Overwatch World Cup: Hong Kong Team Mulls On Participation

The current debacle regarding Hong Kong Hearthstone player Chung ‘blitzchung’ Ng Wei is still the hottest topic in gaming and esports. The Hong Kong Overwatch Team, Fire Dragons, is aware of the controversy and is currently discussing their future plans.

The team is fully aware of recent events around Hearthstone and @blitzchungHS , and we are discussing future plans for Team Hong Kong with our players. Please allow time for us to make the proper and right decision, thank you for your support as always.
– Derek, General Manager
— FIRE DRAGONS ?? #OWWC2019 (@OWTeamHongKong) October 10, 2019

In a recent tweet from their Twitter page, the team’s general manager asked for fans to give them time to “make the proper and right” decision. They’re fully aware of what’s been happening. The question is, are we looking at a possible withdrawal from the Overwatch World Cup altogether?
Just last month, the team participated in the SEA Invitational presented by Overwatch Contenders. They got third place after being defeated by Thailand 0-3 at the semi-finals. It’s interesting to note that the Taiwanese team (officially called Chinese Taipei in the tournament) forfeited their first match against Malaysia, eliminating them from the tournament at an early stage.
For more information on what happened to Hearthstone player blitzchung and why he was suspended, read here.


The Best League of Legends Junglers In 2018 (After 8.18 Patch)

Following the latest announcement that credit card company Mastercard will be an official global sponsor to Riot Games and League of Legends, it’s safe to say that the colourful MOBA is growing bigger than usual.

So what better way to enter the fray than now? With the latest 8.18 patch already in and with the game’s MOBA meta still being sorted out, we know one thing: there’s always a demand for a Jungler.
Yes, for every AD Carry or Support or Tank in an LoL group, you need a Jungler to make sure the gold and XP keeps on coming while these soldiers wander the jungles of LoL. More specifically, two of the game’s notorious junglers, Sejuani and Trundle, have been nerfed so you need to figure out a worthy replacement for your public and ranked games.
These are the top LoL junglers you should use post-patch 8.18.
Graves

Why pick Graves? Simple: because he had a bunch of buffs over the course of the LoL season. With good damage-dealing abilities, he is still viable in pro-level play. This means that there’s a small chance he’ll be really nerfed and he’ll stay at the top of the Jungler ranks for the next few months.
Be careful though; we heard he’s quite tough to master and pick up, since his New Destiny trait makes him only unload two shots before going to a reloading animation. Shot(gun)s fired!
Rammus

Adorable little armordillo, eh? As far as tanks go, Rammus is easy to pick up. His resistance boosts (via Defensive Ball Curl) have been increased in past patches and his combination of accessibility and raw power means that he is a useful Jungler in solo queue.
Coupled with his luring and kiting-savvy Frenzying Taunt and a speed boost that can last for a short bit, you can go far with this fellow.
Evelynn

This seductress has seen her fair share of benching, but now she’s a jungling force to be reckoned with. She has high damage output and her camouflage via Demon Shade will force players to make use of Red Wards. Best of all, she can be a menace thanks to her Allure and Whiplash, with the latter boosting her speed and movement which exponentially helps with kiting and covering jungling paths.
Just like Graves, players need to invest time in learning Evelynn’s moves and skills to jungle hard.
Jax

While not as popular as Graves, Jax has seen some play in worldwide servers due to his skill set. Either that, or Riot Games has yet to hear complains about him being too OP.
In any case, Jax is easy to pick up and can be a challenge to master because of the timing needed for his Leap Strike and Counter Strike. Once you get the hang of this and the art of ward-hops, you’ll be leaping around the jungle and kill like a boss.
Kayn

The Shadow Reaper finally can shine in the spotlight on the latest 8.18 patch. While he was buffed a few patches ago, his versatility and mobility have proven to be popular with most players worldwide.
He can walk through terrain, dash and slash for damage, and slows down targets in a line for easy killing. Whether you transform into a Shadow Assassin or a Darkin, it doesn’t matter: you’ll start racking up XP and gold with Kayn as long as you stick to your jungling and damage-dealing gameplan with your group.


PUBG Mobile PMPL SEA Championship Live Event Next Month In Kuala Lumpur

The 2022 PMPL SEA Championship Spring will be happening at Pavillion Buki Jalil from Friday, 10 June until Sunday, 12 June.
For two years we have been unable to attend live esports events in Southeast Asia, but the wait is now over. With the help of VSPN and realme, the 2022 PMPL SEA Championship Spring will be taking place next month in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
With a total prize pool of US$150,000, 16 teams will gather in Malaysia to competing for the crown across 18 matches in the three action-packed days. The 16 teams competing will consist of the top 3 teams from each of the PMPL regions in SEA, the top 3 teams from the 2022 PMPL SEA Championship Play-ins Spring, and the champion of PMPL SEA Championship Season 4.
It should be noted that due to an unexpected scheduling conflict, TJB Esports from the 2022 PMPL SEA Championship Play-ins are unable to participate in the event. Henceforth, the slot will be given to the fourth-place team of the 2022 PMPL SEA Championship Play-ins Spring, Eagle Esports from PMPL VN.

TEAMS
PMPL SEA Championship S4 Champion – Team Secret
PMPL Thailand Spring 2022 – Vampire Esports, Bacon Time, TEM Entertainment
PMPL Indonesia Spring 2022 – ION Esports, EVOS Reborn, Rex Regum Qeon Ryu (RRQ Ryu)
PMPL MY/SG/PH Spring 2022 – Yoodo Alliance x 4Rivals, Dingoz Esports, Farang Lejund
PMPL Vietnam Spring 2022 – Box Gaming, D’Xavier, BN United
SEA Play-ins – HAIL Esports, The Infinity, Eagle Esport
HOW & WHEN?
Tickets can be purchased online starting at RM20 for the 1-day pass and RM50 for the 3-day pass. On all three days, the event will be from 2:30 PM to 11:00 PM (GMT+8).
For those unable to attend, don’t worry, the event will be streamed live on PMPL’s official Facebook page and YouTube channel.
You buy the tickets online here.


Psychonauts 2 Made With “No Crunch”

In a long line of developers announcing that they’re doing their best in not overworking their employees when making hit games and large triple-A titles, Double Fine is next to make that known.
Double Fine senior producer Kevin Johnson tweeted earlier that the upcoming Psychonauts 2 was made with “no crunch”. Everyone in the team is working on a fair and well-managed schedule, since the major reasons people are overworked and crunching is because of the higher-ups and producers’ bad planning and schedule management.
https://twitter.com/KevinJohnson_25/status/1406347841790910464
Psychonauts 2 has been in development for a while and was announced back in 2015. The devs had a lot of time to make the game, and it has been delayed twice: once from a 2019 release and the other from a 2020 release. The game will be out in August 2021.


Black Mirror Season 5 Gets Trailer & Release Date

Netflix has announced the release date for the highly-anticipated and long-awaited fifth season of anthology series Black Mirror, along with an intense new trailer. Black Mirror Season 5 will premiere on 5 June 2019 with three brand new episodes.
The upcoming new season of Black Mirror boasts a star-studded cast including:

Anthony Mackie
Miley Cyrus
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II
Topher Grace
Damson Idris
Andrew Scott
Nicole Beharie
Pom Klementieff
Angourie Rice
Madison Davenport
Ludi Lin

Besides the release date and cast for Black Mirror Season 5, Netflix has not revealed any details about the three new episodes; not even their names. The tagline for the new season reads:

Five Groundbreaking Seasons.
Three All-New Stories.
One Future We Should Have Seen Coming…

This scene of Pom Klementieff (Mantis from Guardians of the Galaxy) in what seems to be a VR simulation of a fighting game is very reminiscent of Scott Pilgrim Vs The World.

In the meantime, check out the Black Mirror Season 5 trailer below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMsdlvDaYMA&w=560&h=315]


Diablo 4 Open Beta: 9 Things We Loved & Hated About The Action RPG

Update: Video review-in-progress added.
Within the 10 years since Diablo 3, the action RPG genre has seen its fair share of takers to the throne. Notable ones born out of Diablo’s gaming DNA include Path of Exile (which is still going strong) and Grim Dawn (the Titan Quest successor). Other entries that literally changed perspectives and beat-to-beat gameplay and level structures include the Borderlands series (the latest being part 3 and Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands) and both Destiny entries (which hammered home the online-only and games-as-service tropes).
This means Blizzard needs to up its game in standing out among its action RPG peers beyond just brand name: the Diablo franchise has been a genre-definer since 1997 and 2000, but that was a long time ago. Can the title be usurped by the original action RPG franchise with Diablo 4?
After two weekends of trying out the Early Access and Open Beta, I’d say that Blizzard’s next take on the action RPG is a pretty solid effort so far. Let’s break down what we loved (and hated) about the game and its open beta weekend sessions.

Loved: The Action & Feel

This is probably one of 2023’s most solid action RPG efforts in terms of controls (click things and move around; easy stuff) and the feedback whenever you attack or receiving a pounding. Given the big team working on the game, it’s expected. But it’s a helluva sight to see and hear, as well as play with a keyboard-and-mouse setup. The game is going for its dark and moody vibe ala Diablo 2 but with a richer palette while maintaining its dread. Yet the game’s trademark loot sounds, potion bubbles, and the plethora of confirmed attacks and the following death throes/flesh rip are all prevalent and amplified.
Part of the action RPG’s fun is the sound design akin to how slot machines reward players; Diablo 4 has no problems with that bit with the sound of loot dropping, enemies dying, and even the ambience when wandering all around one of Sanctuary’s snowy/foresty areas. Or in the hellish dungeons filled with “cockroach legs” and flailing tendrils as described eloquently by my colleague Xandria. In any case, the core gameplay loop just feels good to control and experience from the get-go up until the beta’s level cap of 25.

Loved: The Dark Storyline
If there’s one thing to comment on Diablo, is that its story isn’t all that fleshed out unless you keep digging up its lore with the Book of Cain or Book of Tyrael in bookstores. Even Diablo 3’s attempt at telling a story fell flat since it’s all done with talking heads and the same isometric perspective that just takes you out of the moment to feel invested.
Diablo 4 changed all that with in-game cutscenes. Throughout the game, you’ll come across Lilith’s insignias that you can activate to see what happened moments before you arrived at the proverbial scene of the crime. At one point early in the game, your character was drugged and was about to be dragged and slaughtered for a ritual just to prove that Diablo’s story will take you to dark places.
The whole game’s objective boils down to “find Lilith and stop her plans”, but the game does its best to share Lilith’s motives, hints of familial issues between Lilith, her ex-lover, and her son, and also how Horadrim survivor Lorath Nair enters the fray to help you somewhat. Kudos to the voicework portrayed in the key scenes and how they’re framed and presented: I suspect that stars like Ralph Ineson (who probably voiced Lorath) and Marina Sirtis (notable Star Trek actress who probably voiced Lilith) are involved; it’s not like Activision Blizzard doesn’t have the money.

Loved: The Necromancer, Rogue, and Sorcerer

It’s no secret that I love to blow stuff up in action games. So when Diablo 4 presented me with options to use a Rogue who can chain shadow explosions with her dash slashes, a Sorcerer who summon Hydras with ample firepower to go with her large AoE fireballs, and a Necromancer who has a Contra spreadgun-style Bone Shard with a ton of minions at his disposal, I’m spoilt for choice.
These three classes showcase the fun to be had during the game’s two difficulty tiers, and a peek at how powerful they can get when at level 25 and with their Class Specialization skills sorted (after doing a class-specific quest in the Act 1 region). The Necromancer starts out with the Book of the Dead where he can customize his skeleton army. The Sorcerer can use Enchantments to power up their attacks passively via using one of their unlocked spells; for example, using Meteor as an Enchantment means there’s a 3% chance a Meteor will fly down if I hit something.
The Rogue has three different fighting styles; two of them for now in the open beta are Combo Points and Sightless Eye. Combo points are gathered with your basic skill, in which you can use points to buff up your core skills; a Barrage with max combo points means more damage and arrow spread, for example. Sightless Eye allows you to gain “Sightless” energy by killing randomly-marked foes; when your energy gauge is full, you gain unlimited energy for a limited time. This means you get rewarded for being quick with your metaphoric trigger finger, killing things on sight and getting unlimited Barrage opportunities.
No matter which of the three you pick, they’re all great to play as and they all showcase how fun the loot grind can get, especially with friends.

Loved: The Customizable Skill Tree

You can respec from the get-go, provided you have a bit of money. And you’ll get more than enough to change up your build on the fly to your heart’s content. Want to go melee Druid with the Werewolf/Werebear shout and groundpound melee combo? Go ahead. Want to change to a Storm and Hurricane/Tornado ranged build because too many enemies have keepaway options? Just find a safe spot and respec everything from scratch.
I suspect the game will get more interesting with its builds once players hit level 70 and go through a couple of Paragon levels (extra levels with perks for non-Diablo fans), especially with the game’s Imprint system (find a Legendary skill or Aspect, imprint it onto your gear of choice). Still, the first 25 levels prove that you can come up with effective playstyles, provided some proper balancing is done.

Loved: The Surprises Along The Way

When the Butcher greeted me during an Aspect Dungeon quest, I was scared s***less because I was not prepared to deal with him. For a big guy, he is really quick. Obviously he took me down, but it did teach me not to take your questing lightly.
Ditto the Treasure Goblin chase-down; yes, they rarely appear, but hunting them down while dealing with an ever-present mob is one of the most dangerous yet exhilarating things I’ve done. While the random World quests are fun and all (the ones with the orange radar), it’s these random moments with elite bosses and literal loot goblins that remind us why action RPGs can still thrill us.
Oh, and the World Boss are fun to take down, though this isn’t without its issues.

Hated: Melee & Overall Balance Seems Underwhelming

We will have to address the elephants in the room: the Barbarian and Druid’s melee options. They suck, and the game’s first Act seem to feature a lot of ranged enemies and keepaway foes who have evasion skills. The aforementioned Necromancer, Sorcerer, and Rogue have no issues since they have projectiles and minions -hydras, skeletons- to deal with mobs and said evaders. For those who want the Werewolf Druid or Whirlwind Barbarian? I had a rough time going through Tier 2 difficulty just because the zoning deck is stacked against me.
On the flip side, I feel that the Necromancer is pretty overpowered. To put things in context, the Barbarian and Druid’s class specialization quests are locked away in the beta. The Necromancer already has his class specialization perks at the start of the game; he only has to unlock his Golem-summoning skills at level 25, and even then I’m not sure if he even needs it in the short run.

Hated: Level-Scaling Nonsense
This ties in with the first time I played the game with a Barbarian. The enemies feel like they have more hitpoints and are more sponge-y when compared to past Diablo titles. Perhaps the reason why is because it makes scoring a powerful legendary all the more rewarding, mowing down foes once you have a good number of high-tier gear. This may be fixed and would feel a lot more apparent when the loot drop rates are balanced (they are increased just for the beta), but it feels like the developer want to have us experience a slightly tougher time with the game just like how players felt when playing the first two Diablo titles.

Hated: Several Quality-Of-Life Downgrades
There’s a huge number of quirks to address here. Let’s go through them in bullet point form:

Why do we need to scrap items just to get transmog skins? The last game let us get transmog by just getting the item via random drops. Why go through that extra step?
Why isn’t there a map overlay for everything beyond the linear dungeons?
Why can’t we zoom out further to see the whole class skill tree in one screen?
Why can low-level players enter the World Boss arena? There should be a stricter cap for players who can fight World Bosses because low level players who hang around and do nothing while everyone else does the heavy lifting is a griefing tactic.
Why can’t we see all possible rolls at the Occultist? I would like to know what my ability chances are without wasting so much gold on a crapshoot. Blind picks for these sort of mechanics aren’t fun.
Why can’t I ping my friends to go to a specific location? Diablo 3 had the banner system to ping other players; why can’t you just bring that to Diablo 4?
Why should gems take up as many slots as gear and items? Why not have a separate tab for gems, especially when you’re going to get a s***ton of them in Tier 3/Tier 4 post-level 70 grinding?
Why isn’t there a loot filter option? It’s 2023 and past action RPGs have this already.
Why is it hard to spot Elites from regular enemies in this Diablo title? Give them an aura or something to make them stand out.

Hated: The MMO-ness Of It All
So we have our non-staple for a Diablo game: a World boss that pops up at specific intervals of the day. While the boss itself is fun with a dedicated party, it does make Diablo as a whole feel like it’s trying to match the MMORPG ecosystem that’s already laid out by World of WarCraft.
This is a bizarre decision if that’s the case, considering that Diablo and World of WarCraft are two different types of RPGs and shouldn’t be cross-streaming with one another. The open-world approach to Diablo is great and all, but just keep the action RPG flavours preserved and don’t turn it into a mess of a hybrid like Lost Ark or some other South Korean MMO garbage.

For the most part, Diablo 4 is a fun action RPG and its new-yet-kinda-old mechanics feel like a good and fresh step forward. Even with the usual beta kerfuffles -lag spikes, disconnects, what-have-you- the experience so far seems promising and is leaning towards the positive. However, there are a good number of quirks and amateur-level nonsense still plaguing this version of the game. Let’s hope that they’re all ironed out in its launch month, because this might be Blizzard’s last stand if its early reception turns sour.
Diablo 4 will be out for PC and consoles on 6th June.


Disney Dreamlight Valley Guide: All Characters You Can Unlock So Far & Puzzle Solutions

Disney Dreamlight Valley is out in Early Access right now for PC and consoles; do check it out if you love Animal Crossing-style life sim games but need Disney characters to justify your homestead’s existence.
Here’s a quick guide to the characters and some of the tricky puzzles in the game.
All Characters In Disney Dreamlight Valley

These are the characters you will interact with and encounter in Disney Dreamlight Valley’s Early Access:

Merlin
Scrooge McDuck
Mickey Mouse
Goofy
Minnie Mouse
Donald Duck
Mother Gothel
Ursula
Eric
Ariel
Kristoff

You have access to four realms in this Early Access version: Moana, Ratatouille, Wall-E, and Frozen. The game has 26 additional doors that will open eventually, at least closer to the game’s full launch which is probably a year away. These are the characters who you can recruit into your village after you’ve done their respective quests:

Moana
Maui
Remy
Wall-E
Anna
Elsa

Who’s Next?
The following characters will eventually be available in Disney Dreamlight Valley:

Beast
Belle
Buzz Lightyear
Cinderella
Olaf
Pumbaa
Ralph
Scar
Simba
Stitch
Sully
Timon
Vanellope von Schweetz
Woody

Who/What’s Missing?
There are a few Disney/Pixar films that are conspicuously absent in Disney Dreamlight Valley. To be fair, there’s a good chance they’re planned for future DLC and expansions/season pass material.

Aladdin
Alice in Wonderland
Big Hero 6
Brave
Coco
Encanto
Hercules
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
The Incredibles
The Jungle Book
Luca
Mulan
Onward
Peter Pan
Pinocchio
Pocahontas
The Princess and the Frog
Robin Hood
Sleeping Beauty
Snow White and The Seven Dwarves
Soul
Tarzan
Up
Winnie the Pooh

Dreamlight Valley Mystical Cave Riddles

Mystical Cave Gem Riddle
After you unlock the Dazzling Beach, you’ll eventually be led to this quest via Ursula. When you enter the Mystical Cave, you will be barred from entry unless you solve the riddles. Here’s the first one featuring 3 statues that are positioned to hold something with its hands.
“Provide the gem that matches best to continue on your hero’s quest.”
All you need to do here is give a gem to each of the stone statues, making sure the colour of the gemstone correctly matches that on the statue’s chest. With one green, one blue, and one red statue, you need to collect a Peridot, Aquamarine, and Garnet, respectively.
Use your magic pickaxe to mine these gems at the following locations:

Peridot – Dazzle Beach or Peaceful Meadow.
Aquamarine – Dazzle Beach.
Garnet – Peaceful Meadow or The Plaza.

When you get each gem, just place them at the statues and the barrier will dissipate.
Mystical Cave Crop Riddle
There will be three statues with patches of dirt in front of them. Next to it is a sign which reads:
“Discover the right crops to grow, to continue on below. One is underground, the other gold and brown. What remains is red and round.”
You need to plant the correct crops to unlock this barrier. Here are the correct crops to plant:

“Underground” – Carrot
“Gold and Brown” – Wheat
“Red and round” – Tomato

When you have all three seed types, head back into the Mystical Cave, plant the seeds in front of the stone statues in any order, water them, and wait for them to grow. You must wait 25 minutes before the tomatoes are fully grown, but as soon as they are, the next door will open.
Mystical Cave Cooking Riddle
“The final riddle, let it be known: To cook and eat what you have grown.”
This one’s easy: just cook the three crops from the last puzzle. The carrot/wheat/tomato combo will net you a 3-star Veggie Pasta. After you cook it at the provided stove in the cave(?), just eat it.
Once you’ve gone past the barrier, just head to the lake and fish out the Power Orb with your magic fishing rod.

Disney Dreamlight Valley Ratatouille Puzzle Guide
After you unlock Remy’s Realm, you’ll get a quest in La Ratatouille called “An Important Night At The Restaurant”.
In this quest, Remy will ask for your help washing dishes and cooking some simpler recipes before he can trust you with his ratatouille on this busy night. However, Remy won’t tell you exactly what you need for the ratatouille. You will need to figure it out from ingredients around the kitchen.
All Remy will tell you before you start making his ratatouille is that it is made with “tomatoes, three different Cooked Vegetables, and a spice”. Looking around his kitchen, you can find everything from milk and eggs to garlic and fish, so you’ll need to choose your ingredients carefully. Here’s the recipe/solution:

Tomato
Eggplant
Zucchini
Onion
Any “spice”like basil or oregano

Cook this and you’ll get the 5-star ratatouille and the recipe, which should be handy for quests that require you to feed would-be villagers who want 3-star meals and above.


Mads Mikkelsen Is Our New Grindelwald For Fantastic Beasts 3

Warner Bros. has announced (via Indiewire) that Mads Mikkelsen will officially replace Johnny Depp in the role of antagonist Gellert Grindelwald in the upcoming Fantastic Beasts 3.
The sequel to 2018’s Fantastic Beasts The Crimes Of Grindelwald is currently in production Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden outside of London.
Mikkelsen is joined by returning cast members Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler, Alison Sudol, Ezra Miller, Callum Turner, William Nadylam, Poppy Corby-Tuech, Jessica Williams, Victoria Yeates, and Jude Law.
Johnny Depp announced his resignation earlier this month on Instagram, revealing that he was asked to do so by Warner Bros. following his loss in a libel case against The Sun regarding the publication calling him a “wife-beater”.
Fantastic Beasts 3 is slated to premiere on 15 July 2022.
Mikkelsen is no stranger to being a dark wizard, considering that he portrayed the dark sorcerer Kaecilius in 2016’s Doctor Strange.
In the meantime, check out our review ofÂ Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes Of GrindelwaldÂ here, or head on over here for my scathing critique of the movie’s utter disregard for established Wizarding World lore.


Cotton Fantasy Is A New Cutesy Shmup Slated For May

Retro gaming fans: you’re getting a new Cotton game.
2D shmup title Cotton Fantasy (or Cotton Rock ‘n’ Roll in Japan) will launch for PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch on 20th May according to publisher ININ Games. The upcoming English version will feature new playable characters with different mechanics and attacks, 16 colourful stages, and online ranking boards. Features list below for your perusal:

High-definition graphics and brand-new shoot ’em up game mechanics.
Six iconic, playable characters to choose from, each with different mechanics and attacks, even including guest characters like Umihara Kawase (from the equally named series) and Luffee from Doki Doki Poyacchio.
Easily accessible Shoot ‘em up gameplay, perfect for newcomers, but with enough depth for veterans
16 colorful and varied scrolling stages, with vertical, horizontal, and 3D movement.
Light-hearted story with fun and charming cutscenes voiced entirely in Japanese (English subtitles included).
Exhilarating soundtrack featuring iconic remastered tracks from past games.
Unlockable content and different characters offer high replayability.
Aim for the high score in your nation with the featured ranking boards.

The Cotton series is a bunch of cute 2D shmups featuring an anime witch riding a broom and blasting monsters and fantasy beasts in horizontal side-scrolling action. It’s pretty obscure for many, so to have a new Cotton game slated for this year is a surprise indeed. Check out the trailer in action below:


Death Stranding 2 Is In Early Development

Cat’s out of the bag.
Death Stranding star Norman Reedus has confirmed on digital publication Leo Edit that Death Stranding 2 is early in development. While the sequel has yet to be officially announcement, work on the game has started.
“We just started the second one”.
He also talked about how he got involved with the game and its creators Hideo Kojima and Kojima Productions.
“Guillermo Del Toro, who gave me my first movie, called me up and said, “Hey, there’s a guy named Hideo Kojima, he’s gonna call you, just say yes.” And I go, “What do you mean just say yes?” He goes, “Stop being an asshole, just say yes.” Then I was in San Diego and Hideo came with a big group of people, he’s from Tokyo, and he showed me what he was working on on a game called Silent Hill. I was blown away by what he was showing me, and I was like, “Yes, let’s do this.” It’s not Ms. Pacman; it’s so realistic, it’s so futuristic, it’s so complicated and beautiful, and I was completely blown away.
It took me maybe two or three years to finish all the MoCap sessions and everything. It takes a lot of work. And then the game came out, and it just won all these awards, and it was a huge thing, so we just started part two of that.”
You know you’re out of touch when you mention a line that’s basically “we’ve come a long way since Pac-Man”. As for Death Stranding 2, that’ll be announced sometime in 2022 or next month.


PokÃ©mon Masters Made Bank In First Week, Surprising Absolutely No One

Slap anything with the official GameFreak and Nintendo PokÃ©mon seal of approval, and you’ll no doubt make your development money back. Slap it onto a mobile game and you’re set for life.
At least that’s the current impression for the recently-released iOS and Android battle game PokÃ©mon Masters. According to SensorTower, the game has earned US$26 million in its first week via player spending worldwide.

Players in Japan contributed the most towards PokÃ©mon Masters during its launch week, spending about US$16 million. Out of the US$26 million amount, US$4.5 million came from the U.S., Hong Kong, Taiwan, and France.
Congrats to the devs & publishers for the success. However, for people and gamers who want to see extensive monetization tactics and “pay-to-win” formulas die off, well you’re s*** outta luck.


[Report] The PS5 May Be Using Cartridges Instead Of Blu-Rays

With over one year to go until the PS5 launches, rumours are flying around like the avian killers in Alfred Hitchcock’s classic Birds. The latest one is the image of an alleged PS5 or PlayStation-related cartridge patent recently published on 5 November 2019 being leaked online, courtesy of Dutch publication LetsGoDigital.
According to the patent description, the application is internationally categorised as Class 14.99, with the description ‘Miscellaneous’, otherwise also classified as ‘Electronic Game Accessories’ in Japan.Â It is also claimed that Sony Interactive Entertainment senior art director Yujin Morisawa is responsible for inventing the new PS5 or PlayStation cartridge product patent.

Well, the problem with all this is that the PlayStation consoles have never used cartridges in its two-decade history, even the handhelds PlayStation Portable (PSP) and the PlayStation Vita (PS Vita). In addition, we already know that the physical games on the PS5 will be on 100GB optical disks, as confirmed by PlayStation themselves.

The image of the PS5 cartridge patent in question doesn’t even reveal any details, only what seems to be a rather bulky game cartridge that personally looks to me like a memory card from the PS1 and PS2 days.

It remains to be seen if anything concrete would come out of this alleged PS5 cartridge patent. In the meantime,Â head on over here to check out all our other PS5-related news and feature articles.


Get Up To Speed With This Recap Of The Overwatch League 2019 Playoffs

In this past week, we got to see some amazing matches in both the winners’ and losers’ brackets of the Overwatch League 2019 (OWL 2019) Playoffs. Pacific Division champs the Vancouver Titans remain strong despite getting their first defeat this season from the Los Angeles Gladiators.

In the next match to decide who goes to the Grand Finals, the Titans will go up against New York Excelsior (NYXL) who were the Atlantic Division champs. NYXL sent Atlanta Reign to the the losers’ bracket but Reign still has a chance to climb back up, if they can take down Hangzhou Spark.
After being beaten by the Titans, the LA Gladiators will have to compete against San Fransisco Shock to get closer to the Loser’s Final. It’d be really cool to see the Gladiators go up against the Titans one more time so I’m definitely rooting for them to conquer the losers’ bracket.
MVP of the NYXL vs. Atlanta Reign match, NYXL player Hae-seong “Libero” Kim.

For more information on the what’s happening in the Playoffs and what’s coming up next, check out Blizzard’s official post here.


Age Of Empires II Definitive Edition Will Be Out On Xbox; Age Of Mythology Remaster Confirmed

Microsoft and Xbox have officially announced a slew of Age of Empires definitive versions in 2023 and beyond.
First up: the definitive edition of Age of Empire II and Age of Empires IV will be out for Xbox consoles in 2023. And yes, these games will have controller inputs though you can still plug in your keyboard and mouse into your Xbox console of choice.
“We also considered the functionality Xbox players have come to expect from their games and so the game will include optional crossplay between platforms, allowing you to play with your friends on Xbox and on PC. We’re also bringing the game to Xbox Cloud Gaming (Beta), allowing players to continue their empire building, even when away from PC or console.”

We heard your pleas, and we agree that now is the perfect time—we're aging up and heading to the console age!
Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition and Age of Empires IV are coming to Xbox consoles and xCloud in 2023. Check out the trailer and mark your calendar! #AoE25 pic.twitter.com/YXpTKHCDaf
— AgeOfEmpires (@AgeOfEmpires) October 25, 2022

That’s not all: Microsoft’s World’s Edge studio has announced Age of Mythology Retold, a remastered definitive edition of the 2002 strategy game classic. Instead of historical armies, players control armies of the Greeks, Egyptians, and Norse, along with their respective gods and demigods for game-breaking powers.
“We know that the Age of Mythology community has been hopefully waiting for a Definitive Edition, and we’ll be delivering. We’re working hard to bring you the glory of the original game with updated graphics, features and more. Stay tuned for more news.”
No release window has been announced for Age of Mythology Retold yet.


CD Projekt Red Apologizes For Cyberpunk 2077 & Its Bugs; Will Avoid Crunch For All Future Projects

CD Projekt Red has finally made an official apology video regarding the bugs and console quality of its hit RPG Cyberpunk 2077.
The video is helmed by co-founder Marcin IwiÅ„ski, who apologizes for the state of the game, asks fans not to condemn the developers of the game, and also shares a roadmap for updates to the game coming in the future. To quote:

“Every extra day that we worked on the day zero update brought visible improvement [to the console version]â€”thatâ€™s why we started sending console review keys on the 8th December, which was later than we had originally planned.
We made it even more difficult for ourselves by first wanting to make the game look epic on PCs and then adjusting it to consolesâ€”especially old-gens. That was our core assumption. And things did not look super difficult at first, while we knew the hardware gap, ultimately, time has proven that weâ€™ve underestimated the task.”

Here’s the roadmap, which basically contains Patch 1.1 and Patch 1.2, as well as “multiple updates and improvements”, “free DLC”, and “free next-gen console update” in respective order.

“The team is working to bring relevant fixes to the game without any obligatory overtime. Avoiding crunch on all of our future projects is one of our top priorities.”
Good luck with that.


Who Pressed Mute on Uncle Marcus Captures the Mundaneness of Family Zoom Calls Perfectly

Platform(s): PC (version reviewed), Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One.
Genre: Cluedo meets Zoom calls style full-motion video game.
Who Pressed Mute on Uncle Marcus is a simple who-done-it story that uses a format that seems too out of place to justify its use. However, it captures the mundaneness of family conference calls pretty accurately, although to its detriment.
The story premise begins when your Uncle Marcus randomly video calls you begging for your help. It turns out he’s been poisoned and doesn’t have much time left & it’s up to the player character, Abby, to find out who amongst your dysfunctional family is the culprit. It’s wacky, in a good way. Conveniently, your mom’s birthday video call meeting happens right after the reveal and is the perfect opportunity for Abby the lawyer to do some snooping. It’s weird and a lot to take in, I know but essentially it’s a game of Cluedo but set within a Zoom meeting.
Black Sheep of the Family
So, turns out your Uncle Marcus (whom you have a close relationship with) is the inheritor of the family business and during a previous family gathering, an argument happened which leaves your whole family as prime suspects. Elements from Cluedo come into play here, where your objectives are to find the poison, find the proof and find the killer, so you can either save your Uncle Mark before he dies or at least find out who done it. Also, Marcus is played by David Wallace from The Office!
The rest of the game’s ensemble are members of your dysfunctional family, and when I say dysfunctional I mean it. The relatives you’ll be slyly interrogating are:

Judgy, overbearing mother
B*tchy, sassy wine aunt, Aunt June
Nan, the typical grandma on a video call (My first guess for the killer!)
Zany, eccentric cousin Toby who does charity work in South Africa. He’s that one person with the terrible connection in a call.
Emo grumpy cousin, Bradley, who clearly doesn’t wanna be there.
Your valley girl stereotype half-sister, Lottie. She’s a singer or something with quite a following apparently.

It’s established from the start your family is hiding some secrets and has been jealous of your uncle for ages. Their performances aren’t anything stellar, and occasionally gets cringy at times but it’s definitely not terrible. The game does a good job at making almost everyone believably suspicious, making you really pay attention to what they say so you can figure out the mystery.
You’ll need to pick up on the things said in the video meeting, such as the mother being deflective of her birthday since it reminds her she’s getting older and closer to death. This made me suspicious of her since why would you be worried about death unless you committed/attempted murder yourself? Or Aunt June revealing that she previously burned Uncle Marcus’ hand in the past and constantly verbally tells you she’d like to kill him. It’s stuff like these that make up the pieces to the puzzle and once you have enough you can accuse them, Cluedo-style.
Amogus
Despite being set in a video conference call, it doesn’t use the interface of such mediums, instead opting for a more stylized look that reminds you you’re playing a game but just barely though, with the lack of proper engaging gameplay. This felt like a huge missed opportunity though as it would’ve been more immersive and given players more things to do aside from clicking on the choice prompts occasionally.
In the meeting the family plays a quiz game in a weird way to stay connected and keep up with each other’s lives. It’s played off like a game of Cahoot, (Oh y’know, that quiz game app you did in college when teachers were too lazy to teach) where each family member gets a turn to quiz everyone else on just about anything. This family is weird, man. It also seems really shoehorned in so that you can talk to each relative alone but just feels forced and unrealistic.

Is My Camera Working?
Game is divided into rounds where each member gets their turn to quiz everyone else. The family is divided into teams of two and that’s how you discover more clues, by teaming up with different relatives each round and pressing them for info. Player choice comes down to just picking between two or more options before a timer runs out. Either to answer a question or decide who to stick with to learn more clues about the case. It’s not very riveting.
Since the game’s events and people you mainly interact with are dependent on your choice, it’s meant to be replayed so you can get the full picture and find out the truth to the mystery. This however makes way for some continuity errors that I noticed. In a previous round, Toby and Bradley teamed up together but in the next round I teamed up with Toby. There was a prompt to ask more about Bradley but he told me that he hasn’t interacted with him in a while, which clearly isn’t the case. It seems too obvious to be a lie and feels more like an oversight on the developers part, which is something that happens not too often but enough to notice.
After every round you’ll get a round recap with a menu showing all the pieces of the puzzle you’ve collected, which you can click on and rewatch. It’ll also show locked clues you missed out, which can help in replays to guide you on which questions to pick so you can unlock them and find the culprit.

Despite the story premise that seems too wacky to not be charmed by, the whole experience felt really forced. It just seemed so off-putting to engage in this quiz format and the okay performances from each character didn’t leave me with something to remember by. Along with the continuity errors I found and the missed chance to properly use the video call format, Who Pressed Mute on Uncle Marcus misses the mark by a ton.
Pros

Wacky premise that seminally entertains.

Cons

Video conference feature is a novelty.
Quiz mechanic felt forced.
Continuity errors.

FINAL SCORE: 40/100


Which Video Game Stores Are Open During COVID-19? Malaysia Edition

Disclaimer: This list will be updated on a daily basis.
With the COVID-19 MCO restrictions being a bit more relaxed now, a lot of folks are slowly able to hang out in restaurants and cafes as well as go about their usual lives. Almost. Most importantly, we are seeing a handful of businesses opening up shop, tech and video games including.
So which game stores in Kuala Lumpur and Malaysia are opening up? Here’s a quick list. Just keep in mind: these stores will close early due to MCO rules. Do contact the branch you want to check their opening hours.
Gamer’s Hideout

Malaysia’s prominent video game store chain is up and running at the following locations:

Sunway Pyramid
1 Utama
Mid-Valley Megamall
Central i-City Mall

Apart from having to temporarily close to restock -they recently did this on 12th May- the store will be operational. As a bonus, the stores are offering a trade-in offer; the more used titles you trade in, the higher your chances will be to win prizes up to RM30,000.
Impulse Gaming

Impulse Gaming branches will be open from 10am to 8pm daily at the following branches:

Impulse Gaming Johor Bahru
Impulse Gaming Sunway
Impulse Gaming Penang

As long as you follow the rules they published (see below), you should be fine doing your physical game-shopping.

Digital Mall

The incredibly big tech and gaming hub at Section 14 Petaling Jaya is open from 11am to 7pm. Do be sure to bring a mask while adhering to MCO rules while you’re shopping for your games, your gadgets, and other tech stuff.
HeavyArm

Nestled in the middle of SS15, HeavyArm is open for business, although you might need to contact them beforehand to ensure smooth business. Good luck finding a parking spot in the middle of the perpetually busy SS15.


Doom Eternal Rips & Tears Franchise’s Opening Weekend Sales Record

Doom Eternal is not only a hell-a good game, but it has also broken the franchise’s record for opening weekend sales (via VG247).
According to the good folks at Bethesda, Doom Eternal sales figures over its opening weekend (21 to 22 March 2020) were impressively double the launch revenue of 2016’s Doom four years ago.
However, the company neglected to reveal any exact sales figures, or even how many copies of the game have been sold to date. What we do know is that Doom Eternal was also the best-selling title on Steam for the past week, with over 100,000 concurrent players (which is over twice as high as the peak of 2016’s Doom at 44,271).
Doom Eternal was originally supposed to launch in November 2019 but was pushed back to March 2020. It is now available for the PS4, Xbox One, and PC. In the meantime, check out our full review of the game here.


Microsoft Offered To Buy Nintendo At One Point; The Big N “Laughed Their Asses Off”

While we’re speculating whether Microsoft and Xbox are planning on making billion-dollar acquisitions of giant video game-making companies, we should look back at one of their major attempts back in 2000.
According to a Bloomberg report on Xbox, Microsoft once proposed buying Nintendo in order to lock in its first-party games for the Xbox. Nintendo basically declined the offer and laughed it off.
Former Microsoft director of third-party relations for Xbox Kevin Bachus & former head of Xbox business development Bob McBreen talked about the experience:

“Steve [Ballmer, Microsoftâ€™s former CEO] made us go meet with Nintendo to see if they would consider being acquired. They just laughed their asses off. Like, imagine an hour of somebody just laughing at you. That was kind of how that meeting went.
We actually had Nintendo in our building in January 2000 to work through the details of a joint venture where we gave them all the technical specs of the Xbox. The pitch was their hardware stunk, and compared to Sony PlayStation, it did. So the idea was, â€˜Listen, youâ€™re much better at the game portions of it with Mario and all that stuff. Why donâ€™t you let us take care of the hardware?â€™ But it didnâ€™t work out.”

At the time, Nintendo was working on the GameCube and was betting on that purple lunchbox. It didn’t pan out as expected and sold worst than the SNES. While Nintendo found success after that particular generation with the Nintendo DS and Wii, the early 2000s weren’t kind to the big N and was dominated by PlayStation and Xbox. Hindsight, eh?


DC Fandome: Milestone Animated Movie Confirmed, Featuring Static & More

During DC FanDome 2021, DC Comics confirmed that a Milestone animated movie is in the works.
It will feature an ensemble of iconic black DC Comics characters, including Static, Hardware, and Icon and Rocket will be included.
Produced by Warner Bros. Animation and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, the movie will be written by Brandon Thomas, the writer of the Hardware Season One comics.
Check out the poster below:


Diablo 4: Pulverize Werebear Druid Build Guide

Diablo 4 is out for PC and consoles starting 2nd June, and with all top-tier RPGs, there’s always a new build being made for any of the game’s five classes.
This guide will teach you how to Druid damaging surrounding enemies using physical attacks, and poison, and how to use defence using magic and shapeshifting effectively to progress from Tier 2 to Tier 4. So let’s grizzly up your Druid class!

Overview

This Druid build mixes shapeshift of werebear and werewolf to give a good balance between attack and defence. Increase the Pulverize aspect to enhance damage surrounding enemies and reduce the damage of the Druid class. Plus it’s very satisfying to use.
Blood Howl helps to heal up to 20% of maximum life, proceed to unlock two of its Modifiers: Enhanced and Innate Blood Howl. Whereas the Trample will knock back foes and stun them, making it a Defensive Shapeshift skill that’ll be useful in the long run.
Poison Creeper acts as an indispensable ally in stopping adversaries and afflicting poison up to 90% damage over 2 seconds. Rather than killing opponents outright, it weakens them with poison damage so that the Druid can finish them. Alternatively, a Druid can attack the opponents once or twice, and then leave them for the Creeper to finish while the Druid focuses his attention on fresh, strong enemies.
Use your early skill points in getting Storm Strike and its Enhanced/Fundamental unlocks, then unlock Pulverize along with Heart of the Wild and Predatory Instinct in order to maximize Spirit and Critical Strike Chance. When you reach Act 5, get the Ursine Horror Aspect powerup to make your Pulverize deal more AoE damage. You will also need to put in skill points into abilities that give you Fortify (alongside Ballistic Aspect and Aspect of Retaliation), which means it’ll be harder for you to die in the endgame.

Druid Pulverize + Werebear Build

Skills & Spirit Boon
Skills: Storm Strike, Pulverize, Blood Howl, Poison Creeper, Trample
Spirit Boon: Eagle (unlocked after Level 15)

Skill Tree
Basic Skill (Tier 1): Storm Strike (1), Enhanced Storm Strike, Fierce Storm Strike
Core Skill (Tier 2): Pulverize (5), Enhanced Pulverize, Primal Pulverize
Core Skill Passives: Heart of the Wild (1), Wild Impulses (3), Abundance (3), Predatory Instinct (3)
Defensive Skill (Tier 3): Earthen Bulwark (1), Enhanced Earthen Bulwark, Preserving Earthen Bulwark
Defensive Skill (Tier 3): Blood Howl (1), Enhanced Blood Howl, Innate Blood Howl
Companion Skill (Tier 4): Poison Creeper (1), Enhanced Poison Creeper, Ferocious Poison Creeper
Companion Skill (Tier 4) Passive: Clarity (3)
Wrath Skill (Tier 5): Trample (1), Enhanced Trample, Natural Trample
Wrath Skill (Tier 5) Passives: Crushing Earth (3), Safeguard (3), Stone Guard (3), Neurotoxin (1), Envenom (3)
Ultimate Skill (Tier 6) Passive: Defiance (3), Natural Disaster (3), Resonance (3)
Ultimate Key (Tier 7) Passive: Ursine Strength
Gear & Skill (Aspects)
Helm: Ballistic Aspect (Scosglen)
Chest Armor: Skinwalker’s Aspect (Kehjistan)
Gloves: Edgemaster’s Aspect (Scosglen)
Pants: Aspect of Mending Stone (Dry Steppes)
Boots: Aspect of Quicksand (Scosglen)
Weapon: –
Amulet: Aspect of Retaliation (Dry Steppes)
Ring 1: Aspect of the Ursine Horror (Hawezar)*
Ring 2: Aspect of the Expectant (Scosglen)
Gems
Weapon: Sapphire
Armor: Ruby
Jewelry: Skull

Paragon Board
To be updated…


Realme Launches True Wireless Earbuds With “Super Low Latency” Gaming Mode

In 2019, we start witnessing the slow death of the headphone jack on most smartphones. Apple took it away from their phones and found a way to make more money by selling their true wireless earbuds, the Apple AirPods. Of course, most people can’t afford them.
Realme is a brand that’s become synonymous with the term “mid-range” thanks to their below RM1,500 lineup of phones such as the Realme 5 and Realme 5 Pro. Today, they announced a new phone, the Realme 5i and their Apple AirPods challenger, the Realme Buds Air.

In contrast to the AirPods’ RM699 price tag, the Realme Buds Air are retailing for just RM299. That’s not even the best part. On the first day that it goes on sale on Shopee, you can get it for just RM199.
Those of you who are keen on getting a pair should mark your calendars. Starting at exactly 12AM on 21 January 2020, the Realme Buds Air releases online for RM199. It will be sold at that price only on that day. Save this link.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Di617oyO3AI&w=560&h=315]
I’ve only tested it for a few minutes but so far I think it’s pretty good. They fit snugly in my ears, not budging even when I jump around a bit. My favourite thing about it is that it uses a USB type-C port for charging. Helps me maintain my “one cable for everything” lifestyle.
One particularly interesting feature is the “super low latency” gaming mode. It promises 120ms of latency which should be fine for you PUBG Mobile addicts. Personally, I think serious gamers should just go for wired earphones but hey, I could be proven wrong.
Check out the Buds Air’s marketing specs sheet:

The other release announced today is the Realme 5i, a budget counterpart of the Realme 5. It seems to be a decent choice thanks to its mid-range Snapdragon 665 processor and its even packing a 5,000mAh battery. However, it uses a microUSB port so don’t expect fast-charging.
As for the display, I’d say it’s just okay. Its a 6.5″ HD+ display with a resolution of 720 x 1600. On the back, it has four cameras. One main 12MP wide lens, an 8MP ultrawide lens, a 2MP macro camera, and another 2MP depth sensor.

Retailing for just RM599, it’s definitely a noteworthy entry in the budget smartphone market. A perfect choice for those who can’t afford the Realme 5 or the Realme 5 Pro. Oh, I almost forgot to mention that it’ll come in two colours: Aqua Blue and Forest Green.
The Realme 5i can be bought at stores starting from 18 January 2020. The first online sale will be happening at Lazada on 28 January 2020 at exactly 12AM. Go ahead and bookmark this Lazada link.

I received a pair of the Realme Buds Air so expect a full written review before February arrives. Aside from the usual usages, I’ll be sure to test out that gaming mode and see if it’s actually useful for getting chicken dinners. So stay tuned!


DC FanDome: Suicide Squad Kill The Justice League Story Trailer Reveals Release Year

During DC FanDome 2021, Rocksteady has announced that Suicide Squad Kill The Justice League will launch for the PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC sometime in 2022.
The trailer also features other heroes and villains alike, including Superman, The Flash, Green Lantern (John Stewart), Wonder Woman, the Penguin and more.
The Flash.
Green Lantern.
Check out the trailer below:


Overwatch Pros Fined US$1,000 For “Big Dick” Chat In Public

While the world is waiting for Overwatch 2, we’ll have to settle for esports misdemeanour instead. Blizzard has fined Los Angeles Valiant’s Jung-won “Lastro” Mun and San Francisco Shock’s Dong-jun “Rascal” Kim US$1,000 for some colourful banter. Said chat was unintentionally broadcasted on Twitch for the whole world to see during an Overwatch League match.
What was wrong in the chat? Well, Lastro wrote “sex”, followed by “big dick”. Rascal followed suit and responded with “big dick” and creatively arranged punctuation marks & symbols to form a penis.
Their respective teammates Super and McGravy urged them to stop and warned them that the chat was public, but it was too late.

LMAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO pic.twitter.com/sOmgY4Y1vJ
— PH????H (@PH7RAOH) April 5, 2020

Lastro issued a public apology following this incident.

I thought the viewers could not see the match chat because everyone was typing in it. I wrote it as a joke, although I should not have done it regardless of whether the viewers could see the match chat or not. I will make sure something like this never happens again.
— Lastro (@Lastro_OW) April 5, 2020

At the very least, these players weren’t banned from playing the game. This is pretty funny stuff, especially when you remember that tournament players in major competitions usually keep on the straight and narrow regarding this sort of behaviour.


Pentiment Senior Producer Talks About Player Choices & Consequences

Back in August, we got to speak with Pentiment’s Game Director and Art Director Josh Sawyer and Hannah Kennedy respectively. With the release of Pentiment just around the corner, I had the opportunity to have a sit down with the Senior Producer of Pentiment and long-time friend of Sawyer, Alec Frey.

We touched on how prevalent player choices are in the game and just how impactful they are on the story and the consequences that come with them. Along with his own view on what Pentiment means to him in comparison to his other works.
How exactly does the game reward players and what consequences play out across the game?
Alec Frey: The game takes place over 25 years. So that’s a long time for things to happen in this town, Kiersau Abbey. So the biggest reward you get is obviously just seeing that world change and because the game takes place over such a long time, it can change in very long-term ways. So early on in the game, you may accuse a specific character of the murder and they may get executed and that could have a ripple effect for a very long time in these people’s lives in a way that you wouldn’t normally see in what might be a traditional Obsidian Game where the game takes place over a significantly smaller period of time. So that reactivity rippling through a really long duration is one of the coolest rewards of the game.

I think we did a really good job of making sure you get to play the character you want to play. Mind you, you are playing Andreas Maler, but then you make a few decisions early on to pick what backgrounds you have, where you studied, and what kind of personality your Andreas has. And I think that traditionally, Obsidian makes games where you make your character from scratch and you get to pick every aspect of them. But I think that we did a really good job of making sure that even though we’re giving you Andreas and we’re telling you his initial story and why you’re here, that ability to pick the backgrounds and play through the game comes off really well and it feels really good.
True to an Obsidian game, we have a lot of decisions you can make, and some of those decisions have bigger impacts than others. The thing that’s really interesting about this game taking place over such a long period is that you see it affect characters across large portions of their lives. There will be characters that at the beginning of the game are a baby and by the end of the game, they have a baby. And I think that seeing your decisions affect a character that has gone through a large portion of their lives—25 years will make you look back at it a go “Woah, I’ve experienced a large portion of this person’s life and they’re like this because of a decision I have made.”
Noticing the depth of those choices is something that sets this apart from other Obsidian games. It’s really important to us to make sure that all your choices matter but when you are seeing these characters 25 years later, still being affected by a decision that you made so that just hits differently.
How would you describe Pentiment in your own words & how would you compare it to your other works?
Alec Frey: The game is a narrative-adventure game which touches on the lives of a lot of people in the towns of Kiersau Abbey and Tassing. The way I see this game is a story of people and how they deal with change and there are a lot of themes of that throughout the game. I think that can be something that can be really important to all of us and that we all relate to in different ways and so from my perspective, it’s just people dealing with where the world is at this point, in 16th century Bavaria—it’s an interesting time right? The reformation is coming, a lot of people are viewing the Church in different ways, and a lot of people are getting more educated and have more access to more information because of the printing press becoming available and having just been invented. So that’s just a time of change and it’s not unlike change that we’ve gone through more recently like with the internet. I think it just creates a really interesting dynamic where we can all relate and see it in different kinds of ways.
How it relates to the other projects I’ve worked on from a production perspective is that this team is small. We’re a very tight-knit group of people, the core group is about 14 people and beyond that, we’ve had other people work on the project come in and out but in general, we’ve all been really close and worked really closely together. The lines of communication a really small, so in ways, that makes my job easier as a producer because it means that if somebody needs to talk to somebody else, there are fewer of them going through me and often just talking to each other and that can make the messages really clear and I think that translates into the game really well with the game having a really clear vision and the team knowing exactly what they’re working out all the time and that’s something on larger projects is often something you have to wrangle as a producer but as a producer, it’s always been really clear and that’s been awesome.
What lessons have you learned from your previous projects that you applied in the development of this game?
Alec Frey: In general, making RPGs are hard in its own way. There are a lot of moving parts and a lot of reactivity in Obsidian games in general and having that choice in consequence between characters that has a ripple through an entire game is something that is hard to organise, track and make sure that you don’t miss any of those points.
I think just having experience from our other titles and RPGs and understanding that’s something that is going to be really deep in this game with being able to understand that these characters might die early on or might react to other things early on that takes a rippling effect through 25 years. That really prepared me to make sure that we stayed organised and talking about those things, ensuring that we did a lot of play testing to make sure we didn’t miss anything.
A lot of it was mostly getting the team in a mindset of like “Hey this game is really reactive and let’s make sure we’re planning for that and make sure that we have a lot of time to get feedback on it, to discuss it as a team, to make sure that it feels good and make sure that we are really clear with each other on what our goals are.”
How involved were you in the creative process?
Alec Frey: So in comparison to my other games, I was much more involved. Not because I had a super creative role on this project it’s just that everyone was involved.
Our team being as small as it was, everyone had a voice. I think part of the reason why the game became exactly what it is, is because we all heard each other and we all created a lot of opportunities for each other to get listened to.
There isn’t a single person that worked on this game that didn’t in one way creatively contribute to the project. Even though there are less creative roles like production, everyone touched this project in a different way whether it was helping design a minigame or coming up with an idea of how the act should end, everyone had a hand in it.
Obviously, the main story and vision was initially Josh [Sawyer]’s but we all worked on this together and it would be a miss to say that we didn’t all have a creative role.
What were your main goals when creating the game?

Alec Frey: A big goal was to really make sure that players feel like they are in 16th-century Bavaria and understand the history accurately. Obviously, it’s a game, so we do things to make sure you’re having fun but at the same time, there’s a lot of stuff that we wanted to make sure that when you experience something, it’s something that could have happened.
The town of Tassing and Kiersau Abbey are both fictional locations but we want to make sure that when you’re there you’re experiencing something that feels like “Yes. This could have happened at this time.” And so it was important to us to make sure that we got a lot of that history right.
The way that translated onto our team and how we ran that was the team did a lot of research and that research was anywhere between making sure we were reading the right books—which you will note in the credits of the game, we have a whole bibliography referencing all the books looked at—to having team watch days and play days where we would sit down as a team and we play other games or we would watch documentaries as a reference to really learn this stuff. It got to a point where by the end we would find stuff in a documentary or game where we were like “I don’t think that’s right.” so it was fun as a team to go on this journey of learning this history together, something that Josh [Sawyer] is really passionate and knew a lot about and slowly the entire team became amateur experts in.
What’s been the most tedious part of developing Pentiment?
Alec Frey: I don’t think there was any part of the project that was “tedious”. The research was something that we were excited to do, so making sure that we accomplished all of that and we were accurate on it was important and I think it was fun.
There were definitely some things that took a long time and were big investments for the team and things like the font system, I and one other person stroked in each glyph in our game and we had to have someone do all of that work so that the fonts look like they’re being written in and that was a lot of work. But it was something that was important to us and a lot of fun and learning to do and it created a really awesome effect.
Why settle for 16th-Century Bavaria specifically?
Alec Frey: It was always going to be Europe in some way. Josh [Sawyer] has a lot of historical understanding in that area, having studied it a lot. So having that expertise in our game director was valuable to narrow it down.
Digging more into that exact area and time, there was a lot of social, political and religious change going on in that area during that time. And I think all that creates a really interesting backdrop for telling a good story. On top of that, the illuminated manuscript was in a really interesting spot during that time—with the printing press coming in at that time and that allowed us to use that art style and the more modern woodcut style that was prevalent at the time to choose what the game looked like.
Allowing us to choose what the game looks like using the styles of that time and location definitely contributed to us saying “Okay, if we do it here, at this time, we this story with these characters with this reformation and this change going on.” and we get to use the art of the time period, that can all come together to something really beautiful.
It took a little iteration to land it where we wanted it to but a lot of this was Josh [Sawyer] had some really good ideas and this was the natural place to put them.
How would you like Pentiment to be perceived by the general masses?
Alec Frey: I hope people look at Pentiment and when they play it, they see themselves in some of the characters. There are a lot of interesting characters and decisions that you have to make that influence those characters and the place that they are in. I think that spending a bunch of time with them and making decisions for and with them makes you understand some tough spots that they’re stuck in. I hope that the players come out of it feeling like “Man, this world is so different—being the 16th century, with the technological and social/political changes.” from that I hope they look at that and think “While I look at this game and I see all these characters living in a time and place that is so different than where I live in, they’re going through the same thing.”
Often when we think of history we think of people that are different from us, but they aren’t, they’re just in different situations. So I really hope the players’ notice and take away from it.

Pentiment will be out for Xbox consoles and PC on 15th November.


Assetto Corsa Competizione 2023 GT World Challenge DLC Just Dropped

505 Games and KUNOS Simulazioni dropped a new DLC for Assetto Corsa Competizione on Steam. And if you’re a console player, don’t worry, it’s coming to PS5 and Xbox Series X|S later this year in 2023!
This latest premium challenger pack called the 2023 GT World Challenge DLC, will cost you US$9.99, but it’s worth it. You get to take control of three brand-spanking new cars – a Ferrari 296, Porsche 911 GT3 R, and Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO. Check them out below in all their high-res video game/PC glory:

Ferrari 296

Porsche 911 GT3 R

Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO

And if that’s not enough to get your engine revving, you’ll also have access to a new track: the iconic Ricardo Tormo circuit. So what are you waiting for? Get behind the wheel and burn some rubber; the DLC is available on PC (via Steam).


Far Cry 5: Lost on Mars Now Available

Ubisoft today announced that the second post-launch adventure for Far Cry 5 called Lost on Mars is now available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Windows 10 PC.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsoFRIYujM8&w=560&h=315]
Lost on Mars continues the uncanny adventures in the Far Cry 5 Season Pass as players travel to Mars as Nick Rye alongside Hurk to eradicate alien arachnids. Lost on Mars can be purchased as stand-alone DLC for MYR40, or as part of the Gold Edition for MYR279 (was MYR310).
In addition, all Far Cry 5 players can access new Mars-themed assets in Far Cry Arcade, available now. Map builders will be able to integrate these assets into their existing maps or create new sci-fi-themed maps.
Ubisoft also released the Far Cry 5:Â Lost on Mars soundtrack,Â a funky, sci-fi, 70s-inspired spaghetti western track listÂ created and performed by film composer Anthony Marinelli. Marinelli used his original vintage analog synthesizers from iconic filmsÂ Young Guns,Â Starman,Â War GamesÂ and Michael Jacksonâ€™sÂ Thriller, as well as sci-fi orchestra riffs, baritone guitar, banjo, dobro, wah guitar and funky bass lines to get players grooving with the spiders on Mars.


Cyberpunk 2077 Collector’s Edition Malaysian Price Confirmed, Pre-Order Bonuses Revealed

Epicsoft Asia Pte. Ltd. is the regional distributor of CD Projekt Redâ€™s highly-anticipated videogame Cyberpunk 2077 in Southeast Asia, and they have announced that every pre-order of the standard retail version of the game will come with exclusive goodies.
Gamers who pre-order the Cyberpunk 2077 Standard Edition for PC, PS4 and Xbox One in Malaysia will receive one complete set of â€œGangs of Cyberpunk 2077â€ woven badges. The set features the symbols of the seven gangs of Night City (whom players will encounter in the game), as well as the redbird logo of CD Projekt Red.

These badges, embroidered in fine detail, can be easily affixed on a playerâ€™s gaming rig,
laptop, smartphone, backpack or jacket. They come packaged in a themed cardboard
holder with background descriptions of each of the gangs, lifted off the pages of the
World Compendium thatâ€™s included with every retail boxed copy of the title.
Keep in mind that the â€œGangs of Cyberpunk 2077â€ woven badges are guaranteed for all pre-orders of the PC version but will be on a while stocks last basis for the PS4 and Xbox One versions.
Along with the badges, those who pre-order the retail boxed PC version of the game will enjoy an additional exclusive metal keychain featuring the Tyger Claws gang. However, these will be limited while stocks last.

These exclusive bonuses will only be available during the pre-order period for the retail version of Cyberpunk 2077 Standard Edition, which began on 18 May 2020 and will end on 7 September 2020.
Players can pre-order the PS4 and Xbox One versions through store links listed on Epicsoft Asiaâ€™s Cyberpunk 2077 website here or visit participating retail outlets. The PC version is available exclusively through Impulse Gaming.
To avoid any and all confusion, EpicSoft Asia’s offer is only available with the retail boxed versions of Cyberpunk 2077 Standard Edition, and not for Digital versions or from other third-party retailers of Steam game codes.
To recap, the retail version of Cyberpunk 2077 Standard Edition for PC comes with the
following physical items:

CASE WITH GAME CODE AND SOUNDTRACK CDS
REVERSIBLE COVER
WORLD COMPENDIUM DETAILING THE GAMEâ€™S SETTING AND LORE
POSTCARDS FROM NIGHT CITY
MAP OF NIGHT CITY
STICKERS

The retail version of Cyberpunk 2077 Standard Edition for PS4 and Xbox One
comes with the following physical items:

CASE WITH GAME DISCS
REVERSIBLE COVER
WORLD COMPENDIUM DETAILING THE GAMEâ€™S SETTING AND LORE
POSTCARDS FROM NIGHT CITY
MAP OF NIGHT CITY
STICKERS

All versions (Retail and Digital) of the game come with these Digital goodies:

GAME SOUNDTRACK
ART BOOKLET FEATURING A SELECTION OF ART FROM THE GAME
CYBERPUNK 2020 SOURCEBOOK
WALLPAPERS FOR DESKTOP AND MOBILE

Cyberpunk 2077 Malaysian Prices
Epicsoft Asia has also revealed the official Malaysian prices for each edition of the game, including the sought-after Collector’s Edition.

Standard Edition (PS4, Xbox One): RM259
Standard Edition (PC): RM219
Collector’s Edition (PS4, Xbox One, and PC): RM1180

Here are all the additional cyber-goodies youâ€™ll be getting in the Cyberpunk 2077Â Collectorâ€™s Edition:

Collectorâ€™s Edition Box
Physical Case With Game Disc (PS4/Xbox One)
Reversible Cover
Collectible Steelbook
25cm/10 inch Statue Depicting V (Game Protagonist) In Action
Hardcover Artbook
Metal Pin Set
Quadra Vtech Metal Keychain
Annotated Copy Of Visitorâ€™s Guide To Night City Sealed In An NCPD Evidence Bag
Embroidered Patches
Cyberpunk 2077Â World Compendium
Postcards From Night City
Map Of Night City
Sticker Bomb Set
Digital: Game Soundtrack
Digital: Art Booklet
Digital:Â Cyberpunk 2020Â Sourcebook
Digital: Desktop And Mobile Wallpapers


A Slam Dunk Movie Is In The Works

Original manga creator Takehiko Inoue has announced that a Slam Dunk movie is in the works. At first, it wasn’t clear if he was talking about an animated or live-action movie.

????????????????#slamdunkmovie pic.twitter.com/jWqvCnASxj— ???? Inoue Takehiko (@inouetake) January 7, 2021

However, that was cleared up when the official Slam Dunk movie Twitter account dropped in and confirmed that it would be an animated anime movie after all (according to their Twitter bio).

?????????????????????????????????????????????https://t.co/QghoThMtmN#slamdunkmovie https://t.co/j5eRGuRsvU— ???THE FIRST SLAM DUNK??? (@movie_slamdunk) January 7, 2021

You can head on over here for the official Slam Dunk movie website, though there are currently no details as of yet. The original Slam Dunk manga and anime (by Toei Animation) ran from 1993 to 1996.
Slam Dunk is one of the most popular manga/anime of all time and is probably somewhat responsible for making basketball more popular in Asian countries, where football/soccer is generally more widely-played.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=iW4atnm_5h0


Click Bait: The Best Idle Clicker Games On The Market

As much as we love being exhilarated by action RPGs and the occasional ball-buster like Sekiro, sometimes we like to shut our brains off and just press away for instant results and gratification. That’s where the clicker games come in: whether they’re for PC or mobile, you can count on these Skinner box tools to make you feel like you’ve achieved something out of nothing.
Whether it’s building towers or running a city, these games will make you tap hard for your reward while looking & sounding good doing it.
Tap Titans 2 (iOS, Android)

Let’s start off with this simple clicker RPG. You control one guy and all he does is kill whatever’s in front of him. You tap to do sword swipes or activate powerups to speed up the killing process. You can also hire party members to do the killing for you while you’re away.
This sequel adds in pets that can magnify your tap power or your ally power, and gives you even more things to collect and wear. Most importantly, you have options on whether to leave it idle or just tap away just to get to stuff faster. Fun!
Clicker Heroes, Clicker Heroes 2 (PC, iOS, Android, Kongregate, and everywhere else really)

Ahh, the original game that sparked the clicker game madness. You click monsters into oblivion ala Tap Titans, but in an isometric view instead. You start off alone, but you can recruit allies to help deal damage automatically, just like Tap Titans 2.
In the end, it’s about your preference: do you want a cutesy-looking clicker RPG game or do you want the original recipe clicker RPG game? Both are good fun to click and they’re free.
Adventure Capitalist (PC via Steam and Kongregate)

Want to earn millions by squeezing digital lemonade? Then try out Adventure Capitalist, the game that lets you rise up from a lemonade stand to a bank-running tycoon. The game’s progression can get wacky, since you’ll be making pizzas, managing sports teams, producing movies, and running accounts.
The more businesses you have, the more profits you get from clicks, though it’ll get hard to split your attention to all of your capitalistic ventures. That’s why you hire others to run your business and manage your clicks. Adventure Capitalist’s art style makes you feel good when expanding your businesses; it makes you want to click more and see what else you can create and buy off. Just like actual capitalism, it just keeps going and going, squeezing people’s pockets dry. Also, it’s free.Â
Plantera (PC)

Remember Tiny Towers? Plantera feels like the fantasy wildlife equivalent of that game. Your clicks here will make you catch butterflies and then grow small patches of crops and veggies that will eventually be a thriving garden. As you progress, you’ll hire helpers to help grow the crops while you’re idle. You also have to click away at magpies and rabbits who plan to steal the literal fruits of your labour.
It’ll cost you RM8.50 for the PC version.Â Sure, it’s not free, but at least Plantera feels like a simulation. Albeit a cute and simple-looking one.
Cookie Clicker (PC via Crazy Games)

Want an incremental clicking game? Not a fan of the veggie onslaught that is Plantera? Then try out Cookie Clicker. All you do is click on a large cookie to get a single cookie per click. Then bake new cookies to buy new cursors that can help with your clicking.
The game allows you to hire grandmas to make cookies, plant a field of cookie seeds, and gives you all sorts of options to help with your cookie clicking endeavour. You even have to barter with a Cookie Dragon from time to time.
Props to this game for being surreal and keeping to the ludicrous cookie theme. It’s like as if it’s trying to be the Frog Fractions of clicker games.
Time Clickers (PC, Kongregate, iOS, Android)

Shoot to thrill, or in this case, click to thrill. This game is to FPSs what Tap Titans 2 is to JRPGs. You are in a first-person view and are given the task to gun down cubes that drop currency. You use said money to upgrade your guns to make bigger bangs and explosions onto bigger and tougher cubes.
Every few rounds there’s a boss that acts as a huge bullet sponge. Kill it before the timer rounds out unless you want to get sent back a couple of stages and grind for better weapons and damage power-ups all. It’s the kind of meditative repetition that works as pretty-looking timesinks.
Crusaders of the Lost Idols (PC, Android)

Finally, we cap this feature off with a hybrid clicker game. Call it an RPG, call it a sidescroller; it’s still a clicker game in the end.
Control a group of fantasy heroes and defeat bad guys like orcs and goblins for more gold. Use that gold to buy more heroes and crusaders, level them up, and purchase them new skills. Pretty soon, you’ll not have a group but an army to control. There’s a bit of strategy in this seemingly-mindless game: heroes can do more damage if they’re positioned at certain places in your group. Rearranging your party can maximize your flow of gold too.
In any case, Crusaders of the Lost Idols is quite a click trip if you fancy yourself a slightly-taxing clicker game. Get it here on Steam.Â
There are a lot more clicker games out there, but we feel that these are the best ones in the market and in 2019. We’ll update this list with more clickworthy titles in the near future; let us know about them either on this here article or on Facebook.


PS Plus April 2021 Offers Oddworld Soulstorm, Days Gone & More

Gamers will have four new games to look forward to in theÂ PlayStation Plus April 2021 lineup. From 6 April 2021 to 5 May 2021, PS Plus subscribers will be able to redeem Days Gone, X-Morph: Defense, Oddworld: Soulstorm (PS5) and LEGO Worlds.
However, this only applies to those in Malaysia and Indonesia. In comparison, PS Plus subscribers in the U.S. will only receive Days Gone, Zombie Army 4: Dead War, and Oddworld: Soulstorm (PS5).
Letâ€™s take a closer look at the choices that await you next month.
Oddworld: Soulstorm | PS5

Oddworldâ€™s Abe returns in this action-adventure platformer set directly after the events of 2014â€™s Oddworld: New â€˜Nâ€™ Tasty. Having undergone a transformation from a clueless cog in a mega-corporate machine to an unlikely hero and beacon of hope, Abe must now save his fellow Mudokons by any means necessary.
As you recruit more followers, stick to stealth and puzzle-solving to survive or scavenge goods and craft an arsenal to liberate your friends. In Oddworld: Soulstorm, you will begin to understand the power of many will be needed to solve problems that the individual alone cannot.
Days Gone | PS4

Ride into a desperate, dog-eat-dog open world of the Pacific Northwest as a drifter and bounty hunter, Deacon St. John. Risk the threats of the broken road on the back of your trusty bike as you face swarms of mindless feral Freakers â€“ and equally terrifying humans.
Unpredictable weather and different times of day and night can cause incredible danger and shocking surprisesâ€¦ and everything wants you dead. Devise your strategies as you customise weapons and skills, craft traps and upgrade your bike as you try and survive the unforgiving wilderness.
X-Morph: DefenseÂ | PS4

X-Morph Defense is a unique fusion of a top-down shooter and tower defence strategy. You are the invader! Use destructive weapons or lead your enemies into a maze of towers. Strategize in the build mode by carefully selecting various types of alien towers or throw yourself right into the heat of the battle.
LEGO Worlds | PS4

LEGO Worlds is a Lego-themed sandbox game developed by Traveller’s Tales and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. The game allows players to build constructions in a 3D procedurally generated world.


House Of The Dragon Trailer Teases New ‘Game Of Thrones’

HBO has released another full epic trailer for Game Of Thrones prequel spinoff House Of The Dragons. The ten-episode first season premieres its first episode at same time as the U.S. on Monday, 22 August 2022 on HBO GO.
The trailer teases what will be another bloody war for the Iron Throne, so essentially another ‘Game Of Thrones’, so to speak. This time, it looks like it’ll be a battle of succession between members of House Targaryen, particularly Matt Smith’s Prince Daemon Targaryen and Emma D’Arcy’s Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen.
Check out the characters below:
Paddy Considine as King Viserys Targaryen, chosen by the lords of Westeros to succeed the Old King, Jaehaerys Targaryen, at the Great Council at Harrenhal. A warm, kind, and decent man, Viserys only wishes to carry forward his grandfather’s legacy. But good men do not necessarily make for great kings.

Matt Smith as Prince Daemon Targaryen, younger brother to King Viserys and heir to the throne. A peerless warrior and a dragonrider, Daemon possesses the true blood of the dragon. But it is said that whenever a Targaryen is born, the gods toss a coin in the air…

Olivia Cooke as Alicent Hightower, the daughter of Otto Hightower, the Hand of the King, and the most comely woman in the Seven Kingdoms. She was raised in the Red Keep, close to the king and his innermost circle; she possesses both a courtly grace and a keen political acumen.

Emma D’Arcy as Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen, the king’s first-born child, she is of pure Valyrian blood, and she is a dragonrider. Many would say that Rhaenyra was born with everything… but she was not born a man.

Steve Toussaint as Lord Corlys Velaryon, “The Sea Snake.” Lord of House Velaryon, a Valyrian bloodline as old as House Targaryen. As “The Sea Snake,” the most famed nautical adventurer in the history of Westeros, Lord Corlys built his house into a powerful seat that is even richer than the Lannisters and that claims the largest navy in the world.

Eve Best as Princess Rhaenys Targaryen, a dragonrider and wife to Lord Corlys Velaryon, “The Queen Who Never Was” was passed over as heir to the throne at the Great Council because the realm favored her cousin, Viserys, simply for being male.

Fabien Frankel as Ser Criston Cole, of Dornish descent, the common-born son of the steward to the Lord of Blackhaven.  Cole has no claim to land or titles; all he has to his name is his honor and his preternatural skill with a sword.

Sonoya Mizuno as Mysaria, who came to Westeros with nothing, sold more times than she can recall.  She could have wilted… but instead she rose to become the most trusted — and most unlikely — ally of Prince Daemon Targaryen, the heir to the throne.

Rhys Ifans as Otto Hightower. The Hand of the King, Ser Otto loyally and faithfully serves both his king and his realm. As the Hand sees it, the greatest threat to the realm is the king’s brother, Daemon, and his position as heir to the throne.

Based on George R.R. Martin’s “Fire & Blood,” the series, set 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones, tells the story of House Targaryen. Additional cast members include Milly Alcock, Bethany Antonia, Phoebe Campbell, Emily Carey, Harry Collett, Ryan Corr, Tom Glynn-Carney, Jefferson Hall, David Horovitch, Wil Johnson, John Macmillan, Graham McTavish, Ewan Mitchell, Theo Nate, Matthew Needham, Bill Paterson, Phia Saban, Gavin Spokes, Savannah Steyn.
You can stream or download House of the Dragon from August 22 on HBO GO. Revisit all eight seasons of Game of Thrones on HBO GO. Subscribe to HBO GO online 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.
Check out the full trailer below:


Spies In Disguise Is A Fun If Derivative Animated Spy Romp

Spies In Disguise is one of the last animated movies to be released in 2019 before we make way for 2020. The premise is simple; what if James Bond or Mission Impossible‘s Ethan Hunt transformed into a pigeon? How will he complete his missions? By teaming up with a ‘weird’ genius teenager, of course.
That’s basically all you need to know going into the latest animated movie from Blue Sky Studios, the company behind the tired Ice Age franchise and several movies featuring endangered blue macaws from Brazil. It’s nice to see these folks delving into some new material for a change.
Bland, James Bland

There are no surprises waiting for you in Spies In Disguise.
The plot is predictable and even too corny at times, as originality and innovation are clearly not what the studio was aiming for.
Instead, what you get with this movie is a charming and hilarious take on popular James Bond or spy tropes that are sometimes too on the nose.

Don’t expect smart and meta humour like The Lego Movie or even The Angry Birds Movie 2. The movie would’ve benefitted from a stronger and smarter script if the studio truly wanted to distinguish themselves and avoid limiting the movie to just younger audiences.
That said, the animators still managed to slip in one or two spicy inside jokes for older members of the audience to enjoy, but most of the material is too juvenile to the point of cringeworthiness. I won’t spoil the main plot of the movie, though it’s something you’ve literally seen a thousand times before, and done better in actual spy movies.
Will Smith is essentially playing himself in Spies In Disguise, a cocky and overconfident superspy named Lance Sterling, while Tom Holland portrays the awkward outcast teen prodigy who just wants everyone to do things ‘in a better way’.

Their relationship dynamic is the real highlight of the movie, and it’s only really a success thanks to the performance of both actors, who (like I previously mentioned) are basically playing themselves, comfortable in their usual typecast roles.
Ben Mendelsohn is also playing to his usual typecast, portraying a bioterrorist with a robot hand named Killian. To his credit, this villain does at least exude a threatening aura, of which many modern animated movie antagonists lack.

Despite being only 102 minutes in length, Spies In Disguise drags in the middle, although the movie does it best to regale you by visiting exotic locales like Venice, Italy, and Mexico, just like an international spy movie typically would.

Action Man

With a simplistic premise, Spies In Disguise struggles to satisfyingly fill up even that relatively short runtime. The movie is content on just relying on action setpiece after setpiece. Though these are often played for comedic slapstick effect, they are actually thrilling and shot in a way that’s dynamic and great to watch.

In fact, I would say that the action sequences are the only thing keeping this movie from truly falling into mediocrity, especially for older viewers who find the humour too childish for their tastes.
It is very much one of the only redeeming factors of the movie.

Despite that, the action in the movie isn’t close to being on par with other recent animated movies like 2018’s Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse and How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World from earlier this year, both of which featured awe-inspiring action sequences.
In comparison, the action in Spies In Disguise is merely serviceable. It does its job, though it probably won’t stick with you long after you watch the movie.
Mission Forgettable

In a year when we already received far superior animated offerings like Frozen 2 and Toy Story 4 (to mention a few), Spies In Disguise doesn’t do nearly enough to stand out.
It’s a disappointing effort from Blue Sky Studios, who is probably now working hard to escape from under the shadows of the once-profitable Ice Age franchise.

In this day and age, it’s not enough to just be okay, even if you are an animated movie geared towards children. I’m not expecting something on the level of anything from Disney or Pixar, but Blue Sky Studios could have potentially done a lot better.
Despite that, there is clearly still a franchise potential to Spies In Disguise, though only time and money will tell if the movie ultimately deserves more sequels.
Final Rating: 50/100
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FK19sxxnBU&w=560&h=315]
We received a preview screening courtesy of The Walt Disney Company Malaysia. Spies In Disguise premieres in Malaysian cinemas on 26 December 2019.


Call Of Duty Warzone Mobile Announced

Activision has announced Call Of Duty Warzone Mobile and a new trailer teases the Verdansk map, showing the Verdansk plane flying through the clouds.
More details and information about Call Of Duty Warzone Mobile will be revealed at Call Of Duty Next, which is an era-defining franchise event showcasing the immediate future of Call Of Duty, broadcast on 15 September 2022 (that’s 16 September for Asia-Pacific and Southeast Asian residents).
Presented by Infinity Ward, and featuring robust information drops detailing innovations, live gameplay, and a whole lot more, expect to learn the following:

What the imminent future of Call Of Duty will look like, including many more details regarding Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, information on Warzone 2.0, and more on the mobile version of Call of Duty: Warzone (also known as Project Aurora).
A full Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II Multiplayer reveal.
A multitude of your favourite streamers at the event, playing the games in real-time.
More information and surprises

In the meantime, check out the trailer below:


Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order Already Sounds Like The Star Wars Game We’ve Always Wanted

EA and Respawn Entertainment are set to officially reveal Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order at the Star Wars Celebration event later tonight.
The reveal will be live-streamed on EAâ€™s Twitch channel at 1.30 pm CDT on Saturday, 13 April 2019, or 2.30 am GMT+8 (for Malaysia and the rest of Southeast Asia) on Sunday, 14 April 2019.
Ahead of the game’s impending reveal, Respawn Entertainment co-founder Vince Zampella has already confirmed what the game will actually be (via Windows Central).
Speaking during one of the Star Wars Celebration live streams, he said that Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is:

“A single-player, story game” with “no multiplayer, no microtransactions.”

While that definitely sounds like the Star Wars game we’ve always wanted for a long time, it’s an undeniable fact that a title likes this has been long overdue. EA acquired the license and rights to develop Star Wars games back in 2013, and the only major games they’re released so far include 2015’s Star Wars: Battlefront and 2017’s Star Wars: Battlefront II, both of which were developed by DICE and Criterion Games.
Nevertheless, now that we know whatÂ Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is, our hype and anticipation have increased tenfold. The last decent single-player Star Wars game was 2010’s Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II (and that game wasn’t even great).
The featured image of this article is a recently leaked art for Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. It was revealed via a t-shirt on Amazon, which was discovered by Twitter user @Wario64.
We have embedded EAâ€™s Twitch stream below for your convenience so that you can watch the “Galaxy-Wide Premiere of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order” later tonight.


Star Wars The Old Republic Unveils Showdown On Ruhnuk Update

During a special Star Wars The Old Republic live stream, BioWare revealed details for the beloved MMORPG’s next major game update, Showdown On Ruhnuk. Game Update 7.2 introduces the all-new Star Wars planet, Ruhnuk, which includes new story content and Daily Area, a variety of player interface and experience improvements including a colourblind mode, and a PvP revamp with a new PvP map, as well as some changes to Gear Progression.
Ruhnuk:

Story Overview: Shae Vizla, Mandalore the Avenger, is in pursuit of the main base of operations of rogue Mandalorian Heta Kol which has led her to Ruhnuk, an inhospitable planet at the centre of an electrical nebula.
A New Planet: Ruhnuk, a brand new planet to Star Wars that no one has ever seen before, is dry and arid but features many river valleys that cut through the desert-like landscape.
Ruhnuk’s Daily Area: The new story arc will have players assisting Mandalore’s forces in the aftermath of the main story mission where they’ll learn more about what’s important to the Mandalorians in Shae Vizla’s command. Players will help track down one of Field Marshal Heta Kol’s ruthless followers as he conducts secret experiments.

Player Interface & Experience Improvements:

A variety of player interface and experience improvements will be made in 7.2 including the ability to select multiple items to deconstruct and delete, custom utility bars, a mini-map to streamline pathfinding and the introduction of the new colourblind mode.

PvP Revamp & New PvP Map:

PvP Revamp: PvP will now feature two queues, either 8v8 or 4v4 which will allow for more balanced matches and quicker matchmaking, offsetting the ability for win-trading and providing more agency to choose between Warzones and Arenas. Players will now also be able to join as 8-player groups.
PvP Progression: All players participating in PvP will be able to enjoy a new seasonal reward track, running in parallel to Galactic Seasons with three PvP seasons planned per year.
New 4v4 Map – Players will also be able to enjoy a new 4v4 Arena map set on Onderon called the Onderon Palatial Ruins.

Gear Progression Updates:

Power Ceiling Increase – Increased allowing players to obtain stronger gear by playing. Noble, Elite, and Supreme Decurion Gear from Conquest and Flashpoints as well as Tionese, Columi, and Rakata Gear from Operations will all be upgradeable to item rating 336. Thyrsian gear, available from PvP, will be upgradeable to item rating 332.

Power Floor Increase – The Power Floor has also been increased to reduce the time required for new players to catch up and participate in endgame activities. This will change the 318 for PvP and 320 for PvE content Power Floor to 322 for PvP and 324 for PvE. Rewards from Legacy of the Sith story missions have also been increased to item rating 322.

It is slated to launch sometime in winter 2022.

"Showdown on Ruhnuk" will launch Winter 2022! Thank you for joining us for our livestream. A recap article and the VOD will be published at a later time. We’ll see you in Game Update 7.2! pic.twitter.com/qGod4akdnF
— The Old Republic (@SWTOR) November 9, 2022


Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker Will Finally Reveal The Knights Of Ren

These Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker TV spots just keep on coming and every new one teases us with more cool details that make it really hard to not get excited for the movie. The latest one gives us a glimpse of a group that we’ve all been theorising on since the start of the new trilogy.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qphC39PJf4&w=560&h=315]
The recently released “Fate” TV spot has a two-second shot that shows a group of black-cladded warriors standing menacingly on a rock formation. Based on what we’ve seen in the The Rise of Kylo Ren comic book by Marvel and a behind the scenes photo, these guys are definitely the Knights of Ren. It’s quite easy to spot the weapons that some of them are carrying and they definitely match what’s shown in the comic book.

It’s definitely awesome to finally see the Knights of Ren making their movie debut. As someone who’s been following the new trilogy, my only question is: Why now?
A leaked behind the scenes photo showing J.J. Abrams surrounded by the Knights of Ren. Photo from Vanity Fair.
Kylo Ren still carries the moniker of the group in his Sith name but so far, we’ve never seen him call them for any sort of assistance or even trained with them to further hone his skills in order to defeat Rey. Now that the First Order has been defeated twice by the New Republic, are the Knights of Ren coming out to re-balance the Force?
There’s no doubt that Disney knows how much fans are eager to find out more about the Knights of Ren. It’s not just comic books but there are even toys that already give a good view of the armour and weapons that these Knights are using.
As more questions pile up in the heads of Star Wars fans, so does the hype for the upcoming movie. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker will be coming to cinemas on 20 December 2019. That’s less than a month away so get hyped!