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Reviews
Deus Ex: Human Revolution: The Kotaku Review
I opened the box, and within it discovered a sheaf of love letters. There I was, hunched in the corner of my attic storage space, the afternoon light taking on a voluminous, golden quality as it cast rays through ten years’ worth of dust. The box had been pushed into a back corner, and it…
By Kirk Hamilton Published August 31, 2011 -
ReviewsMadden‘s Low-Magnitude “Superstar” Isn’t Much to Gaze At
Simulation-quality sports video games all now ship with some kind of solo career mode, in which you create or control one player throughout his entire career. By far, this fantasy experience is most underserved by the football games. NCAA Football 12 made a substantial effort to upgrade its career this year, and although Madden NFL…
By Owen Good Published August 29, 2011 -
Reviews
The Alienware M18x Is a Gaming “Laptop” for the Gods
I just got to spend the last two weeks writing, browsing the web and playing all kinds of video games on this. The Alienware M18x. I have never had more fun with a laptop computer in my life. I know Alienware has a certain reputation amongst PC gamers. That for the most part their flashy…
By Luke Plunkett Published August 12, 2011 -
Reviews
The Mionix Zibal 60 Is the Gaming Keyboard of the Bourgeoisie
Gaming mice, there’s a market for. Headphones too. But be honest, when has your regular keyboard ever stood in the way of you and a good time when it comes to PC games? I mean, unless there are keys falling off, or it’s covered in some kind of ooze, a $20 keyboard normally does as…
By Luke Plunkett Published August 5, 2011 -
Reviews
The SteelSeries Spectrum 7XB Silences Doubts About High-End Wireless Gaming Headsets
I’ve often wondered what drives a person to shell out upwards of two hundred dollars for a high quality gaming headset instead of simply plugging in a pair of cheap ear buds or turning the television down really low. As one might imagine, I’m not much of an audiophile. In the span of a couple…
By Mike Fahey Published July 29, 2011 -
Reviews
NCAA Football 12: The Kotaku Review
A century’s worth of traditions spread over 100 teams makes college football one of the top subjects when sports fans start gumming How It Really Oughta Be: Who gets into what bowl, what rivalry should be rescheduled, what schools should be in which conference if everyone wasn’t so fixated on starting their own TV network.…
By Owen Good Published July 19, 2011 -
Reviews$100 Rainbow Lamps Paint the Walls with PC Gaming’s Light
For decades PC gamers have been content to let the colored lights of their favorite virtual playgrounds remain safely contained within the borders of their monitors. Mad Catz’s amBX-powered Cyborg PC Gaming Lights present a compelling reason to start playing outside the box. I’ve been writing about amBX for years now, and my articles on…
By Mike Fahey Published July 18, 2011 -
Reviews
The Origin PC EON17-S Laptop Births a New Respect for 3D Gaming
The first full day I spent actually playing games on the Origin PC EON17-S gaming laptop was a day filled with the wonders of 3D PC gaming, NVIDIA 3D Vision glasses only leaving my face during brief trips to see my newborn sons at the other end of the hospital. I hadn’t planned on spending…
By Mike Fahey Published July 8, 2011 -
ReviewsThe WWE All Stars Mad Catz Brawl Pad, A Guest Review
Writer Andrew Monkelban knows a lot about the ins and outs of video game controllers. As a disabled gamer, Andrew uses a variety of game pads and sticks to play video games in creative ways—like beating Final Fantasy XIII on a fighting game pad. In his first guest review, Andy explains the benefits of Mad…
By Michael McWhertor Published June 27, 2011 -
Reviews
The Avenger Looks Nuts, But Puts Console Gaming at Your Fingertips
I’ll admit it. I’m a sucker for crazy-looking peripherals. The crazier, the better. The Avenger checks off all the peripheral lunacy boxes. Just look at it! It’s bananas. There are straps, nubs, and pokey appendages that look like spider legs. Straight out of science fiction, this is some rubberized steampunk fantasy. This isn’t just bondage…
By Brian Ashcraft Published June 24, 2011 -
Reviews
Duke Nukem Forever: The Kotaku Review
Duke Nukem Forever begins in a casino bearing the Duke’s name. While slowly making your way through this marble-clad tribute to a hero of decades past (I hesitate to use the word “fighting”), you’ll pause to sign autographs. You’ll get a blowjob. You’ll control a remote control car. Twice. You’ll complete a “puzzle”, you’ll do…
By Luke Plunkett Published June 21, 2011 -
Reviews
Two Weeks and One E3 in Betabrand Couch Commando Cargo Pants
I’ve never worn a pair of prototype pants before. But Betabrand, the San Francisco-based company who makes sweatshirts designed using DARPA technology or pants designed to let you eat a lot of food, decided to send me the very first pair of their new “Couch Commando” cargo pants. I wouldn’t go far as to say…
By Joel Johnson Published June 18, 2011 -
Reviews
The Great Big Guide to Adventure Games
Even with a recent resurgence of sorts, the time when true adventure gaming was a blockbuster genre is well and truly past. Those interested in re-living that past, or in finding out what all the fuss was about, can check out Hardcore Gaming 101’s Guide to Classic Graphic Adventures The Basics The book sets out…
By Luke Plunkett Published June 15, 2011 -
ReviewsThe Fretlight Guitar Sets a Shining Example for Hopeful Guitar Heroes
With Guitar Hero on extended leave and no new Rock Band title coming out this year, now is the perfect time to trade in our toy guitars for something a bit more substantial. Going from five colorful plastic buttons for six strings with 22 frets each is a daunting task however, especially when music games…
By Mike Fahey Published May 30, 2011 -
Reviews
The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings: The Kotaku Review
The stench hits me first. Before the gurgle and hiss, the skittering of twisted claws against bare stone, the stale air of the abandoned mine delivers a stomach-churning whiff of the creatures’ breath, the miasmal scent of spoiled flesh between rotting teeth. Rotfiends. Eaters of the dead. They overwhelm two of my senses, so I…
By Mike Fahey Published May 27, 2011 -
Reviews
L.A. Noire: The Kotaku Review
The best trailer for the video game L.A. Noire that its creators never made would have featured a man’s face. The face would have been that of an unremarkable owner of a liquor store in 1947 Los Angeles, a hard-working type. His face would be creased, just a little, from the effects of encroaching middle…
By Stephen Totilo Published May 24, 2011 -
Reviews
The Universal Wrist Gadget Charger Arms Your Electronics with Extra Life
In the age of smartphones, MP3 players, tablet PCs, and high-quality handheld gaming devices, people need all the electricity they can get their hands on, even if they have to strap it onto their bodies to carry it around. Now there’s an idea… And where there are nifty gadget ideas, online retailer ThinkGeek is generally…
By Mike Fahey Published May 11, 2011 -
ReviewsThe New Mortal Kombat Does More Than Just Gore In Its Killer Celebration Of The Franchise
The ninth major Mortal Kombat does more than just offer a clean slate for the nearly 20-year-old series, famous for its over-the-top blood and gore. NetherRealm Studios’ reboot of the Mortal Kombat franchise sets a new bar for what a fighting game should offer its fans. The new Mortal Kombat returns the series to its…
By Michael McWhertor Published April 29, 2011 -
Reviews
Nyko’s Move Rifle Is A Nice Shot But Not Enough To Break Through
I don’t know if I’ll ever be sold on the idea that motion-control in first-person shooters can provide any greater fun or any means of shortening the genre’s tactical learning curve into something more instinctive. It is, as I’ve said, like trying to turn a doorknob with barbecue tongs. You’re just better off turning it…
By Owen Good Published April 22, 2011 -
ReviewsJust How Good Is The Razer Onza Tournament Edition? Quite Good.
Some would argue that the Xbox 360 controller is the best controller. Ever. But nothing’s perfect, not even the Xbox 360 controller. There’s gotta be a way to improve it, make it better. Turns out, there is. This is the Razer Onza Tournament Edition, a higher end version of Razer’s Onza Xbox 360 controllers, complete…
By Brian Ashcraft Published April 20, 2011