Reviews Archives - Page 42 of 128

Paul Tamayo’s Top 10 Games of 2018

2018’s games have blindsided me in many different ways, but one thing remains true: video games are straight up digital magic. Whether they make me emotional, sit on the edge of my seat or zone out for hours on end, I still feel that same wonder wash over my brain. Here are my top 10…

By Paul Tamayo Published December 27, 2018

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The Year In Video Game Sex, 2018

Sex in video games and fandom this year flourished but, in some cases, that flourishing was suppressed. It’s a tale as old as time: no matter how hard you try to stop them, people are just gonna be horny. Steam And Sex The Steam store has always had inconsistently applied rules when it comes to…

By Gita Jackson Published December 26, 2018

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Ethan Gach’s Top 10 Games Of 2018

I played more games in 2018 than in any prior year, which makes sense given it was also my first year as a full time staff writer at this illustrious website. There were so many that were so good, and yet I still didn’t manage to play as much of some of the year’s biggest…

By Ethan Gach Published December 26, 2018

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Jason Schreier’s Top 10 Games Of 2018

It’s been a wonderful year for video games both big and small. The games that appealed to me most were games that moved me, that challenged me, that gave me interesting tools and then allowed me to decide what to do with them. Also, the ones that were on Switch. Here are my 10 favorite…

By Jason Schreier Published December 25, 2018

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Riley’s Top 10 Games Of 2018

Another year, another feast of games to devour. Here are my 10 favorite games of 2018. Vampyr Vampyr was a charming, ambitious game, despite its clumsy combat and sometimes tedious navigation. Getting to know its London’s residents and tending to them as a doctor would, only to feast on them when I needed the XP,…

By Riley MacLeod Published December 24, 2018

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The Year In JRPGs, 2018

After a tremendous 2017, Japanese role-playing games were due for some regression, and that’s exactly what happened this year. There were no all-time classics like Persona 5 or Nier Automata in 2018. Yet it was a decent year for the genre, and we got some JRPGs that I enjoyed quite a bit. As is annual…

By Jason Schreier Published December 24, 2018

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The Best Toys Of 2018

2018 was a dark time in the toy industry, as one of the biggest toy retailers in the country closed up shop, forcing collectors to stalk the shelves of Walmart and Target for their fix. But Toys’R’Us’ demise didn’t stop some outstanding toys from being released. Let’s play! Toys’R’Us will be back one day, making…

By Mike Fahey Published December 21, 2018

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The Year In Relaxing and Stressful Games

With the year winding down, I thought it’d be great to look at three games you can chill with as the impending apocalypse—I mean New Year’s—rolls in. Or, if you’d like to prepare for the end times with some hectic games that get your heart rate up, Gita was nice enough to give me her…

Paul Tamayo & Gita Jackson Published December 21, 2018

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Luke Plunkett’s Top 10 Games Of 2018

I played what felt like 1000 games in 2018, but I can only put ten of them on this list, so here we go. Here they are in absolutely no order other than the fact Odyssey was probably (I’m still stewing on it!) my game of the year. And before you ask “why isn’t [a…

By Luke Plunkett Published December 21, 2018

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The Best In Video Game Concept Art For 2018

My favourite feature here at Kotaku is Fine Art, a daily look at the concept art that goes into our favourite games. With the end of the year fast approaching, I thought it was time to look at some of the best work we’ve been able to showcase this year from some of the biggest…

By Luke Plunkett Published December 20, 2018

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Gita’s Top 10 Games Of 2018

2018 has been a blur for me. It may just be that I’m in the last year of my twenties, or it could be that extreme events just did not stop happening this year. As with any year, I took refuge in games when I wanted to relax, enjoy myself, socialize with friends, or just…

By Gita Jackson Published December 20, 2018

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Heather Alexandra’s Top 10 Games Of 2018

Another year, another nearly one hundred games played. Between casual curiosity and work here at Kotaku, I go through a lot of games, from the largest AAA titles to innovative indie and altgames. 2018 was a good year for games but, alas, I could only pick 10 when it came time to decide the best…

By Heather Alexandra Published December 19, 2018

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2018, As Told By Steam Reviews

Sometimes, you just need to howl into a void. Say whatever else you will about it, but 2018 provided us with no lack of voids into which to howl our agonized cries. Steam’s review section sure was one of them—and an illuminating one, at that. This year, Steam’s user-powered review engine kept chugging along, but…

By Nathan Grayson Published December 19, 2018

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The Biggest Video Game Disappointments of 2018

2018 was the best of times, and the worst of times. We’re here to talk about that second bit, though we’re keeping things focused on video games. If we went any broader, this would take all day. As we do every year at Kotaku, it’s time to take a look back on the highs and…

Gita Jackson & Mike Fahey Published December 19, 2018

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Kirk Hamilton’s Top 10 Games Of 2018

There were loads of good video games in 2018, and I sure played a lot of them. I usually write these lists with a tinge of regret; regret over the no-doubt good games that I didn’t make time for, and regret that my list won’t include games I would’ve added had I made the time.…

By Kirk Hamilton Published December 18, 2018

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The Best Video Game Surprises of 2018

It’s that time again: time to take stock of the year that was 2018. We’ll start with the nice stuff. We do this every year here at Kotaku. (See: the biggest surprises of 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017) We’ll post the biggest disappointments of 2018 later this week. Shadow Of The Tomb Raider…

Mike Fahey & Gita Jackson Published December 18, 2018

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The Year in Mini-Games, 2018

2018 has spoiled me with so many great games. But instead of listing what my favorite games were, I decided to go deeper and list my favorite games inside of those games. Here are my favorite mini-games of 2018, in no particular order. I’ve cut together a sweet video, but if you’d rather miss some…

By Paul Tamayo Published December 17, 2018

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The Year In Old Games, 2018

Whether you want to play your classic games on the Switch, the PlayStation 4, the Xbox One, a half-sized wooden arcade cabinet, a tiny PlayStation, or a Genesis controller plugged into your TV, 2018 had you covered. It’s time once again for a look back at the year in New Old Games. While the majority…

By Chris Kohler Published December 17, 2018

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Fahey’s Top 10 Games Of 2018

While I spent a sizable chunk of 2018 in a hospital, I did manage to squeeze in time with some very good games. From virtual reality mice to the rebirth of a cool dragon, here are my 10 favorite games of the year. CrossCode If massively-multiplayer online role-playing games were around during the age of…

By Mike Fahey Published December 17, 2018

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The State Of Twitch In 2018

By pretty much every measure that matters, 2018 has been Twitch’s biggest year ever. Already a force in the gaming world, Fortnite helped catapult the streaming platform into the mainstream. There were big moments, bigger numbers, and of course, lots of growing pains. In many ways, Twitch’s appeal in 2018 remained the same as it’s…

Nathan Grayson & Cecilia D'Anastasio Published December 14, 2018