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ReviewsPCImperator: Rome: The Kotaku Review
I’ve been wondering for years what a Paradox grand strategy game would look like if it was designed for regular humans, and in Imperator: Rome I have my answer. As long-time readers may know, I’m a big fan of Paradox’s grand strategy games, Crusader Kings II and Hearts of Iron IV especially. They’ve got a…
By Luke Plunkett Published April 25, 2019 -
UncategorizedMortal Kombat 11‘s Microtransactions, Explained
Mortal Kombat 11 is getting slammed over its supposed equipment grind and the perceived greed of its microtransactions; user-submitted reviews on Steam and Metacritic have been poor. In these reviews, as well as in comments and on social media, fans have complained about the slow pace of earning rewards through gameplay and the randomness of…
By Mike Fahey Published April 25, 2019 -
UncategorizedFortnite‘s Endgame Mode Is Fun Whether You’re Wielding Avengers Weapons Or Being Thanos
Even if you’re not a Marvel fan (I’m not), Fortnite’s Avengers tie-in, Fortnite Endgame, is a lot of fun. It continues the game’s recent trend of unique limited-time modes that barely feel like Fortnite but still fit right into its world. As my colleague Mike Fahey detailed this morning, Fortnite Endgame pits two sides against…
By Riley MacLeod Published April 25, 2019 -
CultureHow Panzer Dragoon Defined The Sega Saturn Era
From its early days of promise to its heartbreaking failure, the Sega Saturn was a fascinating game machine. If there’s one game series that is emblematic of Sega’s ambitious, quixotic 32-bit console, it’s Panzer Dragoon. It began as a graphical showcase of the console’s abilities, and finished its Saturn life as a role-playing game that…
By Chris Kohler Published April 25, 2019 -
UncategorizedRespawn Details Its Plan To Keep Apex Legends Fresh, But Avoid Employee Burnout
Respawn Entertainment’s battle royale game Apex Legends came out of the gate with a bang. Now that the initial burst of excitement has slowed down, the development studio has released a roadmap for the future. Its aim is to please players, but also avoid employee crunch and burnout. When Apex released in February, it was…
By Gita Jackson Published April 25, 2019 -
OpinionImpressionsPagan Online Mixes Diablo-Style Loot With Arcade Combat
What surprised me most about Pagan Online, a new action role-playing game that launched on Steam Early Access last week, was how meaty the moment-to-moment fighting felt. When I launched an attack and connected with a wave of enemies, it really felt like I was messing up their day. Pagan Online is a collaboration between…
By Ethan Gach Published April 25, 2019 -
CultureSplitscreenDays Gone Is Certainly A Video Game
What’s the deal with Days Gone, a video game about killing zombies and being sad on a motorcycle? On today’s Kotaku Splitscreen, we discuss. I’m back from vacation, joining Kirk and Maddy once again to talk about all sorts of video games including Mortal Kombat 11, Baba Is You, Hitman 2, Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, and…
By Jason Schreier Published April 25, 2019 -
UncategorizedDragalia Lost Is Crossing Over With Fire Emblem
It’s a big week for players of Nintendo’s mobile action role-playing game Dragalia Lost. Along with permanently reduced prices for summoning heroes and dragons, familiar faces are crossing over as part of the special Fire Emblem: Lost Heroes event. A portal opens between the worlds of Fire Emblem Heroes and Dragalia Lost, bringing beloved characters like…
By Mike Fahey Published April 25, 2019 -
UncategorizedWe’re continuing our quest to marry and kill ten spouses in The Sims 4 live on our Twitch channel! Last time our Sim became best friends with the Grim Reaper (aka “Greaper”). Today, she’ll give birth to her murdered husband’s child. Gross! Suggest baby names in the chat!
By Tim Rogers Published April 25, 2019 -
UncategorizedCaptain Olimar Is The Latest Smash Character That Competitors Love To Hate
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate has only been out for a few months and its competitive community has already gone through several distinct phases of hatred for various cast members. The latest Nintendo character to receive the scene’s ire is Captain Olimar, the diminutive protagonist of the Pikmin franchise. Olimar was first introduced to the series…
By Ian Walker Published April 25, 2019 -
UncategorizedNonbinary Magic Champion Replaces Pro Removed From League After Harassment Accusations
In the wake of allegations that Magic: The Gathering pro player Owen Turtenwald behaved inappropriately to female friends and fans, it appears he has been removed from publisher Wizards of the Coast’s budding esports league. Replacing him is Autumn Burchett, a talented, gender nonbinary player who won February’s Mythic Championship. Late last month before the…
By Cecilia D'Anastasio Published April 25, 2019 - Uncategorized
CCP has cleared EVE Online player Brisc Rubal of allegations regarding sharing confidential information and breaking a non-disclosure agreement. Rubal was formerly a member of EVE’s governing body, the Council of Stellar Management, but was removed from office and has since chosen to resign. CCP will reinstate his account, as well as those of two…
By Riley MacLeod Published April 25, 2019 -
CultureKotaku Game DiaryMy First Captures On The Switch, PS4 And Xbox One
I’ve spent a lot of time this console generation honing my screenshot-taking reflexes, and now my Switch, PS4 and Xbox One are full of pictures and videos I’ve captured. But what did I capture first? On my Switch, it was Link in his 100-year underwear, just waking up at the start of The Legend of…
By Stephen Totilo Published April 25, 2019 -
ReviewsMultiplatformSteamWorld Quest: The Kotaku Review
I never know exactly how I’m going to approach each new battle in SteamWorld Quest: Hand of Gilgamech. No matter how much I plan and prepare ahead of time, I can’t control the cards that end up in my hand in this turn-based role-playing card game. Perfect optimization is always a few steps out of…
By Ethan Gach Published April 25, 2019 -
UncategorizedEpic Games Boss Says They’ll Stop Doing Exclusives If Steam Gives Developers More Money
Last night, Epic Games boss Tim Sweeney tweeted that his company would end its controversial exclusivity agreements if Steam raised its revenue cut for developers. It’s a strong statement, even if there are reasons to be skeptical of Sweeney’s position. “If Steam committed to a permanent 88% revenue share for all developers and publishers without…
By Riley MacLeod Published April 25, 2019 -
UncategorizedBlizzCon, Blizzard’s annual convention for all things, well, Blizzard, will take place November 1 and 2 this year. Tickets go on sale May 4. The event will host all of the regular esports tournaments for games like Overwatch and Hearthstone, and who knows, Blizzard might even announce another mobile game.
By Ethan Gach Published April 25, 2019 -
Uncategorized‘Persona 5 S’ Isn’t A Switch Port, It’s Persona 5 Scramble, A Musou Game
Following yesterday’s detailing of a cool, expanded edition of Persona 5coming to the PlayStation 4, today Atlus reveals Persona 5 Scramble: The Phantom Strikers, a musou action RPG by Dynasty Warriors developer Omega Force, coming to the Nintendo Switch and PS4. Welp. Fans of Omega Force games like Dynasty Warriors, Hyrule Warriors and Fire Emblem…
By Mike Fahey Published April 25, 2019 -
UncategorizedThanos Returns In Fortnite‘s Avengers: Endgame Event, And He’s Got Company
Last year Thanos rampaged across Fortnite Battle Royale’s island, taking out players left and right as part ofan epic Avengers: Infinity War tie-in. Now the Mad Titan is back, backed by a team of Chitauri warriors and opposed by a team of heroes wielding Avengers weapons in the limited-time Fortnite Endgame event. Rather than pitting…
By Mike Fahey Published April 25, 2019
