The Latest Test For Smash Bros. Ultimate‘s Captain Olimar

Are the glory days of Captain Olimar the proud, first of his name, numbered? Or are they just beginning? We’ll have a better idea after this weekend’s big Smash tournament. The Pikmin protagonist has some very powerful attacks while also being skilled at zoning out the competition, making him a frustrating character to face at…

Rage 2 Drops Denuvo DRM In Record Time

Denuvo is anti-piracy tech that was once seen as uncrackable but is now viewed as more of a nuisance than anything. While tests have proven inconclusive, some believe it has a notable impact on games’ performance. It’s also the de facto DRM software of our time, and nobody, except big business, likes DRM. When Rage…

Skyrim Now Has Two Different Mods Based On The Game Of Thrones Coffee Cup

Skyrim player DarkMaster06 didn’t waste a second pretending that their request on the Skyrim Mods subreddit was anything more than an elaborate “troll” mod. But they asked for it all the same: “This is my request,” they wrote. “Based on the Game of Thrones series, we should add a Starbucks cup to Dragonsreach.” A couple…

Hearthstone’s Latest Single-Player Addition Isn’t Free, But It Might Be The Best

With every new Hearthstone expansion, Blizzard makes a habit of releasing free single-player content, mostly as an added draw to bring players back to the fold. In the past, this took the form of grindy deck-building roguelikes and interesting puzzle packs, but the latest expansion, Rise of Shadows, has switched the routine up a bit.…

Console Players Can’t Beat The Division 2’s Raid [Update: They’ve Done It!]

More than 24 hours since it launched, the Division 2’s raid has only been cleared by people playing the game on PC. Players on Xbox One and PS4 have failed repeatedly, leading to discussions that the raid is far too difficult for those playing on console. [Update – 9:20am, May 19: Three days after the…

A Moving Video Game Tribute To Ocean Life

Koral is a 2D side-scrolling puzzle game where you control a water current that moves under the ocean, swimming amongst the diverse sea life and bestowing healing energy to coral reefs. It’s a simple game with a series of elegant puzzles that move at a slow, smooth pace. Watch the video I put together to…

The Secret To John Wick Is All The Goofy Lore

At first glance, the John Wick movies look pretty straightforward. It’s a big part of their charm. Just watch the trailer for the first film: Keanu Reeves is living a peaceful life with a rad car and cute puppy, only to have both taken away from him by ruffians who are completely unaware that Wick…

Battlefield V’s New ‘Fortress’ Mode Is Just The Bloodbath It Needed

Battlefield V changed the series’ pace with a move towards faster gameplay full of action-hero vaulting and devastating rocket strikes. There was less grim and mud crawling, more arcade-y polish. A new limited-time game mode called Fortress makes things messy again, as waves of players attempt to conquer heavily fortified positions. It’s bloody as hell,…

The New Castlevania Collection Is A Bloody Good Time

Castlevania Anniversary Collection isn’t quite as good as it could be, but even a limited feature set can’t stop these classic games from still being great in 2019. Released Thursday for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC, and Switch (the last of which I played), Castlevania Anniversary Collection brings together eight of the early games starring…

As Cyberpunk 2077 Development Intensifies, CD Projekt Red Pledges To Be ‘More Humane’ To Its Workers

Footage of the upcoming role-playing game Cyberpunk 2077 has blown away fans so far, but coupled with that hype is a burning question: Are workers at CD Projekt Red, the Polish studio behind the game, ruining their lives to make it? The developer best known for The Witcher series has cultivated a reputation for crunch—asking…

What Are You Playing This Weekend?

The weekend is for… I usually write something not games related here, but I just started The Witcher 3 again. The weekend is for playing The Witcher 3. That is the extent of my plans After 200 hours in The Witcher 3 and its expansions, starting a completely new game (not even new game plus!)…

It’s been a few months since Lil Nas X’s Country Trap banger “Old Town Road” set the internet on fire; its original video featured Red Dead Redemption 2 clips. The song now has a new official video featuring cameos from Chris Rock, Diplo, and even a speaking role for Vince Staples.

Crackdown 3‘s Multiplayer Is Already A Ghost Town

Every video game with an online component has a hidden expiration date. No one really knows when it’ll hit. Maybe a game will be popular and have a long, storied life, full of memories and patch updates and people who write forum posts about the Good Old Days. Maybe it’ll be underappreciated, but still supported,…

As Deadline Passes, Riot Games Doesn’t Budge On Key Walkout Issue

Despite a walkout of hundreds of its employeeslast week, League of Legends publisher Riot Games said last night that they will not change their stance on forced arbitration. Protesting employees had given the company until yesterday to make a change, threatening to escalate their efforts if it did not. “We know not everyone agrees with…

Microsoft Announces Minecraft Earth, A Minecraft Version Of Pokémon Go

In a move that’s equal parts surprising, inevitable, and brilliant, Microsoft today announced Minecraft Earth, an augmented reality game that will let people build all sorts of blocky creations as they’re walking down streets and trying not to get hit by cars. It’ll be out later this year for phones, with a beta hitting this…

Bungie Is Nerfing Destiny 2‘s Best Guns, And Players Aren’t Pleased

There hasn’t been much to complain about in Destiny 2 recently, which is perhaps why Bungie decided to spice things up last night and announce plans to weaken some of the game’s most useful gear, including Whisper of the Worm and Sleeper Simulant. Players are… well… let’s take a look at the Destiny subreddit. The…