Anthem releases today—even though plenty of folks have been playing it since last week. As games continue to evolve through patches and players pay for early access to fully priced titles, I find myself asking oddly philosophical questions: When is a video game “finished,” and when are games actually “released”?

Anodyne 2: Return to Dust isn’t releasing until May, but it’s been quietly dominating my thoughts so far this year. Mixing Playstation-era visuals with Link’s Awakening-esque dungeons, it’s on track to be one of the most innovative and evocative games of 2019.

Final Fantasy XIV is prepping for a new expansion later this summer. The lead-up to this expansion, Shadowbringers, has brought new classes like the Blue Mage, and will soon open worlds with the ability to visit other servers. Kotaku emailed questions to game director Naoki Yoshida (a.k.a. “Yoshi P”) about new job…

The Yakuza series combine deep melodrama with exploration through vibrant city streets. Yakuza Kiwami is a remake that recreates the feeling of the original game, adding new features to streamline the experience. It’s a glorious crime story that benefits from a fresh coat of paint.

Nearly three months ago Elite: Dangerous player Deluvian Reyes Cruz set off on a journey to see how far away they could travel from the Sol system. To be safe, they prepared enough fuel for a return trip. Near the end of their journey, they made a chance decision to skim off that fuel tank, and that choice has left…

Resident Evil 2’s reimagining of the 1998 original leaned heavily into action, with revamped camerawork and gunplay. Its first batch of DLC, Ghost Survivors, focuses on untold stories and “what if” scenarios, and emphasizes intense zombie gauntlets over raw horror.

By the end of Far Cry 5, the modern world was no more. Washed away in a gout of nuclear fire, all there was left to do was retreat into our bunker and lament the loss. Far Cry New Dawn moves forward from that set-up. Mechanically, it is the same game we’ve been playing since 2012’s Far Cry 3. Underneath the gloss, it…

I knew two things before playing Daemon x Machina. First, it has a wonderfully inscrutable name. Second, it has giant robots. The latter part is all that really matters to me—I adore mechs, from Gundam to Armored Core. After playing Daemon x Machina’s demo, I’m excited for the full game, even if the action doesn’t…

From PUBG’s rough military edge to the sleek action of Apex Legends, it seems there’s a battle royale for everyone now. What goes into making a great battle royale game? A few of us sat down to talk about what we want from our virtual bloodsports.

Apex Legends dropped into the battle royale genre with a strong first impression. There’s still an allure of newness, but as the initial dust settles and the game starts to take shape, it’s clear that Apex Legends has staying power. Much of that is owed to design decisions that streamline some of the clunkier aspects…

A Mario Kart 8 Deluxe speedrun stalled out right at the finish line, seconds away from a new world record. It’s an ending that reminds us all that blue shells are absolute bullshit.

Mr. X is Resident Evil 2 most dangerous enemy and greatest horror trump card. The near-immortal Tyrant stalks the player from room to room, filling the dark halls with his stomping boot-steps. He’s terrifying, but what if there was two of him? A sneaky glitch can make this terrifying scenario possible, conjuring a…

To defeat the final enemy in Ocarina of Time, you need to have the light arrows. You get them right near the end of the Zelda game by the series’ famous princess. When Carbonwater was playing the Zelda classic one time not too long ago, he just couldn’t find those arrows. Princess Zelda didn’t have them, and as he…

Monster Hunter: World’s latest crossover event combines dangerous monster fights with the in-depth roleplaying of The Witcher 3 for a special quest that perfectly captures the tough work of a Witcher.

Yesterday, speedrunner sketodara01417 completed a speedrun for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild in slightly over half an hour. As someone who used to casually speedrun the game, I was awestruck at how much things have changed. New glitches and massively different movement techniques have radically altered the…