Persona 5 vs Grand Theft Auto

In case your team of Phantom Thieves ever feel like moving onto crimes of a more tangible nature, here are a series of downloads that will let you run around Los Santos as Ann, Makoto, Yusuke and Joker. If you’re wondering why Ryuji isn’t included, it’s because Ryuji is a piece of shit. You can…

Street Fighter V Stage Pulled Over “Unintentional Religious References”

Street Fighter V has a remake of the classic temple level from Street Fighter II. Or, it did for a few hours, until the stage was yanked from the game not long after fans quickly noticed it contained Islamic references. Despite being a stage set in the predominantly Buddhist Thailand, and focusing the camera on…

Teen Overwatch Player Goes Pro Despite Parents Taking Away His Internet

Stefano “Verbo” Disalvo plays Lucio for Immortals, one of the best Overwatch teams in the world. He’s a shot-caller, which means he plays a huge role in leading the team. He’s also 17 years-old. Before he could become a pro, he had to overcome one very big obstacle: his parents. When Disalvo started high school,…

Atlus Apologizes For Persona 5 Streaming Restrictions, Loosens Them

Earlier this month, Atlus warned streamers to not broadcast beyond an early point in the game, seemingly threatening content claims and strikes for anyone who defied their wishes. Today, Atlus is walking some of that back. Recognizing that Persona’s popularity can be partially attributed to streamers, Atlus says it has reconsidered how it will approach…

Lively Florida Smash Tournament Results In Near-$20,000 Loss For Organizers

A big fighting games tournament organizer says his company lost $20,000 throwing its first Super Smash Bros.-centric tournament earlier this month. As a result, Florida-based CEO Gaming does not have plans for a future CEO Dreamland event. “Dreamland came about as a way to show the Smash community that our team cares and appreciates their…

Puyo Puyo Tetris Is Delightful, Even When You’re Losing

While I’ve still not gotten the hang of Japanese puzzle classic Puyo Puyo, I‘m pretty good at Tetris when I concentrate. Recording a Kotaku Plays video is not a good way to concentrate, but I don’t mind losing when I get to share the colorful sights and spirited sounds of Puyo Puyo Tetris. Out this…

A Game About Hiding Porn From Your Parents

My heart pounds in perfect rhythm with the oscillating clicks of the timepiece behind me. The modem connects with its familiar sequence of chirps and squawks. The house is empty. The shades are drawn. The lights are off. I’m ready to masturbate. That’s the premise of You Must Be 18 or Older To Enter, a…

Localizer Asks To Be Removed From Game’s Credits After Developers Erase KKK Reference

Yesterday, a localizer for the publisher XSEED took a dramatic stance on what he saw as potential censorship, asking his company to remove his name from the credits of the upcoming JRPG Akiba’s Beat after the developers removed a controversial phrase involving the KKK from the game. “I wanted to make a statement,” localization specialist…

Early Mass Effect: Andromeda Art Shows Some Very Different Characters

Former BioWare UI designer Eric Bellefeuille posted a large gallery of his work this week, and it offers a fascinating look at some early versions of Mass Effect: Andromeda Above, for example, is a snapshot of some strikingly different characters, including an odd Peebee and a resoundingly Donald Glover-looking Liam Kosta. Another shot shows what…

Breath Of The Wild Speedrunner Gets Cocky, Pays A Heavy Price

Conquering a game’s challenges over and over again can make you feel invincible. With a new world record in sight, one Breath of the Wild speedrunner decided to get flashy with the final boss. Too bad Ganon was having none of it. Ikkitrix is the current world record holder for Breath of the Wild’s Any%…

Here’s Our First Look At Call of Duty: WWII

Described as “gritty” and “visceral” and “boots on the ground” and all of the other buzzwords you’ve come to expect from a military shooter, here’s Call of Duty: WWII, coming November 3 for PC, Xbox One, and PS4. This one is developed by Sledgehammer Games, the studio last responsible for Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare…

FX’s Legion: An exuberant reminder of how fun superhero shows can be. What it is: A new FX show based on the Marvel character Legion, a powerful mutant in the X-Men universe. What I’ve watched: Finished the first eight-episode season last night after starting a few days prior. Definitely a fun show to watch all…

GTA Online’s New Tiny Racers Mode Plays Poorly, But Pays Well

GTA Online received a new game mode this week, Tiny Racers. Played from a top down perspective, it’s a new adversary mode that channels old-school GTA. Tiny Racers might seem fun, but sadly, it’s often better to watch it than to play it. By using a high camera and large stunt tracks, Tiny Racers makes…

Games Like Project Phoenix Ruin Kickstarter For Everyone Else

Kickstarter, a polarizing crowdfunding website that has become a useful tool for aspiring game developers, should maybe reconsider its policy on helping backers of failed projects get their money back. Otherwise, games like Project Phoenix will keep hurting crowdfunding for everyone. In 2013, a Japanese composer named Hiroaki Yura raised over $1 million for Project…

Tales from the Borderlands, Abzu Headline PlayStation Plus Lineup For May

May’s PlayStation Plus lineup features the lovely Abzu, Tales from the Borderlands, and more. As ever, these games are only “free” if you have an active PlayStation Plus subscription. PS4 Tales from the Borderlands Abzu PS3 Blood Knights Port Royale 3: Pirates and Merchants PS Vita (crossbuy on PS4) Laser Disco Defenders Type:Rider

Prison Architect Creators’ New Game Lets You Paint Caves With Light

There is nothing but darkness surrounding you. You raise your scanner and paint droplets of iridescent light that cling to the walls, guiding your way towards the surface and, you hope, home. This is Scanner Sombre and it’s this week’s Indie Pick. Scanner Sombre is an exploration game by Introversion Software, the team behind the…

Holy hell, Forza Horizon 3 is getting a Hot Wheels expansion. Arriving on May 9, the expansion features six themed islands off the coast of Australia, all connected with Hot Wheels track, plus iconic Hot Wheels rides like Twin Mill, Rip Rod and the Bone Shaker. Best expansion idea ever.

Burnout Creators Try To Turn Crash Mode Into A Game Again

Last year a small independent development studio lead by Criterion Games veterans Fiona Sperry and Alex Ward released Dangerous Golf, a game that was basically Burnout’s Crash Mode without cars. With Danger Zone, due out next month for PC and PS4, they’re trying it with cars. Excellent. Crash Mode was my favorite part of Burnout…

You Don’t Have To Eat McDonald’s To Get Super Mario Happy Meal Toys

McDonald’s employees across the country have begun stuffing the latest series of small Mario-themed pieces of plastic into smiling cardboard grease boxes. New Super Mario Happy Meal toys don’t mean you have to eat the food they come with. There are other ways. Have children: No matter how good your intentions are towards your children’s…

Nice Wheels, Man

James O’Brien is a CG artist from Ireland. You like cars? Because O’Brien does real nice cars. You can see more of James’ work at his ArtStation page To see the images in their native resolution, click on the “expand” button in the top-left corner. Fine Art is a celebration of the work of video…