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The Creepiest Part Of Resident Evil 2 Didn’t Involve Zombies
I learned about survival horror from the first Resident Evil, and loved how Resident Evil 2 took that to the next level with a city full of zombies after your neck. When I loaded up the recent Resident Evil 2 remake on my PlayStation 4, it felt like revisiting an old friend, if that old…
By Peter Tieryas Published February 18, 2019 -
Herzog Zwei Is The Best Real-Time Strategy Game You Never Played
I was always a fan of the Risk board game as a kid, and Herzog Zwei was kind of like Risk if you infused real time action, mechas, and intense futuristic tank battles. An obscure gem for the Sega Genesis, it released in 1990 from Technosoft and happens to be one of the best strategy…
By Peter Tieryas Published February 18, 2019 -
The Battle Angel Alita Manga Is An Essential Read
I’ve been waiting a long time for the Alita:Battle Angel movie, which is based on the Gunnm manga series by Yukito Kishiro. I fell in love with the nine-volume epic, which was called Battle Angel Alita in its English versions, when I first discovered the series in high school. I’m going through the books again,…
By Peter Tieryas Published February 18, 2019 -
What Is The Hardest Game Level You’ve Played?
Dark Souls, Battletoads, Ninja Gaiden, and Cuphead wear their difficulty as a badge of pride. They crush souls and spirits alike, and results in a lot of fatigued fingers. Playing them feels like Groundhog Days of death; Live, Die, Repeat, and Repeat! Sometimes it’s about memorization, recognizing patterns, knowing where random enemies spawn, like in…
By Peter Tieryas Published February 9, 2019 -
The Brilliant Use of Mode 7 In Super Ghouls ‘N Ghosts’ Fourth Stage
When I think of the toughest games of my childhood, the Ghosts ‘n Goblins series from Capcom immediately comes to mind. They’re unforgivingly difficult, taunting you at each corner with a thousand deaths. Arthur’s armor gets shredded by every moving object and even upgraded weapons offer little protection. What’s worse is that you have to…
By Peter Tieryas Published February 9, 2019 -
I Still Think About Detroit: Become Human’s Tales Of Abuse
My wife and I look forward to playing each of David Cage’s games. There were parts of Heavy Rain, Beyond: Two Souls, and Indigo Prophecy that we found fascinating, weaving a unique experience unlike any other. With Detroit: Become Human, I had avoided all articles so I could go in with a fresh perspective. I…
By Peter Tieryas Published February 9, 2019 -
Zelda’s ‘Black Sheep’ Is My Favorite In The Series
Because it changes up so much of what we’ve come to consider the traditonal Zelda formula, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link is often considered the black sheep in the series. But I loved the switch to a side-scrolling action RPG with towns and NPCs. The story of how I played Zelda II is closely…
By Peter Tieryas Published February 9, 2019 -
Dragon Quest XI Has Some Of The Best NPC Stories Ever
Playing a main series Dragon Quest game is a serious time investment. I’ve finished half of them, and the last three I played (V, VII, and VIII) each required almost 100 hours. But there’s something special about the games that director Yuji Horii is involved with, whether it’s the Dragon Quest games, Chrono Trigger, or…
By Peter Tieryas Published February 9, 2019 -
What’s Your Favorite Game Ending?
I finally finished Persona 5. It took us about 90 hours (I played with my wife) but it was worth every minute. Each of the characters had a compelling arc and I felt their friendship get closer with every palace infiltration. The climactic reveal in Shibuya had me cheering for them. The music was brilliant…
By Peter Tieryas Published July 4, 2018 -
The Brilliant Use of Fear And Scale In Batman: Arkham Asylum’s Scarecrow Levels
The Arkham games are Batman at his best, combining intense action sequences against an iconic gallery of villains with exploration elements via his detective skills. The dark knight isn’t just about brute force, but uses his intellect to gain an advantage over criminals. I loved soaring through Arkham City and reliving Batman’s past through Arkham…
By Peter Tieryas Published July 4, 2018 -
How Harlan Ellison’s Most Famous Short Story Became An Amazing Video Game
The first time that Cyberdreams producer David Mullich showed author Harlan Ellison a page of the dialogue he’d written for the 1995 game based on his short story “I Have No Mouth, And I Must Scream,” Ellison asked, “Who wrote this shit?” When Mullich replied that he had, Ellison got visibly embarrassed and apologized. “No,…
By Peter Tieryas Published July 4, 2018 -
The Story Behind Ultima’s Morality
When I think back on the games I played growing up, the Ultima series stands out as one of the most unique and compelling. These open-world fantasy RPGs helped define and establish many of the standards of the genre through nine main installments and multiple spin-offs on a variety of platforms. My first Ultima game…
By Peter Tieryas Published July 4, 2018 -
An Ode To Unused Items
Howdy Kotaku! Ben and Peter have returned to run Kotaku for the 4th of July. It’s a day of fireworks and rest. It’s also a day to bust out food and drinks we’ve been saving for special occasions, unlike in gaming where we always find ourselves hoarding special items that we end up never using.…
Peter Tieryas & Ben Bertoli Published July 4, 2018 -
Which Console Has The Best RPGs?
Every console has had amazing RPGs. I’m still making my way through Persona 5 for the PS4, but it’s one of the best JRPGs I’ve ever played (Nier:Automata was no slouch either). The Last Story on the Wii was incredible, Lost Odyssey for XBox 360 is one of the best Final Fantasy games not named…
By Peter Tieryas Published April 28, 2018 -
How Playing Games With My Wife Changed My Gaming Experience
Sometimes, sharing a game can give you a whole new perspective on it. The titles have varied, from Grand Theft Auto V and Final Fantasy VII, to more recently, Dragon Quest Builders and Super Mario Odyssey. While Angela and I prefer multiplayer games when possible, the majority of games we play together are single-player ones…
By Peter Tieryas Published April 28, 2018 -
Final Fantasy VII’s Cosmo Canyon Sequence Is A Meditation On Family, Sacrifice, And Existence Itself
My favorite Final Fantasy game is VII. But it’d been over a decade since I last played FFVII and I wondered how it would hold up. I downloaded the PS4 version and played through the entire game again. This time, Square gave players endless limit breaks, the option to avoid random battles, and the ability…
By Peter Tieryas Published April 28, 2018 -
Shining Force’s Brilliant Use Of Geography And Tactics In The Battle Against The Laser Eye
Shining Force was the game that made me fall in love with tactical JRPGs. Everything from its anime visuals to its catchy music and its grid-based battle system had me hooked. My love for tactical games back in the 90s was limited to traditional PC style strategy games like Romance of the Three Kingdoms, with…
By Peter Tieryas Published April 28, 2018 -
The Jaw-Dropping Battles of Asura’s Wrath
Asura’s Wrath is cathartic. One moment, you feel like the most powerful being in the universe. The next, smaller than an ant in a hurricane about to get crushed. Then you come back stronger than ever, overcoming the odds to gain your vengeance. Released in 2012 and published by Capcom, it’s a uniquely blistering experience…
By Peter Tieryas Published April 28, 2018 -
What Is Your Favorite Game Level?
Super Mario Odyssey did a fantastic job melding a nostalgic love for the older retro Mario titles and its more modern 3D games. Its levels are inspired, creatively designed to balance a sense of wonder with a good challenge. Minor Spoiler Alert New Donk City’s Traditional Festival is the perfect example of that. Mario takes…
By Peter Tieryas Published January 15, 2018 -
How One Of Horizon Zero Dawn’s Most Powerful Scenes Connects Aloy’s Childhood With Her Future
I’m blown away by Horizon Zero Dawn’s breathtaking landscapes, dinosaur-mecha battles, and its emotionally powerful story. In my closing article for today’s run as guest editor, I thought I’d get into why I’m loving my time with Horizon Zero Dawn and how I almost skipped over one of the most surprisingly touching moments in the…
By Peter Tieryas Published January 15, 2018
Peter Tieryas
Peter Tieryas is the author of the Mecha Samurai Empire series and Kill or be Killed. He's previously worked for places like EA, Sony, LucasArts, and Pixar.
Peter Tieryas's posts