Kotaku Game Diary Archives - Page 27 of 31

How I Killed My Switch Charger

It was 11:54 p.m. on New Year’s Eve when people started screaming at me to put the big ball drop in Time Square on my TV. It’s sort of the “you had one job” of throwing a New Year’s party, and I had completely forgotten about it. Many gin and tonics deep, I made my…

By Ethan Gach Published January 4, 2019

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The Sims Is Teaching Me To Appreciate Architecture

When I was in the suburbs with my family over the holiday, I saw my old hometown with new eyes. It has some fantastic architecture—lots of old Colonials and some fancy Victorians. Part of my change of heart has to do with getting older and no longer being resentful of growing up in a small…

By Gita Jackson Published January 3, 2019

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I Unexpectedly Made A Lot Of Money Telling Fortunes In Final Fantasy XIV

Lately I’ve spent a lot of time in Final Fantasy XIV, Square Enix’s most recent massive multiplayer entry into the legendary game series. Often that means running dungeons for loot or fighting difficult bosses. Yesterday, it meant accidentally becoming a paid fortune teller in one of the game’s bustling metropolises. There are numerous servers to…

By Heather Alexandra Published January 2, 2019

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Don’t Miss Out On CrossCode, An Excellent Action-RPG

What I love about CrossCode, an action-RPG that came out on Steam earlier this year, isn’t just that it’s charming as heck and feels great to play. No, what I love about CrossCode is that it’s secretly a puzzle game. Don’t miss out on this one, folks. CrossCode, which I started playing last week after…

By Jason Schreier Published December 31, 2018

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My Decision-Packed Return To Final Fantasy XV

Having recently acquired a Playstation 4 Pro, I sat down to decide what game I would play with its graphical boosts. After some consideration, I opted for Final Fantasy XV. I played it when it first came out and enjoyed it a lot. But the game’s grown since then, with DLC campaigns, expanded story sequences,…

By Heather Alexandra Published December 28, 2018

CultureKotaku Game Diary

I’m Determined To Build A Tiny House For My Sims

I’m home for the holidays, and my parents love the interior-design focused TV station HGTV. That means a lot of Property Brothers, House Hunters, and Tiny House, Big Living. Although I have my own obsession with House Hunters (how do they keep finding such horrible people?), I also have a soft spot for the tiny…

By Gita Jackson Published December 27, 2018

CultureKotaku Game Diary

I Feel Guilty Accepting Help In Final Fantasy XIV

It’s the holiday season, which means I’ve been unwinding with my secret favorite game of 2018, Final Fantasy XIV, and leveling up character classes. I started leveling Blacksmith in order to make a friend a holiday gift, but I found myself propelled to higher levels thanks to unprompted charity from peers. It’s made me wonder:…

By Heather Alexandra Published December 26, 2018

CultureKotaku Game Diary

I Accidentally Made A Nightmare Coaster In Parkitect

My park was hemorrhaging money, and lines for my steel coaster were depressingly empty. The only thing to do was take out a loan and try to make my ride less terrifying so people would actually get on it. Parkitect is a spiritual successor to the old Rollercoaster Tycoon games that I used to pick…

By Gita Jackson Published December 21, 2018

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Nier Automata‘s 2B Is Too Good For SoulCalibur VI

When SoulCalibur VI launched with The Witcher’s Geralt as a playable character, I was like, “Okay, that makes sense. He’ll fit in.” This week Bandai Namco added Nier Automata’s android protagonist 2B to the mix, and well, I feel bad for the rest of the roster. She’s too much for them. It’s not YoRHa No.…

By Mike Fahey Published December 20, 2018

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It’s Easier To Appreciate Classical Music When My High Score Depends On It

The holiday season is an excellent time to listen to soothing classical music. You know what’s better than listening? Playing it in Pianista for the Nintendo Switch, the classical version of DJMax. It’s like an involuntary music appreciation class. When I say Pianista: The Legendary Virtuoso is the classical version of DJMax, what I mean…

By Mike Fahey Published December 19, 2018

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I Love Smash Ultimate’s Much-Maligned World Of Light

While most of the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate players on our staff are busy beating the living crap out of friends, family and random strangers, I’m having fun making my way through the game’s World of Light adventure mode. While our review called the side mode “unnecessarily involved,” juggling stats, skill points and power-ups is…

By Mike Fahey Published December 18, 2018

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I Just Unlocked A 2016 Nintendo Game In The Silliest Way Possible

I was recently reminded that Nintendo’s “My Nintendo” rewards program has a single reward that I want. I’ve wanted for two years, actually. I figured it was about time I claimed it, and if I had to click on a bunch of websites along the way, so be it. My goal was to unlock a…

By Stephen Totilo Published December 17, 2018

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Forza Horizon 4‘s First Expansion Is Dull, At Least Right Now

Though I appreciate the rocky cliffs and craggy hills of Forza Horizon 4‘s new Northern Isles-inspired Fortune Island, I worry that once I finish all the expansion’s treasure hunts I’ll lose my appetite for brown emptiness. Fortune Island is Forza’s newest DLC. Located somewhere to the north of the main game’s English countryside, it’s a…

By Mike Fahey Published December 14, 2018

CultureKotaku Game Diary

Gris Is Beautiful In Every Way

I don’t normally shed tears when a video game ends. I hardly ever pause in the middle of a playthrough to appreciate a clever game mechanic. I do stop to listen to game music, but it’s rare I spend minutes trying to get gameplay and soundtrack to sync in order to recreate a perfect moment.…

By Mike Fahey Published December 13, 2018

CultureKotaku Game Diary

I Liked Hoverbike Racing Game Desert Child‘s Pitch More Than Its Execution

At E3, amid the booming explosions of big-budget game trailers and sterile setups for pricy gaming PCs, I stumbled upon a cute racing game called Desert Child. It looked like a western, cyberpunk racer and had some Cowboy Bebop flair, all rendered in chic pixel art, and immediately I was intrigued. Desert Child is a…

By Cecilia D'Anastasio Published December 12, 2018

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Stupidity Escalates Exquisitely In Earth Defense Force 5

Just in time to help us mindlessly while away the winter holidays, Earth Defense Force 5 for the PS4 brings players back to the stupidest version of our planet possible. The giant insects no one calls insects are back, and this time they’ve brought 20 foot tall frogs that look “just like us.” I’m face-palming, but…

By Mike Fahey Published December 11, 2018

CultureKotaku Game Diary

Ashen Is A Dreamier Dark Souls

I’m a voracious Souls player. From multiple playthroughs of the Dark Souls trilogy to games like The Surge and Nioh, I can’t get enough of moody exploration and tough boss fights. Ashen, a new Souls-like published by Annapurna Interactive, released last week on the Epic store and Xbox One, and while it doesn’t reinvent the…

By Heather Alexandra Published December 10, 2018

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Help, I Accidentally Bought Mario Party Instead Of Smash

After last night’s announcement that Persona 5’s Joker is coming to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, I finally decided I was going to buy the damn game. Then I bought Super Mario Party I don’t know how I made this mistake. Maybe I was just being hasty. Maybe after so many hours of Game Awards my…

By Gita Jackson Published December 7, 2018

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Katamari Damacy Never Fails To Roll Me Up Into A Ball Of Joy

While there’s no recapturing the weird and wonderful feeling of playing Katamari Damacy for the first time, this week’s remaster Katamari Damacy Reroll brings all of the joy of the original tumbling right back. For those of you who’ve not had the pleasure, Katamari Damacy was a 2004 game for the PlayStation 2 that introduced…

By Mike Fahey Published December 6, 2018

CultureKotaku Game Diary

I’ll Finish Just Cause 4 Once The Balloon Grapple Stops Being Hilarious

How am I supposed to focus on freeing Just Cause 4‘s fictional South American country of Solis from the grip of the Black Hand mercenary syndicate when the aftermath of every skirmish looks like a birthday party gone horribly wrong? Just Cause 4 is an action adventure game with a story and everything, but the…

By Mike Fahey Published December 5, 2018