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CultureKotaku Game Diary
My Favorite Thing About Far Cry New Dawn Is Seeing How Far Cry 5‘s Locations Changed
I’m a sucker for a game series that lets me revisit a place I’ve explored in an earlier game. I loved it when I played Super Metroid, and I’m having a great time with it now in the new Far Cry. I’m not talking about old levels being recreated in new games. I’m talking about…
By Stephen Totilo Published March 7, 2019 -
CultureKotaku Game Diary
Everything About Anthem’s In-Game Stores Is Bafflingly Bad
Every time I log into Anthem I stop by one of its in-game stores, and every time I am disappointed. The selection is bad. The three-day refresh is bad. Even the locations of the in-game shops are bad. It boggles the mind. Pictured above is Prospero, the first vendor players come across in Anthem’s home…
By Mike Fahey Published March 6, 2019 -
CultureKotaku Game Diary
I Wish This Charming Anime Game Wasn’t A Roguelike
RemiLore: Lost Girl in the Lands of Lore is a game filled with things I love. An unlikely anime hero finds herself in a magical world, where she must defeat mechanical creatures using ridiculous weapons. Oh, and the robots drop snacks when they die. It would be a perfect game if only it didn’t have…
By Mike Fahey Published March 5, 2019 -
CultureKotaku Game DiaryKingdom 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…
By Heather Alexandra Published March 4, 2019 -
CultureKotaku Game Diary
Anthem‘s Worst Boss Is So Bad It’s Not Even Worth Fighting
I’m well on my way to hitting the 100-hour mark in my time with Anthem, in part because it’s my goddamn job but also because I’m a glutton for the grind. In all my time with BioWare’s loot shooter, however, nothing in the diverse array of bugs nor the plethora of petty inconveniences has filled…
By Ethan Gach Published March 1, 2019 -
CultureKotaku Game Diary
Apex Legends Has Me Caring About A Game’s Meta For The First Time
The Wingman-and-Peacekeeper combo is quickly taking over Apex Legends, and with good reason—it owns. The combination is also having an unexpected consequence on me: I found myself actually invested in a video game’s meta. The Wingman is a pistol that can kill a player in three headshots, and the Peacekeeper has the potential to deliver…
By Gita Jackson Published February 28, 2019 -
CultureKotaku Game Diary
I Lost A Fight With A Door In Apex Legends
Last night, I finally encountered what top Apex Legends players are describing as a “neat trick” or an “OP strat” but for me just resulted in a newfound hatred for doors. I hopped onto Apex Legends for a few rounds of shooty-shooty funtimes with some buddies. We’d done all right, for the most part, often…
By Cecilia D'Anastasio Published February 27, 2019 -
CultureKotaku Game Diary
Bloodborne Is Ruining Other Games For Me
Last weekend, I tried to jump into some video games. I spent a couple of minutes with the very flawed Anthem, briefly glanced at the Tales of Vesperia remaster on my Switch, and even started a new file in Final Fantasy IX, one of my favorite classic role-playing games. All of these games had one…
By Jason Schreier Published February 26, 2019 -
CultureKotaku Game Diary
I’m Obsessed With Anthem’s Mech-Entering Sequence
Anthem is not a particularly sensual game, especially for a BioWare joint. There are no romance options. There’s some light flirting while talking with computer-controlled characters, but nothing intimate. Gameplay outside of a mech suit is all first-person, so the player barely sees their character outside of cutscenes. But damn, the transition from first-person human…
By Mike Fahey Published February 25, 2019 -
CultureKotaku Game Diary
Etrian Odyssey Nexus Is Busting My Balls And It’s Totally My Fault
I consider myself a veteran Etrian Odyssey player. I’ve hand-drawn dozens of maps across the role-playing game series, meticulously crawled floors for every treasure chest and scripted event, and gotten hundreds of monsters in my codex—conditional drops and all. So I came to the latest title in the series, Etrian Odyssey Nexus, pretty prepared for…
By Natalie Degraffinried Published February 22, 2019 -
CultureKotaku Game Diary
Dead Or Alive 6’s Quest Mode Is Exactly The Single-Player Content I Wanted
There’s a hefty amount of solo content in Dead or Alive 6, including an expansive branching story mode that should keep players occupied for hours. But it’s the new DOA Quest mode, with its goal-oriented battles and costume unlocks, that’s captured my attention. It’s a series of bite-sized missions that I could play through all…
By Mike Fahey Published February 21, 2019 -
CultureKotaku Game Diary
Shout Out To The Teen Who Played Apex Legends With Me Last Night
Last night, on my actually for real final Apex Legends game, I thought my squad was doomed. Our third squadmate had been disconnected, and I knew I was dead weight for the more experienced player I was tagging along with. I was content to get lost and then shot, because it was around midnight and…
By Gita Jackson Published February 20, 2019 -
CultureKotaku Game DiaryThere’s A New Game Based On How To Train Your Dragon And It’s Actually Pretty Good
Movie tie-in games that pop up with little fanfare are seldom good, so I didn’t expect much from Dreamworks Dragons: Dawn of New Riders. I certainly didn’t expect a charming, puzzle-packed old school Zelda-style action role-playing game. What a pleasant surprise. Released last week on Xbox One, Playstation 4, Switch and PC in advance of…
By Mike Fahey Published February 19, 2019 -
CultureKotaku Game DiaryDaemon 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…
By Heather Alexandra Published February 15, 2019 -
CultureKotaku Game Diary
I Lost A Bet In Smash And Now I Have To Keep A Sexy Picture Of Yoshi On My Phone
This isn’t so much a “diary” as it is an explanation. It is an explanation as to why, throughout the last week’s day-to-day obligations and engagements, I have had the affect of a melting globule of salted snail. My mood has been poor, maybe worse than when I got rejected from my first-choice college, and…
By Cecilia D'Anastasio Published February 14, 2019 -
CultureKotaku Game Diary
Apex Legends Needs A ‘You’re Welcome’ Button
In Apex Legends, when you pick up ammo a teammate has dropped for you, or an item that they’ve pinged on the map, the game prompts you to press a button to say “thank you.” I press it every time, because it’s the nice thing to do. The game won’t let you say “You’re welcome,”…
By Gita Jackson Published February 13, 2019 -
CultureKotaku Game Diary
My Most Daring Resurrections In Apex Legends
I’ve been sticking with healer Lifeline as my main in Apex Legends; I play support in most games that give me the option. I take my healer duties very seriously, rushing in to boost my squad’s HP and calling in supply drops whenever I can. In my mind, my responsibility as support also extends to…
By Riley MacLeod Published February 12, 2019 -
CultureKotaku Game Diary
Apex Legends‘ Mozambique Shotgun Sucks, And Everyone Knows
If there’s one thing that all Apex Legends players can agree on, a week since release, it’s that the Mozambique shotgun sucks. I’m not too picky about guns in video games. If I pick it up and it shoots, I’ll take it. One exception to that rule I have made is the Mozambique shotgun in…
By Gita Jackson Published February 11, 2019 -
CultureKotaku Game Diary
Socialist Tabletop Game Reminded Me That You Have To Stop Infighting To Get Shit Done
On Wednesday night, a group of friends and I gathered to spark a revolution. We were playing Comrades, a tabletop RPG that puts its players in the shoes of leftist activists fighting for their causes. I make it no secret that I am a socialist. That’s right! I’m the political dissident the President is warning…
By Gita Jackson Published February 8, 2019 -
CultureKotaku Game Diary
I Keep Trying To Play Multiplayer Games Solo
I’ve mostly been a single-player gamer. I grew up with Nintendo consoles and went more Metroid than Mario Kart, more Super Mario Bros. than Smash Bros. When I’m playing Destiny, I’ll enjoy some of its spontaneous co-op combat, but I don’t indulge in PvP. So why do I keep buying or trying multiplayer games? My…
By Stephen Totilo Published February 7, 2019