Kotaku’s Opinions For The Week June 07, 2025

One of the features distinguishing the Switch 2 from its less powerful predecessor is GameChat. Much was made of this new feature on the device’s announcement, a way for people to communicate with friends while playing games, even having their live faces appear as avatars within games. It’s such a Nintendo-ey idea, reminiscent of Wii-era novelty, so why doesn’t it work in handheld? Why doesn’t the Switch 2 arrive with a front-facing camera? - John Walker Read More

As I write this, I’m in an Uber on my way to the airport to fly to Los Angeles for Summer Game Fest. Odds are, there wasn’t really going to be a good window for me to use my Switch 2 if it had showed up on time, but this doesn’t change my disappointment that it still has not arrived at my home in New York City. I would probably not have a ton of time to ride around Night City in Cyberpunk 2077 while I sat on my plane, nor play Mario Kart World locally with a bunch of friends at the event. But dammit, it sure would have been nice to have the option. Sadly, my Switch 2 is arriving fashionably late, and I’m definitely not the only person suffering from a delayed shipment. - Kenneth Shepard Read More

I want to be excited for Persona 5: The Phantom X. I played about two hours of the game, and it’s got a lot of the staples of the RPG social sim fans know and love. It even adds a few new bells and whistles to the series’ turn-based combat, lending new dimensions to a typically straightforward system. However, mapping everything this series has to offer onto live-service structures and gacha rolls doesn’t inspire a lot of confidence in what may be one of the last Persona 5 spin-offs before we finally reach Persona 6. - Kenneth Shepard Read More

In a functioning universe, the disastrous results of adding an AI-voiced Darth Vader to Fortnite would have led to the concept being torn up and abandoned. Unfortunately, we live in a dysfunctional universe, where rationality and sense have long been abandoned, and Epic is responding to the ethically objectionable Vaderbot by opening up the tech to everyone. The Fortnite creators want players to be able to make their own AI NPCs. - John Walker Read More

Of everything that came out of yesterday’s PlayStation State of Play, the thing that’s stuck with me—in all the worst ways—is the announcement of Thief VR. Thief is, on most days, my favorite gaming series (it’s Deus Ex on the others). The idea of getting a new game in the franchise, even after the woefully irrelevant Thief (2014), is thrilling. But god, no, not as some VR gimmick. But no, I’m not going to wallow! Instead, I’m going to take this opportunity to celebrate what we already have, and what we can still enjoy. - John Walker Read More

I’m nervous. We missed two churches and lost a level in the mines. The Gaping Jaw Nightlord is weak to poison but no poison weapons spawned on the map. I spent my final runes on hitting level 12. We’re cooked. Oh my god why are we watching the final cutscene before the boss encounter AGAIN. - Ethan Gach Read More