Ghost in the Shell Online May Be The 'GITS' Game That We've Always Wanted

Masamune Shirow's Ghost in Shell series has had a rich history of video-game adaptations with diminishing returns dating back all the way to 1997. This all may change (and oh god I hope it does) with the announcement of Studio I.G. and Nexon's Ghost in the Shell Online First Connection, a free-to-play online FPS currently scheduled for a closed beta sometime in 2015. The title is currently only scheduled for release in Nexon's home country of South Korea, but I'm crossing my fingers hard that it'll make its way stateside some day.

Aside from a number of "spiritual contemporaries" in way of Bungie's 2001 ONI and Deus Ex: Human Revolution, not to mention games like Blacklight: Retribution and the exquisite tactical mod-shooter NeoTokyo°,  no developer seems to be quite willing or able to give the venerable cyberpunk cornerstone the game that its premise so richly deserves. First Connection's first trailer looks like a step in the right direction. That recreation of Mamoru Oshii's iconic opening shot fills me with the hope that even if this doesn't turn out to be the game that fans of the franchise want it to be, it may in some way lead to it down the line.

The Art of Ham Sung-choul

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Ham Sung-choul follows in the proud tradition of many South Korean concept artists in simply stepping aside and allowing his work to speak for itself. I love the rich color palettes that jump out through his art, the soft hue of light sources that create a real element of depth and personality to his pieces. 

His character sketches and illustrations bring to mind a host of favorable comparisons; From the works of Final Fantasy artist Akihiko Yoshida to the Metal Gear artwork of Masao Tsubasa. This guy's got some serious skills. Check out more of his awesome work after the break!

Aachi & Ssipak (NSFW)

To put it bluntly, Aachi & Ssipak is f*cking crazy. The South Korean animated film has been available for sometime,and recently picked up by Mondo Media for translation. While it's filled to the brim with juvenile poop jokes, the insanity of it all is hard to look away from. Telling the story of a forsaken clan of juice pop addicts, Aachi & Ssipak is really as silly as you can get when it comes to a plot. 

Over the next 17 weeks, Mondo Media will be releasing a new chapter from the full-length film which can be bought in it's entirety from iTunes, Google Play, and Amazon. To kick things off, Mondo Media has released two episodes in one week, with the second episode available over here. If you're okay with a silly plot that does nothing but smear poop jokes in your face, Aachi & Ssipak is definitely a fun ride that you'll wanna check out.