Culture

The Week In Games: Gaming Ain’t Easy

QUOTE | “Some of those sharp edges are sometimes the very thing that makes the game compelling. Games aren’t really supposed to be easy at all times.” – Former Blizzard chief creative officer Rob Pardo, talking about how to get the right balance of frustration and reward in games Elsewhere in the business of gaming…

We Talk Uncharted Collection And Destiny Raids

Today on Kotaku Splitscreen, we’re talking about the pros and cons of Kickstarter. We also talk Uncharted Collection on PS4, the big new raid in Destiny, and what makes for the best JRPGs. As always, you can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes right here. Or if you’re not an iTunes person, here’s a direct…

Steam Users Form ‘Scam Report’ To Watch For Shady Games

Steam is kind of a minefield. Sometimes mid-development projects get abandoned. Other times, developers try to bury legitimate questions or criticism. The majority of the time, those things do not happen. Games launch, they’re either solid or shitty, and life goes on. But there have been enough instances of sketchy games and abrasive developers on…

Ask Dr. NerdLove: I Can’t Get Off

Hello, Internet! Welcome to Ask Dr. NerdLove, the only dating column to be stranded on a hellish island with only one goal—to improve social skills. This week we’re talking about habits, and how to get used to doing the things we need to do. One reader has trained his body to only respond to certain…

Smokin’

Faraz Shanyar is a concept artist from Iran, who is currently living in Canada and working with visual development studio Volta You can see more of Faraz’s work at his ArtStation page To see the larger pics in all their glory (or, if they’re big enough, so you can save them as wallpaper), click on…

Cosplay Is A Dieselpunk Nightmare

Dieselpunk is steampunk’s little brother, focused more on the tech of the 1920s-50s than the 19th century. Think Fallout, or BioShock. Or this amazing suit made by Brian Cargile It’s an original design called The Panzersöldner, and is made up of a combination of metal, rubber, eva foam and plastics. Oh, and it lights up.…

I Love When A Steam Early Access Game Gets It Right

Steam Early Access can be a crapshoot, with emphasis on the “crap.” Cryptark bucks the trend. The derelict space ship invader roguelike just hit Steam Early Access, but I don’t think I’d have guessed it was early without the disclaimer. The game’s campaign and presentation are slick as hell—fully voice acted and backed by a…

Metal Gear Player Orchestrates Explosive Team Base Jump

Today on Highlight Reel we have explosive jumps, golf flips, bullet-catching birds, flying tanks, and much more! Watch the video above, then link any of your favorite highlights in the comments, and be sure to check out, like and subscribe the original videos via the links below. The Elder Scrolls Online – This horse can…

The New Team Fortress 2 Update Has Some Great Easter Eggs

Team Fortress 2’s loooooooong-awaited alien-themed “Invasion” update is finally out, and it’s all about aliens and, er, Dishonored. Yes, the Bethesda stealth game. Invasion has been in the works for over a year, with Valve and members of the community (the latter being largely responsible for the update’s maps and cosmetic items) dropping hints like…

Track: Monster | Artist: Nicki Minaj, Rick Ross, Kanye West, Jay-Z | Album: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to – and gaming to – at the moment.

Track: New Ponytail | Album: Satoko Shibata | Artist: Satoko Shibata Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to – and gaming to – at the moment.

Awesome Mad Max Cosplay Dies, Lives Again

Witness this incredible Mad Max cosplay by Love Squad, Elisabeth Avdoshina, Daria Kulikova, Diana Anochina and Evgoria Ekstra Photo by Ksenia Makarova. More shots of Love Squad—who we featured a few months back for her Ciri—as Furiosa below.

Sssshhhhh…..

Songbirdwith some awesome cosplay of Leliana from Dragon Age. Photo by Kmitenkova Photoarts

In Space, No One Can Hear You Pew Pew

Andrew Ley is a concept artist who has worked on games like Star Citizen, Killzone Shadowfall and BioShock Infinite. You can see more of Andrew’s art at his 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”…

Player Turns Ark: Survival Evolved Into Messed Up Version Of Pac-Man

Those poor baby dinosaurs. Ark: Survival Evolved player Mitt Gaming tried to recreate Pac-Man in the Steam dinosaur mega-hit, and the result was… well, there’s a reason humans originally invented Pac-Man, as opposed to dinosaurs. It’s a grim spectacle. Instead of inserting a coin into the heartless machine, you drop a small dinosaur into gaming’s…

Prison Architect just broke out of Early Access. The long-in-development prison management game is finally “done”—or at least out of alpha testing. Inspired by the likes of Dungeon Keeper and Dwarf Fortress, it’s full of chaotic possibilities. If you’re new, there’s now a campaign story mode.

Metal Gear Player Majestically Escapes Death With Cardboard Box

Today on Highlight Reel we have mind-bending goals, some classic 80s hits in Metal Gear, tanks, warships, boxes, and much more! Watch the video above, then link any of your favorite highlights in the comments, and be sure to check out, like and subscribe the original videos via the links below. Destiny – EXTREMELY LUCKY…

Track: Dolphins Were Monkeys | Album: Golden Greats | Artist: Ian Brown Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to – and gaming to – at the moment.

Destiny Cosplay Returns Us To Orbit

Laura Sánchez—whose excellent work we’ve featured before many times before on Kotaku—equips only the most exotic of cosplay armour. Top photo by JLMfotografo. Gif below taken from HumorMayorcete’s video