Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revenge Is A Literal Bloody Good Time

You can count the number of good video game adaptations with just two hands if we’re being generous. This specific genre gets a bad rep because directors and producers have a hard time balancing both a good cinematic narrative and a product that stays true to its lineage and roots, placating its hardcore fanbase. It usually takes a miracle to succeed on both fronts.
Long story short, Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revenge does just that.Â You can add this new Warner Bros Animation entry to the Mortal Kombat franchise to the “good video game to movie” list alongside Detective Pikachu and Ace Attorney.
Revenge Served Hot

Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revenge is a retelling of the original Mortal Kombat’s story, but with slightly more focus on Hanzo Hasashi, the man who would eventually be the series’ iconic yellow Hellfire-laced teleportin’ rope-dart-chucking ninja Scorpion. Along the way, we get to see how Mortal Kombat heroes Liu Kang, Raiden, Johnny Cage, and Sonya Blade meet, while also seeing some kharacters like Quan Chi, Kano, Shang Tsung, and Jax showing up.
The plot’s pretty simple. It’s all in the title: a simple revenge tale with Faustian bargains and a redemption arc that ties the whole MK1 plot together. The obvious selling point here is the R-rated content you’ll be watching. And boy, do the animation folks at Warner Bros. paint the town red with nothing but giant-sized brushes & barrels.

Sure, there’s a lot of setup and downtime for characters to justify their team-up and motives, and it’s all done adequately. The voice acting is fine, though it can be distracting to hear Johnny Cage channel a lot of Community’s Jeff Winger (since he’s voiced by Joel McHale). I was half-expecting Daniel Pudi to guest-voice a kombatant halfway through. Kudos to the team for reprising Steve Blum to voice the old Sub-Zero.
At the end of the day, you’re just here to watch how an undead yellow ninja with rope dart chain spears dismembers a bunch of Lin Kuei foot soldiers in hyper-gory fashion. You’re here to see why Jax ended up with metal arms in subsequent Mortal Kombat titles thanks to a certain four-armed Shokan prince. And you’re here to see demons and Black Dragon soldiers wishing they made better life choices as they’re turned inside-out by the main cast.
You’re also here to see signature fatalities pulled off to end this first-time animated film that has a lot of work put into it. This film doesn’t disappoint in that regard.
Blood Sport

I know I shouldn’t use the overused adjective like “visceral” for movie reviews, but Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revenge deserves it at every turn. From its X-ray vision bumps and kills to the detail and care the animators put in making each aftermath of the violence matter, your over-the-top gore craving will be satiated with a bucketful of red. As a Mortal Kombat fan, this film is too good to pass up.

I always wondered how Paul W.S Anderson’s Mortal Kombat would fare like if its rating was bumped up from PG-13 to R, with no holds barred. Thanks to this animated treasure, I don’t need to anymore.

You know a Mortal Kombat film adaptation is given a lot of love when its creators add someone from the mid-2000 MK entries as a silly easter egg.

Hell, even the obligatory Warner Bros. intro gets a violent spin.

We wished our favourite blue ice ninja gets more screen time and lengthier bouts, but given the new focus they’re giving to certain characters -especially if you’ve followed some of the MK spin-offs like Mythologies– it’s understandable that they’re giving more shine to the subtitle’s character while doing a bit of retcon work. The character arcs here are just done right without being overbearing and outstaying their welcome.
Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revenge is not only a bloody R-rated fun-filled animated action flick, but it helps set up new ways to flesh out more of the series’ backstory in an hour and 20 minutes while retaining its blood count.
It’s not especially insightful, but it does leave a lot of deep cuts. Highly recommended for Mortal Kombat fans burned by the series’ past cheap cinematic and animated offerings from the way back.
Final Score: 70/100


All The Castlevania Games Ranked From Worst To Best

Originally published in 1st November 2019.Â
It’s the week of Halloween, everybody! So it’s only inevitable that we have to bring up the video game that was inspired by the festive spooky season and Universal Monster movies: Castlevania.
Before Konami became “#F*** Konami”, the company was publishing and developing sequels, spin-offs, and what-not of its iconic “man versus Dracula” narrative and gameplay. But we have to wonder: which battle against Count Dracula is the best battle against Count Dracula?
That’s what we’re going to find out: we will be listing and ranking the sublime and subpar Castlevania games throughout the years. Excluding the Tiger Electronics LCD handheld games because we know that’s garbage.
36. CR Pachinko Akumajou Dracula (Arcade)

We are starting at the bottom of the barrel here: a Panchinko game that’s probably still putting Konami in the black because of their current profit strategy at the expense of pushing out quality titles that gamers care about.
Worse, it sells the gothic and monster with “EROTIC VIOLENCE” as one of its key features. We shouldn’t be surprised since this is the company that has turned a stealth franchise into a subpar survival game and giving a run-and-gun game an overheat and cooldown mechanic.
35. Castlevania Puzzle: Encore of the Night (iOS/Android)

If you’re hankering for an iOS/Android Puzzle Fighter clone with Castlevania sprites, you can’t go wrong with this obvious cash-in. It’s not available now though, but at least playing this back in its mobile gaming heyday is way better than being #36.
34. Castlevania: Order of Shadows (Mobile)

In retrospect, Order of Shadows wasn’t a bad take on the nonlinear Castlevania platformer, especially since the game came out in 2007 and had to work with so many limitations with aÂ  pre-touchscreen mobile phone. It looks odd and controls weird,Â  but it was ambitious in its undertaking.
We’d say give it a shot, but it’s pretty tough to find Java-format games in this day and age short of emulation.
33. Akumajou Dracula: The Arcade (Arcade)

A House of The Dead clone but with a Castlevania twist. Not exactly the most stellar of all spin-offs; it’s a mediocre time-waster at best and a wasted opportunity to go beyond a rail shooter at worst.
32. Haunted Castle (Arcade)

We’ll say this: the music in this Castlevania arcade port is decent. Everything else? Not so good.
From crappy graphics to cheap gameplay design marred by terrible controls (even for Castlevania games back in that time), it’s no wonder Haunted Castle is the hated black sheep among the other black sheep Castlevania spin-offs.
31. Castlevania: The Adventure (Game Boy)

The early arrival of a Castlevania game on Game Boy should have been a signal to take Nintendoâ€™s first handheld console seriously. However, designing games for small-memory consoles and cartridges is incredibly challenging during the console’s heyday, and it really shows in this first Castlevania game.
Sure, it looked and sounded adequate for its time, but that’s it. The game’s controls and frame rate were sluggish and do not mesh well together. It also abandoned many Castlevania mechanics like sub-weapons and fun level design. Give Konami props for trying though.
NEXT


Blizzard Announces New Diablo 4 Director

A while ago, we reported about the departure of former Diablo 4 director Luis Barriga. Turns out his replacement is new game director Joe Shely.
Shely is a long-time Blizzard employee with game designer credits on Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls, and World of Warcraft expansions. He’s also the design lead for Diablo 4 since the start of the project. So that’s good news, since Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls was the only reason I continued on with the game still after the s***show that was the original D3. Here’s an update about the game from Shely himself:
“Like many of you, our team has been reflecting upon recent events. A lot has happened since our last blog and the hard work of practicing the values we aspire to must continue. In parallel with that important work, development of Diablo IV continues too.
Over the past few years, we’ve assembled a strong team with incredible passion for Diablo 4.You, Diablo’s fans, are a critical part of this team. With the help of your valuable feedback, we’ve steadily refined and deepened the game experience. We have ways to go, and while much has changed, our commitment to the game is unwavering.”
Right now, Blizzard is dealing with the workplace and sexual harassment and discrimination lawsuit fallout from the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing. Recently, the Securities and Exchange Commission and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission are investigating Activision Blizzard in relation to the lawsuit.
As of now, enjoy this ambient sound effect video from Diablo 4.


Warner Bros’ MultiVersus Officially Revealed, Coming In 2022

Warner Bros.’ very own Super Smash Bros.-like brawler was leaked back in October 2021, but now Warner Bros. Games and Player First Games have finally officially announced MultiVersus.
MultiVersus is a free-to-play, platform fighter featuring an ever-expanding cast of iconic characters and legendary universes, MultiVersus will feature multiple online modes, including a team-based 2 vs. 2 format, 1 vs. 1 matches and 4-player free-for-all, along with upcoming content-filled seasons.
It will have full cross-play and cross-progression support across all launch platforms.

The list of playable characters for now include:

BatmanÂ (DC Super Hero) â€“ voiced by Kevin Conroy
SupermanÂ (DC Super Hero) â€“ voiced by George Newbern
Wonder WomanÂ (DC Super Hero) â€“ voiced by Abby Trott
Harley QuinnÂ (DC Super-Villain) â€“ voiced by Tara Strong
ShaggyÂ (Scooby-Doo) â€“ voiced by Matthew Lillard
Bugs BunnyÂ (Looney Tunes) â€“ voiced by Eric Bauza
Arya StarkÂ (Game of Thrones) â€“ voiced by Maisie Williams
Jake the DogÂ (Adventure Time) â€“ voiced by John DiMaggio
Finn the HumanÂ (Adventure Time) â€“ voiced by Jeremy Shada
Steven UniverseÂ (Steven Universe) â€“ voiced by Daniel DiVenere
GarnetÂ (Steven Universe) â€“ voiced by Estelle
Tom and JerryÂ (Tom and Jerry) â€“ tandem character voiced by Eric Bauza
ReindogÂ (an extraordinary original creature) â€“ voiced by Andrew Frankel

The developer also confirmed that the game will have a dedicated server-based rollback netcode to support online gameplay, as well as that many more characters will be continually added to MultiVersus. The game will also have upcoming content-filled seasons for players to enjoy.
MultiVersus is slated to release for the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and PC sometime in 2022.
Check out the trailer below:


Take-Two Is Acquiring Racing Experts Codemasters

Take-Two Interactive has announced that it has acquired games developer Codemasters for US$994 million, which will be completed sometime in the first quarter of 2021.
According to the official website, Take-Two Interactive Chairman and CEO Strauss Zelnick said:
â€œWe are exceedingly pleased to announce this recommended transaction with the Board of Codemasters. Codemasters has a renowned history of creating some of our industryâ€™s most beloved and commercially successful racing franchises, and we believe that their offerings will be highly complementary to our sports portfolio and enhance further our organizationâ€™s long-term growth.Moreover, we look forward to welcoming Codemastersâ€™ senior management and development teams into our Take-Two family, and sharing in our vision to deliver the highest quality entertainment experiences and aim to be the most innovative, creative and efficient company in our industry.â€
Codemasters is best known for its racing games, such as the annual F1 franchise and Dirt series, the most recent of which was Dirt 5 (check out our review here).


Blade Runner: Black Lotus Anime Gets November Release Date; Reveals Opening Sequence

The recent Crunchyroll Expo livestream revealed the opening sequence and new visual for the upcoming Blade Runner anime.
Dubbed Blade Runner: Black Lotus, the anime series will debut this November. Here’s the opening sequence: one without vocals and with vocals by singer Alessia Cara.

Here’s the anime series poster in all its neon blue/red glory.

Story & Cast
What’s the anime series about? The dark sci-fi anime series deals with the aftermath of the Blade Runner: Black Out 2022 anime short, set between Blade Runner and Blade Runner 2049. The series is set in the perspective of the hunted; specifically a female replicant/artificially-created humanoid being. The show will emphasize the dystopian world and its anti-capitalist themes from the Philip K. Dick original novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?.
Here’s the official cast (English & Japanese VOs):

Jessica Henwick/Arisa Shida as Elle, a female replicant created for a secret and unknown purpose.
Will Yun Lee/ShinshÅ« Fuji as Joseph, a mysterious figure who owns a spare parts junkyard in Los Angeles.
Samira Wiley/Takako Honda as Alani Davis, a fresh LAPD recruit.
Brian Cox/Takaya Hashi as Niander Wallace Sr, founder and CEO of the Wallace Corporation.
Wes Bentley/Takehito Koyasu as Niander Wallace Jr, a brilliant scientist working for his father.
Josh Duhamel/Taiten Kusunoki as Marlowe, a deadly Blade Runner.
Peyton List/Yoshiko Sakakibara as Josephine Grant, the wife of the police chief.
Stephen Root/Hochu Otsuka as Earl Grant, Police Chief of the LAPD.
Barkhad Abdi/Takayuki Kinba as Doc Badger, a black market dealer.
Gregg Henry/Masane TsukayamaÂ as Senator Bannister, a politician with strong feelings on replicant production.
Henry Czerny/Akio NojimaÂ as Doctor M, a brilliant doctor and professor of medicine
Jason Spisak/Kazuki Yao as Hooper, a journalist in the pocket of the Wallace Corporation.


Garena Will Not Publish Upcoming League Of Legends Spinoffs In SEA

Yesterday, Riot Games shocked the games industry by announcing several League Of Legends spinoffs of various genres. However, the developer has now clarified that Garena (the publisher of League Of Legends in the Southeast Asian region) will not be publishing any of these upcoming League Of Legends spinoffs in the SEA region.
On its official website, Riot Games have revealed that they will directly publish their own games in Southeast Asia from now on, with the exception of Vietnam and Taiwan. Despite that, it should be noted that Garena will still remain the publisher of League Of LegendsÂ (the original MOBA game) and continue supporting it in the SEA region.
Unfortunately, due to these circumstances, players won’t be able to use their Garena League Of Legends account to play these new League Of Legends spinoffs.

Players will have to create a new Riot Games SEA account for that purpose, though details have yet to be revealed as to how exactly to do that.

What this means is that you will still need your Garena account to play League Of Legends, but will need a new Riot Games SEA account to play the upcoming spinoffs. For more details and information on this new arrangement, head on over to the official FAQ page here.


Best Movies, TV Shows, & Anime Of 2022

2022 has been a brilliant year for movies, TV shows and anime. It’s the first year since the pandemic started that things are finally starting to get to normal again. For the first time since the pandemic, we’re getting blockbuster movies in cinemas again, and there are more TV shows coming out according to schedule.
Let’s check out the best of the best from 2022; we’re just lumping everything from TV shows to film to anime all in one grab-bag feature. There’s just a lot that’s great and entertaining to go through, so we’ll just cherry-pick the ones that stood out this year.
Avatar: The Way Of Water

Avatar: The Way Of Water is perhaps one of the most beautiful movies I’ve ever seen on the big screen. That was the biggest strength of the first movie and the sequel continues that. Nearly every frame looks good enough to be wallpaper or a painting. However, what distinguishes the visuals and graphics in Avatar: The Way Of Water is how ‘alive’ everything looks and feels. James Cameron could turn this movie into a ‘real’ nature documentary and I would believe it.
The world feels like it’s alive and breathing, almost as if it exists in real life. That’s a huge part of the reason why I think the visuals look so good. The action scenes are also clearly-shot and intense, so there’s really no fault in the looks department. It’s a movie worth watching on the biggest screen possible.
Cobra Kai Season 5

Cobra Kai has steadily been getting better and better with each season, and Season 5 is the cherry on top. It featured some of the best fights in the series and wrapped up many conflicts and drama that have been brewing over the past few seasons. This included moments of redemption for many characters and scenes that made long-time fans happy.
Cobra Kai Season 5 demonstrates how a series should execute an epic payoff after multiple seasons of buildup. A lot of Netflix shows out there feel draggy but this is a perfect binge from start to finish.
Peacemaker Season 1

You can expect all the signatures of director/writer James Gunn here. His great choice of music? Check. A bunch of characters dancing just for the heck of it. Check. Gore and violence. Check. Raunchy no-holds-barred humour and comedy with some drama and good character development thrown in for good measure. Check. It’s essentially more of what we got with The Suicide Squad, but obviously on a smaller and more personal scale.
Of course, the best parts of Peacemaker have to do with the performances of John Cena and the rest of the cast, and how they juggle humour and drama so well. There are more than just jokes and gags here, as the series also delves into the trauma suffered by Peacemaker not only during the events of The Suicide Squad, but also his childhood (which is related to his father Auggie Smith, played by Robert Patrick).
This series is a strong showcase for John Cena’s acting chops, who convey emotional depth with what is probably one of his most moving performances to date.
Scream (2022)

The original Scream poked fun at horror slasher tropes. The second; sequels. The third, the end of trilogies and the dark side of Hollywood. The fourth, remakes and more slasher tropes. What about this new Scream, then? What makes it different? Well, the meta-commentary in 2022’s Scream touches on everything from requels (reboot sequels or legacy sequels like Star Wars The Force Awakens or Ghostbusters Afterlife), so-called “elevated horror” (those modern and sophisticated horror movies like Hereditary and The Babadook), the toxicity of online fandom and more.
Directing duo Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett have proven that not only can they make a good Scream movie, but one that’s arguably the best Scream sequel since 1997’s Scream 2. It also warms our hearts as horror fans to say that were he still alive today, Wes Craven would probably be proud of this movie.
The Batman

Matt Reeves and Robert Pattinson blew everyone’s expectations earlier this year with The Batman, which arguably turned out to be one of the best Batman films ever made (up there with The Dark Knight and Batman The Mask Of The Phantasm). It’s notable for being the first live-action Batman movie to focus on the “World’s Greatest Detective” aspect of the Caped Crusader, and that results in perhaps the darkest and longest Batman movie to date.
Plus, Paul Dano is terrifying as the Riddler. We can’t wait to see more of this Batman in future instalments; hopefully, Warner Bros.’ DC movie division can get their act together.
Prey

The movie doesn’t skimp on the gore, so fans of the franchise will be happy, especially after The Predator. I won’t spoil anything specific but part of the fun in watching Prey for fans are the variations and twists on iconic Predator weapons. One of them has been revealed in promotional materials, like this awesome shield-like gauntlet equipment. You’ll be surprised at what this Predator can do with that shield.
But yes, there’s blood and gore galore for fans, so you don’t have to worry about the movie being too tame. This is a Predator movie through and through. Prey has perhaps the best climax in a Predator movie since the first two films in the franchise. After the disappointment that was 2018’s The Predator (with its overly comedic tone and messy plot), Prey definitely delivers what we’ve come to expect from the franchise’s early heydays. This bodes well for the future of the franchise moving forward.
SPY × FAMILY

2022’s hit new anime comedy series, SPY × FAMILY is a must-watch for Otaku fans worldwide. The series made its debut on Netflix and it was an overnight sensation capturing the hearts of many with its comedy, action, and main protagonists; the Forger family. A spy by the name of Twilight under the Westalis Intelligence Services’ Eastern-Focused Division (WISE) is on a top-secret mission to carry out ‘Operation Stix’ by putting a family to infiltrate social gatherings.
Little is known to the spy that the adorable stand-in daughter, Anya has the power of telepathy, and faux-wife Yor is an assassin. The three start living together while concealing their true identities from one another. The anime has garnered more than 1.5 million viewers since its premiere on Netflix. SPY × FAMILY is currently in the second half of Season 1 and the last episode is due to air on 24 December 2022.
Wednesday

The Addams Family spin-off latest series, Wednesday is currently #2 in Netflix’s top 10 TV Shows category. Tim Burton has really done his magic by bringing gothic aesthetics and style pairing with Jenna Ortega’s brilliant performance. For the long-time fans of the Addams Family, you’ll have to keep an open mind as Wednesday in the 90s is not exactly the same compared to the current Wednesday, and we’re talking about the character’s personality.
In our opinion, Jenna Ortega’s performance showed us the character’s growth and how the Addams Family would be in this current era. The storyline and plot are refreshing and spooky as the series introduced new characters and Wednesday’s new outcast school, the Nevermore Academy. The story goes as Wednesday is boarded into a new school due to her misbehaviour, in a small village surrounded by mysteries to be unlocked. With the help of her newfound friends, uncovering the truth may cost the lives of people around her. This teen series will definitely get you hooked and wanting more.
Goodbye

Goodbye is a Bollywood family comedy-drama directed by Vikas Bahl, known for his work in movies like Chillar Party, Lootera, Welcome to Sajjanpur, and many more. The story relates to the reality of family love, fights, disputes, and dysfunctional household. The plot thickens once the mother, Gayatri died due to illness and how the family overcomes their pasts and heartache together.
Even though the family presented is an Asian family, we’re confident that the family elements can be relatable to anyone regardless of religion or race. This is a fantastic film that touches your heart and is a great way to spend time as a family watching this film. You have to make sure to prepare tissues beforehand.
Kotaro Lives Alone

Netflix’s original net animation, Kotaro Lives Alone premiered on 10 March 2022. It is a touching and poignant story that explores the real consequences of neglect and trauma, the adorable main character, and a good balance of drama and comedy. It has a wholesome storyline filled with moments that were both bitter and sweet. Despite the series touching on sensitive social issues, the anime never comes off as dark.
Instead, creator Mami Tsumura did a fantastic job creating multiple emotions that strikes us – starting from sadness to giggling fits of happiness. If you prefer to watch an anime that leaves a joyful and warm feeling with a happy ending, Kotaro Lives Alone might just be the anime you want to pick up.
RRR

A world first: Kakuchopurei putting in an Indian-Telegu film in its Best Of 2022 list. And with good reason: RRR is an epic action drama work of fiction that is based on the tale of real-life Indian revolutionaries fighting against corrupt British rule. Rather being as accurate as possible, director S.S. Rajamouli basically has two of its heroes performing heroic action feats and ass-kicking skills that would make Devil May Cry’s Dante and Vergil incredibly proud. Indian wildlife wreaking havoc in a snooty British party? Check. Bollywood dance-off sequences that makes sense within the show’s context? Check. The villains getting their just desserts in the most over-the-top way possible, highlighting that justice equals smiting the wicked? Check and check!
This is the dramatized history movie Mat Kilau wished it was if it only had the balls and skills to go through with its outlandish portrayal of a rebellion. The Chad RRR goes all the way, and we’re all the better for it especially since it’s on Netflix for all to see in its explosive and bats*** insane splendour.
The Northman

Robert Eggers’ first (and probably last) big-budget film about a viking seeking revenge against his uncle who robbed him of his home and kingdom is a bloody good time. It also happens to be a helluva looker. From its vistas of Ye Ole Europe to the memorable shots that tread on the fantastical, the show truly delivers on its brutal and violent vision. The cycle of violence in the show never really ends, and this show really proves that nihilistic overview in outrageous form within its sizeable runtime.
Top Gun: Maverick

Much like Avatar: The Way Of Water, the second Top Gun movie hearkens back to the bygone days when a film is going all-out with its budget and theatrics while also telling a familiar-but-well-executed plot. It’s clear as day from the shots to the flying sequences, to even the relationship-mending heartfelt bits that actor/producer Tom Cruise is giving his all in making this a purely cinematic and blockbuster film-tier experience that does its viewing-outside-of-home justice.
This sequel is more than just a worthy follow-up to the classic 80s film; it’s a wake-up call that blockbuster films have a place in this generation provided they’re done with passion as big as its budget.
Everything Everywhere All At Once

Do you want a fresh movie dealing with the multiverse starring Michelle Yeoh, Jamie Lee Curtis, and the actor who played Short Round in The Temple Of Doom all grown up & kicking ass? Go watch this.
The Menu

Sometimes we’re fine with on-the-nose satire films when they deliver a ton of charisma and incredibly sharp dark humour. The Menu offers that like a full-course meal, with enjoyable performances from Ralph Fiennes who plays a professional chef who is hiding a dark secret in the menu he’s serving to his rich clientele in his private restaurant on an isolated island.
Glass Onion

The Netflix exclusive follow-up to Knives Out is a lovely murder-mystery type show with great comedy interlaced in its whodunnit plot. The star ensemble -from Daniel Craig’s Benoit Blanc to Edward Norton’s billionaire host Miles Bron- also shine with their respective performances and eccentricities making the whole show as colourful as the Greek island “resort” setting and space. We’re all the happier director and writer Rian Johnson can create his visionary Agatha Christie tribute without it being compromised by higher-ups.
Better Call Saul Season 6

Chainsaw Man

Here’s another “yeah, we have to put this on the best shows of 2022” list. But Chainsaw Man deserves every praise it’s getting because of its action, the character development between its protagonists—Denji, Makima, Power, and Aki—and the show’s clear love letter to movies courtesy of its creator Tatsuki Fujimoto. Yes, it’s a shonen-style show, but one dripping with nihilism with a tinge of hope, as well as a ton of bloody fights and spectacle.
My Dress-Up Darling

My Dress-Up Darling has to be one of the best romances we’ve had in a while. The overall arching story feels extremely meta in this day and age with anime becoming more and more mainstream with people from all walks of life dipping their toes in the medium. The show somehow manages to balance ecchi and wholesome all while making introducing and educating us about cosplay culture.
It’s without a doubt Marin is a top contender for Best Girl of 2022 as she breaks many of the typical anime archetypes and proves that like in the real world, anyone can be an Otaku.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Entertainment District Arc

Demon Slayer returns with heightened stakes after the devastating Mugen Train Arc. Tanjiro and his friends: Inosuke and Zenitsu follow the Sound Hashira, Tengen Uzui, as he goes undercover in the Entertainment District to unveil a demon hiding in the midst. As with most Demon Slayer episodes, this arc begins with more subterfuge, as Tanjiro and his friends disguise themselves as courtesans to track down the dangerous demon.
The final battle takes up most of the arc, showcasing a devastating battle between the Demon Slayers and not one but two powerful demons. You’ll also get to experience the heartache of a brother-sister parallel between Tanjiro and Nezuko, and the Upper Rank Six demon siblings. Koyoharu Gotouge, creator of the series has his ways of moving fans’ emotions in this latest arc.
Lycoris Recoil

Lycoris Recoil debuted as the highest-ranked original anime of the season, despite having a first-timer director-writer and with no source material adaptation. The anime even caught Hideo Kojima’s eye! The main story is about Chisato and Takina, and at first glance, they appear to be another opposites-attract-but-start-off-squabbling situation that anime loves to employ.
However, they quickly prove to be more than that throughout the series. Furthermore, Lycoris Recoil does an amazing job of mixing action, slice-of-life, and comedy paired with banging soundtracks to keep the series entertaining from start to end. Who would have thought guns and girls can still be a great pair in this 2022 edition?
Cyberpunk Edgerunners

2022 is clearly the best time to be an anime fan with returning shows like Bleach and new entries like the highly-acclaimed Chainsaw Man. However, our personal pick for top-tier anime that you can get newbies to jump on-board is Studio Trigger’s recent entry into the Cyberpunk 2077 timeline. The tale focuses on David Martinez’s journey as an Edgerunner, and the dangers and long-term consequences that entail. While the anime tropes—particularly the romance angle—feel standard on paper, its slick execution, production values, animation, and resolution are beyond what other shows of this genre and calibre have achieved this year.
We’d even go as far as to say that the whole show and its style defines this generation of anime; when you want to get someone into anime and had to choose something within this 2022-or-earlier timespan, point them to Cyberpunk Edgerunners, and they will be hooked onto the genre for life. And at just 10 episodes, it’s self-contained and doesn’t overstay its welcome.
Cyberpunk Edgerunners is clearly a triumph in anime for 2022, but is this truly a surprise given that this is from the same studio behind internationally-lauded gems like Gurren Lagann, Promare, and Little Witch Academia?


These Are The Most-Searched Video Game Characters Of 2022 On Pornhub

It’s almost the end of 2022, which means that the most-visited site on the internet has a bunch of stats that will interest you.
No, it’s not Wikipedia: it’s Pornhub. Here are some stats that will interest you before we get to the video game characters-related one.
Just like last year, the most-searched terms from all over the world are hentai, Japanese, and MILF.

The most-used video game console for porn are still the PlayStation and Xbox consoles, with the former taking the lion’s share of 73.1%.

The most-searched video game porn content are Fortnite, Overwatch, Genshin Impact, Minecraft, and Pokemon. Yeah, we don’t get why Minecraft is there; are voxel squares sexy to some? We won’t kink-shame further.

Forget about all that! Who are the most popular video game characters on Pornhub? Asking for a friend…
Calm your knickers. Here they are from #20 to #1…
#20: Tristana from League of Legends

#19: Ashe from Overwatch

#18: Evie from Fortnite

#17: Lisa from Genshin Impact

#16: Lynx from Fortnite

#15: Eula from Genshin Impact

#14: Hu Tao from Genshin Impact

#13: Jett from Valorant

#12: Chun-Li from Street Fighter (Fortnite version)

#11: Aura from Fortnite

#10: Slime from Genshin Impact (?)

#9: Mei from Overwatch

#8: Ruby from Fortnite

#7: Mona from Genshin Impact

#6: Tracer from Overwatch

#5: Mercy from Overwatch

#4: Lady Dimitrescu from Resident Evil Village

#3: Widowmaker from Overwatch

#2. Jenny Mod from Minecraft

#1: DVa from Overwatch

Some takeaways:

Fighting game female fighters get the shaft yet again, as Chun-Li’s the only one who cracked the top 20. And that’s because she was on Fortnite as a guest character!
Final Fantasy VII’s Tifa, who also represented Italy at one point, just missed the top 20 as she’s in 21st place.
There are a lot of Fortnite and Overwatch characters on the list; the latter’s popularity in porno isn’t dying anytime soon though it’s only the legacy Overwatch 1 characters who are there and not Overwatch 2 characters like Kiriko and Junker Queen.
Yeah, we’re surprised that the Slime in Genshin Impact beat out Hu Tao, Eula, and Lisa.

Here’s the complete list:


ASUS ROG Launches New Strix And Flow Gaming PCs, Plus A New Game

ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) today announced multiple new gaming products at the For Those Who Dare: Boundless virtual event. The new launches include two high-performance ROG Strix and ROG Flow gaming laptops, a series of new bags and apparel from ROG Slash, the Team ROG initiative, and a standalone first-person parkour game for ROG Citadel XV. ROG is dedicated to giving gamers the best technology, products and experiences possible, and the For Those Who Dare: Boundless event is a continuation of that commitment.
ROG Strix SCAR 17 Special Edition

The new ROG Strix SCAR 17 Special Edition houses the latest hardware and cutting-edge cooling solutions to power class-leading gaming experiences. A custom vapor chamber, paired with ROG’s exclusive Conductonaut Extreme liquid metal applied to both the CPU and GPU, allows the SCAR 17 SE to push its hardware further than ever before. With a maximum CPU TDP of 65 W and a maximum GPU TGP of 175 W with Dynamic Boost, the SCAR 17 SE has the horsepower to reach the bleeding edge of high refresh rate gaming without breaking a sweat.
The SCAR 17 SE continues to dominate with a full suite of high-end components, ensuring that gamers never encounter a bottleneck. Offering either FHD 360 Hz or QHD 240 Hz panel options, both with just 3 ms response times, the SCAR 17 SE provides crystal-clear motion clarity no matter the resolution. With up to 64 GB of blazingly-fast DDR5 4800 MHz RAM and PCIe® Gen 4 storage in a RAID 0 array, this gaming juggernaut leaves loading times in the dust. The machine also features a distinct cyberpunk aesthetic, with first-of-its-kind invisible ink applied directly to its metal chassis. In normal lighting, this substance has a matte metallic texture, but with a UV flashlight, the ink appears green and blue, and offers in-game hints for SCAR Runner.

ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 17 Special Edition (2022)

Processor
12th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-12950HX processor

Graphics
Up to NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3080 Ti Laptop GPU GDDR6 16 GB
Max TGP 175 W

Operating System
Windows 11 Pro

Display
17.3″ FHD (1920 x 1080) 360 Hz / 3 ms, 100% sRGB, IPS-level panel with Adaptive Sync and Dolby Vision
17.3″ QHD (2560 x 1440) 240 Hz / 3 ms, 100% DCI-P3, IPS-level panel with Adaptive Sync and Dolby Vision

Memory
Up to 64 GB dual channel DDR5 4800 MHz

Storage
Up to 4 TB PCIe® 4.0 SSD in RAID 0

Keyboard
Backlit chiclet keyboard
Per-key RGB with Aura Sync

Audio
4 x speakers, high-performance speaker support
Dolby Atmos®
Hi-Res Audio
Two-Way AI Noise Cancelation

WiFi / Bluetooth
WiFi 6E (802.11ax)
Bluetooth® 5.2

I/O Ports
2 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A
1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C® with DisplayPort™ 1.4 and Power Delivery
1 x USB Type-C with Thunderbolt™ 4
1 x RJ-45 (LAN 2.5 Gbps)
1 x HDMI® 2.1
1 x 3.5 mm combo audio jack
1 x DC-in

Battery
90 Wh

Dimensions
395.0 x 282.1 x 23.4 ~ 28.3 mm

Weight
3.0 kg

ROG Flow X16

The new ROG Flow X16 is a 16-inch thin and light convertible laptop, powered by an AMD Ryzen™ 9 6900HS processor and an NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3070 Ti Laptop GPU, with support for the XG Mobile family of external GPUs, all while weighing just 2.1 kg. The Flow X16 also features the flagship ROG Nebula HDR Display, a dazzling QHD / 165 Hz Mini LED panel with 1100 nits peak brightness and a 100% DCI-P3 gamut. ROG has not sacrificed usability and upgradeability for this thin and light form factor. These premium parts are complemented by the all-new Frost Force Technology and Pulsar Heatsink, featuring three fans and a high density heatsink to keep performance high and temperatures low.

ASUS ROG Flow X16 (2022)

Processor
Up to AMD Ryzen™ 9 6900HS Processor

Graphics
Up to NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3070 Ti  GDDR6 8 GB
TGP 125 W with Dynamic Boost

Operating System
Windows 11 Pro

Display
16″ 16:10 mini LED QHD (2560×1600), 165 Hz, 3ms, 100% DCI-P3, 1100 nits, 100,000:1 contrast, 512 local dimming zones, touchscreen display with Adaptive Sync, Pantone® Validated, and Dolby Vision

16″ 16:10 IPS QHD (2560×1600), 165Hz, 3ms, 100% DCI-P3, 500 nits, touchscreen display with Adaptive-Sync, Pantone® Validated, and Dolby Vision

Memory
2 x SO-DIMM
Up to 64 GB DDR5 4800 MHz

Storage
Up to 2 TB PCIe® Gen 4 SSD

Keyboard
One-zone RGB / One-zone White with Aura Sync
Backlit chiclet keyboard
N-key support 1.7 mm key travel

Audio
4 x speakers with smart amplifier technology
Dolby Atmos®
Hi-Res Audio certified
Two-way AI Noise-Cancelation technology
3D mic array

Camera
3DNR + HD IR webcam with Windows Hello

Wi-Fi / Bluetooth
WIFI 6E (802.11ax)
Bluetooth® 5.2

I/O Ports
1 x XG Mobile interface (including 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C® with DisplayPort™ 1.4 and Power Delivery)
1 x USB 3.2 Type-C® with support for DisplayPort™ 1.4 and Power Delivery
2 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A
1 x HDMI® 2.0b
1 x 3.5 mm combo audio jack
1 x MicroSD card reader

Battery
90 Wh

Dimensions
355 x 243 x 19.4 mm

Weight
2.0-2.1 kg

Expanded ROG Slash fashion line

Inspired by cyberpunk and the code that builds our modern virtual world, these products offer versatile bag and apparel options, are built with premium materials, and are designed with gaming culture at their core.
ROG Slash is also defined by its versatile utility and durable build quality. With adjustable straps, multiple compartments, and water-repellent TPU materials, the Crossbody Bag, Backpack, Hip Bag, and Protective Laptop Bag are ready to secure the essentials of everyday life, while the new Cobra Buckle Cap and Bucket Hat offer standout style and protection from the elements.
Celebrate gaming with #TeamROG
Team ROG is expanding its roster in 2022, pairing high-end ROG products with a diverse cast of influencers, professional gamers, content creators and athletes from around the world. Team ROG members have all agreed to join ROG in promoting gaming across the globe.
ROG is delighted to continue the current partnership with esports team Misfits Gaming as a part of the broader Team ROG initiative. ROG is also pleased to announce a new partnership with ReKT Gaming, an organization that operates esports teams and content creation across a range of today’s most popular games. To check out the members of Team ROG and download their exclusive wallpapers, please visit the official website.
Players vault to new heights in SCAR Runner

Available as an expansion of the ROG Citadel XV game, SCAR Runner is a first-person parkour game following the story of X, who is in a race against time to recover critical information. This title also ties in with the physical chassis of the ROG Strix SCAR 17 Special Edition, with clues hidden on the laptop itself. SCAR Runner is launching alongside a giveaway campaign with over $20,000 in prizes available, including the Strix SCAR 17 SE and ROG Slash apparel. The campaign will run from May 17 – June 30, 2022, and complete campaign information can be found here.


Az Samad’s Top 10 Things He Loves About Katana Zero’s Music

I was just trying to keep alive.
I grew up spending hours trying to keep alive playing side-scrolling games like Ninja Gaiden, Battletoads and Contra. My personal favourite of that era was Street Fighter 2010: The Final Fight (which was not even really a Street Fighter game or Final Fight game). I had the Famicom version of the game that I bought at a local departmental store called Parkson Grand in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. For some reason, they imported Famicom games & occasionally my dad would buy me one of the games there as a reward for doing well in school or an exam.
Back to the present day.
Anyway, so there I was, watching the Katana Zero trailer. Instantly, flashbacks of my hours in front of the TV came back. This game was in that old school style except with more violence and a more modern electronic soundtrack with retro aesthetics. Then, I played the game & got into the music.

Here are 10 things that I like about the soundtrack.
1. Classic Retro Arpeggios

“You Will Never Know” blends 1980s drum sounds, synths fills and a lot of really cool classic retro arpeggio runs. The opening build-up creates that whole futuristic Blade Runner vibe from the get-go. As the song develops, more drama is created with glimpses of even some neo-soul flavour. I was reminded of Montreal-based keyboardist and producer Anomalieâ€™s music at some point. This is music that I could listen to even outside of the gameâ€™s context. So good!
2. Rhythmic Counterpoint

“Third District” is textured ear candy with bent melodic phrases over the drums. Countrapuntal lines unleash a rhythmic dance in the piece. This piece is more minimalist compared to “You Will Never Know”.
My fave point in this piece is around 2:20 as the harmonies drench my ear with day-dream inducing imagery. (I honestly felt like I was in Imbi Plaza, an old shopping mall that used to be my computer and gaming haunt in the 1980s and 1990s.)Â  At about 4:12 when the bass takes over again, itâ€™s home again providing a great end to the track.
3. Downtempo Goodness

“All For Now” gave me full-on Nine Inch Nails vibes with the slower tempo. Then, the rhythmic pattern around the 1-minute mark reminded me of that Terminator soundtrack energy. The piece continues to get you into a trance, all while keeping it cool.
4. Dance with Surprises

“Driving Force: Neon Fog” brings that straight-up Stranger Things vibe mixed with tasteful drum breaks and yes, even those classic arpeggios I mentioned earlier. The surprise change of feel in the middle is also tastefully done. And that part at 3:37, wow. Thereâ€™s so much development in the piece, a lot of variety yet the piece sounds solid & connected.
5. Jazz & Blues Impressions

“Rain on Brick” with the piano and saxophone solo took me into that “My Funny Valentine” kind of vibe before going into its own direction. Nice blues and jazzy breaks also appear on “A Fine Red Mist”.
6. Classical Music Influences

The piano solo “Nocturne”, co-composed with the game Justin Stander brings a nostalgic vibe to the gameâ€™s soundtrack painting a beautiful mood.
7. Lyrical Melodicism

On “Snow”, we get a mix of East meets West with a blend of a bluesy melody on the keys against the Eastern (Japanese?) melodies.
8. East-meet-West mix

“At Home” paints the Eastern influences – again tastefully done.
9. Atmospheric music
Overall, the soundtrack does its job amazingly well to paint the world of the game with the gritty meets noir meets violent underground world. I love how immersive the whole experience feels.
10. United Variety
I think the main thing about the soundtrack is that it draws upon a lot of different influences yet still manages to be a strong coherent work. Some game soundtracks purposely limit the sounds they use and some try to go overboard with the variety. Somehow, Katana Zero is both adventurous and respectful at the same time. Great music for a great game.
I could talk more about the Katana Zero soundtrack but these are 10 things that I dig the most about it. Do check out the game & the soundtrack if youâ€™re into the 80s and 90s as I am.
About Az Samad
Az was the featured classical guitar soloist with the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO) for the Distant Worlds: Music from Final Fantasy Kuala Lumpur premiere conducted by Arnie Roth (USA) at their three sold-out shows.
Az also performed for the South East Asian premiere of A New World: Intimate Music from Final Fantasy at the Dewan Filharmonik Petronas in Kuala Lumpur conducted by Arnie Roth (USA) and featuring pianist Benyamin Nuss (Germany).
Prior to moving back to Malaysia, Az played in a video game music band in San Francisco. He has also been interviewed on GameSpot and featured in the GameSpot Asia Beat Podcast. After receiving 4 degrees in music and making music in Berkeley, California; Az now is physically based in Kuala Lumpur.
He is a guest composer for the upcoming game, No Straight Roads by Metronomik. His DK West song combines rap with Malaysian traditional music elements including Dikir Barat.Â


Cyberpunk 2077 & Nvidia Team Up To Bring You A Limited-Edition GPU

Guess this cements CD Projekt’s upcoming RPG as a “master race” product. Nvidia will be producing a limited edition line of Cyberpunk 2077-inspired GPUs as part of a team-up with CD Projekt.
Nvidia tweeted a blurry photo of a yellow-and-green GPU card with two fans. Take a look:

?
Stay tuned… pic.twitter.com/wahUtfw3f6
— NVIDIA GeForce (@NVIDIAGeForce) February 16, 2020

This brand of GPUs will most likely be the GeForce RTX 2077, since the game takes place in the year 2077. And it’s on the title of the game. That’s all we know so far, but we’re guessing the GPU will be out before the RPG’s 17th September release date.
That card looks sexy and all, but you will need a transparent casing (at least on the GPU side) if you want to show off your possibly-expensive graphics card investment. You’ll definitely need a PC that’s about RM10k or so to run this bad boy; stay tuned to a guide on building a computer to run CD Projekt’s RPG on PC.


Netflix Pokémon Concierge Series Reveals 2023 Release Window

Netflix announced at this year’s Anime Expo that the upcoming stop-motion animated series, Pokémon Concierge will be streamed worldwide in December 2023.
The Pokémon Concierge anime is considered the first stop-motion Pokémon series, and it is much anticipated and highly under wraps. Since only one short teaser (of merely one stop-motion Psyduck) was released in February’s Pokémon Presents Showcase, fans were eager to speculate about the scale and scope of the stop-motion project. Now that Netflix has provided more details at Anime Expo, fans can expect a lot of colourful and warm exploration of Pokémon in an all-new medium.

Alongside the announcement, Netflix unveiled its first behind-the-scenes look at a filmed studio tour of the production at Dwarf Studios in Tokyo. This sees Rena Nonen also known as Non (the voice actor of Haru) visiting Dwarf Studios to get a glimpse of the Pokémon Concierge sets, figures and the team’s work process. Non provides further information on the production process where her facial expressions during recording were used as references for Haru. “It was really exciting for me because it’s the first time my body language was also recorded during voice acting,” said Non.
According to Gamerant’s interview with the lead voice actress, Pokémon Concierge tells the story of Haru, a newly appointed concierge. A tropical Pokémon resort will be the setting for the series, where Haru will be accompanied by her assistant Psyduck. Haru is described by Non as “a rhythmic thinker who always wants to make everything perfect,” but one of the show’s overarching themes revolves around her gradual shift to a more relaxed and satisfying demeanour, even when things don’t turn out as planned. In Non’s words, “Haru learns to grow with the Pokemon.”
Pokémon Concierge is a collaboration between The Pokémon Company and animation studio Dwarf Studios. The series is slated to release on Netflix in December 2023.


All Twelve Overwatch League Team Name, Logo and Colors Revealed

The full team list for the Overwatch League is finally here. Following announcements byÂ Â Philadelphia Fusion,Â Florida MayhemÂ andÂ Los Angeles Gladiators last night, we now know the names of all twelve teams set to compete in the inaugural premier Overwatch tournament which kicks off next January.Â
Earlier this week, Team London revealed their official name – London Spitfires and will be using the colors or navy blue, light blue and orange to aptly represent the colors of the British fighter plane that was flown in the Royal Air Force, most famously during the Battle of Britain in World War II and Overwatch’s mascot, Tracer whoÂ was a member of the RAF in the gameâ€™s lore. Team London will consist of Korean players from OGN APEX Season 3 runners-up,Â  Cloud9 KongDoo OGN APEX Season 4 Champions, GC Busan.

				London Spitfire

Meanwhile, here’s what we know about the three latest teams announced:
Philadelphia Fusion
Owned by Comcast Spectacor,Â a sports and entertainment company that manages hundreds of stadiums inÂ North AmericaÂ andÂ SingaporeÂ the team incorporates the colors of orange and black which is also the official colors of the professional ice hockey team known as the Philadelphia Flyers. A little tidbit for you here, is that Philadelphia Fusion’s parent company also owns theÂ Philadelphia Flyers. No official news on their roster as yet.

				Philadelphia Fusion

Los Angeles Gladiators
The second team from Los Angeles is owned byÂ Stan and Josh Kroenke – the owners of other sports franchise such as Los Angeles Rams, Denver Nuggets, Colorado Rapids and Arsenal in the Barclays Premier League. So they do know a thing or two about running sports organizations. The team recently revealed their impressive roster featuring the likes of former Cloud9 DPS starÂ LaneÂ “Surefour”Â Roberts and former Kungarna flex,Â AaronÂ “Bischu”Â Kim.

The official presser read “The lion figure echoes the logo of the LA Rams, the pro football team owned by Gladiators owners Stan and Josh Kroenke. And the team colors, purple and white, reference the royal colors of the Roman emperors, to whom the gladiators dedicated their exploits.” Let’s hope more gladiators, less Arsenal FC here.

				London Gladiators

Florida Mayhem
The final team to announce their name, logo and lineup combo is the Florida Mayhem and are essentially fielding players formerly from Misfits. And get this, four of them will be playing for Sweden at the 2017 Overwatch World Cup this weekend and you can get a glimpse of their skill in the opening match against the United Kingdom. Owned by Misfits Gaming, the official presser read “The red is an homage to the colors of Misfits Gaming, the parent organization of Florida Mayhem, which is heralded for its track record in competitive Overwatch and other titles.”

And what better character to showcase the colors of Florida Mayhem other than the master of mayhem himself, Junkrat. Although him in red and yellow reminds me a lot of Ronald McDonalds.

				Florida Mayhem

Kakuchopurei .com will be covering the Overwatch League extensively so be sure to come back for more news, analysis and coverage of the world’s premier Overwatch tournament.


The King Of Fighters XV Tier List So Far

The King of Fighters XV is 2022’s premiere fighting game experience, so no doubt you’ll find plenty of people to fight online.
But who should you put in your 3-person fighting team? We’re here to help; here’s a KOF XV tier list of 2022 to sort you out and help you with your team-building.
This tier list is based on a huge number of high level plays online from KOF pros like Xiaohai, Reynald, Akira, and ET, along with fighting game content creators like Twitter user frionel and personal online experience from yours truly. A bit of a disclaimer: this is by no means a definitive list since the game is barely a month old, and the meta may shift after a few months of online play and tournament standings. However, this list is a good indicator of which characters you should try to main as in your 3-person team.
S Tier (Best characters at this point in time)

Ralf, Terry, Robert, Dolores, Elisabeth, King, Mai, Vanessa, Gato
It seems as if right now, Ralf and Terry are the top picks in most team compositions. They both have reworked normals and footsie tools, combos, and damage output. They’re pretty good to the point where a mediocre team can be elevated by having them as anchors to use all that meter built up by your point and mid characters.
Speaking of point characters, Robert, Mai, Vanessa, and King are top picks as starter characters since they have great moves and specials that aren’t meter-intensive and are made for KOF’s speed and space-controlling game. Elisabeth is also a good point and mid character due to her excellent pokes and jump attacks coupled with decent damage output and mixups.
Dolores is definitely the best new character. Imagine a grappler with some zoning capabilities and no movement penalties; that’s Dolores in a nutshell.
A Tier (Strong characters overall)

Yashiro, Chris, Joe, Andy, King of Dinosaurs, Blue Mary, Antonov, Clark, Kula Diamond, Leona, Athena, Krohnen, Angel, Kukri, B.Jenet, ROCK HOWARD
Yashiro and Chris are rushdown characters, though the latter is faster but has terrible range and normals compared to the former.
Somehow the underappreciated big body fighters of KOF XIV are getting their time in the spotlight: Antonov and King of Dinosaurs are reworked and better than ever to put in many high-level teams. They’re obviously slow compared to the S tier folks, but they make it up with pure damage and armor moves.
Athena has great zoning tools and has a good confirm with her forward B+ Phoenix Arrow combo. You may need to practice confirming to her Shining Crystal DM (the one with the spinning crystals) as you need to know how it comes out and when.
Angel is a special case; she is godlike in the right hands and with the most MAX and DM meter available, assuming you know how her movesets work. However, knowing her strings and attacks is already a challenge in itself.
Krohnen/Nameless/K9999 may not be as dominant as his appearances in KOF 2001 and KOF 2002/2002UM, but he can still hold his own with his drills, anti-airs, and quick input DMs.
B Tier (Decent picks)

Shun’ei, Meitenkun, K’, Maxima, Chizuru, Ryo, Benimaru, Shermie, Ash, Isla, Ryo, Luong, Kyo, Iori, Yuri Sakazaki, Heidern
Shun’ei and Ryo are pretty good shoto-style characters who are unfortunately outclassed by others of his kind like Robert and Terry, especially in damage, combo potential without meter (or little meter), and hit confirm to DMs and Climax DMs.
As for the rest, they seem decent but the S and A tier characters have better options and kits for combos, damage, pokes, and jump attacks overall.
C Tier (Needs help from two other high-tier picks)

Ramon, Whip
As of now, these two are the runt of the litter. They seem fun to play but aren’t that viable in competitive play and are tough to use (compared to the others on top of this list). Most players will struggle using them unless they back the C-tier characters up by two S and/or A-Tier characters.

Our takeaway here is that KOF XV is pretty balanced for a fighting game that just launched. There is no wrong character to pick as one character can cover the weaknesses of the other in a team-based format. Likewise, a good combination of S-Tier characters who complement each other will win you games online.
Great examples of teams include:

Robert/Ralf/Terry
Robert/King/Terry
Isla/Dolores/Terry
Vanessa/Robert/Terry
Vanessa/King/Robert
Meitenkun/Shermie/Ash

KOF XV Point, Mid, & Anchor Tier List (via Alioune)
Top 3 Point Characters

Gato
Vanessa
Mai

Top 3 Mid

Ralf, Athena, Joe

Top 3 Anchor

Terry, Dolores, Elisabeth


Wild Hearts’ Latest March Patch Notes Details Much-Needed PC Performance Fixes

Wild Hearts just dropped a new patch with some sweet fixes and improvements that you definitely don’t want to miss. Here’s the scoop:
First up, they’ve improved CPU performance (especially for AMD processors) and added connections for reinforcement between certain weapon combos, like Karakuri Katana and Nature’s Flashblade. There are also some new Apex and Wrack weapons for Nodachi, Bow, Bladed Wagasa, Maul, Karakuri Staff, Hand Cannon, and Claw Blade, so be sure to check those out!
In terms of fixes, they added a confirmation window at the start of online co-op that asks whether you want to join the session or not when the host is further along in the story than you are. They also fixed a bunch of other issues, like the karakuri staff’s mutation level being increased beyond the limit displayed, and giant kemono continuously moving in one direction during online co-op.
They also fixed some specific issues on PC and PS5/Xbox X|S, like the first attack of “Unbound: Iai Sunder Slash” not hitting when the FPS limit was set to 30 on PC, and graphical priority causing issues on PS5/Xbox X|S. There were also fixes for dragon karakuri disappearing after moving to another hunting ground, chain trap not activating during frame rate drops, and Amaterasu stopping movement during certain quests when players joined as guests.
Phew, that’s a lot! But wait, there’s more – they also fixed issues with story progression, game crashes, and sound not playing on certain sound cards. Oh, and small kemono now spawn in the intended numbers.
You can find the full patch notes below:
Improvements, Other Adjustments

Improved CPU performance, especially for AMD processors.
Added connections for reinforcement between the following combinations of weapons.

Karakuri Katana

Nature’s Flashblade and Blade of Nature’s Splendor 5
Apex Blade: Kemonobane and Wrack Blade: Rash?mon

Nodachi

Nature’s Twinedge and Nodachi of Nature’s Splendor 5
Apex Nodachi: Kemono Carver and Wrack Nodachi: Rash?mon

Bow

Nature’s Piercing and Bow of Nature’s Splendor 5
Apex Bow: Kemono Hunter and Wrack Bow: Rash?mon

Bladed Wagasa

Nature’s Twists and Bladed Wagasa of Nature’s Splendor 5
Apex Bladed Wagasa: Kemono’s End and Wrack Bladed Wagasa: Rash?mon

Maul

Nature’s Gravity and Maul of Nature’s Splendor 5
Apex Maul: Kemono’s Doom and Wrack Maul: Rash?mon

Karakuri Staff

Nature’s Seasons and Nature’s Splendor Karakuri Staff 5
Apex Karakuri Staff: Kemono Chaos and Agate Karakuri Staff 2

Hand Cannon

Nature’s Might and Cannon of Nature’s Splendor 5
Apex Cannon: Kemono’s Oblivion and Wrack Cannon: Rash?mon

Claw Blade

Nature’s Talon and Claw of Nature’s Splendor 5
Apex Claw: Kemono’s Curse and Wrack Claw: Rash?mon

Added a confirmation window at the start of online co-op that asks whether the player wants to join the session or not when the host is further along in the story than they are.

Fixes

Fixed an issue in which the mutation level of the karakuri staff could be increased beyond the limit displayed.
[PC] Fixed an issue in which the first attack of “Unbound: Iai Sunder Slash” with karakuri katana would not hit when the FPS limit was set to 30.
[PS5/Xbox X|S] Fixed an issue in which the first attack of “Unbound: Iai Sunder Slash” with karakuri katana would not hit when Graphical Priority was set to Prioritize Performance.
Fixed an issue where giant kemono would continuously move in a single direction during online co-op.
Fixed an issue where dragon karakuri would disappear after moving to another hunting ground if they were hit by the maul’s “Power Smash” or by specific kemono attacks.
Fixed an issue where chain trap would sometimes not activate when the player experienced a drop in frame rate.
Fixed an issue where Amaterasu would stop moving when players joined as guests in the “Hunting Song – Rising Glissando” and “Hunting Encore – Auspice of Minato” quests.
Fixed an issue where sometimes after progressing Minato requests during online co-op, the subsequent Minato request would not appear.
Fixed an issue during online co-op where exiting a session just before death could change one’s story progression.
Fixed an issue where the story objective “Hunt the kemono causing the fire” would occasionally not reflect the correct progress.
Fixed an issue that could cause the game to crash when loading into Minato.
Fixed an issue where sound would not play on certain sound cards.
Fixed an issue where small kemono spawned in greater numbers than intended.
Fixed and improved other miscellaneous issues.


The Japanese Are All Over Makoto Shinkai’s New Singapore MRT Line Anime Ad

Singapore will be launching the first phase of the new Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL) on 31 January 2020. Before that, the government will also be holding an open house on 11 January 2020 for the public to take their first official look at the new MRT line.
For that purpose, acclaimed director Makoto Shinkai of Your Name and Weathering With You fame was hired to make a breathtakingly-beautiful anime commercial for the new Singapore MRT line.
Running at only about 30 seconds in length, the brief animated ad follows a young engineer named Ayano, who is hard at work helping to construct the new Singapore MRT line. Because of that, she sends a long text message to her friends back in Japan, apologising for missing a class reunion.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnJCV-vDTZo&w=560&h=315]

It has a heartwarming tone to it, as Ayano essentially explains to her friends that although she misses their memories together and personally would love to catch up at the reunion, she’ll have to look forward to that next time.

The reason being is that she sincerely believes that the new Singapore MRT line will somehow also “deliver unforgettable memories to everyone”. The ad will either melt your heart or make you cringe as to how corny (and unrealistic) it all is.

Generally, Singaporeans are in the former camp, amazed or amused at how the ad romanticises their beloved nation’s city, while the Japanese are in the latter camp, making a meme out of the ad that went viral on Japanese social media.
Why Is That?
Well, the Japanese find Ayano’s act of only contacting her friends on the day of the reunion itself to apologise and explain her absence really, really weird.
Imagine this; you have a class reunion or family gathering coming up on your schedule, and you only (rather rudely, in fact) inform them that you can’t make it on the very day of the event itself.
This thought was echoed in the Japanese comments underneath the YouTube video. The meme has caused the Japanese to reference or quote the ad when they’re visiting Singapore. This is done by copying the entire script of Ayano’s text message to her friends from the ad almost verbatim and sending it to their friends or over social media.

ã”ã‚ã‚“ã€åŒç´šä¼šã«ã¯è¡Œã‘ã¾ã›ã‚“ã€‚ã„ã¾ã€ã‚·ãƒ³ã‚¬ãƒãƒ¼ãƒ«ã«ã„ã¾ã™ã€‚ã“ã®å›½ã‚’ä»£è¡¨ã™ã‚‹è¦³å…‰åœ°ã‚’ç§ã¯ä½œã£ã¦ã„ã¾ã™ã€‚â€¦â€¦ç›¸å½“ã«ã€æ°´ã®å‡ºãŒæ¿€ã—ã„ã‘ã‚Œã©ã€ã§ã‚‚ä»Šã¯ã‚‚ã†å°‘ã—ã ã‘ã€çŸ¥ã‚‰ãªã„ãµã‚Šã‚’ã—ã¾ã™ã€‚ç§ã®ä½œã‚‹ã“ã®è¦³å…‰åœ°ã‚‚ã€ãã£ã¨ã„ã¤ã‹èª°ã‹ãŒTwitterã«è¼‰ã›ã‚‹ã‹ã‚‰ã€‚ pic.twitter.com/hMNfLR3NwC
â€” ç€¬æˆ¸å¼˜å¸ (@eguri89) December 2, 2019

ã”ã‚ã‚“ã€åŒç´šä¼šã«ã¯ã„ã‘ã¾ã›ã‚“ã€‚ä»Šã€ã‚·ãƒ³ã‚¬ãƒãƒ¼ãƒ«ã«ã„ã¾ã™ã€‚ã“ã®å›½ã‚’å—åŒ—ã«ç¸¦æ–ã™ã‚‹åœ°ä¸‹é‰„ã‚’ä½œã£ã¦ã„ã¾ã™ã€‚……æœ¬å½“ã¯ã€ã‚ã®é ƒãŒæ‹ã—ã„ã‘ã‚Œã©ã€ã§ã‚‚ä»Šã¯ã‚‚ã†å°‘ã—ã ã‘ã€çŸ¥ã‚‰ãªã„ãµã‚Šã‚’ã—ã¾ã™ã€‚ç§ã®ä½œã‚‹åœ°ä¸‹é‰„ã‚‚ã€ãã£ã¨ã„ã¤ã‹èª°ã‹ã®é’æ˜¥ã‚’ä¹—ã›ã‚‹ã‹ã‚‰ã€‚ pic.twitter.com/piktU3QDC4
â€” ã‚„ã—ã‚ã‚ãšã@æœˆæ›œæ—¥è¥¿A-60ab (@yashi09) August 26, 2019

ã”ã‚ã‚“ã€åŒç´šä¼šã«ã¯è¡Œã‘ã¾ã›ã‚“ã€‚ã„ã¾ã€ã‚·ãƒ³ã‚¬ãƒãƒ¼ãƒ«ã«ã„ã¾ã™ã€‚ã“ã®å›½ã‚’å—åŒ—ã«ç¸¦æ–ã™ã‚‹åœ°ä¸‹é‰„ã‚’ç§ã¯ä½œã£ã¦ã„ã¾ã™ã€‚â€¦â€¦æœ¬å½“ã¯ã€ã‚ã®é ƒãŒæ‹ã—ã„ã‘ã‚Œã©ã€ã§ã‚‚ä»Šã¯ã‚‚ã†å°‘ã—ã ã‘ã€çŸ¥ã‚‰ãªã„ãµã‚Šã‚’ã—ã¾ã™ã€‚ç§ã®ä½œã‚‹ã“ã®åœ°ä¸‹é‰„ã‚‚ã€ãã£ã¨ã„ã¤ã‹èª°ã‹ã®é’æ˜¥ã‚’ä¹—ã›ã‚‹ã‹ã‚‰ã€‚
â€” ã”ã‚ã‚“ã€åŒç´šä¼šã«ã¯è¡Œã‘ã¾ã›ã‚“ã€‚ã„ã¾ã€ã‚·ãƒ³ã‚¬ãƒãƒ¼ãƒ«ã«ã„ã¾ã™ã€‚bot (@Singapore_bot) December 13, 2019
Though the meme only pretty much went viral amongst the Japanese, it’s nice to see Singapore being the centre of attention. The influx of Japanese interest in the Southeast Asian nation can only be a good thing.
In the meantime, check out myÂ spoiler-free review ofÂ Weathering With YouÂ here, orÂ head on over here for my spoiler-filled discussion of the movieâ€™s problems. There’s also a live-action adaptation of Weathering With You (sort of), which you can check out here.


Glass Onion A Knives Out Mystery Drops On Netflix This December

Netflix has announced that Glass Onion A Knives Out Mystery will premiere on 23 December 2022.
The synopsis of the movie reads:
In the follow up to Rian Johnson’s KNIVES OUT, Detective Benoit Blanc travels to Greece to peel back the layers of a mystery involving a new cast of colourful suspects.
If 2019’s Knives Out was about the murderous ties of flesh and blood, Glass Onion makes a good case for being just as wary of one’s closest friends. When tech billionaire Miles Bron (Edward Norton) invites some of his nearest and dearest for a getaway on his private Greek island, it soon becomes clear that all is not perfect in paradise. And when someone turns up dead, well, who better than Blanc to peel back the layers of intrigue?
According to returning director Rian Johnson, Blanc’s penchant for bombast is partly to thank for the film’s title, which pays homage to the 1968 Beatles song of the same name.
He said:
“I’m always fishing for something fun that Blanc can grab onto as an overwrought metaphor that he can beat to death,” he says. “This is all in plain sight from the very start. So, the idea of glass came to me, something that’s clear. I’ll be very honest. I literally got out my iPhone and searched my music library with the word ‘glass.’ There’s got to be some good glass songs. I was like, “Oh, is it a glass fortress? Is it a glass castle? Is it a glass man?” The first thing that came up, because I’m a huge Beatles fan, is ‘Glass Onion.’”
Netflix also gave us first-look images of the upcoming movie:

At the table this time around are Edward Norton, Janelle Monáe, Kathryn Hahn (Private Life), Leslie Odom Jr., Jessica Henwick (The Gray Man), Madelyn Cline (Outer Banks), with Kate Hudson, and Dave Bautista (Army of the Dead).
KNIVES OUT 2
In the meantime, you can check out our review of Knives Out here.


Black Mirror Season 6 Will Haunt You Mid-June

The next season of Black Mirror, the Charlie Brooker-created sci-fi drama series with various types of tech and ideas that go horribly wrong, will be out pretty soon.
Black Mirror Season 6 will be out on 15th June on Netflix. Cast members for the sixth season include Aaron Paul, Anjana Vasan, Annie Murphy, Auden Thornton, Ben Barnes, Clara Rugaard, Daniel Portman, Danny Ramirez, Himesh Patel, John Hannah, Josh Hartnett, Kate Mara, Michael Cera, Monica Dolan, Myha’la Herrold, Paapa Essiedu, Rob Delaney, Rory Culkin, Salma Hayek Pinault, Samuel Blenkin, and Zazie Beetz.
Episodes in this season include Joan Is Awful, where a show on a global streaming platform is portraying & adapting a person’s life, to Mazey Day which involves paparazzi and a hit-and-run incident.
Check out the trailer & episode synopsis’ below:
JOAN IS AWFUL: An average woman is stunned to discover a global streaming platform has launched a prestige TV drama adaptation of her life – in which she is portrayed by Hollywood A-lister Salma Hayek.
LOCH HENRY: A young couple travels to a sleepy Scottish town to start work on a genteel nature documentary – but find themselves drawn to a juicy local story involving shocking events of the past.
BEYOND THE SEA: In an alternative 1969, two men on a perilous high-tech mission wrestle with the consequences of an unimaginable tragedy.
MAZEY DAY: A troubled starlet is dogged by invasive paparazzi while dealing with the consequences of a hit-and-run incident.
DEMON 79: Northern England, 1979. A meek sales assistant is told she must commit terrible acts to prevent disaster.


Diablo 3 Season 27 Features New Content; Trumps Diablo Immortal Offerings

As you may have heard, mobile action RPG Diablo Immortal has released its second Battle Pass. It didn’t go so well.

What is a Diablo fan going to do? Well, how about going back to Diablo 3, because Blizzard announced the latest Season that’s featuring a ton of new content.
Diablo 3 Season 27 will feature Angelic Crucible, which are consumable items that you can use to Sanctify any equippable Legendary item. Sanctified items reforges Legendaries to have perfect Ancient-level stats while also adding one of three new class-unique powers. These range from a Barbarian’s Whirldwind pulling in and holding all enemies within a good distance, to the Demon Hunter’s Strafe now casting the last non-channeled Hatred ability casted. Looking at the list, these powers are sounding very awesome, making the Angelic Crucibles worth farming for.
They also do not cost up to US$10,000 to roll for, so that’s a huge bonus. Here are the list of class-specific Sanctified powers that you can get from Angelic Crucibles.
Barbarian

Whirlwind pulls in and holds all enemies within 25 yards.
Hammer of the Ancients hits in all directions around the Barbarian. Every seventh cast of Hammer of the Ancients unleashes a powerful shockwave.
Hitting enemies generates stacks of Tempest Rhythm. Activating Wrath of the Berserker consumes 50 stacks of Tempest Rhythm and startles enemies within 16 yards, causing them to take 0.5% increased damage per stack for 10 seconds. Max 100 stacks.

Crusader

Blessed Hammer now crackles with energy damaging enemies within 15 yards of its path. All runes but Dominion now throw the hammer in a direct path in front of the Crusader.
Every two seconds, call down Fist of the Heavens on a random nearby enemy.
After casting Falling Sword, you descend from the sky with two Archangels that wield immense holy skills and benefit from your holy damage skill modifiers.

Demon Hunter

Strafe now casts the last non-channeled Hatred spending ability casted.
Casting Vengeance unleashes a barrage of rockets that deal damage equal to a percentage of an enemy’s current hit points. The percentage per rocket is reduced if the enemy is an Elite or Boss. This effect cannot occur more than once every 60 seconds.
Firing Cluster Arrow concentrates its explosive force into a piercing ray of light.

Monk

Casting Wave of Light now summons a bell at the target location that deals damage when the caster attacks the bell. Up to seven bells can be active at one time.
All Way of the Hundred Fists combo punches use the second stage combo punch.
The target of your Seven-Sided Strike is barraged with spiritual punches for 15 seconds. This can only affect one enemy at a time.

Necromancer

Your Golem now picks up corpses within 20 yards. Each corpse it stores allows you to cast any corpse spending ability with the max number of corpses consumed per cast. Up to 30 corpses can be stored.
Enemies within 50 yards are constantly assaulted by the Army of the Dead – Unconventional Warfare while this item is equipped.
Hitting enemies with Death Nova five consecutive times adds a spirit that afflicts an enemy every fifth cast of Death Nova. Up to three spirits can be sent at a time.

Witch Doctor

Five seconds after casting Haunt, all Haunted enemies within 50 yards are pulled to the Witch Doctor.
Horrify becomes an aura that causes enemies to receive 15% more damage and deal 15% less damage in addition to its other effects.
Your Gargantuan spreads Locusts Swarm to any enemy within 16 yards and summons Zombie Dogs periodically. Zombie Dogs now gain every rune when summoned.

Wizard

Casting Storm Armor sends a power thunderbolt from the skies that instantly kills a random enemy within 30 yards. Bosses are not killed but take significant damage. This effect cannot occur more than once every 60 seconds.
Arcane Orb now periodically spawns up to four orbiting charges that will generate an additional orb when cast. All charges from the Arcane Orbit rune now detonate at the same time.
Magic Missile fires 20 missiles and gains the effect of the Seeker rune.

Here are more details about Angelic Crucibles:

Angelic Crucibles and Sanctified Items can only be acquired in Seasonal play and will not transfer to your non-seasonal character when the season ends.
Angelic Crucibles can drop anywhere in Sanctuary at level 70.
Players can obtain as many Sanctified items as they would like, however, only one Sanctified item can be equipped at a time.
Sanctified items can be Sanctified again using another Angelic Crucible.
No stats are preserved when Sanctifying an item.
Only level 70 equippable items can be Sanctified—crafted items cannot be Sanctified.
Followers cannot equip Sanctified items.

In addition, Season 27 will be adding in the following permanent updates:

Adventure Mode is now unlocked for all accounts by default. Players are no longer required to complete the Campaign to access Adventure mode.
Default difficulty selection has been updated to be consistent for all players and platforms. All players now have access to Normal-Torment 6 difficulties by default, and upon reaching level 70 with a character, players gain access to Torment 7–Torment 16.
Uber Boss Realms now automatically close 60 seconds after the Uber Bosses have been defeated. Additional portals to the same Uber Boss Realm can now be opened in a single game session.
The Experience rewarded upon completion of an Echoing Nightmare has been reduced by 83%.

Finally; you no longer have to play through the Campaign to unlock Adventure mode. Took them awhile. And if you want to get big XP bonuses from Echoing Nightmares, you better do it ASAP before the current Season ends, which is most likely this coming August.
Diablo 3 Season 27 Set Bonus Buffs & Nerfs
The next Season will introduce a good number of buffs to some underpowered sets, most notably the Wizard and Necromancer’s.
General Items

Guardian’s Jeopardy (2-piece bonus): Your base Vitality attribute from equipped items is increased by 50%.
Guardian’s Jeopardy (3-piece bonus): Your base Strength, Dexterity, and Intelligence attributes from equipped items are increased by 50%.

Crusader (Buff)

Armor of Akkhan (2-piece bonus): Judgment has no cooldown and gains the effect of every rune.
Armor of Akkhan (4-piece bonus): Attacks from Phalanx Avatars reduce the cooldown of Akarat’s Champion by 0.5 seconds, and also apply Condemn when attacking enemies that is affected by Judgment.
Eternal Union: Increases the duration of summoned Phalanx Bowmen and Bodyguard indefinitely.

Necromancer (Buff)

Trag’Oul’s Avatar (2-piece bonus): Blood Rush and Siphon Blood gains the effect of every rune. Your Life-spending abilities no longer cost Essence.
Trag’Oul’s Avatar (4-piece bonus): While at full Life, your healing from skills is added to your maximum Life for 45 seconds, up to 300% more.
Trag’Oul’s Avatar (6-piece bonus): Your Life-spending abilities deal 10,000% increased damage and your healing from skills is increased by 100%.
Iron Rose: Attacking with Siphon Blood has a 100% chance to cast a free Blood Nova. After cumulatively losing 10% of your maximum Life, your Death Nova deals 40% increased damage for 60 seconds. This effect stacks up to 10 times.
Funerary Pick: Siphon Blood from 2 additional targets. Each target takes 300% increased damage from you. The bonus from Siphon Blood – Power Shift is now 20% per stack and benefits all skills.

Wizard (Buff)

Delsere’s Magnum Opus (2-piece bonus): Casting Arcane Orb, Energy Twister, Magic Missile, Shock Pulse, Spectral Blade, Electrocute, Meteor, or Arcane Torrent also casts Slow Time at a target. This effect will not trigger if the target is already inside a Slow Time bubble. The cooldown of Teleport will reset while you’re inside bubbles generated from this set or cast by you.
Delsere’s Magnum Opus (4-piece bonus): You take 75% reduced damage while you have a Slow Time active. Allies inside your Slow Time gain half benefit.
Crown of the Primus: Slow Time gains the effect of every rune and permanently follows you.
Tal Rasha’s Elements (2-piece bonus): Damaging enemies with Arcane, Cold, Fire or Lightning will grant immunity to that element and cause a Meteor of the same damage type to fall from the sky. The same meteor cannot happen twice in a row.
Tal Rasha’s Elements (4-piece bonus): Arcane, Cold, Fire, and Lightning attacks each increase all of your resistances by 50% for 8 seconds.
The Smoldering Core: Lesser enemies are now lured to your Meteor impact areas. Meteors deals 40-50% increased damage on consecutive hits to the same target. This stacks up to 10 times.

Monk (Nerf)

Inna’s Mantra (6-piece bonus): Gain the passive abilities of the five runed Mystic Allies at all times. Attacking enemies creates your chosen Mystic Ally that lasts 15 seconds, up to 10 Mystic Allys. The damage of your Mystic Allies is increased by 900% for each Mystic Ally you have out.

What People Are Saying About Diablo 3 Season 27
Top players and content creators like Maxroll creator Raxxanterax and Wudijo said that Season 27 is the best one yet. With Maxroll’s recent decision to stop covering Diablo Immortal due to the game’s microtransaction practices and community outrage, both creators are excited to see how the new updates to Diablo 3 will pan out, especially with the Monk’s Wave of Light Sanctified power-up that can make the already-OP Legacy of Dreams WoL and the Sunwuko WoL build much better.

Diablo 3 Season 27 Release Date
The release date for the update has yet to be confirmed. However, you can play the Public Test Realm starting 12th July. Head here for more details.
If we had to make a guess, Diablo 3 Season 27 should be ready in public form mid-August.


F1 2020 Deluxe Schumacher Edition Is Out & Vrooming About

The virtual season starts now as F1 2020 Deluxe Schumacher Edition is now available digitally for PS4, Xbox One, PC (via Steam), and Google Stadia. On Steam, the normal edition is RM95 while the Deluxe Schumacher Edition is RM115.
Celebrating the career of the legendary Michael Schumacher, the F1 2020 Deluxe Schumacher Edition comes with exclusive themed car liveries and driver customization items, including a unique podium celebration.

Players are now able to drive four of his most iconic vehicles from the â€˜90s and 2000s:

1991: Jordan 191
1994: Benetton B194
1995: Benetton B195
2000: Ferrari F1-2000

All players receive Michaelâ€™s Ferrari F2004 as part of the F1 2020 classic car line-up. The car is updated to include #1 on the nosecone and his name embossed on the headrest. Alongside the Schumacher content, Deluxe players also receive an exclusive set of in-game items celebrating the Seventieth Anniversary of Formula 1.

Codemasters F1 Franchise Game Director Lee Mather said:

â€œToday is a celebration of all the hard work from the studio, and itâ€™s exciting to get F1 2020 in the hands of our players.
Celebrating Michaelâ€™s record-setting seven World Championships in a season where Lewis Hamilton is aiming to match his record is fitting.
Adding his iconic cars is something weâ€™ve wanted to do for a long time, and they will prove incredibly popular.â€

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wF0vF1uXXYU&w=560&h=315]
Recorded by the F1 2020 development team on the stunning Red Bull Ring, the final entry in the Hote Lap series featured Esteban Ocon in his striking Renault. The video footage of that can be viewed below.
[wpvideo tAOA2Kqx]


Are We Getting A PC Version Of Red Dead Redemption 2?

Rockstar’s latest is out now for PS4 and Xbox One. But where’s the PC version? Well, it may be coming if this report from Rockstar Intel is anything to go by.
According to files inside the Red Dead Redemption 2 companion app, there are multiple references to the PC, graphics options and resolution types. The app containedÂ a number of parameters within its files, including:

PARAM_companionAutoConnectIpPC
PARAM_Oculus
CommandIsPcVersion(void) Â Â Â 000000000166A12C

In addition, there are also numerous references to the game’s graphics options like temporal anti-aliasing, resolution of water reflections, shadow quality, and particle quality. While these might just be for a desktop version of the companion app, the aforementioned Oculus, graphics, and “PcVersion” lines mean that it could be prepping up for a full-fledged PC version of the game.
Our Thoughts
Rockstar won’t comment on this so soon, but we do hope our PC brethren will get their version of RDR2 soon enough. Here are some strong cases for a PC version:

It’ll make Rockstar a lot more money. 12 million Steam digital copies were sold according to recent Steam analyticsÂ (via PC Gamer). Of course, the actual figures are higher since there’s also the physical copies of GTA 5 to consider.
It’ll take at least half a year for RDR2 to be on PC. For comparison, GTA 5 came out 17 months after the PS3/Xbox 360 version, while GTA 4 came out 7 months after the Xbox 360 version.
A PC version of the game was listed on LinkedIn for a Rockstar programmer job listing. It could be a typo though.

Our review isn’t up yet (we’re still on it, don’t worry) but in the meantime, you should check out our hints and tips section to sort out your cowpoke adventure if you’re playing the console versions.


Back 4 Blood Trailer Shows Off Its Cast Of Playable Characters

Publisher Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and developer Turtle Rock Studios have released a brand new trailer for Back 4 Blood, which introduces the gameâ€™s playable cast of characters. There are eight of them and they’re referred to as the Cleaners who are ready to eradicate the Ridden (what the zombies are called in the game).
Previous Left 4 Dead games have only had four playable characters each, so it’s interesting to see that the developer has included even more choices in its latest game, which is essentially Left 4 Dead 3 in all but name (since Valve owns the franchise IP). Each of them even comes with its own unique traits and advantages.
Back 4 Blood is slated to release for the PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One, and PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store on 12 October 2021. The developer also previously confirmed that theyâ€™re planning to launch a Back 4 BloodÂ open beta sometime in summer 2021.
In the meantime, check out the trailer below:


Here’s Why Singapore Esports Is Falling Behind…

When you think “esports” and “Southeast Asia”, you think The Philippines, Vietnam, and even Malaysia. Singapore? Well, apart from names like Xian, SCOGA and Resurgence, not so much. In fact, no Singaporean esports team has appeared during the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia, arguably one of the biggest Southeast Asian esports events of last year.
Which is why the latter name is taking great pains and putting a huge amount of effort to make esports great again on the little red dot.Â According to a Straits Times interview featuring Singapore team Resurgence, the team founder and CEO Jayf “Babel” Soh said that it’s because of the lack of support. Specifically, the discipline and funds to support teams. In a country known for being risk-averse and having a different cultural mindset than other SEA countries in something esoteric like competitive gaming, it’s understandable.
To put his money where his mouth is, the two year-old team will invest broadly in the country’s esports scene via running 12 teams that will be playing 9 games which includes Hearthstone, League of Legends, Dota 2, Fortnite, Arena of Valor, and Mobile Legends.
Costly? Yes, so here’s a quote regarding his rationale:

“When I was starting [Resurgence], people asked me why I wanted to be based in Singapore, with its small market and high costs. And yes, if Resurgence was a full-fledged business, it’d have made sense to go for emerging markets in the region. But I’m a Singaporean, my heart is here, and I wanted to help plug the gaps in Singapore [esports]. The most obvious gap then and now is the support for players.”
“We’re giving players basic support. We manage them on tight training routines, give them a place to train and structured contracts with incentive clauses. The money is not enough to be called a salary, but it’s enough so that they don’t have to worry about working part-time to support themselves.”

According to Jayf, Resurgence is the only one doing this in Singapore and also wishes that other organisations step up and support promising local players.Â And so far, it’s paying off: the team has 17 championship wins and 36 podium finishes last year.
Things are indeed looking up for Singapore esports; they might even show up in future Olympic-level esports events.
Top image credit: Resurgence


Streets of Rage 4 Will Feature 4-Player Co-Op & Another Big Bruiser

Get ready to smash bad guys in 2D glory with Streets of Rage 4’s new character reveal.
The new muscle this time is Floyd Iraia, a “cybernetic brother in arms”. Filling in for SoR 2’s Max and SoR 3’s Zan in the big bruiser archetype, Floyd can grapple enemies and walk at the same time, bash two enemies together, and can even grab them mid-range. His only drawbacks are his speed and slow health recovery.
That’s not even the best part: you can play SoR 4 with another person via online 2-player mode or with three others in offline 4-player mode. It’s a co-op fight fiesta for this year.

Our cybernetic brother-in-arms will smash your heart this Spring. #SOR4
We're thrilled to introduce you to the Floyd Iraia, along with the two-player online mode and four-player offline co-op!
Add to your Wishlist now: https://t.co/8Sp14UFbG3@Lizardcube @Guard_Crush pic.twitter.com/vegk81mWH6
— Dotemu (@Dotemu) February 24, 2020

Streets of Rage 4 will be landing onto PC and consoles this Spring. I’ll most likely pick Floyd first because I do enjoy dishing damage & big hurt more than fancy combos.


Mario + Rabbids: Sparks Of Hope Post-Launch DLC Include Rayman

Ubisoft did not forget about its old school mascot Rayman, the limbless hero of past 2D and 3D Rayman games that put the company on the map.
Rayman will take the spotlight in an upcoming DLC for the upcoming Mario + Rabbids: Sparks Of Hope turn-based RPG. The DLC will be out post-launch, with the main game coming out for Nintendo Switch on 20th October.
Ubisoft also showed off a ton of new gameplay of the strategy RPG title, featuring a boss fight with Wiggler using Mario, Bowser, and Rosalina Rabbid with their strengths being put on full display.


Loki Episode 6 Easter Eggs & Breakdown

The sixth and final episode of Marvelâ€™s LokiÂ is available now on Disney+ Hotstar Malaysia. Iâ€™ll be discussing heavy spoilers fromÂ Loki Episode 6 so if you havenâ€™t seen it or want to avoid spoilers, nowâ€™s your chance to stop reading.
For previous breakdowns ofÂ LokiÂ episodes, check outÂ Episode 1 here,Â Episode 2 here,Â Episode 3 here,Â Episode 4 hereÂ and Episode 5 here.
Also, if you havenâ€™t, you can check out my previous breakdown and easter egg articles forÂ WandaVisionÂ Episode 1 and 2,Â Episode 3,Â Episode 4,Â Episode 5,Â Episode 6,Â Episode 7,Â Episode 8Â andÂ Episode 9.
ForÂ The Falcon And The Winter Soldier, you can check out my previous breakdowns here atÂ Episode 1,Â Episode 2Â andÂ Episode 3,Â Episode 4,Â Episode 5Â andÂ Episode 6.
If you want a non-spoiler guide toÂ Loki, you canÂ head on over here.
Courtesy of Disney+ Hotstar Malaysia, I was also lucky enough to be the only Malaysian media to participate in a roundtable interview with LokiÂ Costume Designer Christine Wada andÂ LokiÂ Production Designer Kasra Farahani. These interviews haveÂ been edited for clarity.

He Who Remains Is Behind The TVA, According To Miss Minutes

At the beginning of Loki Episode 6, Miss Minutes already reveals the identity of who’s behind everything. Disappointingly, it’s an obscure nobody villain named He Who Remains.
In the comics, He Who Remains is the final director of the Time Variance Authority at the Citadel at the End of Time, the last reality of the Multiverse.
He created the Time-Twisters to teach the next universe, who inevitably starred time travelling into the past and destroying the universe they were currently in. Thor stepped in, and with the help of Jane Foster, told Him Who Remains that his Time-Twisters were breaking the past, which caused Him to prevent their existence, interrupting their birth in the past.
At this point, two different realities spawned: in Earth-794282 Him Who Remains created the new Time-Keepers after the death of the Time-Twisters, while in Earth-761243 the Time-Twisters continued to live. It was later revealed that Him Who Remains later banished a fourth Time Keeper back to Ancient Egypt, the Oracle of Siwa.
He Who Remains in the comics.
But wait…
KANG IS HERE

He Who Remains turned out to be none other than Jonathan Majors’ Kang The Conqueror.
I WAS RIGHT! THE COMICSLORD WAS RIGHT!

Since the very first episode of Loki, I’ve been saying that Kang The Conqueror was behind the TVA. Lo and behold, he has arrived.
In the episode, he even says that some call him a “Conqueror”. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in 1964â€™sÂ The AvengersÂ #8, the man named Nathaniel Richards is best known as Kang The Conqueror. Hailing from the 30th century, Kang jumped back and forth through time, battling the likes of the Avengers and Fantastic Four.
Several of his most iconic storylines include theÂ Avengers ForeverÂ miniseries (by Kurt Busiek and Carlos Pacheco) and Kurt Busiekâ€™s Kang Dynasty crossover, along with his involvement in theÂ Young AvengersÂ andÂ Uncanny Avengers.

Avengers Forever.

Kang Dynasty

He is a complicated character, as different versions of him exist as different characters altogether. His future self is also a supervillain who goes by the name of Immortus, while his younger self is actually a superhero who joins the Young Avengers as Iron Lad.

Kang The Conquerer.

Immortus.

Iron Lad.

He Who Remains Is A Kang Variant And He Basically Confirms The Existence Of The Council Of Kangs

He Who Remains reveals that he’s a Kang Variant and that Kang variants have met with each other. While he doesn’t explicitly mention the Council Of Kangs, that’s definitely what he’s referring to in Loki Episode 6.
He also reveals that the Council Of Kangs caused the Multiversal War that supposedly necessitated the creation of the TVA in the first place. Each Kang wanted to ensure that his reality was supreme.
In the comics, the Council of Kangs was a group led by Prime Kang that was tricked by Immortus (a future version of Kang) into eliminating all divergent (read: variant) Kangs in the Multiverse, as that would ensure Prime Kang’s destiny would end with him becoming Immortus.

He Who Remains/Kang Used Alioth To Stop The Multiversal War

Remember the reality-eating Alioth from Loki Episode 5?
It turns out that He Who Remains AKA Kang used the powers of Alioth to stop the Multiversal War.
The Human Identity Of Ravonna Renslayer

Hunter C-20 goes to find the version of Ravonna Renslayer before she was recruited into the TVA. It turns out that she was a human teacher in 2018 before.
The Threshold Is Here, Which Means He Who Remains/Kang No Longer Knows The Future

He Who Remains reveals that the end of time is the Threshold and that he now no longer knows what’s going to happen. Apparently, he also wants Loki and Sylvie to replace him as the head of the TVA.
You Win, Loki Sylvie Shippers

Yep, both Loki and Sylvie kiss. You are welcome.
Sylvie Kills He Who Remains/Kang

Sylvie stabs and kills He Who Remains/Kang, causing…
The Sacred Timeline Is Now Free To Branch Out, Paving The Way For The Real Kang The Conqueror

After He Who Remains dies, the Sacred Timeline branches out, which means the multiverse is now open again, paving the way for other versions of Kang variants to break into other timelines. This will probably pave the way for the arrival of MCU’s version of Kang The Conqueror in the upcoming Ant-Man 3 Quantumania.
Remember, He Who Remains is just a Kang variant, one of many from the Council Of Kangs.
Loki Season 2 Confirmed

The end of the episode confirms that there will be a Loki Season 2, but no details were provided. There is no post-credits scene.
Kang Is Now In Charge Of The TVA And Mobius Doesn’t Remember Who Loki Is

The episode ends with the shocking revelation that another Kang variant is now in charge of the TVA and Mobius has lost his memories of Loki. The statue of Kang now sits in the middle of the TVA, and this version looks a lot more like the Kang The Conqueror from the comics.
Kang The Conquerer.
Council Of Kangs Will Likely Be The Main Antagonists Of MCU Phase 4 Moving Forward
I’ve already explained above who Kang and the Council Of Kangs are. Moving forward, they will likely be the main antagonists of MCU Phase 4, the same way that Thanos was the main antagonist of the Infinity Saga. He Who Remains seems to be a tired and weary version of Kang, so this isn’t Kang at his prime.
Expect the true Kang The Conqueror from the end of Loki Season 1 or other Kang variants to arrive in Ant-Man 3: Quantumania, which is slated to premiere in February 2023.


FromSoftware’s Next Title Is In The Final Stages Of Development

In an interview with 4Gamer, FromSoftware president and Elden Ring director Hidetaka Miyazaki revealed that an unannounced title is in the final stages of development, and that the next title directed by Miyazaki himself is already in the works.
As translated by Gematsu, check out the interview below:
When we interviewed you about Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice in 2018, you said there were 3.5 development lines underway, two of them unannounced. Elden Ring ended up one of the unannounced titles, but is the other one still in development?
Hidetaka Miyazaki: “Yes, development is currently in the final stages.”
What are your goals as a director? With Elden Ring wrapped up, is there anything that you want to do in the future or are interested in doing?
Miyazaki: “I’m already working on my next title as a director, so I’d like to avoid giving too much away there… In the mid-to-long term, I would like to work on a more abstract fantasy than anything we’ve done in the past.”
Finally, with Elden Ring settled, what is the state of FromSoftware’s game development going forward?
Miyazaki: “First off, we’re going to continue releasing updates for Elden Ring. Also, as I’ve mentioned before, we’re developing several titles by directors other than myself in addition to the title that I’m directing, but we’re not at the stage where I can share any details yet. My apologies, but please give us a little more time.”
So, yeah, we’ll probably get a new game announcement from FromSoftware in the near future, and at least Elden Ring players can look forward to more updates in the future.
In the meantime, head on over here for all our Elden Ring content.


Splatoon 3 DLC To Bring Back Inkopolis In Spring 2023

Nintendo is adding more bang to your Splatoon 3 buck with an upcoming expansion pass which comes in 2 waves.
Wave 1 is bringing back the Splatoon 1 and 2 city Inkopolis as your new hub, as well as new shops to buy gear from and Splatfest concerts with pop stars Callie and Marie.

The second wave is called Side Order and is the new story campaign of Splatoon 3, featuring Splatoon 2’s Octoling agent and Pearl. The second half of the DLC will be out later in 2023. You can get the Expansion Pass later today on the Nintendo eshop.