Culture

Steam’s Latest Hit Is Like Castlevania, Except More Random

My favorite moment in Dead Cells so far came right after I won my first boss fight. I gained the ability to make climbable vines sprout from certain surfaces, allowing me to access areas I hadn’t previously been able to. Classic Metroidvania stuff, right? The twist: Dead Cells’ levels, unlike those of a Castlevania or Metroid,…

Wind Waker HD Speedrunner Averts Disaster With Clutch Trick

Even the best players run into bad luck. Dying to some enemies should be enough to kill a speedrunner’s attempt at a fast time. But thanks to some quick thinking and a tricky glitch, a Wind Waker HD speedrunner brought Link back from the dead and saved their run. gymnast86 is a Zelda speedrunner who runs…

 Snacktaku Eats Something Healthy For A Change

Every time Snacktaku posts a review of some hideous food monster, people always ask, “How are you still alive?” They also ask, “When will you eat something healthy?” Why, right now, as I eat my way through two boxes of healthy snacks from LevelUp Foods’ subscription gamer treats service The gaming community is often stereotyped…

Replica Zelda: Breath Of The Wild Sword Even Glows

Of all the weapons in Breath of the Wild, the Guardian gear must be the hardest for a prop-maker to recreate properly. Yet here we are, with a replica Guardian Sword, blue glow and all. This full-scale replica built by Adafruit Industries, which is 34 inches long, was 3D printed and is full of tiny little…

Cosplayer Spotlight: Megan Coffey

Late last year, in the real world, Megan Coffey was getting ready to graduate from South Florida with a Masters in Biology. On the internet, however, she was fast becoming one of the most recognisable cosplayers on the planet. We talk a lot about cosplay here on this site, and about stuff around cosplay, but…

We Should Probably Talk About Edith Finch‘s Ending

The new PS4/PC game What Remains of Edith Finch tells the tale of a doomed family living in a mansion off the coast of Washington state. It’s a cool story, but what does it all mean? Let’s discuss. My colleague Gita Jackson and I decided to get together and chat about Giant Sparrow’s ambitious new…

For Many Speedrunners, It’s Not About The World Records

Speedrunning is all about going fast, which can mean shattering world records or performing wild feats. But for many players, speedrunning is less about spectacle and more about self-improvement. From Any%, which seeks to beat a game as fast as possible to the daunting 100% runs that collect every little knick knack, there’s all sorts…

Track: Native Dancer | Artist: Sakanaction | Album: Shin-shiro Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to at the moment.

Princess Zelda Cosplay Walked Straight Out Of Breath Of The Wild

This Princess Zelda cosplay by LayzeMichelle gets better the closer you look. While the overall look is fantastic, the real killer here is in the details, like how all her accessories (even a Sheikah Slate!) are finished and coloured to match the game’s cel-shaded look. She even made the flowers, which took ten hours to paint,…

If The Mass Effect Games Had Kids

Early in the development of Mass Effect Andromeda, the team’s artists spent a week doing nothing but coming up with cool ideas. One of them that didn’t make it into the final game, but which was at least explored in this art, is having Mass Effect kids running around. Having children in your big open…

Battlegrounds Players Win Match Without Killing Anybody

I’ve tried winning PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds matches with pacifism. I’ve tried hiding out, talking to other players, and (very unsuccessfully) blocking bullets with a frying pan. I never believed it was actually possible, though. Eventually death—aka the ever-encroaching blue fog of doom—claims us all. Against all odds, however, Kurtjmac and a partner pulled it off. They spent…

Speedrunner Completes Homestar Runner Game In 17 Milliseconds

Speedrunning is all about beating games as fast as possible. One speedrun through a free Homestar Runner web game is so fast that you can literally blink and miss it. Where’s An Egg? is a quick puzzle game where players guide an inspector around on a journey to find an egg hidden on someone’s possession. The…

What We Loved (And Didn’t Love) About Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2

There’s a new Guardians of the Galaxy movie! Let’s talk about it. Mike Fahey and I are both avowed fans of James Gunn’s original Guardians of the Galaxy film, and both of us headed to the theater over the weekend to see his follow-up. Did the second outing capture the unlikely charm of the first…

The Art Of Endless Legend & Endless Space 2

Amplitude are the creators of beautiful (and excellent) strategy games like Endless Legend and Endless Space. Today we’re looking at the work of two of their artists. Which means a lot of the stuff you’re about to see is going to look familiar, only bigger, since most of it is only ever visible in-game as…

What We’d Do If We Were Making Destiny Spinoffs

Would you watch an animated series about Destiny bounty hunters before the Fall? Would you play a game where you have to balance Destiny guns? On episode 78 of Kotaku Splitscreen, we answer all these questions and more. During last week’s show, we reached into the mailbag and took out some questions from listeners, including…

Track: Nardis (Live) | Artist: Bill Evans Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to at the moment.

In Battlegrounds, The Troll Might Be ON The Bridge

Today on Highlight Reel we have bad Mimics, Mario Kart comebacks, Hitman killings, 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! Sleeping Dogs –Don’t Wreck…

Steam just added a widget that helps shed light on why the store is showing you particular games. It’s not crazy in-depth or anything, but it does demystify the processes underlying Steam’s increasingly important algorithm a little bit. Check out Valve’s full post for the reasoning behind this addition.

Someone Already Beat Prey In Less Than 20 Minutes

Yesterday, speedrunner DraQu beat the sci-fi shooting sim Prey in just 45 minutes. Today, he’s knocked it down to 20. This is a game that has been out for three days. You’re safe to watch the first few minutes without spoiling too much, just to see how he pulled it off. The short version: DraQu…

Röki, An Adventure Game About The Deep Dark Woods

Röki is an upcoming adventure game about a girl who heads out into the wild and runs into a lot more than just some deer and snow. It’s the product of Polygon Treehouse, a new studio founded by two former art directors at Guerrilla Cambridge. The game is due out in 2018. While the stills…