Heather Alexandra

The Hardest Things About Trying To Speedrun Breath Of The Wild

When you cover speedrunning for a while, you start to ask: “can I do that?” This weekend, I started doing my own runs in Breath of the Wild to see how far I’d get. As you might imagine, the results were messy. I’ve always been interested in the kinds of glitches and tricks that speedrunners…

Splatoon 2 Makes Sure That Almost Anybody Can Jump In And Play

Splatoon 2 is a great time. Fighting as a squid-kid is fun and the game takes steps to make sure many people can enjoy. From new players to those with disabilities, games can take actions to help everyone join in the action. We take a look how in this critical video. Transcript: I think that…

You Can Play Ms. Pac-Man In Google Maps Right Now

If you’ve ever had the very specific fantasy of playing Ms. Pacman on your neighborhood streets, there’s good news. The Google Maps phone app will let you transform anywhere into a playable Ms. Pacman stage. The process is simple. If you have the Google Maps app, all you need to do is open it up…

Dark Souls 3’s Newest DLC Has The Best Boss Fight In the Series

The Ringed City offers one final hurrah for Dark Souls 3. The most stunning moment involves a surprising boss fight with a creative twist. Dark Souls 3‘s last piece of DLC is remarkably strong. Environments rip and tear previous games to cobble together a beautiful world, involved quest lines weave fascinating tales, and exciting boss…

Dogfighting Game Feels Like A Long Lost Sega Classic

Sky Rogue looks like it was ripped right out of an arcade. Colorful graphics, fun combat, and wonderfully realized community content combine for a damn good time. It’s this week’s Indie Pick. I was a bit surprised to see that Kotaku hadn’t covered this game much. My coworker Nathan Grayson enjoyed the gameplay, which is…

With Dark Souls 3‘s Newest DLC, The Series Finally Says Goodbye

Dark Souls 3‘s final DLC, The Ringed City, seeks to close the curtain on the series. With some of the best environments in the series and imaginative boss fights, it feels like a fitting end. Even as I shed no tears at the passing. The Ringed City is the last piece of content for the…

Fire Emblem Heroes Spring Event Comes With Bunny Costumes

Fire Emblem Heroes is about to get a little more colorful. The Spring Festival tosses fan favorite heroes into bunny costumes and adds a new, lighthearted side story to battle through. But it’s mostly about those absurd outfits. The Spring Festival will run from March 30th to April 13th. The biggest draw from the event…

The Walking Dead‘s Third Video Game Season Feels Too Safe

Telltale’s The Walking Dead latest season started off strong. The newest episode attempts to up the stakes further with new characters and tough decisions. But that might not be enough to make up for a stale format. When we last left Javier García, he and the group were desperately trying to get into the city…

Battlefield 1‘s New Maps, Compared To The Real World

Battlefield 1‘s newest DLC They Shall Not Pass adds one of the largest battles from World War One: the Battle of Verdun. But how does this depiction compare to reality? The Battle of Verdun was a massive clash between France and Germany. The German goal was to choose a strategic target of such importance that…

Zelda And Nier Are Great Despite–And Because Of–Their Technical Shortcomings

Nier: Automata and Breath of the Wild are amazing games with occasional technical problems. How do they manage to side step these issues and incorporate them into their structure? Heather takes a look in this critical video. Head’s Up: This video contains minor spoilers for Nier: Automata. Transcript: My current video game poisons of choice…

Looking To End Grenade Spam, Battlefield 1 Gives Everyone Recharging Grenades

Choke points and trenches are prime targets for grenades in Battlefield 1. High player numbers can make it difficult to gain ground without being blow to kingdom come. The first part of the developer’s plans to curb this? Give everyone grenades that automatically resupply. Instead of having a small stock of grenades that need to…

A Puzzle Game About Shuttling Around Alien Pals 

Cosmic Express is a cute and surprisingly difficult puzzler about guiding aliens through a space colony. It’s easy to pick up and offers a lot of challenge underneath all the bright colors. It’s this week’s indie pick! The goal is pretty simple: get the aliens where they need to go on a one way track.…

Every Time Nier Automata Ends, It Gets Better

Nier Automata is a game that gains meaning through repetition. The ending to the game changes following multiple playthroughs. Players see events from new perspectives and learn new information that recontextualizes past actions. It’s given us a lot to think about. Mike and Heather dissect the story in this discussion. SPOILERS AHEAD Heather Alexandra: So.…

For Honor director Damien Kieken responded to player concerns over pricey new emotes during a livestream yesterday. Part of his answer has been transcribed below: “We never had an intention for you to unlock everything in the game. We applied RPG mechanics to a fighting game. It’s like World of Warcraft, you would not try to…

Exuberant Backflip Emote In For Honor Can Be Used To Dodge Attacks

For Honor’s emotes give players a chance to be flashy during their duels, even if the new ones are a bit expensive. It turns out that emotes have a bit more use that simply taunting opponents. User TheRealCrayfish took to Reddit to show off some sick emote dodging skills. Using the Berserker, they leap right…

New Battlefield 1 Easter Egg Is Like The House From Up

Battlefield is known for its intricate easter eggs and hidden secrets. The latest hidden secret pulls directly from Disney to create a stunning and humorous sight. With the recently release of Battlefield 1‘s latest DLC They Shall Not Pass, it was only a matter of time before easters eggs were discovered. One of the first…

Breath of the Wild Speedrunner Gets Minutes Away From World Record, Watches Game Freeze 

The race to rush through Breath of the Wild has produced blistering speedruns. A run on track for a new world record came to a sudden end yesterday due to a deadly foe: technical issues. The current world record for Breath of the Wild is well under an hour. Currently, Orcastraw hold the top spot…

For Honor‘s New Emotes Are Way Too Expensive [Updated]

For Honor’s all about deadly duels and flashy sword fights. Oh, and micro-transactions. With the release of new emotes, some fans are less than pleased with their high price. In For Honor, you’re able to acquire an in-game currency called steel to spend on a variety of cosmetics and upgrades. Special character skins and particle…

Yesterday, Sega revealed that the previously unnamed Project Sonic is now Sonic Forces. They also announced that Sonic Mania is delayed until Summer.

Fire Emblem Heroes Gives Me The Structure I Need Right Now

Mobile gaming is a pitfall of crude monetizations and flash in the pan games. Most people I know have moved on from Fire Emblem Heroes. But it’s become a crucial part of my day to day. Initially, Fire Emblem Heroes provided a gateway to the other games. The bright characters and their brash personas ignited a…