Rage 2 Tips & Tricks: How To Survive Bethesda’s New Wasteland

This guide is still in development, since the game is new & all…
We had a blast with Id Software and Avalanche Studios’ Rage 2. Its combat is fun, frenetic, and action-packed thanks to the game’s weaponry and Ranger powers.
To maximize your fun with this first-person shooter, here are a few tips and guides to sort you out through the week. Between this and that one depressing game about rats & plagues, we’re sure you want to get your shooter jollies sorted, right?
Basic Tips & Tricks To Survive The Wasteland
Increase The Difficulty
Rage 2 is fun, but if you really want to get your adrenaline pumping, put the game on Hard. Normal difficulty is fine and all, but a game like Rage 2 with its toolsets and weaponry requires worthy hard-hitting adversaries to make victory all the sweeter.
So crank up that difficulty once you get your favourite powers & weapon loadout, and let ‘er rip.
Remap The Ability Selection Key (For PC Users)
We still wonder how this weird control scheme got past PC QA testers. If you’re playing on mouse & keyboard (it’s an FPS, so of course), the default controls map the ability selection to Left Control.
By that, you can already tell that holding Left Control and pressing another key is too troublesome considering you need to have your fingers close to the WASD keys. Just remap it to the middle mouse button or somewhere convenient.
Hail Your Car If It’s Destroyed Or Missing
It only costs you $10 to summon your car. Do it if you’re too lazy to get it or if you end up off-course when fighting.
Power Up Your Combat Shotgun
You’ll get the combat shotgun early in the game, and it’s a beast up-close and even mid-range if you see ledges & cliffs you can push enemies to. Do power it up with nanotrites and weapon mods when you can so that you have a lovely quick-reloading rapid-firing powerful boomstick to rely on when enemies get a bit too close.

Upgrade Your Damage At The Wellspring Cyber Doctor
Once you unlock Wellspring, you’ll gain access to permanent character buffs by trading in rare resources in-game. You get to buff your Health, Overdrive, and Damage, but which one is the best?
Damage, of course. Your Health and Overdrive can be improved upon in the Projects menu via damage resistance & Overdrive perks, so it’s best to increase your universal damage output above everything else. Pretty soon, crowd control isn’t tough to manage even if you just have a pistol.
Get The Grenade Tennis Perk In The Kill & Destroy Projects Menu
Unlock this powerup as soon as you get your first few Project Points and once you unlock all three factions and their project-buffing side missions. Bandits in this game toss way too many grenades and it’s easy to accidentally die via AoEs.
Unlocking a perk that allows you to melee grenades thrown at you is a great counter to these deterrents. Upgrade the trees to this perk -Smash Grenade Tennis and Topspin Grenade Tennis- for more fun.
Buy Schematics From Vendors To Unlock Higher Crafting Tiers
Rage 2 does a poor job of explaining high crafting tiers for side items like Health Infusions and Wingsticks. One would think that you need nanotrites and feltrites to upgrade them, but nope, that’s too easy. Instead, you need to buy schematics from vendors.
So do save up some money from your raids, buy them from vendors from either trade towns or passerby caravans, and voila: new item tier unlocked!
Take Your Time With The Campaign
Prioritize your search for Arks so that you can power up your Ranger to do all that stuff you see in the trailers. Besides, driving around the wasteland, exploring and salvaging, and ambushing every single bandit encampment and Authority sentry tower with your weaponry and skills is the entire point of Rage 2. Why rush things?
NEXT: RAGE 2 ARK GUIDE


New Black Myth Wukong Trailer Celebrates The Lunar New Year

Remember that epic-looking third-person action game unveiled by Chinese developer Game Science last year? Well, they have released a brand new gameplay trailer for Black Myth Wukong to celebrate the Lunar New Year 2021’s Year Of The Ox.
According to the trailer, it doesn’t feature any story content, but it does showcase even more delicious gameplay. The last update we received about the game revealed that the game is planned for release within the next three years and that it will be over 15 hours long. You can find more about those details in our report from last year.
However, according to video games industry analyst Daniel Ahmad, we shouldn’t expect another update on the game for quite a while. The developer pretty much said the same thing to IGN last year, that they were hard at work developing the game but they needed more time and manpower to finish the game (their studio only had 30 people when the game was initially announced).
Powered by Unreal Engine 4, Black Myth Wukong is slated to release for PC and unspecified consoles. In the meantime, check out the brand new trailer of the game below:


Here’s What’s Coming To Rainbow Six Siege In Operation Shifting Tides

We’re very near to the 4th anniversary of Rainbow Six Siege‘s launch. The game is still going strong with a healthy online player base which can be attributed to the continued support from Ubisoft. The latest update coming to the game is Operation Shifting Tides and there’s a strong chance the meta is going to be shaken up this time.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bVjjm1XbDM&w=560&h=315]
Operation Shifting Tides will introduce two new operators and one new map rework. It will be the fourth and final season in Year 4. If you have Year 4 Pass then you’ll immediately unlock the two new operators the moment Operation Shifting Tides launches, otherwise you’ll have to wait a week before you can purchase them using Renown or R6 credits. The reworked map will be free for all players.
Kali Snipes Her Way In

The new Attacker operator introduced in Operation Shifting Tides is Kali, head of an Indian private military company. She’s medium-speed and medium-armour. What truly makes her an interesting addition is her main weapon: a custom CSRX 300 rifle.
The CSRX 300 that Kali carries is a bolt-action sniper rifle that can punch through breakable walls and multiple enemies. Headshots are lethal, of course, but what makes the weapon really devastating is that it will instantly down anyone shot in the torso.
To balance things out, it’s really loud and the bullets leave behind a smoke trail that will clearly tell everyone where the shots are coming from. Also, those who are downed by it will automatically spin in the direction of the shot, letting them point out where Kali is to their teammates.
When facing reinforced walls or hatches, Kali isn’t completely helpless. She’s got an LV Explosive Lances as her gadget, which are deployed from an underbarrel launcher attached to her CSRX 300. These little bad boys will dig into any breakable and reinforced surfaces and then blow up on both sides.
The LV Explosive Lances can take out a host of Defenders’ gadgets such as Maestro’s Evil Eyes, barbed wire, deployable shields, and more. However, they won’t make an opening in reinforced barriers and have no effect on Mira’s Black Mirrors. They can also be easily destroyed by just shooting the tail end (not the tip at the other side of the wall) while they’re digging into a wall and even if you’re not quick enough for that, they do very little damage to enemies anyway.
Kali has two sidearm options: the P226 Mk 25 or the C75-Auto.
Wamai, An Attractive Defender

Employed by Kali’s PMC, Wamai is a Kenyan defender who is also joining Team Rainbow. Like Kali, he’s got medium-armour and medium-speed. What truly makes Wamai special is his gadget called the Magnetic Neutralizing Electronic Targeting System AKA the Mag-NET.
The Mag-NET is basically a disc that can be thrown to stick onto surfaces and what they do is that they will pull in projectiles towards them. For example, if it catches a flashbang, it will stop the projectile mid-air, reset the timer, and then detonate itself along with the flashbang. Of course, you’ll still get flashed if you’re facing the explosion.
This might seem weak at first but when you understand it gives Wamai the ability to control and divert how projectiles behave, then you’ll see why he’s an attractive Defender. The Mag-NET also catches special projectiles such as Ash’s Breaching Rounds, Ying’s Candelas, Nomad’s Airjabs, and more. However, it doesn’t affect Hibana’s X-Kairos pellets and Twitch’s shock drone charges.
By placing the Mag-NETs in locations that would divert Attackers’ projectiles towards themselves and their own teammates, Wamai can potentially mess up the entire attacking team’s composure and capitalise on it with his MP5K or AUG A2. His sidearms are the Keratos 357 and the P-12.
Welcome To The New Theme Park

Theme Park is the map that will be receiving a reworked version in Operation Shifting Tides. The biggest change is the removal of the train that used to split the second floor. The developers are aiming for quicker navigation and more close-quarter skirmishers with this change. The haunted first floor has been transformed into a throne room and armory, which creates a new bomb location for players to plan around.
There’s also a new walkway above a staircase. This will give a new backdoor to Attackers but Defenders can also use it to flank or get a good vantage point down a major hallway. The first-floor arcade entrance is now completely blocked.

Judging by what’s been shown in the gameplay gadgets and starter tips video, I’m really confident Kali will change the way the game is played. Her one-shot down lethality will be a huge advantage for players who are good at sniping.
Wamai’s Mag-NETs are neat but I’ll have to wait and see how useful they actually are. It seems like they’re too easy to spot which kind of renders them almost useless but since they can be positioned both defensively and offensively, some players will definitely find creative uses for them.
Operation Shifting Tides doesn’t have a release date yet but it’s expected to arrive sometime in early December 2019. It’s scheduled to go live on the PC Test Server on 11 November 2019.


Doom Co-Creator John Carmack Leaves Facebook & Meta

It’s the end of a legendary streak as famed rocket scientist and programmer John Carmack (of Doom fame) has left his high-end position with Meta, the company formerly known as Facebook.
John Carmack was the CTO of Oculus and stayed with the company after its Facebook/Meta acquisition back in 2014. His public Facebook announcement declares his time with Meta and VR having “mixed feelings”.
He praised the Quest 2 as a piece of hardware. He appreciates the Quest line’ sales success and massive adoption.
“[The Quest 2] is almost exactly what I wanted to see from the beginning?—mobile hardware, inside out tracking, optional PC streaming, 4k (ish) screen, cost effective”.
His main complaint about Meta is the company’s efficiency, stating that the organization only knows inefficiency.
“We have a ridiculous amount of people and resources. but we constantly self-sabotage and squander effort,” adding that he thinks Meta is “operating at half the effectiveness that would make [him] happy.”
Despite his misgivings, John Carmack did end his post on an optimistic note, stating that Meta is still poised to lead the world in VR implementation as long as the company “makes better decisions”.
https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid0iPixEvPJQGzNa6t2x6HUL5TYqfmKGqSgfkBg6QaTyHF5frXQi7eLGxC7uPQv5U5jl&id=100006735798590&__cft__%5B0%5D=AZXsDdV3k6gSu83P0a2jJg4FQsWHW-usRsi2ayd7dymrA9C6yBA-uWSUgw7A8Mhza8gpZFkCvbip_sJRxDvUMP273PIS0FOSQQWGmL2Cbv3HVg&__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R


Money Heist Korea Joint Economic Area Steals The Netflix Global Top Spot

Korea’s new heist series has stolen the hearts of audiences around the world, with Money Heist Korea Joint Economic Area topping the Global Non-English Top 10 this week. In the new Top 10 list released today, which covers global audiences from June 20 – June 26, Money Heist Korea Joint Economic Area debuted at #1 with 33.7M hours viewed.
The Korean remake of La Casa De Papel, which premiered on Friday June 24, raced to the top of the global watchlist in only three days and made the Top 10 in 51 countries. The series was also the #1 show in South Korea, Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Thailand.
In this new retelling, Money Heist Korea Joint Economic Area follows eight thieves as they stage a spectacular heist at a mint in the newly unified zone between North and South Korea. Along with its new setting, the series has been praised by fans for introducing uniquely Korean elements such as the Hahoe mask that the thieves wear.
“As a big fan of the original Spanish series, I felt intrigued to tell this vibrant story in a Korean context,” said writer Ryu Yong-jae.
Netflix worked closely with the creators to ensure the remake would feel authentic to Korea while also adding fresh nuances to the narrative of the characters and the social commentary of the original.
Money Heist Korea Joint Economic Area is the latest in a series of Korean shows to lead the global Top 10 list. In the first half of 2022, shows including All Of Us Are Dead, Juvenile Justice, and Business Proposal have all reached #1 with global audiences.
In the meantime, you can join the fun at the Malaysian Branch of the JEA starting from 25 June 2022 until 10 July 2022. At that location, you have to put together clues and open the vault in a special escape room experience which is free for everyone. The slots and groups are limited, so you’ll have to RSVP. For more details, head on over here. You can also heck out my review of Money Heist Joint Economic Area.


Watch Dogs: Legion Has A Game-Breaking Bug, But…

Watch Dogs: Legion is out later this week, but if you’re planning to buy the Xbox One version of the game, you may want to take note of this next bit of news.
According to Eurogamer, the Xbox One X version of the game has a game-breaking bug that makes progress in its campaign impossible. The issue triggers in the 6+ hour mark where the game freezes on a mission called 404. No, we’re not kidding. The game freezes at a certain point and the Xbox console warns that it will shut down due to overheating. The funny thing is that Ubisoft recommends reviewers to play their games on Xbox One X consoles. You couldn’t make this up.
There are minor bugs in the PS4 Pro version of the game, but it’s not as egregious as the Xbox One X issue.
Ubisoft, a company we’ve covered in a different light the past few months, said it will be fixing this problem by the end of this week, since that’s when the game will be played by many. Stay tuned for our review early next week.


Xbox Game Pass June 2022 Adds Assassin’s Creed Origins, Ninja Gaiden & More

Microsoft has announced new titles coming to Xbox Game Pass for Console and PC in June 2022, which includes Assassin’s Creed Origins, Ninja Gaiden Master Collection, Disc Room, and more.
Coming Soon
For Honor: Marching Fire Edition (Cloud, Console, and PC) – June 1
Dive into Arcade Mode, an endless PvE experience playable solo or with friends. Defend or attack a castle in Breach, a strategic 4v4 PvP mode. You’ll have access to unique, customizable Heroes across four factions, including the Wu Lin faction, giving you even more choices in how to take to the battlefield!

Ninja Gaiden: Master Collection (Console and PC) – June 2
Enjoy three games from the Ninja Gaiden series in this one title. All of the previously released game modes and DLC costumes for each title are included in this one set. In addition to Ryu Hayabusa, each of the other characters also have many different costumes to choose from, allowing you to enjoy action packed battles in whichever outfit you prefer.
Assassin’s Creed Origins (Cloud, Console and PC) – June 7
Set in mysterious Ancient Egypt, Assassin’s Creed Origins is a new beginning. Explore the Great Pyramids, sail down the Nile, and unveil dark secrets as you discover the founding of the Assassin’s Brotherhood.

Chorus (Cloud, Console, and PC) ID@Xbox – June 7
Take control of Nara on a quest to destroy the dark cult that created her. Unlock devastating weapons & mind-bending abilities in this evolution of the space-combat shooter. Along with Forsaken, her sentient starfighter, explore ancient temples, engage in zero-g combat and venture beyond waking reality.
Disc Room (Cloud, Console, and PC) ID@Xbox – June 7
The year is 2089 and a giant disc has appeared in orbit of Jupiter. Step into the oversized space suit of a brave scientist and explore this sprawling intergalactic slaughterhouse. Don’t be afraid to die a little, your next run is just a button press away.
Spacelines from the Far Out (Console and PC) ID@Xbox – June 7
Available on day one with Game Pass:Spacelines from the Far Out is a ‘roguelike-like’ co-op management game about airlines in space, featuring unlockable spaceships, upgrades, characters and customizations, randomly-generated challenges, trips and itineraries, with a generous serving of 60s space-age flair and jazz!

Ubisoft Games in the Xbox App for PC
Since the launch of Rainbow Six: Extraction and Rainbow Six: Siege with PC Game Pass earlier this year, there have been improvements to the Xbox app on PC to make it easier to search for and install Ubisoft games via Ubisoft Connect. That means you’ll be able to search, install, and jump right into For Honor: Marching Fire Edition and Assassin’s Creed Origins when they are added to the PC library.
For more information on accessing Ubisoft games with PC Game Pass or to get a head start on connecting your Game Pass account with Ubisoft Connect, visit Ubisoft’s Help page to learn more.
DLC / Game Updates
Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition – Knights of the Mediterranean DLC – Available now
Game Pass members save up to 10%! Experience the Italy and Malta civilizations in Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition, including the brand new, casual friendly Tycoon Game Mode, and the first ever set of Historical Maps, which bring endless replayability with a historical twist. Learn more here.
Microsoft Flights Simulator – Top Gun: Maverick Expansion – Available now
Take your skills to stratospheric heights with the free Top Gun: Maverick Expansion, available now in Microsoft Flight Simulator! This expansion, created in partnership with the “Top Gun: Maverick” film and Paramount Pictures, will push your piloting abilities to the limits and beyond! Learn more here.
No Man’s Sky: Leviathan Expedition – Available now
The 7th No Man’s Sky expedition, Leviathan, finds Travellers trapped in a time-loop curse suspected to trace back to a near-mythical space creature. Join the community effort to help recover memory fragments, lost remnants of previous loops, and liberate the universe in this unique rogue-like survival adventure. Jam-packed with rewards, including the WhaleStalker Cloak, Temporal Starship Trail and, the ultimate prize, the Leviathan itself, an imposing living frigate to add to your fleet. Learn more here.
Sea of Thieves: Lost Sands Adventure – Available until June 9
Restoration or ruin – you decide! Side with either Merrick or the Servant of the Flame to determine the future of Golden Sands Outpost in ‘Lost Sands’, Sea of Thieves’ fourth time-limited Adventure running from May 26 to June 9! Learn more here.
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Perks
Assassin’s Creed Origins: Deluxe Pack – June 7
Upgrade your game experience with the Deluxe Pack as you discover the origins of the Assassin’s Brotherhood. The Deluxe Pack includes: The Ambush at Sea mission, The Desert Cobra pack (including one outfit, two legendary weapons, one legendary shield, and one mount) and three Ability points.
Madden NFL 22: MUT MVP Bundle – Available now
Score Madden NFL 22 Ultimate Team MVP content including a Mahomes or Brady Elite Item and 11 Team Fantasy Packs with the MUT MVP Bundle.
Eternal Return: Skins and Boosts Premium Bundle – Available now
More skins to make your characters look even cooler! What’s not to love? Unlock A-Coin and XP Boosts and 3 skins: Midnight Shinobi Yuki, Champion Jan and Magnolia Oracle Hyejin! Everything you need to leave your mark on Lumia Island!
Smite: Slipknot Starter Pass – Available now
Unlock the Gods for Slipknot! Claim your Slipknot Starter Pass including Poseidon, Chaac, Raijin, and more! Learn more here.
Leaving June 15
The following games are leaving the Game Pass library soon:

Darkest Dungeon (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Greedfall (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Limbo (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Worms Rumble (Cloud, Console, and PC)


Gaimin Gladiators Go Undefeated In Playoffs To Be Crowned Dota 2 Lima Major Champions

Gaimin Gladiators just dominated the Lima Major, winning their first-ever Valve event. They crushed everyone in their path, winning an impressive 12 straight games. And to top it off, they beat their regional rivals, Team Liquid, in the grand finals, taking home a cool US$200,000 and 400 Dota Pro Circuit points.
The Gladiators had a tough road to the finals, going through the upper bracket against some strong opponents like Team Aster, Entity, and Liquid twice. But unfortunately, the grand final wasn’t as exciting as fans had hoped.
Liquid was missing one of their star players, Samuel “Boxi” Svahn, who had a medical emergency and couldn’t play in two playoff series. Instead, their analyst Mathis “Jabbz” Friesel had to stand-in. So while the Gladiators definitely earned their win, the grand final may leave a bad taste in the mouth of Liquid fans.

For all of the results, be sure to check out the feature we did!
In game one of the grand finals, Quinn “Quinn” Callahan’s Timbersaw and Marcus “Ace” Christensen’s Primal Beast set the early tempo for the Gladiators. These two beefy strength cores wreaked havoc on Liquid’s more fragile line-up, allowing their carry Lina to ramp up quickly.
The Gladiators played a bit of a risky game by being so greedy, which gave Liquid some opportunities to fight back with some impressive team fighting. But in the end, the Gladiators came out ahead, building up a huge lead in gold. And Liquid’s cores just couldn’t keep up with the sheer number of items that the Gladiators had managed to collect throughout the game. This was epitomized by Anton “dyrachyo” Shkredov, who managed to wipe out all of Liquid while sitting in the enemy fountain.

Magic by @dyrachyoo
1 to 0 vs @TeamLiquid Lima Major, Grand Finals#LimaMajor #Dota2 pic.twitter.com/2N2bmonzTg
— GG | Gaimin Gladiators ?? (@GaiminGladiator) March 5, 2023

The second game of the grand finals was all about Quinn once again. This time, he played Pangolier and wreaked havoc all over the map, leaving Liquid with no choice but to watch as the Gladiators completely dominated from beginning to end, racking up an impressive 27-6 kill score.

SECOND ONE ON THE BAG We're lacking of words, this feels amazing#LimaMajor #Dota2 pic.twitter.com/Ana71sGxrY
— GG | Gaimin Gladiators ?? (@GaiminGladiator) March 5, 2023

In game three, both teams decided to go for some unconventional picks. The Gladiators brought out their Witch Doctor-Io off-lane combo that they’ve used in the DPC, while Liquid went for a mid-Ancient Apparition to counter the duo’s insane healing abilities. They paired this with an off-lane Earthshaker and carry Tiny for some massive teamfight damage.
Unfortunately, the off-meta picks didn’t do so well in the laning stage. The biggest winner was Quinn’s Tusk, who had a pretty easy time in lane against Nisha’s Ancient Apparition. With some big moves from Quinn in the mid-game, dyrachyo’s Lina was able to completely free farm for the third game in a row.
The off-lane duo also used their high healing and damage to clear out some stacks, which helped the Gladiators build up a huge lead. But Liquid wasn’t ready to give up just yet. They kept trying to break through the Gladiators’ defences and finally had some success with a flawless teamfight that started with a chain stun on Lina.
Despite Liquid’s valiant efforts to win some skirmishes, they were unable to take a full-scale engagement against the Gladiators’ powerful strategy. The Witch Doctor-Io duo proved to be too much for Liquid to handle, out healing everything that they could throw at them.
Although Liquid did showcase some impressive teamfight moves with Toss backs and solid crowd control, it was clear that the Gladiators were the better team overall. In the end, Liquid’s quick smoke outside their own base proved to be a fatal mistake, as the Gladiators quickly swarmed them and pushed them into calling the game.

Los Gladiadores son los CAMPEONES del Major de Lima ?
Let's go @GaiminGladiator pic.twitter.com/cTVFAhJEXu
— Tainim @ Lima Major (@TainimLaFuria) March 6, 2023

With this victory, the Gladiators have claimed their first-ever Valve event and earned themselves a handsome reward of US$200,000 and 400 Dota Pro Circuit points.
Despite the underwhelming grand final, the Gladiators proved to be a dominant force throughout the Lima Major, winning 12 straight games in style. On the other hand, Liquid will undoubtedly be disappointed with their performance, especially with Boxi missing two playoff series due to a medical emergency.
All in all, the Lima Major was a thrilling event for Dota 2 fans around the world and I am sure they can’t wait to see what these teams have in store for us in the next major tournament.


The Invisible Man Brings Classic Monster Close To Reality In Chilling Thriller

The Invisible Man has been a fixture of science fiction and literature for more than a century. This new reimagining by Saw franchise co-creator and horror veteran Leigh Whannell is the first modern movie adaptation of H.G. Wells’ classic since 2000’s Hollow Man starring Kevin Bacon and Thanos.
In a world where corrupt individuals abuse and exploit to their hearts’ delights, how scary can an Invisible Man be in this day and age? Very much, it seems, especially when that Invisible Man is the abuser in question.
Now You See Him…

The premise of The Invisible Man is a simple but harrowing setting. It’s the tale of a victim trying to escape from their abuser. In this case, the movie highlights how a victim can still be under the thrall of their abuser long after the fact.
The psychological ramifications and damaging effects linger, as protagonist Cecilia Kass (Elisabeth Moss) suffers from fear even after her violent and controlling genius scientist ex-boyfriend, Adrian Griffin (Oliver Jackson-Cohen), allegedly commits suicide. In the aftermath, she remains extremely traumatised, afraid of even going out the confines of home, feeling unsafe everywhere she goes.
Throughout the movie, her condition deteriorates, as her sense of paranoia and anxiety increases, resulting in a chilling and uncomfortable atmosphere. This movie builds palpable tension and dread in every scene, without having to rely on cheap jumpscares. Think something in the vein of Ari Aster’s Hereditary or Midsommar.
This exploration of abuse in a horror lens is disturbing and distressing, so The Invisible Man probably won’t be for anyone who’s looking for a harmless horror movie to catch in their free time. However, it’s not completely nuanced or complex either, despite featuring a number of plot twists and shocking turn of events.

In previous adaptations, The Invisible Man has always been a guy who has to go naked in order to become invisible, which is both funny and creepy in equal measure. I won’t spoil the source of this new Invisible Man’s invisibility, but suffice it to say, the character has been updated to be more believable and plausible for a modern audience.
This version of The Invisible Man is both an actual abuser and an allegory of sorts for all abusers in general. In the real world, abusers often resort to gaslighting and manipulation to hurt their victims, but they hide their true nature from other people, so in a way, they’re already… invisible.
You wouldn’t know it from watching The Invisible Man that the production budget for this movie is less than US$10 million. Horror movies often have similarly low budgets, but The Invisible Man is more proof that you don’t need big budgets to make a well-made horror flick with high production values.
…Now You Don’t

Elisabeth Moss is the MVP of The Invisible Man. She has perfected the art of portraying abused and distressed women after several seasons of The Handmaid’s Tale (which she actually won an Emmy Award for). This role as Cecilia was practically made for her, as she gives yet another award-winning performance.
Her raw portrayal of Cecilia is painful yet captivating, as she spirals further and further into despair due to the actions of the Invisible Man. The supporting cast members are just as engaging as Cecilia’s detective friend James Lanier (Aldis Hodge) and his daughter Sydney Lanier (Storm Reid) takes her into their family after her escape from abuse, with help fromÂ her sister Alice Kass (Harriet Dyer).

The first arc of The Invisible Man may seem predictable at first, but things kick into high gear in the last two-thirds of the movies. Director Whannell shows off his action chops from 2018’s Upgrade with dynamic shots of stellar choreography and camera work. Even if you find the first half of the movie a bit too slow, the second half is sure to fix that with a breakneck change of pace.
The Invisible Man is longer than most horror movies. Thanks to the movie’s tight plot and pacing, you won’t really feel the two-hour-long runtime passing by. However, those used to lighter and more conventional horror fare may find the movie dragging at times. If you want generic ghosts and demonic nuns, there are always other options out there.
New Age Of Horror?

The Invisible Man is not part of the failed Dark Universe shared cinematic franchise, which started and ended with 2017’s The Mummy reboot. Instead, it is the start of Universal’s new effort and plans to remake and reimagine their classic movie monsters like Frankenstein and the Werewolf with standalone stories.
If The Invisible Man is any indication, we’re probably in good hands for whatever Universal monster movie remake comes out next, though that ultimately depends on the creative talent involved at the end of the day. Still, The Invisible Man is a phenomenal updated take on an iconic movie ‘monster’.
FINAL SCORE: 80/100
The Invisible Man opens in Malaysian cinemas on 5 March 2020. We caught the movie via press screening, courtesy of United International Pictures Malaysia Sdn Bhd.


For Honor Year 3 Will Add New Heroes and More in 2019

Ubisoft‘s For Honor will be entering its third year in 2019, which will include four major seasonal updates with the theme ‘Year of the Harbinger.’ The game’s Year 3 officially kicks off on January 31, 2019, with the start of a new Season titled ‘Vortiger,’ which will introduce a new unannounced Knight Hero and a new map.
The content roadmap for Year of the Harbinger includes four new Heroes, new maps, regular gameplay balance updates, and seasonal in-game events for the community.
Those who purchase the For Honor Year 3 pass will gain instant access to each new Hero, seven days of exclusive early access, five Scavenger Crates, 30 days of Champion Status, and a special â€œThunderbolt and Frightening effectâ€ that can be applied on all Heroes.

Starting today, the For Honor Complete Edition will be available on the PS4, Xbox One, and PC. It includes the base game, Year 1 Heroes Bundle, Marching Fire expansion, and the Year 3 Pass.
In the meantime, check out the For Honor Year of the Harbinger 2019 roadmap below. More details and information will be revealed throughout the year.


Shang-Chi Breakdown & How It Sets Up Future MCU Stuff

Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings has finally premiered in Malaysian cinemas on 30 September 2021. It was another great entry in the MCU with some of the franchise’s best action and fighting scenes (check out the full review here). However, now it’s time for the ComicsLord to break down and look at the easter eggs in the movie, as well as discuss how the movie’s TWO post-credit scenes will set up future Marvel Cinematic Universe movies or TV series.

Why Does Abomination Show Up?

In the movie, Wong fights the Abomination in a ring match. Wong knocks him out by opening portals to make Abomination’s punch hit himself, which results in the Abomination knocks himself out in one punch. The fight ends with Wong leading the Abomination to what looks like a prison. The Raft (the same place that Captain America and his team was imprisoned after Captain America Civil War), maybe?
Why was Abomination there with Wong? It’s never clearly explained. Apparently, it was a “training” session for Abomination to “control” his punches. Why would Wong be teaching the Abomination to hold back in a fight?
We still don’t know for sure, but Emil Blonsky AKA Abomination is already confirmed to appear in the upcoming Disney+ She-Hulk series, which means that the question might be answered there when it comes out in 2022.
He looks different than in 2008’s The Incredible Hulk. He now has fins as ears and looks a lot more like the comics book version. However, he seems less aggressive and more human-like. Perhaps this is a reformed Abomination? A ‘good’ Abomination?
The Raft is also the prison for Baron Zemo, who returned there after the events of The Falcon And The Winter Soldier. Maybe Zemo will build his Thunderbolts team with Abomination as one of them? Only time will tell.
Baron Zemo going back to the Raft.
Shang-Chi’s Ta Lo Opens The Door To Kun Lun And Iron Fist

In the movie, it is established that Ta Lo is the village where Shang-Chi’s mother comes from. It is located in a different dimension filled with mystical beasts and magic. Ta Lo is also in the comics, but it’s never been much of a prominent place. However, what makes Ta Lo interesting is that it opens the door to other interdimensional cities being introduced in the MCU, including the iconic K’un-Lun.
What is K’un-Lun? It’s a mystical city where Danny Rand gained his powers and became Iron Fist.
In one scene, Michelle Yeoh’s Ying Nan even mentions that Ta Lo is bigger than just a small village. There are (or used to be) large cities more advanced than anything on Earth. This sounds a lot like K’un-Lun, or any of the other Heavenly Cities (there are Eight Heavenly Cities in the Marvel universe in the comics).
Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings won’t be the last we’ll hear about Ta Lo or cities in other dimensions, that’s for sure. Fingers crossed for K’un-Lun and a proper version of Iron Fist in the MCU (let’s just forget about that atrocious Netflix Iron Fist series).
With the multiverse now in play, nothing is impossible.

The Dweller-In-Darkness Comes From The Same Dimension As A Popular Doctor Strange Villain
Dweller-In-Darkness.
The true antagonist of Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings isn’t really Wenwu (Tony Leung) at all, but a demonic entity from another dimension named Dweller-In-Darkness. In the movie, he manipulates Wenwu into releasing him from his prison and later kills him. It takes everyone’s best efforts, including Katy’s bow and arrow skills and Shang-Chi using the ten rings, to finally take down the Dweller-In-Darkness for good.
In the comics, the Dweller-In-Darkness is a Fear Lord demon from the dimension Everinnye. He feeds on the fear of living beings, as consuming fear both increase his powers and keeps him alive. However, the movie changes this to feeding on the souls of living beings.
What’s interesting here is that Doctor Strange villain Nightmare is also a Fear Lord from the same Everinnye dimension as Dweller-In-Darkness. If so, this could indicate the existence of Nightmare, thereby increasing the chances of him appearing as an antagonist in the upcoming Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness. This villain has long been rumoured as the next Doctor Strange villain, ever since the 2016 movie first came out.
Nightmare.
Shang-Chi Post-Credits Scene 1: The Origin Of The Ten Rings (The Weapon, Not The Organization)

In the movie, it is never explicitly or truly explained where or how Wenwu (Tony Leung) discovered the ten rings (the weapon, not the organization). However, it is mentioned that he may have found them “in a crater” or a “tomb”. That’s interesting, because, in the comics, the original Mandarin discovered the ten rings in a crater alongside a starship and the skeleton of an alien dragon named Axonn-Karr from the planet Maklu IV.

The origin of the ten rings is left ambiguous throughout the movie, but in the first post-credits scene, Shang-Chi (Simu Liu) and Katy (Awkwafina) meets Wong (Benedict Wong), Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), and Captain Marvel (Alison Brie) to discuss the ten rings.
They discover that not only are the ten rings thousands of years old (thus pre-dating even Wenwu’s discovery of them), but the ten rings are also actively giving out a signal with a beacon. A signal to space. To whom? It’s not revealed, because according to Captain Marvel, it’s not based on any alien technology that she knows.
Still, if the origins of the ten rings in the MCU follows the comics, then they must be signalling back to Maklu IV. the planet of the alien dragons. Comic book fans will know that one famous Marvel villain is a Makluan alien dragon named Fin Fang Foom, who is often an enemy of Iron Man and the Fantastic Four, amongst others.
Fin Fang Foom.
Still, if it’s not Fin Fang Foom or the Makluans, who could the ten rings be signalling to?
Personally, I would love to see the Annihilation Wave. The Annihilation crossover is one of the most epic storylines I’ve ever read, and the Annihilation Wave is a galactic-level horde of insectoid aliens led by a villain named Annihilus, who comes from another dimension called the Negative Zone. They’re so powerful that they wiped out the Kree and Skrull empires, as well as used Galactus to power their planet-destroying weapon.

Shang-Chi Post-Credits Scene 2: A New Ten Rings (The Organization, Not The Weapon)
Xialing (Mengâ€™er Zhang) in Marvel Studios’ SHANG-CHI AND THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. Â©Marvel Studios 2021.
The second post-credits scene in Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings is shorter and seemingly less significant than the first. At the end of the movie, we hear Shang-Chi mention that her sister was going to their ancestral home to “shut down” the Ten Rings organization.
Little did he know how he was. The second post-credits scene reveals that his sister, Xu Xialing (Mengâ€™er Zhang), has actually taken over the Ten Rings, effectively replacing her father as the leader of the organization. She then proclaims that this is “a new Ten Rings” and that they have a lot of “work to do”.
Unfortunately, the Ten Rings organization is an original creation of the MCU, so it doesn’t exist in the comics. As such, there’s no precedent so it’s hard to say what would happen. The closest comic book equivalent of the Ten Rings organization is the Five Weapons Society, which Shang-Chi is currently the leader of. Becoming the leader of his father’s terrorist organization has soured his reputation in the perspective of many superheroes, leading to fights between Shang-Chi and heroes like the Fantastic Four and more.
Interestingly, the second post-credits scene ends with the words “THE TEN RINGS WILL RETURN.” in massive fonts, which means that we might see them in a future movie or TV series. Maybe the upcoming Secret Invasion, Ironheart or Armor Wars shows on Disney+? It will likely be a while before we get a sequel to Shang-Chi, if ever.


Valorant Mobile Confirmed By Riot Games

As a special surprise forÂ Valorantâ€™s one-year anniversary, Riot has announced that a mobile version of its multiplayer tactical FPS game will be coming. However, the announcement doesnâ€™t include any details about Valorant Mobile.
Speaking with Polygon, ValorantÂ executive producer Anna Donlon explained that they initially considered making Valorant Mobile with a checklist of questions about what was core to ValorantÂ and whether or not a mobile version of the PC game would even be possible to pull off. This is so much so that if any of the items on the checklist couldnâ€™t be done, Riot Games wouldn’t even continue developing the project
According to Donlon, Valorant Mobile will be a unique mobile experience, and it won’t affect the existing PC version of the game.

â€œWe didnâ€™t start out with â€˜Weâ€™re makingÂ ValorantÂ on mobile,â€™ we started out with â€˜Can we makeÂ ValorantÂ on mobile?â€™ with a lot of skepticism.
For us, whatever you get out of playing on PC, you should get out of playing ValorantÂ on mobile. But we have to recognize that the mobile player need is different.
The same way that weâ€™re not going to deliver a subpar mobile experience for mobile players, weâ€™re not going to compromise the PC experience either.
Weâ€™re not trying to convert ValorantÂ PC players intoÂ Valorant Mobile players or vice versa.
Weâ€™re absolutely just as committed to keeping the PC experience at the quality level it is or higher, and weâ€™re not going to compromise it in order to address the mobile market.â€
She also clarified that Riot Games currently has no plans for cross-play between the two versions of the game. They are also considering a console version of Valorant, but it’s not confirmed as of yet.
She added:

â€œOddly enough, I actually do think the transition to mobile has been slightly easier for us.
Consoleâ€™s obvious for FPS, right?
But this type of game, a tactical shooter, on console is not easy.
Itâ€™s not easy to have that level of competitive integrity on a platform where the controller is fighting you for that.
And we just didnâ€™t want it.
So we found it took to mobile quicker and it took to mobile easier.â€
There is no release date or window for Valorant Mobile as of yet, but Donlon teases that something could be coming in year two of Valorant.


Ms. Marvel Episode 4 Breakdown & Easter Eggs

The fourth episode of Ms. Marvel is now streaming on Disney+ Hotstar Malaysia. l’ll be discussing heavy spoilers so if you haven’t seen it or want to avoid spoilers, now’s your chance to stop reading.
Marvel Studios’ “Ms. Marvel” is a new, original series that introduces Kamala Khan, a Muslim American teenager growing up in Jersey City. An avid gamer and a voracious fan-fiction scribe, Kamala is a Super Hero megafan with an oversized imagination, particularly when it comes to Captain Marvel. Yet? Kamala feels like she doesn’t fit in at school and sometimes even at home, that is, until she gets superpowers like the heroes she’s always looked up to. Life gets better with superpowers, right?
Check out my breakdown of Ms. Marvel Episode 1 and Episode 2 and Episode 3 here.
Also, check out my breakdowns of Moon Knight Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5 and Episode 6 here.
You can check out my previous breakdowns of Hawkeye Episodes 1 and 2 here, Episode 3 here, Episode 4 here and Episode 5. and Episode 6 here.
In addition, you can check out my previous breakdowns of Marvel’s What If? Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5, Episode 6, Episode 7, Episode 8 and Episode 9 here.
If you haven’t, you can check out my previous breakdowns and easter egg articles for WandaVision Episode 1 and 2, Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5, Episode 6, Episode 7, Episode 8 and Episode 9.
For The Falcon And The Winter Soldier, you can check out my previous breakdowns for Episode 1, Episode 2 and Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5 and Episode 6.
For previous breakdowns of Loki episodes, check out Episode 1 here, Episode 2 here, Episode 3 here, Episode 4 here, Episode 5 here and Episode 6 here.

The Partition

The Partition of India is a real-life historical event when the British Empire divided India into two separate countries; India and Pakistan, in 1947. It’s considered a tragic event in history. Kamala’s parents, including Zenobia Shroff’s Muneeba Khan, were part of those refugees who escaped the chaos that ensued following the Partition.
Also, Kamala’s grandmother, Sana, knows that their families are part of the Clandestines or Djinns.
Ant-Man And Adrian Alphona, One Of The Co-Creators Of Ms. Marvel

At the train station, Kamala sees an Ant-Man mural inspired by the art of Adrian Alphona (his name is on the mural). Adrian Alphona is one of the co-creators of Kamala Khan AKA Ms. Marvel, and he was the very first artist for the character back in 2013, working on the first issue with writer G. Willow Wilson.
The Debut Of Red Dagger

Red Dagger, whose real name is Kareem (played by Aramis Knight), is one of the first characters introduced in the Ms. Marvel comics. In the comics, he uses his skills to be a vigilante named Red Dagger in Karachi, Pakistan.
In the MCU version, it looks like he can somehow sense the Noor, the power source of the Clandestine/Djinn, which is how he found Kamala Khan.

A Reference To Kamala Khan Actress Iman Vellani’s Real Roots

When asked by Red Dagger if all masked Americans have superpowers, Kamala replies: “How do you know I’m not Canadian?”
That’s a funny inside joke, because cute and adorable Iman Vellani, the actress who plays Kamala Khan, is actually Canadian in real life.
The Red Daggers And the Clandestines

In the MCU, the Red Daggers are a group of people with the aim of protecting humans from the threats of the unseen AKA the Clandestine AKA the Djinn. The Veil Of Noor is what separates the dimension of the Clandestines and the human world. The bangles can be used to open the Veil Of Noor.
The Bangle Sends Kamala Back In Time During The Partition

When Najma stabs Kamala’s bangle with a weapon, it seeming opened a portal which sent Kamala back in time during the Partition when refugees were scrambling to escape teh country. Perhaps we’ll learn the real history of Kamala’s family in the episode coming out next week.
Until then, excelsior!


PokÃ©mon Sword and PokÃ©mon Shield Tips & Tricks

This guide is still under development; the game just came out after all.
Controversy and “Dexit” aside, there’s a lot to like about PokÃ©mon Sword and PokÃ©monÂ Shield for the Switch. It’s an accommodating entry for newbies, the new PokÃ©mon are cool and nifty (more on that on a future article), and there are some welcome tweaks to the tried-and-true RPG gameplay where your customizable trainer fights 8 gym leaders to be the best.
That isn’t going to stop us from helping you out though. The Galar forests and wildlands can be a treacherousÂ PokÃ©mon-filled trek; here are some tips to get you going.
Beginner Tips
Sneak up on PokÃ©mon when traversing the tall grass.
PokÃ©mon live in the tall grassâ€”this much we already know. InÂ SwordÂ andÂ Shield, you can see PokÃ©mon on Routes and in the Wild Area with your own two eyes and walk into them to battle them, instead of having to trudge back and forth through the grass. If you tap your joystick gently, you can tiptoe through the grass without alerting the PokÃ©mon in the area.
Itâ€™s worth it to just run full speed in the grass, though. There will be other PokÃ©mon hiding in there that you canâ€™t see in the overworld. If you run through the grass and see an exclamation point appear, run toward it. There are PokÃ©mon you can catch this way that do not appear in the same area of the overworld.
Look out for sparkles.
If you see a glimmer on the ground, try to check it out. Those are items that you can pick up, and sometimes theyâ€™re worth big bucks. The collector character that will buy certain items for a higher price day to day returns as well, in Stow-on-Side. The items will also replenish over time, so don’t be afraid of exhausting them.
Turn on Casual Controls if you’re inside public transportation.
PokÃ©mon has always been a mobile/portable game, so it makes sense for the next mothership title to be on the Switch. To make your experience more commute-friendly, turn on Casual Controls.Â  This disables the right analogue stick, so instead of manually controlling the camera, it’ll shift and move toward whatever you’re running towards. Pretty handy if you rather play the game with one hand while on the go.
Start the game with Sobble.
If you have trouble picking one of the three starterÂ PokÃ©mon, and believe us when we say it’s pretty tough since all of them are cute and have decent stats and attacks,Â  just go with Sobble. Since you’ll be tackling the first three gyms in this respective order -Grass, Water, Fire- you might as well pick the starter that will make your life easier in the long run. Your first major gym battle isn’t going to be that tough anyway.
Sort the differences betweenÂ  TMs and TRs.
TMs can be reused, so you canÂ  use this on as many PokÃ©mon as you like.Â  TRs break after us, so you’ll have to pick carefully whichÂ PokÃ©mon gets this special skill(s).
Get your team up to speed.
Using the Rotomi in PokÃ©Centers, you can send PokÃ©mon out on PokÃ© Jobs. These listings ask for a PokÃ©mon of a specific type, and if you send multiples of the appropriate type, youâ€™ll earn more experience when they come back. PokÃ©mon can be sent on a job for up to an entire day, and they earn tens of thousands of experience in some of the more advanced jobs. PokÃ©mon will also sometimes bring back a treat for youâ€”usually either an item or cash.
Max Raids can also help you level up a PokÃ©mon quickly. After completing a Raid, you earn Experience Candies, ranging in size from Small to Extra Large. The more difficult the Raid, the more likely you are to get Large or Extra Large candies.
Store a specialized PokÃ©ball or two.
If you have trouble catching PokÃ©mon even after whittling their health and using a regular PokÃ©ball on them, you may want to buy aÂ  few specialized balls like Quick Balls (higher capture rate at the start of aÂ  fight) or Dusk Balls (higher rate in dark areas).
You can either buy them at PokÃ©mon centres or get them for free from this one guy dressed as a PokÃ©ball who hangs out at Gyms. If you want the more expensive balls, you can get the viaÂ  Watt merchants in the Wild Area.
If you’ve played Let’s Go Pikachu/Eevee, claim your free PokÃ©mon.
Youâ€™ll be able to get the corresponding PokÃ©mon inÂ SwordÂ andÂ Shield. If youâ€™ve got save data for either game on your machine, you can talk to an NPC in the train station at the Meet Up Spot right outside the Wild Area.
The woman standing in the Nursery on Route 5 will give you a Toxel, an adorable Poison/Electric-type that looks like a grumpy baby.
Sword or Shield?
Which version of the game should you get? Well, it depends on which exclusiveÂ  PokÃ©mon do you want. Here’s the breakdown:
PokÃ©mon Sword

Seedot
Nuzleaf
Shiftry
Mawile
Solrock
Scraggy
Scrafty
Sawk
Gothita
Gothorita
Gothitelle
Rufflet
Braviary
Deino
Zweilous
Hydreigon
Swirlix
Slurpuff
Passimian
Turtonator
Jangmo-o
Hakamo-o
Kommo-o
Galarian Farfetch’d
Sirfetch’d
Galarian Darumaka
Galarian Darmanitan

PokÃ©mon Shield

Larvitar
Pupitar
Tyranitar
Lotad
Lombre
Ludicolo
Sableye
Lunatone
Croagunk
Toxicroak
Throh
Vullaby
Mandibuzz
Solosis
Duosion
Reuniclus
Spritzee
Aromatisse
Goomy
Sliggoo
Goodra
Oranguru
Drampa
Galarian Ponyta
Galarian Rapidash
Galarian Corsola
Cursola

Screw this beginner nonsense. What can IÂ  do once I defeat all eight gym leaders?


[Report] ASUS ROG Phone and ZenFone 5Z Will Reach Malaysia Soon

When ASUS showed off its dedicated gaming smartphone â€“ the ASUS ROG PhoneÂ â€“ all turned their attention to the infamous evil eye again.
Figuratively, ASUS ROG fans’ and gamers’ jaw dropping to the ground simultaneously in a large “THUD”. This is what everyone is waiting for! Indeed, nothing can possibly top what the long-time games hardware brand pulled off.
And now we know that Malaysia (and the rest of Southeast Asia allegedly) will be able to use this mobile powerhouse soon. According to sources close to Kakuchopurei, the ASUS ROG PhoneÂ â€“ truly representing the ASUS Republic of Gamers (ASUS ROG) â€“ will reach this part of the world soon.
Specifically, sometime in August 2018.
Are ASUS ROG fans waiting in anticipation for this monstrously cool gamer-focused smartphone? Hell yes! The details ASUS ROG reveal at the recent COMPUTEX TAIPEI 2018 global reveal are what gamers have been waiting for. Here’s a recap:

Under the 6″ FullView Display panel of the ASUS ROG Phone is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845; complementing that is 8GB LPDDR4X RAM.
The Full HD+ AMOLED display has a 1ms response time and Hybrid HDR (Gaming and Mobile).
Storage wise, there are two flavours: 256GB and 512GB.
It packs a dual-lens shooter (12MP Dual Pixel) with AI Photography.
Dual front-facing stereo speakers with Dual NXP 9874 Smart Amp, featuring Hi-Res Audio and DTS Headphone:X for personal audio devices.
Most important is the ‘X-Mode’ Game Focus ability and the cool accessories you can attach onto the phone. The latter includes an Active Cooler, Desktop Dock, and Gamevice Controller Dock among others.

While there are no pricing details, speculation places it in the same range as its competitors. Namely, the year-old Razer Phone and recently released Xiaomi Black Shark; at least within that range or slightly higher: SG$1,068/RM3,162 give or take.
But Wait, There’s More…
ASUS fans are equally as hopeful for the upcoming ASUS ZenFone 5Z. This is another variant of the now available ASUS ZenFone 5, specifically a monstrously spec-up version.
It will take the fight to the ASUS ROG Phone, in basic functions at least, and will hold a candle against all rival flagships; gaming or otherwise. According to the same source, this premium take on the current flagship smartphone will be out in late July 2018.
It’s obvious that the devices will not hit the streets anytime before. We’re guessing there are, likely, engineering samples hidden in the ASUS branch offices around the region.
Stay tuned to Kakuchopurei as we try to find out and will dig up more updates concerning these two hotly-anticipated phones.

(Source:Â liveatpc.com)


AESF e-Masters Chengdu 2020 Postponed Thanks To CoronaVirus

With the Covid-19 virus continuing to be a present global danger, the Asian Electronic Sports Federation has decided to postpone the inaugural AESF e-Masters Chengdu 2020.
AESF made the decision after discussion with various quarters, including public health experts and Chengdu’s local authorities. It’s an understandable choice, given that the lives of everyone who would attend are more important than the event itself.
We don’t yet know what the new dates for e-Masters Chengdu 2020 are, but the AESF has said that they will announce the rescheduled dates when the time is right. You can follow their updates either on their Facebook and Twitter pages or their website.


New World Of Warcraft Update Features Eldritch Horrors

MMO fans will be getting a kick out of WoW’s latest update.
Just before the upcoming Shadowlands expansion releases, Blizzard will be capping off the week with Visions of N’Zoth update. It opens with the Alliance and Horde banding together to defeat the Old God N’Zoth who is spreading corruption across Azeroth.

This update is meant for max-level players, so you may want to gear up before taking on the quest(s). You’ll be visiting spots like Pandaria and Uldum, using special artifacts to protect yourself from debuffing insanity while being rewarded with all-powerful corrupted gear.
The update will also add in two new races to the roster; you can either play as an Alliance Mechagnome or a Horde Vulpera. It all boils down to whether you like cute bots or cute foxes. Regardless of your choice, have fun with the grind!


Ant-Man And The Wasp Is A Fun If Inconsequential Ride

2018 is Marvel Studios’ 10th anniversary. The release of the phenomenal Black Panther and Avengers: Infinity War were a testament to how far the company has progressed since Iron Man in 2008.
However, 2018 isn’t over yet as Ant-Man And The Wasp is set to close the curtain on what is the studio’s arguably best year to date. Unfortunately, Ant-Man And The Wasp seems to be another typical Marvel Studios fare, offering more of the same and failing to live up to the impossibly high standards set by Black Panther and Avengers: Infinity War before it.
Don’t get me wrong, Ant-Man And The Wasp is a fun popcorn summer movie, providing laughs and heartwarming family moments for the audience. This is exactly what happened after the release of The Avengers in 2012. People asked, how could Marvel Studios possibly top what was then the most ambitious movie crossover of all time?
The answer? They didn’t have to. Captain America: The Winter Soldier is still regarded by many (and myself) to be the studio’s best movie, despite not being an epic sprawling crossover event-type movie.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUkn-enk2RU&w=560&h=315]
It succeeded in being a great standalone movie, the events of which actually went on to have a major ramification for the Marvel Cinematic Universe as a whole. In comparison, Ant-Man And The Wasp don’t really accomplish that, but it’s pretty decent as a standalone movie and works especially well as a direct sequel to 2015’s Ant-Man.
It may not have dire consequences on the entire MCU, but the movie works best focusing on its family values involving both the Pyms and the Langs.
That said, there are still some major flaws that bring the movie down.
Family First
The movie clamps down on the “family first” values from the first movie, further expanding and developing the relationships between characters. The end of the first movie saw the relationship of father and daughter between Hank Pym and Hope Van Dyne restored after he told her the truth of what happened to her mother, Janet Van Dyne. Ant-Man And The Wasp subsequently expands on that by featuring the quest to find Janet Van Dyne, after Scott managed to emerge alive from the subatomic Quantum Realm in the first movie.
Scott’s relationship with her daughter, Cassie, remains the motivator for everything he does. However, the movie begins with yet another consequence of a past movie, specifically 2016’s Captain America: Civil War. Scott is stuck in house arrest due to his actions in aiding Steve Rogers during the events of that movie.
It turns out Hank Pym and Janet Van Dyne weren’t too fond of what Scott and now hates his guts. Along the way, they collide with villains Ghost and Sonny Burch. The movie doesn’t attempt to do anything new, unlike the two previous MCU movie before it.
Recycling The Same Humor
If you liked the jokes from the first Ant-Man movie, you’ll probably like the humour in Ant-Man And The Wasp. It’s more of the same humour, and it even recycles some of the jokes. Some might find these running gags to be uninspired and repetitive, but it’s still sort of funny the second time around. Maybe not so much the third time around, though.
You’ll get Luis and his signature jokes. You’ll get Hank Pym and his grumpy old man shtick. However, Paul Rudd carries the movie with his massive likeability and charm. Cringe-worthy jokes can still elicit chuckles and giggles, especially when Rudd works his charming comedic personality. I mean, he even made Ant puns work. ANT PUNS!
Villains Are Some Of The MCU’s Worst
Look, as a comics fan, I understand that Ant-Man has never had a memorable, let alone great, rogues gallery. Heck, Ghost is an Iron Man villain, for Pete’s sake. That’s how scarce Ant-Man’s list of villains are.
But come on! Ghost and a black market tech dealer cum mob boss Sonny Burch? That’s the best they could do? Ghost might have visually-appealing powers (becoming intangible and walking through walls) but her character is a whiny teenager whose backstory clearly pines for the sympathy of audiences. It doesn’t work and Ghost ends up being an unworthy villain.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_rTIAOohas&w=560&h=315]
Sonny Burch is the most derivative type of villain you see in almost every action movie ever. After watching Michael B. Jordan’s Erik Killmonger and Josh Brolin’s stellar performances, the villains in Ant-Man And The Wasp seem even more pathetic. Still, at least they’re almost not as bad as Thor: The Dark World’s Malekith the Accursed.
Almost.
Visually Imaginative Action Scenes
Without decent villains, what does Ant-Man And The Wasp has going for it? The creative and visually imaginative action set pieces. They’re literally like nothing else the MCU has to offer since no other hero can shrink to the size of an ant. It was exciting watching the unique camera angles and perspectives afforded by the unique abilities of both Ant-Man and the Wasp.
The Wasp actually gets the best piece of the action this time around, and her fighting scenes are the highlights of the movie. She twirls and flips around while alternating between being tiny and human size. Plus, she has wings and sting blasters, which Ant-Man doesn’t.
Where Does Ant-Man And The Wasp Take Place?
Now that is the question on everyone’s minds. The events in Ant-Man And The Wasp does, in fact, take place concurrently with those in Avengers: Infinity War. That means while the Avengers were off to outer space and fighting Thanos the Mad Titan, Ant-Man And The Wasp are doing their own thing.
It explains why they weren’t in Avengers: Infinity War. Simply put, Ant-Man And The Wasp is the tie-in comic book to the main crossover event, which is Avengers: Infinity War.
Ant-Man And The Wasp isn’t a bad movie. It suffers due to coming after great movies like the Black Panther and Avengers: Infinity War. It also offers more of the same Marvel fare and avoids taking risks.
The villains are some of the worst in the MCU. It’s a fun movie but definitely not much of a memorable one.
Aside: There are two post-credits scenes after the movie, so be sure to wait until the very end.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUkn-enk2RU&w=560&h=315]
Pros

Visually imaginative and creative action scenes
Works as a standalone movie and especially well as a direct sequel to 2015’s Ant-Man
Further develops the family themes and relationships between characters

Cons

Some of the worst villains in the MCU
Doesn’t live up to the high standards set by Black Panther and Avengers: Infinity War
Offers more of the same typical Marvel Studios fare

Final Score: 65/100
Ant-Man And The Wasp opens in Malaysian cinemas on 4th July 2018 in Malaysia and Singapore. We caught the movie on GSC Cinemas Onyx Hall via press screening, courtesy of The Walt Disney Company (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd.


F1 2020 Races Onto Shelves This July, Features Team Management Mode

Codemasters has announced this year’s F1 racing simulation entry, slated for 10th July on PC, PS4, and Xbox One. Oh, and Google Stadia, for those who somehow like that service.
Here are the new features of the game.

A new management mode called “My Team”. Players can act as a driver and manager of their own F1 team.
New updates to Career mode; players can choose between either a 10, 16, or full 22 race season.
New race tracks like the Hanoi Street Circuit in Vietnam and the Zandvoor Circuit in the Netherlands.
Old features making a comeback, like Formula 2 and two-player split-screen mode. This marks the rare occasion where a sports game does not remove features from past titles for its new yearly iteration.
The ability to play as Michael Schumacher, assuming you’re fine forking out extra money to buy the F1 2020 Deluxe Schumacher Edition. Players who buy this version will get three days of early access.

Check out the trailer in action below, assuming you’re into serious vroom vroom racing action:


Night Monkey Gets Actual Trailer For Spider-Man Home Release

It looks like Sony Pictures does have a sense of humour after all, even after that spat with Marvel Studios and Disney. They did leave with the Spider-Man cinematic rights intact after all. To commemorate the upcoming home release of Spider-Man Far From Home on DVD and Blu-Ray, Night Monkey has received an actual bonafide trailer.
No, really.
Anyone who’ve watched Spider-Man Far From Home will know that Night Monkey is the name that was given by Peter Parker’s best friend Ned for Spider-Man in his new black stealth suit when they were on vacation in Europe, all in an effort in order to protect Spidey’s secret identity.
The Spider-Man Far From Home home release will also contain the following features and bonuses (via Gizmodo):

New Original Short,Â Peterâ€™s To-Do-List:Â Peter has a few errands to run before he can leave on his class trip.
Teachersâ€™ Travel Tips:Â Mr. Harrington & Mr. Dell present a few tips on how to traverse the European continent.
Stepping Up: Explore how Spider-Man was introduced in the MCU, the ways Tom Holland transformed the character of Peter Parker, and what the future holds for Spider-Man.
Suit Up:Â The suit doesnâ€™t make the hero – but it does play a big role in who they are and who they can become. This piece examines all of Peterâ€™s different suits in the movie, and with behind the scenes footage, we see why some suits are better than others.
Far, FAR, Far from Home: The filmâ€™s illustrious locations serve story points and establish tone, but theyâ€™re also amazing to travel to! Hear from the cast on their experiences filming on-location.
It Takes Two: A special look at the chemistry between Jon Watts and Tom Holland.
Fury & Hill:Â MCU stalwarts Cobie Smulders and Samuel L. Jackson are back as Agent Maria Hill & Nick Fury!
The Ginter-Riva Effect:Â A look at the villain sub-plot and how William Ginter-Riva tiesÂ Spider-Man: Far From HomeÂ all the way back to the beginning of the MCU.
Thank You, Mrs. Parker: A look at Marisa Tomeiâ€™s reimagining of Aunt May, fromÂ HomecomingÂ toÂ Far From Home.
The Brotherâ€™s Trust: A quick look into some of the amazing work Tom Holland and his brothers have done through their charity, The Brothers Trust.
The Jump Off:Â Interviews with the cast & crew take us through all of the amazing stunts ofÂ Far From Home.
Now You See Me:Â We examine the evolution of Mysterio and why Jake Gyllenhaal was the perfect fit for the role.
Stealthy Easter Eggs:Â Allow E.D.I.T.H. to reveal some of the hidden Easter Eggs you may have missed!
Select Scene Pre â€“ Vis: A side by side comparison of the Pre-Vis with the film
Gag Reel & Outakes
Never-Before-Seen Alternate & Extended Scenes

The Night Monkey trailer is essentially just a repackaging and editing of footage from Spider-Man Far From Home, but that doesn’t make it any less hilarious. Check out the trailer below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6WEvHsvzOQ&w=560&h=315]


The Last Spider-Man DLC For The Year Arrives 21 December, Spider-Verse Suit Included

The upcoming third and final episode of Marvel’s Spider-Man: The City That Never Sleeps is titled Silver Lining, and it’s arriving next week on December 21, 2018. Insomniac Games have also taken this opportunity to announce their collaboration with Sony Pictures’ Spider-Man Into The Spider-Verse, which means that players can look forward to a special suit from the movie.
Besides the Peter Parker suit from Spider-Man Into The Spider-Verse, the other two suits might not be considered iconic or classic, but they still look pretty awesome; the Cyborg Spider-Man suit and the Aaron Aikman Armor suit. Take a look at them below.

Additionally, there will be a special promotion as part of the Spider-Man Into The Spider-Verse collaboration, where users who pre-order the movie from the PlayStation Store (starting tomorrow) will receive a voucher for Marvelâ€™s Spider-Man DLC Silver Lining, a dynamic theme, and avatars.
Without further ado, let’s see what’s so special about the three new suits in Marvel’s Spider-Man Silver Lining DLC.
Into The Spider-Verse Suit

Even if you haven’t watched Spider-Man Into The Spider-Verse, you’d probably have seen the older and more experienced Peter Parker from the movie’s trailers. Acting as a mentor for the newbie Spider-Man Miles Morales, he comes from a universe where he has been the wall-crawler for many, many years.
The Peter Parker Into The Spider-Verse suit is basically the classic red-and-blue suit, with a slightly cartoonish aesthetic. That’s all there is to it. We already have the game’s existing classic suit so I’m really sure what makes the Into The Spider-Verse suit a worthwhile addition.
The one with the sweatpants would have been more unique, Insomniac.

We’ll have to see how it looks in-game when Silver Lining releases. In the meantime, go watch the movie if you haven’t, it’s the best Spider-Man movie of all time (and that includes the live-action ones).
Cyborg Spider-Man
Every 90s comic book ever.
This suit might remind you of the mutant and X-Force founder Cable, who made his live-action debut in this year’s Deadpool 2. However, this particular Cyborg Spider-Man actually looks more like the actual cyborg Deathlok, and they even team up in a comic book in the 90s (go figure).
Another Cyborg Spider-Man was indeed in the 2014 comic book crossover event Spider-Verse but that was a completely different design, as you can see below. This design wouldn’t have made sense in the game so I guess that’s why they went with the other one.

Aaron Aikman Armor Suit

The Aaron Aikman Armor debuted in the Edge of Spider-Verse comics, which acted as a sort of prelude to 2014’s Spider-Verse crossover. This was an interesting version of Spider-Man, especially one of the rare ones who isn’t an alternate version of Peter Parker.
Aaron Aikman essentially created an Iron Spider-like suit, with propulsion boots that allowed him to fly and neuro-pulse stingers which are similar to Iron Man’s repulsors. He became Spider-Man on his Earth to fight a villain named Redeye (who looks like a ripoff of DC Comics’ OMAC).
Unfortunately, the reason why this character is obscure and virtually unknown is that he died before being able to take part in the Spider-Verse crossover event; killed by one of the Inheritors (vampires who consume the life energy of Spider-People).
According to PlayStation Blog, Silver Lining will feature new missions, new and upgraded enemy and crime types, upgraded Hammerhead bases, storyline quests, as well as new trophies and challenges (more Screwball Challenges? *groan*).
While waiting for it to drop on December 21, check out the Marvel’s Spider-Man DLC Silver Lining trailer below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnSGJFAP1jQ&w=560&h=315]


Apex Legends Season 14 Will Increase Level Cap

Having been long-requested, Respawn Entertainment is finally increasing the Apex Legends level cap with the release of Season 14 on 9 August.
BE SURE TO CHECK OUT THE LATEST LEGEND COMING IN SEASON 14.
Since the game’s release in February 2019, the only level cap increase to date arrived in December of the same year. Finally, after almost two and a half years of no more level cap increases, Season 14 will introduce a second one, increasing the cap to 544.

At a recent Apex Legends developer panel, Aaron Rutledge, Respawn’s Experience Design Director explained how the level cap increase will work and what rewards players can look forward to.
“When we launched Apex we had an account max level of 100, which would get you about 30 Apex Packs by the time you hit max level,” he said. “And then in year one, we raised that to level 500, which allowed players to earn about 200 Apex Packs.
In Season 14 the time has come to lift that cap even higher and expand what our most engaged players can dig into. We’re going to expand the max level cap by looping through 1-500 three additional times, essentially raising the level cap to 2,000.
This will add an additional 345 Apex Packs to what you can earn by account progression, and that raises the total number of Apex Packs you can earn by playing to 544.
And if anyone’s familiar with our Heirloom system, you know that once you hit 500 you’re guaranteed to get an Heirloom, so I think a lot of players will be excited to finally be rewarded for the time they put in and get that Heirloom.”
– Aaron Rutledge, Experience Design Director at Respawn Entertainment

Other changes coming to Season 14 are the introduction of the newest legend Vantage and major updates that breathe new life into Kings Canyon. For more Apex Legends info, check out our features on the game.

Respawn Entertainment Leaked Their New Apex Legend
Apex Legends Season 14 Will Breathe New Life Into Kings Canyon
Meet Vantage, Apex Legends’ Newest Scout


The Last Of Us Remake Is Coming Out This September

Turns out those rumours of The Last of Us being remade by PlayStation Studios and Naughty Dog are true.
A recent link to a trailer on PlayStation Direct’s media site (via Nibellion) has cropped up, with the remake’s official title being The Last Of Us: Part 1. The game is rebuilt from the ground up for PlayStation 5 and will combine both The Last of Us: Left Behind DLC and the main game as one whole adventure.
“Enjoy a total overhaul of the original experience, faithfully reproduced but incorporating modernized gameplay, improved controls and expanded accessibility options. Plus, feel immersed with improved effects and enhanced exploration and combat.”
There’s even a box art and everything below. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like it’ll have multiplayer just like the PS3 version.

The Last of Us: Part 1 will be out for PS5 on 2nd September. A PC port of the remake will be out later. And yes, the trailer looks like it put The Last of Us: Part 1 into The Last of Us Part 2, if that makes sense.


Chenso Club Looks Like A 2D Brawling Good Time; Out This September

Publisher Curve Games and developer Pixadrome are bringing a new pixelated brawler into 2022 with Chenso Club.
Side-scrolling roguelike brawler Chenso Club is 2D and pixelated all the way, and will definitely appeal to anyone who likes the recent Ninja Turtles game and Streets of Rage 4. The game will be out for PC, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PS4 on 1st September. Here are some words from the press release talking about the game’s influences and X-factor.
“Chenso Club is a love letter to the arcade style side-scrolling brawler. We loved the idea of making a heroine game with anime girls and took inspiration from 90s cartoons such as The Powerpuff Girls. I love how violent that show is but it’s still cute and charming at the same time, and this is really the vibe we were going for with Chenso Club. We can’t wait for people to be able to jump in and play it!”
Check out the trailer below. It’s looking pretty sweet so far!


Team HAQ Make Incredible Losers Bracket Run To Be MPL MY Season 10 Champions

Today, Team HAQ went against all odds and has been crowned the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang champions of Malaysia in the Mobile legends Professional League Malaysia (MPL MY) Season 10 league. Saying that this is an incredible cinderella story kind of undersells the entire narrative.
Held at Quill City Mall Concourse, and throughout four days, over 10,200 offline audiences cheered on for the local teams vying for the lion’s share of the US$100,000 prize pool. The MPL MY league also received the title of the ‘longest-running esports tournament’ from the Malaysia Book of Records, which was awarded during the prize presentation ceremony.
Another historic achievement was also made at MPL Malaysia Season 10’s Grand Finals Match between Team HAQ and TODAK, with the peak-concurrent viewership breaking through to 233,609—a 62.5% increase from last season (143,783).
Team HAQ led with a score of 4–2 and continued to play very unorthodox heroes, including Eudora, stunning TODAK and the offline crowd of 3,700—during the Grand Finals—with lightning-quick victories.

Originally picked up at the beginning of the year, the roster was then signed by Orange Esports in February, the team rostered a few familiar faces in Muhammad “Garyy” Syafizan and the Zairie twins (Aiman “Mann” Zairie & Aimin “Minn” Zairie). After placing second in Season 9 earlier this year, the roster returned to Team HAQ (THQ) in June with the acquisition of Chun Wai “Panda” Poh and Mohamad “Lolla” Nilzaihan—the latter of which was formerly a substitute for the team.
The team had a pretty average start to the season, losing to the favourites to take it all in TODAK. Managing to fight tooth and nail to make it to the Playoffs with the 2nd seed, THQ would quickly get knocked down into the lower bracket by none other than the other contender to win the tournament, Orange Esports.
From then on out, it was an uphill battle for the THQ boys. After sweeping RED Esports and RSG Malaysia, THQ would get their chance to face Orange Esports once again after THQ had beaten them in the upper bracket final, solidifying their spot in the Grand Final.
After defeating them in a convincing 3–1 fashion, THQ would go on to face their biggest challenge from throughout the season, TODAK.
TODAK had continued their unbroken attendance streak for the world championship, having been present for the first M Series held at Axiata Arena, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The team was known as dark horses in the earlier days of MPL Malaysia and has made themselves a known esports household name, considered by many to be the fan favourites of Malaysia.
THQ started hot by absolutely dominating TODAK, gaining a pretty uncontested two-game advantage. With the series 2–0, TODAK had their backs against the wall, and when you do that to a hungry team full of veterans, of course, they’re going to bite back.
TODAK take two games of their own, the first of which was a Minotaur pick that completely threw THQ off-guard. After their second loss, THQ decided to give TODAK a taste of their own medicine and blind-picked a Diggie which got them to tournament point.
In what would be the last match of the series, THQ decided to again, surprise TODAK with another blind pick, this time it being Eudora. Although not having as much impact as Garyy’s Karina, THQ ultimately won the series and was crowned MPL MY Season 10 champions, winning THQ’s first-ever MPL championship in the organisation’s first appearance in the league. Along with this, Garyy was crowned the MPL MY Grand Final’s MVP and deservingly so.


Chinese Overwatch League Teams End Boycott Of Korean Player Saebyeolbe

Back in April, Overwatch player Jong-ryeol “Saebyeolbe” Park, who is from Overwatch League team Seoul Dynasty, ruffled a lot of feathers with his criticism of Chinese censorship during a Twitch live stream in April.
This resulted in a boycott from certain Chinese teams, which recently ended. Previously, Saebyeolbe and his team were boycotted by Chinese Overwatch League teams Hangzhou Spark, Chengdu Hunters, Guangzhou Charge, and Shanghai Dragons from matches & activities involving each other after he said the following about the “One China” policy:
“I can’t call Taiwan, Taiwan. Taiwan is not a separate country. Hong Kong is also not a country. I can’t say that. I can’t say Taiwan and HK. At all. They don’t recognize them as countries. I got into so much trouble for saying their names.
So I was sad about that. Like, fuck, make it make sense. What are you talking about, ‘One China?’ So I objected to that and all the managers said, ‘If you want to earn Chinese money, you have to become a Chinese dog.”
Saebyeolbe has apologized, but the teams didn’t buy it. Fortunately, the matter has been resolved. Here’s an official statement from an Overwatch League spokesperson:
“The Overwatch League is a global community, one made stronger by the diverse backgrounds and perspectives of our players and fans. We have discussed this matter with all teams involved and the learnings that have come from it. In the spirit of sportsmanship and continuing to deliver amazing competition for our fans around the world, the teams have agreed to resume normal activities with one another.”
The involved teams released their own similar statements via Twitter.

Statement pic.twitter.com/PdMdYXJMcV
— Shanghai Dragons (@ShanghaiDragons) May 6, 2021

??? ?? ???? ??? : From Seoul Dynasty regarding Saebyeolbe’s statement:https://t.co/Ohbhb2mx47 pic.twitter.com/QQvQNXWhS1
— Seoul Dynasty ? (@SeoulDynasty) May 6, 2021

This isn’t a first time an esports player in a Blizzard game has sparked controversy with comments about China; in 2019, Hearthstone grandmaster Chung “blitzchung” Ng Wai caused a ruckus when he wore a mask and goggles in a post-match celebration stream and was in support of the Hong Kong protests.


Malaysia’s First Asia Comic Con Opens to ACG Fans

What does one do when there is an event that sports the name Comic Con in it? Well, that’s easyÂ â€“ it’s a must to pack it up with loads and loads of expectations. That, from the get-go, is the pitfall this all-new event invites on itself when it calls itself Asia Comic Con. First started in Thailand to much fanfare, the founders believe moving to Malaysia for a new leg may do it some good. Going by what the press tourÂ â€“ the one and only session for the morningÂ â€“ it’s a big bag of hits and some misses.
Before going into the hits, let’s check out the timetable for the weekendÂ â€“ yes, Asia Comic Con 2018 Malaysia is open now and will run for tomorrow and Sunday:

Highlights for this event are confined to three or four zones: the figurine and toy display area; 1/1 scale statues of Batman Ninja, Predator, and Christopher Nolan’s Batman Trilogy; the Dragon Quest Museum; and eSports section that will feature mini on-site tournaments.

Don’t take the words of yours trulyÂ â€“ come on by Asia Comic Con 2018 Malaysia at Sunway Pyramid Convention Centre. There will also be an intimate Aninsong Concert, featuring NoB and mao, both renowned for their respective efforts in the anime music space. There are cosplay idols too, though they aren’t exactly new to the Malaysia anime, games, and comics scene. Are there comic artists guests? Not reallyÂ â€“ and this is awkward as there are no big comic celebrities, local or otherwisem gracing this event. Of course, this error is occurring across the board for all anime, comics, and games conventions in Malaysia.
Will Asia Comic Con 2018 Malaysia make it big? Bigger than some of the established events? Perhaps, perhaps notÂ â€“ what’s certain is how such events are stagnating with no new content. So here’s to hoping that there will be other new elements coming into play that will truly evolve the anime, games, and comics scene.


Square Enix Allowed This Famous Wrestler To Use This Famous Final Fantasy Boss Theme For His Entrance

Professional wrestler Kenny Omega (All-Elite Wrestling and New Japan Pro-Wrestling) is no stranger to video games, as he has talked with folks in Giant Bomb about his top game picks of the year with wrestler pal Xavier Woods. He’s also known for loving the Final Fantasy franchise, with him naming one of his finishers after Sephiroth’s infamous boss battle theme, the One Winged Angel slam.
So in the now-showing Wrestle Kingdom 17 pay-per-view wrestling event hosted by New Japan Pro-Wrestling, he made quite a splash with his entrance just before his match against rival Will Ospreay. And what a showing: he used Nobuo Uematsu’s One-Winged Angel from Final Fantasy VII (the Remake version, I believe), and even extended his left arm to have the iconic black wing pop out on the “Titantron” screen. It must have been tough for him and NJPW to secure permission to play the song in a public wrestling event, but Square Enix is not one to shy away from any form of publicity.
Check out the magic below.

???????? WRESTLE KINGDOM 17?
???????????  US???????????@KennyOmegamanX is Back??
? LIVE on #njpwworld?
??????Sign Up Now???https://t.co/z1DNREh66D#njpw #wk17 pic.twitter.com/rJTatJHiiS
— njpwworld (@njpwworld) January 4, 2023

Oh, and congratulations to Kenny Omega for winning his match. He is now the new IWGP US Champion.

AND NEW !! IWGP US CHAMPION ! WHAT A MASTERCLASS ? @KennyOmegamanX | @WillOspreay #NJPW #WK17 pic.twitter.com/ncH5a6ARXA
— All Wrestling Media (@AWegrp) January 4, 2023


Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness Drops On Disney+ Hotstar Malaysia Next Week

Disney+ Hotstar announced today that Marvel Studios’ “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” will begin streaming exclusively on Disney+ Hotstar on 22 June 2022. Watch the new online spot to see a special “fan thank you” from Benedict Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Olsen, Benedict Wong and Xochitl Gomez.
In Marvel Studios’ “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” the MCU unlocks the Multiverse and pushes its boundaries further than ever before. Journey into the unknown with Doctor Strange, who, with the help of mystical allies both old and new, traverses the mind-bending and dangerous alternate realities of the Multiverse to confront a mysterious new adversary.
“Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Olsen, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Benedict Wong, Xochitl Gomez, with Michael Stühlbarg, and Rachel McAdams.
The film is directed by Sam Raimi, and Kevin Feige is the producer. Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Eric Hauserman Carroll, Scott Derrickson and Jamie Christopher serve as executive producers. The screenplay was written by Michael Waldron.
In the meantime, you can head on over here for our non-spoiler review, or check out my analysis of what’s to come in a potential Doctor Strange 3 in the future.


DC FanDome: The Flash Teaser Confirms Multiple Flashes & First Look At Batman

Warner Bros Pictures has released a new teaser for The Flash during DC FanDome 2021.
It was previously revealed that Michael Keaton (who starred as the Dark Knight in Tim Burtonâ€™s Batman movies) will also reprise his role as Bruce Wayne AKA the Batman in the upcoming The Flash movie. We see a glimpse of him as well as Sasha Calle who will be playing a version of Supergirl and another alternate The Flash.
Directed by Andy Muschietti,Â The Flash movie is currently still in production. It was described as a â€œsoft rebootâ€ by the director in last yearâ€™s DC FanDome event. It’s practically adapting the comic book storyline Flashpoint.
The Flash will premiere on 4 November 2022.
Check out the teaser below:


Good Smile Company Showcases New Shin Ultraman Nendoroid

During the WonHobby 36 exhibition, Good Smile Company unveiled their new Shin Ultraman Nendoroid figure.
This Ultraman Nendoroid was showcased during WonderfulHobby Life For You!!/WonHobby 36 and is based on the Shin Ultraman movie that was written and directed by Neon Genesis Evangelion creator Hideaki Anno.

Feel free to check out the entire gallery of other figurines that were released here.
It should also be noted that all figurines are still pending approval from their respective licenses which is standard for Japanese IPs.


Black Desert Mobile Announced New Awakening Class Sand Serpent Zayed

The Korean developer and publisher MMORPG, Pearl Abyss announced today that the latest Hashashin awakening class, Zayed, the sand serpent is now available in Black Desert Mobile. Alongside the arrival of Zayed includes an array of events and the return of the Amazon Prime Gaming collaboration event.

Zayed, the sand wielder has received the true blessings of Aal by overcoming his trials, which gives him the power to control sand and sand snakes. This ability gives him an advantage on the battlefield and leaves no enemies at his expense. His primary weapon is the enormous double-edged Dual Glaives, which lets him unleash merciless attacks with fluid combat movements.
The sand-wielding combatant Zayed, who employs four different skills using the Dual Glaives, is available for players to explore:

Purge: Using his Dual Glaives, Zayed slams the ground, conjuring the sand serpents and inflicting daze and knockback onto the enemies.
Ensnaring Sands: Using the Dual Glaives, he drives them into the ground and summons sand serpents bringing wide destruction.
Condemnation: Using the sand snakes, he leaps above ground and attacks his adversary with one blow.

In celebrating Zayed’s arrival, various events are introduced for players to earn Sandstorm Relics in exchange for reward chests, obtaining items like Shadow Knots, Chaos Cores, and Chaos Crystals. Moreover, exclusive daily missions will be held for players to grab an Ah’krad.
Furthermore, the Amazon Prime Gaming collaboration event has started giving those who subscribed to Prime Gaming to redeem a coupon by logging on to the official website. Ah’krad Crystal, Dawning Moonstones, and Nightblooms are some of the few premium rewards for Prime Gaming subscribers to grab every week.
Black Desert Mobile is available to play on the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store.


June Sees The Addition Of Amnesia: The Bunker, The Big Con, Dordogne, & More To The Game Pass

Microsoft just dropped some exciting news for all you Xbox Game Pass subscribers out there. Get ready to expand your gaming library because there are some awesome titles coming your way in early June. Let’s dive in and check out what’s in store!

Available Today

Chicory: A Colorful Tale (Cloud, Console, and PC) – Chicory: A Colorful Tale is a top-down adventure game in a colouring book world where you can draw on anything. Use your painting powers to explore new places, solve puzzles, help your friends, and change the world!
Farworld Pioneers (Console and PC) – Available on day one with Game Pass: Explore the universe in this open-world, sci-fi sandbox. Expand, exploit, and adventure alone or with friends in multiplayer servers of up to 32 players. How you play is up to you: Craft, build, mine, and farm peacefully together… or strap an electric death rifle to your back and take on the galaxy!

Coming Soon
June 1

Car Mechanic Simulator 2021 (Cloud, Console, and PC) – Roll up your sleeves and immerse yourself in the highly realistic garage environment of Car Mechanic Simulator 2021. Start as a fresh owner of a car garage and work your way towards a service empire. Get ready to get your hands dirty and work on over 4,000 unique parts and over 72 different cars.
Slayers X: Terminal Aftermath: Vengeance of the Slayer (Cloud, Console, and PC) – Available on day one with Game Pass: So you got what it takes to be an X Slayer?! Seven weapons, blood and gore, twisted music by Seepage & Psyko Syndikate, and maps where you can blow up everything. It’s awesome.
The Big Con (Cloud, Console, and PC) – Hustle your way across ‘90s America as a runaway teen con artist. Choose who to grift and how to make your scratch as you sneak around, don disguises, and pickpockets in this comedic crime adventure. Ride the radical ’90s wave in all its plaid and payphone glory! Do the crime, make money, and have fun.

June 6

Amnesia: The Bunker (Cloud, Console, and PC) – Amnesia: The Bunker is a first-person horror game set in a desolate WW1 Bunker. Face the oppressing terrors stalking the dark corridors. Search for and use the tools and weapons at your disposal, while keeping the lights on at all costs. Overcome fear, persevere, and make your way out alive.
Hypnospace Outlaw (Cloud, Console, and PC) – Making a return to the Game Pass library, Hypnospace Outlaw is a ’90s internet simulator in which you scour Hypnospace’s wide variety of weird and wonderful websites to hunt down wrongdoers, while also keeping an eye on your inbox, avoiding viruses and adware, and downloading a plethora of apps that may or may not be useful.

June 8

Rune Factory 4 Special (Cloud, Console, and PC) – Journey to the vibrant world of Rune Factory and experience the legendary fantasy farming adventure like never before! Venture outside the town gates to explore dangerous dungeons. Use swords, spears, staves, and other weapons and magic to personalize your battle tactics as formidable monsters await in trap-laden dungeons.
Stacking (Cloud and Console) – From Tim Schafer’s Double Fine Productions, explore a vintage world inhabited by living Russian stacking dolls as you jump into more than 100 unique dolls and use their special abilities to solve a wide variety of puzzles and challenges.

June 13

Dordogne (Cloud, Console, and PC) – Available on day one with Game Pass: Immerse yourself in a unique narrative experience and explore the thousand summer colours of Dordogne as you revisit your childhood to uncover lost family secrets in this touching formative journey.

In Case You Missed It
Available Now

Supraland Six Inches Under (Cloud, Console, and PC) – Dig beneath the surface of Supraland Six Inches Under, a first-person adventure full of puzzles, exploration, gags, and secrets to discover. Find your own way through an interconnected underground world in this standalone follow-up to the beloved original.

Downloadable Content / Game Updates
Available Now

Super Mega Baseball 4: Early Access Trial with EA Play – Grab your glove and your bat, it’s time to go yard with the best to ever play the game! Game Pass Ultimate members can try Super Mega Baseball 4 starting today with EA Play—days before launch—for 10 full hours.

June 7

Battlefield 2042 Season 5: New Dawn – Head to Czechia and battle an abandoned factory reclaimed by nature. Expand your arsenal with weapons like the new XCE Bar or GEW-46, surprise the enemy with three new grenade types, lead the way with a new Squad Management system, and enjoy many improvements to the game.
Minecraft: Trails & Tales Update – Discover the “Trails & Tales” Update! Ride a camel, hatch a sniffer, and trim your armour. Find a cherry grove or an archaeology site. Craft with bamboo, create mob sounds and hang your signs. Store your books on the chiselled bookshelf, because every story matters!

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Perks
Available Now

Sea of Thieves: Obsidian Eye of Reach Pack – For a limited time, claim items from the prized Obsidian set! This pack contains the Obsidian Eye of Reach, Obsidian Fishing Rod and Obsidian Sails. Perk content requires Sea of Thieves to use.

Leaving 15 June
The following games are leaving soon, so be sure to tie up any loose ends before they go. Remember to use your membership discount to save up to 20% on your purchase to keep them in your library.

Bridge Constructor Portal (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Chorus (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Maneater (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Mortal Shell (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Serious Sam 4 (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Total War: Three Kingdoms (PC)


Resident Evil Village’s Tall Vampire Lady Comes To Life In Olympic Medalist’s Cosplay

Ever since she was originally revealed in January 2021, Resident Evil Village‘s antagonist Lady Dimitrescu, fondly known by many as the Tall Vampire Lady, has been taking the Internet by storm. Lots of fan art have been shared online, making the game trend for quite a while after its PS5-exclusive visual demo came out.
Yekaterina Lisina is a bronze medal-winning Olympic sportswoman with the Russian Basketball team, and she has achieved the closest thing to a perfect 1:1 cosplay of Resident Evil Village‘s Tall Vampire Lady. How? Well, it definitely helps that she’s a whopping 6’9″ (205cm).
Yes, Capcom has previously revealed that Lady Dimitrescu is 9’6″, but where are we going to find someone as tall as that? According to the post, Yekaterina Lisina’s cosplay took a lot to pull off, including a whole team, a dress made by osqurobviously, hair and makeup byÂ beautybyblas, photos byÂ nikolayshlykov, photo editing byÂ shotbyshepherdÂ and assistance byÂ lugovskavÂ andÂ themushroomxiii.
Check out her awesome cosplay below:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Ekaterina Lisina (@ekaterina_lisina15)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Ekaterina Lisina (@ekaterina_lisina15)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Ekaterina Lisina (@ekaterina_lisina15)

Resident Evil Village is slated to launch for the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PC on 7 May 2021. In the meantime, check our demo gameplay footage below:


New Side-scroller Black Finger JET Announced For PC

Black Finger JET is the latest game from Kohachi Studio, the Japanese game developer that used to go by the name PrimaryOrbit. This game is a side-scrolling run-and-gun game that’s set to launch on PC via Steam, although they’re also considering other platforms. Unfortunately, there’s no word on the release date just yet.

More about Black Finger JET
Kohachi Studio has some experience in the gaming industry, having previously developed the dungeon exploration RPG Marchen Forest: Mylne and the Forest Gift for PlayStation 4, Switch, and PC via Steam. For Black Finger JET, they’ve got a talented team in place, including akio as the main artist and planner, Meeher as the producer, Hiya! as the sound producer, Esaka-Ken as the pixel artist, and Shinano Ishiguro as the director. There are also two 3D model collaborators on board: Samuel Lafleur and Boo ME.
If you’re a talented pixel artist, 3D artist, 3D animator, Unity engineer, or Unity effect designer, you might be interested to know that Kohachi Studio is currently hiring for these positions to help develop Black Finger JET.
So, what’s the game about? According to the description on its Steam page, Black Finger JET is a new game from a team that’s released many action shooting games. The game has an old-fashioned, easy-to-understand story and a classic game feel. It’s a simple and exhilarating action shooter that’s sure to get your adrenaline pumping.
As for gameplay, Black Finger JET is a run-and-gun game that uses the good old 8-way aiming gun action. You’ll use various guns like handguns, machine guns, and shotguns, and sometimes you’ll even get to ride the proud vehicle “JET car” to defeat your enemies. The JET car can transform into an airplane, a submarine, and even a ground vehicle, making it a versatile tool in your arsenal. With a variety of stages to explore, Black Finger JET promises to be a great adventure.