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CultureUbisoft Bans Player-Created Assassin’s Creed Quests That Let You Level Up By Doing Nothing
Last month, Ubisoft released a tool that allows players to create their own quests in Assassin’s Creed Odyssey. Players could choose to have other players’ custom quests appear in their games.. Almost immediately came a mess of quests dedicated to rapid-fire power-leveling. “To each their own,” you might say of this questionable practice, but Ubisoft…
By Nathan Grayson Published July 11, 2019 -
UncategorizedPreviously Japan-Only Iwata Asks Series Is Being Translated Into English
While Nintendo has an archive section where fans can revisit old installments of the popular Iwata Asks series, not every Q&A the former Nintendo president ever sat down for is there, because not all of them were translated into English by the company. One such example of that is an interview about Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles:…
By Luke Plunkett Published July 11, 2019 -
OpinionImpressionsBlazing Chrome Is A Fine Love Letter To 16-Bit Contra
I didn’t know I needed more Contra III in my life until I started playing Blazing Chrome The run-and-gun action platformer, out today on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC, is set against a backdrop of a futuristic world in which humanity has been overrun by an army of evil cyborgs. Blazing Chrome succeeds…
By Ethan Gach Published July 11, 2019 -
CultureWhy Veronica Mars Is Still Worth Watching, 15 Years Later
Veronica Mars has been on a hell of a ride. The beloved, short-lived TV series debuted in 2004, telling sun-drenched teen noir stories about a high school girl who solved mysteries in her spare time. Starring Kristen Bell as the eponymous troubled amateur detective, the show gained a cult following for its sharp wit, heartbreaking character arcs,…
Joshua Rivera & Gita Jackson & Jason Schreier Published July 11, 2019 -
Uncategorized‘Embrace Death’ Twitter Trend Baffles Everyone, Turns Out To Be Video Game Marketing
Yesterday evening, the hashtag “#EmbraceDeath” began trending on Twitter, to the alarm of people who had not heard of the fighting game Samurai Shodown. The grim marketing motto sparked a variety of reactions from baffled non-fighting game fans. As edgy as“Embrace Death” sounds on its face, the slogan does make sense in context. While Samurai…
By Ian Walker Published July 11, 2019 -
CultureSteam’s New Customizable AI Tool Scans Your Playtime And Tells You What To Buy Next
Just days after the end of a summer sale that laid bare many of Steam’s issues with helping people discover new games, Valve has announced a new section dedicated to “experiments around discoverability, video, machine learning, and more.” It’s called Steam Labs, and the first bits of mad video game science to emerge from it…
By Nathan Grayson Published July 11, 2019 -
UncategorizedXenoblade Developer Once Pitched An EarthBound Sequel For GameCube
The EarthBound, or Mother, series took a lengthy hiatus between the releases of Mother 2 and 3, but that didn’t mean Nintendo wasn’t interested in keeping the series going. In fact, at one point, the developer that would eventually create Xenoblade was asked to pitch Nintendo on a sequel to the beloved role-playing game series…
By Ethan Gach Published July 11, 2019 -
OpinionImpressionsA Mario Maker Level Where Mario Has Post-War PTSD
Oh, you’ve been playing nearly impossible kaizo levels or 20-second speedruns? Sounds great. Me, I just played a Super Mario Maker 2 level where Mario comes back from the army with PTSD. Mario Maker is not the best storytelling medium. In fact, Nintendo goes out of its way to make it difficult to create a…
By Chris Kohler Published July 11, 2019 -
Tips & GuidesHow To Get Into Final Fantasy XIV In 2019
As Final Fantasy XIV’s new expansion “Shadowbringers” hits, I’ve seen a lot of curiosity from co-workers and friends about how to get started with the game. With hours and hours of content, tons of jobs to choose from, and multiple places to hop in, it can seem daunting, but it’s still well worth the time.…
By Heather Alexandra Published July 11, 2019 -
OpinionImpressionsThe Messenger’s New Island DLC Is A Perfect Substitute For A Day At The Beach
It’s already mid-July, and I still haven’t made it to the beach. Maybe you haven’t either. The Messenger’s free Picnic Panic expansion can fix that. You won’t actually hear seafoam waves crashing along the shore or feel the grainy piles of hot sand beneath your feet, but Picnic Panic’s bright colors, catchy new chiptune-inspired melodies,…
By Ethan Gach Published July 11, 2019 -
CultureSplitscreenThe Nintendo Switch Lite Has Sealed The 3DS’s Coffin
Remember the Nintendo 3DS? Enjoy that while you can, because after the Nintendo Switch Lite comes out, the 3DS will be erased from all of our collective memories. Okay, not really, but the Switch Lite does look nifty. On this week’s Kotaku Splitscreen, we talk about playing Switch games while lying in a hammock and…
By Maddy Myers Published July 11, 2019 -
CultureKotaku Game DiaryI Can’t Deal With People Getting Ahead Of Me In MMOs
Earlier today, my Kotaku coworker Heather Alexandra posted what I am sure was an amazing and insightful look at the end of Final Fantasy XIV’s Shadowbringers expansion. An ending that I’m still a level and a half and a whole bunch of quests away from experiencing. I am so damn jealous. It’s not just Heather.…
By Mike Fahey Published July 11, 2019 -
OpinionImpressionsDragon Quest Builders 2 Is Even Better Than The First
The first Dragon Quest Builders was an underrated gem, a delightful game that proved that Dragon Quest and Minecraft go together as nicely as peanut butter and pickles. The second game, which comes out Friday, is even better. I’ve played a couple dozen hours of Dragon Quest Builders 2 on Switch so far thanks to…
By Jason Schreier Published July 11, 2019 -
UncategorizedLast night Timothy ‘oLARRY’ Anselimo accepted the ESPY (Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly) Award for his return to competitive NBA2K. Anselimo was one of the victims in the Jacksonville shooting at a Madden tournament last summer. He began competing again last fall after undergoing reconstructive surgery on his hand.
By Ethan Gach Published July 11, 2019 -
UncategorizedIn response to a lawsuit by metal band Iron Maiden, retro shooter Ion Maiden is now Ion Fury Publisher 1C entertainment cited the lawsuit as the reason for the change in a press release, also announcing that the game would launch out of PC early access on August 15, with Switch, PS4 and Xbox One…
By Mike Fahey Published July 11, 2019 -
OpinionImpressionsThe End of Final Fantasy XIV‘s ‘Shadowbringers’ Expansion Is The Emotional Spectacle I’ve Been Waiting For
It’s hard for any story to end well, and even harder when it’s set in the constantly changing world of an MMORPG. Lengthy questlines that require years’ worth of player investment are hard to sell. Final Fantasy XIV’s latest expansion, ‘Shadowbringers,’ makes it work with an emotionally charged climax that helps create one of the…
By Heather Alexandra Published July 11, 2019 -
Kotaku EastJapanWhen Yu-Gi-Oh! Meets Tokyo Fashion
Recently Tokyo high schooler Makocha was featured on the popular Tokyo Fashion Instagram account, wearing a hoodie, cutout pants, Dr. Martens, and Yu-Gi-Oh! cards. Have a closer look at Makocha’s outfit. Each card is a piece of Exodia the Forbidden One Makocha’s chain motif works well thematically with the cards.
By Brian Ashcraft Published July 11, 2019
