Kotaku reviewed Metaphor: ReFantazio and wrote a political science dissertation instead.

“Resident Evil Requiem is not just a victory lap for Capcom's survival horror dynasty; it is a chainsaw-revving, blood-soaked testament to why we love getting scared stupid.”

“The story has incredible moments between Naoe and fellow protagonist Yasuke but largely feels listless during its muddled second act.”

“To its detriment, Borderlands 4 feels like a direct response to Borderlands 3.”

“It's messy. It's weird. I'll never forget the ending.”

“It has issues, but Monster Hunter Wilds iterates on a winning formula with another captivating collection of monsters to slay.”

“References and concepts from Journey to the West and other Chinese mythology frequently flew over my head, so I found it difficult to invest in both the broader picture and its more intimate yarns.”

“And, with only the first two episodes provided by Amazon for review, I’m not sure I have a fully formed answer to that question just yet.”

“However, those peaks are also met with dated design conventions that stick out like sore thumbs, making for some noticeable lulls in the 50-plus hours I spent with the game.”

“Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to try any of the pre-release online multiplayer sessions, so I’ll have to reserve my judgments on that aspect until I can try it in a live environment.”

“Death Stranding delivers a fascinating world of supernatural sci-fi, but its gameplay struggles to support its weight.”

“Avowed doesn't owe you a straightforward power fantasy, but it is woefully balanced currently, to the point of persistent frustration.”

“Elden Ring reaches new heights, but spends too much time in familiar FromSoftware territory.”

“Mortal Kombat 1 mostly accomplishes this goal through fun new mechanics and an unpredictable storyline, but the overall package lacks the depth needed to make this a masterpiece.”

“The whole thing is basically a remix of the current Five Nights at Freddy's big picture, borrowing elements from different places and using them somewhat differently, or very differently in some cases.”

“The Last of Us Part I is more than the sum of its parts. It’s an unrelenting tour de force that strategically leverages the power of the PlayStation 5 to push its story and themes a little further.”

“The short answer is yes, things have indeed been shaken up. The longer answer is, well, the rest of this review.”

“If the mainline Horizon games are light RPGs, Lego Horizon is Baby’s First RPG.”

“A 007 game can’t just be a Hitman game with different hair.”

“It all helps the show to play less like an Avengers movie and more like FX’s The Americans–or even Disney+’s Andor.”

“Cyberpunk 2077 kicks you into its beautiful and dazzlingly dense cityscape with few restrictions.”

“Wild Bastards is unholstered brilliance.”

“A refreshing loot shooter, even if it doesn't play to Arkane's strengths.”

“I don't really have any asterisks to put on my love for Mina the Hollower: it's fun, it's full, it's mysterious, nice to look at, and very nice to listen to”

“When Endwalker soars, it leaps up into the heavens to deliver incredible, startling fights that feel truly exhilarating.”

“On the plus side, the burger, shake, and tots were so good that I didn’t mind being judged for my choices.”

“In almost every way, Hogwarts Legacy is the Harry Potter RPG I’ve always wanted to play.”

“DICE has made almost exactly the Star Wars multiplayer shooter I’ve always wanted.”

“There is no game series out there that means more to me than Virtua Fighter.”

“The remake of Silent Hill 2 is a restless dream come true.”

“The Lord of the Rings: Gollum, however, is a game that does none of these things.”

“I spent around 15 hours with Forgotten Land–mostly just completing the mainline and Treasure Road missions–and am currently at 80% completion.”

“Prey is a game of remarkably contrasting experiences.”

“Baldur’s Gate 3 is proof that Larian Studios knows how to capture that spirit and develop in pursuit of that feeling.”

“During my screening of the film, provided by Warner Bros., I was among a theater full of families. The kids were laughing pretty nonstop throughout the film.”

“Too much water”

“These are the moments that keep me coming back to Marathon.”

“God Hand is a game that will leave you wondering just what the hell Clover was thinking.”

“Rebirth was an invitation to rethink and reconsider a game I’ve loved dearly for decades.”

“Some nice characters and stories nested in an astounding open world, undercut by jarring bugs at every turn.”

“The Apple Vision Pro is magic, until it’s not.”

“I am, of course, quite concerned about whether this series is going to end well.”

“Season 2 doesn’t contain any narrative surprises, but because it doesn’t need to do any setup work like the first season did, it has room to tell a tightly crafted story full of high-octane action and surprisingly tender moments.”

“It took me more than 20 hours with Pikmin 4 before I identified that the sensation it evoked was the same as that of completing my to-do list.”

“The best thing Bethesda's done since Oblivion”

“It’s said that the game is remastered, though I can’t see how. Every inch of it looks identical, not just to my spotty memory, but also when I compare it to gameplay videos online.”

“Starfield has a lot of forces working against it, but eventually the allure of its expansive roleplaying quests and respectable combat make its gravitational pull difficult to resist.”

“The last two episodes could very well make or break the entire effort--and, judging by what we've seen so far, things are still very much up in the air.”

“Alien: Isolation is a good game in need of a good editor.”

“Maybe I just haven't taken enough ecstasy and horse tranquilizers to appreciate the tinny, sampled brass ensemble...”

“For the last six hours or so of People of Note, combat just plateaus.”

“They may clip on but they don't clamp.”

“Bottom line: Elden Ring is FromSoftware’s largest and most ambitious game yet, and that ambition has more than paid off.”

“It’s widely lauded as one of the best games of all time and one of the few to get a 10 from IGN.”

“Okay, just one more run.”

“Anthem looks beautiful and is anchored by exciting combat, but its potential is hamstrung by repetitive missions and a half-baked endgame.”

“No Man's Sky is a game of pure exploration that delivers on its most important promise.”

“Red Dead Redemption 2 can feel like a second job at times, one that constantly demands your attention with tasks mundane and mechanical.”

“Red Dead Redemption 2 can feel like a second job at times, one that constantly demands your attention with tasks mundane and mechanical.”

“A damn good third-person shooter tarnished by bland missions and live-service shenanigans.”

“There is a sweetness to this film, and a kind of innocent charm, that I found hard to resist.”

“The Veilguard feels like a return to form for BioWare but issues keep it from being great.”

“Madden NFL 24 is the most authentic and responsive Madden has felt in years, with improvements that fans of the franchise will immediately feel.”

“Bolder than the original... Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga sing the folie electric in a sequel that delivers.”

“Crystal Dynamics has crafted a campaign that genuinely feels like a great Marvel adventure.”

“While undercooked presentation and visual issues hold the games back, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are still the best mainline Pokemon games in years.”

“A bold shift to action and a stirring fantasy tale make this the best Final Fantasy in ages.”

“It becomes an examination of the meaning of life in a way that's more valuable than all the gold or starships in its virtual galaxy.”

“The Phantom Pain is a phenomenal achievement in open-world design and the most polished Metal Gear game ever made.”

“Liz Phair has committed an embarrassing form of career suicide.”

“DC doing a fun, Back to the Future-style time travel adventure is a great idea.”

“Watch Dogs is something special, even if it doesn't always live up to its own ambition.”

“Speed 2: Cruise Control is great-looking, professionally made and fun to watch.”

“Villeneuve's vision of Herbert's novel deepens its critique of messianic power with astonishing clarity — a colossal achievement in science fiction filmmaking.”

“Overwatch is a brilliant, rewarding shooter built on a strong, flexible foundation.”

“[The review consisted solely of an embedded video of a chimpanzee drinking its own urine. No written text was published.]”

“Concord is a damn fine shooter.”

“Bayonetta is so frequently played by the camera as a sexual object — framed by the camera and the player at every opportunity in ways the male combatants of Bayonetta 2 will never be.”

“SimCity is a masterwork of design restraint, a focused, gorgeous, brilliantly entertaining game.”

“A fitting, fond farewell to one of cinema's most beloved heroes.”

“Cyberpunk 2077 is an extraordinary thing — broken in so many ways, but strangely beautiful, funny, and utterly fascinating.”

“Cyberpunk 2077 is an extraordinary thing — broken in so many ways, but strangely beautiful, funny, and utterly fascinating.”

“This is an adaptation willing to take some risks, and those risks tend to pay off.”

“This is an adaptation willing to take some risks, and those risks tend to pay off.”

“Their most ferocious music in years.”

“Skull and Bones has enough going for it to carve out a niche, even if it falls well short of the high seas adventure it once promised.”

“I realized that I had been tricked into playing another goddamn survival crafting game that wanted me to punch trees and mine stone for a few hours before it got fun.”

“A campaign that punches well above its weight, even if the live service grind that follows is repetitive.”

“Madame Web is a unique take on the superhero genre, offering a refreshing change of pace.”

“Although some specialists can feel a bit useless at times, tweaks to the formula with Battlefield 2042 add a lot of interesting gameplay variety.”

“Halo Infinite's campaign is a confident, fun return to form for the series.”

“Gotham Knights is a satisfying action RPG with rich character work and a genuinely entertaining co-op experience that Batman fans will find worth their time.”

“Forspoken is a game of spectacular highs and frustrating lows, but its parkour combat is one of the freshest things I've played in years.”

“Gotham Knights is a satisfying action RPG with rich character work and a genuinely entertaining co-op experience that Batman fans will find worth their time.”

“The film is a surreal eyesore of unfettered ambition... a Cats that's true to its source: bizarre, unwieldy, and at times perversely beautiful.”

“The side quests and the characters they showcase are the shining beacon through the neon-soaked bleakness of Night City, and they give you room to explore the best the core RPG mechanics have to offer.”

“Starfield is an enormous, dense RPG that manages to feel like home even as it reaches for the stars.”

“However insane the wait, however protracted the recording, Chinese Democracy is, above all, a Guns N' Roses record.”

“Diablo Immortal is a surprisingly solid mobile translation of the Diablo formula, even if its aggressive monetization system threatens to overshadow everything it does well.”

“Overwatch 2 is a shooter that feels refreshed and exciting in ways the original stopped being years ago.”

“Did panic grip your soul as you stared into the whirling hypno wheel of the menu, where adjectives and nouns spin in a crazy vortex?”

“Concord manages to carve out its own identity in the crowded hero shooter space, with a surprisingly deep roster that rewards mastery.”

“Concord manages to carve out its own identity in the crowded hero shooter space, with a surprisingly deep roster that rewards mastery.”

“Mass Effect: Andromeda is a great-looking and frequently fun game that proves the franchise still has a future, even if this first entry stumbles a few times on the way.”

“Mass Effect: Andromeda is a great-looking and frequently fun game that proves the franchise still has a future, even if this first entry stumbles a few times on the way.”

“Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League is at its best when you can ignore its live-service ambitions.”

“Sword and Shield represent the next step for Pokémon on Switch, with a charming new region, great new Pokémon, and the most welcoming entry in the series yet.”

“Mass Effect Andromeda is a messy, uneven but ultimately worthwhile role-playing adventure.”

“Mass Effect Andromeda is a messy, uneven but ultimately worthwhile role-playing adventure.”

“The Apple Vision Pro is the most advanced consumer electronics device ever made. It is a remarkable achievement.”

“Anthem is a beautiful world let down by a shallow mission structure, but its fluid flight and satisfying combat make it worth exploring.”

“Redfall is rough around the edges and clearly unfinished in places, but its co-op fundamentals offer glimpses of something worthwhile underneath the performance problems.”

“No Man's Sky is fun, beautiful, and mind-bogglingly massive.”

“A Better Ending Than The DCEU Deserves”

“A Better Ending Than The DCEU Deserves”

“Halo Infinite transforms the series' two-decade-old formula for the better, giving protagonist Master Chief more characterization and implementing an open world.”

“A thrilling, emotionally resonant chapter that ranks among the most entertaining DC films in years.”

“Exhilarating movement mechanics I've played with since inFamous Second Son.”

“id Software did a pretty great job making something that feels familiar and fresh, and most importantly, fun.”

“The Galaxy Note 7 is the best big-screen Android phone Samsung has ever made.”

“While The Marvels works as a lighthearted action movie for a while, its relentless breeziness and strict adherence to the Marvel formula eventually weighs it down.”

“Immortals of Aveum is an impressively confident first-person shooter with a hearty solo campaign and fast-paced, spellcasting combat that's spectacular to watch.”

“There's too much water.”

“Kane & Lynch: Dead Men has a lot of promise, but nothing in this game works out nearly as well as you'd hope.”

“This is not a review. I want to be upfront about that from the start. Kotaku was not provided with review code by the publisher.”

“There's a certain camp pleasure in this preposterous Marvel-adjacent superhero origin story.”

“Liz Phair has committed an embarrassing and transparent fit of career suicide.”

“Sandra Bullock is so warm and engaging that she almost makes you believe the cruise ship can outrun the runaway autopilot.”

“Dragon Age: The Veilguard is a triumphant return to form for BioWare, with one of the best combat systems in the genre and companions you'll genuinely care about.”

“Greta Van Fleet sound like they did weed exactly once, called the cops, and tried to record a Led Zeppelin album before they arrested themselves.”

“Star Wars Outlaws delivers a fun and surprisingly grounded Star Wars adventure, even if its core systems often feel like they're playing it safe.”

“Persona 5 is held back by some of its more questionable depictions of female and queer characters.”

“Cyberpunk 2077 is a masterpiece, an opus, a tour-de-force shooter and RPG hybrid that will absorb you for hundreds of hours.”

“Skull and Bones eventually finds its footing as a satisfying pirate fantasy, but its rough waters keep it from setting sail with the rest of Ubisoft's best.”

“The fifth and seemingly final Indy adventure stands as a fitting send-off.”

“Starfield is an expansive space opera for the ages.”

“[an embedded video of a chimpanzee drinking its own urine]”

“A masterpiece of design and imagination.”

“Diablo IV is, without a doubt, the best Diablo game Blizzard has ever made.”

“Despite the technical issues, Scarlet and Violet are a bold new direction for the franchise.”

“Given that its developers have already laid out plans to significantly overhaul the game over the coming months, I'm cautiously optimistic about Anthem's future.”

“I genuinely wanted to like this game, and there were moments that enchanted me.”

“An RPG of massive scope that sometimes struggles under the weight of its own ambition.”

“Days Gone doesn't do enough to make its open world stand out from the crowd.”

“Battlefield 2042 is a blast when everything clicks. The problem is how often it doesn't.”

“Evolve is the most intensely satisfying multiplayer experience I've had in years.”

“God Hand is not so much a step back for the genre as it is a step back for games in general.”

“Marvel's Avengers is a fun game caught between cool campaign moments and a not-yet-proven live service.”

“The Last of Us Part II is a masterpiece.”

“Madame Web is mostly a pretty fun and different sort of Marvel experience.”

“CD Projekt Red has created one of the most detailed and absorbing open-world RPGs of the generation.”

“Concord isn't the most innovative or content-heavy hero shooter you could play, but with such fantastic competitive gameplay, 16 compelling characters to master, and 12 well-designed maps, it's got the makings of something that could go the distance.”

“Death Stranding delivers a fascinating world of supernatural sci-fi, but its gameplay struggles to support its weight.”

“It's a game of dichotomies, one that's beautiful yet flat, enjoyable yet frustrating, vast yet shallow.”

“Walking through Mos Eisley and seeing hundreds of aliens milling around made me feel like I had just been transported into a scene from the movies.”

“The deliberate sexualization and objectification on display serves as a jarring distraction from the creativity and design smarts elsewhere.”

“The visuals are truly stunning, but Game Science's breakout blockbuster undermines its own efforts at epic storytelling and exhilarating combat.”

“For most of its length, Borderlands is just unremarkable, the sort of thing that fades from the mind so quickly that it's actually difficult to dislike it with any real intensity.”

“Hades II is a competent roguelike that struggles to escape the shadow of its predecessor despite its expanded scope.”

“Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League has fun moment-to-moment action dragged down by its live-service design.”

“Read this for the action-packed plot, not character development or worldbuilding.”

“The future might be bleak, but Marathon fucking rules.”

“Miller's luscious cinematography perfectly complements Furiosa's deadly, albeit silent, glares.”

“King remains the master of building dread from the mundane, crafting another page-turner that proves his creative well has not run dry.”

“The prior eatery prior to Olive Garden in that prior spot was the Paradiso.”

“This is the worst product I've ever reviewed... up to this point.”

“The Acolyte isn't messing around. This is a Star Wars show with something to prove.”

“Dragon's Dogma 2 is a captivating action RPG full of surprises.”

“It kind of just feels like another Resident Evil game.”

“The Vision Pro is the best consumer headset anyone's ever made by a wide margin.”

“Drake raps and sings about his feelings with the same plodding, joyless commitment to brand maintenance.”

“Denis Villeneuve has crafted a sci-fi sequel of staggering scale and ambition.”

“Alan Wake 2 is a bold, beautiful, and terrifying triumph.”

“An incredibly creative and often funny FPS held back by wonky combat and glitches.”

“We found ourselves settling into meals that felt exciting, confident, and joyful.”

“This really is the best-playing Souls-like around.”

“One Piece Season 2 expands the world in exciting ways, delivering some of the best live-action anime adaptation we've seen.”

“Sabrina Carpenter seals her arrival as a pop superstar with 'Short n' Sweet.'”

“Code Vein II emerges as a comfy mix between a Soulslike and a JRPG that makes for a satisfying entry point for folks who want to dip their toes into both genres.”

“A rich, sprawling epic that only strengthens and deepens the Max-mythology.”

“Le Coucou makes French cooking feel alive and necessary again.”

“As time has proven, Kid A is the border crossing into a new era of Radiohead and popular music itself.”

“The Quest 3 is the best standalone VR headset you can buy, even if the question of why you'd want one remains frustratingly unanswered.”

“Baldur's Gate 3 is a new high point for CRPGs and one of the best RPGs I've ever played.”

“Our rigorous testing evaluates support, comfort, durability, and temperature regulation using standardized methods across hundreds of models.”

“Dakota Johnson brings a low-key naturalism to the role that occasionally cuts through the noise of the overstuffed plot.”

“Stone, in a role that demands she be outrageous and controlled at once, gives a dazzling performance that makes the movie a celebration of female desire in all its messy glory.”

“Pokemon Legends: Z-A reimagines Lumiose City with impressive scale, though its streamlined approach may leave some trainers wanting more.”

“The Galaxy S24 Ultra's AI features grab headlines, but there's a lot more to love about this phone.”

“Marvel's Spider-Man 2 builds on an excellent foundation to deliver one of the best superhero games ever.”

“SIGN can feel overly restrained, as if Autechre pulled back from the chaos that makes their best work so thrilling.”

“On 'Chromakopia,' Tyler, the Creator has to deal with the truth.”

“The Rabbit R1 is an adorable gadget searching for a reason to exist beyond the phone already in your pocket.”

“It is, essentially, more Breath of the Wild, but with the additions and changes made here it becomes something meaningfully new.”

“Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are Pokemon at their Pokemon-est, with an impressive open world full of Pokemon to catch.”

“Gory mayhem is wrought to eye-popping, grimly funny effect.”

“Final Fantasy 16 takes the series in an exciting and unexpected direction.”

“Street Fighter 6 is an incredible fighting game that's absolutely bursting with content and style.”

“This book is a Homeric epic, one told in the modem-day vernacular of the immigrant narrative.”

“Mighty Top Critic Average: 96. 99% of critics recommend.”

“Mortal Kombat 1 is a strong start for the rebooted timeline.”

“Ralph Fiennes leads a tense search for a new Pope in a thriller that treats its audience like adults.”

“A supremely practical and useful book. James Clear distills the most fundamental information about habit formation.”

“Assassin's Creed Mirage is a triumphant return to the series' stealthy roots in a gorgeous but compact open world.”

“The film uses its plastic protagonist to dig into bigger ideas about the nature of womanhood.”

“A towering achievement from Christopher Nolan that challenges, stimulates and rewards in equal measure.”

“Where the Crawdads Sing is painfully predictable, in both its plot and its prose.”

“Diablo 4 is close to being the best in class of the action-RPG genre.”

“God of War Ragnarok is everything I could have hoped for and more. It's a masterfully told story.”

“A pure remake that updates graphics and controls without altering the core, making experimentation fun through survival mechanics.”

“No Man's Sky is a shallow, repetitive experience that never lives up to its astronomical ambitions.”

“The Last of Us Part II is a game that wrestles with the ugliness of human nature in a way that's both affecting and uncomfortable.”

“EA Sports FC 25 refines the beautiful game with meaningful improvements to tactics and a refreshed Rush mode.”

“There's no doubting the craft on display, or the immersive sense of presence this game has.”

“Shadow of the Erdtree is a worthy expansion that lives up to the legacy of the base game.”

“Hogwarts Legacy is an excellent RPG that makes exploring the magical world feel enchanting.”

“Starfield is a massive game with a wealth of content.”

“Scott's Napoleon feels less like a historical epic and more like a Wikipedia article someone tried to film.”

“The movie is overstuffed and head-spinning, but it's fueled by aeli furious,eli passionate energy.”

“After more than 100 hours of research and testing, we're confident the iRobot Roomba Combo j7+ is the best robot vacuum for most people.”

“Billie Eilish is more playful, more pissed, and as brilliant as ever.”

“Lynch has burrowed so far into his own head that he's lost all sense of how to communicate with an audience.”

“Everything in the expansion is stronger and more deadly than anything you've met in Elden Ring.”

“This is a breathtaking, epic and enthralling film from Martin Scorsese.”

“Cyberpunk 2077 is dark and disturbing at times, but always exciting and entertaining.”

“Starfield is a massive game that occasionally struggles under the weight of its own ambition.”

“Swift leans into the lavender haze of late-night rumination with some of her most personal lyrics yet.”

“Stardew Valley's 1.6 update is a love letter from ConcernedApe to the community.”

“Packed with riveting drama and painful truths, this book powerfully illustrates the devastation of abuse — and the strength of the survivors.”

“Modern Warfare 3 feels like a missed opportunity that nonetheless still delivers the core Call of Duty experience.”

“The RTX 4090 is the fastest GPU we've ever tested, delivering massive performance improvements in rasterization and ray tracing.”

“Beyonce doesn't just visit country music — she conquers it, remaking the genre in her own image.”

“Dragon's Dogma 2 is a game that practically begs you to get lost in its world.”