TEKKEN 8 Hands

Even in its beta form during the CNT, it feels like a polished game already

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It won’t be long before BANDAI NAMCO releases its latest addition to the TEKKEN franchise with TEKKEN 8. As one of the more highly anticipated installments in the series, the game promises more fiery battles than ever before. With an already stacked lineup of fighters announced over the past few months, the hype is definitely real for its impending release. Fortunately, I was able to have an opportunity to participate in the game’s Closed Network Test (CNT) this past weekend to try out what’s new!

Let’s just say that, even in its beta form, it’s already looking like the most promising upgrade after a long wait.

During the CNT, I got to try out the much-elaborated-upon Heat System that will be coming to TEKKEN 8. In summary, the Heat System serves as a main combat feature that enhances your moveset’s power and pushes players to stay on the aggressive. It’s a way for the game to remain as action-packed and relatively fast-paced as possible, and truly favors players that simply can’t help themselves.

Each of the sixteen playable characters during the CNT has their own way of activating the Heat System, and is often paired with combos that bring a whole new level to the experience. Honestly, as someone who often plays TEKKEN with a controller, some of the combos took a while to figure out and master. The good thing about it so far is that once you get the hang of it, it’s easy to integrate into your designated moveset and elevates your mastery of the fighters, as well.

Also, the Heat System activation timeframe feels properly balanced to an extent. In my experience, when you’re not being as aggressive, it punishes you by speeding up the timer. However, when you do stay on the attack, it doesn’t feel like you’re in a state of Heat for too long — which would make fights incredibly one-sided. I’m already imagining more experienced and professional players finding ways to keep the Heat running!

Of course, it wouldn’t be a TEKKEN game if we don’t talk about the roster of fighters — at least, the ones available in the CNT. As mentioned earlier, you can choose between sixteen fighters that have already been announced prior, especially some new and returning faces to the mix. As with every TEKKEN game I have touched since TEKKEN 5, I picked Lili first as she is my main!

For most of the fighters, their fighting styles and movesets are a bit more refined compared to before. This was something I particularly observed when playing Jin, Kazuya, Paul, Lili, and Claudio. Also, with the Heat System in place, some of the more hard-hitting characters felt more satisfying to activate combos for. Even their Rage Arts felt more bone-crushing than before, especially with some of the animations.

Jun and Asuka Kazama, and yes they have identical fighting styles

Perhaps the biggest surprise to me during the CNT happened when I was playing Jun Kazama, the MOTHER herself! Given that her last appearance was all the way back in TEKKEN 2, there wasn’t really much to compare against. Although, what sets her apart from the others is the fact that some of her attacks either do self-healing or self-damage, which is a mechanic that will get a lot of players to learn her moveset later on.

Upon loading up TEKKEN 8, it already gave me some chills with Kazuya staring into your soul. From the get-go, the main menu only consisted of just Ranked Play and the Tutorial, which wasn’t much given the circumstances. However, my focus was honestly more on the Character Select Screen that I hope they maintain in the final version.

To be honest, it’s just like any character select screen you can imagine for most fighting games. This time around, TEKKEN 8 now shows you fighter stats and their specific fighting style — a first in the franchise! I feel like that’s really more for the diehard fans to appreciate. Also, something about one of the characters struck me the most but let’s not spoil it just yet!

Everything else about the design of the game and the stages, what else needs to be said? Even though there were only five stages, each of them looked incredible on my Xbox Series X. From the lighting to the different gimmicks per stage, it felt amazing to do battle on all of them!

I am genuinely excited for what’s to come for TEKKEN 8 when it comes out. Coming from the CNT, it looked like the game was in a polished state with minimal bugs to report. Also, the Heat System served as a fine addition to the formula and made every fight worth commiting to. If anything, I wished that the queue times for Cross Platform Play in Ranked were a bit faster, though. Hopefully, with more people playing this game later on, that wouldn’t be a problem.

My other hope for the game later on is that they keep adding more fighters to the pool. Honestly, it would be better if some of them were not locked behind DLC to pay for unlike TEKKEN 7. At the top of my head, I’m looking forward to fighters like Anna Williams, Yoshimitsu, Kuma, and Alisa Bosconovitch, among others. Also, could we please bring Mokujin back?

As of now, there’s no official announcement yet on when the final version will be released. Hopefully, it will still be on track for an early 2024 launch time. But, so far, so good, TEKKEN 8 — the hype for you is indeed real!

TEKKEN 8 announces registration for Closed Network Tests

All TEKKEN 8 characters revealed so far

It’s official: TEKKEN 8 is coming to next-gen platforms

On August 24

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Everyone needs a chill game every so often. After spending dozens of hours fruitlessly trying to rank up in a multiplayer game, playing a low-stakes game might be the reprieve you need. Since 2021, one of those notable laidback titles is Unpacking. If you’ve always wanted to try the cozy game, it is now heading to Android and iOS.

Unpacking is as simple as the name sounds. Taking the role of someone moving into a new home, players have to unbox their possessions and make them all fit inside their new abode. Rather than feeding the player directly, the game invites them to piece together what’s happening based solely on their possessions.

The title was an instant indie hit. Though it doesn’t feature complex gameplay, a lot of gamers enjoyed sitting back and letting the experience speak for itself. The mobile version will likely have the same mechanics, but the developers also promise to make use of haptic feedback as a feature.

Unpacking isn’t the only major addition to the world of mobile gaming. Over the past few years, the mobile gaming segment signed on a lot of indie darlings beloved by gamers on the traditional platforms. Now, mobile gamers can try classics such as Stardew Valley, Oxenfree, and Spiritfarer.

Unpacking will drop on both the App Store and the Play Store on August 24. However, starting now, iOS gamers can pre-order their copy of the game for only US$ 9.99.

SEE ALSO: Stardew Valley, Slay the Spire joins Apple Arcade

This is the machine that’ll let you play to your heart’s content!

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Playing video games transports us to a realm where we lose track of time, completely unfazed by an immersive world unfolding before us.

When I’m burnt out from training for my competitive races and living an athlete’s life, I take solace in playing video games. I let my mind, body, and soul recover from the emotional weight that every training brings.

Having the ROG Strix G16 for two months allowed me to live my inner teenager’s dreams — playing on a monster gaming machine in my free time and escaping to a different world when the going gets tough.

When the Strix G16 was handed to me, I was completely astounded by its package. The box was insanely heavy and humongous, but let’s cut ASUS some slack. Despite the monstrous size, the box came with everything you’ll need to live off that gamer’s dream.

There’s the laptop bundled with the ROG Impact Gaming Mouse. Then, ASUS included two (2) types of 100W power brick — a 100W compact USB-C charger, and a bulky 330W power adapter that’s best to keep on your gaming station.

It also came with a supersized ROG backpack, enough to house the Strix G16 and a couple of essentials.

Taking it out of the box, you’ll find a machine designed for heavy gaming. The Strix G16 is intricately crafted with gamers in mind, it’ll make you feel like a competitive gamer. At least, that’s how I felt.

The devil’s in the details when you peruse the Strix G 16. From the dot matrix design across the lid to the cross-hatched vents underneath, distinct elements can be seen in every detail. Even with the way lighting is integrated!

The RGB keyboard is also soft, pleasing to look at, and actually responsive — thanks to the exclusive ROG Overstroke technology. There are also dedicated gaming hotkeys for quick access to volume and mic controls, and even Armoury Crate. They’re customizable and you can program to your liking.

For its touchpad, it comes with a glass coating and is noticeably 10% larger. While it’s already responsive and comfortable to use, the touchpad isn’t as smooth as most flagship Windows laptops. My workaround has been using the gaming mouse for navigating since it syncs well with the display’s 165Hz refresh rate.

Plenty of I/O ports can be seen on both sides of the Strix G16. On its right, you can find two (2) USB-A ports which I use for the gaming mouse and an additional port for whatever I’ll need like when I need to transfer files via an Android smartphone or my ancient external hard drive.

Meanwhile, the left side houses more ports that every kind of gamer can fully utilize. You can find the power input, a LAN RJ-45 jack, an HDMI 2.1 port that supports up to 4K 120Hz and 8K 60Hz content, and an audio jack.

Moreover, there are two (2) USB-C ports. One supports DisplayPort and Power Delivery, while the other supports Thunderbolt 4 connectivity.

The Strix G16 has the capabilities to keep up with you as you dive into another story different from your own.

It’s powered by a 13th-Gen Intel Core i9-13980HX processor and up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 GPU, a PCIe Gen4x4 1TB SSD storage, and an 8GB DDR5 RAM that can be expanded up to 32GB.

It’s insanely powerful; you can play AAA titles, stream like a pro, and even create content like a madman. The horsepower it contains is like an unlimited magic potential waiting to burst. Intense multitasking sessions are just a breeze, and it doesn’t heat up easily.

While most gaming laptops have a dual-fan cooling system, the G16 pushed a third fan to keep the GPU and VRAM cool. With seven heat pipes and a Conductonaut Extreme liquid metal inside, the G16 — coupled with the ROG Intelligent cooling and redesigned vents — promises an exceptional experience that’ll keep you playing. And it certainly delivers.

Furthermore, it has enough battery to let you play even when outside, as I found myself doing so on most days I want to take a break from sitting around in front of my desk. Sometimes, I’d sit in my favorite Starbucks branch and continue One Piece Odyssey.

When it runs out of juice, I have the USB-C charger to quickly plug into the socket so I can keep on playing.

There’s not much you can say when it comes to the Strix G 16’s performance. A premium gaming machine like this can handle any beastly titles of your liking.

Sometimes, I even multitask with plenty of background apps opened while having the device connected to my Huawei MateView. It’s smooth, powerful, and everything you’d expect it to be just like any other monster gaming laptop.

But while the performance of the Strix G 16 gives off a solid experience for all kinds of gamers, there’s one thing that I wish ROG could’ve put more into.

The display is lackluster, especially for a gaming machine that costs a premium. I find myself playing in a dark room or in a dim corner at a cafe to actually see what’s on the screen without squinting my eyes.

The panels cause some glare (yes, even with an anti-glare feature) and even with increasing the brightness to a maximum, it’ll still feel like a challenge to take a look at what’s happening in your gameplay.

I even squinted my eyes and looked closely at the screen, putting myself in an awkward position in terms of posture. Besides, it’s not a good thing to be too up close to a screen. which happens when you badly want to take a look at what’s happening when navigating parts of a game that has a dark scene.

Nevertheless, the ROG Strix G 16 can be easily brought wherever you go. It easily fits inside a supersized ROG-designed backpack, especially in the dedicated sleeve.

There’s enough room to carry the charger, mouse, a few accessories, and personal essentials. It even has a slot for my umbrella and HydroFlask. I can stay protected from the elements and be hydrated wherever I go.

Carrying it can be quite a pain on your back if you’re not accustomed to lifting weights. It’s heavy, I promise. It’ll put a strain on your back if you treat it like a schoolboy’s laptop.

The backpack sure can handle its heft, weighing 2.5kg. However, you might need to train your body if you want to lug this around wherever you go. Otherwise, it’s best to keep it at a gaming station so you can play any titles you want.

But for me, both the Strix G16 and the ROG backpack are quite a treat for an athlete wanting to break away from an emotionally taxing life.

The ROG Strix G16 looks straight out of a dream; it’s what every gamers dream of when it comes to a machine that’ll let them play to their heart’s content.

Think of it as a fantasy turning out to be a reality. The only thing you’ll find annoying in this machine is how lackluster the display is. Otherwise, it’s a solid laptop that will make you want to play all day long.

It’s certainly a GadgetMatch for those who want to be competitive in the eSports arena. As long as you can handle the compromises. If you don’t think this one’s for you, there’s the ROG Zephyrus M16 that you might want to check out.

The ROG Strix G16 starts at PhP 109,995.

Facehuggers for everyone

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For a modest survival horror game released way back in 2016, Dead by Daylight still comes out with notable crossovers even today. Just last week, the game released a new survivor modeled and voiced by iconic actor Nicolas Cage. Now, Behaviour Interactive announced its next crossover chapter featuring the Xenomorph from the Alien franchise.

In an announcement video released today, Dead by Daylight is seemingly taking players to the Nostromo. The video ends by offering a short glimpse of the iconic alien. Unfortunately, there’s not a lot to go on yet. Behaviour Interactive promises to reveal more on August 8.

In the game, new content packs can offer a new survivor, killer, map, or a combination of the three. From the video, it’s almost sure that the chapter will offer the Xenomorph as a killer and the Nostromo as a map. It’s also possible that a new survivor might pop up. Ellen Ripley, maybe?

Dead by Daylight is an asymmetrical survival horror game pitting four survivors against one killer in a chase to escape from being sacrificed. Over the years, the title received a number of tie-ins with popular horror franchises including Halloween, Stranger Things, Hellraiser, and The Ring. Several years into its life, the game still offers hours of gameplay for players.

SEE ALSO: Dead by Daylight is getting its own movie

This is the machine that'll let you play to your heart's content!

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