The Trippiest Video Game Levels

Surreal stages, events, or gameplay that somehow just don’t fit have always been present, and even expected. Their crazy graphics, weird aesthetics and ideas make sure that we have absolutely no idea what’s going on. But they have their charm, they are funny, or they’re simply part of the experience—and so we love them. We…

Here, Just Watch Someone Play Proteus For A While

Opinions on Ed Key and David Kanaga’s newly released game Proteus are likely as mixed as the crowd at a Justin Bieber/Mastodon double-bill. Personally, I think it’s just lovely. It relaxes me, which certainly isn’t true of most games I play these days. It’s a rare game that just sort of is, and it manages…

If You Want Fire Emblem: Awakening Today, You Might Have To Buy It Online

We’ve received several e-mails and comments today from people who couldn’t find Fire Emblem: Awakening in stores. Quite a few retailers have yet to receive the new (excellent) strategy-RPG, which came out today for 3DS. Game Informer says they called a few Best Buys and GameStops and heard that there’s a shipping delay on the…

There are Star Wars-themed tables coming to Zen Pinball throughout 2013, said a now-pulled post on the PlayStation Blog

The New PlayStation and Xbox Loom In The Horizon. Not Everyone Is Excited.

Following the PS4 announcement tease, the Internet seemed to explode in excitement. After spending the last few years with the 360 and the PS3, these reactions are understandable: it’s like a collective “FINALLY!” But not everyone is excited, not exactly. Kotaku readers explained why in an informal poll over in Talk Amongst Yourselves. Here’s a…

Responding To Rumors, Microsoft Says Halo Isn’t Coming To Steam

This weekend, many noticed something curious: some Halo titles were listed in the Steam registry. Some assumed this meant that these titles were coming to Steam. According to a Microsoft spokesperson, that’s not the case. “We currently do not have plans to release any ‘Halo‘ titles on Steam,” said a Microsoft spokesperson to Kotaku. Skeptical?…

Let’s Rank The Elder Scrolls Games, Best To Worst

We here at Kotaku have been having a lot of fun with rankings lately, from Halo to Grand Theft Auto to Final Fantasy to Pokémon. And now, it’s time to rank the big daddy of single-player RPGs: the Elder Scrolls series. Of course, when I say “big daddy,” I mean it: size is of the…

Unreal — Candy Unjunked: The Snacktaku Review

Candy is dandy, but it’s also not very good for you. It’s filled with artificial flavors, preservatives, hormones, genetically modified organisms (yum!), hydrogenated oils and corn syrup. That’s why it’s called junk food. The mission of Unreal is to remove the junk from junk food without removing the taste. That’s a rather tall order. I’d…

Sony Cuts Ties With PlayStation All-Stars Creators, Studio’s Fate In Question [UPDATE: SuperBot Beginning ‘Next Chapter’]

Sony has cut ties with PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale creator SuperBot Entertainment, just days after the development studio laid off a number of its staff. All of the game’s future content will be handled by Sony’s internal studios. “Sony Computer Entertainment can confirm that the working agreement with developer SuperBot Entertainment has amicably ended,” a…

One Writer Explains What Video Game Storytelling Taught Her About Life

“Stories are the filter through which we understand the world.” Those philosophical words come from Susan O’Connor, a writer who’s worked on BioShock, Far Cry 2 and Gears of War. In the TEDx session above, O’Connor discusses how her work scripting characters for video games led her to an epiphany about the people who may…

The Exceptional Beauty of Dyad‘s Steam Announcement Trailer

Shawn McGrath, creator of psychedelic racing game Dyad, did not expect to announce today that his game is coming to Steam. But folks on the Internet figured it out. What’s a man to do? Whine? Complain? Go radio silent? Not Shawn McGrath. He busted out the webcam and some Windex and crafted the most honest…

Facebook Lines Up Ten Titles to Court the Hardcore Gamer

An arcade beat-em up with a Diablo pedigree; a fast-paced multiplayer first-person shooter; a complex competitive strategy kingdom builder—these are the first shots fired in Facebook’s battle to expand its gaming player-base beyond farmers and puzzle-players, with another seven in the chamber for 2013. After years of steady growth, Facebook’s gaming revenue has gone flat—fourth…

Skulls of the Shogun: The Kotaku Review [UPDATE]

I want to tell you that Skulls of the Shogun is excellent. I want to tell you the game is fantastic, and that it has some of the best writing this year so far. I want to tell you about how lovingly crafted it is, about the small details it includes. I want to tell…

The Last Of Us‘ Infected Enemies Are Fast, Fungal and Damn Frightening to Look at

Before diving into an extended hands-on session with Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us, creative director Neil Druckmann describes what he hopes I’ll take away from the demo: “We want to demonstrate through gameplay, through action what people have had to deal with.” By “people,” he’s referring to the survivors of a population-wiping plague that…

The Curious Case Of Ni no Kuni‘s Unpleasant Battle Music

The first time I heard the battle music in Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch, I thought, “Ugh.” That’s never a good sign. In a Japanese role-playing game like Ni no Kuni, the battle music is arguably the most important music in the game. Sure, the world-map music is crucial, but it’s the…

Worms in Your Social Network? It’s More Likely Than You Think.

The beta is over and battle lines have been drawn. They’re sort of squiggly. Team17’s classic team-based trajectory shooter is now open to everyone on Facebook. Release the sheep! The spineless competition is fierce in the Facebook version of Worms. Along with the four-on-four battles that have been endearing these slimy little bastards to gamers…

Hey New Yorkers, Kotaku will be at the NY Game Critics award show tomorrow, and you can be too. Tickets are free!

Playing Grand Theft Auto As An Angry Bird Looks Like A Blast

Oh, Grand Theft Auto mods, you never cease to amaze me. Here’s footage by taltigolt of someone playing as Red Bird… in Grand Theft Auto IV. Naturally, knocking stuff over happens. And, eventually, guns. Hey, man. They’re angry birds and the citizens of Liberty City sure don’t help by being rude! Grand Theft Auto IV…

Fox News Host’s Guns Vs. Video Games Argument Doesn’t Make Sense

In the Fox News segment excerpted above, Judge Jeanine Pirro argues that banning guns won’t stop crime. She should certainly feel free to argue that position. But when she invokes video games in a preposterous culture-war argument, it’s hard to take any of her comments seriously. Here’s a partial transcript of what she says at…

In College? Make Video Games? You Could Win A Spot At This Year’s E3

If you go to school for game design, you might be stoked to hear that the Entertainment Software Association, also known as the ESA, also known as the shadowy masterminds that secretly control the video game industry the people who run E3, just announced a contest for college students in the United States. Around 400…