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The Darkness II Displays Some Vibrant, Comic-Book Color in Debut Gameplay Trailer
2K Games has released an initial, stand-alone gameplay trailer for The Darkness II, sequel to 2007’s under-appreciated gem The Darkness. The title will pick up where the last left off, with mafioso protagonist Jackie Estacado wielding an assortment of grotesque powers, including the ability to summon impish “Darklings” and to pilot yucky, stretchy tentacles and…
By Drew Cohen -
Ubisoft Reveals a Slew of New Tracks for Rocksmith
We’ve already told you about Rocksmith, Ubisoft’s foray into the rhythm-and-music game genre. The title brings something new to the table. Unlike Rock Band or Guitar Hero, players of Rocksmith will be challenged to use a real guitar. No, seriously. The French developer promises that the title will come packaged with “a unique quarter-inch USB…
By Drew Cohen -
Haunting Half Life 2 Mod Dear Esther To Receive Substantial Overhaul, 2011 Commercial Release
In 2008, Dan Pinchbeck of the University of Portsmouth created an interactive “ghost story” titled Dear Esther using Valve’s Source Engine, and its associated Half Life 2 art assets. The game achieved enormous critical success, and established a devoted cult following. Now the title is set to receive a substantial makeover with the help of…
By Drew Cohen -
Talk Amongst Yourselves
It’s June. Already. It’s so terribly hot out, that I’ll need all of you to talk as much about video games as possible, so that I don’t get a headache or fall asleep. No really, it works. And since this is Talk Amongst Yourselves, there’s no better place for it. Please become acquainted with this…
By Drew Cohen -
He Has Only Four Lives To Save the Princess, And Now He’s Down to Three
YouTube filmmaking duo The Country Club have struck again with another inventive, video game-inspired short film. In December, the pair gave us a trailer for a grittier, sleazier incarnation of the Super Mario Bros. set in the universe of Grand Theft Auto IV Titled “REPEAT,” their newest video is yet another spin on the Mario…
By Drew Cohen -
Talk Amongst Yourselves
Yawn. Carried off on the arms of a Monday holiday (kinda like today’s TAYpic—thanks Prof.Gast). And for those of you working retail jobs and other unkind professions, I say: let today’s gaming discussion be in honor of you! Would some of you like to spend your Memorial Day creating TAYpics? Be our guest: #TAYpics (Read…
By Drew Cohen -
Rejoin Some Old Friends in This Resident Evil: The Mercenaries Character Trailer
Remember the time you gunned down all of those terrifying, pasty monks? Or when that unhinged fella with the chainsaw chased you down the alleyway? Man, that was really fun. This trailer for Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D for the 3DS put me in mind of a late night spent marathoning Resident Evil 4, or…
By Drew Cohen -
Watch the Cars of Dirt 3 Skid Along the Mediterranean
Ah, Monaco. A charming Principality, famous for its azure harbors, Grace Kelly and…car rallies. Lots and lots of car rallies. The folks over at Codemasters would like to invite you to this car-racing paradise in their newest gameplay trailer for Dirt 3, giving a glimpse of the title’s Rallycross, Gymkhana and Head 2 Head stages.…
By Drew Cohen -
Mafia Wars Set To Evolve With a Little Help From Mutant Friends
The already-extraordinary X-Men have gained a new ability: the mutant power to dispense loot. Players of social game Mafia Wars can look out for “loot to heighten your defenses like Magneto and strengthen your attack like Beast!” thanks to X-Men: First Class. [Mafia Wars]
By Drew Cohen -
Talk Amongst Yourselves
Three men walk into bar: an American, a Swede and a—oh, dash it! You’re not here for jokes. You’re here to talk about games. Because this is Talk Amongst Yourselves, the official Kotaku forum. So just excuse me, and get on talking. I’m an honest sucker for TAYpics that incorporate some of my favorite games.…
By Drew Cohen -
One Year Later, Did Sony Keep Their E3 2010 Promises?
E3 is a den of promises. Promises sell products. And according to the cynics of the world, promises are meant to be broken. Yesterday, we took a look at the promises that Microsoft made at last year’s E3. Today, we scrutinize Sony. Did their PS3 and PSP-related promises bear out, or were we left feeling…
By Drew Cohen -
Talk Amongst Yourselves
It was a dull, grey, no-good kind of Tuesday. The kind of Tuesday that could really put a man in the dumps. The kind of Tuesday that could push the wrong man over the edge. Oh, ahem, excuse me! I’m feeling a little, erm, pulpy today. Welcome to Talk Amongst Yourselves—a place to chat about…
By Drew Cohen -
A Classical Musician’s Love for Nintendo Music
It used to be that apprentice musicians and composers would have no choice but to labor through The Well-Tempered Clavier and attend stuffy conservatories. Well, that’s still true, for the most part. But it’s hard to keep new blood out of even the most ancient art forms, as contemporary classical composer Nico Muhly could attest.…
By Drew Cohen -
Author of Negative Conduit 2 Review Becomes Target of Studio’s Ire, His Novel Attacked on Amazon
Video game development company High Voltage Software was so chagrined by a negative review of their game, The Conduit 2, its creative director may have encouraged studio staff to retaliate against the author—by inundating the Amazon page for his novel with negative reviews. T. Michael Murdock made no secret of his dislike—and outright distaste—for the…
By Drew Cohen -
If Dadaists Opened An Arcade, It Would Look Like This
While debate persists over the merit of video games an art form, the medium has reached an undeniable milestone: the emergence of an active counter-culture. Enter Babycastles—an independent video game collective, housed within a lively exhibition space on the border between Brooklyn and Queens. When the collective hosted an exhibition in Manhattan last October, we…
By Drew Cohen -
Talk Amongst Yourselves
Welcome to the Kotaku water cooler. If you’ve got something to say, don’t keep it to yourself—share it here! My special thanks to Hisilarn for selecting one of my favorite games for today’s choice TAYpic. Think you’ve got a flare for good ol’ Photoshop splicing? Please deliver the fruit of your labors here:#TAYpics (Read this…
By Drew Cohen -
Sony Thinks Your PSN Pain and Suffering is Worth Up to $104
Sony is sorry it got hacked and that you’ve been locked-out of the Playstation Network for over three weeks. Now it would like to buy your forgiveness. Exactly how much the company is willing to part with depends largely upon what kind PSN-user you were previous to the outage, and which of the two Sony…
By Drew Cohen -
Action-RPG Darkspore Is or Was Coming to Xbox 360, PS3
In his resume, level-designer Jordan Patz claims to have “worked with Maxis to modify Darkspore for release on Xbox/PS3.” Wasn’t that just a PC game? The résumé has since been modified: it now links to a YouTube video of a flying cat. Very Suspicious. [joystiq]
By Drew Cohen -
Mass Effect Fans Worry That Expanded Gay Options Will Create Inconsistencies, Alter Canon
Mass Effect developer Casey Hudson’s announcement less than a day ago that same-sex romances would be given fuller and more explicit articulation in Mass Effect 3 has unsurprisingly ignited a spark among many followers of the franchise. In previous Mass Effect games, only female versions of series hero Commander Shepard have had access to homosexual…
By Drew Cohen -
According to Retailers, Perturbed PS3 Owners are Ditching the Platform, Migrating to 360
They’re sick of waiting. And now some are crossing over to the other side. According to a report in EDGE Magazine, retailers in the United Kingdom and elsewhere in Europe are claiming a dramatic increase in the number of customers trading-in PS3 units—either for cash, or, in many instances, toward the purchase of an Xbox…
By Drew Cohen
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