Culture

Beautiful Maps Of Fake Places

Robert Altbauer calls himself a “fantasy cartographer”. If maps of places that don’t actually exist are your fetish, then Robert is your man. Over the years Altbauer has created maps for video game publishers, RPG companies and authors, with some actual, historical map work thrown in for good measure. You can see more of Robert’s…

Track: Ten Crack Commandments | Artist: Notorious B.I.G. & Otaku Gang | Album: Life After Death Star Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to – and gaming to – at the moment.

See You Later, Random NPC

Today on Highlight Reel we have NPC slingshots, surprise Skywalkers, powerful punches, and much more! Watch the video above, then talk about your favorite highlight in the comments below. Be sure to check out, like, and share the original videos via the links below. Uncharted 4 Beta – One punch man got nothing on Cutter’s…

Ciri’s Witcher 3 Sword, Forged In The Real World

Sword performer Alan Padziński doesn’t just fight with Witcher swords. He knows how to make them, too. Padzińskirecently built himself a replica of Ciri’s badass sword from The Witcher 3, and did the entire thing by hand, from forging the blade to carving the runes to the leather grip. It’s 1.3m long, and looks more…

Podcast: We Sure Hope The Final Fantasy VII Remake Has A World Map

Will the upcoming remake of Final Fantasy VII have a world map? WE SURE HOPE SO. Today on Kotaku Splitscreen, we’re talking about the ambitious multi-part Final Fantasy VII remake, which was looking hotat the PlayStation Experience earlier this month. We also dig into console exclusives, Hanukkah songs, and how it makes me grumpy when…

From Japan, With Changes: The Endless Debate Over Video Game ‘Censorship’

One of Nintendo’s biggest releases in 2015 is the sprawling 100-hour adventure Xenoblade Chronicles X, released earlier this year in Japan. It’s great-looking and fun. That’s not in dispute. The most heated debate about the game—making it the latest flashpoint in ongoing skirmishes over censorship, creative freedom and sexual politics—involves a pair of changes made…

Here’s The World Record For Beating Fallout 4 As Fast As Possible

For most people, beating Fallout 4 means sinking dozens of hours into the game—and that’s just sticking to the main story missions. Speedrunners, however, have figured out how to beat the game in just a little over an hour. It’s incredible. Right now, there’s actually a world record for beating the game fast: 1:09:29, to…

What’s Your Dream Video Game Holiday Gift? 

If you could get any piece of video game hardware, software or paraphernalia as a holiday gift, what would it be? Aside from a stock graphic of generic controllers coming out of a box. We’ve got you covered on that one. Every year my mother hounds me relentlessly for ideas on what to get me…

Track: The Drugs Don’t Work | Artist: The Verve | Album: Urban Hymns Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to – and gaming to – at the moment.

The Giants Of Industry

Andrey Surnov is a freelance artist from Russia. You can see more of Andrey’s work at his Facebookand ArtStationpages. To see the larger pics in all their glory (or, if they’re big enough, so you can save them as wallpaper), click on the “expand” button in the top-left corner. Fine Art is a celebration of…

Not Sure If Cosplayer Or Actual Elven King

TheldeaFix—who does an excellent Loki, btw—has transformed himself so thoroughly into Thranduil from The Hobbit that actor Lee Pace would probably look at these photos and get all confused. Photos by Pugoffka-sama and Haji-san

King Of Fighters Cosplay!

Always a pleasure to see someone cosplaying as a KoF character that isn’t Mai Shiranui. Cosplay by Azulette, photo by Peter Muñoz.

The Week In Games: There’s Still Stuff Coming Out

Just not a whole lot. At least we’ve got PaRappa. Monday, December 14 Dead Star — PC Tuesday, December 15 King’s Quest Episode II — PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One Towerfall: Ascension — Vita Digital PaRappa the Rapper 2 — PS4 (PS2 Classic) Tony Hawk Pro Skater 5 — PS3, Xbox 360 Hatoful…

Sunday Comics: Unkillable Space Wizards

Welcome to Kotaku’s Sunday Comics, your weekly roundup of the best webcomics. The images enlarge if you click on the magnifying glass icon. Nerf NOW!! by Josué Pereira. Published December 10. Read more of Nerf NOW!! Awkward Zombie by Katie Tiedrich. Published December 7. Read more of Awkward Zombie Penny Arcade by Jerry Holkins and…

This Week In The Business: Rose-Colored VR Glasses

STAT | $70 billion– The size of the VR market by 2020, as projected by research firm TrendForce. For comparison, Superdata this year estimated the current worldwide gaming industry—console, PC, mobile, social, eSports, VR, digital and physical— at $74.2 billion Elsewhere in the business of gaming this week… STAT | $1.4 billion – The amount…

Valve nerfed Counter-Strike’s controversial new gun. It now does less damage (86 as opposed to 115) and has a slightly longer delay. It’s still strikingly accurate in certain situations, though. If I had to guess, I’d say this isn’t the last time it’ll be changed. We’ll see.

Christmas chicken. It’s tough to love some of the changes Valve recently made to Counter-Strike, but this year’s festive chicken makeover is great. In-game chickens now wear wool sweaters over their frigid little drumstick bodies. (Clutch chicken shot courtesy of 3kliksphilip.)

Meet Some Box Art Specialists

Two Dots are a creative studio who specialise in promotional and cover art. Think book covers, box art, collector’s editions, posters, etc. Recently they’ve worked on games like Assassin’s Creed Syndicate, Far Cry 4, Elite: Dangerous and Assassin’s Creed Unity They’ve also worked at a more conceptual stage on games like Watch Dogs. The Far…

Check Out The Robots That Make Steam Controllers

When I talked to Valve about the Steam controller earlier this year, they told me they were manufacturing the divisive hunk of owl-shaped plastic in their own machine factory, one of the biggest in the nation. Here’s what the process looks like. Valve released a video of their factory in action, and it’s kinda weirdly…

Even Faces Can Become Rockets In Just Cause 3

Today on Highlight Reel we have rocket faces, Fallout 4 whack-a-mole, good snipes, deathclaws and much more! Watch the video above, then talk about your favorite highlight in the comments below. Be sure to check out, like, and share the original videos via the links below. Bloodborne – Troubling aftermath of a lag fight –…