it’s clear as day that Bandai Namco’s Team Red Strings and Tose want to make a pretty unique and engaging sci-fi tale using its anime tropes from its Tales of games as a baseline. I have seen countless anime, and I did not expect many of Scarlet Nexus’ plot twists and revelations at all. Kudos to the team for hiding all of this from the marketing.
The game lets you pick between Yuito and Kasane from the start. Personally, you should play through Yuito’s campaign for 32 hours or so, and then see Kasane’s perspective after. You can choose Kasane’s route, though it can be a bit challenging gameplay-wise. I’ll explain later. Plot-wise, both characters have their own engaging perspectives and cornerstones to explore that makes the escalating plot all the more exciting.
For Yuito, it’s his Sumeragi name since his dad and older brother run the OSF in New Himuka. For Kasane, the focus is on her drive to protect her sister Naomi Randall and her dream about “red strings”. The game’s stories take quite a few dark turns, though it’s offset by some of the levity of anime character tropes that crop up.
See, when you take a break during the game’s intermission bits at your hideout, you can choose to bond with your teammates. Not only do you find out more about their backstory and wants, but you also make them more efficient in combat.
Plugging In

Speaking of which, you will need your comrades’ powers when fighting. See, your character can use the Struggle Arm System (SAS) to borrow your OSF pals’ powers temporarily to bolster your own. For example, Yuito’s childhood friend/one-side lover anime trope Hanabi has pyrokinesis; borrowing her powers infuses Yuito’s sword slashes with wide fire attacks. This not only helps damage enemies further but can also deplete their Crush Gauge faster. That’s the game’s equivalent of a guard meter; deplete that and you can perform an instant-kill move called Brain Crush that also gives you added benefits like extra psychokinesis energy or bonus experience points.
Yuito and Kasane can also borrow other such powers like armour, instant teleportation, clairvoyance that detects invisible enemies and gives you awesome counterattack bonuses, and hypervelocity that slows down time for you.
I also find it a nice touch that the game gives the rather useful Electricity skill to the resident anime a**hole of the group: Shiden. Basically you’re forced to bond with him if you want to get the most out of his powers. Not only will his SAS meter refills quicker, he will also act as a Guard Vision (random defense move that pops up to negate damage) or an Attack Vision (a finisher move that prompts during a fight), along with other passive benefits to make your Electricity attack all the more powerful.
In my Yuito playthrough, I maxed out Hanabi’s Bond level which means I get a nifty stun-locking flamethrower attack by just mashing the light attack button. In other words, maxing out Bond levels not only net you a cute downtime story scene with your favourite OSF waifu/husbando, but also gives you great combat benefits.
Mind Over Matter

But how’s the actual combat, you may ask? Well, it’s real-time, it’s got a lot of hack-and-slash action elements, and the controls are spot-on and great. Your attacks come out fast and can be cancelled, barring a few exceptions. Your psychokinesis powers let you use environmental hazards and objects to smash and weaken foes; at most times you’ll need to use the biggest object to stand a chance against the bigger Others monsters.
You start off weak like in any JRPG, but as you progress and level up, you gain skill points that you can allocate to abilities in your Brain Map (the game’s skill tree). They’re all useful abilities, from double jumps and air evades/attacks to getting psychokinesis meter. Heck, you can even go into two different powered-up states: Brain Drive and Brain Field. Brain Drive activates whenever you fill up the meter through offensive actions and getting hit: you go in a slightly powered-up state that makes you attack faster and stronger.
Brain Field makes you even more strong and amplifies your psychokinesis powers further, using objects as regular attacks. The catch? If you don’t quit Brain Field before the timer runs out, you die. The fights in Scarlet Nexus can get hectic, fast, and dangerous especially with multiple enemies. I feel that the tools here are more than enough to solve most of your action RPG problems. I usually like to go 50/50 with my offense and defense; your mileage may vary, but the powers given here and the combat mechanics make for a smooth and challenging experience.
Pretty soon, you’ll feel damn good just dealing with Others in multiple arenas of combat. Heck, there’s even a segment where you can use a giant grill to surf through bad guys.

The game’s dungeons also feature a few puzzles here and there like using teleportation through special gates or using electricity to open areas, but it’s simple stuff as the focus is on the awesome and frenetic combat.
Glitches In The Nexus

Having said that, I do wish there’s a way to slow down time whenever you’re manually targeting enemies. There are fights where I lost because I didn’t switch targets fast enough. The game can get absurdly fast to the point where you end up dead because you weren’t quick on the targeting draw. My only advice for these common story combat situations is (i) turn off auto-targeting for this moment, (ii) have your teammates attack the same target, and (iii) go for the enemy who has the most annoying power-up first.
My other issues in the game include the “repetition” you’ll have to go through when you play the other character’s scenario. Honestly, I feel that your first playthrough explains some of the game and story’s concepts just fine, though playing the other scenario will fill up that story void. Both Yuito and Kasane’s scenarios are worth playing through one after the other; I do suggest taking a break after finishing 30+ hours of the first protagonist before attempting the other.
On the plus side, you can use New Game+ and carry over your character’s levels so you can blaze through the gameplay on the other scenario. You can choose to start over as level 1 but keep all your other progress and items from the previous playthrough, but unless you have some misguided hardcore gamer code to play the game fresh, I don’t recommend this. If I’m being frank, my 30+ hours completing the game the first time is proof that I’ve already learned a lot gameplay-wise.
There’s also the “Muffin Man” English dialogue syndrome where phrases get repeated frequently in the majority of the dialogue, like as if it’s literally translated into English from the Japanese script and the localization wasn’t thorough. This is just bordering on petty nitpicking, but it does bear mentioning as it’s a usual suspect in most anime and anime games in general.
Brain Trust

Simply put, Scarlet Nexus is a lovely addition and a great new start to a potentially lucrative anime RPG vehicle under the Bandai Namco gravy train. Book us a first-class train seat for a trip to this particular nexus. This sci-fi anime-laced RPG odyssey is a triumph.
Pros

Excellent and challenging combat.
SAS system gives you loads of powers to mix and match.
Lovely aesthetics.
Story starts strong and doesn’t let up with twists & turns.

Cons

Replaying the other protagonist’s stages can be a tad repetitive.
Some repetitious dialogue and writing style (normal anime trope).
Combat can go by way too fast at times.

Final Score: 90/100
*review copy provided by Bandai Namco


Kingdom Season 2 Gets Release Date, Unleashes The Horde Next Month

Netflix has announced that its Korean period piece zombie series Kingdom will be returning with its second season on 13 March 2020.
The streaming giant has also unveiled the main poster for the upcoming second season of Kingdom. In Kingdom season 2, Crown Prince Lee Chang continues his desperate and bloody struggle, with no one he can trust to help him.
The main poster can be seen depicting the main characters on a rooftop, who are fleeing from a flock of zombies who are growing exponentially in number all around them. This scene recalls the shocking finale of season 1, as it was revealed that the zombies did not fall asleep in the daytime as they had before.
The tagline, â€˜Blood Will Spillâ€™ foreshadows the increasing terror, as each characterâ€™s face evokes hopeless desperation, even as they are determined to survive the agonizing struggle that awaits them in season 2 of Kingdom.

Kingdom season 2 will also increase tension by introducing Min Chi-rok, who is investigating a suspicious murder in Hanyang, and resuming the story of Lee Changâ€™s journey back to Hanyang in search of the plague’s origins and the bloody struggle instigated by the secret conspiracy in Joseon-era Korea.


Kingdom Hearts 3 Critical Mode Arriving Today

In an unexpected and abrupt tweet on the Kingdom Hearts official Twitter account, series creator Tetsuya Nomura has confirmed that the long-awaited Kingdom Hearts 3 Critical Mode is finally arriving today as part of a free update on 23 April 2019.
However, no details were revealed, including whether or not the update will be coming with more than just the Critical Mode. No specific time frame or release window was announced as well, so we should expect the update to arrive at any time today.

Greetings, itâ€™s been a while since I last posted. Spring is here, and I hope everyone is doing well. #KingdomHearts III’s long-awaited Critical Mode is available as a free update tomorrow (PT).
Weâ€™ve changed things up from the previous games, so I hope you enjoy – Nomura pic.twitter.com/Npz8FeKmCK
â€” KINGDOM HEARTS (@KINGDOMHEARTS) April 22, 2019
In previous Kingdom Hearts games, Critical Mode has always been the hardest and most challenging difficulty level, by imposing certain limitations like limited EXP, doubling the damage that players take or halving the damage they deal, and more.
It will be interesting to see how the Kingdom Hearts 3 Critical Mode will actually differ from previous games, especially since fans have been complaining about how easy the game is compared to past entries.
Kingdom Hearts 3 is out now for the PS4 and Xbox One. In the meantime, check out my review of the game here, or check out my thoughts discussing the future of the franchise post-Kingdom Hearts 3 here.


Storyteller Is A Compact Puzzle Game About Telling Tales

Annapurna Interactive revealed yet another interesting story-based game during its early morning indie showcase: a title called Storyteller.
Created by Daniel Benmergui, Storyteller is a puzzle game where you’re given a set number of storyboard panels and a bunch of icons and elements (characters, themes, thoughts) to create a story. You can tell the tale however you like, be it reenacting classics or create something new, as long as it ends the way it needs to be, be it tragedy, love, or something else entirely.
You can play a demo of it now on Steam if you’re interested. Check out the game below, featuring cute 2D art and all.


Payday 3 Teaser Confirms Gameplay Trailer Coming This Summer

Publisher Prime Matter and developer Starbreeze Studios have unveiled another mysterious teaser for Payday 3. It confirms that a Payday 3 gameplay trailer will arrive sometime in summer 2023.
The teaser is very short at only 20 seconds long, showing a dark figure sitting in an even darker room as he says, “All right, guys, it’s a simple job.” No other information was revealed.
Payday 3 was originally announced back in 2020, while Payday 2 was launched in 2013. The franchise is an action-packed, four-player co-op shooter that lets players go on epic crime sprees. Players are free to choose anything from small-time convenience store hits or kidnappings, to big league cyber-crime or emptying out major bank vaults. Up to four friends co-operate on the hits, and as the crew progresses the jobs become bigger, better and more rewarding. Along with earning more money and becoming a legendary criminal comes a character customization and crafting system that lets crews build and customize their own guns and gear.
Payday 3 is slated to launch for PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC sometime in 2023.


[Report] Cyberpunk 2077 PS5 Release Window Leaked

Cyberpunk 2077 launched in 2020, but have yet to release a PS5 or Xbox Series X/S version of the game. The last official news was that CD Projekt Red had delayed it to at least Q2 2022.
According to a leak from Twitter account PlayStation Game Size (which has established a reputation for reliable leaks gleaned from analysing the data added to the backend of the PlayStation Store’s database), we might be looking at a brand new cover art of the game for the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.
That’s not all, as it may be hinting at a “mid-February to early-March” release window. However, we’re already entering February and there haven’t been any official updates from CD Projekt Red so far. Let’s take all this with a grain of salt for now.

? Cyberpunk 2077 ? PS5
? #Cyberpunk2077 pic.twitter.com/cziUZrMoxV
— PlayStation Game Size (@PlaystationSize) January 30, 2022

Cyberpunk 2077Â is currently available for PS4, Xbox One, and PC, whileÂ The Witcher 3 Wild HuntÂ is currently available for PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC.
You can check out a handy recap of all the problems plaguingÂ Cyberpunk 2077Â since launch byÂ heading over hereÂ or check out ourÂ review of the game here.


Spider-Man’s Most Advanced Suit Is Now Immortalised By Hot Toys

Famed toy manufacturer Hot Toys have pretty much made many of the most iconic Spider-Man suits from the comics and movies, but now they’ve set their sights on the most advanced suit Peter Parker has ever made in the history of the character. This suit was even featured in Insomniac Games’ Marvel’s Spider-Man as an alternate skin.
It’s the Spider-Armor MK IV suit, which is also one of my favourite all-time Spidey costumes. What’s so special about it? Peter created the suit himself using his resources at Parker Industries, his own multinational tech corporation. Instead of just spandex or cloth, it’s made of light-weight metallic liquid nanotechnology.
This is what Peter Parker said when he made the suit: “Tony Stark would wet himself if he knew what I was packing in this suit.” That’s how awesome the suit is.
As part of the Marvelâ€™s Spider-Man collection, the Hot Toys Spider-Armor MK IV Suit recreates the stunning luminous reflective web pattern which appears under specialized LED lighting exposures and a more metallic appearance vibrant effect with web patterns. It also comes with interchangeable hands; a Spider-Drone; assorted spider-web effect accessories; a pair of specialized LED light units; and a dynamic figure stand for signature poses.
According to the official website, it is slated to release sometime during Q2 or Q3 2021. Check it out below:


You’ll Need A Decent Rig & Massive Space For Microsoft Flight Sim

Microsoft Flight Simulator is making its triumphant return in 2020, though it still doesn’t have a definitive release date as of yet. Previous games have often required powerful PC rigs to run them, so one might assume that it’d be the same case for the latest one.
Well, thankfully, the answer is no.
The minimum specs for Microsoft Flight Simulator are fairly reasonable. Despite that, the developer has also provided the ‘recommended’ and ‘ideal’ tiers, which demands considerably better specs. However, the two biggest caveats are actually regarding the amount of storage space and bandwidth.
Microsoft Flight Simulator requires a whopping 150 GB storage space on your hard drive, which would be a strain especially for those with smaller SSDs. That’s not all, as due to the online nature of the game, a stable internet connection is also required at all times, which is why the bandwidth is included in the specs.

Check out the full spec requirements for Microsoft Flight Simulator below:
Microsoft Flight Simulator minimum specs
CPU:Â Ryzen 3 1200 / Intel i5-4460
GPU:Â Radeon RX 570 / NVIDIA GTX 770
VRAM:Â 2GB
RAM:Â 8GB
HDD:Â 150GB
Bandwidth:Â 5 Mbps
Microsoft Flight Simulator recommended specs
CPU:Â Ryzen 5 1500X / Intel i5-8400
GPU:Â Radeon RX 590 / Nvidia GTX 970
VRAM:Â 4GB
RAM:Â 16GB
HDD:Â 150GB
Bandwidth:Â 20 Mbps
Microsoft Flight Simulator ideal specs
CPU:Â Ryzen 7 Pro 2700X / Intel i7-9800X
GPU:Â Radeon VII / Nvidia RTX 2080
VRAM:Â 8GB
RAM:Â 32GB
HDD:Â 150GB (SSD recommended)
Bandwidth:Â 50 Mbps

If you think the specs are daunting, it’s worth pointing out that Microsoft Flight Simulator is incredibly ambitious, as it aims to feature every single airport on Earth (37,000 of them) in a shared online multiplayer world.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCBgO6St9ug&w=560&h=315]


Zack Snyder’s Army Of The Dead Drops On Netflix This May

Netflix has announced a release date for the upcoming Zack Snyder’s Army Of The Dead movie and it will premiere on the streaming service on 21 May 2021.
The synopsis reads:
â€œFollowing a zombie outbreak in Las Vegas, a group of mercenaries take the ultimate gamble, venturing into the quarantine zone to pull off the greatest heist ever attempted.â€
It boasts an ensemble cast featuring Dave Bautista, Ella Purnell, Omari Hardwick, Ana De La Reguera, Theo Rossi, Matthias SchweighÃ¶fer, Nora Arnezeder, Hiroyuki Sanada, Garret Dillahunt, Tig Notaro, RaÃºl Castillo, Huma Qureshi, Samantha Win, Richard CetroneÂ andÂ Michael Cassidy.
Speaking with EW (via Bloody Disgusting), Snyder described the film:
â€œIt is a full-blown, balls-to-the-wall zombie heist movie, so itâ€™s genre-on-genre in a great way.
So you expect pure zombie mayhem, and you get that, 100 percent.
But also you get these really amazing characters on a fantastic journey.
Itâ€™s going to surprise people that thereâ€™s a lot of warmth and real emotion with these great characters.â€
Snyder isn’t a stranger to zombie films, as he previously directed the 2004 Dawn Of The Dead remake, which was also his directorial debut.
The first Army Of The Dead trailer will drop this Thursday on 25 February 2021.
In the meantime, check out the official poster below:

Survivors take all. #ArmyOfTheDead on @Netflix May 21.Teaser this Thursday. pic.twitter.com/sIgDoz6rmz
— Zack Snyder (@ZackSnyder) February 21, 2021


Halo TV Series Finds Its Master Chief

Despite having launched in 2001 with Halo Combat Evolved and still going on to this day, the Halo franchise has never revealed what its iconic protagonist, Master Chief, looks like underneath his helmet and Spartan armor (other than that one short glimpse of his eyes if you complete Halo 4 on Legendary difficulty). Thanks to the upcoming Halo TV series, we’re finally going to see what he really looks like; all of him.
This is all we’ve seen of Master Chief in the games.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Showtime has cast American Gods and Orange Is The New Black actor Pablo Schreiber as Master Chief. You read that right, the guy who plays Mad Sweeney is going to be our Master Chief.
The Halo TV series‘ Master Chief is described as “Earth’s most advanced warrior in the 26th century and the only hope of salvation for a civilization pushed to the brink of destruction by the Covenant, an unstoppable alliance of alien worlds committed to the destruction of humanity.”

Also joining the cast is Australian actor Yerin Ha, who will be playing a brand new character created specifically for the TV series, named Quan Ah. Quan Ah is described as a “shrewd, audacious 16-year-old from the Outer Colonies who meets Master Chief at a fateful time for them both.”
Image Credit: John Feder/The Australian
Fans will be glad to learn that the Halo TV series will not just be an adaptation of the games, but one that adds to and expands existing lore. It will be a new story that will respect the established canon of the franchise.
No expected release date has been revealed for the Halo TV series, as it is set to begin production in Budapest, Hungary, in fall 2019.


Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge Adds Splinter To The Roster

The next Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles beat-em-up will add in another fan-requested character.
We’ve already seen reporter April O’Neil in action, and now we can add the turtle’s sensei Master Splinter duking it out in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge. Splinter hasn’t been playable in a TMNT game since, well, that middling TMNT Smash Bros. clone. He’s either kidnapped by Mousers or is a background character.
Here’s his official description:
“Master Splinterâ€™s calm, thoughtful nature makes him more collected than most of his green pupils, but his mastery of ninja arts ensures that heâ€™s a formidable powerhouse. He dishes out particularly powerful attacks with his trusty staff and wide-reaching special ninja moves, bashing through groups of enemies as efficiently as the Turtles chowing down on a pizza.”
He’s got a good footsie reach with his staff, a tatsumaki move, a flying kick anti-air that looks like Yang/Yun’s uppercut in Street Fighter 3, and a few other long-reaching moves.
Check them all out in action below. TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge will be out in 2022 for PC and consoles, featuring lush 2D pixel artwork, 6 playable characters, 4-player co-op, and a ton of Foot Soldiers and evil mutants to take down. You can wishlist for the game via Steam.


The Marvels Trailer Breakdown & Easter Eggs: Is That Lauri-Ell?

Marvel Studios has unveiled the first trailer for The Marvels, which is the sequel to 2019’s Captain Marvel. It premieres on 10 November 2023.
Here’s my breakdown:
Kamala Khan Finds Herself In Space After The Events Of Ms. Marvel Season 1 Finale, Swap Places With Monica Rambeau And Carol Danvers AKA Captain Marvel

Remember back in the Ms. Marvel Season 1 finale when Kamala Khan AKA Ms. Marvel (Iman Vellani) swapped places with Carol Danvers AKA Captain Marvel (Brie Larson)? It looks like that involved Monica Rambeau AKA Photon (Teyonah Parris) as well. So, Carol was transported to Earth while Monica was transported to space. Meanwhile, Kamala found herself on the S.W.O.R.D. space station where the real Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) is residing.

Nice To See The Khan Family Again

The Khan family members reprise their roles from the Ms. Marvel series, including Kamala’s brother, mother and father.
It Seems Like Kamala Khan Bangles Are Like The Nega Bands From The Comics

This is interesting. It looks like Kamala’s bangles work sort of like the Nega Bands from the comics.
In the comics, the Nega Bands allow Rick Jones to trade places physically with Mar-Vell AKA the original Captain Marvel. At any time, one would be on Earth, while the other would be in the Negative Zone.

Goose The Flerken Returns

Carol Danvers’ cat, Goose (which is secretly an alien species called the Flerken), makes her return. Her last appearance was in 2019’s Captain Marvel.
Park Seo-joon Makes His MCU Debut As A Mysterious Character

This is South Korean actor Park Seo-joon, but honestly, I still have no idea who he’s playing. It could just be another pointless supporting character like William Jackson Harper’s Quaz in Ant-Man And The Wasp Quantumania.
It could be Noh-Varr AKA Marvel Boy, but he looks nothing like him.

It’s An Army Of Flerken Kittens

In the comics, Captain Marvel’s cat Flerken did have a bunch of babies, so the same thing could be happening to the MCU version. Imagine an army of Flerken.

This Could Be Lauri-Ell The Accuser, Carol’s Half-Sister

This villain (played by Zawe Ashton), who looks a bit like Carol Danvers and is wielding Ronan’s Universal Weapon (which means that she’s the leader of the Kree Accusers), might be Lauri-Ell.
In the comics, Lauri-Ell is Carol Danver’s sister. Well, half-sister. She was a soldier artificially bred by scientists of the Kree from the DNA of two powerful Kree Soldiers, one of which was Mari-Ell (who is Carol’s mother). They fought when they first met, but now they are as close as siblings can be.

Check out the trailer below:


Ni No Kuni Cross Worlds Pre-Registration Now Open In Selected Countries

Developer Level-5 and publisher Netmarble have announced.that pre-registration for Ni No Kuni Cross Worlds is now available for iOS via the App StoreÂ and Android viaÂ Google PlayÂ in Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan as well as via theÂ official website,Â
Everyone who pre-registers will receive the familiar â€œByakuou”. In addition, anyone who invites friends after pre-registering will also have the opportunity to obtain the in-game item â€œUdadaâ€™s Hatâ€. That is; if five of your friends manages to complete a mission in the game after service begins.
A definitive release date for Ni No Kuni Cross Worlds has yet to be announced, but the App Store currently lists it for 30 June 2021. However, thereâ€™s no word yet on a localized English version.
In the meantime, you can check out some gameplay footage from last year’s TGS 2020 below:


SDCC 2018: Silver Sable, Classic Spider-man Suit & More Revealed for Marvel’s Spider-Man PS4 Exclusive

Publishers Sony Interactive Entertainment and developers Insomniac games earlier today revealed that mercenary, leader of theÂ Wild Pack, and owner of Silver Sable International, Silver Sable a.k.aÂ Silver Sablinova is set to appear in their upcoming game which is set for release this September 7th.
Hired to hunt down Spider-man, expect her in-game characterization to toe the same line as the one in comics, where while she’s the best at what she does – hunting down her targets – starts questioning her actions midway through the arc.

Silver Sable makes her #SpiderManPS4 debut in this spectacular new story trailer debuted at #SDCC2018! More details on what we revealed in San Diego: https://t.co/PrndQO48u0 pic.twitter.com/zBXoELo717
â€” PlayStation (@PlayStation) July 19, 2018
That wasn’t the only cool stuff we saw from the trailer, as we got a glimpse of Spider-man’s classic uniform in the short trailer. If our math is correct, this would be Spidey’s fifth suit confirmed for the game with Insomniac also revealing the fourth usable suit which would be obtainable by pre-ordering the game – the Velocity Suit.

The third and final pre-order bonus suit is the Velocity Suit! Designed by acclaimed comic book and film costume designer Adi Granov for #SpiderManPS4. pic.twitter.com/PoZUS2gfZ0
â€” Insomniac Games (@insomniacgames) July 19, 2018
To recap, we have five suits confirmed so far; the suit exclusive to the game, Spider-punk, Infinity War’s Iron-Spider suit, the Velocity Suit (as shown below) and the classic Spider-man costume – which we are still unsure as of how to obtain. We are still waiting for the Symbiote suit as well as his Sam Raimi’s version of the Spider-man costume so expect more news to come as we head closer to Gamescom next month.

And we aren’t done yet! Sony PlayStation also revealed a siiiiiiiiick special edition red Spider-man inspired PlayStation 4 Pro bundle. We don’t have the full details such as its suggested retail price as yet, but we will inform you once we do.

We also have some awesome Marvel’s Spider-Man exclusive content coming up next week so keep it locked on to Kakuchopurei.com