Warhammer 40K: Darktide Will Have “Thousands” Of Party Banter Lines

Fatshark’s Warhammer 40K: Darktide is basically what many gaming fans are looking for since the Vermintide games: great Left 4 Dead inspired co-op PvE shooters that are actually great and do not feel like knock-offs.
The game will maintain Vermintide’s joke, banter, and group bickering in the sci-fi sequel, but how would Fatshark pull it off with the game’s customizable characters though? The devs talked about the process in their blog that included raw footage of voice actors at work. Players can choose from any number of voice profiles for each class, allowing for “thousands of banter lines in Darktide”.
Here’s what narrative director Marten Stormdal has to say:
“It’s something we’ve had in mind from the start, through writing, casting and direction. In fact, given the sheer range of voice profiles in the game – we probably can’t tell you the precise number that will be live at launch, but it’s plenty – and the quantity of voice lines (it’s a lot – we hate hearing the same lines again and again when we’re gaming) players will find plenty to fall in love with.”
You can see all the raw voicework in action: talk about dedication! Check out the full interview here.

Warhammer 40K: Darktide will be out for PC and Xbox consoles/Xbox Game Pass this 13 September.


Sci-Fi Horror Cult Classic Event Horizon Returning As An Amazon Series

Science fiction buffs will remember the 1997 horror cult classic Event Horizon. It was directed by Paul W. S. Anderson, best known for the Resident Evil movies and the upcoming Monster Hunter live-action adaptation. The movie is now escaping the depths of hell and coming back as an Amazon series.
According to Variety, Adam Wingard is set to executive produce and direct the Event Horizon series, though none of the cast has been confirmed as of yet. The original movie starred the likes of Laurence Fishburne, Sam Neill, Jason Isaacs, and Sean Pertwee, following the crew of a spaceship which crossed over into a hell dimension.
While the movie has become a cult classic in the years since its release, the movie was infamous for facing numerous cuts from studio executives, which butchered the director’s vision for the movie. While the studio later contacted Anderson for a full director’s cut, the original footage was unable to be recovered.
Perhaps Amazon’s Event Horizon series will finally capture the full breadth of the original vision that was intended by Anderson. Horror sci-fi has lost its groove over the years, as more filmmakers opt for grounded and hard sci-fi, instead of going horror in the genre.
2017’s Life comes to mind but that movie felt like a rehash of every horror sci-fi movie before it. Meanwhile, Amazon is turning out to be a new bastion for the sci-fi genre and geek content as a whole, with upcoming premieres of shows like Star Trek Picard and The Expanse Season 4, as well as the recent release of The Boys.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVlnER8SxfQ&w=560&h=315]


Bilibili Anime Offerings Expand With Spy X Family, Urusei Yatsura & More

The fall anime season is here and Bilibili has the content for all you anime fans.
Bilibili, the largest video platform for anime, comics and gaming (ACG) content in Southeast Asia, will be releasing more than 30 new anime titles and sequels of some beloved anime series, including well-loved and much-anticipated titles such as Spy X Family Part 2 and the remake of the legendary Urusei Yatsura.
Furthermore, fans can enjoy a stacked list of 15 titles exclusive to Bilibili such as Reincarnated as a Sword, Shinobi no Ittoki, The Little Lies We All Tell, LOVE FLOPS, The Eminence in Shadow, Uzaki-chan Wants to Hang Out! Season 2, Immoral Guild, and more.
Get Ready to Binge with Bilibili

With a plethora of new shows arriving to the Bilibili platform this month, viewers can indulge themselves in a binge-fest. Viewers can look forward to more misadventures with the Forger family and more of Anya’s adorable antics with the highly anticipated Spy X Family Part 2 available for viewing on Bilibili now!
The upcoming 2022 reboot of  Urusei Yatsura, a classic in the anime world that debuted in 1978, is another title to keep an eye out on Bilibili this Fall season. Re-experience Rumiko Takahashi’s first major work and relive the tale of Ataru Moroboshi, an unlucky and lecherous human boy who meets a beautiful space alien princess. Join in as Ataru gets roped into an unusual game of tag to defend earth from aliens, and other strange encounters with otherworldly beings!
Only on Bilibili

Arriving into Bilibili’s ever-expanding library of anime are 15 new exclusive titles. Don’t miss out on Reincarnated as a Sword, a new contender in the Isekai genre adapted from the light novels written by Yuu Tanaka. Reincarnated as a Sword brings a twist to the Isekai genre, where protagonists are often reincarnated as mighty warriors and skilled wizards. In contrast, Reincarnated as a Sword’s protagonist gained neither magical powers nor fighting prowess, and was instead reborn as a sword.
Other exclusive releases include but are not limited to:

Shinobi no Ittoki, which follows the story of Ittoki Sakuraba, an ordinary boy who discovered that he was the heir of the famous Iga Ninja Clan. He now attends Kokuten Ninja Academy, a high school specialising in Shinobi techniques, and must defend himself from a rival ninja family, the Koga Clan.

Upcoming comedy anime, The Little Lies We All Tell, which tells the stories of a group of girls who attend the Nakayoshi Girls’ School, who all look like regular students at first glance, but all harbour wacky and zany secrets deep down.

LOVE FLOPS, which focuses on Asahi Kashiwagi, an average high school student, who discovers that a TV fortune teller’s predictions had come true one after another. Asahi finds himself with five confessions from different girls, and he now finds himself in a predicament where he needs to follow his heart and find his perfect love, lest his love fortunes flop horrendously.

Get ready for more hijinks and shenanigans from Hana Uzaki and Shinichi Sakurai in Uzaki-chan Wants to Hang Out! Season 2. Enjoy more slice-of-life moments as Uzaki continues to try and coax Sakurai out of his introverted shell with her constant desire to hang out with him.

The Eminence in Shadow, another entry in the Isekai genre tells the story of Cid Kagenou, whose lifelong dream was to become a mastermind. Unable to fulfil his dreams in his previous life in modern-day Japan, Cid had the fortune of being reborn into a world of magic where he lives his dreams of scheming from the shadows.

Get ready to curl up and get cosy with all these new titles arriving in Bilibili this fall! Keep an eye out for the following dates and clear your calendars for any of your favourite releases.

I’m the Villainess, So I’m Taming the Final Boss – September 24,
9:30 pm
Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury – September 25, 5 pm
Reincarnated as a Sword – September 28, 11:30 pm
Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Die Neue These – Intrigue – September 30, 7 am
My Master Has No Tail – September 30, 10:30 pm
Uzaki-chan Wants to Hang Out! Season 2 – October 1, 10 pm
SPY x FAMILY Part 2 – October 1, 11 pm
BEAST TAMER – October 2, 10 pm
Management of a Novice Alchemist – October 3, 9 pm
Shinobi no Ittoki – October 4, 8 pm
Encouragement of Climb: Next Summit – October 5, 12 am
The Eminence in Shadow – October 5, 10:30 pm
Akiba Maid War – October 6, 11 pm
Bibliophile Princess – October 6, 10:30 pm
Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun3 – October 8, 6:25 pm
Blue Lock – October 9, 1 pm
Peter Grill and the Philosopher’s Time – Super Extra – October 10, 12:30 am
LOVE FLOPS – October 13, 12:05 am
The Lies We All Tell – October 16, 2 pm

For more information about Bilibili, visit bilibili.tv or download the Bilibili app from the Google Play and App Store!


Blizzard Drops First Look of Hearthstoneâ€™s Upcoming Single-Player Mode

Blizzard earlier today dropped more info on the upcoming Monster Hunt, the free, repeatable single-player content coming next week in Hearthstoneâ€™s latest expansion, The Witchwood. In Monster Hunt, players can choose to play as one of four veteran Monster Hunters, each with their own Hero Power and unique treasures to collect.
â€œEach of the new monster hunters builds on top of regular Hearthstone classesâ€ said Paul Nguyen, Associate Game Designer. Â â€œBut they all come with new, unique hero power. It changes how you play with cards youâ€™ve known and loved in the pastâ€ he added.
Players will venture deep into the Witchwood on Hagatha the Witchâ€™s trail to overcome a series of monstrous bosses who dare to cross their path. With each victory, players build a stronger and stronger deck with the items they find, including treasures exclusive to certain foes.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSwTa5oS5ho&w=560&h=315]
â€œIf you played the Dungeon Run in Kobolds and Catacombs, the Monster Hunt will feel familiarâ€ added Hearthstone Lead Mission Designer Dave Kosak Â
The Monster Hunt releases on Thursday, April 26 at 10 am PDT/ 1am April 27th 2018 for Singapore/ Kuala Lumpur


Evil Genius 2 Gets New 2021 Release Date

In August 2020, developer Rebellion announced that Evil Genius 2 World Domination would be delayed to the first half of 2021. Now, we have finally received a release date for the upcoming satirical spy-fi lair builder supervillain sim management game.
Revealed in a new trailer, Evil Genius 2 World Domination will now launch for PC via Steam on 30 March 2021.
The game will feature four villainous masterminds, including the narcissist despot Max, heavy-muscle madman Ivan, manipulative ex-spy master Emma, and scientist zealot Zalika. Each of them will have their own unique story campaign. There will also be three different island locales, which players can design, build, and customize.
Players can also look forward to modern base-building mechanics and loads of gameplay features totally new to the series, including multiple-floored lairs, new rooms, henchmen, agents, traps and more. From the deliciously fatal Sushi Chef to the always famished Venus Spy-Trap, you have a huge number of ways to stop the Forces of Justice from foiling your dastardly plans.

In addition, Rebellion also said that we should expect “loads of fiendishly exciting surprises on the way in the coming weeks”, including a new, unannounced game mode.
In the meantime, you can check out the trailer below:


Kevin Feige Reveals How Marvel’s Secret Invasion Started As A Project

Courtesy of Disney+ Hotstar, we were lucky enough to be able to join a virtual press conference for the upcoming Secret Invasion TV series. Pretty much almost every major cast member participated in the press conference, including Samuel L. Jackson (Nick Fury), executive producer Jonathan Schwartz and even Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige himself.
During the press conference, Kevin Feige talked about how Secret Invasion originally started to come about as a project and he event teased how the show will have ramifications for the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) moving forward.
He said:
“It really was Jonathan (Schwartz) who came into my office a number of years ago and said, when we were thinking about what kind of shows to do on Disney+, and he came in with this idea of translating the great Secret Invasion storyline from the comics in a darker, grittier spy show, which we hadn’t done.
We love to do different genres for everything and this was an attempt to really dive back into things we touched upon in The Winter Soldier, Captain America 2, but hadn’t in a while. And really delving into the tone of a spy show, and seeing a very different dynamic between Fury and Talos that we had seen in our sort of 90s buddy action movie, Captain Marvel.”
Later in the press conference, he added:
“The repercussions (of Secret Invasion) will be felt in coming projects.
I just wanted to say one more thing, Ali (Selim) directed every single episode of this show, and really kept the whole show going. And that tone you’re talking about that we dreamed of, he delivered. Sometimes there are TV shows with multiple directors, but he did it all.”
In the meantime, check out my spoiler-free review of Marvel’s Secret Invasion by heading over here.
Secret Invasion will premiere on Disney+ on 21 June 2023, with new episodes every Wednesday.


Record of Lodoss War Metroidvania Launches This March in Early Access

If you’re a fan of the classic Record of Lodoss War anime/books, you should probably mark March 13 on your calendar. That’s the date when Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth, a “2D-syle Metroidvania”, releases on Steam in Early Access.
Developed by Touhou Luna Nights developer Team Ladybug, the story of the game “fills in the gaps” of the most recent novel, making it a canonical addition to the franchise. You play as the high elf and series heroine Deedlit, whose new adventure is set in an unfamiliar setting.

Here’s the description:

“Deedlit awakens in a strange, unknown place. As she explores her surroundings, she encounters “”Ghim”” and more of her old friends. Where is this place? Receiving help from spirits including “”Sylph”” and “”Salamander””, Deedlit wanders this mysterious new world in search of answers…”

The spirits are central to Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth’s gameplay. Each provides Deedlit with different abilities. Sylph, for example, gives her wind resistance and helps her to hover, letting her reach otherwise inaccessible areas.
You’ll also rely on weapons like swords and spears. Each will have a role to play, as the game says that picking the right one for the situation is “part of the fun”.

The novel that Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth is connected to is Record of Lodoss War: The Pledged Diadem. It shipped on August 1 2019, months after the original shipping date of April 1.
The first Record of Lodoss War book, The Grey Witch, featured characters from different races banding together to defeat the titular Grey Witch and save the country of Lodoss. The main character was a swordsman called Parn, while Deedlit was capable of wielding magic. Joining them were the dwarf Ghim, the priest Etoh, sorcerer Slayn, and the thief Woodchuck.
Written by Ryo Mizuno, The Grey Witch was first released in 1988. According to Anime News Network, an OAV series came out in 1990 and ran for 13 episodes. A sequel anime titled Record of Lodoss War: Chronicles of the Heroic Knight was released in 1998 and ran for 27 episodes.
Coincidentally, I stumbled upon the opening song of Chronicles of the Heroic Knight shortly before finding out about the game, and it’s absolutely amazing.

While I’ve no familiarity with the series, I hope that the game ends up as a worthy entry.


AniManGaki To Host A Genshin Impact Halloween

The fine anime-loving folks from Animangaki will be hosting a Genshin Impact-themed fan celebration event during the weekend of All Hallow’s Eve. That’s Halloween, by the by.
The event is called Animangaki: Enter At Your Own Risk Ft. Genshin Impact and will be a celebration of the game’s 1st year anniversary. Here are the details of the event:
Date: 29th October – 12th November (2 weeks)
Format: 3 Online Competitions + 1 Varsity Challenge + Art Marketplace + 1 2-hour livestreams on 12th November starting at 8pm
Platforms used: Animangaki Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube channels
Website: Animangaki.com
Here are the events and judges announced so far.

For more on Genshin Impact, check out our recent Labyrinth Warriors’ guide.


CAFKL 5: So Awesome, Much Wow

The Comic Art Festival Kuala LumpurÂ comic convention(CAFKL) brought much fanfare to the public at Atria Shopping Gallery last weekend. Organised by SAYS Youth Society and featuring plenty of activities and art, the two-day fest once again passed with flying colours for bringing much wow to both attendees and artists.

This creator-focused event had over 130 artist booths and everyone was pretty much spoilt for choice when it comes to getting art pieces from a wide pool of diverse talent. One can get prints, fan-arts, art commissions, postcards, badges, charms, artbooks, stickers and of course, comics; you name it, they had it.

With so much to see and admire, you would wish that you were stacked with money so that you can support each and every artist but alas, cue sad anime tears.
Unlike mega-famous and anime/manga-focused conventions such as Comic Fiesta and AniManGaki, CAFKL puts heavy emphasis on original art and creations, hence its popularity among the local art community, in addition to providing a platform for artists to showcase their works. This year, CAFKLâ€™s special guest lineup consisted of Fishball, Reimena Yee, Tan Eng Huat, afu, Kipen, Zid, Surfacage and Stephani Soejono among others.

From art demos to panels talking about “unconventional paths to building your audience”, the aforementioned guest artists & panellists managed to draw some laughter from their attentive audience, in addition to providing much insightful knowledge to many aspiring creative folks. One of the common themes discussed in the panels was the encouragement of more local comic productions. Seeing that we are now in the “New Malaysia” era, many felt that creativity has been given a large boost!
Besides being enlightened with all sorts of information, I personally felt that these panels and booths acted as a source of motivation and inspiration fuel to everyone to go out there and just create, create and create!

One of the strong points about CAFKL was that it invited anyone of any skill levels to draw and obtain some fun from it. Between the Comic Worm activity and the life drawing session, people including kids and artists have plenty of opportunities to pick up something and just draw and doodle.
No one is judging and everyone is happy to share their works! Who knows, maybe CAFKL could kick-start someone’s hidden art talent?
Overall, this event was a success, especially judging from the crowd that doesn’t seem to thin out when Day 2 was fifteen minutes away from closing time. In the last few minutes, a loud and well-deserved round of applause could be heard all around, courtesy of everyone, signalling that CAFKL 5 had reached its end. Hopefully, CAFKL will be back again for their sixth year in 2019!
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Tom Clancyâ€™s Ghost Recon Breakpoint Launches Plant A Tree Initiative

Ubisoft has announced that Tom Clancyâ€™s Ghost Recon Breakpoint will launch the Plant A Tree Initiative, which allows players to get involved in a reforestation initiative by planting a tree in-game, starting today until 20 December 2021.
During the initiative, for every tree planted, Ubisoft will give 0.15â‚¬ (or roughly RM0.70+), up to a maximum of 40,000â‚¬ (or roughly RM189,880+), to Ecologi, a social enterprise dedicated to funding climate projects with their tree-planting partners all over in the world.Â
Players who complete reforestation-themed riddles on the Ghost Recon Breakpoint website will uncover a location on Auroa where a tree can be planted in-game. The tree will grow, and players will earn a themed gear patch and â€œGardenerâ€ title.Â  The planted tree and rewards will remain in the game permanently, even after the event ends.Â
Players will also be able to purchase a limited-edition cosmetic ghillie suit, Snow Woods Ghillie Bundle, which includes a hood, top and pants, in the in-game store. For each Snow Woods Ghillie Bundle purchase, 5â‚¬ (or roughly RM23+) will be given to Ecologi, with no upper limit.Â
To learn more about the Plant a Tree Initiative, you can visit the official website here.
Here’s an example of a YouTuber planting a tree in Ghost Recon Breakpoint:


The Dragon Prince Season 4 Premieres This November

It’s been almost three years since the premiere of The Dragon Prince Season 3, but now Netflix, Wonderstorm and animation studio Bardel has finally given us an update on The Dragon Prince Season 4.
At San Diego Comic-Con 2022, they revealed that the The Dragon Prince Season 4 will be called Book 4: Earth and centre around the “Mystery Of Aaravos”. In case you forgot, Aravoos is the elf who was advising antagonist Viren. The upcoming season will introduce a two-year time jump and all the characters will be older.
For instance, Claudia has spent the past two years resurrecting her dead father, Viren, while Prince Callum is now High Mage Callum. Callum’s little brother Ezran is now the king, baby dragon Zym is now a bog dragon and Rayla has gone away in search of Viren.
The Dragon Prince Season 4 premieres on Netflix in November 2022.
Check out the clip below:


The Top 20 2D Fighting Game Characters Of All Time (Part 1)

This is part 1 of a 2-part feature. Head here for part 2 if you want to see who is #1!Â
As a genre, fighting games have always been home to some of the most iconic and memorable characters in fighting game history. Hereâ€™s our pick of the top 20 2D fighting game characters of all time based on their design, moveset, lore, history, popularity, and sheer coolness factor.
EVO 2019 is but a week away; how about we talk about our favourite fictional fisticuffers & pixelated pugilists until then?
20. Merkava (Under Night In-Birth)

The mysterious unidentified monster/creature is a relatively common trope in fighting games, but Merkava stands out as being one of the few monster-type characters to have a real sense of personality and style to his design.
Sure, heâ€™s a disturbing creature of the void, but those long noodly appendages and that flowing mane of hair – how could you not adore him?

Honestly, his movesets are hilarious and deserve a spot on this list for their memetic potential alone, but this character actually lives up to his terrifying visage in his gameplay. The way he shrieks as he pounces on you endlessly and his flailing tentacles trap you in a vortex of pain….truly a sight to behold.

NEXT


Guess A Lot Of People REALLY Love Fire Emblem Heroes, Huh?

Nintendo just revealed its revenue stats for its mobile division, and it’s enough to fun a number of third world countries for a year or two. And it’s all thanks to one particular mobile strategy title.
Nintendo’s mobile games have generated more than US$1 billion in lifetime revenue from global players on the Apple App Store and Google Play, according to a Sensor Tower report. As you can see below, one title trumps over the rest – Fire Emblem HeroesÂ with US$656 million. This is followed by Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp which generated US$131 million and Dragalia Lost which garnered US$123 million.

Fire Emblem Heroes has been around for three years compared to the previous two titles one-year-or-so lifespan. Regardless, these numbers are pretty impressive. Here’s an additional breakdown about these numbers:

Mario games have surprisingly contributed smaller shares of overall revenue, with Mario Kart Tour, Super Mario Run, and Dr. Mario World being responsible for 8%, 7% and 1% of the revenue, respectively.
Nintendo is most successful in Japan ($581 million, 54%), the U.S. has come in second with $316 million (29%). Mario Kart Tour and Super Mario Run skew more towards the U.S., however.
The revenue distribution is a stark contrast to the downloads share; Super Mario Run is #1 with 244 million downloads (or 54% of all Nintendo mobile game downloads), Mario Kart Tourâ€™s 147 million installs represents 32%. Fire Emblem Heroes only accounts for 4% of the total.

Moral of the story here? JRPG gacha games with an assortment of collectable heroes are safer bets than Mario games, especially when it comes to getting more out of the free-to-play model. As someone who has personal experience working in the mobile games industry for a long while, I’m surprised it took a juggernaut like Nintendo to catch up to this market.


Rollerdrome Will Skate & Shoot Its Way To Your Heart

Platform(s): PC (version reviewed), PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5
Genre: Skating & shooting game mashup with 80s Running Man vibes
Not content with its skateboarding indie odyssey that is OlliOlli World, Roll7 is making another extreme sports game exclusively for PC and PlayStation consoles. Though this time, it comes with a more mature vibe akin to your 80s dystopian universes where people kill each other for fun and games.
Rollerdrome is essentially that, except your main character is packing heat and comes with tricks of her own. Does that make for a fun experience? Absolutely.
Blood Sport

In Rollerdrome, you play a rookie named Kara Hassan who has to shoot and skate her way to glory, fighting off rivals called House Players in an arena with whatever they have in tow. There’s a bit of a narrative bit where she explores her surroundings pre-match, either in the locker room or in the TV station that’s broadcasting the Matterhorn-sponsored blood sport. But generally, you’re playing an arcade game here: survive, get a high score, perform tricks and stylish kills, and then proceed all the way to the finals.
Unlocking future stages require you to complete a set number of challenges in each previous stage, meaning you will need to replay them over and over to get them right. These range from collecting 5 stage tokens to performing a specific trick or rail grind and then killing enemies while doing so. They’re creative and add a ton more replayability so that you aren’t bored with just the usual “survive until they’re all dead” structure that you will go through. As long as you’re doing chain kills and doing tricks constantly, you’ll nail a couple of these challenges and can proceed onward.
As if that wasn’t enough, Out For Blood mode is the game’s post-campaign mode where all enemies will pop up on the map and they deal more damage than usual. You have all your weapons and should be familiarized with the maps, but the enemies are more aggressive than usual in this mode. If anything, this is what you play Rollerdrome for: the arcade mode where you survive while aiming for the lowest time and longest kill chain possible. Gameplay-savvy players who just want the meat and bones of a third-person shooter with extreme skating mechanics will be playing this for months on end just for leaderboard bragging rights; it’s fun and challenging at the same time as you’re playing similar stages but with way more attrition shoved your way, with only the skillful being able to survive.
Simply put, Rollerdrome is a fun combination of the Jet Set Radio series and your favourite third-person shooter with bullet time mechanics, with all of its mechanics and extreme sports nuances combined to form one tangible and exhilarating experience. You have to do stunts to reload and get points. When you aim, you slow down time for a bit to get a clear shot. Weapons like the Shotgun deal more damage if you time your shots just right to the prompt on your reticule. Being on the move and jumping around is a surefire way to stay alive, but you have to kill everyone and try to do this as quickly as possible for the best time. Your perfect dodges can result in instant ammo reloads and also a super Reflex Mode where your shots deal double damage and you get a free “bullet time” segment.
A Bit More Greasin’

Having said that, Rollerdrome’s learning curve and familiarity with its controls can take a while. While the gist of locking on, slowing time down, and doing tricks to reload your gun is easy to grasp, it’s when you have to do them consecutively under enemy fire that gets tricky. Coupled with some wonky camera angles and controls, as well as some “heat of the moment” portions where you end up doing a half pipe when you wanted to get over to the other side of the ramp, resulting in tons of rockets exploding in your face.
The dodge button can only do so much; sometimes the later stages of the game can get brutal and unfair. Still, you’ll feel a huge sense of accomplishment when you survive the heat, only to realize that you need to unlock subsequent changes and have to replay stages to complete the number of challenges required.
Still, it’s a small bunch of gripes to what essentially is a thrill ride that comes with guns blazing, a reason to welcome crossbreeding between two genres, and a nod to classic 80s films with dystopian carnage marathons where the strong survive. Give this roller derby a spin; you’ll be glad you did.
Final Score: 80/100


A Brief History Of Mortal Kombat’s Questionable Kharacter Designs

When you think fighting game rosters, you think awesome and spectacular character designs that stand out like Ryu, Chun-Li, Jedah, Morrigan, Iori Yagami, Ivy Valentine(?), and more.
Unfortunately, you don’t see the same kind of honour bestowed upon the Mortal Kombat franchise. True, we get the most iconic characters in the form of a yellow and a blue ninja, but everything about MK’s character design screams “90s” and “product of its time”.
Which is fine and all, since characters like Johnny Cage and Kano are meant to stand out. But if you want creative entries that beg to be taken seriously, well, look elsewhere.
I mean, look at the newest MK11 character Geras. He doesn’t particularly scream “inventive”. If you told me he was supposed to be a new hero in an upcoming He-Man live-action reboot, I’d believe you.

Still, props for the Baraka, Shao Kahn, Raiden redesign. All I’m saying is that the Mortal Kombat series has that cheese factor in its character design, and I bless them wholeheartedly for preserving it. From the awesomely bad to the hilariously awesome, here they are.
Erron Black

Never mind the fact that this cowpoke is quite a handful to deal with in a high-level tournament setting. This guy is basically a cowboy with a gimp mask and a sword. If that doesn’t scream “Masters of the Universe” design from a 6 year-old, I don’t know what does.
Oh wait, I know the answer to that…
Shujinko

Ed Boon proclaimed this MK: Deception hero as a “next-generation Liu Kang” after killing him off in MK: Deadly Alliance. I’d say he has as much charisma and staying power as a harem anime protagonist in the real world. And what does he do when he fights? He “shapeshifts” to any character you want, so he’s basically a good guy version of Shang Tsung.
At least Shang Tsung had a ton more aesthetic changes that matched his weasely sorceror look. Shujinko’s just a generic Asian filler character who grows old.
All The Female Fighters In Mortal Kombat 9

Yowza, it’s like the character designers here saw the past games and thought to themselves “let’s turn these designs into stripper outfit concepts”. And voila; sexy ninjas and spec ops units who don’t feel out of place in those special cosplay burlesque club that would headline Stella Chuu and Jessica Nigri.
Frost (MK Deadly Alliance)

I didn’t think Midway would go far as to create a Rule 63 Sub-Zero, yet here we are. At least the Rule 63 Ryu was a schoolgirl with a completely different personality and moveset. Frost just looks like a Sub-Zero groupie who came out from an Edenia rave.
Havik (MK Deception)

Oh look, an oriental Masters of the Universe action figure. Don’t act too shocked if Midway based this off of an unreleased Mattel concept.
Darrius (MK Deception)

Something tells me the devs loved Blade and Blade II a lot when they designed this guy. At least Geras is a small step up from this generic black dude who looks like the missing member of the Furious Five.
Kobra (MK Deception)

Something tells me the devs loved Street Fighter 2’s Ken a lot when they designed this guy. Hey, if they’re going to make cheap knock-offs of characters, I’m allowed to re-use a previous sentence, alright?
Stryker (MK3)

You have a game that has a movie star, a thunder god, and a ninja from hell. You have a third game coming up; how will you top your previous designs? If you say “with a mall cop with toy guns”, then congratulations, you get a raise in Midway.
In every other video game company, you get s***canned. How this guy made it through playtesting and onto a roster filled with supernatural warriors is beyond me.
Mokap (MK Deadly Alliance)

Yeah, this was at the point in the franchise where they ran out of ideas. If you thought mall cop was bad, we have a mo-cap actor as a fighter. Honestly, Midway made better jokes and easter eggs than….this.
Motaro (MK Armageddon)

Motaro in MK3 is a cool centaur boss who shoots lasers from his tail. Motaro in MK Armageddon is a lame-ass minotaur. WHY THE FLYING F*** WOULD YOU TAKE AWAY THE ONE COOL ASPECT OF YOUR BADASS MID-BOSS?!?
There you have it; the worst designs in Mortal Kombat history. There’s probably more we missed out, so let us know who should be on this list. In any case, we’re sure NetherRealms will come up with better character designs for MK11, slated for 23rd April on PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Switch.


Here’s When You Can Watch The New Kingdom Hearts 3 DLC Re:Mind Trailer

The Kingdom Hearts 3 Re:Mind DLC expansion was initially announced by Tetsuya Nomura back in April 2019, but almost half a year later and we still know little about it. That will soon change as a new trailer is slated to arrive next week on 9 September 2019 at 8am PT / 11pm GMT+8 (in Malaysia and other Southeast Asian countries).
The new Kingdom Hearts 3 DLC Re:Mind trailer will release several days ahead of the Tokyo Game Show 2019, which will take place in Japan from 12 to 15 September 2019. It will likely debut on the official Kingdom Hearts YouTube channel here,Â as well as reveal the highly-anticipated release date for the DLC.

ðŸš¨ One week to go! ðŸš¨
This time next week we’ll be releasing a brand-new #KingdomHearts III Re Mind trailer, so make sure you’re following us!
Twitter: https://t.co/5Ymx3LjM8Q
Facebook: https://t.co/sUoJJ8Fq9q
Instagram: https://t.co/dazeuuJbZQ
YouTube: https://t.co/RMoYB65sq3 pic.twitter.com/khS4m12vvy
â€” KINGDOM HEARTS (@KINGDOMHEARTS) September 2, 2019
Kingdom Hearts 3 Re:Mind DLC will feature:

An additional scenario called ReMind
A new Limited Episode and bosses
A new Secret Episode and secret boss
English language option for the Japanese version of the game
New Keyblades (Oathkeeper, etc) and Forms for Sora
Possible playable Kairi, Riku, and Aqua

It will also answer some of the remaining unanswered mysteries and questions from Kingdom Hearts 3, including who Luxord really is and what Xigbar AKA Luxu’s true plans are.
In the meantime, check out ourÂ Kingdom Hearts 3Â reviewÂ here, my ranking of all the games in the franchise here, and what I think the future of the franchise post-Kingdom Hearts 3Â will beÂ here.
Kingdom Hearts 3 Re:Mind DLC is slated to release sometime this winter. The last trailer we received was during E3 2019 in June 2019, which you can re-watch below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqD_cz85S1A&w=560&h=315]


Dream-Like & Colourful: The Art of 4threset

Even if you’ve never heard of 4threset, you might have seen their work. 4threset has been a prominent figure in Malaysia’s ACG (anime, comics, games) community for several years now, and has served as a concept artist and illustrator for local video games and tabletop as well. What’s their secret to success, and how did they get here?
Webtoon artist, book cover illustrator, and concept artist;  we had the opportunity to ask a few questions to this multi-talented Malaysian artist.

Can you tell us about your journey as an artist?

There’s not much to tell, to be honest! I’ve always loved drawing! You know that kid at the back of the class that was always doodling and not paying attention? That was me!
I just never stopped drawing and somehow drew my way into a varied art career! I applied to an art college as soon as I could and furthered my studies to get an Animation degree at the University of Technology in Sydney.

Tell us about the games you’ve done concept art for.
In my first freelance gig, I got the opportunity to work as a character designer and artist for Nerdook productions’ The Magister!
Then I was the lead artist for a local indie game called ‘Amnesiac Adventurer!‘ by Roundtable Studios. I did the concepts and assets for both the characters and tiles, including animations! I had to adapt very quickly since I was the sole artist for the game, so that meant also doing UI design which I’ve not done before.
I’ve also done background art for a Visual Novel called ‘Himbo Harem Homicide‘! It was my first stint in doing background art for a Visual Novel but it was very fun since I had to design each room around each dateable ‘himbo.’
I’ve also done character designs and miscellaneous art for TTRPGs!

What’s your experience being a freelance concept artist based in Malaysia?

It’s definitely not easy. I’m lucky enough that I’ve managed to find a foothold in social media, so I get a mixture of projects coming in from commission work for fanart, to book cover illustrations or asset art for game developers. But it was definitely not without struggle.
There was a period where I couldn’t find any work simply because my portfolio wasn’t where it needed to be just yet, nor had I gotten the current reach I have. The creative field here in Malaysia isn’t as appreciated, so often finding work that pays a respectable living wage is incredibly difficult.
That being said, PSA: Pay your creative talents: whether they are writers or artists or project managers!

What are some of the non-game projects you’ve worked on?
Most of them are comic-related! I’ve done a lot of comics that you can read for free right now, one of which is called ‘The Witch’s Bakery‘. Another comic I’ve made is an original Tapas comic called ‘Chinatop‘!
I’m currently working with an agent to have my own Graphic Novel published! I’ve also recently worked with Bookiut of PTS Media, illustrating the covers for their first line of English Young Adult novels!
I’m participating in this year’s Shortbox comic collective and will be releasing a new short with them, so look out for that!

Tell us about a dream project you would like to do in the future.
I’d honestly love to be a character artist for a Visual Novel! Probably for a dating sim or something similar, haha! I like drawing indulgently attractive characters and oh, to draw the hotties for a VN would be an absolute dream!

Any advice for aspiring concept artists for games?

It’s hard to truly narrow it down since there’s so much I want to say and talk about.
But one of the best traits you can have, whether as an artist or a creative here is to be as stubborn as possible. Pursue your ambitions and goals doggedly. Set your sights on something you want, and don’t let anything discourage you! (within reason of course, please take breaks, and of course never harass anyone for your goals, haha!)
Another piece of advice? Style is valuable. Work smarter, not harder.
I remember reading this from another artist I greatly admired, that foundations can be taught, but style can’t and some studios will hire you based on style and adaptability alone. A style isn’t just a combination of what you’ve learned but also how you develop your process when drawing. Sometimes your style comes naturally to you with practice, but there’s no harm in exploring what you like visually and what you think can make you stand out or iconic. Sometimes knowing the difference between what you enjoy seeing in art, and what you enjoy making can also help in thinking about where you want to be as an artist.


How To Kingdom Hearts III: Your Ever-Expanding Guide In This Mash-Up

After 14 long years and a boatload of spin-offs with retarded naming conventions later, we now have Kingdom Hearts 3 on our laps. Is it good? Is it bad? Most importantly, are there a lot of sidequests to partake in?
Well, we’re here to help! We’ve got the most recent tips and tricks here on this one convenient feature for you to refer to.
Basic Tips & Tricks
Use Your In-Game Phone
Sora gets an in-game phone early on in the game. It lets you take photos, do random mundane stuff, and even summarizes the game’s past plot points in case you don’t want to pull out your real phone and read recaps like ours.
The phone also keeps track of the treasure you’ve found and the Lucky Emblems/Hidden Mickeys you’ve uncovered. That’s always handy to have.
Don’t Level Up Too Much
This is a Disney game not made in the 90s, so you won’t get your balls busted too much here. In fact, grinding might make the game a tad easier especially since the save points in the game replenishes your health and mana.
So if you see a world’s battle level that looks higher than your level, don’t worry about it too much. Just go on ahead and fight it out.Â The trick to survival in Kingdom Hearts 3 is blocking, reprisals, command shortcut management, and effective camera movement. This isn’t as hardcore as the first or second game, so take chances and master the combat system.
Besides, you only get your spells and abilities by beating bosses, not by grinding. So stop it.

There Are No Correct Loadouts; Mix & Match
Part of the fun of Kingdom Hearts 3Â is figuring out what loadouts are best before fighting a boss. You’ll have the necessary spells available during a fight, but it’ll be a pain to cycle them in real-time, so customizing and configuring your shortcuts is essential.
By holding L1 you can open the shortcut menu. This displays a list of the four shortcut commands, mapped to each of the face buttons. By pressing up and down on the d-pad, you can swap between up to three decks.
What you end up putting in those three decks is up to you. Try having a support deck, an attack spells deck, and a hybrid deck on standby. If you’re fighting a boss with an obvious weakness, just make sure one of those decks have spells to hammer them. Remember: you can’t change loadouts once a fight starts, so if you see a save point before an ominous room, you better start prepping!
Check On Your Unlocked Abilities
You can only unlock abilities as you progress through the main story. Be sure to check out the new ones you receive so that you can activate them and get the perks you need. You have an AP threshold, so be mindful.
Cycle Through Your Specials With L2/R2
Yes, it took some of us a while to figure it out; pressing the trigger buttons let us swap between special attacks. This means you don’t have to waste a special to get to the next; you can store one for another bout later on.

Get To Cooking Whenever Possible
Once you gain access to Remy’s skills, you can actually warp to his kitchen whenever you find a save point. You can cook so you can eat a full course to gain temporary special abilities and stat buffs. And all you need are ingredients you found while you’re pillaging each different Disney world. Goofy will usually give a tip-off if you’re nearby a spot with ingredients. So get to it and keep the little chef busy, eh?
Advanced Stuff & Videos
How To Find Adamantite (For Keyblade Upgrades)
Keyblade upgrade materials more or less come in tiers, and once youâ€™ve exhausted the upgrades that you can perform withÂ Fluorite and Damascus, youâ€™ll then need someÂ Adamantite, a common legendary crafting material found in all sorts of games, from Terraria to Final Fantasy to World of Warcraft. Kingdom Hearts III is no different, and youâ€™ll need some to fully upgrade your keyblades. There are a few places in Kingdom Hearts III where you can grab some Adamantiteâ€¦

Adamantite can appear out in the space overworld when youâ€™re flying your Gummi Ship. Itâ€™ll appear in the later two areas of space that open up to you â€“ Misty Stream and The Eclipse. Keep an eye out for the blue-tinted rocks, and blast them to pieces with your Gummi Ship laser â€“ if youâ€™re lucky, youâ€™ll get an Adamantite drop. Remember, rocks respawn when you reload into space after visiting a world, so you can farm this way. Asteroids in The Eclipse appear to have a slightly higher drop rate, so if that area is unlocked, use that one.
Adamantite also shows up in the later worlds of Kingdom Hearts III. The two worlds where weâ€™ve seen it appear in treasure chests are San Fransokyo (Big Hero 6) and The Caribbean (Pirates of the Caribbean), so head back to those worlds and go hunting for chests. The items that appear in chests are more finite, however.

Once youâ€™ve enough Adamantite, youâ€™ll be able to use it to upgrade keyblades to their higher tier improved levels in the Moogle Workshop. Typically, each tier of upgrade for each keyblade that needs it will only require one Adamantite an upgrade.
How About Wellspring Crystals (Again, For Keyblade Upgrades)?
Once youâ€™re at the tier of upgrade that also needs Adamantite, several late-stage keyblade upgrades will also begin to requireÂ Wellspring Crystal, or Wellspring Gem as itâ€™s known in the Japanese release. Hereâ€™s the bad news: unlike the other materials weâ€™ve talked about so far, Wellspring Crystal isnâ€™t a drop that can be farmed by blasting through space in the Gummi Ship, blowing away meteors. Youâ€™re also going to need more of them per upgrade, as itâ€™s the lesser, secondary ingredient in most late-game keyblade upgrades.
Hereâ€™s the good news: it is more common than Adamantite when push comes to shove, and it is available down in the worlds of KH3 outside of the gummi ship segments. Given that itâ€™s a late game item, however,Â Wellspring Crystal only appears to spawn in Monstropolis (Monsters, Inc), the Caribbean (Pirates of the Caribbean) and San Fransokyo (Big Hero 6). While it does crop up in the occasional chest,Â Wellspring Crystal mostly drops from high-level, large heartless that you encounterÂ when defeating them â€“ and the drop isnâ€™t guaranteed.
As with the other materials, once you have some you can deploy this to get some sweet power-boosting keyblade upgrades.
All The Lucky Emblems (via Everglow)


Diablo 4: Sorcerer Chain Lightning Build Guide

Diablo 4 will be out for PC and consoles starting 2nd June, and with all top-tier RPGs, there’s always a new build being made for any of the game’s five classes.
This guide will teach you how to be the best Sorcerer wielding chain lightning to whiplash through multiple enemies at once. This is one of the builds that you can definitely use from the get-go!

OVERVIEW

This is a lightning build which will clear a room full of enemies with ease. You’ll use chain lightning to kill enemies primarily. The lightning will bounce back and forth multiple times dealing 10x increased damage. At level 15, it is important for you to take Chain Lightning as your Enchantment over Fireball. This is solely because Arc Lash and Chain Lightning already excels at clearing a room full of enemies. Which is why taking Fireball for more explosion damage is not that great.
You’ll use Teleport for mobility and Ice Armor mostly for your mana regen. If you notice, we put 1 skill into Fire Bolt so that at level 30, you will use this as your second Enchantment skill. We do this not for the damage but because any direct damage done with your skill will apply a burning effect. This will also allow you to take fire passives which will help you immensely as you will see in the skill tree below.

CHAIN LIGHTNING SORCERER BUILD
SKILLS & SPECIALIZATION
Skills: Arc Lash, Chain Lightning, Teleport, Unstable Currents, Coursing Currents
Specialization/Enchantments: Chain Lightning, Fire Bolt

SKILL TREE
Basic Skill (Tier 1): Arc Lash (5), Enhanced Arc Lash, Flickering Arc Lash
Basic Skill (Tier 1): Fire Bolt (1)
Core Skill (Tier 2): Chain Lightning (5), Enhanced Chain Lightning, Greater Chain Lightning
Core Skill Passive: Devastation (1), Elemental Dominance (3)
Defensive Skill (Tier 3): Teleport (5), Enhanced Teleport, Shimmering Teleport
Defensive Skill (Tier 3): Frost Nova, Enhanced Frost Nova, Mystical Frost Nova
Defensive Skill (Tier 3): Ice Armor, Enhanced Ice Armor
Defensive Skill (Tier 3) Passives: Glass Canon (3)
Passive (Tier 4): Align the Elements (1), Protection (1), Mana Shield (2)
Passives (Tier5): Inner Flames(1), Devouring Blaze(3)
Ultimate Skill (Tier 6): Unstable Currents, Prime Unstable Currents
Ultimate Passive (Tier 6): Fiery Surge (3), Endless Pyre, Warmth (3)
Ultimate Passive (Tier 6): Coursing Currents(3), Electrocution (3)
Core Passive (Tier 7): Vyr’s Mastery (1)
GEAR & SKILL (ASPECTS)
Helm: Aspect of Disobedience (Kejhistan)
Chest Armor: Aspect of Might (Dry Steppes)
Gloves: Aspect of the Expectant (Scosglen)
Pants: Aspect of the Protector (Fractured Peaks)
Boots: Aspect of the Bounding Conduit (Dry Steppes)
Weapon : –
Offhand Weapon : –
Amulet: Elementalist’s Aspect (Dry Steppes)
Ring 1: Recharging Aspect (Fractured Peaks)
Ring 2: Edgemaster’s Aspect (Scosglen)
Gems
Weapon: Topaz
Armor: Ruby
Jewelry: Skull
PARAGON BOARD
To be updated…


Final Fantasy XVI ‘Salvation’ Launch Trailer Revealed At PlayStation Showcase

Excitement reached new heights today as the PlayStation Showcase unveiled the launch trailer for Final Fantasy XVI, titled “Salvation.” We’ve been eagerly awaiting this moment, and let me tell you, it doesn’t disappoint!
The story of Final Fantasy XVI unfolds in Valisthea, a breathtaking land adorned with majestic Mothercrystals. These shimmering crystal mountains tower over the realms, showering them with aether—a mystical energy that fuels the magic woven into the fabric of everyday life. Valisthea is hailed as a blessed land, bathed in the radiant light of the Mothercrystals. But alas, the aether is waning, and the desolate deadlands are spreading, plunging the nations into a dire state of conflict and chaos.
In the launch trailer, we catch a glimpse of the Bearers, those fortunate souls gifted with the ability to wield magic effortlessly, grappling with the harsh realities of their existence. Moreover, we uncover the hidden truths behind the enigmatic Mothercrystals, long believed to be bestowers of blessings upon humanity.

Join Clive Rosfield, the game’s main protagonist, as he embarks on a treacherous journey, reluctantly shouldering the weight of his cruel destiny. The trailer offers a tantalizing peek into Clive’s initial steps on a path that will lead him to grasp his sword and defy fate itself. We also witness the internal struggles and unyielding determination of the Dominants, individuals blessed with the awe-inspiring power to summon the formidable Eikons.
As Clive and the Dominants follow their diverging paths, driven by their unwavering convictions, we can’t help but wonder how their ideals will clash. What lies ahead for the land of Valisthea? The curtain is about to rise on a remarkable tale—one that explores the belief that the crystals’ influence over humanity’s destiny has persisted for far too long.
Prepare for a visual feast in the trailer, as it showcases never-before-seen adversaries and stunning new locations. Keep your eyes peeled for these exciting revelations—it’s truly a treat for fans!


Will Final Fantasy 16 Be Delayed? Heck No, Said Producer

It’ll be a few months until Final Fantasy 16 comes out on PlayStation 5 on 22 June. Many people speculate whether this title will be delayed like other Final Fantasy games.
It won’t, according to producer Naoki Yoshida. According to translated comments at a Final Fantasy 16 press event held in New York (via Polygon), Yoshida said the game will not be delayed “unless a meteor falls on Japan”. He also brought up the fact that Final Fantasy games can get delayed at the last minute, alluding towards titles like Final Fantasy 15 and Final Fantasy VII Remake. The former was delayed for 6 more weeks while the latter was delayed for another 7 weeks.
It seems as if Naoki Yoshida and his team are very adamant about the game coming out on 22 June. Of course, the recent previews and hands-on that popped up did show that Square Enix is confident about its upcoming sequel.
The previews so far state that Final Fantasy 16 is a good mix between an action game ala Devil May Cry and a dark fantasy drama like your Game of Thrones. There’s a hint of Ivalice politics and style of worldbuilding in Final Fantasy 16, given that Yoshida and co. are fans of that particular FF universe. That’s generally a step in the right direction, so I approve!
If you want to see the game in action, check out the gameplay below (via Gematsu):


HBO GO September 2022: Our Picks & Highlights

I’m sure you won’t want to waste time sifting through HBO GO’s extensive catalogue of shows and movies just to decide on what to watch. The streaming site updates its site every day, week, and month with new content, so I’m here to save your precious time.
Here are my personal recommendations and highlights for HBO GO September 2022 lineup and how to fill up your free time with worthwhile content at home:
Stargirl Season 3 (1 September 2022)

Follow high school sophomore Courtney Whitmore as she inspires an unlikely group of young heroes to stop the villains of the past. This new drama reimagines Stargirl and the very first superhero team, the Justice Society of America, in an unpredictable series that focuses on the character that started creator Geoff Johns’ career as a comic book writer when he created her in 1999. Stars Brec Bassinger, Luke Wilson, Amy Smart, Yvette Monreal, and Anjelika Washington.
It premieres on Thursday, 1 September 2022 at 9pm on Warner TV (Astro Channel 712).

Rick And Morty Season 6 (5 September 2022)

Rick and Morty are back! This award-winning animated hit comedy series follows a sociopathic genius scientist who drags his inherently timid grandson on insanely dangerous adventures across the universe. Rick Sanchez is living with his daughter Beth’s family and constantly bringing her, his son-in-law Jerry, granddaughter Summer, and grandson Morty into intergalactic escapades. All five previous seasons are already available on HBO GO.
Check out my review of Rick And Morty Season 6 here.
It premieres on Monday, 5 September 2022 at 11am on HBO GO.

The Protege (10 September 2022)

Rescued as a child by the legendary assassin Moody and trained in the family business, Anna is the world’s most skilled contract killer. But when Moody the man who was like a father to her and taught her everything she needs to know about trust and survival is brutally killed, Anna vows revenge. As she becomes entangled with an enigmatic killer whose attraction to her goes way beyond cat and mouse, their confrontation turns deadly and the loose ends of a life spent killing will weave themselves ever tighter. Stars Samuel L. Jackson, Maggie Q and Michael Keaton.
It premieres on Saturday, 10 September 2022 at 9pm on HBO (Astro Channel 411) and HBO GO.

The Handmaid’s Tale Season 5 (15 September 2022)
The Handmaid’s Tale
Adapted from the classic novel by Margaret Atwood, this award-winning series tells the story of life in the dystopian land of Gilead, a totalitarian society in what was formerly the United States, where women are oppressed and only valued for their ability to produce offspring. Season 5 cast members include Elisabeth Moss, Yvonne Strahovski, Bradley Whitford, Samira Wiley and Ann Dowd. Over its past four seasons, the series received a total of 75 Emmy nominations with 15 Emmy wins including for Outstanding Drama Series, Outstanding Lead Actress (Elisabeth Moss) and Outstanding Supporting Actress (Ann Dowd). Catch up on seasons 1 to 4 of The Handmaid’s Tale on HBO GO.
It premieres on Thursday, 15 September 2022 on HBO GO.

The Batman (17 September 2022)

Set in his second year of fighting crime, Batman uncovers corruption in Gotham City while facing a serial killer known as the Riddler. The star-studded ensemble of Gotham’s famous and infamous cast of characters includes Robert Pattinson, Zoë Kravitz, Andy Serkis and Colin Farrell. The Batman is already available now on HBO GO.
It premieres on Saturday, 17 September 2022 at 9pm on HBO (Astro Channel 411).
In the meantime, you can head on over here for my breakdown of the movie’s ending and post-credits, as well as what to expect from a potential sequel., or check out Barry Keoghan’s Joker in all his glory here.

Last Night In Soho (24 September 2022)

In this psychological thriller by acclaimed director Edgar Wright, Eloise an aspiring fashion designer, is mysteriously able to enter the 1960s, where she encounters a dazzling wannabe singer, Sandie. But the glamour is not all it appears to be, and the dreams of the past start to crack and splinter into something far darker. Stars Thomasin McKenzie and Anya Taylor Joy.
It premieres on Saturday, 24 September 2022 at 9pm on HBO (Astro Channel 411) and HBO GO.


Thanos Returns In Marvel Duel First-Year Anniversary

A successful year followed the debut of MARVEL Duel, giving millions of players a new way of playing their favourite Marvel Super Heroes and Villains in the form of a fun strategy card game. Both curiosity and excitement welcome the start of a new season, marking the start of another year for the breathtaking game.
In addition, the developers are bringing back a rare and powerful fan-favourite card to reward their eager players for their love and support for the game: the Mad Titan himself, Thanos! The 29 July 2021Â update for MARVEL Duel will feature an all-new season titled â€œThe Warriors of the Sky.â€ The new season will add over 10 new powerful cards for players to wield that revolves around the group of Asian Super Heroes War Tiger, Sun Bird, Blue Dragon, and Shadow Shell.
In addition, Players who log in for the new season start will be able to claim an exclusive first-year anniversary Card Back and Avatar Frame. MARVEL Duel has been available in the Southeast Asian territories of Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines for an entire year.

In its inaugural year, the game released over 350 cards and ten Super Heroes, evolving its extensiveness and complexity at an ever-increasing speed. Players can collect Super Hero cards inspired by decades of Marvel comics as well as the MCU, customize their decks to suit their play style, and start their battle anytime, anywhere.
To celebrate the first-year anniversary, MARVEL Duel is hosting a series of events, including returning Thanos to the store. Additionally, players can vote for their favourite Super Hero or Villain on Facebook to discount that character in the in-game shop.
You can now download MARVEL Duel now and take your place in the Marvel Universe by heading over here. MARVEL Duel is available in Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, and Malaysia.
https://www.facebook.com/MarvelDuel/posts/538872774232398


The Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom Gameplay Showcase Addresses The Prequel’s #1 Problem

Series producer Eiji Aonuma presented a 13+ minute video showcasing new gameplay for the upcoming Zelda title, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. And it addresses one of the major complaints of the original Breath of the Wild game: weak-ass weapons that break easily and impede progress.
Like it or not, the weapon system is still back. But this time you can use the Fuse ability to fuse nearby objects with the weapon you have on hand. Not only does it increase the previous weapon’s durability, but its damage increases too. You can even Fuse two weapons, so problem solved when it comes to fixing weapon durability and creating makeshift weapons out of objects around you. So you can get creative!

Other new skills and powers in this upcoming adventure game include Recall. Link can use this ability to have previously broken floating rocks back to their original spot up in the sky. It’s a great way to traverse up in the sky.
Ultrahand is a new powerup that lets you combine environmental objects -either by detaching or attaching them- to create vehicles. The demo below showcased Link creating a hovercraft using Ultrahand. This reminds me of that Banjo-Kazooie game on Xbox back in the 360 days of HD gaming for some reason.
Check out the full gameplay below. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom will be out this 12 May for Nintendo Switch.


Valorant Tips & Tricks To Improve Your Team-Based Shooter Skills

Disclaimer: This guide will be updated periodically as the meta updates and changes.
Valorant is out now for the public to play. We had some lovely thoughts about it; now it’s time to put our playthroughs and experiences to practice.
Here are some tips to get you started and how to go about this new Riot Games title.
Do Not Play This Game Like Overwatch & Call of Duty
If you’re a shooter fan who love playing fast-paced first-person shooters like the aforementioned titles, Valorant is a wake-up call.
You cannot run and gun; your accuracy and recoil effects will be heavily affected. Basically, play every character like you would McCree: walk, stop, aim, and shoot.
You have to learn how to approach doorways and open areas slowly, as well asÂ  not make too much noise when moving around. To do the latter, hold shift when running. You’d be surprised at how many people don’t use this function too often; footsteps are very prominent in Valorant.
Play This Like Counter-Strike
Those skills you had when playing CS:GO and other CS games prior to this? They’ll be put to very good use here.
Secure doorways, watch out for long hallways, switch weapons instead of reloading while in a firefight, throw “flashbangs” and “grenades” to flush people out in corners and camping spots: old skills from past “restrictive” shooters will work in Valorant.Â Just make sure to complement them with your character’s special abilities.
Beginners: Use Phoenix & Sova
At this point in time, you shouldn’t worry about who is the best hero to use in the game. You need to pick a hero suited to your level. If this is your first time playing a CS:GO-style first-person shooter, you may want to use either Phoenix or Sova from the get-go for the first 50 games.
Phoenix has a ton of cool-yet-easy specials like a “flash bang grenade” that curves left or right into corners and an AoE fire attack that lets you funnel enemies to a perfect ambush spot. Or flush out sniper nests from a good blind spot.
Sova lets you shoot an arrow that reveals nearby enemies for you and your allies. And yes, you can pull off trick shots to shoot recon arrows at spots normally unreachable by opposing teams (see video below).

If you can’t remember all these spots, that’s OK: as long as you know the general vicinity to aim for, like higher up on the wall and not too obvious for enemies to easily spot it, that is enough to get the info you need.
For Assault Rifle Users, Pull Down On The Mouse Button For The First 10 Shots
The Vandal and Phantom assault rifles are decent weapons from the get-go, but you need to control its spraying pattern if you hope to score consistent hits with the weapon.
As this video below will tell you, spray patterns on your assault rifles make a difference in whether your shots will make it to an opponent’s head or not. For example, the Phantom goes up, left, and right after the first 10 shots, so you need to pull down your mouse aiming slightly if you are aiming at your opponent’s head.

Practice your shots in Practice Mode, take note of the spray patterns, and pretty soon you’ll be able to rely on muscle memory when you’re attempting to headshot enemies with assault rifle sprays.
Another protip: if your spray control needs work, it is always better to stop shooting and let your gun “reset”, and then re-aim and start shooting again. Again, play this game like you would with McCree in Overwatch.
Can’t Aim For Nuts? Love Corridors? Try The Shotguns
For some players who prefer to wander tight corridors and rather leave the sniping to experts, we suggest going for a Judge shotgun/Heavy Armor/Sheriff sidearm combo and filling up that close-ranged/support niche.
Tag along with someone who prefers assault rifles, then help them out with their flank and rear. The Judge shotgun has a tight spread and rapid fire to take down people who appear in corners and quickly gun down wounded enemies.
The Sheriff sidearm can take care of enemies from afar, though you shouldn’t be using this if you’re focused on covering corners. It’s more of a last-ditch effort if you’re funneled to a wide open space.
Prefire To Stall Enemies
If you’re trying to keep enemies in a particular corner or angle, it is sometimes better to prefire at common areas where they’re hold up at an angle. A good strategy is to ask a teammate or two to cover your flank and back areas, then prefire if you know there are at least a couple of enemies there.
Sort Out The Economy Game
Learn how much your favourite weapons and setups are. Chances are your team will get wiped out in any of the 12+ rounds you’ll be in, which means lost investment. You have to plan to save up for certain rounds.
All those economy round lessons you’ve learned in CS:GO? They work here.
This Video Below Has The Right Idea
This tip sheet from Reddit user quarkez dishes out some advice in less than two minutes. Highlights include:

Recognizing the visual cue that will let you know if you have enough time to defuse the spike. If you start the defuse after the White Orb appears, you cannot do the full 7 second defuse. Before the White Orb flashes? Go for it!Â
If you want to get the most DPS out of your default classic gun, left click and then right click in consecutive fashion. Practice the timing to get it right; it’s pretty tricky at first.
When you’re on a zipline, you have perfect accuracy. Also, you can be silent while using it; just hold the walk button (Shift key on default).Â
You can get rid of Cypher’s tripwires using the following: Sova’s Shock Darts, Raze’s Blast Pack/Satchel and Grenade, and Jett’s Dash.

 10 Gameplay Tips & Info to Help You Improve at Valorant in Less than 2 Minutes from      VALORANT

NEXT PAGE: Character Guide


New Signings Prove to Be Good Omens for Dallas Fuel & LA Gladiators

Stage 2 of the Overwatch League kicked off earlier today with new set of maps, a brand new meta as well as successful debuts for three high-profile players. Following the Mercy nerf, an all-new styles of plays were expected and they didn’t wait long to stamp their mark as Seoul Dynasty avenged the shock 0-3 loss to Valiant at Stage 1’s Week 5 with an emphatic 4-0 win in the opening match of the day.
The absence of the double-res in Mercy kit led to more decisive team fights which propelled the Seoul Dynasty to a whole new level. Known for their efficiency since their Lunatic-Hai days, this enables them to take much more aggressive approaches; punishing their opponents who were more used with the forgiving, plodding pace so ubiquitous during Stage 1.
Unlike Stage 1 where matches tend to be battles of attritions of who pops the Mercy ult first, teamfights are now more impactful and matches so far have been quick and much more entertaining. One would be forgiven to think that Dynasty fielded a different team when they uncharacteristically lose 0-3 to the Valiant a couple weeks back, a devastating loss that put a huge dent to their playoff hopes. Revenge is best served cold and it couldn’t get any colder than a 4-0 hiding.

The Helix Rocket precision from @ow_fleta! ðŸ‘€ðŸ‘€ðŸ‘€ #OWL2018
Live: https://t.co/U6dIipgQGs pic.twitter.com/bunPIxSv3v
â€” Overwatch League (@overwatchleague) February 22, 2018
In other matches, it was a good day for debutants as DPS mains, ex-London Spitfire Rascal and ex-Rogue AKM started their Dallas Fuel careers on a winning note. With AKM playing as the team’s main DPS with Taimou surprisingly flexing to main tank, the Fuel rolled over the plucky Shanghai Dragons who managed to snatch a map win on Hollywood. It was also surprising to see that Taimou being the choice main tank over Cocco and xQc – the latter who is best known for his Winston plays. Rascal brings a top-tier Genji plays to the team as shown in the final map and weÂ are confident of seeing the Fuel performing much better in Stage 2.

Solid 4K from @Rascal in his first Match with the @DallasFuel! #OWL2018
Live: https://t.co/U6dIipgQGs pic.twitter.com/ZtUTPCRY45
â€” Overwatch League (@overwatchleague) February 22, 2018
The final match of the day saw Los Angeles Gladiators defeat the San Francisco Shock 4-0. Starting with the newly-signed Fissure from London Spitfire, the Gladiators sextet looked much more menacing despite Fissure only joined the team less than a two weeks. His aggressive plays paved the way and opened room for Surefour and Hydration to wreck havoc in the Shock backlines.

His first match with the @LAGladiators and @Fissure is CRUSHING it! #OWL2018
Live: https://t.co/U6dIipgQGs pic.twitter.com/IKFCMUL0jL
â€” Overwatch League (@overwatchleague) February 22, 2018
Stage 2 of the Overwatch League inaugural season continues tomorrow with the following matches:


PUBG MOBILE Has Another BoBoiBoy Collab: Elemental vs. Shadow Event

If you’re a fan of PUBG MOBILE, you’ll be excited to know that they’re teaming up with BoBoiBoy to bring players some exclusive goodies. The Elemental vs. Shadow event is set to launch on 17 February and will run until 1 March. During this event, players can win the Elemental Burst Set, which was inspired by the BoBoiBoy series.
To claim the headgear, players will need to complete five matches, and to redeem the rest of the suit, they’ll need to finish in the Top 5 seven times. But don’t worry, the Elemental Burst Suit redemption is open to all PUBG MOBILE players for the duration of the event. So whether you’re a seasoned player or just starting out, you’ll have a chance to snag this exclusive gear.

Gamers who are fans of PUBG MOBILE and BoBoiBoy are in for a treat as the popular mobile game is releasing some new goodies. Inspired by the character Fang, players can now purchase the exclusive Shadow Reign Suit from the in-game shop. But that’s not all – BoBoiBoy fans will be thrilled to know that the game is also introducing limited edition voice packs featuring BoBoiBoy, Fang, and Adudu. Each character will have five unique voice lines that players can purchase in the in-game shop.
For those who missed out on the exclusive BoBoiBoy helmet and backpack in phase one, there’s good news. These sought-after items will now be available for purchase in the in-game store for a limited time until 31 March. Keep in mind that all items in the shop are only available for a limited time, so gamers will want to act fast to make sure they don’t miss out.


The PC Version Of FIFA 21 Will Be Last-Gen

Last week’s FIFA 21 announcement has stoked the excitement of many football fans, especially if they want a next-gen version of it for PS5 and Xbox Series X. For those who want all those bells and whistles for the PC version a few months before, well, you may want to sit down.
The PC version of FIFA 21 will be based on the PS4 and Xbox One version of the game according to the official FIFA 21 FAQ on EA’s page.
Here’s the official line:

“FIFA 21 on PC will be the same version as released on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Weâ€™ll have more information on it in the coming weeks.”

The next-gen features that will be omitted from the PC version include deferred lighting and rendering, “ultra-realistic football experiences and player fidelity”, improved player animation, “stats-driven player movement”, and DualSense 5 haptic feedback capabilities. While it’s understandable that the latter is not available –PS5 will only be out Holiday 2020– it’s rather disappointing that all these new graphical features won’t be available for PC players with high-end rigs to exploit. Let’s hope this is just a typo on EA’s part.


Bravely Default 2 Is A JRPG Blast If You Can Handle Its Enduring Qualities

Platform: Nintendo Switch
Genre: Old-School JRPG with New School Graphics & Updates(?)
Technically the third game in the Bravely Default series (remember Bravely Second for the 3DS?), Bravely Default 2 fills in the niche of turn-based JRPGing most old-school gamers crave. Four heroes with distinct personalities working together towards a common goal of saving the world (usually involving crystals & its powers), fights against boss figures who hold “asterisks” that grant the party new powers, and old-school challenges. Oh, and a nifty Revo-composed soundtrack to mix the old and new-school music tropes associated with JRPGs.
The big question is whether that well has run its course, or if there’s any room to innovate from there to make the series not be a regurgitation of old tropes? Bravely Default 2’s answer is “not really”, but it keeps true to the spirit of 90s JRPGs, for good and ill.
Battling By Default

If you have too much free time in your life, Bravely Default 2 will straight up obliterate it like a well-timed Ultima spell. Everything from movement to turn-based combat initiating is purposely made methodical and slow. The turn-storing and multiple action sequence-enabling Brave and Default system let you plan ahead to conquer most fights. Defend to save up Brave Points (BP), then spend them in one shot to gain up to three maximum actions. You can also spend BP if you don’t have any store, but you’ll have to be inactive for a set amount of turns.
It’s a nice risk-reward system that pays off if you use it well, and can screw you over if you exert it at the wrong time.Â Do you use your BP to spend your attacks at the risk of not doing anything for the subsequent turns? Or do you keep defending and then unleashing hell at one go after enduring an enemy’s tireless assault? Figuring out how to turn this to your advantage while being offered a plethora of skills equals a lot of experimentation. There will be many battles where it’s all or nothing, or where patience in defending and enduring will leave a boss inactive and vulnerable.
While we’re on skills, your ragtag bunch of characters can switch between Jobs they acquire through magic artifacts called Asterisks. You get new ones by defeating the boss holding a specific Asterisks. Bravely Default 2’s refined Job system also lets you have a main and sub Job; basically you can equip two Jobs with all the perks. The caveat is that you cannot level up your sub Job with Job Points (which you need to farm to get new abilities) while you’re out adventuring; only your main job gets levelled up.
The range of Jobs you can acquire is vast and awesome; you’ll get 24 of them in the entire game, with two extra ones if you know where to look and one bonus one post-game. There’s a good amount of variety and playstyles among them, and most of them have a skill or two that you can mix and match. Want power attacks and defense? Go for the Swordmaster, Vanguard, and Dragoon alongside their respective support skills. Need defense? Just grind your Shieldmaster until he/she gets the skills you need to absorb damage & protect your party.
An ideal tactic is to take two Jobs, level one up to a substantial amount and value (ie: get the good skills), then switch it to a sub Job so that you can buff up the alternate Job while also not being defenceless with an under-leveled Job. You still need to do some fiddling around in the menu screen for this, but at least you can still hold two Jobs simultaneously with the perks and skills that can complement each other. Also, the game’s new weight system makes sure that only heavy Jobs like Vanguards and Shieldmasters benefit from heavier weapons, whereas Thieves will be encumbered by just wielding one heavy spear or sword alone. These kinds of limitations help create Job setups and choices so that you can make the most out of what you should buy from each town, instead of just mass-buying equipment and calling it a day.
Whether you want to master both Black and White magic to create a versatile spellcaster, or make a Shieldmaster/Bastion combo to be the ultimate one-person tank, Bravely Default 2 lets you customize and mix-match to your whim. Feel the need for speed? The Thief/Ranger combo is guaranteed to deal massive damage with their combination of skills. Want to have all the elements at your character’s fingertips? Then combine the Black Mage and Red Mage to cast hard-hitting spells from fire to earth, with a dash of healing and status effect-inducing perks.
Don’t worry about the main characters having different stats from one another; they’re all the same so you can mix and match Jobs instead of worrying about which of them is right for the role.

And you will need to figure out which Job to beef up first and also sort out the best combination for the situation, because the game will throw a lot of curveballs at you. The kind that curb-stomps you repeatedly unless you play by its rules, or if you think hard enough to get through certain battle-savvy conundrums.

Rinse & Repeat

Bravely Default 2 comes with the baggage of old-school JRPGs; the bad kind that’s purposely shoved in this game to give newbies a hard time. Every single boss in the game requires a set method of defeating them, and comes with their own tricks. From high hitpoints to absurd damage-dealing moves that target your entire party, to even those who pull off counters if you so much as use White Magic, Bravely Default 2 is unforgiving; the kind where your 80% success rate skill will miss while your opponent’s attacks seem to land at a suspiciously-high rate.
It’s very brutal with both its regular mobs, its insistence on you not saving unless you’re at its red-circle checkpoints, to the trial-and-error method of figuring out said bosses, that you are tempted to just play it on Casual mode. Sure, you will do a disservice to your gamer cred, but in this day and age where you want to spend your time wisely, Bravely Default 2 respects yours as much as a Soulsborne game. It demands all of it, your attention included.
Bravely Default 2 requires you to do the JRPG experience grind where the plot is short and the simple journey from point A to B is longer than it should be due to matching your levels with the seemingly-overpowered-on-purpose mobs.

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And if you didn’t bother to stock up, well, the backtracking to get the stuff you need will take a lot more minutes than it should. There is no way in hell you will get through a long-as-hell dungeon with tough mobs, and its boss, without a few deaths & bouts of frustration, unless you have an FAQ done up by some JRPG sadist next to you. If you end up dialling the difficulty down to Casual just so your enemies have slightly less HP, Bravely Default 2 has beaten you.
And honestly, I don’t blame you for this purposefully-made design. In this regard, this kills the pacing of moving the game’s story forward, or even progressing because of these difficult high-level metaphorical brick walls.

Speaking of plot, is Bravely Default 2’s story worth all that aggravation and tireless buffing? Well, it has a charming cast, but you can see the resolution of its plot coming a mile away, albeit with a few twists and turns. It sure as hell isn’t worth 60 hours.

Unless you’re here for that particular niche experience where your turn-based combat gaming, it’s tough to recommend because games like Yakuza: Like A Dragon and Persona 5 Royal exists. They nail that fine line between difficulty and accessibility, not to mention better stories that are worth the hassle.
No School Like…
Bravely Default 2 is clearly for its old-school audience despite the cutesy art style, though it’s not without some addition that improves the quality of life bits. There are macro options to repeat commands when you’re in said grind. You can see enemies on the map and you can choose to avoid them (at your own underleveled peril). There are carriages that can ferry you from town to town. Every time you enter a section of a dungeon or new area, the game autosaves your progress, so even if your party gets wiped (which often happens), you can resume a few minutes of loss progress. And there’s an online-only quest where you sail a ship and get rewards if you leave your system in Sleep mode. Max those idle hours out, and you’ll get some items that will permanently boost your stats and give you free Job Points.
There’s even an excellent card minigame called B ‘n’ D that you can play and master if you want to take a break from the main story and its grinding. This diversion could be the Triple Triad of 2021; you’ve heard it here first!

If you put the time and effort into it, you may even break the game with an uber party; that’s a reward in itself. If you are one of those RPG enthusiasts who want another improved version of Final Fantasy V and Final Fantasy Tactics’ Job system to mess around with in 2021, right down to its archaic trappings,Â Bravely Default 2’s got you sorted.
As far as Switch exclusives go, you’ll be having a blast with this love letter to the genre. Just remember that you’re entering a revved-up 90s JRPG that isn’t going to let up on its ever-insurmountable challenge. If this isn’t your thing, take out 10 points from the bottom score and try out the demos before deciding on another friendlier JRPG.
Pros

Flexible and fun Job system & battle system.
Brave and Default turn-eating/delaying mechanics are still a blast to use.
Charming aesthetics.
Fun card minigame to chill out with.
Challenging boss fights…

Cons

…that unfortunately requires trial and error to figure out.
A few interface quirks.
Long in the tooth, even for JRPG standards.

Final Score: 80/100


TCSS News Wrapup: 10 August, 2018

Salud, fellow gamers. The weekend’s here, so here is the top news for the week, all in video form. We covered a lot, ranging from that Dead Cell review controversy to the PES 2019 demo if you’re into good ol’ digitized football.
If you’re Singaporean, a belated Happy National Day to you and hope you’re still rockin’ it in your planned long weekend.

Also, there’s new Red Dead Redemption 2 gameplay and so far it looks sleek; video’s below. If you want the written version, head here.
https://www.facebook.com/kakuchopurei/videos/1532327463538330/


Malaysia-Made Rhythm Doctor Will Be On Steam Early Access Next February

If you miss insanely addictive rhythm games with both a casual and hardcore appeal like the Rhythm Heaven series, you may want to pay attention to this upcoming Malaysian-made title from developer 7th Beat Games.
Rhythm Doctor, a PC music game that’s basically an indie love letter to Nintendo’s melodic nonsense, will be out for PC on February 2021. However, it’ll be in Steam Early Access form.
The Early Access build will feature a lot of custom levels and demo bits the team has showcased for the past year or so, but with a new story and overworld that ties it all together into a cohesive package. Plus, there will be new mechanics and new original songs, with more on the way later after its Early Access debut.
The game will be out for PC and Mac first, but the team will announce future platform plans in 2021. Check out how the game plays below; it’s a lot of crazy music rhythm sense pattern recognition but with a lot of…..zaniness thrown in.


Norman Reedus Might Be Doing More “Death Stranding Stuff”

Norman Reedus, the star of Hideo Kojima’s delivery man simulator Death Stranding, clearly isn’t done with the game yet.
In a new Wired video where he answers popular Google search questions about himself, Reedus casually mentions (around the 8:15 mark) that he’s “Talking to Hideo about maybe doing some Death Stranding stuff”.

It’s hardly confirmation of a sequel or expansion of course, but who knows? Maybe we’d get some DLC down the line, assuming that Kojima is also keen on doing more “Death Stranding stuff”.
Earlier in the video (around 4:24), Reedus explainsÂ how he got involved with the game in the first place. He said that Guillermo del Toro had told him to expect a call from Kojima, and that del Toro had told him, “Doesn’t matter who he is, just say yes.”
Reedus would later meet Kojima in San Diego Comic-Con, where he was “blown away” by Kojima’s then-current project. His next sentence teases another collaboration between him and Kojima.
“And then I became friends with him, started working with him, and we kept going, and so we did Death Stranding, which was a huge hit, and we’re in talks to do other stuff”.
We don’t know if that “other stuff” is the “Death Stranding stuff” he talks about later in the video. However, it seems that Reedus’ and Kojima’s partnership isn’t over yet.


Gran Turismo 7 Goes Through 30 Hour Server Downtime; Producer Addresses Microtransaction Issues

Gran Turismo 7, the latest sequel to the real driving simulation game and the only kind of title developer Polyphony Digital is renowned for, was released for PS5 to a lot of controversies.
First, the online-always live service game went through a 30-hour server downtime when it was promised that it would only last for two hours. The servers went down at 2pm on Thursday 17 March. This was due to an issue found in Update 1.07. At the very least, players can always play arcade mode since that was the only mode that was available offline.

Due to an issue found in Update 1.07, we will be extending the Server Maintenance period. We will notify everyone as soon as possible when this is likely to be completed. We apologize for this inconvenience and ask for your patience while we work to resolve the issue. #GT7
— Gran Turismo (@thegranturismo) March 17, 2022

Server downtimes always happen for games that rely on online features and multiplayer. It’s rather weird that a series known for its single-player depth is now reliant on being online to have most of its functions available. And then there’s the controversial decision for developer Polyphony Digital to tweak winnings to make grinding for cars even longer.
See, the 1.07 patch reduced the amount of in-game currency some races reward, making it harder to unlock new cars despite criticism of the game’s microtransactions. Game producer Kazunori Yamauchi claims the situation will  be resolved with further content, which will be out god-knows-when. Here is his justification for the reduction:
“In GT7 I would like to have users enjoy lots of cars and races even without microtransactions. At the same time the pricing of cars is an important element that conveys their value and rarity, so I do think it’s important for it to be linked with the real world prices.
I want to make GT7 a game in which you can enjoy a variety of cars lots of different ways, and if possible would like to try to avoid a situation where a player must mechanically keep replaying certain events over and over again.
We will in time let you know the update plans for additional content, additional race events and additional features that will constructively resolve this. It pains me that I can’t explain the details regarding this at this moment, but we plan on continuing to revise GT7 so that as many players as possible can enjoy the game.
We would really appreciate it if everyone could watch over the growth of Gran Turismo 7 from a somewhat longer term point of view.”
The fact that this was added out of the blue and without much warning or prepping means that car-racing fans may be frustrated. Time will tell if the situation will escalate further. For more on how bad the grinding can get, check out our review of Gran Turismo 7.


James Bond’s No Time To Die Delayed To 2021

Another 2020 movie bites the dust, as the latest (and 25th) James Bond movie,Â No Time To Die, has officially been postponed from its previous release date of 12 November 2020 to 2 April 2021.
An official statement (via Variety) reads:
â€œMGM, Universal and Bond producers, Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, today announced the release of â€˜No Time To Die,â€™ the 25th film in the James Bond series, will be delayed until 2 April in order to be seen by a worldwide theatrical audience.We understand the delay will be disappointing to our fans but we now look forward to sharing â€˜No Time To Dieâ€™ next year.â€
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, other movies like Black Widow and Wonder Woman 1984 have also been postponed.
In the meantime, check out the latest No Time To Die trailer below:


These Are Our Favourite “Toss A Coin To Your Witcher” Covers

Enjoying The Witcher Netflix series? You should; it’s pretty good television. One of the memorable bits of the show includes bard Jaskier (or Dandelion if you’re still into the PC version) creating a catchy theme song for Geralt called “Toss a Coin to Your Witcher”.

It’s an awesome tune that has made a lot of us declare it the White Wolf’s official anthem. So much so that a bunch of YouTube musicians have created a number of covers on it. Here are our top picks in no particular order.
EDM (by DJ Cutman)

Synthwave (by Melodicka Bros)

Rap (by Mega Ran)

Metal (by Dan Vasc)

Russian Choir (by PhilharmonicOmsk)

Eurobeat (by Vikas Beatbox)

Acoustic (by Beyond The Guitar)

Piano (by Chelsa Comeau)

Violin (by Taylor Davis)

Ukulele (by Mimi Mitina)

Which one’s your favourite? Let us know either on this page or on our Facebook page.


Following Hearthstone Grandmasters Suspension, Blitzchung Joins Tempo Storm

BlizzCon 2019 begins tomorrow. However, the excitement for the event has been tarnished by a recent controversy that began with the suspension of Hong Kong pro Hearthstone player Chung “blitzchung” Ng Wai who was punished for issuing pro-democracy statements in a post-match interview.
A recent statement from esports organisation Tempo Storm has revealed that Chung has been signed to join the Tempo Storm Hearthstone roster. His 6-month suspensions is still in effect so he won’t be playing in any tournaments anytime soon but he expects to “increase his streaming presence and will continue to train and represent the brand abroad”.

“We believe first and foremost in supporting players and encouraging them to engage and to speak out on the things about which they are most passionate. In many ways, we value the character and integrity of our players as much as, if not more than, their tournament placings. Blitzchung brings incredible talent, an infectious personality, and a great deal of enthusiasm, for Hearthstone as well as his community and others around him. He exemplifies what Tempo believes in, and we welcome him as an ambassador for our brand.”
– Andrey Yanyuk, CEO of Tempo Storm.
In the same announcement, it’s stated Chung himself expressed great excitement in being able to join the team. He reaffirms that he will continue to compete in the Hearthstone pro scene after his suspension ends.

“It has been my dream to be a part of Tempo Storm and I am excited to join the team, as it is one of the best in Hearthstone. I had been thinking about whether to continue my Hearthstone career in the past few weeks. Since I haven’t reached my professional goals yet, and I don’t want to fall by the wayside, I will start competing again after I am unbanned.”
– Chung “blitzchung” Ng Wai.
From a marketing and PR perspective, this is definitely a smart move by Tempo Storm. It will form the perception that they’re a team who sides with those who believe in more than just profits and revenue. The biggest winner here is Chung since he gets to join a great team and continue his Hearthstone career.


This Diablo 4 Promo Makes Good Use Of A French Church

The trend of video game marketing stunts with religious sects continues, though this one we’re reporting on is a lot tamer than the ones involving Dante’s Inferno from EA.
Blizzard has recently used a deconsecrated French church (one that isn’t a sacred site anymore) to promote the closed beta of Diablo 4. The church used is the Chapelle des Jesuites in Cambrai, a Baroque-style 17th century church in northern France. No, Blizzard didn’t paint the five classes of Diablo 4 kicking evil’s butt onto the church like a budding Michaelangelo would; they instead made 20 paintings on canvas and had them installed temporarily on the church’s ceiling, dome, and back wall.
The 160-foot mural took 30 days to make and install, with the whole project led by Baroque artist Adam Miller. As icing on the cake, they got Charles Dance to narrate the trailer and Henry Hobson to direct it below.

If you’re interested to be immortalized in Blizzard’s Diablo 4 marketing history, you can have your likeness added to the mural. Just opt-in here and reach max level in the Diablo 4 open beta later this month.
The Diablo 4 open beta will be available from 17 March to 19 March. The game will be out in full on 6 June for PC and consoles.


Guilty Gear Strive Open Beta Guide: How To Rock Heaven & Hell

This guide will be updated with oncoming videos in the next few days, since the open beta will be out later this Friday, 19th February.
The Guilty Gear Strive beta is happening this weekend, but you aren’t prepared for what’s in store. What do you do?
Simple: find a feature that collects ALL the high-level play and guides that’s currently being published on the interwebs by renowned tournament players and anime fighter experts. Unless you’ve been keeping tabs on them on their individual channels, it’s going to be hard to find a feature that collects all this precious data & guides in one place.
We’re here to help. While we’re only good at pointing out cool-yet-not-so-practical anime fighter nonsense, we are top-notch at pointing you in the right direction. We’ll start off with some basic guides for Giovanna and Nagoriyuki, then we’ll highlight the best high-level plays for you to sink your noble vampire teeth in.
Note: all inputs are using number notations since thatâ€™s the trend for anime fighters. So a QCF+button input is 236[Button].
How To Download The GG Strive Beta
Whether you’re living in the US of A or in Europe, you should be able to find the Guilty Gear Strive beta on the PSN store (if you have preordered the game). However, there are reports of people not being able to find it on the Asia PS Store; it may not even be there in the first place.
As of now, your only workaround (via @HaveAVGD) is to go to the North American PSN Store on a PC browser, and then download it from there. Make sure your PS4 is turned on and is online; it will link up and be active in your PS4/PS5 library. Just in case things change, double-check the Beta & Demos subsection of the Games tab on the PS Store on your PS4.
Giovanna Quick Guide

Rushdown character. Use her many offensive tools to be all over an opponent’s face.
Like most rushdown characters, she has terrible range. You need to practice closing the gap and knowing when to jump/dash in. This is done with her forward rush attack Trovao (236K).
Use Sepultura (214K) to end combos and poke foes.
Use Sol Poente (214S) to get ready said cross-up shenanigans when you score a hard knockdown.
Don’t be predictable with your offense. Your Trovao can be anti-aired if the opponent sees it coming.
Arguably easier to use than Chipp Zanuff and Millia Rage. If you play rushdown characters in other fighters but GG Strive is your first, use Giovanna.

The Giovanna 214S loop CAN be infinite with proper timing #GGST_GI #GGSThttps://t.co/M7na0GAWc3 pic.twitter.com/7PR0geYBo8
— Uri (@UriParadise_) February 18, 2021

Nagoriyuki

Arguably an anti-Guilty Gear character. Does not have a regular dash/air dash. Has slow moves and a few combo options when compared to the rest of the cast.
Can outfootsie and outzone almost everyone in the cast.
Can follow up with S attacks/target combo from a good distance, and can cancel to a special (or nothing) as long as you don’t initiate the third hit in the sequence.
Blood Rage: when his Blood meter gets full via his special moves like his Zarameyuki (236S) and his Fukyo command dash (236K/214K), he goes in a Blood Rage stance for a limited time. His pokes and footsie tools have more range and he gains access to a super-fast full-screen Overdrive move, but at the cost of a depleting lifebar and special moves access for a set amount of time.
You can cancel his special moves to other special moves, but that will make the Blood Gauge rise up faster.
You can also get out of Blood Rage by using his Zansetsu Overdrive (642146HS). Keep that in mind in case you accidentally activate Blood Rage via special move abuse.
Try not to get opponents like Chipp or Millia in when you can; at the very least, he has his Shizuriyuki anti-air (623HS) and Kamuriyuki (214HS) to get him out of some tight spots.
If you manage to reduce your opponent to less than half health with great spacing and footsies without activating Blood Rage (or rely on it less), youâ€™re using Nagoriyuki right.
Some protips (via HiFight): delay the 2nd hit of your target combo to do a surprise command grab (623P) to reduce his Blood Rage. His Fukyo command dash + surprise command grab works too.
You can anti-air with 6P (short-ranged but quick) or 2HS (slow but big damage). Opponents can punish the latter if blocked or whiffed, so make sure your read is solid.

Thank you everyone for watching!Play 3 hours of online, JP vs US felt so good lol
If you want to see Nagoriyuki goes ham, check out the archive https://t.co/0RfLDb7Qvp pic.twitter.com/hsz0iOsxv7
— HiFight(??????) (@HiFightTH) February 16, 2021

#GGST_CH #GGST_NA pic.twitter.com/E1oXwBDdky
— Sportsnuts (@sportsnuts11) February 18, 2021

Go1 vs Kazunoko using the new characters

The best fighting game pros from Japan who know their anime fighters inside out, Go1 and Kazunoko, showcase the best of Nagoriyuki and Giovanna. Watch as the latter valiantly struggles to land confirmed hits and mixups against the former’s godlike footsie & spacing work. Even if the open beta is fresh, you can see the quality and lessons from two pros going at it with the game’s newest characters.
Maximillian uses Giovanna; fights a ton of Nagoriyukis

Head straight to 12:44 to see fighting game personality Maximillian figure out how to close the gap as Giovanna, forcing his opponent to burst to stay at neutral.
HiFight tries out some matches with Nagoriyuki

Twitter’s favourite fighting game and match analyst HiFight plays new character Nagoriyuki with some degree of success.
JWong uses Potemkin; High-level grappling

The best thing about using grapplers like Potemkin? You don’t necessarily need to command grab them; the fear of that alone is enough to have opponents mistakingly press buttons while forgetting about the grappler’s footsie and armour. That’s what pro player Justin Wong is banking on with his Potemkin exhibition matches.