-
OpinionImpressionsHamsterdam Is The Perfect Name For This Bite-Sized Brawler
Which came first, the name Hamsterdam or the game Hamsterdam? However Muse Games came up with the name for this charming tap-and-swipe beat-em up, it fits. Once little Pimm starts doling out the beatdowns, it’s like, “Damn, hamster.” Released earlier this month for iOS, Android, Switch, and PC, Hamsterdam is a story of sweet revenge.…
By Mike Fahey Published August 9, 2019 -
OpinionJumbling The Rules Of Chess, Eight Different Ways
Chess is a game of seemingly endless complexity, each new match expanding into an intricate weave of strategies, gambits, and countermoves. It only gets stranger if you decide to throw out the rulebook. Chesses is a new browser-based game that does just that, with game modes that pack the board to the brim with pieces…
By Heather Alexandra Published August 8, 2019 -
OpinionImpressionsAnthem’s Cataclysm Update Wasn’t Worth The Wait
A massive storm rages overhead. Spend too much time in it and you’ll die. Enemies stalk a handful of ancient ruins scattered around a rocky beach. Take too long trying to kill them and the mission comes to an end, booting you back to the overworld map. At nearly every turn, Anthem’s new limited-time, score-based…
By Ethan Gach Published August 8, 2019 -
OpinionImpressionsFallout 76’s Meat Week Lets You Grind For Loot By Barbecuing
Live games have come up with all sorts of creative ways to repackage the grind of killing things over and over again in the hopes of earning rare loot. Fallout 76’s Meat Week cookouts are by far some of the strangest I’ve seen, and I absolutely love them. Fallout 76 is often criticized for not…
By Ethan Gach Published August 7, 2019 -
OpinionImpressionsThe Samurai Shodown Limited Edition Neo Geo Mini Is Clearly Superior
Our original review called the Neo Geo Mini arcade-style retro console “cute, but an imperfect nostalgia trip.” The Samurai Shodown limited edition, released this week to celebrate the latest entry in the long-running fighting game series, is exactly that, but it comes with more stuff and looks so much nicer. I firmly believe that translucent…
By Mike Fahey Published August 6, 2019 -
OpinionImpressions2011’s DC Universe Online Finds New Life On The Nintendo Switch
On a large computer monitor or television set hooked to an Xbox One or PlayStation 4, DC Comics’ eight-year-old, free-to-play massively multiplayer online superhero role-playing game looks pretty rough. On a lesser-powered console like the Switch with its smallish handheld display, DC Universe Online is a perfect portable MMO. DC Universe never was a looker.…
By Mike Fahey Published August 6, 2019 -
OpinionImpressionsI Can’t Wait To Destroy My Friends In Hot Shot Burn
In addition to hardcore competition, Evo 2019 has also provided a decent chunk of floor space for independent developers to show off their games. Flaming Flamingo took advantage of this opportunity to demonstrate its upcoming game, Hot Shot Burn, in a simulated living room environment, complete with an extra-large couch for attendees to lounge on…
By Ian Walker Published August 2, 2019 -
OpinionImpressionsThe Kill La Kill Fighting Game Is Flashy But Flimsy
Like the anime it’s based on, Kill La Kill the Game: IF is fast, stylish, rude, and racy. Unfortunately, like the outfits its main characters sport, there’s not a lot of substance. Kill La Kill is a damn fine original series from Japanese animation studio Trigger. It tells the story of a conflict between Honnouji…
By Mike Fahey Published August 2, 2019 -
OpinionImpressionsBattlefield V‘s New Map Brings Towering Cliffsides And Fast-Paced Carnage
Battlefield V’s initial post-launch plans focused on story and special game modes, with only a large tank-themed map breaking up the pace. Fans then waited eagerly over the next several months for new battlefields, their patience eventually rewarded with an intense coastal map in June. This past week, Battlefield V has expanded again with another…
By Heather Alexandra Published August 1, 2019 -
OpinionImpressionsThis Delightful Bird Rhythm Game Is Also An Entire Musical
Songbird Symphony is the touching tale of an orphaned chick who sets off on an adventure to find his true family, discovering a wonderful little combination rhythm/platforming game along the way. His name is Birb. It’s a good name. Despite his strong sense of rhythm and penchant for bursting into song, Birb’s adoptive peacock family…
By Mike Fahey Published August 1, 2019 -
OpinionImpressionsTrying To Please Everyone In Fire Emblem Is Turning Me Into A Sociopath
I knew I had a problem when I saw a timer appear and my first reaction was to immediately hammer my Nintendo Switch’s power button until it fell into a merciful slumber. Fire Emblem: Three Houses has a feature called an “advice box” in which characters write you letters asking for aid. You’ve got to…
By Nathan Grayson Published July 31, 2019 -
OpinionImpressionsThe Biggest Elder Scrolls Game Has Been Remade In Unity
It’s easy to forget that Skyrim, with its massive popularity and numerous ports, wasn’t the first Elder Scrolls game. It’s only the latest in a long line of huge roleplaying adventures, some of which feature worlds many times its size. The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall, originally released in 1996, is one of Skyrim’s big brothers…
By Ian Walker Published July 31, 2019 -
OpinionImpressionsChaos Is The Hero’s Weapon In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
If Super Smash Bros. Ultimate’s newest fighter, Dragon Quest’s Hero, has you baffled, you are not alone. Playing him for a couple of hours since his release yesterday, I’ve found Hero to be a very strange bird with lots of potential for hype-making moments. Hero has the most moves of any fighter in the game.…
By Cecilia D'Anastasio Published July 31, 2019 -
OpinionA Chill And Challenging Puzzle Game With A Sega Dreamcast Vibe
Sometimes, you look around at games today and say, “Gosh, I need some more Sega Dreamcast vibes.” CROSSNIQ+, a relaxing but challenging puzzle game that exudes late-nineties aesthetics, fills that gap. With a difficult time attack mode and an extremely low-key “chill mode” wrapped in its distinct “Y2K” look, it has something for everyone. CROSSNIQ+…
By Heather Alexandra Published July 31, 2019 -
OpinionImpressionsDestiny 2‘s Solstice Event Is Back And Better Than Last Year’s Grind
The Solstice of Heroes has just begun in Destiny 2. It’s the return of last year’s in-game event where you think back on how swell your time playing Destiny 2 has been as you play more Destiny 2. Much like the first Solstice of Heroes, which was held around this time last year, this one…
By Joshua Rivera Published July 30, 2019 -
OpinionImpressionsFire Emblem Is Slowly Improving Its Same-Sex Romance Options
The newer Fire Emblem games have placed an emphasis on romance and dating, though the series has been slow to make same-sex romance a viable option. Fire Emblem: Three Houses does allow you to experience same-sex romance—and it is explicitly romantic, and accessible for both male and female main characters. However, the female main character…
By Gita Jackson Published July 30, 2019 -
OpinionImpressionsTactical Strategy Game Mutant Year Zero Looks Like A PS2 Game On Switch [Update]
What the duck am I looking at? Mutant Year Zero: Road To Eden was one of last year’s surprise delights. Now it’s out on Switch, which should be a great thing. There’s just one problem: It looks really bad. [Update – 10:23, July 31]: The Switch version of Mutant Year Zero got a patch yesterday…
By Ethan Gach Published July 30, 2019 -
OpinionImpressionsVivid Painting Adventure Concrete Genie Will Release On PS4 In October
After being delayed earlier this year, Sony’s painterly puzzle platformer Concrete Genie will finally come to PS4 on October 8 for $30. Kotaku first previewed Concrete Genie, created by one of Sony’s tiniest first-party studios, PixelOpus, back at E3 2017. At the time, the game’s creative director Dominic Robilliard said the idea was originally born…
By Ethan Gach Published July 30, 2019 -
OpinionImpressionsMadden NFL 20’s Replacement For Story Mode Falls Short
For the past two years, Madden games have included story modes about a fictional up-and-coming NFL quarterback named Devin Wade. In Madden 20, you can still play a single-player story about a would-be quarterback, but this time you design him yourself, from his facial features to his strengths on the field. It’s a fun mode…
By Maddy Myers Published July 29, 2019
