There’s Five Spots We Get THIS Close to Seeing Master Chief’s Face in the New Halo 4 Trailer

The Halo 4 launch trailer was predictably big budget, but what I found most interesting was how human they made Master Chief look. We usually just see him as a giant hulking killing machine, all armour and visor, but Tim Miller and David Fincher’s clip goes right ahead and actually takes the mask off the…

If You Own a PC, Go Try Iconoclasts

Has it been over a year since we looked in on the wonderful Iconoclasts? It has? Better fix that, then. The game, while still a while from being finished, is playable. By you, that is. You can go download an alpha build over on the game’s site As with creator Joakim Sandberg’s Noitu Love, it’s…

Here’s Halo 4’s Launch Trailer, Produced by David Fincher

I started in this job nearly six years ago. If you’d told me back then I’d be writing a headline like that in 2012, I’d have either laughed or given you a real strange look. Not to give Fincher all the credit, it was actually directed by Tim Miller, normally a visual effects man (Scott…

Wow, Kentucky Route Zero, You’re Looking Good

Oh, cool. Eighteen months since we saw it last, adventure game Kentucky Route Zero returns with a new art style. Shame about that whole “A 2011 Game To Anticipate” thing, though, since it’s now an episodic title that’ll mostly release throughout 2013, but for a “bluegrass adventure game” that looks this hot I’ll wait until…

Nigeria Withdraws XCOM Funding, President Blames Gas Station “Incident”

In an honest and upfront piece over on serious news outlet Something Awful, the President of Nigeria, Goodluck Jonathan, has explained the reasons behind his country’s highly unpopular (with XCOM leaders) withdrawal from the XCOM project. While a “tragic incident at the gas station” seems to have been the straw that broke this camel’s back,…

Online shooter Planetside 2 will launch on November 20

Assassin’s Creed III’s Top-Secret Chicken Dance Assassination Move [Update]

Taken from a hands-on session with the game, here’s an Assassin’s Creed III hiccup that we can only hope makes it into the final game. UPDATE—Seems it’s part of the game’s debug mode, which lets the devs get around the map quickly. It’s an unfair advantage, sure, but this is a sci-fi series at heart.…

Sick of Chernarus? Try a Different DayZ Map

Zombie survival mod DayZ only shipped with one map. It’s a big one, but once you’ve crawled all over it, you may want to crawl all over somewhere new Why not try Namalsk, a fan-made map originally built for ArmA II (the game the DayZ mod is based on) but now made compatible with zombies…

Nothing Says Halloween Like “Sexy” Video Game Costumes

Correct me if I’m wrong, Americans, but I’ve long been under the impression Halloween is mostly a thing for kids. Unless you’ve got, like, some themed college party to go to and….oh. OK, now I see where these come in. Yandy has released this insane series of adult “Gamer Costumes” based on famous characters, each…

Dishonored’s Art Director Talks Inspiration, Cut Levels

I know, we’ve looked at Dishonored once already here on Fine Art, but today is a little different, because we not only have some images from quite literally the game’s drawing board stage, but also some commentary on them from Sebastien Mitton, Arkane’s art director. Did you know, for example, that the game’s “Tallboy” units…

Before You Jump In The Water, Make Sure It’s Still Water

Just a tip from one water-jumper to another, bro. I know it’s cold out. Dip your toe. Just saying. I don’t have much pithy commentary to add to this one—just watch it, and rejoice. How are you all doing? Finished XCOM yet? Playin Dishonored? Are you looking back over your “trivial” quests in Borderlands 2…

Shovelware Maker Going to Jail for Not Paying Workers

The owner of a Utah game studio is going to jail for not paying his employees. Criminal prosecution for nonpayment of wages is rare. Incarceration is even more rare, but it is deserved for a guy like Dave Rushton, considering the lives he upended four years ago at Sensory Sweep Studios in suburban Salt Lake…

This Insane Super Hexagon Run May Just Be a New World Record

Super Hexagon is hard. The kind of hard that keeps you coming back for more of its sweet, brilliantly designed torture. Getting to the top of your friends’ list in Game Center is a feat worth celebrating. And landing on top of everyone else playing Terry Cavanagh’s collision avoidance game? Well, that’s damn special. It…

The Song That Blew Me Away In Borderlands 2‘s Newest DLC

All of Borderlands 2‘s environmental music is pretty great. It’s fitting, subtle enough to set the mood but powerful enough for your ears to perk up and notice. The first campaign add-on to Gearbox’s sequel is Captain Scarlett and Her Pirate’s Booty. There are a lot of things that are great about this new DLC:…

I Love My Monsters, And Hope They Never Stop Singing

I like growing a stable of video game monsters as much as the next red-blooded American. But I didn’t realize how much more I would enjoy it if the monsters sang to me. Thanks to My Singing Monsters, I now know—singing monsters are great! The game is a trip—it’s out on iOS and Android, and…

The Best Song Lyrics About Video Games

At the 2:47 mark of a song called The Gauntlet, the rapper Acrobatic makes a reference to… Gauntlet. That fits, but it’s just one of many, many video game references in rap songs. Which are you favorites? Which are the best ones? Add a clip below. And if rap’s not your thing, other genres are…

After One Day, 85 Percent of Facebook Gamers Don’t Care About Their Own Stupid Farm, Either

Research by a “social game analysis firm,”—the existence of that title tells you a lot about the state of the business—indicates that 85 percent of social gamers, who began a new title sometime between July and September, quit playing it after just one day. Nine out of ten of them didn’t play it after September.…

Maingear F131 Gaming PC: The Kotaku Review

When boutique PC maker Maingear contacted me about sending out a loaner F131 system for review, I had no idea that I would soon be face-to-face with the most attractive machine ever to grace my computer desk. Of course beauty is in the eye of the beholder—not everyone is as big a fan of the…

Hell Hath No Fury Like a PC Sports Gamer Scorned

In forums and comments, PC gamers come off as implacably angry about a number of topics. The most vehement responses are in issues that treat PC gamers like second class citizens; for example, DRM, console ports, DRM, piracy, DRM, delayed releases and DRM. Let me tell you, there is no citizen more second class than…

Six Reviewers Are Shaken, Not Stirred, By 007 Legends

This week’s 007 Legends puts players into the iconic (stylish, expensive) shoes of Britain’s most famous secret agent, Bond. James Bond. A famous secret agent may be a puzzling concept, but more puzzling still is this pastiche of his most classic adventures, reviewers seem to find. Does 007 Legends leave players feeling like they have…