Is Days Gone The PS4’s Most Divisive Game Of 2019?

We love it when there are so many video game outlets saying their various two cents on a particular title. Especially with one 5 years in the making from the company that created Bubsy 3D and then the Syphon Filter series as an apology for the former.
We gave Days Gone an above average score; it’s a fun and incredibly beautiful game with some flaws in its main story missions, gameplay flow, and unnecessarily long hours. The rest of the games media in Asia and international waters are mostly on the same boat with various takes on their reviews.
Check out how the game is faring in the scoring department after this screencap of Deacon about to bludgeon some marauder.

GameAxis -8.3/10
Objectively,Â Days GoneÂ looks, plays and feels rather satisfying, to say the least. Dynamic weather systems that have tactical impacts, intuitive controls, and generally fluid gameplay make for a very engaging experience. Combat is smooth, isnâ€™t overly punishing, and often rewards a playerâ€™s creativity.Â
Just Saying.Asia – 8.5/10
I enjoyed my time with Days Gone, and even after this review has been written, Iâ€™ll probably still be riding around in rural Oregon, taking in the beauty of the wilderness, and killing freakers.
Aksiz – 5.5/10
Walaupun dunia permainan ini sangat luas dengan pengembaraan bermotosikal yang menarik, ianya masih lagi berasa kosong dan dicampur dengan penceritaannya yang mengecewakan, permainan ini sudah pastinya adalah salah satu permainan yang sangat mengecewakan untuk tahun ini dan sebagai permainan pihak pertama oleh Sony, ini sememangnya satu perkara yang agak menyedihkan.
Walaupun begitu, saya berharap Bend Studio akan belajar daripada kesilapan ini dan mereka akan terus membangunkan satu permainan dunia terbuka yang lebih menarik pada masa akan datang.Â

Stuff.TV (Malaysia) – 3/5
In all due respect to Days Gone and its developers, the game is not entirely bad nor is it a great one either. The major problem of the game is that its not daring enough to come up with something unique or groundbreaking that it could proudly claim as its own.
Days Gone lacks anything unique that could set it apart from other games before it.
IGN – 6.5/10
Days Gone feels bloated, like a movie that goes on for an hour longer than it needs to or shouldâ€™ve. Itâ€™s messy and confused, but peppered with genuinely thrilling encounters with rampaging hordes of zombies and occasionally breathless firefights.
Thereâ€™s a good game in here somewhere, but itâ€™s buried in a meandering storyline, repetitive missions, and just too much obligatory stuff to do without an eye on the smaller details that could have given it much more character. Some fine tuning and editing could have removed the tedium and celebrated what makes this game unique and interesting, but Days Gone rides strictly down the middle of the dusty road and never finds its rhythm.
Games Radar – 3.5/5
Days Goneâ€™s world is very much greater than the sum of its parts. Its haphazard nature wouldnâ€™t have survived on a smaller scale, but this is a substantial thing. The story can be spotty, and the gameplay glitchy, but over tens of hours it evens out. Itâ€™s easier to forgive a scattered narrative and occasional Freaker standing ankle deep in asphalt when you can spend hours exploring, discovering, or fighting through what it has to offer. Its open world has enough surprises and depths to penetrate that I always found it enjoyable and full of memorable stories.Â
Gamer Braves – 8.5/10
Overall, [Days Gone is] a very impressive and aesthetic game with deep backstories, highly recommended to players that are always looking for a challenge.
Geek Culture – 8.1/10
Bend Studioâ€™sÂ Days GoneÂ has put together a world that stands on its own, held up by amazingly realised characters, and an engaging gameplay loop that will keep you on your toes and constantly thinking. Get in on well-acted character drama, and stay for the freakishly good gameplay.


King Kong Spin-Off Anime Due For Netflix; Produced By The Castlevania Folks

Short off the heels of announcing a Tomb Raider anime, Netflix is still on the animation domination train with its spin-off of King Kong.
The streaming service has announced Skull Island, a new anime series set in the Legendary MonsterVerse. The show will be produced by Powerhouse Animation, the studio behind the successful Castlevania Netflix anime series. The show will feature the adventures of a shipwrecked crew, a bunch of monsters, and King Kong. So unlike Lost, there’s actual payoff and action.

A shipwrecked crew, an island of monsters, and one king to rule them all. Skull Island is a new anime series set in @Legendary’s Monsterverse from @PowerhouseAnim.
— Netflix Geeked @ SDCC #NetflixSDCC (@NetflixGeeked) January 27, 2021

There’s no release date or preview as of yet. Being an animated series, Skull Island will get the fleshed-out narrative and lore it deserves after being in that Kong: Skull Island movie a few years back. And with the Powerhouse Animation team behind it, it’ll look pretty gorgeous. Let’s hope they add more in-betweens to their non-action scenes and try not to cut corners in an obvious fashion, eh?


Teen Titans Clash In Upcoming Animated Movie That May Rival Spider-Verse

True fans will be disappointed to know that the beloved Teen Titans from the 2003 TV series will be returning to play second fiddle to the new Teen Titans Go! team in a new upcoming animated crossover movie, Teen Titans Go! Vs. Teen Titans.
It all started when the post-credits scene in 2018’s Teen Titans Go! To the Movies teased the return of the original and iconic Teen Titans, which many fans hoped would mean that a sixth season of the show would be coming. However, it looks like we don’t deserve nice things from the folks at Warner Bros.
In Teen Titans Go! Vs. Teen Titans, the new comedic team will be facing off against the 2003 team and later work together to fight not one, but two different Trigons, each from their own respective universes. Spider-Verse this surely ain’t.
The upcoming movie stars:

Greg Cipes as Beast Boy
Scott Menville as Robin
Khary Payton as Cyborg
Tara Strong as Raven
Hynden Walch as Starfire
Kevin Michael Richardson as Trigon/Hexagon
Robert Morse as Santa Claus
Grey Griffin as Mrs. Claus
Rhys Darby as Master of Games
Sean Maher as Nightwing
“Weird Al” Yankovic as Gentleman Ghost and Darkseid

Teen Titans Go! Vs. Teen Titans is slated to release sometime later this year on DVD and Blu-Ray. In the meantime, check out the trailer below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XPG2xEEOmo&w=560&h=315]

Top image credit: IGN


Marvel Unveils Kang’s Time Chair & Motivations In Ant-Man And The Wasp Quantumania

We still don’t know a lot about the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s next Big Bad, Kang The Conqueror (Jonathan Majors). However, in an interview with Empire, Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige has revealed the villain’s motivations, at least for the upcoming Ant-Man And The Wasp Quantumania.
He said:
“He is the obvious choice as you’re dealing with the Multiverse. Kang allowed us to do a new kind of Big Bad. He’s a different type of villain, warring amongst themselves as much as he’s warring with our heroes.
Kang’s a very powerful person, but when we meet him he’s in a position where he needs to get that power back.
He has a ship and a device that would allow him to go anywhere, and anywhen he wants if he can get it online. If only he had access to genius scientists with Pym particles.”
We see a glimpse of that device, which might be his iconic Time Chair, in a new official image below:

Directed by Peyton Reed and produced by Kevin Feige and Stephen Broussard, Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania also stars Jonathan Majors as Kang, David Dastmalchian as Veb, Katy O’Brian as Jentorra, William Jackson Harper as Quaz and Bill Murray as Lord Krylar.
What does Kang need to recover his power? We’ll find out when Ant-Man And The Wasp Quantumania premieres on 17 February 2023.


Tier VIII Ships Sail Into World of Warships: Legends On 25 July

World of Warships fans can look forward to 25 July when World of Warships: Legends receive 14 new powerful Tier VIII ships. Unfortunately, no carriers this time around, but they still look pretty nifty!
Tier VIII comes into shore
Tier VIII joins World of Warships: Legends as the new highest tier of ships before Legendary ships. With this new tier come 14 ships, 12 of which are available in the tech tree. Representing four different nations, the USA, Japan, Germany, and USSR, these 12 ships will cover every variety but carriers — highlights include American battleship Maine, German cruiser Roon, and Japanese destroyer Yugumo.

Players will also have the chance to acquire the first-Tier VIII ship available as a campaign reward, with the impressive French battleship Republique available at the end of the five-week L’Ambassadeur campaign. To round off these new additions to the game, the economy sees a reduced cost for battle entry for higher tier ships, and increased credit bonuses awarded for Tier VII premiums.
Making Their Match
With all that these new ships have to offer, Tier VII brings along with it an improvement to matchmaking during this update, as a +/- 1 Tier rule comes into place, giving ships of this new tier the opportunity to battle for naval dominance against certain Tier VII and Legendary ships.
It should also be noted that since not many players will be able to jump aboard Tier VIII ships on release, matchmaking will temporarily allow Tier VII, VIII, and Legendary ships to be matched in the same battle. Of course, this change will be reverted once more players obtain Tier VIII ships.
More To Ship
Tier VIII will continue to make a splash, with more ships entering Legends’ waters as the year progresses. These ships will also become available through wider channels of distribution, available through the tech tree, as a reward for campaigns, in auctions as well as eventually arriving in the Bureau and Store.


Bandai’s Dragon Ball Z Games Are Doing Fine & Dandy, Selling Over 8 Million Copies Each

Bandai Namco’s anime meal ticket Dragon Ball Z has been beneficial video games-wise.
The company announced that both its DBZ games, Dragon Ball FighterZ the 2D fighting game that made Marvel vs Capcom Infinite obsolete, and Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 the “insert fan creation” DBZ RPG game, have each surpassed eight million units in sales. That’s a lot!
To celebrate this momentous occasion, Bandai Namco will be hosting the following in-game campaigns for each respective title:

Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2

Campaign Period: November 12 to 18
Campaign Details: Raid Boss Battle â€œJiren (Full Power)â€
Participation Reward: Satan Badge (Common) x1, TP Medal x80

Dragon Ball FighterZ

Campaign #1 Period: November 12 to 20

Details: Downloadable content characters Bardock, Broly, Zamasu (Fused), Gogeta (SSGSS) are free to play during this period.

Campaign #2 Period: November 20 to 28

Details: Downloadable content characters Goku, Vegeta, Cooler, and Android 17 are free to play during this period.

Campaign #3 Period: November 28 to December 7

Details: Downloadable content characters Jiren, Videl, Goku (GT), Janemba, Gogeta (SSGSS), and Broly (DBS) are free to play during this period.

I’m not familiar with Xenoverse, but I did enjoy my time playing DBFZ despite the fact that it has too many Gokus. Congrats to Bandai Namco for the huge sales numbers, though it’s not really unexpected given the major popularity of the Dragon Ball Z franchise.


New Sifu Trailer Showcases Kung Fu Fighting In The Club

Sloclap has released a new gameplay trailer for Sifu, the third-person action kung fu game whichÂ was originally announced in February 2021 during a PlayStation State Of Play presentation.
The new trailer showcases the game’s protagonist beating up a bunch of enemies inside a club, before reaching what seems to be a boss battle in the middle of the dance floor. It looks awesome.
Featuring the gripping intensity of classic Kung Fu films with realistic and raw combat, Sifu tells the story of a young Kung Fu student who has spent their life training for a day of reckoning after the brutal murder of their entire family by a mysterious assassination squad.
Sifuâ€˜s unique gameplay sits at the crossroads of two established and popular genres, mashing the intensity and timeless thrill of beat em ups with the gripping design of 3D character action games. Itâ€™s fitting that Sloclap is making this kind of game, seeing as the developerâ€™s last title was the third-person action game Absolver.
Sifu is slated to launch for the PS5, PS4, and PC via the Epic Games Store sometime in 2021.
In the meantime, check out the trailer below:


Horror XCOM-Like Othercide Is Coming In July

DeveloperÂ Lightbulb CrewÂ and publisherÂ Focus Home Interactive’s new turn-based tactical RPG, Othercide, has finally received a release date. UnlikeÂ XCOMÂ orÂ Phoenix PointÂ (which both feature aliens and science fiction), this upcoming game will feature unique horror elements and aesthetics.
Set in a world where the Daughters are in a war with the Others, the combat inÂ OthercideÂ is described as an intricate dance between spectacular actions and counters. The playable Daughters (each of which occupies three different archetypes or classes: Blademaster, Soulslinger, and Shieldbearer) are graced with a unique set of skills and can make use ofÂ Othercideâ€˜s Dynamic Timeline System.
This mechanic enables players to do things like interrupt an enemy attack, plan delayed actions to be triggered later in the timeline, or use reaction skills to respond to any threat.
As the game progresses, Daughters will level up, acquire new skills, and can utilise the memories of slain Suffering in order to access additional stat-boosting bonuses. Players can somehow even kill their own Daughters to â€˜healâ€™ or â€˜boost other statsâ€™. Thatâ€™s pretty dark, but I guess thatâ€™s where the horror aspect comes in.
Othercide is slated to release for the PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC (via Steam) on 28 July 2020. In the meantime, check out the release date trailer below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARnv2lFWLWk&w=560&h=315]


Diablo 4’s Latest Patch Notes Nerfs Barbarians

It’s only been a few days since Diablo IV was launched and we are already seeing some updates made to the game. My guess is that after seeing some of the ‘hardcore’ players, they’ve deduced that some skills were too strong. The patch notes read,
“While we want players to both feel and be truly powerful, some Class builds and synergies are outside of our bounds for what is reasonable for the health of the game, so we are reducing their effectiveness. As an example, we generally want to avoid creating situations where players can survive unreasonably high amounts of damage for long periods of time because it too greatly warps our vision for how combat should be in Diablo 4.”
Some classes received some well deserved nerfs and some received some buffs. So let’s take a look at what changes were made.
BARBARIAN

Whirlwind Barbs took a big hit.

Skill Changes

Challenging Shout

Damage Reduction gained from Skill Ranks reduced from 4% to 2%

Legendary Aspect Changes

Bold Chieftain’s Aspect

Cooldown reduction per Nearby enemy reduced from 2.7-5.4 seconds to 1.0-1.9 seconds.
Maximum Cooldown reduction from 12 to 6 seconds.

Aspect of the Dire Whirlwind

Increased Critical Strike Chance per second reduced from 5-10% to 3-8%.
Maximum Critical Strike Chance bonus reduced from 20-40% to 9-24%.

Item Changes

Gohr’s Devastating Grips

Explosion damage gained from Whirlwind reduced from 50-70% to 16-26%.
Damage against wreckable objects no longer increases explosion damage.
Explosion damage is only increased by the first 100 hits of Whirlwind.

DRUID

Druid has a mixture of buffs and nerfs. Lightning-based builds in particular were touched.

Skill Changes

Pulverize

Lucky Hit Chance reduced from 33% to 25%.

Lightning Storm

Damage increased from 32% to 40%.

Grizzly Rage

Maximum extended duration from kills reduced from 10 to 5 seconds.

Class Specialization

Obsidian Slam

Kills required for bonus increased from 10 to 20.

Calm Before the Storm

Lucky Hit Chance reduced from 15% to 10%.

Passive Changes

Electric Shock

Damage bonus increased from 5/10/15% to 6/12/18%.

Legendary Aspect Changes

Shockwave Aspect

Damage reduced from 90-130% to 60-100%.

Crashstone Aspect

Critical Strike Damage reduced from 40-50% to 30-40%.

Lightning Dancer’s Aspect

Flat damage increased from .5-.6 to .7-.8.

NECROMANCER

Necromancer gamers will be glad to know that they have received some well deserved love this update. Most of these buffs are focused on minion buffs including damage buffs to both skeletons and Golems.

Skill Changes

Blood Lance

Damage increased from 67.5% to 80%.

Army of the Dead

Damage increased from 30% to 45%.
Cooldown reduced from 90 to 70 seconds.

Blood Wave

Damage increased from 90% to 120%.

Passive Changes

Shadowblight

Damage increased from 20% to 22%.

Grim Harvest

Essence gained reduced from 3/6/9 to 2/4/6.

Serration

Critical Strike Chance reduced from .5/1/1.5% to .3/.6/.9%.

Death’s Defense

Maximum Minion Life lost in a single damage instance reduced from 75/60/45% to 60/45/30%.

Class Specialization

Raise Skeleton

Skeleton Warrior attack damage increased by 10%.

Golem

Golem attack damage increased by 10%.

Blood Golem

Blood Golem Life drain damage increased from 40% to 90%.
Blood Golem Life drain healing from enemies hit increased from 4% to 5%.

Iron Golem

Iron Golem slam damage increased from 25% to 175%.
Iron Golem shockwave damage increased from 30% to 40%.

Necromancer Paragon Board Changes

Hulking Monstrosity

Golem Life and damage bonus increased from 30% to 40% Life.

Cult Leader

Damage bonus increased from 10% to 15%.

ROGUE

Twisting Blades, the most popular build, which was emerging as a strong favorite took a big hit. It looked like it was a bit too strong for Blizzard’s taste.

Skill Changes

Twisting Blades

Advanced Twisting Blades Cooldown reduction per enemy hit reduced from .25 to .1 seconds.
Advanced Twisting Blades maximum Cooldown reduction reduced from 3 to 2 seconds.

Rapid Fire

Damage increased from 24% to 30%.

Dark Shroud

Damage Reduction per shadow gained from Skill Ranks reduced from .8% to .4%.

Dash

Enhanced Dash Critical Strike Damage bonus from 20% to 15%.

Caltrops

Damage increased from 30% to 40%.

Passive Changes

Concussive

Critical Strike Chance reduced from 5/10/15% to 4/8/12%.

Legendary Affix Changes

Repeating

Maximum Minion Life lost in a single damage instance reduced from 75/60/45% to 60/45/30%.

SORCERER

Sorcerer was barely touched since it seems to be the most balanced class at the moment.

Skill Changes

Arc Lash

Lucky Hit Chance reduced from 30% to 14%.
Glinting Arc Lash Cooldown reduction reduced from .25 to .15 seconds.

Teleport

Shimmering Teleport’s Damage Reduction duration reduced from 5 to 3 seconds.

Legendary Affix Changes

Aspect of Control

Bonus damage reduced from 30-40% to 25-35%.

General

Miscellaneous Class Changes

Druid Companions and Necromancer Minions

Maximum damage over time taken per damage instance reduced from 2% to 1% of maximum Life.

Paragon Board Changes

Rare Nodes

Player Attack Speed nodes reduced by 50%.

Glyphs

All Glyph Bonus scaling has been reduced by ~34%, except for the following:
Critical Strike Damage Glyphs’ Bonus reduced by ~66%.
Vulnerable Glyphs’ Bonus reduced by ~66%.
Glyphs’ Bonus to Rare nodes reduced by ~50%.
Glyphs’ Bonus to Magic nodes reduced by ~40%.
Glyphs’ Bonus to Cold/Fire/Lightning/Non-Physical/Physical nodes reduced by ~62.5%.

Monster Changes

Significantly reduced the spawn rate of Treasure Goblins within PvP zones.

Bug Fixes

Fixed the name for the Light Bearer Mount.
The Go to Shop button from the Wardrobe will now properly open the shop.
Fixed an issue where if a Sorcerer uses Deep Freeze and is affected by another effect that would freeze them, it caused them to be permanently stunned.
Miscellaneous stability and crash fixes.


Kakuchopurei Best 30 Games Of 2022: #30

For the full list, head here.
#30. Bayonetta 3 (Switch)

PlatinumGames has been rather quiet since Astral Chain back in 2019, and the less said about Babylon’s Fall, the better. Still, they really know their action gaming when it counts, and that is evident in the third Bayonetta game.
While we did criticize the game’s story and resolution, which is terrible even for its already middling standards, the game’s action and controls are still peerless. In part 3, Bayonetta can manually control her giant-as-hell demon slaves and move them to her will, which is a callback to Astral Chain and also scrapped remains of the cancelled Scalebound. She can also perform combo enders with a surprise giant attack, and even a counter of epic proportions. Not only that, she has a plethora of weapons to experiment and play around with, from a giant club-slash-howitzer-cannon hybrid to a train-chainsaw combo that’s basically the steam-powered version of Devil May Cry 5’s Cavalier.
Yes, it seems like PlatinumGames is playing catch-up in certain areas by copying Capcom’s homework, but the fact remains: Bayonetta 3 is still a must-have action game for the Nintendo Switch. This is solely due to its presentation and all-out action and standout moments like the Strider werewolf duels. Though we won’t hold it against you if you blocked the final chapter and ending cutscenes of the game from your mind palace.


Star Trek Discovery Season 3 Is Beaming Up This October

CBS has announced that Star Trek: Discovery is coming to CBS All Access on a weekly schedule starting from 15 October 2020. It will feature 13 episodes.
With the new season of Star Trek Discovery on the horizon and the upcoming 6 August 2020 premiere of Star Trek Lower Decks, fans of the franchise are spoilt for choice. That’s not even mentioning the second season of Star Trek Picard and the recently-announced Star Trek Strange New Worlds, the Section 31-based series with Michelle Yeoh, and the CG-animated series Star Trek Prodigy.
In addition to Martin-Green, the cast for the third season of Star Trek Discovery includes Doug Jones (Commander Saru), Anthony Rapp (Lt. Commander Paul Stamets), Mary Wiseman (Ensign Sylvia Tilly), Wilson Cruz (Dr. Hugh Culber), David Ajala (Cleveland â€œBookâ€ Booker) and Michelle Yeoh (Philippa Georgiou).
Check out the trailer below:

The future is now. Star Trek: Discovery returns October 15 ðŸ’« #StarTrekDiscovery #StarTrek https://t.co/FSHC0NbIOF pic.twitter.com/4odsMwUNE2
â€” Star Trek (@StarTrek) July 27, 2020


SNK Is Now 96% Owned By The Saudi Arabian Crown Prince

The company that made The King of Fighters XV and other classic 2D action and fighting games is pretty much fully owned by Saudi Arabian royalty.
In late 2020, the company known as Electronic Gaming Development Company (EGDC), that is owned by Saudi Arabia crown prince Mohammed bin Salman, previously purchased a 33% stake and became SNK’s largest shareholder. As of now, however, the company is now fully owned by EGDC as it now has 96.18% of its shares. This is from SNK’s Korean investor relations page.
This may draw the ire of many, especially since the Saudi Arabian crown prince is allegedly responsible for the assassination of journalist Jama Khashoggi, among other human rights transgressions the collective is known for. If this bugs you, then you may be dismayed to learn that Mohammed bin Salman also owns big shares in Activision Blizzard, EA, Take-Two, and others the EGDC hasn’t disclosed as of yet. Still, other companies have done their best in avoiding this, like Riot Games who has ended a partnership with Saudi Arabian city Neom after fans pointed out the country’s human rights abuses. Then again, most companies aren’t making bank like Riot, so…


TGS 2018 (Kinda): Red Dead Redemption 2’s Online Mode Beta Starts November

Take Two Interactive sure loves money, don’t they? In keeping up with tradition via GTA Online, Take Two and Rockstar Games announced Red Dead Online, the multiplayer online component for its upcoming open world action game Red Dead Redemption 2.
Here’s the breakdown:

Just like GTA Online, Red Dead Online will use the gameplay and world of Red Dead Redemption 2 as a foundation for players to explore its vast open world online.
It’ll be an evolution of the classic multiplayer experience in the original Red Dead Redemption.
You can explore the world solo or with buddies/a posse.
It’ll be in beta form this November.

Red Dead Redemption 2 will be out 26th October for PS4 and Xbox One. In the meantime, you can check out our preview.


Sonic’s Next New Adventure Is In Space For A Jupiter Expedition

Sega’s blue hedgehog will be represented in a good light after his previous deformed image in a recent movie trailer.
The JUICE Explorer (Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer) will be using Sonic’s face and cute body as a logo on some of its equipment as part of the upcoming European Space Agency mission to monitor Jupiter’s moons in 2022. The news was made public by Sega and Japan’s Tohoku University; the former gave them permission to use the character.
Why Sonic? Apparently, the European team of the expedition, led by one Prof. Jan-Erik Wahlund, were fans of the Sonic The Hedgehog video games. Wahlund proposed the idea to Sega, stating his team’s fondness for the blue streak and also his adventures in space many times like the last boss fight in Sonic 2 and the entire last levels of Sonic 3 & Knuckles.

Remember that bulls*** final fight after getting all the Chaos Emeralds? Of course I did; it was insanely hard but oh-so-satisfying to complete…

The logo itself features classic Sonic alongside the slogan “If it’s electrified and wiggles, it’s ours!”. That quote was picked because the equipment used will examine and confirm the water bodies lying underneath the icy exteriors of Jovian moons Callisto and Ganymede via radio wave activity. The expedition crew will reach the system in 2029 if the launch in 2022 goes off without a hitch.


Next The Dark Pictures Anthology Entry To Star Black Mirror Bandersnatch Actor

Until Dawn developer Supermassive Games has announced the next entry in The Dark Pictures Anthology series following the upcoming game Man Of Medan, which is slated to release for the PS4, Xbox One, and PC on 30 August 2019.
Anyone who completes The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man Of Medan will be treated to a secret ending of a special teaser for The Dark Pictures Anthology: Little Hope. This was revealed by Twitter user @slashthrasher (via Gematsu).
No details have been revealed about The Dark Pictures Anthology: Little Hope, but I recognize the actor portraying one of the characters in the teaser trailer. It’s none other than Black Mirror: Bandersnatch and Chronicles Of Narnia: Voyage Of The Dawn Treader actor Will Poulter.
It looks pretty scary, as any horror set in the woods often is, and is set to release sometime in 2020. In the meantime, check out The Dark Pictures Anthology: Little Hope teaser trailer below.
Stay tuned for our review of The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man Of Medan later this week.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSytATmTF1U&w=560&h=315]


Splatoon Collaboration With Pokémon Splatting On To Switch In November

Nintendo has come out and announced a collaboration between Splatoon 3 and Pokémon to commemorate the launch of Scarlet and Violet on 18 November.
SPLATOON 3 ALSO SOLD OVER 3 MILLION COPIES LAST MONTH
Splatfests is a feature in Splatoon 3 which happens every few weeks in-game. These events see players across Splatoon 3 pick a side and battle for conch shells.
The last Splatfest saw players choose what they’d bring to a deserted island, with the options being Gear, Grub or Fun.

To celebrate the launch of #PokemonScarletViolet, a Splatoon x Pokémon collaboration Splatfest will be held in #Splatoon3 from 12/11 to 14/11.
Get ready to splat for Team Grass, Team Fire or Team Water!
Get the deets: https://t.co/IgxSUpYC6V pic.twitter.com/VlXP0m2FX8
— Nintendo UK (@NintendoUK) October 7, 2022

Nintendo will be live-streaming two concerts from its Nintendo Live event in Japan this weekend, one of which will feature music from Splatoon 3.


Overwatch League Divisions Revealed – Pacific Division Looking Very Competitive

The Divisions and teams set to compete in them in the upcoming Overwatch League has been revealed and we have to say – it’s a lopsided one at first glance but kind of evens out the longer we look at it.
Here’s the breakdown:
Atlantic Division
Â Â Â Â
Pre-season Prediction: The early favorites in our books are the New York Excelsior and London Spitfire with Houston Outlaws and Florida Mayhem as the dark horses while Boston and Philadelphia may be struggling early on.
Pacific Division
Â Â Â Â
Pre-Season Prediction:Â Seoul Dynasty and Dallas Fuel are easy front-runners with a mixed bag in the dark-horses category as all other four teams are equally impressive in their lineups.
How Will these Separate Divisions Affect Teams Going Into the Play-offs?
Due to the structure of the Overwatch League, each team carries their fate in their own hands as these Divisions will only come into play in the final, overall standings. Two Division Champions- the teams with the highest overall league position when compared to other teams within their division, gets an automatic spot and a bye in the playoffs.
The other playoff spots will be the top four teams by full-season record (combined). During the regular season, each team will play 40 games: 20 within its division and 20 cross-division and these results affect their league positions.
We will be bringing you more updates on the matches structure and schedules as we head closer to the pre-season of the Overwatch League so make sure you stay tuned to Kakuchopurei.com.


Cities: Skylines 2 Is Coming To PC & Consoles This Year

Paradox Interactive has announced a sequel to its hit city-building game Cities: Skylines.
Cities: Skylines 2 will be out for PC, Xbox Series, and PS5 this year; the news was made during the Paradox Announcement Show 2023. Here’s what the city building simulation will offer:
“Cities: Skylines 2 offers the most realistic city simulation ever created, in which players can build any kind of city they can imagine and follow its growth from a humble village to a bustling metropolis.
From individual households to the city’s economy and transportation system, Cities: Skylines 2 offers a deep and immersive simulation that welcomes both new and veteran players.
Cities: Skylines reset the bar for city-building games when it launched eight years ago, and we are incredibly proud of its impact. We built a thriving community around Cities and introduced many to city building for the first time.
Now, we’ve brought the years of experience we’ve gained to take a new step forward in the city builder genre, again, for our community and new players
The Cities brand has been an important part of Paradox’s catalogue of games for over a decade. Cities: Skylines is a profound success, selling millions of copies, welcoming more than 5.5 million new players just last year, and setting the foundation for Cities: Skylines II.”
Key features in Cities: Skylines 2 include 150 map tiles, disasters like a rat infestation and hailstorms, and the ability to see a citizen’s life from childhood to old age (via True Achievements).
Check out the trailer at the 31:01 mark of the Paradox Announcement Show 2023 livestream.


Here’s How To Play Call of Duty: Mobile On PC

Call of Duty: Mobile launches tomorrow (1 October 2019) and yes, it’s a completely free-to-play version of Call of Duty with the usual mobile game monetisation system. Not to be left behind, it will also have a battle royale mode.
For those of you who don’t like gaming on your phones or maybe your phone doesn’t have the hardware for gaming, you can play the game on PC through GameLoop, an Android emulator. Don’t worry, this is completely legit and is endorsed by the game’s developer Tencent.
However, it’s unclear whether or not matchmaking will separate players playing on phone and PC emulator but I believe it definitely will because the system is implemented PUBG Mobile which is also emulated through GameLoop and is also developed by Tencent.
Check out the game’s recently released cinematic trailer here:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tv7LfFeamsc&w=560&h=315]


Ubisoft Is Working On Fixing Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Corrupted Saves Issue

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is a very buggy game, and that’s no secret. One of the biggest problems plaguing players since launch has been the issue of saves becoming corrupted for no reason.
I encountered this problem first-hand when playing Assassin’s Creed Valhalla for the purpose of my review. Even now, after 70 plus hours into the game and more than a week after launch, the corrupted saves issue still persists for me, and I see now, for many others as well.
The issue happens when saves would get a “Data corrupted!” tag. Both manual saves and autosaves alike would get corrupted, and the only solution I have so far is to keep manual saving several times until it sticks and the “Data corrupted!” doesn’t appear anymore.
Thankfully, in an email to GamesRadar, Ubisoft has officially acknowledged the corrupted saves problem in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla.
They said:
“We are aware that some players are encountering issues with their saves appearing as corrupted for Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. We are actively working on fixing those. We advise players to consult the dedicated page on Ubisoft Support for a temporary solution until we can provide a patch in the coming weeks.”
While “in the coming weeks” sounds vague and unclear, at least players can rest assured that Ubisoft is working on a fix as we speak. It’s frustrating to lose hours of progress due to corrupted saves.
In the meantime, check outÂ our full review ofÂ Assassinâ€™s Creed ValhallaÂ here, orÂ head on over here for our guideÂ on how to be the best Viking in the game.


Halo Infinite Players Will Now Get Bonus XP In Their First Few Daily Matches

Halo Infinite‘s free-to-play multiplayer was already one of the most played games on Steam shortly after launch but that doesn’t mean that it was perfect. The game received criticism for its battle pass and bad progression system. Developer 343 Industries has since vowed to start fixing the problem, and one of them is coming to make the game better.
Previously, players would earn no XP from playing their first few games, as all XP would be obtained via completing challenges alone. Despite there being a permanent “play one game” challenge that awards 50XP each time, the developer “noticed that players were starting their sessions with slower payouts than we’d like”.

After seeing how XP was earned with those changes, we noticed that players were starting their sessions with slower payouts than we'd like. To address this, we will be increasing the XP payout for the first 6 matches of each day. An outline of this update can be found below:
— John Junyszek (@Unyshek) November 30, 2021

In a new update, Halo Infinite players will be getting more XP in their first few games of each day. The first six games played each day will now reward more experience than before. It will gradually decrease before reverting to 50XP per match as usual starting from the seventh game of the day.
This is what that looks like:

1st Game = 300XP
2nd Game = 200XP
3rd Game = 200XP
4th Game = 100XP
5th Game = 100XP
6th Game = 100XP
7th+ Game = 50XP

According to Halo Infinite community manager John Junyszek (via Twitter), the bonus XP update is slated to go live later today and have been made “based on data and player feedback.” He also confirmed that 343 is “committed” to further improving the game, but “those will take time” to do in future updates.
In the meantime, check out our review-in-progress of Halo Infinite by heading over here.


There May Be A Valkyrie Profile Remaster In The Works…(Update: Nope, Just A Goddamn Mobile Port)

This story has been updated with new info about the upcoming iOS/Android version of Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth. Goddammit…
Alright, so the Secret Of Mana remake may be a heaping garbage fire when compared to the original, but its heart was in the right place. I think. Square Enix, supposedly on a remastering bender, might be eyeing Valkyrie Profile next.
Wait, what? The same masterful JRPG where you recruit dead warriors and sorcerers to fight in Ragnarok? The same game with the prog-rock awesomeness from Motoi Sakuraba? The same JRPG with a battle system that is like Street Fighter but turn-based?
We asked ourselves the same thing when this trailer popped up.

You know it’s a 90s JRPG when they go nuts with the alliterations that don’t make a lick of sense. “Should deny the divine destiny of the destinies”: this is a class of its own with Duodecim and Fabula Novalis Crystariumwatchamacallit.
Update: It’s been a week, and Square Enix has made it official – this Valkyrie Profile game is an iOS/Android version of Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth. We’d probably curse Square Enix’s name right now, but this is on par with their recent remake and porting efforts as of late. So thanks, you jerks!
Anyway, the site is here.Â You can see bits and clips of the new interface and game’s new look below.

Anyway, stay tuned for more news about this remake/port/cocktease from us at Kakuchopurei.


World Of Warships Legends Adds Crossplay & More In Latest Update

Wargaming has announced that World Of Warships Legends will be receiving a new update on 25 November 2019, which will add cross-platform play, ranked battles, Black Friday events, and improvements ranging from UI improvements to brand new maps.
Wargaming CEO Victor Kislyi said:

â€œMaking sure that our players have the best experience possible is our biggest goal, so Iâ€™m excited that both sets of fans will be able to enjoy World of Warships: Legends together.
This is just the first step in our cross-play efforts; itâ€™s definitely something we want to build on in the future.â€

Cross-Play

With the new cross-play functionality, World Of Warships Legends players will be able to battle with or against any other player regardless of whether they are on Xbox One or PS4.
In addition, this will also indirectly decrease matchmaking times on both consoles, though the cross-play feature only currently works in the matchmaker, without the ability to voice-chat or interact with each other when from different consoles.
Ranked Battles

Ranked Battles will provide players with new opportunities for even more intense and competitive battles, by adding substantial rewards for participating in the Ranked sprints.
There will be two sprints of Ranked Battles, the first of which will feature Tier V ships while the second will feature Tier IV ships.
Black Friday Event

In commemoration of Black Friday, World Of Warships Legends will have an epic sale with some exclusive deals. The highlight of the event are the three “Black Edition” ships on sale for a discounted price, which includes the Warspite B, Scharnhorst B, and the Atlanta B.
The Atlanta was previously the reward for completing the first season in World of Warships Legends, so this will be the first time that she will be available in the game post-launch. These “Black Edition” ships feature a sleek and jet-black skin that distinguishes them from other metallic ships.
Look out for the World Of Warships Legends update on 25 November 2019. In the meantime, check out the trailer below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZmLx0RaY4I&w=560&h=315]


Borderlands 3 Introduces Vault Cards & Diamond Keys, Effectively Bringing In Dailies

Most MMORPGs have you doing dailies; everyday quests that net you a bit of rewards here and there to keep player engagement a-going. Borderlands 3 will be doing that with a new Vault Cards and Diamond Keys system for its upcoming Director’s Cut add-on.
Vault Cards are game mods that give you more loot and XP. When Director’s Cut launches on 8th April, you’ll get the first Vault Card: Fallen Heroes. Once you fulfil the conditions of the Vault Cards, you’ll earn rewards based on what the card is themed around. In the first one’s case, it’s for formerly-living Borderlands heroes like Scooter, Roland, and Maya. You cannot turn on multiple Vault Cards though; you can only activate one. Vault Cards will feature over a 100 unique challenges, so you’ll not be doing the same thing twice.
Once you level up a Vault Card, you get a Vault Card Chest unique to that card, which contains one of the following:

A piece of gear from the weekly loot pool,
a cosmetic item from that Vault Card,
Eridium,
a Vault Card Key,
a Diamond Key.

Don’t worry about getting duplicates; if you already scored a cosmetic item, you’ll get a Vault Card Key instead.
The Fallen Heroes Vault Card will contain the following rewards:

4 pieces of new Legendary gear (Sniper Rifle, SMG, Rocket Launcher, Shield)
4 Vault Hunter Heads
4 shared Vault Hunter Skins
4 ECHO Device skins
3 Weapon skins
4 Weapon Trinkets
2 Emotes
3 Room Decorations

To complement this, and also being aware that most players since 2019 are at max level already, Borderlands will have new Daily and Weekly Challenges that give you an XP boost. Check your ECHO Device to see what new Daily and Weekly challenges you get.
So What Are Diamond Keys?
Diamond Keys unlock the Diamond Armory which is an entire room filled with loot chests. To use a Diamond Key, visit the Diamond Armory which is located beneath the Bridge on Sanctuary III’s upper deck.

When you approach the three nearby walls, you’ll see three symbols: Shields, Weapons, and Grenades. When you use a Diamond Key here, the shutters on the walls open up, and you’re given limited time to pick between the three. If you run out of time, the game gives you one of the loot types at random. If you keep doing this, you will power up a Diamond Chest in the centre that will produce a guaranteed Legendary item. In other words, each time you open the Diamond Chest, you’ll get four items total with one Legendary.
Read the full FAQ here.


Breath Of The Wild China Clone Genshin Impact Gets New PS4 Gameplay Trailer

Usually, it’s quite disrespectful to call someone’s work a mere clone especially in the case of video games where developers get inspirations from each other’s works. However, if the elements are far too similar then it’s no longer just an inspiration.
This was the initial problem with Genshin Impact, an open-world RPG that’s being developed by miHoYo (the same studio that made Honkai Impact 3rd). People have been saying that the game blatantly copies a lot of elements from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

Enemy design and placement, the open world’s aesthetic, and item management menu are some of the features that seem to mimic what you’d find in Breath of the Wild.
However, Genshin Impact is definitely something different and the newly released gameplay trailer definitely shows more of its own uniqueness. Take a look:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1WmmsEXtyE&w=560&h=315]
Aside from the anime-style characters, the game also separates itself through its combat system which seems to be faster and more dependent on the usage of magical skills and abilities.
The trailer also shows that each character has a playstyle that follows classic RPG class systems with archers, swordsmen, and mages. The game will actually have a roster of more than 30 characters that you can use in your four-member party (via the Playstation blog).
Genshin Impact will be released for PC, PS4, and mobiles in 2020. The mobile and PC version wrapped up a closed beta test not too long ago. If you’re interested in getting the latest updates on the game, be sure to follow their Twitter and Facebook.
The game also has an official manga which seems to act as a prequel of sorts. You can read it for free on the official website here.


LTTP: CrossCode

In our last LTTP column where we talk about games we missed a year ago, we talked about an anime game in Yakuza clothing. This week, we have an indie darling that’s wearing the coattails of Sword Arts Online. But unlike the Bandai Namco games based on the franchise, the game we’re talking about is actually good.
CrossCode (PC, and Nintendo Switch)
The premise: It’s the goddamn future, where people can play MMOs and live their lives online and get immersed; in this case it’s an online game called CrossWorlds which somehow co-exist in the real world of the story. Enter an avatar named Lea who starts exploring CrossWorlds to recover her identity. Of course, not all is as it seems as the game takes you through a story of hidden identities and what it means to fully live your life in a made-up online universe.

As you can tell from the screenshot above, this game is clearly influenced by 16-bit JRPGs like Beyond Oasis and Secret of Mana.
Why I missed it last year: CrossCode was released on September of last year. You know what else came out in September? Marvel’s Spider-Man. Our game of the year, from the awards ceremony that truly matter, needed the full attention and multiple playthroughs to justify giving it a top spot.
Why you shouldn’t: Because if you love JRPGs of yore and love geometry puzzles that will tax your brain and reflexes, you should play CrossCode. Games like Dark Souls challenges you with combat; CrossCode challenges you with brain teasers and ricocheting puzzles.
You see, Lea has access to a ranged weapon called spheres/balls. You can chuck these balls to kill enemies, charge up your ball shot for a hard-hitting attack, and trigger switches and puzzle objects. You’ll need to shoot them at hard-to-reach places, which is why the CrossCode devs are so nice in showing you which angle the balls will ricochet at when fully-charged and launched.

When going through some of the dungeons like the Fajro Temple and the Temple Mine in the snowy town of Bergen, I get that same happy and angry feeling just like when I played Alundra on the PS1. For context, Alundra boasts some of the toughest and mean-spirited puzzles in top-down RPG history. CrossCode brought back some horrid memories of me breaking my controller in frustration at Alundra’s many brain teasers and precisely-timed puzzles.
Here in CrossCode, you need to be on-point with turning knobs and gears when directing a ball of flame or ice when it’s slowly activating a bunch of lamps and triggers. And you’ll be repeating this segment multiple times if you so much as slip up just a tiny bit.

There is no room for error for all of CrossCode’s real-time puzzles. For better or worst, it’s an old-school challenge that will find its audience.

Luckily, everything else in the game kept me going and pressing on as I spend another 20 minutes figuring out these brain teasers. The graphics are colourful and quaint, the soundtrack is catchy and would have ended up in my SoundScape 2018 list. The combat is fast and fun since you can melee your way out of trouble or just spam it with balls; plus you can have party members like in an MMO to help you tank or do DPS duties.
The game’s narrative and side tales can get a bit meta; Lea herself can only say a few words because her avatar has a speech problem, most NPCs in CrossWorld will say the same thing and your party members will point that out time and again, and the story goes back and forth between CrossWorld and the real world, along with the dark corners of the MMO’s coding.

You also grind for materials to trade for goods like in an MMO, but thankfully everything from the combat to the teleporting to different regions is fast. It’s more zen-like to farm than your triple-A fares.

I heartily recommend CrossCode if you want a challenge in your top-down Zelda-like and Alundra-esque action RPG games.

You can get it for PC on Steam or for your Nintendo Switch on the eshop. Doing the latter means you can play CrossCode on the go; that’s always a plus.


Hearthstone Forged In The Barrens Expansion Launches Later This Month

Initially announced during BlizzConline 2021, the Hearthstone Forged In The Barrens expansion, which introduces 135 new cards, will launch on 30 March 2021. Card reveal season for Forged In The Barrens is officially kicking off today.
Keep your eyes peeled for a flurry of reveals across a battalion of channels and outlets, with a final card reveal live stream with RegisKillbin, Community Manager Chris Sierra, and Game Designer Liv Breeden starting from 1am GMT+8 on 23 March 2021 March 22 on TwitchÂ andÂ YouTube!
Theorycrafting Livestreams

Starting at 12am GMT+8 on 24 March 2021, Hearthstone creators will showcase the new set and their respective contest-winning decks on their personal streaming channels, using at least 10 Forged in the Barrens cards in each deck they play.
Fireside Gatherings
Private pre-release Fireside Gatherings will give everyone a chance to rip open theirÂ Forged in the Barrens card packs from the comfort and safety of their own homes before the expansion officially unlocks on 30 March 2021.
Private pre-release Fireside Gatherings will take place the weekend beforeÂ Forged in the Barrens goes live, 1am GMT+8 on 27 March to 1am GMT+8 on 30 March 2021.
In addition to opening your packs early, pre-release will also feature Fireside Brawls that will let you play with new cards!

In theÂ Forged in the BarrensÂ No Cards Barred! Brawl, youâ€™ll be able to construct decks using the cards that you open during the Pre-Release event. There are no restrictions on class or duplicates, so go crazy!
Weâ€™ve also got A Recipe for Tenacity, a pre-constructed Brawl that will include new deck recipes from the upcoming set for you to play with. You wonâ€™t need to have pre-purchased packs to play this Brawl.


Warhammer 40K Space Marine 2 Unveils Exciting New Gameplay Footage

During the Warhammer Skulls Showcase 2023, publisher Focus Entertainment and developer Saber Interactive have released a new gameplay trailer for the upcoming Warhammer 40K Space Marine 2.
The trailer gives us our first look at the Tyranid onslaught. In Warhammer 40K Space Marine 2, players will embody a Space Marine of the Ultramarines Chapter, a superhuman warrior who protects humanity from untold horrors, in brutally efficient third-person action powered by the distinctively fast and fluid gameplay experience from best-in-class studio Saber Interactive, – the team and engine behind World War Z.
Players can also already pre-order the Collector Edition of the game, which includes:

The game on the platform of your choice, with the Macragge’s Chosen DLC.
A hand-painted, 21-cm resin statuette of Lieutenant Titus fighting a Tyranid.
The art and making of Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, a 64-page hardcover book.
A Steelbook.

Warhammer 40K Space Marine 2 is slated to launch for the PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC sometime in 2023. However, there is still no release date or release window.
Check out the new gameplay trailer below:


Black Desert SEA Revamps Trading Content To Improve Accessibility

Pearl Abyss has announced that Black Desert SEA has undergone a revamp of its “Trading” activity, offering Adventurers with an even wider variety of enjoyable content. With improved accessibility, now is the perfect time to dive into the vast world of the Black Desert and enjoy all the game has to offer.
Trading is just one of the many life activities enjoyed by Adventurers, and it plays an essential role in silver production. Adventurers must buy and sell trading items at various locations, seeking out the most efficient price to maximize their profits. This mimics the complexities of real-life trading and economics.
With the revamp of the trading system, market prices will now change at a fixed time, once every 4 hours, replacing the real-time fluctuation system. This improvement provides Adventurers to execute trading strategies based on anticipated price changes.
As prices for items can increase by a maximum of 300%, Adventurers can leverage the use of “Rumors” to further increase their profits. These Rumors can act as hints for the “special fluctuations” that occur throughout the territory at a scheduled time. However, they may not always be true. To guarantee its validity, Adventurers must carefully listen to the residents and observe the economic trends in the Black Desert world.
To alleviate the entry barrier, the weight limit of Adventurer’s wagon for storing trade items has been tripled, encouraging more Adventurers to participate in trading. Even the beginner’s wagon “Flimsy Wagon” can store items up to 900 LT, a significant increase from the previous limit of 270 LT.
Black Desert SEA has been continuously improving the accessibility to its contents throughout the past quarter of this year.? Newly added “Weekly Contribution Quests” allow Adventurers to gain a large amount of Contribution EXP. The accumulated “Contribution Points“ play a crucial role in purchasing houses, hiring workers, and renting items in the game, making them an essential element in the game.
Last but not least, Black Desert SEA awaits both new and returning Adventurers by offering the best gaming experience over the past few months, featuring UI improvements, silver integration within a Family, reduced item load weight in the central market, and more.


Nomadland Wins Best Movie For Oscars 2021

Nomadland, a drama starring Frances Mcdormand, won the Best Picture award for this year’s Academy Awards Oscar show. The film that’s about a woman who lives in a van, has beaten other shows in the Best Picture award such as The Father, Judas and the Black Messiah, Mank, Minari, Promising Young Woman, Sound of Metal, and The Trial of the Chicago 7.
Other Oscar 2021 “highlights” include:

Colette won Best Documentary (Short Subject), which was actually a tie-in for Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond. That game was made by Respawn, so that means the devs are the first-ever Oscar-winning game developer in the truest sense.
Chloe Zhao wins best director for Nomadland,Â filling the obligatory ethnic category win for the organizers of the Academy Awards. Jesting aside, it was either Lee Isaac Chung (Minari) or Thomas Vinterberg (Another Round) who should have won.
Irish animated film Wolfwalkers was clearly robbed of an Oscar 2021 win as it was going against the likes of Disney/Pixar’s Soul, Onward, and a few others that were fun films but weren’t Oscar material. So naturally, it was either the Disney one about souls in the afterlife or the Disney one with fantasy creatures and magic.
To be fair, Soul did deserve its Best Score win.
Weird documentary film My Octopus Teacher won the best documentary feature, despite the category filled with more important and genre-defining ones like Collective, The Painter and the Thief, and Dick Johnson is Dead.
Tyler Perry receives the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award for creating a safe work environment and commitment to social justice issues.
Bryan Cranston applauding 70 vaccinated frontline workers working at the Dolby Theatre tonight.

Here are the winners for each category.
Best Film: Nomadland
Best International Film: Another Round
Best Live Action Short Film: Two Distant Strangers
Best Animated Feature: Soul
Best Documentary Feature: My Octopus Teacher
Best Documentary Short: Colette
Best Director: Chloe Zhao for Nomadland.
Best Actor: Anthony Hopkins for The Father
Best Actress: Frances McDormand for Nomadland
Best Supporting Actor: Daniel Kaluuya (Judas and the Black Messiah)
Best Supporting Actress: Yuh-jung Youn (Minari)
Best Original Screenplay: Promising Young Woman
Best Adapted Screenplay: The Father
Best Film Editing: Sound of Metal
Best Score: Soul
Best Production & Cinematography: Mank
Best Visual Effects: Tenet
Best costume Design: Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Best Makeup and Hairstyling: Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom


We found a witch! May we burn her?

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You Can Play The Exoprimal Dino-Hunting PC Beta This July

Dino-hunting never goes out in style, especially if you’re given kick-ass scifi suits to work with.
Capcom announced that its upcoming multiplayer exosuit-wearing dino-genocide game Exoprimal is coming out in 2023. They also showcased new gameplay featuring, you guessed it, more dinosaur-killing and exosuit-badassery. You have two squads of five Exofighters race to complete orders set by sinister AI overseer Leviathan. These range from clearing a VTOL site from dinosaurs to securing data keys; it’s basically a different take on PvP with a lot of “versus Enemy” at the end.

In addition, there will be a PC closed beta test session for the game across three sessions: 11th July, 25th July, and 7th August. You can register right now.
Exoprimal will be out in full in 2023 for PC and Xbox/PlayStation consoles.


New Detour: Assassin’s Creed Odyssey Gets Buffed This Month

It’s only been one month since the launch of Ubisoft‘s Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, and it’s clear that the developer/publisher is actively listening to community feedback as well as implementing them faster than Hermes himself can run.
In an AC Odyssey November content update, Ubisoft has revealed several highly-requested new features, some of which will be arriving later this month. These include a level cap increase and a new terrifying Mythical Creature to slay!
Players who have reached level 50 will be glad to know that the level cap will be increased to at least level 70 later this month. Don’t worry about having to grind 20 levels all over again, as all XP earned before the arrival of the level cap increase update will automatically be converted into ability points for your perusal. Huzzah!
If (like me) you’ve already slain all existing Mythical Creatures in AC Odyssey, a new challenge awaits you on November 13, 2018. In a quest called ‘The Lightning Bringer,’ players will have to faceÂ Steropes the Cyclops. Slaying this one-eyed monster will reward you with a Legendary Bow. Unlike the Egyptian Gods in Assassin’s Creed Origins, there’ll be no time limit so you can take all the time you need to prepare for the epic battle with Steropes!
Torn between choosing the best-looking Gear or the ones with the best stats? A new visual customization system will be implemented in AC Odyssey later this month. What that means is that players will be able to add a visual layer on top of their gear, effectively combining the stats of your strongest equipment with those which you personally like the most. For instance, you will be able to equip a Minotaur Head with the stats of any of the Legendary Head Gear if you so wish.
Other upcoming new features and content in November include two new exclusive cosmetic Packs (the Odysseus and Odysseus Naval Packs), and more control over XP boosters.
Other than the new Mythical Creature Steropes the Cyclops, no release dates have been announced for any of the other upcoming features. However, they will presumably be arriving sometime in November with the 1.0.7 update. In the meantime, check out my Assassin’s Creed Odyssey review, and why I thought it deserved a rating of 90/100.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXSoIf2XFB8&w=560&h=315]


Tales of Arise Artifacts Guide: How To Find Them All

Tales of Arise introduces Artifacts that grant you permanent powerups and cheats, which you can toggle on and off, for your entire party. The game has 23 Artifacts for you to collect; some in the story itself and others from sub-quests and exploration.
The best part? You can’t miss any of them, so you can search for the remaining ones via free-roaming after you’re done with the story. Before we begin, do check out our previous Tales of Arise guides:
Tales of Arise Level Up To 100 Quick Guide
Tales of Arise Owl Location Guide
Here’s the full list of artifacts you can find in Tales of Arise.
Artifacts From Story Mode
Crocodile Crusher
Effect: Arte Set +1
Unlocks during the “Valley of the Four Winds” main quest.
Battle Maiden’s Shield
Effect: Carry over equipment to New Game+.
You can get this artifact by finding the owl in Calaglia. Head to the Lord’s Chamber in Glanymede Castle; it only spawns after finding the first 32 owls. Talk to the Owl King to make the last 6 owls appear.
Vivid Sphere
Effect: Carries over statistics to New Game+.
You can get this artifact by finding the owl at Calaglia, in the Iglia Wastes. However, it only spawns after finding the first 32 owls. Talk to the Owl King to make the last 6 owls appear.
It’s on top of a mountain in Iglia Wastes. You need Dohalim to grow leaves on the wall to climb up to it.
Glutton’s Code
Effect: Cooking Effects last 20% longer.
Complete the Sub-Quest “Global Connection” to get this artifact. It’s located in Mosgul at Calaglia.
Broken Machine Gun
Effect: Carries over Money and Items into New Game+.
You’ll need to find the owl in Cyslodia. Head to the Riville Prison Tower, then to the Hidden Chamber. To open the wall to the Hidden Chamber, you need a key which you can get from doing the sub-quests “Culling the Snowplain Herds” and “Survey Says” in succession.
The owl only spawns after finding the first 32 owls. Talk to the Owl King to make the last 6 owls appear.
Golden Fairy Statue
Effect: More Ore.
You can get this artifact from completing the “A Humbling Lesson” sub-quest. You can locate the quest giver in Cyslodia in the city of Cysloden at the Fountain Plaza Avenue. You have to finish the “Brave New World” sub-quest first; thankfully it’s from the same quest giver in the same area.
Ancient Excavator
Effect: Carries over Character Levels in New Game+.
You get this by finding the owl in Menancia at Auteliana Palace. It’s at 2F in the Guard Room. The owl only spawns after finding the first 32 owls. Talk to the Owl King to make the last 6 owls appear.
Glutton’s Guidebook
Effect: Cooking Effects last 80% longer.
Complete the sub-quest “The Phantom Flower of Nevira” to obtain this artifact. You can locate the quest in Menancia at Autelina Palace in the library. This sub-quest is only available later in the game after you’ve defeated the 5th Lord in the Ganath Haros realm.
Golden Suit of Armor
Effect: Increases EXP earned from battle by 80%.
Complete the sub-quest “Spirit Temple” to get this artifact. You can find the quest in Menancia close to Traslida Highway.
Hellmask Fiend Skull
Effect: +100% damage dealt and damage received.
Only for the hardcore JRPG players. You can get this by finishing Training Grounds; Dohalim Solo Advanced (Level 40). Head to Viscint in Menancia to find the training grounds.
Devil Sculpture
Effect: Unlocks Chaos Difficulty.
Also for the hardcore JRPG players. Finish Training Grounds: Dohalim Solo Ultimate (Level 60). Head to Viscint in Menancia to find the training grounds.
Blade of Sealing
Effect: Reduce all damage, both taken and inflicted, to just 1.
You can find this peculiar artifact in Mahag Saar at Adan Lake. You can access the region via the south of Aqfotle Hills.
Swim through the lake in the middle of Adan Lake area, then go through the open gate and up the hill. At the top of the hill (western edge of this region), you find a tower with some enemies and a red chest inside. The chest contains the Blade of Sealing.
Lucky Cat Statue
Effect: Increases SP earned from battle by 20%.
Complete the sub-quest “Echoes”. Talk to the old man at the exit to Aqfotle Hills in Niez, located at Mahag Saar; he’s the quest giver.
Drum of the Legend
Effect: Increases combat points earned from battle by 80%.
Complete the sub-quest “Farewell, Mage”. The quest giver is at Mahag Saar; head to Niez and talk to the same old man who gave you the “Echoes” sub-quest. You need to complete the man’s previous quest to make this one available.
Quivering Candles
Effect: More Ore.
Complete the sub-quest “The Mysterious Pair”; the quest giver is this bard who is at the entrance of Niez in Mahag Saar. You will need to complete the sub-quest “A Healer and Her Patients” first if he doesn’t show up. The bard is one of the patients.
Glutton’s Maze
Effect: Cooking Effects last 10% longer.
Complete the sub-quest “Gourmet Saga: Prairie Scent” on Aqfotle Hills in Mahag Saar. You need to complete the previous 2 Gourmet Saga sub-quests in Cyslodia and Menancia to have this pop up.
Drums of the Master
Effect: Increases Combat Points earned from battle by 20%.
You need to head to Aureum Falls in Ganath Haros. Head to the Waterfall Basin area, then jump down the waterfall and climb up the ladder. Go past the flying blue enemies and climb up again. You’ll find a group of enemies and a red chest which contains the drums.
Trident
Effect: Carries over Skills in New Game+.
You’ll get this artifact by finding the owl in Ganath Haros. It’s located in the Del Fharis Castle, in the Lord’s Chamber. Just like the other special owls, this one only spawns after finding the first 32 owls. Talk to the Owl King to make the last 6 owls appear.
Golden Lucky Cat Statue
Effect: Increases SP earned from battle by 80%.
Reward for completing Sub-Quest “Untamable Rage” in Ganaht Haros. Head to Thistlym and talk to the old man at the cliffs near the top of the village; he’s your quest giver.
Silver Suit of Armor
Effect: Increases EXP earned from battle by 20%.
Reward for completing sub-quest “Their Future”. It’s located in level 3 at Pelegion. You need to finish the sub-quest “Missing Lover” in Thistlym; you also need to heal the Renan Soldier in Menancia at Talka Pond Road for this quest to pop up.

Artifacts From Free-Roaming & Post-Game
Metal Miner’s Cap
Effect: Carries over Arte Proficiencies into New Game+.
You can score this artifact by finding the owl in the Uninhabited Island (under Others when selecting locations).
To access this area, you need to play through the sub-quest “Beyond The Grave” which will give you access to the island. The owl is located at the same place where you fought the boss in this quest line. Just like the other special owls, this one only spawns after finding the first 32 owls. Talk to the Owl King to make the last 6 owls appear.
Machine Beast Statue
Effect: Carries over Outfits into New Game+.
Find all 38 owls and return them all to the Owl King. He’ll give you this artifact as a reward.
Mechanical Doll Accessory
Effect: Makes you invisible.
Found in The Otherworld on the Land of Judgment. You need to complete the following sub-quests “Spirit Temple”, “Another Hillside Anomaly” and “Otherworldly Visitors”. After you defeat Chronos in the last sub-quest, you can find a red chest containing the artifact on his right.


Valve Confirms Leak On Valve VR Specs And Release Date

The denizens of the internet recently discovered an unfinished Steam page for the Valve Index, Valve’s own VR kit. However, the page has now been removed.
We caught a screengrab for you guys and gals before it disappeared from the face of the Earth.
Image Credit: Madjoki
The story about the VR kit has been in the grapevines for a while. That teaser suggested that pre-ordering will begin in May.
However, the leaks have been confirmed by Valve and most of the data seen in the screenshot are true. Valve has confirmed that the incomplete technical information on the unfinished Valve Index pages is accurate.
We’re also getting word on a shipping date. It was expected to be 15 June, but Valve has commented on that saying they are ‘still finalizing the targeted day in June to begin shipping units to customers’. Valve aims to fully announce the product on 1 May, although that is subject to change.
What’s Inside?
The Index store page doesn’t inform much about the product, as it is filled with placeholder text. According to the screenshot, this is what you get from the package:

Â Headset
Â Integrated Headphones
Â Tether with DisplayPort 1.2 and USB 3.0 Connections
Â Power Adapter
Â Regionalized Power Adapter Plug(s)
Â 2 Face Gaskets (narrow and wide)

You don’t get a SteamVR base station tracking device though. The base station was also leaked to an already disappeared unfinished Steam page.
The Index’s controllers are sold separately under the name of Index Controllers.
Image Credit: PCGamer

The emergence of these pages implies that an announcement might come sooner than the expected date, 1 May, but all we can do right now is wait and keep our eyes open.


Kumikones’ Top 10 Gaming Things of 2019

Another year in the books. Taking a look back at all the things that happened in 2019, I find myself pleasantly surprised by the number of video game releases there was this year. It’s a number that ranges in the hundreds.
In fact, there are more video game releases in a year than there are actual days.
Knowing that I’ll never be able to keep up with the onslaught of new games coming out will always be a sore point of this hobby. Still, it makes me happy to know that this hobby has only grown as time passes.
I’m glad that the industry is healthy and that somewhere out there, there exists a game for every kind of person. Whether you’re a competitive player, an aficionado of story-driven games, or just want a quick game to pass the time, there are plenty of choices to pick from.
As for myself, 2019 was a year for celebrating many legacy franchises that I care deeply about. I returned to a good number of older games for updates, and also witnessed some unique titles that managed to surprise me. Here is a list of my top 10 gaming things this year.
#10. Resident Evil 2
My first time playing the original Resident Evil 2 from 1998 was also my first experience with the series’ more horror-driven roots. Having first experienced Capcom’s long-running franchise through its action-oriented iterations such as 4 and 5, the awkward tank controls of 2 gave me a renewed perspective of Resident Evil and its revered place in survival horror.

Resident Evil 2 Remake comes years after my foray into the classic RE games so despite my relatively earlier introduction to the series, I may as well have had the same pangs of nostalgia the moment I entered Raccoon Police Department once again this year.

The game follows all of the core tenets that made the original great. Your first introduction to the Licker is panic-inducing. The invincible Mr. X still busts through the walls of the Press Room. Zombies are just as resilient, if not more so this time around.

pic.twitter.com/6fcWrY2NPw
— Mahado (@mahadopower) January 27, 2019

What has changed is the shift to modern design sensibilities such as an over-the-shoulder perspective, seamless transitioning between areas, and so on. The revamped visuals and orchestrated tracks are breathtaking when compared to the technological marvel of two decades ago, showcasing how far we’ve come.
Resident Evil 2 Remake is an experience full of scarce resources, intricate levels, and fun puzzles, yet far more intense than the original ever was. It’s a love letter to its roots, but also firm in creating a wholly unique identity that paves the way for a new generation of survival horror.Â
#9. Devil May Cry 5
The game that cemented 2019 as the year of Capcom. The excellent Resident Evil 2 was immediately followed by Devil May Cry 5 less than two months later. As a huge fan of action games and the series as a whole, I was more than excited for the return of the whacky pizza man Dante on his new demon-slaying adventure.

pic.twitter.com/6NGqfg7dvh
— hana ? (@kumikats) March 26, 2019

Other great action games this year, such as Sekiro and Astral Chain, follow very different philosophies from DMC5. The former two focus on methodical play and limitation of player freedom in order to craft challenging environments. On the other hand, DMC5 falls under a subgenre called a spectacle fighter.
The point of a spectacle fighter is, basically, to pull off as many stylish moves as you can against your enemies.

It’s not so much about how you bypass an enemy, but more so how great you looked while beating them up. It’s this freedom that has delivered so much enjoyment to me compared to the other action offerings this year.

DMC5 doesn’t stray far from the established formula. If you just played Devil May Cry 4 the other day, you’ll feel right at home with this game. However, the developers at Capcom made small changes certain properties, animations and cancel windows to promote accessibility.
The result is a game that feels the same, yet is also unhinged. I’ve spent countless hours in the DMC5s training mode honing my execution and playing around with different tools to pull off combos that I wouldn’t even dream of doing in the previous games. It’s easily one of the finest character action games ever made and manages to pull it off with a small but functional move list compared to its direct competitor, Bayonetta.
#8. BlazBlue Cross Tag Battle and Street Fighter V Balance Overhauls
I’m a big fan of fighting games. Though the genre has been undergoing a renaissance of sorts in recent years, none of the games I’m going to mention here actually launched this year.
The games I am talking about are of course BlazBlue Cross Tag Battle (2018) and Street Fighter V (2016). What makes these games interesting this 2019 is the introduction of some huge and game-changing balance updates.

J2A?? #PS4sharehttps://t.co/lEXiEkQfZa pic.twitter.com/fkKfciQ58J
— pikixu(??) (@pikixu) December 18, 2019

BBTAG and SFV’s new balance updates this year (called BBTAG 2.0 and SFV Champion Edition respectively) gave players new mechanics as well as characters to sink their teeth into. As you may have surmised from my Devil May Cry 5 entry, I find a lot of enjoyment in getting to experiment with gameplay and seeing how things turn out.
https://twitter.com/sio_mami_abura/status/1206833652434227201?s=20
The meta of video games typically solidifies after a while under the sun, but these changes have thoroughly shaken things up. It’s like playing two brand new games. I think it’s fair to say that I had a great time exploring all the interesting, strange, and hilarious interactions that would result from these balance updates.
#7.Granblue Fes 2019 Reveals New Granblue Console Game Trailers
For those who may be unaware, Granblue Fantasy is a popular browser and mobile Japanese role-playing game that launched in 2014. And if you’re wondering what an ancient mobile game has to do with a 2019 list, I assure you there are a couple of good reasons.
The game’s annual festival, Granblue Fantasy Fes 2019, celebrated Granblue Fantasy with special concerts, attractions, free in-game freebies, as well as exclusive merchandise. As someone who dabbles the game myself, I did find some of the events and announcements on future content to be somewhat intriguing.

Still, this festival was also special as a spearhead for the IP’s console game initiatives. Developer Cygames revealed new trailers for Granblue Fantasy Versus, it’s upcoming 2020 fighting game, as well as Granblue Fantasy Relink, a fully-fledged action RPG that will launch later down the line.

A quick look at the quality of these games is enough to inform that Cygames is taking the console market seriously. The mobile game itself has a wealth of established character designs, artwork, and stories, so I’m personally excited to see this world brought to life in a consumer product with high production values.

It’s rare to find newcomers in the console JRPG space these days, so new competition is certainly welcome. Doubly so if dungeon raiding with friends and an epic boss fight are their ways of making a good first impression. Granblue Fantasy Relink is looking incredible at pulling off a raid experience that’s just as exhilarating as MMOs like Final Fantasy XIV.
Which brings me to the next point.
#6. Final Fantasy XIV Shadowbringers
I’ve been a fan of Final Fantasy XIV ever since its A Realm Reborn (2013) release, which was the replacement for the failed and critically panned 2010 version of the game. Few MMOs have grabbed me so well, but I found myself smitten by this game’s focus on delivering a single-player story, its ease in letting me team up with other allies, as well as all the clever homages to the Final Fantasy series along the way.
After two successful expansions, Shadowbringers comes along as, to my surprise, probably the best Final Fantasy story that the series has seen in the past decade. While the game has always played the premise of you being the chosen Warrior of Light that’s destined to save the world, Shadowbringers challenges the mindless glorification of this idea.

What is a hero? What is the meaning in their sacrifice, and what is the legacy that they eventually leave behind? These were questions that swam through my head as I played through the game. I was hooked.
In some ways, Shadowbringers’ story is an introspective look into the very core of Final Fantasy, as well as JRPGs as a whole. It deconstructs the classic JRPG story trope of chosen heroes and good versus evil, all while remaining a classic JRPG story in its own right that. Despite its themes, it never attempts to betray the expectations of its well-earned fanbase and I find that fascinating.
Being just one chapter in a large and sprawling MMO, I do not expect Shadowbringers to be as revered as many mainline Final Fantasy titles, but I loved it nonetheless for its unique perspective, which helped me better understand my unrelenting love for this genre.
#5. Hands-on Beta Tests of Upcoming Games
Every now and then, video game companies give us a hands-on sneak peek at their new games as a way of receiving feedback. I’m not usually one to give a shot at beta builds of a game, but plenty of the ones this year were games that I was quite interested in getting. And so I sort of became a beta gremlin this year.

My play sessions included beta tests for Code Vein, Monster Hunter World: Iceborne, Nioh 2, as well as Granblue Fantasy Versus.

Amongst these titles, I was very impressed with Code Vein and Nioh 2’s character creators. They fall somewhere under the Souls-like genre of titles, but absolutely innovate on the milquetoast character creators of FromSoftware’s games. While I wasn’t a fan of Code Vein’s combat, I left Nioh 2’s beta feeling optimistic about its progression system, as well as the combat freedom it provided.
Iceborne’s beta straight off from one of my favourite games of last year, Monster Hunter World. It was a lot of fun to have had a chance over a weekend to see what this expansion was all about. New environments, new monsters, and lots of quirky outfits for our lovely Palico Cats. What’s there not to love?

Lastly, I was lucky enough to receive a code to try out the closed beta for Granblue Fantasy Versus. It’s the first fighting game I’ve tried that uses cooldowns on special moves, as well as provides easy shortcuts for executing them.
Interestingly, this completely changes the dynamic of how you approach a regular match. My experience with the beta was very positive and has even elevated this game to becoming one of my most anticipated titles of 2020.
Getting a chance to try out some of my anticipated upcoming games throughout the year was an absolute blast. I enjoyed getting to a practical understanding of the developers’ visions of their games, and then being able to contribute valuable feedback their way before the game’s release. All of these sessions being free experiences over comfortable weekends was just icing on top of the cake.
#4. Gunvolt Chronicles: Luminous Avenger iX
Remember the Mega Man Zero series? It’s one of the most recognizable spin-offs in the Mega Man franchise. Developer Inti Creates worked on that and were even behind the subsequent ZX series. The company is excellent at crafting hardcore platformers with innovative mechanics but hasn’t worked on a Mega Man game in over a decade.
Enter Azure Striker Gunvolt (2014), a spiritual successor to the Zero, published independently by Inti Creates itself. On a whim, I’d decided to give the series a shot with Gunvolt Chronicles: Luminous Avenger iX, a spin-off which features a different protagonist from the titular Gunvolt, named Copen.
Now don’t get me wrong, Luminous Avenger iX isn’t that mind-blowing of a game. As an indie title without the backing of a big company like Capcom, it doesn’t have remotely the same quality level design and content that you might typically expect, especially if you played Mega Man 11 last year.

What the game does have in spades though are great gameplay ideas. The bosses, for instance, are multi-phase battles that always pull out a trump card once they drop down to a third of their health. There’s something exhilarating about whittling the boss down and then having to endure their all-out special attack before delivering the final blow.
The Bullit system presiding Copen’s gameplay is also a flexible mechanic that allows skilled players to zip around levels like wizards, and casual players to defensively shield against attacks. On top of a handy Resurrection mechanic to save you from frustrating deaths, it’s impressive how accessible the game is to all skill levels.
Luminous Avenger iX this year was a pleasant surprise because, despite being a spiritual successor to the Zero series and being more limited in scope, it also puts forth unique and innovative design philosophies that has me excited at the prospect of a new Mega Man game by the folks at Inti Creates. Now that Capcom has finally revived the Blue Bomber after more than eight years of silence, I have my fingers crossed.
#3. Half-Life: Alyx Trailer
Valve still can’t count to three. But maybe that’s fine for now. The company has spent the better half of the decade affixed on managing its Steam platform and investing in VR technology. It’s hard to say that I’ve been a fan of that.
I certainly didn’t care for their increased focus on service games such as Dota 2 and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive rather than pushing out the single-player experiences that they first became renowned for.
Which is why the reveal of Half-Life: Alyx, a virtual reality first-person shooter set in the Half-Life universe, was one that genuinely shocked me. It’s simply not something I would have expected Valve to go for in this current industry climate. Single-player games probably no longer make sense for them because you can’t continuously monetize those.

I’m one of those people that firmly believe that Half-Life laid out the groundwork for first-person shooters as we see today. In fact, Half-Life 2 remains one of the best examples in my eyes on how you can tell a complete story purely through immediate circumstances and the environment.
Even though I would have preferred a direct continuation to the 2007 cliffhanger of Half-Life 2: Episode 2, I can’t say I’m dissatisfied that Valve is doing something with the Half-Life IP again. Half-Life: Alyx could prove to be a return to form for the company as far as single-player games go, even if it might turn out wonky as a VR experience.
The fact that a Half-Life game was actually announced in 2019 is still surreal to me, but I’m ecstatic about it.
#2. Final Fantasy Titles on the Nintendo Switch
2019 was quite an interesting year for Final Fantasy. If you own a Nintendo Switch, you’ll no doubt have noticed the surge of mainline FF titles showing up on the Nintendo eShop. The games that showed up on the platform just this year were Final Fantasy VII, VIII Remastered, IX, X/X-2, and Final Fantasy XII The Zodiac Age.

That makes five titles in total that came out on the Switch in rapid succession. It’s even more interesting to note that this also marks the first time that these titles have ever appeared on any console platform outside from PlayStation’s.
I’m glad that the games are now even more accessible than ever, and that Nintendo (and Microsoft) fans are getting their shot at experiencing some iconic JRPG experiences. Personally speaking, I’ve been having a blast playing Final Fantasy X/X-2 on the go.
Final Fantasy on commutes, in the park, and even during dinner? It’s certainly an exciting time to be a Switch owner and a JRPG fan.
#1. Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Fire Emblem is a series that first earned its chops as a punishing strategy game. And yet, my favourite part of Three Houses has been its consistently charming writing and dialogue, as well as its likeable cast of characters.
I’ve grown attached to all of the students that roam the game’s Hogwarts-like fantasy school setting. Battles are long and strategic as they come, but I find myself more eager to wander the school grounds to see what my merry class is up to. I learn about their motivations and anxieties. I dive into emotional, eccentric, and often funny support conversations. For a game with such a massive cast of characters, it does a surprisingly good job at developing their personalities and backstories.

Important PSA from Flayn (ft. @salmonandsoup) pic.twitter.com/gNchJurZ1L
— Ultima | #??? (@UltimaShadowX) December 18, 2019

Part of what has made my experience with Three Houses even better is how social it has been. Ever since the game came out, the internet buzz around it has exploded. Even as its hype dies down, I have still been exchanging memes and fanart with friends. The internet is a treasure trove of love by all kinds of talented individuals who also share a love for the game and its characters.
Unsurprisingly, it’s an experience that happily complements the game’s permadeath mode. When units die in this mode, theyâ€¦ wellâ€¦ die. There’s no bringing them back, which creates some interesting emotional stakes for what would otherwise be a decent albeit somewhat convoluted tactical game.

I love Marianne but this was too good not to do #RedrawRiegan pic.twitter.com/iIlA7Gy9T8
— Yagamii (@Yagamii_FGC) August 21, 2019

To me, Three Houses is the essence of what I love about video games. Beyond its deep gameplay, it’s chock full of little nuances that are fun to share with friends. Everyone’s discussing the game and discovering new things, and they’re all more than happy to poke fun at it from different perspectives.
2019 was not without its gaming controversies, so it’s nice to be able to fall back on a game that reminds me of why I have so much fun with them in the first place. With that being said, here’s to another grand year of gaming in 2020.


New Overwatch Hero Coming A Bit Late

In a recent developer update video, Overwatch game director Jeff Kaplan announced that they’ll be doing things a bit differently this summer.
The two big announcements are that this year’s Summer Games is happening sooner than expected and that the new upcoming hero will be released a bit later than usual. Aside from those news, there are also new improvements in subtitles and cheat detection.

The Overwatch Summer Games usually happen in early August ever year so there’s a chance that this year it’ll be happening in late July instead. Aside from exclusive summer-themed skins, the Lucioball arcade mode is what everyone’s waiting to play again. For those of you who don’t know, it’s basically Rocket League but with Lucios instead of cars.
New Overwatch Heroes have been released at somewhat regular intervals. From Ana (22nd hero) to Baptiste (30th hero), they’ve been launched in either one of these three months: March, July, and November. The 31st hero is still in development and I’m expecting him to make an appearance in August this year but we’ll have to wait and see.
Last but not least, for those who are hearing impaired or simply like to have subtitles, the game will be getting subtitles. Besides that, matches where cheaters are detected will be automatically ended and no players in the match will be auto-penalised. Only the cheater will be confronted and suspended.


Zombie Doctor Strange Gets His Own Undead Hot Toy

Hot Toys has unveiled the Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness 1/6th scale Dead Strange Collectible Figure (via Facebook). Doctor Strange dreamwalks into his variant’s corpse from the post-incursion universe. When Dead Strange heads for Mount Wundagore for the final showdown, he’s set upon by the Souls of Damned, who scream at him for possessing a dead body. This desecrates the natural order of the universe, and the hellish sprits were sent to stop him.
Meticulously crafted based on the appearance of Benedict Cumberbatch as Dead Strange in the movie, the figure features a newly developed head sculpt and hair sculpture with disgustingly beautiful details; a decaying tunic outfit and sculpted boots, a distressed cape with sculpted heads of demons; the greatly detailed Souls of Damned accessories to drag on Strange, and a dynamic figure base.
There is also a Hot Toy of the normal Doctor Strange. However, there is no release date or price at the time of writing.
In the meantime, you can head on over here for our non-spoiler review, or check out my analysis of what’s to come in a potential Doctor Strange 3 in the future.


E3 2019: Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order Looks Like The Force Unleashed 3

During EA Play 2019’s live stream, Greg Miller along with Respawn Entertainment head Vince Zampella and game director Stig Asmussen unveiled over 15 minutes of Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order gameplay.
In the gameplay footage, we can see Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order protagonist Cal Kestis landing onÂ the Wookie home planet Kashykk. He meets Saw GuerreraÂ (the radical rebel cell leader from Rogue One: A Star Wars Story), who tells him that the mission is to free the Wookies from the grasp of the Empire.

The gameplay in Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order looks a lot like what a Star Wars The Force Unleashed 3 would have been. However, unlike those titles, the Stormtroopers here don’t seem to be damage sponges, as they die after one or two slashes. It also derives familiar third-person mechanics from other games, like the Uncharted franchise’s wall-scaling and weirdly Prince of Persia‘s wall-running.
Cal can attack, block, parry and deflect blaster fire, as well as use a variety of Force abilities, including Force Push, Force Pull, and most excitingly, what the developers are calling, “Force Slow.”

Force Slow looks incredible in action, as Cal seemingly slows down time to unleash his next attack. He can also throw his lightsaber at enemies, and use these Force abilities to overcome environmental obstacles, like grabbing vines to get across gaps or slowing down a spinning fan.
Besides a variety of stormtrooper enemies, Cal will face creatures like huge spiders and flying insects, all of which will also engage the aforementioned stormtroopers in combat. The 15-minute gameplay demo ends with another surprise, as Cal faces a KX-series security droid (the same model as Rogue One‘s K2SO).

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is slated to release for the PS4, Xbox One, and PC on 15 November 2019. That’s just a month before the release of Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker on 20, December 2019.
Check out the full gameplay demo of Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order below. For more details and information on the game as revealed during its initial announcement, head on over here.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8939aURV9Dc&w=560&h=315]


Here’s What An Ex-Bioware Writer Thinks Of The Upcoming Mass Effect TV Series

BioWare’s Mass Effect franchise recently made the headlines again after news broke that Amazon is close to closing a deal to make a live-action Mass Effect TV series. Many fans are happy about the prospect, but not all of them. Most surprising of all, a former BioWare writer is expressing his concerns for the Mass Effect TV series, even saying that the idea of one makes him “cringe”.
That person is David Gaider, a former BioWare Lead Writer who worked on Dragon Age Origins and Dragon Age Inquisition. He made a long Twitter thread explaining why he thinks a Mass Effect or Dragon Age TV series would be a bad idea. One of his main points is that a Mass Effect TV series won’t work because the TV series could alienate fans of the games by choosing a fixed personality for the protagonist or by not featuring the companions of the game equally.
You can read the full thread below.

For starters, ME and DA have a custom protagonist. Meaning said TV show will need to pick whether said protagonist will be male or female. Boom, right off the bat you've just alienated a whole bunch of the built-in fan base who had their hopes up.
— David Gaider (@davidgaider) November 25, 2021

However, he also acknowledges that doing more than just a direct adaptation of the games would work better, but then it would have to depend on viewers already knowing about Mass Effect lore, which would then alienate newcomers. Whatever it is, it’s too early to say for now, as the Mass Effect TV series isn’t even officially confirmed right now. We’ll have to wait and see what happens.
Henry Cavill also teased a possible Mass Effect project earlier this year, so Cavill for Commander Shepard, anyone?


Cyberpunk 2077 Sequel to Start After Phantom Liberty

One of the games that was featured at the Summer Games Fest was CD Projekt Red’s expansion of Cyberpunk 2077, Phantom Liberty. The demo showed CD Projekt working hard to patch over some of Cyberpunk’s glaring flaws. This will include a new police AI with a somewhat similar style to GTA’s notoriety’s system, a skill tree just for combat augments and expanded car combat.
A lot of players have asked what happens after Phantom Liberty and well according to an interview with Bloomberg, director Gabe Amatangelo will be moving on to the sequel. CD Projekt did announce that a sequel to Cyberpunk 2077, codenamed Orion, was planned back in October 2022.

“Based only on what I actually played, Phantom Liberty is so far a second helping of Cyberpunk 2077. If it were still 2021 that would’ve been a hard sell for me, but last year’s Edgerunners update smoothed over some of the game’s worst problems and let its best qualities shine—the characters, guns, cars, and unbelievably pretty city. If the Phantom Liberty update does the same, I’m hopeful it’ll be the expansive sendoff that Blood and Wine was for The Witcher 3.” – Morgan Park, PC Gamer based on his preview of the expansion.