Xbox Game Pass April 2023 Adds Minecraft Legends, Coffee Talk Episode 2 & More

Microsoft has announced new titles coming to Xbox Game Pass in the rest of April 2023 and early May 2023. These include Minecraft Legends, Coffee Talk Episode 2 Hibiscus & Butterfly, and more.

Available Today

Minecraft Legends (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Available on day one with Game Pass: The piglins are threatening to consume the Overworld. Are you the hero this gentle land needs? Explore lush biomes to make alliances with new friends and familiar mobs, then face the piglins in epic battles. But be warned – they always fight back.
Check out our hands-on preview of the game here.

Coming Soon

Coffee Talk Episode 2: Hibiscus & Butterfly (Cloud, Console, and PC) – April 20
Available on day one with Game Pass: It’s time to return as everyone’s favorite late-night coffee shop barista, ready to lend a sympathetic ear and create the perfect beverage for a host of fantastic customers. Turn on the chilled lo-fi beats, listen to their tales and influence their hearts with a warm drink or two.

Medieval Dynasty (Xbox One) – April 20
Available now on PC and Xbox Series X|S and coming soon to Xbox One! Take on the role of a young man who has fled from war and wants to take his fate into his own hands. From being alone, inexperienced, and poor, you will develop into a master of many skills, a leader of your community, and the founder of a prosperous dynasty which is meant to last and prosper for generations to come.
Homestead Arcana (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S) – April 21
Available on day one with Game Pass: Become a farming Witch and pioneer the range that has been mysteriously corrupted with Miasma. Discover the secret behind its appearance, grow plants to power up your spells, and use nature’s magic to heal the land.

Cassette Beasts (PC) – April 26
Available on day one with PC Game Pass: Bring your cassette player and get ready to press play! Collect awesome monsters to use during turn-based battles as you adventure into the open-world RPG, Cassette Beasts. Get ready to experience an incredible retro vibe with unique innovations to the genre.
BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle Special Edition (Cloud, Console, and PC) – April 27
BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle lets you create your own cross-over dream team with the beloved characters from a total of 8 titles! Fight with your favorite characters from the popular titles BlazBlue, Persona 4 Arena, Under Night In-Birth, RWBY, and more. Get ready for a dream tag battle crossing series lines!

The Last Case of Benedict Fox (Console and PC) – April 27
Available on day one with Game Pass: Take on the last case of Benedict Fox and dive into a twisted world of secret organizations, forbidden rituals, and cold-blooded murders. Explore the memories of deceased victims as you search for clues and fight demons in this fantastical Lovecraftian Metroidvania.
Redfall (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S) – May 2
Available on day one with Game Pass: The town of Redfall is under siege by a legion of vampires who have cut the island off from the outside world. Trapped with a handful of survivors, slay alone or squad up in open-world FPS action.

DLC / Game Updates

Vampire Survivors: Tides of the Foscari DLC – Available now
Tides of the Foscari is the second DLC expansion for Vampire Survivors, introducing another huge stage as well as a slate of new characters, monsters and weapons to play with. And of course, secrets may be lurking in the shadowed canopies of the deep forest…
Microsoft Flight Simulator – World Update XIII: Oceania and Antarctica – April 25
Experience the vast islands of Oceania and the magnificence of Antarctica in Microsoft Flight Simulator’s upcoming free World Update. This update brings simmers 15 new countries and 24 non-sovereign territories, all with improved resolution that will allow pilots to experience stunning new vistas throughout these regions. The sky is calling!

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Perks

The Elder Scrolls Online: Dragon Slayer Bundle – Available now
Customize your character with the Ancient Dragon Hunter Arms Pack and receive an excellent pet in the Ancient Dragon Hunter Wolf Pet. This Perk content requires ESO base game to use.
MLB The Show 23: 10 The Show Packs – Available now
Kickstart your MLB The Show 23 Diamond Dynasty with 10 The Show Packs. Once acquired, items should be redeemed upon booting the game. Information on items redeemed should be listed in your Profile mail inbox.
Far Cry 5: Heart of Darkness DLC – Available now
Navigate a deadly jungle and wreak havoc behind enemy lines in war-torn Vietnam. This Perk content requires Far Cry 5 to use. All available now at 60 FPS on Xbox Series X|S for Far Cry 5’s 5th anniversary.

Leaving April 30

It might be a good time to reprioritize your playlist to jump back into the following games before they leave. As always, you’ll be able to save up to 20% off your purchase to keep these in your library.

Bugsnax (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Destroy All Humans! (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Dragon Quest Builders 2 (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Tetris Effect Connected (Console and PC)
Unsouled (Cloud, Console, and PC)


How Risky Will Gears 5 Be For Xbox? Here’s The Breakdown

Gears 5 is set to be the next upcoming major Xbox exclusive title to be released, and only the second by developer The Coalition after 2016’s Gears Of War 4. While the franchise has been an Xbox mainstay for years, the gameplay has remained mostly similar with few innovations. That is set to change with the next installment.
In an interview with Kotaku, The Coalition head Rod Fergusson described how Gears 5 will offer bold and meaningful changes to the franchise. Here’s what he said:

Gears 5 campaign will support three-player co-op.
Gears 5 campaign won’t just be a “hallway shooter”, as it will feature more choices for the player.
Cover-based shooting remains the focus of gameplay.
There will be more options for melee-based combat.
Combat controls will be slightly tweaked. For example, killing enemies with the chainsaw bayonet will be executed by holding the right bumper button on the controller (instead of the ‘B’ button).
More focus on targeting enemy weak points and scoring headshots in Gears 5, with the aiming reticle displaying different colors to indicate different situations (white for body shots, red for headshots, and gold when players have done a perfect reload, super-charging their gun).
Enemies will now have health bars, but these can be turned off.
Players can lock onto enemies on the lowest difficulty.
Gears 5 difficulty levels will be as follows, in ascending order: beginner/intermediate/experienced/insane.
Gears 5 is described as five games in one: Campaign, PvE Horde mode, PvP Versus mode, the new 3-player PvE Escape mode, and a map-builder mode.
No more Horde mode crossing over into campaign in Gears 5 (like there was in Gears Of War 4).
PvP Versus mode beta test to launch in mid-July 2019, while Horde mode to be unveiled at Gamescom 2019 in August.

Besides all those new details for Gears 5, Fergusson also admitted that the developer messed up Gears Of War 4‘s ending, which many players ultimately didn’t understand the meaning of. The medallion passed down to Kait Diaz (who will be the main protagonist of Gears 5) by her mother featured a symbol of the enemy aliens, the Locust.

â€The ending which was supposed to be this sort of a little bit of a cliffhanger, like â€˜Where is this going with Kaitâ€™s journey?â€™ and â€˜What does it mean with Kaitâ€™s relationship with the enemy?â€™
That was something we sort of dropped the ball on.
The story we were writing for Gears 5 was really Kaitâ€™s journey of discovery.
If youâ€™re going to have a character whoâ€™s going to go through something, you want to be that character when you go through it you donâ€™t want to watch it.
I donâ€™t sit and watch Kate go through something traumatic. I want to have it happen to the players so they feel it.â€

There you have it, folks. Gears 5 will be new and not just more of the same from the iconic Microsoft exclusive franchise. Gears 5 is slated to release for the Xbox One and PC on 10 September 2019. In the meantime, re-watch the E3 2019 trailer below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4IP_EPLfvSo&w=560&h=315]


Westworld Season 4 Drops On HBO GO Malaysia Next Month

HBO’s Westworld will debut its eight-episode fourth season at same time as the U.S. on Monday, 27 June 2022 at 9am only on HBO (Astro Channel 411) and HBO GO, with a same day encore at 10pm on HBO. Subsequent episodes will follow every Monday.
It’s been two years since Westworld Season 3 premiered in 2020.
Westworld Season 4 is set to continue the dark odyssey about the fate of sentient life on earth. Returning cast members include Evan Rachel Wood (Mildred Pierce, Thirteen), Emmy® winner Thandiwe Newton (Crash, Line of Duty), Ed Harris (Game Change, Empire Falls), Jeffrey Wright (Angels in America, The Batman), Tessa Thompson (Men In Black: International, Sylvie’s Love), Luke Hemsworth (Neighbours), Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad) and Angela Sarafyan (Reminiscence, The Good Guys).
Oscar winner Ariana DeBose (West Side Story) joins the Westworld cast as a recurring guest star this season.
Westworld was created for television by Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy, who are executive producers with Alison Schapker, Denise Thé, J.J. Abrams, Athena Wickham, Richard J. Lewis, and Ben Stephenson. Production companies include Kilter Films and Bad Robot Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television, and is based on the film written by Michael Crichton.
The previous three seasons of Westworld are also available on HBO GO. You can subscribe at https://www.hbogoasia.my/ or the mobile app via the App Store or Play Store for RM23.30 per month. You can also access HBO GO via Astro. HBO GO is also available on Android TV, Apple TV, LG TV and Samsung Smart TV – and comes with AirPlay and Google Cast functionality.


DNF Duel Version 1.09 Buffs Patch Notes

DNF Duel’s latest update is available this week, and with it comes a slew of buffs for the entire roster. And nothing but!
Here’s what you can expect from the entire cast in version 1.09. As you can tell, underpowered characters like Vanguard and Enchantress are getting the most buffs, while Swiftmaster and Hitman get the least.

DNF Duel Version 1.09 General Buffs
-All characters become invulnerable against hits immediately upon performing Dodge, making it easier to escape from combo attacks.
-Overall defense is enhanced with increased HP and Guard Gauge.

Skill
Skill Command
The following changes have been made in v1.09 patch.

Dodge
Hold ? and press G
Reduced the recovery.

Moved up the activation timing for Invulnerability against hits, effective immediately upon performing the skill.

Moved up the activation timing for Invulnerability against Projectiles, effective immediately upon activating the skill.

Guard Cancel Attack
??B+S while guarding
Adjusted the recovery on oneself/stun on the opponent to reduce the hit/guard frame gaps.

airborne MS skills
MS while airborne
Adjusted to face the opponent immediately after performing the skill.

Character Buffs
Berserker
-Berserker now recovers HP with the existing White Damage intact, enabling easier follow-ups with Frenzy, even in Awakening mode!
-Ashe Fork can hit knocked-down enemies. You can use it for combos even by connecting against the opponent at the tip!

Skill
Skill Command
The following changes have been made in v1.09 patch.

HP
–
Increased to 980 from 950.

Guard Gauge
–
Increased to 1200 from 1050.

Awakening Effect
–
Adjusted to recover HP with the existing White Damage intact.
(Before: Recovered the existing White Life first.)

Added ‘Attack Increase’ effect.

Added ‘White Life Damage on Block (Chip Damage) Increase’ effect.

Jumping A
A while airborne
Increased hit stun.

Ghost Slash
S
Expanded the hitbox.

Increased the knockdown time for hit while airborne.

Upward Slash
?+S
Can be jump canceled upon hit.

Ashe Fork
?+S while airborne
The second hit can connect against knocked down opponents.

Gore Cross: Expulsion
?+S?S
Reduced the recovery.

Raging Fury (Standard/during Frenzy)
?+MS/ ?+MS during Frenzy
The last hit launches the opponent higher.

Bloodlust (Standard)
?+MS
Reduced the recovery upon hit.

Increased the knockdown time.

Bloodlust (during Frenzy)
?+MS during Frenzy
Reduced the recovery upon hit.

Increased the knockdown time.

Vanguard
-The Vanguard’s Brandish attack can be immediately followed up with another attack.
-Take the upper hand by using Inferno Charge against projectiles.
-The Vanguard is stronger in neutral thanks to enhanced attack interruptions.

Skill
Skill Command
The following changes have been made in v.1.09 patch.

HP
–
Increased to 1100 from 1000.

Guard Gauge
–
Increased to 1200 from 1050.

Awakening Effect
–
Added ‘Attack Increase’ effect.

Added ‘White Life Damage on Block (Chip Damage) Increase’ effect.

Crouching Guard
?+G
Reduced the hurtbox.

Standard B
B
Reduced the recovery.

Can connect against knocked down opponents.

Crouching B
?+B
Reduced the recovery.

Cleave: Upper
?+S
Can be jump canceled.

Brandish
MS
Can be immediately followed-up by ‘Inferno Charge’, ‘Crescent Slash’ and ‘Behead’ upon activating the skill.
? Possible even on whiff

Inferno Charge
MS during Brandish
Reduced the recovery.

Reduced the start-up for Invulnerability against Projectiles.

Behead
?+MS during Brandish
Reduced the recovery.

Earthshatter
??MS
Reduced the recovery.

Expanded the knockback range of the second hit

Wall bounces the opponent upon the second hit.

Devastate
?+MS
Reduced the recovery.

Removed the upper body hurtbox during the spinning move upon activating the skill.

Reduced the start-up of the last hit.

Expanded the hitbox of the last hit.

The last hit launches the opponent higher.

Increased block stun of the last hit.

Increased the guardback of the last hit.

Lunge Strike
?+MS
Expanded the hitbox.

Doom Glaive
MS while airborne
Expanded the hitbox of the first hit.

Increased the block stun of the first hit.

Can be dash canceled upon hit.

Striker

-Striker can use MP skills upon whiffing Crushing Fist.
-Mountain Pusher makes you invulnerable against Projectiles.
-Shadowless Kick can immobilize the enemy, increasing your follow-up options in neutral.

Skill
Skill Command
The following changes have been made in v.1.09 patch.

HP
–
Increased to 950 from 900.

Guard Gauge
–
Increased to 1150 from 1000.

Awakening Effect
–
Added ‘Guard Gauge Damage Increase’ effect.

Added ‘White Life Damage on Block (Chip Damage) Increase’ effect.

Crushing Fist
?+S
Can be canceled with various MP skills.
? Possible even on whiff

Low Kick
?+S
Reduced the recovery.

Air Walk
S while airborne
The opponent bounces off the ground harder when hit while airborne.

Shadowless Kick
MS
Can be jump canceled upon the third hit.

Decreased the knockback range.

Mountain Pusher
?+MS
Can be dash canceled upon hit.

One Inch Punch
?+MS
Can be dash canceled.

Grappler
-Grappler can counter-hit easily with enhanced Seismic Crash.
-Better power-up & damage in Awakening mode.

Skill
Skill Command
The following changes have been made in v.1.09 patch.

HP
–
Increased to 1100 from 1050.

Guard Gauge
–
Increased to 1250 from 1100.

Awakening Effect
–
Can cancel charged MP skills with other MP skills. ? Possible even on whiff

the follow-up motion of ‘Seismic Crash’ can be canceled with other MP skills.
? Possible even on whiff

Added ‘Defense Increase.’

Crouching A
?+A
Launches the opponent higher when hit while airborne.

High Kick
?+S
Extended the untech time.

Air Steiner (Standard/Hold)
?+S/?+S (Hold)
Reduced the landing recovery.

Slam Kick (Standard)
S while airborne
Ground bounces the opponent even without Counter Hit.

Magnumsault (Standard)
MS
The second hit launches the opponent higher.

Reduced the damage scaling for combos.

Increased the block stun.

Seismic Crash
?+MS
Moved up the Counter Hit timing.

Shoulder Tackle (Standard)
?+MS
Reduced the recovery.

Launches the opponent high upon Counter Hit.

Shoulder Tackle (Hold)
Hold ?+MS
Reduced the recovery.

Break Down (Hold)
Hold ?+MS
Increased the knockdown time.

Aerial Break Down (Hold)
Hold MS while airborne
Reduced the recovery.

Ranger

Skill
Skill Command
The following changes have been made in v.1.09 patch.

HP
–
Increased to 980 from 950.

Guard Gauge
–
Increased to 1150 from 1000.

Awakening Effect
–
Increased the debuff duration.

Standard A
A
Can be dash canceled.

Crouching A
?+A
Reduced the start-up.

Reduced the recovery.

Windmill
?+S
Can connect against knocked down opponents.

Triple Tap
?+S
The first hit can be jump canceled.

G-14 Buster
S while airborne
Reduced the recovery for easier follow up while airborne.

Deadly Approach
?+MS
Can be canceled with ‘Scud Genocide.’

Scud Genocide
MS while airborne
The opponent slowly falls on knees upon the final hit.

Launcher
-The Launcher’s Standard A and Crouching A are better.
-More skills to combo and buff to neutral.

Skill
Skill Command
The following changes have been made in v.1.09 patch.

HP
–
Increased to 950 from 900.

Guard Gauge
–
Increased to 1150 from 1000.

Awakening Effect
–
Added ‘Attack Increase’ effect.

Added ‘Guard Gauge Damage Increase’ effect.

Standard A
A
Increased hit stun.

Extended the untech time.

Crouching A
?+A
Reduced the start-up.

Reduced the recovery.

Increased hitstop duration.

Increased hit stun.

Extended the untech time.

Can be followed-up by ‘Standard A.’

Airborne A
A while airborne
Increased hitstop duration.

Launches the opponent higher.

Reduced the recovery.

Standard B
B
The Disarming motion can be canceled with MP skills.

Crouching B
?+B
Can be canceled with various skills. ? Possible even on whiff

Launches the opponent higher.

Airborne B
B while airborne
Expanded the hitbox.

FM-31 Grenade Launcher
?+S
Removed the upper body hurtbox from before to immediately after activation.

Can be jump canceled.

Reduced the damage scaling for combos.

Spriggan
?+S
Reduced knockback distance.

Laser Rifle
S while airborne
Reduced the landing recovery.

Increased hit stun.

Adjusted to untechable.

Charge Laser Rifle
MS
Reduced the MP cost.

Increased the hit stun.

Increased the block stun

Extended the untech time.

BBQ
?+MS
Reduced the recovery on hit.

Launches the opponent higher.

X-1 Extruder
?+MS
Reduced the recovery.

Can connect against knocked down opponents.

FM-92 mk2 Lancer
?+MS
Reduced the MP cost.

Quantum Bomb
MS while airborne
Increased the minimum damage.

Inquisitor

-Buffed MP skills and Cut-in Dash can make Inquisitor more aggressive.

Skill
Skill Command
The following changes have been made in v.1.09 patch.

HP
–
Increased to 930 from 850.

Guard Gauge
–
Increased to 1150 from 1000.

Awakening Effect
–
Added ‘Guard Break Resistance Increase’ effect.

Added ‘Moving Speed Increase’ effect.

Crouch
?
Adjusted the hurtbox for consistency.

Jump
?
Reduced the landing time.

Crouching A
?+A
Reduced the start-up.

Reduced the recovery.

Standard B
B
Reduced the recovery.

Punishing Cross
S
Reduced the recovery.

Rising Cut
?+S
Reduced the recovery.

Cut-in Dash
?+S
Can be canceled with various MP skills.

Flege’s Essence
?+S
Can be followed-up by ‘Cut-in Dash.’
? Possible even on whiff

Reduced the damage scaling for combos.

Raid
?+S while airborne
Moved up the cancel timing after landing.

Can be followed-up by ‘Cut-in Dash’ after landing.

Summary Justice
?+MS
Reduced the recovery.

Increased the hit back of the last slash.

Increased the guardback of the last slash.

Increased the stun on the opponent for guarding the third hit.

God’s Wrath
MS while airborne
Reduced the recovery.

Crusader
-Better neutral attacks.

Skill
Skill Command
The following changes have been made in v.1.09 patch.

HP
–
Increased to 1130 from 1100.

Guard Gauge
–
Increased to 1300 from 1200.

Awakening Effect
–
Enhanced ‘Defense Increase’ effect.

Enhanced ‘Guard Break Resistance Increase’ effect.

Enhanced ‘White Life Damage Recovery Speed Increase’ effect.

Crouch
?
Reduced the hurtbox.

Crouching Guard
?+G
Reduced the hurtbox.

Crouching A
?+A
Reduced the start-up.

Reduced the recovery.

Launches the opponent higher.

Airborne A
A while airborne
Reduced the landing recovery.

Standard B
B
Reduced the recovery.

Airborne B
B while airborne
Increased hit stun.

The opponent staggers upon grounded Counter Hit.

The opponent bounces off the ground upon hit while airborne.

Hammer of Repentance
S
The opponent staggers upon grounded hit.

Flash Sphere
?+S
Can be followed-up after ‘Standard A’, ‘Standard A follow-up’, ‘Crouching A’, ‘Standard B’, ‘Crouching B’, ‘Hammer of Repentance (airborne)’, and ‘Sacred Upper.’

Saint Counter
?+S
Can be followed-up after ‘Standard A’, ‘Standard A follow-up’, ‘Crouching A’, ‘Standard B’, ‘Crouching B’, ‘Hammer of Repentance (airborne)’, and ‘Sacred Upper.’

Hammer of Repentance (airborne)
S while airborne
The opponent staggers upon grounded hit.

Miracle Splitter
MS
Reduced the start-up for Invulnerability against Projectiles.

Extended the untech time upon the first hit.

Spear of Victory
MS while airborne
Reduced the landing recovery.

Apocalypse
?+MS during Grace of Lemidios, while airborne
Reduced the MP cost.

Reduced the recovery for easier follow-up while airborne.

Swift Master
-Easier to use Wind Orb.

Skill
Skill Command
The following changes have been made in v.1.09 patch.

HP
–
Increased to 900 from 850.

Guard Gauge
–
Increased to 1150 from 1000.

Awakening Effect
–
Various MP skills can be canceled with Wind Orb. ? Possible even on whiff

Added ‘MP Recovery Speed Increase’ effect.

Airborne B
B while airborne
Increased the hit stun.

Increased the block stun.

Sweeping Wind
?+S
The first hit can be jump canceled.

Wind Blaster (airborne)
S while airborne
Expanded the hitbox.

Relentless Biting Wind
MS
Reduced the recovery when performed while airborne.

Wind Orb
?+MS
Reduced the MP cost.

The start-up motion can be canceled with ‘Storm Quaker.’

Reduced the recovery when performed while airborne.

Wind Twist
?+MS
The start-up motion can be canceled with ‘Vortex Hurricane.’

Reduced the recovery when performed while airborne.

Enchantress

-Madd, It’s Time To Dance can be jump cancelled.
-Harvest and Aerial Lantern Firebomb are buffed.

Skill
Skill Command
The following changes have been made in v.1.09 patch.

HP
–
Increased to 900 from 850.

Guard Gauge
–
Increased to 1150 from 1000.

Awakening Effect
–
Added ‘White Life Damage Recovery Speed Increase’ effect.

Added ‘MP Recovery Speed Increase’ effect.

Crouch
?
Adjusted the hurtbox for consistency.

Dodge
Hold ? and press G
Reduced the recovery.

Added invulnerability against hit immediately upon activating the skill.

Added invulnerability against Projectiles immediately upon activating the skill and after the movement.

Madd, It’s Time to Dance!
?+S
Can be jump canceled upon connecting with Enchantress’ hit.

Aerial Lantern Firebomb
S while airborne
Reduced the landing recovery.

Harvest
?+MS
Reduced the recovery.

Increased the minimum damage.

Launches the opponent higher.

Extended the untech time.

Madd the Guard
?+MS during Showtime!
Increased the knockdown time.

Kunoichi

Skill
Skill Command
The following changes have been made in v.1.09 patch.

HP
–
Increased to 930 from 900.

Guard Gauge
–
Increased to 1150 from 1000.

Awakening Effect
–
Added ‘White Life Damage on Block (Chip Damage) Increase’ effect.

Added ‘Movement Speed Increase’ effect.

Flame Cut
S
Can be followed-up by ‘Rising Cut.’

Rising Cut
?+S
Can be jump canceled upon hit.

Can be followed-up by ‘Flying Squirrel.’

Kunai Throw
?+S
Can be followed-up by ‘Ninpo: Log Clone.’
? Possible even on whiff

Ninpo: Log Clone
?+S
Reduced the start-up for Invulnerability.

Flying Squirrel
?+S while airborne
Reduced the recovery.

Reduced the landing recovery.

Ghostblade

Skill
Skill Command
The following changes have been made in v.1.09 patch.

HP
–
Increased to 950 from 900.

Guard Gauge
–
Increased to 1150 from 1000.

Awakening Effect
–
Added ‘Guard Gauge Damage Increase.’

Added ‘Movement Speed Increase.’

Crouch
?
Reduced the hurtbox.

Crouching Guard
?+G
Reduced the hurtbox.

Ultimate Phantom Slash
S
Adjusted block stun, making the opponent guard until the last hit.

Spectral Eradication
?+S
Reduced the recovery.

Can be canceled with ‘Ghost Retracer.’

Drive Slash (2rd hit)
?+S?S
Expanded the hitbox.

Drive Slash (3rd hit)
?+S?S?S
Expanded the hitbox.

Can be canceled with MP skills upon hit.

Cross Slash
S while airborne
Reduced the recovery.

Ghost: Single Strike
MS
Extended the untech time.

Dyad: Soul Cross
MS>MS
Can be canceled with ‘Ghost Retracer.’

Ghost Retracer
?+MS
Reduced the recovery upon teleporting.

Hitman
-Crouching B can be followed up with Agile Maneuver.
-Sweep has reduced recovery.

Skill
Skill Command
The following changes have been made in v.1.09 patch.

HP
–
Increased to 1020 from 1000.

Guard Gauge
–
Increased to 1200 from 1050.

Crouching Guard
?+G
Reduced the hurtbox.

Crouching B
?+B
Launches the opponent higher.

Dead Lift
?+S
Can be jump canceled upon the second hit.

Dead Six
S while airborne
Extended the untech time.

Sweep
?+MS
Reduced the recovery.

Launches the opponent higher.

Trouble Shooter

Skill
Skill Command
The following changes have been made in v.1.09 patch.

HP
–
Increased to 1080 from 1050.

Guard Gauge
–
Increased to 1200 from 1050.

Awakening Effect
–
Various MP skills can be canceled with the second hit of ‘Get on Fire.’
? Possible even on whiff

Crouching A
?+A
Reduced the start-up.

Reduced the recovery.

G-Bomb
?+S
Can be followed-up by ‘Swashbuckler’s Refreshment.’
? Possible even on whiff

Black Crescent
?+S
Can be jump canceled.

Oppression
?+MS
Reduced landing recovery while awakened.

Dragon Knight

Skill
Skill Command
The following changes have been made in v.1.09 patch.

HP
–
Increased to 930 from 900.

Guard Gauge
–
Increased to 1150 from 1000.

Awakening Effect
–
Added ‘Attack Increase’ effect.

Added ‘ White Life Damage Recovery Speed Increase’ effect.

Standard B
B
Can be jump canceled.

Shield Uppercut
?+S
Can be jump canceled.

Sky Break
?+S
Reduced the recovery.

Can be followed-up by ‘Knuckle Blaster.’
? Possible even on whiff

Finish!
?+S
The first hit can be followed-up by ‘Knuckle Blaster.’

Dragon Warrior Princess
?+MS
Increased the knock down time for Counter Hit.

Dragon Breath
B simultaneously with Summon Astra
Launches back the opponent upon the first hit.

The last hit knocks the opponent back far away.

Increased the damage.

Lost Warrior

Skill
Skill Command
The following changes have been made in v.1.09 patch.

HP
–
Increased to 1050 from 1000.

Guard Gauge
–
Increased to 1250 from 1100.

Awakening Effect
–
Added ‘Defense Increase’ effect.

Added ‘Guard Break Resistance Increase’ effect.

Crouch
?
Reduced the hurtbox.

Crouching Guard
?+G
Reduced the hurtbox.

Standard A
A
Reduced the start-up.

Reduced the recovery.

Resolute Cut
?+S
Can be jump canceled.

Mysterious Slash (airborne)
S while airborne
New move added.

Mysterious Sphere
?+S while airborne
Adjusted the command.

Vanish Cutter
MS
Moved up the jump cancel timing.

Absolute Guard
?+MS
Moved up the Counter Hit timing.


Black Myth Wukong Is Launching In Summer 2024

Remember that epic-looking third-person action game unveiled by Chinese developer Game Science back in 2020? Well, they have released a brand new video for Black Myth Wukong to celebrate the Lunar New Year 2022’s Year Of The Rabbit, which reveals that the game will launch for the PC sometime in summer 2024.
The video is a unique stop-motion animated video featuring a bunch of bunnies playing the game. There’s no new gameplay footage but we can probably expect some new content later this year, especially with one year left to release. Black Myth Wukong is an action-adventure Souls-like game.
Powered by Unreal Engine 5, Black Myth Wukong is slated to release for PC and unspecified consoles. In the meantime, check out the video below:


Capcom Removes Hong Kong From Pro Tour Lineup Due To Civil Unrest

Everyone not living under the rock knows that things are not peachy in Hong Kong right now, with protests and riots taking place in the streets of the city. Due to this ongoing civic unrest still raging on with no clear end in sight, Capcom has announced that they will be removing Hong Kong from its Pro Tour lineup.
The upcoming Esports Festival Hong Kong is supposed to take place from 25 to 28 August 2019, and host a Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition tournament as part of this year’s Capcom Pro Tour. However, in order to keep the community and players safe “out of potential harm”, it has been cancelled.
Capcom confirms at the end of its official blog post that this is indeed a cancellation and not simply a postponement, as the prizes and points allocated for the Hong Kong tournament will not be replaced with any new or existing Premier.
Even if the organisers for Esports Festival Hong Kong do decide to hold a Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition, the points will not be counted by Capcom.


How To Take Over Settlements In Total War: Three Kingdoms…With Just Rice

Can you conquer a nation with leftover rice from Hari Gawai? Yes, you can.
We’ve came across a possibly game-breaking yet totally legit feature in Total War: Three Kingdoms which allows you to take over settlements (and even more) without even having to lift a sword.  That sweet, sweet jade mine you’ve been eyeing for ten turns now can be yours before your turn is over.
The most important factor to have in order to pull this treachery off is relative abundance of food supplies compared to your rivals. Since China serves as the backdrop to Three Kingdoms, we are pretty much talking about rice, rice, and more rice here.
To make the deal even more satisfying, go for rivals whose supplies are in the negative. Once that is sorted, here are the steps to take.
1. Enter diplomacy mode – where you get to broker deals with other factions
2. Start negotiating and select your intended target under the ‘Trade Territories’ option.
3. You will notice the balance of the initial proposal in red. Territories are always highly valued so expect this initial value to be deep in the negative.
4. Offer to help them with their food supply crisis. Food in Three Kingdoms at times is more valuable than money. So watch as they bend over with the offer of food assistance for about thirty for ten turns or so.
5. Adjust the values as you see fit (to get it into the green) and if you feel super evil, add in other deal sweeteners in your favor.
6. Once the deal is agreed on, you’ll end up with a brand-spanking new territory with a temporarily diminished food supply. But fret not.
7. Head back to the negotiations tab and cancel that food supply deal. This would cost you some credibility points but would seriously hinder – or even cripple your opposite number. In return, you get your food back while maintaining control of the recently acquired territory.
8. A quick run through of the steps mentioned above is shown in our gameplay below. We do not recommend you pulling this fast one too often, though as it may affect your own allies’ thoughts of you.
Space it for about ten turns or so, to allow you time to regain your lost credibility.
[wpvideo 8GIE9mvI ]
In the video above, I decided to take over Liu Cong’s only supply of food (lol!) which forced him into an even deeper hole once I break the deal. That jade mine up north can be acquired the same way, or via other treacherous means.
Is this fair? Of course it isn’t. But how realistic is it? I guess it shouldn’t be far from real life, right? Parties reneging on deals after getting what they wanted. All’s fair in love and war – and what better setting for that idiom in the land of the Romance of Three Kingdoms?

You can check out our review of the game here where we spoke highly of Creative Assembly’s latest title to the Total War franchise.


Final Fantasy VII Remake Cashes In On Nostalgia, But In An Outstanding Way

[Review originally published on 6th April. We’re bumping it to 10th April because it’s officially out now on PlayStation Stores]
Platform: PS4
Genre: Action RPG reimagining of a 1997 cultural milestone
Throw a stone in a crowd, and you’re bound to hit someone who actually heard of Final Fantasy VII, one of the most-renowned and universally-beloved JRPGs known to man. Released in 1997, it wowed people with its visuals, made the genre mainstream, created headlines outside of gaming, and created legions of young fans who are probably in college and/or working right now.
Throughout the years, we’ve experienced the semi-failure of adding more Final Fantasy VII supplementary material in the mid-2000s. We’ve even played Final Fantasy games that morphed the franchise into more of a semi-linear 3D corridor walker sim with action-heavy fights with menus; we dug a few of them. But to many, it’s not the same as part 7’s mesmerizing-if-messy gameplay & narrative.

So Square Enix figured; why not go back to the well with a new vision for Final Fantasy 7? Surely its graphics did not age well and its story needed more fleshing out using this generation’s technology. And the ever-growing demand for a new Final Fantasy game set in Midgar is always going to be around. Trust me; I’ve felt it since my game writing days back in 2008; I never thought this would be the year Square Enix would cave into fan demand while also recreate everybody’s favourite FF game using its current action RPG real-time system.
And recreate they did. Is it actually good? Does it make you want to go back to replay the original? I can’t answer the last question, but I can attest to the first.
When Square Enix puts in their all, it clearly shows. And Final Fantasy VII Remake is a helluva show.
Bombing Mission

The game’s story revolves around an eco-terrorist group called AVALANCHE who hired a mercenary called Cloud Strife to help them with their guerilla raids against evil life-sucking corporation SHINRA. After a mishap, Cloud ends up in the slums and teams up with Aerith to get back on track with his group. Of course, complications happen along the way. Also, ghosts seem to pop up early in the game to mess with the team, leading to a crucial plot development that may shake up the story’s future, especially for longtime fans.
First, the bad: Final Fantasy VII Remake only covers the early portion of the original Final Fantasy VII storyline way back in 1997. The title is pretty misleading; people will expect this to be the remake of the entire game. If Square Enix were to be a tad honest with its naming conventions here (like dubbing it with an “Episode 1” tagline or something similar), people’s expectations may be tempered. As such, people will expect the full package but will end up a tad disappointed that it’s not the whole story back then.
Having said that, what we ended up getting is narrative & gameplay gold. If you like your stories as bombastic, emotional, and melodramatic as possible -like anime- you will love the new additions and fleshing out.

This rings true especially if you know where the Midgar portions of the game lead and ends at. There are a lot of significant expansions and world-building here that couldn’t have been done if there wasn’t context from the original plot.

Since the designers are making a full-fledged action RPG out of the Midgar experience, why not go all out and flesh out minor characters from the original so that their eventual resolutions have more weight? Remember those AVALANCHE side characters Jessie, Biggs, and Wedge? I actually ended up caring about them, even if I knew their eventual fates based on the original game. Small-timers like the Honeybee Inn owner and slumlord millionaire Don Corneo get their time in the spotlight while not overstaying their welcome.

Main characters Cloud, Tifa, Aerith, and Barret get more 3-dimensional not just in super-detailed graphics and facial pores. They also have their personalities and relationships fleshed-out in better detail. The 1997 versions of these characters are written in just fine, but their personal storylines don’t offer enough room to breathe through its structure, especially early in the game and the “lost in translation” foibles back in those days. Final Fantasy VII Remake fixes that and adds more significant story beats to enrich the already-existing lore.

My standout character here is definitely Aerith because of her budding interactions with Cloud and Tifa through the 30-hour journey. If you didn’t fall in love with her then, you will now.

Barret comes a close second, who was created just to fill in that tough-guy-with-heart-of-gold niche. We get to see more of his “heart of gold” here as well as the burden he carries being the AVALANCHE leader. These characters get their standout action set pieces and moments gameplay-wise too.
The Remake caters to fans old and new, or even those who never played the original, by adding in nods to FF7 aficionados through flashbacks and foreshadowing. I do think these latter bits are added in abruptly, but they’re short enough to be of no huge consequence even if they’re clearly from director Tetsuya Nomura’s grubby hands.
Speaking of early game ghosts, they end up being a late-game plot element that ends up teasing how the rest of its episodic instalments will end up. Formulate your own stories or theories at the ending; I know I will soon enough in a future video when the game is officially out.
It’s a shame that particular plot element ends up being more as a tease for future games instead of being the crux of the remake itself. Even with that, the fleshed-out plot and the additional narrative is welcome and adds value to an already story-filled game. And when the game goes nuts with the action and story beats, that’s when it truly shines.
Let The Battles Begin!

The best part about all of this? The game also gets top billing and is not a total cutscene-fest. Even when I skipped most of its story bits in another playthrough of the game, the majority of the 30 hours spent here revolves around a lot of fighting, quest-completing, collectables-hunting, and character/Materia-customizing.
Battles are in real-time; you control Cloud but can switch between Aerith, Tifa, and Barret depending on your current party composition. As detailed in previous writeups we did, you slowly build up ATB meter that you can use for your special abilities, spellcasting, and item usage. When you pull up the menus to do your commands, you slow time down to a crawl. It’s still moving, so you can’t take your sweet time with the menu, essentially capturing that feel of ATB madness back in the 90s Final Fantasy games on the SNES. But now with more lush fireworks and Buster Sword swinging in great detail.

You don’t need me to reiterate how good everything looks and sounds in motion. Square Enix is at the top of their game here, using nothing but its high-quality in-game graphics engine for everything from fighting to story. Everything blends perfectly for the eyes and ears here.

Back to the game: each of your party members is distinct from one another. Cloud is your melee guy who can switch between a fast offence stance and a slow-moving counterattack-savvy stance. Barret fights long-range with his gun hand while also taking damage for the team with his specific Life Saver and Iron Body techniques. Tifa is a hit-and-run character who relies on kiting foes while Cloud and Barret distract foes, and Aerith is a ranged spellcaster who comes with a charged attack.

Controlling Aerith is both a joy and a curse because she comes with the default support and healing spells that I can use from a safe distance. At the same time, I eventually became a prime target because the game’s party AI loves to just stick to blocking, dodging, and basic attacks.
It’s not a complete game-breaker – half the time I made it out of a tough fight the first time is because of the AI’s impeccable evading. But this does mean I have to manually make my party members cast the spells and use the skills I want. Fortunately, that bit gets intuitive after a few hours of play.

You also have a plethora of upgrades and customization at your disposal. You collect Materia orbs which determines your spells and passive abilities; Fire Materia lets you cast Fire spells and Steal Materia gives you a new skill that lets you pilfer rare items from enemies.
You also collect new weapons that cater to your playstyle and also award you with weapon skills you can inherit. You can also upgrade the weapons you like by unlocking its buffs & skills on its core; the higher the weapon level, the more cores and skills you unlock. It’s simple to follow yet lets you customize your arsenal to your liking.
You’ll need to level up these items to get the best versions of a particular spell and extra stat bonuses by, you guessed it, fighting. A lot.
True, the battle system takes some time getting used to in the first few hours. You have to dodge and block attacks to mitigate damage. You have to cast your spells at a safe distance lest you get interrupted by enemy attacks. You have to switch characters constantly so that they’re casting the right spells and attracting the right kind of enemies. You’ll also need to exploit enemy weaknesses so that you can “stagger” them for more damage, as well as put them in a “pressure” state so that their stagger meter builds up faster with consecutive assaults.
Once the game eases you in with its pacing and main missions, you’ll be an ATB-using party-switching pro midway, and you’ll purposely just waltz into a scrapyard arena just to fight the next wererat or weird Final Fantasy VII mutant(s). Protip: Cloud’s Punisher stance is very useful early-on as some enemies are antsy to wail on you.
Those Who Fight Further

Fighting regular mobs and encounters is fine and all, but the boss fights here are the main reason you’ll want to keep replaying the game’s action portions. What used to be simple “turn-based” battles against Midgar’s earlier stable of foes end up becoming exhilarating action setpiece battles that are challenging and spectacle-inducing.
Standout king fights include the Air Buster where you have three stages of the battle each requiring your party member’s talents, the chariot-riding Eligor who ends up taking the fight in the air, and a new SHINRA mutant boss crowd control skirmish that channels a bit from the 80s movie Aliens.
The Hell House boss fight mid-game will also teach you how to exploit elemental weaknesses and make you learn not to rely on the same weapons and Materia setups for all battles. It puts up a barrier that reduces all damage it receives mid-way, but it’s prone to be staggered faster once it’s down. Which means you’ll have to keep a good distance to attack it when this happens.
I learned that the hard way after a few retries. These boss battles can wreck you on the first try, but they’re no less exciting for it. Final Fantasy VII Remake turns the seemingly mundane spreadsheet choir into memorable encounters that test your skills to no end.
The levels and dungeons leading up to these pivotal boss moments, however, could use a bit more work. While not entirely as boring as Final Fantasy XIII’s wallpaper tube levels, I do wish there were more secret bio-lab stages and fewer sewer corridors. In fact, the game tends to repeat its stages albeit with alternate paths halfway through.
The game’s camera, while generally easy to follow and tracks well, can hinder your fights once in a while. In one instance, I’m fighting ghosts in an enclosed space; half the time I keep getting bombarded with projectiles hard because I can’t tell what’s happening off-screen while I’m wailing on a target. Thankfully these moments are few and far between, especially if you rely too much on lock-on when fighting foes.

Simply put; this is the best version of Final Fantasy’s recent action RPG combat, surpassing Final Fantasy XV and Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII because of its multi-party options and materia-slash-weapon system.

Under The Rotting Pizza

Final Fantasy VII Remake lets you relish in its combat a bit more with its sidequests. Throughout “quiet” moments of the game where you get to explore the area you’re in at your own leisure, you can take on sidequests to earn more money, more items, and even some discounts at the game’s vending machines and merchants. These can sound quite mundane from your “kill a bunch of flying drakes in an abandoned factory” to “find a bunch of kids and tell them to go back to school”. That sort of JRPG nonsense you expect.
Fortunately, you only need to do one or two before you can move the plot along. Though I’d suggest taking your time and playing through them; most of these quests yield pretty cool rewards like Cloud’s Nail Bat (that focuses on critical damage) and Materia on the cheap. For the latter, you’ll meet a kid named Chadley who makes Materia if you collect battle data from him. You can do this by either staggering foes or using the Assess skill to gather their strengths and weaknesses.
You will also be able to get free Summon Materia -essentially a free powerful party member you summon that comes with a powerful attack once its Summon time is up- by beating it in a virtual reality fightspace. Either that, or just explore certain areas in a story mission thoroughly. Each of the 18 chapters in the game has a lot to offer content-wise, from its hidden items to its minigames.
Ah yes, the minigames.
Final Fantasy VII is notorious for breaking the game flow with its plethora of side activities and minigames. In the remake, they’re short and straight to the point. They’re not too demanding, they add a ton of levity to the tale, and they’re short. My personal favourites are at Wall Market. You have exercising side games and even a dance-off with a brothel owner in a peculiar Project Diva-esque rhythm game, which purposely uses quick jump cuts & stage flashes to obscure the buttons you’re supposed to press.
It’s things like these that add a lot of colour to the game while also not bogging the rest of the game’s flow down.

The best part with all of this is when you’re done with the game, you can select any chapter you want and replay them as you see fit. Mostly to find whatever missing loot you need, or just do some quests and minigames right.
You can also tackle Hard mode to play the action bits with more hard-hitting enemies and new spins on them. And you can just jump straight to the fights, so if you happen to hate that motorcycle chase sequence, you can just jump ahead to the Roche SOLDIER battle instead.
The Saga Continues

Final Fantasy VII Remake is a remarkably ambitious undertaking because it attempts to take the first 5 to 6 hours of a classic JRPG storyline and expand it into its own game with its own action-savvy spin. If you’re taking Square Enix’s other experiments into account like Dirge of Cerberus or even the remarkable Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, FFVII Remake blows them out of the water.
They learned from their past failures, took what worked in their recent games like Final Fantasy XV, and Type 0, and ended up with a stacked experience.
Personally, I enjoyed the heck out of Final Fantasy VII Remake, even if at times it’s long in the tooth. As someone who loves the Final Fantasy series but also wishes it moves away from its past, I should have treated this remake with indifference. Instead, I ended up enjoying my trip back in memory lane, now reforged into this generation’s Final Fantasy along with its positives and quirks. Plus, Hard mode is more than enough to make me take on SHINRA’s finest once again.
Above all else, it made me care for Final Fantasy VII all over again while also giving me something new to cherish. That’s a tough undertaking, considering Final Fantasy VI is my all-time favourite. We will see more sequels to this remake, but I count this as a bold new(ish) step into taking something old and making it anew and relevant again.

Long story short, Final Fantasy VII: Remake is a grand experiment that succeeds on all fronts. It may seem like a blatant cash grab at first, sure. But dig a little deeper into this Northern Crater, and you’ll find a lot to fall in love with.

Pros

Great combat system & gameplay.
Compelling story material makes you cherish its cast & additions.
Simple-yet-intuitive weapon & Materia-tweaking mechanics.
Will make Final Fantasy VII fans orgasm.
Breathtaking visuals & audio.

Cons

Interesting plot developments show up at late game.
A few boring levels & pace-breaking tasks.
Incredibly misleading game title.
Camera in combat occasionally gets in the way.

FINAL SCORE: 90/100
PS4 copy of the game provided by PlayStation Asia.
Also, if you’re a huge Final Fantasy VII fan, add an extra 10 points to the score. You probably pre-ordered the game already anyway.


Ghost Recon Breakpoint Is Getting A Free Weekend

It looks like Ubisoft’s keen to promote Sam Fisher’s return, because they’re now having a free weekend for Ghost Recon Breakpoint. The free weekend period will give players access to the full game, which includes the first mission of the new Deep State campaign that sees the Ghosts teaming up with Sam again.
They’ll also be able to try out the new Immersive Mode, which seeks to make the game more realistic and tactical or tailor their experience with the Ghost Experience, which lets them tinker with settings like stamina management, health regen, and HUD settings.

There’s also the base game itself, which offers an open world to explore, plus sneaking and shooting gameplay options. Our Mr. Toffee wrote in his review that the game felt “like a rojak that doesn’t excel in any one category”, but maybe the new additions will make for an improved experience. You’ll be able to find out for free from 26 March to 30 March; you can also buy the game for 67% off (on some platforms) if you find yourself enjoying it for some reason.
Check out the full free weekend schedule, including preload times, here.


[Rumour] Returnal May Not Be A PS5 Exclusive

Housemarque’s pretty awesome roguelike shooter Returnal may end up being on PC, if this report is of any indication.
A new listing on Steam’s database appears to suggest the game’s PC port. SteamDB info suggests that the new game is going in the database under the pseudonym Oregon. The game’s tags include “rogue-like”, “sci-fi”, and “bullet hell”, as well as references to Tower of Sisyphus and Atropos. This is in line with Sony CEO Jim Ryan planning to bring a whole slate o f PlayStation games onto PC.
No release date for the PC port has been confirmed as of now. Returnal came out for PS5 in April 2021 and is Housemarque’s biggest title to date. The game earned acclaim for its difficulty, awesome controls, and levels. The story ain’t half bad either.


Team17 Partners With PlaySide Studios For Strategy Game Age Of Darkness Final Stand

Team17 has announced a partnership with PlaySide Studios to publish their upcoming dark fantasy survival RTS, Age Of Darkness Final Stand, which launches into Steam Early Access on 7 October 2021.

In a world shrouded in fog and ravaged by a never-ending evil, strategic planning and careful execution will be pivotal to surviving the onslaught of Nightmares that lurk in the darkness. During the day, gather resources, fortify defences, and recruit new members to the cause in preparation for nightfall when Nightmares will arrive en masse, relentlessly tearing their way across the procedurally generated map in order to reinforce â€˜The Veilâ€™, leaving darkness in their wake.

Age Of Darkness Final Stand Key Features:

Nightmares made real:Â Using an internally developed technology â€˜SwarmTechâ€™,Â Age of Darkness: Final StandÂ is able to render in over 70, 000 enemies on screen at any point
All-consuming fog:Â Claim back the procedurally generated world fromÂ â€˜The Veilâ€™, a dynamic fog that conceals enemies, and drains the life from a playerâ€™s forces
Earn your blessings:Â Each â€˜Death Nightâ€™, a random affliction appears that modifies the game, testing the playerâ€™s best laid plans and ability to keep the darkness at bay
A champion must rise:Â Leading the charge against the horrors that await, Heroes can be the key to turning the tide of battle with their unique abilities
An army needs training:Â Configure your army differently each run with a skill tree system for different classes â€“ grant your archers invisibility or imbue your sentinels with life-stealing rage

Players canÂ wishlistÂ Age of Darkness: Final StandÂ now, and keep up to date with all the information on Age Of Darkness Final Stand by following them on Facebook, following us onÂ TwitterÂ and joining us onÂ Discord.


Call of Duty: World War II Winter Siege Event Trailer And Details Revealed

Activision has unveiled Call of Duty: World War II’s first community event last night, the Winter Siege which will come with tons of goodies such as Double XP Playlists, a winterized (is that even a word) Carentan map, a limited return of Gun Game and a weekly supply of free Winter Supply Drops throughout the duration of the event. You will also stand to get special winter gear as part through the lootbox drops. The event kicks off December 8th 2017 and will run til January 2nd 2018.

Five new weapons – each with their own variants – also join the fray and you can obtain them by completing special orders. The event is free for all who owns a copy of the game and as a sidenote,Â there’s also a PC update on the way that will fix several issues and add ranked play.

Oh yes. Where’s our manners – check out the full trailer below as well:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOqkVY_rcSo&w=560&h=315]


The Falcon And The Winter Soldier Unveils Brand New Posters

Marvel Studios and Disney Plus have released four new character posters for The Falcon And The Winter Soldier (via Twitter).
The new posters spotlight Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson aka The Falcon, Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes aka The Winter Soldier, Emily VanCamp as Sharon Carter, and Daniel BrÃ¼hl as Helmut Zemo.
Check them out below:

In the meantime, you can rewatch the teaser forÂ The Falcon And The Winter SoldierÂ below, orÂ head on over hereÂ for our explanations of the easter eggs in the latest episode ofÂ WandaVision.
The Falcon And The Winter Soldier is slated to premiere on Disney Plus on 26 March 2021.


Singapore & Malaysia’s FGC Join Forces For July Battle Royale

The two biggest fighting game organizers & tournament bodies from Singapore and Malaysia (arguably by default) are joining forces for a fight many regional fans will never forget.
Singaporean FGC godfathers-slash-organizers BeastApac will team up with their Malaysian counterparts Flash Vision for a Flash Vision x South East Asia Major 2018 Malaysia fighting game festival onÂ 14 and 15 July. The 2-day tournament will be held at the Battle Arena in Petaling Jaya.

So what fighting games are on tap for this prestigious 2-day tournament? Take a look below:

Street Fighter V- Arcade Edition (Capcom Pro Tour Ranking Event)
Tekken 7 (Tekken World Tour Challenger Event)
Dragon Ball FighterZ
Guilty Gear Xrd: Revelator 2nd
BlazBlue Cross Tag Battle
The King of Fighters XIV
Marvel vs Capcom Infinite
Injustice 2
Clash Royale

Notice anything odd on that list? That’s right: Marvel vs Capcom Infinite is getting some major tournament love here. Also, Clash Royale is there for some odd reason.
In any case, you can register here. You can also get your updates on FV’s Facebook page. Flash Vision is also kind enough to provide hotel locations for FGC visitors looking to test themselves against Asia’s finest.
Budget Hotel

Sunrise HotelÂ

Recommended Hotel

Crystal Crown Petaling JayaÂ
Best Western Petaling JayaÂ

Premium Accommodation

Sheraton Petaling Jaya
Hilton Petaling JayaÂ

This being a CPT and TWT event back-to-back, we will see Japan and South Korea’s best Street Fighter and South Korean players fight hard for them seeding points.


The Top 5 Tekken 7 Championship Contenders For EVO 2019

The world championship of fighting games – EVO 2019 is just round the corner, and with it comes the inevitable buzz, speculation and discussion of which players will be the ones to take home the fame and glory of becoming the EVO world championship in their respective games.
This time, the spotlight will be on the top contenders for Tekken 7!
Wavedashing To Glory
And speaking of spotlights, the Tekken community certainly deserves to have one. Out of all the games that have been on the official EVO tournament lineup over the last 3 years, Tekken is the only game that has had more entrants with each passing year. Going from 1278 attendees in 2017, to 1538 in 2018, and now to a whopping 1885 in 2019, which is virtually on par with Street Fighter V – the game that is usually considered the main event of EVO excluding Super Smash Brothers. Meanwhile, Street Fighter and the other recurring games on the lineup have experienced a decline in entrants, while other games have only been included in one year, only to be left out of the following yearâ€™s lineup.
As you would expect from a game that has had a steadily growing pool of competitors ever since itâ€™s release, the level of play and the number of elite international competitors making their appearance at EVO will be higher than ever before. And remember: EVO 2019 is a special Masters+ event on the TWT Tournament schedule, offering more ranking points than any other event on the calendar. Which means that this year, the stakes at the worldâ€™s biggest tournament are higher than ever!
And so here are our top 5 picks – the standout contenders of the Tekken world with the most momentum going into EVO!
Honourable Mentions
Before we get to our top 5 picks, itâ€™s important to note that there will be quite a few notable names missing from our list. This is only natural given the fact that pretty much all of the top players from across the world will be attending the tournament. Each and every one of them technically has the chance to win it, but we couldnâ€™t possibly cover every top player attending the tournament. Our honourable mentions are:
Rangchu

Last yearâ€™s Tekken World Tour winner – the man who did the impossible by winning it all with the low tier Panda as his only character. Grin and bear it, eh?
While Rangchu might not be as famous as someone of his other fighting game contemporaries, heâ€™s certainly a household name in the Tekken community by now. So far heâ€™s been playing decently in this yearâ€™s TWT season, but not quite at the level of dominance that would have you peg him as a surefire EVO winner.
Still, itâ€™s well worth keeping an eye on a Panda wreaking havoc in EVO pools, especially considering the fact that heâ€™s already made it to top 8 in EVO 2018.
Super Akouma

The top-ranked European player in the TWT who is currently sitting at 4th place in the overall standings. While heâ€™s certainly a formidable threat, most of his TWT points have been accumulated from European events. Placing him as an honourable mention rather than a top 5 contender might be due to the natural bias against players outside of Asia.
Nevertheless, weâ€™re looking forward to a strong performance from him and hoping to see him represent Europe in the top 8 of EVO.
The Top 5
5. Chanel

As important as the TWT rankings are to the international competitive scene, Chanelâ€™s status going into EVO is proof that points donâ€™t always tell the whole story.
A cursory look at the TWT global rankings will show you that he isnâ€™t even ranked among the top 10 players on the circuit. If you take a closer look at his tournament performance this year, however, youâ€™ll see a much more intriguing story. Chanel has competed in 5 different TWT events this year, and heâ€™s placed in top 8 at every single one, without fail. 7th at the Mixup in Lyon, 5th at Combo Breaker, 2nd at CEO, and 1st place at the highly competitive Dragons Cup TWT Dojo event in Taiwan.

In a tournament that took place just a few weeks earlier in July, he finished ahead of Knee and Lowhigh while crushing Jeondding 3-0 in grand finals without ever dropping a set.

He might not be travelling as frequently as the other top players in Korea, but all of those top players know darn well that Chanel certainly has the skills to win EVO if heâ€™s given the chance.
4. JCDR

Quite possibly the most successful Tekken player in the current era of the FGC. A two-time EVO winner and last years 4th place finisher, JDCR has had several periods where heâ€™s looked unbeatable on the Tekken circuit.
While heâ€™s still undoubtedly as skilled as heâ€™s ever been, the international Tekken scene currently has so many transcendently skilled players that even someone who was once considered the best player in the world could have trouble winning major events.

JDCR has been active on this yearâ€™s TWT circuit, but he has yet to win a master level event – although heâ€™s come as close as you could ever want by finishing 2nd at Battle Arena Melbourne and 3rd at CEO.

Heâ€™s currently sitting at 3rd place in the TWT rankings, and his consistency trumps even Chanelâ€™s as heâ€™s actually never dropped below 4th place at TWT tournament this year. JDCR is still looking for that major tournament win, and EVO might just be what heâ€™s been saving his very best performance for.
3. Lowhigh

The reigning Tekken 7 EVO champion will be there to defend his title this year, and his play looks just as strong as it ever was.
Consistency is the name of the game for the top Tekken 7 players, and Lowhigh currently holds the no.2 spot in the TWT rankings thanks to his ability to get top 8 at each and every tournament he attends, regardless of the location or how stacked the bracket may be.

Like JDCR, he has yet to win a major tournament outright this year, but you canâ€™t argue against the value of consistency.

The EVO tournament bracket is a gauntlet unlike any other, and players with the kind of mental fortitude and discipline that Lowhigh displays at every single tournament outing are the ones that always fare best at a huge tournament like EVO.

Heâ€™ll have to eliminate his strongest rivals to defend his title, but Lowhigh could very well do it given how rare it is for us to see an EVO champion stay at the top of their game for so long even after winning the biggest tournament in the world.
2. Arslan Ash

The â€œUnknown Tekken Godâ€ from Pakistan who might just be the most feared player in the world right now.
Most Tekken fans will know all about Arslan Ashâ€™s story by now, but for the uninformed, Arslan Ash was a previously unknown player who overcame incredible odds to end up winning the Tekken 7 tournament at EVO Japan 2019.
As a player from a developing country, heâ€™s struggled with resources and visa issues which prevent him from travelling to international tournaments. His journey to EVO Japan 2019 was infamously fraught with hardship, as he went through pretty much every travel issue imaginable on his trip from Pakistan to Japan.
He was denied entry to Korea because he didnâ€™t have a visa, he couldnâ€™t eat or find a place to sleep when he arrived in Japan because the airport currency exchange wouldnâ€™t take Pakistani currency, and he didnâ€™t even have a way to catch his flight to Fukuoka until his sponsor stepped in at the very last minute.

There were multiple stages during the journey where he strongly considered giving up and going home to Pakistan, but through some miracle of fate, Arslan Ash arrived at the tournament venue right as his pools were about to start, and the rest is history.

Arslan Ash beat pretty much everybody en-route to winning EVO Japan 2019, and in subsequent public appearances such as Thaiger Uppercut and a series of FT10 exhibition matches in Japan, heâ€™s looked pretty much unbeatable.

Given his terrifying talent and the fact that his lack of tournament appearances means that other players will have very few means to study his playstyle, itâ€™s no wonder that most of the Tekken community considers Arslan Ash as the favourite to win EVO…apart from the one person who might just stand the best chance of beating him…
1. Knee

We keep going on about the current state of the global Tekken scene and how the level of competition is higher than ever before, but somehow there is still a man who manages to scoff at the competition while winning major after major.
The 2019 champion of Combo Breaker, CEO and Versus Fighting – aka the 3 biggest tournaments outside of EVO. This level of dominance is already rare throughout the history of fighting games, but to see it in this era of the FGC is almost inconceivable.
As the no.1 ranked player on the TWT circuit, he currently towers over the other competitors as he stands a whopping 480 points ahead of the no.2 ranked Lowhigh. Most longtime Tekken fans would almost certainly have Knee as their favourite to win EVO, and thereâ€™s just one caveat to that – Arslan Ash.

After watching Arslan Ashâ€™s historic performance at EVO Japan 2019, Knee was enamoured with the Pakistani playerâ€™s skills to the point that he made a trip to Pakistan just so that he could train and study the players there. He then flew out to Japan specifically so that he could be there when Arslan Ash visited to run exhibition matches against the Japanese players. At this special occasion, Knee and Arslan Ash played three stunning sets that were all incredibly close, with Knee winning two out of the three FT10 sets.

Their next meeting was at Thaiger Uppercut where Arslan Ash emerged as the unquestionable victor, but given that Knee has demonstrated the ability to adapt to Arslan Ashâ€™s seemingly unstoppable playstyle, we would expect that Knee will be fully prepped and ready to take on the ultimate challenger at EVO 2019.

Thereâ€™s no guarantee that weâ€™ll be blessed with a set between Knee and Arslan Ash at EVO. But if it does happen, itâ€™ll certainly be a match for the ages.
Like our picks for EVO 2019, Tekken 7 edition? Let us know on our website or Facebook. If you’re more of a Street Fighter V connoisseur, check out this piece instead.Â


WWE 2K22 Is About To Become a Circus With Its Latest DLC

WWE 2K22’s latest DLC pack released today and includes the likes of Doink the Clown, Ronda Rousey, Mr. T and more!
Headlining the DLC is none other than Doink the Clown, who’s also making his franchise debut in WWE 2K. Ronda Rousey the “Baddest Woman on the Planet” will also be featured alongside pop culture icon Mr. T. Also included in the pack are The British Bulldog, Doudrop, and Rick Boogs. All six Superstars also come with MyFACTION EVO cards, which can be upgraded through gameplay in the MyFACTION game mode.

Hardcore wrestling fans will be delighted to hear that Doink the Clown will be coming to WWE. For those who aren’t as well versed in their wrestling knowledge, back when it was known as WWF, Doink the Clown was a wrestling persona most famously portrayed by Matt Osburne. Osburne would debut Doink in 1992 but would later leave in 1993. Doink would later be portrayed by many other wrestlers where they would embrace Doink’s silly pranks and grappling expertise.
Ronda Rousey is a former mixed martial arts champion and star of movies and TV, whose WWE accolades include Raw Women’s Champion, SmackDown Women’s Champion and 2022 Women’s Royal Rumble winner.
Known for his toughness and unique style – incorporating gold chains, feather earrings and a mohawk haircut – 1980s pop culture icon Mr. T cemented his WWE Hall of Fame status by teaming with Hulk Hogan at the very first WrestleMania and battling Roddy Piper at WrestleMania 2.
The British Bulldog is also a WWE Hall of Famer, as well as a former WWE Intercontinental Champion, two-time European Champion, two-time Hardcore Champion, and two-time Tag Team Champion.
Rounding out the pack and making their WWE 2K franchise debuts, Monday Night Raw’s Scottish sensation Doudrop brings pure power to the women’s division, while Rick Boogs has made a name for himself with his rock star persona, shredding the guitar on SmackDown.
The Clowning Around Pack is available today on all platforms for individual purchase, while the full set of DLC packs is included with the Season Pass, Deluxe Edition, and nWo 4-Life Digital Edition of WWE 2K22. The cost of the WWE 2K22 Clowning Around DLC Pack is US$9.99 / €9,99 / £7.99 / RM35.00.


We Talk To Andor Actors Kyle Soller & Denise Gough On Getting Cast & Being In Star Wars

Andor is an upcoming Star Wars series, which starts streaming on Disney+ Hotstar on 21 September 2022.
The Andor series will explore a new perspective from the Star Wars galaxy, focusing on Cassian Andor’s journey to discover the difference he can make. The series brings forward the tale of the burgeoning rebellion against the Empire and how people and planets became involved. It’s an era filled with danger, deception and intrigue where Cassian will embark on the path that is destined to turn him into a rebel hero.
Diego Luna returns as Cassian Andor and is joined by cast members Genevieve O’Reilly (who will portray a young Mon Mothma), Stellan Skarsgård, Adria Arjona, Denise Gough and Kyle Soller. The executive producers are Kathleen Kennedy, Sanne Wohlenberg, Diego Luna and Michelle Rejwan. Tony Gilroy is the creator and showrunner.
Courtesy of Disney+ Hotstar, we were given the opportunity to interview Kyle Soller (Syril Karn) & Denise Gough (Dedra Meero). However, for the purposes of avoiding spoilers, we can’t really talk about who their characters are. We’ll know soon enough when Andor eventually releases. This interview has been edited for clarity. Stay tuned for the video version of this interview and the review of the series.

How does it feel to become part of the Star Wars universe?
Kyle Soller: I gotta be honest, Alleef. It’s feeling pretty good today.
Denise Gough: We’re getting asked this question a lot, and I wasn’t thinking about it at all, until the trailer coming out made me go, “oh”, then the poster, then I was like, oh, Jesus, I’m in Star Wars and I’m playing a female Imperial officer in Star Wars.
That might actually be quite a big deal, and then sitting here today, and all of your faces, you all look so excited, and I’m just starting to think, “oh my god, this is amazing!”. So now, I’m super excited about being in the Star Wars universe.

Can you tell us more about how you got cast in your respective roles?
Kyle Soller: I met Tony (Tony Gilroy, the showrunner of Andor) when I was doing a play in New York.
Denise Gough: That makes sense that Tony would have seen that play and thought of you.
Kyle Soller: Maybe, yeah. And then I didn’t hear about anything for a bit, and then I saw the script and I was like, we both said this was, in a way…
Denise Gough: Any job.
Kyle Soller: …very un-Star Wars-y. I don’t really know what Star Wars means as a kind of adjective, but it was such an incredibly intricately-woven tapestry of woven characters and different storylines that it’s like Dickens-ian, almost. As you (Denise) say, it could be any other job. And the fact that it was Star Wars as well was kind of amazing, and so yeah, I spoke with Tony and he gave a big outline of what happens. And I said, “I don’t care. You’re amazing. You do awesome work.” And he surrounded us with the most incredible people.
Denise Gough: For me, I had done this pilot for another franchise that wasn’t picked up and so I thought to myself, “oh, okay, well that’s a sign, I’m meant to go back to the stage and that was a good little flirtation with big TV but I’m done, I’m okay”. And then, Star Wars rang and then I was asked to go and meet Tony.
I met him and he was talking a lot about his work, and I said to the casting director when he went to the toilet or something, and I said, “Why is he, surely I should be telling him what I can do”, and she said, “I think he really wants you to do this job”. And I had been, for so long in my career, you go into the room and you lay out your wares and you say, I can do this.
It’s usually me doing all of that, so to have this man who’s so accomplished and he’s casting this huge thing, sort of telling me about himself. I thought, “oh, so I have to think about it in a different way and so he had seen me in a play too.
And then, he said we’ll put you in a tape for Disney because Disney didn’t know who I was, and so he wrote me this scene, and when I read it, it was such a mish-mash of so many things and I realized that what he had done in the scene was he’d written one scene but on each line, it was like he had given this character another emotion to show, so he basically showed me a showcase of every kind of acting I could do and put me on tape.
And he read with me and then at the end of it, he just said, “you just go and enjoy yourself, I’m gonna go and get you this part.” And I thought, that was the kindest thing that anyone’s ever done in an audition because even if I don’t get it now, I’ll hate Disney, I won’t hate you (Tony Gilroy).
But obviously, I got the role, and he let me read the script, which a lot of times on these big things, they won’t even let you do that, right, so the respect that he had for the kind of work that I do and he said to me, “I just want you to come and do what I know you can do”. And I thought, to have an artist of his calibre on your side like that, it sort of makes you feel confident about going in.
And then when I saw who else he had cast, I was like, oh my god, he’s basically gone to the theatre every night to all the shows that I’ve watched with all the people that I love and gone, why don’t all you come and be in Star Wars.
So, I feel so at home with the actors that I’m surrounded by and on the set that I’m on and then it happens to be Star Wars. It’s such a gift. Yeah, we really like Tony, don’t we?
Kyle Soller: Yeah, we love him and we love Disney. (laughs)
Denise Gough: We really love Disney. We’re sorry if we seemed like we didn’t love them. (laughs)

In the meantime, check out the trailer below:


Missed F-Zero? Check Out This New Kickstarter Game Project!

We do wish Nintendo gave two s**** about F-Zero, the classic anti-gravity racing series that was all about speed and tight windy tracks. Thankfully, solo developer Aaron McDevitt is on the case with his new game.
It’s called Aero GPX, and it’s basically F-Zero in everything but name, plus a few inspirations like Wave Race 64 and Kirby Air Ride. The game’s Kickstarter campaign has launched, with a Steam demo to show off what it’s capable of. As of right now, the game is now at US$38,461, halfway towards its US$72,564 goal with just 29 days to go.

Here’s the official description:
“Aero GPX is an anti-gravity racer focused on high velocity, flight, machine-to-machine combat, and responsive controls that are simple to pick up but difficult to master.
There are 30 machines on the circuit for each race in Aero GPX; and the race ends with significantly less than that. Pilots fight for the best position possible with blistering speeds, risky maneuvers, and visceral attacks. While Aero GPX is inspired by classics in the genre, it has a few twists of its own to feel like a new experience with hints of nostalgia.”


Monster Hunter Rise Weapons Guide: Which One Is the Best for You?

The Japan-inspired setting of Kamura is filled with monsters both new and old that seek to terrorize the wildlife. With various ecologies to explore and an assortment of tools at your disposal, Monster Hunter Rise offers a fresh experience for players determined to slash some monsters and bring balance to the ecosystem.
The game is all about fighting monsters, and with combat being at the heart of the experience, players will no doubt want a weapon that best suits them for all the grinding ahead. The beauty of a series like Monster Hunter is that it has a massive list of unique weapon types, catering to all kinds of playstyles.
Monster Hunter Rise has 14 weapon types for you to try out. Hereâ€™s a list of them and an explanation of their playstyle:
Great Sword

The Great Sword is a Monster Hunter classic. Itâ€™s a standard weapon designed for beginners with a straightforward, albeit slow, moveset. Though weighty, any successful hits are guaranteed to deal a decent amount of damage.
If youâ€™ve positioned yourself just right and the monster isnâ€™t going anywhere, you can even charge your attacks to deal some extra damage.
Sword and Shield

Sword and Shield has great appeal due to its utility among other weapons. You can guard against attacks fairly easily and also use items with your weapons out. Beyond that, the Sword and Shield also hosts a variety of different attacks and combos. Itâ€™s a weapon thatâ€™s perfect for action veterans due to its quick attack recovery and simple controls.
If youâ€™re skilled at character action games but have never tried Monster Hunter, this may be the one that will feel most at home for you.
Dual Blades

The Dual Blades are designed quite simply for players who want to move fast on the ground. The ground mobility provided by this weapon is unparalleled, making it exceptionally easy for hunters to move in and out to whittle away at all the right angles of a monster.
Itâ€™s a weapon thatâ€™s infamous for its Demon mode, which greatly boosts the hunterâ€™s attack speed and damage, turning them into a merciless killing machine.
Insect Glaive

The Insect Glaive is the undisputed king of mobility and an easy recommendation for those who just love moving around. If youâ€™re using this weapon, then get ready for the floor to become lava as youâ€™ll spend your time midair more often than not.
The Insect Glaive is also one of the safer weapons to use since youâ€™re often in a vertical space that most monsters cannot reach. Youâ€™re also able to hit them from blind spots that other weapons could only dream reaching. The weapon comes with a Kinsect, which can be used to buff your hunter, inflict status ailments on monsters, and more.
Long Sword

A giant katana with high-damage capabilities as well as excellent reach. Attacking with the Long Sword can fill up the weaponâ€™s Spirit gauge, paving the way for more powerful slash attacks that really dig into a monsterâ€™s health. More adept hunters can also make use of its counterattacks to punish monsters for throwing out predictable swipes.
Itâ€™s a straightforward weapon that works well for beginners, but also offers depth for veterans.
Switch Axe

A weapon that can transform into either a Sword or an Axe. The Sword mode is fast, and can be powered up through a phial system for more explosive attacks. Meanwhile, the Axe excels at reach and raw power.
The Switch Axe leaves open plenty of room for self-expression, meaning that you can focus on one form or another, or weave attacks in through a combination of both. Youâ€™ll be dealing a good amount of damage to the monster regardless of your preferred form.
Charge Blade

Similar to the Switch Axe but with a more complicated and rigid playstyle. The Charge Blade can also morph between two forms, but it is focused more on building energy on phials in Sword mode before unleashing that energy as damage in the Axe mode.
Compared to its cousin, the Charge Blade boasts higher damage potential but requires proper management of its mechanics to really bring in the hurt. This is the weapon to go for if you want a challenge and are already comfortable with Monster Hunterâ€™s combat.
Lance

If defense is more your style, then youâ€™ll definitely love the Lance. It has the best guard in the entire game and is capable of different kinds of counterattacks. Youâ€™ll be able to deal decent damage all while keeping yourself protected most of the time.
Since the Lance is a slow weapon, youâ€™ll have to prepared to guard through attacks rather than avoid them like most other playstyles.
Gunlance

The Lance may be slow already, but the Gunlance weapon puts even the formerâ€™s lack of mobility to shame. To make up for this weakness, the Gunlance relies on higher damage and more firepower to get its point across.
Do you like Lanceâ€™s playstyle? Do you also like explosions? Then the Gunlance might just be the one for you.
Hammer

If youâ€™re trying to learn how to properly position your hunters against monsters, thereâ€™s no better weapon to pick than the Hammer. Its attacks are powerful but slow, meaning that you have to commit to attacks and find gaps in a monsterâ€™s attacks.
The Hammer is most effective when used on a monsterâ€™s head, which eventually stuns them. Learning to track a monsterâ€™s head with the Hammer is a skill thatâ€™s also transferable to other melee weapons, as attacking the head also counts towards dealing extra damage.
Overall, itâ€™s a great weapon for players interested in practisingÂ and improving their core combat skills.
Hunting Horn

Basically, the Hammer if it were a musical instrument instead. Though it lacks the raw damage of its other cousin, this weapon can use a combination of attacks to create melodies that buff both yourself and your allies.
Once considered the most complicated weapon in the series, the Hunting Horn has been revamped in Rise so that it is much easier to use. Now, itâ€™s a no-brainer of a pick for anyone who just loves to support their friends with beneficial effects.
Bow

In terms of ranged weaponry, the Bow stands out as the standard pick for newcomers. Not only is it easy to handle, with plenty of mobility due to its side-step ability, it also has unlimited ammo. Those keen on using its limited unique ammo will be able to inflict status ailments such as sleep or poison.
The bow also has charge levels and a Dragon Piercer attack that winds up for a powerful single shot, making it an extremely versatile weapon.
Light Bowgun

For those who prefer ranged combat but also want high mobility. The Light Bowgun excels at mid-range and makes use of different ammo types to fight. Itâ€™s capable of moving around quickly while firing from a safe distance, but can be tricky to handle due to its limited ammo.
Overall, however, the Light Bowgun can be helpful as a support through its status affliction ammo and sustained pressure on monsters despite its lower firepower.
Heavy Bowgun

The Heavy Bowgun boasts a higher ammo capacity than the Light Bowgun and is also notably slower. Hunters are able to use charged shots with the weapon to both conserve ammo and deal more damage.
Though the mobility that this weapon provides is the lowest amongst the ranged playstyles, it provides the greatest damage potential, benefitting the most from monsters that have been forced into a stationary position.
If you want to learn how to be a Wirebug pro, head here.


Song Of Horror Deluxe Boxed Edition Now Available For PS4

Meridiem Games has announced that the boxed Deluxe Edition of the acclaimed horror game Song Of Horror is now available across European and Australian specialist stores. The boxed Deluxe Edition is manufactured and distributed by Meridiem Games, which you can order from the official website.
Developed by Protocol Games and published by Raiser Games,Â Song Of HorrorÂ pays homage to the classics of the survival horror genre, offering a third-person horror adventure with fixed cameras. Help its protagonist,Â Daniel Noyer, solve the mysterious disappearance of the famous writerÂ Sebastian P. Husher.

The Song of HorrorÂ boxed Deluxe Edition will include a special artwork sleeve with the iconic illustration of The Presence, a map where players can note clues they find during the game and a character guide, explaining their abilities and relationship to the story for all 13 playable characters.
Song of HorrorÂ is a cinematic third-person horror adventure focusing on a terrifying narrative inspired by the literary works of Poe, Lovecraft and M.R. James.
Famed writer Sebastian P. Husher has gone missing, along with his entire family. His editor, worried by the loss of contact, sends an assistant to Husherâ€™s home to check on his well-being. He never returns. These disappearances spark a series of terrifying events, revealing a dark entity known only as The Presence that seems to be at the centre of the horror that unfolds.

Features

Song of HorrorÂ offers a truly dynamic terror experience: its antagonist, the supernatural entity known only asÂ The Presence, is controlled by an advanced AI (Artificial Intelligence) that adapts to your actions and decisions.
Experience unbearable fear as this otherworldly being responds to your way of playing and hunts you down in unexpected ways, offering a unique experience to every player and gameplay where tension builds up naturally instead of coming from scripted sequences.
As a player, you will live this story through the eyes of a varied set of characters related to the story in their own way. Every character is different, and brings their unique point of view to the investigation, allowing them to approach clues and items differently.
Their actions and decisions will shape the world: some of them will know more or less of certain aspects of the story; some will be more effective against supernatural manifestations, but all of them can die if the Presence gets to them â€“ and death is permanent. If they die, you will have to pick the story up with another one, and continue the investigation so their deaths are not in vain.
A mysterious antique shop, a forgotten abbey, an abandoned mental hospital… Each location in Song of Horror is inspired by the classics of the genre. Explore and investigate these haunted places to gather clues and items that will help you solve challenging puzzles while enduring the agonizing tension of the game’s atmosphere.

In the meantime, check out the trailer below:


Wizards Of The Coast Axes New OGL Announcement Following Fan Backlash

Dungeons & Dragons publisher Wizards of the Coast has cancelled an announcement about its updated Open Gaming License (OGL). According to inside sources at Wizards of the Coast (via io9), they are still trying to find a way to respond to fan backlash for the new OGL.
What is an OGL? The Open Game License (OGL) is a public copyright license by Wizards of the Coast that may be used by tabletop role-playing game developers to grant permission to modify, copy, and redistribute some of the content designed for their games, notably game mechanics. However, they must share-alike copies and derivative works.
The new OGL was supposed to go live on Thursday but all that changed when Dungeons & Dragons personality Ginny Di tweeted that people should cancel their Dungeons & Dragons Beyond subscription to show fan backlash.

Seems that @DnDBeyond's Subscription Management page is down as a movement grows to cancel subscriptions to protest reported OGL changes. This comes up when you try to use the Subscription Management page. pic.twitter.com/HOlFvvt8zk
— Christian Hoffer (@CHofferCBus) January 12, 2023

Currently, it’s unclear when Wizards Of The Coast will release the new OGL, or if they will release it at all.
In the meantime, Paizo has announced their own neutral OGL:

While our site trying to deal with the ORC Horde, here is the announcement. #OpenRPG #ORC pic.twitter.com/6luRFI1nMv
— Jason Bulmahn, Game Designer (@JasonBulmahn) January 12, 2023

The OGL battle is heating up, folks.


Here’s How To Play The Halo Infinite Campaign Co-Op Beta Next Week

343 Industries has announced that Halo Infinite campaign co-op beta will take place from 11 July 2022 to 22 July 2022. It’s open for everyone that owns the Halo Infinite campaign or has an active Xbox Game Pass subscription.
However, in order to play the Halo Infinite campaign co-op beta, you have to first join the Halo Insider program.
Here are the full steps provided by 343 Industries:

Step 1: Make sure you’re signed up to the Halo Insider program.
Step 2: Ensure you have the entitlement to Halo Infinite (Campaign). (i.e. you have purchased it or have an active Xbox Game Pass subscription).
Step 3: If you’re participating on Xbox, have the Xbox Insider app downloaded, and opt into the Network Co-Op flight program once the flight is live. If you’re playing on Steam, you’ll be sent a unique key via Halo Insider communications to download the flighting build.
Step 4: Launch the build, party up with friends, and jump into Zeta Halo!

To access the Halo Infinite campaign co-op beta, players have to start a brand new campaign and save. The full Halo Infinite campaign will be accessible, however, via online co-op with up to four players. During this period, players will also be able to replay Halo Infinite campaign missions with a new feature — Mission Replay, which was missing from the game’s launch last year.
Players accessing the game from Steam will have only until 5 July 2022 to sign up, but there’s no deadline for those playing on PC via the Xbox app or on consoles.
Best of all, Halo Infinite will support full crossplay co-op, which means that an Xbox One player, an Xbox Series X/S user, a PC player, and someone streaming the game on their phone (via Xbox Cloud) can all play together if they want to.
Here are some more details from an interview with Halo Infinite‘s Isaac Bender (Principal Software Engineering Lead) and John Mulkey (Lead World Designer):
Mulkey: This is one of the areas I am really excited about. The goal going in was to “allow everyone to play their campaigns together.” This meant that all progress made in the game, regardless of it being through Solo or Co-Op play, would be retained. I could be playing Solo campaign, jump into a Co-Op session for a few hours, then launch back into Solo play and all the mission progress, acquired collectibles, equipment found, achievements earned, and upgrades made in either session would be intact. Gone are the days of playing someone else’s game while earning no progress.
The way we are handling this is through something we internally refer to as “No Spartan Left Behind”. When players join the Fireteam and choose their save slots to play on, the game aggregates the states of all missions across those saves and sets up a world state in which any missions completed by all Fireteam members are marked as complete while any missions not completed by all are marked as incomplete.
Isaac: You can think of this system as creating a version of the world that’s like the “lowest common denominator” (or “intersection,” if you’re into set theory) of everyone’s Campaign progress. This way, no matter what you do, no one is completing missions out of order.
What this means is that any unlocks you find in Co-Op are retained in single-player. So, if you’re having a really hard time collecting a Skull, you can get in a game with a friend, and if they collect it while you’re in that session, you’ll get it too!
The full release of campaign co-op is expected coming sometime “later this year”, perhaps as early as August 2022. It was originally supposed to be available at launch back in November 2021.


Here’s A First Look At Stalker 2

It’s been 10 years since the last Stalker game, Call of Pripyat, and almost two years since Stalker 2 was announced. Now, fans of GSC Game World’s series can finally take an official sneak peek at the upcoming sequel.
It’s just a single image, but it’s good to know that Stalker 2 still exists and that it looks deliciously atmospheric.

Dear Stalkers,
Here is your first glimpse at S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: pic.twitter.com/HGOixm11M7
— S.T.A.L.K.E.R. OFFICIAL (@stalker_thegame) March 23, 2020

Wrecked cars, creepy forest, and a mysterious anomaly? Sure looks inviting – for stalkers (as in the in-game universe term), that is.
An announcement attached to the follow-up tweet says that this new instalment “will be our most ambitious game so far. It will live to the legendary legacy”, and teases further reveals for 2020.
I’ve yet to play the first two Stalker games, Shadow of Chernobyl and Clear Sky, but Call of PripyatÂ was a very memorable shooter with tense shootouts and various reasons to feel unnerved. I’m looking forward to the rest of the Stalker 2 reveals.


Final Fantasy 9 Will Become An Animated Series

Square Enix’s ninth mothership Final Fantasy title, ie the one with the plucky thief, a princess, and all the Final Fantasy tropes & nods being made into a celebrated tribute of a JRPG, is getting animated.
The Final Fantasy 9 animated series will be developed by French animation company Cyber Group Studios in collaboration with Square Enix. According to a kidscreen report, the deal is inked and a project bible is being finished up, while the animation company pitches the show to broadcasters. The company plans to begin production by either the end of 2021 or the beginning of 2022.
If you need a refresher course on FF9‘s plot, why not play the game on PC and current consoles right now? The newest version of the game features a few awesome quality of life changes, like the ability to speed up battles because goddamn they’re pretty dang slow. It’s the best version of arguably the best Final Fantasy out there.


Free Fire Attack On Titan Crossover Is Now Live

Garena today announced that Free Fireâ€™s crossover event with Attack On Titan is now live in the mobile battle royale game. The global collaboration will rally players to fight for humanityâ€™s survival as Attack On Titan content â€“ including the seriesâ€™ giant man-eating humanoids â€“ begins its invasion of Free Fire.
From now until April 2021, players will be offered the opportunity to enjoy exclusive Attack on Titan in-game content, including new costumes and weapon skins, event reskins, as well as a special new game mode.
Players will be offered the opportunity to battle in Attack on Titanâ€™s trademark style through fashion items inspired by the series. These will include the iconic uniform of the Survey Corps â€“ the hope of mankind. The costumes will have the divisionâ€™s Wings of Freedom insignia proudly displayed on the jackets and will be available in both the male and female variants.

Players will also get the chance to battle in the guise of the fearsome Titans. They will have access to both the Armoured and Attack Titan costumes, two of the seriesâ€™ most recognisable Titans.

A new set of gun skins will also be up for grabs. Players will not want to miss out on the Attack On Titan skins of the P90 and M1014, which will be sure to strike fear into even the bravest of hearts with their terrifying designs.

Players will be deeply immersed in the event via a host of in-game features and easter eggs. These will include reskins of Free Fireâ€™s most popular elements, such as airdrop boxes and aeroplanes.

A special new game mode based on the Attack On Titan event will also be available in Free Fire to mark the climax on 27 March 2021. More details will be teased over the coming weeks.


Halo 2 And Halo 2: Anniversary Tests Are Starting Very Soon

Tests for Halo 2 and Halo 2: Anniversary will begin soon, revealed a 343 Industries staff.
Writing on Twitter, Community Support & Engagement Coordinator Tyler Davis said that “flighting”, the confusing term for 343’s “early access play sessions”, will begin “on Friday, 4/17”. He added in another tweet that they’reÂ  “targeting the afternoon”, so it looks like it’d start in the wee hours of Saturday over here.Â

PSA: All Ring 3 blockers have been resolved at this time for Halo 2 and Halo 2: Anniversary flighting to begin on Friday, 4/17. We will let folks know when buttons are being pressed for invites to roll out. Stay tuned to get tactical Marines!
— Tyler Davis (@343Postums) April 16, 2020

Targeting the afternoon to hit buttons.
— Tyler Davis (@343Postums) April 16, 2020

Ring 3 refers to “the Halo Insider user group that is determined based on KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) the team sets for wanting to test in any given flight”, while blockers are bugs “deemed severe enough to prevent a flight from functioning as needed”.
For Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, 343 made plans for Ring 1 and 2 flighting back in January, with the fourth flight kicking off in mid-February. The game itself surprise-launched on PC in early March.
While that fourth flight doesn’t refer to a Ring 4 flight (there’s no Ring 4), I’m guessing that Halo 2: Anniversary will have at least another test next month before launching in early June, since it’d also match the three-month-difference between Halo: Combat Evolved AnniversaryÂ and Halo Reach, but I certainly wouldn’t mind if it came out next month.
At any rate, we’re definitely getting closer to Halo 2: Anniversary‘s launch on PC. If you’re interested in joining future flights, check out the Halo Insider Program.


Wargaming Opens Italian Tanks Tech Tree, Adds World Cup-Winning Keeper Into the Game

Wargaming.net today revealed one of the most unexpected, ambitious yet logical partnerships in video games to date, as they unveiled World Cup winning, legendary Italian and Juventus goalkeeper, Gianluigi ‘Gigi’ Buffon as their new ambassador in launchingÂ a slew of new Italian tanks boasting the never-before-seen autoreloader mechanic to World of Tanksâ€™ battlefields
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48zwrgPH7hE&w=560&h=315]
â€œWorld of Tanks and football may seem a bit of an odd pairingâ€”but trust me, itâ€™s not,â€ said Anton Pankov, World of Tanks Publishing Director. â€œWhether youâ€™re 15 vs 15 in our game or 11 vs 11 in football, itâ€™s all about teamwork. You need a good head on your shoulders because the right strategy and tactics are crucial to securing victory. Itâ€™s this core that makes teaming up with the legendary Buffon a natural fit in celebrating Italian tanks.â€
Eleven Italian tanks join the ranks, from the nimble yet lightly armored lower tiers, to the more balanced mid-tier machines to the real behemoths of the battlefield, tiers VIII and above. This is where the fun begins as the autoloaders come out to play.

Screenshots of the tanks can be found below:

				Fiat 300

				L6 40

				M14 41

				M15 42

				P26  40

				P43

				P43 Bis

				P43 Ter

				P44 Pantera

				Prototipo Standard B

				Progetto M40 Mod 65

So how does Gigi Buffon fit into all this apart from being the face of the new line of tanks? Well, you will be able to recruit the player nicknamed ‘Superman’ as your Italian tank commander.
On board with this? The free to play game by Wargaming.net is available for download here.