To truly understand Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, I would have had to play a failed mobile game and numerous spin-offs

Anyone who has played Final Fantasy 7 Remake should be able to follow the story in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth quite well. However, MeinMMO editor Jasmin Beverungen quickly realized that she has numerous gaps in her knowledge – as she has overlooked the many spin-offs.

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth follows Final Fantasy 7 Remake. The story seamlessly picks up from the finale of the first part and sends Cloud and his team into an open game world. To understand the story, the title provides a summary of the events from Part 1. So far, so good.

Since I had played the Remake just a few months ago and also checked out the INTERmission DLC shortly before the release, I felt well prepared. Thus, the experiences from Part 1 remained fresh in my memory, and I already knew who Yuffie was. I also watched a summary of Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Reunion. Therefore, I was well-informed about Zack’s past as well.

But I had to find out that I was greatly mistaken.

During my playthrough, there were several characters seen that were not introduced in detail. There were flashbacks that left me with a big question mark on my face, and I had to research afterwards to find out who they actually were. In doing so, I came across a game that no longer exists today but provides the background for an important character.

The most important characters are visible in the Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth trailer:

Start video
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth – Trailer

Failed Mobile Game is the Background of an Important Character

Throughout the game, Glenn Lodbrok appears repeatedly. He is a mysterious blond character who seems to be immortal. A flashback from the current Shinra president makes it clear: Glenn is already dead and has become a follower of Sephiroth, a grand villain. However, the scene conveys that the two know each other from somewhere – but where from?

After the game left me with numerous questions, I stumbled upon the mobile title Before Crisis -Final Fantasy VII-. The game was developed for the Japanese market in 2004 and was discontinued in 2018. There we learn that Glenn Lodbrok was regarded as the first SOLDIER and was shot by Rufus.

Glenn also had a bigger appearance in Final Fantasy VII The First Soldier. However, this game has also been discontinued – the servers were shut down on January 11, 2023.

There is still a way to at least partially catch up on the story: The mobile gacha game Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis combines the stories from Before Crisis, Crisis Core, and Dirge of Cerberus – about which I haven’t mentioned a word yet. However, not every player is into the gacha genre, and the events from The First Soldier are not relevant here.

But it doesn’t stop with Glenn Lodbrok: There are still some other characters like Nero and Weiss, of whom I have no idea who they actually are. This lack of knowledge didn’t take away my enjoyment of the game, but it did mean that I couldn’t follow certain cutscenes at all.

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Glenn Lodbrok
Who is Glenn Lodbrok anyway? This is not really clarified in Rebirth.

A Compilation of Final Fantasy VII

The fragmented story seems to be intentional by Square Enix. In 2003, the company announced the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII. This includes smaller projects that are part of the main story of Final Fantasy VII.

These include:

  • Advent Children (Film)
  • Last Order (Film)
  • Before Crisis
  • Crisis Core
  • Dirge of Cerberus
  • the Remake and Rebirth
  • The First Soldier
  • Ever Crisis

As you can see, it takes a considerable amount of gameplay time to really understand everything in Final Fantasy VII. If you want to know completely what is going on in the current trilogy, you need to invest about 67 hours (via HowLongToBeat). That’s how long it typically takes to play through or watch everything – not counting the trilogy itself.

This fragmented structure reminded me of Kingdom Hearts. Even here, there are now so many spin-offs that I eventually decided to throw in the towel and stop following the series. I no longer enjoyed it because I couldn’t follow the story anymore due to missing important information from another game.

Fortunately, it hasn’t come to that with Final Fantasy VII Rebirth yet. I really enjoyed the story, and Cloud, Tifa, Aerith, and Co. have wormed their way into my heart. But I hope that the third part will take it easy regarding the knowledge from spin-offs.

When I put a video game in, I want to enjoy it without having to gather all the information from other titles as a hobby agent. I was expecting to need to know about the experiences from FF7 Remake and INTERmission.

That’s why I hope to enjoy the third part of Final Fantasy VII without any further background information. I am already looking forward to experiencing more adventures with Cloud and his friends.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Players find evidence in Helldivers 2 that a new enemy faction is already involved

In the current shooter hit Helldivers 2 (Steam, PS5), there are increasing hints that a faction from part 1, the Illuminati, will also appear in part 2. In clips on YouTube and reddit, players share their experiences. However, the game’s director explains this as propaganda: Blue laser beams are not real and cannot harm players.

This is the situation:

  • A few days ago, data miners found hints that an enemy faction from part 1, the “Illuminated,” will also appear in part 2. We reported on this on MeinMMO on March 12.
  • These Illuminated are a highly developed alien civilization that already appeared in Helldivers 1 as an enemy of the Over-Earth. Data miners found hints about enemy types such as Adept, Ghoul, Outcast, Pathfinder, or Summoner. In part 1, they could teleport and showed the gruesome visage of their tentacle faces.
  • Now, there are increasing hints that the Illuminated are already appearing in the game.
Start video
Helldivers 2 Sign up for Duty trailer shows new mechs in the game

Players Show Blue Laser Beams

This is what players say: On reddit about Helldivers 2, clips are now being posted from player experiences that show unexplainable blue laser beams apparently shooting from the sky and harming players, as well as bugs.

Players write: “Blue laser beams discovered.”

A veteran from part 1 writes: “No joke, these blue laser beams trigger post-traumatic stress for me.”

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However, there are also many players who believe the “Ministry of Truth” and dismiss the images clearly as propaganda and panic-mongering:

  • One says it’s just weather phenomena.
  • Another thinks they are “birds taken from an unfavorable angle.”
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Thus, they orient themselves towards the developers of the game. The CEO of the studio and creative director of Helldivers 2 declared: “Blue laser beams are not real. They cannot harm you.”

Well, that’s good then.

Even with flying bugs, there was a clear denial that such a thing existed.

Players find flying bugs in Helldivers 2, but the CEO contradicts: “Everyone knows that bugs can’t fly”

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Palworld shows image of a new feature that gives you more control over your Pals

Since the launch of Palworld, players have been wishing for a feature that has long existed in colony simulation games like RimWorld: A “management system” that assigns workers to specific tasks or prohibits them from other tasks. The community manager of Palworld has now hinted at such a system. A “Pal Management” system is set to be released with a future update.

What kind of feature is this? In games where you direct workers like RimWorld, Dwarf Fortress, or Going Medieval, such features already exist:

  • It is a management system through which you can instruct your workers precisely which tasks they should fulfill and which they should not.
  • This allows you to specialize individual workers and have them work according to their strengths.
  • One servant can then exclusively take care of food preparation, while another is expressly prohibited from even coming near the cooking pot.
Start video
The developers of Palworld showcase the 1st raid

Image in Discord promises new management system

This image now showed Palworld: The community manager Bucky recently showed an image in Discord.

The image shows 10 different Pals with their levels and a total of 13 different tasks. You can assign the Pals which tasks they should fulfill and which they should not.

In games like RimWorld, it is also possible in an expanded menu to assign clear priorities to tasks from 1 to 4. Also, tasks that are further left take precedence over tasks that are further right.

As Gamesradar reports, the management system is apparently linked to the “Monitoring Stand.” During installation, it should be possible to activate or deactivate the management system in the future.

palworld-management

When is it supposed to come? It is currently not entirely clear. However, the community manager hints that the management system could come together with the new raid boss to PalWorld.

He writes: “If you don’t confront Bellanor, enjoy some relaxing base management.”

We already reported on the 1st raid boss in Palworld on MeinMMO last Friday:

Palworld: You requested endgame content – Now there are details about the 1st raid

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Twitch streamer Asmongold will be your companion in Dragon’s Dogma 2 – Many do not want that

The Twitch streamer Asmongold is set to become a companion character in the new role-playing game “Dragon‘s Dogma 2“. However, this has sparked some negative comments. Asmongold talks about being “canceled” again and feeling “more hated” than ever before. But at least Elon Musk supports him.

What is triggering the conflict right now?

  • The new role-playing game Dragon’s Dogma 2 published a tweet on March 15. Asmongold is set to become an “official pawn” in their game alongside many other people: these are the AI-controlled companion characters in the role-playing game.

Who had a problem with that? The discussion around the tweet mainly focuses on Asmongold. People wrote things like:

  • No one should use Asmongold’s pawn.
  • I will delete Asmongold from my damn game.
  • Asmongold is the guy who doesn’t even know how to play the game? I need to make sure to avoid his pawn.

Asmongold himself refers to a tweet in a video that asks:

“Is Asmongold not this racist, openly misogynistic, transphobic hypocrite who doesn’t even like the game? I will laugh so hard if he responds to his cameo by criticizing the character editor of Dragon’s Dogma for being so trans-inclusive.”

Start video
Career and life of Asmongold in 3 minutes – What makes him special?

Asmongold says: He is being canceled for being successful without showering

This is what Asmongold says: In a YouTube clip from one of his Twitch streams, Asmongold says he is being “canceled” and feels he has never been as hated as he is now:

I want to be honest, guys. The amount of attention I’ve been getting lately – EVERYONE is talking about me, EVERYONE is thinking about me. It’s more than ever before. […] I feel like what I’m saying isn’t that crazy.

Asmongold believes people hate him because he “does everything wrong yet is still successful.” He doesn’t shower, doesn’t want a job, is a jerk, and lives in his deceased mother’s house, yet is still extremely successful.

Asmongold as part of a hate campaign – Elon Musk supports him

What happened next? The next level of escalation reached the dispute over Dragon’s Dogma 2 when an employee of the consulting firm “Sweet Baby Inc”, Chris Kindred, commented on the subject of “Asmongold in Dragon’s Dogma 2” and said that Asmongold was an “active participant in a hate campaign.”

asmongold-dragon's-dogma-2
This is what Asmongold could look like in Dragon’s Dogma 2.

This led to even Elon Musk intervening in the discussion. He wrote:

Sweet Baby Inc is the evil plague of the gaming industry. Everything they do makes games worse and they try to cancel people. They cannot go bankrupt fast enough.

In response to the comment: Elon Musk surely watches Asmongold’s videos, he replied: “Funny and accurate.”

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Asmongold’s opinions become more radical and intense

The background: Asmongold polarizes much more than before, although he has previously “not showered” and was “very successful”. But his content has changed significantly over the last few years: Previously, he mainly streamed WoW and criticized Blizzard.

Especially since the trial Johnny Depp vs. Amber Heard, he has become a reaction streamer and opinion blogger. Recently he also realized that he becomes increasingly successful and gets more attention the more radical and intense his opinions are.

It is no longer about looking at things from two sides, but rather there is a clear pattern recognition of “good/evil” and a lot of strong criticism is directed:

  • Gamers are good, intelligent, and normal – this also applies to game developers who are currently successful, such as Palworld or Helldivers 2.
  • Gaming journalists, game developers, and activists are corrupt, out of touch, and ideologically blinded.
asmongold-heard
From WoW streamer to “Johnny Depp reaction channel.”

While he indeed speaks to the hearts of many gamers and his original target audience, he oversimplifies and misrepresents some connections and intensifies them significantly. For this, he is often criticized:

  • He titled a video reaction to a WoW streamer “The War Within is already dead,” for which he was so heavily criticized that he had to change the title.
  • The discussion about the developer who doesn’t want to hire white employees, he misrepresented and called the developer “a senior employee of EA,” which she is not.

He is therefore accused by his critics of engaging in “ragebait”, meaning addressing topics he knows will outrage his viewers and further agitating this outrage through exaggerated representation.

The explanation: “People don’t like me because I’m successful but unshowered” is therefore surely incorrect.

In the past, Asmongold has repeatedly gone through phases where he was so controversial and had to deal with so much drama that he lost interest in Twitch and withdrew. Since June 2023, he has not been streaming on his main channel “Asmongold” but on Zackrawr, because the attention as Asmongold became too much for him. Currently, he seems to be quite comfortable in his role as “the center of the gaming world that everyone is talking about.”

More on the topic: The editor of Twitch streamer Asmongold rebels against his boss

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Afterwards, you’ll see The Silence of the Lambs with different eyes

In a new video, Marco from Nerdkultur talks about the film classic that probably everyone thinks of first when they hear the name Hannibal Lecter. You can find out the good reasons for this here.

Who is Marco Risch? Since 2015, Marco Risch has been uploading videos with news, reviews, analyses, and interviews about current movies, series, and video games on his YouTube channel Nerdkultur .

In his Podcast Nerd & Kultur, he chats every Sunday with his colleague Yves Arievich about topics such as Star Wars, Marvel, and DC. Together, they are part of the Webedia network, of which MeinMMO is also a part.

In a new video, Marco now discusses the classic “The Silence of the Lambs” and explains why hardly any other film could portray Hannibal Lecter as well:

Start video
After that, you will see The Silence of the Lambs in a different light…

What makes The Silence of the Lambs so special? Many probably associate this film with the brilliant portrayal of Hannibal Lecter by the actor Anthony Hopkins. However, Marco explains in his video why he is not solely responsible for the inaccessibility of The Silence of the Lambs, or why we specifically remember him.

In this film, you look directly into the eyes of Hannibal Lecter, and that through the eyes of Jodie Foster’s Clarice Starling. For example, her counterparts always look directly into the camera, breaking the fourth wall. However, she herself often looks slightly away. As Marco explains, this is a deliberate effect to allow you to see the story through her eyes.

The book adaptation already tells the story from her perspective, with short snippets of thoughts and internal monologues. However, it is all somehow from the narrator’s perspective and thus quite conventional. Unlike director Jonathan Demme, who, according to Marco, used a very unconventional method.

The film never really leaves the perspective of the young FBI agent. The camera follows her step by step and shows you how she perceives this male-dominated world, in which she has also been isolated from the very beginning.

What makes Hannibal Lecter so special here? In his video, Marco primarily emphasizes that you don’t get to see Hannibal Lecter at first. Instead, you only hear stories about him, see through Sterling’s eyes, and have to leave the rest to your imagination.

Just that alone probably built up enough tension, but when the man actually steps into the frame, he is portrayed in a special way by Anthony Hopkins. For example, he improvised the remark about Sterling’s Southern accent, eliciting an authentic reaction from Jodie Foster.

The power dynamics between the two characters are especially supported by the set design. There is a glass wall between them instead of prison bars, and Hannibal almost towers over Sterling when she is seated.

In his video, Marco notes that Hopkins only has 16 minutes of screentime in the almost 2 hours. While that isn’t much, it was enough to leave a lasting impression. Marco points out that he actually never blinks in his scenes as a particular reason for this.

Because with his piercing eyes, this Hannibal Lecter always makes you a bit nervous and definitely ensures he remains memorable.

Why the sequel to Dune comes close to another film classic, Marco tells you in another video: Dune 2 is the new The Empire Strikes Back

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

The developer is so rich that his new MMORPG on Steam is supposed to make the players happy

The developer Andrew Gower has made so much money with his work on the MMORPG RuneScape that his new own MMORPG, “Brighter Shores”, is now supposed to focus entirely on the happiness of the players, he says in an interview. The new MMORPG Brighter Shores is set to be released on Steam in the third quarter of 2024.

Who is it?

  • Andrew Gower founded the now immensely successful MMORPG studio Jagex in 2001 together with his brother Paul and was the main developer of RuneScape for almost a decade.
  • In 2010, he left the board of Jagex and founded his own company “Fen Research Ltd.”.
  • In 2007, he was already considered a multimillionaire and one of the 700 richest entrepreneurs in the UK, with his fortune estimated at around £196 million at that time.

RuneScape and its retro variant “Old School RuneScape” are popular MMORPGs on Steam:

Start video
Old School RuneScape – Trailer for the Steam Release

MMORPG Developer Wants Many Players, Not Much Money

He says today: In an interview with GamesRadar , Andrew Gower introduces his new MMORPG “Brighter Shores”. He says:

We are in the fortunate position that we do not need external investors because I am able to finance the whole project myself due to previous successes. There are no external investors, no publisher, no one breathing down my neck, saying we need to meet certain targets.

According to Gower, he wants players – as many as possible. They should like his game. He misses leading an MMORPG and having many players enjoy his MMORPG.

Gower says he is focused on developing a game that as many people as possible will like – and not on making a lot of money. He hopes that this will lead to one thing or another.

How many are working on the MMORPG Brighter Shores? Currently, he has a team of 8 people, he could have paid more, but he wants to focus on a team that he can finance without external investors.

When the game is released and grows larger, the team should grow as well.

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An MMORPG to Unwind After a Hard Day

What ideas does he have? As an idea for Brighter Shores, Gower has that players could automate some tedious content.

Players already do this in MMORPGs now and work with rubber bands on the controller or weights on the keyboard. Normally, MMORPGs would fight against such methods, but he wants to make this automation part of his game.

Those who want to can automate tasks like “forging 1,000 swords or chopping down trees” and then receive worse results than if they do it manually, but have something to look forward to when they log in.

Brighter Shores should encourage players to try out as many things as possible and will frequently change what the “most effective way” is to achieve a goal.

Gower sees Brighter Shores as a “more relaxed, fun” variant of MMORPGs, especially compared to RuneScape. It is supposed to be a game that one can play after a hard day to unwind and enjoy:

After 10 years of development: Creator of the cult game RuneScape presents new MMORPG that is set to be released on Steam in 2024

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. gamesradar

There is a popular trend among Gen Z: They do not attend job interviews

Among young Gen Z people, a trend seems to be particularly popular: job ghosting. Survey data from a platform that interviewed applicants and companies shows that: 78% of all applicants intentionally ignored the employer.

What is job ghosting? In a job offer, both the employer and the applicant must be interested. If either party loses interest during the application process, ghosting occurs: the applicant promises to call back but never does.

According to survey data from a job application platform, ghosting in jobs is becoming more and more common. According to our colleagues from Xataka.com, this is a trend that is particularly popular among young people: among Gen Z.

Generation Z includes individuals born between 1997 and 2012.

Our title image is a symbolic image.

More on the topic
Looks like Gen Z is to blame for you not getting a PlayStation 7
von Benedikt Schlotmann

Ghosting among applicants is increasingly widespread

What data is that? The employment platform Indeed surveyed 4,500 companies and 4,500 applicants for its “Hiring Ghosting Report 2023”: 1,507 in the USA, 1,506 in the UK, and another 1,503 in Canada (via cloudfront.net). The results from the survey are surprising. Because the data shows what applicants and employers think of each other.

The Indeed platform has been conducting surveys since 2019 and sees clear trends toward “job ghosting.”

What do the data say?

  • 78% of applicants report that they intentionally ignored employers in the past year.
  • Of those, 59% regret this step. However, 62% of applicants believe they would ignore an employer again in the future.
  • 14% of applicants get a job, sign the contract, only to quit without notice on the first working day after receiving information about poor experiences from former employees.
  • 70% of surveyed applicants believe that it is right not to follow up with an employer.
  • 50% of employers also believe that the behavior of “ghosting” is justified.
  • However, 54% of recruiters also think that they bear some responsibility for the negative behavior of applicants, as they provide inadequate communication and transparency or put them through unnecessarily long selection processes.

“The job is too boring” is the main reason for job ghosting

Why do people suddenly quit? Many people in the survey cite the main reason for not showing up: the job is too boring or does not align with their interests. Insufficient salary or another job offer come as reasons only afterward.

Interestingly, the same questions were also posed to the companies. And the companies indicated that they assumed that people had received a better offer and then did not show up for the position they applied for.

But there is another danger on the horizon for many jobs: chatbots like ChatGPT that are increasingly replacing jobs. A former employee of a company recently explained how she lost her job to an AI and what that means for her future:

A woman loses her job thanks to ChatGPT, as the AI costs less: “I became redundant”

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Why is Thrall in WoW actually green and not brown?

You know him as a war chieftain, shaman, and diplomat in armor or tunic: Thrall, the orc with the fate hammer and the iconic green skin. But why is Thrall in World of Warcraft actually green – and not brown, like his Frostwolf clan?

Thrall was born as Go’el in the Alterac Valley, far away from the shattered world where the green orcs actually originated. By the time of Battle for Azeroth, every player should know that orcs were originally brown, even if they don’t know the lore.

With Battle for Azeroth, Blizzard introduced the allied race of the Mag’har, the ‘untainted’, original orcs, to which Thrall’s parents also belonged: Draka and Durotan. Nevertheless, Thrall has a different skin color.

To answer the question very briefly: Thrall inherited his skin color from his parents – even though they also were not originally green, but had brown skin. However, there are some rather convoluted connections behind it.

Who is Thrall anyway? In case you somehow missed this or are diving into the lore only with Dragonflight: Thrall is probably the most famous orc in Warcraft. You meet him several times in the game and he has played a pivotal or at least important role in almost every expansion of the game. By the way, Thrall is voiced in the original by Chris Metzen himself, the lore god of Warcraft.

Here you can find a summary of the entire lore of World of Warcraft to date.

Thrall last appeared as an important mediator for the new expansion The War Within:

Start video
World of Warcraft: The War Within – Cinematic Trailer

Bad Blood: Why Orcs Become Green – Or Red

The first truly green orcs came into being through the blood of the pit lord Mannoroth. Under the guidance of Gul’dan, the famous orc warlock, orcs drank the demon’s blood. The first of them was Gromm Hellscream, the father of Garrosh.

The blood not only made the orcs green, but also clouded their minds. Their bodies became stronger, and the orcs themselves became wilder. Grom directly demanded the flesh and blood of Draenei after his drink to “satisfy” himself.

In the book “The Rise of the Horde” by the well-known author Christie Golden, there is a section about exactly this circumstance. Thrall’s parents, Draka and Durotan, were themselves Mag’har with brown skin.

Durotan notices how a young orc practicing the art of warlocks scrapes off some dry skin. Underneath is new, green skin. Many experts conclude from this: The sheer proximity to demonic magic is enough to color the skin of the orcs.

Since Draka and Durotan were involved both in the construction of the Hellfire Citadel and in the opening of the portal, it is highly likely that a bit of the fel corruption at least touched Draka and possibly her unborn child, without completely transforming them.

But wait: Why are the orcs in Warcraft 3 first green and then red?

The skin color of the orcs is apparently influenced by the concentration of fel corruption that has permeated them. A little makes them simply green. However, there were orcs who then drank even more demonic blood or were otherwise affected by fel corruption.

The skin of these orcs eventually turned red, their will grew even weaker, their fighting spirit even greater. You can meet these orcs in the game on the Hellfire Peninsula as “Fel Orcs.”

In the cinematic for Warlords of Draenor, you see how an untainted Grom rejects the blood. The expansion explores what would have happened if the orcs had not allowed themselves to be corrupted:

Start video
WoW: The Cinematic Trailer for Warlords of Draenor

“Back to the Roots” – Orcs Become Mag’har?

For a similar reason, blood elves have green eyes, by the way. The originally mana-blue eye color of the high elves was turned green through the use of fel magic and dependence on it.

With the elves, it’s the case that they can regain their natural eye color if they are “clean” from demonic magic for long enough. According to theories, orcs would also have to stay away from demonic fel magic long enough to regain their natural skin color.

However, whether that actually works has not been officially confirmed yet. At least in WoW, it’s quite simple: You would just need to perform a race change from orc to Mag’har. How lore-accurate that is, is debatable…

There are fans who suspect that the fel corruption causes a genetic change. This means: Orcs who are once green remain green and only have green offspring. Thrall, a green orc, and his partner Aggra, a Mag’har, only have children with brown skin, which would contradict the theory. Then again, it is unclear whether our understanding of biology even works on Azeroth.

Thrall himself is not only known for his deeds, but also for his close friendship with the human mage Jaina Proudmoore. The former mistress of Theramore has her own moving story: WoW: “I always just wanted to study” – The story of Jaina Proudmoore

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Twitch streamer shows 4 hours of gameplay from Dragon’s Dogma 2 – Says ‘It’s legal, I have the receipt’

The official release of the new role-playing game Dragon’s Dogma 2 is on March 22. But already a week before, the streamer JustIchor showed about 4 hours of gameplay on Twitch. That’s all okay, he said, but Capcom apparently saw it differently.

What’s the status of Dragon’s Dogma 2?

  • The release of Dragon’s Dogma 2 is on March 22. Before that, no gameplay of the role-playing game can actually be shown.
  • Although Dragon’s Dogma 2 has already been streamed for several hours on Twitch, only the character creation was shown, which is already possible in a version of the character editor. Gronkh has already accumulated 51,334 viewer hours with Dragon’s Dogma 2 and is the worldwide leader here.
  • However, gameplay has now appeared on Twitch, which should not actually be possible.
Start video
Dragon’s Dogma 2 macht euch mit einer Klasse zum Meister aller Waffen

Streamer shows game 1 week before release: “I have the receipt”

Who was streaming? The small streamer “JustIchor”(under 50 followers) already showed 4 hours of Dragon’s Dogma on Twitch on March 15.

He said: He bought Dragon’s Dogma 2 at his Walmart, has the receipt and is doing nothing illegal here.

However, Capcom apparently had a different legal opinion and interrupted his stream with a copyright claim: The content on the channel was removed at the request of the rights holder, it now says on Twitch.

As Gamesradar writes, the streamer was repeatedly warned by viewers that what he was doing was a feast for Capcom’s lawyers. After all, he was showing more than had been visible in any showcase or demo, and Dragon’s Dogma 2 is one of the biggest releases of the year.

But the streamer was sure: He was on the completely safe side, with the receipt and everything.

Is the gameplay still visible? Some mirrors were uploaded – but apparently Capcom has worked overtime here and successfully deleted the almost four hours of gameplay from the internet so far.

dragon'sdogma-gameplay
The links to the videos are currently all not working.

Streamer has many more viewers than usual, but was it worth it?

Was it worth it for the streamer? Well, the streamer normally has about 4 viewers, but during the stream, he peaked at 1,438. Furthermore, he was able to quintuple his follower count from 45 to 208.

Whether this paid off for him will likely depend on whether there will be legal consequences or not.

Twitch: Asmongold says he is more hated than ever and will be canceled – But Elon Musk likes him

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Spring Sale: One of the two best games of all time is currently only 1 Euro on Steam

The Spring Sale on Steam has started. Here you can get some real gems for just little money. Among them is one of the best shooters of all time. That’s why you should give Half-Life 2 a chance if you haven’t bought it yet.

Right now you can get The Orange Box with Half-Life 2 and other games for 0.97 euros. According to Metacritic, Half-Life 2 is one of the best PC games of all time and ranks second with 96 points behind Disco Elysium: The Final Cut. The game even scores 97 points.

Even today, Half-Life 2 remains one of the best games ever, as its story and atmosphere are unique despite its age.

Half-Life 2 is among the best games of all time on Metacritic

What is it? If you haven’t heard of Half-Life 2 yet: The shooter was released on November 16, 2004, and is one of the highest-rated games ever. While the game may be technically outdated today, Half-Life 2 is still considered a must-play for many gamers that everyone should experience at least once. In part 2, you also take on the role of Gordon Freeman and fight against the nasty Combine.

Do you have to play part 1? No, you don’t have to have played Half-Life 1 to play part 2. However, many fans recommend it to better understand the world and background of the game. Additionally, part 1 is also an excellent shooter.

What was the criticism of Half-Life 2 back then? By the way, there was a huge discussion at the time regarding the online requirement of Half-Life 2: Many complained that you had to activate your game online on Steam and could not resell it later.

Today, this fact hardly seems to bother anyone, as Steam, along with the Epic Game Launcher, is one of the largest providers of games.

By the way, you can also get the predecessor, Half-Life 1, for just 1 euro. The still very popular predecessor has received another patch years after its release to fix an ancient bug. You can read more about it on MeinMMO:

25-year-old shooter is one of the most important games on Steam, now getting a patch for an ancient bug

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. 3djuegos.com

Pokémon Go: A player has great luck, catches one of the rarest Pokémon ever on Community Day

A player caught a very special variant of Pokémon Go with Sprigatito on Community Day. He probably won’t use this Pokémon, but he caught a real collector’s item that many other players will surely envy him for.

On Community Day, there are special chances related to a specific pocket monster:

  • On one hand, you can teach your Pokémon a special move.
  • On the other hand, the chance that you encounter the event Pokémon as shiny is increased.

The last Community Day on March 16, 2024, featured the popular Pokémon Sprigatito. And one player was especially lucky on the last Community Day: He not only found a shiny Sprigatito, but also one with particularly rare values.

Player finds rare Pokémon with no values

What exactly happened? A player reports on reddit that he caught a shiny Sprigatito on Community Day.

The player posted his catch and was initially disappointed that his shiny Sprigatito had no values. However, others quickly let him know how lucky his catch really was.

Because the player had the great fortune to catch one of the rarest Pokémon variants he could ever have caught – a “Nundo” or shiny Nundo. Players under the post explained to him that he had incredible luck.

What is a Nundo, anyway? A Nundo is a Pokémon whose IV values are exactly 0%. This makes these Pokémon extremely rare, but on the other hand, no one wants a zero-stat Pokémon on their team, as it isn’t really strong. Moreover, the combination of shiny and Nundo is even rarer since shiny Pokémon usually have higher values.

The real dream of every Pokémon player is the opposite, a “Hundo”: Because a “Hundo” has the perfect IV values. This means that attack, defense, and HP values are all at 100 percent.

When is the next Community Day? In Pokémon GO, Community Days (or C-Days) start monthly. During these events, a specific Pokémon along with some bonuses is the focus for a few hours one day. The dates for Community Days in March, April, and May 2024 in Pokémon GO have now been revealed. We will show you which dates you should remember.

Pokémon GO: Community Days for March, April, and May announced – Remember these dates

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. dexerto.com

Pokémon GO: Raid day with Proto-Kyogre starts today – Here’s how to use it correctly

Today marks the start of the Raid Day with Proto-Kyogre in Pokémon GO. We have summarized what is important and how you can make the most of the event.

When does the Raid Day take place? The Raid Day with Proto-Kyogre takes place today, on March 17, 2024. As is usual on Raid Days, the event will start at 2:00 PM and end at 5:00 PM.

What kind of event is this? During a Raid Day, you have the opportunity to challenge the featured Pokémon in numerous gyms throughout the event duration. This means that during this time, you have the chance to encounter and defeat many Proto-Kyogre in gyms.

By defeating Proto-Kyogre, you will have the opportunity to collect Proto Energy. Depending on how quickly the Pokémon is defeated, all participants in the raid will receive more or less Proto Energy.

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Pokémon GO: This is what the new season ‘World full of Wonders’ looks like in the trailer

How does the Raid Day with Proto-Kyogre work?

How to get Proto-Kyogre: Once you have collected enough energy, you can trigger the Protomorphosis with Kyogre and thus obtain Proto-Kyogre. The Protomorphosis behaves like a Mega Evolution. If you successfully defeat a Proto-Kyogre, you will encounter a regular Kyogre at the end of the raid.

How much energy do I need for the Protomorphosis? To trigger the first Protomorphosis, you need 400 Proto Energy.

What bonuses are available during the event? During the Raid Day, the following bonuses will be active in the game:

  • An increased chance to encounter Kyogre in its shiny variant
  • 5 additional raid passes when spinning the discs at gyms
  • The limit for remote raid passes will be increased to 20 (from Saturday, March 16, 2024 at 5:00 PM to Sunday, March 17, 2024 at 8:00 PM)
Pokemon-Go-Kyogre
Kyogre and Shiny Kyogre

What is the best way to proceed on Raid Day? With the increased number of raid passes, the following sequence is suggested to make effective use of Raid Day:

  • Challenge and defeat Proto-Kyogre
  • Spin the gym disc to receive a new pass
  • Head to the next gym and repeat the process

How do I defeat Proto-Kyogre the fastest? Proto-Kyogre is a Water type. Therefore, Electric and Grass type attackers are very effective against this Pokémon. If you’re still looking for good attackers for the battle, take a look at our Proto-Kyogre Counter Guide.

If you’re with your friends on-site to complete the raids, be sure to use the team play function. This will give you an additional attack advantage.

Is Proto-Kyogre worth it? Proto-Kyogre is the absolute top Water type attacker for raids and gyms. So it’s definitely worth it if you go to battles regularly. The optimal attack combination is Cascade as a fast attack and Origin Wave as a charged attack. However, you need to use a Premium Charge TM to obtain Origin Wave.

What’s included in the optional ticket? In the shop, you can also purchase an optional ticket for the Raid Day. This costs $5 (so it will probably cost €5) and offers you the following benefits:

  • 8 additional raid passes when spinning gyms
  • Increased chance for special XL candies
  • 50% more experience from raids
  • Double Stardust from raids

What do you think about the Raid Day? Will you participate and secure the rare Proto Energy for Kyogre? Or do you already have enough and are more on the hunt for a shiny Kyogre? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments. If you want to know what events await you in March 2024 in Pokémon GO, you can find that information with us.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

The 7 most legendary battles in Naruto

The Anime Naruto and its continuation Naruto Shippuden feature many fights that are memorable. MeinMMO presents 7 of the most legendary fights from the cult shonen.

How were these chosen? The fights mainly refer to their portrayal in the anime and their implementation. To ensure some diversity, an attempt is made to list as many characters and their iconic fights as possible. Additionally, it concerns both Naruto and Naruto Shippuden.

If your favorite fights are not on this list, feel free to write them in the comments. This list is not a ranking of the individual fights, but rather a chronological listing with respect to the series. You can find a list of the strongest characters here: Naruto Shippuden: The 6 strongest characters in the ranking

Warning: Of course, there will be spoilers in this article. If you haven’t seen Naruto yet, you should look at this list later.

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There was also a great fight in Boruto:

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Boruto: Naruto and Sasuke fight Momoshiki

1. Rock Lee vs. Gaara

Rock Lee is in position for the fight

Rock Lee is probably the ultimate underdog in the first part of Naruto. Unlike the other students, he can only use taijutsu, meaning just his fists and learned fighting techniques. When he has to fight Gaara in the Chunin exam, it seems like an unfair match.

The fight is particularly memorable because Rock Lee manages to keep up with Gaara through speed and hard training. His fighting techniques look impressive, and despite his quirky appearance, Rock Lee shows that he wants to improve through diligence and hard work. His defeat and the use of the Inner Gates are additionally frustrating and sad. However, a nice closure for both ninjas occurs later in the battle against Kimimaro.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

7 co-op games on Steam that you can play online with beginners

Especially when playing with friends who usually never pick up a video game, the question quickly arises: What can I even play with them?” In our selection, you will find titles that are also suitable for players with little experience.

What criteria were used to select the games? In our selection, we focused on ensuring that the games can truly be played by someone who has never played a game before. Therefore, shooters or co-op games that require quick reactions are not included in the list.

The order of the games does not refer to their quality, but rather their friendliness to beginners: from “no gaming experience needed” to “some experience would be good.”

You will find a short game description for each game, as well as a trailer and the reasoning behind why we recommend it.

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Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes

Developer: Steel Crate Games | Release Date: Oct 8, 2015 | Age Rating: From 6 years | Steam PageKeep Talking and Nobody Explodes | Maximum Players in Co-op: 1 defuser, unlimited helpers

Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes is a co-op game where one player sits in front of a bomb while the other players hold the manual for defusing it. The unique concept of the game can even be played with players who do not like video games at all. 

They can then take the manual, printed or as a PDF, and tell the player what to do to defuse the bomb. If time runs out or the players make too many mistakes, it goes off.

Why is the game recommended? The game is very simple and yet provides a lot of fun. As the levels get more difficult, the chaos, fun, and challenge increase.

The game is suitable for several evenings and offers new levels thanks to the Steam Workshop. The game is not really suitable for children, even though the age rating is from 6 years. Another plus is that only one person needs to buy the game; the rest can access the manual for free. 

In the meantime, there is also a mobile version.

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Keep talking and nobody explodes Trailer

Moving Out 2

Developer: SMG Studio, Devm Games | Release Date: Aug 15, 2023 | Age Rating: From 6 years | Steam PageMoving Out 2 | Maximum Players in Co-op: 4

Moving Out 2 is the sequel to the popular first part. In Moving Out, as the name suggests, it’s about moving, and you must carry televisions, vases, and even sheep around with the help of your friends. 

But beware: The levels of Moving Out 2 are not ordinary houses. Instead, it’s about overcoming a small obstacle course, all while carrying stuff.

The most important innovation in the second part is the online co-op mode, which allows you to play with your friends all over the world. 

Why is the game recommended? Moving Out 2 has a really simple game principle that children can quickly understand and ensures that you always know what to do through the camera perspective. Additionally, the game offers a free demo version where you can get an impression of the game.

The difficulty increases rather gently but becomes quite challenging especially in the hardest levels, providing Moving Out 2 with several evenings of fun for friends and family.

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Moving Out 2 Trailer

Overcooked 2 

Developer: Ghost Town Games Ltd., Team17 | Release Date: Aug 7, 2018 | Age Rating: from 0 years | Steam PageOvercooked 2 | Maximum Players in Co-op: 4

Overcooked 2 is similar to Moving Out 2 and is the sequel to a popular couch co-op title, which now features an online multiplayer mode with the sequel. In the game, you must run a restaurant together with your friends, fulfilling the guests’ wishes and ensuring no food burns. 

In many different levels and challenges, the game offers a lot of variety, even if the mechanics remain similar.

Why is the game recommended? The game may seem similar to Moving Out 2 at first, but it quickly becomes faster, more difficult, and stress-inducing. The controls are relatively simple, and even beginners should not have problems understanding the game.

The later levels in the game are really challenging and hectic, which is why we recommend the game for players who already have a bit of experience.

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Overcooked – Launch Trailer

On the next page, we continue.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

After 12 years and 600 million euros, the release of the MMORPG Star Citizen ‘will sparkle on the horizon’ should come

The development of the sci-fi MMORPG Star Citizen is now reminiscent of The NeverEnding Story. After 12 years and more than 600 million euros in revenue, the boss now announces that a release announcement should be imminent.

What’s going on with the release of Star Citizen? The sci-fi MMORPG and its solo campaign Squadron 42 have been in development for over 10 years and have consumed enormous amounts of money during that time.

Star Citizen was announced in September 2012 with a crowdfunding campaign. However, production had already begun in 2011. Since then, nearly 670 million US dollars have been raised, which is about 610 million euros. A large portion of this revenue comes from the sale of virtual ships, for which some players dig deep into their pockets.

Despite all this, the MMORPG is still in alpha. Some gamers are very critical of the development of Star Citizen: After such a long time and money, the game is still merely a tech demo and offers no proper multiplayer or single-player experience.

Some even doubt whether Star Citizen will ever see a full release.

After a successful test last weekend, Chris Roberts, the head of developer Cloud Imperium Games (CIG), now talks about plans for 2024 in a blog post.

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Star Citizen Alpha 3.22 Trailer

2024 should be a big year for Star Citizen

What does the boss say? After reflecting on the past year 2023, Roberts discusses what 2024 holds for Star Citizen and Squadron 42.

  • Squadron 42 should transition from “Feature Complete” to “Content Complete” in 2024: This corresponds to leaving alpha and entering beta phase. Moreover, they are working on integrating features developed for Squadron 42 at an “accelerated rate” into the MMO part of the game, the “Persistent Universe”.
  • Furthermore, Star Citizen itself is expected to go into Alpha 4.0 in 2024. This version will include “server meshing” technology as well as the “lawless wasteland” of the “Pyro” system.
  • However, first there should be Alpha 3.23, which is set to be launched in April 2024 and will be one of the most extensive updates so far.

What’s the current situation with the release? Roberts further explains that Alpha 4.0 is not yet the “final goal” of Star Citizen. Rather, the developer is even already talking about a 1.0 release, in Roberts’ words: A commercial release that is no longer in alpha or early access.

Although there is currently no release window for the 1.0 version, a roadmap should be provided throughout the year that further elaborates on “the vision and execution plan”. Currently, “Star Citizen 1.0 glimmers on the horizon,” says Roberts.

“In a marathon, they say, the last mile is the hardest, but to quote the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius, ‘What we do now echoes in eternity,'” he further says.

The mentioned roadmap was leaked earlier this year. What it contained can be found with the colleagues at GameStar.

What else is new? The post also mentions a restructuring within CIG, which includes a controversial plan to relocate the “Star Citizen” team in Los Angeles to other regions, particularly Manchester, England, Austin, Texas, and Montreal, Canada.

One employee saw disguised mass layoffs in this, as it would be difficult for many employees to leave the state or even the country with little or no notice.

The restructuring also brought the departure of Todd Papy as director of the “Persistent Universe Live,” who worked on Star Citizen for 9 years. Rich Tyrer will now oversee the development of Star Citizen and Squadron 42 alongside Roberts as Senior Game Director.

Announcements are met with skepticism

How is this being discussed? In the gaming subreddit, a thread about the announcements has already garnered over 1,200 comments in 21 hours. Many respond with mockery: The release is probably only a few years away now and we only need a few million more to perfect the facial features and a flatulence system, for instance.

The reddit user “Warcrimes_Desu” sums up the entire dilemma of Star Citizen: The game is indeed an incomplete and bug-ridden mess, but there is absolutely nothing comparable. No other game allows for such seamless space piracy.

Other users see this quite cynically:

  • jetude19 writes: “I built my computer for this game. I have now built 3 more computers and it is still not out.”
  • Sirus_Griffing: “Alpha Centauri is also a sparkle. Maybe we will get there before [Star Citizen] actually releases.”

Some users even point out that Elon Musk has already launched actual rockets with his SpaceX program for less money than what Star Citizen has consumed so far. A rocket launch currently costs about 100 million US dollars – about 1/6 of Star Citizen’s revenue (via as).

Currently, many gamers seem rather skeptical about whether they will witness an actual release of Star Citizen. However, it is still evident that many can indeed be enthusiastic about the idea of the MMORPG. Now CIG just has to deliver.

Star Citizen shows exciting numbers: Germans love the space MMO and fulfill a typical cliché in the game

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. IGN

5 Series like Breaking Bad

We have collected series that are similar to Breaking Bad in a list. We present 5 series to you if you are fans of Breaking Bad and Walter White.

What are these series? Since Breaking Bad not only revolves around the plot in the drug milieu but also focuses on Walter White and strong character-driven stories, not all the listed series are classic mafia stories.

To ensure a good mix, there are also series with strong main characters that do not necessarily have anything to do with organized crime or drugs. Additionally, a high IMDb rating was relevant for the selection.

Anyone interested in more mafia stories should check out this list: 5 series like Peaky Blinders

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1. Ozark

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Ozark – Teaser for the drama series with Jason Bateman, in which he has to launder drug money

Family man Martin Bryde lives a rather unremarkable life with his 2 children and his wife Wendy. Professionally, he works as a financial advisor. However, due to unfortunate events, he has to launder drug money for a huge Mexican cartel. For this, the family moves from Chicago to Missouri Ozark.

On paper, the series is very close to Breaking Bad. A normal family man becomes increasingly involved in drug businesses. The special aspect of Ozark is Jason Bateman, who plays superbly here, and the setting in the swamp area of Ozark, which is a nice change from the familiar big cities.

On IMDb, Ozark has a very good rating of 8.5 out of 10 stars.

2. The Sopranos

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English trailer for the mafia series ‘The Sopranos’ from 1999

When talking about series like Breaking Bad, The Sopranos cannot be forgotten. The series, together with The Wire and Twin Peaks, established the structure in which series are still shown today. The series revolves around Tony Soprano, the boss of a famous mafia family in New York.

The big highlight in The Sopranos is the many characters. Above all, James Gandolfini as Tony Soprano. He manages to make Tony seem sympathetic and relatable at one moment, but then cold and evil in another. To this day, the series is a masterpiece and can compete with current productions.

On IMDb, The Sopranos has a great rating of 9.2 out of 10 stars.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

LoL: A well-known support champion has suddenly become really strong, even though he hasn’t been changed at all

The meta in League of Legends doesn’t change only due to buffs and nerfs. Sometimes, it’s enough for one champion to be strong for another to become strong as well. This is currently the case with Janna, who hasn’t been buffed but is nonetheless performing exceptionally well right now.

Janna is a classic enchanter support in LoL, who has been on the Rift since 2009. Recently, she has been a rather inconspicuous support: although she performed solidly, she hasn’t been seen often. However, she is currently thriving when looking at her statistics.

On U.GG, she has a win rate of 52.49% across all ranks. Only Zyra performs better at 52.68%. Even at higher ranks (Emerald and above), she boasts a very good win rate of 52.78%, placing her at number 3. What’s interesting is that Janna became this strong without any changes. This is largely due to the other champions.

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League of Legends opens the 2024 season with an emotional trailer

Janna is a good pick against many champions

Janna shines when it comes to disengaging. This means she can effectively keep enemies at bay. All her abilities are good for this. With her Q, she can knock multiple enemies into the air. Her W slows down enemies, and her passive allows her teammates to move faster. Her ultimate can toss all enemies away during a large enemy attack and heal her teammates.

These tools are useful in the current meta. Some of the most played supports right now include champions like Nautilus, Leona, Maokai, or even recently Camille. All champions that try to pull you and your ADC in or engage on you. Janna can counteract this.

Even against popular junglers like Kayn, Lee Sin, Briar, or Nocturne, Janna’s abilities are really effective. Against ranged champions like Zyra, Brand, or Vel’Koz, her current build is interesting.

Instead of items like Moonstone Renewer or Ardent Censer, she first builds the support item into Zaz’Zak’s Realmspike. When she deals damage with an ability, an explosion occurs, dealing damage based on the opponent’s maximum health. This is effective against tanks like Maokai or Nautilus.

After that, she builds Imperial Mandate to enhance her ADC’s damage and Mejai’s Soulstealer to increase her own damage. This is followed by enchanter items like Shurelya’s or Redemption. Janna is played aggressively in this role, not defensively, always with the option to get out quickly while still applying pressure on the bot lane.

According to current information, Janna will not be nerfed in the next patch, which suggests she will continue to be successful. For many, the support position is currently a difficult topic, as many annoying champions make life hell for players. Particularly one cursed tree: LoL: One champion performs so well as a support on the bot lane that players are calling for a nerf

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Source(s):
  1. Dot Esports
  2. U.GG

Many players are disappointed with the new ‘Star Wars’ collection on Steam – better get one of the best games for 4€

The Star Wars Battlefront Classic Collection on Steam is currently a huge disappointment for many fans. Instead of these games, fans of the franchise should rather play another game that is currently available for €4.

Why is the Star Wars Battlefront Classic Collection being criticized?

  • This collection unites the old Battlefront games in one collection
  • New servers and 64-player large battles were promised
  • Many players purchased the game in their excitement
  • However, there were massive server problems at release, and many couldn’t even play the game

On Steam, the game has a disastrous user rating of only 20% with nearly 5000 reviews as of March 16, 2024. The launch state, in particular, is criticized. Most players bought the game for multiplayer, and the server issues are ruining that experience.

This is particularly frustrating because there were already previous versions of the game on Steam. Many players hoped for an enjoyable experience, after the third part was canceled years ago. Anyone who still has a strong desire for Star Wars can play one of the best games of the franchise on Steam for €4.

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Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order – Launch Trailer

€4 for a fun adventure in the Star Wars universe

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order was released in 2019 and was developed by Apex Studio Respawn Entertainment. The game is an action-adventure that takes place shortly after Episode 3. Cal Kestis is a Padawan who must flee from Order 66.

The gameplay roughly resembles Soulslikes. The focus is on 1-on-1 battles, exploring the world, and the likable characters. A major highlight is Cal Kestis himself. He is played by Shameless actor Cameron Monaghan, who does a good job portraying the young Padawan.

Although Cal is still inexperienced, he must quickly learn to become a true Jedi due to the terrible events.

Exploration is also a lot of fun and even reminds of Metroidvanias, as you learn new abilities, allowing you to explore further areas on the different planets.

For fans of the films, there are places and characters that are recognizable. The story is particularly entertaining because it doesn’t tell the classic Chosen One tale, but rather focuses on characters trying to survive in an increasingly threatening world.

How much does Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order currently cost? Until March 21, 2024, you can purchase the game for €3.99 on Steam. The sequel to the game is currently available for €31.49. If you buy both in a bundle, both games cost only €31.93.

A third part will continue the story of Cal Kestis in the future. However, the next Star Wars game comes from Ubisoft and revolves around a criminal: New Star Wars game wants to let you experience the criminal underworld as an anti-hero

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

WoW Cataclysm Classic: How to optimally prepare now

Since BlizzCon 2023, we know that WoW Cataclysm Classic is set to release in the summer of 2024. As the launch approaches, especially the heroes of Azeroth will fully engage in the revamped world, which is already preparing for the upcoming Cataclysm. We’ll tell you what you can do.

At some point in spring 2024, the pre-events for WoW Cataclysm Classic will start. In early summer, Azeroth will once again have to survive the Cataclysm caused by Deathwing. As compensation, there will be Worgen and Goblins, archaeology, reforging, and countless other innovations.

Once the launch of Cataclysm Classic is imminent, especially the players in the revamped world will fully engage as they prepare for the upcoming challenges. We’ll reveal in this guide what you can do in detail right now.

To get in the mood, here’s the beautifully staged cinematic trailer for Cataclysm Classic:

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WoW: Announcement Trailer for Cataclysm Classic

Master content that will soon disappear

The Cataclysm changes not only the face of Azeroth but also wipes out various current Classic content. Just think of the two raid challenges Zul’Aman and Zul’Gurub, which will return as heroic dungeons in one of the later phases of Cataclysm. Those who want to complete the associated raid achievements or secure the two mounts (Raptor and Tiger) must get moving.

Also no longer achievable in Cataclysm Classic are various raid achievements such as “The Undying” or “The Immortal” from Naxxramas, “Champion/Conqueror of Ulduar,” or the various tribute achievements for the Trial of the Crusader.

Also say goodbye to the achievements for the dungeon and raid emblems from Wrath of the Lich King Classic, achievements like “Timear predicts” and “Proof of Death,” as well as milestones for leveling weapon skills or obtaining Paladin mounts.

A complete list of all content that will disappear with Cataclysm Classic can be found on Warcraft Tavern.

WoW: Fast Zulian Tiger from Zul'Gurub.
Anyone who wants the fast Zulian Tiger from Zul’Gurub must get moving.

Prepare your main character and twinks

With Cataclysm Classic, the current class design/balancing of WotLK Classic will be turned upside down – also due to the “new” talent trees and fresh resources like the Hunter’s Focus or the Warlock’s Soul Shards.

If you are planning to switch to another class or already know that you want to actively play one or the other twink after the Cataclysm, then use the time until launch to reach level 80 and complete important milestones for your heroes.

Keep an eye on the pre-patch, which will already bring the modernized Azeroth and thus a fresh leveling experience for low-level characters, but also the two new races Worgen and Goblins.

Tip: Collecting resources such as ores and herbs will yield experience points in Cataclysm Classic. Speaking of …

Choose and level your professions

This tip is not only relevant for new characters but also for players who want to use the currently best possible profession combinations for raids or PvP across all classes in WotLK Classic. It’s unfortunate if this means you’re using the same crafts on all characters. You can’t earn much gold this way at the start of Cataclysm Classic.

Additionally, with the next expansion, some profession advantages change. Mining becomes a solid choice for tanks, as the profession grants 120 stamina points. The herb gatherer’s Lifeblood provides you with a strong haste effect at the push of a button. And leatherworking … well … the buff for critical strike rating can actually be forgotten.

WoW Professions
Think carefully about which professions you level for WoW Cataclysm Classic.

Also important for the choice of professions: Even in Cataclysm Classic there are crafts that can only be performed with a specific cooldown (e.g., once a day or week). Assigning these professions to characters you won’t play much can generate a lot of gold with little effort.

We’re thinking of transmutation here: true gold from alchemists, the fire prism from jewel crafters, or the various tailoring CDs like dream cloth or the dream from Deepholm.

Another strong option, at least for the first phase of Cataclysm Classic: Inscription, which gives you access to the new Darkmoon cards and shoulder enchants.

Get your wardrobe in order

With Cataclysm Classic, transmogification and account-wide collections will come. If you want access to a large number of clothes after the Cataclysm, you should now primarily farm the armors and weapons that will vanish with Deathwing’s emergence.

WoW Cataclysm Classic Transmogification
WoW Cataclysm introduced us to transmogification. In Cata Classic, account-wide collections are available from the start.

Items that will soon no longer be available include weapons such as Blessing, Rhok’delar, or Quel’Serrar. Even in many normal dungeons in Azeroth, the loot tables of bosses and trash groups will be turned upside down.

Keep currency conversion in mind

With Cataclysm Classic, the developers are streamlining the currency tab. Instead of countless different emblems, there will only be Justice and Valor Points for PvE. In PvP, you will earn only Honor Points and Conquest Points.

Important for the transition from WotLK to Cataclysm Classic: Frost/Triumph emblems will be converted into Justice Points. For the rest, you’ll receive a few gold coins each. So you indeed have control over whether you receive a nice gold or Justice Points bonus for the upcoming adventure.

There is no choice in PvP currencies. Whether it’s Honor Tokens, shards of the Stonekeeper, Spirit Shards, Venture Coins, or the old Honor Points: You will always receive a certain amount of the new Honor Points in exchange.

By the way: The beta of Cataclysm Classic is running and more players are expected to be invited gradually

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.

Legendary actor refused to participate in a masterpiece, which turned out to be the right decision

Clint Eastwood is an icon of film history, who with movies like The Good, the Bad and the Ugly or later Gran Torino proved that he is one of the best actors. However, he refused to act in one of the greatest films of all time, and that was the right decision.

Clint Eastwood has been one of the first major action heroes of cinema. With his Westerns such as The Good, the Bad and the Ugly or A Fistful of Dollars, he was a significant figure in film history, even appearing in a film in 2021 with Cry Macho. For those still interested in Westerns in 2024, they can check out our Western list.

He even had the opportunity to appear in one of the most important films of all time. Francis Ford Coppola wanted to cast the actor for Apocalypse Now, but he refused, which was the right decision.

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Apocalypse Now – Trailer for the Final Cut of the Film in the Vietnam War

I don’t want to be away that long.

Francis Ford Coppola had many problems during the filming of Apocalypse Now. Just finding the actor for Captain Willard became an issue. Several actors were approached for the role: Steve McQueen, Al Pacino, James Caan, Nick Nolte, Jack Nicholson, Robert De Niro, and Robert Redford. All declined. Clint Eastwood was also approached for the role, which ultimately went to Martin Sheen.

He mentioned this in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. Although Eastwood was familiar with the source material in the form of the book Heart of Darkness, he was not convinced by the project. However, the biggest aspect that made the role unappealing to him was the shooting time. Eastwood would have had to shoot for 16 weeks in the Philippines.

Subsequently, Steve McQueen called the actor and asked why he didn’t want the role. Eastwood replied that he thought he would take the role. However, McQueen wanted the role of Kurtz, which ultimately went to Marlon Brando. The shooting time played a role here as well:

He says, well, I get the same money, but I only have to work for two weeks.

Eastwood explains why McQueen wanted the role of Kurtz (via The Hollywood Reporter)

A good decision by Eastwood

For his health, the decision not to participate in Apocalypse Now was wise. As Der Spiegel reported in 2015, the filming was a huge disaster. In 1976, a typhoon ravaged the Philippines, delaying the filming by 6 weeks. Martin Sheen suffered a heart attack, and there were reports of animal slaughters, drug abuse, and a near-death experience by Coppola.

In addition to the massive costs, the filming lasted for 34 weeks. Nowadays, the film is regarded as a masterpiece and has won three Golden Globes, a Palme d’Or, and two Oscars. The film won Oscars for Best Sound and Best Cinematography. Additionally, the film received six nominations. In many film productions, the selection of a lead actor takes time. This was also the case with Die Hard: Stallone, Eastwood, and Schwarzenegger declined a film that shaped action cinema for decades.

This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.