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CultureE3Phantom Brigade Is A Mech Strategy Game Where You Can See Into The Future, And I Love It
In Phantom Brigade’s very first encounter, I immediately found myself severely outnumbered—just two mechs against an enemy force of one mech and seven tanks. And yet, I emerged from this mechanized showdown with barely a scratch on either of my big stompy boys. It was over in seconds, but I had all the time in…
By Nathan Grayson Published June 14, 2019 -
CultureE3We Checked Out Ubisoft’s E3 Booth
Tim Rogers checked out the Ubisoft booth at E3, and shenanigans ensued. Watch the video for a look at Watch Dogs: Legion, a very intense staring contest, and the one question that has surely been on everyone’s minds: What, exactly, is a Ghost Recon Breakpoint?
By Natalie Degraffinried Published June 14, 2019 -
CultureWhat Are You Playing This Weekend?
The weekend is for no more E3. The hype demons have been placated for another year. We did it, everyone. I recently started taking kickboxing classes, which are really intimidating and fun! (I also may or may not have tweaked a muscle in my leg shouting “Press conferences!” and kicking a bag way too hard…
By Riley MacLeod Published June 14, 2019 -
UncategorizedThe Perfect Squad Size Is 3 People
If you were paying attention to this week’s E3 announcements and also care about co-operative games, you might have noticed something: There are a lot of three-player co-op games.Rainbow Six Quarantine, the new Escape mode for Gears 5, even Battletoads. To this I say: It’s about damn time. Three people is the perfect squad size,…
By Joshua Rivera Published June 14, 2019 -
ReviewsSwitchCadence of Hyrule: The Kotaku Review
Cadence of Hyrule feels like a french fry dunked into a milkshake. There’s two distinct flavors at play—the deep exploration of a Zelda game with the bouncy pace of a rhythm game—and they mix together into something greater than the initial pitch. In combining two addictive yet contrasting gameplay styles, Cadence of Hyrule crafts a…
By Heather Alexandra Published June 14, 2019 -
UncategorizedKnife Sisters Explores The Tricky Subject Of Player-Character Consent
What does it mean for a game to let you consent? Does consent mean offering “Yes” and “No” options? Is it enough for the player to consent, or does the player-character also get a say? If so, will it destroy the player’s sense of agency to give the player-character enough agency to disagree with their…
By Kate Gray Published June 14, 2019 -
UncategorizedAmazon Lays Off Dozens Of Game Developers During E3
Yesterday, as the video game industry’s attention was focused squarely on the final day of the E3 convention in Los Angeles, Amazon’s video game division quietly laid off dozens of employees. Amazon Game Studios, which is currently developing the online games Crucible and New World, told affected employees on Thursday morning that they would have…
By Jason Schreier Published June 14, 2019 - CultureE3
Sayonara Wild Hearts Is A Dream Pop Collection Of Games
Sayonara Wild Hearts may have stolen my heart during E3. The levels in the demo I played were a collection of different modes all zooming through different on-rails levels that ranged from endless runners to fighting rhythm games. I can’t stop thinking about it. The game is a trip through vibrant, neon-lit worlds where the…
By Paul Tamayo Published June 14, 2019 -
CultureE3Elite Wrestler Kenny Omega Loves Mother 3 And Talks Business Over Apex Legends
It’s not surprising these days to hear that pro wrestlers are into video games, but Kenny Omega, currently one of the world’s best performers in the ring, probably can claim that he’s into them even more than most. Not many others can hold court about Mother 3 or are in a position to recruit talent…
By Stephen Totilo Published June 14, 2019 -
CultureKotaku Game DiaryLook At This Extremely Nice Video Game Latrine
While playing State of Decay 2‘s new Heartland expansion—a game I find interesting, even if I don’t particularly enjoy it—I noticed something during one of several trips to my local frenemies the Wilkersons in the northern region of Trumbull Valley. It’s a latrine. An extremely considered, well-designed latrine. Just look at it! It’s hard to…
By Joshua Rivera Published June 14, 2019 -
CultureSplitscreenCD Projekt Red Boss Again Promises That Cyberpunk Devs Won’t Have To Crunch
Following an impressive showcase from Cyberpunk 2077 this week at E3 in Los Angeles, CD Projekt Red boss Marcin Iwiński joined Kotaku Splitscreen to talk about crunch, recent controversy over transgender issues, and whether GOG is in trouble. A few weeks ago, CD Projekt Red had reached out to talk about their “non-mandatory” crunch policies…
By Jason Schreier Published June 14, 2019 -
CultureE3The Outer Worlds E3 Demo Featured Flexible Combat And Strategic Lying
This week, my colleague Jason Schreier and I had a chance to sit in on a demo for The Outer Worlds, the newest game from Obsidian Entertainment. Outer Worlds is a first-person role-playing game where you find yourself stranded on a distant planet fighting against a giant megacorporation. I get the feeling this might be…
By Paul Tamayo Published June 14, 2019 -
UncategorizedAt Long Last, The Canvas Fallout 76 Bags Have Arrived
In November of last year, purchasers of the $200 Fallout 76 collector’s edition were disappointed to discover the fancy canvas bags advertised were replaced with cheap nylon sacks. It tookhalf a year, but Bethesda has finally made things right, as incredibly wrinkled canvas Westtek bags make their way into fans’ eager hands. In the image…
By Mike Fahey Published June 14, 2019 -
UncategorizedState of Decay 2: Heartland Gives Me What I Wanted And It Still Isn’t Enough
I really wanted to like State of Decay 2, last year’s zombie survival game about fending off the undead and also building a community of survivors. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to connect with it the way I wanted to, and I could never connect with the community I was working so hard to form. I…
By Joshua Rivera Published June 14, 2019 -
CultureSplitscreenPersonality Has Become A Vital Esports Skill
Esports commentator and host Alex “Golden Boy” Mendez started out hosting Call of Duty tournaments in hotel ballrooms in 2011 and covering esports for websites like Kotaku. Now, he hosts esports events in stadiums for thousands, as well as esports matches for TV broadcasts. On this bonus episode of Kotaku Splitscreen, I interviewed Mendez on the…
By Maddy Myers Published June 14, 2019 -
CultureThe Best Sandwiches Japan Has To Offer
Some Japanese sandwiches are terrible. Others are okay or even very good. However, these Japanese sandwiches are world-class. Go into your typical Japanese supermarket, and there simply isn’t a wide variety of bread, sliced cheese, meats and condiments. Department stores and fancy groceries are bound to have more variety, but your typical Japanese supermarket doesn’t…
By Brian Ashcraft Published June 14, 2019 -
Kotaku EastChinaChina’s Official Studio Ghibli Posters Are Excellent
This month, Spirited Away will finally be officially released in Chinese movie theaters eighteen years after the movie first came out in Japan. To promote the release, artist Zao Dao created some truly wonderful posters. Via 2ch, have a look: Last year, My Neighbor Totoro was released in China, which was thirty years after the…
By Brian Ashcraft Published June 14, 2019 -
Kotaku EastJapanNaruto-Themed Ride At Japanese Amusement Park
Amusement park Fuji-Q Highland is opening the closest we’ll see to a Naruto-land, filled with attractions based on the popular ninja anime and manga. According to Kyodo, the Naruto-themed area is nearly 28,000 square feet and will feature attractions like an indoor ride in which guests wear 3D glasses and shoot targets (pictured). There will…
By Brian Ashcraft Published June 14, 2019
