Culture

Track: Hikari no Rock | Artist: Sambomaster | Album: Hikari no Rock (single) Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to – and gaming to – at the moment.

Uncharted’s Sam Drake Is Surprisingly Good At Holding His Breath

Today on Highlight Reel we have skeletons that know how to have a good time, uncharted moments, good invasions, gorilla streaks and much more! Watch the video above or on our Youtube Page, then talk about your favorite highlight in the comments below. Be sure to check out, like, and share the original videos via…

Ilios is a sidescrolling action-adventure that mixes Castlevania and Bayonetta. I imagine there’s a little God of War in there, too. It’s based on Homeric epics, and it’s got impressively robust counter-based combat. If it makes it through Kickstarter and Steam Greenlight, it’ll be out next year.

Those Are Some Crazy Taxis

Matthew Arnone is a freelance games artist from Brooklyn who has done almost everything in the field, from UI to characters to environments to animation. You can see more of Matthew’s work at his personal site To see the larger pics in all their glory (or, if they’re big enough, so you can save them…

Podcast: Charting Uncharted 4

Kirk takes a sabbatical from his sabbatical to join us for this week’s Kotaku Splitscreen, where we’re talking about Uncharted 4, Doom, and much more. Some food for thought: Uncharted 4 is incredible-looking, obviously, but does the story live up to expectations? Isn’t it remarkable that Doom is so excellent after such a torturous development…

Ask Dr. NerdLove: My Girlfriend And I Are Sexually Incompatible

Hello, all you creepy lovebones, and welcome to Ask Dr. NerdLove, the only dating advice column covered by the Sakovia Accords. This week, we’re going to be talking about confronting difficult issues in our relationships. From having to have uncomfortable conversations about sex, making hard choices and even letting go of relationships that may not…

Track: Yoru wo Nukereba | Artist: Odol | Album: Years Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to – and gaming to – at the moment.

Conventions Should Invite (And Value) Cosplay Guests

Should cosplayers be paid to cosplay? It’s a question we’ve tackled before, and one that just keeps coming up, most recently thanks to the massive PR meltdown experienced by Santa Fe Comic Con after ridiculing an unnamed cosplayer for asking to be brought on as a guest. The fact is that times are changing —…

Nobody Expects The Warhammer 40K Inquisition!

This isAlexey Konstantynov from Ukraine (a member of Arthammer Workshop) in a 40K Inquisitor outfit that is just incredible Also of note, his Lord of the Rings gear, which is equally impressive.

Someone Is Making A Game Based On The Steam Summer Sale

If rumors from a person who’s usually not wrong are to be believed, the Steam Summer Sale starts on June 23 and ends on July 4. But does it have to end? Ever? Does it really? SwagPaladin has put together an admittedly rudimentary looking game that is, well, the Steam Summer Sale. It’s currently on…

Track: Autumn Leaves | Artist: Stan Getz Quintet | Album: Chamber Music by the Stan Getz Quintet Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to – and gaming to – at the moment.

Japanese Cosplayers Can Buy Fake Tears

Don’t be sad! Be happy, because you can now buy tubes of faux tears in Japan just for cosplay. As pointed out on GameOver, this is Namida Gel AS. “Namida” means “tear,” and this clear gel can be used to simulate, well, tears as well as sweat for sad or gruelling cosplay. Apparently, the gel…

Do Not Fear The Walking Dead

This is Dutch cosplayer Sylvester Majoor as The Walking Dead’s Daryl Dixon (with a little help from some undead friends). Photos by Cynthia Veekens

XCOM 2‘s New DLC Adds A Dash Of Shadow Of Mordor To The Game

XCOM 2 just got its biggest DLC expansion yet, Alien Hunters. It adds three new “ruler” aliens, which function as bosses who, unlike other XCOM 2 enemies, can escape and appear in multiple battles. I was surprised to find that it’s kinda like the Nemesis system from Shadow of Mordor Alien Hunters focuses on three…

Too Real, Unicorn Lady

Emily Chen is a young artist just starting out in the video game business, currently interning at Blizzard. You can see more of Emily’s work at her personal site To see the larger pics in all their glory (or, if they’re big enough, so you can save them as wallpaper), click on the “expand” button…

Shaq Is Shilling Counter-Strike Now

Oh how far we’ve come. Turner Broadcasting is kicking off the spring Counter-Strike tournament in their eSports initiative, ELEAGUE, so they got someone as big as their ALL-CAPS LOGO to promote it: retired basketball player Shaquille O’Neal. Because sure, why not! It’s actually a pretty funny video. Or at least, you know, a couple parts…

Cosplay Is Over 100 Years Old

Last week, a Racked article called “Meet the Woman Who Invented Cosplay” did the rounds (including on this site!). It argued that sci-fi pioneer Myrtle R. Douglas invented cosplay in the 1930s. It’s an interesting story, but the truth is a little older. The story’s heart is in the right place! As it primarily focuses,…

Overwatch Player’s Death Tire Is Inescapable

Today on Highlight Reel we have some Overwatch clips for those that need a fix, cats and dogs in Fallout, Beyblade bones and much more! Watch the video above or on our Youtube Page, then talk about your favorite highlight in the comments below. Be sure to check out, like, and share the original videos…

PC Modder Says It’ll Take Months To Get Final Fantasy X Running At 60 FPS

Final Fantasy X originally came out on the PlayStation 2 in 2001. One modder is trying to make it conform to modern PC gaming standards—with mixed results. Naxshe has posted a couple videos of their effort to give the recently released Steam version of Final Fantasy X a full 60 frames-per-second makeover. Here’s the game’s…

Seven Steam Games Whose Reviews Have Changed A Lot

Valve recently overhauled Steam’s review system, putting a larger focus on recent perspectives. The move made sense. Games are no longer static works. They constantly evolve thanks to updates and programs like Early Access. The system is, by and large, very useful, providing percentages that give narrow and wide snapshots of games. But numbers only…