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ReviewsMetro: Last Light: The Kotaku Review
What will the world look like after the bombs fall? Can God exist in a place without hope? When man’s desire to survive overrides his morality, is the empire he constructs worth saving? Those are some of the questions raised by Metro: Last Light. The (cheery!) first-person shooter is Russian studio 4A Games’ follow-up to…
By Kirk Hamilton Published May 13, 2013 -
ReviewsIf You’re Into Endless Running, Might As Well Be Running With Friends
With its growing focus on mobile gaming and its penchant for trying to out-popular already popular games, Zynga was going to get around to stepping on Temple Run‘s toes eventually, and what better way than to combine the joy of endless running with the trusted …With Friends brand? The result is a combination I’m finding…
By Mike Fahey Published May 13, 2013 -
ReviewsI’d Rather Be Playing This ‘Meditative Space Strategy’ Game Right Now
Some games nearly make me miss my subway stop. Some games tempt me to keep on playing them while I’m walking down the street. This is one of them. It’s Rymdkapsel, and it’s the minimalist real-time-strategy game with a Tetris twist. It’s downloadable and out for PlayStation Mobile platforms now. It’s brought my PlayStation Vita…
By Stephen Totilo Published May 10, 2013 -
Reviews
Super Mario World: The Kotaku Review
Super Mario World, which is a game about a plumber riding a dinosaur, is filled with rules that make absolutely no sense. For example, if you—and by “you” I mean the character you inhabit, Mario the plumber—jump on something dangerous, it will kill you, unless you are big, or wearing a costume, or riding a…
By Jason Schreier Published May 9, 2013 -
ReviewsIt Only Took A Legendary Developer To Make Strategic Air Battles Fun
When I’m in the cockpit of a fighter aircraft, the last thing I want to do is slow down — I certainly don’t want to wait my turn. I need a joystick in my hand, a first-person view and buttons for machine guns and/or missiles. I was pretty sure Sid Meier of Civilization and Pirates!…
By Mike Fahey Published May 9, 2013 -
ReviewsAverMedia Live Gamer Portable Video Capture Box: The Kotaku Review
Late last year I had a chance to check out the Live Gamer HD, an easy-to-use video capture card from AverMedia that allowed me to capture 1080p video from just about any HDMI source using a simple pass-through connection. It was the easiest hardware solution for capturing and streaming game footage I’d come across. I…
By Mike Fahey Published May 7, 2013 -
Reviews
Soul Sacrifice: The Kotaku Review
Soul Sacrifice feels like a game designed by somebody in a bad mood. This exclusive for Sony’s handheld is all about using your own pain—or the agony of others—for power. Grim? Sure. But, it’s also the best reason I’ve had in months to keep my Vita charged and in my bag. So, the bad mood…
By Evan Narcisse Published May 7, 2013 -
ReviewsIt’s Like Pokemon, Only With Cats and Baked Goods
I do not understand why I am playing this, so here’s a kitten with a steamed bun on its head. Bread Kittens is one of those free games I don’t remember downloading but suddenly find myself playing more than I probably should. Set in the world of Catlandia, an evil pet food corporation is brainwashing…
By Mike Fahey Published May 7, 2013 -
Reviews
The Library Wars Live-Action Movie is Both Action-Filled and Poignant
Library Wars, a new live action movie based on the anime and novel series of the same name, was released in theaters across Japan just over a week ago. It is everything from a war story to a light-hearted romantic comedy. But at its core, it remains an excellent social commentary on the dangers of…
By Richard Eisenbeis Published May 7, 2013 -
ReviewsGraze.com Healthy Snack Delivery: The Snacktaku Review
Each week I set aside some of my health for the sake of bringing Kotaku readers my honest, unbiased opinion about on some of the most horrible snack foods the world has to offer, and each week I get the same questions. “Don’t you ever review anything healthy?” “How are you not dead yet?” Folks…
By Mike Fahey Published May 6, 2013 -
ReviewsSometimes It’s the Simple Things That Get Me
There are times I want to explore near photo-realistic ancient temples, battling terrifying enemies with the aid of powerful magical artifacts. I have moments where all I want to do is spend hours building armies, evaluating troop strength and capabilities and devising strategies to take advantage of my findings. Sometimes I just want to find…
By Mike Fahey Published May 3, 2013 -
ReviewsMonaco: The Kotaku Review
The co-op heist game Monaco appears to be missing whatever qualities an online video game must possess in order to turn the strangers who play it into jerks. I’m worried about telling you this, because I’m worried that I’m wrong and that Monaco is as prone to being ruined by the burrs of humanity. I’m…
By Stephen Totilo Published May 3, 2013 -
ReviewsThis Is The Prettiest Game On iTunes, But Looks Aren’t Everything
I stare at the glorious handcrafted world of Blitz Games’ Paper Titans for hours, lazily rotating each colorfully cobbled-together stage. I would gladly take a large stack of proto-form Titans, popping them out of their paper prisons and folding them to life with a flick of my finger. This striking setting cries out for interaction…
By Mike Fahey Published May 2, 2013 -
ReviewsA 30-Year-Old Fighting Fantasy Comes To Life In My Hands
I was a little over 13 when I read the first book in UK game designer Steve Jackson’s Sorcery! series of Fighting Fantasy books. Enhancing the page-turning elements of the Choose Your Own Adventure books with pen-and-paper role-playing game mechanics, the series instilled in me a voracious appetite for interactive fiction. Twenty-seven years later the…
By Mike Fahey Published May 2, 2013 -
Reviews
This Avengers Black Widow Figure Has Fabulous Hair
So, it’s time to take a look at the newest addition to my Hot Toys Movie Masterpieces collection, Black Widow. So, first off, because the question will inevitably be asked in the comments section: Yes, I ordered and paid for this figure myself. Yes, the clothes are removable. No, the figure is not anatomically correct.…
By Toshi Nakamura Published May 2, 2013 -
ReviewsFar Cry 3: Blood Dragon: The Kotaku Review
There is joy in stupidity. In an age where the search for deeper meaning in our interactive entertainment pursuits begins after the first trailer — where more thought goes into post-game critical analysis than development — a game that bears its shallow soul for all to see is a blessing. “The game is stupid,” Far…
By Mike Fahey Published May 1, 2013 -
ReviewsPizza Hut’s Crazy Cheesy Crust Pizza: The Snacktaku Review
For years, pizza scientists at delivery powerhouse Pizza Hut have been chumming international waters with the most bizarre combinations of dough, sauce, cheese and stuff. They’ve made pizza with hot dogs in the crust. Fish sticks and prawns. Cheeseburgers. Some of these magnificent creations have made it as far as Canada, but to this day…
By Mike Fahey Published April 29, 2013 -
Reviews
The AMD Radeon 7990 Graphics Card, Benchmarked
The current generation AMD GPU series collectivelly known as “Southern Islands” were released over a year ago, with the beginning of its rollout in January 2012. Sixteen months later, the Radeon HD 7000 series is still very much relevant, as AMD continues to release new models under the same GPU family. The Radeon HD 7790…
By Steven Walton Published April 24, 2013 -
ReviewsDigital Storm’s Latest Gaming PCs Are Almost As Cheap As DIY
Every time I post a review of a boutique gaming PC, someone in the comments has to mention that they could build a similar machine themselves for less money. That’s still true for Digital Storm’s newly-launched Vanquish line of gaming PCs, but it’s a narrow truth — we’re talking $20 to $60 narrow. Digital Storm’s…
By Mike Fahey Published April 24, 2013 -
ReviewsDragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen: The Kotaku Review
Oh, Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen. I want to like you. I really, really do. On paper, I should. On paper you and I should be thick as thieves. So why, please tell me why, I don’t like you? Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen is an expanded, budget re-release of the original game which, you might recall,…
By Chris Person Published April 23, 2013