Kotaku
As yet another week passes, we get more proof that 2024 is shaping up to be a very busy year in gaming—if not for game releases, then certainly for big stories around game exclusivity, adaptions, and, as always, streamers. This week we got our first look at the highly anticipated Borderlands movie (lol), learned about…
Kotaku
Fans of sprawling RPGs with intricate plots and ensemble casts sure have been eating good the first couple months of 2024. Late January saw the release of RGG Studio’s bodacious Hawaiian-style adventure, Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth. The end of February brings with it the extravagant second installment of Square…
Kotaku
Poker isn’t the most exciting game to play alone. Even against computer players in a video game,poker isn’t much fun. Balatro—out now on Xbox, PlayStation, Switch, and PC—understands this. Instead of playing other opponents and placing bets, this roguelike deck builder is all about making winning hands and collecting…
Kotaku
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings’s co-writer and director Destin Daniel Cretton is making the leap from comics to manga with a live-action adaptation of Naruto. One of the most popular anime and manga properties of the last several decades, Naruto has lived many lives as a comic book, several animated shows,…
Kotaku
The latest episode of the Paramount+ Halo series is an action-packed throat punch from the moment it starts. That punch to your windpipe will sting a little more if you’re a big fan of a certain character from the games, who bit the proverbial dust this week.
Kotaku
Since Overwatch 2’s controversial launch, Blizzard has made a lot of massive changes to its hero shooter formula. First, it changed the core team makeup from 6v6 to 5v5, then it gutted its promised PvE mode, reworked heroes, added new game modes, and gave every character passive healing abilities. The more these big,…
Kotaku
The Simpsons has been on for over 30 years at this point. In that time, the show has produced some amazing episodes and some real stinkers. But let’s not forget that Fox’s hit animated show about a suburban family trying to make ends meet in Springfield has also provided us with some incredible songs, often mixing…
Kotaku
Video games are the way a lot of us bond with our loved ones. Whether it’s family, a partner, or a group of friends gathering to play Helldivers 2, some of our most cherished memories with people we care about are facilitated through games. Thankfully, some games give us a means to immortalize those who are gone, and…
Kotaku
Kotaku
A decade ago, The Walking Dead wasn’t a mere TV show, it was an impossible-to-escape cultural phenomenon. Crafted with precision, powerful performances, and prosthetics, early TWD rose above regular zombie fare upon its 2010 premiere—that pilotremains flawless even today. In its first few seasons, the AMC series…
Kotaku
I haven’t had the chance to play much of Helldivers 2. At first, server issues due to the game’s swell in popularity kept me from playing, but as the situation’s improved, I’ve also found myself too busy or tired to play. Last night, I opted to watch my friends play it and commentate over their largely successful runs…
Kotaku
Driving games can loosely be divided into two sub-genres: simulation and arcade. The former category includes the likes of Gran Turismo or Forza (not the Horizon series) and focus on more realistic racing. But the latter is all about fun over realism. 2022’s Need for Speed Unbound, the latest release in the…
Kotaku
As physical video games become harder to find due to never-ending digitization, folks love collecting tangible items, especially if they’re of the rare and sealed variety. A 22-year-old Californian named Kiro recently came up on one such rarity: a sealed copy of 1987's The Legend of Zelda, and damn-near let it go for…
Kotaku
The annual Pokémon Day Presents showcase takes place this Tuesday, February 27 in celebration of the series’ anniversary. This is where The Pokémon Company typically announces its next big game, and offers updates on its various live service projects. It’s usually an exciting day, and it probably still will be, but…
Kotaku
Announced and premiered last year, Connecting Worlds—the documentary about famed game director Hideo Kojima—is now available on Disney+ for everyone to watch. And while it might only appeal to Kojima super fans, it’s at least not very long, clocking in at a cool 60 minutes, or about 11 minutes less than the famous…
Kotaku
Baldur’s Gate 3 developer Larian Studios is keenly aware of the mods that exist for the Dungeons & Dragons-based role-playing game. They’re all unofficial, of course, living in the mod bank that is Nexus Mods—but not for long. The studio said that official mod support is coming to the critically acclaimed game, though…
Kotaku
If you want to understand how the Final Fantasy VII universe got to where it is today, then you need not look any further than Advent Children. The 2005 animated movie that acts as a sequel to the original 1997 title is something of a flashpoint for the beloved characters. Advent Children paved the way for the…
Kotaku
It hasn’t even been a month since its release, but publisher Warner Bros. Games is disappointed in its live-service shooter Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. With barely 1,000 people playing the gameon Steam, the company has flat-out stated that Suicide Squad completely missed its purported expectations.
Kotaku
Lady Gaga dropped into Fortnite Festival season 2 just a few days ago, and she’s already shaking up the battle royale—not only with her themed cosmetics, but also with her actual presence. Yes, it appears that Lady Gaga—the woman who once asked “what is fortnight?”—is playing Fortnite. And she’s not the only pop girly…
Kotaku
Let me be upfront: no, you’re not the only person trying and failing to spread democracy in Helldivers 2 this week.
Kotaku
Nightingale, a new co-operative survival game developed by Inflexion Games and led by former BioWare boss Aaryn Flynn, released in Early Access on February 20 and required an always-online connection from players even when taking on the game solo. Now, only two days later, the game is walking back its online-only…
Kotaku
In the summer of 2020, as America tried to reckon with its institutionalized racism, the Black Lives Matter movement prompted video game studios to issue pro-BLM statements, donate to Black-centered charities, and promise to elevate Black voices. Several years later, it’s not all that clear if some (or any) studios fol…
Kotaku
This year, I returned to Liyue Harbor to find paper kites flying alongside strings of vermillion lanterns. I couldn’t help but reminisce on the first time I wandered these docks, grinding through mini-games and coaxing a certain antisocial mask-wearing warrior into the city. Like Genshin Impact’s protagonist, the…
Kotaku
When you hear about accessibility, what do you think of? When you play a Souls-like game, what do you think of? If both of those answers are about difficulty, you’re partially correct. But not in the way you think.
Kotaku
Hey, remember that little game Palworld? Well as of today, it’s surpassed a staggering 25 million players, all within about a month of its early access launch. That’s a lot of people shooting at or alongside their legally distinct “pals,” not Pokémon. Love it or hate it—or don’t get it all, like myself—people have…
Kotaku
Though the Final Fantasy series is infamous for its minigames, it’s never delivered something better than the Final Fantasy VIII card game Triple Triad—until now. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is bursting with more mini-games than you can handle, and while many of them are forgettable, Queen’s Blood stands above the rest.…
Kotaku
Can an online video game die twice? Yes, apparently. Paragon: The Overprime, a competitive online multiplayer game built using assets and designs featured in Epic’s previously killed original Paragon, is being shut down in April.
Kotaku
A fusion of real-time reaction speed and tactical decision-making, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth’s combat system is both speedy and strategic. If it’s been a while since you’ve played 2020’s Final Fantasy VII Remake, or if you’re jumping into Rebirth as your first modern FF7 experience, this guide will help you gain…
Kotaku
Hollywood loves nothing more than gnawing on the bones of preexisting IPs. Whether a reboot is good or not, it will almost certainly be lucrative. When it comes to Avatar: The Last Airbender, the industry powers that be should’ve learned their lesson the first time. In 2010, Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan…
Kotaku
People have made pinball machines themed after plenty of properties over the years, from Terminator 2 to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Pinball is a cultural staple, and odds are if you’ve never played it before, you’ve at least been in the room with a machine at your favorite local bar or restaurant. But because of…