It’s rare that a video game map will make me excited. Hell, it’s rare that I even notice them, as most maps are serviceable and little more. So before playing a few hours of Ubisoft’s open-world racing game, The Crew Motorfest, I didn’t expect to be blown away by its in-game map. And yet, I was. It might be the best…
Source: Kotaku – 2023’s Coolest Video Game Map Is Here
Recent Forza games have been trailblazers for upping the ante when it comes to accessibility. 2021’s Forza Horizon 5 came with in-game sign language for cinematics, and a time-slowing option for those with slower reaction times. Incredible stuff. This October’s Forza Motorsport is aiming to push the boundaries even…
Source: Kotaku – Forza Motorsport’s Blind Drive Assist Is A Breakthrough For Gaming Accessibility
Steam has proclaimed Blizzard’s Overwatch 2 and 2K Sports’ NBA 2K24 the first and second worst games of the year, respectively. As of September 12, 165,573 of Overwatch’s 183,780 total Steam reviews are negative, and 3,135 of 3,523 reviews for NBA 2K24 are also negative. Since 2K24 only released on September 8, it’s…
Source: Kotaku – NBA 2K24 Just Launched And It’s Already The Second-Worst Rated Game On Steam
Scrolls are some of the most useful items you can find in your Baldur’s Gate 3 adventure, letting your characters expend them to cast spells they may not otherwise know. Because of this, they can really come in handy in a pinch, when you realize you have a scroll for a fire-based spell and your enemies are…
Source: Kotaku – Don’t Waste All Your Baldur’s Gate 3 Scrolls In Battle, Do This Instead
A random bartender on a small back-world planet led to one of my favorite side-quests in Starfield, Bethesda’s latest and biggest open-world RPG. Just be prepared for some gravity issues.
Source: Kotaku – One Of Starfield’s Best Quests Is A Gravity-Defying Beer Run
Ubisoft’s upcoming Call of Duty-like first-person online shooter, XDefiant, doesn’t have a release date yet, and now we know why. According to Ubisoft, the free-to-play arena FPS failed an important first-party certification test in August, delaying the entire launch process.
Source: Kotaku – Ubisoft’s New Shooter Delayed After Failing Console Quality Checks
Demon Slayer, the mega-popular shonen anime series about a group of samurai…slaying demons, is getting a new video game on the Nintendo Switch. But this one isn’t a typical anime fighting game, but a Mario Party-esque board game instead.
Source: Kotaku – Demon Slayer Is Going All ‘Mario Party’ On Switch
Geeta, the League Champ from Pokémon Scarlet and Violet was a bit of a let down. Her design is a serve and her background plot (of possibly being a terrible boss all the Paldea gym leaders resent) is actually pretty compelling, but her actual team and battle strategy is so anticlimactic she’s often tagged as one of…
Source: Kotaku – The Pokémon Champions, Ranked From Worst To Best
In August, Toyota was forced to shut down over a dozen auto plants in Japan due to unspecified computer problems. Some theorized it was a cyberattack of some kind, but Toyota denied this and has now revealed what actually happened: Its computers ran out of disk space and everything broke.
Source: Kotaku – Toyota Had To Shut Down 14 Factories After PCs Ran Out Of Hard Drive Space
Earlier this year, Twitch streamer and psychology researcher Perrikaryal used her electroencephalogram (EEG) device (which records the brain’s electrical activity, but also has telekinetic research history) to beat Elden Ring, “using [her] mind for everything but movement.” Now she’s taking things even further, gunning…
Source: Kotaku – Twitch Streamer Kills Halo Enemies With Her Mind
Even if you’ve just barely scratched the surface of Starfield, Bethesda’s massive new spacefaring RPG, you’ve probably met companion Sam Coe. The single dad who always wears a cowboy hat is available to join your crew early on along with his daughter, Cora, who tags along on your ship. And because he’s bisexual, he’s…
Source: Kotaku – Starfield Daddy Sam Coe On Bisexuality, Console Wars, And Cowboy Hats
Starfield doesn’t have a whole lot of in-game options to mess with, but that doesn’t mean you can’t tweak the game to be a bit more immersive. After playing a number of hours, I’ve discovered a few ways to make that big ‘ol galaxy feel a bit more spacious and help you feel like the game’s simulated worlds are a little…
Source: Kotaku – Starfield Settings For A More Immersive Experience
Starfield is “the biggest Bethesda game launch of all time,” the developer announced on Twitter, with over 6 million players as of September 6, and its initial sales numbers appear to match its splashy reception. After releasing in Early Access beginning on August 31 and then launching globally on September 6, Starfiel…
Source: Kotaku – Starfield’s Free On Game Pass But Still Topping Sales Charts
Over the weekend, I continued exploring the galaxy of Starfield, Bethesda’s recently released giant space RPG. I was looking for a new planet or moon to create an outpost on, but instead, I discovered that Starfield’s planets are often covered in dead aliens, their bodies usually gathered together near a big rock.…
Source: Kotaku – Why Starfield’s Planets Are Covered In Thousands Of Dead Creatures
Although thousands of fan-made Starfield mods are already available—such as an early inventory screen overhaul, and Hello Kitty gun skins—official supported modding tools aren’t planned to hit Bethesda Game Studios’ open-space RPG until next year, game director Todd Howard said in an interview.
Source: Kotaku – Starfield’s Official Mod Tools Are Coming In 2024
If the last time you were at the store you thought, “I wish it was more clear that I am a gamer while buying these groceries,” then Xbox has a solution for you: the official Xbox Mastercard. Announced in an Xbox news blog on September 11, the new Xbox Mastercard (issued by Barclays) will let you use points earned from…
Source: Kotaku – Xbox Has Made A Gamer Credit Card
A fan-made poster for Gran Turismo, a movie inspired by a video game inspired by a real-life racing event, which tweaked the flick’s tagline of “From Gamer To Racer” to “From Gamer To Racist,” somehow made its way onto the Roku streaming app, and fans are having a laugh.
Source: Kotaku – Fan-Made Gran Turismo Poster On Roku Swaps ‘Racer’ For ‘Racist’
After four years of updates, Nintendo has announced that its mobile racing game Mario Kart Tour will no longer receive new content after October 4.
Source: Kotaku – Mario Kart Tour Will No Longer Get New Updates
A patent for a new Nintendo controller, published by the United States Patent Office on September 7, indicates the Super Mario developer is at least considering how to permanently shake its Joy-Con drift issue. Joy-Con drift, a phenomenon in which your Switch responds to phantom Joy-Con movement, has frustrated Switch…
Source: Kotaku – New Nintendo Controller Patent Shows Possible Joy-Con Drift Fix
