The New Tomb Raider Made Me Think About Going Back to Church

Lara Croft’s latest adventure is surprisingly religious. It’s not just about the good aspects of a communal belief in a higher power. Rise of the Tomb Raider’s main bad guy is a true believer, too. The plot of the new Tomb Raider revolves around Lara’s search for a mythical figure called the Prophet and his…

Kotaku ‘Shop Contest: Fallout 4 Adventures: The Winners!

Remember last week, before Fallout 4 came out, when I asked our readers to envision where their newly-emerged Vault Dweller might go? No? Well there was a time before Fallout 4 came out (I think), and according to this week’s winner it was a happy little time. Combining two of the best things ever, Wormri…

Sunday Comics: Check The Fridge

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 November 14. Read more of Nerf NOW!! Awkward Zombie by Katie Tiedrich. Published November 9. Read more of Awkward Zombie Penny Arcade by Jerry Holkins and…

KO’d Ronda Rousey Had Just Been Announced As An EA Cover Athlete

They call it the Madden Curse. Leading sports video game publisher EA puts an NFL star on the cover of its annual football franchise and then that star gets hurt or suffers some other bad fate. On Friday, EA announced Ronda Rousey as its cover athlete for its second UFC game. Whoops. The previously undefeated…

Fallout 4 PC Benchmarks: Post-Apocalyptic Performance

What may be the biggest game of 2015 is finally here with the launch of Fallout 4 this week. Set in Boston 200 years after a nuclear war, Bethesda’s latest open world action-RPG is the Fallout series’ fifth major instalment and along with touting a list of new features, the developer has teased gamers with…

Custom Transformers Devastation Optimus Prime Figure Imitates Art

This is not a screenshot. It is not a piece of two dimensional fan art. This is a fan-modded Optimus Prime action figure. Seriously. Though some folks took issue with its length, Transformers: Devastation turned out to be a rather solid video game. It was also inspirational, at least for figure modder LEK Custom Toys…

Let’s Share Live-Streaming Setups

With so many people either streaming live video game play to the web or consuming it, trying to determine the best equipment for your broadcasting needs can be daunting and confusing. What we need are examples. Because if there’s one thing the internet has told me, if a handful of websites and Google searches doesn’t…

A Fallout 4 Boss That Scared The Crap Out Of Me

Sometimes, Fallout 4 feels less like an RPG than it does a straight-up horror game. I’ve gone on missions that took me well beyond the main map, to a hellish inferno where nobody treads. I’ve gotten caught in storms that turn the entire wasteland into a dangerous, irradiated netherworld. More than once, I’ve gotten ambushed…

This Week in the Business: Bum Raps and Harsh Tokes

QUOTE | “If you want to talk about who is getting bum raps I think Nintendo got some pretty harsh tokes.” – Capy Games president Nathan Vella, saying the Wii U maker deserves more credit for the way it treats indies Elsewhere in the business of gaming this week… QUOTE | “No one is actually…

The Most Exciting Women’s UFC Fight This Weekend Doesn’t Involve Ronda Rousey

Joanna “Champion” Jedrzejczyk is one of the UFC’s least-known champs, but these days she might be my favorite fighter, period. Jedrzejczyk, whose last name is pronounced “nope, I give up,” has only been competing in MMA professionally since 2012. She’s the UFC’s strawweight (115 lb) champion, and she’s undefeated. Before leaping into the burgeoning shark…

I Finally Like My Xbox One

I didn’t realize I hated my Xbox One until I loaded Fallout 3 on it and felt all warm and fuzzy when I saw the Xbox 360 logo and heard the Xbox 360 theme. It was Thursday, and it was the first time my Xbox One has ever made me feel warm and fuzzy. All…

Fallout 4 Fan Mods Their Actual Dog Into The Game

Dogmeat is quite a companion—almost like a real dog when he’s not doing egregiously silly/suicidal things. One Fallout 4 fan, however, didn’t think he was real enough. Over on Nexus, modder 7iger explained: “I created this texture using photos of my pup, ‘Pirate.’ He’s a kelpie x blue cattle dog and a lovable mutt. After…

Players May Never Solve Undertale‘s Final Mystery

Undertale, the Steam RPG hit where you don’t have to kill anyone, is loaded with secrets. Dedicated players have unearthed every last one… well, except for the last one. (Big Undertale spoilers ahead.) I addressed Undertale’s last big mystery a bit in my piece on the unique ways the game weaves its web of secrets,…

The New Ultimates Team Is Trying to Solve Marvel’s Galactus Problem

Galactus keeps trying to eat the Earth. A team of the smartest, most powerful heroes around isn’t waiting for him to get hungry again. They’re going to go knock on his door and talk to him. Over the years, lots of superheroes—but mostly the Fantastic Four—have convinced, cajoled or otherwise stopped Galactus from absorbing the…

Slowly but surely, I’m losing it in a Super Mario Maker level that was made to be my undoing, The Klepocapalyse (90C3-0000-00DA-97AF.) You can watch me try to unravel this stage over here

It’s Time To Buy A Modern Video Game Console

Hey, you. Gal or guy who’s interested in video games but still doesn’t have a PlayStation 4 or Xbox One (or, of course, the PC equivalent). Now is the time to buy one. In November of 2013, when Sony and Microsoft first launched their video game boxes, it was hard to recommend either of them…

How YouTube’s Horror Gaming Phenomenon Is Helping Developers

The temperature’s starting to drop, so grab a cup of coffee, cozy up to the monitor, and check out Worth Reading, our roundup of the best games writing. Hey, You Should Read These “Playing Civilization to Keep a Loved One Close” by Kirstin Kelley When you lose someone close, it’s natural to search for ways…