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CultureFinal Fantasy XIV Patch Fixes The Ages Of Non-Playable Characters
Typically, patches correct bugs and glitches or add new features and content. The latest Final Fantasy XIV patch does that, but it also changes the ages of two non-playable characters, Mikoto Jinba and Menenius sas Lanatus Prior to the patch, the character Mikoto (pictured) was 29 years old, but afterwards, her age has been lowered…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 26, 2021 -
ReviewsBoard GamesWho Goes There?: The Kotaku Review
You’ve seen The Thing, right? Well this is the board game adaptation. Very serious fans of the movie will already know that of course, since Who Goes There? is the name of John W. Campbell Jr.’s original 1938 novel that the film is based on, but I just wanted to get that clear up top,…
By Luke Plunkett Published May 25, 2021 -
CultureTotal Recall1994 Story On Video Game Crunch Is Brutal Reading
Widescale reporting of terrible working conditions at video game studiosis a relatively recent thing, but crunch has always been with us, and as we can see in this rare story about the practice from the 1990s, when it’s bad it can be life-threatening. Sega historian John Harrison has shared a translated version of a story…
By Luke Plunkett Published May 25, 2021 -
Tips & GuidesEverything You Need To Know About Creating A Biomutant Character
Following the long-standing convention of complicated role-playing games, Biomutant makes you customize your character—their stats, class, and so on—before you actually know how the game plays. You’re essentially funneled into a situation in which you make lasting decisions without fully understanding their context or long-term ramifications. The following advice should guide you. What breed should…
By Ari Notis Published May 25, 2021 -
CultureReport: Valve Is Making A Switch-Like Portable Codenamed SteamPal
If the Nintendo Switch has proven anything, it’s that being able to play previously PC-only indies on the go rules. Soon, though, you might not need to wait for Switch ports of your Steam-powered faves: a new report claims Valve is working on its own handheld. The report comes from Ars Technica and cites “multiple”…
By Nathan Grayson Published May 25, 2021 -
CultureOdds and EndsNintendo Patent Looks Like A Giant Shitpost
On June 5, 1997, Nintendo filed a patent titled “Video game system and method with enhanced three-dimensional character and background control due to environmental conditions.” I can’t even begin to parse what the heck that means on a technical level, but what I do know is that the document’s contents are ripe for absurd internet…
By Ian Walker Published May 25, 2021 -
CultureI Guess A Warhammer Streaming Service Was Inevitable
Games Workshop is launching a new streaming service called Warhammer Plus (also stylized as Warhammer+). The service was revealed by Games Workshop staffers Adam Troke and Eddie Eccles on May 22 during a Twitch stream on the company’s official channel. The company also announced that 11 shows are currently in development and based in the…
By Jonathan Lee Published May 25, 2021 -
CultureOdds and EndsSkyrim Is As Old As Morrowind Was When Skyrim Came Out
Wanna feel old? I sure don’t but I do now anyway, all thanks to one astute yet extremely mean tweet that popped into my timeline and instilled in me a sudden urge to burn my savings on a premium Botox job: As amateur video game historian Chris Chapman pointed out, Skyrim is officially as old…
By Ari Notis Published May 25, 2021 -
CultureVirtua Fighter 5 Coming To PlayStation 4 Next Week
After teasing the classic fighting game franchise’s return last fall, this morning Sega announced Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown, a PlayStation 4-exclusive update to a game that’s almost 15 years removed from its original release at this point. Oh, and it’s launching June 1, also known as next Tuesday. Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown still…
By Ian Walker Published May 25, 2021 -
UncategorizedGrab Thy Guitar Cuz Final Fantasy XIV Update 5.55 Is Live
Today’s release of update 5.55 for Final Fantasy XIV delivers the second part of the final main story quest before the Endwalker expansion, adds additional story for the YoRHa: Dark Apocalypse quest line, and marks the official launch of the PS5 version of the game. Most importantly, the update lets me rock out on a…
By Mike Fahey Published May 25, 2021 -
CultureOdds and EndsOld Overwatch Bug Let Ashe’s Robot Vote On How Well You Played
In Overwatch, B.O.B., Ashe’s robot companion and ultimate ability, doesn’t do much beyond shoot where Ashe tells him to. But yesterday, an AMA revealed that the Big Omnic Butler initially had a lot of thoughts on how players performed in Overwatch matches. In celebration of Overwatch’s fifth anniversary, Blizzard held an AMA, or Ask Me…
By Ash Parrish Published May 25, 2021 -
Tips & Guides11 Things You Should Know Before Starting Biomutant
Like any open-world role-playing game, Biomutant is a hodgepodge of interweaving parts, many of which aren’t exactly explained in the early goings. Two of us—staff writer Ari Notis and weekend editor Zack Zweizen, who reviewed the game—have spent a whole lot of time in Biomutant’s vividly colored yet morally gray world. Here’s everything we wished…
Ari Notis & Zack Zwiezen Published May 25, 2021 -
CultureApex Legends Adds Penalty For Leaving Arena Games Early
Apex Legends introduced a new 3v3 Arena mode with Season 9 in early May, and I’ve been enjoying it for the handful of times when I’ve been able to play out a full match. Most of the time, a player will bail after a few bad rounds, leaving me at a severe disadvantage or giving…
By Jonathan Lee Published May 25, 2021 -
Tips & GuidesHow To (Mostly) Shut Up Biomutant’s Annoying Narrator
Biomutant is out today and if you’ve played the game for more than 30 minutes you probably have a question on your mind: How the fuck do I shut this narrator up? Good news! There’s a slider to do just that buried in the menus. Biomutant is a lovely-looking game that tries to do a…
By Zack Zwiezen Published May 25, 2021 -
CultureThe New 3D Edition Of Catan Is Freakin’ Gorgeous
Settling the island of Catan in Klaus Teuber’s classic board game has never looked quite as eye-poppingly lush as it does in the new $300 3D edition. Announced this morning and shipping in August, the first official 3D version of the board game Catan since 2005 (back when it was called The Settlers of Catan)…
By Mike Fahey Published May 25, 2021 -
CultureNew Fuser Update Lets Players DJ For 250+ Fans Live
The biggest update to Harmonix Music System’s music mixing game since launch, Fuser’s “Headliner Spotlight” update brings players closer to the DJ fantasy by letting them take the Diamond Stage and play live to hundreds of live spectators in real-time. Fuser is a game about taking licensed music from big-name artists and remixing it on-the-fly,…
By Mike Fahey Published May 25, 2021 -
Kotaku EastJapanMacross Designer Hospitalized After Tragic House Fire
Earlier today, there were Japanese news reports of a single-story wooden house catching fire in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture. According to anime maker Studio Nue, the house’s inhabitants were Kazutaka Miyatake and his wife Tomoko. Kazutaka Miyatake created mechanical designs for some of the most iconic anime ever, including Space Battleship Yamato, Macross, Mobile Suit Gundam…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 25, 2021 -
Kotaku EastJapanA Totally New Metal Saga Game Announced For Nintendo Switch
This week, a completely new Metal Saga has been announced to mark the franchise’s 30th anniversary. It’s called Metal Saga: Hangyaku no Rouka (The Beacon of Rebellion) and is bound for the Nintendo Switch. Metal Max was first released in 1991, and due to trademark issues, the games in the franchise have been released under…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 25, 2021
