Millions upon millions of gamers can attest to the fact that "Grand Theft Auto V" is a fun game. Charming even. Cute? Not so much.
It's hard to make a game that features one of the most grisly torture sequences ever seen in video games come across as adorable. But one DIY gamer managed to do just that with a series of plush dolls modeled after some of the main characters in Rockstar's 2013 hit game.
A UK-based artist who goes by the online handle AkaKiiroMidoriAoi recently posted a series of "GTA V"-inspired plushies on her account on deviantArt, a popular online network that hosts fan-made art and other types of DIY crafts. Rockstar games, which late last year had released its own "GTA V" plushy for Chop, a dog that serves as a companion for one of the man characters, quickly gave its stamp of approval by tweeting to toys out to its massive online fan base. And what's not to love? The giant-headed little guys are so cute they even make meth-addled psycho killer Trevor look like someone you'd want to cuddle up with. All that, and he still has his iconic "cut here" tattoo stitched across his neck.
DeviantArt isn't Etsy, so the "GTA V" plushies aren't as widely available as something like that amazing "Super Mario" cat complex. But AkaKiiroMidoriAoi says on her page that she accepts commissions for anyone who's really dying to get a more huggable version of his or her favorite homicidal maniac.
Yannick LeJacq is a contributing writer for NBC News who has also covered technology and games for Kill Screen, The Wall Street Journal and The Atlantic. You can follow him on Twitter at @YannickLeJacq and reach him by email at: Yannick.LeJacq@nbcuni.com.