Reviews Archives - Page 49 of 128

Link: Faces Of Evil: The Kotaku Review

When Nintendo foolishly licensed The Legend of Zelda to Phillips Media in the early 90s, the result was more than just Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon for the company’s CD-i console. Link: Faces of Evil is the action complement to Gamelon’s adventure game sensibilities. It eschews subtlety for a dungeon crawl-fest that is better left…

By Heather Alexandra Published September 28, 2017

ReviewsVideo Games

Divinity: Original Sin 2: The Kotaku Review

I’ve put 81 hours into Divinity: Original Sin 2 over the last 12 days. When I wasn’t playing, I was thinking about it, or talking about it. It’s brilliant and frustrating in turns, and occasionally both at the same time. I adore it, but for now I’m glad to be done with it. Divinity: Original…

By Nathan Grayson Published September 26, 2017

ReviewsRetro

Zelda: The Wand Of Gamelon: The Kotaku Review

In 1993, Nintendo made the inexplicable decision to license The Legend of Zelda to Phillips Media, creators of the CD-i. Among the resulting games is Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon. It’s known as one of the worst games ever made. Replaying it 24 years later reveals a game with interesting ideas marred by atrocious execution.…

By Heather Alexandra Published September 26, 2017

ReviewsMultiplatform

Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony: The Kotaku Review

Danganronpa has had a hell of a journey over the past few years, telling stories in the form of visual novels, anime, and even a third-person shooter. The latest entry in the series, Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony, feels like a fresh beginning of sorts. This piece originally appeared 9/22/17. If you aren’t familiar with the…

By Eric Van Allen Published September 26, 2017

ReviewsMultiplatform

NBA 2K18 MyCareer: The Kotaku Review

I can’t believe 2K managed to screw this up so badly. Note: As we’ve done the last few years, this is only a review of 2K18’s MyCareer mode, not the entire game. I think its presence as the best-known singleplayer sports RPG, coupled with the focus 2K places on it in terms of creating and…

By Luke Plunkett Published September 25, 2017

ReviewsMultiplatform

The Lego Ninjago Movie Videogame: The Kotaku Review

The Lego Ninjago Movie Videogame is short and a little rough, but a dynamic new combat system and a couple surprising tweaks to aging mechanics make it one of the most exciting new Lego games in years. The eight story chapters in the game focus on rehashing the plot of The Lego Ninjago Movie. Green…

By Mike Fahey Published September 25, 2017

ReviewsKeyboards

Vava Mechanical Gaming Keyboard Review: Not Bad For A Budget Board

There are a lot of big-name peripheral manufacturers making mechanical keyboards, but a search for the term “mechanical keyboard” on Amazon yields a ton of keyboards from companies you’ve probably never heard of. Like Vava, makers of the relatively good $80 no-name mechanical I’ve been typing on for the past week. At this point in…

By Mike Fahey Published September 20, 2017

ReviewsMultiplatform

Destiny 2: The Kotaku Review

As I struggle to fall asleep after a night of Destiny 2, the game keeps running through my mind. It’s like getting a song stuck in my head: I see the flash of combat and feel the rumbling controller in my hand. But I rarely hear the sounds of battle. Instead, I hear voices. They…

By Kirk Hamilton Published September 19, 2017

ReviewsMultiplatform

Dishonored: Death of the Outsider: The Kotaku Review

Dishonored has always been about the journey more than the destination, discovering secrets in its levels and finding creative ways to fulfill its objectives. Death of the Outsider, the game’s new standalone DLC, stays true to this strength. It doesn’t reinvent the game, but it doesn’t need to. Narratively, Death of the Outsider fits with…

By Riley MacLeod Published September 18, 2017

Reviews3DS

Metroid: Samus Returns: The Kotaku Review

There was a time, so many years ago now, when it felt like we had too much Metroid. The simultaneous launch of Prime and Fusion in 2002, followed up with another one-two volley of Metroids two years later. “Slow down!” we cried. “We can’t keep up with all this Metroid!” Time makes fools of us…

By Chris Kohler Published September 15, 2017

ReviewsMultiplatform

Ys VIII: Lacrimosa Of Dana: The Kotaku Review

The Ys series has been setting the bar for combat and music in action role-playing games since 1987. The latest game, Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana, is no different, but it does have something more recent entries have lacked—a memorable story. This post originally appeared 8/30/17. We’ve bumped it up for the game’s release day.…

By Mike Fahey Published September 12, 2017

ReviewsMultiplatform

Absolver: The Kotaku Review

Adal, the setting for Absolver, is large and untamed, but it fits. Overgrown ruins dot the landscape. There are cracks in the ground, ships washed far ashore. Something happened, but there’s little in the way of exposition or grand story. You play as a prospect who enters Adal to fight their way to the final…

By Eric Van Allen Published August 31, 2017

ReviewsMultiplatform

XCOM 2: War Of The Chosen: The Kotaku Review

If you’ve never played XCOM 2, here’s my advice: Skip the vanilla version and start by playing the new expansion, War of the Chosen. It’s the best 2K’s XCOM series has ever been. War of the Chosen is a massive expansion, but it’s not quite a whole new game. Rather, it goes over XCOM 2…

By Nathan Grayson Published August 29, 2017

ReviewsSwitch

Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle: The Kotaku Review

Mario’s power as an icon is defined by his versatility. The plumber doesn’t just jump: he fights, he drives, he plays sports, he parties. He does it all, really, without ever looking out of place. And yet earlier in the year, the announcement of a Mario and Rabbids mash-up was met by some skepticism on…

By Patricia Hernandez Published August 29, 2017

ReviewsMonitors

Philips 40-Inch 4K Curved Monitor Review: Giving Up The Ghost

A 40-inch ultra HD curved LCD monitor with the ability to display up to four full HD inputs simultaneously, Philips’ BDM4037UW seems like the perfect large monitor for a multi-platform gamer. And it would be, if not for a couple small missteps and one large stumble. The “MultiView” feature, as Philips calls it, is what…

By Mike Fahey Published August 25, 2017

Reviews

The 2017 Solar Eclipse: The Kotaku Review

Have you ever looked directly at the Sun only to find it wasn’t there? That’s the question asked by The 2017 Solar Eclipse, the ultimate can’t-miss entertainment experience of the year. Unless you missed it. After years of anticipation, The 2017 Solar Eclipse finally arrived on Monday, perfectly hitting its scheduled launch date. No delays…

By Kirk Hamilton Published August 22, 2017

Reviews

Uncharted: The Lost Legacy: The Kotaku Review

Uncharted: The Lost Legacy is an easy video game to like in spite of its flaws. It’s buoyed by a winning cast of characters and has some of the prettiest vistas this side of an actual trip to India. It also includes one of the most entertaining hidden features I’ve ever encountered in a video…

By Kirk Hamilton Published August 22, 2017

ReviewsBoard Games

Wasteland Express Delivery Service: The Kotaku Review

I never knew being a truck driver could be so much fun. Wasteland Express Delivery Service is a new board game from Pandasaurus, designed by Jon Gilmour (Dead of Winter), Matt Riddle (Fleet, Back to the Future) and Ben Pinchback (Fleet, Back to the Future). It pits 2-5 players against each other as couriers in…

By Luke Plunkett Published August 21, 2017

Reviews

Agents Of Mayhem: The Kotaku Review

If Overwatch had a single-player story mode, it would be Agents of Mayhem. If a big-name developer devoted the time and energy to do a G.I. Joe game right, it would be Agents of Mayhem. If Crackdown had more personality and jokes about balls, it would be Agents of Mayhem. The Saints Row spin-off is…

By Mike Fahey Published August 15, 2017

Reviews

Azio Retro Classic Keyboard Review: The New Vintage

Inspired by the old-fashioned typewriter and designed with luxury in mind, the Azio Retro Classic is a mechanical keyboard sporting rounded backlit keycaps, a zinc aluminum alloy frame and a genuine leather base. The nameplate says “Elegantly Fierce.” It’s not wrong. Last year Aziointroduced the MK Retro, a lovely little typewriter-inspired keyboard. You may have…

By Mike Fahey Published August 11, 2017