Lost In Random Is What You Get If Tim Burton & Henry Selick Made A Game

Platform(s): PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Nintendo Switch, PC
Genre: Action-Adventure, Indie, Platformer, Deck-Building Elements
The main objective of EA Originals is to support creative and unique ideas from indie studios, and Lost In Random by Swedish indie developer Zoinks Games is definitely a shining example of what a successful product can be. I was genuinely surprised by how enjoyable and well-made the game is, not to mention how it all feels like playing through a delightfully creepy and atmospheric dark fairy tale.
Coraline Meets Kingdom Hearts

Most players’ first impression of Lost In Random will be its claymation or puppet-like visuals and dark creepy vibes. The game definitely feels like a homage to the works of Tim Burton and Henry Selick. Of course, the iconic animated movie is often referred to as Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), but Henry Selick was the director. Selick also went on to direct two more great movies similar in vibe and tone, which includes 1996’s James And The Giant Peach and 2009’s Coraline.
Combine all those aforementioned movies with a little spice of narrative flavour from Kingdom Hearts (in terms of the plot only, not gameplay), and you’ll get Lost In Random. It’s a gothic fantasy starring two sisters, Even and Odd. The protagonist of the game is Even. There are six cities in the world of Random, including their home, Onecroft, all of which is ruled by a tyrannical Queen. In something that’s reminiscent of the Hunger Games, children who reach the age of 12 must roll a dice. There are six cities and so, whatever number they end up with will determine where they’re going to live for the rest of their lives.
The game begins with Odd having to roll the dice and she ends up with a six, which means that she’s forced to go to Sixtopia (yes, all six cities have a number-themed name). Fast forward a year later, and Even gets dreams of her sister (Odd) in trouble. She follows a ghost and defies the odds (pun intended) to escape her city and rescue her sister. Along the way, she meets a living dice named Dicey with the power to give her weapons and magic to fight the robotic minions of the Queen and other evil threats in the six cities.

The design of the characters and dark humour in Lost In Random feels like The Nightmare Before Christmas or Coraline, but the lore of the game is deep as well, which is the part that reminded me of Kingdom Hearts. There’s stuff about a devastating ancient No Dice War, warrior-like Dice Wielders, and Even being the last Dice Wielder alive. Sounds familiar?
You should also expect a lot of dialogue in this game, and I do mean a lot. Almost half of the time you’ll be engaging in fetch quests and going from NPC to NPC interacting with them within each of the six cities of Random. I loved meeting zany new characters and exploring the unique story of each city (Onecroft, Two-Town, Threedom, Four-Burg, Fivetropolis, Sixtopia). It feels like playing through an animated story ala Tim Burton or Henry Selick, albeit one that’s 12 to 13 hours long.
The game overstays its welcome near the end by forcing players to go through gauntlets and waves of enemies to stall for time, but the tone and writing of the game will keep you entertained for most of the non-combat bits. Just be prepared for lots of dialogue, though what’s great is that all of the NPCs are voiced and the voice actors bring the fantasy world to life even more.
Royal Flush

Lost In Random employs an exciting mix of deck-building and real-time action combat. To be honest, I wasn’t particularly keen on the deck-building part before playing the game, but boy was I wrong. This game can even appeal to gamers who aren’t familiar with or don’t like deck-building games.
The combat may sound complicated at first but it’s not. It’s pretty simple. There is no levelling system or stats in this game. Every battle in the game begins like this; Even only has a slingshot and nothing else. You have to use the slingshot to shoot crystals that spawn on the body of enemies or sometimes in the environment. Once broken, these crystals leave behind shards that Dicey (your living dice companion) can pick up.
The crystal shards act as an energy resource for you to accumulate and summon your cards. Once you have enough energy, you can throw Dicey and time will stop, allowing you to use any cards that pop up. Now, every time you throw Dicey, just like any dice, he will roll a specific number. The cards that pop up once you throw Dicey will be randomly picked from your 15-card deck, and each card has its own value. For example, if your Dicey rolls a 3, then you can only use cards of which the total sum value is 3 (unless you have cards that can increase the rolled number).
There are more than 30 different cards in the game but your deck can only hold a maximum of 15 at any given time. The fun of the combat mechanics is building a deck that best complements your playstyle. There’s a surprising variety of card types too. There are Weapon cards that can summon breakable energy weapons like swords, lances or bows and arrows. There are Hazard cards that can summon cannons, giant hands, and little monsters. There are also Cheat cards that increase your health, give you extra values to be able to use more cards at a time, and more.

Battles can get chaotic once you get deeper into the game, and you always start each battle with zero energy and cards. Your slingshot doesn’t damage enemies, since it’s only for collecting crystal shards, and you need those to use Dicey and summon cards. That’s the cycle of every battle. Hit crystals on enemies with slingshot, collect enough to throw Dicey and hope you get a good hand of cards when you do roll Dicey.
It can get repetitive because the cycle of the battles remains the same from beginning to end. There are some special field battles where you move giant chess pieces on the battlefield, but you’ll be repeating the same mechanics as well. It doesn’t get old too fast, since you’ll have fun building your deck and experimenting with different cards.
Unfortunately, the game is more than 10 hours long (12 to 13, really), and the game tends to throw gauntlets and waves of enemies after you near the end, which can make the battles more annoying and frustrating at that point. I was clamouring for the game to finish near the end because it was obvious that the combat system is overstaying its welcome.
As for other flaws in Lost In Random, there is the game’s horrible map. The map looks aesthetically pleasing but it’s not practical or user-friendly at all. It’s more like a painting, and you can’t even see where you are at any given time on the map. Yes, you can’t see your location on the map, which essentially makes the map that much harder to navigate.
Random Rules

Lost In Random is probably the closest thing we’ll get to the feeling of playing a game with the tone and vibe of The Nightmare Before Christmas or Coraline. If that appeals to you, then you should definitely check out this game, especially with the exciting gameplay mix of deck-building and real-time action combat.
The game is ultimately too long, but if you play it in an episodic manner from world to world instead of rushing into it for review like I did, you’ll probably have an enjoyable time.
Pros

Atmospheric and dark Tim Burton-esque fantasy aesthetics and story.
An exciting mix of deck-building and real-time action combat.
Great writing and dark humour.

Cons

Gets a bit stale and overstays its welcome near the end.
A horrible map that makes navigation difficult.

Final Score: 80/100
Review copy provided by EA. Played on PS5.


PUBG Mobile Royal Pass Season 17 Is Now Live

As part of PUBG Mobile version 1.2 update, which brought new features including a new Runic Power theme gameplay in Erangel map, this month PUBG Mobile officially launched Royal Pass Season 17 with a “Runic Guard” theme. Delivering an unprecedented game variant with added equippable powers, in this latest season players can collect all-new collectable rewards by completing in-game challenges.
The Royale Pass Season 17 content update delivers 100 ranks of tiered rewards, all unlockable through new activity missions and weekly challenges. Players can spin the added Wheel of Fate to choose between the Resplendent Dawn and Deadly Sickle,Â when they have reached the 60th Royale Pass (RP) rank. The rewards given will get more attractive from rank to rank, at Rank 100 players can obtain Guardian Armor outfit and weapon collection fromÂ the majestic Guardian Armor Set, Uzi and M16A4.
Additionally, players can increase their Royale Pass rank with the new RP Team feature, by joining and completing various missions given to players and RP team. Through teamwork, together all members are able to move to a higher rank, unlock more attractive and valuable rewards, align with the RP that the team obtains.Â Mission Activity Packs can also be completed and converted into UC currency, which can be spent at the in-game shop for additional loot.
Some rewards that can be obtained during the Royale Pass (RP) mission is as follows:

Royale Pass

Item

Royale Pass

Item

RP 1

Faceless Clown Set and Resplendent Dawn-UZI

RP 50

Teal Terror-Vector and Deadly Sickle-Sickle

RP 5

Faceless Clown Headgear

RP 60

Resplendent Dawn Set or Resplendent Dawn Headgear

RP 10

Resplendent Dawn Ornament

RP 70

Resplendent Dawn Backpack

RP 20

Shoulder Dance Emote and Resplendent Dawn Helmet

RP 80

Guardian Armor Emote

RP 25

Party King Emote

RP 90

Guardian Armor-M16A4

RP 30

Deadly Sickle Parachute and Deadly Sickle Grenade

RP 100

Guardian Armor Set

RP 40

Dayman Airplane

Season 17 also delivers new content to the PUBG Mobile x Metro Exodus collaboration in the form of Metro Badges. As players collect exclusive supplies, they can unlock the story and earn one of two sets, including exclusive vehicles and other valuable treasures. Similarly, players can now choose between UC and AG currency at any time, which an increased payout at lower Royale Pass ranks.

PUBG Mobile Marketing Manager Jenny Zhuang said:

â€œRoyale Pass Season 17 theme was inspired by our newly introduced gameplay Runic Power mode as part of version 1.2 PUBG Mobile update.
We also added a new element, Opening Cinematic in Season 17 to visualize all the variety of exclusive items that are available.
Through continuous updates and innovation, we dedicated to deliver an unprecedented mobile game variant and a new gaming experience to all players.”

Royale Pass Season 17 version 1.2 update today is available on App Store and Google Play and can be downloaded with the Lightweight Installation Function for Android users. The feature reduces file size up to 70 percent but offers the same gaming experience. Now players who have limited memory capacity on their mobile, can also customize their own game, add or remove sections according to their preference.
Earlier this month, Runic Powers arrived in PUBG Mobile 1.2 update. In the meantime, check out the trailer below:


[Report] This Is Forza Horizon 4’s Full Car List So Far

Forza Horizon 4’s biggest draw is its number of cars, apart from the open world setting that reminds many of us of the awesome Burnout Paradise back in the day. Apparently, we’re getting 450 of these this time around according to a recent leak on Reddit via user willbsn13.
The list was discovered by PC gamers who pre-ordered the Ultimate Version and subsequently checked the files out. While the list is subject to change and will have new car additions since the game’s coming out this October, it’s nice to know that some old favourites from Forza Horizon 3 are making a comeback.
Here are a few takeaways according to the Reddit thread:

Volkswagen is in. Toyota road cars and Lexus are out. No one’s going to miss Lexus anyway.
The Volvo lineup is reduced to almost nothing.Â
There are more Audis and BMW models compared to past Forza Horizon titles.
You still get to drive the Warthog from the Halo series.
The following cars are new to the Forza series:Â 1964 Austin FX4 Taxi, 1958 Austin-Healey Sprite Mk I, 1965, Austin-Healey 3000 Mk III, 1931 Bentley 4Â½ Litre, 2011 Eagle Speedster, 2019 Ford Mustang GT, 2017 Ford #14 BFGoodrich Fiesta ST GRC, 1986 Ford Escort XR3i RS Turbo 1964 Ford GT40 Mk1, 1970 Land Rover Range Rover Classic, 2018 McLaren Senna, 2017 Mercedes-Benz Unimog, 1965 MG MGB GT, 2010 Morgan Aero Supersports, 1964 Peel P50, 1962 Triumph Spitfire, 1998 TVR Cerbera Speed 12, 2005 Vauxhall Monaro VXR, 2016 Volvo â€œIron Knightâ€ Racing Truck, 1983 Volkswagen Golf GTI, 2015 Volkswagen #551 El Cachoron Offroad Racing Baja Bug, and the 2017 Volkswagen #34 Rockstar Energy Drink Beetle GRC

Here’s the full Forza Horizon 4 car list for now. Your move, Gran Turismo.
Abarth – 3
1968 Abarth 595 Esseesse
1980 Abarth Fiat 131
2016 Abarth 695 Biposto
Acura – 3
2001 Acura Integra Type-R
2002 Acura RSX Type-S
2017 Acura NSX
Alfa Romeo – 9
1934 Alfa Romeo P3
1965 Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GTA Stradale
1965 Alfa Romeo Giulia TZ2
1968 Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale
2007 Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione
2007 Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione â€œForza Editionâ€
2014 Alfa Romeo 4C
2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio
2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio â€œForza Editionâ€
Alumi Craft – 2
2015 Alumi Craft Class 10 Race Car
2015 Alumi Craft Class 10 Race Car â€œForza Editionâ€
AMC – 1
1971 AMC Javelin AMX
AMG – 1
2554 AMG M12S Warthog CST
Ariel – 2
2013 Ariel Atom 500 V8
2016 Ariel Nomad
Aston Martin – 10
1958 Aston Martin DBR1
1960 Aston Martin DB4GT Zagato
1964 Aston Martin DB5
2010 Aston Martin One-77
2012 Aston Martin V12 Zagato
2012 Aston Martin Vanquish
2013 Aston Martin V12 Vantage S
2016 Aston Martin Vantage GT12
2016 Aston Martin Vulcan
2016 Aston Martin Vulcan â€œForza Editionâ€
2017 Aston Martin DB11
Audi – 17
1983 Audi Sport quattro
1983 Audi Sport quattro â€œForza Editionâ€
1986 Audi #2 Audi Sport Quattro S1
1995 Audi RS2 Avant
2001 Audi RS4 Avant
2003 Audi RS6
2006 Audi RS 4
2009 Audi RS6
2010 Audi TT RS CoupÃ©
2011 Audi RS 3 Sportback
2011 Audi RS 5 CoupÃ©
2013 Audi R8 CoupÃ© V10 plus 5.2 FSI quattro
2013 Audi RS 4 Avant
2015 Audi RS 6 Avant
2015 Audi S1
2015 Audi TTS CoupÃ©
2016 Audi R8 V10 plus
Austin – 1
1964 Austin FX4 Taxi
Austin-Healey – 2
1958 Austin-Healey Sprite Mk I
1965 Austin-Healey 3000 Mk III
Auto Union – 1
1939 Auto Union Type D
BAC – 1
2014 BAC Mono
Bentley – 5
1931 Bentley 4Â½ Litre Supercharged
2013 Bentley Continental GT Speed
2013 Bentley Continental GT Speed â€œForza Editionâ€
2016 Bentley Bentayga
2017 Bentley Continental Supersports
BMW – 25
1957 BMW Isetta 300 Export
1973 BMW 2002 Turbo
1981 BMW M1
1988 BMW M5 E28
1988 BMW M5 E28 â€œForza Editionâ€
1991 BMW M3 E30
1995 BMW M5 E34
1997 BMW M3 E36
2002 BMW Z3 M Coupe
2003 BMW M5 E39
2005 BMW M3 E46
2008 BMW M3 E92
2008 BMW Z4 M Coupe
2009 BMW M5 V10 E60
2011 BMW 1 Series M Coupe
2011 BMW X5 M
2011 BMW Z4 sDrive35is
2012 BMW M5 F10
2013 BMW M6 Coupe
2013 BMW M6 Coupe â€œForza Editionâ€
2014 BMW M4 Coupe
2015 BMW i8
2015 BMW X6 M
2016 BMW M2 CoupÃ©
2016 BMW M4 GTS
Bowler – 1
2012 Bowler EXR-S
Bugatti – 4
1926 Bugatti Type 35 C
1992 Bugatti EB110 Super Sport
2011 Bugatti Veyron Super Sport
2018 Bugatti Chiron
Buick – 1
1987 Buick Regal GNX
Cadillac – 3
2013 Cadillac XTS Limosuine
2016 Cadillac ATS-V Coupe
2016 Cadillac CTS-V Sedan
Caterham – 2
2013 Caterham Superlight R500
2013 Caterham Superlight R500 â€œForza Editionâ€
Chevrolet – 23
1953 Chevrolet Corvette
1955 Chevrolet 150 Utility Sedan
1957 Chevrolet Bel Air
1960 Chevrolet Corvette
1964 Chevrolet Impala Super Sport 409
1966 Chevrolet Nova Super Sport
1967 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray 427
1969 Chevrolet Nova Super Sport 396
1969 Chevrolet Nova Super Sport 396 â€œForza Editionâ€
1969 Chevrolet Camaro Super Sport Coupe
1970 Chevrolet Camaro Z28
1970 Chevrolet Chevelle Super Sport 454
1970 Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1
1970 Chevrolet El Camino Super Sport 454
1979 Chevrolet Camaro Z28
1988 Chevrolet Monte Carlo Super Sport
1990 Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z
1995 Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1
2002 Chevrolet Corvette Z06
2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1
2015 Chevrolet Corvette Z06
2015 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28
2017 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
Datsun – 1
1970 Datsun 510
Dodge – 10
1968 Dodge Dart Hemi Super Stock
1969 Dodge Charger Daytona HEMI
1969 Dodge Charger R/T
1970 Dodge Challenger R/T
1999 Dodge Viper GTS ACR
2008 Dodge Viper SRT10 ACR
2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat
2015 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat
2016 Dodge Viper ACR
2018 Dodge Durango SRT
Eagle – 1
2011 Eagle Speedster
Ferrari – 32
1948 Ferrari 166MM Barchetta
1953 Ferrari 500 Mondial
1957 Ferrari 250 California
1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa
1962 Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta Lusso
1962 Ferrari 250 GTO
1965 Ferrari 250 LM
1967 Ferrari 330 P4
1968 Ferrari 365 GTB/4
1969 Ferrari Dino 246 GT
1984 Ferrari 288 GTO
1987 Ferrari F40
1989 Ferrari F40 Competizione
1992 Ferrari 512 TR
1994 Ferrari F355 Berlinetta
1995 Ferrari F50
1996 Ferrari F50 GT
2002 Ferrari 575M Maranello
2002 Ferrari Enzo Ferrari
2003 Ferrari 360 Challenge Stradale
2007 Ferrari 430 Scuderia
2009 Ferrari 458 Italia
2010 Ferrari 599 GTO
2010 Ferrari 599XX
2011 Ferrari FF
2012 Ferrari F12berlinetta
2013 Ferrari 458 Speciale
2013 Ferrari LaFerrari
2014 Ferrari California T
2014 Ferrari FXX K
2015 Ferrari 488 GTB
2015 Ferrari F12tdf
Fiat – 2
1980 Fiat 124 Sport Spider
2017 Fiat 124 Spider Abarth
Ford – 44
1932 Ford De Luxe Five-Window Coupe
1940 Ford De Luxe Coupe
1946 Ford Super Deluxe Station Wagon
1956 Ford F-100
1965 Ford Mustang GT Coupe
1964 Ford GT40 Mk1
1966 Ford GT40 Mk II
1966 Ford Lotus Cortina
1969 Ford Mustang Boss 302
1972 Ford Falcon XA GT-HO
1972 Ford Falcon XA GT-HO â€œForza Editionâ€
1973 Ford Capri RS3100
1973 Ford Capri RS3100 â€œForza Editionâ€
1973 Ford Escort RS1600
1973 Ford XB Falcon GT
1975 Ford Bronco
1977 Ford Escort RS1800
1981 Ford Fiesta XR2
1985 Ford RS200 Evolution
1986 Ford Escort XR3I RS Turbo
1987 Ford Sierra Cosworth RS500
1992 Ford Escort RS Cosworth
1993 Ford SVT Cobra R
2000 Ford SVT Cobra R
2003 Ford Focus RS
2005 Ford GT
2009 Ford Focus RS
2010 Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor
2011 Ford Transit SuperSportVan
2011 Ford Transit SuperSport Van â€œForza Editionâ€
2011 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor
2013 Ford Shelby GT500
2014 Ford #11 Rockstar Energy Trophy Truck
2014 Ford Fiesta ST
2014 Ford FPV Limited Edition Pursuit Ute
2014 Ford Ranger T6 Rally Raid
2015 Ford Falcon GT F 351
2016 Ford GYMKHANA 9 Focus RS RX
2016 Ford Mustang GT350R
2017 Ford #14 BFGoodrich Fiesta ST GRC
2017 Ford F-150 Raptor
2017 Ford Focus RS
2017 Ford GT
2019 Ford Mustang GT
GMC – 1
1983 GMC Vandura G-1500
Hennessey – 1
2012 Hennessey Venom GT
Holden – 3
1973 Holden HQ Monaro GTS 350
1974 Holden Sandman HQ panel van
1977 Holden Torana A9X
Honda – 9
1991 Honda CR-X SiR
1992 Honda NSX-R
1997 Honda Civic Type R
2004 Honda Civic Type-R
2005 Honda NSX-R
2007 Honda Civic Type R
2009 Honda S2000 CR
2015 Honda Ridgeline Baja Trophy Truck
2016 Honda Civic Type-R
Hoonigan – 6
1955 Hoonigan Chevrolet Bel Air
1965 Hoonigan Ford â€œHoonicornâ€ Mustang
1972 Hoonigan Chevrolet â€œNapalm Nova
1978 Hoonigan Ford Escort RS1800
1991 Hoonigan Rauh-Welt Begriff Porsche 911 Turbo
1992 Hoonigan Mazda RX-7 Twerkstallion
HSV – 2
2014 HSV GTS
2014 HSV Limited Edition GEN-F GTS Maloo
HUMMER – 1
2006 HUMMER H1 Alpha
Infiniti – 1
2014 Infiniti Q50 Eau Rouge
International – 1
1970 International Scout 800A
Jaguar – 12
1954 Jaguar XK120 SE
1956 Jaguar D-Type
1961 Jaguar E-Type S1
1967 Jaguar Mk II 3.8
1990 Jaguar XJ-S
1993 Jaguar XJ220
2012 Jaguar XKR-S
2015 Jaguar F-Type R CoupÃ©
2015 Jaguar XE-S
2015 Jaguar XFR-S
2015 Jaguar XKR-S GT
2016 Jaguar F Type Project 7
2017 Jaguar F-PACE S
Jeep – 5
1945 Jeep Willys MB
1976 Jeep CJ5 Renegade
2012 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon
2016 Jeep Trailcat
2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk
Koenigsegg – 3
2011 Koenigsegg Agera
2015 Koenigsegg One:1
2016 Koenigsegg Regera
KTM – 1
2013 KTM X-Bow R
Lamborghini – 16
1967 Lamborghini Miura P400
1986 Lamborghini LM 002
1988 Lamborghini Countach LP5000 QV
1997 Lamborghini Diablo SV
2008 Lamborghini ReventÃ³n
2008 Lamborghini Reventon â€œForza Editionâ€
2010 Lamborghini MurciÃ©lago LP 670-4 SV
2011 Lamborghini Gallardo LP470-4 Superleggera
2011 Lamborghini Sesto Elemento
2012 Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4
2012 Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 â€œForza Editionâ€
2013 Lamborghini Veneno
2014 Lamborghini HurÃ¡can LP 610-4
2014 Lamborghini Urus
2016 Lamborghini Aventador LP750-4 SV
2016 Lamborghini Centenario LP770-4
Lancia – 7
1968 Lancia Fulvia CoupÃ© Rallye 1.6 HF
1974 Lancia Stratos HF Stradale
1975 Lancia Stratos HF Group 4
1982 Lancia 037 Stradale
1985 Lancia Delta S4 Group B
1986 Lancia Delta S4
1992 Lancia Delta HF Integrale EVO
Land Rover – 5
1970 Land Rover Range Rover Classic
1972 Land Rover Series III
1972 Land Rover Series III â€œForza Editionâ€
1997 Land Rover Defender 90
2015 Land Rover Range Rover Sport SVR
Local Motors – 1
2014 Local Motors Rally Fighter
Lola – 1
1969 Lola #6 Penske Sonoco T70 MkIIIB
Lotus – 10
1956 Lotus Eleven
1971 Lotus Elan Sprint
1997 Lotus Elise GT1
2000 Lotus 340R
2002 Lotus Esprit V8
2005 Lotus Elise 111S
2009 Lotus 2-Eleven
2011 Lotus Evora S
2012 Lotus Exige S
2016 Lotus 3-Eleven
Maserati – 6
1939 Maserati 8CTF
1953 Maserati A6GCS/53 Pininfarina Berlinetta
1961 Maserati Tipo 61 Birdcage
2004 Maserati MC12
2004 Maserati MC12 â€œForza Editionâ€
2010 Maserati Gran Turismo S
Mazda – 7
1990 Mazda Savannah RX-7
1994 Mazda MX-5 Miata
1997 Mazda RX-7
2005 Mazda Mazdaspeed MX-5
2011 Mazda RX-8 R3
2013 Mazda MX-5
2016 Mazda MX-5
McLaren – 7
1993 McLaren F1
1997 McLaren F1 GT
2013 McLaren P1
2015 McLaren 570S CoupÃ©
2015 McLaren 650S Coupe
2017 McLaren 720S
2018 McLaren Senna
Mercedes-AMG – 3
2015 Mercedes-AMG GT S
2016 Mercedes-AMG C 63 S CoupÃ©
2017 Mercedes-AMG GT R
Mercedes-Benz – 14
1939 Mercedes-Benz W154
1954 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL CoupÃ©
1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR
1990 Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.5-16 Evolution II
1998 Mercedes-Benz AMG CLK GTR
2009 Mercedes-Benz SL 65 AMG Black Series
2009 Mercedes-Benz SL 65 AMG Black Series â€œForza Editionâ€
2011 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG
2012 Mercedes-Benz C 63 AMG CoupÃ© Black Series
2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK 55 AMG
2013 Mercedes-Benz A 45 AMG
2013 Mercedes-Benz E 63 AMG
2013 Mercedes-Benz G 65 AMG
2015 Mercedes-Benz #24 Tankpool24 Racing Truck
2017 Mercedes-Benz Unimog
Mercury – 1
1949 Mercury Coupe
Meyers – 1
1971 Meyers Manx
MG – 3
1958 MG MGA Twin Cam
1965 MG MGB GT
1986 MG Metro 6R4
MINI – 4
1965 MINI Cooper S
2009 MINI John Cooper Works
2012 MINI John Cooper Works GP
2013 MINI Monster Energy All4 Racing X-Raid Countryman
Mitsubishi – 6
1992 Mitsubishi Galant VR-4
1995 Mitsubishi Eclipse GSX
1999 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI GSR
2004 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII MR
2006 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX MR
2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X GSR
Morgan – 2
2010 Morgan Aero Supersports
2014 Morgan 3 Wheeler
Nissan – 24
1969 Nissan Fairlady Z 432
1971 Nissan Skyline 2000GT-R
1973 Nissan Skyline H/T 2000GT-R
1987 Nissan Skyline GTS-R (R31)
1992 Nissan Silvia CLUB Kâ€™s
1993 Nissan 240SX SE
1994 Nissan Silvia Kâ€™s
1993 Nissan Skyline GT-R V-Spec
1995 Nissan Skyline GT-R R33 NISMO LM
1995 Nissan Skyline GT-R R33 NISMO LM â€œForza Editionâ€
1997 Nissan Skyline GT-R V-Spec
1998 Nissan R390
1998 Nissan Silvia Kâ€™s
2000 Nissan Silvia Spec-R
2002 Nissan Skyline GT-R V-Spec II
2003 Nissan Fairlady Z
2010 Nissan 370Z
2012 Nissan GT-R Black Edition
2016 Nissan Titan Warrior Concept
2016 Nissan Titan Warrior Concept â€œForza Editionâ€
2017 Nissan GT-R
Noble – 1
2010 Noble M600
Oldsmobile – 1
1969 Oldsmobile Hurst/Olds 442
Opel – 1
1984 Opel Manta 400
Pagani – 5
2009 Pagani Zonda Cinque Roadster
2010 Pagani Zonda R
2010 Pagani Zonda R â€œForza Editionâ€
2012 Pagani Huayra
2016 Pagani Huayra BC
Peel – 1
1964 Peel P50
Penhall – 1
2011 Penhall The Cholla
Peugeot – 2
1984 Peugeot 205 T16
1984 Peugeot 205 T16 â€œForza Editionâ€
Plymouth – 1
1971 Plymouth Cuda 426 HEMI
Polaris – 1
2015 Polaris RZR XP 1000 EPS
Pontiac – 4
1969 Pontiac GTO Judge
1973 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am SD-455
1977 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am
1987 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am GTA
Porsche – 23
1955 Porsche 550A Spyder
1957 Porsche 356A Speedster
1960 Porsche 718 RS 60
1970 Porsche 914/6
1973 Porsche Carrera 2.7 RS
1982 Porsche 911 Turbo 3.3
1987 Porsche 959
1989 Porsche 944 Turbo
1995 Porsche 911 GT2
1998 Porsche 911 GT1 Strassenversion
2003 Porsche Carrera GT
2004 Porsche 911 GT3
2012 Porsche Cayenne Turbo
2012 Porsche 911 GT2 RS
2012 Porsche 911 GT3 RS 4.0
2014 Porsche 911 Turbo S
2014 Porsche 918 Spyder
2015 Porsche Macan Turbo
2015 Porsche Cayman GTS
2016 Porsche 911 GT3 RS
2016 Porsche Cayman GT4
2017 Porsche Panamera Turbo
2018 Porsche 911 GT2 RS w/ Weissach Package
2018 Porsche Cayenne Turbo
Radical – 1
2015 Radical RXC Turbo
Ram – 1
2017 Ram 2500 Power Wagon
Reliant – 1
1972 Reliant Supervan III
Renault – 8
1973 Renault Alpine A110 1600S
1980 Renault 5 Turbo
1980 Renault 5 Turbo â€œForza Editionâ€
1993 Renault Clio Williams
2010 Renault Clio RS
2010 Renault Clio RS â€œForza Editionâ€
2010 Renault Megane RS 250
2013 Renault Clio RS 200
RJ Anderson – 1
2016 RJ Anderson #37 Polaris RZR-Rockstar Energy Pro 2 Truck
Saleen – 1
2004 Saleen S7
Shelby – 2
1965 Shelby Cobra 427 S/C
1965 Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe
SRT – 1
2013 SRT Viper GTS
Subaru – 9
1990 Subaru Legacy RS
1998 Subaru Impreza 22B STi
2004 Subaru Impreza WRX STI
2005 Subaru Impreza WRX STI
2008 Subaru Impreza WRX STI
2011 Subaru WRX STI
2013 Subaru BRZ
2015 Subaru WRX STi
2016 Subaru #199 WRX STI VT15r Rally Car
Talbot – 1
1979 Talbot Lotus Sunbeam
Toyota – 3
1993 Toyota #1 T100 Baja Truck
2007 Toyota Hilux Arctic Trucks AT38
2016 Toyota Land Cruiser Arctic Trucks AT37
Triumph – 1
1962 Triumph Spitfire
TVR – 3
1998 TVR Cerbera Speed 12
2005 TVR Sagaris
2005 TVR Sagaris â€œForza Editionâ€
Ultima – 1
2015 Ultima Evolution Coupe 1020
Vauxhall – 4
1990 Vauxhall Lotus Carlton
2005 Vauxhall Monaro VXR
2012 Vauxhall Astra VXR
2016 Vauxhall Corsa VXR
Volkswagen – 16
1963 Volkswagen Beetle
1963 Volkswagen Type 2 De Luxe
1963 Volkswagen Type 2 De Luxe â€œForza Editionâ€
1970 Volkswagen #1107 Desert Dingo Racing Stock Bug
1981 Volkswagen Scirocco S
1983 Volkswagen Golf GTI
1992 Volkswagen Golf Gti 16v Mk2
1995 Volkswagen Corrado VR6
1998 Volkswagen GTI VR6 Mk3
2003 Volkswagen Golf R32
2008 Volkswagen Touareg R50
2010 Volkswagen Golf R
2011 Volkswagen Scirocco R
2014 Volkswagen Golf R
2015 Volkswagen #551 El Cachoron Offroad Racing Baja Bug
2017 Volkswagen #34 Rockstar Energy Drink Beetle GRC
Volvo – 4
1983 Volvo 242 Turbo Evolution
1997 Volvo 850 R
2015 Volvo V60 Polestar
2016 Volvo â€œIron Knightâ€ Racing Truck
Zenvo – 1
2016 Zenvo ST1


PS4 Bundles Get Rat-iculous Discounts With PlayStation CNY Deals

Sony Interactive Entertainment Singapore Private Limited (SIES) has announced the ‘Raticulous Offers’, which will run from 31 January 2020 to 9 February 2020. There will be massive discounts on PS4 console bundles and accessories for a limited time during the Chinese New Year festive period.
Throughout the ‘Raticulous Offers’ period, you can enjoy the following PS4 bundles and controllers from PlayStation Authorised Dealers and Sony Centres nationwide in Malaysia (check out the list of stores here):

PS4 Pro PARTY BUNDLE at a promotional price of RM1,549 (discount of RM350).
PS4 PARTY BUNDLE at a promotional price of RM1,099 (discount of RM350).
PS4 DUALSHOCKÂ®4 Wireless Controller (selected colours only) at a promotional price of RM179 (discount of RM60).

The PS4 Pro PARTY BUNDLE comes in a stunning black sleeve box, which includes:

FIFA 20Â (Disc) andÂ Crash Team Racing Nitro-FueledÂ (Disc).
A PS4 Pro system (CUH-7218B B01, Jet Black, 1TB HDD).
Two DUALSHOCK 4 Wireless Controllers (Jet Black).
1+1 years of Extended Warranty.

Meanwhile, the PS4 Party Bundle comes in a contrasting white sleeve box, which includes:

FIFA 20Â (Disc) andÂ Crash Team Racing Nitro-FueledÂ (Disc).
A PS4 system (CUH-2218A B01, Jet Black, 500GB HDD).
Two DUALSHOCK 4 Wireless Controllers (Jet Black).
1+1 years of Extended Warranty.


Trackmania Celebrates Second Anniversary With Free Weekend & New Content

Ubisoft celebrates the second anniversary of Trackmania with the announcement of an all-new summer season, The Trackmania World Cup 2022, a free weekend, and the launch of Green Game Jam initiative.
Trackmania is also proud to announce that players across the globe have surpassed themselves for a second year in a row, reaching over 280,000 tracks created and shared, 35,700 3D tracks items, 125,000 car skins, and near 100,000,000 personal best record.
Summer has arrived on Trackmania with the brand-new official campaign. Available for Free on 1 July 2022, the Summer 2022 campaign is the 9th seasonal campaign in Trackmania and which includes 25 new tracks to compete on and 100 new medals to collect. The Trackmania Grand League World Cup kicks-off on 1 July 2022.
Concluding the 2021-2022 season of the Trackmania Grand League (TMGL), the World Cup is a moment of celebration where players and fans come together and enjoy peak Trackmania action as the top 16 players around the world will race for the title and cash prize. The event will welcome a live audience for the final day of the event on 3 July 2022 at the Stade de France Auditorium near Paris, France.
“Trackmania, One Million Trees” is a “by players, for players” Green Game Jam initiative to raise awareness about the positive impact of planting trees. From 11 July to 15 September 2022, a community contest will invite all creative players to create green tracks and share within the tracks their knowledge about environmental challenges and potential solutions. The 7 best of them will be selected for the “Trackmania Green Week” starting on 3 October 2022.
From 9 July to 12 July 2022, all players will be able to access for free the exclusive Track Of The Day online servers and Cup Of The Day content, normally reserved to premium accesses, which highlight the amazing tracks created by players for players. Both content allow everyone to enrich one’s medals collection, earn new trophies and climb the worldwide rankings. More info about the Cup Of The Day available here.
Trackmania is available in the Epic Games Store and the Ubisoft Store.


Next Dead Or Alive 6 DLC Character Is A Well-Known Ninja Gaiden Blondie

The Dead or Alive series of fighting games have always incorporated characters from Ninja Gaiden in its entries. At this point, they should be made a part of the free base roster but some Ninja Gaiden characters, including this latest one, are still being released as DLC characters.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meMfFtCkcQ8&w=560&h=315]
Rachel, the skin-generous blonde bombshell from the Ninja Gaiden series is finally coming back to Dead or Alive. Those of you who bought Season Pass 3 for Dead or Alive 6 will be getting her as the new DLC fighter but she will still be available for separate purchase.
Rachel will debut with a set of 5 extra costumes which are Happy Wedding costume, Pirates of the 7 Seas costume, Seaside Eden costume, Summer Breeze Collection, and Santa Bikini. Clearly she was added because of her stunning personality.
It’s honestly a bit depressing to see more things being added to this game as paid DLC because if you look at the list of separate individual DLCs this game has, there’s more than RM4,000 worth of stuff you can buy. That will get you at least 2 PS4 Pros and some leftover cash for games. But hey, you do you, 3D fighting game fan.


[Report] Fallout 76 Is A Multiplayer Online Survival Game

So we’ve got a glimpse of Bethesda’s latest entry in the Fallout series: Fallout 76. Beyond that and a cover of that famous John Denver song playing in the background, we know squat about it.
https://www.facebook.com/kakuchopurei/videos/1436502959787448/
At least until this Kotaku report popped up. Turns out Fallout 76 will be an online multiplayer survival game and will be heavily inspired by games like DayZ and Rust. We’ll break it down:

Originally prototyped as a multiplayer version of Fallout 4 with the goal of envisioning what an online Fallout game might look like, Fallout 76 has evolved quite a bit over the past few years, sources said.
The game will have quests and a story, like any other game from Bethesda Game Studios, a developer known for meaty RPGs like Skyrim. It will also feature base-buildingâ€”just like 2015’s Fallout 4â€”and other survival-based and multiplayer mechanics, according to those sources.
One source from the Kotaku report cautioned that the gameplay is rapidly changing, like it does in many online â€œserviceâ€ games, but thatâ€™s the core outline.
Lore-wise, the game takes place 20 years after the nuclear blast, meaning that Fallout 76’s world will be less populated and civilised as compared to Fallout 3 and Fallout 4 which takes place 200 years after.
The game is scheduled for an October release this year.

Guess we’ll have to wait until E3 to confirm all of this. Personally, this may be an extension of Fallout: New Vegas’ hardcore survival mode, so really, this is just the next step.


The 30 Best Games Of 2021: #11

Every day from this week of December to January 2021, we’ll be posting our top 30 games of 2021 daily. Here’s number 11.
#11. Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker

Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5
It took about a decade, but Final Fantasy XIV has truly become the de facto FF game of its generation. So it’s really unsurprising that the game’s storyline has ended in the most meaningful and epic way possible.
To quote our review, Final Fantasy XIV EndwalkerÂ is a narrative triumph, not just as a satisfying conclusion toÂ Final Fantasy XIV, but also as among the best stories thatÂ Final FantasyÂ has to offer. In spite of all expectations and impossibility, this is a tale that skillfully melds the themes weâ€™ve come to know and love from the franchise â€“ of adventure, heroism, camaraderie, and more. It is the culmination of a decadeâ€™s worth of experiences, filled with emotion and heart, all the while asking the question of where we stand at the journeyâ€™s end.
This also means that the future of Final Fantasy will be in the right hands if it involves FFXIV developer & producer Naoki Yoshida, who is still the top Black Mage of FFXIV in the leaderboards. Talk about being dedicated to your craft.


The Demon Slayer Season 3 Hashiras Are Getting Their Own Nendoroid Figures

During the WonHobby 33 exhibition, the Good Smile Company announced that two new major characters from Demon Slayer Season 3 will be getting their own Nendoroid figures. These are Mist Hashira Muichiro Tokito and Love Hashira Mitsuri Kanroji, who will be the focus of the upcoming Swordsmith Village Arc.
Check them out:

However, there are currently no details on the release date.
Meanwhile, tickets are now on sale for the Demon Slayer Season 3 one-hour special episode fan screenings, which will be happening on 25 February 2023. You can book now by heading over here.
Demon Slayer Seasons 1 and 2, as well as the Mugen Train movie, are now streaming on Netflix. In the meantime, you can also check out my review of the Demon Slayer Kimetsu No Yaiba The Hinokami Chronicles video game by heading over here.


Resident Evil Village Is Getting Multiple Timed Demos, PlayStation Gets Early Access

During the second Resident Evil Village Showcase live stream, Capcom announced that Resident Evil VillageÂ is getting multiple demos, but it’s a bit confusing. There will be two demos, but they will only be available during limited timeframes and periods of time.
Let me break it down:
Resident Evil Village Demo

The PlayStation-exclusive demos are called 8 Hours In Village.
The first takes place on 17 April 2021, where players will have an eight-hour window to play 30 minutes of the Village Demo. On 24 April 2021, PlayStation users will get another eight-hour window to play 30 minutes of the Castle Demo.
Fortunately, PlayStation owners can already pre-load the demos now so they’ll be ready to go when the eight-hour windows open.
Finally, on 1 May 2021, both the Village and Castle Demos will become available on PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Stadia, and PC via Steam for a period of 24 hours. Players will be able to play one hour in total for both of the demos, and it’s up to you which area to play in.
Check out the details below:
Village Demo — PS4/PS5 Early Access (30 Minutes Total)

North America: 5pm PDT / 8pm EDT on 17 April 2021 to 1am PDT / 4am EDT on 18 April 2021.
Europe: 5pm UTC / 6pm BTC / 7pm CEST on 18 April 2021 to 1am UTC / 2am BTC / 3am CEST on 19 April 2021.
Asia: 5pm GMT+8 on 18 April 2021 to 1am GMT+8 on 19 April 2021.

Castle Demo — PS4/PS5 Early Access (30 Minutes Total)

North America: 5pm PDT / 8pm EDT on 24 April 2021 to 1am PDT / 4am EDT on 25 April 2021.
Europe: 5pm UTC / 6pm BTC / 7pm CEST on 25 April 2021 to 1am UTC / 2am BTC / 3am CEST on 26 April 2021.
Asia: 5pm GMT+8 on 25 April 2021 to 1am GMT+8 on 26 April 2021.

Village And Castle Demo — All Platforms (60 Minutes Total)

North America: 5pm PDT / 8pm EDT on 1 May 2021 to 5pm PDT / 8pm EDT 2 May 2021.
Europe: 12am UTC / 1am BST / 2am CEST on 2 May 2021 to 12am UTC / 1am BST / 2am CEST on 3 May 2021.
Asia: 8am GMT+8 on 2 May 2021 to 8am GMT+8 on 3 May 2021.

Resident Evil Village Mercenaries

Capcom also announced Mercenaries mode will return in Resident Evil Village. It’s basically a fast-paced arcade-style mode. Players can buy different guns, ammo, and weapons upgrades in between levels, as well as special abilities that give you perks and provide bonuses like faster sprint speed, more endurance and higher damage.

New Resident Evil Village Trailer
The new Resident Evil Village trailer gives us more gameplay footage and more werewolves.
Resident Evil Village is slated to release for the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and PC on 7 May 2021. In the meantime, check out our highlights in the video below, as well as screenshots:


The Late Kevin Conroy Reveals Difficult Recording Process For Batman Arkham Games

An official Warner Bros. interview with the late legendary Kevin Conroy has recently resurfaced. In the interview, he spoke about his experience recording voice lines for Batman in the Rocksteady Games’ Batman Arkham franchise and it turns out that the experience was not actually a good one for the late actor.
The late Kevin Conroy said:
“Then suddenly I had to do a game [and] they have to have each voice completely clean in it’s own take,” said Conroy. “You do four hours a day alone, in a booth, in a vacuum, creating the character, keeping the character’s voice alive, and then creating the situation for each line… and then they want it three times.
You know, ‘Give it to us angry! Oh, keep that anger and give it to us with a little irony! Oh, we love the anger and we love the irony, now just sweeten it with a little bit of love.’
By the time you get out of there you’re pulling out your hair, you’re going, ‘What the fuck do they want me to say!?’ So you do that for four hours, and then you get an hour for lunch, and then you do four hours more! And that goes on for a week, just you.
And then you get a couple weeks off while they’re writing more stuff, then they bring you back in. Arkham Knight, the third in the trilogy, took two years to put together and it was 37,000 lines of dialogue!”
The late Kevin Conroy’s final performance as Batman will be in the upcoming Suicide Squad Kill The Justice League, which will launch on 26 May 2023 on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
Check out the full interview below:


Razer Opens New Southeast Asian HQ In Singapore

Today, Razer celebrated the grand opening of its new Southeast Asia Headquarters. The ceremony was officiated by Mr. Heng Swee Keat, Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore, who applauded Razer for shaping and nurturing the gaming community both locally, and around the world. The sleek new office is strategically located in one-north, Singaporeâ€™s technology and business hub, to facilitate Razerâ€™s hypergrowth strategy in the region.
Razer Co-Founder and CEO Min-Liang Tan said:

â€œWith the new Razer Southeast Asia Headquarters, weâ€™re excited to expand our family in Singapore from 600 to 1,000 employees. Our gamer-centric ecosystem has redefined the gaming experience for more than a decade with the introduction of innovative solutions and whole new product categories, and weâ€™re not planning on slowing down.
The new regional hub represents everything that Razer stands for, from innovation, to design, to sustainability, and will not only be home to Razerâ€™s growing staff, but to up-and-coming entrepreneurs, and even gamers looking for a place to train and learn as well.â€

The Razer Southeast Asia Headquarters is the latest addition to one-northâ€™s iconic skyline

Standing tall as one of the most distinctive architectural landmarks in one-north, Razerâ€™s new headquarters features an iconic black faÃ§ade with acid green lines streaking across the building â€“ a tribute to the brandâ€™s instantly recognizable aesthetic. The interior was designed to inspire creativity and innovation, while facilitating the free flow of information amongst Razer staff. Razerâ€™s offices in the United States, Germany and Singapore are already Great Place to WorkÂ®-certifiedÂ and with the new Southeast Asia Headquarters, Razer is poised to extend its propositions to be a place to do great work.
The public is also welcomed to the Razer Southeast Asia Headquarters for a chance to visit the first RazerStore in Singapore and get coffee served at the RazerCafe.

RazerStore Singapore offers fans a chance to sample and explore Razerâ€™s full range of award-winning products to truly immerse themselves in the next generation of gaming experiences. Visitors will also be able to get a first-hand look at Razerâ€™s latest innovations and creations.
Razer is also introducing a new F&B concept that marries technology, design and refreshments through a state-of-the-art robotic barista arm. At the RazerCafe, guests can order a beverage at the store or pre-order a cup of coffee via the RazerCafe App and collect it in-store. The AI will then make an unrivalled aromatic latte, tailored precisely to each customerâ€™s unique tastes. In line with Razer’s #GoGreenWithRazer efforts, the RazerCafe has been designed with sustainability elements in mind.
RazerStore Singapore and RazerCafe will be open to visitors from October 28, 2021.
A Sustainable and Smart Place to Work

The new Razer Southeast Asia Headquarters embodies the companyâ€™s sustainability initiativeÂ #GoGreenWithRazer, Razerâ€™s ten-year plan to preserve nature and protect the environment. Equipped with eco-friendly features, such as solar panels to power parts of the day-to-day operations and sensor-enabled lighting system for energy effectiveness, the building has been conferred the Green Mark GoldPLUSÂ certification by the Building and Construction Authorities in Singapore.
Fulfilling a brand promise that was made earlier this year, Razerâ€™s new Southeast Asia Headquarters incorporates sustainable practices such as removing all single-use plastics and utilizing BAMBOOLOO â€“ The Nurturing Co.â€™s brand of sustainable paper products.
Designed For Gamers. By Gamers.

Razer will continue to forge close partnerships with various stakeholders and esports federations in Southeast Asia to support the growth of esports in the region. Furthermore, Razer has allocated a designated space in its new regional headquarters just for hosting esports workshops, training sessions, and supporting local esports teams and talents.
Razer has also partnered with Asiaâ€™s leading flexible workspace provider, JustCo to offer businesses a holistic workspace solution and better support the implementation of their hybrid work or workforce decentralization arrangements within Razerâ€™s creative hub. Since its founding, Razer has played a paramount role in the development of the technology and gaming ecosystem within Singapore and remains committed to driving the countryâ€™s Smart Nation ambitions.
To celebrate the opening of Razerâ€™s Southeast Asia Headquarters opening with fans across the region, Razer will hold a live streaming event in November. For more information, please visit Razerâ€™s social media channels on Facebook,Â Twitch,Â InstagramÂ andÂ TikTok.


The “F” in Samsung S21 FE Is More “Filler” Than “Fan”

As I was prodding about the review unit of the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G, it hit me: what is the main angle of sale of this particular model? What’s the spiel? Where are you headed at, Samsung?
Despite the market being littered with slabs of plastic, aluminum and glass of roughly the same size – most phones are still distinguishable from one another. As a reviewer who focuses more on the device’s day-to-day performance and useful-worthiness while taking into account its price and performance; each model presents a unique proposition that sets it apart from its preceding model and the next. But with what appears to be Samsung’s interim model between the S21 and the S22, the S21 FE suffers from the middle child syndrome – the lack of attention from the parents; being caught in the middle – it’s neither here nor there.
Sharing the unmistakably identical silhouette as last year’s Samsung S21 5G and the upcoming S22 5G, the S21 FE shares all the physical traits of its S-line siblings. However, released about a year from its predecessor and a few weeks ahead of the arrival of the 2022 model, increments that come with the FE are so minuscule and hardly noticeable that is fair to label it as receiving a spec-nudge rather than a spec-bump.
Fanning Flames

If you’ve had your hands on the original S21 5G, you will have a hard time listing down the differences. In spite of an ever-so-slightly larger footprint and weighing a few grams more, the FE does not feel cumbersome to handle which is a plus in our books. However, instead of incorporating the fingerprint sensor under the main screen, we do wish that Samsung incorporated it into the power button – like on the Z Flip 3.
Having been used to a ‘slimmer’ form with the Z Flip 3, shifting the thumb to unlock this relatively wide-ish phone with one hand required some hand gymnastics. Those with smaller hands may find this troublesome and we highly recommend testing it out at showrooms or tech shops prior to purchasing.
Camera-wise, the FE suffers a slight downgrade for its rear-facing still and video cameras but is compensated with a snappy front-facing selfie camera. This isn’t to say the photos taken with the FE are bad. They are far from it. Actually, we are very satisfied with the photos taken and unless you are a superuser who dabbles in professional level photo and video-editing,Â  the FE more than serves its purpose as a reliable, day-to-day snapper.

In short, the FE is basically the “reimagined” and more affordable “OG” S21 model with a slightly larger battery. Some corners were obviously cut when it comes to its outer shell, for example, but it serves its purpose while maintaining that “premium” look and feel.Â  One good example of this is the outer body’s camera cutout, which looks similar to the 2021 model. But look closely and gone is the seamless transition between the aluminium frame into the camera module. Many might overlook this but once you are aware of it, is very unnoticeable.
One thing you’ll also instantly notice is how peculiar this phone costs. We honestly believe it should be cheaper – at least by RM500 considering the compromises tacked on. On paper the price disparity between the FE and the original S21 is jarring but once you take things into context, you’ll soon start to see the bigger picture which makes last year’s model an even more appealing proposition.
Get The F Out
RM2,899 gets you the 128GB base variant of the S21 FE. Adding another RM200 to RM3,099 nets you the 256GB one. Relatively cheap, right? But hang on a second. RM3,099 is only a hundred ringgits off from the ‘OG’ version which is currently selling RM3,199 for the 256GB version. If you are on a tight budget, you may be contented with the base S21 FE variant but considering you are only RM300 away from last year’s ‘full-spec’ S21, surely that is a more attractive offer, right?
Ultimately, you should only get the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE if you absolutely have to get the more recent model. While the FE offers a very attractive overall package, the fact that it is priced too close to the original S21 model puts it in a very awkward position; thus it’s hard for us to recommend it.
Moreover, if you happen to have some spare change lying around, you may even be much better off holding off for this year’s version, the S22 and S22+ models. We should be reviewing these models down the road, so do stay tuned to Kakuchopurei for when they drop.
Final Score: 70/10

Vital Statistics
Platform: Android 12, One UI 4
Body: 155.7 x 74.5 x 7.9 mm (6.13 x 2.93 x 0.31 in), 177g
Frame: Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), plastic back, aluminum frame with IP68 dust/water resistance
Chipset: Qualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G (5 nm)
CPU: Octa-core (1×2.84 GHz Kryo 680 & 3×2.42 GHz Kryo 680 & 4×1.80 GHz Kryo 680)
GPU: Adreno 660
Display: Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+; 6.4 inches, 98.9 cm2Â (~85.3% screen-to-body ratio)
Memory (Internal): 128GB 6GB RAM; 128GB 8GB RAM; 256GB 8GB RAM
Main Camera: 12 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/1.76″, 1.8Âµm, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS; 8 MP, f/2.4, 76mm (telephoto), 1/4.5″, 1.0Âµm, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom; 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 123Ëš (ultrawide), 1/3.0″, 1.12Âµm
Sound: Stereo speakers, no jacks given
Battery: Li-Ion 4500 mAh, non-removable
Price: Starts from RM 2,899 (256GB)
A review unit of the S21 FE was sent to us for review by Samsung Malaysia.Â


Taipei Game Show Delayed Thanks To Coronavirus Outbreak

Sad news for fans of gaming expos and trade shows in Taiwan and Taipei. This year’s Taipei Game Show has been delayed to Summer due to the Coronavirus outbreak. The event’s original date was supposed to be 6th to 9th February.
The location will still remain at the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Centre, Hall 1. The Taipei Game Show organizers will announce a new “specific time and date” in a few weeks’ time. The expo will be hosting multiple panels and a series of PlayStation briefings, including new details about the Final Fantasy VII Remake by Square Enix’s Yoshinori Kitase.
Apart from claiming lives, the Coronavirus outbreak has been postponing other major events and tournaments like the China leg of the Overwatch League and possibly the AESF e-Masters Chengdu.


Konami Renews Trademark For Suikoden Ahead of Tokyo Game Show 2022

It has surfaced that Konami has renewed the trademark for its RPG series Suikoden.
The filing was originally made back in June but has only begun actively circulated this week following Konami revealing plans to announce a new game related to “a classic series” during Tokyo Game Show (TGS).
This could amount to nothing but clues do have us thinking otherwise. Konami has said its TGS reveal will be hosted by voice actor Yuji Kaji, who provided the voice for Jowy in Suikoden 2 and Suikoden Tierkreis.
“Voice actor Yuji Kaji will be invited as a guest to represent the fans of a series which is loved all over the world, on the announcement stage for a new Konami title,”
a listing for Konami’s TGS session reads.
One publishing source had previously told Video Games Chronicle that the reveal is likely to be related to a smaller project, rather than Konami’s larger planned revivals for Castlevania, Silent Hill and Metal Gear Solid — the first of which is understood to be furthest along in development.
The Suikoden series began in 1995 in Japan on the PlayStation. It would later release in North America in 1996 and then in Europe in 1997. A Sega Saturn release followed in 1998.
Suikoden 2 followed in Japan in 1998, North America in 1999 and PAL regions in 2000. The third game in the series was released in both Japan and North America in 2002, but wouldn’t see a PAL release until 2015 when it was made available on the PlayStation Network.
The last entry in the series was released in all regions in 2006. Since then the series has largely remained dormant, aside from rereleases on newer platforms.


Remedy’s Condor Is A New Control Multiplayer Spinoff

Developer Remedy Entertainment has announced that they’re working on a new game code named Condor, which is a multiplayer spinoff of 2019’s Control. However, no other details about the mysterious game have been revealed, including a release, or price.
According to the press release, Condor will be a co-op 4-player PvE game. It will be powered by Remedy’s Northlight engine (the same used for Control) with a budget of 25 million Euros. The game will be published by 505 Games.
The statement mentions that:
“As a multiplayer game, Condor has the potential to engage the gaming community in the long run, contributing to 505 Gamesâ€™ product revenue stream longer than traditional games.â€
Along with Condor, Remedy also confirmed that another “bigger-budget” Control game is currently in the works, but there are no details for that too.
ControlÂ originally launched for PS4, Xbox One, and PC via the Epic Games Store in August 2019, followed by PC via Steam in August 2020. We namedÂ ControlÂ one of the best games of 2019. You can also check outÂ our review of the game here.


Arc System Works Launches 35th Anniversary Website; Big News Incoming

It’s been 35 years since Arc System Works started making games, at least since 1988. So what better way than to celebrate that momentous milestone?
The maker of Guilty Gear, BlazBlue, and Persona 4 Arena, as well as the license holders of Double Dragon and Kunio-kun, has launched its 35th anniversary website. The new website features pages for staff messages, events, and the company’s history, along with this welcome message from CEO Minoru Kidooka.
 “Arc System Works Co., Ltd. (originally established as Arc Co., Ltd.) was founded in 1988 as a video game development company, later going on to expand our business to include other areas such as publishing. Thanks to all of the companies and creators we’ve had the pleasure of working with, all of our employees, and most of all the players, these 35 years have gone by in a flash.
I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to grow along with all of you each step of the way as games have evolved over time.
Continued support from our fans all over the world is what has brought Arc System Works where we are today.
Especially with the fighting game genre, I feel truly grateful to have been a part of building a community that brings people from all over the world together across the borders of regions and language.
As we approach the end of three years of the pandemic (COVID-19), I hope to continue moving forward with the fans even more closely than before.
As the gaming environment continues to develop at a rapid pace, I look to exceed the expectations of the players now more than ever.
I want to create games that will amaze and excite them.
Moreover, I’d like to explore other genres in addition to fighting games, to really show off everything we’ve cultivated so far.
I’ll put everything I have into continuing our “revolution” going forward. Thank you for your continued support.”
As of now,  Arc System Works’ biggest game right now is 2D fighting game Guilty Gear Strive. For more on this, check out our previous GGST coverage.


Ms. Marvel Trailer Breakdown: Kamala Khan, Red Dagger, Quantum Bands & Nega-Bands

Marvel Entertainment and Disney+ have released the first trailer for Ms. Marvel. It is slated to premiere on Disney+ Hotstar on 8 June 2022.

The official synopsis reads:
Marvel Studios’ Ms. Marvel is a new, original series that introduces Kamala Khan, a Muslim American teenager growing up in Jersey City. An avid gamer and a voracious fan-fiction scribe, Kamala is a Super Hero mega-fan with an oversized imagination—particularly when it comes to Captain Marvel. Yet Kamala feels invisible both at home and at school—that is, until she gets super powers like the heroes she’s always looked up to. Life gets better with super powers, right?
Iman Vellani stars as Kamala Khan aka Ms. Marvel. The cast also includes Aramis Knight, Saagar Shaikh, Rish Shah, Zenobia Shroff, Mohan Kapur, Matt Lintz, Yasmeen Fletcher, Laith Nakli, Azhar Usman, Travina Springer and Nimra Bucha.
Let’s break down the trailer:
Zoe Zimmer
We see a girl named Zoe Zimmer (played by Laurel Marsden) bullying Kamala Khan (played by Iman Vellani). In the comics, she also started off bullying Kamala, but later grew to become one of her closest friends and one of the few people to know her identity as Ms. Marvel.
Bruno Carrelli
Matt Lintz plays Bruno Carrelli, who is one of Kamala’s true friends. In the comics, Bruno is one of the first people to know about Ms. Marvel and he has a crush on Kamala.
Kamala Is An Avengers And Captain Marvel Fangirl
In the comics, one defining trait of Kamala Khan is that she’s a huge fan of the Avengers and Captain Marvel in particular.
In A Departure From The Comics, It Looks Like She Gets Her Powers From A Bracelet. Quantum Bands? Nega Bands? Cosmic? Quasar?
In the comics, Kamala is an Inhuman, which is how she gets her powers to embiggen and alter her body mass to stretch and change her physical form. However, the Marvel Cinematic Universe might be different, as we see her wearing a bracelet and her eyes change colours, indicating that that is how she will get her powers in this version.
Plus, her powers now look like they’re closer to DC Comics’ Green Lantern. She can seemingly create blue hard light constructs.
Let’s see who in the comics can use hard light constructs or use bracelets to draw their power.
However, there is one Marvel hero who uses hard light constructs like these and his/her name is Quasar. In the comics, Quasar is an individual given cosmic powers via the Quantum Bands (which are bracelets) by an entity named Eon. There have been multiple Quasars, including Wendell Vaughn and others.
Another bracelet-wielding hero was the original Captain Marvel in the comics, the Kree hero named Mar-Vell.  The Nega Bands gave him his powers.
Red Dagger
Red Dagger, whose real name is Kareem (played by Aramis Knight), is one of the few original characters introduced in the Ms. Marvel comics. He migrated from Pakistan to New Jersey City and he uses his skills to be a vigilante named Red Dagger.
There you have it, folks. There’s not much that the trailer actually reveals in terms of plot, so we’ll have to wait and see. Until then, excelsior!


Life Is Strange 3 Is Review Bombed On Steam Because Of A Flag

In one of this weekend’s bizarre internet outrage, Square Enix’s hipster-filled teen angst adventure game is getting a bit of flak, possibly from Chinese players and Steam users.
See, Life Is Strange: True Colors (or Life Is Strange 3) somehow included the flag of Tibet in the game’s Haven Springs shop. The flag itself is considered as a political symbol by the Chinese Government, in support of the countries separation, and is illegal in the region.
This has upset a great number of players who oppose the country’s independence, hence they’re review bombing the PC Steam version of the with negative reviews (via TheGamer).
Most of the reviews are written in Traditional Chinese. Translated comments from these reviews include:
“We will never tolerate any act of splitting China’s national sovereignty!”
“[This game has] elements of Tibetan independence, implying a split of China”.

And that’s not even counting the racist and homophobic comments in the more extreme reviews. These reviews also demand that the developers apologise to those offended by the inclusion of the flag.
This isn’t the first time this sort of pro-Chinese support has happened in major games. Earlier this year, Guilty Gear Strive had to remove all mentions of Tibet, Mongolia, and Taiwan from its lore. Two years ago, Hearthstone player Blitzchung was banned from the game for saying “free Hong Kong” after winning a tournament.


Malaysian Dev Helped In Making FFVII Remake & Resident Evil Resistance

After being involved in several projects with major game developers/publishers in the past, Malaysia-based CGI art and animation studio Lemon Sky Studios have announced their latest involvement in two recent game releases from the same two companies, Square Enix and Capcom.
The first is the recent Final Fantasy VII Remake by Square Enix (check out our full review here). For Final Fantasy VII Remake, Lemon Sky was responsible for in-game visuals (3D asset creation).
Lemon Sky has also worked with Square Enix on multiple projects in the past, including Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward, Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood and Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers.
In addition, Lemon Sky was also involved with Resident Evil Resistance (check out my full review here), the separate online multiplayer experience which released alongside Capcomâ€™s Resident Evil 3 Remake.
Lemon Sky has previously worked on Capcom games such as Teppen and Dead Rising 4. For this project, Lemon Sky was brought on board by NeoBards Entertainment and theirÂ role in this project was creating 3D assets for the characters and environment.
In other related news, Lemon Sky is also involved in the development of the upcoming Command & Conquer Remastered Collection.


Star Wars Jedi Survivor Sequel In The Works According To EA Job Listings

Star Wars Jedi Survivor launches in April 2023 for the PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC, but EA and Respawn Entertainment have yet to officially announce a sequel to the game. However, new job listings on the EA official website might indicate that a third Star Wars Jedi game is already in development.
The first of two EA job listings is for a Senior VFX Artist, which mentions that it’s to work on a ‘Star Wars Jedi’ title. It also mentions that they’re looking for people with experience working with Unreal Engine 5, so it’s possible that the Star Wars Jedi Survivor sequel might be upgraded to Unreal Engine 5. The second listing is for a Senior Combat Designer, which mentions that it’s to work for the Star Wars Team.
In the meantime, check out our review and guide here.
In other related Star Wars news, Ubisoft’s Star Wars Outlaws is described as the first-ever open-world Star Wars game, set between the events of Star Wars Episode V The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars Episode VI Return of the Jedi. Read more about it here.


Here’s Why China Want To Ban PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds

Speculations are rife that players in China may not get an official release of the highly popular last-man standing and crawling simulator of a game, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds on grounds *cough!* of it being – drumroll please – ‘too violent’ and that (according to Google Translate) “the concept of survival set off a serious deviation from our socialist core values â€‹â€‹and the traditional Chinese culture and ethical norms”.
WUT.

Published 30th October 2017, the post by ‘Game Industry Network’ recommend that “theÂ domestic game companies should not arrange R & D, the introduction of such games, do not advocate to test such a way to attract users.Â At the same time, gaming, live and other platforms should not be such games to provide publicity, promotion and other services.” – which essentially spell the end of PUBG’s dive into the Chinese market,Â given that the author of the post consulted with the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television prior to issuing its statement.
The SAPPRFT regulates and licenses virtually all content in China, and has previously banned content such as the TV series â€œBoJack Horsemanâ€ and â€œThe Big Bang Theory.â€ We somehow concur with the latter. Analyst at Shanghai-based consultancy, Pacific Epoch, Benjamin Wu said â€œThis basically spells the death sentence for PUBG in China,â€
â€œPUBGâ€™s main problem is that the underlying ideology clashes with whatâ€™s preached in China.â€ he added.
Developed and published by Korean-based PUBG Corp, the game which is currently available only on PC is set for its full release soon. The game will also be released onÂ Xbox OneÂ on December 12th 2017.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DUdAnO09U8&w=560&h=315]
We recently came across a Chinese clone of the game but for mobile called (again, thank you Google Translate)Â â€œWilderness Battle Royaleâ€ .Â You can read all about it here.


Samsung Extends Special Stay Strong Malaysia Promo Until Next Month

Due to the overwhelming response and to show our appreciation, Samsung Malaysia will be extending their â€˜Stay Strong Malaysiaâ€™ promotion until 31 October 2021, even more so to uplift the spirit of Malaysians as our country continues on the road to recovery.Â
Malaysians can continue to look forward to the wide range of products such as TVs, monitors, and household solutions that come with exclusive free gifts, Touch â€™n Go eWallet credit, purchase with purchase (PWP) offers and savings worth up to RM6,597 when they purchase through any authorized Samsung stores or dealers.

If you want to spice up your living room, look no further than the latest Samsung 85″ QN900A Neo QLED 8K Smart TV. It features technological breakthroughs which deliver immersive and true-to-life viewing experiences like never before thanks to its LED modules. This exceptional TV has won an award in International Design Excellence Awards (IDEA) 2021.

If you like to upgrade your household appliances, check out the Side by Side with Food Showcase thatâ€™s not only incredibly stylish but also makes it easier for you to access your favourite food and beverages quickly. To match your fridge, get the Convection Microwave Oven with HOT BLAST in pink that is designed to reheat, grill, steam and air fry.
For details and information on Samsungâ€™s â€˜Stay Strong Malaysiaâ€™ campaign, you can visit https://www.samsung.com/my/offer/staystrongmsia2021.


Indonesia Developer Ozysoft Announces New 3D Adventure Game Project Buramato

Indonesian-based developer Ozysoft, the makers of Pulang Insanity for PC, is going to make a new 3D action-adventure game based on traditional Bornean folktales.
It’s called Project Buramato (working title, FYI), and it’s a high fantasy setting game with fast-paced third-person action, minimalistic storytelling focused on atmosphere, and a semi-open world environments. Check out the trailer below; looks pretty colourful and promising so far. I’m getting a Prince of Persia 2008 and El Shaddai vibe from the art style alone.
We’re guessing more updates will be on the way at a later date via the official website. You can look forward to checking out the prototype-alpha demo in Q4 2021.


Andor Season 2 To Premiere In August 2024

During Star Wars Celebration 2023 in London, Andor executive producer and showrunner Tony Gilroy confirmed that Andor Season 2 will premiere sometime in August 2024.
The reason why it will take a while is because the second season is still currently filming.
Gilroy said:
“We started shooting in November. We’re about halfway. We’re gonna shoot through August. We’re on exact schedule. [We’ll] finish in August, spend another year on post. I suppose we’ll come out the following August.”
A trailer was also shown but has yet to be unveiled to the public.

Everyone has their own rebellion, right? #Andor Season 2 is now in production. #StarWarsCelebration
— Star Wars (@starwars) April 7, 2023

Andor Season 2 will focus on the four years leading up to the events of 2016’s Rogue One A Star Wars Story.
Check out my spoiler-free review of Andor here.
In the meantime, check out my interview with Andor actors Kyle Soller and Denise Gough by heading over here for the written article, or you can watch the entire interview below:


HBO’s Watchmen Is The Biggest Winner At Emmy Awards 2020

HBOâ€™s Watchmen by Damon Lindelof is a spiritual sequel to Alan Moore and Dave Gibbonsâ€™ legendary comic book of the same name, picking up decades after the events of the source material. It ended its nine-episode first season run in December 2019.
Itâ€™s scary how relevant the themes of the series is in light of recent events, as the TV series also touched on police brutality, white supremacy, as well as the past and present plight of Black people, including the 1921 Tulsa massacre.
Developed by Damon Lindelof (Lost, The Leftovers), Watchmen won Outstanding Limited Series, with Regina King winning Outstanding Lead Actress for her role as Angela Abar / Sister Night and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II winning Outstanding Supporting Actor for his role as Cal Abar / Doctor Manhattan.
Lindelof himself and writer Cord Jefferson also won Outstanding Writing in a Limited Series for Watchmen Season 1 Episode 6 ‘This Extraordinary Being’.
Watchmen only missed out on three others awards that it was nominated for, including Outstanding Lead Actor (in which Jeremy Irons lost to I Know This Much is Trueâ€™s Mark Ruffalo), Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series (Jean Smart lost to Mrs. America‘s Uzo Aduba), and Outstanding Directing in a Limited Series (three different Watchmen episodes lost to Netflix’s Unorthodox).
Watchmen also won the following awards:
Outstanding Casting for a Limited Series.Outstanding Sound Editing for a Limited Series.Outstanding Music Composition for a Limited Series (putting Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross one Tony away from an â€œEGOTâ€).Outstanding Cinematography for a Limited Series (This Extraordinary Being).Outstanding Fantasy/Sci-Fi Costumes (â€œItâ€™s Summer and Weâ€™re Running Out of Iceâ€).Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Limited Series (â€œA God Walks into Abarâ€).Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Limited Series (â€œThis Extraordinary Beingâ€).
Overall, Watchmen won a whopping 11 awards at the Emmy Awards 2020.

Check out the rest of the Emmy Awards 2020 winners below:
Drama Series
Better Call SaulThe CrownThe Handmaid’s TaleKilling EveThe MandalorianOzarkStranger ThingsSuccession – WINNER
Comedy Series
Curb Your EnthusiasmDead to MeThe Good PlaceInsecureThe Kominsky MethodThe Marvelous Mrs. MaiselSchitt’s Creek – WINNERWhat We Do in the Shadows
Limited Series
Little Fires EverywhereMrs. AmericaUnbelievableUnorthodoxWatchmen – WINNER
TV Movie
American SonBad Education – WINNERDolly Parton’s Heartstrings: These Old BonesEl Camino: A Breaking Bad MovieUnbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. The Reverend
Lead Actress in a Drama Series
Jennifer Aniston, The Morning ShowOlivia Colman, The CrownJodie Comer, Killing EveLaura Linney, OzarkSandra Oh, Killing EveZendaya, Euphoria – WINNER
Lead Actor in a Drama Series
Jason Bateman, OzarkSterling K. Brown, This Is UsSteve Carell, The Morning ShowBrian Cox, SuccessionBilly Porter, PoseJeremy Strong, Succession – WINNER
Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
Christina Applegate, Dead To MeRachel Brosnahan, The Marvelous Mrs. MaiselLinda Cardellini, Dead To MeCatherine O’Hara, Schitt’s Creek – WINNERIssa Rae, InsecureTracee Ellis Ross, Black-ish
Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
Anthony Anderson, Black-ishDon Cheadle, Black MondayTed Danson, The Good PlaceMichael Douglas, The Kominsky MethodEugene Levy, Schitt’s Creek – WINNERRamy Youssef, Ramy
Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie
Cate Blanchett, Mrs. AmericaShira Haas, UnorthodoxRegina King, Watchmen – WINNEROctavia Spencer, Self Made: Inspired By The Life Of Madam C.J., WalkerKerry Washington, Little Fires Everywhere
Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie
Jeremy Irons, WatchmenHugh Jackman, Bad EducationPaul Mescal, Normal PeopleJeremy Pope, HollywoodMark Ruffalo, I Know This Much Is True – WINNER
Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Helena Bonham, Carter The CrownLaura Dern, Big Little LiesJulia Garner, Ozark – WINNERThandie Newton, WestworldFiona Shaw, Killing EveSarah Snook, SuccessionMeryl Streep, Big Little LiesSamira Wiley, The Handmaid’s Tale
Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Nicholas Braun, SuccessionBilly Crudup, The Morning Show – WINNERKieran Culkin, SuccessionMark Duplass, The Morning ShowGiancarlo Esposito, Better Call SaulMatthew Macfadyen, SuccessionBradley Whitford, The Handmaid’s TaleJeffrey Wright, Westworld
Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Alex Borstein, The Marvelous Mrs. MaiselD’Arcy Carden, The Good PlaceBetty Gilpin, GLOWMarin Hinkle, The Marvelous Mrs. MaiselKate McKinnon, Saturday Night LiveAnnie Murphy, Schitt’s Creek – WINNERYvonne Orji, InsecureCecily Strong, Saturday Night Live
Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Mahershala Ali, RamyAlan Arkin, The Kominsky MethodAndre Braugher, Brooklyn Nine-NineSterling K. Brown, The Marvelous Mrs. MaiselWilliam Jackson Harper, The Good PlaceDaniel Levy, Schitt’s Creek – WINNERTony Shalhoub, The Marvelous Mrs. MaiselKenan Thompson, Saturday Night Live
Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie
Uzo Aduba, Mrs. America – WINNERToni Collette, UnbelievableMargo Martindale, Mrs. AmericaJean Smart, WatchmenHolland Taylor, HollywoodTracey Ullman, Mrs. America
Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Watchmen – WINNERJovan Adepo, WatchmenTituss Burgess, Unbreakable KimmySchmidt: Kimmy vs. The ReverendLouis Gossett Jr., WatchmenDylan McDermott, HollywoodJim Parsons, Hollywood


Watch Hololive VTubers Beat Each Other Up In This Upcoming 2D Fighting Fan Game

The next evolution in Hololive VTuber fan games, after a Vampire Survivors clone, is clearly 2d fighting games. At least, that’s how developer Besto Game Team sees it.
The devs basically answered the following question “When will there be a full Hololive fighting game?” Lo and behold, this upcoming fan game was made, and it’s called Idol Showdown. Idol Showdown is a free 2D fighting game where VTubers use their special skills to beat up each other in mortal combat. The characters in the roster include:

Korone Inugami
Shirakami Fubuki; a versatile character who has gacha-type mechanics to level up her moves
Nakiri Ayame
Tokino Sora; a mid-ranged setplay character, has musical projectiles

There will be four more VTubers joining the roster. Also, the game has rollback netcode. Check out the awesome 2D gameplay below. The game will be out in Spring 2023.

Character: Tokino Sora/?????
(????)??Sora is a mid-ranged setplay character that enforces 'respect' from her kouhai with her musical projectiles.#soraArt #IdolShowdown #indiedev #fgc pic.twitter.com/bYJsgWQT2l
— Idol Showdown: Hololive Fighting Game! ? (@IdolShowdown) March 24, 2023

Character: Fubuki Shirakami/?????
LUCKY! ???Fubuki is a 'versatile' character that utilizes a gacha-type mechanic to level up her moves!#???? #IdolShowdown #indiedev #fgc pic.twitter.com/FNi8QTH1kB
— Idol Showdown: Hololive Fighting Game! ? (@IdolShowdown) March 23, 2023


Black Panther 2 Has Reportedly Cast Its Namor

There are little to no details about Black Panther 2, besides the fact that director Ryan Coogler will return and that production will soon begin in July 2021. We initially reported that actor Tenoch Huerta will join the cast as a villain back in November 2020, but a new report from The Illuminerdi claims that he will be playing none other than Namor the Sub-Mariner.
In case you’re unfamiliar, Namor is one of the earliest Marvel characters ever created. Created by Bill Everett, the character debuted in 1939’s Marvel Comics #1, which was published by Timely Comics (which would later be renamed Marvel Comics). He’s basically Aquaman before DC Comics’ character even debuted. In the Marvel universe, Namor is the son of an Atlantean princess and sailor. He is also one of the first mutants and as the king of Atlantis, he often goes to war with Wakanda.
Tenoch Huerta is best known for portraying Rafael Caro Quintero in Netflix’s Narcos Mexico. He will also be starring in the upcoming The Forever Purge movie, which will release in July 2021.


Gannibal Actor Reveals That He Was The Inspiration For The Design Of This Marvel Character

Gannibal is set in the fictional Japanese village of Kuge Village and sees newly hired police officer Daigo Agawa arrive a broken man. While things start off promisingly for the new arrival, a series of alarming events begin to unfold that will lead Daigo to the horrifying realization that something is deeply wrong with the village and those who live there. Thrown into a hostile environment with suspense around every corner, will the latest police officer to roam the streets of Kuge-mura be able to bring those responsible to justice before it’s too late?
It is set to premiere on 28 December 2022 on Disney+ Hotstar.
Starring award-winning actors Yuya Yagira (HOKUSAI, Asakusa Kid), Show Kasamatsu (Tokyo Vice, Love You as the World Ends), and Riho Yoshioka (Haken Anime!, The Romance Manga Artist), Gannibal features a unique storyline brought to life exclusively on Disney+ Hotstar by some of the biggest names in the Japanese creative industry. Produced by Teruhisa Yamamoto, producer of this year’s Academy Award-winning Drive My Car and Tatsuya Iwakura, Gannibal is directed by Shinzo Katayama (Siblings on the Cape) and adapted for the screen by Best Adapted Screenplay Academy Award-nominee Takamasa Oe, who most recently wrote the screenplay for the Academy Award-winning Drive My Car.
Courtesy of Disney+ Hotstar, we were lucky enough to join a press conference with Gannibal director Shinzo Katayama and lead actor Yuya Yagira.
When asked about whether he would ever play a Marvel character or be in a Marvel movie, Yagira revealed that he was actually the inspiration behind the design of the protagonist, Hiro Hamada, from the 2014 Disney animated Marvel movie, Big Hero 6.
He said:
“Yes, I really would.??I have watched many of them and do love them.
Mr. Koreeda sent me an email three years ago about the conversation between him and one of the designers of Disney in LA.??The designer told Mr. Koreeda that?the?design of?the boy character in “Big Hero 6” was inspired by?the role I played in “Nobody Knows” (Daremo Shiranai).
I was so impressed when I read the email.
Disney has been very special to me, and it was my great pleasure to work for Disney+ Hotstar and meet Micky Mouse this time.??I think I am just lucky.
I do want to play in a Marvel movie!”
Look how similar they are:

In the meantime, you can also check out our interview with Gannibal director Shinzo Katayama and lead actor Yuya Yagira.


NetEase To Invest Three-Quarters Of A Billion Dollars In Shanghai Esports Stadium

China is definitely investing massive amounts of money into the esports industry, perhaps more than any other country in the world right now. Chinese games and tech company NetEase has announced plans to invest a whopping RMB5 billion (or roughly US$725 million) in an esports stadium and park in Shanghai, China.
The news was announced at the 2019 China Digital Entertainment Congress (CDEC) (via TechNode) on Saturday, 3 August 2019. The esports stadium and park will be situated in Shanghaiâ€™s western Qingpu District. They will also host facilities for game development, team building, and talent training.
NetEase’s investment is significant in that it progresses the Shanghai government’s plans to make the world-class city to be an “esports capital”. With NetEase’s Shanghai Dragons esports team recently winning the Overwatch League championship, this will go a long way in developing the region’s esports potential.
Shanghai is not the only Chinese city to capitalize on the burgeoning esports industry, as Hainan also announced that it will be officially supporting esports development with US$145.6 million earlier in June.
With all of these local Chinese cities and regional governments vying for esports supremacy, it will ensure that China remains one of the world’s leading esports hubs. Games development is also growing in the country, as evident from the recent ChinaJoy games expo held in Shanghai, which featured the presence of gaming giants like PlayStation and Nintendo.


The Best Video Game & Pop Culture Memes From That Bernie Sanders Inauguration Screenshot [Updated]

The US of A’s presidential inauguration would not be complete without the internet making a meme or two. Thankfully, it’s found one in the form of Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders.
This photo of him was taken a while ago, with commenters pointing out that it’s the same coat he wore during a previous meme involving him where he’s asking for support. The pose, the mittens, the social distancing; this picture has it all!

Bernie Sanders clearly left the car running for this one. pic.twitter.com/PhdBq4eJHs
— Andreas Hale (@AndreasHale) January 20, 2021

And so the internet has taken it upon themselves to immortalize Bernie Sanders once again. Here are our top picks from the world wide web. We’ll be sure to add more since it’s still fresh.
(via @SethAbramson)

(via Melissa Lewis @iff_or)

(via @AaronM)

I guess we cannot keep it a secret anymore and I know I said it would never happen, but here’s evidence of a new DLC vault hunter being added to the game on 4/1: pic.twitter.com/QZ3Te4t8tU
— Randy Pitchford (@DuvalMagic) January 21, 2021

pic.twitter.com/ZRL6rJFOrH
— KH-Vids (@KHVidsNET) January 20, 2021

pic.twitter.com/LaTwR93DAA
— Michal (@Miexriir) January 20, 2021

the illusive bern has a mission for you ? pic.twitter.com/yQZtmo38PW
— Alex Wakeford (@haruspis) January 20, 2021

who put Bernie on an icy moon in Destiny 2? Look at him just chilling there ? pic.twitter.com/B3YUK5m0Io
— Tom Warren (@tomwarren) January 20, 2021

Now that Biden is president we finally have a new Tojo Clan chairman pic.twitter.com/o8EGcBBhb9
— Jon Riesenbach ??? THREE HOPES HYPE (@moriyoshijon) January 20, 2021

(via @DrM2theJ)

(via @Squarepainter)

(via /robcanvas on Reddit)

 New MK 12 looks crazy! from      gaming

(via @KaiserNeko of Team Four Star)

(via Twitter)

(via @8bitpimp)

(via @neumaverick)

(via @TomAznable)

(via @Cajrenard)

 I am once again asking you to kill a bandit chief. from      gaming

(via @RexChapman)

(via @fahmitsu one of the creators of Coffee Talk)


Bravely Default Mobile Game Announced For iOS And Android [Update]

Update: Bravely Default closed beta dates added.
To celebrate Square Enix’s Bravely Default and its 10th anniversary, the company has announced a new entry in the series: Bravely Default: Brilliant Lights.
Yes, it’s a mobile game for iOS and Android.
The official trailer shows off the game’s famous Bravely and Default command battle system and Bravely Second‘s art style. Characters from the first Bravely Default will make an appearance, probably in a huge capacity like in Bravely Second. The mobile RPG will be free to play with in-game item purchases.

The closed beta for the Android version has started right now from 21 July to 28 July 14:00 GMT+8. The beta is limited to 5,000 players on a first-come-first-served basis and is only for Square Enix members.
No release date has been announced yet, or whether if there will be an English version. You can follow the official Twitter account for now.
Oh, and if you need a Bravely Default style RPG, there’s the sequel on Nintendo Switch.


Happy Pride Month! Here Are Our Favourite LGBT Video Game Characters

Whether it’s Happy Pride Month or #tetapbangga, this month of June is the summer of LGBT pride. To celebrate this gay occasion, let’s list down our favourite personality-driven gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender characters in video game history.
Tracer (Overwatch)

Openly lesbian, this British heroine is a champion and paragon to all heroes in the Overwatch group.
Kanji (Persona 4)

Kanji is gay, is an expert in knitting and stitching, and can kick your ass using a steel chair if you so much as piss him off. He also has a heart of gold as proven time and again being in the “Scooby gang” in Yuu Narukami’s investigation group. Plus, the main quest involving him coming out of the closet and his Social Link stuff where he comes to terms with his feelings (with major support from his pals) is definitely relatable for many folks.
Sylvando (Dragon Quest XI)

While seeming stereotypical at first glance, Sylvando is a pretty complex gay character in the RPG epic Dragon Quest XI. Even with some jokey tropes attached to him, he’s actually quite a heroic swordsman who gets stuff done. He’s also got quite a backstory where he acts as flamboyant and showey as possible to mask his hidden royal lineage that’s uncovered throughout the course of the game’s plot.
Ellie (The Last of Us, The Last of Us Part 2)

Say what you will about TLOU2’s controversial storyline, but Ellie is a complex yet loveable gay lead character. Despite having revenge on her mind, she really is dedicated to her girlfriend Dina, loves dinosaurs and guitars, and has a tender side. You know, when all the killing of mushroom-powered zombies and crazed people aren’t in the way.
Chloe, Max (Life Is Strange)

The stars of the Dontnod adventure game are pretty charming before and even when both queers got together through the course of the supernatural story. The two of them also help shape a new generation of gamers, Tumblr users (before the site shut down), and Twitter fan artists.
Dorian Pavus (Dragon Age: Inquisition)

This romance option for the male Inquisitor is handy with a wand, being an expert spellcaster of course. He’s also handy with his wit and charm; if you need a bit more class in your party, he’s a good member for your party.
Arcade Gannon, Veronica (Fallout: New Vegas)

The most entertaining & insightful companions in Fallout: New Vegas, voiced by Zachary Levy and Felicia Day respectively, just happen to be gay. Who knew?
Gibraltar, Valkyrie, Bloodhound (Apex Legends)

Respawn’s battle royale game boasts a good number of gay and non-binary characters. The best part? The game treats it like it’s no big deal.
Judy Alvarez, Kerry Eurodyne (Cyberpunk 2077)

Even in the artificial and effed-up world of Cyberpunk 2077, same-sex romance is in the murky air of Night City, be it with braindance technician Judy or ageing rocker Kerry. Each of them has their own demons to conquer and it’s up to female V and male V respectively to sort it out.
If anything, Cyberpunk 2077 did not mess up their respective stories and plot threads. Wish we could say the same for the game’s stability though.
Hijiyama & Okino (13 Sentinels)

If you need a great example of a same-sex power couple in one of video gaming’s greatest visual novel-slash-RTS wombo combo, look no further than old-fashioned yakisoba-loving tough-guy Takatoshi Hijiyama and cross-dressing smarty-pants pretty boy Tsukasa Okino. Without spoiling the game, every scene involving the two is just straight-up adorable and the narrative here is treated with a lot of dignity.
Also, for the love of God, please buy this game. It’s on discount right now.Â
The Entire Music-Playing Cast Of Bang Dream! Girls Band Party (?)

This one’s kinda up in the air. Many innocent-minded folks can see the all-girl cast of this game as just high-school teenagers just living the rock band dream while being incredibly chummy and friendly with their respective favourite friends, like Kasumi and Arisa, or Yukina and Lisa, or Ran and Moca, or Ako and Rinko.
But when you start delving deeper into the game’s pro-LGBT fandom, the amount of shipping involved, and publisher Bushiroad’s official stance on including males in the show, and you start to see the show’s more progressive approach and appeal. Maybe; we’re not sure. But whatever the answer is, the game is fun and the cast are awesome and fleshed out, even for an F2P mobile game.

Know of any other LGBT characters in video games? Let us know on the comments, our social media pages, and on YouTube.


Fall Guys Is Getting Fixed & A New Level Tomorrow

It’s only been a week, and Fall Guys has been a massive hit. The only issue? Overloaded server and bugs aplenty straight out at launch, which is business as usual for online-only titles.
The devs at Mediatonic are hard at work to patch it up, as well as bring in a level from the beta called Jump Showdown. This stage will be added to the regular rotation. Basically it’s like Jump Club; you have to keep hopping and avoid the rotating horizontal bars until there’s little place left. You have to outlast the other Fall Guys as the bars spin faster and faster.

? We're about to drop a new level into rotation!!! ?
Jump Showdown – A fan-favourite from the beta! ?
We'll be adding it in our first update TOMORROW!
Patch-notes in the thread ??
More new levels will be coming soon – along with new features & costumes ? pic.twitter.com/zQ4hOI70MP
— Fall Guys… FREE FOR ALL! ? (@FallGuysGame) August 11, 2020

Speaking of fixes, here’s what you can expect:

Lowered the weighting for Royal Fumble to add more final round variation.
Fixed crash at launch with certain regional calendars set in the operating system.
Improved messaging for matchmaking and server errors.
Fixed physics behaving erratically at high framerate on levels like Tip Toe.
Fixed crown in Fall Mountain not being grabbable in rare situations.
Addressed some collisions in Block Party allowing players to bypass the blocks.
Fixed Parties sometimes failing due to too many requests.
Addressed some special characters causing display issues in player names.
Fixed Big Tease Achievement not unlocking in specific regions.
PC only – Fixed certain game controller models not being detected on PC.

There is no word whether cheating issues will be resolved. Hopefully, there will be some anti-cheating methods coming in within the month or so.


Roller Champions Is Now Available For Free

Ubisoft has announced that Roller Champions is now available for free with cross-play and cross-progression on Xbox One, Ps4, Xbox Series X/S and PS5, as well as PC through the Ubisoft Store.
In this new free-to-play, team PvP sports game, players compete against each other in teams of three, to be the first to reach five points by making arena laps and throwing the ball through the hoop. Teammates must work together, dodge, and tackle efficiently to keep ball possession and control the pace of the game. Claiming victory over opponents is the key to gaining fans and climbing up the leaderboards, all the way to the Elite Champions’ league! Along the way, cosmetic items– outfits, goal effects, air poses and much more – can be unlocked for players to fully customize their legendary athlete.

Roller Champions can be played with friends, or alone against similarly skilled opponents with the game’s cross-play matchmaking system. Profiles and progression are kept across all available platforms with the cross-progression system. Between matches, the skatepark allows players to meet up, learn new tricks and participate in mini-games together. And thanks to the Friend Referral program, inviting friends to Roller Champions unlocks rewards for both the Referee and the Referrer.
Kickoff Season is now live. Running from 25 May to 21 June 2022, it introduces 3 arenas and two special time-limited game modes. Exclusive cosmetic items can be unlocked with the Roller Pass, a reward system split between a free and a premium track. This season, Roller Pass purchasers will be able to unlock 41 rewards by playing matches, while players choosing the free track will still be rewarded with 11 items only available until 21 June 2022. Of course, all items acquired in this timeframe will stay in the player’s locker after the end of the season.


It’s Gamers Vs COVID-19: Take A Pledge To Show That You Care

The COVID-19 Coronavirus doesn’t discriminate, and everyone has a part to play in fending it off. Yes, even gamers.
In light of that, a website called GamersVsCovid-19 where gamers can take a pledge has opened. The pledge covers vital health and safety measures like social distancing, hand-washing, and avoiding shaking hands.
Here’s the full list:

Social distancing, staying home as much as I possibly can, even when I feel healthy.
Washing my hands often, coughing into my sleeve and not touching my face with unwashed hands.
No hugging, shaking hands, or fist-bumping.
Calling a doctor or my local health department if I have come into contact with or feel symptoms of COVID-19.
Keeping calm and being informed with ourÂ resourcesÂ andÂ FAQ pages.
Sharing this pledge and guide with all my friends, raiding partners, guildmates and community.
Social distancing works when we do it together.

The pledge also includes acts like:

Performing at least one act of kindness per day (from a safe distance).
Bringing a positive attitude into my online matchmaking.
Providing emotional support to everybody I meet, and ask for support when I feel overwhelmed.

The website also includes a handy FAQ page with COVID-19 facts and tips on how to be safe from it. You should double-check with more authoritative sources of course, but the page is pretty informative.
The pledge might not seem significant, but the instructions really do show how everyone has an important part to play in this. Even if you don’t sign it, we should all work together (and from a safe distance) to be responsible gamers.


Vanillaware’s 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim Will Be Out In English This September

Atlus has announced the English release date for Vanillaware’s sci-fi action-slash-strategy art-savvy title 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim. The game will be out 22nd September for PS4.
The game will have English voiceovers via a Day 1 patch. If you are able to pre-order the physical version of the game, you can score an exclusive artbook. Vanillaware’s trademark has always been its lush 2D artwork and animation, so it’s probably worth hunting down for (via Amazon).

13 Sentinels was released in Japan last year on 28th November; it was up for nomination for the Seiun Sci-fi award as the only nominated video game in this category. The game is a hybrid between an action side-scroller and a real-time strategy title, but with 13 different story perspectives between 13 characters.

It’s basically a far cry from Vanillaware’s previous titles Odin’s Sphere, Muramasa: The Demon Blade, and the titular Dragon’s Crown.Â