Mobius Final Fantasy Ends Its Online Service This June

Sad news for global Mobius Final Fantasy fans and fictional pretty boy abs.
The iOS and Android mobile game will be ending its service on 30th June worldwide (via Gematsu) but will end early for Japanese mobile gaming fans on 31st March. The game will begin shutting down right after the conclusion of its current Warrior of Despair story.

The game got off the ground in 2015 (closed beta), so at the very least it had a good lifespan. And it was kinda fun for a while! It looked pretty good, had a bunch of cool and simple battle mechanics, and a bevy of costumes to doll up your pretty boy hero Mevius with. Needless to say, this game is anything but cheap.
If you still need a Final Fantasy mobile gaming fix, there’s War of the Visions: Final Fantasy Brave Exvius and Final Fantasy Brave Exvius to fall back to if you don’t mind supporting its operations company gumi. Full message plus service end times below:
Greetings, Warriors of Light.
Thank you for playing and supportingÂ Mobius Final FantasyÂ throughout the years.
After many difficult discussions, Square Enix ended service for the Japanese version ofÂ Mobius Final FantasyÂ in December 2019, after the Warrior of Despair story concluded.
Service for the global version of the game will continue until the Warrior of Despair story has concluded on June 30, 2020 at 6:00 pm PDT (UTC-7), at which time service for it, too, will end.
The schedule until end of service is as follows:

January 15, 2020 at 7:00 pm PST (UTC-8)

End-of-service notification (this notice)

March 31, 2020 at 8:00 pm PDT (UTC-7)

End of â€œMagiciteâ€ sales in the global version of the game (any purchased â€œMagiciteâ€ can be used until the end of service)

June 30, 2020 at 6:00 pm PDT (UTC-7)

End of service

We would like to express our deepest gratitude to all our players who have supported us since service began back on August 3, 2016. It is with heavy heart that we must now bring you this sad news.
We will continue to implement updates to in-game events, including the conclusion of the Warrior of Despair story, until the end of service, so it is our fondest hope that you will see our adventurersâ€™ fates out to the very last.
Thank you for fighting alongside the Warriors of Light and for being a part of the world ofÂ Mobius Final Fantasy. May you continue to bring the light of hope to those around you.
January 15, 2020
Mobius Final FantasyÂ Operations Team


Pixar’s Soul Trailer Asks: What If Souls Have Feelings?

It seems like Pixar is geared for a phenomenal 2020, as it releases the first trailer for Soul, one of two original animated movies from the celebrated company coming out next year (after Onward). Previously, no one knew what exactly Soul would be about, but now we have an idea.
Jazz music puts the ‘soul’ in Soul, and the movie’s premise begs the question: What if souls have feelings?
Seriously though, it looks like Soul will explore one of biggest existential questions out there: What is the meaning of life?, which is phrased in the movie as, “What do you want to be remembered for?”.

The official movie description reads:

â€œSoulâ€ introduces Joe Gardner, a middle-school band teacher whose true passion is playing jazz.
Just when Joe thinks his dream might be in reach, a single unexpected step sends him to a fantastical place where heâ€™s is forced to think again about what it truly means to have soul.
Thatâ€™s where he meets and ultimately teams up with 22, a soul who doesnâ€™t think life on Earth is all itâ€™s cracked up to be.”

Soul co-director Kemp Powers said:

â€œI think Joe is having that crisis that all artists have.
Heâ€™s increasingly feeling like his lifelong dream of being a jazz musician is not going to pan out and heâ€™s asking himself â€˜Why am I here? What am I meant to be doing?â€™ Joe personifies those questions.â€

Pixar’s Soul stars:

Jamie Foxx as Joe Gardner, a middle school music teacher with a deep passion for jazz.
Tina Fey as 22, a soul trapped in the You Seminar with a dim view of life.
Questlove as Curly, a drummer in Joe’s band.
Phylicia Rashad as Joe’s mother.
Daveed Diggs as Paul, Joe’s neighbourhood nemesis.

As interesting as Onward‘s premise is, I personally think Soul is more likely to be the company’s follow-up to 2009’s Up. Pixar’s Soul is slated to premiere on 19 June 2020. In the meantime, check out the trailer below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TojlZYqPUo&w=560&h=315]


Dating Sim-Slash-Action Game Eternights Gets September Release Month

Need a dating sim and action game hybrid where you go to school at night and save the anime waifu of your dreams? Then Studio Sai has something for you.
They’re making a new game called Eternights, and they’ve shown off some new gameplay where it’s part visual novel and part hack-and-slash gameplay, along with a bunch of minigames to mix things up. You play a blue-haired protagonist who is stuck with other students (mostly hot chicks) in a school that’s enclosed in darkness, hence the monsters popping up frequently.
The game also comes with a release month: September 2023. You can wishlist the game right now on Steam. Check out the trailer and overview below:
“In Eternights, you’ll brave perilous dungeons steeped in mystery and danger while counting on your companions’ unique skills and spells in battle. Strategically exploit enemy weaknesses through elemental attacks while skillfully dodging, parrying and unleashing powerful combos. Monsters won’t be your only challenge; you’ll have to survive traps, outwit puzzles, conquer mini-games and hold hands if you are to save the world in this heartfelt game where romance and action play an equal part.
With a mysterious event turning humanity into monsters obsessed with violence, surreal evil stands between players, a cure and the brighter future the world deserves. Eternights’ gripping story is a race against time to stop a dark fate centered on a thoughtful examination of human connection and the intrinsic value of love. With scavenging, dungeon crawling and dating all on the to-do list, the clock is ticking – and choosing how to spend each precious remaining day counts.”


The Last Of Us Part 2’s Neil Druckmann Opens Up About Leaks

In May 2020, the gaming industry and community were shocked when hackers leaked footage from then-unreleased The Last Of Us Part 2. It spoiled a huge part of the game, and in this article, I will have to mention what happens, since it’s important to know that in order to understand what creative director Neil Druckmann is talking about.
If you haven’t played the game and want to experience it for your yourself, you should stop reading now. If you have played the game or don’t care for spoilers, read on beyond the spoiler warnings below.

You want to keep reading? Okay, here you go.
In the first two hours of The Last Of Us Part 2, Joel dies, brutally murdered by a young woman named Abby with a golf club. This leaked scene infuriated fans, who were angry at Naughty Dog and Druckmann for killing a beloved character like Joel.
They got even more livid when they discovered that they would have to play as Joel’s killer, Abby, especially when (after launch) it’s revealed that players must play as Abby for about half of the 26-hour game.
In an interview with Kinda Funny, Druckmann said:

â€œThe thing that was really hard was when the leaks happened and you see that scene came out.
The love that people have for this character, and thatâ€™s all they have is that, and [the fact you] then play as the person that killed them.
And they lose their shit.
Understandably.
Then we just have to sit there for two months being like, â€˜Thereâ€™s more to it, but we canâ€™t say anything right nowâ€™.
They just live with that frustration and anger.
That was hard. That was really fucking hard.
It was one of the worst days of my life when the leak happened.
I saw it happen in real time. I saw when it hit YouTube.
Weâ€™re all panicking, asking them to take it down. Then thereâ€™s a lag so it takes like an hour to take it down. It had maybe a thousand views when it all got taken down.
Then you just sit there and your fucking heart sinks, and youâ€™re like, â€˜Itâ€™s out there, itâ€™s only a certain amount of time until it blows upâ€™.
A few hours later itâ€™s everywhere and youâ€™re starting to get hate on every social media youâ€™re on, and soon that turns into death threats, anti-Semitic remarks, and just craziness I never could have anticipated.
I knew people would get upset at a character they love dying. I never thought it would reach this kind of hate? I donâ€™t know how to describe it, even. Frustration?
The thing that was hard to see is then people kind of dug their heels in the sand and took this position like, â€˜I already hate this game, no amount of context is going to change it for meâ€™.
At some point, it took a few days, you realise the worst happened.
The worst way this game could be presented happened â€“ our worst fear. Because we did so much to try to protect this story.â€

I feel for Druckmann and everyone else who worked on the game at Naughty Dog for years. In my opinion, The Last Of Us Part 2 definitely doesn’t deserve any of the hate it’s still getting after launch. You can read my 4000-word article on that here.
It’s okay for you to not agree with a developer’s decisions or even dislike their games, but when you hate a game so much that you’re willing to throw abuse and incite even more hate? That should never be acceptable in any form.
The Last Of Us Part 2 is available now on the PS4. You can check out Druckmann’s full interview with Kinda Funny in the video below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6rRfK-V2jY&w=560&h=315]


Celebrating The Best Story & Gaming Moments Of 2020

2020 was a crappy year, but at least we had a ton of games to play and revel in.
And the best part? 2020’s video games had a ton of awesome plot reveals, story bits, and gameplay moments that made you glad you experienced it from start to finish. We are going to talk about them right now.
Fair warning: there will be a TON of spoilers from here on out. So tread lightly…

The Last of Us Part 2 – When Abby & Ellie Meet

Say what you will about TLOU 2. I had a lot to say about how droll its gameplay and pacing was on a podcast, but I definitely cannot fault its story and narrative chops. You get to see Ellie and Abby’s side of the story, with the big reveal being that Abby’s dad was killed by Joel in the first game’s final few scenes. Both women meet and obviously want to settle their own brand of justice any way they see fit.
This all culminates in a showdown in California where Ellie finally forgives Abby, but at the cost of everything else and it was too little, too late. Ellie lost the idyllic life she had with Dinah. It’s sad, but such is the way of vengeance; there are no happy endings leading up to it.
Honourable mention: Joel & Ellie’s day at the museum.

Astro’s Playroom – The Controller Screen

Yep, this screen.
Essentially when you start the Astro’s Playroom for the first time on your PS5, you need to do a DualSense controller check. And it is awesome.
Not only do you get to get a hands-on feel of the controller’s haptic feedback and adaptive triggers, but you get to torture a number of tiny robots crammed in your controller. Who knew that something as simple as a button check screen can hype up your Astro platforming adventures?
Doom Eternal – Doom Slayer Penetrates Mars

Our demon-killing hero, Doom Slayer, fires himself through Mars to shut off the portal, killing off all the demons there, using a city-sized space cannon. You cannot fault this man for being this dedicated to his job.
Ghost of Tsushima – Duelling Your Uncle

All of Ghost of Tsushima’s themes on honour and winning at any cost comes to a head with a duel between protagonist Jin and his uncle/surrogate dad Lord Shimura. And the final mission leading to the duel starts off peaceful and involves some haiku work at the Sakai family estate. The fact that it comes with one of the best tracks in the game adds a lot of gravitas and drama to the climax of this Sucker Punch open-world game.
Streets of Rage 4 – The Elevator Music Kicking In

“Rising Up” is the quintessential theme of Streets of Rage’s revival. At least the latter half, when it plays while you’re going up Y Tower on the elevator fighting wave after wave of bad guys.
Ori & The Will of the Wisps – Fighting Mora

You want a 2D Dark Souls-style battle with platforming hijinxes and killer orchestral music? You’ve got it!
Battletoads (2020) – When You Get Out Of Stage 1

Yes, after years of being a TMNT rip-off, it’s nice to see the plot of the new Battletoads shape them up to be losers stuck in a VR machine, and then having to come to terms with getting jobs. That bit is short-lived, as their main quest is trying to get back their former glory by finding the Dark Queen and possibly thwarting the Utopians.
You can talk about how unfair some of the game’s minigames can get, but the entire Battletoads narrative is definitely a chuckle-and-a-half, and made the blossoming friendship between former enemies all the more noteworthy.
Destiny 2: Beyond Light – The Space Walk

When Bungie delivers a late-game experience post-DLC release, they REALLY go all out. The company made quite an experience with Deep Stone Crypt.
Not only did hardcore players experience arguably one of the best Destiny raids since Last Wish and King’s Fall, Destiny fans from day 1 also get to check out the birthplace of the Exos, as well as open up more lore about that and Clovis Bray. That’s a friggin’ huge deal since it details the origin of folks like the late-and-great Cayde-6, Banshee-44, RASPUTIN, SIVA, and The Stranger.
The gameplay mechanics are awesome too; they’ll fresh, challenging, and requires a f***ton of teamwork. Players need to not only pass on buffs like Operator and Scanner, but also do a lot of creative legwork involving shooting their teammates up to space to get rid of the first Raid boss. Also, an old “friend” from the first Destiny pops up and acts as the final boss in its Abomination form, and defeating him also leaves a lasting impact on Destiny 2’s Europa section.
Let’s also not forget the highlight of the Raid: after defeating Atraks-1 in a gruelling fight of wits and endurance, you have to cross over to your next destination in space. The music, Clovis Bray dishing out more backstory about the Exos, the fact that you’re crossing in one of Destiny’s most sought-out locations since the game’s inception in 2014.Â  It’s truly magical.

Well done, Bungie! You made people care more about Destiny again.
Spiritfarer – Sending Alice To The Everdoor

One of the spirits you have to take care of is an anthropomorphic hedgehog named Alice. She is “the grandmother everyone wishes they had”, but she eventually succumbs to her Alzheimer’s. It was so bad that you had to dress up in the same clothes as her granddaughter Annie just to get her to move around and eventually send her to the Everdoor.
We’ve all had an elder person in our lives who had to suffer through dementia and memory losses. So to have a game portray this in a subtle way is amazing and emotional at the same time.
Half-Life: Alyx – Half-Life 3 Confirmed

The ending to the VR-exclusive Half-Life: Alyx basically changes the ending of Half-Life 2: Episode Two. Alyx’s dad Eli survives the ambush, and the Combine Advisor is killed, but now Alyx is replacing Gordon Freeman’s position as G-Man’s tool. Thus she is trapped in stasis.
However, Half-Life: Alyx sequel-baits us: you now are in the shoes of Gordon Freeman post-credit, now awake. Eli, alive and well, hands you the trademark crowbar to carry out vengeance in a probable sequel which hopefully is cheaper than Half-Life: Alyx’s barrier of entry.
Borderlands 3’s Story Closure Between Krieg and Maya

The story writers of Borderlands 3 may have done Siren Maya dirty in the main plot, but at least they made it up with the 2020 DLC Psycho Krieg and the Fantastic Fustercluck. See, Maya’s essence is now in Krieg’s psyche, and since that’s a physical manifestation the Vault Hunters can visit, she now resides there alongside the main man after a series of missions to unlock Vaulthalla. It’s a sweet ending and a way to get a fan favourite around the whole “killed by Siren posers” bit.
Hades – Talking To Your Mom 10 Times

To get the true ending to Supergiant’s best isometric action roguelike game so far, you’ll need to escape from Tartarus and reach past the gates of Styx to fight your dad Hades. After many hours of dying and powering up your character Zagreus and his weapon/aspects, as well as figuring out the best Boons to use for your escape (protip: Zeus and Dionysus Attack boons + Artemis’ Support Fire), you finally get to meet the sole reason for your escape: to see your long-lost mother Persephone with your own eyes.
However, no one born in Hades’ domain can truly escape, which means Zagreus had to return the hard way after an emotional reunion. To really get closure for this game, you need to talk to Persephone about 9 more times, which also means escaping and fighting Hades 9 more times. Each escape attempt will take you 30 minutes or less from now on anyway, so that’s about 5 hours or so.
The “final” fight with Hades isn’t so much a battle as it is your dad coming to terms about being wrong about everything, and just laid down his weapon to let you meet your mom. Persephone then decides to return home to Hades’ domain since both Hades and she are still in love despite the exile. Hades makes amends with Zagreus, and Zagreus gets the official job of doing escape runs to point out flaws in the domain’s route to preserve its “inescapable” reputation.
Good ending, in other words, accompanied with a lovely end credits song that’s on-par with Supergiant’s past song efforts. Of course, you can always play the game further to unlock additional epilogue content, and even fight an “Extremer Measures” of Hades which is pretty goddamn tough.
Yakuza: Like A Dragon – Fighting The Old Guard
Near the end of the game, you need to fight Yakuza series Goro Majima and Saejima Taega to get to your ex-boss Masumi Arakawa. And yeah, the fight is as tough as it sounds since Majima can make clones of himself to eff up your plan.

However, it’s not as epic as facing Yakuza’s Dragon of Dojima himself Kiryu Kazuma. Storywise, he wants to help you but you need to prove your resolve by attempting to dent his constitution. He’s basically resistant to most of your attacks, but has a set pattern and does not hit women directly.

It’s still a tough fight that will test your endurance and party management though. And his remixed theme song plays to accentuate how f***ed Ichiban and his party are, because it’s Kiryu dammit!
The other kicker? Ichiban and co. didn’t win the fight even though you get a victory screen. But Kiryu is one of the good guys, and just gives you the info you need anyway because he’s just that kinda fellow.
Spider-Man: Miles Morales – The Science Museum Flashback

Late in the game, Miles Morales has to chase down the Tinkerer/Phin Mason, who happens to be his then-close friend before revenge turned her into a supervillain that’s way better than the comic version.
During a bit in the abandoned Oscorp Science Museum, Miles Morales remembers a time when things were a little less heated. There’s a puzzle to be solved, as well as the very first time Miles meets Peter and a then-friendly Otto Octavius. Sometimes, it’s the non-superhero moments that flesh out a character further.
Cyberpunk 2077 – The Nomad Ending

There are way too many good story moments in Cyberpunk 2077, if we’re being honest.
Once you’re done with the main story missions, assuming the bugs didn’t discourage you, you’re left with many options. If you didn’t do any of the interesting sidequests (why?), you’re left with no choice but to get help from Hanako Arasaka. If you did some stuff with Johnny’s ex-lover Rogue, you get to team up with her and let Johnny take the wheel for one last Arasaka Tower raid.
If you bothered to spend time with one of 2020’s most charming NPC, Panam Palmer, you get to take down Arasaka Tower to get what you want. You also get a choice near the end of the stage where you either choose to let Johnny take over or you stay alive. Taking the latter will lead to the game’s arguably happier ending, but it’s not without that bittersweet taste. V still has a few months to live, but he/she is dying on their own terms. And at least he/she has friends to back him/her up through the end. That’s as happy an ending as you can get in Night City without resorting to a joytoy.
Honourable mention: the Tapeworm sessions, Sinnerman (ie: the mission where you nail a guy to the cross for a braindance)

Final Fantasy VII Remake – Flipping The Script

I did a whole video about it back in April. Long story short: FFVII Remake’s Whispers course-correct the world of FFVII so that the story stays the same like in the 1997 classic, but Sephiroth says “no” to that and fights fate, acting as the last boss for the whole remake. History is changed, some bits stay the same, and there’s a possibly different timeline happening in sync with the remake where Zack Fair is alive and not full of Shinra soldier bullet holes.
History is completely changed from this point onward, SHINRA is still the bad corporation who may still chase down Cloud and co., and the latter have sorta seen what the future (ie: the whole plot and reveals of FFVII) holds. Sephiroth seems to be offering aid to Cloud post-battle, but I’m guessing he’s doing it to save his own skin after the events of FFVII: Advent Children. It’s essentially a whole new ball game once Cloud and company head out in part 2 of this “remake”.
Tetsuya Nomura and the old guard who made Final Fantasy VII are going to create a new story pathway for the Final Fantasy VII Remake. There is that deep-seated fear that the plot may end up being Kingdom Hearts-complex, but I’m very confident the rest of the team will rein in Nomura’s wilder plans. I think.
13 Sentinels – Everything Comes Full Circle
I wasn’t joking when I said 13 Sentinels has quite a litany of a sci-fi tale that rivals the genre’s best.
After many red herrings, players finally figure out why there were only a few “time periods” to jump into, and why there were so many flash-forwards into the future. Turns out that the 13 pilots and two others are the only remaining humans alive after years of fuck-ups from humanity, and they’re only surviving because they’re in an ark and in a simulation. The time periods? They were programmed into the simulation. The flash-forwards? It was flashbacks: 13 Sentinels‘ story takes place in the far, far, far future where humanity f***ed themselves over because of corporate greed and bruised egos.
And the kaijus? They are actually machines created by Shikishima Industries; terraforming machines who were sent out to space and then returning back to earth to plunder it after being affected by a virus. And the virus that caused all of this mess? Ryoko Shinonome, in an understandable fit of depression and nihilism, just unleashed it upon a Sentinel and to the rest of the world under false pretences thanks to the long-ago-dead-but-still-an-AI Tetsuya Ida.
And the bad people who perpetrated all this mess? They were already dead eons ago. Our 15 human beings are the last vestige of humanity that’s going to be wiped out by a glitch in the system, so the fight for survival is pretty real.

After an epic last stand against an infinite amount of kaijus accompanied with a stellar battle track, you end up rebooting Universal Control. The 15 heroes can finally get out of their simulation and rebuild another Earth with the vast knowledge from the ark’s database & terraforming tools. And after 50+ years, the 15 heroes returned to the simulation to catch up with the many acquaintances and friends.
The protagonists who had friends in the simulation were in tears just reuniting with their loved ones in a feel-good moment. The whole plot thread from the 13 characters here prove that just because the people you meet in a simulation are just lines of code, doesn’t mean they’re not real. Powerful films like Ex Machina and Blade Runner touch upon these themes, and 13 Sentinels takes a few pages from these sci-fi stories and presents it in a more thorough manner.
That’s how powerful the storytelling and narrative is in 13 Sentinels: Vanillaware took a JRPG ending clichÃ© from Xenoblade and Star Ocean 3, and somehow transformed it into a much better twist with a more impactful bookend.


Mouse Guard Movie Adaptation Dead, But Footage Lives On

Mouse Guard was a comic book series by David Petersen that featured an epic fantasy world about inhabited by sentient mice. Imagine Game Of Thrones or Lord Of The Rings, but replace humans and dragons with mice and owls. In fact, the concept of the Mouse Guard in the source material’s lore is similar to the real-world Knights Templar or even Game Of Thrones’ Night’s Watch.
An adaptation of that would’ve been awesome but unfortunately, the Disney-Fox merger has killed the Mouse Guard animated movie project and we’re only left with a demo of what could’ve been instead. Screenwriter Gary Whitta and director Wes Ball broke the news via Twitter:

In that spirit, Iâ€™m posting my complete MOUSE GUARD screenplay so even if people canâ€™t see the movie they can at least see what I wrote. There were other writers who came after me but this is my original first draft. Please enjoy. The Guard prevails! (2/2) https://t.co/XaO12v9lAj
â€” Gary Whitta (@garywhitta) June 26, 2019

Yes sadly, its true. Our #mouseguard movie is dead.
Seems it’s too big a risk. Itâ€™s a damn shame really. We had something special. To my hella talented cast/crew: Iâ€™m sorry I couldnâ€™t push this one through. The past year with you all has been a blast. May the Guard prevail! pic.twitter.com/MGRq54uI6O
â€” Wes Ball (@wesball) June 26, 2019
The 9-minute-long Mouse Guard animated demo reel was rendered using Epic’s Unreal Engine, and it definitely shows, with gorgeous visuals. The mice ride on giant owls like dragons, with giant tortoises and snakes roaming the lush forests. We also get a glimpse of the intricate world with snippets of epic sword fight scenes.

The likes of Idris Elba, Andy Serkis, and Thomas Brodie-Sangster were already said to be attached to the Mouse Guard animated movie. Check out the amazing Mouse Guard animated movie demo reel below while I huddle into a corner and cry.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWHPhc2xNNU&w=560&h=315]


Fall Guys Might Get This In-Game Shirt Thanks To Recent Charity Drive

You can’t avoid the multiplayer phenomenon that is Fall Guys, try as you might. The battle royale platformer is the talk of the town on Twitter and on every respectable game site out there, is at the top of the Twitch and Steam charts, and is currently being courted hard by non-gaming brands.
Companies like KFC and Walmart have been pitching Fall Guys cosmetic ideas and sketches, which is easy to craft up when you think about it. Developer Mediatonic then opted the following challenge where if a company donates a huge sum to the charity called Special Effect, they will get their brand inside the game as a costume.

? BATTLE OF THE BRANDS ?
The thirst from brands has been unreal… so we're turning it into something positive!
Prize: Your brand inside Fall Guys as a costume!
? To enter:Reply to this tweet with the highest amount of money you would be willing to donate to @SpecialEffect
— Fall Guys… FREE FOR ALL! ? (@FallGuysGame) August 17, 2020

Folks like Digital Extreme of Warframe fame have pledged US$20,000 for a Lotus skin, while gaming server host Bisect pledged US$38,880. The Lotus costume looks sweet.

Warframe is the highest bid so far $20,000
Can you all spam me when you see people bid higher – there's so many comments its hard to keep up hahaha https://t.co/UgAb5e0chn
— Fall Guys… FREE FOR ALL! ? (@FallGuysGame) August 17, 2020

This is the current high bid… a staggering $38,880!
?????
Please blow my @'s up if you see anyone big higher, thanks! ? https://t.co/aavJg3DFOo
— Fall Guys… FREE FOR ALL! ? (@FallGuysGame) August 17, 2020

However, one company is throwing its US$40,000 hat in the ring and is currently at the top spot for the coveted Fall Guy prize: bidet-making company Tushy.

Oh god no
A bidet company is now winning with this design for $40,000.01
Context:https://t.co/JWm7rbsS83
Help us lol ?? https://t.co/k7KZpguoj0
— Fall Guys… FREE FOR ALL! ? (@FallGuysGame) August 17, 2020

Of course, that was posted a few hours ago until YouTuber MrBeast bid US$100,000. Still, the contest isn’t over yet and Tushy could make a dirty comeback.
Stay tuned this week for a Fall Guys level tier list from us. Maybe; it’s a busy week for us.


Bloodborne Producer Leaves Sony’s Japan Studio

Masami Yamamoto has announced his departure from Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) Japan Studio via his personal Twitter account.
In his tweet, Yamamoto says that he left the studio on 28 February 2021. He also wrote about his experience with Japan Studio and the 25 years he spent with the company. Yamamoto is best known for having served as executive producer on Bloodborne, No Heroes Allowed series, Tokyo Jungle, Rain, Bloodborne, Soul Sacrifice, Freedom Wars, and Tenchu.
Yamamoto is one of several developers that have since parted ways with SIE Japan. Back in February 2021, another Bloodborne producer named Maasaki Yamagiwa announced that he would be leaving SIE Japan at the end of that month. Previously, Silent Hill creator Keiichiro Toyama also left SIE Japan to createÂ his own studio, and he’s already working on a new horror game.
In February 2021, SIE Japan announced that Japan Studio will be re-organized into Team Asobi on 1 April 2021.
Check out Yamamoto’s tweet below, where he wrote:
“This is a report that is a little late.
I retired from SIE JAPAN Studio on February 28th.
It has been 25 years since the previous job SME was included in the Sony Group.
My job at 1st was full of happiness as a game creator.
This is also thanks to everyone’s support.
Oh, Iâ€™ll be able to make games on any platform.
It’s a very strange feeling!”

????????????2/28???????SIE JAPAN Studio?????????????SME??????????????25??1st???????????????????????????????????????????????????PF?????????????…??????????? pic.twitter.com/oJJgvSEfID
— ????@SHUEISHA GAMES (@camp_masami) March 15, 2021


Exclusive Interview: Overwatch Commentator, James ‘Jamerson’ Lee

You’ve heard his commentaries and you’ve seen him live during Overwatch streams – most recently at the 2017 Overwatch World Cup at BlizzCon 2017. And guess what? We got in touch with one of the commentators of the recent Overwatch World Cup, James ‘Jamerson‘ Lee to discuss about his predictions, thoughts and hopes of the inaugural season set to kick off in January.
Which team is your early-season favourites to win Overwatch League and why?
My early favorite for the OWL is quite easily going to be Seoul Dynasty. This roster finally solves the roster problem that Lunatic-Hai had been trying to address for many seasons now. With the addition of Fleta, Munchkin, et al Seoul Dynasty shore up the weaknesses that many found in L-H.
Heading into Overwatch League, which scene (NA/ EU/ APAC) comes closest to the levels of the Koreans?
NA/EU comes closest to the levels of Korea as we got to see during the world cup from the performances of Team USA, France and Korea. The issue with the APAC teams is that in many of the regions it consists of, the talent is either pooled in one or two strong teams e.g. MY and Flash Wolves of China and Taiwan respectively, or talent is dispersed sparsely across many teams like in Japan.

Do you believe EnVyUsâ€™ performance at APEX Season 3 fair indication on where the rest of the world are compared to the Korean teams?
Not at all. EnVyUsâ€™ performance during APEX Season 3 was the result of lots of other factors instead of a perceived skill gap. Again, while World Cup was largely exhibition matches, we can see that star studded rosters can compete against South Korea. With the addition of extra support staff and the higher calibre standards for practice, I believe the rest of the world can catch up.
Why did it take so long for the Overwatch League to come to fruition? What is the main roadblock to launch such a circuit?
So long? Iâ€™m surprised something of this magnitude came together so quickly honestly. I was worried about the timeline set forth last year when the Overwatch League was announced. You have to understand that the OWL is a monumental undertaking. Hiring the actual OWL team(this includes broadcast, business dev, and so many different aspects), securing the investors and helping endemic orgs build relationships with them, planning/building out a studio, working with Team 4 to improve the spectator client, and so much more. The main roadblock is that there are no roads. This is new found ground.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WglElmjSUTY&w=560&h=315]
Where do you see Overwatch in a yearâ€™s time?
I want to see the OWL expand its divisions. Asian, North American, European, Oceanic divisions. I would venture to guess that Korea will probably be the only region to have itâ€™s own division by season 2 though.
You could choose to focus on tons of other titles – what led you to dedicate yourself to Overwatch?
I love the game. As simple as that. I had been eagerly awaiting its beta for months on end. I called off work to play more Overwatch. During beta I was probably logging 8-12 hours a day. To put history behind it though, Iâ€™ve always loved FPS games beginning with the beta days of CS. I moved on to thoroughly enjoy class based shooters like Day of Defeat and Team Fortress. Eventually I made my way over to LoL. When Overwatch came around, it was just the perfect culmination of my gaming history.
In your opinion, what differentiates Overwatch from other esports games – and what makes it a viable esports title?
First, itâ€™s a 6v6 game and as such the individual carry potential of a player is a bit reduced, which makes it that much more incredible when you see clutch plays. And honestly, I canâ€™t speak to the viability of OW as an esports title. Iâ€™m not an expert when it comes to esports as I do not have the experience that many others in the industry have. For me, I just have faith in the game because I love it.
What areas do you think Blizzard can improve to increase viewership of Overwatch and make it more accessible to the masses (e.g casuals and non-gamers)
We already saw the huge impact that the new spec UI updates have had upon viewership. The easiest way Blizzard can increase viewership is by simply offering drops for viewers.
Do you have any favoured teams going into the first season?
Beyond the the three main Korean rosters along with Envyus? I believe Philly, and Houston will be incredibly strong not simply because of the talent on the rosters, but because of the support staff set in place.
Personally do you prefer seeing a franchise lineup comprising of an all-star roster or pre-made from pre-existing pro teams?
Why not both? Bolster a pre-existing team by improving upon its weaker points. This is the reason why I like rosters like Seoul and Houston.

You can follow James on Twitter hereÂ and hear him cast for the Overwatch League, possibly as early as December when the pre-season kicks off, followed by theÂ inaugural Overwatch League season which is set to kick off January 10, 2018,Â  The regular season concludes in June 2018 and will be followed by a playoffs and finals. All regular season games will be played at theÂ Blizzard Arena Los AngelesÂ for the inaugural season.
You can check outÂ Part 1 of our Overwatch League teams preview here.Â Â andÂ Part 2 of it hereÂ as well.


New GRID Trailer Released After Delay Announcement

Just last week, Codemasters announced that their upcoming racing game GRID will be delayed to 11 October 2019. As per their intention to generate more exposure towards the game, a new trailer was released today.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnKb9_Z9qww&w=560&h=315]
Titled “Race For Glory“, the one-minute trailer featured a montage of different races rendered beautifully using the EGO Engine 3.0. This is the first trailer with actual game footage instead of cinematics.
Prior to this, the only gameplay footage uploaded was a clip featuring the Chevrolet Corvette C7.R racing at the Brands Hatch Circuit. The game was still a WIP when the clip was uploaded.
GRID will be released for the PS4, Xbox One, PC, and it will also be one of the launch titles for the highly anticipated Google Stadia.


Disney Illusion Island Assembles Mickey & Friends On Switch This July

During Nintendo Direct February 2023, Nintendo announced that Disney Illusion Island will launch for the Nintendo Switch on 28 July 2023.
Players will join Mickey and his friends as they explore the mysterious island of Monoth, on a quest to recover three magical books and its little furry inhabitants, the Hokuns.
In this brand-new cooperative 2D platformer adventure for one to four players, you’ll navigate as Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, and Goofy through a beautifully hand-crafted world, as well as unlock powerful abilities, discover hidden secrets, and meet a cast of original characters as you travel through the never-before-seen island of Monoth.
Featuring fully voiced animated cutscenes and a magically orchestrated original score, Disney Illusion Island is Mickey’s triumphant return to games, and this time, he brought friends.
Check out the trailer below:


Pokemon Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon Kuala Lumpur Launch Event is A Go!

Remember remember 18th and 19th of November!
We are proud to announce that Kakuchopurei.com will be one of the supporting partners for the Pokemon Ultra Sun and Pokemon Ultra Moon Official Launch Event for Malaysia, happening on the weekend of November 18th and 19th 2017 at Lot 10 shopping complex, Bukit Bintang Kuala Lumpur.

Organized by the good folks at The Magic Rain, the event is also supported by the official Nintendo distributor in the SEA region, Maxsoft Pte Ltd and the Pokemon Company. Celebrating the launch of last ever Pokemon game releasing on the legendary portable console, the Nintendo DS, the event will also include other Pokemon-related activities such as its TCG and esports element. There will also be a special exhibition set up, taking fans down memory lane chronicling the history of the franchise from its humble card beginnings, to the Gameboy generations which laid foundations to the juggernaut it is today. In case you are wondering – of course there will be official Pokemon merchandise on sale. Yes you read it right. Official merchandise.
So make sure to set your schedule free on the weekend of 18th and 19th of November 2017 and come and celebrate the launch of Pokemon Ultra Sun and Pokemon Ultra Moon at Lot 10 shopping complex in Bukit Bintang Kuala Lumpur. Bring your DS device(s), let’s meet up and make this event a memorable one!


Missed Onimusha But Need A Challenge? Nioh 2’s Got You Sorted!

Platform: PS4, PC
Genre: Soulsborne Action RPG
I shuddered when my editors assigned me to Nioh 2. I still have recurring nightmares of suffering through the hellscape that was From Software’s Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. That was my first experience of the vaunted Soulsborne genre, and it was a harrowing one that I would’ve preferred not to repeat. Alas, it was not to be.
After a hellish first few hours, I ultimately found Nioh 2 to be much more accessible than Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, in more ways than one. Is it still a tough as balls game for gamers with masochistic tendencies? Of course, it is. While I still needed to ‘get good’ in Nioh 2 as much as I did in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, there were many gameplay aspects that helped me get through combat.
Spirited Successions

I miss Capcom’s Onimusha games. The last Onimusha title was 2006’s Onimusha: Dawn Of Dreams for the PS2, and I’ve been aching for a similar experience ever since. No game ever scratched that itch until Nioh 2.
Team Ninja’s effort shares many similarities with the Onimusha franchise. Both are set in the Sengoku Period in Japan, feature famous historical figures like Nobunaga Oda and filled with supernatural elements.

In Onimusha, Nobunaga Oda is a demonic bad guy, but in Nioh 2, the story essentially had me helping him in his mission to unify Japan, going from place to place to clear out Yokai and meeting other historical figures like Tadakatsu Honda and Hanzo Hattori.
Accompanying you in this journey is none other than Hideyoshi Toyotomi himself, though he starts off as a goofy adventurer who tags along with the player. Unlike the first Nioh (which featured a named protagonist named William Adams), Nioh 2 features a robust character creation system that allows players to make their own half-human half Yokai protagonist.

I usually don’t like character creation systems in most games, as no matter what I do, I can’t seem to make my character look good and distinction enough without wasting too much time tinkering with it. However, Nioh 2 has no such problem, and I felt satisfied with the options it gave me.
The plot in Nioh 2 is basically an excuse for players to insert themselves in an origin story for Hideyoshi Toyotomi. For better or worst, you’re Japanese Forrest Gump. Warring feudal lords and Yokai/demons are tropes which have been explored in the past, including the aforementioned Onimusha games.
All that doesn’t really matter because the meat of the game is its combat and gameplay. You’re not going to play Nioh 2 for its compelling story. Still, I appreciate the fact that the developers have clearly done a lot of research for the Yokai and spirits in the game. There’s even an encyclopedia entry of sorts for each one, which will satisfy the lore and culture enthusiasts out there.
Soul Food

Nioh 2â€™s combat is a radical refinement of the Soulsborne genre action RPG gameplay, with layers upon layers of complexities and customization.
There are nine types of weapons to wield in Nioh 2, ranging from traditional katana and spears to complex weapons like chain-hook kusarigama, dual hatchets, or the transforming switchglaive (which is an absolute blast to actually use).

It’s a testament to how good the combat in Nioh 2 feels that even weapons that would usually be too technical for me to use in games like these (like switchglaives, which can transform from a scissor-type weapon into a scythe). That’s not all, as players can wield these weapons with a high, medium, or low stance (which can be changed with the pressing of merely two buttons at any time).
High stance attacks do high damage but drain your stamina quickly, medium stance techniques are reliable and offer defensive bonuses, and low stance attacks are fast but donâ€™t do a lot of damage. Each stance has a different set of moves and unlockable techniques. You are allowed to hold two melee weapons at any given time.
Imagine the different amount of player builds you can adhere to in Nioh 2, thanks to the sheer number of weapons and stances. Oh, and that’s not even mentioning the ranged weapons. This is especially important because I hate how ranged weapons in other action games are often too weak or insignificant to use in real combat, so much so that they’re not worth using.

In Nioh 2, that’s not the case. I loved using the bow and arrows, rifles and even goddamned hand cannons that hits like a two-ton truck.
These ranged weapons actually feel good to use in combat and have actually saved my butt countless times.
Since Nioh 2 doesn’t have conventional one-hit-kill stealth attacks like in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, these ranged weapons take their place, allowing me to easily one-hit-kill any normal human grunt or Yokai by shooting them in the head.

Surprisingly, I even used these ranged weapons against large powerful enemies and even bosses. A few satisfying shots from my hand cannon, and down goes that gigantic ogre Yokai or whatever that humongous spider Yokai is. My point is this if even the ranged weapons feel extremely good to actually use in a primarily melee-focused action game, then that’s kudos to the developers for a phenomenal job.
Just like other Soulsborne game, dying in Nioh 2 means that you lose all your accumulated EXP (referred to as Amrita in-game). You’ll have to go back to the exact location that you died to retrieve it. If you die again while trying to retrieve it, it’ll be gone forever. Nioh 2 adds to that with a new mechanic; the location where you died will become a Bloody Grave if you fail to retrieve it.
A Helping Hand
You won’t be able to see your own Bloody Grave but other players can, and that’s where part of the online gameplay comes in. You can activate these Bloody Graves and revive dead players as Revenants. Killing these Revenants will give you not only items and Amrita but also something called Ochoko Cups.
These Ochoko Cups will allow players to seek the assistance of other players by summoning them to your side by activating Benevolent Graves, where they will follow you until they die or some significant amount of time has passed. Players can put Benevolent Graves anywhere they want. When other players activate your Benevolent Grave, you’ll receive more items, and of course, Ochoko Cups.

This gameplay mechanic was a huge help in my Nioh 2 playthrough, so much so that I wouldn’t attempt to even progress further while playing without activating a Benevolent Grave and having another player by my side; they’re AI-controlled, by the way.
This becomes a crutch of sorts for me, to make up for my severe lack of individual skill. Strength in numbers and all that.

However, it becomes a problem later on when I’ve relied on these AI companions too much. This is apparent as Benevolent Graves becomes rarer and rarer as I progress deeper into the game, while in comparison, the number of Bloody Graves has increased exponentially. It’s terrifying when all I see are Bloody Graves; a strong indication that the path ahead is going to be super hard.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice had the parrying mechanic, but the two biggest gameplay mechanics that are unique to Nioh 2 even amongst Soulsborne games are the Ki Pulse and Burst Counter.
Both are essential to survive the game’s combat and making the game a tad easier. But just barely.

In Nioh 2, stamina is referred to as Ki. Players require Ki to perform actions like run, dodge, block, and attack. Running out of Ki in hectic combat usually means death (which I attest to). After attacking, blue orbs will gather around the player. Timing and pressing the R1 button (which also changes stances) allows players to instantly replenish lost Ki, which in turn allow players to perform more actions in a pinch.

Burst Counter is a parry mechanic in Nioh 2, allowing players to parry right before an enemy hits you to stun them momentarily and deal a hefty amount of damage. What makes it unique is how they can only be used against specific and dangerous red-aura attacks, and how just about every enemy has at least one of these attacks to throw out at you with only a secondâ€™s notice.
These red-aura attacks are unblockable, so you can either dodge or use Burst Counters. Both actions come with pros and cons. Time a Burst Counter wrong and you’ll get hit by that attack, which will most likely result in a quick and sudden death. However, timing a Burst Counter just right and it can turn the tide of battles.
The Yokai enemies in Nioh 2 will also drop Soul Cores, allowing players to use their moves. These can be equipped to your Spirit Guardians, acting as super-powerful attacks that range from throwing spears from a distance, flip forward with demonic hammer strikes. Both Soul Core abilities and Burst Counters use Anima, a kind of magic MP meter in Nioh 2.
It’s worth pointing out that the combat and playstyles available in Nioh 2 is so dynamic that I’m still learning about more mechanics and additional details about 30 hours into the game. It’s a stark contrast to Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, which forced me to use only a katana as my main weapon, and I simply had no choice but to use the parrying mechanic for any hope of survival.
Dying Never Felt So Good

I started out hating Nioh 2, for how punishing the game’s difficulty was. I gritted my teeth and kept improving. Every time I finally push through and earn a victory also means that the very next battle could very well be a disaster. Nioh 2 is very much a Soulsborne game, and it is very challenging, unforgivingly so.

Unlike in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, I could actually increase the stats of my protagonist, effectively making him stronger. However, don’t expect to be overpowered and things to start being a pushover.
No matter how over-levelled I was, I still died a lot. No matter how many points you dump into improving your health stats, you will always die in two or three hits, even by a common grunt.

Better stats and more levels do help you, especially in terms of how damaging your own attacks are, but it will still be hard as balls. That can be frustrating when you die from a stray arrow or a slash from an enemy grunt, but it forced me to learn a valuable lesson; always respect your enemies and never let your guard down, even if it’s just a pathetic umbrella Yokai.

For instance, I hit an obstacle just a few hours into Nioh 2, as it seemed like I could never beat the second main story boss, no matter what I did. I died countless times and spent several hours just grinding in the level, but when I finally defeated Enenra (I will never forget this vile name), the victory felt euphoric and rewarding.
Team Ninja has balanced Nioh 2 in such a way that for every death, there was a way of balancing it out with ways to solve it. It’s never too unfair or insurmountable, especially if you take the risk and able to take advantage of the many gameplay aspects the game throws at you.
If only the team put a tad more effort into its levels and design; while not exactly terrible, the game isn’t going to be remembered fondly for its many dark locales & winding passages. The Dark Realm bits, on the other hand? They’re fine. These areas not only keep you on your toes and require you to at least master the Ki Pulse techniques (since they make you recover less ki than usual automatically), they come packed with hard-hitting yokais. Challenging stuff.
Speaking of repeated tries, Team Ninja has somehow made the loading times in Nioh 2 super fast. Dying in other games like Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is made more annoying thanks to long loading times on console versions. This game solves that with only a few seconds of loading time between death and respawning.
Natural Soulsborne Evolution

As extremely hard as the game can be, Nioh 2 is proof that the Soulsborne genre can still be polished, refined, and utilize unique mechanics, all of which makes it worth suffering through. Team Ninja’s latest title is definitely more accessible than Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, and certainly an early contender for Game Of The Year 2020.
Pros

Satisfying and deep combat with limitless possibilities
Ki Pulse and Burst Counter mechanics enhances combat.
The ability to summon other AI-controlled players from Benevolent Graves.
Robust character creation system
Incredibly fast load times.
Beautiful graphics.

Cons

Punishingly hard.
You’ll die a lot.
Substandard level design.

FINAL SCORE: 90/100


CoD Warzone: F2P vs Purchased Game – What’s The Difference?

Call of Duty’s latest take on the battle royale genre, Warzone, went live last night.
For those who are considering on getting the game but still unclear of the differences between the full version and the free-to-play; fret not. We’ve got you covered and broke down each pressing query.
The base game is free
Call of Duty: Warzone is free to play on all platforms. All you need is a proper account to play it on your platform of choice. Also, if you’re on the PS4, rejoice; you do not need a PS Plus account to play it. Yay!
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0E44DClsX5Q&w=560&h=315]
You may need a lot of disk space for the paid version
The download size may vary but assuming you do not own the base game, the download size for it on PC is about 85GB give or take. Assuming you’re planning to purchase the whole game which comes jam-packed with other multiplayer modes and the campaign, be prepared to plod through a huge 180GB++ download file.
Yes, you can carry your progress between platforms
If you already own the game on any platform (ie: on the PS4 in our case) and want to test it out on PC, you can carry over your progress including unlocked weapons and attachments, skins, and operators.
All you got to do is sync your accounts at the Call of Duty website.Â Here’s how:

Â After logging in, head over to your Profile tab.
Click on ‘Linked Accounts’.
Insert the required details for accounts you want to sync.

And voila!

But what if I do not own the full game on any of the platforms?
Good news: you can still play Warzone starting from level zero. As all players who started the game on multiplayer mode, you’ll have to earn your unlocks as you progress via countless rounds of plays. Playing Warzone matches with your gun of choice levels them up, while simultaneously unlock more options such as attachments and skins.
However, at the start, you are not allowed to use other Operator Skins apart from the default given. In order to change your Operator’s appearance, you can either;

Purchase the full game,
Purchase the Battle Pass and obtain items as you progress ala Apex Legends Battle Pass, OR;
Purchase specific Operator Bundles under the Store tab.

We’ve been spending the past few hours on Call of Duty: Warzone, and so far it’s a positive experience. Do sure to tune into Kakuchopurei for our full thoughts on the now-released battle royale game.


New Arma Released For Early Access

With the announcement of Arma 4, Bohemia Interactive are to release a standalone multiplayer game dubbed Arma Reforger.
Arma 3 was released back in 2013, 9 years ago. So it’s been a hot minute since any of us have heard a whisper about the tactical military shooter.
Fear not, Arma fans, as Bohemia Interactive is back with not just one but two new games, one of which; Arma Reforger is currently available for early access on Steam and Xbox.
Arma Reforger serves to be sort of an appetiser of what’s to come in the recently announced Arma 4. Taking place in a Cold War environment set in 1989, with players battling as either US or Soviet forces on the fictional mid-Atlantic island of Everon, which spans 52km².
Arma Reforger is available now in Steam Early Access and Xbox Game Preview for Series X/S, priced at $29.99/£24.99/RM131.77.


The 30 Best Games Of 2021: #2

Every day from December to January, we’ll be posting our top 30 games of 2021 daily. Here’s number 2.
#2: Psychonauts 2

Platforms: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Psychonauts was one of those games that remained a popular gem from the PS2 days (it came out in 2005!). When Tim Schafer and Double Fine announced the sequel, many were worried. Thankfully, Psychonauts 2 was nothing like Shenmue 3. It’s actually a great game that reminds us how good 3D platformers can be when they’re done well (looking at you, Balan Wonderworld).
Psychonauts 2 still has the same weird and bizarre aesthetics we all loved from the first game, and Raz’s arsenal of psychokinetic powers are a blast to use. It proves that there’s still a place for 3D platformers even in the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S era where companies are scrambling to make the next AAA photorealistic games.
Good story, good gameplay, good characters, all of whom exudes charm and personality. And most importantly: closure for its many, many fans. What more could you want out of a sequel 6 years in the making?


Super Mario Bros Movie Tops US$1 Billion Worldwide & Smashes Japan Box Office Numbers

Play all the victory fanfares for Mario here; Nintendo, Universal, and Illumination have hit the question block jackpot!
The Super Mario Bros. Movie has levelled up its worldwide box office earnings to beyond US$1 billion since its 6th April launch. The film has been showing in theatres worldwide for more than three weeks.
The film has become the 10th animated show in animation history to cross US$1 billion worldwide in a short span of time, overtaking Despicable Me 2 and Minions: The Rise of Gru. Given that Nintendo and Mario are ingrained in pop culture since the 80s, this should not come off as a surprise.
In a bonus round of news, the Super Mario Bros. movie has made bank in Japan since its official release on 27 April onward. The show garnered US$14.3 million in its opening weekend.
What’s even surprising? It’s a fun movie to watch that’s meant for all ages and fans of video games in general. Go check it out if you haven’t.


That ’90s Show Hits Big Ratings On Netflix

That ’90s Show picks up approximately 15 years after That 70’s Show’s series finale, and it seems worth the wait with its high receiving engagement numbers for its pilot episode.
According to Forbes, 1.7 million households watched the first episode of the new series during the three-day viewing window since its premiere on 19 January 2023. The 1 Million figure is similar to the recent Netflix hit Harry & Meghan series’ first-day release. That ’90s show is especially popular among millennial viewers, with an 8% index for adults between 25-34 and a 4% index for adults between 35 to 45 years old.
However, based on Rotten Tomatoes, the series stands at a 75% score on the Tomatometer and the audience score currently stands at 74%, as many claim the series to be half-baked compared to That 70’s Show.
The older generation meets the new generation as the many members of the That ’70s Show cast are set to reprise their roles in That ’90s Show: Debra Jo Rupp (Kitty Forman) and Kurtwood Smith (Red Forman) fulfilling the role of grandparents, Topher Grace (Eric), Laura Pepron (Donna), Mila Kunis (Jackie), Wilmer Valderrama (Fez) and Ashton Kutcher (Kelso) — made special guests appearances. Danny Masterson known as Hyde is the only principal That 70’s Show cast that made no appearance due to legal allegations against him.
As for the new generations of the teenage cast are Callie Haverda (Leia Forman), Mace Coronel (Jay Kelso), Reyn Doi (Ozzie), Maxwell Acee Donovan (Nate), Ashley Aufderheide (Gwen), and Sam Morelos (Nikki) making her first TV debut. In addition, the new cast even gave fans a tour of the Point Place studio set:

From Fez’s Tootsie Rolls to Kitty and Red's decor, here's how the old and the new were blended together to make That '90s Show https://t.co/Ojvw9tFbr4 pic.twitter.com/2FanqXuBYV
— Netflix (@netflix) January 24, 2023

The sequel of the series follows Red and Kitty Forman’s lives as grandparents and their granddaughter, Leia Forman visit Point Place, Wisconsin for the summer where she bonds with the new kids of the area under the watchful eyes of Kitty and the stern glare of Red Forman.
That ’90s Show is currently available to stream on Netflix and consists of 10 episodes in Season 1.
Watch the official trailer below to get a glimpse of Red and Kitty’s Forman lives to be full of excitement or dread, for Red, especially.


Windows 11 To Come Pre-Installed On Dell PCs This October

Itâ€™s official, Windows 11 arrives on 5 October 2021 and Dell Technologies is ready. It doesn’t matter whether you choose to buy a new Dell PC with Windows 11 or upgrade your current Dell PC to the new operating system when itâ€™s time.
Windows 11 and Dell PC Rollout
Starting from 5 October 2021, most PCs for sale on Dell.com will come with Windows 11 pre-installed. Business PC users may purchase Windows 10 Pro preinstalled with Windows 11 Pro license included, allowing you to upgrade to Windows 11 Pro when ready.
Customers who buy an eligible Windows-based PC on Dell.com now will be offered a free upgrade to Windows 11 when itâ€™s available. This includes the Dell XPS 13, Â Alienware x15 and Alienware x17 gaming laptops and more.
For current customers who already own a Windows-based Dell PC, Dell has readied a few tools to help guide consumers and commercial clients through the free upgrade process.
Timeline Of Availability
On a rolling basis, Microsoft will be offering an upgrade to Windows 11 to all eligible Dell PCs running the equivalent Windows 10 version. Specific timing will vary by device.
Upgrade eligibility and how to update

Consumers and IT professionals alike can check the Dell upgrade eligibility list to determine if their device can upgrade to the Windows 11 operating system.
Once the upgrade rollout has started, you can check if it is ready for your device by going to Settings/Windows Updates.
Consumers can choose whether to accept the upgrade or defer to a later date,
The upgrade itself is easy and Dell Migrate will help consumers and IT professionals safely transfer data from Windows 10 to Windows 11,


Capcom’s Dino Co-Op Shooter Exoprimal Launches This July

During Capcom Spotlight 2023, Capcom announced that Exoprimal will launch for the PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC, as well as Xbox Game Pass, on 14 July 2023.
There will be an open beta test later this month from 17 March to 19 March 2023, including full cross-platform matchmaking.

Exoprimal is an online, team-based action game that pits humanity’s cutting-edge exosuit technology against history’s most ferocious beasts – dinosaurs. Exosuits are grouped into different roles, and players will pilot these exosuits to hold firm against overwhelming dinosaur swarms in online-only, team-based action game modes.
Check out the trailer below:


All The Marvel Series Announced On Disney+ Day

Marvel Studios revealed a whole bunch of new TV shows and animated series during Disney+ Day 2021. Some of them have already been previously announced or rumoured, but now they have received their official logos. This makes all of these, well, official.
All of these are only stated as “coming soon” with no release dates as of yet. The special Marvel Studios Disney+ Day preview can be watched on Disney+ Hotstar by heading to this link.
Moon Knight

Oscar Isaac is Marc Spector AKA the Moon Knight, a complex vigilante who suffers from a dissociative identity disorder. The multiple identities who live inside him find themselves thrust into a deadly war of the gods against the backdrop of modern and ancient Egypt.

She-Hulk

Tatiana Maslany is Jennifer Walters AKA She-Hulk, a lawyer who specializes in superhuman-related cases. Oh, and she’s also the cousin of Bruce Banner AKA the Hulk.

Ms Marvel

Iman Vellani is Kamala Khan AKA Ms. Marvel, a 16-year-old Pakistani American from Jersey City with special powers. She’s also a fangirl of Captain Marvel, which is why she named her superhero moniker after her.

Echo

Alaqua Cox is Maya Lopez AKA Echo. She will be introduced in Hawkeye,Â which premieres on 24 November 2021.
Ironheart

Dominique Thorne is Riri Williams, a genius inventor who creates the most advanced suit of armour since Iron Man.
Agatha House Of Harkness

This is a series starring Kathryn Hahn as her character from WandaVision. WandaVision‘s Jac Schaefer returns as head writer.
Secret Invasion

Samuel L. Jackson reprises his role as Nick Fury and re-teams with Captain Marvelâ€˜s Ben Mendelsohn as the Skrull named Talos.

What Ifâ€¦? Season 2

Marvelâ€™s What Ifâ€¦?Â features fan-favourite characters, including Peggy Carter, Tâ€™Challa, Doctor Strange, Killmonger, Thor and more. The new series, directed by Bryan Andrews with AC Bradley as head writer and Brad Winderbaum as an executive producer, explores hypothetical stories in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
It focuses on non-canonical stories like what happens if Peggy Carter became Captain Britain and if Tâ€™Challa/Black Panther was abducted by the Ravagers instead of Peter Quill/Star-Lord.
You can check out my previous breakdown ofÂ Marvelâ€™s What Ifâ€¦? Episode 1,Â Episode 2,Â Episode 3,Â Episode 4,Â Episode 5,Â Episode 6,Â Episode 7,Â Episode 8 Â and Episode 9 here.
Directed by Bryan Andrews with AC Bradley serving as head writer.
Spider-Man Freshman Year

A new animated series that follows Peter Parker on his way to becoming Spider-Man, harkening back to the characterâ€™s comic book roots. Jeff Trammel is the head writer.
I Am Groot

A series of original shorts exploring Baby Grootâ€™s glory days growing up, and getting into trouble, among the stars. Directed by Kirsten Lepore.
Marvel Zombies

A new animated series that re-imagines the Marvel universe as a new generation of heroes battle against an ever-spreading zombie scourge. Directed by Bryan Andrews.


Hawkeye Hits The Bullseye With The Kate & Clint Show

The fifth and probably last Marvel Studios Disney+ Hotstar series to arrive in 2021 is Hawkeye. So far, all the series released thus far has developed and expanded on existing Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) characters who have yet to receive their own movie. Scarlet Witch, Vision, Loki, Falcon, the Winter Soldier, and now, it’s Hawkeye’s turn. Does the series do justice to one of the MCU’s founding Avengers?
Disney gave us the privilege of watching the first two episodes of Hawkeye in advance, and it’s a great start. The first two episodes of the series already distinguish it from the other Marvel Studios series before it. The vibe and tone in Hawkeye feel grounded just like The Falcon And The Winter Soldier, but it’s a lot less serious and more light-hearted in comparison. It’s less experimental compared to the reality-bending in WandaVision and the time-travelling sci-fi wackiness in Loki.
Christmas Clint

That’s evident from a sequence where Clint infiltrates a LARP (live-action role-playing game) event. For a character who’s always been self-serious and no-nonsense even in the movies, it’s fun to see him let loose a little. This is clearly a way to make the character more likeable, considering that Hawkeye is likely low on anyone’s list of favourite Avengers.
There are essentially two protagonists; both Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner) and Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld). It’s as much Kate’s series as it is Clint’s, but the first two episodes skewer towards Kate, who has more screentime as they introduce and establish her character for viewers. What distinguishes Hawkeye from the other Marvel Studios Disney+ series is its emphasis on the element of families and family issues.

Clint has his own family, with a wife and multiple kids. All they want is for dear old dad to spend time with them for Christmas but stuff gets in the way. As for Kate, she has to deal with her mother, Eleanor Bishop (Vera Farmiga), who is spending more time with her lover, Jack Duquesne (Tony Dalton). Some bad things happen that lead to Kate being on the run and things just get more chaotic from there. To say more would be spoiling.
Kate Bishop is a wonderful new addition to the MCU. She’s a legacy character and the second official one in the MCU after Teyonah Parris’ Monica Rambeau AKA Spectrum/Photon.
She’s bubbly and energetic, which provides a great contrast for a great dynamic against more serious and stoic Clint Barton. It’s too early to say much about her character. She starts off as a Hawkeye fangirl but there’s clearly more depth to her that can be seen even in these first two episodes.
Bullseye!
Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld) in Marvel Studios’ HAWKEYE, exclusively on Disney+. Film Frame. Â©Marvel Studios 2021. All Rights Reserved.
I’ve seen too little of the supporting cast to say much about them, but I predict that a standout character will be Tony Dalton’s Jack Duquesne. He brings his usual magnetic charm to the role, just like his performance of Lalo Salamanca in the Breaking Bad spinoff Better Call Saul. I won’t spoil who he is, but those who read the comics will probably already know what to expect from the character, but I’m sure there will be surprises in store for the MCU version.
Fans of the comics will also be happy to learn that elements from Matt Fraction and David Aja’s iconic Hawkeye run have been adapted into the series and they can be seen even in the first two episodes. A big part of that is the introduction of the Tracksuit Mafia as one of the antagonists in this series, and they’re just like in the comics, going “bro” all the time. That’s not all, as the spirit of the series also seems to have been inspired by those comics as well.
Vera Farmiga as Eleanor Bishop and Tony Dalton as Jack Duquesne in Marvel Studios’ HAWKEYE. Photo by Chuck Zlotnick. Â© Marvel Studios 2021. All Rights Reserved.
There will be six episodes of Hawkeye in its first season, so there is probably a lot more I haven’t seen. Still, the first two episodes are a great introduction for Kate Bishop’s entry into the MCU, and a way for Jeremy Renner to further develop and grow the character of Clint Barton. Hawkeye has always been overlooked in the movies, but here he has the chance to finally show his full potential. I look forward to the rest of the season.
Final(?) Score: 80/100
We received an early screener of Hawkeye courtesy of Disney+ Hotstar Malaysia. The first two episodes of Hawkeye are slated to premiere on 24th November 2021 on Disney+ Hotstar Malaysia.


Crysis Remastered Finally Has A Release Date

Crysis, the one PC game that is known for pushing rigs to the limit, will be getting a remastering this year. “But when?”, you may ask as a PC master race guy or gal yourself.
Well, we now know that (a) it’s getting a sneak preview moment this week and (b) it’s coming out this July. The official preview video will launch in about 36 hours at this time of writing (2nd July 0:00; close to 1st July 23:59).

And according to the Microsoft Store, Crysis Remastered will be out on 23rd July and will take up 7.01GB of your HDD space. This isn’t the first time the Microsoft Store has jumped the gun with these announcements; see Mafia Definitive Edition and Star Wars Squadron.
So what can we expect from this graphically-improved Crysis? We may be getting higher quality textures and new graphical features like “Cryengine’s native hardware and API-agnostic ray tracing solution”. And also 4K Ultra HD support, so have fun with that!


NEO The World Ends With You Demo Drops Tomorrow

Square Enix has announced that the NEO The World Ends With You demo will be available for the PS4 and Nintendo Switch tomorrow on 25 June 2021.
The NEO The World Ends With You demo will be available starting from 1pm ET on 25 June 2021, or 1am GMT+8 on 26 June 2021 for those in Southeast Asian countries like Malaysia.
Best of all, your progress in the demo will transfer to the full game for those who purchase NEO The World Ends With You on the same platform.
In addition, pre-orders for the console versions are now live. Those who pre-order will receive the Reapers’ Game Survival Set, which will grant you two items. One will increase your HP while the other allows you to heal up mid-fight.
NEO The World Ends With You is a sequel to the original 2007 Nintendo DS game, The World Ends WIth You. The sequel will feature a brand new protagonist named Rindo, a brand new story that delves deeper than ever into the Reapersâ€™ Game, a super-flashy action-based combat system, and more.
NEO The World Ends With You launches for PS4, PS5 and the Nintendo Switch on 27 July 2021, with a PC version coming on the Epic Games Store sometime in summer 2021.
In the meantime, check out the extensive final trailer for the upcoming game below:


NieR Replicant Remastered Is Coming To Consoles & PC

Yoko Taro’s Drakengard (and its spinoff, NieR) franchise instantly became ‘mainstream’ after 2017’s NieR: Automata arrived and captivated the world. After the success of that game, fans have been clamouring for a remake or remaster of its predecessor, Nier: Gestalt or Nier: Replicant.
It’s finally coming, folks.
During the NieR 10th Anniversary concert on Sunday (29 March 2020), Square Enix announced a NieR: Replicant remaster for the PS4, Xbox One, and PC via Steam. The title of the remaster is NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139… (which is totally expected, especially considering that it’s coming from the mind of the eccentric Yoko Taro).
The reason for that weird title is because it won’t be a conventional remake or remaster. Instead, it’s being described as a “version upgrade”, as if it’s an updated or definitive version of the original game.
NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139… is being developed by Toylogic, a Japanese studio best known for working on the 3DS version of Square Enix’s Dragon Quest XI: Echoes Of An Elusive Age and Super Smash Bros. Brawl for the Nintendo Wii.

In 2010, the original Nier initially launched in two platform-exclusive versions in Japan; which included NieR: Gestalt for the Xbox 360 and NieR: Replicant for the PS3. The main difference between the two was that Gestalt featured an older protagonist, while Replicant featured a younger teen protagonist.
However, the international localized release for both platforms outside of Japan were based on Gestalt alone. What that means is that if NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139.. does receive an international release, players outside of Japan will be able to experience the other NieR game in English for the very first time.
While an international localized English version has yet to be officially announced, it’s probably only a matter of time before it will eventually be confirmed.

According to the Japanese PlayStation Blog article, composer Keiichi Okabe has re-recorded all of the game’s original music and added new songs for the remaster as well. The game’s Japanese voices will also be re-recorded with the following cast:
Child Nier – Nobuhiko Okamoto
Nier – KÅji Yusa
Yonah – Ai Nonaka
Grimoire Weiss – Hiroki Yasumoto
Emil – Mai Kadowaki
In the meantime, check out the trailer for NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139… below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sdn1B0N4k0&w=560&h=315]


Blizzard Co-Founder Admits That Heroes of the Storm “Arrived Too Late”

It’s no shocker that Heroes of the Storm, Blizzard’s MOBA, is not given the love it had since its debut in 2015. While it’s still being updated, major studio support has been scaled down since that grave 2018 announcement.
Turns out that HOTS did not jump on the MOBA bandwagon soon enough, according to Blizzard co-founder and former president Mike Morhaime. During a talk at Gamelab Barcelona (via PC Gamer), it didn’t leverage on Dota’s popularity early enough; ironic considering that Dota was formed out of Warcraft 3 as a mod.

“First of all, I think the Heroes team made a great game. One of my regrets is that we didnâ€™t pursue Dota early enough. Dota was very popular and we were very focused on World of Warcraft at the timeâ€”there were more people playing Dota than Warcraft 3.”

He also admitted that Blizzard shouldn’t have waited six years until catching up with Heroes of the Storm. “The community was doing a great job supporting it and we didnâ€™t want to disrupt that. And frankly, we had our hands full trying to support the growth of World of Warcraft.

We felt like focusing on Warcraft was the right call at the time. In retrospectâ€”boy, if I could go back in time and say, ‘You know what? Why don’t we have a small team thatâ€™s focused on doing something with Dota? Or why don’t we include Dota with the launch of StarCraft 2 and have a mode or something?’ I’d love to try doing that a little bit earlier. I think Heroes was probably too late.”

To be fair, Blizzard would have disrupted and messed up the Dota/LoL ecosystem if they did jump the gun. Then again, we wouldn’t be getting other stellar esports games like Overwatch if that were the case. We know we’re just running off on hypotheticals, but what would the competitive scene be like if HOTS were running the MOBA show?


Here’s A Quick Fighting Game News Roundup For This Special Weekend

Just a few hours ago, Japan’s fighting game publishers did an online roundtable via livestream for all to see. We’re talking representatives from Capcom, Bandai Namco, Arc System Works, SNK, Arika, and Koei Tecmo.
Here’s a roundup of what’s been revealed during the livestream, in case you missed it this morning or just need the bullet points version on one handy-dandy list.
SNK

Samurai Shodown will be getting a Season Pass 3. There’s not much else for them to say beyond that due to COVID-19 putting a damper on their scheduling and development.
Just to put it out there, all the devs here will have to push back their content due to the worldwide pandemic. In the meantime, go play with your rabbit girl in SamSho.
Bandai Namco

First up: Soul Calibur 6. Swordswoman Setsuka will be coming back as the next DLC character in the 3D weapons-based fighting game.

Of course they’ll be news for Tekken 7. The game will be receiving a fourth Season Pass. This includes new moves for all characters and online play enhancements. At the end of the trailer, we get a tease of a character. We can’t make it out because he/she is so tiny and far away from the camera. We’re guessing it’s a ninja-type character like Kunimitsu.
Season 4 will be ready by Fall 2020.

Arc System Works
ASW has announced two new characters in its upcoming fighting game Guilty Gear Strive: Guilty Gear Xrd character Leo Whitefang and newcomer Nagoriyuki.

Leo still has parries, frame trap shenanigans, and his many twin cross blades attacks from the previous game, while Nagoriyuki is a katana wielder who can power up his slashes (and extend its already-long range) using a command grab that absorbs his opponent’s blood. Those blood bits can also fly out to Nagoriyuki via other special attacks.

The game will be out in early 2021.
This next one isn’t exactly from the stream, but it’s still worth mentioning. ARCREVO America Online 2020 and ARCREVO Japan 2020 are launching later this year and will feature BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle, Granblue Fantasy: Versus, and more fighting games. There might be a special announcement for ASW games during the tournament, so it’s probably best to keep an eye on this.
Also, the ARCREVO artworks are sick.
https://www.facebook.com/arcsystemworksu/posts/1651765541656046
Capcom
Not much, apart from an announcement regarding its upcoming Season V DLC for Street Fighter 5 which will be happening on 6th August 1am GMT+8. And that pro wrestling superstar Kenny Omega will be making the announcements.

Hey guys, the folks at Capcom have trusted me to deliver some exciting @StreetFighter V announcements! Tune in August 5,10am PDT for the #SFVSummerUpdate, which will include news from yours truly on Season 5 characters,apparel and more. Don’t miss it!
? https://t.co/KQIGLeazI2 pic.twitter.com/9NINAYevJl
— Kenny Omega (@KennyOmegamanX) July 31, 2020


Dragon Quest Card Game Gets New Title & Single-Player Mode In August

The Dragon Quest Rivals card game initially launched in June 2020, but exclusively for Japan. Barely a month after its release, Square Enix has announced that they are already rebranding the game as Dragon Quest Rivals Ace next month in August 2020.
Dragon Quest Rivals Ace will receive a new single-player mode and the â€œHeroes of Triumphal Returnâ€ card pack, the first volume in the â€œShinâ€ series of card packs. The developer is also set toÂ host â€œRivalsÂ LIVE! Vol. 1,â€ the first in a series ofÂ Dragon Quest Rivals Ace live streams, on 6 August 2020 at 7pm GMT+8 (via Gematsu).
The upcoming live stream will share the latest information, which includes an explanation of the new â€œSolo Battle Adventureâ€ mode, a look at the legendary rare cards and new systems that appear in the â€œHeroes of Triumphal Returnâ€, as well as live gameplay footage.
The scheduled presenters include MC Ayana Tsubaki, guests Tomokazu Sugita (voice actor) and Chomosh (pro-gamer), as well as Square Enix representatives Tatsuhiro Futagi (Dragon Quest Rivals producer) and Yusuke Tomida (administrative producer).
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJV_KeVWEAQ&w=560&h=315]
Dragon Quest Rivals is available now only in Japan for the Nintendo Switch via the Nintendo eShop, PC viaÂ Steam, iOS via theÂ App Store, and Android viaÂ Google Play. However, there’s no telling when, or if, it’s ever launching outside of Japan.
This is a great year for the Dragon Quest franchise, with lots of new games and anime in the works, as well as the fact that it’s coming to the Xbox for the first time ever.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amYqFtGg_KA&w=560&h=315]


Assassin’s Creed Valhalla PC Specs Revealed

Ubisoft has revealed the official PC specs for Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. Instead of the usual two, the company has provided six different PC specs configurations for players to check if their rig is up to snuff.

Check them out below:
Minimum Configuration – Low preset 1080p 30 FPS
Processor: AMD Ryzen 3 1200 – 3.1 Ghz / INTEL i5-4460 – 3.2 GhzRAM: 8 GB (Dual-channel mode)Video Card: AMD R9 380 – 4GB / GeForce GTX 960 4GBStorage: 50 GB HDD (SSD Recommended)Operating system: Windows 10 (64-bit only)DirectX Version: DirectX 12Additional note: Requires GPU with DirectX 12 (Feature Level 12_0) support
Recommended Configuration – High preset 1080p 30 FPS
Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 1600 – 3.2 Ghz / INTEL i7-4790 – 3.6 GhzRAM: 8 GB (Dual-channel mode)Video Card: AMD RX 570 – 8GB / GeForce GTX 1060 – 6GBStorage: SSD (50 GB)Operating system: Windows 10 (64-bit only)DirectX Version: DirectX 12Additional note: Requires GPU with DirectX 12 (Feature Level 12_0) support
Recommended Configuration – High preset 1080p 60 FPS
Processor: AMD Ryzen 7 1700 – 3.0 Ghz / INTEL i7-6700 â€“ 3.4 GhzRAM: 8 GB (Dual-channel mode)Video Card: AMD Vega 64 – 8GB / GeForce GTX 1080- 8GBStorage: SSD (50 GB)Operating system: Windows 10 (64-bit only)DirectX Version: DirectX 12Additional note: Requires GPU with DirectX 12 (Feature Level 12_0) support
2K Configuration – Very High preset 1440p 30 FPS
Processor: AMD Ryzen 7 2700X – 3.7 Ghz / INTEL i7 – 7700 â€“ 3.6 GhzRAM: 16 GB (Dual-channel mode)Video Card: AMD Vega 56 – 8GB / GeForce GTX 1070 – 8GBStorage: SSD (50 GB)Operating system: Windows 10 (64-bit only)DirectX Version: DirectX 12Additional note: Requires GPU with DirectX 12 (Feature Level 12_0) support
2K Configuration – Very High preset 1440p 60 FPS
Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 3600X – 3.8 Ghz / INTEL i7 â€“ 8700K â€“ 3.7 GhzRAM: 16 GB (Dual-channel mode)Video Card: AMD RX 5700XT â€“ 8GB / GeForce RTX 2080 S â€“ 8GBStorage: SSD (50 GB)Operating system: Windows 10 (64-bit only)DirectX Version: DirectX 12Additional note: Requires GPU with DirectX 12 (Feature Level 12_0) support
4K Configuration â€“ Ultra High preset 2160p (4K) 30 FPS
Processor : AMD Ryzen 7 3700X – 3.6 Ghz / INTEL i7 – 9700K â€“ 3.6 GhzRAM: 16 GB (Dual-channel mode)Video Card: AMD RX 5700XT â€“ 8GB / GeForce RTX 2080 – 8GBStorage: SSD (50 GB)Operating system: Windows 10 (64-bit only)DirectX Version: DirectX 12Additional note: Requires GPU with DirectX 12 (Feature Level 12_0) support
Assassinâ€™s Creed ValhallaÂ is slated to launch on 10 November 2020 for the Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, PS4, the Epic Games Store and Ubisoft Store on PC. However, it will only release for the PS5 on 12 November 2020.
In other recent news, the game’s latest trailer revealed new gameplay details, including the fact that players can wield Excalibur and visit America.


Valorant’s Newest Agent Harbor Is Essentially Aquaman

With Valorant welcoming its Episode 5 Act 3 on 18 October, it also introduces another new agent to expand the ever-diverse and growing playable roster.
A new Act obviously means a new battlepass with a boatload of new skins, this time Riot has three new collections of skins.
Iridian Thorn

First, we have the Iridian Thorn set, the most extensive collection of the three with skins for five different weapons.
“For this Battlepass, we were inspired by the adventurous nature of our newest Agent, Harbor. We wanted to fill this pass with items that gave a feeling of mystery and beauty. For example, with the Iridian Thorn skinline we were trying to create weapons that felt like a fusion between ancient technology and the natural mystery of a rare flower.”
– Laura Baltzer, Producer for Valorant at Riot Games
Rune Stone

Next, we have the more affordable line of skins, the Rune Stone collection. Featured for eco-guns such as the Shorty, Bulldog, Marshal and Oden, they’re covered in a combination of dark gun-metal grey and bronze.
Starlit Odyssey

And lastly, we have the variant skinline, the Starlit Odyssey collection. Featured for the more popular guns in the Ghost, Spectre, Guardian and Vandal, this skinline has three other variants
“At the same time, we have Starlit Odyssey, the skinline with variants in this battlepass. This skinline takes cues from the tradition of adventurers using the stars to navigate their way to their destination.”
– Laura Baltzer, Producer for Valorant at Riot Games

Battlepass

Price: 1,000 VP
Highlights

Free Track

Simple Instructions Spray
Unearthed: The Mask Card
Astral Conduit Card
Can’t Break Me Buddy
Corbin’s Light Buddy
Starlit Odyssey Ghost with Variants
¡VAMOS! Title

Paid Track

Starlit Odyssey Vandal w/ Variants
Iridian Thorn Operator
Rune Stone Odin
Breach’s Approval Spray
Grand Designs Card
Shell Song Buddy
Iridian Thorn Blade

Harbor

Hailing from India’s coast, Harbor storms the field wielding ancient technology with dominion over water. He unleashes frothing rapids and crushing waves to shield his allies and pummel those that oppose him.
Abilities
High Tide (E) – EQUIP a wall of water. FIRE to send the water forward along the ground. HOLD FIRE to guide the water in the direction of your crosshair, passing through the world, and spawning a wall along the water’s path. ALT FIRE while bending to stop the water early. Players hit are SLOWED.
Cove (Q) – EQUIP a sphere of shielding water. FIRE to throw. ALT FIRE to underhand throw. Upon impacting the ground, spawn a water shield that blocks bullets.
Cascade (C) – EQUIP a wave of water. FIRE to send the wave rolling forward and through walls. RE-USE to stop the wave. Players hit are SLOWED.
Reckoning (X) – EQUIP the full power of your Artifact. FIRE to summon a geyser pool on the ground. Enemy players in the area are targeted by successive geyser strikes. Players caught within a strike are CONCUSSED.
Agent Contract:

3 Sprays
2 Player Cards
1 Gun Buddy
2 Titles
1 Sheriff Skin
Harbor


Piala Presiden Esports 2020 To Assemble Best Free Fire & eFootball PES 2020 Players In SEA

eGG Network has announced that they will be the official broadcast partner of the Piala Presiden Esports 2020, the Grand Finals of which event will take place in Jakarta, Indonesia on 1 and 2Â February 2020.
The tournament will feature top teams and players ofÂ Garena Free FireÂ andÂ eFootball PES 2020 from Southeasian countries, including Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar and Cambodia.

The players representing Malaysia at the Piala Presiden Esports 2020 Grand Finals includeÂ ArgonMYÂ andÂ HighQuality MY, both of whomÂ came out on top at the Malaysia and Singapore qualifiers forÂ Garena Free Fire, as well as Norhaikal Md NohÂ andÂ Muhammad Syah Ali in eFootball PES 2020.
They will be playing for a total prize pool of a whopping Rp1.5 billion (Indonesia Rupiah). Esports fans can catch all the action this weekend on the eGG Network channel in Malaysia (Astro Channel 800), Indonesia, Brunei, Singapore, Thailand, Philippines, Myanmar and Australia, on 1 February 2020 from 1pm to 10:30pm and 2 February 2020 from 1pm to 5pm.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIh8ren6zvY&w=560&h=315]


EA Delays New Need For Speed; Needs Studio To Help Work On Battlefield 6

Sad news for racing fans everywhere: the next Need For Speed game from Criterion will only be available in 2022 (via Polygon). Why? Because EA needs a lot of help from Criterion, the studio behind the new NFS games, with the next Battlefield game.
EA announced that it will be postponing the next Need For Speed game by a year. Criterion will instead be supporting EA DICE on Battlefield 6, which is slated for PS5 and Xbox Series this fall. EA has officially said that neither franchise is in trouble; Criterion is still on the NFS project.
Why the reassigning? According to EA chief studios officer Laura Miele, this is due to pandemic working conditions and the recent Codemasters acquisition, which has promised one racing game for EA by the end of this year.

“[Battlefield] is shaping up great, the team has been working incredibly hard, they pushed hard last year, and yes, we have been working from home. And itâ€™s hard; itâ€™s hard to make games from home, and the [EA DICE] team is fatigued a bit. We have a great game and some incredible potential with this game. Weâ€™re playing to win; weâ€™re playing to put a great Battlefield game out in the market.”

There’s more detail concerning the future of EA on the interview; you can read it here.


[Rumour] Konami Might Be Working On Two New Silent Hill Games

The Silent Hill franchise may be coming back from the dead.
According to a tip-off from Aesthetic Gamer, Konami has reached out to developers a couple of years ago to get pitch ideas to revive the franchise. One idea was a “soft reboot” of the franchise, while the other is an episodic adventure similar to QTE horror game Until Dawn.
Full tweet below:

“Konami about two years ago reached out to various developers to pitch ideas for two Silent Hill games, one a soft-reboot of the franchise, the other an episodic TellTale/Until Dawn-style game to go alongside the reboot. I don’t know anything more than that though, but I sure do hope Konami’s given it the appropriate budget and found the right developer to make those games succeed.
This is just a guess, but I’d say there’s a high chance one or both of those titles may be revealed this year, but we’ll see. I don’t actually know their plans or anything about these games other than their existence though, I don’t know much about the inner workings of Konami.”

Keep in mind that Aesthetic Gamer has been spot-on with Capcom leaks in the past, so there’s a chance this might be true. Other sources like Rely On Horror have stated this rumour’s authenticity.
Konami has this to say to us:

“We cannot share anything at this point, but we are listening to customer feedback and considering ways to provide the next title.”

Still, if it’s true, we may be getting a return to possibly good horror games. Or another Silent Hill Downpour. Ick….


Supermassive Releases Trailer For New Teen Horror Game Called The Quarry

Supermassive Games (Until Dawn, Dark Pictures Anthology) has announced a new title they’re developing with publisher 2K Games: a new horror game called The Quarry.
It’s set in a summer camp at a place called Hackett’s Quarry. And yes, there are pissed-off denizens in the Quarry aiming to kill the teens. You play as each of the nine camp counsellors and shape their stories and fate in the game; they’re stuck in a house for one night and are being targeted by crazed villagers. The game also features co-op up to seven friends online; a “party horror couch co-op experience” if you will. Here’s the official description:
“Hunted by blood-drenched locals and something far more sinister, the teens’ party plans unravel into an unpredictable night of horror. Friendly banter and flirtations give way to life-or-death decisions, as relationships build or break under the strain of unimaginable choices.
Play as each of the nine camp counsellors in a thrilling cinematic tale, where every choice shapes your unique story from a tangled web of possibilities. Any character can be the star of the show – or die before daylight comes. How will your story unfold?”
The cast is pretty star studded; they include:

David Arquette (Scream)
Justice Smith
Ariel Winter (Modern Family)
Brenda Song
Lance Henrickson (Aliens)
Lin Shaye (A Nightmare on Elm Street)

Watch the trailer below. The Quarry will be out in 10th June, 2022.


Overwatch Lead Writer Leaves Blizzard After Two Decades

Overwatch lead writer Michael Chu is leaving Blizzard Entertainment after spending the past 20 years working at the studio.
If you’re a fan of Overwatch, Chu was a major contributor to the game’s lore and story content. His other writing credits at Blizzard include the likes of Diablo 3, World of Warcraft, and the currently-in-development Overwatch 2.
Chu was the one who wrote the origin stories for many of the characters in Overwatch, expanding them through comics and short stories. These include the Ana short story ‘Bastet’ and Tracer comic ‘Reflections’, both of which initially revealed Soldier 76 and Tracerâ€™s respective sexual identities.
On his personal blog earlier today, Chu wrote:

â€œOverwatch has been a life-changing experience.
I have always felt that games and the stories they tell have the unique ability to bring people closer together and that the empathy you feel from stepping into someone elseâ€™s shoes, even virtually, can bridge the gap between miles, cultures, and nations.
Overwatch and its consistently generous and inspiring community have only reinforced that belief.
Iâ€™ve heard stories of people learning a new language after hearing a line of dialogue, people feeling inspired to take a trip to a new place after â€˜visitingâ€™ it in-game, and people meeting teammates across languages and borders to take up the cause of making our world a better place.
But most of all: again and again, of people empathizing with a story about someone who is not the same as them.â€

However, Chu doesn’t reveal what his future plans are post-Blizzard. Meanwhile, the company is currently developing Overwatch 2, which will feature a story-driven single-player campaign alongside the gameâ€™s popular multiplayer.
In a statement to Polygon, Blizzard said:

“Michaelâ€™s contributions to the games and stories of the Warcraft, Diablo, and Overwatch universes have been a source of inspiration, and we will always be thankful for the time he spent at Blizzard.
We wish him the best for the future.”


Fortnite Live Organisers Sued by Epic Games

Epic Games is suing the organisers of Fortnite Live,Â an unlicensed and under-planned Fortnite party that drew quite a crowd in England then disappointed them, for using the game’s name and imagery without permission.
Let’s go back and see what went wrong:

The entrance fee cost parents Â£12-20 (RM64 to RM106) to a show that offers some terrible attractions and rows of PCs that charged people to play Fortnite,Â a free-to-play game.

They had no permission at all to use the Fortnite brand. They even had a small disclaimer on their taken down website’s footer, however, Epic Games wasn’t happy with that.

According to Epic Games, they said that “the quality of our player experience is incredibly important to us, whether itâ€™s inside the game or at official public events like last yearâ€™sÂ FortniteÂ Pro-Am.â€

“Epic Games was not in any way associated with the event that took place in Norwich and weâ€™ve issued a claim against the organizers in the High Court of London.”

Epic’s legal action has caused Exciting Events, the organiser of Fortnite Live,Â to cease all trading. The owner, Shaun Lord, said via an email sent to all customers, “Epic Games, the owners of Fortnite, have now forced the shut down of the two pre-booked future Fortnite Live events.”

“These proceedings by Epic Games has had a catastrophic impact on the companyâ€™s ability to trade, which has forced Exciting Events Limited to cease all trading activities immediately and the director of Exciting Events will now seek to limit the losses to third parties as far as possible.”

According to Lord, the company’s assets will be liquidated and would be distributed to their creditors, beginning with HM Revenue & Customs. Any remaining funds will then be split between other creditors, including customers that secured individual agreements for a refund at Fortnite Live’sÂ event on Saturday, February 16th, and those that received ticket cancellation emails before 10 am on Sunday.
Ticket holders for planned events in Spalding and Newark, now cancelled, will automatically be included on the creditor list.