Venezia FC To Partner With Football Manager Going Into 2022/23 Season

Venezia FC has announced a collaboration with Football Manager, a popular football management simulation game by Sports Interactive. Football Manager will partner with Venezia FC starting in the 2022/23 season. Both companies prioritize innovation and supporting young talent.
“It is with great pleasure we announce the partnership with Venezia FC,” said Richard Trafford, Sports Interactive’s Head of Partnerships and Business Development. “The club’s recent run of good form has been fantastic, and we hope for a strong second half of the season for our first partner in Italy. As a studio, we are honoured to be part of an establishment founded 115 years ago that is supported globally. Venezia FC is a forward-thinking football club, alongside a world-leading brand, and we are excited to work together on collaborations moving forward.”

The Football Manager brand will be prominently displayed at the Stadio Pier Luigi Penzo, including on the dugouts, as part of the partnership agreement. Additionally, a special FM23 kit, in addition to the club’s Terza Maglia, will be available for purchase on shop.veneziafc.it starting on Friday, 23 December.

“The partnership with Sports Interactive and FM23 transcends the concept of a traditional partnership, enabling fans to get behind the scenes and closer to our club”, said Venezia FC Business Director Gianluca Santaniello. “We are honoured to begin this journey with one of the greatest cult games on the planet, and we are very excited about the Christmas launch of a special-edition bundle and to see FM23 branding on the dugouts at Stadio Pier Luigi Penzo soon, where gamers could dream of sitting as real manager one day.”


Respawn Alters Apex Legends’ Map Rotations After Negative Reactions

Respawn Entertainment has updated Apex Legends with a major change to the battle royale game’s map rotation after players complained about negative effects on queue times and slowing down their ability to grind in the new Old Ways event. To fix these issues, the developer has introduced a couple of changes.
In a post on the official Apex Legends Twitter account, Respawn has confirmed that they are removing Nighttime Kings Canyon and shortening how long regular Kings Canyon will be available.

We’re hoping this will allow players the chance to keep grinding that Season 4 Battle Pass or try their skills at the new Bloodhound Town Takeover. And as a reminder, Kings Canyon is still available in Ranked if you’re wanting to jump in immediately.
â€” Apex Legends (@PlayApex) April 16, 2020
As a result of these changes, players will now be able to launch into the more popular Worldâ€™s Edge map more often. However, the map rotation only affects casual play, so it will affect ranked, which will still spawn the Kings Canyon map.
The Old Ways event began on 7 April 2020, giving players a choice of queuing up for duos and trios, either on the Worlds Edge or Kingâ€™s Canyon maps. Respawn wanted to more focus on the new event, so they gave players more opportunities to explore the new Bloodhound Town Takeover in Worldâ€™s Edge while grinding for more battle pass rewards in Kings Canyon instead.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0gXZS9XcBM&w=560&h=315]


That Rape Day Game Is Removed From The Steam Store

So much for Valve’s “anything goes” policy. A day ago, a game called Rape Day popped up on Steam. It’s been removed from the store recently.
According to Valve’s Erik Johnson, the company explained its decision-making about Rape Day’s removal.

“Much of our policy around what we distribute is, and must be, reactionaryâ€”we simply have to wait and see what comes to us via Steam Direct. We then have to make a judgement call about any risk it puts to Valve, our developer partners, or our customers.
After significant fact-finding and discussion, we thinkÂ Rape DayÂ poses unknown costs and risks and therefore wonâ€™t be on Steam.”

Johnson also added that the company will help developers express themselves and find an audience, but this particular game’s subject matter makes it hard for Valve to do so without coming off as supporting said matter. It’ll be nice if they did elaborate more on whether it was the possible sexual content that influenced this decision. Or just be more transparent with their release policy.
Rape Day is a visual novel where players control the choices of a “menacing serial killer rapist during a zombie apocalypse” and “verbally harass, kill, and rape women as you choose to progress the story.” Here’s the rest of the charming description:

“It’s a dangerous world with no laws. The zombies enjoy eating the flesh off warm humans and brutally raping them but you are the most dangerous rapist in town.”

Here’s the trailer. Fair warning: it’s pretty messed up, will remind you of those crappy late 90s static CG adventure games, and needs a lot of proof-reading.


Mario Kart Tour Mobile Is Getting Real-Time Multiplayer Next Week

Nintendo has announced that Mario Kart Tour for Android and iOS will be getting its new real-time multiplayer mode worldwide on 9 March 2020 at 2pm AEDT (or on 9 March 2020 at 11am GMT+8 for Southeast Asian countries like Malaysia).
Players who update their Mario Kart Tour game to the latest version will be able to participate in real-time multiplayer races, where they can race against other players in the same area, nearby or online.
With real-time multiplayer, players can participate in Standard Races to compete against other Mario Kart Tour players around the world based on an ever-changing set of daily rules. Players can also choose to create or join a Lobby Match, based on their own custom set of rules.
In addition, Gold Races will only be available to Mario Kart Tour Gold Pass subscribers, where players can race at even faster speeds that require advanced manoeuvres to challenge other competitors.
For those looking to turbocharge their experience, the Mario Kart Tour Gold Pass is an AUD$7.99 (or RM22+) per month subscription service that unlocks 200cc mode, as well as provide in-game gold gifts for racing in tours and special in-game badges from gold challenges.
However, Mario Kart Tour Gold Pass is not required to play the game, participate in Standard Races, or to play against other players in the new real-time multiplayer mode. Keep in mind that a Nintendo Account is required to play Mario Kart Tour. If you don’t have one, you can register here.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CsMd8G_oyo&w=560&h=315]


Monster Hunter Movie Trailer Reveals New 2020 Release Date

In July 2020, Sony Pictures initially announced that the Monster Hunter movie would be delayed to April 2021. However, a brand new teaser trailer for the upcoming movie has revealed an iconic monster from the franchise and a new 2020 release date.
According to the brief teaser, director Paul W.S. Anderson’s Monster Hunter movie is slated to release sometime in December 2020.
Check out the movie version of Diablos and another look at Milla Jovovich’s Lt. Artemis below:

The synopsis reads:
When an unexpected sandstorm transports Lt. Artemis (Milla Jovovich) and her unit (TI Harris, Meagan Good, Diego Boneta) to a new world, the soldiers are shocked to discover that this hostile and unknown environment is home to enormous and terrifying monsters immune to their firepower. In their desperate battle for survival, the unit encounters the mysterious Hunter (Tony Jaa), whose unique skills allow him to stay one step ahead of the powerful creatures.As Artemis and Hunter slowly build trust, she discovers that he is part of a team led by the Admiral (Ron Perlman).Facing a danger so great it could threaten to destroy their world, the brave warriors combine their unique abilities to band together for the ultimate showdown.
In the meantime, check out the trailer below:


Japan Games-Centric (?) New Game+ Expo Online Event Announced

Just when you thought there couldn’t be more online events like the Xbox Series X showcase, the PC Gaming Show this 6th June, and the rumoured PS5 reveal event next month, along comes another.
Called the New Game+ Expo, this online showcase will be revealing new and upcoming releases from a coalition of developers from around the world. Who are these developers & publishers? Why here’s a list:

Arc System Works
Inti Creates
Koei Tecmo
Natsume
NIS America
Sega
Atlus
SNK
Spike Chunsoft
Grasshopper Manufacture
WayForward
GungHo America
Idea Factory
Playism
Acttil
Aksys Games

Judging from this list, you can expect a lot of Japanese-to-English localized titles revealed for the first time here. As well as a slew of indie titles from these publishers.Â You can check out the event when it streams exclusively on Twitch.tv on 23rd June, 11pm GMT+8.


Bumblebee Is A Fun Ride, Even With Its Unintentionally Creepy Woman-And-Robot Moments

Within the first 15 minutes of this Transformers origin story-slash-possible-reboot directed by Travis “Kubo & The Two Strings” Knight, I was in heaven. The battle for Cybertron between the Autobots and Decepticons. Soundwave doing his minion cassette ejecting thing, Shockwave issuing commands to the Seekers and the troops, Bumblebee and Optimus fighting valiantly and retreating strategically. Bumblebee being a fugitive at Earth and accosted by Blitzwing who looks like Starscream for some reason. It took us 11 years until a live-action movie got it right.
I do love my G1 Transformers and the nonsense that came with it – I was a huge fan of Vinnie DiCola’s music work in the Transformers movie and even went so far as to scour DVD volumes of the Transformers Headmasters/Masterforce Japanese episodes, among other things a Transformer mark would do.
Which is why it’s a tad disheartening that the rest of the movie is going back to the formula set by Michael Bay’s template.
Stop Me If You Think You’ve Heard This One Before

Human outsider protagonist (played by Hailee “Spider Gwen” Steinfeld) feels underappreciated by her family, she listens to the cool stuff like The Smiths to remind audiences that the film’s in the 80s, she ends up getting a vintage yellow Volkswagen as a gift for her birthday who ends up being Bumblebee, they bond, and they have the army looking for him.
Why? Because a bunch of Decepticons (red and blue ones; I know they’re called Shatter and Dropkick, but the colour-coding made it easier to distinguish the two) are hunting down Autobots all across the galaxy for Optimus Prime’s location. Somehow their not-so-subtle and imposing disposition managed to fool the US Army’s Sector 7 division into helping them. Everyone except John Cena’s no-nonsense-but-gold-hearted Jack Burns who sells the role as a sorta-antagonist who turns face as expected in these films. I have to point out it’s pretty hilarious that he’s the only one in Sector 7 who thought that the Decepticon moniker raises a ton of red flags.

Is the formula stale and full of fluff? Yes, but to the film’s credit, the film doesn’t take itself too seriously and does go over the top. The action scenes are well-edited; I can actually keep track over which robots are fighting who.Â Side characters Memo (the supposed love interest), Sally the mom and her new husband Ron, and the stepbrother Otis played their parts adequately and don’t come off as grating.
Cena himself is a riot to watch as he balances badassery and comedy as a commander in an 80s action film.Â And kudos to Travis Knight for not following the Michael Bay template by adding in racist robot elements, “parents taking pot” gags and pissing jokes.
This Charming Man

Most importantly, Charlie is likeable and has good chemistry with Bumblebee. Perhaps a little too good.
Without spoiling the film, there are a couple of scenes where Charlie touches Bumblebee’s robot face as he gets close to her. There’s even a bit where she asks if he wants to be fixed while saying the words “I’ll be gentle,” followed by her laying him down on his back and putting her hands inside him.
This is also capped off with a quiet moment where Charlie’s backstory is revealed to the bot while Sam Cooke’s “Unchained Melody” plays, right to a choreographed bit where Bumblebee pulls her close while the music peaks on “I need your love.”
I don’t know about you, but I do get a Shape of Water vibe between the two, albeit in PG form. There are even a few scenes that look a little too similar to some shots from that film where Sally Field’s character and the fishman interact and initiate “the gaze”. The kind that leads to R21 scenes that end with either one of them puffing a cigarette. Or each other.

Let that thought sink in as you sit through Bumblebee right after you enjoy the plethora of action and explosions, the genuinely laid-out 80s soundtrack featuring Simple Mind and good ol’ Stan Bush, and the typical “car robot fudges up real-life scenarios and suburban settings” comedy bits. That’ll at least make you ponder, or writhe in horror, while you sit through this decently-made Transformers film that skims most of the bulls***.
Long story short: popcorn flick fun for all ages, but try not to think too hard about it if you want to keep your mind sane.
FINAL RATING: 60/100


Elden Ring Gets Epic Overview Trailer Days Before Launch

Just a few days before Elden Ring goes on sale (25th February), Bandai Namco and From Software just published a new trailer to bring in more hype.
The world overview trailer talks about Elden Ring’s major location: The Lands Between. It’s a place filled with heroes who obtained the blood of Marika for their own needs and to rule places here and there. These include multi-armed giants, giant dragons, giant animal thingies with armour, and a giant old man with an old giant stick. Yeah, there are a ton of giants here, ready and willing to kick your ass.
As a Tarnished (ex-The Lands Between resident), you are given the task to claim the throne and face the former heroes of the world. And you’re expected to die a lot, but hey, that’s part of the From Software learning process. Plus, you have many tools at your disposal for exploration like fast travelling to already-visited Spots of Grace, your trusty magic steed Torrent, and the unlocked shortcuts in dungeons and areas.
Check out the fancy and informative trailer below.

Elden Ring will be out 25 February for PC, Xbox Series, Xbox One, PS4, and PS5.


From Software’s Parent Company: Elden Ring May Release “After March 2022”

From Software’s parent company, Kadokawa Games, has made a startling announcement regarding its latest fiscal year report earnings.Â
The Japanese conglomerate states via TweakTown (via Daniel Ahmad) that it will be expecting lower revenue in terms of game releases for the year ending 31st March 2022. It cited delayed releases due to COVID-19 issues as a factor in all of this. In other words, Kadokawa Games, From Software, and Spike Chunsoft’s games will be affected.
How does From Software ties in with all of this? As you can tell from the headline, it’s currently making the upcoming action RPG title Elden Ring, which is basically a successor to the company’s famous Dark Souls, Bloodborne, and Sekiro brand of games. Elden Ring may be delayed further and may only be released after March 2022. It’s not in the current financial and current release window cards as of yet.

Still, with E3 2021 being a digital thing this June, we may hear official news about Elden Ring.


Star Wars Andor Episode 4 Breakdown & Easter Eggs

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

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

Luther Rael Wants To Recruit Cassian For A Rebel Heist

Yeah, my assumptions were true. He wants to recruit Cassian for a Rebel heist.
The Imperial Security Bureau

Andor introduces the Star Wars universe’s version of the CIA or FBI, a division of the Empire that focuses on covert action and intelligence.
An Imperial Security Bureau Officer Mentions Scarif

That’s interesting. Andor takes place five years before the events of Rogue One A Star Wars Story. In Rogue One, Scarif is revealed to be where the blueprints and plans of the Death Star were stored.
The Empire Takes Over The Corporate Security’s Jurisdiction

Because of their failure in the last episode.
Rebel Mentions Saw Gerrera

In case you forgot, Saw Gerrera is the extremist Rebel leader, who was played by Forest Whitaker in Rogue One A Star Wars Story. The character also appeared in Star Wars The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels and the Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order game. Could we be getting a Saw Gerrera cameo? Fingers crossed.
Mon Mothma Appears

Luther Rael meets Mon Mothma, who would later go on to be one of the founders and greatest leaders of the Rebel Alliance. In Andor, she is still an Imperial senator. She would only later renounce the Empire in Star Wars Rebels. Genevieve O’Reilly reprises her role as Mon Mothma, which she has played since 2005’s Star Wars Episode III Revenge Of The Sith. Caroline Blakiston was the original Mon Mothma in Star War Episode VI Return Of The Jedi.
Things are finally picking up. Until next week, excelsior!


Fantastic Beasts 3 Confirms Exotic New Setting & Returning Cast

Despite 2018’s Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes Of Grindelwald‘s mixed reactions, it still managed to garner a whopping $653,755,901, which is certainly enough to warrant more sequels. I personally have a love-hate relationship with it, especially with the plot twist at the end (and other inconsistencies) betraying established Harry Potter lore.
However, my fellow Potterheads should still be happy to learn that Warner Bros. has announced earlier today (via a news post on the Wizarding World website) that the untitled Fantastic Beasts 3 movie will begin production in Spring 2020 at an exotic location; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
David Yates will return to direct the sequel, the screenplay of which will be written by J.K. Rowling and Steve Kloves. Actors reprising their roles include:

Eddie Redmayne as Newt Scamander
Jude Law as Albus Dumbledore
Johnny Depp as Gellert Grindelwald
Ezra Miller (Credence/Aurelius Dumbledore)
Alison Sudol (Queenie Goldstein)
Dan Fogler (Jacob Kowalski)
Katherine Waterston (Tina Goldstein)
Jessica Williams as Professor Eulalie ‘Lally’ Hicks (a teacher at Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the American equivalent of Hogwarts)

The as-of-yet untitled Fantastic Beasts 3 movie is slated to release on 12 November 2021. In the meantime, check out our review of Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes Of Grindelwald here.


Capcom Finally Fixes Street Fighter 5 Netcode; Here Are The Details

Just recently, Street Fighter 5: Champion Edition saw an improvement in its matchmaking and online play. It was a bit vague on the process, but Capcom cleared the air with some detailed explanation.
Basically, the direct focuses here are desyncing issues and one-sided rollback. All players should experience less turbulence and should be in rhythm with one another from now on. Just be sure to play it on wired; no wireless play when it comes to online multiplayer, please.
Details are below (via CFN page):
On February 18, 2020, we performed network maintenance adding a new patch to address Street Fighter V network gameplay experiences. The subsequent performance analysis and investigation have been completed. Please see the details below regarding the adjustment.
â€¢ Adjustment Summary
Reduced the impact of one-sided rollback affecting the leading user when the connection between the two users’ online match is out of sync. By doing so, the input corrections between the leading user and the subsequent user are now expected to be more smooth and accurate.
â€¢ Adjustment Details
– Changed rollback frame value variable based on the Ping with the opponent.
– Updates the Ping value to its actual value every second, instead of updating it to the average Ping value over the last 8 seconds.
– The game will now attempt to resync when inputs cannot be synchronized within the maximum rollback frame allowed.
â€¢ What to Expect
The gameplay experience of an online match depends heavily on the network environment as well as the hardware specifications between the two users. In cases where the game is played using a Wi-Fi connection or on a PC that does not meet the recommended system requirements, the occurrence of “frequent input resyncing attempts” and “frame rate drops” were observed during our investigation.
If you are experiencing these issues during your online matches, it may be due to your or your opponent’s network environment setting. In these situations, we recommend you review your network setup. Thank you for your continued support.


CD Projekt Red Announces New The Witcher Saga

In a surprising reveal, CD Projekt Red has announced that a new The Witcher game is in development, which will kick off a new saga for the franchise. This will be the first new major instalment in the franchise since 2015’s The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt.
The Polish developer also announced that they’re replacing their REDengine with Unreal Engine 5 for future games, which will begin a multi-year strategic partnership with Epic Games. This covers not only licensing, but also technical development of Unreal Engine 5, including closely collaborating with Epic Games’ developers with the primary goal of tailoring the engine for open-world experiences.
However, there is no release window or release date yet for the game. Meanwhile, DLC for Cyberpunk 2077 will still be powered by REDengine. A next-gen version of The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt is slated to release sometime in 2022.


EA Eats Humble Pie Regarding Single Player Games

Remember when EA said that people aren’t interested in single player games anymore? Well, a studio that they themselves bought finally proved them wrong.

EA recently released their 2019 earnings conference call and out of the many details revealed, we now know that Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order has sold way more than the company expected.
Previously, the company was estimating around 6-8 million copies sold from the game’s release date to 31 March 2020. EA CFO Blake Jorgensen said that the game has already reached the high end of that projection which means it’s probably already sold more than 8 million copies.

The game’s current sales trajectory gives EA the confidence to estimate that the game will sell 10 million copies by 31 March 2020. For a game that has no multiplayer at all, that’s a pretty big middle finger to EA’s belief of single player games being dead.
However, that’s not to say that EA’s multiplayer games are unsuccessful. I mean just look at the success of two other Star Wars title under the EA banner, Battlefront and Battlefront II. Collectively, both games have sold more than 33 million copies.
It’s also worth mentioning that EA doesn’t really get to enjoy all of the profits from Fallen Order because they have to pay royalty to Disney. Still, it’s a worthy mention seeing as how it proves that people still want to play single player games. They just have to be fun and interesting.


Infinite Carnage’s Grassroots Raya Party Features Tekken 7

Last Saturday, specifically 15th June, was quite a thrill-ride for fighting game fans and Tekken 7 aficionados around the Sunway and PJ area in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Fighting game organization Infinite Carnage and gaming lounge GamesFusion held a Hari Raya Gathering-slash-Tekken 7 Tournament to celebrate the aftermath of the 30-day Ramadan period. According to Infinite Carnage final boss Leon Soo, the event is to celebrate Hari Raya with the loyal fighting game community as well as the successful partnership between GamesFusion and Infinite Carnage.
The place was packed and filled to the brim with fighting game fiestas, ranging from the aforementioned Tekken 7 tournament to even quick mini-tourney for SoulCalibur 6. The Tekken 7 tournament featured prizes sponsored by ATO Online Store.
Even yours truly got in on the action with some Mortal Kombat 11 and SoulCalibur 6 because I need some time out from covering events, right?
The drinks and food were courtesy of Nomms (for the fried chicken) and Jantzen (for the mineral water). Because food and hydration is pretty important if you want to continuously put the digital beatdown on people and peers alike. Do check out the pics below of the festivities that bring the best of both worlds.

So at the end of the day, who won the tournament? Here are the Tekken 7 winners:
1st place – Meat
2nd place – GTM
3rd place – Ashinomori
In case you missed it, here’s a special Kakuchopurei feature on the fighting game group themselves. Find out more about Infinite Carnage below.


Peacemaker Season 2 Confirmed Ahead Of Season 1 Finale

James Gunn and John Cena have announced via Twitter that Peacemaker has been renewed for Season 2.
The announcement comes less than 24 hours before the Season 1 finale of the show, which will release on HBO Max and HBO GO after 4 pm GMT+8 on Thursday, 17 February 2022.

That’s right, #Peacemaker is coming back for Season Two. Thanks to Peter Safran, @JohnCena, our incredible cast & crew, our wildly supportive & lovely friends at @HBOMax – and mostly all of you for watching! @DCpeacemaker pic.twitter.com/wZSZBivrDQ
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) February 16, 2022

Learning about and eventually becoming #PEACEMAKER was an exercise in exploring the fun and absolutely genius mind of @JamesGunn. It’s been a privilege to work on this show and with the cast, crew and @hbomax team. Elated to say we’ll be back to create more peace for Season ??! pic.twitter.com/ujeeXODvOn
— John Cena (@JohnCena) February 16, 2022

Gunn wrote all eight episodes of the first season, and directed five of them, along with Jody Hill, Rosemary Rodriguez, and Brad Anderson.
In the meantime, check out my review of Peacemaker Season 1 here (which James Gunn shared and retweeted, I have proof!), and you can also check out my previous breakdowns ofÂ PeacemakerÂ Episodes 1, 2 and 3 here, as well asÂ Episode 4,Â Episode 5,Â Episode 6Â and Episode 7 here.


This Chinese Movie About PUBG-Like Battle Royale Esports Gaming Looks Insane

Video game movies and series are a dime a dozen these days: see Netflix for proof of that. But what about a movie about video game esports shenanigans and the popular multiplayer battle royale shooter genre?
Enter the Chinese movie Biubiubiu, which is marketed as the first-ever esports battle royale film (via ZhugeEX). The film is about a game streamer out of his luck who wants to form an esports team with old friends for a major esports competition. The game? A battle royale shooter, of course, played on mobile phones.
Thankfully we won’t be seeing people on their phones intensely playing the game half the time. The actual shooting and gameplay will all be done in live-action explosive glory, gunfire and all. And the main character who’s forming the group has his own custody battle to deal with, so there’s a bit of human drama in-between the esports and the exaggerated action. Check out the trailer below.
[videopress OxXjk4gr]

The poster below may be based on one of the many PUBG clones in China; the main character with the helmet sure looks a mite familiar. Biubiubiu will be out on 9th August for Youku, a film streaming service in China. There’s no word on whether this will be out in other parts of Asia though.


Apple Throws Shade At Fortnite & Epic With iPhone 12 Reveal

Apple just revealed its upcoming new phone-slash-mobile-gaming-device, the iPhone 12, during its Apple Event online conference. And no, these smartphones aren’t getting any cheaper: the iPhone 12 costs US$799+ while the iPhone 12 mini costs US$699.
That’s not all; Riot Games’ League of Legends: Wild Rift will be heading to iPhones exclusively, but not before throwing a direct diss at Epic Games and Fortnite with this intro (via CNET highlights):

Details on the phone are as follows:

Super Retina XDR display (2x pixels as 11),
Aluminium frame & Ceramic Shield (toughest glass, 4x the chance of surviving without cracking),
Most 5G bands,
Smart Data Mode; auto-switches to normal speeds if you don’t need 5G
A14 Bionic.

The phone also comes in 5 colours and is lighter, thinner, smaller than past iPhones.

As if that wasn’t enough, there’s even a Pro version that retails for US$999, as well as a Pro Max version retailing for US$1,099.

At least they’re still be selling the iPhone SE and X models, which should be slightly cheaper if you absolutely need an iOS device. The iPhone 12 and all of its super-expensive models are out now in US stores; no word on whether it’s available now in Malaysia, Singapore, or anywhere else in Southeast Asia.


Bungie Is Still Hiring For Its Upcoming Multiplayer Action Game

Bungie is looking for talent for its next big project: a soon-to-be-titled multiplayer action game.
The company has posted a new job listing, specifically for an “incubation sandbox designer”, or someone to design the combat system for its upcoming new IP. Keep in mind that the project is still in early development, so it’ll be a while until everyone gets to see it in motion.
Still, the job sounds exciting. Have a look at its description:
“Are you on a mission to create games that bond players together into deeply invested communities? Do you spend your time thinking about how different game mechanics can come together to create amazing teamplay moments? Are you excited to learn how to make gameplay that strongly cares about player intention, action game feel, and readability?”
If this sounds like your cup of tea and happen to be nearby Bungie’s area of operation (in the US of A), go ahead and apply.


Star Wars’ LEGO Executor Super Star Destroyer Is Now Open For Pre-Order

LEGO has revealed a new LEGO Executor Super Star Destroyer, which is part of a 40th Anniversary Star Wars Episode VI Return Of The Jedi set and features a LEGO version of Darth Vader’s flagship Super Star Destroyer.
Here are the prices for each region:

75356 Executor Super Star Destroyer [US] – US$69.99
75356 Executor Super Star Destroyer [AUS]  – AU$99.99
75356 Executor Super Star Destroyer [UK] – £59.99
75356 Executor Super Star Destroyer [EU] – €69.99
75356 Executor Super Star Destroyer [CA] – CAD$89.99

Coming in at 630 pieces, this mini Executor Super Star Destroyer measures over 5.5 in. (14 cm) high, 17 in. (43 cm) long and 7 in. (18 cm) wide, and even comes with a commemorative 40th Anniversary of Return Of The Jedi brick, and a mini name plaque too.
The LEGO 75356 Executor Super Star Destroyer is now available for pre-order on LEGO.com, and it is slated to go on sale on 1 May 2023.


Mobile Legends M3 World Championship Returns This December

Mobile Legends Bang BangÂ developerÂ MoontonÂ has announced that the 2021 Mobile Legends Bang Bang M2 World Championship will take place in December 2021.
It has been an eventful year for the mobile esports landscape. Kicking off 2021 with a huge bang was the M2 World Championship, the first offline esports tournament held within Southeast Asia amidst the pandemic. The safety protocols and the cooperation from the teams led to the event being one of the most celebrated and globally-watched1 MOBA esports tournaments, with over three million spectators viewing it.
 Bren Esports is the grand prize winner of theÂ Mobile Legends M2 World Championship that took place last week from 18 January until 24 January 2021.
The Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Southeast Championship Cup (MSC) 2021 also smashed records with a peak of 2.2 million concurrent viewers – almost x10 times more than the last series2. There were new heights achieved with the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Professional League (MPL) series.Â  The MPL-PH league made a momentous transition into a franchise model, enabling revenue sharing across the esports teams.Â Â
The series has also expanded to Cambodia and Brazil – two new exciting countries that have seen strong interest from MLBB players to participate in the mobile esports landscape.Â
Thereâ€™s a lot more Mobile Legends esports action coming into the second half of 2021. With the MPL series gearing up for the Regular Season, preparations are well underway for the flagship international tournament. M3 will be held offline in December, bringing together the bestÂ  MLBB teams worldwide to compete for the top title.Â Â
More details on the event will be available soon, including the location and tournament schedule. Stay tuned for the latest Mobile Legends news on Kakuchopurei!
[videopress agCCN1HD]


We’re Getting A Transformers Animated Movie From Toy Story 4 Director

There’s no word on whether we’re getting more live-action Transformers reboots and remakes. But at least there’s an animated one in the works.
According to Deadline, Paramount will be going ahead with their long-planned Transformers animated feature. They have hired Toy Story 4 director Josh Cooley to helm the project.
The film revolves around the relationship between Autobot leader Optimus Prime and Decepticon megalomaniac Megatron, before the war for Cybertron happened and probably before even both factions were formed.
The animated feature will be separate from the main live-action film series. The script was written by Andrew Barrer and Gabriel Ferrari a number of years ago, so it’s good to know that both Paramount and Transformers IP owners Hasbro/eOne has begun production on the film.
This focus on an animated film instead of a live-action one is due to the current COVID-19 pandemic that’s going on, which will complicate live-action film productions, especially in Hollywood. In any case, we hope that they can get Stan Bush and Vince DiCola to do the film’s soundtrack. The Transformers 1986 movie OST is the stuff of 80s synth legends.


New TimeSplitters Game Is Coming From Original Devs

Publisher Deep Silver has announced the formation of a new studio that will bring the much-loved TimeSplitters brand back to life. Key original members of the original Free Radical Design team, including founders Steve Ellis and David Doak, have re-united to reform Free Radical Design.
The highly-regarded Free Radical Design team has a 22-year heritage under various guises and is responsible for some of the best-loved, most iconic videogames of the early 2000s, including TimeSplitters â€“ the first title it released in 2000. The critically acclaimed TimeSplitters series went on to include two further iterations, all of which were loaded with humorous pop-culture references as players battle across various locations and historical periods.
Deep Silver Global Brand and Marketing Director Paul Nicholls said:
â€œItâ€™s this unique style that earned the TimeSplitters series a large and passionate following who will, without doubt, be excited by the formation of Deep Silverâ€™s latest studio and will look forward to learning more as the franchise moves forward.”
Free Radical Design Studio Development Director Steve Ellis said:
â€œTo finally be able to confirm that the studio has been formed and that we have a plan for the next TimeSplitters game is incredible. While we cannot tell you anything more at the moment, we look forward to sharing information in the future.â€
The Free Radical Design team will commence development on the next TimeSplitters game in the coming months. For now, they are concentrating on building the studio, which will be situated in the Nottingham area. Open positions within the studio will be advertised in due course.
Free Radical Design is a Deep Silver studio following the purchase of the TimeSplitters IP by Deep Silver owners Koch Media in 2018. The first TimeSplitters launched exclusively for the PS2 in 2000, while its sequel, TimeSplitters 2, released for the PS2, Xbox and Nintendo GameCube in 2002. The last game in the franchise was TimeSplitters Future Imperfect, which launched for the PS2, Xbox and Nintendo GameCube in 2005.


Will The PS5 Feature Full Backwards Compatibility? Sony Aren’t Sure Themselves

When Sony initially held its PS5 deep dive earlier this week, they were unclear on whether the PS5 will support full backwards compatibility for PS4 titles. In the presentation, it sounds like Marl Cerny originally said that almost all of the top 100 PS4 games will be playable on the PS5, which is vague and confusing.
Sony has now updated its article on the PlayStation Blog, voicing their “belief” that “the overwhelming majority of the 4,000+ PS4 titles” will be playable on the PS5.
These games are “expected” to “run at a boosted frequency on PS5 so that they can benefit from higher or more stable frame rates and potentially higher resolutions.”
However, this will also be evaluated on a title-by-title basis. They have already tested hundreds of titles and are preparing to test thousands more closer to launch. Unfortunately, Sony’s statement remains unclear on which PS4 games (or how many) will actually be playable at launch, but they promise more updates in the coming months.
The problem with all this is the fact that they’re using language choices like “We believe”, “We expect” and “potentially”, which doesn’t exactly inspire any confidence in their part. It proves that Sony themselves don’t really know the fullest extent of PS5’s backwards compatibility yet, even though we’re only eight to nine months from its Holiday 2020 launch date.
As of now, it definitely sounds like not all PS4 games will be playable on the PS5 (either at launch or post-launch). In comparison to the Xbox Series X, the PS5 is sorely lacking in that department, as Microsoft’s next-gen console will support all generations of Xbox games, from the original Xbox to the Xbox One.
Here’s their full updated statement:

“A quick update on backward compatibility â€“
With all of the amazing games in PS4â€™s catalog, weâ€™ve devoted significant efforts to enable our fans to play their favorites on PS5.
We believe that the overwhelming majority of the 4,000+ PS4 titles will be playable on PS5.
Weâ€™re expecting backward compatible titles will run at a boosted frequency on PS5 so that they can benefit from higher or more stable frame rates and potentially higher resolutions.
Weâ€™re currently evaluating games on a title-by-title basis to spot any issues that need adjustment from the original software developers.
In his presentation, Mark Cerny provided a snapshot into the Top 100 most-played PS4 titles, demonstrating how well our backward compatibility efforts are going.
We have already tested hundreds of titles and are preparing to test thousands more as we move toward launch.
We will provide updates on backward compatibility, along with much more PS5 news, in the months ahead.
Stay tuned!”

In case you missed it, you can read all about the specs and technical details of the PS5 here. In the meantime, head on over here to check out all our other PS5-related news and feature articles.


Watch The Genshin Impact Concert 2022 “Melodies Of An Endless Journey” Now

HoYoverse has launched its Genshin Impact livestream concert for the year -2nd October- featuring all the awesome music of the hit JRPG with symphony orchestra groups and various musicians from all over the world.
Songs from the concert will be up until the latest update of the game, from the Mondstadt region to Inazuma, where the recent Archon storyline for the latter region concluded at.

“GENSHIN CONCERT 2022 will feature new pieces composed by HOYO-MiX for the second year, along with new renditions of the game’s well-loved melodies.”

Check out the concert livestream below.


A Malaysian-Based Studio Was Involved In The Mandalorian

The first episode of The Mandalorian Season 2 just debuted yesterday, and it was pretty great (check out my spoiler-free review here). However, there was another interesting detail, not in the episode itself, but strangely enough, during the credits.

It turns out that a VFX studio based in Malaysia, Base FX, is responsible for partially contributing to the special effects in The Mandalorian. This was discovered by our friends at BuzzPop, who noticed that The National Film Development Corporation Malaysia (FINAS) was mentioned in the credits for The Mandalorian Season 2 Episode 1 ‘Chapter 9: The Marshal’.

#TriviaTV – Tahulah Anda Bahawa FINAS Menerbitkan THE MANDALORIAN??? Usahasama @FinasMy dengan @Lucasfilm_Ltd untuk siri TV @disneyplus #TheMandalorian membolehkan studio VFX Malaysia serta tenaga kreatif tempatan terlibat di dalam projek besar tanpa berhijrah ke luar negara. pic.twitter.com/Z18JKG11dE— BuzzPopTV (@buzzpoptv) October 30, 2020

The Mandalorian is eligible for FINAS’ Film In Malaysia Incentive (FIMI), which grants a 30 percent subsidy from the government. The only requirements for a TV series to qualify for this subsidy is for it to spend a minimum of RM385,000 (or roughly US$492,000) per hour.
To clarify, the subsidy acts as an incentive for companies and creatives in Malaysia. In this case, that’s Base FX. The purpose of this is to develop local talent from the creative industry in Malaysia, thereby attracting international film productions and post-production activities to Malaysia.
This FINAS initiative ultimately benefits Malaysians in the creative and arts industries. Don’t worry, your taxpaying money isn’t going into the pockets of Pedro Pascal or Jon Favreau.
Besides Kuala Lumpur, Base FX also has studios in China and in Los Angeles. They specialize in high-end creature and character animation, fluid and dynamic effects, and photo-real 3D matte painting and set extensions.


Wild Rift Patch 3.5 Darkin To Dawn Adds New Champions & More

Whether you’re in the mood for darkness and destruction or a dreamy trip to the Spirit World, Riot Games has you covered in the upcoming content for League of Legends: Wild Rift Patch 3.5: Darkin to Dawn.
CHAMPIONS

Aatrox, the Darkin Blade, brings oblivion to Wild Rift. An ancient being imprisoned in his own sword, Aatrox feasts on the souls of mortals to grow ever more powerful.

Kayn, the Shadow Reaper, wields an ancient weapon possessed by a Darkin named Rhaast, and constantly battles it for control. With his passive, the Darkin Scythe, you decide which will triumph.

ALL FOR ONE

All For One is coming to Wild Rift in patch 3.5! In Champion Select, players in a team will vote for a champion to play, and the one picked via majority will ALL play the selected champ. Ties are broken by random selection.

More details will be revealed on Friday, 4 November 2022.


SNES Emulator BSNES Creator Tragically Takes Own Life

Near, the developer known for making SNES emulator BSNES, has taken their own life (via NintendoLife & ResetEra).

A message about Near from a mutual friend.https://t.co/L5MuTsNGe1
— Hector Martin (@marcan42) June 27, 2021

Their work in retro gaming preservation is remarkable; apart from working on BNES since 2004, he also assisted the developers of SNES9X to improve its emulation capabilities. They also bought an entire North American and Japanese SNES/Super Famicom collection to dump them and ensure the ROMs were as faithful as possible.
The suicide was due to the cyberbullying efforts of forum site Kiwi Farms. Here’s the statement Near released prior to the suicide:
The honest truth is, I’ve been bullied, ridiculed, and humiliated my entire life. From my earliest grade school memories to now. It’s always hurt me deeply enough that I can’t describe it in words. I could only just tolerate it with heavy depression when it was 4chan.
But Kiwi Farms has made the harassment orders of magnitude worse. It’s escalated from attacking me for being autistic, to attacking and doxing my friends, and trying to suicide bait another, just to get a reaction from me. I lost one of my best friends to this. I feel responsible.
I can’t handle this anymore. I have tried everything. I have taken every medication available. I have tried multiple therapists. I have tried closing myself off from the world. It doesn’t help at all. Every night I am filled with panic attacks and dread and worry.
I have tried changing in every way possible as they wanted me to in order to get this to stop, but it just never does. Every few months, it’s something new. A new dox, a new thread, a new tangent. It’s too much to bear any longer.
I’ve always tried my best to be kind and helpful to everyone. And I didn’t do anything wrong other than be weird online. Maybe a bit too passionate at times. Their horrific claims are entirely baseless. Still, if I’ve hurt or upset anyone, I’m really sorry for that.
The internet is not a game. It’s real life. I’m a real person. This stuff really hurts. I poured my entire life into this. I have no real-life friends, I have no other reason for being. Only this. And now I have nothing.
It’s too late for me, but I pray that someone, at some point, will do something about that website. There’s too many people suffering, and no one seems to care because we are relative nobodies online, and they know that. Evil triumphs when good men do nothing.
Please don’t remember me for this. Remember me for what I’ve done. For my work and dedication. Thank you all so much for your kindness and support over the years. I’m very sorry, but know that I love you all very much. Here’s hoping there’s something better awaiting.
Please don’t hate me for this. As much as I know it will cause some of you to suffer, please understand I was suffering far more. I’m sure some will try to play this off as my fault. But it’s not. They didn’t have to do this and they could have stopped any time, but chose not to.
I would have kept going if Joshua Moon had shown me just the tiniest bit of compassion. But he chose not to. That’s not on me, that’s on him. That’s on every last person who pushed me to this point and didn’t let up. I never deserved any of this.
Thank you all so much for the kind messages. Please take care of yourselves. I love you all very much. Thank you for all your support over the years. It’s been such an honor. I’ll miss you all so much, but at least I can finally be at peace.
Suicide is no joke. If you need assistance, do head to Suicide.org and pick the region you’re in to get the aid you need.


Overwatch League Power Rankings: Stage 3: Week 3

What. A. Week.
No thanks to these unprecedented results, Power Rankings are harder than ever to produce. With upsets all around, the definition of ‘The Strongest Team’ is getting flimsier by the day as teams start to figure each other out better. So without further ado, here are this week’s Power Rankings, ahead of Week 3 matches.
1. New York Excelsior (21-3); +54. Last week: 1Ã‚Â Ã‚Â

The NYXL are still the best team in the league but their aura of invincibility is probably at its lowest since the start of Stage 2. Not only were they shocked by the relatively under-strength Boston Uprising, they struggled to get past the Houston Outlaws. We have no doubt that they will regain that swagger but watch out SBB & Co. – the rest are indeed catching up
2. Philadelphia Fusion (16-8); +11. Last Week: 4

Talk about being in it for the long run. While the Fusion started the season slow, they have been one of the most consistently improving team and now sit second in our Power Rankings. Who would have thought the team who skipped pre-season and had one of its player suspended for over 30 games to turn out this way. To simply attribute this rise to Snillo and Eqo would be a disservice to the rest of the team as the Fusion have been one of the most dependable, solid unit regardless of who start. They can win in whatever condition you put them in and is easily the most enjoyable team to watch in the league at this moment.
3. Los Angeles Gladiators (13-11); +4. Last Week: 5

Like the Fusion, the Gladiators are a team who played the long game in constantly improving, fixing their weaknesses and have been successfully avoiding from shooting themselves on the foot – which is endemic amongst Overwatch League teams at the moment. The Korean core of Bischu, Asher and Fissure sets a solid foundation for the likes of Hydration and Surefour to shine and pop off. Barring some spectacular collapse, we don’t see the upward trajectory of this team to be derailed anytime soon. A solid contender for this season’s stage finals.
4. Boston Uprising (16-8); +16. Last Week: 6

We honestly thought they’d crash and burn in Week 2 following the untimely removal of Dreamkazper but Mistakes slots into the starting DPS role like a glove and BAM – the Uprising are currently 2-0 post-Dreamkazper. No one saw that 3-2 win over NYXL coming and they managed to stave off the Mayhem over five sets but wins are wins man. However,Ã‚Â  their mettle will be truly tested in Week 3 as they face ailing Spitfire and Dynasty so it’s going to be a make or break week for them.
5.Ã‚Â Los Angeles Valiant (15-9); +21. Last Week: 8

The Valiant started strongly and are currently the Stage 3 leaders but we are still unsure about them and believe the results were more due to favorable schedule than true shows of strength. Sure they defeated the Dynasty but it was an under-strength Dynasty who had most of their starters rested. The Valiant’s subsequent teams were against the Dragons, Shock and Fuel – games they were expected to win anyway. Matches against the Gladiators and Spitfire this week will determine whether the shock moves done prior to the start of Stage 3 were indeedÃ‚Â  strokes of genius.
6. Seoul Dynasty (16-8); +18. Last Week: 3

We wouldn’t call it a crisis but the Dynasty do have several pressing issues at hand. One of it is – did they release the wrong Tracer to the Valiant? While Munchkin is indeed a top-tier Tracer, we can’t help but think that Bunny would have done a better job than him. In a Tracer-heavy meta where peeling and destroying backlines determine the winners of teamfights, Dynasty is surprisingly weak in this department. Another apparent weakness is their lack of depth outside the starting six. A bad day for the likes of Ryujehong, Tobi, Zunba, Miro and Fleta would spell defeat for this team which has the capability to bully any team on their best day. They have a relatively easy week coming up with Shanghai and Uprising on the cards – two matches they cannot afford to drop as they have two big ones in the following week – Philly and NYXL.
7. London Spitfire (16-8); +32. Last Week: 2

Losing three of their first four matches isn’t how the Spitfire boys thought their Stage 3 would start but they can look forward to a much kinder schedule going forward. No disrespect to the the Gladiators and Valiant – but we think the Spitfire have more than what it takes to not only defeat these teams, but correct the course of their rough start to Stage 3.Ã‚Â  Wins in these two games have added importance though, as both teams have the Spitfire well within their reach as teams scramble for that top-six finish.
8. San Francisco Shock (8-16); -19. Last Week: 7

The pieces are finally in place and the new-look Shock are stronger than ever. While everyone have been focusing on Sinatraa, it was Super who surprised everyone with his calm and collected, smart plays. The rise of Danteh as Shock’s starting DPS over BabyBay was also a welcomed surprise as he is turning into one of the league’s most effective Sombra players. Their slow start for the season may see them languishing in the bottom half of the league at the moment but this is a team for the future. Expect them to finish this season strong, and big things from them next season.
9. Houston Outlaws (13-11); +12. Last Week: 9

Like most teams from Texas (read Cowboys, Mavericks …. Fuel) , they are more bark than bite at the moment. Sure they have one of the loudest fanbases in the league with equally talented players to boot but we don’t see them outplaying teams above them in consistent manner. Of course their setup allow the odd win or two against the likes of Spitfire and Dynasty but it does not properly reflect where they stand in the league. Despite really good performance in Stage 1, they have stagnated and is one of the team we can confidently say will miss out on the playoffs this season.
10. Florida Mayhem (4-20); -44. Last Week: 10Ã‚Â

Keep a lookout for the Mayhem as we are expecting a 2-0 week from them. Despite the recent run of four consecutive losses, they have looked very impressive following the additions of Sayaplayer and aWesomeGuy. A win against the Shanghai is in the cards but we fancy their chances against the Outlaws as the Mayhem’s aggressive style are the perfect counter toÃ‚Â  Outlaws’ slow and methodical approaches.
11. Shanghai Dragons (0-24); -77. Last Week: 12Ã‚Â

Surprise surprise! The Dragons are off the foot of the table and with a great reason too. They looked much more coordinated since the start of Stage 3 and the new players seem to be bedding in well. Ado is popping off, Geguri is getting the backup she richly deserve and while some may reduce this team to just ‘playing for pride’ it is the most effective motivation any team can play for. The Dragons are no longer the same team we saw in Stages 1 and 2 and if you pit the current team against the Fuel, we have no doubt on which team that will come out on top.
12. Dallas Fuel (6-18); -28. Last Week: 11

So where do we start. Head coach? Replaced. Star DPS? Released. The other star DPS? Threatening to leave if things don’t improve. Main tank? Good, but nowhere great yet. AKM? Plays like he’s on duo-queue with Unkoe. Off-tank? Well Mickie seems like the ONLY bright spot from this team at the moment and him alone cannot lift the glum off this franchise in disarray. We might have given them a sliver of a fighting chance if they still had Custa, who was clearly a team leader prior to his trade to Valiant but nope. They showed him the door as well. The only consolation for the Fuel at the moment is that they are assured that they will not end this stage at the bottom of the table. A far cry from the top-4 predictions many of us had for them at the start of the season.

Week 3 of Stage 3 starts tomorrow with these following matches. All times listed are in Kuala Lumpur/ Singapore local times:


River City Girls 2 Is More 2D Beat-Em-Up RPG Goodness, Like It Or Not

Platform(s): PC(version reviewed), Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One
Genre: 2D beat-em-up RPG hybrid with Technos throwbacks aplenty
2019’s River City Girls surprised everyone with its brand of humour, fun 2D beat-em-up action, lush pixel artwork, catchy music, and nods to the Kunio-kun and Double Dragon franchise. A couple more years later, we’re graced with the sequel’s presence which basically brings back more of the same action you know and are familiar with. However, it also adds enough to make you dying to revisit the colourful-yet-violent township that is River City.
Uptown Funk

The plot of River City Girls 2 centres around violent schoolgirls Misako and Kyoko, who are expelled from their school after the yakuza gang, whose leader they disposed of in the last game, took over the city. So off they go after a 2-month hiatus, regaining their lost XP, relearning their moves, and beating the everlasting crap out of bad guys & yakuza members who are terrorizing River City. Keeping in spirit with the Kunio-kun titles, you can visit different shops to buy health items that boost your stats permanently and even purchase new moves from the Lee Brothers all across town. Oh, and also meet the plethora of weird and wacky denizens of the city, each of them entertaining you with their viewpoints and chatter.
The demonic duo is joined by their boyfriends Kunio and Riki, and also by veteran fighters Provie (from River City Underground) and Marian (from Double Dragon). Each of the six-person party has their own moves and skillsets once they’re unlocked in RPG fashion (ie: levelling up, and buying new moves with money from enemies). Kyoko has combos and multi-hit moves aplenty, while Misako hits hard but is fast enough to get a few hits in like with her Thor-like air charge. Dance-savvy Provie is fast and has breakdancing moves that chain easily, while the abs-laden Marian just hits things really hard and knocks down enemies fast with her power moves and big swings. Let’s not forget the guys who also have their own skillsets: Kunio has fiery moves and launchers aplenty while Riki has his “glamour ball projectile” to toy around with.
Next to how gorgeous & charismatic the animations are, there are enough tweaks and nuances that make each of the six controllable characters different enough to warrant different replays. Best of all, if you just focus on one character, the rest will at least catch up XP-wise and will only be a few levels below you. This means you don’t have to grind too much to level everyone else from scratch!
Speaking of well-meaning additions, new combat skills in the sequel include parries, sidesteps, and quick rises after eating a knockdown attack; three skills that are sorely needed from a defensive front. Thanks to these, the combat pacing is slightly faster and lets you solve the attrition-based beat-em-up tactics that swarm you. Quick getups let you mount a counterattack or escape quick, while sidesteps let you quickly move upwards or downwards to avoid oncoming horizontal charges and the likes. Parries are obviously riskier, but they reward you with faster recoveries on your end. Some items you can equip in the game actually buff your attacks tenfold if you’re diligent with parrying.
And for you nostalgia fans: If you’re looking for a 90s Technos beat-em-up love letter, you won’t find a more glorious example than River City Girls 2. The Kunio-kun and Double Dragon universes have combined to form one unique timeline featuring the Double Dragon’s ex-damsel in distress Marian going unga bunga on bad guys, to even a throwback to Super Dodgeball. In fact, there’s a literal stage called Technos Offices that features the then-alive company with its plethora of references from Double Dragon to even the Combatribes.
The game’s main structure of going to places and completing main story quests hasn’t changed much save for new enemies and even a bunch of minigames thrown in. That would be a death knell for some genres, but minigames do not wear out their welcome. They’re sparse enough to not break the RPGing and exploration flow. In fact, I do wish there was more Super Dodgeball gaming.
Down Town

River City Girls 2 is also a game that’s better with friends. River City Girls 2 let you play co-op with four people on the same screen, which is what the series also needed. While I can’t say much about the online connection since the game isn’t out in public (thus no way to sort that out), at least the current option is as painless as humanly possible.
There are a few issues that stand in the way of this title: there’s not much challenge out of the bosses unless you bump up the default difficulty. Save for one fight that requires some platforming know-how and the final boss fight which is supposed to test your mettle, the rest of the capstone battles for each stage can be sorted by just packing health items, easy dodging, and patience. There’s also the game’s locked frame rate; I don’t remember the first River City Girls game moving this choppy. It’s not detrimental to the experience, but it is an odd choice. Hopefully, the WayForward devs can sort this out with a Day One patch.
Even with a step back or two in the tech department, River City Girls 2 adds more positive changes and upgrades to make it the de facto 2D RPG beat ’em up that’s fun with more people in tow. With some small-but-noteworthy 2D combat tweaks, a slew of minigames, and new fun characters to play as alongside new Megan McDuffee bangers, you’ll be glad to spend 10 hours in your River City holiday tour beating the crap out of everything and everyone. Unless you’re not a fan of this 2D style of gaming and RPGing, in which this sequel won’t change your mind. Granted, it’s more of the same, but it’s what you want out of a lush pixel retro-esque experience and then some.

Final Score: 80/100


[Report] Nippon Ichi May Be Going Bankrupt

Here’s a possibly sad piece of news for long-time strategy JRPG fans who love power-levelling: Nippon Ichi may be heading the path of bankruptcy. Yep, you read that right: they’re the folks responsible for Disgaea, Phantom Brave, and a host of weird-ass-but-engrossing RPG titles.
How so, you may ask? According to a ResetEra post (via jin115.com), a Nippon Ichi shareholder report stated that the compensation limit for executives has been increased to five times of what it previously was before. This report coincided with the company’s sharp drop in stock due to the Disgaea mobile project facing internal troubles.
Due to this increase in compensation limit as well as a recent strike warrant to pay employees in the last few months, this is sounding like a company-scale “cut and run” move before it declares bankruptcy. If that is the case, it’s really bad news for folks who love their niche JRPGs and esoteric Japanese titles; Nippon Ichi and its American branch usually do the Lord’s work in importing and localizing these titles for all to play.
Until it’s official from the Laharl-enslaved horse’s mouth, fans should steel themselves for the worst. The last game Nippon Ichi developed and published in English was Lapis x Labyrinth.


Netflix Unveils First Look Shots From The Umbrella Academy Season 2

Last month, Netflix finally announced the release date for The Umbrella Academy Season 2, which will now be dropping on 31 July 2020. Today, the streaming giant has released even more preview first look images from the upcoming new season of the series based on Gerard Way and Gabriel Ba’s comic book of the same name.
The synopsis for The Umbrella Academy Season 2 reads:

Five warned his family (so, so many times) that using his powers to escape from Vanyaâ€™s 2019 apocalypse was risky.
Well, he was right – the time jump scatters the siblings in time in and around Dallas, Texas.
Over a three year period.
Starting in 1960.
Some, having been stuck in the past for years, have built lives and moved on, certain theyâ€™re the only ones who survived.
Five is the last to land, smack dab in the middle of a nuclear doomsday, which – spoiler alert! – turns out is a result of the groupâ€™s disruption of the timeline (dÃ©jÃ  vu, anyone?).
Now the Umbrella Academy must find a way to reunite, figure out what caused doomsday, put a stop to it, and return to the present timeline to stop that other apocalypse.
All while being hunted by a trio of ruthless Swedish assassins. But seriously, no pressure or anything.

It looks like I was correct while theorizing that The Umbrella Academy Season 2 will be adapting more content from the second arc of the comic book; Dallas. Check out what I have to say about that here.


Check Out 12 Minutes Of High Resolution Forza Horizon 5 Driving & Profiling

Want to see Forza Horizon 5’s new Mexico map in its full 4K glory while on a 2020 Toyota Supra? You’re in luck, because there’s gameplay video of that right now. 12 minutes of fast driving & nothing else.
YouTuber Don Joewon Song has just published a new 4K high-res gameplay video of Forza Horizon 5 showcasing 12 minutes of the game’s brand-new Mexico map. It features a giant volcano, a bunch of sand dunes, and urban street racing spots for you to tear around in. We have to say: this all looks great with the desert details and Mexico coastlines looking all crystal clear and lifelike.

If you need to check out how Mexico’s topography looks like top-down, head here. Do expect this racing game to hit all the technical high notes when it’s out for Xbox consoles and PC this 9th November.

Where we driving? pic.twitter.com/25SwmHH6v2
— Forza Horizon (@ForzaHorizon) August 9, 2021


Borderlands 3 Can Now Be Pre-Ordered & Pre-Loaded On Steam, Has Big Discount

Time sure flies. After releasing on Epic Games Store in September last year, Borderlands 3 is now only two days away from its Steam release. Players can now pre-order and pre-load the looter-shooter sequel if they want to play the game on Steam as soon as possible.

You can now pre-order and pre-load #Borderlands3 on Steam! Who's ready to make some mayhem this Friday?!? https://t.co/evgpF4TMMm pic.twitter.com/dVIjyLoLig
— Borderlands (@Borderlands) March 10, 2020

That’s not all. From now till 21 March 2020, the game and all its editions will be 50 percent off on Steam. This means that you can get the standard edition for RM89.50 instead of RM179.00.
Meanwhile, the Digital Deluxe Edition is RM119.50 (instead of RM239) while the Super Deluxe Edition is RM149.50 (instead of RM299). A larger 81 percent discount is given to the Borderlands Bundle, allowing you to grab the entire series and its DLCs for RM158.65 instead of RM845.
Borderlands 3 previously earned a spot on Kakuchopurei’s Best of 2019 list, where our Mr Toffee wrote, “When all is said and done, Borderlands 3 is just a damn fine game”.


Valkyrie Elysium Endings Guide

Valkyrie Elysium is out now for PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4; if you love action RPGs, you might find this one enjoyable. It’s got a great bunch of combat controls and mechanics while also being quite challenging.
The game’s plot? It’s OK, though it has its moments. Plus, the English voice acting is pretty top-notch. That said, it’s nice that the game has different endings for you to access, and their conditions are easy to backtrack to in one playthrough.
There’s no New Game+ though. So you only need one playthrough to access all of them, as well as have multiple save slots in case.
We’re going to break down how to get these endings. So spoiler warning after this epic picture.

Valkyrie Elysium Ending Prerequisites
There are four endings in Valkyrie Elysium. These are the factors that influence which ones you get:
Verdant Blossoms

These are blossoms with indecipherable messages, different from Hollow Blossoms you collect that dishes out the lore of the place you’re fighting in. The messages will only be decoded once you’ve found the last one in the final chapter of the game.
Verdant Blossoms are marked in green on the in-game map in each chapter; finding all of them will unlock certain endings. So you may want to be vigilant in each chapter to find them. You can always replay chapters to search for them should you choose to get a specific ending.
When you complete the game, you’ll start back at just before you enter the final Chapter, meaning if you collect all Verdant Blossoms save the last one, the game treats as though you didn’t find the last one.
Armand

The traveler you meet in Chapter 2 plays a pretty significant role in the new Valkyrie’s life. In the final chapter, he’ll be waiting in the northern part of the map.
You can choose to meet him and then decide on one of the two choices presented. Picking one or the other will unlock certain endings.

Valkyrie Elysium: All Endings

Ending 1: Do Not Collect All Verdant Blossoms, Meet Armand & Pick Second Choice
An easy ending to score. Just head north to Armand, pick the second choice, and the game ends. You run off with Armand as your original self Nora.
Ending 2: Do Not Collect All Verdant Blossoms, Do Not Meet Armand
Another easy ending, though one of the “bad” ones. Once you go straight to the marked destination, you will fight a bunch of bosses: Fenrir, Hilde, and Fenrir twice.
Ending 3: Do Not Collect All Verdant Blossoms, Meet Armand & Pick First Choice
Same as Ending 1, except pick the first option to state that you accept who you are: a Valkyrie. This ending path will be challenging as you’ll be fighting a slew of bosses. Some of them will restrict you from spamming Einjerhars too!
Ending 4: Collect All Verdant Blossoms, Meet Armand & Pick First Choice
A time-consuming path to an ending, but it’s the “best” one and provides closure for all the plot threads in the game. Meet Armand, accept yourself as a Valkyrie, and then fight Fenrir and Odin.


The Next Battlefield Game Will Be Out Holiday 2021 Alongside Six New “Next-Gen” EA Titles

The next Battlefield multiplayer shooter title from DICE will be out in holiday 2021 according to a recent EA second quarter fiscal report for 2021. According to EA CEO and fistbump in human form Andrew Wilson, he hypes it as the biggest one yet.
At least map-wise, according to the report.

“DICE is creating our next Battlefield game with never-before-seen scale. The technical advancements of the new consoles are allowing the team to deliver on a true next-gen vision for the franchise.”

On the same report, the CEO said that six new games from EA are set to launch for “next-gen consoles” in the fiscal year 2022. These titles will release between October 2021 to 2022. We know one of them will be a Need For Speed entry, and it’ll be from Burnout creators Criterion. There is no mention of a new Star Wars game, Dragon Age entry, or the Anthem reboot anywhere on the report. Guess the latter seems like a pipe dream, unsurprisingly.


Dungeon-Crawler JRPG Demon Gaze Extra Delayed To Next Month

Clouded Leopard Entertainment Inc. has announced the new release date of Kadokawa Games’ dungeon RPG for the Nintendo Switch and PS4. The US and EU versions of Demon Gaze Extra will now release on 6 January 2022.
Back in September 2021, it was originally announced that Demon Gaze Extra was launching on 9 December 2021.
For those unfamiliar with the franchise, Demon Gaze Extra is a first-person dungeon-crawler JRPG, similar to thos early Shin Megami Tensei and Persona games.
The game’s setting takes place in the Misrid region in the west, a land now desolate and cursed due to a terrible tragedy that occurred long ago. After losing his memory and waking up at the Dragon Inn, the protagonist becomes a bounty hunter using the Demon Gaze, an eye that controls Demons. As a Demon Gazer, he is uniquely capable of taking on the Demons that dwell in the regionâ€™s labyrinths.
In Demon Gaze Extra, various elements have been tweaked, including the addition of a high-speed battle function, a retry function, and an enhanced autopilot function. The enhanced autopilot function is a streamlined version of the revolutionary feature from the original Demon Gaze. This, along with the addition of a high-speed battle function speeds up repeated battles in dungeons, allowing players to explore labyrinths more easily. In addition, Demon Gaze Extra has a retry function that allows players to go back to the beginning of a battle and try again in the event of a defeat.


Netflix February 2021: Our Picks

Since everyone is (still mostly) staying home because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Iâ€™m sure you wonâ€™t want to waste time sifting through Netflixâ€™s extensive catalogue of shows and movies just to decide on what to watch. The streaming giant updates its site every day, week, and month with new content, so Iâ€™m here to save your precious time.
Here are my personal recommendations and highlights for Netflix Malaysiaâ€™s February 2021 lineup and how to fill up your free time with worthwhile content at home:
Hook (1 February 2021)

Remember when we had good Peter Pan movies? 1991’s Hook was one of them. Directed by Steven Spielberg himself, it starred the late Robin Williams, Dustin Hoffman, Julia Roberts and Dante Basco (also known as the voice of Zuko from Avatar The Last Airbender). I know we all miss the late legendary Robin Williams, so let’s all catch this blast from the past.

Space Sweepers (5 February 2021)

Great science fiction and space opera movies are almost always from western countries like the US and Europe, but now it’s time for Asia to shine. Space Sweepers is a South Korean sci-fi flick and the production value looks extremely high. This looks like Guardians Of The Galaxy meets Cowboy Bebop in a way, so let’s hope it turns out to be a decent offering.
The synopsis reads:
Set in 2092, Space Sweepers tells the story of a crew on board of The Victory trying to escape the destruction of Earth.

Invisible City (5 February 2021)

Invisible City is a Brazilian fantasy TV series based on a story co-developed by screenwriters and best-seller authors Raphael Draccon and Carolina MunhÃ³z.
The synopsis reads:
After finding a strange dead animal on a beach in Rio de Janeiro, the detective Eric (Marco Pigossi) from the Environmental Police Station gets involved in a murder investigation and discovers a world inhabited by mythical entities usually invisible to humans.

News Of The World (10 February 2021)

News Of The World is a Western drama period piece co-written and directed by Paul Greengrass, based on the 2016 novel of the same name by Paulette Jiles. The film follows a Civil War veteran played by Tom Hanks who must return a young girl (Helena Zengler) who was taken in by Native Americans as an infant to her last remaining family.
If you’re hankering for a western, this should scratch some of that itch, and it has beautiful cinematography to boot. Plus, it’s Tom Hanks, what’s not to like? He can carry almost any movie by himself.

The Crew (15 February 2021)

The Crew follows a crew chief in a NASCAR garage who finds himself at odds with the tech-reliant millennials brought in to modernize the team. It stars Kevin James, Gary Anthony Williams, and more.
It’s basically a sitcom set in a car garage, so motorheads out there will probably like this.

Tribes Of EuropaÂ (19 February 2021)

Tribes of Europa is a German sci-fi TV series directed by Philip Koch and Florian Baxmeyer.
The synopsis reads:
Set in 2074, three siblings set out to change the fate of Europe after a global catastrophe causes Europe to fracture into dystopian warring tribal micro-states who vie for dominance over the other states. Three siblings get caught up in the conflict when they come into possession of a mysterious cube.

Those are just several selected highlights from next monthâ€™s offerings of new TV series and movies on Netflix. Now you can plan your Netflix binge-fest for February 2021.
[videopress PX8g73QO]


Black Ops Cold War Warzone Update Adds New Map & More

The latest update for Call Of Duty Warzone is now live on all platforms. This new patch adds Season One integration with Call Of Duty Black Ops Cold War, a new map, and a lot more.
This new patch update is version 1.30, and will be sized at about 21GB.
The update also brings Call Of Duty Black Ops Cold Warâ€™s weapons into Warzone.
Check out the patch notes below:
Patch Notes:
Maps
Rebirth IslandAn all-new Battle Royale experience for Warzone.Intense, close-quarters action with a 40-player count and similar play style to Mini BR.New Gulag available in traditional Battle Royale modes.Verdansk New GulagPrepare to be dragged to an interrogation room, strapped to a chair, and thrown into an all-new arena: a makeshift replica of the original Nuketown map layout with both home interiors and backyard barricaded off, focusing the duel to a confined central arena.
Events
Rebirth Island Seasonal Event 16 new challenges for those dropping into Rebirth Island for the first time to earn Calling Cards, Charms, Emblems, Stickers, a special â€œNoxiousâ€ LMG Blueprint and more, along with additional secrets to uncover!
Modes
Rebirth Island: ResurgenceRespawn every 30 seconds until the final circle, or the last squad is left standing. Killing an enemy provides you with extreme clarity on where the rest of that enemy team is located. The Gulag is closed during this event (likely for some deep fumigation).
Weapons
Black Ops Cold War weapons added: 6 Assault Rifles, including the new Groza AR in the Season One Battle Pass System6 Submachine Guns, including the new Mac-10 SMG in the Season One Battle Pass System4 Marksman (Tactical) Rifles 3 Light Machine Guns 3 Sniper Rifles 3 Pistols 2 Shotguns3 Launchers, including the M79 Special launcher1 Melee weapon
Operators
Stitch (Warsaw Pact)Unlocked via Battle Pass Level 0. Legendary Operator Skin unlocked at Tier 100. Vargas (Warsaw Pact)Black Ops Cold War Operator available in Warzone starting in Season One.Song (NATO)Black Ops Cold War Operator available in Warzone starting in Season One.
Vehicles
Attack HelicopterSimilar to the regular Helicopter but with one major exception: Mounted on both side rails is a belt-fed minigun that can be controlled by squad members. Available on both Verdansk and Rebirth Island at the start of Season One.
Progression
CareerAdded new Career menu to track progression from Military Ranks to Season and Prestige Levels.Progression menu removed from Barracks.See Global section above for full Cross-Game Progression and Prestige details.GunsmithAttachments unlocked for Black Ops Cold War weapons will be available through the Gunsmith, allowing players to modify weapons for use within Warzone.
Challenges
Daily Challenges Coming to Season One: Receive a set of 3 new Daily Challenges every day from across 3 categories: Reconnaissance, Combat, and Support.Swap Challenges in and out to suit your play style and optimize your progression.Warzone MissionsMastery Challenges and Missions from previous seasons remain available.
General
Removed the Juggernaut reward from Subway and Stadium Easter Eggs. â€œStrange Magicâ€ / â€œTime of the Seasonâ€ Watch will no longer be visible through walls. Players will be longer be able to clip inside of Loadout packages. Added collision to Airport to prevent an exploit.Addressed an issue where Park or Baker Operator Skin listings could show a repeating â€œNameâ€ skin that could kick the player back to the menu when hovered over.Addressed instances where War Tracks could continue to play when exiting the vehicle.
Call Of Duty Black Ops Cold War is available now worldwide on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and PC.
You can check out our review of the game here, or head on over here for an in-depth guide to Call Of Duty Black Ops Cold War.


[Report] New Forza Game Leaked; It’s Not What We’re Expecting

Forza is currently one of the biggest racing game franchises, with the latest title, 2018’s Forza Horizon 4, having amassed more than 7 million players by January 2019. That’s an impressive feat, so it’s no wonder that MicrosoftÂ might be looking to expand the franchise to a platform it’s never gone before: mobile.
The latest Forza Motorsport community update on its official website accidentally spilled the beans when it wanted to link to an article on GTPlanet. Instead of the correct link, the hyperlink actually brought those who clicked on it to a broken URL, which clearly states:

Developed in partnership with UK-based studio, Electric Square, Forza Street is built from the ground up to support a wide range of Windows 10, iOS, and Android devices.

Forza Street? Interestingly, Electric Square has actually worked with Microsoft Studios in the past, developing and releasing a mobile racing game called Miami Street.Â Kotaku, who initially reported the leak, and GTPlanet have reached out to Microsoft and Turn 10 Studios but both parties have yet to issue any official comments.
Before you pick up your imaginary pitchforks and torches, keep in mind that all of this remains mere speculation for now. The future of the franchise post-Forza Horizon 4 is still unclear so it would be a little strange if Forza Street is really all they have in store for 2019 and beyond.
In the meantime, check out our review of Forza Horizon 4 here to find out why we awarded it the best racing game of 2018.


Capcom To Explore More Remakes After RE2 Next Year

Capcom’s in a pretty good spot right now, so much so that it’s in the black. And they’re thinking of maybe exploring more remakes in the future.
Since the company announced the Resident Evil 2 remake, slated for January 2019, they’re feeling confident about its performance and may follow it up with other remakes and re-releases of classic Capcom IPs.
Here’s a blurb from the investor Q&A portion:

“Further, regarding remakes and re-releases of titles in our back catalog, we expect to explore these further with a variety of properties as a part of our strategy to utilize our library of IP.”

If you ask me, I’m not sure how to feel about this. The reason why Capcom was in a slump in the past was that of its reliance on sequels to series that do not need it, or tonally-different spin-offs. The fact that they want to remake past games in this style is just them going back into their IP well but with a shiny new coat of paint, albeit one that has a reworked game engine.
But hey, if it helps to introduce a new generation of gamers to the wonders of Dino Crisis, Forgotten Worlds, and maybe Lost Planet, then there’s hope for the future. Just don’t go overboard with it.


Amazon Is Making A God Of War TV Series

Amazon Prime Video is working on a live-action God Of War TV series.
According to Variety, Rafe Judkins will be the showrunner and executive producer of the series, with “Iron Man” and “Children of Men” writers Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby also writing and executive producing. Santa Monica Studio’s studio creative director Cory Barlog will also serve as executive producer, in addition to Playstation Productions’ Asad Qizilbash and Carter Swan, Santa Monica Studio’s Yumi Yang and Vertigo’s Roy Lee.
Santa Monica Studio’s Jeff Ketcham is the co-executive producer. The show is a co-production between Amazon Studios and Sony Picture Television in association with PlayStation Productions.

God of War is coming. pic.twitter.com/GzbyutRO2k
— Prime Video (@PrimeVideo) December 14, 2022


Final Fantasy VII PC Gets A “Remako” Mod That Shines

Until PC gamers get their hands on their master race version of Final Fantasy VII Remake, they’ll have to settle for this sweet mod for the original PC port instead.
The Final Fantasy VII Remako mod uses AI-upscaling to convert the blurry pre-rendered backdrops into sharp high-res images. The mod also improves battlefield texture quality, overworld textures, and cutscene resolution.

The mod will have more features coming soon, which also includes compatibility to the Reunion mod. This particular mod lets you use a new translation based on the original Japanese script instead of the original. It also features higher-quality audio, a difficulty rebalance, 60fps battles, and improved character models.Â  Ergo, it’s cool to have two mods working in sync to make an already-epic 90s JRPG experience all the fresher.
Since it’ll be a while until the PC version of FFVII Remake comes out, you might as well give these mods a shot. We’ll let these high-res upscaled cutscenes do the talking.


eFootball PES 2021 Coming To Mobile In October

The wait is almost over! The next season of PES Mobile begins this October with the update to PES 2021.
Featuring player and team data from the latest season, eFootball PES 2021 offers sharp and responsive mobile football gameplay based on the console experience.
Konami has confirmed that squads do not carry over after the update and that they will be reset. However, game controls will function exactly as they did in PES 2020, but match records will still carry over.
For more details and information on all that, head on over to the FAQ here.
eFootball PES 2021 Mobile is coming to mobile platforms sometime in late October 2020.

Get your squads ready for a brand new season in #eFootballPES2021 Mobile, coming late October! More info: https://t.co/g66MrEA1Nz pic.twitter.com/6laa9zc4w7— KONAMI UK (@KONAMIUK) August 27, 2020


LoL Worlds 2020 To Feature Same Unreal Engine Tech From The Mandalorian

The Worlds 2020 Media Preview Event live stream took place on YouTube earlier today, and they revealed an interesting detail about a new piece of technology that will be applied at this year’s event.
According to Riot Games Head Of Global Esports Communications David Higdon, the League Of Legends Worlds 2020 event will use the same AR and VR mixed reality tech from previous years.

This year’s event will utilize over 40 technicians and artists from Possible Productions, who helped bring the MTV VMAs, Super Bowl Half-Time Shows and even the Worlds 2018 to life.
However, for the first time ever, Worlds 2020 will also use a new version of the Unreal Engine technology made by special effects company Lux Machina, who is best known for producing the incredible visual effects in Disney Plus’ The Mandalorian TV series.
Higdon said:
“The major difference is that the Worlds (2020) will be the first-ever live multi-camera production using this technology. It’s the most advanced mixed reality hardware system in the world and it will render in real-time at 32K resolution and 60 frames per second. I’ve had a sneak peek and it’s mind-blowing.”

The 2020 League of Legends Worlds Championship is slated to begin on 25 September 2020 and end with the grand finals on 31 October 2020 in Shanghai, China. In the meantime, check out the awesome animated trailer below:


This Week In PC Gaming: 26th August – 2nd September

There’s a lot going on the past few days from 343 Industries announcing some bad news for legacy Halo fans to retro collection releases like the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection.
Here’s a weekly video recapping the best in PC gaming this week.

For more PC gaming news or if you want to see a well-done recap video by talented Malaysians, head here for the full playlist.


Street Fighter V’s EVO 2019 Grand Finals Went Just As Expected

Street Fighter V‘s most dominant characters this season, Rashid and Karin, were used to full effect in EVO 2019’s Grand Finals.
With Adel “Bigbird” Anouche and Masato “Bonchan” Takahashi defeating everyone in their respective paths, SFV fans get to see many “Perfect” matches involving the game’s most offense-heavy characters.
[videopress EL8jfW3P]
[videopress 5J1bQe50]
There can only be one winner, and Bonchan took it with the awesome set that highlighter Karin’s Season 4 buffs. Coupled with his side Sagat pick (he was THE Sagat player back in the day), he had his matchups sorted. The last time the Japanese player placed high in an EVO tournament was back in 2014 in Ultra Street Fighter IV.

RB|Bonchan (Karin, Sagat)
NASR|BigBird (Rashid)
Â CYG|Infexious (Zeku)
FD|Fujimura (Ibuki)
YOG|Machabo (Necalli)
iDom (Laura)
ALUS|Yang Mian (Zeku)
AZ|Kichipa-mu (Zangief)

Aside: Malaysia’s top SFV player Quan “IamChuan”Ban Chuan, who sports a mean Guile, is in the top 24 for this year’s EVO. Malaysia boleh!
https://www.facebook.com/kakuchopurei/photos/a.1222916664479413/2027762777328127/?type=3&__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARDcFuqkcuBrxTJUGVkbzuJEigf_naUFmp89HKa4K2CcVQatepWG1aO_Jy0wzKe-VLcLIbEb6z7VJepkV–CNULrPJDaK5250r6dZpbXsVO4pZp5klopkEi9Av7qr6L29Vifol27bz-VczTmFy1bbKVeWzSpQKP26_IxBSE0zj5FdiwU6HboYROmYE_RO0QAq5Ejfl–tREcM-jnH_HjjCOl5Sq8x9Twz_NgE-_z4VdRslCNHD_oL00NA0NxrELbM-X52SZmSfsIjy3sqcU61lXcf_1_Oz9hihaugpFuPnhzgYDXODANGfqLA8U1uFR_YmJ0DrGkgFGXSCPaBFpdyDubcGrR&__tn__=-R


God Of War Ragnarok Is The Biggest Winner At The 2023 BAFTA Games Awards

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts has announced the winners of the 2023 BAFTA Games Awards, with Sony Interactive Entertainment’s and Sony Santa Monica’s PS4/PS5 exclusive God Of War Ragnarok winning the most awards of the night.
The sequel to 2018’s God Of War won in five categories, including Best Animation, Best Audio Achievement, Best Music, Best Performer In A Leading Role with Christopher Judge as protagonist Kratos, Best Performer In A Supporting Role with Laya Deleon Hayes as Angrboða, and EE Game Of The Year (voted by the public).

YOUR #EEGameOfTheYear Winners… God of War Ragnarök #BAFTAGamesAwards @EE pic.twitter.com/x9bWW4xgFp
— BAFTA Games (@BAFTAGames) March 30, 2023

However, the actual Best Game (or Game Of The Year) award went to Vampire Survivors from developer/publisher Poncle.

The ENTIRE development team of Vampire Survivors take home the Best Game BAFTA ? #BAFTAGamesAwards pic.twitter.com/r634RffVKI
— BAFTA Games (@BAFTAGames) March 30, 2023

The BAFTA Games Awards also gave a BAFTA Fellowship to Shuhei Yoshida, the current head of Sony Interactive Entertainment’s independent (indie) developer initiative and former president of Sony Interactive Entertainment Worldwide Studios from 2008 to 2019.

The one and only @yosp – our BAFTA Fellowship recipient this year ? #BAFTAGamesAwards pic.twitter.com/3q0x4YPglL
— BAFTA Games (@BAFTAGames) March 30, 2023

Check out the winners below:
ANIMATION
Winner – CALL OF DUTY: MODERN WARFARE II Mark Grigsby, Bruce Ferris, Khoa Le – Infinity Ward/Activision Publishing, Inc
GOD OF WAR RAGNARÖK Bruno Velazquez, Erica Pinto, Mehdi Yssef – Santa Monica Studio/Sony Interactive Entertainment
HORIZON FORBIDDEN WEST Development Team – Guerrilla/Sony Interactive Entertainment
LEGO STAR WARS: THE SKYWALKER SAGA Development Team – TT Games/Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
SIFU Development Team – Sloclap/Sloclap & Kepler Interactive
STRAY Jophray Mikolajczyk, Jean-Marie Vouillon, Simon Jacquart – BlueTwelve Studio/Annapurna Interactive
ARTISTIC ACHIEVEMENT
ELDEN RING Development Team – FromSoftware/BANDAI Namco Europe
GOD OF WAR RAGNARÖK Raf Grassetti, Dan McKim, Eric Valdes – Santa Monica Studio/Sony Interactive Entertainment
IMMORTALITY Doug Potts, Stephanie Reese, Kerry Hennessy – Half Mermaid Productions/Half Mermaid Productions
PENTIMENT Hannah Kennedy, Soojin Paek – Obsidian Entertainment/Xbox Game Studios
A PLAGUE TALE: REQUIEM Development Team – Asobo Studio/Focus Entertainment
Winner – TUNIC Development Team – TUNIC Team/FINJI
AUDIO ACHIEVEMENT
Winner – GOD OF WAR RAGNARÖK Jodie Kupsco, Michael Kent, Sean LaValle – Santa Monica Studio/Sony Interactive Entertainment
HORIZON FORBIDDEN WEST Development Team – Guerrilla/Sony Interactive Entertainment
METAL: HELLSINGER Elvira Björkman, Nicklas Hjertberg – The Outsiders/Funcom Oslo AS
A PLAGUE TALE: REQUIEM Development Team – Asobo Studio/Focus Entertainment
STRAY Development Team – BlueTwelve Studio/Annapurna Interactive
TUNIC Development Team – TUNIC Team/FINJI
BEST GAME
CULT OF THE LAMB Development Team – Massive Monster/Devolver Digital
ELDEN RING Development Team – FromSoftware/BANDAI Namco Europe
GOD OF WAR RAGNARÖK Eric Williams, Chad Cox, Yumi Yang – Santa Monica Studio/Sony Interactive Entertainment
MARVEL SNAP Development Team – Second Dinner Studios/Nuverse
STRAY Development Team – BlueTwelve Studio/Annapurna Interactive
Winner – VAMPIRE SURVIVORS Development Team – poncle/poncle
BRITISH GAME
CITIZEN SLEEPER Gareth Damian Martin, Guillaume Singelin, Amos Roddy – Jump Over the Age/Fellow Traveller
OLLIOLLI WORLD Development Team – Roll7/Private Division
Winner – ROLLERDROME Development Team – Roll7/Private Division
TOTAL WAR: WARHAMMER III Development Team – Creative Assembly/SEGA
TWO POINT CAMPUS Development Team – Two Point Studios/SEGA
VAMPIRE SURVIVORS Development Team – poncle/poncle
DEBUT GAME
AS DUSK FALLS Caroline Marchal, Charu Desodt – INTERIOR/NIGHT/Xbox Game Studios
THE CASE OF THE GOLDEN IDOL Andrejs K?avi?š, Ernests K?avi?š – Color Gray Games/Playstack
STRAY Development Team – BlueTwelve Studio/Annapurna Interactive
TROMBONE CHAMP Development Team – Holy Wow Studios/ Holy Wow Studios
Winner – TUNIC Development Team – TUNIC Team/FINJI
VAMPIRE SURVIVORS Development Team – poncle/poncle
EVOLVING GAME
APEX LEGENDS Development Team – Respawn/Electronic Arts
DREAMS Development Team – Media Molecule/Sony Interactive Entertainment
THE ELDER SCROLLS ONLINE Development Team – ZeniMax Online Studios/Bethesda Softworks
Winner – FINAL FANTASY XIV ONLINE Development Team – Creative Business Unit III/Square Enix
FORZA HORIZON 5 Development Team – Playground Games/Xbox Game Studios
NO MAN’S SKY Development Team – Hello Games/Hello Games
FAMILY
DISNEY DREAMLIGHT VALLEY Development Team – Gameloft/ Gameloft
Winner – KIRBY AND THE FORGOTTEN LAND Development Team – HAL Laboratory/Nintendo
LEGO STAR WARS: THE SKYWALKER SAGA Development Team – TT Games/Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
MARIO + RABBIDS SPARKS OF HOPE Development Team – Ubisoft Milan; Ubisoft Paris/Ubisoft
NINTENDO SWITCH SPORTS Development Team – Nintendo EPD/Nintendo
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: SHREDDER’S REVENGE Development Team – Tribute Games/Dotemu
GAME BEYOND ENTERTAINMENT
CITIZEN SLEEPER Gareth Damian Martin, Guillaume Singelin, Amos Roddy – Jump Over the Age/Fellow Traveller
Winner – ENDLING – EXTINCTION IS FOREVER Development Team – Herobeat Studios/HandyGames
GIBBON: BEYOND THE TREES Development Team – Broken Rules/Broken Rules
I WAS A TEENAGE EXOCOLONIST Development Team – Northway Games/FINJI
NOT FOR BROADCAST Development Team – NotGames/tinyBuild
WE’LL ALWAYS HAVE PARIS Marina Sciberras, Duncan Steele – Cowleyfornia Studios/Cowleyfornia Studios
GAME DESIGN
CULT OF THE LAMB Development Team – Massive Monster/Devolver Digital
ELDEN RING Development Team – FromSoftware/BANDAI NAMCO Europe
GOD OF WAR RAGNARÖK Jason McDonald, Andrew Chrysafidis, Luis Sanchez – Santa Monica Studio/Sony Interactive Entertainment
HORIZON FORBIDDEN WEST Development Team – Guerrilla/Sony Interactive Entertainment
TUNIC Development Team – TUNIC Team/FINJI
Winner – VAMPIRE SURVIVORS Development Team – poncle/poncle
MULTIPLAYER
CALL OF DUTY: MODERN WARFARE II Development Team -Infinity WardActivision Publishing, Inc.
EA SPORTS FIFA 23 Development Team -EA Vancouver, EA Romania/EA SPORTS
Winner – ELDEN RING Development Team – FromSoftware/BANDAI Namco Europe
OVERWATCH 2 Development Team – Blizzard Entertainment/Blizzard Entertainment
SPLATOON 3 Development Team – Nintendo/Nintendo
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: SHREDDER’S REVENGE Development Team – Tribute Games/Dotemu
MUSIC
CUPHEAD – THE DELICIOUS LAST COURSE Kristofer Maddigan – Studio MDHR/Studio MDHR
ELDEN RING Development Team – FromSoftware/BANDAI Namco Europe
Winner – GOD OF WAR RAGNARÖK Bear McCreary, Keith Leary, Peter Scaturro – Santa Monica Studio/Sony Interactive Entertainment
A PLAGUE TALE: REQUIEM Olivier Derivière – Asobo Studio/Focus Entertainment
STRAY Development Team -BlueTwelve Studio/Annapurna Interactive
TUNIC Lifeformed, Janice Kwan – TUNIC Team/FINJI
NARRATIVE
CITIZEN SLEEPER Gareth Damian Martin – Jump Over the Age/Fellow Traveller
GOD OF WAR RAGNARÖK Matt Sophos, Richard Gaubert – Santa Monica Studio/Sony Interactive Entertainment
Winner – IMMORTALITY Sam Barlow, Amelia Gray, Allan Scott – Half Mermaid Productions/Half Mermaid Productions
PENTIMENT Josh Sawyer, Kate Dollarhyde, Zoe Franznick – Obsidian Entertainment/Xbox Game Studio
A PLAGUE TALE: REQUIEM Writing Team – Asobo Studio/Focus Entertainment
STRAY Writing Team – BlueTwelve Studio/Annapurna Interactive
ORIGINAL PROPERTY
CITIZEN SLEEPER Gareth Damian Martin, Guillaume Singelin, Amos Roddy – Jump Over the Age/Fellow Traveller
CULT OF THE LAMB Development Team – Massive Monster/Devolver Digital
Winner – ELDEN RING Development Team – FromSoftware/BANDAI Namco Europe
SIFU Development Team – Sloclap/Sloclap & Kepler Interactive
STRAY Development Team – BlueTwelve Studio/Annapurna Interactive
VAMPIRE SURVIVORS Development Team – poncle/poncle
PERFORMER IN A LEADING ROLE
ALAIN MESA as Alejandro Vargas in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II
CHARLOTTE MCBURNEY as Amicia de Rune in A Plague Tale: Requiem
Winner – CHRISTOPHER JUDGE as Kratos in God of War Ragnarök
MANON GAGE as Marissa Marcel in Immortality
SIOBHAN WILLIAMS as Laura in The Quarry
SUNNY SULJIC as Atreus in God of War Ragnarök
PERFORMER IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
ADAM J. HARRINGTON as Sindri in God of War Ragnarök
ALISON JAYE as Alva in Horizon Forbidden West
CHARLOTTA MOHLIN as The One in Immortality
DANIELLE BISUTTI as Freya in God of War Ragnarök
Winner – LAYA DELEON HAYES as Angrboða in God of War Ragnarök
RYAN HURST as Thor in God of War Ragnarök
TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT
ELDEN RING Development Team – FromSoftware/BANDAI NAMCO Europe
GOD OF WAR RAGNARÖK Josh Hobson, Jon Burke – Santa Monica Studio/Sony Interactive Entertainment
Winner – HORIZON FORBIDDEN WEST Development Team – Guerrilla/Sony Interactive Entertainment
IMMORTALITY Connor Carson, Lizi Attwood, Dylan Nelkin – Half Mermaid Productions/Half Mermaid Productions
THE LAST OF US PART I Development Team – Naughty Dog/Sony Interactive Entertainment
STRAY Development Team – BlueTwelve Studio/Annapurna Interactive
EE GAME OF THE YEAR (voted for by the public)
ELDEN RING FromSoftware/BANDAI NAMCO Europe
Winner – GOD OF WAR RAGNARÖK Santa Monica Studio/Sony Interactive Entertainment
HORIZON FORBIDDEN WEST Guerrilla/Sony Interactive Entertainment
IMMORTALITY Half Mermaid Productions/Half Mermaid Productions
MARVEL SNAP Second Dinner Studios/Nuverse
STRAY BlueTwelve Studio/Annapurna Interactive