Culture

Random Encounters Are The Bane Of A Final Fantasy Speedrunner’s Existence

The Final Fantasy Series Relay Race III is going on right now, with three teams of seventeen people competing to see which can beat every game in the series first. Begun back in 2015, the annual event is streamed across several days with speedrunners on each team dedicating themselves to completing a specific Final Fantasy…

Sunday Comics: Zelda Economics

Welcome to Kotaku’s Sunday Comics, your weekly roundup of the best webcomics that usually occurs on Sunday except when it doesn’t. The images enlarge if you click on the magnifying glass icon. Nerf NOW!! by Josué Pereira. Published April 6. Read more of Nerf NOW!! Awkward Zombie by Katie Tiedrich. Published April 3. Read more…

This Week In The Business: Scorpio’s Price May Sting

QUOTE | “I estimate the basic hardware will cost around $650, so if Microsoft wants any kind of margin at all, Scorpio will have to retail for $700 or more.” – IDC analyst Lewis Ward is bracing for a bit of sticker shock on Project Scorpio QUOTE | “At the end of the day we…

Cattails looks like Stardew Valley, except cats. You play as a feral cat exploring an open land, developing relationships, combating cats from rival colonies, and yes, romancing other cats to start a family. No farming, though. Cats are hunters, not gatherers. The game is on Kickstarter

Battlegrounds Player Writes Live Song For Partner, Partner Dies Anyway

They say music soothes the soul. They do not, however, say anything about music saving the soul. Or the body, for that matter. Scene Of Action was playing a PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds match, and he died, like you do. It was a duos game, so his partner was left to fend for themselves. Possessed by very…

What Are You Playing This Weekend?

Weekends are for agreeing to go see A Doll’s House with your friend so spending tomorrow morning brushing up on your Ibsen because you don’t remember that play at all. Also, video games. I enjoyed my time with Gwent on PS4 last weekend, and today I got an email saying I’m in the PC beta.…

This Isn’t The World War Two I Read About…

Charles Lemor is an artist and illustrator based in France. You can see more of Charles’ work at his personal site. And if you like any of it so much you’d want to own some, he’s got a print store here To see the images in their native resolution, click on the “expand” button in…

The Best Persona 5 Cosplay

I know, Persona 5 is barely out in the West. But it’s been out in Japan for months, giving loads of locals—and some enterprising importers from overseas—more than enough time to come up with some outstanding cosplay. I’ve shared some of the best of it below. A note if you’re playing and have only just…

Battlegrounds Player Has Mastered The Art Of Camouflage

Today on Highlight Reel we have surprise kills, horrible grenade situations, lucky shots, 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! Battlefield 1 – Oh…

Ask Dr. NerdLove: My Video Game Obsession Is Killing My Dating Life

Hello all you pervert people of the intertubes, and welcome to Ask Dr. NerdLove, the only dating column to moonlight as a gentleman thief. This week, it’s all about looking inward and getting comfortable with our inner selves. Everyone talks about how you can’t love someone else unless you love yourself, but how do you…

Podcast: Farewell, Destiny

Destiny YouTuber Datto joins us today for what might be the last-ever Destiny-focused episode of Kotaku Splitscreen. Until Destiny 2, that is. First we’re talking the week’s news, from Palmer Luckey leaving Oculus (9:39) to Atlus blocking Persona 5 streaming (13:11) and Mass Effect: Andromeda’s big patch plans (17:20), followed by our first Amazing Game…

Track: Next Year | Artist: Foo Fighters | Album: There Is Nothing Left To Lose Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to at the moment.

Zarya, You Look…Balder

Genderbent Overwatch cosplay is good. Doubly so when it is strong, like Zarya. Cosplay by Thousand-Faces (with an assist on the armour and gun by Wulfgar Weapons), photos by Insomniac

The Art Of Persona 5

Persona 5 isn’t just a fantastic video game, it’s an absolute feast for the senses, with a strong, confident art style that runs from its character design all the way through to its menus. Much of this is down to the genius of the series’ longtime art director Shigenori Soejima, whose leadership here has resulted…

A Dire Warning About Final Fantasy’s Black Magic

Let’s go back. To a time before Jack Thompson, before age ratings. Back to 1980s Canada, when the most pressing concern with video game content—and how it was destroying the youth—was the black magic found in Final Fantasy. “And once again, it’s about how you can get in touch with your wizard”. If you’re short on…

SimCity 2000 Is The Most Important Game I’ve Ever Played

The same game can be different things to different people, with gender, history, age, cultural background and political beliefs working to influence and funnel its messages and meanings for every unique player. This post originally appeared on Kotaku UK, on January 27, 2015 Games can provide us with many things: entertainment, escapism, an arena for…

Track: Fickle Sun (iii) I’m Set Free | Artist: Brian Eno | Album: The Ship  Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to at the moment.

Track: Life Will Change | Artist: Shoji Meguro & Lyn| Album: Persona 5 OST Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to at the moment.

One Cosplayer Brings Bioware, Souls & Witcher Games To Life

As we’ve established, some of the best cosplay on the planet comes out of Russia, a point I’m only going to further emphasise today by sharing some of niamash’s work. A cosplayer we’ve featured a few times before, mostly for her Witcher stuff, niamash has also done some incredible recreations of Bioware games, along with…

Titanfall 2 Execution Is Perfectly Timed

Today on Highlight Reel we have execution timing, cops, very British deaths 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! Tomb Raider – Everyone do…