Culture

Kratos Isn’t Afraid To Take A Cheap Shot

Today on Highlight Reel we have God of War brutality, Battlegrounds parking, Labo creations and much more! Watch the video then talk about your favorite highlight in the comments below. Be sure to check out, like, and share the original videos via the links below. Subscribe to Kotaku on YouTube for more! Catch up on…

The Two-Month Hunt To Beat A Puzzle Game And Win $9,000

When players took their first steps into MonteCrypto’s gargantuan puzzle labyrinth, they had no idea what they were getting into. The game’s creators were equally in the dark. They knew it’d end with somebody winning roughly $9,000, but they had no clue when or how. Unlike most video games, MonteCrypto offered a tangibly tantalizing light…

Why Fortnite Is So Popular

How did Fortnite become a global phenomenon? Today on a very special Kotaku Splitscreen crossover episode, we try to figure that out. First Kirk and I talk about Paris, Valve buying Campo Santo, Quantic Dream suing journalists, and Destiny 2 before we’re joined by Kotaku’s Gita Jackson and Patricia Hernandez of Fave This (43:57) to…

I Can’t Stop Building Churches In Frostpunk

At a certain point in Frostpunk you get the option to choose a path: order or faith. This opens up a new set of laws you can enact, with their own progression. In my playthrough I chose faith. I haven’t used it to much practical benefit, but I like having it around. Frostpunkis a city-building…

Track: On Green Dolphin Street | Artist: Miles Davis| Album: Kind of Blue Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to at the moment.

Track: Babygirl | Artist: Anthony Green | Album: Studio 4 Acoustic Session Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to at the moment.

The Art Of Ni no Kuni 2

We don’t get to run too many Japanese games on Fine Art, so it’s a pleasure tonight to be able to feature some of the work that went into Ni no Kuni 2 While Studio Ghibli partnered with Level 5 on the first game, they didn’t officially help out on Ni no Kuni 2. But…

Lesser-Known Moments From World War II That Should Be In Video Games

Call of Duty has returned to World War II. It wasn’t so long ago that Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare saved us from drowning in World War II games. Unfortunately, its success meant we spent the next several years drowning in modern military shooters instead, and when we got tired of that, game devs…

Let’s Talk About THAT Scene From God Of War

There are a lot of cool sequences in God of War. Let’s talk about the coolest one. No seriously, that is a spoiler warning! This conversation quickly spoils one of the best surprises in God of War. It happens towards the middle of the game. We don’t actually go into detail about endgame spoilers, final…

Amazing Celeste Speedrun Includes All The Extras

Speedrunners can rush through Celeste in about thirty minutes but collecting everything and completing all challenges is much trickier. Last night, someone finally completed a 114% speedrun, collecting all hidden items and completing the game’s most difficult levels without dying. Achieving 114% in Celeste is difficult even when you’re taking your time. It involves collecting…

Maybe Kratos Isn’t That Strong

Today on Highlight Reel we have Labo creations, God of War laziness, inter-dimensional nut punches, and much more! Watch the video then talk about your favorite highlight in the comments below. Be sure to check out, like, and share the original videos via the links below. Subscribe to Kotaku on YouTube for more! Catch up…

Boy, Read This: The Internet Pokes Fun At Kratos In God of War

For such a grim, serious and violent game, God of War sure is making people on the internet laugh. God of War is a pleasant surprise. Playing as Kratos, the curmudgeonly dad and his precious son Atreus is both narratively satisfying and has interesting gameplay. It’s also given rise to one of my favorite current…

Seven Years Later, Goldeneye Speedrunner Finally Ties World Record

Speedrunner Marc Rutzou has held the world record for Goldeneye 007’s Train level since 2010, improving on times that no other runner could match. His long reign has finally come to an end as another runner finally managed to tie his record. Goldeneye 007 speedrunning is refined to the point that even saving a second…

New City-Building Game Frostpunk Is Great For Those Of Us Who Love The Cold

In Frostpunk, a new snowy city-builder by This War of Mine studio 11 Bit that is out today, the player develops a city in a frozen wastelands. You must fuel the churning generator at the heart of your town, feeding it enough coal to keep your people alive. The cold is your first and greatest…

Track: There Goes The Fear | Artist: The Doves | Album: The Last Broadcast Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to at the moment.

Rest In Peace, Green Axe

Suzanne Helmigh is an artist who has worked on stuff like Magic: The Gathering and Horizon Zero Dawn She’s currently got a personal project, the illustrated fantasy novel Caldyra (which she’s been working on since 2012!), up on Kickstarter. Below you’ll see a bunch of art from the book, along with some of Helmigh’s other…

The Time Snoopy’s Iconic Doghouse Burned Down

Snoopy’s doghouse is so well-known and recognizable that even when there are no Peanuts characters in the frame, it is impossible to mistake it for anything else. The red, wooden structure has a distinctive mushroom profile, with three slats on the top and three slats on the bottom. When it burned to the ground in…

Westworld Season Two Is Off To A Frustrating Start

HBO’s wild west androidapalooza Westworld is back for its second season, and we’re here to talk about it. Jason and I weren’t in love with the Season 2 premiere, for reasons we got into on a special bonus episode of Kotaku Splitscreen. You can listen to our whole chat here: You can download an MP3…

The Week In Games: Big Robots and Frostpunks

Giant robots and snow-covered landscapes are great science fiction, and we’re getting both of those in this week’s jam-packed lineup of games. I love a good tactical experience, so Battletech seems like it’s going to be right up my alley. It looks like it’s the exact right level of fiddly interaction and number crunching to…

Track: Friday | Artist: Shota Shimizu | Album: Friday (single) Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to at the moment.