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ReviewsBayonetta 2: The Kotaku Review
“What if you could feel good all the time?” That’s the question that Bayonetta 2 seems to ask. It answers that query, too. With an avalanche of mind-bending spectacle that will very often leave you dizzy and, by the end of it, a little numb. From its opening prologue, the sequel to 2009’s hit action…
By Evan Narcisse Published October 24, 2014 -
ReviewsThe Legend Of Korra: The Kotaku Review
The Avatar: The Last Airbender/Legend of Korra universe is tailor-made for a good video game. It boggles my mind that the much-loved series still hasn’t gotten one. The Avatar series, for those not in the know, is about a world in which many people can manipulate the elements—earth, water, air, or fire—through (beautifully choreographed) martial…
By Nathan Grayson Published October 23, 2014 -
Reviews
Civilization: Beyond Earth: The Kotaku Review
Whatever you do, no matter how tempted you are by the sci-fi setting and purple landscape, don’t think of this as a brand new video game. As novel as Civilization: Beyond Earth sounds, as fresh as it looks, and in spite of some pretty big changes it makes in a few key areas, you’re much…
By Luke Plunkett Published October 23, 2014 -
ReviewsThe Evil Within: The Kotaku Review
Before The Evil Within came out, I knew that I had to steel myself to be scared by it. But I’d also been nagged by the idea that I should be scared for it, too. As in, fearful on its behalf. It’s one of those games that’s so heavily freighted by genre and pedigree that…
By Evan Narcisse Published October 22, 2014 -
Reviews
PlayStation TV: The Kotaku Review
“What do you want the PlayStation TV to do for you?” That’s an important question when considering purchasing Sony’s new microconsole. A more important question might be “Do you know what the PlayStation TV is?” I ask because over the course of the past six days with the PlayStation TV, I’ve run into several people…
By Mike Fahey Published October 19, 2014 -
Reviews
The Fatal Frame Movie is an Atmospheric Masterpiece
Japanese horror game series Fatal Frame is one of my personal favorites. So despite disliking horror movies in general, I went to see the new Fatal Frame live-action theatrical film. And while never scream-inducingly scary, its amazing atmosphere makes it one of the creepiest movies I have ever seen. [Note: this review contains minor spoilers…
By Richard Eisenbeis Published October 14, 2014 -
ReviewsBorderlands: The Pre-Sequel: The Kotaku Review
Borderlands is an island. In its center, there’s a breezy mix of ridiculous firefights and even nuttier guns. Surrounding it, however, is an ocean of tedium—little inconveniences that have plagued the series since its inception. Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel does only the bare minimum of work to fix that. Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel is a new game…
By Nathan Grayson Published October 13, 2014 -
Reviews
Alien: Isolation: The Kotaku Review
Knock, knock. Who’s there? An alien. It kills you. While many a video game has been designed for people who enjoy killing aliens, Alien: Isolation can only have been created for people who derive some perverse pleasure out of being killed by an alien. Sometimes the alien will kill you while you’re running away… …and…
By Kirk Hamilton Published October 7, 2014 -
Reviews
The Angry Video Game Nerd Tackles the Most Infamous Game in History
When this whole YouTube thing was just getting started, one man began to review the Nintendo games that ruined his childhood—often with beer, explosions, cursing, and human feces. Nearly a decade later, The Angry Video Game Nerd has his own movie where he goes up against the most infamous bad game of all time: E.T.…
By Richard Eisenbeis Published October 7, 2014 -
ReviewsSkylanders: Trap Team: The Kotaku Review
It’s that time of year again. Time to set aside last year’s toys in favor of a shiny new batch of Skylanders: Trap Team figures. Seriously, set the older toys aside – you won’t be needing them for a while. In preparation for the arrival of the latest iteration of Activision’s hugely successful toys-meets-games franchise,…
By Mike Fahey Published October 5, 2014 -
Reviews
Super Smash Bros. 3DS: The Kotaku Review
Super Smash Bros., a new piece of fanfiction for the Nintendo 3DS, is a game about anticipation. It’s a game about position. It’s a game about mustering up the brain juice to figure out what your opponent is going to do next, then developing the lightning-fast reflexes needed to nail the best possible response. It’s…
By Jason Schreier Published October 3, 2014 -
Reviews
Persona 3 Works as a Stage Play, But Less So as a Musical
This past week in Tokyo saw the end of the second Persona 3 musical’s run. And while I had not seen the first, I decided with my vast knowledge of the series I owed it to myself to give Persona 3: The Weird Masquerade: The Ultramarine Labyrinth a watch. But while I can now say…
By Richard Eisenbeis Published October 3, 2014 -
ReviewsWatch Dogs: Bad Blood: The Kotaku Review
I was very, very close to advising you not to bother with Watch Dogs‘ big downloadable episode Bad Blood I was in a weird predicament, because, up until a couple of weeks ago, I’d barely played any of Watch Dogs, even though it came out last spring. I’d heard about (and read) some pretty negative…
By Stephen Totilo Published October 1, 2014 -
Reviews
The Vanishing Of Ethan Carter: The Kotaku Review
Ethan Carter is a game about stories. It’s a disarmingly personal tale, a murder mystery about childhood alienation that resonated with me in unexpected ways. And yes, it was created by a guy who is best known for making an incredibly violent first-person shooter called “Bulletstorm.” I remember when I was little, I didn’t really…
By Nathan Grayson Published September 30, 2014 -
Reviews
Middle-Earth: Shadow Of Mordor: The Kotaku Review
Lugdash Broken-Shield. Now there was a tricky orc to assassinate. Until I discovered he was scared of fire. Once I set his minions ablaze, Lugdash dropped everything and fled. I wasn’t going to lose the kill, so I chased after him. We both ended up running for a long, long time. I chased Lugdash out…
By Yannick LeJacq Published September 30, 2014 -
ReviewsFIFA 15: The Kotaku Review
The more things change, the more they stay the same. This review is going to be a little different to those you normally see here on Kotaku. I figured I’d do it via bullet-points, since that’s the language sports games tend to speak these days. WHAT’S NEW FIFA’s crown jewel has long been the fact…
By Luke Plunkett Published September 29, 2014 -
ReviewsHyrule Warriors: The Kotaku Review
Hyrule Warriors is the opposite of a Zelda game. Zelda games are tidy and elegant. They may be grand adventures, but the best of them feel carefully-pruned. They’re about one hero, Link, saving the world. They’re role-playing games, of a sort, with minimal dialogue, a few stats, and a small number of inventory slots. They…
By Stephen Totilo Published September 26, 2014 -
ReviewsDisney Infinity: Marvel Super Heroes: The Kotaku Review
When I was 12 years old my favorite toys were a ragtag band of Marvel Secret Wars action figures. They weren’t much to look at, paint scratched and accessories misplaced. Of the thirteen figures released in North America, I’d only managed to collect six — Captain America (no shield), Wolverine (one claw), Baron “I Don’t…
By Mike Fahey Published September 22, 2014 -
ReviewsDestiny: The Kotaku Review
I’m standing in front of a cave, my assault rifle drawn. I’m shooting at a steady stream of identical aliens. I do this for an hour, hoping an alien will drop a good enough item so I can finally feel okay about walking away. That moment never seems to come. That’s Destiny I’m sprinting across…
By Kirk Hamilton Published September 22, 2014 -
ReviewsMurasaki Baby: The Kotaku Review
I have a three-year-old daughter. I probably shouldn’t be playing Murasaki Baby, a game which is, in essence, about leading a toddler girl into and out of danger. But, like fatherhood, I volunteered for this responsibility. The dangers here are metaphorical and not physical, yet Murasaki Baby feels all the more disturbing for it. It’s…
By Evan Narcisse Published September 16, 2014