Another month, another mix of controversies, sad news and releases in the gaming world. We recap the drama between Sony and Helldivers 2, as well as more closures of studios under Take Two and Microsoft. There’s also a new Assassin’s Creed game called Assassin’s Creed Shadows, set in Japan (finally!) and a new Call of Duty. May also saw the release of Senua's Saga 2: Hellblade, Mullet Madjack, Animal Well, Crowd Country, Hauntii and Hades 2 (Early Access). See omnystudio.com/listener for...

At first glance, a lot of people will liken Stellar Blade, developed by Shift Up and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment, to Bayonetta or Devil May Cry, but the truth is, the game is a bit more than that. Joining us to share his impressions of the game is Najman Maliki, and he’ll talk about the game’s story, combat and the controversies surrounding the game. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Arrowhead’s Helldivers 2 has been taking the world by storm ever since its release earlier this year. What made this third-person PvE shooter great and different compared to other multiplayer shooters out there? We unpack the uniqueness of Helldivers 2 with a long-time fan of the franchise, Kenn Leandre. We also address the recent controversy involving the game that required Steam users of the game to have a PlayStation Network login in order to play the game on PC. See...

Tales of Kenzera: ZAU, a game developed by Surgent Studios and published by Electronic Arts, has been receiving rave reviews after its release recently due to its gripping story on grief and death, accessible gameplay (for a Metroidvania) and top notch score and voice acting. KKP’s writer Xandria Morden joins us to share her experiences playing this game and whether she shares those sentiments. Image credit: EA See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s a stellar month, with Stellar Blade leading the list of games released this month (sorry, we had to do it!) But is it as outstanding as the name suggests? Other releases also include Lunar Lander Beyond, Sand Land, Children of the Sun and many others, including a short review of Amazon’s Fallout TV show. On the news front, Larian Studios will stop developing future Baldur’s Gate games, Keanu Reeves will be voicing Shadow the Hedgehog, Amazon’s Fallout has been renewed for another season,...

The age-old tradition of visiting each other during the festive season is a practice that is still ongoing, but modern inventions also allow for flexibility in the experience. After feasting and catching up, why not play some couch co-op games together with your guests? In this episode, we recommend some couch co-op games for you to check out for wholesome fun with your loved ones. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malaysian indie game developer Sophie Azlan has blazed a trail in the traditionally male-dominated gamedev space since she emerged on the scene. Currently a developer involved in several indie projects in Malaysia's burgeoning gaming industry and a lecturer of game development at UOW Malaysia, she aims to leverage on her experiences in both spaces to act as a bridge between the country's emerging talent and studios.On GGWP this week, we talk to Sophie about her exciting career so far, her...

Video gaming is pretty prevalent these days, especially when mobile platforms make the hobby more accessible beyond the usual demographic. Yet, despite our parents, uncles and aunts also gaming on their mobile phones, some of them do not consider themselves gamers. This is one among many interesting discoveries found in the research conducted by Omnicom Media Group Malaysia titled ‘Unlocking Gamers in Asia Pacific’. We speak to Kiron Kesav, Chief Strategy Officer at the company to learn more...

Team Ninja returns with Rise of the Ronin, their first attempt at an open world game. With vast experience in their combat gameplay, from Ninja Gaiden to the Nioh series, does this title elevate the experience of being in 19th century Japan? And does it stack up against other games of the same genre and setting? Alleef Ashaari, Kakuchopurei’s writer, joins us to share his thoughts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s a month full of meaty updates for longstanding franchises, such as Stardew Valley, with its 1.6 update, as well as for fading franchises that might see a resurgence, in the form of Overwatch 2, with Season 10 bringing about some big changes to the game. Will this be the beginning of a redemption arc for Blizzard’s famous team-based shooter? Elsewhere, legendary game director Amy Hennig returns with Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra, while SNK announced a new Fatal Fury game called Fatal Fury:...

20m Podcast is a show about games and the people behind them. Hosted by Arief Johan and Samantha Low, the podcast features video game reviews and explores industry news and topics, while also giving us a look behind the curtain by creating a platform for the people behind the games we love - all through a South East Asian lens. Arief and Sam (aka Rino) join us to talk shop - gaming podcast to gaming podcast - about bringing their unique Malaysian perspectives to the busy realms of both...

Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth is the latest entry in the Like A Dragon (or Yakuza) franchise. Ichiban Kasuga and Kazuma Kiryu return to the game, this time set in Hawaii, to go on their epic journeys. How does this game stack up compared to the rest of the franchise? Xandria Morden, writer at Kakuchopurei.com joins us to share her thoughts on the game. Photo credit: XboxEra See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Alleef Ashaari, writer from Kakuchopurei.com joins us to review Atlus’s Persona 3 Reload. How does this remake of the highly popular Persona 3 stack up against the original? He shares his thoughts, as well as walks us through the overall franchise and the recent global popularity that it has with gamers. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The gaming world tries its best to celebrate February with awesome releases, with Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth at the forefront. Despite that, Persona 3 Reload, Helldivers 2, Islands of Insight, and even to a certain extent, Skull and Bones (finally!) have something to shout about too, as these releases are worth checking out as well. On the news front, Sony announced that they won’t be releasing any major games from existing franchises this financial year, while Microsoft will be releasing some...

With Malaysia set to host the M6 World Championship, the world's biggest Mobile Legends Bang Bang (MLBB) tournament later this year, developer Moonton Games undoubtedly has plans to take MLBB to the next level. We dive into the game's impact in Malaysia, how Moonton is supporting their community inside and outside of the game, and their future expansion plans that will (hopefully) lead to us seeing esports on par with football in the country. We speak to Fikri Rizal Mahruddin, Marketing...

Palworld is a survival, monster collector game that exploded and has taken the gaming world by storm upon its release in January. Part of the appeal of the game is that the monsters, or Pals, are cute, reminiscent of a certain franchise by Nintendo, and are also able to do much more! Of course, that indirectly creates controversies too. In this episode, we sift through the noise and look at why it’s a hit immediately upon its release. We also try out the game to see whether it lives up to its...

We’re continuing our monthly round up of news and games with the folks from Kakuchopurei.com, and the year has started terribly for some in the industry, as massive layoffs continue, with Microsoft the latest company to be involved in this practice. We also look at the statement made by Ubisoft’s president regarding ownership of games, as well as the controversy surrounding Palworld, the latest “it” game taking the internet by storm. Among the January releases that were discussed in this...

We’re starting the year with a look back to one of the more well-known games in the farm life simulation genre, Stardew Valley! Najman Maliki joins us to share his experience playing the game and why he thinks everyone should consider checking it out, especially if they want to start the year at a slightly slower pace. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Technically, the games listed on this episode are from Kakuchopurei’s master list (which you can read here), but the order and what actually made it into the top 10 on this show is slightly different, as our regular contributor, KKP’s Content Director Jonathan Leo decided to shake things up a bit, by sharing his personal list of 2023’s Best Games of the Year. Tune in to hear his picks and why he chose these games! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We wrap up the final month of the year in the gaming world by looking back at the biggest winners from The Game Awards, as well as the announcements made during the show, including Monster Hunter Wilds and Hideo Kojima’s latest project with Xbox called OD. December also brought us games such as Against The Storm, Steamworld Build, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora and Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising for us to check out. Join us for a breakdown of all these, with Content Director at...

GGWP speaks to the folks behind ESL Gaming ahead of ESL One Kuala Lumpur 2023 to uncover the complexities of premier esports event planning and ESL's presence in the South-East Asian market. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The gaming world’s most trusted plumber, Mario and his friends return for another adventure in Super Mario Bros. Wonder. With new power ups and other novelties, does this side-scrolling platformer live up to its hype as a mainline release for the franchise? Long time fan of the plumber, OJ Law joins us to share his thoughts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The penultimate month of the year is a bittersweet one in the video game industry, with some celebrating positive milestones, while others have to contend with the dark realities of the industry. Jonathan Leo, Content Director at Kakuchopurei.com joins us to unpack both the sweet and the bitter in the gaming world, as well as share some releases from November that we should check out, including Robocop: Rogue City, Cuisineer and Like A Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name. See...

It’s one of the most anticipated games and sequels of the year, and now it’s finally here. What do we think of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2? Does it live up to the hype? What are some of the improvements made on the franchise and what are the things that they missed out on, perhaps? Swing in to hear our take on Insomniac’s latest. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.