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Uncategorized14 Years Later, Half-Life’s Remake Is Almost Finished
I reviewed Half-Life remake Black Mesa—which began development in 2004—six years ago. It was great, but it was also missing something: the game’s final act, set on the alien world of Xen. That’ll be out next year, and if you’re wondering why it’s taken so long, it’s because the section has been almost completely remade.…
By Luke Plunkett Published November 19, 2018 - Uncategorized
A Sexy Cyberpunk Dating Sim About (And By) Trans Folk
I have played too many games that treat trans, non-binary, and gender non-conforming characters as sexual objects. These games portray the lives and identities of marginalized, real-world people as little more than titillation for the (assumed cisgender) player. Hardcoded is not that game. It is a story about dating trans people, written by trans people.…
By Kate Gray Published November 19, 2018 - Uncategorized
The New Spyro Doesn’t Have Subtitles In Its Cutscenes, Which Is Crazy
While it has them during gameplay, the new Spyro Reignited Trilogy doesn’t have subtitles during its cutscenes. So anyone who is hearing impaired, or just likes to play with the sound down/off and wants to enjoy the game’s story, is shit out of luck. This is very much not normal, which is why what might…
By Luke Plunkett Published November 19, 2018 -
UncategorizedA Bioware Animator Has Made An Awesome Short Film
EA’s Dante’s Inferno, released back in 2010, is a game you probably haven’t thought about in almost a decade. But animator Tal Peleg is out here doing superfan work, bringing the series back with a professionally made short film. Peleg—currently at Bioware, formerly of Naughty Dog, and creator of the Joel x Banderas gif—has been…
By Luke Plunkett Published November 19, 2018 - Culture
Valve Says It Will Reduce Artifact’s Hidden Costs, Following Fan Complaints
Artifact is, for better and worse, shaping up to be a very Valve card game in that it’s a clever, complex re-imagining of DOTA 2—complete with lanes and heroes—but it’s also heavily tied into a real-money marketplace. In fact, there’s currently no way to earn new cards without spending at least a pinch of your…
By Nathan Grayson Published November 19, 2018 - Uncategorized
Fallout 76 Players Are Looking For Secrets Off The Game’s Beaten Path
There’s a place in the Western part of Fallout 76’s Appalachia where the cargo drones like to gather. If you stand outside the Mothman Museum you can see them just overhead, hovering in the sky overtop an unreachable portion of the map. Sometimes it’s just a handful; other times it can be over a dozen,…
By Ethan Gach Published November 19, 2018 - Uncategorized
A Game That Captures The Magic And Anxiety Of Finally Kissing Your Crush
Do you remember your first kiss? Smooch.Click can take you back to that moment. My first kiss was in the living room of a friend’s house. We had all been watching movies together, and my friend was trying to set me up with a guy. It worked, mostly because I was eager to get kissed…
By Gita Jackson Published November 19, 2018 - Uncategorized
KeyForge Is A Whole New Kind Of Card Game
KeyForge is a card game for people who would love Magic: The Gathering, but who run screaming into Mommy’s arms upon hearing the words “deck building.” It’s a game for the most doe-eyed of card-game beginners and the most seasoned fans alike, in part because of its winning gimmick: There’s no booster packs, drafting, or…
By Cecilia D'Anastasio Published November 19, 2018 -
CultureWhat We Adored About Netflix’s She-Ra Reboot
Back in 1985, Mattel and Filmation launched She-Ra: Princess of Power, a spin-off of the popular Masters of the Universe cartoon. Over two decades later, She-Ra and her friends step out of He-Man’s shadow in Netflix’s She-Ra and the Princesses of Power. How good is it? Maddy Myers and Michael Fahey discuss. Maddy Myers: I…
Maddy Myers And Fahey Published November 19, 2018 - Uncategorized
Jessie And James Are As Evil, Stupid, And Delightful As Always In Pokémon Let’s Go
Pokémon Let’s Go revisits a lot of the same scenarios from Pokémon Red and Blue, including run-ins with members of the villainous Team Rocket organization. In Let’s Go, these aren’t just any Team Rocket members, it’s the notorious Jessie and James from the Pokémon anime. They’re as evil and dim-witted as they’ve always been, and…
By Gita Jackson Published November 19, 2018 - CultureKotaku Game Diary
Shadow Of The Tomb Raider‘s New Tomb Is As Awkward As The Rest Of The Game
Some games’ post-release plans are stingy, others generous, some comically convoluted. And then there’s the seven-part plan for Shadow of the Tomb Raider, an awkward game that is now getting some awkward expansions. On paper before release, it all seemed pretty good. Shadow of the Tomb Raider would be a sequel to the excellent Rise…
By Stephen Totilo Published November 19, 2018 - Uncategorized
Fallout 76 Gets 47 GB Patch
Fallout 76‘s latest patch is now live. Bethesda had said it would be one of the game’s bigger ones, and at 47 GB on console it was, but the patch notes themselves are short, pointing only toward improved overall stability and handful of bug fixes. “Several issues have been addressed to resolve hitches during gameplay…
By Ethan Gach Published November 19, 2018 - Uncategorized
Razer Releases The Least Razer Keyboard Ever
Gaming peripheral maker Razer is not know for its understated designs. Its keyboards in particular are generally bulky and flashy; some might say a little gaudy. The Blackwidow Lite is none of those things. Not that there’s anything wrong with big and flashy—some of my favorite Razer gear is pink, after all. But sometimes a…
By Mike Fahey Published November 19, 2018 - Uncategorized
Half-Life, Revisited
I first played Half-Life in 1998 and played it again recently for a series of livestreams on Twitch. It’s been 20 years since the game was released, and what I experienced so many years later made me reassess the game. It’s a chaotic, if sometimes sloppy, masterpiece. This piece originally appeared 9/15/17. We’re bumping it…
By Heather Alexandra Published November 19, 2018 - Culture
The Week In Games: Battle Frame
This week is a raucous combination of battles on fields, boys in storms, frames of war, and Nidhogg 2 My primary interest this week is going be concentrated on Battlefield V. What can I say? I put a few hundred hours into Battlefield 1, and I’m interested in getting up to that same skill level…
By Cameron Kunzelman Published November 19, 2018
