Xbox

The Xbox One X Is A Tough Sell

The Xbox One X does exactly what it’s meant to do, but who is it for? Is it worth buying the most powerful game console ever? Let’s discuss on today’s Kotaku Splitscreen First Kirk and I talk about World of Warcraft Classic, the end of Miiverse, and whether the video game industry is really unsustainable.…

What Is The Plural Of Xbox One X? [Update]

Look, I’m not suggesting that many people are going to buy more than one Xbox One X console. But if you did… how would you say that? The question of how to pluralize “Xbox One X” came up today in Kotaku’s work Slack. I asked Microsoft PR for their official stance, though I haven’t yet…

Fans Unhappy As Some Amazon Xbox One X Pre-Orders Miss Launch Day

Some frustrated Amazon customers are complaining that their Xbox One X pre-orders aren’t scheduled to arrive today, which is the launch day for the spanking new console. Fans rushed to pre-order the “world’s most powerful console” months ago so they’d be able to scale 4K pyramids in Assassin’s Creed Origins moments after getting home from…

The Reason Why The Xbox One X Is Selling Out In Japan 

Early this morning, a sign went up in front of the Yodobashi Camera in Tokyo’s Akihabara. It read 完売 (kanbai), which means “sold out.” This is just one of several stores across Japan that have sold through their stock. There is a reason for that, and that reason is that they’re only selling preorders. As…

Cuphead Developers Talk Cut Bosses And What’s In The Cups

Designing a game that manages to be both tough and fun is a difficult task, but Cuphead designers Chad and Jared Moldenhauer, along with the rest of StudioMDHR, managed to pull it off. I spoke with the two brothers over the phone to learn about boss design, cut concepts, and life after a successful indie…

PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds just announced an Xbox One launch date of December 12th, 2017—but it will still be in early access through the Xbox Game Preview program. The game is slated to leave early access on PC late December.

Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus: The Kotaku Review

The warm sun beats down on a main street in Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus, just in time for the Victory Day parade. Uniformed SS march down swastika-filled streets to thunderous applause. By the old diner, two members of the Ku Klux Klan practice their German. Everyone is white and happy. And it is so…

Assassin’s Creed Origins’ Microtransactions (Mostly) Just Get You Things You Can Earn While Playing, Ubisoft Says

There are microtransactions in Assassin’s Creed Origins, as there have been in the last two big installments of the series. The game’s publisher, Ubisoft, says that most of what you can spend them on can be obtained just by playing the game, though it’s a little more complicated than that. Origins’ in-game store, which is…

Here’s November’s Xbox Live Games With Gold Lineup

Tales from the Borderlands is another one of those games I own on multiple platforms but still haven’t gotten around to playing. If you’re in the same boat, Xbox Live Games with Gold has you covered this month. As always, these games are only “free” if you have an active Xbox Live Games with Gold…

Assassin’s Creed Origins: The Kotaku Review

For all its extraordinary visual splendor, Assassin’s Creed Origins is ultimately an ordinary video game. That’s not such a bad thing, particularly if you like looking at pretty vistas and watching numbers go up. Origins is the 10th main entry in Ubisoft’s series of historical murder games. It is also the latest in the current…

Leaked on Friday and now confirmed by Microsoft through IGN, these are the first original Xbox games that will be available through Xbox One backwards compatibility on October 24. Not pictured but also due tomorrow is Black, bringing the total to 13. Which games do you want to see added to the list? 

The Evil Within 2: The Kotaku Review

When we meet Sebastian Castellanos at the beginning of The Evil Within 2, he’s a broken man. The mind-bending events of the previous installment fractured his psyche. He blames himself for not being able to save his daughter Lily from a house fire, and his wife left him. He’s been booted from the police force…

‘Cupsonas’ Are A Thing Now

Cuphead’s difficult but cute. The game’s cartoony art-style brings everything to life with bouncy charm. Some fans have embraced the game’s visuals and created their own cupheaded characters. Riffing on the term “fursona,” referring to a personalized animal avatar, fans are calling their creations “cupsonas.” Some characters are teacups, others are frothing cappuccinos, and more…

Remember Halo: The Master Chief Collection, and how it just didn’t work? Microsoft is starting all over in 2018, giving the game “enhancements for Xbox One X” with stuff like “fixes, improvements and upgrades”.

Someone Beat Spider-Man 2 Without Any Web Swings

2004’s Spider-Man 2 is fondly remembered for being a pretty good movie tie-in game with some amazing web swinging. New York is a blast to zip through, but one speedrunner decided to see how fast they could complete the game without using its most exciting feature. Slyfincleton decided to speedrun their way through Spider-Man 2…

The Division‘s Second Global Event Is Live Now And Mostly Good

The Division’s relatively quiet second year continues to see small, smart tweaks made to the co-op cover-based game. Until next Tuesday, the game is running with modified rules as part of its second “global event,” this one changing how much damage players do to computer-controlled enemies (and vice versa) depending on their distance from each…

This Is Either The Best Or Worst Thing In Shadow Of War

Forget the nemesis system, loot boxes, or the well of charisma that is Talion of Middle-Earth, the element of the new Shadow of War game that I’m currently most torn on is its ancient poetry mini-game. In the midst of this game full of bloody orc combat, in between moments of interrogating and decapitating your…

Forza 7 Turns The Series’ VIP Upgrade Into Something Not Worth Paying For [Update]

Forza Motorsport 6‘s $20 VIP upgrade gave players exclusive cars, special online events and, best of all, double credit earnings for races. Forza 7‘s $20 VIP upgrade swaps the always-on double credit bonus for five limited-use “mod cards.” Boo. Update: Big changes coming in response to player feedback. The double racing credit bonus has been…

Cuphead Player Beats Bosses Without Taking A Single Hit 

Cuphead is a difficult gauntlet through a ton of bosses, from evil clowns to bossy queen bees. Surviving can be difficult, but some players are blasting through the game with breakneck speedruns or dangerous “no hit” challenges. Death is to be expected in Cuphead; there are tons of projectiles to dodge and enemies to avoid.…

Xbox Live’s Indie Games channel officially shuts down tomorrow. If you’re interested in cool games off the beaten path, dive in and check it out before it’s too late.