The Best Cosplay From Katsucon 2016

We’ve already posted a few highlights from Katsucon 2016, but photographers Jason Laboy, Mineralbluand Beat Down Boogie were there the whole time. So here’s a real good look at some of the best cosplayers in attendance at one of America’s biggest cosplay cons. First, Beat Down Boogie’s video! Note that in the middle there’s another…

Firewatch’s Inescapable Wedding Ring

I’ve forgotten so much about my wedding day. I can’t remember cutting the cake and I don’t remember my first dance. I don’t remember what I said in my vows and my wedding speech was an unparalleled disaster. But one moment is tattooed on my memory, etched so powerfully I doubt it’ll ever leave. My…

Cutting Open The Vehicles From Star Wars: The Force Awakens

My review of this book: oh boy oh boy oh boy Star Wars: The Force Awakens Incredible Cross-Sections is a newish book by DK, the latest in a very long-running series of books the publisher has released in which big/cool vehicles are sliced open for the immense pleasure of kids (and adults) who have a…

XCOM 2‘s Update Doesn’t Fix Its Terrible Performance

XCOM 2 is easily my favorite game of the year so far. It also has serious performance issues. It’s been two weeks since the game launched, and unfortunately, today’s update does little to alleviate them. The update was intended to fix crashing problems and “some” performance issues. In the former area, at least, it seems…

New TMNT Board Game Looks Great

There’s a new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles board game up on Kickstarter. It’s already been funded, so don’t sweat, it’s getting made. Which is cool, because it sounds like the perfect TMNT game. Firstly, because of that art! Both original artist Kevin Eastman and current comics property owners IDW are helping out on the game,…

Nothing but (battle) net. Overwatch player alphajew actually scored a basket with one of the starter area basketballs on new map Lijiang Tower. I’ve been trying to do this for days. Let us all bow before our new Master of Hoops.

Resident Evil Actress Cosplays As Resident Evil Character

Julia Voth is an actress who worked with Capcom a bunch of times on the Resident Evil series over the last decade, serving as the character model for Jill Valentine in games like Resident Evil 5 and The Umbrella Chronicles. And here she is, cosplaying as…Jill Valentine. Note of course she’s not the first actor…

Harley Quinn Finally Gets Closure on Her Relationship with the Joker

There’s nothing worse than running into an old ex. Especially when that ex is Batman’s homicidal archenemy. In the vague timeline of DC’s rebooted New 52 continuity, Harleen Quinzel and the Clown Prince of Crime broke up a long time ago. But the new issue of the Harley Quinn series clearly illustrates that the Joker’s…

Ursula Cosplay Is A Drag Show Masterpiece

Fun fact: Ursula, the iconic villain from The Little Mermaid, was based on real-life drag superstar Divine. So when Canvasdecided to cosplay as Ursula for Katsucon, he took a little of his own Divine inspiration. Aside from designing and building that fantastic outfit, he also entered Katsucon’s masquearade competition, which he promptly dominated with a…

Our Best XCOM 2 War Stories: Love, Loss & Pink Hats

There’s a lot to like about the new XCOM game, but perhaps the coolest thing about it has little to do with tactics, or balance, or visuals. It’s the game’s ability to take what could have been a glorified tabletop wargame and turn it into something that creates stories And not just those that you’ll…

Turrets Are Making Overwatch Players Miserable

A couple characters in Overwatch, Torbjörn and Bastion, use turrets. They are pretty ridiculous. Automated turrets are a staple in first-person shooters, including obvious Overwatch inspiration Team Fortress 2. Torbjörn actually has quite a bit in common with TF2’s Engineer class; he even bonks the crap out of his handy dandy fun-sized murder machine to…

One Of Atari’s Newest Games Has Been Unplayable For Nearly Five Months

Minimum, a stylish online shooter, has been mysteriously offline since September 2015. 141 days later, there’s still no word on when it’ll be playable again, and the game’s publisher, Atari, can’t say when that might change. Minimum was originally created by TimeGate Studios, but the developer eventually went under. Later, Atari and Human Head Studios…

From Star Wars To Zelda, What Makes The Best Heroic Anthems So Powerful

When we hear music from Star Wars or The Legend of Zelda, we think of noble destinies or awaiting adventures. When we hear Batman’s theme, we picture a lone hero, overlooking a city at night. We think of those things because the music—specifically each character’s theme—explicitly expresses and embodies them. It’s easy to take that…

Pillars of Eternity Gets A Ton Of New Stuff This Week

Obsidian’s Kickstarted role-playing game Pillars of Eternity was one of 2015’s most pleasant surprises. So nearly a year later, it’s nice to see the developers continuing to support it. Anyone with a copy of Pillars can now download update 3.00, a free patch that’s full of new changes and content. In addition to tweaking balance…

Marvel Comics Just Changed S.H.I.E.L.D in a Big, Scary Way

10 years ago, Marvel’s superheroes split into factions and pounded each other in the face because they disagreed over whether their world-saving should be regulated by the government. The spark that will ignite the upcoming Avengers Standoff crossover is a lot more sinister. Spoilers follow. Avengers Standoff: Welcome to Pleasant Hill is a one-shot by…

The Anti-Piracy Tech That’s Giving Hackers Fits

More than two months after release, it’s still not possible to pirate Just Cause 3. The same is true for Rise of the Tomb Raider, released for PC in late January. Cracking computer games used to be measured in hours or days, but now, it’s turning into weeks and months. The nature of piracy is…

Ten Awesome New LEGO Sets I’ll Be Building This Year

Toy Fair isn’t just a place to discover new playthings and see what’s hitting toy store shelves over the coming year. It’s also an excellent place to compile a shopping list. Here are ten new building sets I saw during my LEGO booth tour this year that will be mine. 1. 60124 Volcano Exploration Base…