Heather Alexandra

20 Minutes Of Devil May Cry 5’s Excellent Combat

Devil May Cry 5 doesn’t release until Friday, but I’ve played it and had a veritable ass-load of fun. Each of its three protagonists plays differently, with neat quirks and flashy moves. Tim Rogers and I played as all of them, in order to break down their smokin’ sexy styles. Oh, yeah. If you want…

Kingdom Hearts III‘s Best Moment Is Everything Good (And Bad) About Kingdom Hearts

I was on vacation last week. In addition to wandering New York and enjoying some of the finest pizza on the planet, I finally finished Kingdom Hearts III. In the process, I found a moment near the end of the game that perfectly captures the series’ magic and excitement. It also highlights one of Kingdom…

Anthem Has Me Wondering What A ‘Release Date’ Even Is Anymore

Anthem releases today—even though plenty of folks have been playing it since last week. As games continue to evolve through patches and players pay for early access to fully priced titles, I find myself asking oddly philosophical questions: When is a video game “finished,” and when are games actually “released”? Let’s be real: Anthem had…

Anodyne 2 Gets Playstation-Era Nostalgia Right

Anodyne 2: Return to Dust isn’t releasing until May, but it’s been quietly dominating my thoughts so far this year. Mixing Playstation-era visuals with Link’s Awakening-esque dungeons, it’s on track to be one of the most innovative and evocative games of 2019. The original Anodyne released in 2013, offering a world of dreamy pixel art…

Final Fantasy XIV‘s Director Talks Blue Mages, World Visits, And ‘Modern’ MMOs

Final Fantasy XIV is prepping for a new expansion later this summer. The lead-up to this expansion, Shadowbringers, has brought new classes like the Blue Mage, and will soon open worlds with the ability to visit other servers. Kotaku emailed questions to game director Naoki Yoshida (a.k.a. “Yoshi P”) about new job classes, whether or…

Yakuza Kiwami: The Kotaku Review 

The Yakuza series combine deep melodrama with exploration through vibrant city streets. Yakuza Kiwami is a remake that recreates the feeling of the original game, adding new features to streamline the experience. It’s a glorious crime story that benefits from a fresh coat of paint. This piece was first published on August 28, 2017. We’re…

Elite Dangerous Players Are Rescuing A Player Who’s Been Stranded In Space Since November

Nearly three months ago Elite: Dangerous player Deluvian Reyes Cruz set off on a journey to see how far away they could travel from the Sol system. To be safe, they prepared enough fuel for a return trip. Near the end of their journey, they made a chance decision to skim off that fuel tank,…

Resident Evil 2’s Ghost Survivors DLC Is Short And Effective

Resident Evil 2’s reimagining of the 1998 original leaned heavily into action, with revamped camerawork and gunplay. Its first batch of DLC, Ghost Survivors, focuses on untold stories and “what if” scenarios, and emphasizes intense zombie gauntlets over raw horror. Ghost Survivors, which is free, follows three protagonists: gun store owner Robert Kendo, Raccoon City…

Far Cry New Dawn: The Kotaku Review

By the end of Far Cry 5, the modern world was no more. Washed away in a gout of nuclear fire, all there was left to do was retreat into our bunker and lament the loss. Far Cry New Dawn moves forward from that set-up. Mechanically, it is the same game we’ve been playing since…

Daemon x Machina‘s Demo Is Pretty Good

I knew two things before playing Daemon x Machina. First, it has a wonderfully inscrutable name. Second, it has giant robots. The latter part is all that really matters to me—I adore mechs, from Gundam to Armored Core. After playing Daemon x Machina’s demo, I’m excited for the full game, even if the action doesn’t…

What Do You Want From A Battle Royale Game?

From PUBG’s rough military edge to the sleek action of Apex Legends, it seems there’s a battle royale for everyone now. What goes into making a great battle royale game? A few of us sat down to talk about what we want from our virtual bloodsports. Cecilia D’Anastasio, Senior Reporter: Battle Royale fans are like…

Apex Legends Works Because Everyone Can Contribute

Apex Legends dropped into the battle royale genre with a strong first impression. There’s still an allure of newness, but as the initial dust settles and the game starts to take shape, it’s clear that Apex Legends has staying power. Much of that is owed to design decisions that streamline some of the clunkier aspects…

Fire Emblem: Three Houses will release on July 26th on the Nintendo Switch. There’s some serious Hogwarts and Final Fantasy 8 stuff going on here, with a mercenary academy and multiple houses to pledge loyalty too. I seriously can’t wait.

Paul and I are fighting through the colorful post-apocalypse in Far Cry: New Dawn right now on Twitch. Come join chat for treasure hunts and some killer sight-seeing.

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey’s next update will include new game plus. Players who have completed the main story can start again with all of their goodies. More importantly, you can switch characters. You know, in case you chose Alexios to start… 

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe World Record Foiled By Last Second Blue Shell

A Mario Kart 8 Deluxe speedrun stalled out right at the finish line, seconds away from a new world record. It’s an ending that reminds us all that blue shells are absolute bullshit. The moment came this weekend at the very end of speedrunner Skilloz_’s run, as he raced towards the finish line on Wario…

Bam-boozled ya! Gita and I are playing some Apex Legends right now on Twitch. Come join chat for fun times, hot drops, and no Mozambique shotguns.

Terrifying Resident Evil 2 Glitch Summons A Second Mr. X

Mr. X is Resident Evil 2 most dangerous enemy and greatest horror trump card. The near-immortal Tyrant stalks the player from room to room, filling the dark halls with his stomping boot-steps. He’s terrifying, but what if there was two of him? A sneaky glitch can make this terrifying scenario possible, conjuring a second implacable…

The Pleasure Of Playing A Randomized Version Of The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time

To defeat the final enemy in Ocarina of Time, you need to have the light arrows. You get them right near the end of the Zelda game by the series’ famous princess. When Carbonwater was playing the Zelda classic one time not too long ago, he just couldn’t find those arrows. Princess Zelda didn’t have…

Monster Hunter And The Witcher Are The Perfect Combination

Monster Hunter: World’s latest crossover event combines dangerous monster fights with the in-depth roleplaying of The Witcher 3 for a special quest that perfectly captures the tough work of a Witcher. The story, which went live yesterday, begins with a mysterious creature stumbling into the Monster Hunter universe. The creature, a grimy little nekker from…