Mike Fahey

Fahey’s Top 10 Games Of 2018

While I spent a sizable chunk of 2018 in a hospital, I did manage to squeeze in time with some very good games. From virtual reality mice to the rebirth of a cool dragon, here are my 10 favorite games of the year. CrossCode If massively-multiplayer online role-playing games were around during the age of…

Victrix Pro AF Gaming Headset: The Kotaku AF Review

I am not sure what I like more about the Victrix Pro AF universal gaming headset. Is it the way it sounds, or the way its active noise canceling makes everything else shut up? Or maybe it’s the fact that they called it “Pro AF.” It’s kind of a ballsy naming convention, putting “Pro AF”…

Forza Horizon 4‘s First Expansion Is Dull, At Least Right Now

Though I appreciate the rocky cliffs and craggy hills of Forza Horizon 4‘s new Northern Isles-inspired Fortune Island, I worry that once I finish all the expansion’s treasure hunts I’ll lose my appetite for brown emptiness. Fortune Island is Forza’s newest DLC. Located somewhere to the north of the main game’s English countryside, it’s a…

Gris Is Beautiful In Every Way

I don’t normally shed tears when a video game ends. I hardly ever pause in the middle of a playthrough to appreciate a clever game mechanic. I do stop to listen to game music, but it’s rare I spend minutes trying to get gameplay and soundtrack to sync in order to recreate a perfect moment.…

Originally scheduled for February 22, Metro Exodus has gone gold and will now launch on February 15. Publisher Deep Silvercelebrates the announcement with the game’s haunting title sequence, featuring music by composer Alexey Omelchuk.

World Of Warcraft’s Blood Elf Daddy Got A Makeover

Blood elf fans have long drooled over the elegant tresses and warm, fatherly voice of Lor’themar Theron. The Regent Lord of Quel’Thalas got a serious upgrade with World of Warcraft’s recent Tides of Vengeance update, his flowing clothes and bobbing ponytail putting player characters to shame. The newly physics-fabulous version of Lor’themar was discovered by…

Show Us Your Smash Bros. Ultimate Controller Setup

Smash Bros. players are often as particular about the controllers they use as they are which characters they pick to go into battle. With the release of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate for the Switch, there are more ways to control the game than ever. What’s your Smash Ultimate controller setup? Fine, we’ll share ours first.…

Battle For Azeroth’s First Major Update Arrives Today, And It’s A Doozy

The first major content update for World of Warcraft’s Battle for Azeroth expansion is upon us. Tides of Vengeance bring the fight between the Alliance and Horde to Darkshore, advances the war campaign, adds heritage armor for blood elves and dwarves and turns Gnomeregan into a pet battle dungeon, because gnomes get no respect. As…

Stupidity Escalates Exquisitely In Earth Defense Force 5

Just in time to help us mindlessly while away the winter holidays, Earth Defense Force 5 for the PS4 brings players back to the stupidest version of our planet possible. The giant insects no one calls insects are back, and this time they’ve brought 20 foot tall frogs that look “just like us.” I’m face-palming, but…

Fans of Sega’s dragon-riding rail shooter series rejoice, for developer Forever Entertainment SA is remaking Panzer Dragoon and Panzer Dragoon II Zwei. Both Saturn classics will be updated with modern graphics and gameplay, while keeping the storyline intact. Look for the first remake by the end of 2019 on as of yet undisclosed platforms.

Gothic Puzzle Game Iris Fall Plays Beautifully With Light And Shadow

One of my favorite video game mechanics is harnessing the relationship between light and shadow for clever platforming puzzles. That’s why I’m excited about Iris Fall, a gorgeous new game from Chinese developer Next Studios. The visuals first drew me to Iris Fall. Heavy, dark and near-monochrome, the game’s art direction is exactly my sort…

Gengar and Mimikyu on one card? Either it’s a sign of the apocalypse, or it’s the Pokémon Trading Card Game Sun & Moon Tag Team expansion. Announced at the 2018 World Championships and launching February 1, the expansion features high risk, high reward Tag Team cards, which also serve as shipping fodder.

Mortal Kombat 11 Announced, Launching Globally April 23

Tonight at the 2018 Game Awards, Netherrealm Studios head Ed Boon took the stage to announce the winner of the best sports or racing game award, but sgave us a trailer for Mortal Kombat XI instead—complete with an April 23 global launch date. Not a lot of details were given during the clever twist reveal,…

Coming to Steam on December 13 from Studio Wildcard, makers of ARK: Survival Evolved, Atlas is a massively multiplayer survival game set in a fantasy world filled with magical creatures. Look for it to hit Xbox One next year as part of that whole hitting Xbox One first program. You know the one.

The latest from Bastion and Transistor developer Supergiant Games is a rogue-like dungeon crawler called Hades It’s got a cool animated look, fast action and a sardonic hero. The best part? You can play it on PC right now for $19.99 in early access via the Epic Games store.

Coming to consoles for the first time next year (as well as PC), The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe adds new endings, new adventures and other new stuff to Galactic Cafe’s hilarious first-person adventure.

Katamari Damacy Never Fails To Roll Me Up Into A Ball Of Joy

While there’s no recapturing the weird and wonderful feeling of playing Katamari Damacy for the first time, this week’s remaster Katamari Damacy Reroll brings all of the joy of the original tumbling right back. For those of you who’ve not had the pleasure, Katamari Damacy was a 2004 game for the PlayStation 2 that introduced…

This Official Star Wars Keycap Set Leans Towards The Dark Side

I find your lack of custom keycaps disturbing? No. These are the keycaps you’re looking for? Only Imperial Stormtroopers type so precise? I’ll figure this out. In the meantime, the first officially-licensed Star Wars keycap set is going up for sale. NovelKeys, home of the giant mechanical keyboard switch, has teamed up with Disney and…

I’ll Finish Just Cause 4 Once The Balloon Grapple Stops Being Hilarious

How am I supposed to focus on freeing Just Cause 4‘s fictional South American country of Solis from the grip of the Black Hand mercenary syndicate when the aftermath of every skirmish looks like a birthday party gone horribly wrong? Just Cause 4 is an action adventure game with a story and everything, but the…

Monster Boy And The Cursed Kingdom: The Kotaku Review

I spent an hour and a half tackling a single platforming sequence in Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom. Not an entire level or area. Just a short series of perilous jumps that I couldn’t quite get my head around. I loved every teeth-gritting, cursing-under-my-breath moment. Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom is a spiritual…