Gaming

Monster Hunter Wilds Beta was my first taste of the franchise

And I want more

Published

October 31, 2024

There’s a significant chunk of video games over the last 20 years that I missed. One of those is the Monster Hunter franchise. I love me some monster-slaying adventures so I tried to squeeze in some time to check out the Monster Hunter Wilds Beta Test and I had fun.

For the unfamiliar, the franchise is pretty straightforward. First launched in 2004, Monster Hunter is all about building your own character and teaming up with others to hunt down beasts twice, thrice, and even five times your size.

In the Beta Test, players are able to play the opening chapter of the game plus another mission. As I played towards the end of the time frame, I was only able to finish the opening chapter. Despite that, I still had a good time.

Character Creation

I went with the blonde bob.

One of the reasons I took a while to get going is character creation. I wanted to fine-tune as much as I could and even posted a poll on my social accounts asking which hairstyle I should go with.

Like my approach with most games with character creation these days, I tried to model my character after my wife of delusion, Momo Hirai of TWICE. This dance goddess is currently sporting a blonde bob look so I went with that, also matching her garb with how she appeared in the “Identity” music video of their sub-unit group MISAMO.

It took me about an hour to get through all of that. I’m still not completely happy with the character model but I had already spent over an hour in character creation that I just decided to move on.

Visually striking

One of the first things I noticed is how visually striking the game is. When I first chanced upon one of its early trailers, I wasn’t particularly impressed with how it looked. But seeing it running on an LG C2 + PS5 combo, I was impressed.

It’s also mostly because many of the cutscenes had to run in-engine instead of being straight up video files. The character you created is rendered flawlessly along with the other characters that will play a role in your playthrough.

My hope is that the final build of the game looks just as good, if not better, when it officially launches.

Action-packed opening

Without spoiling anything, I can say that the opening chapter of the game offers a balanced serving of some lore, plenty helpings of action, and for newcomers like myself, a fair bit of tutorial.

I enjoyed that you get to choose the weapon that fits your play style. I went for an agile-type my first go round, but I’m also pretty curious about how the other weapons will handle. Depending on my mood, I like to switch-up play styles when I can and I love that this is game that lets me do that.

The controls don’t take a lot to get used to, especially for someone like myself who has had to jump from game-to-game for reviews.

Overall, I found my quick playthrough fun, exciting, and it has definitely left me wanting for more.

More Beta test schedules

PlayStation 5 version: Those who are not subscribed to PS Plus can also participate.

Xbox Series X|S version: Those who are not subscribed to Game Pass Core or Ultimate can join as well.

Event Date and Time (GMT+8):

November 15. 2024 (Friday) 11:00 AM to November 4, 2024 (Monday) 10:59 AM

Note: Pre-download is scheduled to start on 31st October 2024 (Thursday) at 11:00 AM.

Monster Hunter Wilds is set for a February 28, 2025 release. It will be available on the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam.

Special Edition DualSense and PS5 cover

The game will also feature a Special Edition DualSense control and PlayStation 5 cover. The DualSense looks like a non-shiny edition of Volcanic Red with markings related to the game. Meanwhile, the PlayStation 5 cover comes in black with minimal Monster Huntermarkings on the bottom if the PS5 is in standing position.

Starting on November 22, 2024, players from Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, and Vietnam will be able to pre-order the controller from select retailers for SGD 119 / MYR 419 / IDR 1,549,000 / THB 2,890 / PHP 4,890 / VND 2,399,000.

The DualSense wireless controller — Monster Hunter Wilds Limited Edition will be available from February 28, 2025. It’ll release alongside the much-anticipated game. Availability may vary by country/region, so be sure to check your local retailers.

Monster Hunter Wilds is now available for Pre-order:

PS5 version:

Singapore: https://store.playstation.com/en-sg/concept/10005176/
Malaysia: https://store.playstation.com/en-my/concept/10005176/
Thailand: https://store.playstation.com/en-th/concept/10005176/
Indonesia: https://store.playstation.com/en-id/concept/10005176/
India: https://store.playstation.com/en-in/concept/10005176

Steam version: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2246340/Monster_Hunter_Wilds/

Xbox: https://www.xbox.com/en-sg/games/store/monster-hunter-wilds/9NMT6XFN0LVD/0010

Related Topics:Capcom Monster Hunter Monster Hunter Wilds Monster Hunter Wilds Beta Test

Gaming

Blizzard will host four major game showcases starting this week

They will feature World of Warcraft, Overwatch 2, Diablo, and Hearthstone.

Published

January 27, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

It’s been a while since the last BlizzCon. For a couple of years now, Blizzard decided to skip the formerly annual event for smaller announcements throughout the year. This year, however, the company is celebrating its 35^th anniversary, and it has a lot of plans to celebrate.

For one, BlizzCon will return this year. The event’s return should be a good one, especially since the last one even featured LE SSERAFIM performing live for fans. For its 35^th anniversary, the company is likely pulling all the stops.

But right now, to whet our appetite for what’s to come, Blizzard will host four spotlight streams for almost all its franchises: World of Warcraft (January 29), Overwatch (February 4), Hearthstone (February 9), and Diablo (February 11). Sorry, StarCraft fans!

Each stream, watchable on YouTube and Twitch, will feature major announcements for each franchise. This shouldn’t be a surprise because three of the four franchises are set to launch major content soon.

World of Warcraft, for example, will launch the new Midnight expansion on March 2. Overwatch 2 is teasing a Talon takeover. Diablo IV, finally, will launch the new Lord of Hatred expansion on April 28.

If you’re sad about the lack of StarCraft content, there is a rumor that the RTS franchise will get the spotlight for the upcoming BlizzCon happening later this year.

Gaming

New DRAGON BALL game project “AGE 1000” for 2027 announced

A new era begins

Published

January 27, 2026

GadgetMatch

Bandai Namco Entertainment Asia has announced a new DRAGON BALL game project titled “AGE 1000,” set to launch in 2027. The reveal took place during the Dragon Ball Genkidamatsuri event held on January 25, 2026.

The project introduces an entirely new DRAGON BALL world featuring original characters designed by Akira Toriyama himself. Bandai Namco describes AGE 1000 as a fresh expansion of the DRAGON BALL universe. It has more characters and story elements set to be revealed as development continues.

As part of the announcement, the company also unveiled a brand-new character making its debut in the AGE 1000 world. The character designed by Toriyama appears in the newly released teaser trailer. It’s the first glimpse of the project’s tone and visual direction.

More details on DRAGON BALL Game Project “AGE 1000” will be shared during Dragon Ball Games Battle Hour 2026, scheduled to take place in the United States on April 19–20, 2026 (SGT).

Dragon Ball Games Battle Hour 2026 returns

Now in its sixth year, Dragon Ball Games Battle Hour continues to serve as a global showcase for the franchise, spanning manga, anime, films, games, figures, and collectibles.

This year’s event will feature a special stage dedicated to the latest DRAGON BALL announcements, along with competitive tournaments for DRAGON BALL FighterZ, DRAGON BALL SUPER CARD GAME MASTERS, DRAGON BALL SUPER CARD GAME FUSION WORLD, and DRAGON BALL SUPER CARD GAME Fusion World Digital.

Fans can also expect booth exhibits for multiple DRAGON BALL games, including DRAGON BALL GEKISHIN SQUADRA and DRAGON BALL: Sparking! ZERO, as well as merchandise sales and other on-site activities.

More information about the event will be shared through the official Dragon Ball Games Battle Hour website.

Gaming

Nintendo’s latest toy is Super Mario Wonder’s Talking Flower

It tells the time and jokes around randomly throughout the day.

Published

January 23, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Late in 2024, Nintendo announced the Alarmo, the quirkiest alarm clock we would’ve grabbed immediately if alarm clocks were still a big thing. Today, the company has announced its next clock-like toy: the Talking Flower from Super Mario Wonder.

To me, the Talking Flower was a welcome addition to the franchise’s burgeoning cast of characters. The occasionally appearing character delivered timely quips that broke the monotony of the level’s music or provided meaningful tips.

However, there is a good number of players who find the flower irritating and mute the character altogether. If you’re part of this group, then Nintendo’s latest clock isn’t for you.

The new Talking Flower doesn’t have its own clock display. It only has a speaker, but it can announce the hour “mostly accurately,” according to Nintendo.

It’s an odd product. The brand wants the flower to be glitchy. Besides being “mostly accurate” with the time, it can also randomly blurt out alerts in one of its handful of available languages, outside of what the user set.

Further, it can comment on the weather and play music. It can also say “words of encouragement and silly quips” randomly throughout the day. The Talking Flower certainly has the spirit of the character it’s modeled after.

As for input buttons, it only has a single button. One press makes it say something outside of its scheduled prompts. Holding the button for two seconds silences the thing.

The Talking Flower will ship out on March 12. It will sell for US$ 34.99.