Mafia III‘s First Story DLC Is Fine, But Too Short

Mafia III’s new DLC is like a good car chase: over in a flash, but a fun ride while it lasts. The story-based DLC, called “Faster, Baby!”, is also mostly about car chases, as well as weed and blatant innuendos. It takes place in a new rural location called Sinclair Parish, where notoriously racist sheriff…

Zelda Is Also A Sick 90s Skate Video

If you’re wondering why EA don’t go and make a new Skate game, it’s because they don’t need to. Nintendo went and did it already. Know that I’m just as anxious as you watching this guy surf on that ancient shield… Vid by Run Button

Some Better Cop Games Would Be Nice

I played Beat Cop this week. On Monday, I was excited! It looked like Police Quest! By Wednesday I’d given up, because it’s not a good video game, and that’s disappointed me more than I thought it would have. Beat Cop is a side-scrolling game that, with its 80s aesthetic and focus on police procedure,…

This is one of the best infographics I have ever seen. It’s deeply broken, of course, since Sombra’s agonising ARG scorched the search results, but still.

Taking The Battle To The Burning Legion In World Of Warcraft Update 7.2

World of Warcraft’smassive Tomb of Sargeras update went live this week, giving players a chance to unlock the new Broken Shore zone and punch the demon invaders right in the junk. Here’s a quick look at how to do that when you’re a warlock who’s forgotten how to warlock. I’ve been neglecting my gnome warlock…

The Best Part Of The Sims 4‘s Bowling Stuff Pack Is The Furniture

I never really got bowling until I reached the legal age to consume alcohol, so the new Sims 4 Stuff Pack, Bowling Night Stuff, wasn’t exactly up my alley (I’m sorry). When I dug into it, however, I found a few things I absolutely loved. Bowling Night Stuff is a Stuff Pack that gives you…

Dogfighting Game Feels Like A Long Lost Sega Classic

Sky Rogue looks like it was ripped right out of an arcade. Colorful graphics, fun combat, and wonderfully realized community content combine for a damn good time. It’s this week’s Indie Pick. I was a bit surprised to see that Kotaku hadn’t covered this game much. My coworker Nathan Grayson enjoyed the gameplay, which is…

Fans Won’t Stop Playing One Of Steam’s Most Popular Games, Even Though They Claim To Hate It

H1Z1: King of the Kill is one of the most popular games on Steam, despite the fact that thousands of fans claim to hate it. Now that a similar game, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, has appeared, many say they’re going to jump ship for good—and this time, they really, really mean it. Maybe. King of the Kill…

Mass Effect: Andromeda’s Best Writing Is In Its Emails

In Mass Effect: Andromeda, I met new aliens, terraformed entire planets, and had a blast shooting down enemy Kett. None of that matched the sheer delight of Andromeda’s quieter moments, however, when I could sit down to read the email that my crew had sent between missions. It kinda makes sense. In real life, so…

Fans Bid Farewell To Club Penguin 

For nearly 12 years, children and trolls of all ages flocked to Disney’s browser-based Club Penguin for all sorts of kid-friendly (mostly) shenanigans. Today the game closes down for good, and players past and present are paying their respects. Disney is shuttering the long-lived and well-loved browser game at 12:01 AM Pacific this evening. While…

Card Thief Is A Perfect Mashup Of Playing Cards And Stealth

I like stealth games. I like mobile games I can play with one hand so I don’t have to decide between playing and holding the subway pole. I like Card Thief I’ve been playing this card-based stealth game for iOS (available now for $1.99) on all my commutes since it came out last week. As…

I’ve Got A War Inside My Head. It’s Got To Set Your Soul Free.

Vitalii Smyk is a concept artist at Ubisoft. You can see more of Smyk’s work at his ArtStation page To see the images in their native resolution, click on the “expand” button in the top-left corner. Fine Art is a celebration of the work of video game artists, showcasing the best of both their professional…

With Dark Souls 3‘s Newest DLC, The Series Finally Says Goodbye

Dark Souls 3‘s final DLC, The Ringed City, seeks to close the curtain on the series. With some of the best environments in the series and imaginative boss fights, it feels like a fitting end. Even as I shed no tears at the passing. The Ringed City is the last piece of content for the…

Blizzard Overhauls Heroes Of The Storm’s Progression System

Today, Heroes of the Storm announced some big changes to its progression system. Heroes 2.0, launching in beta today, aims to make leveling up more interesting. Currently, each heroes’ level caps at 20 and, at later levels, their XP curve is, in game director Alan Dabiri’s words, “punishing.” Heroes 2.0 will remove the level cap…

Horizon Zero Dawn’s Narrative Director Says They Spent ‘Hundreds’ Of Hours Rewriting The Story

John Gonzalez might have cut his teeth on the beloved Fallout: New Vegas, but the narrative director told Kotaku that helping craft the story for Horizon: Zero Dawn was “hands down the biggest challenge” of his career. Here’s why. According to game director Mathijs de Jonge, the idea for Horizon began as a pitch from…

Street Fighter V Fans Are Highlighting Akuma’s Flaws By Obliterating Him In Two Combos

The latest goal for the fighting game community is simple: kill Akuma in Street Fighter V using just two combos. The challenge began last Friday when a player named Javits Arias posted a Tweet, asking his fellow competitors to deplete Akuma’s health Arias wanted players to start the first combo with a jump-in attack and…

Here’s The PlayStation Plus Lineup For April

April’s PlayStation Plus lineup features a launch game, Drawn to Death, as well some older games you might have missed. Co-op Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime is a lot of fun if you enjoy yelling at your friends under the guise of teamwork. Remember, these games are only “free” if you have an active PlayStation…

Fire Emblem Heroes Spring Event Comes With Bunny Costumes

Fire Emblem Heroes is about to get a little more colorful. The Spring Festival tosses fan favorite heroes into bunny costumes and adds a new, lighthearted side story to battle through. But it’s mostly about those absurd outfits. The Spring Festival will run from March 30th to April 13th. The biggest draw from the event…