We get some insights from a former PlayStation legend while also getting a slew of news on retiring VTubers and leaks in this week’s news recap. 

The Big Picture

Bungie has shown off new gameplay of its upcoming extraction multiplayer shooter title Marathon, which is a Player-versus-Player-versus-environment-focused remake of a trilogy of single-player focused shooters. 

The game’s art style looks slick, and its gunplay and controls feel top-notch and akin to past Bungie titles like the Destiny duology and the Halo trilogy. 

However, that isn’t enough to stand out among the slew of popular shooters in the market, whether it’s similar games like Escape From Tarkov to PvP fares like Marvel Rivals. Or even battle royale titles like Fortnite and PUBG Mobile. 

Let us also not forget that the Bungie of now is not the same Bungie that made the best Destiny expansions and the previous Halo titles up to Halo: Reach. 

Bungie has until its release date of 23 September to make Marathon as enticing as possible. And even post-launch, the company has a hard road ahead to stand out from the aforementioned shooter pack. 

Short Beats

Larian Studios has released its final update for acclaimed computer role-playing game Baldur’s Gate 3. The patch features 12 new subclasses, Photo Mode, and more quality-of-life upgrades. 

Famous “Let’s Play” VTuber Gawr Gura is set to graduate on 1st of May due to conflicts with her current management. 

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion remake is set to release on the week of 21st April; screenshots have been leaked on Virtuos’ homepage before it was made private. 

EA has announced a new Star Wars turn-based strategy game called Star Wars: Zero Company. 

Action-adventure open-world scifi game Prototype might be making a comeback. 

Op-Eds

We interviewed Shuhei Yoshida, ex-PlayStation production and games industry veteran. He has a ton of insights regarding PlayStation consoles and portables, indie games and Malaysian games, and also about the most important games of the past decade. 

Since it’s Easter weekend, we talk about the best resurrections in gaming. 

Games Out This Week

Bionic Bay is an action platformer title where a scientist uses a unique teleportation instrument to escape an ancient biomechanical world filled with imaginative technology, deadly traps, and hidden secrets. Essentially a platformer built for speedrunning. 

Mandragora: Whispers of the Witch Tree is a 2.5D search action title set in a dark fantasy world. Battle monsters across a 40+ hour story, master six unique Classes, craft hundreds of useful items, and explore the secrets of an expansive, interconnected world.

Rusty Rabbit is a metroidvania starring a bunny in a mecha suit. Stamp, a cute rabbit with an old soul, pilots his trusty mech “Junkster” through the giant ruins of a frozen world in this side-scrolling action-adventure. 

Lunar: Remastered Collection is a remaster of two classic JRPGs in the late 90s – Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete and Lunar: Eternal Blue. 

Recommended Viewing

To commemorate the upcoming launch of 2D fighting game Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves next week, SNK has teamed up with anime director Masami Obari to make a special Fatal Fury music video. 

As mentioned above, famous gaming VTuber Gawr Gura is graduating on 1st of May. Here is a highlight reel that reminds us why she got so big.