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OpinionImpressionsPhoenix Point Is A Bigger, Messier XCOM
Phoenix Point is a new turn-based tactics game designed by Julian Gollop, the driving force behind the original XCOM, released back in 1994. In 2019, he’s back to build on the experience he helped pioneer all those year ago. Slight problem, though: he’s not coming in to fix anything that’s broke. XCOM 2 did so…
By Luke Plunkett Published December 3, 2019 -
CultureTwitchPsychiatrist Brings Streamer To Tears During Confessional Stream
Everyone could benefit from therapy, especially streamers. While popular streamer Byron “Reckful” Bernstein’s on-stream conversation with Dr. Alok Kanojia was not an officially designated counseling session, it resembled one at times. Bernstein is a former top World of Warcraft player and current streamer who’s now working on his own online game, Everland. Over the years,…
By Nathan Grayson Published December 3, 2019 - Uncategorized
Apex Legends’ latest patch, now live, ups the level cap from 100 to 500. It also adds new gun charms and brings a host of fixes, including rebinding the default “thank you” key and tweaking the final circle location. See the patch notes for the full list of changes.
By Riley MacLeod Published December 3, 2019 -
CultureIn The Valley Of The Gods ‘On Hold’ As Developers Work On Other Valve Games
Campo Santo’s follow-up to Firewatch, In the Valley of the Gods, was supposed to be out at the end of 2019. Since being bought by Valve, however, the game’s situation has changed. In a statement sent to Polygon, Campo Santo co-founder Jake Rodkin explains that since the purchase, the In the Valley of the Gods…
By Luke Plunkett Published December 3, 2019 -
CultureLet Me Choose My Own Pokémon Uniform You Cowards
At the Gyms in Pokémon Sword and Shield, you can buy cool, alternate uniforms for your little Pokémon Trainer. You’ll win the uniforms of Gym Leaders you defeat as well. You won’t be able to wear them to Gym Battles, though, and that’s bullshit. Look at how cool this Poison Type Gym Uniform is: I…
By Gita Jackson Published December 3, 2019 -
CultureThe SNES Pixel Book Captures The Magic Of Super Nintendo Graphics
There’s something soothing about printed 16-bit art. The way the page captures the color and composition of pixels, capturing a moment of gaming in time. Flipping through UK-based Bitmap Books’ SNES Pixel Book provides that good feeling in page after page of Super Nintendo history. When we play older video games (or watch others play)…
By Mike Fahey Published December 3, 2019 -
CultureOur Best (And Worst) Memories Of The PlayStation, 25 Years Later
On this day 25 years ago, the Sony PlayStation released in Japan. A lot of us here at Kotaku have pretty fond memories of the PlayStation, from bartering for access with our siblings to sitting in dark, dusty basements, illuminated only by the light of an old TV and some sharp, sharp polygons. Take a…
By Natalie Degraffinried Published December 3, 2019 -
ReviewsMultiplatformArise: A Simple Story: The Kotaku Review
Arise: A Simple Story might seem familiar, but looks can be deceiving. It’s not necessarily breaking any molds in its minimal art style and platforming, but its heartfelt story took me on a journey that hit me like a ton of bricks. Arise is available today for PC, Xbox One, and PS4. It starts out…
By Paul Tamayo Published December 3, 2019 -
ReviewsYear in ReviewThe State Of Xbox One In 2019
Nearing the end of its life, the Xbox One feels less like a box for spinning video game discs and more like a platform for selling digital subscriptions. The pitch of a mostly-digital future that blew up in Microsoft’s face the year the Xbox One launched is now mostly here in 2019 and it’s not…
By Ethan Gach Published December 3, 2019 -
CultureMario Kart Is Apple’s Most Downloaded Game Of 2019
Last night in New York City, Apple held its annual celebration of the best and most downloaded games and apps across its platforms. The iPhone game of the year is ThatGameCompany’s gorgeous social adventure Sky: Children of the Light, with the outstanding Hyper Light Drifter winning iPad game of the year. Neither of those critical…
By Mike Fahey Published December 3, 2019 -
CultureRed Dead Online Will Let You Make And Sell Moonshine Next Week
Get ready to make some moonshine, because the next big Red Dead Online update, releasing December 13, will add moonshine running, underground bars, and new missions, as well as a new Outlaw pass and weapon. Moonshiner is the first new career Rockstar has announced since adding roles in an RDO update in September. This new…
By Zack Zwiezen Published December 3, 2019 -
CultureDestiny 2‘s Next Season Is All About Osiris, Saint-14 And… Time?
Rough time for our biggest Destiny 2 expert to be on jury duty, folks, but here we are with some unskippable news. Bungie just posted a trailer to hype the Season of Dawn, which will run in Destiny 2 from December 10 through March 9. Whoa, that’s Saint-14! [Googles “Saint-14”…] Here’s the setup, spinning out…
By Stephen Totilo Published December 3, 2019 -
ReviewsMultiplatformShenmue 3: The Kotaku Review
Shenmue has always straddled the line between the epic and the everyday. Yu Suzuki’s ambitious adventure game series is a story of globe-trotting vengeance and magical relics. It is also a story about helping an old lady around town, or wasting a day at the arcade. Shenmue III feels exactly like the classic that started…
By Heather Alexandra Published December 3, 2019 -
UncategorizedPersona 5 Royal drops on Playstation 4 on March 31 so you can start and never finish the sprawling JRPG all over again. The special edition adds more characters, a new part of Tokyo to explore, and an additional semester of school because who doesn’t want that?
By Ethan Gach Published December 3, 2019 -
CultureValve Finally Ran Out Of Steam Controllers
Valve’s Steam Controller, once useful for allowing players to enjoy their favorite games on televisions around the house, is pretty much dead. Following the Autumn Steam sale that drastically reduced prices, Valve is giving refunds as stock runs out. As reported by PC Gamer, the stock of Steam Controllers is drying up. The controller’s original…
By Heather Alexandra Published December 3, 2019 -
CultureKotaku Game DiaryI Love Having My Own Spaceship In Video Games (And In Real Life)
Here’s a good way to win me over in both real life and in video games: Give me a damn spaceship. If you did, you’d find that the majority of my complaints against your considerable flaws (we all have them, except Toad, who is the best) would disappear. Because I now have a spaceship, and…
By Joshua Rivera Published December 3, 2019 -
UncategorizedThe console ports for CrossCode, one of last year’s excellent action RPGs, have been delayed until sometime next year. Deck13, the game’s publisher, says it’s currently working on the Xbox One version with PS4 and Switch to follow. The Post Game DLC is also still in the works.
By Ethan Gach Published December 3, 2019 -
UncategorizedResident Evil 3‘s Nemesis Is Still Terrifying
Resident Evil is the zombie horror game, but its shambling corpses are slow and easy to avoid. To reinvigorate the series, Resident Evil 3: Nemesis created an unpredictable nightmare man who attacked unpredictably with terrifying speed. It robbed players of their sense of control, and in doing so created one of gaming’s scariest monsters. This…
By Heather Alexandra Published December 3, 2019 -
CultureThe Art Of Obsidian’s The Outer Worlds
The Outer Worldsis one of the best games of the year, so it’s a treat tonight to be sharing some of the concept art that went into the game’s production. Below is a sample of work from some of the artists responsible for the game’s look, ranging from character art to weapon design to environments…
By Luke Plunkett Published December 2, 2019
