-
Let’s Talk About How CivWorld Isn’t Civilization!
So here we are again, folks. Another week, another CivWorld discussion. Hopefully, most of you decided to either play in the new Kotaku game or a public one. Regardless of what game you’re playing, I’m sure you all have a lot to say about how the game is treating you. Playing through the game for…
By Mike Epstein Published August 18, 2011 -
Happy Birthday Zelda, From Your Fans
It’s the 25th Anniversary of The Legend of Zelda and to celebrate Nintendo is letting Gamescom fans create their own fan birthday cards for the franchise. Here are a few that graced the wall of Nintendo’s booth earlier this week. You can contact Brian Crecente, the author of this post, at [email protected]. You can also…
By Brian Crecente Published August 18, 2011 -
Multiplayer Madness Abounds in These New SSX Screens
EA has released six sharp new screenshots from their upcoming SSX, featuring the return of famous SSX-ers Mac, Elise, Kaori, and Psymon. I got a chance to play some early SSX single-player at E3, and I came away impressed. It had been a while since the days of my Tricky obsession, but the push, pull,…
By Kirk Hamilton Published August 18, 2011 -
Eyes-On with Lollipop Chainsaw and Juliet the Overly Chipper Zombie Slayer
Juliet Starling is a dangerous high school girl in trouble. She’s the star of Lollipop Chainsaw, the rainbow-bright zombie game and maybe the first to employ foul language as a physical weapon. Grasshopper Manufacture, the people who make weird but beloved games like No More Heroes and Shadows of the Damned, are responsible for 2012’s…
By Michael McWhertor Published August 18, 2011 -
Silent Hill: Book of Memories Screens Have Forgotten Something
This is not the Silent Hill you know. Headed for the PS Vita in early 2012, Silent Hill: Book of Memories is a multiplayer title with an overhead isometric view. Not exactly the lonely foggy world most of us remember. While the game exists out of canon, these new screens feature heavily-armed characters, at least…
By Max Abrams Published August 18, 2011 -
Shinobi 3DS Is Losing Beauty Contests to Metal Gear Solid 3DS
If you thought Metal Gear Solid 3DS looked ugly, get a load of what Sega and Griptonite are doing to Shinobi. Maybe they’ll look better in 3D? Wasn’t the 3DS supposed to be a powerful machine capable of pulling off console-quality graphics? Why are developers pumping out games that look like they’d be right at…
By Mike Fahey Published August 18, 2011 -
Old Republic Looks As Interesting As a Naboo Trade Blockade
Were the Old Republic any other MMO in existence, or even in development, I’d have probably walked away from its Gamescom presentation thinking “oh, this looks slightly interesting”. Considering the license it’s using and the developers behind it, though, I couldn’t help but end up a little disappointed instead. I am a lifelong Star Wars…
By Luke Plunkett Published August 18, 2011 -
Gabe Newell Wants EA on Steam, and is Polite About It
Electronic Arts has Origin. Valve has Steam. Both want you as a customer for their online game store. And so far, neither can work out their differences enough to ensure that Electronic Arts’ games will be available on Valve’s massive computer download service. But things still haven’t come to a complete impasse, at least not…
By Brian Crecente Published August 18, 2011 -
Limbs Are Optional in New NeverDead Screens
We here at Kotaku love the idea behind NeverDead—we’re not the type of folks who let something as petty as a severed head get in our way, and we don’t think you are either. If that’s the case, this game may be just the thing you’re looking for this year. Take a look at these…
By Joshua Rivera Published August 18, 2011 -
Metal Gear Solid 3DS Isn’t Winning Any Beauty Contests
Graphics aren’t everything. They are important, but the gameplay, and sometimes the story, are more important. That still doesn’t mean many gamers aren’t graphics snobs. They are. Take Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater 3DS. The game is a 3DS version of the 2004 PlayStation 2 title, which sounds impressive, but the latest batch of…
By Brian Ashcraft Published August 18, 2011 -
All Your Gamescom 2011 Day Two News Right Here. Modern Warfare 3. Dark Souls. A Drip of Portal 2. And So Much More.
Video game news is being made right now in Germany, and we’re putting it all together here so you can keep up with the latest from Valve, Sega, the Minecraft crew and more…. What’s the biggest news coming out of Europe during one the biggest gaming news shows of the year? Find out right here.…
By Stephen Totilo Published August 18, 2011 -
This is Flight Control to the Nintendo Download
When the most exciting downloadable title in Nintendo’s weekly lineup is an air traffic control sim game, it’s either an excellent air traffic control sim game or a very slow week. Perhaps it’s a little of both? Firemint’s Flight Control finally brings the frantic route-tracing action of the hit iPhone game to the Wii, following…
By Mike Fahey Published August 18, 2011 -
You and This Vita Platformer Will Make Beautiful Music Together
We’re big fans of Jonathan Mak’s (Everyday Shooter) upcoming musical platformer Sound Shapes. It looked good at E3, and is again one of the quiet stars of the show at this year’s Gamescom. Here’s why. Sound Shapes is a two-headed beast. One head is the platformer, where you roll around a stage avoiding death and…
By Luke Plunkett Published August 18, 2011 -
And Now a Very Bloody Message from Call of Duty Zombie Labs
At Call of Duty Zombie Labs, the worlds’ top scientists are working around the clock to familiarize themselves with the undead inside and out. And inside-out. Ew. In this exceptionally gory advertisement for Black Ops’ Rezurrection DLC, due out on August 23 for the Xbox 360, we’re given a sneak peek at what happens when…
By Mike Fahey Published August 18, 2011 -
Pixelated Helicopters, Cats, and Deities Rule The Newest Xbox Live Indie Game Rundown
Every couple of weeks, we recommend some of the best games on the Xbox Live Indie channel. These are the games on the fringe of the Xbox 360 platform, made by average Joes and indie dreamers. They’re peer-reviewed, not Microsoft-approved and thankfully they’re not all about posing your Xbox Avatar or giving dating advice. Our…
By Max Abrams Published August 18, 2011 -
A Sniper and a Bombsuit Make for A Wondrous Modern Warfare 3 Spec Ops Mission
“You’ve got a whole group coming down the street at you,” my co-op buddy calls out to me. But I’m not looking at the street. Instead, I’m staring straight down at the ground. At my feet there is a cloth sack, an improvised explosive device. A circle fills as I defuse the bomb. Crouching on…
By Brian Crecente Published August 18, 2011 -
Portal 2‘s First DLC Will Still ‘Technically’ Arrive This Summer
That first (and free) downloadable content pack for Valve’s Portal 2—originally announced in April for a summertime release—will be released mid-September, says the company. That’s “still technically summer,” Valve’s Doug Lombardi assured Kotaku at Gamescom.
By Michael McWhertor Published August 18, 2011 -
Do You Remember the Very First Video Game You Played?
Commenter UnstableArk has trouble recalling the very first video game he played, and wonders if there are more people out there like him in today’s Speak Up on Kotaku. Every now and then I tend to stalk some gaming forums, as a gamer would. And every now and then I come across a common question:…
By Mike Fahey Published August 18, 2011 -
A Dark Souls Prison Break, Straight Out of Gamescom
The people showcasing From Software’s role-playing game Dark Souls—which you’ve likely heard is something of a challenge—were prone to frequent deaths during a brand-new demonstration of the game. At least its prison break was a breeze and we learned a few new things about the Demon’s Souls spiritual sequel. Namco Bandai’s hands-off Gamescom demo started…
By Michael McWhertor Published August 18, 2011