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CultureKotaku Game DiaryJumpstart‘s The Only Way I Wanna Play Magic: The Gathering Arena
Magic: The Gathering’s new format Jumpstart is the only way I want to play Magic for the rest of my life. I love playing Magic, both paper and online with Arena. I love opening new cards. I love the art. I love beating dudes who are much better than me, like I did this weekend…
By Ash Parrish -
CultureKotaku Game DiaryThrowing Paper Mario‘s Confetti Is My Happy Place
Sadly, it feels like I’m reaching the end of my time with Paper Mario: The Origami King. I’ve loved everything about it—well, almost everything—but my favorite part has got to be the simple act of tossing confetti around. The Mushroom Kingdom is in total disarray by the time you get to explore it thanks to…
By Ian Walker -
CultureKotaku Game DiaryHalo: The Master Chief Collection Is So Fun Right Now
I’ve played Halo: The Master Chief Collection off and on—more off than on—since it released in 2014. The serious connectivity issues that persisted well past launch were one thing, but the game also hit that fun wall all first-person shooters hit. Sometimes it takes months or years, but the run-of-the-mill players always abandon ship for…
By Ari Notis -
CultureKotaku Game DiaryI’m Finally Clearing My Gaming Backlog, And It Rules
We all have backlogs of games we keep meaning to get to, all those games we promised ourselves we would totally, for sure, for real, play eventually. Recently, I’ve started actually finishing up some games on my backlog. It feels amazing. I love finishing a game. It’s satisfying to see the credits roll, and even…
By Zack Zwiezen -
CultureKotaku Game DiaryPaper Mario: The Origami King Is A Rare Game I Actually Want To 100%
I don’t 100% video games. Most of the time, I don’t even finishthem because I hate ending journeys I’m having so much fun on, or my brain goes “ooh shiny” and I bunny-hop to the next big thing. For the most part, all I want in a video game is to mainline rails of story.…
By Ash Parrish -
CultureKotaku Game DiaryTo The Random No Man’s Sky Players Who Gave Me Free Stuff
Hi. You probably don’t remember me. I was the chubby Gek pilot exploring the Nexus for the first time when you both handed me some supplies. I didn’t catch your names, but I want to say thank you! I’m betting all the credits in my spacesuit that I looked pretty lost. My last go at…
By Ian Walker -
CultureKotaku Game DiaryBattle Chef Brigade Helps Me Navigate A Complicated Relationship With Food During Covid-19
(Note: This post contains discussions of disordered eating.) During the pandemic, there are days when I don’t eat. I’ll be hungry, and I’ll have food, but I’ll just simply decline to eat. Quarantine robs me of my desire to eat, and depression from said quarantine robs me of the energy to cook. But what I…
By Ash Parrish -
CultureKotaku Game DiaryThe Last Of Us 2‘s Scariest Scene Has A Gameplay Problem
Between the screaming fungus zombies and the overtones of mindless militarism, The Last of Us Part 2 is basically one big, playable nightmare. But the scariest moment of the game comes at the midway point. At the end of Abby’s “Seattle Day 2” chapter, you end up at the Washington Liberation Front’s hospital base. Your…
By Ari Notis -
CultureKotaku Game DiaryI Love Cracking Safes In The Last Of Us Part 2
The Last of Us Part 2 has 14 locked safes scattered throughout its world. In contrast to the rest of the game, where resources are limited and ammo is scarce, these safes are loaded with supplies. In a game where visceral fun isin short supply, cracking these safes is a pleasurable experience that forces you…
By Kevin Wong -
CultureKotaku Game DiaryIn VR You Can’t Escape The Loading Screen
Loading screens are something we all deal with while playing video games. As long as they are brief many of us will just grab our phone and check Twitter or grab a bite to eat. But in virtual reality, with a headset strapped to your face, you are trapped and forced to awkwardly stand and…
By Zack Zwiezen -
CultureKotaku Game DiaryThe Gathering Animations In Among Trees Are Very Good
Survival games are, by nature, pretty intense. Among Trees, which entered early access on the Epic Games Store last week, is a bit more zen, thanks in part to its gorgeous visuals and dense soundscapes. In my first few hours with the game I even found myself enamored with the elaborate animations, particularly when gathering…
By Ian Walker -
CultureKotaku Game DiaryAll The Times I Ate Shit Trying To Land One Trick In Session
Session has been in early access on Steam since late 2019, but it made the jump to Xbox One this week with a time-limited demo. As someone who flailed around on a skateboard a bit as a youth, I’ve always had a soft spot for skateboarding games. I immediately fell in love with Session, so…
By Ian Walker -
CultureKotaku Game DiaryIn Star Wars Battlefront II, I’d Rather Play A Grunt Than A Hero
I’ve seen heroes and villains do incredible things in Star Wars Battlefront II. Yoda, so small that he easily evades blaster fire, cutting through battle droids like butter. Darth Maul choke-holding an entire platoon and capturing a control point on his own. These powerful characters can single-handedly turn the tide of a match. But for…
By Ian Walker -
CultureKotaku Game DiaryLet Me Keep My Damn Weeds, Animal Crossing
I’m new to the Animal Crossing world. Outside of a short-lived stint in Pocket Camp, New Horizons is the first time I’ve ever played a major Animal Crossing title. Part of getting into an established series late means learning things seasoned players know implicitly, like that you’re supposed to pick the weeds. But I don’t…
By Ash Parrish -
CultureKotaku Game DiaryAnimal Crossings’ Sharks Don’t Do Fish Crimes But I Love Them Anyway
Hot on the caudal fin of Tripwire Interactive’s bloody aquatic epic Maneater, Animal Crossing: New Horizons’ summer season fills its seas with man-eating beasts. Animal Crossing’s sharks don’t actually eat people and can be caught by a single human holding a flimsy fishing pole, but that just makes them more lovable. Nothing like standing on…
By Mike Fahey -
CultureKotaku Game DiaryManeater‘s Orca Tank Is Terrifying, Even As A Godlike Megashark
I’m absolutely in love with Maneater, the new shark game from Tripwire Interactive. Nothing in video games has ever made me feel as powerful as cruising the Louisiana bayou and wantonly chomping passing barracuda. But one setpiece managed to inject my shark-inspired reverie with a terror made only more potent by the rest of the…
By Ian Walker -
CultureKotaku Game DiaryHoly Shit I Found A Switch
A couple of days ago, I wrote a piece about how hard it is to find a Nintendo Switch. With the covid-19 outbreak temporarily halting production of the console in China, and scalpers seizing the opportunity to buy up and flip the Switch for usurious prices, nary a Switch is to be found on American…
By Ash Parrish
