Culture

‘Shop Contest: Watch Out In Firewatch, Winners! 

Last week I asked you to pitch some secrets for the Switch version of Firewatch, and you all delivered things that are better, and more secret, than I could ever imagine. Let’s dig in. Our winner this week really went for the massive, composite secret experience. I mean, they really just jammed this universe full…

This Week in the Business: Gaming Is My Business, And Business Is Good

STAT | $134.9 billion – The total value of the worldwide video game market in 2018, according to market research firm Newzoo. Mobile platforms make up the largest portion of that ($63.2 billion), followed by console ($38.3 billion) and PC ($33.4 billion). STAT | 1.3 million – The Switch, PS4, and Xbox One all topped…

What Are You Playing This Weekend?

The weekend is for wanting to cook yourself some fancy food for the holiday, which will most likely mean pulling all your cookbooks off the shelf and then staring at them indecisively, giving up, and playing video games. I haven’t had the time to sit down with The Long Dark’s overhauled story mode this week,…

Red Dead Online Is In The Holiday Spirit

I’m a sucker for some Christmas music, and now it’s following me from the real world into Red Dead Online Various videos have popped up on reddit of Red Dead Online players visiting local saloons to hear the piano player bust out some Christmas classics. I took a trip to Blackwater and checked it out…

I Accidentally Made A Nightmare Coaster In Parkitect

My park was hemorrhaging money, and lines for my steel coaster were depressingly empty. The only thing to do was take out a loan and try to make my ride less terrifying so people would actually get on it. Parkitect is a spiritual successor to the old Rollercoaster Tycoon games that I used to pick…

Our Favorite Cosplay From Supercon 2018

The Louisville Supercon was held between Nov 30 – Dec 2 at the Kentucky International Convention Center. William Shatner, Henry Winkler, Alice Cooper and Richard Dreyfuss were there, but so too were a load of excellent cosplayers. Below is a selection of some of our favourites, with all photos and video by Mineralblu. You’ll also…

War Has Changed

Scott Zenteno is a prop and environment artist based in Pasadena. You can see more of Scott’s work at his ArtStation page

Nier Automata‘s 2B Is Too Good For SoulCalibur VI

When SoulCalibur VI launched with The Witcher’s Geralt as a playable character, I was like, “Okay, that makes sense. He’ll fit in.” This week Bandai Namco added Nier Automata’s android protagonist 2B to the mix, and well, I feel bad for the rest of the roster. She’s too much for them. It’s not YoRHa No.…

Celeste Headlines January’s Xbox Live Games With Gold

I’m not the best at Celeste, but my colleagues’ love of it sure makes me wish I were. If you’ve been meaning to give this platformer a shot, it’s part of January’s Xbox Live Games with Gold lineup. As always, these games are only “free” if you have an Xbox Live Gold subscription. January’s Xbox…

And The Winner Of The Highlander Cosplay Competition Is…

Rascals are an art and animation studio who have recently helped out on games like Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales and Vermintide II You can see more of the studio’s work at their ArtStation page THRONEBREAKER: THE WITCHER TALES VERMINTIDE II

What We Like (And Don’t Like) About Unlocking Smash Ultimate‘s Fighters

Since Smash Ultimate’s launch, a debate has been brewing among fans new and old: Is the fighter-unlocking system in Smash Ultimate bullshit, or actually super fun? Kotaku has gathered four Smash players, also new and old, to talk through their thinking on the issue. Cecilia D’Anastasio: “Everyone’s here” in Smash Ultimate. Wooooo. Wooo! Smash Ultimate’s…

It’s Easier To Appreciate Classical Music When My High Score Depends On It 

The holiday season is an excellent time to listen to soothing classical music. You know what’s better than listening? Playing it in Pianista for the Nintendo Switch, the classical version of DJMax. It’s like an involuntary music appreciation class. When I say Pianista: The Legendary Virtuoso is the classical version of DJMax, what I mean…

The Art Of Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse

Yeah, this is a movie and not a video game, but a lot of people who worked on the film have been doing loads of stuff in video games recently (or came from video games). Plus, pretty much everything here looks incredible and amazing, so indulge me. Below is a range of art made during…

The 64DD Was One Of Nintendo’s Oddest Experiments

Switch Online is Nintendo’s first paid online gaming service, right? Nope. In 1999, Nintendo added the Internet to its Nintendo 64 hardware, by way of a disk drive add-on called the 64DD. It’s one of the company’s most interesting failures. Yes, it’s time once again for Complete In Box, our show that takes a look…

The Terrible Movie That Spawned Two Video Games

On September 20th, 2002, the movie Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever, starring Antonio Banderas and Lucy Liu, was released in theaters. It was a box office failure and hated by critics—in fact, it is the worst reviewed film in Rotten Tomatoes history, sitting at 0% with 116 reviews. But this poorly-reviewed action film received a well-reviewed…

I Love Smash Ultimate’s Much-Maligned World Of Light

While most of the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate players on our staff are busy beating the living crap out of friends, family and random strangers, I’m having fun making my way through the game’s World of Light adventure mode. While our review called the side mode “unnecessarily involved,” juggling stats, skill points and power-ups is…

Track: Lullaby Of Woe (Witcher 3) | Artist: Myrkur | Album: N/A Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to at the moment.

Some Of The Best Cosplay From 2018

As the craft continues to grow, and its professionals become more professional, it feels like each year as we look back at the best cosplay from the last 12 months it gets harder and harder to pick standout examples from the crowd. Everything has just got so good But this annual roundup has to draw…

Switch’s New NES Controllers Do More Than You Might Think

Nintendo has shipped out its first batch of classic-style NES controllers for Switch. I got a pair today, and I found them to be much more useful than I originally imagined they would be, in surprising ways. The Nintendo Entertainment System controllers are only available if you’re a member of Nintendo Switch Online, the paid…

 I Just Unlocked A 2016 Nintendo Game In The Silliest Way Possible

I was recently reminded that Nintendo’s “My Nintendo” rewards program has a single reward that I want. I’ve wanted for two years, actually. I figured it was about time I claimed it, and if I had to click on a bunch of websites along the way, so be it. My goal was to unlock a…