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  30,000 People are Going to Play Half-Life 2 as a Protest Against Half-Life 3

  Or is it a protest for Half-Life 3? Whatever. The point being, This weekend over 30,000 members of a Steam group will sit down and play Half-Life 2. Calling themselves “A Call for Communication”, the group says “we have decided to gain Valve’s attention by delivering a basic message: Your oldest and longest running fanbase…

  By Luke Plunkett Published January 31, 2012
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  Just Why, Exactly, Did Final Fantasy XIII Suck so Badly?

  Boring. Bland. Linear. Those are three of the kinder things that can be said of Final Fantasy XIII, a game so poor it needed a direct sequel just to salvage some brand integrity. They’re also disarmingly simple, and don’t really get to the heart of just why the game was so disappointing to so many.…

  By Luke Plunkett Published January 31, 2012
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  I Want to Take His Face…Off

  Greetings, Kotaku friends. Welcome, one and all, to our evening open thread. It’s Tuesday, the last day of January. We’re already “into” 2012. How did that happen? I guess time went forward, and took us with it. Before you chat, here are some fun things from around the internet that you may enjoy: I trust…

  By Kirk Hamilton Published January 31, 2012
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  How Mass Effect is Becoming More Like Transformers

  Not the toys. And not the Michael Bay horror films. I mean the 1986 animated feature. At the time, Transformers: The Movie was notable for two things. One was the fact it killed everybody, traumatising an entire generation of young, impressionable movie-goers. The second, and more lasting, was the movie’s casting. It was a mess.…

  By Luke Plunkett Published January 31, 2012
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  Skyrim LEGO Fries Plastic Stormcloaks

  Master LEGO builder Luke Hutchinson has constructed this wonderful homage toSkyrim out of little plastic bricks, turning what in the game would be a leisurely side-quest slaughtering a few dozen Stormcloaks into a real-world work of art. Be sure to check out the finer details…there’s even loot! Regaining the Pale: Skyrim in Lego [Brothers Brick]

  By Luke Plunkett Published January 31, 2012
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  THQ Might get Kicked off the Nasdaq Stock Exchange

  A pretty shitty week for THQ has gotten worse, with the beleaguered publisher threatened with expulsion from the Nasdaq stock exchange because its shares are worth so little. [MCV]

  By Luke Plunkett Published January 31, 2012
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  New Tease for Black Mesa, the Greatest Half-Life Remake That Never Was

  Black Mesa is an independent remake of the original Half-Life that’s been in development since the end of the First World War. It hasn’t been seen for years. Most people now assume the remake, like Half-Life 3 itself, is an apparition. A mirage. But…maybe not. After such a long blackout, the webmaster of the project’s…

  By Luke Plunkett Published January 31, 2012
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  The Cheesy, Joyous Music of the Ace Attorney Series

  I really like the Ace Attorney games – I like the characters, the situations, and I like the games’ uncommon good humor. I like solving crimes, I like the silly judge, and I like seeking justice. I like how Maya likes hamburgers. I’ve played every game in the series except Apollo Justice (bleh), so as…

  By Kirk Hamilton Published January 31, 2012
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  It Will Be Cheaper to Download Vita Games Than to Buy Their Boxed Counterparts

  Sony has confirmed games for its upcoming Vita handheld will be a bit cheaper to purchase as downloadable digital games than it would cost to buy a physical disc. A Sony representative confirmed this to Shacknews, stating that “there will be a discount on the downloadable PS Vita titles from PSN” and that details would…

  By Kirk Hamilton Published January 31, 2012
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  Bowed, Not Broken

  Bowser Mario’s real boss, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata, takes a bow on January 27 before presenting the company’s not-so-wonderful financial news. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara) SoulCalibur V : The Kotaku Review Soul Calibur V, like almost all fighting games nowadays, finds itself having to serve multiple purposes for a broad and fragmented user base. Fighting games…

  By Stephen Totilo Published January 31, 2012
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  Twisted Metal, Syndicate Demos New This Week on the PlayStation Store

  Some weeks, the PlayStation Store has a whole bunch of cool new digital content. Other weeks, not so much. This week falls a bit into the latter category, though there are two exciting demos out—the Syndicate co-op demo (which looks pretty cool), and the multiplayer demo for the new Twisted Metal Madden fans can download…

  By Kirk Hamilton Published January 31, 2012
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  Soulcalibur V’s Character Creator Is Capable of Terrible, Beautiful Things

  When the editor-in-chief here asked me to do a video showcasing two of my beloved characters created on Soulcalibur V‘s character creator, I was elated. I consider myself a connoisseur of character creation and customization, often spending way too much time than any person should on creating the most bizarre and ridiculous characters I possibly…

  By Nick Vannucci Published January 31, 2012
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  Get a Closer Look at Syndicate‘s Co-Op Demo, Out Today

  After watching the last Syndicate trailer, I had to grudgingly admit that it did indeed channel some of the vibe of the original game. In this new video, Syndicate executive producer Ben O’Donnell walks us through the just-released 4-player co-op demo, detailing some of the features of the upcoming game’s co-op modes. “Breach apps” allow…

  By Kirk Hamilton Published January 31, 2012
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  How Video Games Helped Treat a Burned War Veteran

  Have you ever gotten so immersed in a video game so fully that you lost track of time? You’re climbing the mountains of Skyrim or cruising the universe in Mass Effect, and the next thing you know it’s evening and you haven’t eaten anything in eight hours. For Sam Brown, a soldier who was badly…

  By Kirk Hamilton Published January 31, 2012
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  Breaking Bad Reimagined as a Meth-Addled 16-bit Video Game

  The (awesome) TV Show Breaking Bad has a long history with video games, including the funniest, most accurate meth-fueled video game debates I’ve ever seen on a TV show, as well as some odd product-placement for the shooter Rage The guys at College Humor have taken it to another level, putting together this hilarious (incredibly…

  By Kirk Hamilton Published January 31, 2012
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  Game Critics Tear NeverDead Limb-From-Limb

  Great games often spring from a single brilliant idea, like a protagonist that can pull himself back together after being blown apart. Unfortunately this is also the case for many really crappy games. Where does NeverDead‘s mangled pile of people parts fall? If you’re any good at reading charts, you probably have already sussed the…

  By Mike Fahey Published January 31, 2012
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  Stealth Classic Thief Comes to Good Old Games

  1998’s much-lauded PC stealth game Thief has arrived at Good Old Games, where it can be downloaded for $9.99. Thief is widely held to be one of the most innovative, standard-setting sneaking games ever made.

  By Kirk Hamilton Published January 31, 2012
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  It’s a Battle of the Headbands in This New Grand Slam Tennis 2 Trailer

  Things get sweaty in tennis, especially if you’re playing on the clay courts of the Tennis Club de Paris. Hence, the proliferation of headbands on male players. This latest clip for EA Sports’ upcoming serve-and-volley title showcases play on clay courts in the form of some of tennis’ greatest rivalries. You’ll get your chance to…

  By Evan Narcisse Published January 31, 2012
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  The Story and Creature Collecting Goodness Continue in Final Fantasy XIII-2 DLC

  Along with the announcement that Final Fantasy XIII-2 is now available for purchase and play, Square Enix laid out plans to supplement the game with downloadable episodes and coliseum battles that could bring classic Final Fantasy foes into your party. You should all be pretty much done with Final Fantasy XIII-2 by February 7, right?…

  By Mike Fahey Published January 31, 2012
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  Video Games Blamed for Synagogue Firebombings

  The defense attorney for a 19-year-old New Jersey man under arrest for the firebombing of several New Jersey synagogues is blaming video games for his behavior. According to lawyer Robert Kalisch, Anthony Graziano’s unstable mental health was undermined by violent video games played on his Xbox: “This is someone who may be, with their own…

  By Evan Narcisse Published January 31, 2012