Culture

EleNoira Catwoman as, well, Catwoman. Photo by Elle Esse di Schenal Luca (via cosplay blog)

Margaery Tyrell, In The…Flesh?

This isn’t a photo of Game of Thrones star Natalie Dormer. It’s actually a 3D model by WETA’s Nick Gaul. We’re living in a weird and wonderful age when 3D art gets so good, and so detailed, that we’re not just noticing a model’s skin or eyes, but can even pick out their vellus hair…

Track: Think Twice | Artist: The Four Owls | Album: Natural Order Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to – and gaming to – at the moment.

The Week In Games: Triple Final Fantasy The Hard Way

Three Final Fantasy games are coming out this week, but one is the worst thing ever and the other two are remastered remasters. Final Fantasy IV: The After Years hits Steam tomorrow, bringing the game that Kotaku’s Jason Schreier says “sucks” to PC players for the first time. Good for them? Meanwhile, on the PlayStation…

Sunday Comics: 300 Percent Sam Jackson

Welcome to Kotaku’s Sunday Comics, your weekly roundup of the best webcomics. The images enlarge if you click on the magnifying glass icon. Nerf NOW!! by Josué Pereira. Published May 9. Read more of Nerf NOW!! Awkward Zombie by Katie Tiedrich. Published May 4. Read more of Awkward Zombie Penny Arcade by Jerry Holkins and…

This Week In The Business: Gonna Be Sick

QUOTE | “Getting people sick isn’t a choice.” – Valve’s Chet Faliszek, talking about how the future of VR depends on finding a solution to motion sickness in its users Elsewhere in the business of gaming this week… QUOTE | “Console desperately needs re-invention in terms of some of the game mechanics… there’s not enough…

Rock Opera Video Game Somehow Totally Works

In a single moment, Karmaflow: The Rock Opera Video Game won me over. I was close to the beginning of the game, a 3D adventure-platformer, when I saw a glowy red thing off in the distance. “Collectible!” said my brain, because that always signals a collectible in these sorts of games. But then I picked…

Skyrim Mod Gives You Horrifying Followers

Why did someone make this? Why? Remember that horrifying Thomas The Tank Engine mod for Skyrim? The one that turned dragons in howling, demon-possessed husks of the childhood favorite? Yeah, well Trainwiz’s Funny Followers mod does it one better. It turns Thomas-style trains into followers with strange, spindly bodies. They wander around and whisper dark…

I Don’t Think That’s How Soccer Works

On today’s Highlight Reel we have FIFA 15 plays that are out of this world, strong parachutes, car crashes, lucky throws 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. NBA…

Think Twice Before You Kill A Counter-Strike Chicken

Well, that certainly puts things in perspective. This video by ShookBox depicts the final moments of one of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive’s infamous chickens. As a grenade sails lazily, almost nonchalantly in its direction, its life flashes before its (and our) eyes. Even the part where it hatched from its own egg, implying that this chicken…

Track: Forget | Artist: Lianne La Havas | Album: Is Your Love Big Enough? Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to – and gaming to – at the moment.

Spelunky World Record Speedrun Looks Like Magic

I’ve played more than 100 hours of Spelunky. Olmec? No problem. Yama? Done. Speedlunky? Did it on PC and Vita. But that didn’t stop this world record run from making me feel terrible. Spelunky God, which is an entirely appropriate name for this speedrunner, beats Olmec in one minute and 47 seconds. Speedlunky, considered a…

Stormtroopers Have No Idea What They’re Doing

Dude second-from-left is just “haha what is going on”. This piece is by Martin Parker, who is a freelance artist based in the UK. You can see more of Martin’s work at his personal siteand ArtStation page To see the larger pics in all their glory (or, if they’re big enough, so you can save…

Deer Astronaut

Deer astronaut. Deer astronaut deer astronaut deer astronaut deer astronaut deer astronaut deer astronaut deer astronaut.* Deer astronaut deer astronaut deer astronaut.** *Steam user Tomas made a goddamn fucking deer astronaut for use in endlessly popular construction game Space Engineers. Look at that. LOOK AT THAT. (Update: Turns out, the deer astronaut was actually created…

Rockstar Says They Won’t Ban Anyone For Using Single-Player GTA V Mods

Well, that’s a relief. Mostly. If you were to look at any given GTA forum, you’d think the sky was falling (as opposed to whales falling from the sky, which is actually happening). Rockstar is banning people right and left for using mods, single-player or multiplayer, claim fans. Rockstar, however, says they’re doing nothing of…

Not A Good Day’s Hunting, Then

Yuri Shwedoff is an artist who works for Game Insight, a studio based in Moscow. Don’t look at this stuff if you want to feel warm and fuzzy and happy like you’ve just lay down in a box of puppies beneath two rainbows. Do look at it if you want to see great art. You…

A Book On Building Armor

I got my copy of Foamsmith today, a book from Bill Doran that’s all about building armour and costumes out of, well, foam. It’s a good read! Mostly because it’s full of pictures and tips showing every step of the process, but also because of the puns. It’s $30, and you can grab it from…

Like Dark Souls, But Spookier: The Steam Stream Plays Malebolgia

Malebolgia is best described as Dark Souls, except gorgeously cel-shaded and spooky as hell. I hope it’s as good as it looks. Watch me play it below. Also on the docket for today’s stream: Karmaflow, a rock opera video game with involvement from a surprising number of metal stars, and a game where you’re a…

GTA Cat Rides Flaming Motorcycle

On today’s Highlight Reel we have flying zombies in Dying Light, flying cats in GTA V, nude Trevor 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. State of Decay –…

Grand Theft Auto V‘s Confusing Mod Situation

Grand Theft Auto V players claim they’re getting banned on PC right now, but why? Well, it’s complicated. Players are fairly certain that mods are involved, but that’s where things get weird. Ever since the PC version of GTA V came out, user-made mods have been the story of the game, breathing strange new air…