Culture

Podcast: What Makes Nier: Automata So Great

From Nintendo’s baffling NES Classic decisions to Nier: Automata’s greatness, there’s lots to discuss on this week’s Kotaku Splitscreen We start off with some brief chat about Kirk’s cool Undertale cover (3:37) and some of the games we’ve been playing including Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Dungeon Keeper (10:23). Then, we dig into the week’s…

Sunday Comics: Stop Manufacturing Them 

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 18. Read more of Nerf NOW!! Awkward Zombie by Katie Tiedrich. Published April 17. Read more…

Track: Reach for the Dead | Artist: Boards of Canada | Album: Tomorrow’s Harvest Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to at the moment.

This Week In The Business: Why Even Make Games?

QUOTE | “Why am I even making games?” – The fundamental question asked by former 22Cans designer Jack Attridge as he decided to form new games studio Flavourworks QUOTE | “We’re not a grey marketplace, people just don’t understand our business.” – G2A senior account manager Mario Mirek defending his company, a controversial game codes…

Track: Hard Times | Artist: Paramore | Album: After Laughter Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to at the moment.

Everything is now out on Steam. The game, in which you can take control of anything, from solar systems to subatomic particles, is one of my favorites of the year so far. You can read my review of the PS4 version here

What Are You Playing This Weekend?

Weekends are for going to see another play with a friend because you’re being very cultured lately. Good job, you. Also, video games. I’m going to play more Flinthook this weekend, because I enjoyed it a lot. I’ve also been reading a lot of reporting out of EVE Fanfest recently and have decided this will…

Ask Dr. NerdLove: I’m Making Lots Of Money But Still Can’t Get A Date

Hello all you pervert people of the intertubes, and welcome to Ask Dr. NerdLove, the only dating column that’s set to stop Third Impact. This week, we’re asking people to look deep within themselves. When your ex gets back in touch after years of silence, is this a good time to confront them about everything…

More Beautiful Art From Horizon Zero Dawn

While we’ve already seen some of the work Karakter did on Horizon Zero Dawn, the studio has since released a lot more. Which means we’re going to take a look at it here, because everything visual about this game is just the best. You can see more of Karakter’s work at their company site The…

Track: Stuck In The Middle With You | Artist: Stealers Wheel | Album: Stealers Wheel Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to at the moment.

Track: Sonny Bono Memorial Highway | Artist: Yawning Man | Album: Rock Formations Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to at the moment.

Dishonored 2’s Kills, Illustrated

Nicolas Petrimaux is one of the artists who worked on Dishonored 2, on everything from loading screens to storyboards depicting how the character’s special powers would play out. You can see more of Nicolas’ work at his ArtStation page To see the images in their native resolution, click on the “expand” button in the top-left…

A Case Of Distrust is a stylized detective adventure influenced by games like Phoenix Wright and 80 Days. It’s set in San Francisco, in the year 1924. You’ll play as a woman private investigator who has to navigate mysteries, deception, and the issues of the time. The game isn’t done yet, but you can read…

Some Excellent Final Fantasy XV Cosplay

Narcisse, the master of Final Fantasy cosplay, returns with this Noctis outfit from Final Fantasy XV The costume was a joint effort between Narcisseand his girlfriend Lady Zero And in case you’re looking at this and thinking “well, it’s a dude in a lotta leather”, check out the detail work that went into making sure…

Video Game Hero Punches Cow Into Pieces

Today on Highlight Reel we have exploding cows, breakdancing gangsters, broken robots 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! Just Cause 3 – Viva…

Battlegrounds’ Frying Pans Now Block Bullets, And Other Changes From The First Big Update

PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds just got its first big monthly update, making the game significantly more playable because frying pans block bullets now and also blah blah important performance improvements or something. The patch is focused on making the early access game, which has been dinged for instability and frame rate issues, more stable. PUBG’s developers added,…

Starbucks Workers Unprepared For Unicorn Frappuccino Armageddon

Yesterday Starbucks employees across the country were ravaged by stampeding hordes eager to get their mouths on the new Unicorn Frappuccino. Today the Starbucks Reddit is filled with their tales of courage and survival. I got to try out the strange, limited-edition sour mango concoction prior to yesterday’s wide release courtesy of my wife, who…

What People Miss When They Use ‘Autistic’ As An Insult

Elizabeth E. looted everything in Fallout 3’s Raven Rock. She collected three units of vodka, five stealth devices, four cuts of mirelurk meat and 88 Stimpacks, which weighed her down a considerable 3,169 pounds. Her pack was so heavy that traveling from Raven Rock to Fort Independence took four hours. She was over-encumbered and couldn’t…

Track: Born To Hula | Artist: Queens Of The Stone Age | Album: Kyuss/Queens of the Stone Age Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to at the moment.

Boba Fett? Boba Fett? Where?

Sergey Grechanyuk is a concept artist based in Ukraine who works in the video game business. You can see more of Sergey’s work at his ArtStation page. To see the images in their native resolution, click on the “expand” button in the top-left corner. Fine Art is a celebration of the work of video game…