• Uncategorized

  Remembering the Fallen, and the Decisions for Which They Died, in XCOM: Enemy Unknown

  XCOM: Enemy Unknown reintroduces itself immediately with very familiar themes of sacrifice. In the first mission, a tutorial, I lost three squad members, and there seemed to be no way to avoid it. The game, I think, was conditioning me not so much to accept death, but to accept that it is on the table…

  By Owen Good Published June 7, 2012
• 

  Uncategorized

  Nintendo’s Most Important Game of 2012

  The most important game for Nintendo this year is Nintendo Land. It is the launch title for the Wii U, which is perhaps the riskiest console Nintendo has ever created—yes, riskier even than the Wii. Where the Wii was built around the simple, pure idea of accessible motion-control gaming, The Wii U is designed to…

  By Stephen Totilo Published June 7, 2012
• Uncategorized

  You Can Play Warface With Russian Players Right Now, But You Might Get Slaughtered

  Crytek’s near-future military shooter for the PC, Warface, is currently live in Russia, with a closed beta in China. But the game plays differently in both regions. Localization is not an unfamiliar concept. At its most basic that means the interface and dialogue/speech have to be translated so players understand what’s going on. But the…

  By Tina Amini Published June 7, 2012
• Uncategorized

  Why Those DMC Weapons Still Have Names

  So, Capcom has been adamant about the fact that DMC is a re-imagining of their Devil May Cry mythos. That means Dante looks different, drops the F-bomb a whole lot more and adventures through a different landscape, even if the game plays very similarly to the titles of the past Why, then, do some of…

  By Evan Narcisse Published June 7, 2012
• 

  Uncategorized

  This Nutty Wii U Exclusive Blends Pixar With Pikmin

  Here’s some gameplay from the new Wii U game by development studio Platinum Games, currently titled “Project P100” (although that will likely change). There’s some Pikmin in here, and a little bit of Platinum’s Bayonetta, and the whole thing looks like a Pixar movie. Check it out! (Video filmed and edited by our very own…

  By Jason Schreier Published June 7, 2012
• Uncategorized

  Skyrim‘s Massive Dawnguard Sounds Like a Proper Old-School RPG Expansion

  Yesterday at E3, I spent some time playing Skyrim‘s first big downloadable add-on, Dawnguard. Between my time with the game and my subsequent conversation with game director Todd Howard, I came away with the firm notion that Dawnguard is less a mere additional faction questline and more a full, proper expansion. Ready for some delicious…

  By Kirk Hamilton Published June 7, 2012
• Uncategorized

  The Best Humble Bundle Just Got Better

  Today, Super Meat Boy, Braid and Lone Survivor were added to the fifth installment of the Humble Indie Bundle. Just when you think things couldn’t get more awesome. [HumbleBundle.com]

  By Nick Vannucci Published June 7, 2012
• 

  Uncategorized

  New Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance Trailer Showcases Mickey, Minnie, Dragons Riding Meteors

  Nintendo released this new trailer for Square Enix’s zany action-RPG last night. It’s looking pretty neat, particularly the Fantasia and Three Musketeers sections. And Mickey! Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance will be out July 31 for Nintendo 3DS.

  By Jason Schreier Published June 7, 2012
• Uncategorized

  The Wii U’s ZombiU Could be Stealing the Scene On Other Platforms

  Ubisoft’s new zombie game ZombiU really impressed me when I played it at E3. As it turns out, despite its reliance on the Wii U’s second handheld screen, the game might not be exclusive to Nintendo’s upcoming console after all. Speaking with IGN, Ubisoft’s Tony Key said that the game might at some point come…

  By Kirk Hamilton Published June 7, 2012
• Uncategorized

  The Weekly Download is Some of the Best News Nintendo’s Released All Week

  LEGO Batman! Prince of Persia! The Last Blade! Curling! If Nintendo had announced this week’s downloadable titles during their E3 2012 press conferences, maybe we wouldn’t all be trudging around like sad puppies today. I mean check out that lineup! You’ve got the original platforming action hero, an SNK arcade classic, a sport that Canadians…

  By Mike Fahey Published June 7, 2012
• 

  Uncategorized

  E3’s Unsolved Mystery: Are Watch Dogs and Star Wars: 1313 Really Next-Gen Games?

  Are we actually seeing PlayStation 4 and Xbox 720 video games at E3 and no one’s admitting it? That’s been a popular theory all week here in Los Angeles and reporters and game creators buzz about the extraordinary-looking gameplay demonstrations of Ubisoft’s Watch Dogs and LucasArts’ Star Wars 1313. Both games looked way too graphically…

  By Stephen Totilo Published June 7, 2012
• 

  Uncategorized

  Scribblenauts Unlimited is the First Wii U Game by a Kotaku Columnist. Take a Look.

  When Jeremiah Slaczka isn’t answering your questions here on Kotaku, he’s running 5TH Cell, the game development studio behind Scribblenauts and other interesting games. There’s a Scribblenauts on the Wii U and—wouldn’t you know it—he would like to show it to you. Here’s Jeremiah, with Scribblenauts Unlimited

  By Stephen Totilo Published June 7, 2012
• Uncategorized

  How to Painlessly Play Max Payne 3 PC on Max Settings

  If you’ve been a gamer for at least a decade, then you will recognize Max Payne as the PC third-person shooter of the early 2000s. Notable for its film noir style and use of the bullet time effect (The Matrix), Max Payne’s character went on to surpass anyone’s expectations with several console ports, a sequel,…

  Steven Walton | Techspot Published June 7, 2012
• 

  Uncategorized

  Behold the Retron 2, A Machine that Is Both an NES and a SNES

  There is a machine called the Retron 3, released last year by the gaming hardware folks at Hyperkin. That thing was a combo Nintendo Entertainment System, Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis. What comes after the Retron 3? The Retron 2. A little weird, right? But I guess some people only wanted the NES-SNES combo. Also…

  By Stephen Totilo Published June 7, 2012
• Uncategorized

  I’ve Carefully Avoided Dancing Since Junior High. Dance Central 3 Broke My Streak.

  There are some things in the world that are always true: The sun rises in the east. Water is wet. Kate Cox does not dance, and you cannot make her. Not even with alcohol involved. My E3 schedule for Wednesday had “Microsoft / Kinect” on it. I arrived for my appointment and confirmed I’d be…

  By Kate Cox Published June 7, 2012
• Uncategorized

  Ready Player One Is a Video Game Lover’s Only Summer ‘Must Read’

  Summer is nearly upon us, and it’s a real possibility that someone will forcibly remove you from the house in order to vacation, in which case, you’ll need a beach read to ward off the console cravings. Ready Player One, a novel about a dystopian future so bleak that people choose to live almost entirely…

  Sponsored post Published June 7, 2012
• 

  Uncategorized

  Lego City Undercover Is Basically Grand Theft Auto With Cops. And Legos.

  You can run around a very blocky open world in Lego City Undercover, an upcoming Wii U game with some cool new features. Don’t expect any blood or prostitutes here, but City Undercover really does feel a lot like a brickified Grand Theft Auto: you walk and drive around an open city, following missions and…

  By Jason Schreier Published June 7, 2012
• Uncategorized

  Assassin’s Creed III Brings a Crafty, Fresh Take on King-Of-The-Hill

  At E3, I had a chance to play a couple rounds of multiplayer in Assassin’s Creed III. The general setup is about the same as in the last couple Assassin’s Creed games—the core of the game is to remain incognito while hunting your opponents down. There are many copies of your character model, so it’s…

  By Kirk Hamilton Published June 7, 2012
• Uncategorized

  Talk Amongst Yourselves and the Pikmens

  The final official full day of E3 2012 is upon us, and you folks certainly have a lot to talk about in Kotaku‘s official forum, Talk Amongst Yourselves. Once again Pan_1da7 is on the cutting edge of TAYpic manipulation technology, infesting our Primavera with tiny plant creatures. I think I’ve been to that restaurant. Want…

  By Mike Fahey Published June 7, 2012
• 

  Uncategorized

  Transformers Trail-Holy Crap That’s Metroplex

  The music choice is…regrettable, but everything else in this trailer for the upcoming Transformers: Fall of Cybertron is almost perfect. Dear Michael Bay, This is what a Transformers movie should have looked liked. Regards, Kotaku. Mike got his hands on the game yesterday, so expect impressions and thoughts on it later today!

  By Luke Plunkett Published June 7, 2012