Kotaku Game Diary Archives - Page 26 of 31

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

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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

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Wargroove 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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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YIIK 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

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Let’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

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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

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One 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

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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

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I Really Like The Darkwing Duck Game That Capcom Rejected

Here’s a failed game concept that I really wish had managed to survive the gauntlet of development: Headcannon’s Darkwing Duck pitch. Earlier this week, the developers of Sonic Mania revealed that they’d previously approached Capcom about making a spiritual successor to the company’s 1992 NES game. Obviously, they were unsuccessful. The studio has since released…

By Ethan Gach Published January 9, 2019

CultureKotaku Game Diary

The Stories Behind Assassin’s Creed Mercenaries Are Terrific, But Easily Missed

You don’t need to know the backstory of Shoeless Ogarneos, a mercenary who may try to kill you in Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, but the word in the game is that this ancient Greek killer-for-hire only wore bandages on his feet and “liked the red tint they had at the end of each day.” I can…

By Stephen Totilo Published January 8, 2019

CultureKotaku Game Diary

The Eternal Castle Is A Great Throwback To Classic Cinematic Sidescrollers

The Eternal Castle is a love letter to old cinematic platformers of the late 80s and early 90s, a throwback to games such as Another World, Flashback. It capitalizes on their virtues without the weight of their technological limitations. It just came out on Steam over the weekend. I haven’t even finished it yet, and…

By Ethan Gach Published January 7, 2019