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Here’s How Mass Effect: Andromeda Handles Sex and Romance
When Bioware first showed off Mass Effect: Andromeda, some fans didn’t care about the premise, the story, or the combat. The question many of us had was, “what aliens can I fuck this time?” Fear not, thirsty reader, you can indeed fuck some aliens in Andromeda. Like many Bioware games before it, Andromeda allows you…
By Patricia Hernandez Published March 22, 2017 -
Three Indie Games Are Vying To Out-Smash Smash Bros.
18 years after Super Smash Bros’ initial release, a slew of indie games are challenging its dominance of the platform fighting genre. Rivals of Aether, Brawlhalla, and Melee Masters are all upcoming indie platform fighters riffing on the theme Smash has been singing for two decades—one that 2013’s Towerfall circled with its archery-based play. Players…
By Cecilia D'Anastasio Published March 22, 2017 -
Every Time Nier Automata Ends, It Gets Better
Nier Automata is a game that gains meaning through repetition. The ending to the game changes following multiple playthroughs. Players see events from new perspectives and learn new information that recontextualizes past actions. It’s given us a lot to think about. Mike and Heather dissect the story in this discussion. SPOILERS AHEAD Heather Alexandra: So.…
By Heather Alexandra Published March 22, 2017 -
Nintendo Says JoyCon Wireless Issues Were Caused By ‘Manufacturing Variation’
If you, like me and several other Kotaku staff, have run into a consistent left Switch JoyCon signal issue, don’t worry: Nintendo says it’s not in fact a hardware problem, but a “manufacturing variation.” The company also says to contact them for a fix if you’re running into the problem. Here’s Nintendo of America’s full…
By Jason Schreier Published March 22, 2017 -
For Honor director Damien Kieken responded to player concerns over pricey new emotes during a livestream yesterday. Part of his answer has been transcribed below: “We never had an intention for you to unlock everything in the game. We applied RPG mechanics to a fighting game. It’s like World of Warcraft, you would not try to…
By Heather Alexandra Published March 22, 2017 -
The Worst Mission In The Legend Of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
After dozens of wonderful hours playing The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, I finally came across a bad mission. It’s bad enough to serve as a point of reference for just how good the rest of the game is. It sticks out like a sore thumb on an otherwise beautifully manicured hand. I’m…
By Kirk Hamilton Published March 22, 2017 -
Diablo III Seasons Finally Come To Consoles
Years after Diablo III’s seasons first started, they’re finally coming to consoles. Just as PC players begin clicking their way through the game’s 10th season, those who decided to go with the superior version of Diablo III will get to start seasonal characters on Friday, March 31. Seasons, of course, are limited periods(usually lasting around…
By Jason Schreier Published March 22, 2017 -
The Live-Action Death Note Movie Gets A Trailer
Netflix just showed off its trailer for the live-action adaptation of horror anime Death Note. Slated for release later this year, the film is directed by Adam Wingard. Here’s the trailer: Death Note is about a teenaged boy who mysteriously acquires a book that kills anyone whose name is written in it. Flush with power,…
By Cecilia D'Anastasio Published March 22, 2017 -
Pokémon Go‘s New Water Event Makes The Rare Lapras More Common
If you’re still waiting for Lapras to land in your Pokémon Go PokeDex, it might be your lucky day. Pokémon Go announced its new Water Festival event today, which will increase select water spawns globally. Totodile, Squirtle, Magikarp and others will appear more often after 1 P.M. PDT for the next week. To celebrate, your…
By Cecilia D'Anastasio Published March 22, 2017 -
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night Is Now A Nintendo Switch Game
The Wii U version is no more. It’s been canned! Instead, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is coming to the Nintendo Switch. “During our Kickstarter campaign, the Wii U was at the height of its popularity, but the situation has drastically changed after the release of Nintendo Switch,” states Bloodstained designer Koji Igarashi on the…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 22, 2017 -
The next new faction for Civ VI will be *drum roll* the Persians.
By Luke Plunkett Published March 22, 2017 -
Just Because A Game Is Old Doesn’t Mean It Must Be Cheap
I’m nuts for Secret of Mana. That blend of Final Fantasy RPG gameplay with Zelda-style action combat was the game that made me a fan of what we used to call “Squaresoft” back in the day. Today, all Square Enix has to do is put up a website that auto-plays one of the tunes off…
By Chris Kohler Published March 21, 2017 -
New Horizon: Zero Dawn Patch Fixes ‘Issues When Playtime Exceeds 200 Hours’
Today, Sony released a new patch for Horizon: Zero Dawn that makes a bunch of improvements including quest fixes, X-axis inversion, and, most pivotally, a fix for “game running into issues when playtime exceeds 200 hours.” I don’t know what those issues are, exactly—Sony hasn’t responded to my request for comment—but I do know that,…
By Jason Schreier Published March 21, 2017 -
Microsoft Is Making A New Xbox Controller Inspired By The Military
Xbox just announced a new controller: the special edition Recon Tech wireless controller, to be released next month. With a stylized utilitarian look Xbox says was inspired by “military technology,” combat armor and sci-fi mechanical gear,” the controller has etched textures on the front and back, apparently for grip. Like other Xbox wireless controllers, it’s…
By Cecilia D'Anastasio Published March 21, 2017 -
PC Building Simulator Is Much Less Nerve-Wracking Than The Real Thing
Last week Kotaku’s Nathan Graysontold us about PC Building Simulator, an indie game in which the nightmare of putting together a gaming PC follows us into the virtual world. This week I played the demo release, and it’s not nearly as difficult as it is in real life. Having recently assembled, disassembled, then rebuilt with…
By Mike Fahey Published March 21, 2017 -
Overwatch‘s Newest Hero, Orisa, Is Now Live
After an especially lengthy stay on the PTR, Overwatch’s newest hero, “anchor tank” Orisa, is finally live. She’s accompanied by major changes to precious heal boy Lucio, a new tiebreaker system for competitive matches, and balance changes that span multiple heroes and maps. First announced a few weeks ago, Orisa is meant to occupy a…
By Nathan Grayson Published March 21, 2017