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CultureBarotrauma is a game where up to 16 players cooperatively pilot a submarine—in space. You play as a captain, engineer, mechanic, medic, or security officer to help your teammates survive or, ominously, “make sure no one does.” Along the way, you’ll explore alien ruins and the darkest corners of the deep space-sea. There’s a Sunless…
By Nathan Grayson Published May 9, 2019 -
CultureTaiwanese Game With Art Insulting China’s President That Was Pulled In February Is Still MIA
Back in February, the makers of the P.T.-inspired Steam horror game Devotion experienced a haunted house horror story of their own. The game came out, and at first, everything seemed to be going all right—great, even. Reviews were unanimously positive. Sales were good. Then players discovered a piece of in-game art that seemed to disparage…
By Nathan Grayson Published May 9, 2019 -
CultureSplitscreenBoth Democrats And Republicans Agree: Loot Boxes Bad
Earlier this week, Republican senator Josh Hawley announced a bill that would regulate the use of loot boxes and microtransactions in “games played by minors.” But aren’t Republicans typically against any type of regulation on the free market? On this week’s Kotaku Splitscreen, we talk about the idea of politicians seeking out the gamer vote,…
By Maddy Myers Published May 9, 2019 -
CultureKotaku Game DiaryThe Sims Changed How I Think About Moving Apartments
My brain is so poisoned by video games, that while I was recently moving my furniture into my new apartment all I could think about was The Sims My move, from one New York City apartment to another, was expensive and complicated ordeal. I’m so, so close to finally being finished with it. I’ve got…
By Gita Jackson Published May 9, 2019 -
CultureCosplayGalleryOur Favorite Cosplay From PAX East 2019
PAX East was a few weeks back now, but we’ve just got all our footage and pics together to run this gallery of what was an amazing cosplay showcase. All video and photos were shot by Dave Yang, while the clip below was edited by Mineralblu. You’ll find each cosplayer’s credit, site link and the…
By Luke Plunkett Published May 9, 2019 -
CultureThe Witcher 3’s Creators Have Imagined Geralt As A Samurai
CD Projekt Red have opened a new online store, and while that’s not usually something we’d pay much notice to, there’s one item launching alongside it that caught my attention: a very fancy statue of Geralt that was designed by some of the artists who worked on The Witcher 3 Because of that direct involvement,…
By Luke Plunkett Published May 8, 2019 -
CultureTwitchThe GTA V Role-Playing Scene Has Lost Some Of Its Biggest Streamers
Stream long enough, and you become mercurial. Either that, or you watch the passion you once felt for your favorite game slowly fade into a hazy silhouette of duty. Over the past few weeks, big streamers who helped turn Grand Theft Auto V role-playing into a Twitch phenomenon have started to burn out even as…
By Nathan Grayson Published May 8, 2019 -
CultureThe Division 2’s Developers Walk Back Planned Loot Change That Inflamed Fanbase
Citing fan feedback, player data and “intense internal discussions,” the makers of The Division 2 will not be introducing 515-level gear in the game’s big update coming next week. That decision that may seem granular to outsiders but is actually a significant acquiescence by the game’s creators in an ongoing drama around the game that…
By Stephen Totilo Published May 8, 2019 -
Culture‘I’d Have These Extremely Graphic Dreams’: What It’s Like To Work On Ultra-Violent Games Like Mortal Kombat 11
Mortal Kombat 11 is a brutal game. That’s what you come for—sensational, over-the-top violence that’s inventive and gratuitous on a level that doesn’t exist anywhere else. It can be shocking in its detail and funny in its execution, but it’s always arresting. It’s also short. Fatalities, gory, physically improbable finishers that usually involve cartoonish dismemberment,…
By Joshua Rivera Published May 8, 2019 -
CultureKotaku Game DiaryI Got Caught In A Silent Pokémon Go Battle With A Stranger A Few Feet Away
Like many people, I played Pokémon Go for a few months when it first came out in 2016, then I abandoned it for three years. Since I work from home and the game’s leveling mechanics revolve around a pedometer, I could never seem to level up my Pokémon fast enough. For the past six months,…
By Maddy Myers Published May 8, 2019 -
CultureTotal RecallThere Were Plans For A Metroid Cartoon, With Samus As A Man
An estate sale for a former DIC Animation City employee has turned up promo art for four old Nintendo cartoons (like the Mario and Zelda ones) that never actually made it into production, including California Games, Castlevania and a very different take on Metroid There’s nothing else to go on other than the art itself,…
By Luke Plunkett Published May 7, 2019 -
CultureSpeedrunner Shows Off What A ‘Perfect’ Ocarina of Time Run Looks Like
Most players take at least a few days to complete The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, especially if they’re collecting everything. Speedrunners do it in a few hours, using tricks and glitches to rush through the game. Every game has its limits, though: a peak of what’s possible for a human to perform. The…
By Heather Alexandra Published May 7, 2019 -
CultureSplitscreenGame of Thrones Is Starting To Make Less And Less Sense
Why is everyone on Game of Thrones making so many bad decisions all the time? Are the showrunners just sick of it? And why will nobody pet Ghost? This week on Kotaku Splitscreen, we discuss. We spoil the episode in its entirety, and also talk about differences between the show and the books. However, we…
By Jason Schreier Published May 7, 2019 -
CultureKotaku Game DiaryI’m Finally Playing A MOBA
When you care for someone, I think one of the most important things you can do is move out of your comfort zone and participate in their hobbies and interests. My girlfriend is an avid Heroes of the Storm player, often squirreling away time with friends to play matches and participate in aod-hoc tournaments. I…
By Heather Alexandra Published May 7, 2019 -
CultureCosplayMonster Hunter Cosplay Continues To Kick Ass
I had to do a triple take on this piece of Monster Hunter cosplay, first to see that it wasn’t some $600 Japanese statue, then to see it wasn’t some ultra hi-res PC screenshot. The Odogaron armor (with Insect glaive) is a joint effort between two cosplayers, Roodaka (who made most of it) and Romstein(who’s…
By Luke Plunkett Published May 6, 2019
