Trackmania Celebrates First Anniversary With New Maps & Discounts

Ubisoft is celebrating the first anniversary of TrackmaniaÂ with the announcement of an all-new summer season, which is available for free.
Since launch, players across the globe have created over 132,000 custom maps and have set more than 61 million personal records in the past year. Ubisoft Nadeo has also enhanced the game with exciting new content and engaging activities for players to enjoy, including the most recent Royal mode and Ranked Matchmaking modes.
Players can now enjoy 25 new maps and set their sights on 100 medals. The new maps will include increasing difficulties and treacherous water features. Players will be challenged and must utilize their best skills and manoeuvres to navigate new maps and beat out the competition.
Additionally, to celebrate the anniversary, players can get 20 percent off the one-year Club Edition and 25 percent off the three-year Club Edition, which is available exclusively in the Ubisoft Store from 1 July to 31 July 2021. Ubisoft will be hosting the final round of its most prestigious competitive event, the Trackmania World Cup, which spectators can enjoy on 4 July 2021.
Trackmania is currently available for PC on the Epic Games Store and the Ubisoft Store.


Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series Launches On Consoles and PC

Wahoo! Klonoa’s back and remastered, and his cuddly 2 games are out right now for consoles & PC.
Celebrating the 25th birthday of the franchise, Klonoa: Phantom Reverie Series is a remastered collection of Klonoa: Door to Phantomile originally for the Playstation and Klonoa 2: Lunatea’s Veil for the Playstation 2. Developed by Monkey Craft and published by Bandai Namco, the remaster provides an elegant revamp running at 60fps and up to 4K resolution on some consoles, while Klonoa’s beloved world and classic gameplay remain faithful for new players and fans of the original to enjoy.’
Check out the launch trailer below showcasing all the 2D mascot platformer action.

 Klonoa is a side-scrolling platform game featuring intriguing characters in a vibrant game world. It’s up to the player to take Klonoa on an action-packed journey to save his beloved world of Phantomile while making endearing friends along the way.

The game also offers additional content such as Time Attack extra stages, difficulty adjustments, and 2-player Co-op feature in case you need a little help from your buddy.

Bandai Namco also revealed the Bandai Collaborative Outfit Set as a DLC add-on to be worn in-game so you can dress Klonoa up as your favourite Bandai Namco character for your adventures. Check out Klonoa with his Bandai-themed drip!

Enjoy a nostalgic trip down memory lane playing this new and improved Klonoa title!

For more information on Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series and other products from Bandai Namco Entertainment Asia, you can visit their website or follow them on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.


Work The Night Shift In New J-Horror Game The Convenience Store

The convenience store might not sound like a scary place, but that’s the setting for new J-horror game The Convenience Store, which recently released on 17 February 2020.
Created by Chilla’s Art, a two-brothers team that has made several indie horror titles in the past, it puts players in the shoes of a college girl (who’s voiced) on a night shift.
The developers describe the game as “primarily a “walking simulator” genre with puzzle-solving elements”. There’s a VHS option which is on by default, but without it, it’s a game with crisp graphics and attractive lighting.
I was intrigued by The Convenience Store despite not being a horror fan and found it to be quite the engaging (and unnerving) experience. On the downside, there’s an annoying puzzle near the end and no save function of any sort. I assume that the lack of saves was due to the length (the devs say it’s about 40 minutes long), and perhaps to persuade people to replay the game to unlock both endings.
If you’re interested, you can findÂ The Convenience Store on Steam. It’s only RM7.65 right now thanks to a launch promotion, with the full price being RM8.50.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMDHurChwIQ&w=560&h=315]


Cuphead The Delicious Last Course DLC Sales Surpass One Million

Studio MDHR has announced that the Cuphead The Delicious Last Course DLC has sold more than one million units across all available platforms in less than two weeks since launching on 30 June 2022.
According to the blog post, the statement reads:
“This marks an even quicker timeline than it took for the original game to achieve this momentous feat, and we are just beside ourselves with joy and appreciation. These words certainly do not encompass how grateful we are, but to the amazing Cuphead players worldwide we say nonetheless: thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”
Cuphead and its The Delicious Last Course DLC are available now for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch and PC.


Dying Light 2 Reveals Post-Launch Content Roadmap

Dying Light 2 launches next week, and developer Techland has revealed a roadmap of future content coming after the game releases.
In the first few months, players can expect smaller DLC such as challenge packs, mutated infected events, and more. In June 2022, Dying Light 2â€™s first full story DLC will arrive. After that, the developer promises to deliver at least two more story DLC, as well as new weapons, stories, enemies, and events. You can check out the roadmap for yourself below:

Dying Light 2 Stay Human is slated to release for the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC, and the Nintendo Switch via the cloud on 4 February 2022.


You Can Now Play Pac-Man Community On Facebook Gaming

Pac-Man is one of the most iconic games of all time, and now you can play it on Facebook Gaming. Best of all, you can play ranked matches with people from around the world and even build your own mazes.
In a statement, Mark Zuckerberg said:
â€œPac-man is coming to Facebook Gaming! You’ll be able to play this classic game with friends, watch creators play, and build your own mazes. Gaming is a big part of the metaverse, and I’m looking forward to seeing games like this get more interactive and immersive.â€

In addition, Pac-Man Community also introduces Facebook Gaming’s new â€œWatchâ€ mode, which is currently in beta. In Watch mode, 2D mazes are converted to an isometric 3D view, and viewers can power up Pac-Man or the ghosts. Developed by Genvid in partnership with BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment, PAC-MAN COMMUNITY connects players, gaming video creators, viewers, and world builders together in fun new ways.
Pac-Man Community is currently available to play for free exclusively on Facebook Gaming. You can head on over here to play it now.
[videopress Wkk13qoA]


This PokÃ©mon Music Video Features An Iconic Singaporean Landmark

The PokÃ©mon franchise is several decades old by now, but it’s always been kid-friendly since the very beginning. The PokÃ©mon Kids YouTube channel features a lot of content for the young ones, and the latest video is a musical singalong nursery rhyme featuring a location that will be familiar to many Singaporeans.
The video features Singaporeâ€™s very own Jewel Changi Airport as its setting, with its famous worldâ€™s tallest indoor waterfall seen in the background while Pikachu and some children dance to the tune of â€œIf Youâ€™re Happy And You Know Itâ€.
Check it out below:


Netflix May 2022: Our Picks & Highlights

I’m sure you won’t want to waste time sifting through Netflix’s extensive catalogue of shows and movies just to decide on what to watch. The streaming giant updates its site every day, week, and month with new content, so I’m here to save your precious time.
Here are my personal recommendations and highlights for Netflix Malaysia’s May 2022 lineup and how to fill up your free time with worthwhile content at home:
Clark (5 May 2022)

Clark is directed by Jonas Åkerlund and with Bill Skarsgård starring as Clark Olofsson – the notorious Swedish bank robber, and the man who gave rise to the expression the Stockholm syndrome.

The Pentaverate (5 May 2022)
The Pentaverate. Mike Myers as Ken Scarborough in The Pentaverate. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2022
The Pentaverate is an upcoming comedy limited series created by Mike Myers for Netflix. It is a spin-off of Myers’ 1993 romantic black comedy film, So I Married An Axe Murderer. The series will consist of six episodes.
Since the Black Plague in 1347, five men have been working to influence world events for the greater good. One unlikely Canadian journalist finds himself in the middle of a mission to expose the truth and, in the process, save the world.
It stars:

Mike Myers as:

Ken Scarborough, A Canadian news journalist who sets out to expose the Pentaverate and win his job back.
Anthony Lansdowne, A New England conspiracy theorist who is determined to expose the Pentaverate.
Rex Smith, A far-right radio host, and highly prominent conspiracy theorist.
Lord Lordington, The Pentaverate’s oldest and highest-ranking member.
Shane Salanitri, a former media mogul.
Mishu Ivanov, an Ex-Russian oligarch.
Shep Gordon, a former rock ‘n’ roll manager.
Jason Eccleston: A tech genius who invented the Pentaverate’s supercomputer, MENTOR.

Ken Jeong as Skip Cho: A casino mogul with extensive knowledge in the chaos theory of weather patterns.
Keegan-Michael Key as Dr. Hobart Clark: A nuclear physicist who was recruited into the Pentaverate to resolve the climate change disaster.
Debi Mazar as Patty Davis, the highly trusted Executive Assistant to the Pentaverate.
Richard McCabe as Exalted Pikeman Higgins: The head of the Liechtenstein Guard, the Pentaverate’s security force.
Jennifer Saunders as:

The Maester of Dubrovnik: The head investigator for the Pentaverate, who is summoned from his ancestral home in Dubrovnik to investigate the suspicious deaths.
The Saester of Dubrovnik: The Maester’s sister and protector of the parce clavem, the spare key for the Pentaverate’s voting apparatus, which is hidden in Dubrovnik.[3]

Lydia West as Reilly Clayton: a young woman who serves as an accomplice to Ken Scarborough.

Senior Year (13 May 2022)
SENIOR YEAR – (Pictured) Rebel Wilson as Stephanie Conway. Cr: Boris Martin / NETFLIX © 2022
After a cheerleader (Rebel Wilson) falls off a pyramid and into a 20 year coma, she wakes up as a 37-year-old woman, ready to return to high school, regain her status and claim the prom queen crown that eluded her.

Vampire In The Garden (16 May 2022)

The fateful meeting of a human and the vampire queen may change the world. From WIT STUDIO and a team of talented creators comes Vampire In The Garden.
One cold winter, humanity lost its battle with the vampires, and with it, most of where they called home. A small population of survivors created a wall of light in a small town to protect them and give them a place to live in peace. The protagonist, Momo, lives a repressed life but still wishes to coexist with the enemy, the vampires. Fine, the vampire queen, once loved humans and disappeared from the battlefield. As war rages through the humans’ town, the two have a fateful encounter. Once upon a time, humans and vampires lived in harmony in a place called Paradise. This is the story of a young girl and a vampire on a journey to find Paradise.

Love, Death & Robots Volume 3 (20 May 2022)
Love, Death & Robots: Volume 3. Josh Brener as K-VRC in Love, Death & Robots: Volume 3. Cr. COURTESY OF NETFLIX © 2022
Uncanny worlds, violent delights and twisted kicks await in the third volume of the Emmy-winning animated anthology from Tim Miller and David Fincher.

Stranger Things Season 4 Volume 1 (27 May 2022)
STRANGER THINGS. (L to R) Eduardo Franco as Argyle, Charlie Heaton as Jonathan, Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven, Noah Schnapp as Will Byers, and Finn Wolfhard as Mike Wheeler in STRANGER THINGS. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2022
Stranger Things Season 4 will be released in two volumes, with Volume 1 dropping on 27 May 2022 and Volume 2 on 1 July 2022. Season 4 will be the penultimate season; with Stranger Things Season 5 set to be the last, completing the story arc the Duffer Brothers intended for the people of Hawkins and beyond, as well as the mysterious Upside Down.
In the meantime, you can check out my spoiler-filled discussion and theories on what’s coming in Stranger Things Season 4, which I wrote way back in 2019.

Those are just several selected highlights from next month’s offerings of new TV series and movies on Netflix. Now you can plan your Netflix binge-fest for May 2022.


World Champions Form Spine of FIFA 20’s Team of The Year

Recently crowned World Champions and reigning UEFA Champions League winners, Liverpool FC make the bulk of FIFA 20’s Team of The Year lineup, with five players being included in the first eleven.
Goalkeeper Alisson Becker, wingbacks Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson, living specimen Virgil van Dijk and my favorite Muslim, Sadio Mane were all included in the annual lineup which also saw ‘I can’t believe we blew a 3 goal lead!’ Lionel Messi accompanied by his club teammate, Frenkie de Jong makingÂ  Barcelona the only other team to be represented by more than one player.

Thanks to the Liverpool contingent, the English Premier League dominate this year’s TotYs, with Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne and Chelsea’s N’golo Kante making it an EPL-dominated lineup.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bp448BG8FdA&w=560&h=315]
French wonderkid Kylian Mbappe who plays for PSG complete the MMM attacking trident with Mane and Messi while Juventus’ defender Matthijs de Ligt forms a solid Dutch-flavored center-back pairing with Van Dijk.
Following this, special updated (and overpowered) FIFA Ultimate Team (FUT) player cards will be revealed in waves to reflect each player’s achievements in 2019. The first batch featuring the front three are as follows:

Expect more reveals to come up shortly as EA Sports reveal the rest of the TotY versions for the players involved. If Trent doesn’t get a 99 for crossing, EA Sports is cancelled.


Shazam 2 Director Confirms A New Trailer Is Coming

Shazam Fury Of The Gods director David F. Sandberg has revealed that the movie will receive a new trailer sometime later this month in January 2023 (via one of his Instagram stories). The upcoming sequel to 2018’s Shazam will be the first movie from DC Studios in 2023.
Shazam Fury Of The Gods was originally planned for 21 December 2022 but is now slated to release on 17 March 2023.
Shazam Fury Of The Gods stars returning cast members Zachary Levi as Shazam; Asher Angel as Billy Batson; Jack Dylan Grazer as Freddy Freeman; Adam Brody as Super Hero Freddy; Ross Butler as Super Hero Eugene; Meagan Good as Super Hero Darla; D.J. Cotrona as Super Hero Pedro; Grace Caroline Currey as Mary Bromfield / Super Hero Mary; Faithe Herman as Darla Dudley; Ian Chen as Eugene Choi; Jovan Armand as Pedro Pena; Marta Milans as Rosa Vasquez; Cooper Andrews as Victor Vasquez; with Djimon Hounsou as Wizard.
Joining the cast are Rachel Zegler, Lucy Liu and Helen Mirren as three goddesses, with the latter being the film’s antagonists. The film is directed by David F. Sandberg and produced by Peter Safran. Rachel Zegler will play the youngest of the three goddesses.
In the meantime, check out our review of Shazam here or check out the best Shazam stories you should read if you’re interested in knowing more about the character.
You can re-watch the previous trailer below:


Darkest Dungeon 2 Launch Trailer Hypes Up A Ton Of Misery & Death

Darkest Dungeon 2 will be out next week on PC via Epic Games. Developer Red Hook just released a launch trailer to remind us of its RPG goodness.
And by “goodness”, I mean multiple deaths and dread. The launch trailer showcases a montage of stabbings, poisonings, and burnings involving enemies and your part members as they get more and more depressed, feelings of despair, and bouts of insanity as they traverse deeper into the titular darkness.
Unlike the first Darkest Dungeon, part 2 is now a roguelike and combat is now reworked. However, the bit where things go wrong at the worst time? That’s still in the sequel. Check out the trailer below.


Mortal Kombat 11 Klosed Beta Kontest Giveaway

TEST YOUR MIGHT, KOMBATANTS!
We have a number ofÂ Mortal Kombat11 PS4 closed beta kodes up for GIVEAWAY, kourtesy of our awesome pals from Warner Bros. Games Asia!
Here’s what you need to do:
-GO to our Facebook page.
-LIKE our Facebook page and this here MK11 post/pic.
-TAG up to TWO (OR MORE) kombatants/friends who like fighting games and/or Mortal Kombat.
-Answer the following: Who is your favourite Mortal Kombat kharacter? Post your answers on the comments section; be kreative and elaborate why.
We also have a Twitter contest with the same mechanics, in case you want to try your luck there.
Hurry now; the kontest will end 26 March at 11:59pm GMT+8. If you’re one of the winners, you will get an extra kode for your pal.
P.S: this kontest is open only to Asia Pacific kombatants.
P.P.S: this may not be the last time we use “k” to replace “c”.


Infinix Ranked Top 5 For Popular Phone Brands During Shopee 7.7 Sale

During Shopee’s 7.7 Fashion and Beauty Festival 2023 event, Infinix proudly announced its accomplishment in smashing two new sales records!
They were named as one of the top 5 most popular phone brands by Shopee, in terms of both the number of phones sold and their total global value. This is a clear sign that Infinix is becoming a major player in the market and gaining more and more recognition with every step forward they take.

Throughout the 7.7 sale, Infinix had a chance to show off their awesome range of products, they had a bunch of them on sale, taking their already great deals to a new level! Infinix has already shown that they know how to make quality phones affordable, and that’s why they’ve been growing so fast, even though they’re a relatively new brand.
Showcasing their latest pride and joy, the NOTE 30 Series that we covered recently, Infinix have confirmed that the Note 30 Series has been a massive hit and continues to impress. With all these victories, Infinix is on fire and isn’t showing any signs of slowing down anytime soon.


Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Goes Battle Royale With Frontline

Today at the Ghost Recon 20th Anniversary Showcase, Ubisoft announced Tom Clancyâ€™s Ghost Recon Frontline, a new free-to-play, massive PvP shooter grounded in the renowned Ghost Recon universe.
Ghost Recon Frontline will be available on Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, and PC via Ubisoft Connect, with full cross-play available at launch.

Players can register now atÂ ghostreconfrontline.comÂ for a chance to play in early tests and to get the latest news and updates. The first closed test will run from 14 October to 21 October 2021Â for PC players in Europe only. Additional tests will be available at a later date.
Developed by Ubisoft Bucharest, which previously worked on Ghost Recon Wildlands and Ghost Recon Breakpoint, Ghost Recon Frontline offers a new and never-before-seen way for players to explore the Ghost Recon universe, with a free-to-play, 100+ players, PvP first-person military experience.

In Ghost Recon Frontline, players will discover Drakemoor island, an open world full of diverse landmarks and biomes. The game features a large set of tactical support tools, offering players complete freedom in strategic gameplay throughout various game modes.
Expedition, the gameâ€™s flagship mode, offers a new take on the battle royale genre. Featuring more than 100 players in teams of three, these squads will have to work together to complete dynamic objectives across the massive open map with no converging circle. Once players are done collecting intel, they will have to head to a drop zone and call for an extraction. When initiated, all teams will know the position of the extraction and will try to intervene, players will have to play tactically to successfully escape and win the match. Additional modes will also be available at launch.

Ghost Recon Frontline offers a unique and advanced class system, allowing players to upgrade and customize each contractor to fit their strategy. Three classes of contractors will be available during the first closed test, with more available at launch:

Assault Class provides great sustainability in close range fights and overall proficiency manoeuvres.
Support ClassÂ offers superior protection with fortification abilities.
Scout ClassÂ can easily recon the area for the squad, revealing and pestering enemies from a distance without fear of retaliation.

Players can even switch between different contractors even in the heat of battle, making each game unique and highly tactical.

Ubisoft Bucharest Creative Director Bogdan Bridinel said:

â€œWe canâ€™t wait to see playersâ€™ reactions during the first test of Ghost Recon Frontline.
We will be working hard to adjust the game accordingly throughout the several live phases planned before launch, as we want to deliver the most polished and entertaining experience possible for players.”

To celebrate the 20thÂ anniversary of the Ghost Recon franchise, players can download the first game of the series, Tom Clancyâ€™s Ghost Recon, for free on Ubisoft Connect. In addition, the Fallen Ghost DLC is free to access for all Tom Clancyâ€™s Ghost Recon Wildlands players, and the Deep State Adventure DLC is free to access for all Tom Clancyâ€™s Ghost Recon Breakpoint players on Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, and PC via Ubisoft Connect and the Epic Games Store until 11 October 2021.

The first closed test of Ghost Recon Frontline will start on 14 October for PC players in Europe only. Players can go to ghostreconfrontline.com to register for upcoming news, information and game tests.
In the meantime, check out the trailers below:


Sony Unveils Latest Three-Game PS4 Slim Bundle

Sony PlayStation Entertainment Hong Kong Limited via its Singapore Branch today unveiled the new three-game PS4 bundle which is set to hit Malaysian markets November 15th 2017. The bundle which comes with a 500GB PlayStation 4 Slim model will come shipped with copies of Sony Interactive Entertainment’s first-party hits such as Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, God of War III Remastered edition and Horizon Zero Dawn and retail at MYR1,349.

The bundle will come with one DualShock 4 controller and a three months worth of PlayStation Plus membership. For more info, head over to PlayStation’s official website here.


ArenaNet The Next Company Hit By Layoffs

It wasn’t long ago that Activision Blizzard was hit by a huge layoff. The mighty Razer was also affected too. Today, alongside EA-owned Real Racing 3 developers, Firemonkeys, Guild Wars developers ArenaNet is slated to go down the same path.
It is reported that some staff reduction was planned, though the number to be affected was not specified.

A statement received explaining the situation reads:
“We can confirm that due to the cancellation of unannounced projects, ArenaNet will make staff reductions. This is part of a larger organizational restructuring within NCSOFT in the west, but the Guild Wars and Guild Wars 2 game services will not be affected, nor is any upcoming game content cancelled.”
According to the source, an email was sent to employees earlier today from ArenaNet parent company NCSoft’s CEO Songyee Yoon saying:
“Our live game business revenue is declining as our franchises age, delays in development on PC and mobile have created further drains against our revenue projects, while our operating costs in the west have increased. Where we are is not sustainable, and is not going to set us up for future success.”
The email continued by saying that the company would be cutting costs and restructuring the whole of ArenaNet and would merge ArenaNet’s publishing division with NCSoft’s.Â Moreover, some current and former employees of ArenaNet have offered details on Twitter.Â Lead game designer Jennifer Scheurle has explained inÂ Twitter threadÂ that “We are not being shuffled out right away, decisions are pending.
She also said that ‘she appreciates ArenaNet for being very very transparent’.
Here’s hoping that the affected people would continue doing what they are passionate about.


John Carmack Says VR Development Is Moving Too Slow

Virtual Reality is such an amazing thing. With it, you can paint on 3D canvases in a way never done before. You can transport to different places and worlds, see things in a different perspective, and so much more. Of course, this is all assuming you can afford a VR headset and all the other required equipment.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPq4rMiLVcE&w=560&h=315]
In a recent acceptance speech for winning the Accenture VR Lifetime Achievement Award, video games industry legend and current CTO at Oculus VR John Carmack said something that pretty much summed up the problem of accessibility in VR. Even he believes that it’s too early to celebrate any VR-related lifetime achievements.

“When I heard that I was up for a lifetime achievement award for VR, I actually thought it might be premature. I’m often kind of grumpy around the office because I haven’t really been satisfied with the pace of progress we’ve been making.”
– John Carmack, CTO at Oculus VR.
Carmack notes that the technology has indeed come a long way since the days when he was “putting duct tape and hot glue” on Palmer Luckey’s Oculus Rift prototype which he helped to present at E3 2012, it’s still very niche and remains inaccessible to many groups of people.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kw-DlWwlXHo&w=560&h=315]

“All that technology really doesn’t mean much until it’s brought in service of user value. More than anything, I hope that I’ve been helpful in bringing this new canvas for people to work on, and that the work that those people do will be paving the way to the future. Thank you very much.”
– John Carmack.
Well said, Mr. Carmack. Thank you for the heads up, PC Gamer.

Cover image was taken from John Carmack’s Twitter page.


Philippine Pro Gaming League Season 2 Finals Happening This Weekend

The Globe Philippine Pro Gaming League (PPGL) Season 2 will conclude with the grand finals set to take place this weekend from 9 to 11 August 2019 at the Ayala Malls Market in Bonifacio Global City, Philippines.
The biggest multi-platform esports league in the country is in partnership with MET Events, Southeast Asiaâ€™s largest esports organizer. Leading esports teams from different regions in the country will be competing in games like Arena of Valor (AoV), League of Legends (LoL), Rules of Survival (RoS), Tekken 7 and Mobile Legends: Bang Bang.
The top four teams in LoL, AoV, and ML, as well as the top eight players for Tekken 7, will advance to the grand finals and compete for the top prize. RoS, on the other hand, will have its online finals later on 4 August 2019.
Globe Games and Esports Head Gerry Soler said:

â€œWe want to reach more gamers, avid fans, and even non-gamers. We want them to experience esports like never before, and we are quite excited for people to enjoy this new chapter of PPGL.”

Those who cannot attend the Globe Philippine Pro Gaming League (PPGL) Season 2 grand finals (the entry of which will be free, by the way) can catch the action on PPGLâ€™s official Facebook page in live streams.


Korn Lead Singer Really Enjoys Easy Games & Is Not A Fan Of Always-Online Games

I haven’t been following Korn since the Follow The Leader days, but it’s good to know that the band is still doing nu metal(?) music stuff, and also talking about video games for some reason or other.
I get why lead singer Jonathan Davis plugged a game like Haze back in the 2010s or so, but to actually chill out and play “kid” video games when on a break and with his son? When almost all of the music he writes and plays is pretty nihilistic stuff?
That’s a different kind of hardcore, especially when his favourite titles are all-ages fares like Slime Rancher, Toy Story 3, and the recently-released Spyro Trilogy.

According to a Kotaku piece, Jonathan is a fan of video games but wishes developers would put in easy modes for particular challenging titles. He brought up Cuphead.
“It’s f***ing too hard! It’s not fun. Some people, they like the challenge. Me? I just want to play. No, give me an easy mode. Please? I just want to enjoy this.”
He also isn’t a fan of always-online games, given that most of his gaming time takes place during his band’s tours and travel. Keeping a stable connection while away on a moving tour bus can be tricky.
Are We Getting A Korn Video Game Anytime Soon?
He also shared some tidbits that he may want to be involved in making video games. His dream project would be a big RPG set in a scary and twisted carnival, but due to the “bulls*** involved [in making games]”, he would rather “stick with playing them”.
Apart from Haze and Ubisoft, he worked on a game of his own back in 2000 called Pop Scars which was a fighting game featuring musicians like Limp Bizkit and Marilyn Manson. It didn’t take because the project lacked manpower, according to Jonathan.
“[I]t was with one of the gaming companies, and they had to pull out because they had to pull entire teams for other games. It just didnâ€™t happen, but I really liked it.”
At least his band was featured in Adventure Quest 3D via virtual concert.Â Heard that’s all the rage these days.Â


New Three Kingdoms Beta Update Grants Fertility Bonuses To Generals. Really

Yes, sir. You read the headline right.
The first patch for Total War: Three Kingdoms is set to buff your generals’ crit hit rate in the bedroom, while also nerfing an opposing one’s appetite of vassaling every faction he set his eyes on.
However, do note that this isn’t an automatically available patch, as it is offered as an opt-in beta feature.Â To get the update, you can follow these steps:

Right-click onÂ Total War: THREE KINGDOMSÂ in your Steam library
ClickÂ PropertiesÂ and click theÂ BetasÂ tab
In the drop-down menu, select theÂ Update_betaÂ option
Close the window and your build will automatically update

The update size is about 360MB so you’re able to get a fresh cup of coffee ready before jumping back into 190CE China.
So what’s new with this update? A major one in our books pertains to your generals’ higher chance of having kids from their marriages. This is a welcomed fix as although I’ve spent hundreds of hours into the game since launch, Liu Bei has only been successful in creating mini Beis just once. Once!
Interesting tweaks include changes inÂ ‘vassalisation rules’ which in turn reduces Yuan Shaoâ€™s vassal dominance. Saves which sees Yuan Shao strutting about with eight vassals under him is finally coming to an end.

Brawlers Zhang Fei and Zhang Yangâ€™s also got nerfed as armour no longer grants fatigue immunity to their entire retinues, only themselves while the OP-est general in-game, Lu Bu is now much more expensive to acquire.
The full description for the beta update can be found here.
In our review of the game, we called it ‘An Epic And Grand Dynasty Of A Strategy Title’. It is that awesome. A must have for any Total War fan.


Live-Action Powerpuff Girls Show To Be Reworked After Alleged “Campy” Pilot Script Leaks

It seems that the live-action Powerpuff Girls TV series will be reworked after its alleged pilot script has revealed to contain a bit of Chemical XXX.
A day after the leak (via Deadline), the CW has confirmed that the live-action adaptation of the Craig McCracken animated series is getting a re-imagining following the failed pilot. Here are a few official words of CW CEO Mark Pedowitz about the show’s going-ons.
“The reason we do pilots is, sometimes things miss. We believe in the cast and in [writersÂ Diablo CodyÂ andÂ Heather Regnier] and [executive producerÂ Greg Berlanti] and studio Warner Bros. In this case, the pilot didnâ€™t work.
Because we see enough elements in there, we wanted to give it another shot. It may have felt a little too campy and not rooted in reality.”
The pilot stars Chloe Bennett as Blossom, Dove Cameron as Bubbles, and Yana Perrault as Buttercup, who will be on board the next Powerpuff iteration.
So What Went Wrong?
Well, you need to read the alleged leak script to find out. Keep in mind that this is an adaptation of an animated show about young girls who fight crime.
So the leaked pilot script details the following:

Bubbles, Blossom, and Buttercup sharing nudes of themselves.
Bubbles admitting to wanting to be a “fancy slut” instead of crime-fighting.
Buttercup finished having sex with another woman named Macy, before Blossom walking in on the two. Macy said that she came six times thanks to her.
Buttercup admitting to wanting to pick up “bi-curious” townies while on a mission.
Buttercup talking about hate boners.

https://twitter.com/UE_UpperEchelon/status/1397035704824303616?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1397035704824303616%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.vanityfair.com%2Fhollywood%2F2021%2F05%2Flive-action-powerpuff-girls-to-be-reworked-after-campy-script-allegedly-leaks
Pedowitz made no comment about the alleged leaked pilot script, which is clearly beyond “campy” and more “Titans” level of edginess. This could all be fake until someone leaked test footage of the pilot (ala the Wonder Woman pilot). Let’s hope so because this is the kind of edgy reboot the world isn’t ready for.


This Star Wars Lego Razor Crest Is The Way

The time has come for more than just Baby Yoda merchandise or S.H.Figuarts of The Mandalorian.
The Lego Razor Crest set will launch on 1 September 2020 as a massive set consisting of a whopping 1023 pieces and five Mini-figures, including The Mandalorian or Din Djarin, Greef Karga, an Imperial Scout Trooper, Baby Yoda, and the bounty hunter droid IG-11.

To those unfamiliar, the Razor Crest is the titular Mandalorian’s trusty ship, and it looks like Lego has really paid painstaking attention to the details. The Lego Razor Crest is 5.5 inches tall, 15 inches long and 11 inches wide.
It’s complete with an elevated cockpit, in which both Djarin and Baby Yoda can sit, equipped with two turret blasters in the front, as well as landing gear below along with side doors that open and main thruster engines on both sides.

You can already preorder it now for US$129.99 (or roughly RMR545+) at Amazon.
However, this won’t be the only Lego set for The Mandalorian. There will also be a new pair of Brickheadz coming to town, which are basically collectible figures made from bricks.
For US$19.99 (or roughly RM83+), you can purchase Lego BrickHeadz of The Mandalorian and Baby Yoda (including his adorable little pod). Each BrickHead measures 3 inches tall, and it takes 295 pieces to build both of them.

You can already preorder the pair of Lego BrickHeadz now on Amazon, and it will be releasing on 1 August 2020.
Meanwhile, The Mandalorian Season 2 is slated to arrive sometime in October 2020. In the meantime, check outÂ my top tenÂ Star WarsÂ characters of all time, orÂ head on over hereÂ for the chronological guide toÂ Star Wars The Clone WarsÂ (and the best story arcs in the series to date).


Microsoft Flight Simulator Is Getting A Free Japan-Focused Update

During Tokyo Game Show 2020, Xbox announced that a free Japan-centric update is coming to all Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 owners later this month on 29 September 2020.

???????????????????????????????????#XboxJP #TGS2020 pic.twitter.com/S3T7hlj6L8— Xbox Japan (@Xbox_JP) September 24, 2020

It will add six new cities from Japan, including Tokyo, all of which are getting improved visuals, as well as the addition of more Japanese airports and landmarks.
Sendai, Takamatsu, Tokushima, Tokyo, Utsunomiya and Yokohama will be the first Japanese cities to get full 3D photogrammetry treatment. New detailed high-resolution landmarks include Mount Fuji, Himeji Castle, HÅryÅ«-ji and Hashima Island.


Far From Home Is First Spider-Man Movie To Spidey Swing Past One Billion

It’s official. Spider-Man Far From HomeÂ has become the first-ever Spidey movie in history to join the one-billion-dollar club, after a total of seven movies. According to Deadline, the Sony Pictures-Marvel Studios movie has accumulated US$1.005 billion worldwide as of Thursday, 25 July 2019.
It is also only the second Sony movie to break one billion dollars at the global box office, after 2012’s Skyfall. This is great news for both Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios, but especially so for the latter.
It has been rumored that the movie needed to reach at least one billion in revenue if Marvel Studios wanted to continue making more Spider-Man movies (or keep him in the MCU), as the failure of which would have meant the rights would revert back to Sony Pictures.
However, this achievement doesn’t necessarily mean that Spider-Man: Far From Home is the de facto best Spidey film. In fact, fans have gone to social media to voice out their frustrations that 2018’s Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse (which is regarded by many to be the best Spidey movie ever made) is now the lowest-grossing Spidey movie.

#SpiderManFarFromHomeâ€™s current Worldwide gross of $970M makes it the highest grossing #Spidey movie of all-time and will soon cross 1 BillionðŸš¨ pic.twitter.com/OtHYeih8ex
â€” Marvelous Realm (@MarvelousRealm) July 22, 2019

In comparison to its live-action counterparts (all of which managed to reach at least US$500 million), Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse only accumulated US$375.5 million worldwide after its run ended.
This can be attributed to several reasons, one of which is that the majority of viewers still have a deep-rooted prejudice about animated movies in general; that they are meant for kids and not ‘sophisticated’ enough for adults.
It’s a shame, really. If even mediocre animated movies like Minions and Finding Dory could reach one billion, you would think that a brilliant one like Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse should be able to do the same.
In the meantime, check out my review of Spider-Man Far From Home here, or find out why I think Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse is the best Spider-Man movie in my review here.


AS Roma X Tokidoki Launches ‘The Legend’ Jerseys Today

About a month ago, renowned football club AS Roma announced that they would be collaborating with Japanese-inspired Italian fashion brand tokidoki to produce a clothing lineup that would include jerseys, t-shirts, hoodies, and more.
All of the products are now on sale and can be purchased on the official AS Roma store website. Of course, the main attractions are the home and away jerseys which cost â‚¬91 (~US$100 or ~RM420) each. Check them out:

Tokidoki’s Italian founder Simone Legno has always been a big fan of AS Roma, which is technically his home team since he himself was born and raised in the Nuovo Salario area of Rome. In designing the jersey and integrating the team’s mascot Romolo into his work, Legno says it’s been a great experience for him.

â€œIâ€™ve worked with Hello Kitty, Marvel and SpongeBob for years â€“ Iâ€™ve put my hand to lots of different characters. The club liked the restyling idea that I had in mind, so we met right away. Because Iâ€™m a Roma fan, I put even more effort in than in other projects in my career.â€
– Simone Legno in an interview with AS Roma.
Thank god I’m not a football fan because dang, those are some great looking jerseys!


All The Games Announced In Nintendo’s Surprise Super Mario Bros. 35th Anniversary Direct

Nintendo recently unleashed a Nintendo Direct stream that highlights the birthday of its Italian plumber mascot, Mario. Here’s a recap of what went on during the Super Mario Bros. 35th Anniversary Direct.
Super Mario Bros. Game & Watch

This special Game & Watch liquid colour display device features Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. The Lost Level (NES version), and an updated Game & Watch Ball minigame starring Mario. The limited-edition device will be out 13th November.
Super Mario 3D World+ for Nintendo Switch

About damn time. The best Wii U 3D Mario game will be ported onto the Switch later. This version comes with a new DLC called Bowser’s Fury, featuring new and tougher levels. Out 12th February 2021.
Super Mario Bros. 35

Yes, Nintendo is going the battle royale route with our 2D plumber. Compete against 34 other players in Super Mario Bros. original courses. If you kill enemies on your screen, you send them over to a random opponent’s screen to mess up their game and flow. Players can also access an item roulette that grants them random power-ups and also a way to target your debuffs to random players based on either the lowest time, the most coins, or the last person who attacked them.
The game is free, but only for Nintendo Switch Online members from 1st October until 31st March of next year. If you want in on this action, you’ll have to fork over US$19.99 for a 12-month membership.
Mario Kart Live

What’s the next step for the Mario Kart franchise? Setting up a mini race track in your living room and piloting Mario via your Switch console. Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit lets you set up your course of choice and race against either the enemy AI or another player with their own Kart set. Available 16th October.
Super Mario 3D All-Stars

Nintendo saved the best for last: a collection of all the best 3D Mario games for the Nintendo Switch. This bundle includes Super Mario 64 for the Nintendo 64, Super Mario Sunshine for the Gamecube, and Super Mario Galaxy for the Wii. These games will be tailor-made for Switch controls, feature their own respective OSTs you can listen to, and 16:9 ratio.
My only question: where Super Mario Galaxy 2? The sequel is clearly the superior version. Two out of three ain’t bad though. This collection will be out from 18th September in both limited physical form and digital form. The latter will be available until the end of March 2021.
The full stream is just down below. Also, we do wonder what is up with the recent limited-time availability window for the digital editions? Is this a new kind of business model Nintendo is adopting ala Disney?


David Ramsey To Return As Diggle & Mystery Character In Arrowverse Shows

David Ramsey, best known for playing the role of John Diggle AKA one of Oliver Queen’s best friends on CW’s Arrow, will be reprising his role as the character in other CWVerse (the current name for what was formerly known as the Arrowverse) and also to direct several episodes.
According to Deadline, Ramsey will direct five episodes across several shows,Â includingÂ Superman & Lois andÂ Supergirl.Â He will guest star as John Diggle in five other episodes across the Arrowverse, includingÂ Superman & Lois, Supergirl, The FlashÂ andÂ Batwoman.
However, the most intriguing detail is that he will be playing a mystery role in DCâ€™sÂ Legends of Tomorrow. It’s unclear who this character could be, but fans have long speculated that he might become the Arrowverse’s version of Green Lantern John Stewart.
We last saw David Ramsey as John Diggle in the Arrow series finale,Â where the character moved to Metropolis after finding a glowing object in a box. It is assumed to be a power ring, which is wielded by members of the Green Corps.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=2pPsSo4hFOk

Stay tuned on Kakuchopurei if this will ultimately turn out to be true (or false).
In a statement, Ramsey said:
â€œI remain in awe of the imprint these shows have had on television and Iâ€™ve been blessed for the better part of a decade to be a part of them both in front of and behind the camera. To say Iâ€™m excited beyond belief to return to the Berlantiverse would be an understatement. I canâ€™t wait to continue telling these stories.â€


Usagi Yojimbo Is Slicing His Way To Netflix With An Animated Series

Netflix has announced the first-ever animated TV series based on the long-running Usagi Yojimbo comic books by Stan Sakai; Samurai Rabbit: The Usagi Chronicles, which is set in a world that mixes modern high-tech images with classic Japanese references.
The comic book series is set primarily at the beginning of the Edo period of Japanese history and features anthropomorphic animals replacing humans. The main character is a rabbit rÅnin, Miyamoto Usagi, whom Sakai based partially on the famous swordsman Miyamoto Musashi. He wanders the land on a musha shugyÅ (warrior’s pilgrimage), occasionally selling his services as a bodyguard.
Usagi Yojimbo is heavily influenced by Japanese cinema, including references to the work of Akira Kurosawa, as well as to icons of popular Japanese cinema, such as Lone Wolf And Cub, Zatoichi, and Godzilla.
It is still ongoing and being published to this day since it began in 1984. As of now, Sakai has produced more than 200 issues of Usagi Yojimbo.

However, the Netflix animated series features a twist even for fans of the comics.
Rather than featuring the comic book protagonist Miyamoto Usagi, the Netflix animated series will take place in the far future and follow the teenage Rabbit Samurai Yuichi, who is a descendent of the aforementioned great warrior, on his epic quest to become a true samurai.
In Samurai Rabbit: The Usagi Chronicles, Yuichi will lead a ragtag team of misfit heroes, including a roguish bounty hunter, a cunning ninja, an acrobatic pickpocket and a faithful pet lizard. Along the way, they will battle depth-charging moles, metal-tipped winged bats, and monsters from another dimension.
Sakai himself will serve as an executive producer on the show, along with Gaumontâ€™s Nicolas Atlan, Terry Kalagian, Sidonie Dumas and Christophe Riandee, Dark Horse Entertainmentâ€™s Mike Richardson, Keith Goldberg and Chris Tongue, and Atomic Monsterâ€™s James Wan, Michael Clear and Rob Hackett.
Meanwhile, Candie and Doug Langdale are attached as executive producers and showrunners.
Speaking with Variety, Sakai said:

â€œIt is a pleasure working with Gaumont and Netflix. I am involved in each step of the production and am enthusiastic with the direction we are going into.
It is wonderful to expand the Usagi universe by collaborating with so many talented people.
I am working with an awesome team and Iâ€™m looking forward to finally seeing an Usagi series on the screen!
I thank my wonderful fans, friends and family for their support and encouragement over the last 35+ years.â€

Mumbai-based 88 Pictures will be responsible for animating Samurai Rabbit: The Usagi Chronicles. The CGI animation studio has previously worked on Netflix’s Trollhunters.


Rainbow Six Siege Takes A Page From Payday 2 With New Netflix-Sponsored Event

To coincide with the Netflix show Money Heist, Ubisoft is hosting a special Rainbow Six Siege event where you play as the bad guys in specialÂ  heist-appropriate suits.
Called La Casa De Papel, players will:

Get to play a special variant of a Hostage match where Attackers and Defenders fight over a hostage dressed in the series’ mask and red jumpsuit.
Be able to purchase two special bundles: a Hibana Heist Bundle and a Vigil’s Accomplice Bundle.
Hibanaâ€™s Heist Bundle contains the Red Jumpsuit uniform, Emboldened headgear, Tokyo charm and Regal Mint weapon skin for the TYPE-89.
Vigilâ€™s Accomplice Bundle includes the Red Jumpsuit uniform, Nameless headgear, The Surrealist charm and Fresh Paper weapon skin for the K1A.

Sounds like your cup of tea? Then get on-board today, because the event will last until 25th November Pacific Time. Also, the full game will be free for the upcoming weekend. Talk about being generous!


Bowser & Co. Arrested For Selling Nintendo Switch Hacks

Good news, advocates of legit Nintendo Switch products. Two members from a piracy organization called Team Xecuter, renowned for hacking and pirating Nintendo Switch consoles, have arrested two of its members. One of them is named Gary Bowser, the other Max Louarn.
Both were arrested and charged with fraud, and allegedly led the group which makes a line of tools for cracking locked-down gaming hardware. Team Xecuter is notorious for their Nintendo hacks, including a USB device called the SX Pro that allows the Nintendo Switch to run pirated games. Unlike other hack, modding, and emulation communities, Team Xecuture are for-profit driven. For context, most mod groups are against profit and focus towards open-source efforts. So that they don’t, you know, draw the ire of folks like Nintendo.
Speaking of which, Nintendo filed two lawsuits against Team Xecuter back in May, as well as shut down third-party retailers selling the organization’s products online. Here’s a quote from the US Justice Department concerning this state of affairs:

“These defendants were allegedly leaders of a notorious international criminal group that reaped illegal profits for years by pirating video game technology of U.S. companies. These arrests show that the department will hold accountable hackers who seek to commandeer and exploit the intellectual property of American companies for financial gain, no matter where they may be located.”

If both Bowser and Louarn are convicted, they face severe prison time of 20 years.


The Best VPN Choices To Watch That Cool Star Wars Western On Disney Plus

The Walt Disney Company’s exclusive streaming service Disney Plus (or Disney+) has already launched in the US, Canada and the Netherlands on 12 November 2019, with Australia and New Zealand to follow suit on 19 November 2019. It boasts existing and new original content from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic.
However, there is no official word yet on when or even if Disney Plus will be arriving in other parts of the world. Analysts’ predict that the streaming service could be launching in Southeast Asia (Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, etc.) in 2021.
With shows like Star Wars spinoff The Mandalorian (check out our review of the first episode here) and a lot more to come, I’m sure you won’t want to wait a year or two for Disney Plus to officially launch where you are.

Fortunately, there is a somewhat legal way for anyone who lives outside those initial launch countries to subscribe to Disney Plus: through the use of VPNs that allows one to bypass those regional restrictions.
What’s A VPN Again?
VPNs (virtual private networks) work by routing your traffic through servers in another country, changing your IP address and tricking streaming platforms into allowing you access. They also encrypt your traffic, so that your employer, Internet Service Provider (ISP) or government wonâ€™t be able to see what you’re doing online.
While there are free VPNs available out there, it is recommended that you subscribe and pay for the premium ones that come with a subscription fee. These ensure better service and security, as well as a certain level of reliability.
So far, the best VPN for Disney Plus is arguably ExpressVPN (also vouched for by our friends at Amanz).
Sounds Good. So How Do I Do This?
Here’s what you need to do to subscribe to the VPN and gain access to Disney Plus:

Sign up for the VPN on its official website and pay for your VPN subscription.
Install the VPN you paid for on the device or platform you’re planning to access Disney Plus on (the list includes almost everything from Windows, Mac, Android, and more).
On the ExpressVPN app, choose which country you wish to connect to (in this case, choose any of the three countries that Disney Plus currently supports: US, Canada, or the Netherlands).
Sign up for Disney Plus on its official website and pay for your subscription.
You should now be able to access Disney Plus and watch The Mandalorian (or anything else on the streaming service).

If you encounter problems with using a local credit or debit card while trying to pay for the Disney Plus subscription, you can try creating a US PayPal account (by using your VPN) and using that as a payment method instead.
If that doesn’t work, another method is by creating a US Google account (by using your VPN) and using that to subscribe to Disney Plus.
Other alternative VPN choices for Disney Plus include:

CyberGhost
NordVPN
IPVanish
PrivateVPN
Surfshark

There you have it, folks. A somewhat legal way for you to access Disney Plus unless you prefer to follow in the footsteps of Captain Jack Sparrow in the meantime. Whatever it is you decide to do, stay tuned on Kaukuchopurei for more future news on Disney Plus and its potential official availability in other parts of the world.


The Double Trouble Event is A Go!

Hunters and Fighters, prepare yourselves for an event of epic proportions!
On the 27th and 28th of January, Kakuchopurei.comÂ and at THE MAGIC RAIN will be organising The Dragon Ball FighterZ & Monster Hunter World Double Trouble Launch Event at Avenue K, Kuala Lumpur!
Held from 11AM-7PM on both days, come join us for a day of adrenaline pumping action alongside the passionate community of both franchises!
Admission is free and the people are friendly so donâ€™t be afraid to take part in this weekend of sensational showdowns!
If you think you have what it takes to best others in this game, then sign up for this launch party tournament – most of you folks will be on the same level – even those who got the game early will have two days advantage at the most.
Bonus points for those who played a ton during the beta period! Details on how to register and extra info are in this link —-> REGISTER HERE


The 5 Best & 5 Worst Marvel Games In History

EA recently officially announced a new Iron Man game in the works from Star Wars Squadrons developer Motive Studios. There have been many Marvel games in the past. Some of them have been marvellous while some of them have not.
All of the games here are based on my opinions, so they’re not definitive by any means. Let us know what your favourite or most hated Marvel games are in the comments below.
Here’s a list of some of the best and worst Marvel games throughout history:
The 5 Best Marvel Games
Marvel Ultimate Alliance (Xbox, PlayStation 2, & More)

Marvel Ultimate Alliance remains arguably the ultimate Marvel game ever made, despite being released back in 2006. Raven Software took everything they learnt from the X-Men Legends action RPG games -team up with superheroes in local co-op and fight enemies- and made the most expansive Marvel action RPG ever made. Imagine exploring locations in the Marvel Universe from Atlantis, Hell, and even to the depths of space in the Shi’ar Empire.
This game was the first exposure for many to Deadpool, who was playable, as well as other Marvel characters like members of the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, Avengers, Spider-Man, and more. Not even the sequels, including the Nintendo Switch exclusive Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 The Black Order could live up to the greatness of this first game.

The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction (Xbox, PlayStation 2)

The Incredible Hulk Ultimate Destruction is still the best Hulk game almost two decades after it was originally released back in 2005. The now-defunct Radical Entertainment made an open-world game featuring the Hulk with destructible environments and smashing gameplay.
If you’ve ever played games like InFamous or Prototype, those games owed part of their success to this game, from which they were clearly inspired. No other game since has made players feel as powerful as the Hulk.

Marvel’s Spider-Man (PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PC)

Who hasn’t heard of Marvel’s Spider-Man at this point? It’s arguably one of the best superhero games ever made, and definitely, one of the best Spider-Man games ever made. It’s a game that excels in almost every part; the characterization, the story, and most of all, the gameplay.
The previous gold standard for Spider-Man games was 2004’s Spider-Man 2 but Insomniac Games’ title has taken that crown. At least, until Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 swings by.

Marvel’s Guardians Of The Galaxy (PC, Xbox Series, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, Nintendo Switch)

Marvel’s Guardians Of The Galaxy is sadly the most underrated game on this list. It was critically acclaimed for its characterizations, writing and narrative, but not so much for its repetitive combat. That said, not many played the game because of the stain left behind by Marvel’s Avengers and that’s too bad. This is one of the best Marvel games around if you’re willing to try it out, it’s a love letter to the Guardians Of The Galaxy.

Marvel Vs Capcom 3 (PS3, Xbox 360, PC)

We can’t just shoehorn just one great Marvel Vs Capcom 3v3 fighting game; we have to also add in part 2 back in the day. The 3v3 Marvel Vs Capcom titles were great fighting games, and still are to this day thanks to its freeform combo-savvy and tag-team-centric fighting action featuring the world’s finest. Where else can you pit Mega Man against Iron Man or Ghost Rider and Dormammu against Dante AND Vergil?
None of this should work (mostly IP reasons), but it does, resulting in one of the best fighting game collaborations in history. It’s a shame we’re not going to see something this nonsensical yet fun in a long, long while.

The 5 Worst Marvel Games
Iron Man (PS3, Xbox 360)

Despite featuring Robert Downy Jr. and Terrence Howard reprising their roles as Tony Stark and James Rhodey Rhodes, the game is bad because of its clunky and janky controls. Let’s hope the new EA and Motive Iron Man game will turn out to be a lot better than this horrible attempt by Sega.

Thor: God Of Thunder (PS3, Xbox 360)

Just like Iron Man (see above), this one has Chris Hemsworth and a few others reprising their roles, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s a good game. This game tried too hard to be like God of War but ended up being a clone that was too janky to actually have fun playing.

Marvel’s Avengers (PC, Xbox Series, Xbox One, PS5, PS4)

The game had so much potential but Square Enix ultimately squandered it all. That resulted in a mess of a game with boring gameplay and mechanics. The story wasn’t so bad, but it wasn’t fun to actually play, so what’s the point? This game is probably the biggest gaming disappointment of the last generation.

X-Men Destiny (Xbox 360, PS3)

The hype for this game when it was released in 2011 was similar to Marvel’s Avengers but ultimately, it was another waste of potential. The developer was too ambitious (among other things), wanting to make something akin to an X-Men version of Mass Effect. It ended up just being a boring game that no one wanted to play. Now, it’s just another forgotten game, just like Marvel’s Avengers will likely become in the years to come.

Any Of The LJN Marvel Games, Like The Uncanny X-Men (NES)

Many NES games don’t particularly age well, but the LJN Marvel games were pretty bad even by their era’s standards.
This game for example wanted to be an X-Men top-down shooter game but failed terribly when most of the X-Men can’t even shoot. Fun fact: This was the first X-Men game ever made (1989). Thank god it wasn’t the last, with Sega in the 90s cleaning up the mess the LJN brand wrought.


Mobile Suit Gundam: Requiem For Vengeance Anime Series Announced

Sunrise has announced an upcoming CGI anime returning to the Universal Century timeline, Gundam Requiem For Vengeance. The announcement was made during the ongoing Anime Expo 2023 event, from 1 – 4 July.
This upcoming anime series will consist of six 30-minute episodes each and will be streamed worldwide, with the entire show produced using Unreal Engine 5. The team also unveiled the anime key art and a teaser trailer for fans to see what’s in store. The poster shows Iria Sorari, a female protagonist whose voice and motion capture are both performed by Cecelia Massingham – the star cast of the series.

Erasmus Brosdau (The Lord Inquisitor: Seeds Of Ambition) will be directing the project, alongside Gavin Hignight (Tekken: Bloodline; Gen: Lock; Star Wars Resistance) will be writing the script. Meanwhile, Naohiro Ogata (Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury) and Hignight are serving as executive producers. Manuel Augusto and Dischinger Moura are the main character designers, while Kimitoshi Yamane (Cowboy Bebop) is the mechanical design supervisor. Wilbert Roget II (Mortal Kombat 11, Call of Duty: WWII) will be in charge of the music.

Director Erasmus Brosdau shared a video message at the Anime Expo 2023 industry panel, promising that the animated series will “shed some more light onto the One Year War by focusing almost entirely on the Xeon side”. Fans can also experience a new and realistic look of Gundam with the new software used – Unreal Engine 5. No other details were mentioned, however, more future updates will be made in the upcoming months.
According to the trailer’s description, Gundam: Requiem for Vengeance will take place during the One Year War, a conflict that was also depicted in the first Gundam series Mobile Suit Gundam. The series continues to follow the themes of conflict and love seen in previous Mobile Suit Gundam titles as well as the human drama depicted by the clash of pilots operating humanoid weapons.
In the meantime, check out the teaser trailer for Gundam: Requiem for Vengeance below.


Caution: There Are Major Last Of Us Part 2 Story Leaks Online [Update]

Update (4th May): A new report has come to light, claiming that The Last of Us Part 2 leaks were perpetrated by hackers who have infiltrated Naughty Dog’s private servers. Sources from renowned games journalist Jason Schreier (who now works for Bloomberg) have revealed how the hackers were able to commit their crime.
The hackers apparently discovered a vulnerability in a patch for one of Naughty Dog’s older games, taking advantage of that crack in the armour to gain full access into the company’s servers.

I think the footage that leaked is from devs playing an early build (I havenâ€™t watched it). Most importantly, rumors of this being an act of protest by a contractor whose pay was robbed are not true. (ND actually extended pay and healthcare benefits for contractors due to covid)
â€” Jason Schreier (@jasonschreier) May 3, 2020
Another source from Twitter user @PixelButts reiterated the same thing, that it was not disgruntled Naughty Dog employees that leaked the spoilers for The Last Of Us Part 2, but instead hackers with malicious intent that exploited a security vulnerability in Naughty Dog’s servers.

What’s the point I’m making?
The point: there’s plenty of room to argue an ND employee is involved, but from the evidence (which I have submitted to ND back in February) stands to point to an ND-made security vulnerability that was exploited. Not an angry employee
â€” PixelButts (@PixelButts) May 3, 2020
There you have it, folks. Don’t believe any of the rumours circulating out there until they’ve been verified. Fans have been waiting for a long time, so let’s respect that.

Update (28th April): Naughty Dog responded to these leaks with the bottom message. Also, they recently announced the game’s new 19th June release date. Guess we’ll be getting it in a few months.

Original story:
In case the headline isn’t a dead giveaway, there seem to be a number of sources leaking what could be key and pivotal scenes in the upcoming PS4 exclusive action-adventure title The Last of us Part 2.
We at Kakuchopurei will not reveal anything major until the game is out. But just in case these are legit and if you’re very curious, we’ll put these signs here.
Again, you’ve been warned.

A number of links and videos on forum sites like ResetEra -and even Twitter to an extent- have revealed a number of short but spoiler-heavy scenes involving the main characters of the game: Ellie and Joel. These scenes also include a few characters who were revealed in the very first The Last Of Us Part 2 trailer featuring brand-new characters.

In fact, there’s even a “developer kit leak” that reveals all of the chapters and stages, including a gameplay swerve where you play as someone other than Ellie halfway in the game. That someone is the main woman in that trailer above, and she has ties to the climactic events of the first game.
Reddit threads, Twitter feeds, and forums are filled with minefields of these spoilers. Why? Rumours have it that these alleged spoilers and clips were allegedly uploaded by a disgruntled Naughty Dog employee who was fed up with being overworked. In reality, it’s the simplest answer: someone hacked into Naughty Dog servers and uploaded early footage of the game (see explanation above).
Based on our intuition and other sources, it looks real. These scenes are also taken out of context, so it’s hard to say what the actual story is until we’ve actually played and finished the game.
In fact, Naughty Dog recently responded with the following just to make us keep calm and soldier on:

Regardless, early spoilers like these are really uncool. And if you’re reading this out of your own curiosity, don’t be a dick and spoil a story-based game to others who are looking for it.
The Last of Us Part 2 was initially planned for a 29th May release, but now has a 19th June release date. It was previously withheld from its original date due to logistic issues caused by COVID-19.


Sakura Kakumei Character Tier Guide – The Best Maidens To Use For Imperial Flower Warfare

Disclaimer: we’ll be updating this guide with more maidens periodically.Â
The latest mobile turn-based RPG game from Sega and Delight Work are having a go at the Sakura Wars franchise with a spin-off called Sakura Kakumei (or Sakura Revolution). Just like the developer’s last work Fate: Grand Order, you control a bunch of heroes and make them fight enemies in turn-based style with special awesome moves.
The difference? You have an all-girl army who pilot special suits of steampunk mecha armour and packed with swords, bows, guns, and even electric-shooting guitars. There’s a lot of waifus with battle armour who can kick ass, but which ones should you gacha for, or focus on for levelling up purposes?
Basics
Your goal in combat is the defeat the enemy and not die. Combat is turn-based and is done via line movements. There are five lines; line 1 and 2 is where most enemies will spawn at, while lines 4 and 5 will be where your units reside.

You have three options when controlling a maiden:

Advance: Move forward. Attack enemies in range. If a unit scores a critical hit on Advance, that unit will attack an additional time.
Charge: No movement. Attack enemies automatically in range. Regular attacks charge the special meter bar by 15. Crits will charge it by 30. You want to do this if you want to perform your special ASAP.
Retreat: Attack enemies in range, then moves back a line. Your maiden gets a defense buff. Landing a critical when you attack will give the maiden a better defense buff.

There are three types of roles and types for each maiden:

Attack type. These are your ranged units who can deal damage at long range. They have terrible HP, so do not make them advance forward. You can tell that a unit is an Attack type when they have two red bars next to their level.
Balance type. These units have decent HP and Attack stats. They can hold the line while dishing out damage. They usually have one red bar next to their level.
Tank type. Ranged attackers who are better at taking hits than dishing them. These units usually have one red bar and one greyed-out bar next to their level.

Generally, you will want to create a balanced party with at least a Tank who can protect the line from advancing enemies. Most enemies would focus their aggro on an Attack type, since they have less health and are easy pickings. It would be wise to have your Balance and Tank types advance and obstruct enemies. Also, you will want to find ways to charge your Special meter so you can perform your Super moves to deal massive damage.
There are seven elements in the game: Fire, Wind, Earth, Water, Sun, Moon, and Spirit. The weakness table goes like this:

Fire > Wind > Earth > Water > Fire
Sun >Moon > Sun
Spirit is neutral.

Sakura Kakumei Character GuideÂ (via Reiko Dress Translations):
Sakura Shino (Spirit Elemental)

Type: Balance
Unique Skill: Attack goes up by 10% against machine enemies,
Battle Skill 1: Increase attack against all enemies by 50%, but decreases defense by 50%. Lasts 3 turns.
Battle Skill 2: Increases energy by 10%. Increases Super Attack Power by 30% for one turn.
Passive Skill 1: Increases attack by 20% when performing an attack that involves line movement.
Passive Skill 2: If Sakura receives fatal damage, she resurrects herself and restores 1000HP
Super: Souten – Ouka Enrin. Single target supper attack that deals 450% base multiplier damage. Increases Sakura’s attack by 30% when attacking Demon enemies for 1 turn.
Tier Ranking: A. You start off with this character, and she’s pretty a pretty good damage dealer in the short and long term. Maxing her out with mats will open up her useful resurrection ability. She’s a keeper, basically. So nice of Sega to start off a main character being compatible with any build & party.

Nojima Yume (Water Elemental)

Type: Balance.
Unique Skill: Increases attack by 5% against Demon enemies.
Battle Skill 1: Increases Attack by 10% and Energy by 30%. Lasts 3 turns.
Battle Skill 2: Moves an ally 1 line ahead of herself. That ally’s charge attack increases by 15% for 3 turns.
Passive Skill 1: Increases critical chance by 5% when advancing.
Passive Skill 2: Increases attack by 20% when making an attack that involves line movement.
Super: Seven Seas Tidal Smash. Single target attack that deals 450% base multiplier damage. Pushes enemy back by 2 lines.
Tier Ranking: B. A decent offensive character, but can be replaced if you have someone better.
Sunahara Arino (Water Elemental)
Type: Balance
Unique Skill: Increases attack by 10% when attacking an enemy with a debuff.
Battle Skill 1: Decreases an enemy’s danger bar by 1. Decreases an enemy’s attack power by 10% for 3 turns.
Battle Skill 2: Heals all allies for 3,000HP. Moves entire allies back by 1 line.
Passive Skill 1: Applies 20% debuff resistance for all allies who are on the same line as Arino at the end of her turn.
Passive Skill 2: Heals all allies for 450HP who are on the same line as Arino at the end of her turn.
Super: Raid Injection. Hits a single target for 600% damage. Moves that enemy back 1 line and has a 50% chance to stun it.
Tier Ranking: S. A balanced attacker/defender with good defensive kits for the party. She can also hammer enemies who are debuffed by your party.
Kokonoe Mei (Water Elemental)

Type: Tank
Unique Skill: Increases attack by 5% when HP is over 50%.
Battle Skill 1: Removes buffs on an enemy. Decreases a single enemy’s defense by 10% for 3 turns.
Battle Skill 2: Removes debuffs from an ally. Increases that same ally’s attack by 10% for 3 turns.
Passive Skill 1: Increases defense by 5% when attacking an enemy with a buff.
Passive Skill 2: Mei gets a 20% chance of reducing her skill cooldown when using a Retreat attack.
Super: Farewell. Multiple-targeting attack that deals 200% damage. Halts enemy movement for 1 turn.
Tier Ranking: A rank. She can stop enemies dead in her tracks and gets a great attack buff if she’s at full health.

Takasaki Tsutsuji (Wind Elemental)

Type: Tank
Unique Skill: Attacks have less chance of being higher or lower value than normal.
Battle Skill 1: Increases all allies crit rate by 15% for 3 turns.
Battle Skill 2: Prevents enemies from moving for 1 turn. Decreases all enemy attack power by 10% for 3 turns.
Passive Skill 1: Increases attack by 10% when attacking the same enemy as the last turn.
Passive Skill 2: 30% chance to perform an additional charge attack when defeats an enemy with a charge attack.
Super: Mt. Akagi Gust Etude. Hits a single target for 450% damage. Increases crit rate by 30% for 2 turns.
Tier Ranking: S. She’s a keeper if you need a solid tank.
Shiranui Rin (Wind Elemental)

Type: Attack
Unique Skill: Increases attack by 5% when all allies are performing the same command.
Battle Skill 1: Increases range by 1 line for 1 turn. Increases crit rate by 10% for 3 turns.
Battle Skill 2: Halts all enemy movement for 1 turn. Reduces enemy defense by 15% for 1 turn.
Passive Skill 1: Increases attack by 10% when on the furthest rear line.
Passive Skill 2: Increases attack by 30% when you attack before your allies at the start of a wave. This skill resets with every wave.
Super: Trigger of Liberty. Attacks a single target for 450% base multiplier damage. Increases attack by 10% when on the furthest rear line.
Tier Ranking: B.

Tateyama Uchika (Fire Elemental)

Type: Attack
Unique Skill: Increases aggro rate by 70%.
Battle Skill 1: Applies invincibility status to 1 ally for 1 turn. Also recovers the same ally 1,000HP.
Battle Skill 2: Decreases an enemy’s danger bar by 1. Decreases that same enemy’s attack by 10% for 3 turns.
Passive Skill 1: Gains 1% energy when a commander order is used on an ally.
Passive Skill 2: Gains 1% energy when a commander order is used on Uchika.
Super: Hanazo No Otome. Single target attack for 450% damage. Increases allies energy by 30% for 3 turns.
Tier Ranking: B. You want her on your team because of her healing + invincibility skill.
Osumu Mamiya (Fire Elemental)

Type: Balance.
Unique Skill: Increases attack by 10% when making an attacking that involves movement.
Battle Skill 1: Increases attack by 15% for all allies on the same line as Mamiya for 3 turns. Increases Super Attack Power by 10% for 1 turn.
Battle Skill 2: Increases attack by 10% for 1 turn. Moves back 1 line after attacking automatically for 1 turn.
Passive Skill 1: Increases attack by 15% when Mamiya and the enemy has not moved.
Passive Skill 2: Increases attack by 15% if one of your allies is KO’ed.
Super: Red Hot Tear-Vaporizing Punch. Single-target attack for 450% damage. Target enemy is knocked back to the furthest line.
Tier Ranking: A. She gives out a nice attack buff and can hold her own with her skills. She’s definitely a keeper you should level up further.

Himeka Tenjin (Earth Elemental)

Type: Balance
Unique Skill: Increases attack power by 5% if you attack an enemy with the highest available HP.
Battle Skill 1: Adds target to Himeka (3 times for 3 turns each). Increases defense by 10%.
Battle Skill 2: Moves all allies besides Himeka back by 1 line. Increases energy by 10% for herself.
Passive Skill 1: Increase Himeka’s attack power by 10% when an ally has 30% or less HP. Increase defense 5% when an ally has 30% or less HP.
Passive Skill 2: Increase Himeka’s defense by 10% if she is ahead of her allies at the end of the turn. Lasts 1 turn.
Super: Bright Star of the Honoikazuchi. Hits a single enemy target for 600% damage. Himeka gains invincibility for 1 turn.
Tier Ranking: A. She plays more defensively than most Balance type maidens. Add her if you need a stonewall that’s Earth elemental.
Toyotama Kogane (Earth Elemental)
Type: Balance
Unique Skill: Increases attack by 5% if you attack a different enemy from the last turn.
Battle Skill 1: Prevents an enemy from moving and decreases its attack power by 10% for 1 turn.
Battle Skill 2: Increase attack by 20% when advancing. Both Kogane and a random enemy move back 1 line after attacking.
Passive Skill 1: Increase attack by 10% if she is attacking the same enemy as the last turn.
Passive Skill 2: Resurrects herself and restores 1,000HP if she is defeated. Works 1 time per stage.
Super: Secret Expedition – Mystery of the Drill. Hits a single target enemy for 450% damage. Decreases its defense by 14% for 3 turns.
Tier Ranking: B. A decent addition if only because of her second passive, assuming you wish to commit to a balance type Earth elemental maiden.
Akiyoshi Shizuru (Earth Elemental)
Type: Balance
Unique Skill: Increases attack by 10% if Shizuru is the sole unit on the line.
Battle Skill 1: Moves 1 enemy back 1 line. Decrease that enemy’s attack power by 10% for 2 turns. Lowers that enemy’s buff chance by 50% for 3 turns.
Battle Skill 2: Removes buffs from an enemy. Decrease its defense by 10% for 3 turns.
Passive Skill 1: Increase attack by 10% and energy by 10% if an ally is defeated. Lasts 2 turns.
Passive Skill 2: Increase all allies attack and defense by 10% if Shizuru is defeated. Lasts 2 turns.
Super: 4 Billion Year Food Chain. Hits a single enemy for 450% damage. Increases attack by 10% for 2 attacks. Increases defense by 10% for 2 turns.
Tier Ranking: A. A worthy balance type fighter who happens to be a 3-star unit.

Natsumi Nagato (Sun Elemental)

Type: Tank.
Unique Skill: Increase attack power by 10% when you attack a Human enemy.
Battle Skill 1: Moves all enemies back a line. Reduces their attack power by 10% for 3 turns. Cooldown time: 9 turns.
Battle Skill 2: Increases all ally’s energy by 5%. Increases all ally’s attack power by 10%. Lasts 3 turns. Cooldown time: 9 turns.
Passive Skill 1: Increase energy by 1% after an ally uses a Battle Skill.
Passive Skill 2: Increase energy by 1% when an ally with less than 30% HP attacks.
Super: Ultimate Beat. Deals 200% damage to all enemies. Cancels all enemy buffs.
Tier Ranking: C. A decent Tank character with good HP and pushback skills. If you get better Tanks though, use them instead.
Tamano Angelica (Sun Elemental)

Type: Attack
Unique Skill: Increase energy by 5% at the start of battle.
Battle Skill 1: Increases all allies energy by 10%.
Battle Skill 2: Increases a single ally’s energy by 10%.
Passive Skill 1: Increases all allies energy on the same line as Angelica by 10% at the start of the turn (1 time).
Passive Skill 2: Increases all allies energy by 10% if Angelica is defeated.
Super: Super Daikagura Dance of Light. Multi-target attack that deals 200% damage. Increases all allies energy by 1%.
Tier Ranking: S. This 5-star maiden is worth gachaing for if there’s an event banner on her. She gives everyone special meter, and isn’t too shabby with the damage-dealing.

Imari Kusuno (Moon Elemental)

Type: Attack.
Unique Skill: Increases aggro rate by 70%.
Battle Skill 1: Increases attack for all allies by 10% for 3 turns. Increases attack for all allies in front of Kusuno by 10% for 1 turn.
Battle Skill 2: Applies invincibility for all allies for 1 turn. Heals all allies with 1,000HP.
Passive Skill 1: Heals allies for 450HP who are in front of Kusuno.
Passive Skill 2: Heals allies for 2,000HP if Kusuno is defeated.
Super: Magic of the Stage. Heals all allies for 2,000HP. Increases their Super Attack Power by 30% and increases defense by 20% for 3 turns.
Tier Ranking: S. A healer who deals a heckaton of damage from afar? Yes please!


Classic Loki Hot Toys Comes With Alligator Loki & Frog Thor

Hot Toys has unveiled the Loki – 1/6th scale Classic Loki Collectible Figure from the Disney+ Hotstar series.
Expertly crafted based on the appearance of Richard E. Grant as Classic Loki from Loki, the figure features a newly developed head sculpt with horned helmet, interchangeable face sculpts highlighting grinning and serious expressions, iconic comic inspired costume with screen accuracy and weathering effects applied, an array of highly-detailed accessories including Frog Thor in bottle, battle damaged helmet, drinking cup, travel bag, Alligator Loki in one-sixth scale, green magic effect accessories, a character backdrop and a themed figure stand.
In the meantime, you can check out my breakdowns of all the Loki Season 1 episodes here; Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5 and Episode 6.
Courtesy of Disney+ Hotstar Malaysia, I was also lucky enough to be the only Malaysian media to participate in roundtable interviews with Loki Costume Designer Christine Wada and Loki Production Designer Kasra Farahani.
For more details and information, head to the Hot Toys Facebook page.


We Tried Out Milestone’s Flagship Racing Titles: Hot Wheels Unleashed 2 and Ride 5

It’s not every day you get to see two sides of the same coin back-to-back. In this instance, I’m referring to a recent Milestone/Plaion game hands-on event where we got to play two racing games, each clearly catered towards two different markets.
Let’s start with the one I enjoyed the most.
Hot Wheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged

Hot Wheels Unleashed 2 is an arcade racing game featuring Mattel’s most famous miniature car toy line; your cars are fast, can boost, and control like they do in arcade-style racing games not unlike your Daytona USAs, Ridge Racer, and Mario Kart. The first game was fun, but definitely felt more like a preview of a bigger and potentially better game. HWU 2 is clearly aiming for that.
Right from the get-go, you have a ton of modes to play with: Single Race, Time Trial, Drift, Elimination, and checkpoint mode. Single Race is standard – 3 laps across the course, while time trial has you repeatedly getting the best times per lap while running the course solo. Drift is structured like Time Trial, but you run through the course multiple times to get the most points out of drifting as much as possible. Checkpoint Mode puts your Hot Wheels car in the middle of the map, following the objective arrow to hit checkpoints that appear randomly in the open area.

Elimination is my favourite among the modes so far: all players keep racing, with the last player being eliminated after 15 seconds or so have passed. The clock will always be counting down repeatedly to kill off players at the bottom, so you need to be at pole position to win Elimination mode. It’s less a race and more an endurance contest, as you can still hang around the middle position, and then catch up. These five new game modes will have a strong focus on online, so expect to play these frequently when playing competitively against others.

The game also features two new movement mechanics: strafe and jump. The first Hot Wheels Unleashed already has great controls and driving overall, so adding in these two features are just lovely icing on the cake. While I didn’t use strafing much while racing in the usual 3-lap bout and in Elimination mode, I abused the heck out of the Jump button. Suddenly, shortcuts are now open and far-away ramps and ledges seem a lot more reachable upon getting big air from a jump. You can even do a single jump while mid-air; no double-jumping though. The new areas are also a hoot to drive on, featuring mini golf areas, new obstacles like barriers you need to boost through, and even a bedroom with a T-Rex miniature in the background.

Hot Wheels Unleashed 2 is essentially adding a lot more to an otherwise solid base title. The game promises more than 130 vehicles, a new skill system to differentiate between car types, improved tracks and livery editors to enhance customization, and an enhanced campaign mode with strong storytelling. No word yet on whether past HWU tracks and liveries will be transferrable to part 2, or if the game will feature some sort of non-in-game microtransaction policies (save for new DLC featuring more cars). But so far, what I’ve played is incredibly promising and sequel-worthy. No harm in further tuning up an already-excellent ride, right?

Ride 5

Ride 5 is a bike sim that aims to be the Gran Turismo of motorcycles and speedbikes, right down to the controls and difficulty curve. After coming out of Hot Wheels Unleashed 2, I was definitely in for a rude awakening.
My performance was beyond subpar, with my cool bike-riding avatar crashing -flailing like a ragdoll- and not knowing how to take turns in a too-serious-for-its-own-good driving simulation. But I’m clearly not the audience for these types of game. Bike fans and gearheads(?) will take a shine at Ride 5’s new additions in the racing sim genre of its ilk, like a new Career Mode with its own sets of challenges and recreations of real-life tracks and its plethora of customization options.
The graphics and ambience are definitely the selling point, and even if it’s in a preview state, the detail of the tracks, bikes, and riders are definitely worth the price of admission. Even with my multiple attempts and eventual crash-and-burning, it all looks splendid especially when on replay. Assuming you’re the kind of die-hard race fanatic who get their jollies from digital versions of realistic sports with a ton of motor noises running.
Me? I’m a fan of colourful arcade racers, so between the two Milestone games, I’m clearly set on Hot Wheels Unleashed 2. You can look forward to that game which is coming out for PC and consoles -Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch- on 19th October. For the other folks who prefer the serious biking fare, Ride 5 is coming out in 25 August.


5 Games Want To See For Persona’s 25th Anniversary

The Persona series has made a big splash in recent years, having peaked in popularity with the critical success that was Persona 5. Originally a spin-off from Atlus’ staple Shin Megami Tensei franchise, Persona has now become its thing, and the series has even found a steady spot in the hearts of avid JRPG fans.
Persona now approaches its 25th birthday. To celebrate, Atlus has planned out seven Persona project announcements, which they’ll slowly reveal from September 2021 through Autumn 2022.
Knowing this, fans have been left anxious and eager to speculate about what’s coming. After all, despite being a turn-based JRPG at heart, the Persona franchise has dabbled in all kinds of different game genres and absurd story premises. The sky’s the limit here, but there are no doubt some games that fans would love to see in one of these announcements.
With that being said, here are some of the games that we would love to see revealed for Persona’s 25th anniversary.
Remakes of Persona 1 and 2

25 years of Persona obviously implies some ancient games here and there. The very first and original Revelations: Persona launched way back in 1996 on the original Sony PlayStation, with a PlayStation Portable port coming later in 2009.
Persona 2 was also on the same boat, launching on the Sony PlayStation as Persona 2: Innocent Sin in 1999, followed by its sequel Persona 2: Eternal Punishment a year later. Like the original Persona game, it took more than a decade for PSP ports to arrive for these titles.
Persona 1 and 2 are special in that they weren’t popular games by any stretch of the imagination, having come before the boom that was Persona 3.

It’s become a meme at this point that Atlus never acknowledges Persona 1 and 2, and though some people swear by Persona 2 having the best story, the reality is that not only were P1 and P2 relatively unpopular at the time, they’re also just unavailable on any current generation platforms.
Since most fans likely missed out on the first few Persona games, remaking these games would be a great way to reintroduce the core good vs evil conflict between the gods Philemon and Nyarlathothep to a modern audience. The rivalry between these gods over the fate of mankind has always been a recurring theme, but Persona 3, 4, and 5 only subtly reference this compared to the older games.
Considering how old these games are too, a remake is also a ripe opportunity for the devs to change up old gameplay and perhaps streamline it in ways that newer fans will enjoy.
Remasters of Persona 3 and 4

Just like the golden age of the PlayStation 2, Persona 3 and Persona 4 are both considered JRPG classics for the console. They’re widely accepted as the games when the series really started to take off in popularity.
Persona 3 in particular was the first game to introduce a day-to-day calendar system, including elements such as social attributes, relationships, and a “1 More” turn-based system that was easier and more straightforward than Shin Megami Tensei’s traditional Press Turn system.
From its battle system to its social-sim gameplay, Persona 3 pretty much drew the blueprint for the series’ future, with the same mechanics carrying over through both Persona 4 and 5, with minor adjustments.
Suffice to say that Persona 5′s landmark success has to be largely attributed to Persona 3 and 4‘s systems and the lessons learned about how best to optimize that formula.

Yet, despite this, Persona 3 and 4 are still stuck on their original game platforms, for the most part, making it difficult for Persona 5 newcomers in particular to appreciate the history that paved the way for the game they love.
Persona 3, which launched in 2006, later had a rerelease on the PSP as Persona 3 Portable in 2009 and offered a slew of extra content. Similarly, Persona 4 launched in 2008 and was later ported to the PlayStation Vita as Persona 4 Golden in 2012. Since these releases on portable gaming devices, however, we have not seen a HD release of any kind…
â€¦at least not until Persona 4 Golden’s surprise launch on Steam in June 2020. Seeing as the game has not been sighted on other current-gen platforms as of yet, it might not be too long until we see a more comprehensive HD collection being announced down the road.
About That Persona 5 Fighting Game…

If Persona 3 was the blueprint for the series’ future, Persona 4 would be what nudged the series into expanding beyond the Shin Megami Tensei brand.
Though Persona itself is a spin-off series, Persona 4 was popular enough that it spawned a series of its own spin-off games that catered to various genres.
Among these spin-offs, Persona 4 Arena was the ‘fighting game’ of the bunch, brought to us by Arc System Works, a reputable developer known for creating iconic 2D fighting games such as the BlazBlue and Guilty Gear series.
Persona 4 Arena is pretty much exactly the kind of game that’s being sold to you. It features your favourite Persona characters simply duking it out against each other with chairs, bows, swords, guns, and yes, even their Personas.
The reference to the 4th game in name aside, the series featured a roster consisting of both Persona 3 and Persona 4 characters, as well as some original characters unique to the game.
But why a Persona 5 fighting game? Well, in the wake of Persona 5’s release, we’ve recently gotten Persona 5: Dancing in Starlight and Persona Q2, which are both sequels to Persona 4’s own respective spin-offs, Persona 4: Dancing All Night and Persona Q. However, the one Persona 4 spin-off that’s still missing a sequel is Persona 4 Arena.
A brand-new Persona 5 Arena game would be a fun change of pace from Persona’s single-player focus and pretty much complete the trio of spin-off sequels.
Though Arc System Works appears a little too busy with big third-party IPs these days to pick up that mantle, we’re still crossing our fingers that the surge in popularity the Persona series has received as of late is enough to push for a new sequel.
Remember That Time A Persona 5 Mobile Game Was Teased?

In April 2021, Chinese game developer Perfect World Games came forward with the announcement that it was developing a mobile game based on a famous JRPG franchise.
Dubbed “Code Name: X,” the game’s teaser cinematic featured a bustling modern-day Tokyo, with characters hacking computers and hopping across rooftops, all to a musical tune that proved all too familiar.

Chinese game company Perfect World has announced it is working on a mobile game for a famous JRPG IP.
While the game is only known as CODE NAME: X, it is very clearly a mobile game based on the Persona IP.
It is currently in early development and only confirmed for China atm pic.twitter.com/pM0BzrYQmX
— Daniel Ahmad (@ZhugeEX) April 13, 2021

The artwork of the game also featured a lady clad in a mask and jabot-decorated outfit that would have honestly have fit right in among the Phantom Thieves we know and love.
As far as anyone was concerned, a Persona 5 mobile game was announced there and then in all but name.
Yet, it’s important to note that this project was announced only for its Chinese market, and has not been officially revealed as a Persona 5 spin-off, as obvious as it is to anyone.
Also, like it or not, mobile is a massive market in the gaming ecosystem, so it’s entirely possible that Atlus is looking for the perfect timing to showcase Persona’s first foray into the mobile world. Could they be waiting to introduce the game proper as one of Persona’s 25th-anniversary projects?Â
Make Way For Persona 6
It goes without saying that all of us want nothing more than a new mainline Persona game.
Although long-time Persona director Katsura Hashino is now trying something new with the upcoming Project Re Fantasy, he’s more so started his own separate team and handed the series over to fresh blood rather than put the series on hold.

It’s safe to say that a new Persona project is in the works right now by the folks over at P Studio, albeit under new leadership. With Hashino’s departure from the series and the changing of the guard, one could very well expect this new Persona game to take on a fresh coat of paint.
After three games that have been heavily reliant on social themes, a familiar battle system, and a time period of roughly one school year, will we see a substantial change in the fundamentals of the Persona series? Or will the developers ultimately decide that you don’t fix what ain’t broke?
Will we see a returning cast of characters? Will stories focus on adults rather than teenagers? Will we still get a cute anthropomorphic animal to be our best friend?
There are endless questions to be asked about the future of the series, but the 25th Persona anniversary seems set to give us a good grasp of what lies ahead. All we have to do now is wait.


Scarlet Nexus’ Main Waifu Gets Immortalized By Kotobukiya [Update]

Update: Preorders are available now. Also, here are full colour pictures of the figure.

Original story (29 August 2021)
Video game-slash-anime franchise Scarlet Nexus is getting its first-ever scale figure. Which character, you may ask? Why it’s main protagonist Kasane Randall, who is handy with knives and chucking giant debris/buses/traffic signs in enemy’s faces.
Kotobukiya announced that it is currently creating the Kasane Randall 1/8th scale figure. There’s no release date and colour for the figure, but you can check out the work-in-progress below.

More information will be revealed at a later date. If you want more info about Scarlet Nexus, check out our review of the game, now available for Xbox Series, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, and PC.


Bungie, Ubisoft, Bethesda, EA, And Other Media Companies Speak Out In Support Of Abortion Rights In The US Of A

A few hours ago, The Supreme Court of the United States voted to overturn Roe v Wade which is the constitutionally-protected access to abortion. That’s basically 50 years of that access and right now gone. As a result, a number of US states have triggers that banned abortion immediately, with other states to presumably follow.
This made a number of video game industry and media companies speak up and showing their support for the current social issue. Let’s break it down.
Bungie was the first to respond, with the company establishing a travel reimbursement fund for employees who are forced to seek out-of-state healthcare.

https://t.co/gzWX3RAHhM pic.twitter.com/9wnUQEWnAM
— dmg04 (@A_dmg04) June 24, 2022

“Bungie is committed to ensuring that every one of our employees and their families have safe and affordable access to essential healthcare needs. As we continue to expand our digital-first workplace to more states, we will now be implementing a travel reimbursement program for any employee to use when they or a dependent cannot get access to the healthcare they need where they live. We remain undeterred in our commitment to stand up for reproductive choice and liberty.”
Among Us developers Innersloth has made a public statement and a donation to the National Network of Abortion Funds.

?
? Abortion Funds (split btwn 80+ diff funds): https://t.co/vf0taWU7w4? The Brigid Alliance: https://t.co/WOE61Szauv? Trans Lifeline: https://t.co/14SkEGJvuf? In Our Own Voice: https://t.co/9Wl4xuoQin? Plan C: https://t.co/WBwtXg1JNx pic.twitter.com/OB2zT8ORE9
— Innersloth (@InnerslothDevs) June 24, 2022

Ubisoft responded to the court decision with a public statement on its official Twitter page.

https://t.co/DXKcGmPJp0 pic.twitter.com/ti64jXB0m7
— Ubisoft (@Ubisoft) June 24, 2022

Devolver Digital responded to the court decision with a public statement as well.

Bethesda responded to the court decision with a public statement too.

pic.twitter.com/MKzD80K4Vp
— Bethesda (@bethesda) June 24, 2022

Electronic Arts also made a public statement on Twitter.

pic.twitter.com/dSqDQhJOR6
— Electronic Arts (@EA) June 24, 2022

Microsoft and Xbox too.

At Xbox, we remain committed to our employees to ensure equal access to healthcare.
We will continue to do everything we can under the law to support our employees and enrolled dependents in accessing critical healthcare.
— Xbox (@Xbox) June 24, 2022

While Sony PlayStation did not directly address the issue, its companies under it are making their voices heard.

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— Guerrilla (@Guerrilla) June 24, 2022

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— Naughty Dog (@Naughty_Dog) June 24, 2022

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— Insomniac Games (@insomniacgames) June 24, 2022

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— PlayStation London Studio is Hiring! (@LondonStudioHQ) June 24, 2022

On the media and movie streaming service side, Netflix plans to include access of up to US$10,000 in travel reimbursement for “cancer treatment, transplants, gender affirming care, or abortion” (via Hollywood reporter).
Paramount CEO Bob Bakish also confirms the studio’s healthcare plan for similar reimbursements.
Disney stated that it remains “committed to providing comprehensive access to quality and affordable care” to Disney employees and family members, including travel benefits to allow them to seek abortion and other reproductive healthcare needs.
Lip Service?
One can argue that the companies that are saying things in support instead of doing any action like donating or providing health care benefit upgrades for its employees are just in it to remain relevant, and are probably using this as a PR move to shift focus away from their other misdeeds and blunders. Still, it’s better than staying silent, though we give companies the benefit of the doubt and at least a few days since this Roe v Wade overturning happened 8 hours ago at this point in writing.
As to why a Southeast Asian site is covering a topic that’s for the United States? The US of A is still a giant powerhouse that influences the entire world; half of the games you buy are either published by the US or made there. A decision that affects human rights in an influential country is probably going to influence other world leaders and companies. We at Kakuchopurei do care about human rights and freedom of choice, so it’s reassuring to know that the companies and publishers making the games we love are on the same boat.
Top image credit: BBC