Kirk Hamilton

Overwatch‘s D.Va Is So Good Now

Last week Overwatch got a big update with a new character and a bunch of balance tweaks. The new sniper Ana got a lot of attention, but some of the less obvious tweaks are just as big a deal. Chief among them: A remarkably involved buff to the mech-driving pro gamer D.Va, which has transformed…

Carl Sagan’s Contact: The movie was fine, but the book is amazing. What it is: A speculative 1985 science fiction novel by visionary astronomer Carl Sagan, later adapted into a feature film starring Jodie Foster. What I’ve read: I finished it a week or so ago. Is it good? Hell yes it is. I hadn’t…

What Are You Playing This Weekend?

It’s the weekend! If you live in the U.S., it’s probably gonna be a hot one. What better excuse to stay inside and play video games? I’m back at my desk and ready to PLAY SOME GAMES, man. This weekend I’ll be playing Kentucky Route Zero act IV, which actually means I’ll be replaying all…

If you can beat the PC demo of Trials of the Blood Dragon with 15 faults or fewer, you’ll get the full game for free I love this. Please let more publishers follow Ubisoft’s example. (They won’t.)

Netflix’s Stranger Things: style over substance, but still a lot of fun. What it is: The streaming network’s latest bingeworthy series, a nostalgia-fest that piles a dozen Stephen King homages on top of a dozen more tributes to 1980s Spielberg, then bonks them together like action figures. What I’ve watched: Watched all eight episodes over…

INSIDE: The Kotaku Review

Well, here’s one of the most straightforward video game reviews I’ll ever write. Back in 2010, a Danish indie studio called Playdead released a macabre side-scroller called Limbo. It was good. In 2016, that same studio is releasing a new macabre side-scroller. This one’s called Inside, and it’s really, really good. A version of this…

What Are You Playing This Weekend?

Weekend! Get your weekend here! Fresh from the oven, only a dollar! Hey, it’s Friday. Tomorrow’s Saturday, and after that comes Sunday. What a wonderful time to play some games! I’ll level with you: I’m going to be traveling this weekend so my gaming time is pretty limited. Before I go, I’ll probably play some…

Overwatch‘s Tracer Is The Best And I Love Her

Every character in Overwatch is different. It’s one of the most obvious (and fascinating) things about the game. There are big characters, small characters, attack characters, support characters… and there’s Tracer, my new total favorite character. Tracer is easily the most iconic Overwatch hero—she’s was the “star” of the first big announcement movie and is…

What Should I Do?

It’s a tough call… I’m not sure what I should do here… gonna have to put this one to a vote.

Dirt Rally is getting Oculus Rift support next Monday, July 11. From what I’ve played of the non-VR game, it will be a lot to deal with. I’m going to play it anyway.

The First Five PC Games I Use To Test A New Graphics Card

First, you spend too much on a new graphics card. Then, you fire up your chewiest, toughest PC games and make them beg for mercy. For one brief moment, your exorbitant purchase feels completely reasonable. Last week I bought a new top-of-the-line GTX 1080, a purchase I rationalized by telling myself I should get it…

What Are You Playing This Weekend?

It’s July, a great time for fireworks, cowboys and Canadian power-pop supergroups. It’s also a long weekend, which means it’s a great time to play some games. I’ll do my games first: I’m kinda bummed out by The Division expansion, so I probably won’t play much more of that. I’ll almost certainly play more Overwatch,…

It’s Hard Getting Back On The Division Train

This week, The Division got its first major expansion. It adds some pretty cool stuff to the game, but I’ve been having a hard time getting into it. Turns out once you’ve fallen off the Division train, it’s hard to get back on. The Division: Underground is, in theory, just the sort of thing the…

I Don’t Want To Make A Whole Thing Out Of It But I Totally Should’ve Gotten Play Of The Game For This

Look, I realize that Overwatch’s Play of the Game system is flawed. When it comes down to it, I’m usually just happy if my team won. But COME ON, this is some bullshit. At the very start of a match on King’s Row, I took down like half the opposing team: My team ultimately won,…

Call of Duty: Black Ops III’s next zombies map has a dragon. Not a wall dragon, but an actual flying dragon. It also looks like the Ray Gun Mark 3 will finally make an appearance. The “Descent” DLC hits PS4 first on July 12. Might be time to dust off my zombie-killing boots and give…

A Most Inspiring Overwatch Play Of The Game

Last night, my teammates and I ran into some serious Overwatch latency issues. We saw teleporting opponents, hits and ults that wouldn’t register, and mysteriously vanishing health packs. At the end of the match, the Play of the Game was something special. Whatever sick moves DEPUTY_DONG25 pulled off were apparently so amazing that they could…

Ubisoft Details The Division‘s 1.3 Update, PS4 Patch Delayed

Ubisoft has posted patch notes for The Division’s 1.3 update, which will accompany tomorrow’s Underground DLC. The patch will be free for all players regardless of whether they buy the DLC, though the PS4 version of the patch has been delayed. Ubisoft says only to “expect more information soon” regarding the PS4 delay. Per Ubisoft:…

Watch The CEO 2016 Fighting Game Tournament Right Here

All throughout the weekend, the Community Effort Orlando fighting game tournament will host dozens of players from all around the world as they compete in pursuit of glory and fabulous cash prizes. Games in the tournament include Street Fighter V, Super Smash Bros. Melee, Mortal Kombat XL, Guilty Gear XRD, Super Smash Bros. Wii U…

Overwatch’s Torbjörn Is Getting A Nerf On Consoles

Jason and I aren’t the only ones complaining that Overwatch’s turret-builder Torbjörn is frustratingly overpowered. Today, Blizzard’s Jeff Kaplan told players that the bearded fellow’s annoying turrets will soon be getting a significant damage nerf on consoles. “In an upcoming patch, we will reduce the damage done by Torbjörn’s turret by 30% on Xbox One…

What Are You Playing This Weekend?

It’s officially summer! Time to crank the AC and play some video games. I’ll go first: This weekend I’m gonna play some 35mm, which looks fascinating. I’ll also doubtless be playing some more Hitman, since I have a bunch of escalations and other Marrakesh stuff I want to get done before next weekend’s just-announced elusive…