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CultureTwitchHot Tub Streams Are Waning, But Some People Still Think They’re Destroying Twitch
It’s hot tub stream summer, and everybody’s got an opinion. This week, for example, the biggest streamer on Twitch, Félix “xQc” Lengyel, called hot tub streams “trash,” saying that they’re “the most pathetic thing we’ve seen on Twitch in forever” and petitioning for them to be removed from the front page. It was the latest…
By Nathan Grayson Published April 23, 2021 -
ReviewsBacklogI Have Backlog Anxiety
We at Kotaku have designated April as Backlog Month, in which we, in light of a looming dearth of new video game releases, turn our attention toward the games that we have wanted to play but missed. But unlike my colleagues, I’m having a problem—I have no idea what to do for Backlog Month, and…
By Ash Parrish Published April 23, 2021 -
CultureOdds and EndsListen To Gilbert Gottfried Mispronounce Some Mortal Kombat Names
A couple weeks ago, video game cover band Lame Genie recorded a fantastic version of the iconic Mortal Kombat theme song. Then they slapped on videos of comedian Gilbert Gottfried in place of the vocals for some reason. Listen, you don’t need to feature Iago from Aladdin in your music for me to check it…
By Ian Walker Published April 23, 2021 -
CultureHumble Bundle Moves To Limit Charitable Donations To 15 Percent Starting In May
Humble Bundle announced today that in May it will begin removing its distinctive sliders from game bundle store pages, in effect capping the amount of the purchase price customers can donate to charity. News of this change has enraged some onlookers, who characterized it as greedy. First launching in 2010, Humble Bundles became a popular…
By Zack Zwiezen Published April 23, 2021 -
ReviewsBacklogWhat Defines A Backlog?
It’s Backlog Month at Kotaku, which means we’re spilling a lot of ink on a plight shared by basically everyone who plays games. But this got us wondering: What defines a backlog? At what point does a game jump from being anything else in your library to being a (likely permanent) fixture on your ever-growing…
By Ari Notis Published April 23, 2021 -
CultureDisco Elysium Was Its Incredible Narrator’s First Voice Acting Gig
Narration plays a huge role in Disco Elysium: The Final Cut, the spiraling detective simulator that was recently updated for consoles. As such, one might expect the man chosen to lend his pipes to such a project to be some sort of master thespian, or at least a veteran voiceover artist. But in reality, the…
By Ian Walker Published April 23, 2021 -
CultureRiot Co-Founder Courageously Tweets, Deletes ‘Critical Race Theory’ Dog Whistle
“Critical race theory” is the right’s latest buzz phrase in service of silencing discussion of America’s racist past and how it informs the country’s still very racist present. Last night, Riot co-founder and chairman Marc Merrill tweeted and quoted an article about how critical race theory is “a threat” from a journalist whose work informed…
By Nathan Grayson Published April 23, 2021 -
CultureSplitscreenSometimes You Just Have To Let Backlog Games Go
Most of us will probably never play every game we own right now, let alone all the others we’ll buy or download in the future. In that sense, backlogs are like the universe: infinitely expanding and confounding to physicists. Sometimes you just have to make peace—or force yourself to make peace—with the fact that certain…
By Nathan Grayson Published April 23, 2021 -
CultureWhat Are You Playing This Weekend?
The weekend is about slowly and joylessly working through our backlog, somehow dripping with sweat and covered with coal dust. Where did all this sweat-enhancing coal dust come from? Speaking of backlogs, I’ll be spending my weekend free time with the newly released PS5 version (also out for Xbox Series X/S) of Yakuza spinoff Judgment.…
By Mike Fahey Published April 23, 2021 -
CultureEvercade Turns Its Cartridge-Based Retro Handheld Into A Console
TheEvercade is a lovely retro handheld that plays games sold in delightful cartridge-based collections. The Evercade VS is a new $100 retro console from the makers of the original Evercade with dual cartridge ports and support for four-player local multiplayer. The original Evercade retro console was one of the highlights of 2020 for me. There’s…
By Mike Fahey Published April 23, 2021 -
Kotaku EastJapanOpening Osaka’s Super Nintendo World Last Month Seems Like A Mistake
On March 18, Shigeru Miyamoto appeared at the Super Nintendo World opening at Universal Studios Japan. For the photos, he seems to have briefly removed his mask, which was probably safe. However, in light of the ensuing state of emergency, the photos reflect poorly on the seriousness of the pandemic, especially now it’s been announced…
By Brian Ashcraft Published April 23, 2021 -
AnimeDude Trains Like One-Punch Man During The Pandemic, Gets Buff
Back in 2019, in the before times, Kotaku reported that an investor named Sean trained like One-Punch Man for thirty days and got in terrific shape. Now, in 2021, another dude has trained like the character for a whole year. As Yutara reports, YouTuber Jigoku Dera Guren Maru started at 82.7 kilograms (182 pounds). But…
By Brian Ashcraft Published April 23, 2021 -
OpinionImpressionsOne Of The Best WW2 Games Is Now Even Better
I reviewed Unity of Command II a couple years back and, a few quibbles aside, found it to be one of the most interesting and innovative turn-based tactics games I had ever played. It’s now back with a major expansion, and those quibbles are in the firing line. If you’re just joining us for Unity…
By Luke Plunkett Published April 22, 2021 -
CultureDude Gets 100% On Guitar Hero Song That Looks Physically Impossible
Honestly, this is one of the most physically impressive video game feats I have ever seen. Streamer CarnyJared is one of the best Guitar Hero players on the planet, and here he is fucking around with the 6th version of Soulless, a series of custom songs made for the PC version of Guitar Hero by…
By Luke Plunkett Published April 22, 2021 -
CultureLast Stop‘s Meant To Feel Like A Playable TV Show
You’d think a game featuring mysterious green magic swirling in the London underground would be all about weird stuff. But Last Stop—at least from what I’ve seen of it so far—is first and foremost a game about people. Last Stop is the latest from Variable State, the U.K. indie studio behind 2016’s oddball mystery Virginia,…
By Ari Notis Published April 22, 2021 -
ReviewsETCMortal Kombat 2021: The Kotaku Movie Review
As I said last month following a preview of the film’s first 12 minutes, the new Mortal Kombat movie starts off strong. The opening battle between the men who would become Sub-Zero and Scorpion is one of my favorite cinema moments of the year. The remaining 98 minutes? Not so much. The fights are outstanding,…
By Mike Fahey Published April 22, 2021 -
CultureKotaku Game DiaryClone Hero Is So Much Fun I Don’t Mind The Carpal Tunnel
As the last of the notes disappeared from the screen, I put my fake, plastic guitar down to look at my hands. They were shaking, and my fingers were curled as if they were still wrapped around the fretboard. I felt pain twisting around my wrist and creeping into my finger joints. Still, I wore…
By Ash Parrish Published April 22, 2021 -
OpinionImpressionsThe Nier Replicant Remaster Does Many Good Things And One Awful Thing
I played the original Nier back in 2010 and thoroughly enjoyed it despite the main character being a hideous troll of an old man. Nier Replicant ver.1.22474487139…, with the handsome younger hero originally exclusive to Japan, looks, plays, and feels better overall, save the unfortunate inclusion of an achievement for players who peek at the…
By Mike Fahey Published April 22, 2021 -
CultureCall of Duty Gets ’80s Map For Season Three
Following yesterday’s Warzone nuke events, Call of Duty’s Season Three has officially begun for both Black Ops Cold War and Warzone. Season Three introduces a “new” Warzone map, while Cold War gets new multiplayer maps, weapons, operators, Zombies updates, and more. There’s also a new 100-tier Battle Pass to grind. It’s a lot of what…
By S.E. Doster Published April 22, 2021
