Japan’s New Imperial Era Revealed For The First Time

Today, the Japanese government announced the name of the new imperial era: Reiwa (令和). It will replace Heisei, the name of the current imperial era. Heisei (平成) literally means “become peace,” and the era began in 1989 when the current Emperor took to the throne. Thus, the year Heisei 1 is 1989, Heisei 2 is…

This Is Either A Cruel Joke Or A Terribly Timed Game Announcement

Today, game maker Granzella launched a website for R-Type Final 2. Today is April Fool’s Day. This is either an awful, mean joke or terrible timing. The official website doesn’t look like a joke—unless the humor is so subtle that it has gone completely over my head. “Granzella has started planning to bring out the…

Tokyo Streetscapes

Elora Pautratis a concept artist and illustrator working for Evening Star, the studio made up of a lot of Sonic Mania vets You can see more of Elora’s stuff at her personal site and Instagram

PAX East is finally over and I’m dead. At least for now. I’ll return in my new form on Monday. Also Graveyard Keeper on Switch is good. 

Snake Gets Added To Google Maps

Snake, the game most famous for its appearance on ancient Nokia phones, is making a temporary comeback over the next day or two (depending on where you are in the world) with a version being added to Google Maps for an April 1 treat. It’s available from April 1 on both iOS and Android, and…

Manhunt Hates You And Wants You To Suffer

Many games are about escapism. Allowing the player to escape from their boring or shitty life and experience something incredible or impossible. In the popular shooter series Halo, players become the Master Chief; a badass super soldier capable of destroying armies of enemies by himself. He is in command of soldiers on the battlefield and…

Windjammers 2 Is A Lot Of Fun

On its 25th anniversary, Windjammers is finally getting a sequel. But despite a new art-style and slightly more complex gameplay, the studio behind Windjammers 2 said it wants to stay as true to the pure joy and simplicity found in the original. I played the game for half an hour at PAX East, and while…

The Division 2 Needs More Quarantine Zones

The combat in The Division 2 feels great and is one of the main parts of the game that keeps me coming back. Yet, one of my favorite things in The Division 2, quarantine zones, aren’t about combat or even shooting really. Instead, these spaces are focused on exploration and narrative. I really wish there…

‘Shop Contest: Happy National Pencil Day

Hey did you know that yesterday was National Pencil Day? I didn’t know until I saw it on Google. So let’s celebrate the pencil. It’s like a pen, but for cowards. Your challenge this week: Give some video game characters pencils. Or make them pencils. Up to you. Just give me some pencils. That coward…

Sunday Comics: For The Horde!

Hello! It’s time for Kotaku’s Sunday Comics, your weekly roundup of the best webcomics. The images enlarge if you click on the magnifying glass icon. Awkward Zombie by Katie Tiedrich. Published March 25. Read more of Awkward Zombie Corpse Run by Alex Di Stasi. Published March 28. Read more of Corpse Run  “Ever wonder what party…

Division 2 Players Really Want Some Flashlights

The Division 2 is a game filled with some incredible technology. Players can use automated turrets, bullet blocking drones and hyper-advanced weaponry. But currently, a lot of Division 2 players just want a simple flashlight. Over on The Division 2 subreddit,you can find multiple posts and commentsfrom players about how the game is lacking a…

Valve Teases New VR Headset, More Info Coming In May

Valve has released the first official image of their upcoming VR headset. Based on the photo and the name of the Steam page, the headset seems to be named The Valve Index. There isn’t any more infoavailable on the site beyond a date for when Valve will, I assume, share more info about this new…

The Elder Scrolls: Blades Is An Impressive Mobile Game With Annoying Chests

The Elder Scrolls: Blades isn’t the full Elder Scrolls experience. Instead, Bethesda has crafted a game that takes some of the key elements of the franchise and reworks them into a portable experience that feels built from the ground up to work on phones. But Blades also brings with it elements of mobile gaming that…