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ReviewsMultiplatformDestiny 2: Beyond Light: The Kotaku Review
A new year, a new expansion, a new Destiny 2. With Beyond Light, Bungie’s six-year-old loot shooter looks as beautiful and feels as good to play as it ever has, complete with small quality-of-life improvements and a satisfying story that delves into some of the series’ longstanding mysteries and even offers a few, uncharacteristically human…
By Ethan Gach Published November 24, 2020 -
ReviewsSwitchHyrule Warriors: Age Of Calamity: The Kotaku Review
Lady Urbosa. You can play as Lady Urbosa. That’s it. That’s the review. We could end the discussion about Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity right here and you’d have a pretty good understanding of the game. It has Lady Urbosa and you can play as her. She was my favorite character in 2017’s The Legend…
By Ash Parrish Published November 18, 2020 -
ReviewsPlayStationSackboy: A Big Adventure: The Kotaku Review
Ever since the launch of the original LittleBigPlanet back in 2009, I’ve wanted a full, proper game starring Media Molecule’s stitched-together mascot, without any of the building tools that are the main focus of the series. Now I have that in PS5 launch title Sackboy: A Big Adventure, a mostly non-threatening platformer with great music.…
By Mike Fahey Published November 17, 2020 -
ReviewsPlayStationDemon’s Souls: The Kotaku Review
Demon’s Souls, released last Thursday for the PlayStation 5, is a monumental achievement for developer Bluepoint Games. While the From Software original on PlayStation 3 was already considered one of the best games of all time, Bluepoint’s acted like a tumbler, sanding away the 2009 cult classic’s rough edges and leaving behind a beautiful, next-generation…
By Ian Walker Published November 17, 2020 -
ReviewsToysLego Super Mario Kicks Off 2021 With A Bunch Of New Sets
The already expansive Lego Super Mario line expands even more come January 1, with the launch of a new series of character packs, Tanuki and Penguin Mario power-up packs, three new expansions, and a new creative toolbox called the Master Your Adventure Maker Set. Now that kids of all ages have figured out how to…
By Mike Fahey Published November 17, 2020 -
ReviewsVideo GamesCall Of Duty: Black Ops Cold War: The Kotaku Review
Call Of Duty: Black Ops Cold War launched on November 13 across multiple platforms, marking the first Call of Duty title to support cross-gen crossplay. Even during a pandemic and a shortened development cycle, we get all the Black Ops goodness we could expect from a Treyarch Call of Duty. There’s a paranoid-filled campaign with…
By S.E. Doster Published November 16, 2020 -
ReviewsHardwareAMD Ryzen 5 5600X Review: 6-Core Gaming Beast
It’s time we finally check out the Ryzen 5 5600X, the most affordable Ryzen 5000 series processor announced to date. Positioned as a mainstream part, it’s coming in at $300, a 20% premium over the Ryzen 5 3600X. However this third-gen processor already didn’t make sense as it cost 25% more than the R5 3600…
Steven Walton | Techspot Published November 11, 2020 -
ReviewsHardwareGame SystemsXbox Series X: The Kotaku Review
The Xbox Series X does not feel like the kind of machine we usually get at the start of a new generation, when we’re used to clean breaks with radical new hardware that basically starts our time with a PlayStation, Xbox, or Nintendo device over. Instead, the Series X feels like another version of Microsoft’s…
By Mike Fahey Published November 10, 2020 -
ReviewsMultiplatformAssassin’s Creed: Valhalla: The Kotaku Review
Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla, a huge game made during a pandemic and with its own studio and parent company in crisis, is a game trying to do some difficult things. The first Assassin’s Creed in two years, and the 12th major Assassin’s Creed overall, it is the work of creators who are trying to honor the…
By Zack Zwiezen Published November 9, 2020 -
ReviewsHardwareGame SystemsPlayStation 5: The Kotaku Review
I’m sitting at my desk, staring at the PlayStation 5 looming over my media stand—“entertainment center” is a little too grandiose for the small piece of Target furniture that holds all my gaming stuff—and wondering how the hell I’m going to review this thing. How would my boss, whose various PlayStation 4 reviews I’ve skimmed several times…
By Ian Walker Published November 6, 2020 -
ReviewsMultiplatformFIFA 21 vs PES 21: Which Is Better?
Welcome to the Year Of Bad Sports Video Games. I’ve been doing this head-to-head review for years now, the only one of its kind in Kotaku’s critical arsenal, because this is the only space in video games where it makes sense to do it. FIFA v PES is the last significant battleground in sports, and…
By Luke Plunkett Published October 26, 2020 -
ReviewsToysThe Mandalorian Season 1, Retold With Action Figures
With the second season of The Mandalorian about to start, maybe you need a refresher on what went down in the first season. And maybe you need it in the form of…action figure dioramas? Sure, why not. These photos are the work of Matthew Cohen, who you might remember we featured earlier in the year.…
By Luke Plunkett Published October 20, 2020 -
ReviewsOne Of The Best USB Streaming Mics, Now In World Of Warcraft Flavor
Blue Microphones’ Yeti X is one of the most caster-friendly high-end USB microphones going, with cool features like on-mic LED volume metering and an outstanding software utility for tweaking every aspect of your voice recording. The Yeti X World of Warcraft Edition is all that with a cool black-and-gold rune-etched look and entertaining WoW-themed voice-changing…
By Mike Fahey Published October 20, 2020 -
ReviewsBoard GamesWestern Empires: The Kotaku Review
Western Empires is a big board game. A very, very, very, very, very big board game. Designed for nine players (though you can go as low as five), and played over the course of around eight hours, it’s the setting for an entire day of expansion, science, trade and battle. You and eight friends/former friends…
By Luke Plunkett Published October 19, 2020 -
ReviewsSwitchMario Kart Live: Home Circuit: The Kotaku Review
I experienced legit childlike glee upon first laying eyes on Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit during Nintendo’s recent Mario 35th Anniversary Showcase. A real-life Mario Kart? “Holy shit, that’s cool!” But that glee soured quickly as my 12-year-old inner Ash gave way to the cynicism of 32-year-old adult Ash. Could Mario Kart Live deliver more…
By Ash Parrish Published October 14, 2020 -
ReviewsMultiplatformStar Wars: Squadrons: The Kotaku Review
While plenty of games over the last few years have let lightsaber and blaster fans live out their dreams, it’s been a while since a big Star Wars game focused exclusively on starships and space combat. Thankfully for more dogfight-obsessed fans, the newly released Star Wars: Squadrons lets you become an ace pilot for both…
By Zack Zwiezen Published October 2, 2020 -
ReviewsMultiplatformHades: The Kotaku Review
Hades is my game of the year. It’s also the game of the year. I don’t mean to say that Hades is objectively the best, because that’s an impossible metric (and also Baldur’s Gate 3 isn’t out yet). Rather, developer Supergiant’s Greek mythology-flavored action roguelike is, improbably, the game that best characterizes the year 2020.…
By Nathan Grayson Published September 30, 2020 -
ReviewsToysLego Sneakers Seem Like A Good Idea
What happens when one of the world’s most notorious instruments of foot destruction joins forces with a brand dedicated to foot preservation? The Adidas Originals ZX 8000 LEGO sneakers, which should have hard plastic stud-covered insoles but probably don’t. Part of Adidas’ year-long A-ZX collaboration event, the ZX 8000 LEGO sneakers trick out the iconic…
By Mike Fahey Published September 21, 2020 -
ReviewsHardwareThe Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra Is My New Favorite Gaming Phone
Way back in 2012, approximately three decades ago, Iswapped my iPhone for a then brand-new Samsung Galaxy Note II. The large size and open-ended Android ecosystem stole me away from Apple for at least a couple of years. Now I’m back on my large phone kick with the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra. Between its gorgeous…
By Mike Fahey Published September 18, 2020
