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CultureI Wish Games Didn’t Update So Much
Where a video game goes, a patch will surely follow. It wasn’t that long ago that updates were rare things, but today almost every game will get updated at some point—some far more than others. While it may sound strange, there are times when I wish that biweekly updates just weren’t a thing anymore. Sometimes…
William Antonelli Published September 19, 2019 -
UncategorizedTurn-Based Survival Game Overland Is Like An Indie Rock XCOM
In my couple of hours with turn-based survival game Overland, I’ve lived multiple short, doomed lives in the post-apocalypse. These lives unfolded in in gas stations and on street corners, and they were filled with the pursuit of gas cans and pieces of garbage, like potted plants and lighters. Overland’s art is minimalist, but the…
By Riley MacLeod Published September 19, 2019 -
Tips & GuidesTips For Playing The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening
Link’s Awakening is not a challenging game, but it can be a little abstruse. Originally released for the Game Boy in 1993 and overhauled for Switch in a delightful remake that’s out this week, the fourth Zelda is full of secrets, mysteries, and weird quirks to discover. Here are some tips to help you leave…
By Jason Schreier Published September 19, 2019 -
CultureKotaku Game DiaryI Have Had It With Games That Always Send Me On Detours
I don’t trust waypoints anymore. You know, those little icons on video game maps that show you where your goal is? They’re filthy liars, and I wouldn’t trust them with my coffee money. It happens all the time: A character will tell me that I need to get to a certain location to get a…
By Joshua Rivera Published September 19, 2019 -
ReviewsHardwareGame SystemsNintendo Switch Lite: The Kotaku Review
The Nintendo Switch Lite is one of the finest handheld gaming devices I’ve ever used. It’s sturdy, stylish, and comfortable. It launches with a library that’s already over 2,500 games strong. If all you’re looking for from the Nintendo Switch is personal, portable play, it’s perfect. But is that all you’re looking for? From its…
By Mike Fahey Published September 19, 2019 -
CultureHaven Island, the next location in the Hitman 2 Expansion Pass, arrives September 24. Set in the Maldives and following up on the events of the previous Bank map, Haven comes with a host of new challenges and full support for Contracts mode. It also comes with this excellent new trailer.
By Joshua Rivera Published September 19, 2019 -
ReviewsSwitchThe Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening: The Kotaku Review
The best feeling you can possibly feel while playing a video game is the act of swinging a sword in Zelda. I came to this conclusion recently, while playing the new remake of Link’s Awakening and trying to pinpoint exactly what it is that makes me love Zelda games so much. The answer, I think,…
By Jason Schreier Published September 19, 2019 -
CultureTrack: Never Say Never | Artist: That Dog | Album: Retreat from the Sun
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 19, 2019 -
Kotaku EastJapanThe Art of Writing JRPGs
If there’s one thing Yoshitaka Murayama knows better than most people in the world, it’s how to bring Japanese role-playing games to life. While at Konami, he created the Suikoden series, and more recently did the scenario for The Alliance Alive. During the Tokyo Game Show, I sat down with Murayama and asked him how…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 19, 2019 -
Kotaku EastK-Pop Pick Of The Day: Deja Vu
Dreamcatcher is back again, and once more, they’ve taken a page from the Japanese Anime Opening School Of Music. Not that I’m complaining. I say once more, because Deja Vu is just the latest in their long line of songs that come from the same pedigree. See also: Chase Me, Good Night (especially this one)…
By Seung Park Published September 19, 2019 -
UncategorizedDisco Elysium, an off-kilter detective RPG I’ve had my eye on for what feels like forever, finally has a release date. It’s coming to PC on October 15 and boasts an inventive dialogue system rooted in a tremendous number of skills, where your character’s thoughts talk to you and tempt you. You can make your…
By Nathan Grayson Published September 18, 2019 -
UncategorizedForgetful Dictator, out later this week on Steam, looks like the greatest educational video game I never got to play at school. Dressed as a strategy game, you’re actually learning about geography, capital cities and flags while you fight a giant dinosaur (and your own lack of knowledge of the world around you).
By Luke Plunkett Published September 18, 2019 -
CultureDOTA 2 Cheats Are Getting Their Asses Banned Until 2038
Valve released a matchmaking update for DOTA 2 yesterday, and as part of it, some players breaking the rules have begun receiving comically long bans. Valve’s notice for the updatesays it’s targeting “bad actors”, aka those with “exceptionally low behavior scores”, anyone buying or selling Steam accounts to get a higher rank, players “using exploits…
By Luke Plunkett Published September 18, 2019 -
CultureEight Tips For Using The New Steam Library
Yesterday, Steam’s first big library overhaul in eons entered open beta. The fresh coat of paint and (virtual) new shelves make for welcome additions, but it’s going to take some getting used to. Then there’s the new community-centric game page display, which somewhat ironically has the community divided. Here are some tips to help you…
By Nathan Grayson Published September 18, 2019 -
OpinionImpressionsCrying Suns Is Like FTL But With A Better Story
After raising over €72,000 in crowdfunded donations last year, Crying Suns is set to arrive on Steam tomorrow, September 19. Its art style and core mechanics both draw obvious inspiration from similar, years-old releases, with a narrative that constantly makes promises of answers over the horizon. Despite a dizzying opening determined to beat players over…
By Ian Walker Published September 18, 2019 -
CulturePlayer Spends $62,000 In Runescape, Reigniting Community Anger Around Microtransactions
“At this point, it’s no longer pay-to-play,” said a commenter on Runescape’s subreddit. “It’s pay-to-pay.” Controversy over microtransactions is rocking the community of 18-year-old fantasy online role-playing game Runescape. Criticism of the game’s allegedly predatory microtransactions bubbled over after a recent UK Parliament report referenced disordered levels of spending in video games, specifically flagging Runescape…
By Cecilia D'Anastasio Published September 18, 2019
