Michael McWhertor

Can You Guess The Game Based On Its Dramatically Different Box Art?

What game is this? It’s a shooter. It’s a Wii game. It’s a sequel. And the previous game’s box art doesn’t look anything like this. It’s not Vanquish. Remember, this is a Wii game. And it’s not a Halo game, despite the heavily armored super soldiers featured so prominently on the cover. It supports Wii…

The Wii Party Party Won’t Stop For Japan

After taking a breather from dominating Japan’s sales charts, Nintendo’s Wii Party continues to party hard at the top of the list. Wii Party could be a great game, so why shouldn’t it sell really well? Well, it didn’t have much strong competition this week, with PSP role-playing game Fate/Extra coming closest to threatening Wii…

Shogun 2: Total War Really Looks This Good?

The Creative Assembly knows how to make Japanese real-time strategy very attractive, going by this new Shogun 2: Total War cinematic trailer that was “captured in-game.” Based on Shogun 2’s gorgeous artwork and screens, it shouldn’t be that surprising. [GameTrailers]

Where We Talk About One-Eyed Daruma

It’s that time. Time to close out a day of Kotaku with an open thread, where anything and everything can be discussed. Talk amongst yourselves, while I struggle to stay awake and finish StarCraft II. See, today represents one of those rare days when I’m tired. I don’t really get tired unless I’m covering E3…

Find Lost In Shadow Next January

Hudson officially puts a date on the brilliant Lost In Shadow, coming to the Wii on January 4, 2011. Thanks, GohanEgret!

Platinum’s Vanquish Goes Casual & Fully Automatic

Bayonetta and MadWorld developer Platinum Games is making it easier to enjoy the high-speed, third-person, run and gun thrills of its shooter Vanquish. Feel like letting the game do much of the heavy lifting? “Casual Auto” is for you. Much in the same way that its action game Bayonetta offered an “easy automatic” mode, a…

Hands-on With Dead Space 2’s Jet Boots & Better Controls

Getting my hands on a playable demo of Dead Space 2 felt like slipping into Isaac Clarke’s metal plated space suit—powerful, unsettling, familiar and a little awkward. It took me more than few hours of playing the original Dead Space to start feeling comfortable with its sometimes complex control scheme. Don’t get me wrong. Dead…

Left 4 Dead 2 New Changes Designed To Make It Less Rage Quit-y

Valve is making some noteworthy changes to the way Left 4 Dead 2 plays, the way it scores and the way it can sometimes infuriate players. When Valve polled zombie apocalypse enthusiasts on their rage quitting reasons, this was why. The official Left 4 Dead site outlines some, but not all, of those impending changes…

SOCOM 4 Loses Sight Of 2010, Takes Aim At 2011

Originally due some time this fall, Zipper Interactive’s SOCOM 4: U.S. Navy SEALs is now penciled in for release some time next year. The developer confirmed today that it’s delaying the PlayStation 3 game to give it some extra polish. The developer writes on the official SOCOM site “While we’re certainly aware that you’ve been…

Kinect Could Make Carjackings, Stabbings & Execution Style Kills This Immersive

Rockstar Games wasn’t shy about utilizing the Wii Remote and Nunchuk as a killing tool in Manhunt 2, but will they follow suit and support Kinect for the Xbox 360? Could Grand Theft Auto V turn millions into sadistic mimes? Explore the vicious possibilities in this humorous look at how the next Grand Theft Auto…

You Can Now Drive The Lara Croft Way

Next time you’re in Derby, England, you can drive the Lara Croft Way. The city’s new road, named after the Tomb Raider heroine, is open for business, with a Lara lookalike for hard proof. As seen at the BBC

StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty’s Evil Easter Egg

StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty’s lava-filled planet of Redstone III has a hidden secret, a guest appearance from another Blizzard-created game. Nestled at the far edge of the map is the Lord of Terror, Diablo, stranded on an island and surrounded by molten lava. (So that’s why they call it the Devil’s Playground…) He’s unclickable,…

See Ghost Recon: Future Soldier’s ‘Alpha’ In Action For Yourself

San Diego Comic-Con attendees were given a sneak peek at the 20 minute short film Ubisoft is bankrolling to promote futuristic shooter Ghost Recon: Future Soldier. Now you can watch nearly a minute’s worth of “Alpha” online. Francois Alaux and Herve de Crecy’s action flick will serve as a prologue to the Xbox 360, PC…

A Small Dose Of Cosplay Poison For Your Eyes

In some respects, an anatomically correct Poison from Final Fight cosplayer, seen lounging outside the Comic-Con halls. I’m sorry for showing you this picture.

Dragons & School Girl Outfits & Giant Demonic Samurai With Machine Guns Make Everything Better

Now that Comic-Con’s done, we can get back to what’s important: discussing things like comic books, movies, toys, fandom, sci-fi and the remains of the day. That’s what our nightly open thread is for. While at Comic-Con, I learned of Zack Snyder’s next effects-heavy movie, Sucker Punch. I didn’t know what the hell is was…

Contra Made Kinder, Gentler, Deeper By Hard Corps: Uprising

I played the latest Contra game—the one without Contra in the name—at Comic-Con. It was too easy, but that was by design so that cream puffs like me could enjoy Hard Corps: Uprising without dying too quickly. Hard Corps: Uprising was essentially set to easy mode for its Comic-Con demo, with player health and life…

Hard Corps: Uprising Screens

You May Like, The Next PlayStation 3 Firmware Update

Someday soon, you’ll be asked to update your PlayStation 3’s software. When you do, you’ll be ready for the PlayStation Store’s new “recommendations” feature. Consider it a new way for you to be sold things via the console’s PlayStation Network. It’s not cross-game chat or software emulation for PlayStation 2 games or auto-syncing Trophies—currently the…

Valve Bans Modern Warfare Players By Mistake, Apologizes With Free Left 4 Dead 2

Were you wrongfully accused of cheating and summarily banned from the PC version of Modern Warfare 2 recently? You weren’t the only one. Valve’s anti-cheat software goofed and they’re offering free copies of Left 4 Dead 2 as an apology. Many players of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 were surprised to find their Steam…

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine Deployed To PC

The PC will still be alive and thriving in the year 40,000, it seems. THQ is adding Windows-based PCs to the list of platforms it will support for the upcoming Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine, due in “early 2011.”