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CultureKotaku Game Diary
Sadly, It’s Surprising That There Are Two Black Women In Apex Legends
Loading up Apex Legends for the first time, I saw two black women as playable characters. It was a strange and arresting feeling to see them. I’m still trying to understand my feelings about it. I’m usually quite wary of falling into what my coworker Riley MacLeod calls “the diversity trap,” which is to say,…
By Gita Jackson Published February 6, 2019 -
CultureKotaku Game Diary
A Game About The First Year Of Art School
Art Sqool sucked me in early on. My second in-game assignment was to draw slowly and deliberately. It was a tall order for drawing with a mouse, but I gave it a fair shot. I made sure I traced my lines slowly, with purpose, really considering each stroke and what it added or took away.…
By Gita Jackson Published February 5, 2019 -
CultureKotaku Game DiaryAnthem‘s Demo Ends With An Exciting Cloud And A Less Exciting Rock Monster
Anthem’s open demo, which launched this past weekend, had its first “mini-event” last night. A fiery vortex formed in the sky, and some big rock monsters appeared on the ground below. It made for a nice change of visuals and something new to hunt, but like a lot of what the demo has shown off,…
By Ethan Gach Published February 4, 2019 -
CultureKotaku Game Diary
For Honor’s New Fighter Leans Into The Game’s Simple Pleasures
For Honor got its first new fighter of 2019 yesterday: Black Prior. I could talk about how it’s cool that Black Prior is sort of emo and brooding and has a weird affection for skulls. Or how the character puts an interesting emphasis back on turtling, a strategy that almost strangled the fun out of…
By Ethan Gach Published February 1, 2019 -
CultureKotaku Game Diary
There’s Something Weirdly Comforting About Playing Games That Are Just ‘Okay’
When I started playing My Time At Portia, I wasn’t expecting much. A few YouTubers I liked were playing it and I just wanted to check it out. It didn’t really wow me, but also wasn’t egregiously bad. It was just… fine. I still played it until midnight. I love perfectly crafted, engaging, smart games…
By Gita Jackson Published January 31, 2019 -
CultureKotaku Game DiaryWargroove Is A Very Good Strategy Game
There are two things you should know about the indie game Wargroove, which comes out for PC, Switch, and Xbox One on Friday. The first is that it’s a smart, challenging turn-based strategy game that’s essentially Advance Wars for the modern era. The second is that you get to play as a puppy who wears…
By Jason Schreier Published January 30, 2019 -
CultureKotaku Game Diary
Chrono Trigger’s Writer Made A Mobile JRPG That’s Not Defined By Its Microtransactions
Can two of the people who helped make Chrono Trigger one of the most amazing games of all time find a balance on mobile between the nostalgic appeal of classic Japanese role-playing games and the economics of free-to-play? Based on a couple hours with Another Eden: The Cat Beyond Time and Space, the answer is:…
By Ethan Gach Published January 29, 2019 -
CultureKotaku Game Diary
The Difference Between Horror Movies And Horror Games
I hate horror movies. I hate having to sit and watch as helpless people walk headlong into traps or hide fruitlessly from killers. I hate the moments of quiet leading up to the next jump scare. But I love horror games. I review them enthusiastically. So much of the distinction comes down to doors and…
By Heather Alexandra Published January 28, 2019 -
CultureKotaku Game Diary
Overwatch Is No Longer My Third Place
Nobody ever asks why anyone stopped playing Halo 2. No response would merit it. The game came out in 2004, and three years later, there was Halo 3. At some point, it got old. Another game came along. Friends moved on. It was just a thing you did, and then you went and did something…
By Cecilia D'Anastasio Published January 25, 2019 -
CultureKotaku Game Diary
When You Realize Your Strategy In A Video Game Is Doomed
When I landed at the location I’d designated in my latest game of Rimworld, I felt optimistic. It was permanent summer, but not so arid that there wasn’t anywhere to plant. I thought that this time, I’d make it a few years. A few minutes later, I realized I had gotten myself into a death…
By Gita Jackson Published January 24, 2019 -
CultureKotaku Game Diary
There Are So Many PC Games To Play, I Can’t Choose One To Start
I measured out a space in my incredibly small apartment and bought a desk. After rearranging my room, I finally have a space to actually hook up and use my PC. Now what do I do? I live in New York, where people will live in any space they can get, no matter how tiny.…
By Gita Jackson Published January 23, 2019 -
CultureKotaku Game Diary
Bloodborne Has Clicked For Me (And It Only Took Four Years)
A few weeks ago, I was cursing former Kotaku jerk Kirk Hamilton for forcing me to play through all of Bloodborne. Now, I’m fearing the old blood just like the rest of you. First, a bit of background: I bought From Software’s PlayStation 4-exclusive action game when it first came out back in March 2015.…
By Jason Schreier Published January 22, 2019 -
CultureKotaku Game Diary
I Hate Deciding Where To Land In Fortnite
Lately, I’ve been playing squads in Fortnite, instead of my usual short-lived solo runs. I mostly play with strangers and keep voice chat off. Playing squads has definitely helped me get better at the game, but there’s one thing I still can’t master: choosing where to land. Because I’m not playing with voice chat, there’s…
By Riley MacLeod Published January 21, 2019 -
CultureKotaku Game Diary
I’m Now Playing My Switch Vertically
I’ve played my Switch in TV mode, handheld mode and tabletop mode. Now I’ve got a game that lets me play it like I’m holding an oversized unwrapped candy bar. It’s great. The game is Downwell, a wonderful mobile game about diving and shooting your way deeper and deeper into some Metroid-looking caves. The creators…
By Stephen Totilo Published January 18, 2019 -
CultureKotaku Game Diary
I’m Using My Dating Sim Skills To Solve Danganronpa‘s Murders
Ever since the mystery game Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc came out in 2010, my friends have tried to convince me to play it by comparing it to other mystery games like Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney, and even to role-playing games like Persona 5. Now that I’m finally playing it on the PlayStation Vita, I’ve come…
By Maddy Myers Published January 17, 2019 -
CultureKotaku Game DiaryYIIK Is A Throwback 90s RPG I Just Can’t Get Into
Alex, the protagonist of YIIK: A Postmodern RPG, is a burned out liberal arts major who returns home after graduating college just as the year 2000 is looming. The player explores his small town of Frankton, stumbles upon a stray cat in the woods, and is soon plunged into a rabbit hole of creepypasta-inspired mysteries…
By Ethan Gach Published January 16, 2019 -
CultureKotaku Game DiaryLet’s Hear It For Really Good Role-Playing Game Battle Music
I’ve got a song stuck in my head that’s somehow not getting old. A colleague recently wrote about a new Mario & Luigi remake, I dusted off an unfinished older Mario & Luigi game, and next thing I know, I’m on the subway and… am I bobbing my head to some boss battle music? Why,…
By Stephen Totilo Published January 15, 2019 -
CultureKotaku Game Diary
I Hit Assassin’s Creed Odyssey’s Original Level Cap Before Seeing Half The Map
Every time I play Ubisoft’s gargantuan Assassin’s Creed Odyssey I’m astounded at how much of it I have left. I’m also left startled by how different an experience I seem to have had from many other players I’ve heard some people complain that Odyssey is a grind, that they level too slowly, and that they’re…
By Stephen Totilo Published January 14, 2019 -
CultureKotaku Game DiaryOne Of My Favorite Tales Role-Playing Games Just Got Better
Tales of Vesperia is one of the best entries in the long-running Tales series. Originally released worldwide in 2008 for the Xbox 360, it came out on PS3 only in Japan in 2009 with extra playable characters, a more fleshed-out story, full voice acting, new mini-games and more. Nearly a decade later, Bandai Namco finally gives…
By Mike Fahey Published January 11, 2019 -
CultureKotaku Game Diary
All I Do In Final Fantasy XIV Now Is Play Mahjong
This week’s 4.5 update for Final Fantasy XIV brought players an exciting new raid encounter featuringa Final Fantasy XII cameo, a new dungeon to explore and the first half of the conclusion to the exciting Stormblood storyline. It also added multiplayer Mahjong. Guess what I’ve been doing for the past two days. Competitive Mahjong is…
By Mike Fahey Published January 10, 2019