Yannick LeJacq

The NSFW Stages Of Super Smash Bros.

Human nature dictates that whenever people acquire new tools for visual expression, they’ll use them to draw dicks. So when Nintendo revealed that the latest (and, quite possibly greatest)Super Smash Bros.would come with a level editor, was there any doubt about what players would do with it? Of course not. Shortly after the stage builder…

Yannick’s Top Ten Games Of 2014

The most interesting parts of 2014’s games for me were the relationships. The love and hate I felt for my enemies in Shadow of Mordor. The tenderness with which I cooed over my Miis and Sims. The surprising amount of joy I felt when killing Nazis in Wolfenstein Every relationship is unique, of course. It’s…

“It’s chess meets Hamlet. Okay, maybe not Hamlet. But it’s a start.” Ken Levine, of BioShock and System Shock 2 fame, wrote an interesting review of Shadow of Mordor this week in which he praises its novel ability to tell stories that players “build for themselves simply by playing the game” Read it over at…

The Sims 4 Is Getting An Outdoorsy ‘Game Pack’ Next Month

After weeks of fan speculation about a possible expansion for The Sims 4, players got an answer from its creator today. Yes, the game is getting its first batch of paid DLC soon. But it’s not a full “expansion” like the ones previous Sims games received. Rather, it’s a “Game Pack,” and it sounds sort…

A Small Change Just Made Building In The Sims 4 A Lot More Fun

The Sims 4 got an update yesterday that, among others things, added the two new careers to the game. But we already knew about that—the developers had promised they were coming back in November. Buried within EA’s announcement was something far more exciting for many Sims fans: the return of a beloved cheat code. The…

Last-Gen Gamers Are Being Left Behind

New-gen consoles have barely been out for a year, but there’s already a familiar story: a game launches and runs great on the PS4 and Xbox One, much less so on the PS3 and 360. Shadow of Mordor was an egregious example of this performance gap, but it’s not the only one. Is there any…

Shadow Of Mordor’s New Expansion Is A Huge Letdown

Shadow of Mordor is one of the best games I played this year. I had high hopes for Lord of the Hunt, its first major expansion, as a result. “New monsters!” I thought. “More nemesis orcs to fight, some of whom ride on top of the new monsters! What could possibly go wrong?” So many…

The first episode of Life Is Strange, that intriguing-looking adventure game from the people who made Remember Me, is coming out January 30th, publisher Square Enix just announced. It’s coming to PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and PC, for $4.99. You can also buy a pass for all five episodes for $19.99.

Well, This Is Certainly Hinting At Something…

This is the last screen you see after completing the story in Shadow of Mordor’s new DLC, Lord of the Hunt. Think this is referring to the long-awaited fight with Sauron? Probably.

The Gross New Monsters In Shadow Of Mordor’s DLC

Shadow of Mordor got its first major DLC installment today, Lord of the Hunt. As the name suggests, the expansion is all about monsters—ones you can kill or bend to your will in various ways. Let’s take a closer look at some of these gnarly new beasts. Before I go into further detail about the…

The first major DLC expansion for Shadow of Mordor comes out today, Warner Bros. just announced. It’s called Lord of the Hunt, and brings some gnarly new monsters into the mix. The DLC costs $9.99, and comes free with the $24.99 season pass. Watch the new trailer above; I’ll have more detailed impressions by tomorrow.

Training Pokémon In Smash Bros. Can Get Messed Up

We’ve all been through the maddening experience of playing a fighting game against someone who knows that one move that gets you every damn time. And once your opponent learns that one move, they never stop using it. Now, imagine if you were fighting against an Amiibo instead. Terrifying, or amazing? YouTuber Chadtronic put the…

Assassin’s Creed Unity Patch Delayed As Game Continues To Struggle

Last week, Ubisoft said that it was planning to release a major patch to fix many ongoing problems with Assassin’s Creed Unity today—as in Monday, December 15th. Now, the developers have announced via their live updates page, “we are choosing to hold off until we can give you the improvements we’ve promised.” The highly anticipated…

What System Shock 2’s Greatest Scene Would Look Like Today

There’s a horrifying scene PC gamers of a certain generation will never forget. It takes place midway through System Shock 2, the predecessor to BioShock and, to many who played it, the scariest game ever made. One fan has been hard at work recreating the game’s iconic plot-twist, and it looks scarier than ever. It’s…

Strange ‘STALKER’ Developers Re-Emerge To Ask For More Money

Remember Areal, that suspicious Kickstarter project made by a studio claiming to be in an “information war” with Russia after receiving a signed letter from Vladimir Putin? It disappeared after its Kickstarter campaign was suspended. Areal is still gone, but its creator is back with something even more strange. After several months of relative silence,…

Even After Several Patches, Far Cry 4 Still Has Some Issues

Many gamers have been having a great time destroying animals and evil despots ever since Far Cry 4 came out last month. For others, it’s a different story. Despite receiving several patches designed to address its performance issues, these players are still struggling to get the game up and running properly. The specific technical issues…

Steam Holiday Auction Shuts Down After Gem Exploits Spread (UPDATE)

Shortly after launching its “Holiday Auction” on Steam last night, Valve was forced to put the thing on an indefinite hold—suspending many PC gamers wish to reap a bounty of free games. The problem? “There have been some issues with Gems.” Dammit, Gems! For those unfamiliar, the Holiday Auction is a new and exciting-sounding event…

If Video Game Characters Used Tinder

Man, video game characters are so lucky. They might have to square off against giant monsters and evil robots, but how would they fare in the virtual battleground that is online dating? I guess the Dragon Age characters would do pretty well for themselves. Everyone else, though… Cartoonist Mike Rosenthal recently imagined how some iconic…

Track: This Is The Place | Artist: Red Hot Chili Peppers | Album: By The Way Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to – and gaming to – at the moment.

Even Smash Bros. Pros Accidentally Self-Destruct In Matches

One of the most hilariously clumsy things you can do in Super Smash Bros. is walk off the stage by accident. Or jump off. Or “Flare Blitz” off if you’re Charizard. We’ve all been there. But it’s particularly embarrassing when you trip and fall in the most Smash Bros. way possible during a tournament match.…