The first time anyone jumps into Mario Kart 8’s 200cc mode can be a shock. The engine class is meant to be the hardest challenge in the game, but even so, racing in 200cc can sometimes feel egregiously punishing. There’s a reason for that: Apparently, the number does not accurately represent the jump in speed […]
Turns out, Mario Kart 8 has been gaslighting everyone for a decade Read More »
Blizzard Entertainment rolled out its hero ban feature for Overwatch 2 in April, and if you’ve been playing any competitive games during season 16, you’ve probably noticed that certain heroes (e.g., Sombra, Zarya, Symmetra, Ana, Mercy) are among the most consistently banned characters. Newly published data from Blizzard shows that to be the case, with
Overwatch 2’s new hero bans probably mean changes for Sombra, Zarya, and others Read More »
Summer Game Fest 2025 returns in June to fill the vacuum left by E3 — may it rest in peace — and will be joined by a long list of showcases from the likes of Xbox and tireless independent organizers who will put on shows like Day of the Devs and Wholesome Direct. This year’s
Summer Game Fest and ‘Not-E3’ 2025 schedule: All conference dates and times Read More »
Do you remember the first game you fell in love with? For me it was The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Some of my earliest memories are of sitting in front of a small CRT TV set up in the living room watching my brother run through the fields of Hyrule. Before even getting
This Nostalgic Zelda-Like Is A Delightful Love Letter To Gaming Read More »
2015’s Life Is Strange was about a high-schooler, the supernaturally gifted Max Caulfield, but its power resided in something deeper than its protagonist’s youth and the setting of Blackwell Academy. I think that, for many of the millions of players it resonated with, Life Is Strange spoke to those parts of us that are still
Life Is Strange: Double Exposure: The Kotaku Review Read More »
Bodies tear, break, grow, shrink, endure, decay. I occasionally think of myself as a sack of skin transporting around a pure, permanent, irreducible self protected from oblivion by its mortal shell but also transcending it. But as I get older, weaker, more tired, the act of self deception, for better and for worse, becomes harder
Citizen Sleeper 2: The Kotaku Review Read More »
Avowed features plenty of commentary about empires, religion, colonization, war, progress, and other weighty matters. But what Avowed is really about, when you strip everything else away, is simple: Who are you loyal to? That’s the question at the heart of this new role-playing game. And more than any other element or theme, it’s that
Avowed: The Kotaku Review Read More »
A giant rooster that sets a desert sea on fire every time it brushes its beautiful but deadly tail feathers. A toad-like octopus that sends mini-tidal waves roiling through a thick jungle forest as it flops around like a violent puppy. These and other majestic creatures I’ve killed dozens of times in Monster Hunter Wilds,
Monster Hunter Wilds: The Kotaku Review Read More »
Assassin’s Creed Shadows is, if you count every spin-off and mobile game, the 31st entry in Ubisoft’s long-running historical open-world franchise about sneaky assassins and secret conspiracies. While I consider myself a fan of the series and was excited to play a new Assassin’s Creed adventure set in feudal Japan, I wondered if Ubisoft would
Assassin’s Creed Shadows: The Kotaku Review Read More »
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, developer Sandfall Interactive’s debut project, has the juice. The French RPG is clearly inspired by the Japanese greats like Final Fantasy and Persona, but its Paper Mario-style timing elements and wealth of original mechanics keep its grind engaging and decidedly modern. The game isn’t without frustrations but nonetheless, while I wrote
