Here’s What You Need To Run Deathloop On PC

Bethesda and Arkane just released the PC specs for its upcoming first-person shooter “Groundhog Day”-style action title Deathloop. For a pretty new 2021 title, it’s on par and also pretty steep just for the recommended specs.
Have a look:
Minimum Specs (1080p, 30fps with low settings)

OS : 64 bit Windows 10 version 1909 or higher
Processor : Intel Core i5-8400 @ 2.80GHz or AMD Ryzen 5 1600
Memory : 12 GB
Graphics : Nvidia GTX 1060 (6GB) or AMD Radeon RX 580 (8GB)
DirectX : Version 12
Storage : 30 GB available space (HDD)

Recommended Specs (1080p, 60fps with high settings)

OS : 64 bit Windows 10 version 1909 or higher
Processor : Intel Core i7-9700K @ 3.60GHz or AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
Memory : 16 GB
Graphics : Nvidia RTX 2060 (6GB) or AMD Radeon RX 5700 (8GB)
DirectX : Version 12
Storage : 30 GB available space (SSD)

Ultra 4K Specs (4K, 60fps with Ultra settings)

OS: 64 bit Windows 10 version 1909 or higher
Processor : Intel Core i9-10900K @ 3.70GHz or AMD Ryzen 7 3800XT
Memory : 16 GB system RAM
Graphics : Nvidia RTX 3080 (10GB) or AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT (16GB)
DirectX : Version 12
Storage : 30 GB available space (SSD)

In addition, here are the unlock times for the game.
PS5
– In North America, Deathloop unlocks at 12:00am midnight ET on 14 September. Game unlocks at the same time as your respective timezone, so it’ll be out 12pm 14 September.
PC

North/ South America: Unlocks at 9:01pm Pacific Time on 13 September (12:01am ET, 14 September)
Australia/New Zealand/Asia: Unlocks at 8:01am Pacific Time on 13 September (12:01am JST, 14 September)
Europe/Rest-of-world: Unlocks at 4:01pm Pacific Time on 13 September (12:01am BST, 14 September)


Star Ocean: The Divine Force Opening Movie Features Hyde’s Rocking Chords

The sixth Star Ocean game is looking sweet if the recent demo is anything to go by. Ditto the new characters joining your intergalactic party of space crusaders.
Square Enix decides to amp up the JRPG hype train with the reveal of Star Ocean: The Divine Force’s opening movie. If the J-Rock voice sounds familiar, that’s because it’s from Hyde (ex-L’Arc en Ciel lead) singing an original tune called “Pandora”. It may be symbolic, as the drone you use in the game -D.U.M.A.- is a Pandora’s Box type deal where it’s powerful and everyone wants what’s inside, mostly foe.
Take a gander below. Star Ocean: The Divine Force will be out on 27th October for PC, PlayStation 5, PS4, Xbox Series, and Xbox One.


New Scarlet Nexus Trailer Introduces Another Protagonist

During Tokyo Game Show 2020, Bandai Namco has released a new trailer for their upcoming action RPG Scarlet Nexus. It reveals that the game will feature another (female) protagonist named Kasane Randall, alongside the previously-revealed male protagonist Yuito Sumeragi.
According to Gematsu, players will experience the same story from the different perspectives and viewpoints of both protagonists, though it’s currently unclear if this will require one or two separate playthroughs.
Kasane Randall (voiced by Asami Seto)
Superpower: PsychokinesisService Record Status: New Recruit

Cool, rational, and indifferent to others.
An elite with an exceptional combat sense and superpower, she was scouted by the OSF and graduated from training school at the top of her class.
Kasane has been having the â€œred strings dreamâ€ for a long time, but she herself doesnâ€™t know what it means and finds it strange.

The trailer also reveals other Other Suppression Force (OSF) soldiers, including the following:
Tsugumi Nazar (voiced by Marika Kouno)
Superpower: ClairvoyanceService Record Status: 12 Years

A shy girl who is bashful in front of strangers.
She gets extremely nervous and tenses up when having a conversation with someone, and gets upset about it later.
She is unexpectedly competitive and does not lose composure during battle, so she has high capability as a soldier.

Gemma Garrison (voiced by Ryota Takeuchi)
Superpower: HardeningService Record Status: 38 Years

A calm and composed OSF soldier.
Since superpowers become weaker as the brain ages, the OSF is taking measures to suppress physical growth, but Gemma has gradually begun aging and appears somewhat older than the other soldiers.
While that means his retirement is not far off, it also proves he is a reliable veteran and combat expert who has survived countless battles.

Luka Travers (voiced by Chinatsu Akasaki)
Superpower: TeleportationService Record Status: 22 Years

While he may appear to be a gentle little boy who can be mistaken for a little girl, he is actually a brilliant and collected OSF soldier who can analyze any situation and come to a decision.
He is experienced and high-ranking within the OSF, and has the ability to be counted as one of the â€œSeptentrions,â€ seven members of the OSF with particularly outstanding ability.

Scarlet Nexus is slated to release for the PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One, and PC. However, no release date has been announced as of yet.
In the meantime, check out the new trailer & new gameplay footage of Scarlet Nexus below:


Mafia Definitive Edition Has Been Delayed To September

Developer Hangar 13 Games and publisher 2K have announced that Mafia Definitive Edition has been delayed to 25 September 2020, from its original release date of 28 August 2020. According to the official statement, this reason for this delay is because of the “challenges stemming from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic”.
However, fans of the franchise need not worry. They’re going to unveil an extended look at gameplay from the upcoming game on 22 July 2020, along with a brief teaser for the reveal below as a consolation prize.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cxs_KAvJ3Y&w=560&h=315]
Mafia Definitive Edition is a remake of the 2002 video game of the same name. It was built from the ground up with new assets and an expanded story, as well as the introduction of new mechanics like the ability to ride motorcycles.
It is slated to release for the PS4, Xbox One, and PC (via Steam) on 25 September 2020.


Beastars Is Now On Netflix

The 3DCG anime Beastars is now available on Netflix globally, after first launching on Netflix Japan last October.
Produced by Studio Orange and based on a manga by Paru Itagaki, Beastars is set in a world of anthropomorphic animals. The synopsis, as described in the first volume of the manga (via Viz), is fascinating to say the least:

“One night at Cherryton Academy, an herbivore student is brutally murdered. Among the members of the Drama Club, the herbivoresâ€™ suspicions naturally turn to their carnivore classmatesâ€¦ The prime suspect? Gray wolf Legoshi. But he wouldnâ€™t hurt a fly. Or would he?
Will dwarf rabbit Haru bring out the beast in him? Or are his feelings for herâ€¦something else?”

Even the opening is special:

The first time I saw Beastars and its cast of 3DCG anthropomorphic animals, my first thought was, “Nope.” I was less bothered by the 3DCG itself though, since Studio Orange did an impressive job with 2017’s fantastic Land of the Lustrous, and seem to have done the same with Beastars.
After all these months though, I’ve stopped thinking “but I’m not a furry” and have come to acknowledge that Beastars does seem like a legitimately interesting watch, after watching snippets of the show via YouTube. It’s got a pretty good score on MyAnimeList too.
Still, the fact that the show involves anthropomorphic animals hasn’t gone unnoticed by whoever’s running Netflix’s NX Twitter page.

Between Beastars and the new Animal Crossing, it's an amazing month to be a furry.
— Netflix Geeked @ SDCC #NetflixSDCC (@NetflixGeeked) March 10, 2020


Sonic Superstars Release Date Leaked By Retailers

During Summer Game Fest 2023, Sega unveiled Sonic Superstars for the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch and PC with a release window of fall 2023. During yesterday’s Sonic Central live stream, no release date was officially unveiled but recently, multiple retailer listings have leaked a potential release date for the upcoming game, which is on 17 October 2023.
What’s interesting about this leaked release date is that it’s only several days before the 20 October 2023 release date of Nintendo’s Super Mario Bros. Wonder. Perhaps the reason why Sega has yet to reveal a release date for Sonic Superstars is because they might want to move it farther away from direct competition. Take it all with a grain of salt for now while we wait for official confirmation from Sega.
In Sonic Superstars, players will adventure through the mystical Northstar Islands in an all-new take on classic 2D Sonic high-speed action platforming. They will play as Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Amy Rose and harness all-new Emerald powers to move and attack in dynamic new ways. Players will navigate gorgeous, never-before-seen environments solo or with up to three other players and stop Dr. Eggman, Fang, and a mysterious new adversary from converting the islands’ giant animals into Badniks.
In the meantime, head on over here for my review of Sonic Frontiers or check out my guide on how to be a supersonic hedgehog.
Check out the trailer below:


Dying Light 2 Brings Finger Guns Back in Style, Literally

The first Dying Light has always had a fondness for easter eggs and wacky weapons alike, sometimes combining the two. The sequel Dying Light 2 is no different as the Left Finger of gLoVa makes a return from Dead Island.
The weapon has made an appearance in multiple Techland games, first appearing in Dead Island with the same name, and a right finger derivative in the first Dying Light. The item itself is a nod to lead designer Bartosz “Glova” Kulon, and Dying Light 2â€™s version comes as a blueprint you can find.
Do note: to obtain the blueprint youâ€™ll have to unlock the Garrison area and we recommend looking for it after completing the â€œBroadcastâ€ story mission that gives you the grappling hook. This is during 3/4ths of the game, but this will be a huge help, trust us.
How To Find the Blueprint To The Finger Gun
The place youâ€™ll need to start at is at the VNC Tower building (the same skyscraper in the Broadcast mission). Look southwest and youâ€™ll see another shorter skyscraper with a long antenna tower a bit further away.
You can find it on the map using the map marker Military Airdrop THB-UT0. Youâ€™ll need to jump off and glide your way onto the building, and youâ€™ll know it’s the right one when you see the military care package on the roof. Make a safe landing and youâ€™ll need to solve those cable puzzles again, dropping down and plugging the cables to the right units as you go.
Here’s where you need to drop.
Once youâ€™ve reached the last plug unit, there will be a high-tech military panel you can interact with to unlock the door next to it. Donâ€™t let your guard down as a Bomber zombie will charge at you, so use a projectile weapon to make it go boom. You can now safely enter into the developer room, which is full of other nifty easter eggs.
Make your way to the right of the room until you reach a bedroom with a couple of teddy bears sitting. A prompt will appear that says â€œSit by the campfireâ€ oddly and once triggered youâ€™ll sit on the bed.
Wait a few seconds and a teddy bear will appear next to you in a thunderous explosion, followed by another teddy bear until the whole room is filled with them.
Then, the poster opposite of you will also explode to reveal Techlandâ€™s old company logo, with the blueprint item itself which you can pick up. There you have it, you now own the Left Finger of gLoVa!
How’s The Pew Pew Pew?
The blueprint allows you to craft the item, which is a throwable item similar to throwing knives and molotovs. It will cost you a crazy 369 scrap to craft, so make sure you have plenty. The weapon itself just allows you to shoot your finger like a gun, yâ€™know, finger guns.
Going “pew pew” at enemies doesnâ€™t do much damage but it will always knock people away as if theyâ€™ve been drop-kicked or force pushed which gives a lot of utility. On top of that, we found that the weapon can apply a random status effect such as Burn or Toxic. Take care not to abuse it though as the item itself has limited ammunition.
*Does not happen in real life*
Now you are free to roam the wastelands of Villedor doing your best impression of Bully Parker from Spider-Man 3 or Revolver Ocelot/Liquid Snake from the Metal Gear series. Enjoy, Pilgrims!
Want more tips to survive the zombie overrun streets? Check out our guide on the game and our review while youâ€™re at it.


Final Fantasy VIII Remastered Will Launch Next Month

Fans of Squall, Rinoa, Guardian Forces, and Time Kompression will be pleased to know that Final Fantasy VIII Remastered will be out pretty soon.
Can you say 3rd September? Because that’s when it’s coming out for PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Switch. It’ll cost you US$19.99. This version’s features include enhanced visuals, battle assists, no encounters mode, and a 3x speed boost. The latter is my favourite feature in recent PC releases of JRPGs like The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel. I like narratives and dialogue, but your text scrollings and pacing needs to be faster than paraplegic snails.
As a bonus, Square Enix confirms that it will be fixing Squall’s face in a particular ballroom scene that’s been an internet meme for a while. We could have posted that tidbit up as a separate news piece with some fluffy bits, but we have standards.

??? pic.twitter.com/7e0cNgOeZg
— FINAL FANTASY (@FinalFantasy) August 13, 2019

To find out more about why Final Fantasy VIII is the bee’s knees, read up on this feature. If you want to find out what’s the best Final Fantasy game ever from people who actually know the series and tropes inside and out, check out our ranking guide for the series.


These Are The Most Expensive SNK AES Games This Year

We’re in the final stretches; this is yet another SNK article in conjunction with Retro DNA, who will have an SNK tribute booth at GameStart Asia 13th-14th October. Check out our other SNK feature offerings here.Â
If you love collection SNK games and Neo Geo AES boards, chances are you have a high-paying job and you are a hardcore gaming nut in the 90s. Why? Because these boards and collections are astronomically expensive.
Over its lifespan, Neo Geo’s hardware and software have been a treasure for old-school gamers willing to part from their hard-earned money to own a few of these. Two or so decades have passed, and its value has all but decreased and are currently the most expensive retro items out there.
So it boils down to this: what’s the most expensive Neo Geo AES game out there? Kakuchopurei has that sorted out for you.
Disclaimer: Prices will be denoted in US, and they’re from Neo Geo Kult based on a March 2018 update. Unless stated, the prices listed below are overestimations so you should use these as benchmarks for your l33t haggling skills.Â
Kizuna Encounter (EURO version)

Used Value: US$35,000
Mint Value: US$50,000
While this tag-battle fighting game is kinda fun in short bursts, its physical arcade board is a sought-after treasure especially if you’re in Europe. While other versions of the game from US and Japan are common and cheap (US$50 or so per AES board), there are supposedly a few European AES boards of this game available in the world.
Coupled with the fact that the European version wasn’t commercially released and was recalled by SNK during the 90s, it’s no wonder this AES cost a bomb.
Metal Slug (US version)
Used Value: US$19,500
Mint Value: US$22,000

Known universally for its hand-drawn, over-the-top comic carnage, the original Metal Slug is an amazingly difficult find on the Neo Geo AES and is the most treasured US release on the system. Even though it became increasingly popular and is much more affordable on other platforms and formats, Metal Slug wasnâ€™t produced very high quantities for the AES, possibly due to the popularity of the PS1 port of the game which added a lot more the arcade version lacked.
Even though you can take a few other approaches to play the game on SNK hardware, most Neo Geo fans canâ€™t go without the game in their AES collection and are willing to pay a hefty fee for it.

Metal Slug (JP version)
Used Value: US$10,000
Mint Value: US$12,500
The Japanese version of Metal Slug is a thousand US$ cheaper than your US version. It’s still one tough mother for your bank account if you plan on just keeping and displaying the board.
Metal Slug 2 (US version)
Used Value: US$4,500
Mint Value: US$6,000

The sequel to Metal Slug is also not as common as you would think despite introducing new characters and having unique stages like the desert. The third game onwards elevated the brand to “best 2D shooter” status, which means that there aren’t that many AES boards that have the first two games on hand.
As such, the boards become a valued commodity among collectors. While Metal Slug 2 US version isn’t as expensive as its prequel, it still can fetch quite a price if you happen to stumble onto it.
Neo Turf Masters (US version)
Used Value: US$15,000
Mint Value: US$20,000
This SNK-powered golf game is fetching a super-high price due to the fact that SNK does not make golf games on a regular basis. The company’s first foray in the sport is more of a fad than anything, but it’s a decent game that’s enjoying its time being a 5-digit priced AES board.

Big Tournament Golf (JP version)
Used Value: US$7,500
Mint Value: US$9,500
The Japanese version of Neo Turf Masters’ price is nothing to sneeze at, though it’s significantly cheaper than the US version. Then again, Neo Turf Masters is a better name in my humble opinion. Maybe that’s enough to earn an insane price tag.
Ultimate 11/Super Sidekicks 4 (EURO version)
Used Value: US$35,000
Mint Value: US$45,000
Waitasec, there’s a fourth Super Sidekicks game? No wonder it’s rare AF.
Actually, it’s just a rehash of Super Sidekicks 3. If you want a better SNK-powered football game, just go for part 2. This one’s meant for collectors: it’s hard to find and the prices itself are just speculative purposes.
If I told you this was Super Sidekicks 2, you would have believed me.
Tokuteh 0h 4 (JP version)
Used Value: US$4,500
Mint Value: US$6,000
The Japanese version of Super Sidekicks 4 is significantly cheaper than its European cousin. So if you need an SNK football game in your life and can’t afford the other version, just go for this one.
Double Dragon (US version)
Used Value: US$3,500
Mint Value: US$5,000

Did anyone ask for a 2D fighting game based on the Double Dragon movie starring one of the Iron Chefs and the T-1000? Neither did I, yet we got one on SNK arcade machines featuring Billy, Jimmy, Marion, Abobo, Burnov, Robert Patrick’s character Shuko, and a bunch of other fighters I don’t care about.
This fighting game’s also quite a rarity since it’s only been ported once on the PlayStation One.
Last Hope (US version)
Used Value: US$1,500
Mint Value: US$1,950
Image credit: shin0480 via racketboy.com
Back in 2006, German indie developer and possibly SNK superfans NG:DEV.TEAM released a shoot-em-up for the Neo Geo AES, Neo Geo CD, and the Sega Dreamcast. It was a beautiful work of art that threw you back in the 90s where pre-rendered graphics were a staple in aesthetics.
The AES cartridge was sold directly by the developers and was limited to only 60 copies. To be fair, it was an unlicensed indie release and these things cost a bomb to make. But it damn hell was sought after, with mint prices going up close to US$2,000. Fans and collectors who bought it around US$730 back in 2006 were the lucky ones who could have sold it off for higher prices.
Stakes Winner (US version)
Used Value: US$5,000
Mint Value:Â  US$6,500
Horse-racing made fun, SNK style! The company cashed in on the horse-racing and horse-betting games in the 90s that plagued Malaysian arcades.

This particular version was SNK’s first foray that made it out of Asian shores. Which means it’s no surprise that the US version of the AES game is jacked up as such, probably being discontinued and made obsolete by actual horse racing and horse betting. For comparison, the Japanese version of Stakes Winner is a piddly US$1,200 in mint condition.
The King of Fighters 2003 (US version)
Used Value: US$1,650
Mint Value: US$2,000
I can’t end an SNK price guide article without any mention of their flagship royal title. Over in the US during the 00′ era, arcade games hype was slowly dwindling and fighting games grew out of season before Street Fighter IV entered the fray in 2008 and resurrected the whole dang scene.

KOF 2003 came in during an interesting if tumultuous time in fighting games, and as a result, fetches a pretty high price over the years. KOF 2003 introduced the MvC-style real-time tag system and single-round fights; it was quite an experiment that was perfected in KOF XI. Basically, KOF 2003 was the red-headed stepchild that tried to innovate but was more or less a framework than a meaty KOF experience.
Still, Mukai was a pretty awesome boss with a kick-ass stage (see above). Though not as highly-priced as the other games on this list, KOF 2003 is currently the most expensive KOF game in AES form.
Know of any other SNK AES games that can destroy your bank account? Let us know!


Guilty Gear Strive: 10 Characters We Want Back As DLC [Update]

Arc System Works has hit its stride with Guilty Gear Strive. The latest in the long-running fighting game series has created a lot of buzz for its unique anime style, newfound accessibility, as well as robust netcode.
However, like a lot of fighting games at launch, Strive’s base roster holds a modest cast of just 15 characters. For a series that’s over two decades old, this leaves plenty of cool and wacky characters who have yet to see the spotlight. And boy are there many!
Plucking from Guilty Gear’s rich history that’s filled with inspirations from heavy metal, rock, and anime, here is a list of interesting characters that deserve a spot on Strive’s playable roster.

#10. Kliff

Similar to Street Fighter 2 and its World Warriors, Guilty Gear also has its own iconic set of original characters. Most of these characters, such as Sol, Millia, May, etc, have returned in other games, save for one tiny but passionate old man.
Kliff Undersn is one of the original World Warriors of Guilty Gear whose future appearances in the series is now complicated due to the sole reason that he is canonically dead.
With Guilty Gear Strive, the original cast returns, but Kliff is unfortunately absent. It’s a shame to see, considering his unique fighting style of swinging a weapon that’s twice larger than his seemingly frail and ageing body.
In a series as unpredictable as Guilty Gear where people live on for centuries, or use magic instead of science for telephones, surely it wouldn’t be too much to bring back the final member of the band that started it all?
#9. Asuka

Asuka, also known as That Man, is an enigmatic presence that has manipulated certain events throughout the history of Guilty Gear. He is a former colleague of Sol Badguy, also responsible for turning the hot-headed protagonist into an indestructible weapon.
Though his face is finally revealed in Strive, he’s yet to see action in the series. As the source of much of Sol’s anguish, however, it only makes sense for Asuka to become a playable character in the roster.<
Not to mention that, from what little is shown about him, he seems to be a proficient wielder of ranged magic, which can be a distinct fighting style in Strive’s base roster.
#8. Baiken

Like Kliff, Baiken is also part of Guilty Gear’s original World Warriors, though perhaps in a uniquely different way. Instead of being playable from the get-go, she was a secret unlockable character in the first game.
Baiken is a one-handed samurai who lives only to hunt Asuka (That Man) as revenge for destroying her homeland. Her crude personality and… assets have made her a fan favorite in the Guilty Gear community, though she’s also one of the harder Guilty Gear characters to master.
Considering her popularity, it would be odd to not see Baiken as a DLC character at some point. Her introduction to Strive could even have us see a change to her moveset to make her more accessible to her widespread fans – not too different from the gameplay revamp Ramlethal got in Strive.
#7. Fanny

Ever heard of Guilty Gear Petit? Most people haven’t. Fanny is an original character from the Guilty Gear Petit games, which were a set of titles released exclusively for the Japan-only Wonderswan Color handheld.
Despite the simpleness of the Petit games, Fanny does share a relation to a character named Dr. Baldhead, who we otherwise know as Faust. After being saved by Faust, she became inspired by his deeds, thus deciding to follow in his footsteps and study medicine. She appears as a nurse in Guilty Gear Petit, using giant syringes and scissors to fight.
Besides being a character barely anyone knows, her return to the Guilty Gear series might spell a welcome surprise to fans of Faust, as no doubt we’ll get a look into the backstory between herself and the eccentric doctor.
#6. Daryl

The third king of the Kingdom of Illyria, as well as the only one that has yet to become a playable fighter in Guilty Gear. He first appeared in Guilty Gear Xrd’s story as the royal equal to Ky Kiske and Leo Whitefang. Though a calm individual, he can also be cold and calculating, at times resorting to difficult decisions to achieve the best results.
Ky Kiske has been a mainstay of the Guilty Gear series, while Leo Whitefang became a playable character during his debut in Xrd. It’s strange, then, that we now have two games in a row in which just two out of the three kings are able to rumble in the arena.
Daryl’s time to show up has long been overdue, and given his prominence in Strive’s story, he’s proven to be one of the more logical inclusions to the game.
#5. A.B.A

A.B.A. was introduced in the console port of Guilty Gear Isuka (ie Guilty Gear with Smash Bros. style gameplay), but most people probably know her from Accent Core. She is a homunculus – an artificial lifeform – who was born into isolation with little to no knowledge of the outside world.
She finds a cure for her loneliness after discovering a giant living demon-axe known as Paracelsus, which she immediately takes in as both her weapon and unwilling romantic partner.
A.B.A.’s playstyle is very interesting in that she starts off as a very weak and slow character. However, once she changes into her Moroha stance, she gains overwhelming abilities at the cost of losing her health with each attack.
Given Guilty Gear Strive’s approach of being a very fast-paced and high damage game, a high-risk and high-reward character like A.B.A. might fit that atmosphere perfectly, as well as give similar characters like Nagoriyuki some company.
#4. Izuna

Remember that weird time when Arc System Works turned Guilty Gear into a 3D action game with strategy elements ala Dota 2? That game was Guilty Gear 2 Overture, which also happens to be the title that Izuna hails from.
Izuna is a non-human who plays a major role in the story of Guilty Gear 2 Overture, helping Sol and Ky on their journey. He is a skilled swordsman with the ability to teleport at will. However, though mentioned in Xrd, he has not been seen since Overture.
Despite what people may think of Overture, it’s a canon part of the series. Izuna could certainly appear in Strive as an agile blade user with an unpredictable moveset.
#3. Robo-Ky

For whatever reason, there exists an army of robots in the likeness of Ky Kiske. Robo-Ky is the name given to a number of Ky-like machines that have appeared throughout the Guilty Gear series. Each one differs in personality, ranging from spiteful to downright comical.
However, by the time of Xrd, most of the Robo-Ky models have been destroyed. The last remaining Robo-Ky is a more thoughtful individual. Despite his loud-mouthed nature, he seems to have an outlook on life and even faces off against one of Xrd’s primary antagonists in a showdown.
Robo-Ky attacks with a number of wacky attacks such as extending his arms, or using a flurry of punches right out of Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure. Were he to appear in Strive, fans would no doubt appreciate some silly attacks to offset against all the cooler characters of Guilty Gear.
#2. Gabriel

Mentor of Potemkin and president of the nation of Zepp, Gabriel has experience as both a political leader and military commander. He made his debut through Potemkin’s ending in Guilty Gear XX, and then appeared in the story modes of Guilty Gear Xrd and Guilty Gear Strive, but was never playable.
Despite being considered an equal to Slayer, who himself is an immortal vampire, Gabriel’s hand-to-hand expertise has been sparse throughout the Guilty Gear games. He’s appeared in three games at this point, but only in the story. This is all in spite of him being canonically an extremely powerful fighter.
Strive has Giovanna as a traditional hand-to-hand combatant, though even she enlists the help of a spirit dog to get her hits in. If Gabriel truly is Slayer’s rival, then expect his gameplay debut to feature loads of raw punches that hit where they need to count.
#1. Ariels

In terms of Guilty Gear lore, Ariels is a pivotal entity behind the events of the series. Also known as the Universal Will, she is directly responsible for the creation and actions of the Valentines, who have acted as antagonists throughout the Guilty Gear games.
Although she appears as a prominent antagonist in the story Guilty Gear Xrd Revelator, she’s yet to find a spot in the series as a playable character. She’s gone toe-to-toe against Sol, Ky, and Sin, but only in cutscenesâ€¦
With Guilty Gear Strive, Arc System Works has a chance to rectify that and to make a real threat out of one of Guilty Gear’s key antagonists.
Know any other characters whom you want to see in Guilty Gear Strive? Let us know in the comments, on YouTube, and on our social media feeds!


Nier’s Yoko Taro On Creating Sexy Characters For Mobile Games

Nier and SINoALICE director and writer Yoko Taro (whom we’ve met up with last year) talked about his written work and process with Siliconera regarding the latter mobile game recently. His answers are about as blunt as they can get for someone who has to go through Japan’s game industry work culture.
Which character did you enjoy writing the most?
“Itâ€™s my job, so none were enjoyable for me. I felt like a lowly labourer covered in mud, and as I typed my keyboard I was thinking â€˜I want to get this over with and have a drink. Wouldnâ€™t that be great?'”
Youâ€™re known for drinking while doing some of your writing work, especially for the more emotional parts. Have you had much to drink for SINoALICE? If so, whatâ€™s your drink of choice?
“I drink beer, white wine, and whiskey soda. People donâ€™t believe me when I say so, but I buy the cheapest one available at the supermarket. Itâ€™s because I canâ€™t tell what anything tastes like when I get drunkâ€¦”
That’s all well and good, but when it comes to creating female characters in mobile games, he basically answers what every other writer and designer are afraid to admit.

“Mobile game devs tell me that swimsuit outfits make more money, so I should make one, so I made Dorothyâ€™s aquatic outfit for her Cleric class (below), but the sales werenâ€™t very good. The devs said, â€˜not a diving suit like this!
A swimsuit that shows more skin!!â€™ so I released Dorothyâ€™s lazy bear minstrel class (also below), but sales went down yet again. Who can trust these devs?”

Even when he trolls, he does it with a pound of truth and stark reality: swimsuit characters in gacha games make a ton of money. I should know: I used up my free Dragalia Lost wyrmite for the obligatory swimsuit event.


Star Wars Jedi Survivor Gets New Patch Today For PC & Tomorrow For Consoles

Just a few days after EA and Respawn Entertainment promised to address the issues and problems with the recently-released Star Wars Jedi Survivor, a new patch has arrived for the PC version of the game, and consoles (PS5 and Xbox Series X/S) will be getting one tomorrow on 2 May 2023.
While the patch notes (via Twitter) for the PC patch only state improvements for performance, the console patch will cover more issues (including crashes and specific problems), which are listed below:

Today a patch has become available for the PC version of Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, and tomorrow (5/2) we’ll also be issuing a patch for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.
We are hard at work on patches that will further improve performance and fix bugs across all platforms.… pic.twitter.com/XrjbdDQUp6
— EA Star Wars (@EAStarWars) May 1, 2023

In the meantime, check out our review and guide here.


Here Are All The Winners Of The PlayStation Awards 2019 [Update]

In conjunction with the 25th Anniversary of PlayStation, today PlayStation fans all over the world gathered in Japan, as well as in front of their screens, to watch the PlayStation Awards 2019. It was an event that celebrated the amazing games we’ve been playing not just this year but ever since the launch of the first PlayStation.

The PlayStation Awards 2019 was held at the Grand Prince Hotel New Takanawa in Tokyo on 3 December 2019. Many representatives from game development studios, publishers, and Sony were present at the awards show including Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Jim Ryan.
Here is the list of each award categories and their respective winners:

Indies & Developer Award

Unravel Two – EA
Hollow Knight – Team Cherry
Overcooked 2 – Team17, Ghost Town Games
Human: Fall Flat – No Brakes Games
Hardcore Mecha – RocketPunch Games

PlayStation VR Award

Astro Bot Rescue Mission – SIE Japan Studio
Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown – Bandai Namco Entertainment
Beat Saber – Beat Games

PlayStation Network Award

Fortnite – Epic Games
Monster Hunter World: Iceborne – Capcom
FIFA 19 – EA

Gold Prize
(Awarded to games that shipped more than 500,000 units.)

PES 2019 – PES Productions
FIFA 19 – EA
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 – Treyarch
Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown – Bandai Namco Entertainment
Resident Evil 2 Remake – Capcom
Devil May Cry V – Capcom
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice – From Software
Monster Hunter World: Iceborne – Capcom
FIFA 20 – EA

Platinum Prize
(Awarded to games that shipped more than one million units.)

Nier Automata – Platinum Games
God of War – SIE Santa Monica Studio
Marvel’s Spider-Man – Insomniac Games
Red Dead Redemption 2 – Rockstar Games
Kingdom Hearts III – Square Enix

Yes, Yoko Taro was there in his usual get-up.
PlayStation 25th Anniversary User’s Choice Award

The Last of Us Remastered – Naughty Dog
Persona 5 – ATLUS
Nier Automata – Platinum Games
Dragon Quest XI – Square Enix
Monster Hunter World – Capcom
God of War – SIE Santa Monica Studio
Marvel’s Spider-Man – Insomniac Games

PlayStation 25th Anniversary Special Award

Ridge Racer – Bandai Namco Entertainment
Battle Arena Toshinden – Tamsoft
Resident Evil – Capcom
Final Fantasy VII – Square Enix
Metal Gear Solid – Konami
Dynasty Warriors 2 – Omega Force
Yakuza– Sega
Monster Hunter Freedom Unite – Capcom

Update:
From 6 December to 9 December 2019, the PlayStation Store will be having a PlayStation Awards 2019 Celebration Campaign sale with up to 80% discounts on the games that won awards at the ceremony.

For now, the sale hasn’t begun yet and there’s no way to check on how much each game will be discounted. Be sure to stay tuned on Kakuchopurei as we will be updating information on this sale when it’s revealed.

As someone who’s played on the original PlayStation, the PlayStation 2, the PlayStation 3, and is currently a proud owner of a PlayStation 4, it brings me great joy to see so many great games and their respective developers get the appreciation and recognition they deserve.
Around this time next year, we’ll all be having a PlayStation 5 of our own (hopefully) and experiencing more amazing games. Here’s to many more years of magic and excitement with PlayStation!


PlayStation State Of Play September 2022: All The Games Announced

Right before Tokyo Game Show 2022 week, PlayStation dropped a new State of Play video talking about its upcoming games for 2023 and beyond. And some new God of War Ragnarok footage, because why not?
Here’s what we’re getting on PlayStation 5 in the future.
Tekken 8

Bandai Namco confirms a new Tekken sequel, featuring a new fighting game engine and a Jin Kazama vs Kazuya Mishima match in the middle of nowhere with waves crashing and rain pouring. Fun!
Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy’s Edge

A VR game with Star Wars nonsense. Out for PlayStation VR2 in 2023.
Demeo

A fantasy card game with miniatures for PS VR2. Fun for the whole family.
Like A Dragon: Ishin!

Remember that Ryu Ga Gotoku samurai spin-off on PS3? Now it’s getting a PS5 remake and is coming out in English for the first time under the new name Like A Dragon: Ishin! There will be more info on this in the RGG Summit 2022 on 14 September at 6:00 PM (GMT+8) — later today.
Pacific Drive

You’re being chased by aliens(?) or some mysterious force, and you have to drive your way out of trouble in your regular American travelling car. This adventure game is coming out in 2023.
Synduality

An AI partner named Magus and a guy piloting a mecha team up to harvest crystals and escape from bad guys. The game’s slated for 2023 and is made by Bandai Namco.
“Armed with your mech, compete for resources, avoid the rain, and reclaim the ground humanity has lost, in a future where humans and AI must find a way to work together.”
Stellar Blade (formerly Project EVE)

A ponytail girl with sci-fi hack-and-slash powers and gun skills fight waves of monsters and robots in a Korean sci-fi universe. The game will be out in 2023 and will be made by Shift Up Corporation,
Rise of the Ronin

Here’s a new action open-world RPG title from Team Ninja, the people behind the Nioh titles and that one Final Fantasy game featuring Jack. The game is set during the Bakumatsu period in Japan, the final years of the Edo period. A PlayStation 5 exclusive slated for 2024.
God of War Ragnarok DualSense Controller & Story Trailer

Capping off the presentation is an announcement of the God of War Ragnarok PS5 DualSense controller (blue and white and with wolf-and-bear emblems) and some story/gameplay trailer action.
And that’s it for the games that are brand-new and actually want to get hyped about. Full State of Play livestream’s below:


Cyberpunk 2077 Is Still Coming In September, CD Projekt Red Confirms

If you’re itching to get your hands on Cyberpunk 2077 on September, don’t worry. CD Projekt Red, which has been working from home since March, has confirmed that the open-world cyberpunk RPG is still on track for its current September release date despite the current COVID-19 pandemic.
In a post that highlighted parts their financial statement, President and CEO Adam KiciÅ„ski said:

“There is no shortage of motivation and we also possess all the tools needed to facilitate remote work.
Weâ€™ve been operating in this mode for over three weeks and to-date results confirm that we can carry on with all our operations without major disruptions.
Our plans havenâ€™t changed â€“ weâ€™re steaming towards the September release of Cyberpunk.”

The post added that “The Groupâ€™s longstanding strategy of avoiding debt and accumulating cash reserves means that it is well prepared to continue with its work even in tough times”.
Cyberpunk 2077 was previously delayed from its original April release date to 17 September 2020, so anticipating gamers will likely be relieved that it won’t receive yet another delay. It’s my most (and so far only) anticipated game of the year so I’m pleased to hear this too, though I was concerned when I heard that the developers would still have to crunch despite the delay from April.
The post also revealed that GOG had posted 162 million PLN (RM168 million) in revenue, and that CD Projekt posted 521 million PLN (RM539 million) in 2019 sales revenue, 44% more than 2018. They credited the improvement to “excellent sales of The Witcher 3, including its new Nintendo Switch release, and the launch of GWENT on mobile devices”.


E3 2018: 5 Things We’re OK With About Assassin’s Creed Odyssey

Figured I get this out of the way: before I started contributing to good ol’ Kakuchopurei, I played a LOT of Assassin’s Creed Origins and its two expansions. I dug the RPG aspects of it, its charismatic protagonists Bayek and Aya, the ancient Egyptian setting during Ptolemy’s rule, and the second expansion’s foray into the afterlife -giant scorpions and all.
But I feared that with AC Origins’ success and mostly positive reception, Ubisoft might go back to their old ways and annualize an AC game. Hence the announcement of Assassin’s Creed Odyssey and its release date of this October. This makes you think that the whole “taking a break from AC-churning” methodology is one big joke.
Even with this worry in mind, I still felt that this new AC game might have some redeeming features to make us yearn for the wait. Here’s what we all gathered based on the previews & hands-on sessions.

This Game Is Old AF
I meant that in a century timeline kind of way. AC Odyssey takes place 4 centuries before AC Origins; it’s set during the Peloponnesian War of 431 BC.
During that era, Greece itself is a huge, beautiful, and prosperous continent that is filled with so many different terrain and areas ranging from snow-capped mountains to lovely, lovely beaches.
Have you seen a beach in Greece now? Imagine how it looked back then before modern civilization touched it.
The RPG Aspects Are Bigger

I honestly didn’t think that Ubisoft is going the Bioware route with the series, yet here we are. AC Odyssey lets you pick between a male and female mercenary: Alexios and Kassandra.
You also have dialogue choices this time around, which also means You get to lie and flirt too. The demo that journos played a few weeks all said that you can initiate romance with either the male or female captain army duo.Â There’s a personal touch to AC Odyssey that is lacking in other AC games.
While we’re on story, this is a prequel to Origins. So basically this is Assassins vs. Templars: The Earlier Beginning before Odyssey. Don’t think too hard on it.
The Modern Day & First Civilization Story Is In Full Force

We get to continue the modern story of Layla Hassan, the Animus user from AC Odyssey. This time, Ubisoft promises that the game will connect her story, and the story of her Animus subject(s), to the First Civilization. According to the developers,Â Laylaâ€™s quest to find First Civ artifacts and First Civilization information led her to discover the lost book of Herodotus, the first historian.
The book referred to a Spartan mercenary that would have been in contact with First Civilization artifacts. We’ll talk about that specific object in the next paragraph.

Combat & Conflict Gets A Major Overhaul
First things first: you now wield the Spear of Leonidas instead of hidden blades. That’s one of the First Civilization artifacts that tie into the story, and it shows since it gives your protagonist otherworldly powers.
You also have access to special attacks. No, not that Super Attack where Bayek charges at people. Just regular special attacks with that take up a stock of adrenaline. When you hold the L1, you can then press any of the face buttons to either do a flurry of attacks or grab an enemy’s shield to toss it aside.

While we’re at it, you can boost your special skills, critical hits, hit points, and other stats with outfits and gear; AC Odyssey’s level of customization is heavily-detailed; you get 5 categories of wearable gear instead of 1. Specialization takes centre stage here as your mercenary can level up to specialize in either the Hunter, Warrior, or Assassin skill tree. These trees offer different skills the others don’t have to help complement your playstyle and conflict-resolution methods.

You get to use these newfound combat skills and gear in the game’s epic battles where Athen and Spartan troops fight each other en masse. We’re talking 150-versus-150 Greeks fighting each other simultaneously. It’s a sight to behold if the E3 trailers are of any indication.
Best of all, you get to use a bird named Ikaros to help you in combat and even see things far and away from your puny human line of sight. I mean if you still have your old assets from your previous game, might as well repackage them to meet that yearly quota, eh?
You Get To Debate With Socrates
Yes, the philosopher from Ancient Greece. Remember how AC 2 had Leonardo da Vinci and AC Syndicate had Alexander Graham Bell? We now get to engage in moral discussions with the ancient philosopher whose name is spelt with a “k” here. If you finish a quest in the most violent way possible, he’ll start debating with you on whether your actions are just or not.

This adds a bit more layer and context in what you do; I do like my daily moral challenges being delivered by one of history’s greatest philosophers in digital video game form.
There’s quite a lot to like about the new AC Odyssey despite my reservations. The worldwide power system, the boats you use to sail around and fight/explore in, the improved stealth mechanics that grant you more experience points for kills, and that minotaur at the end of the trailer that hints at mythical challenges ala AC Origins’ weekly content. All of these sound like Ubisoft is just doing what they did with AC Brotherhood: take the skeleton and framework of the previously successful AC game, then just build on it and make up new mechanics to freshen up the experience.
We’ll find out if this method pays off this October 5.


PlayStation Acquires Destiny Developer Bungie

PlayStation has announced that they have acquired Bungie for a reported US$3.6 billion. The developer is best known for developing the first few Halo games and the Destiny franchise.
According to the announcement, Bungie will remain an independent and multi-platform studio and publisher.
The official statement from Bungie CEO Pete Parsons reads:
â€œWe believe games have limitless potential, and that to do anything worthwhile in entertainment, we must bet big on our vision, on our studio, and on our incredible team of trusted creators who build unforgettable worlds that truly matter to people.
In Sony, we have found a partner who unconditionally supports us in all we are and who wants to accelerate our vision to create generation-spanning entertainment, all while preserving the creative independence that beats in Bungieâ€™s heart. Like us, Sony believes that game worlds are only the beginning of what our IPs can become. Together, we share a dream of creating and fostering iconic franchises that unite friends around the world, families across generations, and fans across multiple platforms and entertainment mediums.
Today, Bungie begins our journey to become a global multi-media entertainment company.
CREATIVE FREEDOM
â€œSince taking flight in 1991, Bungie has always charted the future with our own star map â€“ a path that is driven by our people and for our community. We are continuing that journey with new worlds in development, and we canâ€™t wait to share them with you.
With Sony, the potential for our universes is unlimited. Our future games will take bold steps into unexplored spaces for Bungie, continue to push the boundaries of what is possible, and will always be built on a foundation of creating meaningful, lifelong friendships and memories.
We remainÂ in charge of our destiny. We will continue to independently publish and creatively develop our games. We will continue to drive one, unified Bungie community. Our games will continue to be where our community is, wherever they choose to play.
With Sonyâ€™s support, the most immediate change you will see is an acceleration in hiring talent across the entire studio to support our ambitious vision. If this speaks to you, and you want to help us put a dent in the universe,Â we are hiringÂ across all disciplines for Destiny 2 and for all new worlds beyond.
THREE DECADES AND COUNTING
â€œWhat makes our worlds come to life is our community and our people in the studio. Our people are the soul of Bungie. Empowered by our people, we have pushed the boundaries of what we thought was possible and transformed who we are as a company.
Over the past 30 years, the inviting worlds weâ€™ve built have turned into thriving communities, and that community is the true magic. These communities have taken Bungie beyond games. They have forged life-long bonds, and humbled us with the real, meaningful good they drive within us and the world.
More than anything, Sony understands that our people and our community are both the priority, and the heart of our success, and are willing to stand alongside us as we continue to use our platform to drive action towards a more welcoming and equitable world. Our goal is to build a place where the worldâ€™s most creative and talented people can come and do their best work, no matter who they are, where they are from, or how they identify.
Thatâ€™s the real dent in the universe we want to make â€” the one we want to last beyond us.
Be a part of this future with us. See you Starside.â€
This news comes less than a month after Microsoft Xbox announced their acquisition of Activision Blizzard.


New Pokemon Scarlet & Violet Paldean Journey Trailer Features Photo Mode & More Terastallized Forms

Nintendo and The Pokemon Company just dropped a massive 14-minute gameplay trailer for its upcoming RPG Pokemon Scarlet and Pokemon Violet for Nintendo Switch.
The new trailer showcases more open-world exploration, as well as a new “Let’s Go” mechanic that lets you send out your best Pokemon to auto-attack enemies in front of you and finish the fight quick instead of going through a regular battle. The trailer also showcases the revamped character customization screen and the Camera mode where you can take selfies with Pokemon or Gym Leaders you want to stalk.

The trailer also shows off more gameplay, particularly new Terastallized forms for Jigglypuff and Fidough, as well as new 4 player co-op Raid gameplay against a big-ass Terastallized Chancey.

Check it all out in motion below:

Pokemon Scarlet and Pokemon Violet will be out on 18th November exclusively for Nintendo Switch.


In The Heights Drops On HBO GO This Malaysia Day

Feel-good musical productionÂ In the HeightsÂ comes toÂ HBO GO on 16 September 2021, bringing together a talented cast that depicts the compelling story of first-generation US Latin immigrants. A fusion of Lin-Manuel Mirandaâ€™s (Hamilton) kinetic music and lyrics, with director Jon M. Chuâ€™s (Crazy Rich Asians) lively and authentic eye for storytelling, it captures a world very much of its place, but universal in its experience.
Anthony Ramos plays Usnavi, who serves as the filmâ€™s narrator and nexus to the intersecting storylines; he is also the nucleus of a chosen family that includes the communityâ€™s de facto Abuela Claudia, played by Tony-winning originator of the role and Broadway veteran Olga Merediz, and his cousin and sole too-smart-for-his-own-good bodega employee, Sonny, played by rising star Gregory Diaz IV.
In the role of Benny, Usnaviâ€™s best friend, is Corey Hawkins, who works as a dispatcher for local car service owner Kevin Rosario, played by the pioneering star of screen and stage, Jimmy Smits, while Bennyâ€™s daughter Nina is played by Leslie Grace.

Together, each of their lives, hopes and dreams present a compelling tale of finding oneâ€™s place in life and redefining what â€˜homeâ€™ means for those who straddle two different cultures.
In the Heights is a musical portrait of a community full of lively numbers as diverse as its cast. The story weaves together an ensemble of characters during one particular summer of seismic change in all of their lives, with much of the action taking place at one intersection central to the neighbourhood.
The songs and dances cover a variety of styles â€” from hip-hop to Latin to pop and musical theatre â€” and this provides ample opportunity to explore the varied influences of the distinct Latin cultures that merge and continue to populate and represent Washington Heights.
In the HeightsÂ is produced by 5000 Broadway / Barrio Grrrl! / Likely Story / SGS Pictures Production and directed by Jon M. Chu, with executive producers David Nicksay and Kevin McCormick.


Sons Of The Forest Shifts To Early Access Launch This February

The wildly-anticipated first-person survival game sequel to The Forest back in 2018 will be launched as an Early Access title on Steam (PC), according to developer Endnight Games.
Sons of the Forest will be out on 23 February for PC; it was originally planned to be out as a full launch title before this sudden change. Here’s what Endnight Games has to say about this:
“It’s been a long journey since we first started Sons of The Forest development and it’s grown into the biggest most complex game we have ever made. There is still so much more we want to add; items, new mechanics, gameplay balance, and more. We didn’t want to delay again so have instead decided to involve the community in the continued development of this project and keep our February 23 release date but instead release in Early Access.
The Forest turned out to be a massive success, due mostly to the awesome community and the suggestions, feedback, and bug reports the players shared with us. We are really excited and hope that players want to come on this new journey with us to make this the ultimate survival horror simulator.”
The game’s prequel came out in 2018 and was met with eventual overwhelmingly positive reviews on Steam. It’s about a lone survivor of a plane crash who has to fend for themselves against cannibalistic mutants, and it’s praised for its survival mechanics, replayability, and story elements.


PlatinumGames Is Currently Looking For Game Makers To Publish

During the Asia Pacific Game Summit Online 2022 event, both studio head Atsushi Inaba and chief game designer Hideki Kamiya talked about the industry.
After showing off a quick video of its self-published titles like The Wonderful 101 remaster, World of Demons, Sol Cresta, and Project G.G, the company said they are seeking other game makers to sign up under the PlatinumGames wing for publishing purposes.
The caveat? They need to be impressed by the titles they’re given and shown. Seeing as this is the company that has games like Okami, Bayonetta, and Vanquish under their wing, that is an incredibly high bar to leap. Here’s a quote from both studio leads:
“We want PlatinumGames to remain an exciting company that produces games nobody can predict. And you can all count on our will and our execution.
Having said that, any game creators out there who want to create exciting games in an exciting environment; now is the best time to join PlatinumGames.”
Unless you happen to be in Taipei, Taiwan right now during the Taipei Game Show 2022, your best bet right now is to hit up their contact page.
On a related note, the company also showcased more gameplay of its upcoming 2D title Sol Cresta, which is part of PlatinumGames’ Neo-Classic Arcade series.


GreedFall Picks Up The Bioware Torch & Mostly Shines Bright

Platform: PS4, PC, Xbox One
Genre: Western RPG set in a fictional 17th century era
Until recently, Bioware was known as the masters of the western RPG, with legendary games like Star Wars: Knight Of The Old Republic, as well as both the Mass Effect and Dragon Age franchises. However, they proceeded to squander all that hard-earned reputation with current-gen games like Mass Effect Andromeda and Anthem.
Are western RPGs with impactful choices and a great story dying? Not if Spiders has anything to say about it.
While CD Projekt Red is (arguably) currently the king of western RPGs with 2015’s The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Spiders has proven itself to be somewhat the second coming of Bioware with GreedFall, albeit one that doesn’t quite reach the highs of Bioware’s best but still counts as an impressive feat nonetheless, especially in an age when Bioware has abandoned what made its games great.
A Legate’s Life For Me

In GreedFall, the player is not a conventional chosen one archetype with a heroic destiny awaiting him/her (like The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim‘s Dragonborn). Instead, your name is De Sardet, the newly-appointed Legate of a nation called the Congregation Of Merchants.
A Legate is essentially the diplomat or ambassador, with all the political power and benefits that come with it. Set in a fictional 17th century-styled fantasy setting, the Congregation Of Merchants is clearly meant to be the equivalent of the real-world British East India Company.
Meanwhile, the other nations and factions in the game also seem to represent similar real-world historical counterparts. The nation of Theleme is like the Spanish or the Papal States, as they have a religious hierarchy with their own Inquisitors, Bishops and Cardinals, while the Bridge Alliance is based on the powerful Muslim empires of the time as evident from the Arabic-derived names and clothing.

Those are just some of the major players I’ve mentioned, but they all play a part in the expansive story of GreedFall. While some factions are depicted to be more antagonistic or meant to be more villainous than others, none of them are blatantly evil. You’ll probably hate the those from Theleme for being bigoted zealots out for heathen blood or anyone from the Bridge Alliance for sacrificing ethics for the sake of science, but no can really boast to be the good guys.
I mean, these are ultimately colonialist and expansionist empires vying for a piece of the island of Teer Fradi, so everyone has a secret agenda to pursue, including your own faction. As the Legate of Congregation of Merchants (which you’ll hear the character say every time he’s meeting someone new), it’s your job to keep the peace and appease these opposing factions, which includes the island Natives with their own respective tribes and leaders.

I don’t agree with several prominent gaming websites (cough Kotaku cough) that complaint about the game’s colonisation themes and setting being unpleasant or offensive. As someone whose country (Malaysia) was a victim of colonisation in the past, I personally don’t find any of it uncomfortable or offensive at all.

On the contrary, I actually find the setting refreshing, as it distinguishes itself from other fantasy settings in western RPGs, which tend to be inspired mostly by medieval times. Huge developers probably shy away from exploring the controversial topic of colonisation, but that’s not a problem for smaller up-and-coming developer Spiders.
Your Choices Define You

As a massive fan of western RPGs with a heavy emphasis on player choice and consequences, I was delighted to enter the world of GreedFall. As a Legate (or diplomat), walking around from place to place and having conversations with NPCs makes it natural and not forced. It’s literally your character’s job to do so.

Kudos to Spiders for doing a great job with the player choices and dialogue in GreedFall, making them matter and not just conveying the illusion of choice. Let me assure you that this game doesn’t have mindless fetch quests with no sense of purpose.

Almost every side quest you go through in GreedFall leads into and affects the flow of the story and your interactions with the characters within.
Any decision you make has an impact, the effects of which are not often immediate. For example, the fact that you helped several Natives from suffering under the other factions’ discrimination will go a long way in smoothing your dealings with the Native leaders, or vice versa, as they will have heard about what you did and will then be more receptive to you.

There are often multiple ways to complete an objective, which makes figuring out how to best approach any mission a fun endeavour. However, some actions or dialogue choices may be locked out if you don’t have enough points in any of the many available talents. For instance, you need Charisma to increase your persuasion skills, Lockpicking to unlock doors and chests to avoid the hassle of having to search for keys, and my personal favourite, Intuition, which (when upgraded) gives you more (and better) dialogue choices.

All of these choices play into the Reputation mechanic, a system where every choice will add or subtract points. It’s not clearly stated how many points it takes to get from Suspicious (which is your starting relationship status with a faction or companion) to Nice and Friendly, so you’ll have to try not to lose points to keep in their good graces.

Some of these quests also take cues from The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, as they take the form of mysteries and investigations, where you have to examine clues and unearth every piece of the story. Every side quest is like a mini-plot that fleshes out the inner workings and culture of each faction, which is fascinating as you learn more about the deep lore contained in GreedFall.
The problem in some western RPGs is that the side quests often detract from the overall story or main campaign, especially in games like The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. You could spend hundreds of hours doing other stuff without furthering even an inch into the main plot. Fortunately, that’s not possible in GreedFall, where every side quest will affect the main story or your interactions in some way.
Janky But Enjoyable Combat

Western RPGs are not often known for their great combat, as even the likes of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and the Mass Effect franchise suffered from this problem. Unfortunately, the same can also be said for GreedFall. While the combat feels clunky, I enjoyed it for its wide range of customization options.

Just like The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, every piece of armour (head, torso, hands, feet, necklace, cape) has their own stats and special properties. The same goes for your two weapon slots. What’s good is that you can mix your own classes, without having to be restricted to just one combat class for the entire game.

I chose to primarily focus on being a mage in my playthrough, but there was nothing stopping me from expanding skill points into using firearms or more technical combat like bombs. The way combat works is that both you and your enemies have a health bar and an armour bar. Physical attacks with swords and axes must whittle away the armour before they can take away health, while magic attacks and firearms have the advantage of ignoring armour altogether but with the disadvantages of limited mana and ammo.
While swinging your physical weapons, firing firearms, and unleashing magical attacks feels satisfying to pull off, battles often don’t feel as precise as it should be. This is because pressing the button and waiting for the animation takes too long to finish. There were many times in which I was sure that I dodged an attack but still received damage, as the hitboxes can be unpredictable and unclear.

Thanks to how clunky the combat feels at times, it’s easier to fight a single boss than fight a swarm of enemies. I rarely die while fighting bosses (some of which are damage sponges), but I will often find myself overwhelmed by groups of enemies who surround me with no chance of retaliation. Each encounter is set within an established boundary, but it’s easy to wander outside this invisible ring and frustratingly return to enemies with all their health restored.
The variety of enemies range from the Teer Fradi versions of bears, bats, wolfs, crocodiles and rhinos. Of course, the game has exotic-sounding names for these creatures, but that’s essentially what they are. There are also many variants of each subspecies (which you can read about in the game’s extensive Codex), but they only slightly differ from each other in small ways and are basically reskins.
One type of bear might have more armour, while another might spew poison. There’s not much variety to the enemies in GreedFall, and that applies for the bosses as well. You’ll fight the same four types of Guardian bosses throughout the game in different situations, and they’ll even fight in practically the same pattern and moves.
In addition, I got sick of hearing my companions shouting the exact same battle lines in every single enemy encounter throughout my 33 hours of playing the game. The bland battle music doesn’t exactly help to alleviate this in any way, so I hope you like listening to a bunch of tribal drums being pounded.
Friends Forever

There are five companions in GreedFall, and they’re frankly the highlights of my 33-hour journey. They each hail from a different major faction, with distinct personalities and combat styles. My personal favourites were the warrior-priest Petrus and the obsessed-with-science Aphra.
Just like Bioware’s Mass Effect games, each companion has special quests to undertake with, which will improve your relationship with that particular character. What I like about these quests is that they not only flesh out these specific characters, but also the world around them and even the main protagonist’s story.
Who you have as your companion at each given time also affects your interactions with NPCs, either positively or negatively. For example, having a native Siora with you while dealing with other natives will help you understand their culture better. That’s a positive example.

Something negative could also happen. When I was meeting people from the Bridge Alliance (who was at war with Petrus’ nation of Theleme) with Petrus in my party, it resulted in an angry outburst from him, which caused my relationship with both the Bridge Alliance and Petru himself to deteriorate (decrease in points).
I would have loved for more interactions between my companions, as these resulted in awesome moments but were far and few in between. The romances with them were also disappointing. Your romantic attempts feel forced and rushed, which makes the climax of your romance ultimately feel hollow and empty.
In comparison, the romances in Bioware games like the Mass Effect franchise were executed much better and developed much more naturally. I won’t remember Siora from GreedFall when I think of my video game romances, but Tali Zorah Vas Normandy from Mass Effect will always be best waifu.
A New (Un)Opened World

GreedFall doesn’t feature an open world like The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim or The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Instead, it’s closer to the hub worlds and areas seen in games like the Mass Effect franchise. While you can still veer off the linear path. the exploration isn’t that rewarding.
Most question marks on the map are either campsites (where you can fast travel, sleep, store and craft items) or altars that grant you skill points. Sometimes you’ll encounter new people that trigger new side quests but those are far and few in-between. Don’t expect to suddenly get yourself lost in a mysterious dungeon with loot if it’s not tied to a quest.
The lack of resources and the fact that GreedFall isn’t a AAA title is evident throughout the game. The interior of buildings in the game is almost identical to each other, as faction buildings and Native huts are clearly just recycled.

The facial expressions and animation of the characters are also wooden, but at least they’re not broken like the ones in Mass Effect Andromeda.

Thankfully, I was impressed by GreedFall‘s strong voice performances, which were definitely much better than I expected. The voices do a much better job of conveying the feelings of the characters, making up for the wooden animation.
Picking Up The RPG Torch

GreedFall is Spiders’ most ambitious RPG title to date, and it certainly shows. It features a great story and deep lore, with interesting characters and setting. However, it’s brought down by its lower production values and janky combat, as well as the occasional technical issue that arose from time to time.
One wonders what a masterpiece could have resulted if Spiders had access to more resources. Still, GreedFall is a solid western RPG in its own right and one that is highly recommended to fans of the genre, especially for those who missed Bioware’s peak performance days before they decided to botch up a loot-and-shoot game.
Pros:

Your choices (during both main and side quests) have weight, impact and consequences to the story
Great companions worth spending time with
An engrossing story with twists and turns galore
A refreshing fantasy setting seldom explored in western RPGs
Exceptional voice acting

Cons:

Janky and unprecise combat
Unpolished visuals and recycled game assets
Wooden animations and facial expressions
Occasional technical glitches

FINAL SCORE: 70/100
GreedFall was reviewed on a PS4 Pro.


Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny Gets Epic New Trailer

During Star Wars Celebration 2023 in London, Lucasfilm unveiled a brand new trailer for Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny.
Harrison Ford returns as the legendary hero archaeologist in the highly anticipated fifth installment of the iconic “Indiana Jones” franchise, which is directed by James Mangold (“Ford v Ferrari,” “Logan”). Starring along with Ford are Phoebe Waller-Bridge (“Fleabag”), Antonio Banderas (“Pain and Glory”), John Rhys-Davies (“Raiders of the Lost Ark”), Shaunette Renee Wilson (“Black Panther”), Thomas Kretschmann (“Das Boot”), Toby Jones (“Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom”), Boyd Holbrook (“Logan”), Oliver Richters (“Black Widow”), Ethann Isidore (“Mortel”) and Mads Mikkelsen (“Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore”). Directed by James Mangold, the film is produced by Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall and Simon Emanuel, with Steven Spielberg and George Lucas serving as executive producers. John Williams, who has scored each Indy adventure since the original “Raiders of the Lost Ark” in 1981, is once again composing the score.
Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny premieres in cinemas on 29 June 2023.
Check out the trailer below:


Burhan’s Top 10 Games Of 2019

I don’t know what people are talking about when they say “X year was bad for gaming” because as far as I can remember, there’s never been a bad year for gaming. Especially not since the release of the PS4. The console has been continuously getting great games after it came out.

With that being said, I’ve heard numerous times how 2019 was also a bad year for gaming. I completely disagree.

In fact, I’d daresay that 2019 was one of the best years ever in my life as a gamer. There were literally dozens of great titles released.
If you’re interested in finding out which games released in 2019 that I loved most, then you’re about to find out. You’ll see that some popular games aren’t listed and that’s because I was either not being interested in them or not able to afford them.
Nonetheless, I believe I still experienced a healthy portion of what 2019 offered. Let’s get down to business.
#1. Resident Evil 2

I’m not a big fan of survival horror games. To be more honest, I’m absolutely scared of anything horror-related. Despite that, Resident Evil 4 is one of my favourite games of all time thanks to its masterful balance of action and horror.
It’s because of my love towards RE4 that I decided to give the Resident Evil 2 Remake a try. Mind you, I’ve never played the original game since it was released when I was only two years old.

If RE4 is a masterpiece, then the RE2 Remake takes everything it did right and perfected it.

The pacing is impeccable, driving the player from one task to another without ever feeling as if you’re doing anything pointless.
Couple that together with the spine-tingling sound design and awesome visuals, it kept me scared and hooked for the entirety of my 15-hour playthrough. If anyone ever asks me to recommend them a survival horror game, this will be my first selection.
#2. Devil May Cry 5

Remember DmC: Devil May Cry? That game everyone wants to forget about? Well, I actually liked it. I mean, I wouldn’t consider it a true Devil May Cry game but it was a still a decent action title.
Of course, I was still disappointed to see characters such as Dante and Vergil being turned into edgy clichÃ©s. So when it was announced that a new DMC game was coming out and it continued the main series, I was stoked.

When I finally got my hands on Devil May Cry 5, it was almost immediately obvious that this game was a clear winner.

It brought back the easy to learn but hard to master mechanics of DMC and introduced even more depth which I thought wasn’t possible anymore.
It runs on the same engine as the Resident Evil 2 Remake and as expected, it looks gorgeous. I also really appreciate that developers decided to give Nero another attempt at being the protagonist and I believe he redeemed himself from his hormone-induced debut in Devil May Cry 4.
#3. Control

I used to be really surprised whenever I was told that Control didn’t sell well. It had an intriguing plot, beautiful graphics, and great gameplay. Miraculously, it was even made with a budget of â‚¬30 million. That’s very low compared to other AAA titles.
Then I found out that it ran like a lawnmower choking on mud when played on consoles. Being one of the lucky people that played the game on PC, it was a strong reminder of how current generation consoles were still far from being well-optimised machines.
If you haven’t played Control but you’re interested, make sure you get it for PC. If you can’t afford a PC that can run the game, just check the latest gameplay videos of it being played on the console you have. Perhaps everything has been fixed through patches.
#4. Disco Elysium

I hate reading. I don’t mean books. I mean I hate reading blocks of text in video games. Whenever an RPG like Dragon Age or The Witcher fills the centre of my screen with paragraphs of lore, I quickly press “back” or “exit” as if I was avoiding the plague.
When I was told that 99% of Disco Elysium is reading, I started looking for a real-life “exit” button. Then I was assigned to review it and thank god for that. It managed to captivate me and I would go as far as saying that it’s one of my favourite RPGs of all time.
Text in this game isn’t bombarded to you in the form of several paragraphs all at once. There are rare occasions where that does happen but most of the time, it’s trickled down to in a sentence-by-sentence manner. It almost never felt overwhelming or boring.
Although there is good voice acting, its presence is very minimal. Despite that, the tone of each sentence is clear. The writers have done an amazing job in purely using words to relay emotions. It’s a game that makes you feel and will stick in your head for a long time.
#5. Untitled Goose Game

You ever just feel like causing mayhem? Imagine it’s one of those days where you come from work tired and frustrated. All you want to do is stir up some disaster-level sh*t. Don’t be fooled by its cute art style because Untitled Goose Game is what you need.
It’s hard for games to make me laugh. They usually get the occasional smirk and once in a blue moon, I chuckle at their attempts at comedy. Developer House House deserves my love because Untitled Goose Game made me laugh several times within an hour.
Whether you’re ruining a gardener’s life or destroying the relationship between neighbours, this game will entertain you. It will probably only take an afternoon to finish but every minute spent is full of fun.
#6. The Outer Worlds

I miss Bioware. To me, they’ve been dead since they released Dragon Age: Inquisition (which I didn’t really like). Ever since then, there’s a been void in this RPG lover’s heart. The Outer Worlds didn’t really fill that void, but it got pretty darn close.
Technically, The Outer Worlds is more similar to Fallout New Vegas than other western RPGs. That shouldn’t come off as a surprise since both are made by Obsidian Entertainment. Both share the same charm and core gameplay.
This is one of those games that doesn’t really bring anything new to the table but it nails everything it takes from other games. Freedom to complete your objectives in multiple ways is the main appeal and it’s clear the developers prioritised that in every step of the way.
You’ll never feel as if you’re shoehorned into playing only one way. It’s made even better with the ability to respec your abilities almost anytime you want. My only complaint is that I wished the companions felt more useful and alive.
#7. Apex Legends

Ask anyone who’s ever played an FPS game with me and they’ll all tell you the same thing: “Burhan can’t aim for sh*t.”
I suck at shooting games and yet, I couldn’t help but enjoy Apex Legends. I just opened my Origin app and look at that, I spent almost 70 hours playing the game. That’s probably nothing to most of you but for someone like me who hates FPS games, that’s a lot.
What made me fall in love with Apex Legends is the movement. As someone who loves playing Pathfinder, the mix of running, sliding, and swinging with my grapple hook made the game almost addictive for me.
Mixed in together with the variety of cool weapons and skills that the game offers, I always felt like I was decent at the game. Of course, I’m actually pretty horrible but the game made it feel like I was good so that’s something!
#8. Borderlands 3

“It’s just more of the same!” I hear people shouting whenever I praise Borderlands 3. Well, guess what? I love more Borderlands!
Sometimes, a game doesn’t have to do much. If it promises hundreds of guns and fun co-op, and then proceeds to keep that promise, I’ve got nothing to complain about. Borderlands 3 is just more fun with more guns.
One common question about the game is that whether or not it’s a good entry point for newcomers to the series? I’d say because you don’t need to pay attention to the story of Borderlands to enjoy it. It’s just there to give you a reason to shoot things.
#9. Catherine: Full Body

I’m such a loyal person when it comes to romance that I couldn’t relate to the debaucherous protagonist of Catherine: Full Body. Okay all jokes aside, that dude is one hell of an idiot.
When Catherine was first released, I missed the chance to try it out on my PS3. I’m really glad that I was allowed to review this remastered version which had extra content because it turned out to be one of those games I really liked.
The game is special to me because it managed to have a story that I hated but gameplay that I really liked. Stilted anime-style dialogue is something I’ve always hated and this game is full of it. Thank god for the block puzzle gameplay. It got me hooked.
#10. Code Vein

Remember those people who told you that I sucked at FPS games? Go find them again and ask them about my love for Soulsborne games. They’ll tell you I’m probably the biggest Soulsborne fan they know.
Code Vein gets the last spot on my list because it does a lot of things right but messes up in many other aspects. In everything that it does right, there’s a hint of an identity that goes beyond its obvious attempts at copying Dark Souls.
If the developers were more confident in their own ideas, I think Code Vein would’ve probably been one of my favourite games of 2019. Unfortunately, it only managed to become a Dark Souls clone with anime aesthetics.

That’s all from me, folks. I’m quite ashamed that I didn’t get to play more 2019 games so that I could build a better top 10 list. However, I guarantee you that the top 5 games in this list are honestly some of the best games I’ve ever played.
Here’s hoping for a better 2020. Not for gaming but for my wallet because damn, I really need to play more games.


Gundam Collaborates with Casio For Its 40th Anniversary

Gundam just reached their 40th anniversary and is partnering with Casio to release their Gundam 40th anniversary G-Shock Series, including designs from RX-78-2 Gundam, Char’s Zaku II, RX-0 Unicorn Gundam, and RX-0 Unicorn Gundam 02 Banshee!

The watches will be packed in a ‘Haro’ storage. The RX-78-2 Gundam, RX-0 Unicorn Gundam, and Banshee will be in a Green haro, while the Char’s Zaku will be in a Zaku Red Haro storage.

RX-78-2 Gundam G-Shock | Approx price: USD 220 (RM896)

RX-0 Unicorn Gundam 02 Banshee G-Shock | Approx price: USD 260 (RM1060)

RX-0 Unicorn Gundam G-Shock | Approx price: USD 160 (RM651)

MS-06S Char’s Zaku II G-Shock | Approx price: USD 160 (RM651)

These are the designs with their ‘Haro’ storage:

All of these gnarly designs will be shipped from Casio’s Taobao online store in mid-2019.


One Piece World Seeker Delayed To 2019

Code Vein won’t be alone in the “anime games that will be pushed to next year” department.
Bandai Namco announced that its open world pirate game One Piece World Seeker, featuring stretchable pirate Luffy, will be delayed to 2019. Previously it was going to launch this year.
This news came out in One Piece #90 (via Gematsu). The game is still slated for a PC, PS4, and Xbox One release, though Japan is only getting a PS4 release because no one cares about the Xbox One and (maybe) PC there.

This delay is great because the rest of 2018 is super-swamped with big and mid-sized titles anyway. I’m not sure if this and even Code Vein will survive with titles like Valkyria Chronicles 4, Fist of the North Star, Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna ~ The Golden Country, and Red Dead Redemption 2 filling in the need for anime and/or open world gamer cravings.
Oh and here’s a reminder on how One Piece World Seeker is shaping up. We’ll see more of it come Tokyo Game Show 2018.


PlayStation Believes This Gaming Headset Will Make You Pro AF

Last year, Victrix released their Pro AF ANC gaming headset which got a lot of positive reviews but wasn’t very friendly when it came to affordability. One of the features that made the headset expensive was the active noise cancelling.
Cue the Victrix Pro AF, the same headset but without active noise cancelling. It’s officially licensed by PlayStation and will be sold for US$179.99 or approximately RM760. For comparison, the Pro AF ANC is priced at US$299.99 or approximately RM1260. A very significant difference.

“Weâ€™ve taken the industry-leading features of the Victrix Pro AF ANC and tuned it for gamers who donâ€™t have the need for active noise cancellation.”
– Trevor Lehr, Victrix technical product manager, on PlayStation Blog.
The Pro AF will feature pretty much everything that comes with the Pro AF ANC except for the active noise cancelling and the inline controller. The headset now features on-ear audio control and a removable microphone.
In terms of audio and mic quality, Victrix claims those aspects remain untouched which equates to the microphone still using the sales pitch of it being originally made for Cobra attack helicopters.
Other standout features of the Pro AF that were also on the Pro AF ANC are the mechanical levers which open the earcup vents to release heat and humidity, the purple lights on the earcups, audio extension cable, PC splitter cable, and an oversized cleaning cloth.

Pre-orders for the Victrix Pro AF are now open and they’ll start being shipped on 8 November 2019. You can place your orders here.


BlazBlue’s Producer Creates Tokyo-Based Studio Flare

Two big names in the gaming industry, Toshinori Aoki and Toshimichi Mori, have teamed up to create a new gaming studio in Tokyo called Studio Flare.
They’ve got some serious backing too, with funding from NetEase Games, a division of NetEase, Inc. Aoki will be taking on the role of president and CEO while Mori will be serving as the development producer and executive vice president.
These guys have some impressive resumes. Aoki has been in executive roles at several video game companies, including Marvelous Inc., where he was on their board of directors. Mori, on the other hand, was the producer of BlazBlue, a hugely popular PvP fighting game with a strong community. He also served on the board of directors at Arc System Works.
So, what can we expect from Studio Flare? Well, the first game they’re developing hasn’t been announced yet, but they’re already hiring 2D and 3D artists, as well as server and infrastructure engineers. You can find more information about the job openings on their official website.
What we do know is that Studio Flare is looking to create games with an “edgy feel” that will bring excitement to hardcore gamers. They’re starting off by developing original games for console platforms with a small, but highly talented team based in their studio in Gotanda, Tokyo.
It’s always exciting to see new players enter the gaming industry, especially when they’ve got such impressive resumes behind them. We’ll definitely be keeping an eye on Studio Flare to see what they come up with next.


LTTP: Fist of the North Star – Lost Paradise

I’ve been at this games writing business for a lot of years. And as much as some people will tell you that they have time to play & finish all the games in 2018 like it’s some badge of pride when covering games (it isn’t), they’re obviously lying. Or they don’t take too much stock in their real lives and social obligations. But hey, you do you, right?
Of course, that doesn’t excuse us at Kakuchopurei from missing out on some treasured gems of last year, which is why I’m crafting this one column to talk about the hits of yesteryear. So let’s start off with one of last year’s criminally-underplayed hit game from Sega which involves a ton of fisticuffs and bartending…
Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise

The premise: It’s a retelling of the first half of Fist of the North Star. Ass-kicker Kenshiro is out looking for his lost love after finding out she’s alive and in the city of Eden. Once he manages to get in after a series of ass-kicking circumstances, he becomes the kingdom’s errand boy, doing missions while also learning North Star techniques to up his game.
Basically, it’s a Yakuza game in Fist of the North Star post-apocalyptic dressing.
Why I missed it: September 2018 was chock-filled with a ton of games that needed my obligatory attention: Marvel’s Spider-Man, Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna ~ The Golden Country, Valkyria Chronicles 4 (again, another game on our LTTP list), Dragon Quest XI, and a couple more. Oh yeah, and TGS 2018 got in the way too.

Why I shouldn’t have: Because it’s a 60fps bloody Yakuza game set in the goddamn post-apocalypse and it has muthaf***ing Kenshiro from Fist of the North Star, son!
Sure, repetition can set in if you’re tapped out of Yakuza games from Sega, but having Kenshiro running around in a city beating up random thugs, proving his innocence by beating up a giant, and keeping bar patrons happy with his cocktail-making techniques is just too hilarious and awe-inspiring to pass up. It feels good to play, the skill tree is ginormous and can make Kenshiro a bigger badass than before, the challenge ramps up to reasonable heights, and there’s a ton of funny side stories to check out.
I may not be familiar with the anime’s lore, but seeing a cocktail-making minigame and a hostess bar minigame somehow worked into a post-apocalyptic setting is pretty absurd yet somehow wouldn’t be completely bats*** loony in a world where people’s heads can explode via correct pressure point-stabbing.
It may not be for everyone, but the anime vibe and unintended hilarity on how stone-faced most of these heroes and villain are when going through the motions of the story make this game worth buying if you can get it on discount.


Puzzle Quest 3 is Coming To Consoles This April

The free-to-play sequel to the Puzzle Quest series will be out for consoles according to publisher 505 Games.
Made by developer Infinity Plus 2, the puzzle title with the match-3 gameplay will be out for Xbox Series, Xbox One, PS5, and PS4 will be out on 18 April. The game is currently available on PC (Steam) and mobile devices (iOS, Android). Here’s the official press statement.
“We’ve received a tremendous amount of feedback and continued support from our Puzzle Quest 3 players on Steam Early Access and mobile platforms. We are excited to continue our expansion onto Xbox and PlayStation console platforms, extending the Puzzle Quest 3 experience even further.
Fan feedback has been invaluable to us, especially in our first year in the market. The team has worked hard on the roadmap, introducing new features, continuous updates and delivering on a wholly unique game experience while staying true to the classic puzzle combat roots that Puzzle Quest is known for. We’re very proud of where the game is today and are excited to celebrate the launch in April by giving away a special high-value gift to all players across all platforms when they login.
We are thrilled to introduce the fan-favorite Puzzle Quest 3 to gaming consoles, underscoring our lasting commitment to providing multiplatform, free-to-play experiences to all gamers. Working with Steve Fawkner and Infinity Plus Two as a unified publishing and dev team over the past year has really solidified our goals to serve our growing community, reach new audiences, and put the player first.”


Borderlands 3 Cartel Anointments Will Still Drop After Event Ends

The recent Borderlands 3 free event Revenge of the Cartels not only introduces a ton of new awesome Legendary weapons, but also new weapon anointments for all Legendaries that increases damage tenfold. Which is why it’s pretty awesome news that these anointments will still stay in the loot pool even after the event ends 4th June.
According to Gearbox (via Kotaku), all anointments will still be available in random weapons after 4th June. “We value our communityâ€™s feedback and will continue to evaluate anointments to ensure weâ€™re giving players the best possible experience.”
Why are these a big deal? Because these extra bonuses on weapons range from dealing 300 percent damage to enemies with high health, dishing out 150 elemental damage if you’re below 50 percent health, or even squashing foes with extra damage when they’re at low health. Basically, these are the type of high-level anointments that specific Vault Hunter builds for the past few weeks have thrived on, especially for Moze.
Right now, I’m running a Moze build where her shields are high, her health is at 1HP, and her damage output is through the roof because of these anointments. I’m happy that Gearbox is reconsidering their previous decision to stop handing out these anointments in random Legendaries post-Revenge of the Cartel.
However, you won’t be able to farm for more Cartel weapons after the event is over. So hop to it; here’s a list to get you started. I’d go for the OPQ and NoPewPew assault rifles.


SirCloud’s Top 10 Memorable Esports Moments Of 2022

This here’s a guest post for our 2022 year-end feature celebration featuring our friends in the industry. Follow SirCloud’s work here.
2022 has been an eventful year for Malaysian Esports. The relaxation of movement control order (MCO) has allowed has allowed various activities to return to the scene. Here are my 10 most memorable moments this year, in no particular order.
Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology Esports Co-Curricular

This is the first time a higher learning institution adopted Esports as part of its co-curricular activity. I was honored to be offered the role in teaching this subject which centered around Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA), in which I covered the thought process of drafting, proper techniques of practicing and exposing my students to the industry as a whole allowing them to plan for their future careers.
Malaysia 31st SEA Games Campaign

The delayed 31st SEA Games was finally played after the relaxation of the pandemic rules. Malaysians celebrated the proud moment of bringing home three bronze through Fifa Online 4, Arena of Valor and PUBG Mobile (Squad).
Malaysian Sweep At The Commonwealth Esports Championships 2022

The Malaysian contingent made the nation proud by winning three gold medals out of three events participated – eFootball, Dota 2 (Men) and Dota 2 (Women). Through this event, it also gave highlight to our female esports athletes that we have gender diversity and quality.
Best Brawl Stars Teams In Malaysia

Malaysia hosted some of the best Brawl Stars teams in the world from Japan in a Snapdragon Pro Series Season 1: APAC Challenge showdown. Zeta Division One, Zeta Division Zero, Blood Diamond and Rising Sun Esports brought their best high-level gameplay to a live audience in Battle Arena and it allowed an esports game title that is not commonly talked about locally to be appreciated.
First Malaysian Team In PUBG Global Championship

ShuaiGeDui (SGD) became the first Malaysian team to qualify for the PUBG Global Championship in Dubai. They had to battle across other APAC powerhouse teams to be one of the 6 available slots out of 32 globally to move to the world stage.
Return Of LAN Tournaments In Malaysia

Esports fans were able to cheer for their favourite teams across multiple game titles while being among the crowd of like-minded enthusiasts. Various LAN tournaments were able to be hosted and this brought back the hype towards the scene, be it at the community or professional level.
Some notable tournaments are Predator League, Mobile Legends Professional League (MPL), PUBG Mobile Professional League Southeast Asia (PMPL SEA), Malaysian Esports League (MEL22), Liga eMas, The Corporates League and KBS MYLadies PUBG Mobile Championship.
GEEK Fam Tops PMGC Group Stage

GEEK Fam’s PUBG Mobile performance on the world stage is one of the best Malaysian performances that we have seen. The group stage of PUBG Mobile Global Championship became witness to GEEK Fam topping the group and securing their spot to the Grand Finals, Jakarta in January 2023.
The International 2022

Dota 2’s The International would usually be held in the Western part of the world but this time it was held in Singapore. Many Malaysians had the opportunity to head over to witness the biggest Dota 2 stage which also had one of the most touching story of our very own Malaysian player, NothingToSay had to play his opening match alone on stage as his teammates (replaced by teddy bears) caught Covid.
Malaysian Talents Went Overseas

I am proud that my fellow Malaysian commentator friends, Tashbunny (VCT 2022: APAC Last Chance Qualifiers, Ireland), ChuChu & Qontra (IESF World Esports Championship 2022, Bali) and the dynamic duo Desaifer & Matthews (Global Esports Games, Istanbul) are being recognized with the opportunity to commentate outside of the country. This is a sign of the quality of Malaysian commentators.
Growing Public Interest In Esports

I have had the opportunity to travel around the country while talking and conducting Master Classes (together with Kelvin Pang and Flava) about various Esports topic from careers, ecommerce, commentary and technology to the general public. It shows the growing general interest on Esports as an industry that is in line with the future of Industry 4.0.
Digitalization will be a continuous topic in 2023 and I foresee that Esports and the bigger picture of gaming will play an important part in order to grow. Everything starts from home, so support your local industry.


FIFA 23: How To Solve The Anti Cheat Error On PC Version

FIFA 23, the new football game from EA that’s going out with a bang given the license name’s end, is facing a PC problem.
The game has been getting negative reviews on Steam since launch due to its anti cheat error. PC players are having problems booting up the game for the first time, be it Origin or Steam. The console versions do not face this problem, however.
The error prevents the game from loading up and force quits you, or prompts an error message in the anti-cheat that reads “EA AntiCheat Service encountered an error. Please restart the game”.
Here’s how you can fix this problem if you’re on PC:
Restart The Game
Basically the old IT Crowd joke works: just turn it off and on again. Failing that, there is…
Running Origin/Steam As An Administrator
You will need to activate options on your PC as an admin.

Right-click on the Origin or Steam app on desktop or through the start menu.
Select “run as administrator”, then allow it to make changes when the pop-up window appears.
Boot FIFA 23 up as normal.

Run The Anti Cheat, Then Delete It Manually
If the above technique doesn’t work, there is the option of just sorting the anti cheat app yourself.

Go into the EA anti cheat folder (C:\Program Files\EA\AC).
Launch EAAntiCheat.Installer.exe then close it.
Delete EAAntiCheat.Installer.exe.
Launch FIFA 23 through Origin or Steam.

When All Else Fails, Reinstall The Game
Use this time-consuming technique if the above methods do not seem to work.

Run Steam or Origin as administrator, locate FIFA 23, and uninstall it completely.
Then download it all again.
Boot up the game after redownloading and it should finally work.

Check Out EA’s Trello Board
EA has recognised the error and are on the case. You can check out the company’s public Trello board to find solutions to the anti cheat conundrum.


The Witcher Season 3 Part 2 Trailer Teases The End Of Henry Cavill’s Geralt

Netflix unveiled a new trailer from the upcoming The Witcher Season 3 Part 2.
The trailer is mostly focused on epic action, but it will be Henry Cavill’s last time as Geralt. Liam Hemsworth will replace her in future seasons.
The first five episodes premiered on 29 June 2023 and the remaining three episodes will drop on 27 July 2023.
The synopsis reads:
“Destiny brought them together. Dangerous forces are trying to tear them apart. Geralt and Yennefer fight to keep Ciri safe as war brews on the Continent.”
In the meantime, check out my review of Season 2 here. The Witcher Season 2 premiered back in December 2021.
Based on Andrzej Sapkowski’s best-selling book series, the show follows Geralt as he travels the Continent fighting anything and everything that goes bump in the night, from ghouls to bruxas and more. Along the way, he forms an unlikely family with the powerful sorceress Yennefer (Anya Chalotra) and Cintran princess Ciri (Freya Allan) as they evade the mages, monarchs and monsters who seek to capture Ciri.
Check it out below: