Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores DLC Is A Lovely Mid-Sized Follow-Up Despite Some Stumbles

Platform: PS5
Genre: Sizeable DLC For Last Year’s Open-World Robot Animal-Murdering Sim
Last year’s Horizon Forbidden West is a seminally enjoyable open-world game with robot-killing and giant-hunting, even if its limelight was stolen by Elden Ring. Still, many of us who ended up buying a PlayStation 5 in the past few months felt they got their money’s worth with the adventures of lone warrior Aloy as she attempts to save her world that’s a mix of primitive tech and old world scifi trappings.
Naturally, fans are craving more additions and DLC, so a follow-up is imminent. Enter Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores, which is a post-game paid DLC which adds a substantial amount of a continent to explore, throws a bunch of new challenges and tools at you, and adds in a new character that’s sure to make current fans giddy all over.
The Battle Of Los Angeles

The gist of Burning Shores is this: after dealing with the events of Horizon Forbidden West -the DLC requires you to complete Forbidden West first before you access it- you get a request from your mutual acquaintance Sylens about a rogue Zenith in the ruins and abandoned continent of Los Angeles (hence the broken Hollywood sign on the DLC’s cover). As you approach the area when on the hunt, you bump into a Quen marine soldier name Seyka who you end up being allies with throughout the quest, all the while with an agenda of her own. I’ll say this: the game’s narrative sure focuses a lot on Seyka, her standing with the Quen tribesfolk, and how similar she is to our heroine Aloy.
While some may argue that this dynamic may seem forced given the entertainment climate the past few years have been, I feel that the budding “friendship” between Seyka and Aloy is genuine and heartfelt, all within the 8+ hours you spend in this DLC. Plus, the Zenith you’re hunting down is a helluva entertaining douche off and on-screen, making you all the more invigorated to see justice dispensed onto his rich and Harvey Weinstein-esque ass. Props to the writers for keeping in tone with the franchise but also putting effort in what amounts to a side quest in the grander scheme.
Speaking of new content, the new machines you have to fight in this part of Los Angeles are the giant Bilegut and the Stingspawn swarm. They’re both a hoot to fight against, both challenging and fun to spend time to take down and tear apart. The Bilegut is large but surprisingly fast due to its penchant to leap and jump around while playing footsies with you with its tongue, and dispersing AoE poison gas and summoning Stingspawn. The latter come in numbers and can overwhelm you, and even explode in your face. However, they can be clustered in a bunch and dealt with using the right element for a chain reaction. It took me a while to get the hang of the fights, but that’s the fun part about Horizon’s mechanical terrors: they’re big, imposing, and satisfying to conquer. You’ll fight a couple of these in the story quest; they do not wear out their welcome and are a welcome addition to the already-terrifying Slaughterspine and Dreadwing in the main game.
Walk Of Fame

The landscape of Los Angeles is also fun and beautiful to explore and witness. Apart from a ton of areas to visit and uncover using your Sunwing (and Waterwing; this one dives underwater too), the story quest stages are both beautiful and haunting. Throughout Aloy and Seyka’s journey, you’ll come across a mini-planetarium, a cult sect, and even an old movie studio-slash-theme park that invites a ton of fun quips about Aloy making comparisons between the Thunderjaw and a hologram T-Rex. Developer Guerilla Games spared no expense in making this DLC a feast for the eyes much like Forbidden West, what with the mix of beaches and shorelines, the forests, and the igneous terra and lava combo that dazzles and makes you enticed to faff about.
Your new tool in the game is a story item, but without saying much, it’s a worthy addition to your arsenal thanks to its homing capabilities and hard-hitting “shots”. Plus, there is new Legendary gear to craft and farm that requires the new resource Brimeshine that’s hidden all over Los Angeles. These weapons and armour are powerful and feature great passive stats and lots of slots for weaves, so you’ll definitely be spending the extra hours getting all the Brimeshine you can muster.
Having said all this praise, there are a few terribly-made moments, mostly in boss battles and setpieces. There is a mid-game boss that has bullet/arrow sponge written all over it, taking too long to kill off. The final boss fight is both epic and frustrating; while it’s a fun setpiece that ties up the story well, the actual gameplay and mechanics are awkward control-wise and full of one-hit cheap kill moments. And whoever designed the frustrating and oblique Waterwing segment where you control a hard-to-steer creature diving into water and using cover against a fast-shooting turret from a distance is probably a nice person, but really needs a scolding and be given a time-out.
Even with these questionable foibles, I still had a blast playing more Horizon Forbidden West thanks to this Burning Shores DLC. And I would go back again to uncover the rest of the map and handle the rest of the sidequests in this, well, sidequest DLC. Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores showcases more Aloy as she bonds with someone almost similar to her as well as her maturity given the past events in Forbidden West, features an awesome new territory to explore with more giant machines to take down and loot, and also teases what might come in the eventual Horizon 3. If you need more Horizon, you can’t go wrong with this trip down Neo-Sunset Boulevard, especially with the amount of content that’s waiting to be uncovered.

Pros

Great story & character development.
Fun new machine additions & weapon.
Story quest stages and new open-world section are fun to explore.

Cons

A few questionable setpieces and boss fights.

Final Score: 80/100
Review copy provided by PlayStation Asia.


Here Are The Best Steam Intergalactic Summer Sale Deals So Far

This story was originally posted on 22 June. This story is still in development, at least until July 6.
So we announced this early morning on Facebook that the official Steam Intergalactic Summer Sale just started. Valve sure likes surprising people with these things, eh?
In any case, it’s that time of the month where PC gamers spend money on great -33% discount (or more) for games and buy so many of them that they won’t even play them even after a year has passed. We’re here to give you our personal sales picks fromÂ 22 June until 6 July, because we run a pretty cool gaming website and we want to sort out the best deals so you don’t have to do too much searching & stuff.
So obviously we are going to spend our money on the deals that make the most sense and the biggest bang for your RM/SG/currency of choice. Here are our picks, so do stick around and we’ll make it worth your while.

Dark Souls III (SG$14.97)
75% discount on the third Dark Souls game that will test your action RPG mettle and dodging/fighting skills? Sign us up!
Cities: Skyline (SG$7.25)
Still burned by EA’s treatment of SimCity these days? Just buy this city simulation instead. It’s knee-deep with city-building and management features that you’ll be hooked for days and weeks.
Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Wildlands (SG$23.10/RM68.97)
Last year’s open world Ghost Recon shooter came out with a mediocre reception, but Ubisoft took great pains in improving the game months and months after its release. Just like with The Division, this shooter is a tad more improved over time; now’s the time as any to get it at a 67% discount.Â
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning (SG$6.22/RM9.50)

This action RPG’s production and post-production history overshadowed the actual game back in 2012. Nonetheless, you should give this game a shot since it’s at a huge 75% discount: the combat is fun, the loot-hoarding is grand, and the aesthetics have that familiar-yet-unique vibe to it.
Dragon Ball FighterZ (SG$41.94/RM119.40)

The base version of this year’s hyped-up 3v3 fighting game is at -44% discount. It may not be more than 50%, but it’s enough to make you go Super Saiyan if you haven’t touched the game yet.
While you’re at it, do check out our guide, yeah?Â
Them’s Fightin’ Herds (SG$10.87/RM24)
Would you like some horseplay with your fighting games? Then you can’t go wrong with this Early Access edition of Them’s Fightin’ Herds. You’re getting a limited time 25% discount for an already-cheap fighting game that’s made from fans of the series (and even a huge assist from My Little Pony: FIM’s Lauren Faust). So now’s a good time as any to uphold the Bro(ny) Code.
These Gaggle Of Indie Games
Desolate, Everspace, Abandon Ship, Tyranny, Dark and Light, Staxel. I’m more fond of Tyranny, which is one of Obsidian’s finest.

Ni no Kuni 2: Revenant Kingdom (SG$47.04/RM143.40)
We gave this JRPG a solid review. It’s worth the time and man hours to play even if its story is not as good as the first Ni no Kuni. Plus, the latest 1.03 update adds in a new Hard and Expert difficulty, which means tougher enemies with better treasure.
It’s not everyday a new 2018 title gets a half-price offer:Â buy it here.Â
Fallout 4 GOTY Edition (SG$39.50/RM118.49)
Fallout 76 is coming out, so why not revisit the last Fallout game from Bethesda that lets you build your own houses and team up with a robot detective?

Rise of the Tomb Raider (SG$20.97/RM57.00)
Lara’s second foray in the third reboot (quite a mouthful, eh?) just received a 70% discount. With the third game in tow this year, you should check out this adventure because it looks so damn good on a powerful PC.
Total War: Warhammer (SG$14.75/RM28.75)
War is definitely good for something: PC strategizing fun!
Civilization VI (SG$22.47/RM71.60)
The best version of Civilization so far has its OG price slashed by 70%. To which we say “hell yeah” if you haven’t bought it yet due to high 4X prices. Firaxis has done good with this epic sequel.

Half-Minute Hero: The Second Coming (SG$2.62/RM5.75)
Here’s a pretty underrated RPG you can get into; it’s got a funny-yet-addictive speed-based completion mechanic, pixelated graphics, and a charming narrative. All that for a huge 75% discount!
Va-11 Hall-A (SG$10.05/RM20.77)
Why the hell have you not played this awesomesauce visual novel featuring drinks-mixing and cyberpunk? Do it now!
A Hat In Time (SG$18.85/RM36.40)
Remember Yooka-Layley? Well, don’t. You should just play A Hat In Time, which is a love letter to all 90s 3D platformers out there starring a cute hat-wearing protagonist.
Got any good Steam Summer Sale picks you want to share with the whole of Southeast Asia? Let us know!Â


Bracket For Dota 2’s Lima Major Set Following Extremely Tight Group Stage

The Dota 2 Lima Major bracket is set, and we have all the details on which teams are moving on and which ones are heading home.

Check out the schedule we did for the Lima Major!
First up, let’s talk about how the teams got to this point. The 18 teams were divided into two groups and played two games against each other team in their group. The top four teams from each group moved on to the upper bracket, while the fifth and sixth-place teams went to the lower bracket. The bottom three teams were eliminated with no prize pool or DPC points to show for it.
In Group A, Gaimin Gladiators and Team Spirit came out on top with 11 wins and 5 losses each. However, Gamin Gladiators snagged the top seed thanks to tie-breaker rules. Evil Geniuses and Talon Esports also made it to the upper bracket with records of 10-6 each, but EG had the tie-breaker advantage.
PSG.LGD and Tundra Esports were the last two teams to qualify for the lower bracket in Group A, with PSG.LGD at 8-8 and Tundra barely making the cut with a 7-9 record. Tundra fans were on edge during the final day of the group stage, but luck was on their side as both TSM and Execration lost their final matches, allowing Tundra to avoid tie-breakers.
In Group B, Team Liquid and Entity secured their spots in the upper bracket early on, with Liquid only losing two maps throughout the group stage. Knights had a tough time, only winning one game and losing 15 to come in dead last.
The final day of regular matches brought some surprises, with Shopify Rebellion making it to the upper bracket with a 10-6 scoreline, and BetBoom Team dropping out in eighth place.
Now, let’s talk about the tie-breakers. Team Aster and beastcoast had to play a best of three to decide who would go to the upper bracket, and Aster came out on top. Meanwhile, HellRaisers and Geek Slate also played a best of three to determine who would go to the lower bracket and who would be eliminated. HellRaisers won, keeping their hopes alive.
The top eight teams will now face off in the first round of matches in the main event, with the losers moving on to face the lower bracket qualifiers. The first round of games kicks off on 28 February, so mark your calendars and get ready for some intense Dota 2 action!


Hades’ Zagreus Pop Up Parade Figure Now Up For Pre-Order

Good Smile Company has announced that the Hades Zagreus Pop Up Parade figure is now available for pre-order for ¥4,800 (or roughly RM160+) on the official website. It is expected to release sometime in May 2023.
It is approximately 180mm in height and features an accurate recreation of Zagreus from Hades wielding his sword, Stygius, the Blade of the Underworld.
Hades the game is now available for PC (Steam and Epic Games Store), Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S. We named it one of Kakuchopurei’s best games of 2020; so it’s a must-play. In December 2022 at The Game Awards 2022, Supergiant Games announced its sequel, Hades 2.
Check out the Hades Zagreus Pop Up Parade figure below:


Dragon Ball Super Super Hero Comes To Malaysian Cinemas This August

Dragon Ball Super Super Hero is coming to Malaysia and Malaysian cinemas on 30 August 2022.
Today, Crunchyroll and Toei Animation unveiled additional details for the global theatrical release of Dragon Ball Super Super Hero, the newest film in the worldwide anime blockbuster franchise, including a new trailer, and new English voice cast. The film will be available in both English dub and subtitled and will arrive in more than 2300 theaters in the United States and Canada on August 19 with tickets on sale starting July 22. The film will also be released in select U.S. based IMAX theaters.
Crunchyroll also announced the English Voice Cast for the film:

Son Gohan – Kyle Hebert
Son Goku – Sean Schemmel
Son Goten – Robert McCollum
Piccolo – Christopher R. Sabat
Bulma – Monica Rial
Vegeta – Christopher R. Sabat
Krillin – Sonny Strait
Trunks – Eric Vale
Videl – Kara Edwards
Pan – Jeannie Tirado

New English Voice Cast:

Dr. Hedo – Zach Aguilar
Gamma 1 – Aleks Le
Gamma 2 – Zeno Robinson
Magenta – Charles Martinet
Carmine – Jason Marnocha

Dragon Ball Super Super Hero, the second film in the Dragon Ball Super franchise, opens in theaters across the globe in all continents. The film arrives on the following dates in the following regions and territories:

August 18 in Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, Brazil, Peru, Chile, Argentina, Colombia, Central America, Ecuador, Bolivia, Uruguay, Paraguay
August 19 in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, South Africa, Zambia, Vietnam
August 26 in India, Indonesia
August 30 in Malaysia, Brunei
August 31 in the Philippines
September 1 in Singapore
September 8 in Taiwan
September 15 in South Korea
September 29 in Thailand, Hong Kong, Macao
Additional global release dates for the film will be announced soon.

This is the first truly globally-distributed theatrical release for Crunchyroll and is distributed in North America by Crunchyroll. Internationally, the film will be distributed by Crunchyroll and Sony Pictures Entertainment.
Dragon Ball Super Super Hero Official Synopsis:
The Red Ribbon Army was once destroyed by Son Goku. Individuals, who carry on its spirit, have created the ultimate Androids, Gamma 1 and Gamma 2. These two Androids call themselves “Super Heroes”. They start attacking Piccolo and Gohan… What is the New Red Ribbon Army’s objective? In the face of approaching danger, it is time to awaken, Super Hero!
The film, with full commitment and deep involvement from Dragon Ball’s original creator Akira Toriyama, has the legendary manga creator behind the film’s original story, screenplay and character design.
Additionally, the film will be directed by Tetsuro Kodama and the Japanese voice actors for the film include Masako Nozawa (Son Goku, Son Gohan, and Son Goten), Toshio Furukawa (Piccolo), Aya Hisakawa (Bulma), Ry? Horikawa (Vegeta), Mayumi Tanaka (Krillin), Takeshi Kusao (Trunks), Y?ko Minaguchi (Videl), Y?ko Minaguchi (Pan), Miyu Irino (Dr. Hedo), Hiroshi Kamiya (Gamma 1), Mamoru Miyano (Gamma 2), Volcano Ota (Magenta), and Ryota Takeuchi (Carmine).
The Dragon Ball phenomena began in 1984 when Japan’s well-known manga from Akira Toriyama premiered in Shueisha’s “Weekly Shonen Jump” – becoming a top ranked title throughout its 10 and a half years of publication. Since then, the manga’s popularity has continued to grow with an astonishing record of 260 million copies sold worldwide and counting. And with Dragon Ball’s ever-increasing popularity, it has expanded beyond manga to include TV animation, movies, games and merchandising. Now 38 years after the launch of the original manga, Dragon Ball continues to evolve and will reach new heights starting with this new large-scale movie.
Dragon Ball Super Super Hero is the second film in the Dragon Ball Super franchise. Dragon Ball Super Broly was released in 2018 to fans around the globe, including Malaysia (and we reviewed it as well). The film has grossed over US$120 million at the box office globally and is the fifth highest grossing anime movie at the box office in the U.S.
Check out the official trailer below:


Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Planes Are Taking Flight

Want to see Tanjiro and Nezuko fly in the sky? Well, you can. Sorta.
See, All Nippon Airways (ANA) will be flying an airplane featuring characters from the hit anime series Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba starting today. The airplanes will be flying from Haneda Airport in Japan. In fact, videos of it are on ANA’s official TikTok account.
The plane itself has two different designs on each side. One side is the team -Tanjiro, Nezuko, Zenitsu, and Inosuke- in battle poses, and the other is Tanjrio in a black and white calligraphy style design. Check out the designs on ANA’s Twitter post below:

????#???? × #ANA????#???????? ???????
?????????????????????????????????????????
?????? #?? ?????????#????ANA#????#??????#?????#??????#??? pic.twitter.com/XVpKQTYjT3
— ANA Group News (@ANA_Group_News) January 29, 2022

At this point in time, there’s no confirmed end date or flight route for the airplanes with the Demon Slayer design.


Here’s What We Know About Monark, The New RPG From The Shin Megami Tensei Staff

Update (10 June 2021): Added the game’s release dates. And video.

Earlier this month, we talked about an upcoming school RPG called Monark that’s made by the folks behind the Shin Megami Tensei series. The official reveal is 11am tomorrow, 10th June, but Famitsu has the early scoop on what it’s really about.
Here’s what we know: the game’s developer is called Lancarse (of Gundam EXTREME VS. Maxi Boost On fame) while its publisher is FuRyu. The game’s story is about the True Student Council, which is established to solve abnormal situations in school. The game’s main character ends up being the deputy head of the council, who gets to choose a buddy from four characters to “defy the unreasonable”.

The title will feature multiple endings, with different routes for each of the four buddy characters. To make multiple playthroughs easier and less repetitive, you can choose to skip shared routes and advance through different buddy routes. Narrative-wise, the game will have stories for the school’s 100+ students and about 40 songs.
Monark’s combat system will be command-based and include a Shin Megami Tensei-like free move turn system. You have access to a resource called Madness; if you increase it, you can pull off more powerful skills, but if you do it too much, you can go berserk and attack both friends and foes alike. And just like in SMT, you can recruit demons as your underlings.

Monark also has an EGO system, where a player’s desire levels are divided into the seven sins: pride, wrath, envy, lust, gluttony, and sloth. These changes and values go up and down depending on the choices you make and also affect what demons you can recruit.
This entire game sounds like a 2021 version of an old spin-off called Shin Megami Tensei IF, which in turn inspired the Persona series. Funny enough, the key developers have mentioned that title as the source of Monark’s inspiration (via Gematsu).
“We got excited talking aboutÂ Shin Megami Tensei IF, and how nowadays there are no games like it, so we constructed the prototype forÂ Monark with consideration for the world view and atmosphere we thought important to preserve in a school RPG project.
I canâ€™t thank [the creators who joined the project sensing mine and Hoashinoâ€™s enthusiasm] enough. The chemistry with the other creators was there and we were able to develop the game with the idea team.”
More information will be revealed later in the game’s debut trailer on 10th June, 11am.
Monark will be out for Nintendo Switch and PS4/PS5 this 14th October for Japan. The English versions will be out in early 2022 for the aforementioned platforms and PC; it will feature English and Japanese voiceovers.
[Update]: We have scans of the upcoming issue (via Persona Central) showing off the game’s art style.


Tron Identity Is A New Visual Novel Adventure Game

During the Disney & Marvel Games Showcase at D23, Tron Identity was announced. Developed by Bithell Games, it’s a visual novel adventure following Query, a detective program tasked with uncovering the mystery of what was taken and by whom. Finding yourself in a world built on unstable foundations and filled with whispered knowledge, it’s up to you to question suspects and investigate your surroundings to piece together the truth.
The synopsis of the game’s story reads:
In a new Grid, forgotten by its creator and left alone to evolve without User intervention, an unprecedented crime has been committed. The Repository stands at the center of this society. In the aftermath of a break-in, the future of this Grid hangs in the balance.
The decisions you make will actively influence the story, with a multitude of possible outcomes, good and bad – all depending on your carefully chosen words. You’ll interact with a number of intriguing characters, and decide whether to ally with them, spurn them, or even derezz them. However you choose to deal with them, you’ll need to recover their lost memories in your search for answers, puzzling your way through defragging Identity Discs. The world of TRON is growing, and your adventure is the seed.
Tron Identity launches for PC via Steam in 2023.


Marvel’s Thunderbolts Movie Gets Its Director

It looks like the rumours are true after all, and Marvel Studios is preparing for its upcoming Thunderbolts movie with Jake Schreier as the director. Schreier is best known for directing 2015’s Paper Towns and several episodes of Netflix’s Brand New Cherry Flavor.
According to the report from Deadline, Black Widow writer Eric Pearson is working on the Thunderbolts script with Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige producing.
No details have been revealed about the project, but it will revolve around a group of supervillains who go on missions for the government. No actors or returning characters have been confirmed for the Thunderbolts movie.
If we look at the comics, possible members of the MCU’s Thunderbolts include Daniel Bruhl’s Baron Zemo, Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova, Olga Kurylenko’s Taskmaster, Tim Roth’s The Abomination, Wyatt Russell’s US Agent.
Thunderbolts’ first appearance in the comics.
In the comics, the first Thunderbolts team was assembled by Baron Zemo. They masqueraded as a superhero team and as a replacement for the Avengers before the truth eventually came out that they were actually criminals and supervillains. The MCU doesn’t have a main Avengers team anymore, so it’s ripe for the Thunderbolts to make their debut.
Thunderbolts’s original reveal in the comics.
In my Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings breakdown, I predicted that the Abomination might be recruited for the Thunderbolts by Baron Zemo.


2020’s Best Sim Game About Death Has Sold A Million Units

Developer Thunder Lotus has announced that its gorgeous 2D adventure simulation title on a boat, Spiritfarer, has sold a million copies.
This generally makes the indie game an undeniable success. To celebrate this moment, the devs are releasing the Farewell Edition of the game, closing the book on Spiritfarer. The game is also getting new content like two new passengers, Jackie and Daria, and a new island.
Here’s the official presser that puts the cap on the title from creative director Nicolas GuÃ©rin:
“All good things must come to an end. And Spiritfarer has been especially good for Thunder Lotus! For our work to be welcomed into the lives of so many people is especially gratifying, particularly given how much heart we tried to invest in the game.
It was a challenging project, but telling these stories truly helped us grow as developers. Weâ€™d like to offer our heartfelt thanks to all our fans for their support and for helping us reach this special milestone!”
Spiritfarer is out now for PC, Nintendo Switch, PS4, and Xbox One. It’s praised for its cozy simulation aspects and its tasteful handling of death and its inevitability, using a comforting aesthetic and some Metroidvania aspects. Check out our glowing review of the game here.


The Highest-Earning Female Esports Player Isn’t Even In The Top 300

When talking about the differences between traditional sports and esports, one of the most noteworthy points is that men and women who play esports don’t have any physical advantages over the other gender. It’s almost purely based on how skilled you are.
Despite the lack of a physical-bias barrier, female esports players are still far from reaching the level of success that their male counterparts are enjoying. In a recent study done by OnBuy.com, they found that the highest-earning female esports player doesn’t even make it into the list of the top 300 highest-earning esports players in the world.
Taking data from EsportsEarnings, the report showed that Starcraft II player Sasha ‘Scarlett’ Hostyn (the top female player) has earned a bit over US$330,000 which places her at number 329. The second top female esports player is Katherine ‘Mystik’ Gunn, who’s earned US$122,000 through playing Halo: Reach. Even with that amount, she’s doesn’t even make it into the top 500.
Number one female esports player, Sasha ‘Scarlett’ Hostyn. Image from Red Bull.
I’m pretty sure no has forgotten TI9 and OG’s historical two-time consecutive championship which put the entire team on the top 5 spots of the highest-earning esports players list. OG captain Johan ‘N0tail’ Sundstein sits at the top with almost US$7 million in earnings.
To really drive home the point of how far the gap is between male and female players, the report calculated that if you combined all of the winnings of the top 400 female players, you’d get US$3.03 million. That’s not even half of N0tail’s total.
Johan ‘N0tail’ Sundstein, the highest-earning esports player in the world.
There’s a lot of factors that affect these numbers but from my own perspective, it’s not all that hard to understand. More men take part in esports and consequently they become form the majority. I don’t see it as a problem. It’s just how things are.
If more women want to give professional competitive gaming a try, that’s great. If they don’t, that’s fine too. I don’t think there are that many barriers stopping women from joining anyway. At the end of the day, what matters is that you’re having fun playing video games.


Four SEA Countries Advance To Mobile Legends YHYA Charity Cup Semi-Finals

The #YourHomeYourArena (YHYA) Charity Cup officially began last week in the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang category, as part of the Asian Electronic Sports Federation’s (AESF) YHYA campaign (to raise funds for combating COVID-19).
The quarter-finals saw eight teams from Southeast Asian countries competing in a single-elimination knock-out stage of the invitational. Malaysia, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Singapore, the Philippines, Indonesia and Brunei participated in the #YHYA Charity Cup Quarter-Finals.
After four matches, only Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and Indonesia emerged victorious from their respective matches and are able to progress to the Semi-Finals, which will be played next week.
The first match between Thailand and Singapore starts at 2pm GMT+8 on 11 June 2020, followed by the second match between Malaysia and Indonesia at 4pm GMT+8 on the same day. The Finals between the winners of those two matches will be played later at 7.30pm GMT+8 on the same day as well.

Instead of the Quarter-Finals’ single-elimination knock-out stage format, the Semi-Finals and Finals of the #YourHomeYourArena (YHYA) Mobile Legends Charity Cup will be played in Best-Of-3 format.
You can even catch a recap of the previous matches in the tournament by heading on over here and here.
In addition, you can also contribute to the fund by visiting the landing page at give.asia, where all proceeds will be channelled towards the COVID-19 relief funds. Check out the full details of the fundraiser here.
https://www.facebook.com/asian.esports/videos/602171307102733/


Hololive & Nijisanji Join Forces to Protect VTubers From Harassment & Toxicity

Cover Corporation and Anycolor are the parent companies of Hololive and Nijisanji respectively, both of whom are two of the biggest companies representing VTubers in the world. They have announced that they are working together to combat harassment and defamation against their VTubers.
According to the press release and statement (see below), they have also joined forces to take action against “summary sites”, which refers to celebrity gossip and tabloid websites. These sites usually cross the line when covering the personal lives of famous people, including VTubers.
Both Cover and Anycolor will take action by developing strategies and taking part in public awareness campaigns, as well as entering a settlement agreement with those who operate “summary sites” in order to protect their VTubers.
Part of their press release states:
“Going forward, while implementing these countermeasures, we intend to go even further by cooperating with other companies in accordance with the circumstances and matters at hand and intend to work vigorously to eradicate acts of defamation.”
Check out the full press release and statement below (via Twitter):


Warner Bros. Reportedly Pauses Ezra Miller From Future DC Projects

It looks like we’ll be seeing a lot less of Ezra Miller (they/them) going forward after Warner Bros. and DC executives recently held an emergency meeting to discuss their future with the studio following The Flash actor’s recent arrest for disorderly conduct and harassment. According to sources from Rolling Stone, the executives have reportedly decided to pause all future projects involving Ezra Miller, including appearances in DC movies as the Flash.
We still have one year until Ezra Miller’s The Flash movie comes out on 23 June 2023, so we’ll have to wait and see if there’ll be more drastic changes coming soon. What prompted the emergency executive meeting in the first place? Sources say that Ezra Miller had “frequent meltdowns” and that they were often “losing it” during production on The Flash.
In addition, according to a police report on 28 March 2022, Ezra Miller was arrested after they became agitated when people at a Hawaiian bar begin singing. Miller apparently shouted obscenities and grabbed the microphone from a 23-year-old woman as she was singing and lunged at a 32-year-old man playing darts. They were later released on US$500 bail. After that, the couple filed a temporary restraining order against Miller on 29 March 2022 as they claimed that Miller burst into their bedroom and threatened them, with Miller saying to the man, “I will bury [sic] you and and your slut wife”.
It’s not surprising that after all that, WB executives decided that a more drastic measure is needed. Ezra Miller also stars in WB’s Fantastic Beasts Wizarding World franchise, and will be seen next in the upcoming Fantastic Beasts The Secrets Of Dumbledore (stay tuned for our review). It remains to be seen if the actor will continue to have a future at WB, or even Hollywood as a whole.


The Amazons Attack A Total War Saga Troy Next Week

A Total War Saga Troy was free during its first 24 hours of release on the Epic Games Store, and over seven million people claimed the game. Next week, the Amazons Hero Pack DLC will go on sale, and it will also be free for the taking, albeit for a whopping two weeks this time around (only the DLC, not the base game).
The Amazons DLC will add two new heroes to the game; the High Queen of the Amazons Hippolyta and her sister, the Warrior Queen Penthesilea. Each faction will have an all-female roster with a variety of cavalry units and unique troops.
For instance, Penthesilea has access to two-handed axe infantry, devastating skirmishers, and strong cavalry. Meanwhile, Hippolyta boasts famed Amazon archers and heavy sword infantry, as well as horse archers.

In addition to all that, players can also look forward to new buildings, faction mechanics, and new Epic Mission chains. A Total War Saga Troy‘s The Amazons DLC is slated to release on 24 September 2020 but will be free for all owners of A Total War Saga Troy owners until 8 October 2020.
In order to claim The Amazons DLC, you’ll need to have a Total War Access account, and you’ll need to link it to your Epic Games Store account. You can follow the steps described in The Amazons DLC FAQ here.
In the meantime, check out the trailer below.


No E3? No Problem: Here Is Your Online Game Expo Schedule For 2020 [Update]

This feature will be updated periodically, as some events have been delayed due to recent world news.Â
Story originally published on 26th May.
Just because E3 2020 is cancelled doesn’t mean there aren’t any avenues for publishers and developers to announce their upcoming titles. In fact, with this generation’s reliable method of consuming digital content online thanks to the internet, many of them are stepping up with their own virtual events.
Here’s a list of them, from the Big Three (Nintendo, PlayStation, Xbox) to other smaller-but-not-lesser showcases. For convenience’s sake, all times are converted to Malaysia/Singapore time (GMT+8).
2020 Taipei Game Show – 1st June to 24th June

Next week, we’ll be seeing how Taipei Game Show’s first online expo debut in 2020. We’ll be seeing a lot of one-on-one conferencing with game developers, webinars, and a slew of game previews. The expo will also have an Indie Salon Online event where developers from Taiwan, Singapore, Sweden, the Philippines, and Malaysia share their insights with audiences. If you’re interested in seeing these online talks, you can register here.
PlayStation 5 Showcase – 12th June (4am GMT+8)
Itâ€™s official. PlayStation announced that itÂ will reveal details on PlayStation 5 next weekÂ onÂ 5th June at 4am GMT+8. We may be seeing PS5 exclusives and more about the next-gen console on that day itself.
The showcase will be onÂ PlayStationâ€™s YouTubeÂ andÂ TwitchÂ pages.
Guerilla Collective – 13th June (1:00am GMT+8) to 15th June

Hosted by Kinda Funny co-founder Greg Miller, this multi-day showcase focuses on indie and mid-sized studios and their games. Notable names include 11 Bit Studios (Frostpunk), Larian Studios (Baldur’s Gate 3), Versus Evil (Banner Saga), and ZA/UM (Disco Elysium).
PC Gaming Show – 14th June (2:00am GMT+8)

This year’s PC Gaming Show will be hosted once again by esports folks Sean “Day9” Plott and Frankie Ward.
The show will highlight over 50 new and upcoming PC games and demos from various developers all around the world. This year’s offering may be a bit more detailed; after all, digital events of this nature mean more airtime to talk about your passion project(s).
Steam Game Festival – 9th to 14th June
Valve is also hosting its own “online event” featuring a ton of PC games. Here’s the twist: you can play the demos of each highlighted game during this period. Microsoft will be part of this event, meaning that its first-party games on the Xbox One could make their debut on Steam.
EA Play Live 2020 – 12th June (7am GMT+8)
EA Play is still a thing despite the many awkward moments it showed us. Noteworthy announcements include EA Access coming to Steam and Anthem 2.0. Here’s hoping the latter gets some sort of a comeback.
Day of the Devs – 22nd June (11pm GMT+8)and 20th July
The Game Awards and iam8bit are teaming up alongside Double Fine on this digital event, which will showcase indie games and “large scale projects”.
Companies who are confirmed for this event include The Behemoth (Castle Crashers), Sabotage Studio, Team17 (Worms), thatgamecompany (Journey), and Tribute Games. Expect gameplay previews and debuts up the wazoo.
New Game+ Expo – 23rd June (11pm GMT+8)

Sega joins Koei Tecmo, NIS America, and a lot of other Japanese companies to share new game announcements and gameplay demos in a Japanese game-centric digital showcase. Stay tuned to the stream on this link.
Ubisoft Forward – 13th July (3am GMT+8)
Don’t forget about open-world game makers Ubisoft, who are doing their own virtual event this July. The publisher will reveal a ton of new games, most notably Far Cry 6,Â  Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, and Watch Dogs Legion. The latter was supposed to be out on March but it was delayed to April 2021-ish. Check out the upcoming stream here.Â
Microsoft Xbox Series X Showcase – July and August
We already witnessed Xbox’s gameplay showcase event this May, so it’s only fitting we receive a salvo of Xbox Series X-related events in the next few months. There’s no timing confirmed yet, but odds are we’ll be getting a first look at the console and a slew of first-party games like Halo Infinite.


Disney Wants Game Developers To Focus On Original Stories For Iconic Franchises

At the recent 2020 DICE Summit at the Aria Convention Center in Las Vegas, Disney senior VP games and interactive experiences Sean Shoptaw revealed the House Of Mouse’s new approach to licensing their IPs to video game developers (via The Hollywood Reporter).
He cites the recent successes of games like EA and Respawn Entertainment’s Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, selling over 8 million units by 31 December 2019, and 2018’s Marvel’s Spider-Man from Insomniac Games, which was the fastest-selling first-party title in Sony’s history with over 13 million copies sold to date.
From now on, Disney will be emphasizing original storytelling and reimagining classic IPs into video games. Shoptaw said:

“I’m here for one specific reason: to empower you to do really unique things with our [catalogue].
We want to tap into the power of creatives across the industry.”

Now that Disney also owns 20th Century Fox and all its IPs, the possibilities are endless. Another example of Disney supported video games is the Kingdom Hearts franchise. 2019’s Kingdom Hearts 3 has sold more than 5 million copies to date.
Kingdom Hearts 3 producer Shinji Hashimoto said:

â€œWorking with our friends at Disney through our nearly 20-year relationship has produced something that neither of us could have accomplished alone.
The Disney/Pixar team have provided invaluable support in helping us realize our creative visions through this beloved saga.â€


Six Stack: Six Question Heading into Final Week of Stage 2

Before you’re able to say ‘NERF SOMBRA!’, it’s the final week of Stage 2 of the inaugural Overwatch League season and today we are delving into the six questions we have related to this week’s games. Let’s get right into it.

Who Will Shock Start at DPS?Â
Mr 150K Sinatraa is set to make his debut this week but it would be foolish of us to assume he’d walk right into the Shock starting lineup considering Danteh’s performance in Stage 2 so far. The so called stand-in for Sinatraa stepped up a gear or two and is currently among the top-5 tracers in the league – no mean feat considering he’s going against the likes of Saebyeolbe, Munchkin, Soon, Birdring, Profit and Carpe. That aside, the Shock are definitely much stronger heading into Stage 3 and we can’t wait to see what impact Sinatraa is going to bring to his team that’s been patiently waiting for his inclusion.
Will We See Geguri at the Venue?Â
Having had her visa approved and is expected to be in Los Angeles by the time Week 5 kicks off, it would be one of the rare good news coming from the Shanghai Dragons camp after having a few of its players mired in off-stage controversies as well as notable absences and departures. While the Shanghai Dragons have been improving throughout Stage 2, the same cannot be said for the Houston Outlaws who have struggled to remain competitive in light of the meta change. Their biggest issue so far is which player should slot into the Tracer role, following the largely unsuccessful Jake experiment. Clockwork who also slips into the role wasn’t that hot as well, as he is almost last in every category. It might be a longshot but we won’t be surprised to see the Dragons nick an unlikely win here.
Will We Finally See Seagull Back in Fuel Lineup?Â
All throughout Stage 2, the Fuel made the news more due to off-screen controversies and their underperforming roster.Â  Probably burdened by the hype which the team carried heading into the Overwatch League, they have so far been unable to live up to their top-billing and have been fielding weird team compositions for the longest time. Their acquisition of soldier specialist in AKM while seen at first as a masterstroke has become their burden as he’s been fielded more often than other players who were perceived to be better picks. Fan favorite, Brandon ‘Seagull’ Larned have been missing for the longest time and word has it that he’s been training on D.Va. Will we finally get to see the fruits of his labor before the end of the Stage? They have the hardest fixture this week as they face NYXL and Spitfire – both games they were expected to lose – so why not just unleash the bird, right?
Does Philadelphia Fusion Has What it Takes to Play Spoiler?
The Los Angeles Gladiators need to win both of their remaining regular season matches to keep the hunt for the playoffs alive. Philadelphia Fusion on the other hand, require both teams ahead of them, the Gladiators and Dynasty to drop sets. So in part-1 of the impossible task, the Fusion will have to overcome the red-hot Gladiators to even have a chance of playing in the title match rounds. While teams such as Fuel and Outlaws have issues of not having the right personnel to fill a particular DPS role, the Fusion are the exact opposite. Who should they run? Tracer God Carpe? Genji specialist ShaDowBurn? What about the prodigious Eqo? Oh don’t forget Snillo. Be sure to catch the match of the week which carry huge implications on how the race for third pans out by the end of the week.
Will Seoul Make it To the Title Match Round?
It was a sense of deja vu for the Dynasty as they again fail to avoid defeat when going against the boys from London Spitfire and NYXL. What was even more worrying was that it was on the back of matches against the two that the Dynasty started crumbling in Stage 1 which led to them missing out on the playoff stage. Their match against the Houston Outlaws this week cannot be any more important as while they are tied on third with the Gladiators at 6-2, the Gladiators hold a better map win record. The Dynasty would be smart to go all out and pick up as many map wins as possible to remain in contention while also hoping the Gladiators to drop several maps in their matches this week. Touted as the best team going into the Overwatch League, the Dynasty have suffered some nasty bumps to their ego and reputation following losses to the other two all-Korean rosters and would love to exact revenge and regain some pride by defeating them in the title matches next Monday.
Have the NYXL Found A Solution to the London Spitfire?
Despite finishing Stage 1 first in the standings, the NYXL were pipped to the big prize after losing to the Spitfire in the Stage 1 title match. Their attempt to exact revenge for that loss at the start of Stage 2 fell flat as the Spitfire again prove to have the NYXL figured out. While the Spitfire are the more inconsistent of all three all-Korean rosters having suffered shock losses to the likes of Boston, Houston and LA Gladiators in the past, they appear to be the only team in the league who knows how to handle their Korean brethren. Saebyeolbe & Co are expected to finish the season at the top of the standings and should meet the winner of the Spitfire and whichever team finishes third. We have a feeling that they are rooting for the Gladiators to finish third since they have found a way of defeating the Spitfire in Week 3.

The games start early tomorrow morning at 7am as the Gladiators take on the Fusion. We discussed about the state of the playoff hunt here if you are interested in getting a quick picture of what is required by each team in order to make it to the title match.


Indonesian CODM Pro & Content Creator Banned For 8 Months

Call of Duty: Mobile professional and content creator Mochamad Irvan “Lordvan“ Nur Arifin has been banned from competing in Activision and Garena sanctioned tournaments for eight months.
It was announced yesterday that four players from the team; Hail to The Ex, Lordvan from DG Esports and three of Relentless, have all been disqualified from Major Series Season 7 and have been banned for eight months.

Everyone asking, here's the context. pic.twitter.com/2danloya4s
— Moonwalker (@Moonwalker_GG) July 17, 2022

In the case of Hail to The Ex, on the third day of the event, evidence of jockeying during the tournament qualifier was submitted to the tournament organisers.
For those that may not know, jockeying is a term used for when another player uses a registered player’s account. It is stated in almost all Call of Duty: Mobile (CODM) tournament rulebooks that jockeying is strictly prohibited and an offence can result in disqualification from a tournament and even a ban.
Due to this story still developing, not much is known about Team Relentless and Lordvan’s situation and circumstances. Since DG Esports has a six-man lineup — including Lordvan — it is assumed that DG will run with their five remaining players.
DG Esports has been the most dominant team in Indonesian since the CODM’s release and has remained with the same roster since January of 2020. It was only in February that the Indonesian organisation made their first official roster changes with Lordvan and Lyze coming in for Ehannn and Venom.


The Invincible Live-Action Movie Is Still In The Works

The Invincible live-action movie adaptation was initially revealed in 2017, but there hasn’t been much news on it. In light of the upcoming premiere for Amazon’s Invincible animated series, Invincible comics creator Robert Kirkman confirmed that the live-action movie is very much still in the works.

Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Kirkman said that the Invincible live-action movie is in very early development but it will be separate from the Amazon animated series:

“That is still very much in development.
That hasn’t changed.
We’re just taking a long time.
But we’ve been fortunate enough to have a two-track plan with Invincible.
Right now we’ve got the animated series at Amazon, which is now on the cusp of launching, and then we’re also still developing it as a film series with Universal, with Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg attached.
So, those two things are still very much happening concurrently, which is somewhat weird, I guess.
But there’ve been Spider-Man animated series and Spider-Man movies at the same time.
So, I think we’re in good company.
There will definitely be some significant differences between the movie and the television show.
People will easily be able to tell them apart… We’re definitely working to make sure that the two can exist and complement each other.”

According to Kirkman, animation became the preferred medium for an Invincible adaptation rather than a live-action adaptation because:

“There hasn’t been a mature animated version of a superhero show (before Harley Quinn debuted in 2019).
It’s a great way for us to stand apart in a crowded landscape.
But more than that, I think that it allows us to more properly adapt the InvincibleÂ comic.
TheÂ Invincible comic will have one battle on earth, and then the next scene will be a battle in space, and then there’ll be an alien invasion, and then there’ll be another guy that attacks after the alien invasion.
There’s no way that we could keep this level of insanity up in live-action.
We would have to do a tremendous amount of bottle episodes to level it all out.”
It’s true, so much crazy shit happens in the comics that a live-action version would struggle to try to adapt everything faithfully.
Created by Robert Kirkman (and artists Cory Walker and Ryan Ottley),Â InvincibleÂ revolves around 17-year-old Mark Grayson who learns that he has inherited incredible powers from his superhero alien father, Omni-Man. The comic series ran for 144 issues from 2003 to 2018, with many spinoffs and its own cohesive shared universe.
Iâ€™m not mincing words when I say thatÂ InvincibleÂ is quite possibly one of the best comics Iâ€™ve ever read in my entire life, and itâ€™s definitely not like anything youâ€™ve ever read before. It feels like part Spider-Man and part Superman, with a lot of subverting genre tropes along the way.
InvincibleÂ will debut exclusively on Amazon Prime Video on 26 March 2021.


Storms Competition Offers Prize Money & Publishing Deals For Indie Devs

Games publisher and social gaming community app Storms has announced its inaugural hyper-casual game competition, offering indie mobile game studios and developers from around the world the chance to win a total prize pool of SG$360,000 (roughly US$270,000) and publishing contracts.Â
The â€˜Storm the World 2021â€™ Competition is now open for submissions (www.storms.com/stormtheworld), with the top three winners to be revealed in late March this year. Submissions will be judged based on the games’ potential for success, focusing on its user acquisition prospects and user retention capability.”
The top three winning submissions will receive an exclusive publishing contract with Storms, as well as an attractive cash prize as such:

First prize: SG$160,000Â
Second prize: SG$120,000
Third prize: SG$80,000

In addition, Storms will also offer bonus prizes worth up to SG$30,000 per game for qualifying submissions which failed to make it to the top three.
Highlighted rules for â€œStorm the World 2021â€ Competition:

Submitted games should be available on the Google Play Store and/or Apple App Store.
Submitted games cannot be previously tested with Storms.
Game developers can submit an unlimited amount of games.
Expected CPI should be at or below US$0.25 in the United States, with a D1 Retention rate above 35 percent.

Storms CEO David Yin said:
â€œWe created â€˜Storm the Worldâ€™ because many indie game studios and developers lack the necessary financial resources and expertise to scale their business locally and globally.
With this competition, Storms wants to discover the worldâ€™s best indie game creators, and support them around paid user acquisition and strategic game advice, so they can focus on fully exploring their visions and passion for gaming whilst securing marketability and future successâ€.
With this initiative, Stormsâ€™ publishing arm aims to supercharge the growth of high-potential indie mobile game developers yet to be discovered, by leveraging on its key gaming expertise and Singtelâ€™s telco network accumulating to 700 million subscribers in the region. In addition to the cash prizes, winners will benefit from Stormsâ€™ product expertise and support to distribute their games to a global audience and scale its monetization profitably.Â
Storms’ previous published games include Zombeast: Survival Zombie Shooter, an offline FPS mobile game which has achieved 3 million downloads and a 4.7 rating on GooglePlay Store; and Umbra: Amulet of Light, a 3D puzzle game developed by Indonesian indie developer Niji Games.
The competition is held in partnership with Adjust, a global app marketing platform working with many of the worldâ€™s leading mobile game developers, to help promote the competition and drive submissions.
Stores Head Of Marketing Shn Juay said:
â€œStorms can accomplish more with the right partner:
Working towards the common goal of accelerating indie game developersâ€™ growth, weâ€™re delighted to be leveraging a best-in-class app marketing platform like Adjust and their cutting edge tools to drive growth, optimize app usersâ€™ retention and maximise life time valueâ€.
Developers can learn more and submit their entries at www.storms.com/stormtheworld, starting today from 8 January 2021 to 28 February 2021 (GMT+8). You can also follow #StormTheWorld on LinkedIn and Instagram to see which developers are chosen, their journeys and to learn more about Storms.


Battlefield V Is Severely Losing The War to Black Ops IIII

Electronic Arts is in serious trouble in regards to Battlefield V if a report byÂ diversified financial services firm, Cowen is true. As posted on CNBC, the projected sales figures for EA’s Battlefield V is severely lagging compared to its competitor, Activision’s Call of Duty: Black Ops IIII.
According to Cowen managing director and senior research analystÂ Doug Creutz,Â “EA’s Battlefield V currently appears to potentially be headed for serious disappointment,”.Â “It is lagging far behind Call of Duty (Black Ops IIII), Red Dead Redemption 2 and Assassin’s Creed (Odyssey)” he added.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FEgeuGsmzQ&w=560&h=315]
Creutz also claims that Battlefield V are ‘tracking more than 85%’ behind’ Call of Duty: Black Ops 4. For comparison, previous titles in the franchise, Battlefields 3 and 4 also lagged their rivaling Call of Duty titles but just about 20% to 40%.
Only 2017’s Battlefield 1 balked the trend and was ahead of Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare at this point before launch. That case, however should be seen as an isolated incident considering the flak that Infinite Warfare received and the hype riding on the Battlefield brand following its return to the open battlefield scene for the first time in four years.
“This is very far off the tracking levels of previous Battlefield titles in 2011, 2013, and 2016,” Creutz added. “With a release date directly in between CoD and RDR, we worry that BFV could be headed for a similar fate as 2016’s Titanfall 2, which got squeezed out by its launch date directly between Battlefield 1 and Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare.”
As a nail to the coffin, Creutz said the 13 million to 14 million unit sales, which he estimates is factored into EA’s guidance for the title, is ‘not looking achievable’.
Following the massive blowback received from gamers due to their mismanagement of the beloved Star Wars: Battlefront franchise, this is definitely not the news folks at EA would want to hear. Add in the negative response to EA’s decision to put a female on the cover of the game (we think it’s alright to begin with), it would be interesting to see how the gaming crowd respond to Battlefield V and as always, the best way gamers can get their voices heard isn’t through social media or harassing game developers – it’s via their wallets.
Last week, we reported that longtime EA executive and DICE CEO (ie the devs who did the Battlefield games) Patrick SÃ¶derlund left the company. He recently responded to those who questioned the female soldiers in Battlefield V criticism with:
â€œWe stand up for the cause, because I think those people who donâ€™t understand it, well, you have two choices: either accept it or donâ€™t buy the game. Iâ€™m fine with either or.â€
You were heard loud and clear, Pat. Loud and clear.


Forza Horizon 5 Secures Its Place As This Year’s De Facto Racing Game

Platform(s): Xbox Series (version played), PC
Genre: Open-world racing game tour de force
There’s a bit of a personal touch that Forza Horizon 5 gives you, for all of its “bigger, better, and more” approach to an open-world racing game RPG sequel. The gist of part 5 is about the same as Forza Horizon 3 and Forza Horizon 4: you race in a plethora of different activities, collect Car Points (CP) to get more cars and tweak the ones you have, gaze in awe at the fact that your meager salary won’t even land you a C-class vehicle, and then just get immersed in your virtual playland of the game’s respective country where you can tear up the asphalt, ground, and Mother Nature herself. All for the sake of participating in the game’s spotlight events where you do daredevil stunts and partake in races that can’t be pulled off in real life lest its organizers want a juggernaut-size lawsuit and damages list.
And you’ll be doing it on your own terms this time around, given part 5’s new way of charting your racing RPG progression. All that, with a lovely frame to boot.
El RÃ¡pido y Furioso

Every new Forza Horizon game seem to have amped up the fun factor and thrill of speed with each new iteration, tweaking controls, adding accessibility options for all sorts of players (especially the Forza-patented Rewind feature), and giving you all the difficulty and assist options you need. Or if you’re hardcore, you can shut off all the latter and ramp up the Drivatar challenge for the pure driver simulator difficulty you find in your Gran Turismos.
In part 5’s context, the place you’re racing in is lovely Mexico, and clearly, developer Playground Games are going all out with the game visual and audio-wise. The game’s revamped engine and visuals are just immaculate. Every car you loved and lusted for is all in full detail here, from the new stuff like the Mercedes AMG and the new Ford offroads, to even classic Bentleys and Datsuns because there’s probably a racer out there who just wants to have fun. The backdrop is also a feast for the eyes, from the jungle vistas to the sunsets, to even the sandstorms that will wreck your day temporarily until you find the way out.
True, the sand in the beaches and desert areas could use a bit more touching-up, but that’s just a 1% issue in a game that delivers 99% in current-gen graphical prowess. Whether it’s in 30fps high-res mode with the raytracing or in 60fps performance mode, Playground Games’ attention to detail and lush interpretation of Mexico is beyond outstanding.
Necesidad De La Velocidad

The new location itself isn’t just for visual flair: there are hazards aplenty ranging from rough sandy courses and gravel, forest tracks and river pathways, sandstorms, and even sharp curvy mountain roads leading to a giant-as-heck volcano. Naturally, your courses and race tracks range from street races to challenging dirt rallies and offroad expeditions.
To say that there’s plenty to do in this latest Forza open-world car RPG title is underselling it. You’ll be racing, doing stunts, exploring Forza’s version of racer heaven Mexico, and grinding points to buy over 400 cars present here, as well as race other folks online when you feel like you’re up for it.
Some of the game’s later challenges are full of literal twists and turns, with a couple of them being endurance races & tests of agility all at once on the dirt/jungle track. You’ll also be helping stuntpersons with their action movie driving sequences, breaking records on speed cameras, and finding all the goshdarn signposts with the level-up points all across Mexico. And you’ll love every single minute of getting lost in all of it.

And the best part? You can tailor these races and challenges to your liking. Part 5’s newest addition is the Forza Adventure feature, where you get to allocate “Adventure” points after racing a bit here and there to open up specific challenges you like and want to tackle for the majority of your time. If you want dirt racing, just add points to Horizon Wilds and you’ll have all the rally racing you want. Rather just do tricks & ramp jumps? Just select Horizon Rush and that’s all you can focus on. You’ll still have to be a jack-of-all-trades to get the most out of the game, but at least you can carve your own path clearly and tailored to your liking.
Every Adventure here will bring you to some interesting Mexican locations, from ancient ruins to abandoned airfields ripe for exploration. Some of these parts confine you to a location where you’re given a checklist of objectives for extra points like finding crates in the area, using stunt ramps to collect hard-to-reach crates, and taking photos of specific statues and points of interest. There’s also a bit of a narrative peppered throughout all of it; it’s not trying to be Mass Effect here, but it’s nice that there’s some continuity and banter to liven things up while you’re just careening around in your Maserati or Jeep.
DÃas De Tormenta

My only gripe is that the game’s new multiplayer challenges just feel like distractions at best. Sure, playing Forza’s version of King of the Hill and Capture the Flag is fun and all, but I’d rather just play the limited time racing events and just dick around Mexico, finding signposts to crash into, barns to unlock new rare cars, and just retrying my rally and offroad races with better A and S class cars with Hatsune Miku decals on them.
I won’t lie: Forza Horizon 5 is just reiterating what made parts 3 and 4 great. But at the end of the day, good sequels just keep the core game intact while adding way more to draw both driving veterans and newbies alike. With a gorgeous new setting and racing scenario, a ton of places to race and trash, and refined controls for both joypad and driving wheel users alongside accessibility options aplenty, Playground nails it once again and with more feeling.
Other giant studios who make racing games will need to step up their game, because Forza Horizon 5 just raised the already-high bar even further. So what are you waiting for? Floor it!
Pros

Gorgeous vistas & aesthetics, with huge attention to detail.
Great progression system for racing specific events.
Lots to do and to keep you busy.
Lovely controls and plethora of cars to choose from & tweak
Adds a personal touch to its narrative.

Cons

Some online competitive features feel tacked-on.
Sand effects are less impressive compared to everything else.

Final Score: 90/100


ESRB Adds Loot Box/Gacha Warning To Their Rating System

Want to stay clear from games with loot boxes and gacha? Well, the ESRB’s new label might help you with that.
The games rating organization has introduced a new member to their “Interactive Elements” family: “In-Game Purchases (Includes Random Items)”. While the label itself doesn’t mention loot boxes or gacha, the ESRB’s explanation on their blog clarifies that those systems are what this label is meant to target.

#ESRB will begin assigning a new Interactive Element, In-Game Purchases (Includes Random Items).
Find out more in our new blog: https://t.co/LPhd5rl7VL pic.twitter.com/nO6p8r1yYJ
— ESRB (@ESRBRatings) April 13, 2020

They wrote, “This new Interactive Element, In-Game Purchases (Includes Random Items), will be assigned to any game that contains in-game offers to purchase digital goods or premiums with real world currency (or with virtual coins or other forms of in-game currency that can be purchased with real world currency) for which the player doesnâ€™t know prior to purchase the specific digital goods or premiums they will be receiving (e.g., loot boxes, item packs, mystery awards)
“In-Game Purchases (Includes Random Items) will be assigned to all games that include purchases with any randomized elements, including loot boxes, gacha games, item or card packs, prize wheels, treasure chests, and more. Games that have the In-Game Purchases (Includes Random Items) notice may also include other non-randomized paid elements.”
I’m pretty much on board with this move, but many Twitter users feel that it’s not enough. Streamer Zack (@Asmongold) commented, “I don’t like how you’re using a euphemism for gambling and assigning it a separate place rather than weighing it against the actual rating for the game Its deliberately misleading and minimizing towards something that promotes impulsive behavior and psychological addiction.”

I dont like how you're using a euphemism for gambling and assigning it a separate place rather than weighing it against the actual rating for the game
Its deliberately misleading and minimizing towards something that promotes impulsive behavior and psychological addiction
— Zack (@Asmongold) April 13, 2020

Meanwhile, Cam Adair (@camerondare) pointed out that a descriptor like random items “does not accurately describe risking real money for the CHANCE to win items you can sell for real money”. Ryuji (@azuma_ryuji) on the other hand acknowledged that the move was “a step in the right direction”, but added that it wasn’t enough when “Games like Mario Kart Tour unashamedly contain the most egregious elements of gambling and should be labeled as such. It’s particularly horrendous because of how kid-friendly it is”. A few others said that games with loot boxes and gacha should be rated M (Mature) or AO (Adults Only).
While it feels like the discourse around loot boxes has gotten quiet this year (to be fair, there is a pandemic going on right now), they made the news quite a few times last year. Regardless, it’s clear that the ESRB’s new label, while better than nothing, far from marks the end of the conversation.


PC & Mobile Gaming In SEA To Experience Boom In A Couple Of Years

The games industry, and gaming as a whole, in Southeast Asia is expanding at an unprecedented rate, faster than any other developing region on Earth. That’s according to two new reportsÂ on PC and mobile games in the region from games industry analysts Niko Partners, with the latest statistics and forecasts for the next five years.
PC and mobile game revenue for Southeast Asia will exceed US$5 billion in 2019 and is projected to pass a whopping US$8.3 billion in 2023 with over 320 million gamers. This includes SEA countries such as:

Indonesia
Malaysia
Philippines
Singapore
Chinese Taipei
Thailand
Vietnam

These numbers can be attributed to the high amount of mobile gamers in the region, with more than half a billion smartphone users projected to increase to 628 million by 2023. Around 40 percent of those people play mobile games, and the planned 5G support for most of the SEA countries will likely boost these numbers even further.

For both PC and mobile games, esports is the most important driver of growth in the games industry in the region, with an overwhelming majority of gamers actively playing or competing in esports games. That accounts for 95 and 90 percent of all PC and mobile gamers, respectively.

Contributing factors include the strong role of internet cafes in providing the required facilities for gaming and esports, with internet user penetration in the region slated to reach 99 percent in 2023, up from the 73 percent in 2019.
Video game developers and publishers are starting to flock to the SEA region as well, with Divinity franchise developer Larian Studios and Sony Interactive Entertainment Worldwide Studios both recently announcing that there were setting up studios in Malaysia.
All of this, along with gradual improvements in internet infrastructure, as well as increased disposable income and demand for esports games, have essentially ensured that Southeast Asia will experience continued growth in the next 5 years.


Xbox Exclusive Horror Game, The Medium, Earns Back Dev & Marketing Costs

It’s only been a couple of days since the Xbox exclusive horror game The Medium was released. And it already sold enough copies to cover the cost of its creation within a few days.
According to a Money.pl report (via GameSpot), Polish developer Bloober Team recouped its costs for the game’s development and marketing within a couple of days via game sales since its release on 28th January. It is the team’s biggest and most ambitious game yet, as their past games Layers of Fear, Observer, and Blair Witch were considered small scale titles. Keep in mind that the game was also on sale on Steam, GOG, and Epic Games Store as it’s also a PC title. The fact that it’s also available day 1 on the Xbox Game Pass does help its visibility too.
The Medium is Bloober Team’s first third-person horror adventure that also happens to pay nods to the style of games back in the late 90s and early 2000s like the Silent Hill titles. For more on The Medium, check out our review; we loved it!Â


Shin Megami Tensei 5’s New Bethel Trailer Showcases New Demons & Major Story Players

Atlus just released a new Shin Megami Tensei V trailer, and it features quite a lot of story elements.
The trailer is about the Bethel faction, the key players leading different factions of Law and Chaos that are integral to the storyline, and a guy who looks like an older Raidou Kuzunoha from the Devil Summoner games. Plus, we get a tease of some new demons including a werewolf that shoots out blue fire from its mouth. It’s pretty epic stuff.

Shin Megami Tensei V will be out for Nintendo Switch on 12th November.


Borderlands 3’s Bloody Harvest Starts 24th October; Features Undead Traunt

The Bloody Harvest event is making its Borderlands 3 debut, and it’s looking spooktacular.
To access this, all you need to do is talk to some large chatty lizard named Maurice aboard Sanctuary III (you HAVE played enough of BL3 to unlock Sanctuary III, correct?). This scaley fellow will be the guide to all of the game’s seasonal content.
Bloody Harvest will take place on a planet called Heck. Here, you’ll be completing a main quest involving lots of undead Maliwan soldiers, fire-breathing Rakk-o-Lanterns, and a boss called Captain Haunt who is clearly one of the Traunt brothers seeking revenge for being farmed multiple times by BL3 vets.
New mechanics include the terror debuff that messes with your vision and your aim if you’re afflicted. However, certain anointed weapons can use terror to your benefit.

New loot include a legendary shotgun called the Fearmonger, and a ton of seasonal cosmetics for each of the four Vault Hunters if you complete Bloody Harvest set challenges.

The free content drop will be active from 24th October until 5th December, which means we have plenty of time to get the exclusive Legendaries you need, especially for those who happen to be travelling to ESGS 2019 during this week for work.


Sony Acquires Insomniac Games, Reveals Latest Spider-Man PS4 Sales

Amidst all the games announcements and reveals at Gamescom 2019, Sony Interactive Entertainment dropped a bombshell; that it has acquired developer Insomniac Games, who are best known for Marvel’s Spider-Man and the Ratchet & Clank franchise.
Even before Sony’s acquisition of Insomniac, they have always enjoyed a fruitful and close relationship since the developer was initially founded in 1994. Franchises like Spyro the Dragon, Ratchet & Clank, and Resistance all had their home or started on Sony PlayStation consoles.
The press release for the announcement also revealed the latest sales numbers for Marvel’s Spider-Man. It is further cementing its position as the best-selling superhero game of all time, with over 13.2 million copies sold worldwide as of 28 July 2019.
While this is all good news for Sony and PlayStation fans, it doesn’t exactly bode well for Xbox fans, especially those who have been waiting for a sequel to the underrated gem of a game which was 2014’s Sunset Overdrive.


Company Of Heroes 3 Operation Sapphire Jackal Update Launches Tomorrow

Sega and Relic Entertainment have announced that Company Of Heroes 3 is receiving its first major update called ‘Operation Sapphire Jackal’ tomorrow at 1 am GMT+8 on 29 March 2023.
Operation Sapphire Jackal will offer players daily and weekly Challenges to complete in both Multiplayer and Co-op modes, a wide range of cosmetics and more. Challenges are randomly selected and range from ‘Kill 50 vehicles with anti-tank guns’ to ‘Gain 50 veteran ranks with Wehrmacht infantry’, testing even the most seasoned Company of Heroes veterans out there.
Relic’s first major update also includes a significant number of bug fixes, gameplay balance adjustments and quality-of-life improvements like an all-new voice-over for the Ghurka Infantry, updates to Unique Player Color option for teammate/enemy clarity, audio adjustments and improvements to tooltips and descriptions to better reflect abilities, units, veterancy, and upgrades.
Arriving alongside Operation Sapphire Jackal is the launch of new in-game cosmetics so players can customize their armies and units in both multiplayer and single-player modes. Relic will offer a balanced mix of earnable and premium content to ensure that players are free to choose how they wish to engage with post-launch content via an in-game store.
Items can be purchased with either War Bonds or Merit. War Bonds are a form of in-game currency that can only be earned by purchasing War Bond packs, while Merit is an earnable in-game currency acquired by completing in-game Challenges. Merit can be used to purchase some, but not all items. Players that own Company Of Heroes 3 in Japan, will only be able to purchase items from the in-game store by completing the Challenges, earning the in-game currency Merit, and purchasing items with Merit. War Bonds will not be available to players in Japan.
In the meantime, check out our review of Company Of Heroes 3 by heading over here.


[Rumour] Kingdom Hearts Will Be A Disney+ TV Show

If you aren’t sick of Kingdom Hearts just yet, this piece from the rumour mill may make your day.
According to a few entertainment writers (via Cinema Spot writer Emre Kaya on Twitter), there’s going to be a TV show adaptation of the Square Enix Tetsuya Nomura-made series and it’ll be on Disney+.
The entire show will be CG animated, with its pilot using Unreal Engine. Right now, they’re casting for voice actors. Reprising their roles are Jim Cummings, Bill Farmer, and Tony Anselmo.

There is a #KingdomHearts series in the works at Disney+.
Disney originally wanted to make it but that didn't work out, so Square Enix was asked to create a pilot using Unreal Engine.
This series is most likely not live-action, but CG animated. They're currently casting. pic.twitter.com/jroZXImeOm
— Emre Kaya (@Vullein) May 26, 2020

Been tagged in Jeremys post (which is true), so here’s what I know:
-Kingdom Hearts will be a Disney+ series, not a movie.
-It’s animated (CG)
-Disney VO actors are expected to reprise their roles (Jim Cummings, Bill Farmer, Tony Anselmo)
All I know. https://t.co/UTFGqXtSP6
— Skyler Shuler (@SkylerShuler) May 26, 2020

No release window or year has been set yet, but it’ll most likely be on 2021 and beyond. For more Kingdom Hearts, head here for our review of part 3.


The Mandalorian N-1 Starfighter Gets The Hot Toys Treatment

Hot Toys has revealed our first look at N-1 Starfighter vehicle used by The Mandalorian’s Din Djarin in the Disney+ Star Wars series. According to the Hot Toys Instagram page, it measures approximately 1.8 meters long by 1.05 meters wide, reflects screen-accurate details.
This includes the design of cockpit, shooters, engines, passenger space for Grogu, and cargo compartment. However, it’s currently unclear when or if it wiil ever be released for the public. At the time of writing, there are no details yet.
Din Djarin’s N-1 starfighter first appeared in “Chapter 5: Return of the Mandalorian,” the fifth episode of the live action television series The Book of Boba Fett. In the meantime, you can check out my previous breakdowns of The Book Of Boba Fett Episode 1,Â Episode 2, Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5, Episode 6 and Episode 7 here.

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Kill Bill Vol. 3 Might Be Tarantino’s Last Movie

Quentin Tarantino has previously said that his tenth movie will be the last. 2019’s Once Upon A Time In Hollywood was his ninth, which means that his next movie will fit the bill, so to speak. Well, it turns out that his last movie could be the sequel to 2004’s Kill Bill Vol. 2.
In an interview with radio host Andy Cohen, Tarantino seems to be actively exploring ideas for a Kill Bill Vol. 3, even recently meeting up with The Bride actress herself, Uma Thurman.
He said:

â€œI just had dinner with Uma Thurman last night.
We were at a really cool Japanese restaurant.
I do have an idea of what I would do with [â€˜Kill Bill Vol. 3â€™].
That was the whole thing, conquering the concept.
What has happened to The Bride since then? And what do I want to do?”

However, Tarantino also added that he wants to do a sequel worthy of the character he created, confirming that it will be at least three years away from now before he either starts making the movie or releases it.

â€œI didnâ€™t just want to come up with some cockamamie adventure.
[The character] doesnâ€™t deserve that.
The Bride has fought long and hard.
I have an idea now that could be interesting.
I still wouldnâ€™t do it for a little bit.
It would be at least three years from now.
It is definitely in the cards.â€

Hearing all this, Tarantino’s last movie could very well be Kill Bill Vol. 3. He recently picked up Golden Globes nominations for Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, and the movie is still expected to pick a few for the Oscars as well.
We’ll have to wait and see what Tarantino’s final movie will actually be. It might also be that Star Trek movie he previously mentioned that he wanted to do, but let’s hope it’s not. Check out Tarantino’s discussion with Andy Cohen below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8RDp9mw3JQ&w=560&h=315]


The Next Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled Grand Prix Event Is A Literal Circus

Need more challenges in your non-Nintendo exclusive go-karting lifestyle? Then Check out this upcoming Grand Prix event forÂ  Crash Team Racing.
From 9th November 12am GMT+8 onwards, players will be able to race around the upcoming new track Koala Carnival. Complete challenges in this timed event to earn Nitro for rewards.
The new event also features:

New game modes like Ring Rally.
New characters like Pasadena O’ Possum, Ebenezer Von Clutch.
New karts like the Nitro Bumper Kart, the Pressuriser, and Daredevil.
New Pit Stop items like Circus-themed skins, neon wheels, and animated paint jobs.
The opportunity to unlock King Chicken by collecting hidden Golden Eggs in the game’s adventure mode.
A chance to win a Champion Kart and Neon Circus signature decal by finishing in the top 5 percent of the Grand Prix leaderboards.

Crash Team Racing is out now for consoles; here’s our review on it.


Psychedelic Witch Adventure The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood Announced For Switch and PC

Developer Deconstructeam and publisher Devolver Digital launched an official trailer for the witch-themed narrative adventure indie game, The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood. The trailer showcases key conflicts, gameplay mechanics, and a diverse cast of magical characters.

Players will assume the role of Fortuna, a fortune-teller witch condemned to 200 long years of exile on her asteroid home. Fortuna made a pact with a mysterious being in hopes of regaining her freedom and her coven called The Cosmic Witch Society. Using her tarot cards, she can see into the past and future of those she meets and unpack a complex web of stories.
The interesting take from this visual novel compared to the rest is that players can craft their own divination cards which can be built from “hundreds of possibilities”, giving much impressive flexibility for the genre. Each created divination card will determine the fate of the characters you encountered and may lead up to the main storyline, a political plot that will define The Cosmic Witch Society.

The game may appear gloomy and overwhelming as a story-driven experience, but the trailer appears to balance out the cosmic scale and sweeping emotion in a remarkable way. Its content also subverts some of the genre’s more familiar tropes. Additionally, the NPCs you will meet have a variety of backgrounds and are filled with fantasy creatures that will draw you into this psychedelic adventure game.
The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood is scheduled for release sometime later this year, although no concrete release date has been confirmed. The game will be available on the Nintendo Switch and PC via Steam, but no news about other platforms has been announced.
If you’re into witch fantasy games, why not check out the recently released Homestead Arcana? And did you know Devolver Digital acquires a smaller Oregon-indie-based studio called Doinksoft?


Pixar’s Luca Gets Its First Beautiful Trailer

Pixar is returning with their first animated feature film of 2021 with Luca. The film marks the feature debut of director Enrico Casarosa, who worked on previous Pixar movies such as Up and Coco. The story follows a young boy having a fun summer with a new friend while also hiding a secret: heâ€™s a sea monster from another world.
Check out the synopsis for Pixar’s Luca below:
â€œSet in a beautiful seaside town on the Italian Riviera, the original animated feature is a coming-of-age story about one young boy experiencing an unforgettable summer filled with gelato, pasta, and endless scooter rides.
Luca shares these adventures with his newfound best friend, but all the fun is threatened by a deeply-held secret: he is a sea monster from another world just below the waterâ€™s surface.â€
The voice cast for Luca includes:

Jacob Tremblay as protagonist Luca Paguro, a bright and inventive 13-year-old sea monster with endless curiosity — especially when it comes to the mysterious world above the sea.
Jack Dylan Grazer as Alberto Scorfano, an independent, free-spirited teenage sea monster with unbridled enthusiasm for the human world.
Emma Berman as Giulia, an outgoing and charming adventurer who befriends Luca and Alberto.
Maya Rudolph as Daniela, Luca’s mother.
Marco Barricelli as Massimo, Giulia’s father.
Jim Gaffigan as Lorenzo, Luca’s father.

A new original Pixar animated movie is always welcome, especially hot off the heels of 2020’s Soul (check out my review here).
Pixar’s Luca is slated to premiere on 18 June 2021.
In the meantime, check out the poster and trailer below:


New Resident Evil Project To Be Announced Soon; Might Be Co-op Shooter Like Left 4 Dead

                [Update]: A few leakedÂ  screenshots from the teaser trailer have been uncovered. They suggest that the game might be a 4 player co-op zombie shooter similar to the Left 4 Dead games. Check em’ out:

Set your reminders and mark your calendars, something big is about to be unveiled.
On 9 September 2019, Capcom will be revealing a teaser trailer for a new Resident Evil project, currently titled Project Resistance. The game will also be shown at Tokyo Game Show 2019 both on stage and at Capcom’s booth at Tokyo Game Show 2019.

There will also be a playable demo at TGS 2019 but it’s only for Japanese residents and even then, you’ll have to sign up for advance registration. The Project Resistance TGS 2019 stage schedule is as follows:
12 September 2019, 12:30PM – 1:10PM
13 September 2019, 12:00PM – 12:40PM
14 September 2019, 11:50AM – 12:30PM
15 September 2019, 3:30PM – 4:30PM
All times are in Japan Standard Time (JST).
The teaser trailer will drop exactly on 9 September 2019 at 3:00PM UTC. In Malaysia time, that’s 11:00PM on the same day.
So is it going to be Resident Evil 8 or perhaps another remake like Resident Evil 2? I’m honestly fine either way as long as they maintain the excellence and simplicity of the Resident Evil 2 remake.
Check out the Project Resistance official website here.


Activision Files DMCA Against Reddit To Fish Out CoD Warzone Leaker

Activision is starting its own modern warfare against leakers, starting this week.
The company that publishes the Call of Duty series has filed a Digital Millenium Copyright Act subpoena against Reddit, in an attempt to get the identity of the Reddit user who leaked the Call of Duty Modern Warfare battle royale mode Warzone leak.
Basically, they’re targeting the real person behind the Reddit user account Assyrian2410 who posted the leak on the Modern Warfare subreddit. The user quickly deleted the post and the account. Here are the actual words from the subpoena.
“Reddit is the service provider to which the subject of the subpoena-Reddit user â€˜Assyrian2410â€™ â€“ posted infringing Activision content. The Content infringes Activisionâ€™s exclusive rights under copyright law. Specifically, it infringes Activisionâ€™s rights in its popular video gameÂ Call of Duty: Modern Warfare.”
So far, this means that the battle royale mode is confirmed to be out this March. And whether this is a legit DMCA threat or a huge publicity stunt remains to be seen.


Sol Cresta Delayed To 2022

PlatinumGames developer Hideki Kamiya announced recently that the company’s 2D shmup tribute title Sol Cresta will not be out at the end of 2021.
The game now has a “when it’s out” release date, most likely in 2022. However, the team has shown off a number of new features for the game. During the official livestream, the team demoed the game’s second stage, the Caravan mode (Score Attack mode), and the vertical mode (tate) where you can play the game on a vertical screen setup. Oh, and also the game’s intro, which is scrolling text, a background of old Sol Cresta prequels that never existed even though the developers insisted that they do, and some CGI bits intercut with the 2D sprites of the ships to capture that late 90s attract mode splash.

Sol Cresta will be out for Nintendo Switch, PS4, and PC (Steam) eventually.


Scars Above Is Not Really A Returnal Clone

Platforms: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Genre: Third-Person, Action-Adventure, Shooter, Metroidvania, Soulslike
2019’s Control and 2021’s Returnal brought a new level of bizarreness to sci-fi games combining elements inspired by horror science fiction franchises such as Twin Peaks, Fringe and Event Horizon. Scars Above is a lot like those aforementioned games but without the benefit of a AAA budget. Developer Mad Head Games did an admirable job making Scars Above an enjoyable game but it’s not without its flaws.
To Boldly Go Where No One Has Gone Before

The story’s premise in Scars Above is nothing we’ve never seen before. Humanity encounters a mysterious object called the Metahedron and a team of scientists called SCARS goes on a space mission to the great unknown to investigate it. Unsurprisingly, things don’t go well and the protagonist, Kate Ward, finds herself alone and stranded, so it’s up to her to find her missing teammates and solve the mystery of the Metahedron while navigating the strange alien planet that she’s on.
The levels in Scars Above are mostly linear with secret and optional passages here and there, but they’re not open-world and there’s nothing much in terms of exploration. The levels are separated into different biomes, such as a swamp, a frozen wasteland and others. One of the main game’s mechanics is similar to Souls-like titles. If you die, you respawn at checkpoints called Pillars. You can also rest and heal at these Pillars but they will cause all enemies in the area to respawn. However, unlike, Souls-like games, you don’t lose your resources and experience points when you die.

The core combat in Scars Above consists of mostly third-person shooting and dodging, as well as using different gadgets. There are four different guns in the game, with each gun using a particular element such as electricity, fire, ice and acid. The main combat mechanic in the game is figuring out what element enemies are weak to, or what their weak spots are, and shooting with the right gun. There are also status effect mechanics in play, like shooting an enemy with an ice gun will fill up a meter. When that meter is filled, the enemy will freeze temporarily.
There are also unique ways to combine elements like using the electric gun on enemies in water will deal more damage. There are also a bunch of gadgets. One will give you a shield, while another can slow down an enemy. They spice up the gameplay a little bit. Later on, you’ll get alternative versions of some guns, but overall, there’s really not much in terms of variety during gameplay. What you do in the first few hours is what you’ll be doing until the end of the game, which is around eight to nine hours long.

Sci-fi fans will appreciate the vibe and tone of the game. As a sci-fi fan myself, I like the scanning mechanic. Every time you defeat an enemy or find something new, you can scan it and you can read some details about it in the menu. It’s not much, but it’s clear that the developers did put a bit of effort into the game’s world-building and lore. There are also some horror vibes in the ways that some levels and enemies are presented. However, to be clear, this is not a survival horror game in any way.
In addition, while Scars Above does have a lot of similarities to Returnal (female protagonist, similar sci-fi setting of being stranded on an alien planet, etc), they’re not the same game, despite both being third-person shooters. Scars Above is an easier game with difficulty options, and it’s not a roguelike. Its Metroidvania elements are simpler and the combat is more methodical, so there’s less emphasis on speed or skill like in Returnal.

As for problems, Scars Above suffers from some issues and bugs. The game crashed on me in my first hour of playing the game and the game does feel janky overall. Considering that this isn’t a AAA game, it’s bound to feature some conventional euro-jank, especially during combat. However, the worst problem in the game is that it doesn’t have a mini-map, or any map to speak of. There are many times in the game where you have to backtrack (some Metroidvania elements) or search for something, but you’re forced to memorise the map because there’s no mini-map or map to refer to.
The Final Frontier

In conclusion, Scars Above is a decent game that fans of sci-fi can appreciate. It does suffer from jankiness and some issues, but it feels like Mad Head Games did put a lot of effort into making the elements in this game work properly.
PROS

The combat can be fun, especially mixing elements and gadgets.
A great sci-fi story that sci-fi fans can enjoy.

CONS

Issues and bugs.
Jankiness (euro-jank).
No mini-map or any in-game map.

FINAL SCORE: 70/100
Scars Above was reviewed on P55 based on a review copy provided by the publisher. It is slated to launch for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PC on 28 February 2023.


Vampire Survivors Gets Chilling DLC Announcement

The hit 2022 WASD game Vampire Survivors is getting its first-ever expansion.
It’s called Vampire Survivors: Legacy of the Moonspell and it just appeared out of nowhere on PC (Steam). No release date has been mentioned for now, but we do know the DLC contains 8 new characters, 13 new weapons, 1 new stage, and 6 new music tracks. The new stage is a snow area with new monsters and ice-related villains.

“Legacy of the Moonspell is the first DLC for Vampire Survivors, and introduces a brand new stage, new characters, new monsters, and new weapons to slaughter them with. There might even be some hidden mysteries for those of an inquiring mindset, but we can neither confirm nor deny the presence of vampires…”
For more Vampire Survivors, check out our guide.


NEO The World Ends With You Is As Stylish As A Dropping Beat

Platform(s): PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, PC
Genre:Â JRPG
NEO The World Ends With You is a sequel to the classic 2007 Nintendo DS game, The World Ends WIth You. I never did play its predecessor, but the good thing is that you don’t really need to in order to play this game. That’s because, unlike Tetsuya Nomura’s more popular JRPG franchise (coughKingdomHeartscough), this game is actually friendly to newcomers and doesn’t have dozens of spinoffs and sequels.
As an alternative, you could also catch up with the events of the first game by watching the 12-episode anime. Again, you don’t really have to, and truth be told, the narrative isn’t really the highlight of NEO The Worlds Ends With You. While that may be the case, other elements do make up for that.
S For Stylish, Shibuya, Shinigami

Two things that distinguish NEO The World Ends With You right off the bat when you boot up the game are the stylish visuals and the catchy music. This game is similar to Persona 5 in that way; as both the aesthetics and music are striking as heck. You’ll probably find yourself bopping to the game’s great soundtrack and lap up its unique art style.
Besides both of those elements, the highlight of NEO The World Ends With YouÂ is the fast-paced and addictive combat. The battle mechanics are unique in that the game’s combat is based on Pins and each Pin’s ability is assigned to a single button that executes an attack or action. There are over 300 different Pins in NEO The World Ends With You, each of which has a different ability attached to it.

In addition to the sheer variety of playstyles afforded by the whopping number of Pins in the game, the combat relies heavily on building up a percentage called Groove by executing Beatdrop combos. Post-battle rewards usually depend on how fast and efficient (least possible damage received) you were in combat, and the key to that is getting all those combos. I loved getting new Pins, experimenting with them, and levelling them up. Some Pins even evolve or mutate when they reach max level.
Speaking of levels, NEO The World Ends With YouÂ features an unconventional levelling system. The stats of your characters don’t increase with levels. Levelling up only increases their HP. To increase stats, you’ll need to equip them with different pieces of clothing that act as gear and feed them with food. As such, the game doesn’t really encourage mindless grinding as it does to allow players to express themselves however they want, which fits the themes of the game.

Another mechanic that lessens the need to mindlessly grind is the ability to change the difficulty and/or lower your levels at any time. Sure, these aren’t available at the start of the game as you need to unlock it through another mechanic called the Social Network (more on this below), but it adds accessibility to the game when other JRPGs often force players to grind. Plus, increasing the difficulty level and decreasing your level by choice even comes with added benefits like receiving better loot in the form of more powerful Pins and better drop rates. The combat is exhilarating and addicting, especially once you’ve gotten your Groove on and gotten used to hitting combo after combo.
Despite that, the attacks in this game do lack weight or heft to them. There’s not much of an impact or punchy feedback/response when you attack enemies and when you’re attacked. What this means is that sometimes you won’t even realise your health already getting too low for comfort when you’ve actually been getting hit by enemy attacks but haven’t been noticing them. As fun as the combat mechanics is, this flaw makes it feel unsatisfying.

NEO The World Ends With You even comes with its own version of the Social Network. No, it’s not Facebook, and no, it’s nothing like Persona‘s social links/confidants. Doing certain story and side quests in NEO The World Ends With You will earn you Friendship Points or FP. As you meet more people, their icons will be unlocked in the Social Network tree, and you’ll spend Friendship Points to unlock special abilities or items.
Some of these abilities and items are game-changing and valuable while others are pretty much useless. However, it is through this Social Network tree that mechanics like the ability to change difficulties and more can be unlocked. The Social Network enters the game pretty early, so you can play with a lot of the game’s mechanics in that way and in a lot of other ways as well.
Beat Drop

There’s a reason why I haven’t really mentioned the story in NEO The World Ends With You. You can understand most of what’s happening even without having played the first game, but of course, there are references and easter eggs for those who are. However, that’s not the problem. It’s really just a bunch of people being forced to play a game set in Shibuya, Japan. If you’re familiar with Alice In Borderland or other similar anime/manga, they’re not far off from each other.
The setting of the game feels detrimental as it limits the scope of the game. The entire game takes place in and around Shibuya, which is itself only a small area inside of Tokyo. After hours of exploring the same few sections of Shibuya, the thrill of discovery withers away. You could argue that other games like Persona 5 are also set in Tokyo, but they don’t feel as restrictive as the setting of Shibuya in this game.

Still, kudos to the development team for bringing a stylish version of Shibuya to life in NEO The World Ends With You. It just gets old really fast, and soon, all that sustains you is the game’s combat and music. Even the stylish visuals lose their spark and lustre after a while. Trust me, this is a long game, just as other JRPGs often are, so there’s actually no surprise there. You’ll require close to 50 hours to complete the game; maybe less if you play on easier difficulties and don’t go exploring much.
Overall, if you’re looking for a good JRPG to sink your free time and hours into, Neo The World Ends With You is definitely a good choice. There’s nothing completely groundbreaking or innovative about the game, but the stylish visuals, music and gameplay will leave you dropping a beat.
Pros

A stylish art style and visuals similar to that of Persona 5.
A compelling and charming cast of characters.
Fast-paced addicting combat with unique mechanics.
Banging good music and soundtrack.
The ability to change the difficulty at any time.

Cons

The world feels too small and constricted/restricted inside Shibuya.
Narrative progression can feel like a slog, with some Days feeling so much longer than others.
Combat feels less punchy, has less impact, and is unsatisfying.

Final Score: 70/100
Review copy provided by Square Enix. Played on PS5.