Three Things Other Games Should Steal From Alan Wake

Sometimes I feel like there are two Alan Wakes: There’s the game that actually exists, and the game that lives in our collective memory. I know I have fond memories of the game. That setting! That story! Those pretty, pretty lights! It was such a mystery, like getting to play through a Dean Koontz paperback…

Fan Theory: You’re Drinking Menstrual Blood In Bloodborne 

Have you ever wondered about the origin of the healing blood in Bloodborne? Someone has a theory, and it’s kind of gross. It also makes a lot of sense. As those of you that are playing Bloodborne know, blood is the cornerstone of all society in Yharnam. People drink blood for healing purposes. They also…

The Magical First Five Minutes Of Pony World 3

I know what you’re thinking. “I completely missed Pony World 2!” Hopefully the first five minutes of the threequel can get you up to speed. According to the Steam description for Pony World 3, the first two installments of Rhema Press’ colorful baby horse sim have sold over two million copies worldwide, so there’s a…

Forget  CGI. Transformers Toys Have The Most Exciting Battles

Who needs CGI animated cartoons and movies when stop-motion Transformers battles can be this good? It’s a relatively ordinary day in the mixed-continuity of animator Harris Loureiro. Bumblebee and Wheeljack are on a routine patrol when they encounter some Decepticon resistance. They call for backup, and for a while it looks like the Autobots are…

Diablo III Player Reaches Level 70 In One Minute

Here’s an insanely skilled Diablo III player Dat Modz proving that it’s possible to get to max level in no time. Sixty-five seconds to be exact. That’s bloody impressive. And how is this possible? Dat Modz is on the game’s very rare (not THAT rare since patch 2.2, but still rare) Cow Level, and its…

Pixel artist Junkboy reimagined John Carpenter’s classic movie They Live as a cool beat ‘em up game from the early 90s. It’s got all the characteristics of side-scrolling arcade games, complete with breakable windows and smashable cars. And here’s another cool tribute from the same artist: Planet of the Apes as a DOS point-and-click adventure…

Looks Like Batman Won’t Be Fighting Alone in Arkham Knight

The newest teaser for Batman: Arkham Knight makes one thing clear: The Dark Knight won’t be going solo this time. The latest teaser for Batman: Arkham Knight focuses on Batman’s allies and shows a bunch of co-op attacks that Bruce Wayne’s masked alter ego can pull off with Robin and Nightwing. From the sounds of…

One Piece Meets Waterworld 

This summer, as in the past, Universal Studios Japan will be rolling out a One Piece live-action spectacular. The One Piece Premium Summer 2015 kicks off on July 3 and runs until September 6. As with past shows, this will be more performance (acting, singing, and dancing) based than the stunt-heavy Waterworld show. The One…

Analyzing Japan’s Latest Fetish: Brooklyn

The question started out innocently enough: “Do you know ‘Brooklyn’ is written on your socks?” My wife, an Osaka native, replied, “Yeah, these seemed more casual than the other socks I was thinking of getting.” A quick look around at what people are currently wearing in Japan, where I’ve called home for nearly the past…

People, Don’t Turn Your Dog into Real-Life Minecraft 

If you have a dog, don’d do this! Just. Don’t. Recently, photos have been floating around of dogs that have been groomed into geometric-headed creatures. The original photos date from, at least, last December. The look is supposed to be cute. Some pics show dogs with the fur on their heads trimmed into circles. Others…

Himeji Castle, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan. August 2014. By Brian Ashcraft | Kotaku Screengrabber is a photo peek into wherever gamers might find interesting. If you’re a photographer and have images you want to share, drop us a line!

ESPN Airs Video Games, Twitter Freaks Out

Tonight on ESPN 2, sports fans across the world were treated not to the NBA playoffs or the burgeoning baseball season, but to live footage of college students playing Heroes of the Storm. Yep, thanks to a partnership with Blizzard, the flashy MOBA—or Multiplayer Online Battle Arena, a genre that also includes the world’s most…

Kotaku ‘Shop Contest: The Bling Side Of The Force

Last week a Tokyo jeweler covered a Darth Vader helmet in gold, leading to at least two obvious questions—why just the helmet, and why only Vader? Surely the entire extended Star Wars cast is deserving a shiny metal makeover. Ginza Tanaka may have had good intentions, but he fell way short of his completely assumed…

Now It’s Naoto’s Turn To Dance. Dance. Dance.

Every time I post a GIF from Persona 4: Dancing All Night, the comments are always the same: where’s Naoto Shirogane? Here’s Naoto Shirogane. No longer a backup dancer, Persona 4’s young detective shows off some killer moves on the dance floor, as well as a penchant for cosplay that goes beyond masking her gender…