Let’s Rank (A Few) Sonic Games

There are a lot of Sonic games. There aren’t too many Sonic games because one can never get enough of the blue streak, but in order to keep this list from spiraling out of control I created a few ground rules. 1. It must be a platformer. Sorry Sonic Team Racing and Sonic Spinball, we…

Axiom Verge Gets ‘Sophisticated’ Randomizer Mode Six Years After Launch

Axiom Verge, the bespoke Metroid-like developed solely by indie designer Thomas Happ, is still getting new content long after it originally came out. A new update will make the game feel like new every time you play by randomizing the order in which you get new weapons and unlock new areas. Currently available on the…

What Are You Playing This Weekend?

The weekend is for processing what happened last week and steeling ourselves for what’s going to happen next week. Video games are the perfect accompaniment to both of these activities. What is this adorable 16-bit dungeon crawler, you ask? Why it’s the third game in Cornfox & Brothers’ Zelda-inspired Oceanhorn series, Oceanhorn: Chronos Dungeon. Set…

Cyberpunk Anime Keanu Figure Is Just Happy To Be Here

Cyberpunk 2077 has had some problems, sure, but that doesn’t mean people don’t want adorable toys. Good Smile Company’s Nendoroid Johnny Silverhand figure’s got that big, soulful, Keanu Reeves energy in a tiny, big-headed package. I tell you, I’m glad one of the accessories this $50 Mr. Silverhand figure comes with is a pair of…

Destiny 2 Will Bring Loot Back To The Moon Next Season

The moon was finally added to Destiny 2 back in 2019, but last year’s Beyond Light update made its loot obsolete. Bungie plans to fix that next season by re-issuing some of its old gear with a new infusion cap in the studio’s ongoing dance to try to get the game’s progression just right. Bungie…

Test Your Zombie Survival Skills With Cold War’s New Cranked Mode

Killing zombies is the best part about Black Ops Cold War’s mid-season update for Season One. New maps and modes were added on January 14, including a new large-scale Fireteam map, a standard 6v6 multiplayer mode called “Dropkick,” and a Cranked mode for Zombies. Overall, I feel a little underwhelmed by this content drop. The…

For A Bootleg Pokémon Game, This Looked Pretty Good

This week, a bootleg Pokémon game called Pocket Trainer DX was finally pulled from the Google Play store. It featured Pokémon characters and art, and for a totally unofficial app, it didn’t look too shabby. The Korean language game, created by one Fanya Game Ltd, was released on January 6 and featured art from the…

Sunrise in South Texas. Ranchito Los Coyotillos, Starr Co., Texas. By Chris Lopez | Instagram | Flickr 

ASUS’ CES Showcase Is A Free Steam Game

Due to the ongoing global pandemic, this year’s Consumer Electronics Show is a completely online affair. Gaming hardware maker ASUS takes the show’s digital format to the extreme with ROG Citadel XV, a free download on Steam that’s one (small) part first-person shooter, one part fancy virtual hardware showroom. ROG stands for Republic of Gamers,…

Fighting Game Players Create Community-Wide Code Of Conduct

Members of the fighting game community recently unveiled a code of conduct for the competitive scene. Much like a similar (and, as of December 2020, disbanded) project in the Smash community, the document is a list of common-sense rules that includes a firm stance against several forms of abuse and harassment, hygiene standards, and procedures…

Several former GameXplain contributors—including former Kotaku TAY writer Steve Bowling—have spoken to VICE Games about their time there. The story focuses on allegations of extreme overwork and general issues with crunch in gaming media.

Ubisoft Pushes Riders Republic To ‘Later This Year’, Adding To Wave Of Game Delays

Riders Republic, the next game from the team behind Steep, has been delayed until “later this year.” The delay adds to a growing number of games that have been pushed back recently, including Hogwarts Legacy and Outriders Riders Republic was originally scheduled to be released on February 25 but now has no specific date. Ubisoft…

Big Game Publishers Are Retreating Into The Safety Of Hollywood’s Back Catalog

This week, the video game industry got a fresh infusion of boomer energy with the announcement of a new Indiana Jones game. Meanwhile, there’s also a James Bond game in the works, and Ubisoft announced it’s working on an open world Star Wars game—the first in a possible flood of new games taking place in…

Bethesda Delays Elder Scrolls Online Reveal To Get Out Of The Way Of Presidential Inauguration

The US Capitol was attacked and overrun by a right-wing and neo-confederate mob last week, and according to the FBI, groups loyal to President Trump are threatening to try to do it again during next week’s inauguration where President-Elect Joe Biden will be sworn in. Nerves are frayed, people are on edge, and so at…

New Pokémon Snap Is Out On Switch In April

Photography game New Pokémon Snap will be out on Switch on April 30, Nintendo announced today. Announced last year, New Pokémon Snap is a spiritual successor to the Nintendo 64 game about exploring Pokémon in their natural habitats and snapping beautiful pictures of them. The new game will take place in a region called Lental,…

One Piece Editor Accidentally Clicked On Pirated Manga Site, Says Publisher

To mark One Piece reaching 1,000 chapters, there was YouTube live-stream earlier this week with the staff at the Weekly Jump offices. The editor of One Piece showed his smartphone screen. On it, viewers could see his browsing history. Oh dear. Most of it was rather pedestrian—Yahoo! Japan, One Piece sites, etc.—but one entry was for a…

Animator Inspired By Daigo Vs. Justin Wong Street Fighter Match

One of the most famous moments in esports history is the Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike semifinal match from 2004. With only a pixel of health left, Daigo Umehara parried a slew of attacks from Justin Wong before mounting an incredible comeback. The fight will never cease to be remarkable. Professional animator Alain Vu, who…