Babylon’s Fall Gets Another Closed Beta Test Date, Showing Signs Of Improvement

Back in June during E3 2021, many RPG fans were disappointed to see Babylon’s Fall and its E3 trailer. Probably because they weren’t expecting a live service game, and the game to look rather lacklustre.
Square Enix and developer PlatinumGames have been listening, thankfully, and are doing their best to polish up the game during its closed beta test phases. Both companies announced today that the game will have a third phase of closed beta testing (CBT) from 15th to 17th November for the PS5, PS4, and PC (Steam). Players can stream and upload content from the CBT during this period.
The devs also have talked about the improvements and combat basics, showing a comparison video and demonstration below. I do hope they do something about the framerate and keep it a consistent 60fps; that’s usually the PlatinumGames standard.

Babylon’s Fall will be out in its action RPG glory lord-knows-when for the PC, PS4, and PS5. You can sign up for the CBT here.


The Lost Wild Is A Dino Survival Horror Game Coming In 2024

Annapurna Interactive and Great Ape Games have announced The Lost Wild, a first-person survival horror game featuring dinosaurs. It is slated to launch for PC via Steam sometime in 2024.
The Lost Wild is an immersive and cinematic dinosaur game that captures the reverence and terror of natureâ€™s most magnificent beasts. Come face-to-face with dinosaurs that behave like wild animals, not monsters.
Players will explore a prehistoric wilderness where youâ€™re squarely in the centre of the food chain. Keep your head down, stay alert, and evade. If all else fails, run or try to intimidate using non-lethal weaponry, resulting in intense cat and mouse-style gameplay. Players will also discover abandoned facilities nestled in a lush wilderness teeming with prehistoric life. Scavenge and acquire useful items to improve your chances of survival, but become subject to ever-increasing dangers the deeper you explore. Unravel the mystery at the heart of the island.
Hold your ground and donâ€™t let them sense your fear. Temporarily scare off deadly predators using a combination of fire and non-lethal weaponry. Dinosaurs in The Lost Wild are curious and adaptive by nature but may retreat when startled or intimidated. Carefully observe their behaviour and you may just find a way to overcome them.
Check out the trailer below:


Shin Ultraman Is Coming To Malaysia This October

Malaysian cinema chain GSC Cinemas has announced that Shin Ultraman will premiere exclusively at GSC Cinemas on 6 October 2022.

JUST ANNOUNCED: #ShinUltraman is finally coming exclusively to GSC! See you in GSC this 6 October! ? pic.twitter.com/JoHCViuhw9
— GSC (@GSCinemas) July 26, 2022

Directed by Shinji Higuchi, Shin Ultraman originally premiered in Japan in May 2022. It is based on a screenplay by Neon Genesis Evangelion creator Hideaki Anno, who also directed 2016’s Shin Godzilla (also known as Godzilla Resurgence) alongside Shinji Higuchi. It was a great movie, dealing with politics and introducing a new King of Kaiju returning to his more villainous monster roots (instead of the hero he’s been depicted in recent years).
The official Shin Ultraman synopsis reads:
“Giant unknown creatures have appeared one after another, and their existence becomes everyday. The Japanese government, which has reached its limit because conventional weapons are completely useless, gathers specialists for measures against the beasts and establishes the Special Countermeasures Office for the Beasts. A silver giant suddenly appears from outside the atmosphere while the crisis of the evil beast is approaching.”
In the meantime, check out the trailer below:


PSG Announces Partnership with LGD Gaming

Known for their cash-driven success in the severely weak Ligue 1 Conforama, Paris Saint-Germain dipped their toes into the next big scene they hope to make a huge splash in – esports – by announcing their partnership with Chinese esports gaming giants, LGD Gaming.
Aiming to replicate their success on the field in the esports realms, they chose to start it with theirÂ return to the MOBA genre via theÂ DOTA 2Â scene with the Chinese players Wang â€˜Ameâ€˜ Chunyu, Lu â€˜Maybeâ€˜ Yao, Yang â€˜Chaliceâ€˜ Shenyi, Xu â€˜Fyâ€˜ Linsen and Malaysian Jian Wei â€˜xNovaâ€˜ Yap. Assuming the players remain as a team following this announcement, they will be playing in the colors of PSG eSports in tournaments hereon.
Technically, four Chinese and a Malaysian are now clubmates with Neymar. Ha.

Give a warm welcome to the PSG.LGD Dota2 team!@PSGeSports #Dota2 #esports pic.twitter.com/XxBeFd7iZV
â€” LGD Gaming (@LGDgaming) April 19, 2018
Commenting on the move, Director of merchandising and diversification of the Paris Saint-Germain brand,Â Fabien AllÃ¨greÂ said “We are very happy to once again be a pioneer by being the first major European football club to invest on DotA 2. With an average of over 500,000 players simultaneously connected, Dota 2 is one of the most popular eSports games, especially in Asia,Â a strategic region for PSG. Driven by the ambition of the club and our confidence in our partners LGD and Webedia, we are determined to make this commitment a success.”
The five PSG eSports players will take their first steps in their new PSG colors inÂ MoscowÂ for the Epicenter XL starting onÂ April 27th.
Source


Kakuchopurei Best 30 Games Of 2022: #20

For the rest of the list, head here. For #21, head here.
#20. Sonic Frontiers (PS5, Xbox Series X | S, PS4, Xbox One, PC)

Sonic Frontiers is the perfect game for newbies to the franchise and that’s a good thing, considering how popular the live-action Sonic movies have been in recent years. Sonic Frontiers is an open-world action game and it doesn’t waste any time before thrusting players into action. After a brief opening cinematic, I was immediately running on rails and running around at the speed of sound.
It also doesn’t get boring because there’s little to no filler in Sonic Frontiers. Most of what you do is to progress the story. There are no traditional side quests, and you can pretty much ignore the fishing minigame if you want to. That said, the game isn’t perfect, because it forces you to play through minigames, and the story is a bit too simplistic.
The overall progression and gameplay loop feels fun and doesn’t get as old as in other open-world games. For classic Sonic fans, the game also features many classic 3D/2D Sonic running levels. The combat also looks flashy and Sonic fights like how a speedster should. Perhaps if DC Comics ever makes a proper The Flash game in the future, they should take a look at Sonic Frontiers for some tips and pointers.


Metroid Prime Remastered Gets Surprise Launch On Switch Later Today

During Nintendo Direct February 2023, Nintendo announced that Metroid Prime Remastered will get a surprise launch for the Nintendo Switch later today on 9 February 2023.
It’s a remaster of the original Metroid Prime, which was initially released for the Nintendo Gamecube back in 2002. That’s more than two decades ago now.
Intergalactic bounty hunter Samus Aran receives a distress signal from a wrecked frigate in orbit around planet Tallon IV. Upon investigation, the frigate reveals itself to be a Space Pirate research vessel home to terrifying genetic experiments using the mysterious Phazon substance. There, Samus encounters her nemesis, Meta Ridley, whom she pursues to the surface of Tallon IV. It’s up to her alone to explore the planet’s interconnected regions, investigate its dark secrets, and end the intergalactic threat posed by Phazon.
Players can choose from new dual-stick controls, or more traditional ones.
Check out the trailer below:


Need Help With Fighting Game Lingo? This Website App Will Sort You Out

As much as I love fighting games, I do feel that there’s a lot of lingo that surrounds the scene that’s sure to throw people off and scare newbies away. Heck, even I have issues figuring out what “fuzzy” means in a 1v1 context at times, with a good number of people having trouble explaining it.
Luckily, fighting game guy Infil has you and everyone else covered. He has created a Fighting Game Glossary that explains every single terminology from Street Fighter to Under Night In-Birth (UNIST, UNICLR). While Infil did the project, defined the terms and words, and did the coding & design, he got other folks like HiFight, Ryan “fubarduck” Harvey, Sajam, Aurich, and many more to help with the Japanese translations, videos, and design feedback.

Introducing The Fighting Game Glossary. Over 650 terms carefully explained with 200+ video examples and Japanese translations. Easily search by term or game, share links to terms with your friends, and explore related concepts without losing your place.https://t.co/CX98RjD5qd pic.twitter.com/K2z5E6ZA0L
— Infil (@Infilament) May 18, 2021

The site is easy enough to browse & explore; you can either search for a term or just click on any of the alphabets to search for a fighting game word. You can also click on any of the fighting game series just under the alphabet list.
The website app also comes with a “Term of the Day” in case you want to look up a random term. Most of the terms have an accompanying video to show examples. Speaking of which, here are a few to get you started:
Fireball
A specific type ofÂ projectileÂ that travels horizontally and is traditionally input using aÂ quarter circleÂ command. Ryu, Sagat, Jago and Sol all throw fireballs, and they are perhaps the most iconic special moves in all of fighting games.Â BeamsÂ that travel the whole screen instantly andÂ Sonic BoomsÂ that require a charge motion aren’t usually called fireballs.
æ³¢å‹•æ‹³ (hadouken) â€”Â Lit.Â wave motion fist
Negative Edge
The act of releasing a button (instead of pressing it) to perform aÂ special move. You might be surprised to learn that, in pretty much all fighting games, you can throw aÂ fireballÂ by first pressing and holding a punch button by itself, then doing yourÂ quarter circleÂ input, and finally releasing the button. This input leniency helps quite a bit to correct for sloppiness on when you press the button during your motions, and you can use negative edge to your advantage with, for example,Â pianoÂ inputs. You might also hear the term used to talk specifically about specials thatÂ onlyÂ activate on a button release, like Cody’s Zonk Knuckle.
é›¢ã—å…¥åŠ› (hanashi nyÅ«ryoku) â€”Â Lit.Â release input
Fuzzy
A confusing term with two main meanings.
Sometimes people try to block two directions (like high and low, or left and right) nearly at the same time so it’s harder to land aÂ mixupÂ on them. I talk about this over atÂ fuzzy guard. Other times, people will try to hit players trying to crouch block with an attack that only hits on standing characters. I talk about this atÂ fuzzy attack. Most people refer to both of these things just as a “fuzzy” though.
Generally, whenever somebody uses the term “fuzzy”, they are talking about a situation where a character is trying to be in two states “at once” (that is, kind of a fuzzy middle ground between the states). So, maybe a character tries to block multiple directions at once, or you exploit a character who is trying to crouch but is actually standing. Some people will freestyle with the term a bit, talking about, maybe, a “fuzzy backdash” (trying toÂ backdashÂ while doing something else, like blocking). If you think of the term in this context, you’ll be alright.
ãƒ•ã‚¡ã‚¸ãƒ¼ (fajÄ«) â€”Â Lit.Â fuzzy
ãƒ•ã‚¡ã‚¸ãƒ¼ã‚¬ãƒ¼ãƒ‰ (fajÄ« gÄdo) â€”Â Lit.Â fuzzy guard
Få¼ (efu shiki) â€”Â Lit.Â F style/technique (refers to a fuzzy attack)
Even the guide thinks “Fuzzy” is confusing. Anyway, check out the full glossary here.
On a related note, Infil is also the creator of the Complete KI Guide, another awesome resource involving fighting games. Also, do consider donating to Infil via this link if you love his guides and want to support him and his future endeavours.


The Third Legend Of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel Game Will Be On PC Soon

If you want to get in on Falcom’s Legend of Heroes series, the Trails of The Sky instalments are available on PC right now. But if you want something a bit more “modern”, you can’t go wrong with the Cold Steel entries.
The first two, Trails of Cold Steel I and Trails of Cold Steel II, are already on PC, but you’ll have to wait a few months for the third one. Recently announced during a PAX South 2020 NIS America panel, the PC version will feature auto-save support, customizable keyboard inputs, ultrawide screen support, and a high-speed mode. That last one’s pretty important because the game can get super-draggy both from a story and combat perspective.

There will also be an early attendance bonus; if you pre-order the game either on GOG.com or Steam, you can get free cosmetic DLCs.
If you can’t wait that long, the PS4 version of The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III is out now. If you want the Switch version, you’ll have to wait until Spring 2020. As for me, my JRPG backlog is already packed enough. I still haven’t even finished the PC version of part II yet.


New HK$50 Million Esports Venue Unveiled In Hong Kong

Cities around China are constantly competing to become the country’s esports hub. From Chongqing to Hangzhou, companies are building esports training facilities, stadiums, and more. Boasting the largest esports market in Asia and second largest in the world (Newzoo), Chinese businesses are wise for positioning themselves to benefit from the growth of esports.
Not to fall too far behind, Hong Kong is making sure they’ll also be able to tap into the global esports market. In the 2018-2019 Hong Kong Budget, HK$100 million was allocated for the development of esports. The latest outcome of this allocation would be the newly unveiled HK$50 million esports venue in Hong Kong’s Cyberport.
The newly unveiled venue. Photo courtesy of The Star.
The esports competition venue was launched on the first day of the Digital Entertainment Leadership Forum (DELF) 2019 happening from 16 July to 18 July 2019. The forum is primarily focused on presenting and discussing the current and future developments of esports in Asia and around the world.
Hosting DELF 2019 is just one of the roles Cyberport has played in cultivating Hong Kong’s esports scene. Last year, they partnered with HKU Space (an extension of the University of Hong Kong) to facilitate an academic programme called the Diploma in eSports Science.
Asia’s current largest esports complex is also based in Hong Kong. Founded by three former esports players, the Cyber Games Arena is a 25,000 sq ft building full of high-end PCs assembled and arranged for training, streaming, and competitions. Just opened in January 2019, the venue is expected to host more than 100 domestic and global competitions yearly. Check out their official website.
One of the many areas in the Cyber Games Arena. Photo from Getty Images.
Hong Kong’s aspiration of becoming an esports hub is definitely visible through its aggressive efforts. Let’s see what else China’s humble neighbour has in store this year.


EA To Focus On Apex Legends & Skip Battlefield In 2020

EA recently held its annual company earnings call on 29 October 2019, revealing several details about the publisher’s near-future plans for its existing video game IPs. According to Niko Partners games industry analyst Daniel Ahmad, there won’t be a new Battlefield title in 2020.
It’s been confirmed that EA will only be releasing a new Battlefield instalment in the fiscal year of 2022, which actually takes place between April 2021 and March 2022. This marks the first time since 2008’s Battlefield: Bad Company that the publisher won’t be following its usual one-and-a-half or two-year cycle for the military FPS franchise.

EA notes that Apex Legends will be the main service shooter that they focus on next year. The game is planned for mobile, new platforms, China and esports scene.
â€” Daniel Ahmad (@ZhugeEX) October 29, 2019
The reason for this is because EA would prefer to shift its focus onto Apex Legends for the FPS genre. The battle royale game has reached 70 million players, with the recently-started Season 3 the best performing one yet since the game’s initial launch in February 2019. The publisher is also planning to release Apex Legends to mobile and other platforms in the future.
The most recent instalment in the Battlefield franchise was 2018’s Battlefield V, which returned the game to its roots of World War 2 after years of modern settings and World War 1 in 2016’s Battlefield 1.
It remains to be seen if this will ultimately be a good decision, especially with the next gaming console generation to arrive in 2020, which means that the Battlefield franchise will be missing out as a potential launch title for either the PS5 or Xbox Scarlett.


Kakuchopurei Best 30 Games Of 2022: #11

For the rest of the list, head here. For #12, head here.
#11. MARIO + RABBIDS SPARKS OF HOPE (NINTENDO SWITCH)

Ubisoft delivers on what is definitely the greatest sequel we will ever see. This year’s sequel expands the formula turn-based strategy genre while improving on its core gameplay that made it stand out: the turn-based tactical combat that’s basically like XCOM but with Nintendo and Ubisoft turning it up.
Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope has a combination of humor, action, and well-thought-out surprises. Each character is more viable due to its own play style and three new characters introduced in action-packed gameplay. Every planet you visit from a forest-themed to an icy environment village will have its own secrets and puzzles for you to unlock. It is extremely rewarding to play an ambitious sequel that fixes all the major problems with the original.
Ubisoft did a great job creating an oddball world that’s fun to play for all ages. All XCOM-style strategy games should replicate the flexible movement system of Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope with a splash of personality and quirky humour.


Legendary Japanese Singer Ichiro Mizuki Has Passed Away

Legendary Japanese singer Ichiro Mizuki has passed away at the age of 74 on 6 December 2022 from lung cancer. According to a report by Forbes Gaming, Mizuki was initially diagnosed with lung cancer with lymph node and brain metastasis back in July 2022.
However, he still performed in what is now his last performance as recently as 27 November 2022. He is best known and referred to by fans as the “Aniking” or king of anime songs. That’s because he has sung a lot of anime songs over the years, as well as songs featured in games and live-action tokusatsu. He also founded the Japanese band JAM Project in 2000.
He will be missed. RIP.


Free Fire World Series Tournament To Be Held In Singapore

Garena has announced that Free Fire World Series (FFWS) will take place in Sentosa, Singapore, in May later this year. It will be an offline tournament.
The play-ins for the tournament will take place on 14 May 2022, with the finals happening on 21 May 2022. FFWS will bring in 22 teams from across 13 regions for the opportunity to be crowned Free Fire world champions.
12 teams will prove who has the better aim in the play-ins to earn a spot in the finals the following week. The top two teams from the play-ins will join the 10 top-seeded teams, and form the 12 teams who will compete to be winners of the FFWS 2022 Sentosa. The regions involved include North America, Pakistan, Taiwan, Brazil, Indonesia, India, Latin America and many more.
This year, the Malaysia, Cambodia and Philippines (MCP) region will see two representatives emerging in the FFWS Finals.
The regions that will be competing for the world championship.
The teams will battle over six rounds across three maps to be the last surviving team, with their performance being judged through points based on their round ranking and the number of kills.
The finals of the FFWS 2021, also held in Singapore, hit a peak of 5.4 million concurrent online viewers, which is the highest peak viewership of any esports match in history and it is expected for this yearâ€™s championship to get similar attention.


Take-Two Is Working On Three Unannounced Remakes & Remasters

Take-Two’s Q1 earnings reveal for its 2022 fiscal year shared some highlights about its portfolio. This includes “New Iterations of Previously Released Titles”.
The company is planning on making remakes and remastered ports of its older games. These include:

Grand Theft Auto 5 for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S
A standalone Grand Theft Auto Online release for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S
Kerbal Space Program for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S
Three more unannounced remasters/remakes

The company has three unspecified projects under the “New Iterations” category mentioned above. The publisher is mum about which label will be handling those games. Just keep in mind that Take-Two owns 2K Games, Rockstar, and Private Division, so either one of these will be on it.
We’re guessing it’s got a lot to do with the BioShock franchise since it’s been a while since the company starting going down that well. Either that, or a remake of a Rockstar classic like Bully or Midnight Club; the possibilities are endless!
Take-Two will also be announcing a new game this month, which is most likely going to be that Marvel XCOM project from Firaxis. We can’t wait!


Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story Premieres On Disney+ Hotstar Next Month

Steven Spielbergâ€™s award-winning, critically-acclaimed West Side Story will debut on Disney+ Hotstar on 2 March 2022. In addition, the ABC one-hour special Somethingâ€™s Coming: West Side Story â€“ A Special Edition Of 20/20 is available to stream on Disney+ Hotstar now.
Nominated for seven Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Supporting Actress (Ariana DeBose) and 11 Criticsâ€™ Choice Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Supporting Actress (Ariana DeBose, Rita Moreno), West Side Story is the winner of three Golden Globe awardsâ€”Best Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy; Best Actress, Musical or Comedy (Rachel Zegler) and Best Supporting Actress (Ariana DeBose).
Directed by Steven Spielberg, from a screenplay by Tony Kushner, West Side Story tells the classic tale of fierce rivalries and young love in 1957 New York City. This reimagining of the beloved musical stars Ansel Elgort (Tony); Ariana DeBose (Anita); David Alvarez (Bernardo); Mike Faist (Riff); Brian dâ€™Arcy James (Officer Krupke); Corey Stoll (Lieutenant Schrank); Josh AndrÃ©s Rivera (Chino); with Rita Moreno (as Valentina, who owns the corner store in which Tony works); and introducing Rachel Zegler (Maria).
The West Side Story Original Motion Picture Soundtrack features 21 songs from the film and is available in both standard digital and physical (CD and vinyl) configurations, as well as a digital release in Dolby Atmos Music.
In the meantime, check out my review of West Side Story by heading over here.


The Witcher 3 Director Leaves CD Projekt Red

Konra Tomaszkiewicz, the director for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and second director of last year’s Cyberpunk 2077, has left CD Projekt Red.
According to a recent Bloomberg report, the veteran game designer since 2007 was the subject of a lengthy internal investigation based on accusations of bullying. He was found not guilty, though he chose to resign from his job. He wrote an email to the CD Projekt staff that despite having his name cleared, he felt that “a lot of people are feeling fear, stress, or discomfort when working with me”. Hence, he resigned and apologized “for all the bad blood” he caused, promising to change his behaviour in the future.
The resignation came a month after Cyberpunk 2077’s lead gameplay designer Andrzej Zawadzki left the company.


The Boys Are Reassembling For Season 2 This September

Amazon Prime Video has announced that The Boys Season 2 will premiere its highly-anticipated second season on 4 September 2020. Based on the comic book series by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson, the series is one of the streaming siteâ€™s most-watched original content ever.
The first three episodes of The Boys Season 2 will premiere on 4 September 2020, while subsequent episodes will follow a weekly schedule until its eighth and final episode on 9 October 2020.

We’ve heard your fuckin’ whining and moaning about “when is Season 2” so here you go. See you on September 4th, mates. #TheBoysAreBack pic.twitter.com/Q6aS2NvKKk
â€” The Boys (@TheBoysTV) June 26, 2020
In Season 2, the series is welcoming a new addition in the form of Stormfront, who will be portrayed by Aya Cash (best known for her leading role in Youâ€™re The Worst). In the comics, Stormfront is a male neo-nazi superhero who leads the superhero team Payback, a team second only in popularity and rivals to The Seven. It looks like showrunners have opted for a gender-bent version of the character.

Other new additions in the new season include Claudia Doumit as congresswoman Victoria Neuman and Goran Visnjic as mysterious church leader Alistair Adana, both of whom are Timeless alums.
In the meantime, check out our first look at Stormfront in this teaser for The Boys Season 2.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQMrAN5Xwes&w=560&h=315]


SDCC 2019: Professor X & X-23 Take On Evil In New His Dark Materials Trailer

Remember 2007’s The Golden Compass, that fantasy movie featuring giant talking armor-wearing polar bears?
I certainly do, and I was devastated as a kid when I discovered that there wouldn’t be any sequels. Thankfully, HBO has heard my plea (and those from other fans) and will be releasing a reboot TV series based on Phillip Pullman‘s best-selling novel series.
Despite being a TV series, HBO’s His Dark Materials looks just as good (or even better) than the 2007 movie. The network is clearly setting this up as the official replacement of sorts for the recently-concluded Game Of Thrones, as they’re pulling out all the stops for this one.
Although the source material is aimed towards young adults, they actually explore complex and dark (pardon the pun) subject matter, which includes exercising free will against the tyranny of organized religion (as the evil organization Magisterium seems very much inspired by the real-life Catholic Church), exploitation of children in war, and more.
His Dark Materials is set in an alternate world where every person has theirÂ own shapeshifting, animal-shaped companion called Daemons, who are actually manifestations of their souls.
Dafne Keen (Lyra)
The TV series follows the life of young Lyra (Dafne Keen who portrays X-23 in 2017’s Logan), who is an orphan living with the teachers at Jordan College, Oxford. She then discovers a dangerous secret that involves Lord Asriel (James McAvoy of Professor X fame) and Mrs. Marisa Coulter (Ruth Wilson).
James McAvoy (Lord Asriel)

In her search for her missing friend, Lyra also uncovers a slew of kidnappings and its link to the mysterious substance called Dust. She later recruits a giant talking polar bear who wears armor, so just your basic fantasy tropes, folks. I’m kidding, it all sounds epic.
HBO has yet to announce the release date for His Dark Materials but the first season is slated to arrive sometime in fall 2019. In the meantime, check out the trailer below.
Stay tuned on Kakuchopurei for more news coming out of SDCC 2019 as reported by the ComicsLord.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yuIE1OYnVI&w=560&h=315]


Star Wars Jedi Survivor Story Trailer Teases Cal’s Search For A Safe Haven

EA’s Respawn Entertainment has unveiled a new story trailer for Star Wars Jedi Survivor. It doesn’t reveal much, but it does reveal that Cal is looking for a safe haven from the Empire and is trying to reach there.
We also see gameplay snippets of Cal teaming up with companions in battle, including Merrin (the Nightsister). Besides that, it looks to be a much darker game than the previous one.

The synopsis reads:
The dark times are closing in as Cal Kestis seeks out a safe haven far from the reach of the Empire. Follow Cal and his crew’s increasingly desperate fight as the galaxy descends further into darkness.
Star Wars Jedi Survivor will now launch for the PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC on 28 April 2023.
Picking up five years after the events of Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order, Star Wars Jedi Survivor is a third-person, narrative-driven action-adventure game from Respawn Entertainment, developed in collaboration with Lucasfilm Games.
Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order is available now for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PC. Check out our full review of Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order here to find out why we named it one of the best games of 2019.
Check out the story trailer below:


You Can Ride Legendary Pokemon Like Motorcycles In Pokemon Scarlet & Violet

During a new Pokemon Presents today, The Pokemon Company revealed that the game’s new legendaries, Koraidon and Miraidon, which appear respectively in Scarlet and Violet versions, can be used as mounts in the game. However, they can be motorcycles on land, fly in the air and even surf using them.

Yes, they can fly too!
The trailer also confirmed the following:

There will be eight (8) gyms in total.
Some Pokemon have a new Paldean form.
Multiplayer lets you explore the Paldea with up to three (3) friends.
Terastallize is a new feature that crystallizes Pokemon and changed them into a Terastal Form in combat, which boosts their stats.

Check out the new Pokemon revealed in the trailer below:
Wooper (Paldean Form).
Fidough.
Cetitan.
Terastal Form Pokemon will change their type. For example, a Terastal Form Pikachu will weirdly be a flying type. Also, Terastal Form Pikachu will be available as an early-purchase bonus, which will be available to claim until February 2023 with the Mystery Gift feature.

There will also be Pokemon Raid Battles to catch these new Terastal Pokemon.

Pokemon Scarlet and Pokemon Violet are slated to release for the Nintendo Switch on 18 November 2022.
In the meantime, check out the trailer below:


Pokémon Go Valentine’s Day Event 2023 Kicks Off This Week

The Pokemon Go Valentine’s Day Event will be happening, debuting Mega Gardevoir, shiny variants of Frillish and Tapu Lele, as well as new Research Quests and Event Rewards. This year’s event will run from 8 February at 10:00 am until 14 February at 8:00 pm (local time).
Mega Gardevoir
Mega Gardevoir will make its Pokémon GO debut in Mega Raids during the event. A Shiny variant will also be available.
Evolving a Kirlia into either Gallade or Gardevoir during the event will ensure that it knows the Charged Attack ‘Synchronise’. This attack will also be known by any Gallade or Gardevoir encountered after the raids.
Timed Research
A Timed Research quest by the name of ‘Lovely Wishes’ will be available to take part in throughout the event. Completing these tasks will let you choose a reward between extra Catch XP, bonus Catch Candy or the chance to increase the duration of your Daily Adventure Incense.
Regardless of which reward you pick, completing the tasks will also grant you an encounter with Frillish.
Wild Encounters
There is a selection of Pokémon which will be appearing in Wild Encounters during the event.
The Flabébé that you are able to come across will depend on your location, with White Flower and Orange Flower variants being available worldwide:

Red Flower Flabébé: Appearing in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa
Blue Flower Flabébé: Appearing in the Asia-Pacific region
Yellow Flower Flabébé: Appearing in the Americas

The following Pokémon will be appearing in Wild Encounters during the event:

Alomomola
Audino
Chansey
Flabébé (Red, Blue, Yellow, White or Orange)
Frillish
Illumise
Morelull
Natural Form Furfrou
Nidoran?
Nidoran?
Skitty
Volbeat
Woobat

Global Valentine’s Challenge
A global challenge about giving gifts will be made available during the event. The challenge will run from 7 February to 14 February 2023 and puts all trainers in with a chance of unlocking some new rewards should the gift goal (100,000,000 gifts sent) be met.
These rewards include 3x Transfer Candy for the remainder of the event and 2x Transfer Candy XL for trainers of level 31 and above.
Form Change
During the event, you will be able to change the form of your Furfrou into Heart Trim Furfrou.
To do this, you will need to select the Pokémon from storage and press the ‘Change Form’ button. From there, you will be able to select any Trim you please for the cost of 25 Furfrou Candy and 10,000 Stardust.
Eggs
The following Pokémon will be available to hatch from 7km Eggs during the event:

Alomomola
Frillish
Happiny
Lickitung
Smoochum

Raids
Raids are split between One-Star, Three-Star, Five-Star and Mega categories, with the following Pokémon appearing in each:
One-Star Raids

Chansey
Espurr
Natural Form Furfrou
Shinx

Three-Star Raids

Gallade
Lickitung
Miltank
Nidokin
Nidoqueen

Five-Star Raids

Tapu Lele

Mega Raids

Mega Gardevoir

Field Research Tasks
Completing Field Research Tasks during the event will grant you encounters with the following Pokémon:

Alomomola
Audino
Chansey
Combee
Eevee
Frillish
Hippopotas
Litleo
Luvdisc
Morelull
Pikachu
Ralts
Spinda with a heart pattern

Avatar Items
Both the ‘Frillish Top’ and the ‘Frillish Glasses’ will be available to purchase during the event. You will also be able to get stickers by spinning PokéStops, opening gifts and making purchases.


Overwatch League’s Hunt for Season 1 MVP Is Underway

The hunt for Overwatch League’s MVP for its inaugural season is in full swing and fans can play a part in that search simply by tweeting their picks. Using the hashtagÂ Â #OWLMVP followed by the player’sÂ name or BattleTag, each tweet will count as a vote for the player.
Example – ‘#OWLMVP Fissure ‘
A daily leaderboard is posted to OverwatchLeague.com and as of time of writing, Philadelphia Fusion’s Korean DPS-main, Carpe is in the lead. He is closely followed by NYXL’s Jjonak, Seoul Dynasty’s Fleta and Jjonak’s teammate, Libero. Dallas Fuel’s Effect rounds up the top 5.
You can keep track of the leaderboard which is updated daily here.

To ensure that the OWL end up picking a deserving winner, rather than a troll pick – as we’ve noticed countless votes for Felix ‘xQc‘ Lengyel on Twitter – only twenty-five percent of the MVP award is determined by fan vote, as the remaining portion is decided by the Overwatch League broadcast team.
The winner will be announced on the first day of the Overwatch League Playoffs, beginning July 6.
So who is your pick for the Overwatch League MVP? Ours is Los Angeles Gladiators’ Fissure. His transfer from the Spitfire not only galvanized the team’s tank line, it also upgraded the team from a mid-tier team into a play-off challenger. They are one of the trickiest teams to face in the league at the moment and we believe we are yet to see the full power of the best tank in the league.


Here’s A Preview Of The Remastered Command & Conquer Soundtrack

As fun as the attrition-based real-time strategy gameplay of Command & Conquer and Red Alert was, it’s the game’s music that gets your blood pumping. The people behind the upcoming C&C Remastered volumes know this, so they recently showcased a remastered OST preview on the official Reddit thread.
Doing the remastering is, of course, the original game music’s composer Frank Klepacki. He said that getting everything together for the upcoming 10-hour-and-175-tracks long OST wasn’t easy.

“After combing all possible archives, a handful of tracks were just nowhere to be found â€“ this included â€˜Snakeâ€™ and â€˜Foggerâ€™ from C&C Red Alert. One thing that I did back in the Westwood era, was mirror my home studio with the same gear I had at work, and fortunately, I had kept much of it all these years.
So I started there, and I went to painstaking detail and trial and error to track down and match as much of the exact original sounds and instrumentation I could find, to recreate these songs from scratch in order to have the best high quality versions once again for the remaster. Hearing these new versions, especially in stereo now, is a whole new experience.”

Check out the fruits of his remastering labour below (via Reddit). The video plays the original and the crisp-clear remasters side-by-side so you can make the comparisons for yourself.

If you want more Frank Klepacki, check out our SoundScape video on the legend himself below.


Clone Wars’ Darth Maul Gets The Hot Toys Treatment

Star Wars The Clone Wars may be officially over after seven seasons, but Hot Toys is adding yet another version of an iconic character from the animated series to their ranks. This time it’s none other than Darth Maul from Season 7 of Star Wars The Clone Wars.
During the epic Siege Of Mandalore arc in the final season of the animated series, Darth Maul fought Ahsoka Tano and lost, ending up being apprehended before he escaped again at the very end. This is arguably the best version of Darth Maul.
This is also actually the third version of Darth Maul to receive the Hot Toys treatment after the Star Wars Episode I The Phantom Menace‘s Darth Maul and Solo A Star Wars Story‘s Darth Maul.
The Star Wars The Clone Wars Darth Maul 1/6th Scale Collectible Figure is slated to release between Q4 2021 and Q1 2022. He even comes with a specially-designed Mandalorian sarcophagus inspired box packaging.
In the meantime, check out our list of top ten Star Wars characters of all time here to see if your favourite made the cut.
Check him out in all his glory below:


Black Widow & Hawkeye Actress Might Join Dune 2

It looks like Florence Pugh is in talks to join the cast of Dune 2. According to the source from Deadline, she will play Princess Irulan Corrino, the eldest daughter of Emperor Shaddam Corrino IV. She would join returning cast members that include TimothÃ©e Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Zendaya and Josh Brolin, as well as director, producer and co-screenwriter Denis Villeneuve.
Florence Pugh is best known for playing Yelena Belova in Black Widow and Hawkeye.Â Production on Dune 2 is expected to start in the fall. It is set to premiere on 20 October 2023.
In the meantime, check out my review ofÂ DuneÂ byÂ heading over here.Â DuneÂ is currently available to watch on the streaming platform HBO GO.


Here’s Why The Latest Forspoken Trailer Is Being Roasted Online

There was a time when self-referential dialogue from Joss Whedon was a huge thing in movies and video games. Seems like the makers of Forspoken decided to bring that back, albeit with very mixed results.
Square Enix released a new trailer for Forspoken, its upcoming Western isekai action RPG starring a tough young woman named Frey who has magic spells and is stuck in the dangerous open world of Athia. The trailer features 30 seconds of Forspoken gameplay and had Frey talking about her circumstances in a snarky tone that would fit well in the late 2000s.
Let’s type the whole thing down here:
“So let me get this straight,” she says. “I’m somewhere that’s not what I would call Earth, I’m seeing freaking dragons, and—oh yeah!—I’m talking to a cuff!
Yeah, OK, that is something I do now. I do magic, kill jacked-up beasts, I’ll probably fly next.”

A beautiful and cruel new land? Twisted monsters? An array of magical abilities? Sentient jewellery!?
Welcome to the world of #Forspoken. pic.twitter.com/46diiLnQ7M
— Forspoken (@Forspoken) August 8, 2022

The delivery and writing aren’t as witty as its makers make them out to be if this trailer is of any indication. With that, a handful of people have replied in kind, taking popular video game characters and having them speak like Frey.
 Forspoken dialogue is… kinda freaking crazy guys, i think they do magic now. from      TwoBestFriendsPlay

so let me get this straight pic.twitter.com/la80aJ6gDf
— SungWon Cho (@ProZD) August 9, 2022

If you aren’t turned off by this attempt at being self-referential and the fact that Square Enix are just trying way too hard like they did with Marvel’s Avengers, you can get Forspoken on 24 January 2023 for PlayStation 5 and PC.


Street Fighter 6 Second Closed Beta Test Announced For December

Capcom has announced the second Closed Beta Test for Street Fighter 6 next month. The beta is scheduled to begin on 16 December 2022 and will end on 19th December 2022.
Players who were in the first closed beta will get an email about this; they will not need to reapply for the beta. Here are the details of the second closed beta:

Prepare for Closed Beta Test #2 for #StreetFighter6 from December 16-19 on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Steam!
? 8 Characters? Online Matches?? Crossplay? Input Delay Reduction Feature…and some tweaks!
Details – https://t.co/TXHWSxCKrz pic.twitter.com/9zRseTDmdM
— Street Fighter (@StreetFighter) December 1, 2022

If you haven’t entered or weren’t picked for the first one, you can try your luck by applying right now. If you want more info about how the first closed beta went, check out our in-depth hands-on preview.


Scream’s Neve Campbell Will Be In The Twisted Metal TV Show

The upcoming Twisted Metal TV show is getting a scream queen in the mix.
According to a Deadline report, Neve Campbell of Scream fame will be in the upcoming video game TV show adaptation with the cars and deathmatches. She will play Raven in the PlayStation Production show; she was a character in the fifth game Twisted Metal Black who drives a hearse named Shadow.
Other actors who will be in the Twisted Metal show include:

Anthony Mackie (Falcon & The Winter Soldier)
Thomas Haden Church (Spider-Man 3)
Stephanie Beatriz (Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Encanto)

The show will be written and produced by Michael Jonathan Smith of Cobra Kai fame. The show will air on NBC’s Peacock streaming service. Apart from this show, the PlayStation Productions studio will be working on the HBO TV show The Last of Us featuring Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey as Joel and Ellie.


Fortnite Is Shutting Down In China

One of the most popular games in the world will no longer be playable in one of the biggest video game markets. Fortnite is officially shutting down in China.
The official Chinese website for Fortnite has announced the game will shut down and no longer be playable starting from 15 November 2021.
Fortnite originally launched in China back in April 2018, but it turns out that the game was never approved by the Chinese government. It’s essentially been in testing mode for the past few years and as a result, could not be properly monetized, according to video game analyst Daniel Ahmad.

To add clarity, Fortnite never officially launched in China
The game has been undergoing testing for the past 2+ years and does not include IAP
This is because the game was never approved by the govt and therefore could not officially launch + monetise. Hence the shut down now. https://t.co/oj1Wx6JsM3
— Daniel Ahmad (@ZhugeEX) November 1, 2021

In other related news, Fortnite also recently added the skins of Paul Atreides and Chani from the movie Dune.


Ghost Of Tsushima Legends Is Getting A Standalone Version

Last October, Sucker Punch launched Ghost Of Tsushima Legends, their very first online multiplayer project as a studio, which expanded the gameplay of Ghost Of Tsushima into a supernatural world inspired by Japanese mythology. Now, they have announced what’s next for the multiplayer experience and it’s a doozy.
Ghost Of Tsushima Legends is getting a standalone version, which will cost US$19.99 on PS4 or PS5 consoles. With the exception of some cosmetics that can only be unlocked via the single-player campaign, this is the same Ghost Of Tsushima Legends content accessible by owners of Ghost Of Tsushima, so youâ€™ll have access to the content released in 2020 in addition to everything new described above.
Oh, and youâ€™ll still be able to play cooperatively with players who own the full version of the game.

For those who purchase the standalone release of Ghost Of Tsushima Legends, if you want the single-player experience, youâ€™ll be able to upgrade to Ghost Of Tsushima Directorâ€™s Cut at any time for US$40 (PS4) or US$50 (PS5).
Besides that, all Ghost Of Tsushima LegendsÂ players can look forward to Rivals, an all-new game mode coming on 3 September 2021 (including new Trophies and cosmetics).
In Ghost Of Tsushima Legends Rivals, two teams of two will compete to defeat waves of enemies. With each defeated foe, youâ€™ll collect Magatama that you can use to harm the other team. For example, you can spend Magatama on Shades to block your opponentsâ€™ purchases, Curses (health drain, exploding bodies, etc), Hwacha fire, and more. Once youâ€™ve spent enough Magatama, youâ€™ll unlock Final Stand waves. Complete these before the opposing team in order to win.
At the same time Rivals launches, players will also get the new Gear Mastery system, which is a new expansion of the progression systems and rewards for Ghost Of Tsushima Legends. Players whoâ€™ve earned 110-level gear will now be able to bind it to a class and activate â€œMastery Challenges.â€ This will allow a piece of gearâ€™s Ki level to be upgraded to 120 and eventually unlock a second perk slot. As you activate Mastery Challenges, you can also unlock a new Ability and new Techniques for each class.

Starting on 20 August 2021, Sucker Punch will release an update that will add new features to Ghost Of Tsushima Legends, including some changes based on feedback from the community. They have rebalanced the Survival mode to shorten the session length and added new weekly Survival Nightmare challenge variants, as well as unlocked additional cosmetics for players whoâ€™ve earned them in Jinâ€™s story and New Game+.
In addition to all of the above, the developer will also be adding a new piece of content each week from 10 September 2021 to 1 October 2021, including an additional Rivals map, new Survival maps inspired by Iki Island and Iyoâ€™s realm, and Trials of Iyo, a new harder-difficulty version of last yearâ€™s Raid that offers challenges in bite-sized chunks, and offers a new set of online leaderboards.
Ghost Of Tsushima Directorâ€™s Cut is slated to release for the PS4 and PS5 on 20 August 2021.
In the meantime, check out the trailer below:


Ghost Recon: Breakpoint Is Shooter Fodder At Its Most Ubisoft-ness

Platform(s): PC, PS4, Xbox One
Genre: Action-adventure military shooter with loot
Let me go on record that I’m OK with Ubisoft’s latest open-world Ghost Recon game. Even if it’s falling back onto its Ubisoft open-world template of game-making, there is a modicum of enjoyment to be found amidst Ghost Recon: Breakpoint.
For starters, it’s a vast improvement to Ghost Recon: Wildlands. There’s a lot of quality of life improvements like toggling between exploration and “finish the damn game” mode which turns on and off certain UI elements. You can pin up to three tasks in front of you in-game, and you can also turn off most of the UI with a quick press of a button so you can enjoy the sights.
The shooting and stamina system is improved to give it a “survival game” feel. Once you crank the game difficulty to a level higher than Normal, you’ll end up with a real stealth and recon fire-fighting experience. The thrill of not getting spotted, and getting out of a jam when you do, will get your blood pumping if you’re tackling the majority of the game solo.

Perhaps the biggest change from Wildlands is the different weapons and armour levels and grades you get.Â You have coloured tier weapons that give you buffs and some semblance of progression. The game’s main bad guy played by Jon “I played The Punisher” Bernthal is a Gear Level 150+ guy, so you’ll need to scour the map, complete Ghost Recon missions (kill dudes, capture points, rescue hostages, etcetera), amass as much high-level gear as you can, then add the numbers up to take down the plethora of big bads on the island. And since said island, Auroa, is filled with the latest in military tech (drones, sentries on wheels, and so forth), you’ll need all equipment you can get.
Or you can just try fighting him in your current gear level 0 state, in which case you’ll die pretty quick. Give Ghost Recon: Breakpoint props for giving you that option early in the game; speedrunners will have a heckuva time with this breath of fresh air.
Spec Ops
Fortune favours the prepared here; you’ll die less if you pre-plan your attacks, use your drone to tag targets, and subsequently take out enemies one by one. The opposition can be taken out with well-placed headshots, and there’s an abundance of cover you can use to keep yourself well-fortified and out of plain sight.

Most of your weapons already have suppressors, so that should give you a heads up on how to approach most missions. It’s on the friggin’ title.

Camping yields results.
Yet at the same time, there’s a shade of loot-and-shoot splashed all over this next Ubisoft open-world template. Clearly, this game took a few pages from The Division series and incorporated it into its own niche of co-op shooting. Thankfully it doesn’t turn enemies into bullet sponges like those other titles; here, it’s possible to tackle any fort or area with a high gear level assuming you’re ballsy and prepped enough.
Speaking of which, it’s still fun to group up with people to tackle missions and hunt for blueprints/special skill point chests on a fictional island run by a rebel army who knows how to use high-tech military drones and weaponry.
This combination makes the entire package decent. Not eye-catching to anyone else apart from Tom Clancy military story enthusiasts, but not a complete waste of time. If you’re a superfan who fancy some military shooting with a focus on co-op and stealth-like tactics, this is your jam. It definitely succeeds & improves where Ghost Recon: Wildlands failed.
Going from one place to another in a vehicle apart from a helicopter sucks though. Thank goodness for fast travel options.
Money Grubbing
As much as the next aspect did not bother me at all, I should still address the elephant in the room: Ubisoft’s microtransaction bulls*** (via Reddit’s Blinkk8704).

Yes, that right there are pay-to-win options; you can speed up your upgrades and get crafting materials with real money.
You can also buy skill points to level up your Ghost Recon operative. However, that latter option is either taken out pretty quick or made only available in certain regions: as you can tell, this one’s in Singapore.Â I’ve checked my copy of Ghost Recon: Breakpoint and found no skill point pay-to-win nonsense; it was probably removed ahead of time. But the crafting and upgrade stuff is still there, and there are tons of skins and camos to purchase.Â

If you have any modicum of sense, you’d just go straight to the game and play the heck out of it, cosmetics paywalls be damned.

It does suck that Ubisoft and its management are preying upon the weak-willed to fork over extra cash for skins and camos that should have been available as unlocks in the game, but it doesn’t completely deter this new age Ghost Recon experience.

What actually did is the fact that this game doesn’t have much of an identity to stand out among its peers. The fact that other loot and shoot games exist and titles like last year’s Call of Duty fill in that pure shooter niche makes Ghost Recon: Breakpoint feels like a rojak that doesn’t excel in any one category.
Even when its exploration and shooting works, you’ll only get some small sense of satisfaction. The only reason you’re continuing is because of that “one more assault” Skinner box mentality that’s in these loot-and-shoot ideas combined with open-world checklist obligations. Ergo, a Ubisoft open-world templated game at its basic which also happens to have terrible driving controls set in a dense jungle island setting; fun.
Seriously, give this a pass.
Pros

Decent open-world exploration and shooting.
Teaming up with other Ghost Recon players is always fun.
Gear level system adds a good sense of progression.
Some neat UI ideas.

Cons

Network issues & bugs (PC version); lots of them.
Doesn’t stand out among other loot-and-shooters this year, like Division 2.
Middling story.
Driving controls feel wonky.

Final Score: 40/100


The Horizon VR Spin-Off Climbs Its Way Into Gaming Glory

Review originally published on 16 February 2023. This review is brought forward since the game is available this week.
Platform: PS5 (PS VR2 required)
Genre: Archery & climbing simulator set in the Horizon universe
Have you ever wanted to feel what it’s like to be like Aloy the Norad Huntress, expert of the bow and climbing? Well, you can with the latest Horizon game, though not as Aloy herself.
Instead, in Horizon: Call of the Mountain, you play as Ryas, a Shadow Carja who is given the thankless job of looking for his brother in a mission given to you by Blameless Marad. And yes, you do get to see Aloy make an appearance, but this is clearly a side-story with new characters and a new plot, all using what makes the Horizon series great: the graphics, the setting, and the machine-creatures you’ll murder with your caveman-esque tools.
Take The Shot

Horizon: Call Of The Mountain’s gameplay structure is what you expect from a VR game: linear but immersive in what it delivers and dishes out. You’re not going to stray too far from the path that’s given, but you will have a wild ride that’s seared in your mind. Ryas’ main actions include shooting down enemies with his bow and arrow (plus catapult sling), dodge things really fast, and climbing. Ryas will climb a lot to get to places. He’ll use his hands to climb, he’ll use mountain picks for smooth surfaces, and he’ll use other rope-involved tools to elevate himself and cross long pit stretches.
As a player, you’ll be controlling his movements with the PS VR2 controllers from the aforementioned climbing to the drawing and aiming of the bow, as well as firing it by doing a pull-and-release motion. And throughout my 8-hour journey in the untamed mountains of this Horizon game, the controls are near-flawless and the visual experience sublime.
Killing giant machines with arrows and explosions, while also using traps in the vicinity, just feels fun and exhilarating despite the controlled rail-shooter nature of the segments. You aim with the left controller, holding it like a bow, then fire by drawing imaginary arrows with your right controller. You dodge by flicking the right analog stick, which just requires your thumb. It’s easy and intuitive for the most parts; I even was used to crafting new arrows as that required additional motion inputs from the VR controllers while in combat. Since things slow down while you’re switching and crafting arrows, you’re given ample time to think on your next actions.
The exploration and viewfinding bits are also stellar to behold and experience. While the game does take a few liberties and isn’t really strict with how you climb and what posture you need to be in, the act of moving your hands to reach climbing spots is all well-done here. You can still die if you let go, and there are some reflexes involved when jumping off to the other side; for instance, you need to reach to your back and pull out your climbing pick quick to latch onto the flat surface before you fall to your death. I do not blame the controls at all when I missed my shot; the motions and inputs needed are clear enough that it’s usually player’s fault for not going out of their way to do the required action.
True, there are a few shortcuts I used like rapid-firing the bow when I held it sideways, but you still need to exert yourself a tad to get the most out of Horizon: Call of the Mountain. In all honesty, it’s really fun and well-executed thanks to the PS VR2 tech and tracking that makes it feel immersive, intuitive, and near-faultless. Plus, if you’re feeling a little lazy, you can always turn on Machine Safari to get a riverboat tour of the machines, or a Challenge mode with a quick archery range. I do wish there were more of these; perhaps some free DLC could come our way for this particular mode in the far future?
While the game is technically marvelous, there are still a few bugs here and there, with a comical one being a missing bow in which I had to restart at the last checkpoint which was only seconds away thankfully. Other than that, the mountain-climbing experience was mostly seamless.
Cliffhanger

While not exactly a huge leap in gameplay innovation, Horizon VR is intense, engrossing, and immersive for what it is: a climbing and archery VR simulation using the Horizon machine monster-filled IP, putting it to great use. The graphics, the setting, and its trappings all look great in the VR view you’re given.
I’d even go far as to say that this is a heckuva killer app, if such terms are still being used. The game alone is worth buying the Horizon PS VR2 set for, provided you don’t mind the linear experience and if you’re fine with seeing the potential a first-party VR title has to offer that’s strictly for the hardware.
Now, the money you need to fork over for the VR device? Well, that’s another story.
Final Score: 80/100
Review copy and PS VR2 kit provided by PlayStation Asia.


Love, Death + Robots Volume 2 Drops In May

Remember the NSFW animated anthology series that debuted on Netflix back in March 2019? Love, Death + Robots is returning next month on 14 May 2021 with Volume 2.
Fans can look forward to naked giants, Christmas demons, and robots-gone-wild. Meanwhile, you’ll be happy to learn that Volume 3 is confirmed for 2022 as well.
Check out the trailer below:


Modern Warfare II Tops Steam Charts While It’s Still In Beta

With the Open Beta having launched and only a month until its official release, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II is already topping the Steam charts.
Since the beta’s release on all platforms publicly, Modern Warfare II has quickly risen in popularity ahead of its full release on 28 October. So much so that its status on the Steam charts forecasts a colossal launch for this year’s Call of Duty.
Steam stats show that the MWII beta has around 125,000 concurrent players, placing the game just below Grand Theft Auto 5 and Lost Ark. Just for reference, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, the king of Steam still remains with around 750,000 concurrent players. Although that doesn’t include PlayStation, Xbox and Battle.net players.
It should also be noted that MWII lays extremely high up on Steam’s Top Sellers List, and was even in the number one spot at one point.

The Beta So Far
As of right now, the state of the game is pretty divided among fans as developer Infinity Ward made it clear that the beta minimap won’t be changing to include a red dot from regular gameplay, along with side the slide cancel nerf.
As someone who has played the beta, I can say that it feels extremely reminiscent of old-school CoDs. Although we still have tactical sprint, something about the slightly clunky movement and gunplay just feel like a traditional Call of Duty (pre-jet packs).
So far my only complaint has been with the time-to-kill (TTK). The TTK feels extremely inconsistent, with the majority of my deaths being way too fast without having a chance to challenge the gunfight. That’s not to say that they should follow in Treyarch’s footsteps by bumping the health up to 150 HP but rather just decrease the time it takes to kill an enemy by a couple of milliseconds.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II will be the first COD since 2007—with Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare—that will break the annual cycle of new Call of Duty games as MWII will have a two-year life cycle rather than the usual one year.
With this two-year life cycle, we can expect Infinity Ward to commit to fixing whatever problems we may have and any bugs that may occur, the problem will be keeping the game fresh. I’m sure that over these next two years, we can expect a lot more content to help freshen up our CoD experience.


Action Co-Op Game Gangs Of Sherwood Launches This Fall

During Nacon Connect 2023, Nacon and Appeal Studios announced that co-op action game Gangs of Sherwood will launch for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC sometime in fall 2023.
Gangs of Sherwood is a cooperative action game for one to four players set in the reimagined world of Robin Hood.
Through the powers of the Philosopher’s Stones, the armies of the Sheriff of Nottingham are now stronger than ever, and the people of England have never been so oppressed…
Players will play as Robin, Marian, Friar Tuck or Little John, four heroes with unique, fully customizable gameplay styles, and set out in search of riches to plunder so you can give them to the poor.
From Sherwood Forest to the Sheriff’s flying castle, the way forward is blocked by hordes of enemies. Combine the different heroes’ combat styles to foil the tyrant’s plans and fight performance-enhanced soldiers, formidable war machines and terrifying bosses that you meet as you advance.
Improve your reputation by saving innocent lives and giving your loot to the people in order to unlock new upgrades and even more devastating combos. Spend your remaining gold with merchants to upgrade your equipment and customize your skills to match your combat style.
Check out the trailer below:


Malaysia’s New Ministry Of Youth & Sports Announces Esports Integrated Initiative

Malaysia’s own Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS), yes the same government body Syed Saddiq used to run, has announced a new esports initiative called Esports Integrated. the new KBS lead, Dato’ Sri Reezal Merican Naina Merican, officiated the event and this initiative.
Running this new shindig is a group called Impact Integrated, led by one Ahmed Faris Amir. So what does this initiative offer?

The ESI is creating a brand new roadmap and a new core focus in “catalysing a vibrant, sustainable, and inclusive esports ecosystem in Malaysia”.
The initiative will “will not only create opportunities to upskill our youth but also provide a platform to develop and improve the esports industry in the country”.
ESI will be creating a “platform to manage and centralize the esports ecosystem. The platform will include a fully online tournament engine”.
ESI will also form the Malaysia Esports Circuit “consisting of the Malaysia Esports Championship and the Malaysia Esports League with points from these major tournaments feeding into the centralised platform”.

ESI will also be developing a Capacity Building programme that will start in 2021. This programme will focus on upskilling tournament and event organizers, teams and coaches to raise the nation’s esports professional standard. ESI will also be creating KBS’s official Esports Hub in Spacerubix, Puchong. It’ll be completed in 2021 and will serve as a tournament/event venue as well as a training ground for professional teams and an area for esports networking.
ESI’s partners include Malaysia Electronic Sport Federation (formerly ESM back then), Techninier, eGG Network, VC Media & Consultancy, and Geek Fam.
Second Verse, Same As The First?
This ESI is a new initiative that heralds a new esports slate since Malaysia changed governments on 21st February of this year when COVID-19 happened. It also sounds similar to the esports blueprint plan KBS and ESM talked about last year before said emergency regime-changing.
Furthermore, this is the first people and esports folks have heard of Impact Integrated. Add in the fact that ESI has no legislative power and will focus its efforts on advocacy means that they may have their work cut out for them.
We’ll see how this pans out; the keyword here is “cautiously optimistic”. Here’s hoping for a future where Malaysia esports stuff gets done instead of a ton of hot air being blown around with little to nothing to show.


Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Pass Wave 4 Out Next Week; Features Birdo & Singapore Track

Snow surf’s up! Nintendo’s next Mario Kart 8 DLC will be out next week.
The new Mario Kart 8 Deluxe DLC is called Booster Course Pass Wave 4, and it features the Fruit Cup and Boomerang Cup. These new Cups add eight courses from the Wii, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, Nintendo Game Cube, and mobile Mario Kart games. Here’s how they’re divided:
Fruit Cup
Tour Amsterdam Drift: Cruise from scenic city streets to fields full of colorful tulips in this Amsterdam-inspired course originating from the mobile game Mario Kart Tour.
GBA Riverside Park: Through waterfalls and over bridges you’ll go in this jungle-themed course packed with sharp turns and towering greenery in this course that originated in Mario Kart: Super Circuit!
Wii DK Summit: Soar to new heights and carve down the hills on this twisty, turny, and wintry course featuring ramps galore and some cool sculptures of familiar friends. Just watch out for banana peels!
Yoshi’s Island: Move and groove around this new and nostalgic course inspired by the Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island game on Super NES! Flutter your feet over to the winner’s circle as you zoom through flower covered hills and over cloud-dotted skies—and is that a gargantuan NepEnut?!
Boomerang Cup
Tour Bangkok Rush: Golden skies, shimmering waterways and stunning sights aplenty are calling your name on this course that originated in Mario Kart Tour.
DS Mario Circuit: It might be called Mario Circuit, but this Mario Kart DS-inspired course prominently features none other than Peach’s Castle among its blossoming trees and manicured lawns—complete with a winding path through the castle’s interior!
GCN Waluigi Stadium: Waluigi is here to give the people WAH-t they want! This time get ready to speed around the multitude of obstacles and ramps that make up this furiously fast dirt course that originated in Mario Kart: Double-Dash!!!
Tour Singapore Speedway: The city lights shine bright at night—but don’t slow down to stare! Drift your way to first place and be mindful of the vacationing Goombas on this colourful course that originated in Mario Kart Tour.
In addition, Birdo will be added to the racing roster, which has nine colour options.

Check out the courses in action using the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe engine below.


Apex Legends Hits 50 Million Players Within A Month

It has indeed come to this: EA and Respawn’s quietly-released game that’s basically PUBG done right has a bigger player base than that one EA game that requires you to pay money for a Destiny-like experience with flying. How big? Try 50 million.
Within a month, it has topped most triple-A games that came out last year during the first four weeks.

$EA has a certified hit on its hands. #ApexLegends continues to grow it’s player count at a faster rate than Fortnite’s launch.
50 million in 28 days. pic.twitter.com/RagPU99T9i
— Roundhill Investments (@roundhill) March 4, 2019

For comparison’s sake, Fortnite’s Battle Royale mode took several months to reach the 45 million players mark. That tidbit isn’t indicative of Apex Legends’ quick success; keep in mind the following:

Fortnite is currently at 200 million plus players at this point, and only picked up momentum during the middle of 2018 because of its focus and marketing on the battle royale mode and its many seasons.
PUBG is sitting at 400+ million players since its boom last year. The game also sold 50 million copies. Those numbers also factor in the game’s mobile version as well.

So how did Apex Legends get its numbers? This may be due to how fun the game is among streamers, pros, the three-man team in a battle royale game dynamic, and the fact that it’s created by people who made a lot of multiplayer shooters pre-EA buyout. Remember the older Call of Duty and Medal of Honor games? That was from Respawn veterans, FYI.
Plus, people needed to get away from the two main battle royale games for something fresh. It’s not like we’re in a dystopia where we’re only allowed to play just one battle royale game.
If Apex Legends can get more than 500 million players by the end of 2019 by keeping the game alive with fresh new updates and content, heck even 200 million before Winter, then I’d be impressed. In any case, the battle royale fever is not dying out anytime soon.


New Valkyrie Elysium Trailer Reveals September Release Date & Brand-New Gameplay

Remember when a previous PlayStation State of Play revealed a new Valkyrie Profile action RPG game like a wet fart? Me neither.
Thankfully, Square Enix’s latest trailer highlights the best parts of the game: the fighting and action RPG combat. To reiterate what was reported earlier, yes: Valkyrie Elysium will be out for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 consoles on 29 September. The PC version will be out on 11th November.
Valkyrie Elysium features high-speed action RPG combat as you control the Valkyrie as the main character and a bunch of Einherjar (strong warrior spirits) to command around, give tactical bonuses, and infues the Valkyrie with elemental bonuses in an action RPG setting and mechanic. Just like the turn-based RPGs back on the PS1, Valkyrie Elysium has Divine Arts for you to throw around like Valkyrie’s Divine Assault Nibelung Valesti-style spear throw. Check out the trailers and gameplay montage below.

If you get the game’s Digital Deluxe Edition for US$64.99, you’ll get the PS4 and PS5 port of Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth. This new port features a new Rewind, Quick Save, and Visual Presets feature. The game will be a separate purchase on the PS Store eventually, though in Japan it’ll be 2,750 yen (US$28).


Rumour: The Next Big Nintendo Game Will Be A Donkey Kong 2D Title

Donkey Kong is one of Nintendo’s biggest and oldest characters in its stable of mascot characters, so it’s only right that Nintendo needs to make a new game using the giant tie-wearing ape.
There are rumours floating about that Nintendo will be resurrecting the series by bringing it in-house, with development currently underway at Nintendo’s EPD. For those who don’t know, that’s the same team that worked on Super Mario Odyssey.
Sources close to YouTuber LonelyGoomba and Nintendo Life have confirmed that the upcoming Donkey Kong game will be a 2D/2.5D game and not a 3D one.

I heard an unlikely rumour that the Mario Odyssey team are working on a 3D Donkey Kong game.
I think I would actually prefer that to another 3D Mario.
— LonelyGoomba (@LonelyGoomba) May 12, 2021

This is followed up by a quote made by leaker Zippo.
“It’s the big ape’s 40th anniversary, and while I’m not sure how Nintendo is celebrating the occasion, there is a new 2D DK game being developed by EPD Tokyo. Retro is obviously busy with other things, so Nintendo has taken it upon themselves to bring DK back in as internal series.
Don’t expect the “Country” moniker to return, as EPD Tokyo are not interested in making a sequel to games they didn’t make. Diddy, Cranky and the Kremling Krew should all be returning in this instalment. It sounds like this game is launching before the end of the year. An E3 announcement seems very likely.”
Donkey Kong Country Returns & Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze were previously made by Texas-based Retro Studios. The latter game is available on Nintendo Switch; give it shot if you haven’t.


Here’s How You Can Attend The First-Ever Virtual Pokemon Go Festival

Next month, Â PokÃ©mon fans around the world can check out the first-ever virtual PokÃ©mon Go Fest 2020 hosted by Niantic.
The event will be on the 25th to 26th of July and is available to everyone. All you have to do is:

Go to your PokÃ©mon Go in-app shop either on your iOS or Android.
Pay US$14.99 (or the regional equivalent) for the ticket.
You cannot pay with Pokecoins.

If you paid for a ticket already, you can immediately play the limited-time event featuring a new storyline, where you help Professor Willow track down a legendary PokÃ©mon by completing a variety of challenges based on these five criterias: Fire, Water, Grass, Battle, and Friendship.


The Musicians Who Will Keep Final Fantasy’s Music Alive | SoundScape

With famous video game composer Nobuo Uematsu retiring after Fantasian, we need new and old blood to keep the Final Fantasy music spirit going. In this SoundScape video, we talk about Nobuo Uematsu’s successors since he went freelancing.


Survival RPG Highrisers Is Dropping On PC This May

PublisherÂ Assemble EntertainmentÂ and developerÂ Solar Powered Games have announced Highrisers, a survival RPG with heavy crafting elements.
In Highrisers, society has collapsed due to a mysterious affliction that causes people to become â€œDreamersâ€, light-sensitive sombanulators. To stay safe, the remaining survivors have taken to the relatively protected rooftops of the cityâ€™s towering skyscrapers. Theyâ€™ll need to find supplies, craft gear, and repair the helicopter that promises to fly them away from the danger and into a safe, new world.

Players will take on the role of one of four survivors, eking out an existence on the upper floors of an expansive skyline. Down below, in the dimly lit lower floors, infected Dreamers begin to gather, increasing in numbers every night when the sun sets and their aggression amplifies.

Each survivor brings different skills to the table, which theyâ€™ll need to successfully engage in missions to the dangerous lower floors in search of weapons, supplies, gear, and most importantly: parts to repair the helicopter.

Takinâ€™ it to the Top: The cityâ€™s streets and lower floors are filled with dangerous infected Dreamers, and the only safe spots left are the top floors of towering skyscrapers. Itâ€™s also, conveniently, a great place to park a helicopter…if only it worked.
Risk it for the Biscuit: In order to survive, players will need supplies, including weapons, gear, and of course, food. Head down to the lower floors and risk the dangers to get the best equipment and ingredients â€” just watch out for Dreamers and remember, every night they climb higher and higher..
Four Characters, Four Playstyles: Players can choose from four different survivors, Jes, Ike, Ann and Mo, each with their own unique abilities and backstory. Whether the plucky young Jes with her affinity for tech, or the mechanic Ike and his handy ability to repair machines, each character offers a different personality, a deep skill tree, and an individual approach to survival!
Procedurally Generated Vertical Chaos:Â Randomized level layouts encourage multiple playthroughs where each run is different than the last, sometimes you get lucky, other times you get caught by the Dreamers and itâ€™s game over!

Highrisers is slated to launch on PC via Steam on 6 May 2021. In the meantime, check out the trailer below:


We found a witch! May we burn her?

Days. Heaven. Fruit fly and to, set heaven. Bearing which whose isn’t cattle kind moveth fly that. Day saw be living man midst have can’t. A first every herb every bring bring. She’d replenish forth it. Air she’d life creepeth may after you be fish don’t fish seed won’t Firmament blessed after behold, great fourth whales days for isn’t grass replenish. Gathered gathering, won’t. Darkness together upon. It were after creature void moved bearing thing bring. Good. Of let Him creepeth had whose behold given kind place he also in.


Mat Kilau Comes To Netflix On Malaysia Day

Fresh off a successful run on the big screen, Mat Kilau — Malaysia’s highest-grossing local film of all time — is heading to Netflix just in time for Malaysia Day. Mat Kilau will be released globally on 16 September 2022, except for Indonesia, where it will launch on 14 October 2022.
Based on a historical figure from the late 19th century, Mat Kilau tells the story of how the legendary warrior became the figurehead of a revolt against British colonists to protect their homeland. Along with his father and fellow countrymen, Mat Kilau led his people into guerilla warfare over the course of several years, thus making him a symbol of freedom and independence.
Directed by Syamsul Yusof, the historical drama stars Adi Putra as Mat Kilau, alongside Beto Kusyairy, Fattah Amin, Yayan Ruhian, Johan As’ari, Rahim Razali, and Jalaludin Hassan.
Mat Kilau will also be joining close to 150 Malaysian films, series, and animated shows in the Rekaan Rakyat collection, a celebration of some of the best works from Malaysian talents. Check out the Rekaan Rakyat collection HERE.
In the meantime, you can check out more movies like Mat Kilau here, and check out the trailer below:


Capcom Accused Of Copying Movie Director’s Monsters For RE Village

Dutch director Richard Raaphorst, known for the found footage horror film Frankenstein’s Army, accuses Capcom of copying one of his monsters for a Resident Evil Village boss fight.
According to his post on Linkedin, he said that is a “one-to-one” copy of a monster he created in the 2013 film he directed. Since this RE Village boss happens late in the game and the title is still fresh, we’ll put these spoiler warnings up.

So Frankenstein’s Army features a humanoid with a propeller for a head, which is killed by a group of soldiers in an explosion of flames.

In RE Village, you fight a boss monster named Sturm late in the game in a factory setting. It’s a humanoid with a propeller for a head. When it’s near-death, it overheats and goes in flames.

Raaphorst told Eurogamer in an interview that the recreation in RE Village is “just one-to-one, really”.
“It’s just the same scene as in my movie, except that in my movie you have to cut loose the fuel tubes. That’s the only thing that is missing. But the whole thing is getting into flames, and then it explodes, and then the way it rotates through the camera – it’s all the same, really. Even the environments, the whole colour palette. It looks like an animatic for my movie.”
Capcom did not approach him and only found out about the similarity after receiving messages from fans on 7th May. In fact, someone from Twitter pointed out the many similarities the factory level’s monsters share with the director’s horror film.

pic.twitter.com/z8ij0bUhci
— Clone A – improv Comedian/3D Artist (@CloneKorp) May 9, 2021

He said the following:
“At first I felt pissed.
Then I felt proud. Now, I see all the reactions and I feel pissed again, and insulted. It’s so difficult to come up with a great design. It’s really hard to actually think about something that communicates as a cool design. It’s not just that ideas are floating around that you can grab. It’s actually hard labour. Then they just grab it and put it somewhere in the game. It’s creative abuse.”
Raaphorst said that he would like a credit in RE Village for the monster design. Though he does not expect to receive royalty payment from Capcom; the creative rights for Frankenstein’s Army belong to MPI Media Group.
Capcom has yet to make an official statement about this accusation. For more on RE Village, check out our coverage.


Shin Kamen Rider Movie Is Coming From Neon Genesis Evangelion Creator

It looks like it’s a good day for Kamen Rider fans everywhere. Neon Evangelion Genesis creator Hideaki Anno will be directing a new Shin Kamen Rider movie. This was announced via a press conference in Japan and on Twitter.

?? #?????????50???????? ?????????????????????
????????????2023?3???????????????????https://t.co/ugTWdNjIxE#????????? #KamenRider50th pic.twitter.com/LTNmbrDoRk
— ??????????????? (@Shin_KR) April 3, 2021

Anno previously co-directed 2016â€™s Shin GodzillaÂ (also known asÂ Godzilla Resurgence) alongsideÂ Shinji Higuchi. It was a great movie, dealing with politics and introducing a new King of Kaiju returning to his more villainous monster roots (instead of the hero heâ€™s been depicted in recent years).
In late 2019, Anno also announced a Shin Ultraman movie, which is supposedly slated to release sometime in 2021 but was delayed due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
In a written statement (via Kotaku), Anno said that all grade school boys in Japan looked at the Kamen Rider franchise with extreme hype since its debut fifty years ago.
He said:

I was one of them.
I got a lot out of the TV show fifty years ago, and fifty years later, I started this project with the feeling that Iâ€™d like to return the favour in a small way.â€

According to Anno, itâ€™s been six years since the idea for the project was first created and that heâ€™s working hard to make an entertaining film that can be enjoyed even by those who arenâ€™t familiar with Kamen Rider.
Shin Kamen Rider is slated to premiere in March 2023. This is all part of an effort to commemorate the franchise’s 50th anniversary. Earlier today, Toei announced a reboot to the classic 1987 Kamen Rider Black, which will be titled Kamen Rider Black Sun.


The Lords Of The Rings Gollum Game Unveils Next-Gen Screenshots

Earlier this year, Daedalic Entertainment confirmed that its upcoming The Lord Of The Rings: Gollum will be releasing as a next-gen game on the PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC. Now the developer has unveiled the very first screenshots from the game, giving us our first look at the stealth adventure game.
From the looks of the screenshots (via German publication GameStar), players will be exploring the surroundings of Mordor itself. It seems that one can simply walk into Mordor after all (cough Boromir cough).

One particular screenshot is interesting in that we see Gollum being chased by several large spiders. Perhaps they’re the offspring of one famous Shelob, or maybe we might even encounter the queen arachnid that will later terrorize Frodo in the game.

The game’s visuals do look a bit cartoonish in nature, but perhaps that’s what the developer is going for instead of striving for realism. It’s worth pointing out that the game is slated to release sometime in 2021, so it’s still smack dab in the middle of development right now.
According to the developer, The Lord Of The Rings: Gollum will feature stealth gameplay, a dual-personality mechanic, huge levels, and less focus on violence, as well as an appearance by the Nazgul.


Gamescom 2019: Time To Shoot Poor Schmucks Into Space Yet Again In Kerbal Space Program 2

We’ve had a ton of fun with Kerbal Space Program back in 2015, where you have to launch spaceships helmed by Kerbal astronauts to safety, or die trying. Except they’ll be doing the dying, not so much you. It’s like Lemmings for a new generation of gamers, but with a huge dash of space engineering and science in the mix.
Now we have a sequel incoming thanks to publishers Private Division and developers Star Theory Games. The game will be released in the first quarter of 2020 for US$59.99 on PC. The PS4 and Xbox One versions will be out shortly after.
The trailer below starts off serious with a nice indie band soundtrack, completely juxtaposed with the frequent accidents of the Kerbal astronauts. Funny stuff!

New features in the sequel include:

New planets to explore
New technologies to traverse the stars
The ability to establish colonies, all rooted in real-world science
Multiplayer modes
The ability to build without the constraints of planetary gravitation for the first time

Can’t wait to start tinkering around with spaceships and shuttles while praying the little Kerbals to make it through the first 10 times.


[Report] Callisto Protocol Developers Left Out Of Credits

Don’t you just hate it when you’re left out of a game’s credits after crunching for it for numerous weeks and months close to a Holiday season release? That seems like the case for last year’s not-quite-exciting horror action game The Callisto Protocol.
According to a Gamesindustry.biz report, 20 developers were omitted from the end credits of The Callisto Protocol, particularly those who did extensive work and contributed key development bits to the finished game. Many were surprised, as Striking Distance Studio never mentioned a policy of leaving developers off the credits if they left before the game shipped; one can assume it was punishment for taking a job elsewhere. In fact, the studio’s management made promises to address crunch culture in the same meetings where they praised the long hours people put into the title.
Here are some choice quotes from the report, obviously left anonymous.
“[The credits omission] felt like an obvious F-U to those who were left out. Somebody wanted to send a message, and the message was, ‘Next time have a bit more loyalty to us.”
“My issue is those of us who took part in that culture, who put in that time, and worked intensely to help craft this product, were punished with a credit omission for not going the extra mile…to stay until it shipped.”
There is no official word from Striking Distance Studios at this point in time. Meanwhile, here’s a past quote from studio head Glen A. Schofield while working on The Callisto Protocol.

Anyone who knows me knows how passionate I am about the people I work with. Earlier I tweeted how proud I was of the effort and hours the team was putting in. That was wrong. We value passion and creativity, not long hours. I’m sorry to the team for coming across like this.
— Glen A. Schofield (@GlenSchofield) September 3, 2022


Microsoft Flight Simulator Gets Top Gun Expansion This Month

The latest update for Microsoft Flight Simulator will fly you high into the danger zone.
The free Top Gun expansion will be out for Xbox Series, Xbox One, and PC this 25 May. The expansion will let players “experience first-hand what it’s like to be a U.S. Navy Top Gun”.

Attention flight simmers! This is your captain speaking
The Top Gun: Maverick experience is taking off 5/25 in Microsoft Flight Simulator! Don't have your own call sign yet? Create one today! https://t.co/HbJBpVgIPD pic.twitter.com/3i7Chp336l
— Xbox (@Xbox) May 9, 2022

You can even head down to the official promo website and create your own “call sign”. Just get your webcam ready.

The latest Microsoft Flight Simulator’s update focuses on Spain, Portugal, Gibraltar, and Andorra. It also includes a slew of high resolution geographic improvements like elevation data and aerial imagery, as well as four handcrafted airports, 99 custom points of interest, and 13 new activities.


StarCraft 2 Vets Form New RTS-Focused Studio

Last week, Blizzard announced that they have stopped the development of new content forÂ StarCraft 2.
Now, a group of former Blizzard developers and veterans (who previously worked on StarCraft 2, amongst others) have formed a new studio calledÂ Frost Giant Studios. The new company will focus primarily on real-time strategy (RTS) games.
On the official website of Frost Giant Studios, it is stated:
“Our mission is to build the next great PC real-time strategy game! We’ve been privileged to work for some of the greatest companies in the industry.Â Now it’s our turn to carry forward the legacy of epic storytelling, innovative co-op gameplay, and celebrated esports that make RTS great.”
The current team includes:
Tim Morten, production director and CEO (Former Production Director of StarCraft 2 and Command And Conquer: Generals 2)Tim Campbell, game director and president (Former Game Director of Wasteland 3, Lead Campaign Designer of Warcraft 3: The Frozen Throne)Cara LaForge, Business Operations Lead (Former Senior Program Manager at Blizzard Esports, co-founder of Day[9]TV)Jesse Brophy, Art Director (Former Lead Artist on StarCraft 2 and Principal Artist on Diablo 4)Ryan Schutter, Lead UX Designer (Former Lead Designer on StarCraft 2, creator of GameHeart)Kevin Dong, Lead Co-Op Designer (Former Lead Co-Op Designer on StarCraft 2, Project Manager for Team Liquid)Joseph Shunk, Lead Client Engineer (Former Gameplay Engineer on StarCraft 2 and Warcraft 3: Reforged)Austin Hudelson, Lead Server Engineer (Former Server Engineer for StarCraft 2)Micky Neilson, Writer (Former Publishing Lead and Senior Writer at Blizzard)
In the meantime, check out the trailer and meet the development team below:


Avengers: Endgame Fever Isn’t Affecting Japan So Far; Here’s Why

Earth’s Mightiest Heroes are no match for anime’s super-sleuths in Japan’s cinema week of 5 May and onwards.
While Avengers: Endgame‘s opening weekend in the country was at number one, the film was taken down a few notches the following weekend thanks to the latest Detective Conan movie subtitled “The Fist of the Blue Sapphire”.

“Avengers: Endgame“The movie that hits the charts as number one movie in all cinemas.
…except in Japan. pic.twitter.com/riIdYlJNAp
— ?? ? Bonten in Japan (@DokuganBAKA) May 12, 2019

The 23rd Detective Conan feature film, ‘Konjou no Fist’ beats Avengers : Endgame in latest box office report from Japan.
CONAN KEEPING IT STEADY. ???https://t.co/zkN1vdeKvT pic.twitter.com/CAPecAqTXZ
— ??????? ? ???? ??? ??????????s ?? (@yullaineedesu) May 12, 2019

https://twitter.com/KenXyro/status/1127426990661746688
On top of that, Cinema Today reported that PokÃ©mon: Detective Pikachu surpassed Avengers: Endgame during the week of 11th and 12th May. Keep in mind that the twenty-third Detective Conan film was in its fourth week in the country, while Avengers: Endgame was on its second weekend. Detective Pikachu was on its second weekend.
This contrast in what Japan likes -which is anime and great live-adaptations of anime/game properties- prove that not even 2019’s most-anticipated Western comic book film can make a dent in the country’s esoteric pop culture barrier.


Sony Patents Wireless Controller Charger Kit With Extra Back Buttons

Sony PlayStation are not done with the idea of putting back attachments on their DualShock controllers.
According to an MP1st report, the company’s latest patent that was filed back in late 2018 went public recently. It revealed a wireless charging attachment meant for gaming controls, which also comes with back attachment buttons. Because there’s really no such things as too many inputs to stay ahead of the game while charging your DualShock controller.

Here’s the breakdown:

The details found in the patent reveals that the charge is sent via wireless communication.
The buttons at the back? These are used to map the buttons found on the attachment; they will emit a light when they have been successfully paired with the device.

Keep in mind that this is not final, and the actual product that’s using this patent may be a completely different device. Still, it would make sense to have something like this work for wireless DualShock controllers. In a world where wireless mice and keyboards are the norm, it wouldn’t be unusual to have a PlayStation-branded wireless charger for your controllers.
Here’s the description of the patent in full detail so you can make your own assessment.
“A wireless charging adapter that can snap onto a computer game controller can be inductively coupled to a charging base to wirelessly recharge a battery in the controller. The adapter also can include keys that mirror keys on the controller so that a gamer can remove the adapter with controller from the charging base, keep the adapter on the controller, and use both the controller keys and adapter keys to control a computer game.
To map a game controller key to one of the left or right adapter keysÂ 1208,Â 1210, a user can press the set keyÂ 1206Â and then press the left or right keyÂ 1208,Â 1210Â sought to be mapped. The first press of the key sought to be mapped may illuminate a first one of the indicatorsÂ 1212. The user can look at the illuminated indicator and corresponding icon and if the user wishes to map the corresponding game controller key to the adapter key sought to be mapped, release both the set key and the adapter key sought to be mapped. If the user wishes to map a different controller key to the adapter key sought to be mapped, he presses the adapter key sought to be mapped again, which causes another indicatorÂ 1212Â to be illuminated for mapping the controller key represented by the iconÂ 1214Â associated with the indicator to the adapter key sought to be mapped according to principles above. The user can scroll through the indicators (and hence game controller keys) in this fashion by holding down the set keyÂ 1206 and toggling the adapter key sought to be mapped until the indicator representing the sought-after game controller key is illuminated, at which time the user releases the adapter keys to establish the mapping.”


E3 2019: Devolver Announces Bootleg Collection Of Its Own Games

Devolver Digital’s E3 2019 press conference was all kinds of crazy, but the highlight of the 20-minute presentation was arguably their bootleg collection comprising of ‘fake’ versions of their own popular games like Hotline Miami and Enter The Gungeon.
A total of 8 different games have received the bootleg treatment in the Devolver Bootleg collection, including:

Enter the GungeonÂ (Enter the Gun Dungeon)
Hotline MiamiÂ (Hotline Milwaukee)
Ape OutÂ (Ape Out Jr.)
DownwellÂ (Shootyboots)
LuftrausersÂ (Luftrausers 3)
AbsolverÂ (Super Absolver Mini: Turbo Fighting Championship)
Gato RobotoÂ (Catsylvania)
PikunukuÂ (Pikunuku Ball-Stars)

It is now available on Steam for the discounted price of RM12.37, which is a whopping one percent off its original price. That’s such a steal, especially for 8 awesome games. Here’s the official description for each of the games:
Enter The Gun Dungeon
Imagine a dungeon crawler but instead of swords, itâ€™s guns. But also everything is made out of guns and bullets and stuff. Like, everything.
Hotline Milwaukee
Brutal, fast-paced, stealth action and a whole lot of blood. From your garbage person apartment in historically interesting and relevant Milwaukee, pick up the phone, and answer the call–of murder. Follow instructions and follow the stairs deeper and deeper into the mysterious basement. Where does it go? Who are you?
Ape Out Jr.
Escape out of ape prison in this classic arcade-style platformer where you play as an orange gorilla who will kill everyone so he can to see his dad again. Grab unsuspecting guards to use as weapons and shields in this completely original idea set to an interpretive chiptune jazz drummer soundtrack. Please, Ape Out was my fatherâ€™s name.
Shootyboots
Itâ€™s the never-ending story of a young boy falling down a well, wearing a giant boot as if it was overalls, which also is a gun. Collect gems, squash and shoot the fauna, fall deeper into the infinite well, and wear some other equally large and ballistically designed shoes.
Super Absolver Mini: Turbo Fighting Championship
(2 Players Only)
A competitive fighting game where you play as your choice of one of four masked combat disciples. You choose two special moves. You fight two rounds. The winner is absolved of the obligation to ever have to fight again, but probably will anyway because the one true resolve of the flesh is a fist colliding with it.
Catsylvania
Itâ€™s a cat inside of a suit of armor. Itâ€™s a cat…In full plate armor. What else do you want?
PikuBiku Ball Stars
(2 Players Only)
Everybodyâ€™s favorite red thing with legs is back and ready to sink some baskets with a friend. Nothing but net baby. Slam freakinâ€™ dunk.
Luftrousers
Hello, I am Rami Ismail, Â½ of Dutch independent game development studio, Vlambeer. We made a version of Luftrausers that had a typo, and JW left the thumb drive containing the source at a coffee shop somewhere while I was doing a talk in Berlin, then Nairobi, then in Los Angeles the following day. If you find the thumb drive, can you please return it and please PLEASE do not share the contents with anyone or add it to a compilation of pirated, under-the-table ripoffs of games that Devolver has published.
Yes, those are really the official descriptions for each of the 8 games in the Devolver Bootleg collection. Check out the trailer for the Devolver Bootleg collection below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6cAS2hFvp0&w=560&h=315]


All Half-Life Games Are Free On Steam

When Half-Life: Alyx was announced, everyone expected a bigger reaction. Instead, people just went “What?” because of the game’s VR-exclusive nature. To make sure people are less hesitant to give Half-Life: Alyx a go, Valve is letting everyone get acquainted with the Half-Life universe.

Starting from today until the release of Half-Life: Alyx, all Half-Life games are free to play on Steam. This includes the first Half-Life, Half-Life 2, Half-Life 2: Episode One, and Half-Life 2: Episode Two.
All the games were released more than a decade ago so don’t worry about not being able to run them with today’s hardware. They definitely haven’t aged well but the storyline is extremely interesting. Play them and you’ll understand why so many people are angry that there isn’t a Half-Life 3.
The offer ends when Half-Life: Alyx comes out so if you’ve never played these games before, now is a great time to catch up. Even if you don’t plan on getting that VR prequel, it’s still an adventure worth experiencing.
For more information and to start playing the games, check out Steam’s official announcement.


Samurai Shodown Director Is Not A Fan Of “Boring” Perfect Character Balance

An interview with Samurai Shodown director Nobuyuki Kuroki (via Kotaku) brought up an interesting point as to why the game’s character balance issue is a topic among fighting game fans. He admits to saying he’s not a fan of making the power diversity in the game’s cast “too flat”.
Samurai Shodown‘s current roster features one “overpowered” character, Genjuro Kibagami, and a few “bottom tier” characters like Kyoshiro. To prove that point, Genjuro has been a prevalent pick in EVO 2019’s Top 8 Samurai Shodown tournament, particularly by the tournament’s winner Infiltration.
[videopress et0m7WEt]
Nobuyuki said that the team will release a balance patch sometime in the near future, but it may not make things as fair as some players may hope.

“I feel that if you make everything too flat in a game likeÂ Samurai Shodown, itâ€™s going to be boring. There is a lot of character personality, even among how weak or strong they are. Thereâ€™s going to be some balancing, but weâ€™re never going to make it completely flat”.

The Future Of SamSho
Nobuyuki said that he and the SNK team are looking forward to supporting more competitions & tournaments for the game, including a world tour similar to Tekken 7 and Street Fighter V. “I really just want more and more people to jump into the game, play it, bring as many playstyles as possible, and keep growing the community”.
Based on the data and the reception of the game, he noticed too that both Western and Japanese players have different styles of fighting. The former is aggressive, while the latter is methodical and research-savvy. “That works in the game,” said Nobuyuki. “The two different styles are kind of battling each other”.