Kotaku articles

While Nintendo is setting the world on fire with its 90s nostalgia trip, let's say your 16-bit desires are more unconventional. Perhaps you enjoy your games with a bit more violence and/or hedgehogs. Then the Sega Genesis Flashback HD may have you covered.

This new God of War is an excellent game, lovingly crafted and engaging all the way through. But much has changed. It's not merely the drastically revamped combat, with its over-the-shoulder angle and its emphasis on evasion. It's also the story, and the way it tells that story, with an emphasis on family relationships and quiet, low-key moments.

Just because you don't have access to the fanciest gear around doesn't mean you have to play subpar games. Even if you're on a potato computer or low-end PC, there's plenty out there for you to enjoy. Here are some of Kotaku's top picks for quality games that should run on almost anything.

The bulk of Far Cry 5 feels like gonzo camping trip that permeates the rest of the game. Yes, people are being kidnapped, tortured, and brainwashed, but in-between fighting to liberate the residents of Hope County from this b-horror movie plot, I also spent plenty of time skydiving, swimming, hiking, hunting, fishing, and rampaging through cedar forests on 4-wheelers at night like an idiot.

It's been nearly 14 years since Blizzard launched the world's most popular massively multiplayer online role-playing game. You've had plenty of time to get your affairs in order before finally taking the plunge into Azeroth. Don't worry, the World of Warcraft hasn't passed you by. You just might need a little help getting started. We got you.

In the 20+ years since the Fallout franchise was introduced to the world, all of the games have been met with praise---which means that ranking them isn't easy. It's especially difficult to pit the games against each other when you consider that the post-nuclear franchise underwent a genre change.

Next time you play a video game, look down at the controller in your hand. Is it comfortable? Does it work well with the game you're playing? Are your fingers all being used efficiently? If you could change one thing, what would it be?

You play games, but your significant other does not. It's a common scenario that can be a point of contention in an otherwise healthy relationship. Here's a guide on how to introduce your significant other to the wide world of gaming. Remember --- compromise is key.

It took Civilization V two full expansions to become the classic it's regarded as today. Civilization VI is halfway there. There's lots of new stuff on offer in this expansion, from UI tweaks to new factions, but I'm not here to rattle off bullet points. I'm instead going to be talking about R&F's three main additions, and how they all work together to change the way each game of Civ VI feels.

Are you the next Dr. Disrespect? Are you the best Rocket League player you know? Is your incessant couch commentary so entertaining to your gaming friends that they've asked you to never, ever stop? Probably, then, you've thought about streaming on Twitch.

As ever, PC remains at the forefront of gaming. Whether it's the platform's advantage in hardware, its role as a breeding ground for interesting indies, or attempts to solve the mind-boggling logistical problem of offering nearly Every Game Ever, PC leads so many dances that you'd need to be a human centipede to keep up.

For all the video game industry's noisy hype about groundbreaking technology, it's still rare that a device comes along and actually breaks new ground. In just nine months, the Nintendo Switch has done just that.

Star Wars: Battlefront II frustrates me in ways I never knew I could be frustrated. It is both a lovingly crafted companion to the films and a tangled mess of corporate meddling. There is a strong heart at the center but finding it means peeling back layers of unnecessary and infuriating nonsense.

In an simpler time, the Xbox One X might have been Microsoft's next-generation console. Instead its enhanced power is mainly being applied towards taking advantage of two of the hottest display technology buzzwords since 3D (R.I.P.) - high dynamic range (HDR) and 4K resolution.

For Mario, 3D used to mean freedom. In 1996, Super Mario 64 broke Nintendo's mascot from the shackles of having to run in a straight line, letting the player choose their own path. But for quite some time now-no matter how 3D the graphics may have been-Mario's adventures have reverted back to running on a straight line. With Super Mario Odyssey, that changes once more, and it's a glorious thing.