As is customary around these parts... we send off another great year in video game releases with our annual Awards show! Despite our best efforts to trim the fat, it's hard not to talk about the games that we love (and in some cases, hate) so enjoy another long episode! We talk about everything from hidden gems like Pseudorgalia, to indie bangers like Sea of Stars, to massive successes like Baldur's Gate 3! We even venture down some unexpected rabbit holes like the realistic snot that DEFINED Br...
Jan 12, 2024•3 hr 30 min•Season 2024Ep. 779
With a new year comes an onslaught of new games to be excited about. As is now tradition around these parts, we kick off the new year with the initial Draft in our ongoing Fantasy Critic league ! This year, Ed joins the fray, bringing our roster up to seven! We learned a lot over the last year and I think it shows because not only are our individual rosters stronger and spicier, counter-picking was absolute hell! But hey, it makes for a fun podcast. Pay attention at the beginning for the rundown...
Jan 05, 2024•2 hr 19 min•Season 2024Ep. 778
For all intents and purposes, 2023 was a great year for gamers but the development / business side of the industry has taken a savage beating. In our final podcast of the year, we talk about two more high-profile cancellations : Naughty Dog's The Last of Us multiplayer project AND E3 were both taken off life support in the past week. Brad talks up Bomb Rush Cyberfunk and Pizza Tower as he squeezes in a few more games prior to Awards season and Chris Davis has us covered with his thoughts on the ...
Dec 22, 2023•2 hr 26 min•Season 2023Ep. 777
It's an unexpected race against time this week! Sudden, unexpected technical difficulties near the end of the episode force us to do battle with Chris Davis' PC as it tries to silence us. Before that though, we delve into the first ever Grand Theft Auto VI trailer and take a look back at the history of the series and the impact it has had on culture and the industry. Rather than close out the show in our usual fashion, Brad runs us through a series of increasingly ridiculous predictions ahead of...
Dec 08, 2023•1 hr 24 min•Season 2023Ep. 766
Ed returns to the show after a hectic but exciting year of traveling and moving across the country! We take some time to catch up with him about Final Fantasy XVI , The Talos Principle 2 , Shadow Gambit , and even impressions of the new Steam Deck OLED ! The group discusses the latest developments surrounding Dragon's Dogma 2 (including a release date) and the upcoming Fallout adaption on Amazon. Brad makes an argument on Persona 5 Tactica as a potential 2023 underdog and Nick shares his thought...
Dec 01, 2023•2 hr 28 min•Season 2023Ep. 775
After a week off from recording due to unforeseen circumstances, we are back with a vengeance! We are bursting at the seams with new (and mostly exciting) games to talk about! Brad gives us the skinny on the latest Yakuza titled: Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased his Name , and Nick recaps his time with Jusant ; a touching and impassioned homage to classics like Ico. Chris Davis fills the group in on his latest... video game life choices which includes playing all the way through RoboCop:...
Nov 17, 2023•2 hr 7 min•Season 2023Ep. 774
This week, we have the pleasure of delving into TWO quality games that couldn't be more different! Brad looks back on his time with S uper Marios Bros Wonder and applauds it's accomplishments while pondering it's place in 2D Mario history. In the 2nd segment, Nick and Chris Davis dive into Alan Wake 2 ; a long-awaited sequel that brought the best out of Remedy thanks to it's ambitious, open-ended design and it's dramatic pivot into the horror genre. Of course, it's not all rainbows and lollipops...
Nov 03, 2023•1 hr 53 min•Season 2023Ep. 773
Another week, another huge release for 2023. We spend MOST of the first segment this week talking about Insomniac's Spider-Man 2 ; a bold, polished sequel that delivers on almost every front. As it happens, it almost over-delivers with it's new wing-suit mechanics. After that, we ponder the current state of Insomniac and hypothesize about their upcoming Wolverine game. In the second segment, Brad gives us the rundown on two new indie releases worthy of your time and attention: Killer Frequency (...
Oct 27, 2023•1 hr 52 min•Season 2023Ep. 772
It's a strange week. We find ourselves in the midst of spooky season as we await the imminent release of some of the years biggest games. After some Halloween banter, we delve into the latest developments surrounding Naughty Dog's troubled Last of Us multiplayer project and the announcement of the new PS5 Slim . In the second segment, Brad finally has an opportunity to talk about the demo for Star Ocean: The Second Story R ; An impressive remake of a PS1 classic that also calls more attention to...
Oct 14, 2023•2 hr•Season 2023Ep. 771
It may be a skeleton crew this week but this industry slows down for nobody; Especially in 2023! We take an unexpected detour into Assassin's Creed territory up front but then go on to revisit Armored Core VI . Nick gushes over Cocoon ; A game which may be struggling to find it's audience in such a crowded release season but is undoubtedly one of the best puzzle games of the year. A Starfield discussion goes sideways for Nick and Chris delivers his verdict on Telltale's The Expanse now that the ...
Oct 09, 2023•1 hr 45 min•Season 2023Ep. 770
Microsoft can't seem to catch a break. The Activision aquisition led to another massive document leak which gives us some insight into Bethesda's future lineup including new entries in the DOOM and Dishonored franchises and some rather shocking assessments about the value of certain games when it comes to Game Pass. We also react to the new gameplay footage for Dragons Dogma 2 and Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth which dropped this week at the Tokyo Game Show. Of course, the 2023 onslaught of cool...
Sep 25, 2023•2 hr 8 min•Season 2023Ep. 769
It has been a whirlwind week in the world of video games but more importantly, we are sporting new podcasting uniforms; In case there was any doubt that our nerdiness knew no bounds. Of course, we dip our toes in the big Unity debacle that has taken the industry by storm this week and we discuss a major departure from Respawn / EA . It is also a historic day in which a Nintendo Direct and Sony State of Play were held on the same day so we run through the highlights. In the second segment, Brad t...
Sep 18, 2023•2 hr 28 min•Season 2023Ep. 768
It's a good news, bad news week. The good news is that Starfield reviews have landed and while they aren't blowing Baldur's Gate 3 out of the water, they do seem to indicate that it's not a disaster! On the other hand, the industry suffered several unexpected studio closures this week. Mimimi announced Shadow Gambit would be their last game and Embracer group shut down Volition. With that said, the year of great gaming continues! We dig into Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon and Blasphemous 2 ; ...
Sep 04, 2023•2 hr 10 min•Season 2023Ep. 767
We take a break this week from the onslaught of current games to delve once again into the world of "what if?" Inspired the release of ' Bomb Rush Cyberfunk ' - an indie spiritual successor to 'Jet Set Radio' - we discuss our Top 3 games or franchises that we wish would be reborn as an indie spiritual successor . The possibilities are endless but our answers range from classics like Mega Man Legends to cult hits like Manhunt . These may never come to pass but anything could happen and it's alway...
Aug 28, 2023•1 hr 41 min•Season 2023Ep. 1
The show name says it all. We live in a post Baldur's Gate 3 world and despite our best efforts at staying on topic, we feel the pull of this massive game in almost every segment. We take our 2nd dive into the game and talk about the impact it has had on the industry and more specifically, the impending release of Starfield which has officially gone gold! We also spend a few minutes talking predictions about next week's Opening Night Live presentation at Gamescom . Chris Davis shares his experie...
Aug 21, 2023•2 hr 19 min•Season 2023Ep. 766
It's been a couple weeks since our last recording but the world has changed. Baldur's Gate 3 is out and it's already giving Tears of the Kingdom a run for it's money as one of the year's most critically acclaimed releases. We spend the entire 2nd segment diving into this undeniably dense but absurdly rewarding RPG. But first, we discuss the announcement of the Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail expansion and Rockstar's incredibly disappointing Red Dead Redemption announcement . Chris Davis "prepared a...
Aug 14, 2023•2 hr 9 min•Season 2023Ep. 765
If you like your video games extra video-gamey, we've got a great episode for you this week. After our Fantasy Critic update touches on the rumored Red Dead Redemption remake (remaster?), we deliver our impressions of some of the most vibrant games to release this year! Pikmin 4 is the most accessible entry in the series to date but it comes at a cost. Viewfinder is an impressive technical achievement that doesn't quite reach the heights of the games that inspired it. Gravity Circuit is a rock-s...
Jul 31, 2023•2 hr 4 min•Season 2023Ep. 764
With a few members out this week, we figured it would the perfect time to revisit our Fantasy Critic league, discuss the year so far, and look ahead at the games that have been drafted to predict how the remainder of the year might come together. Carlos even joins us to shine a light on his roster thus far and discuss some of the big question marks for the year such as Hollow Knight Silksong, Routine, and Counter Strike 2. Throughout the discussion, we review each of our rosters and dive deep on...
Jul 17, 2023•1 hr 31 min•Season 2023Ep. 763
The week has been slow for headlines and Fantasy Critic but that gives us more time to gush over Dave the Diver and vent our frustrations with Final Fantasy XVI . We discuss a small update from IO Interactive regarding a new studio and what it means for their upcoming 007 project and then discuss the validity of the rumors surrounding an impending Red Dead Redemption remake . Beyond that, the gaps are filled with plenty of tangents including bear sex in Baldur's Gate 3 and the impending release ...
Jul 10, 2023•2 hr 4 min•Season 2023Ep. 762
Nintendo has spoken and Krispy agrees... the people are ready for an amazing 2D Mario game! We dig into all the big announcements from Nintendo's summer showcase including Super Mario Bros Wonder, a remake of Super Mario RPG, and a new Princess Peach platformer! Annapurna also brought it with their latest showcase thanks to the announcement of an internally developed Blade Runner game . In the second segment, we take our first dive into the meat and potatoes of Final Fantasy XVI , Chris makes a ...
Jul 03, 2023•2 hr 26 min•Season 2023Ep. 761
We follow up last week's Xbox Showcase predictions game with the results and then recap all of the big announcements including updates on Fable, Avowed, Hellblade II, and more! Of course, we also discuss all of the exciting details that came pouring out of the big Starfield Direct which now has us appropriately hyped. In the second segment, we finally discuss our dissenting(?) opinions of Diablo IV and then take a close look at the big Final Fantasy XVI demo which now has us pretty optimistic ah...
Jun 19, 2023•2 hr 26 min•Season 2023Ep. 760
It's June so Keigh-3 is in the air. The big Summer Game Fest showcase happened this week so we run down the list of all the big announcements including a new Prince of Persia game, Mortal Kombat 1 and Alan Wake II gameplay debuts, and the re-reveal of Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth! After that, we take a new, points-driven, prediction segment for a test-drive ahead of the upcoming Xbox Showcase. In the second segment, Nick praises Amnesia: The Bunker as a new high bar for the series (and maybe even ...
Jun 11, 2023•2 hr 15 min•Season 2023Ep. 759
Nolan returns to the "studio" after 2 months of relative silence to talk Zelda and reveal that he picked up and moved across the country! Not only that but he gets a chance to chime in on the recent Playstation Showcase and join us for an important conversation about the state of The Last of Us multiplayer project which is apparently struggling to live up to Sony's expectations. Konami shed some light on Silent Hill Ascension which is interesting but concerning if they intend for this to be the ...
Jun 05, 2023•2 hr 12 min•Season 2023Ep. 758
It's another big week in gaming. In fact, we spend almost the entirety of the first segment discussing the news and announcements out of this week's big Playstation Showcase ! Strangely enough, that first-party showcase ended up being more of a third-party showcase but we still got big news including a release date for Alan Wake II , a debut of Dragon's Dogma II , and a lot more! In the second segment, we talk Planet of Lana , Humanity , and we dig a little deeper into The Legend of Zelda: Tears...
May 29, 2023•2 hr 38 min•Season 2023Ep. 757
Nick is back from vacation and full of Coronavirus. Fortunately, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom has been keeping him (and the rest of the crew) plenty busy. Before we delve into the biggest game of the year though, there is some important business to discuss... because Chris Davis was right and Mortal Kombat 1(12?) is real ! We break down the biggest Fantasy Critic twist thus far and talk about what we expect from this new entry. Sony also announced their official 2023 Summer showcase...
May 22, 2023•2 hr 18 min•Season 2023Ep. 756
Recorded in the final hours of a pre- Tears of the Kingdom world and with Nick out on vacation, Chris Davis, Krispy, and Brad sit down to clear out their game dockets so that Zelda madness can consume them. Krispy and Brad give their impressions of Darkest Dungeon 2 , a daring departure from the original's enjoyably challenging formula, followed by updated impressions of Star Wars Jedi: Survivor . And there's no way we couldn't talk about the Mortal Kombat news and how that affects our Fantasy C...
May 15, 2023•2 hr 11 min•Season 2023Ep. 755
The Star Wars gods have shined upon us this year by giving us one of the best Star Wars games to date and allowing our recording date to coincide with May the 4th (be with you). Nick is joined by Krispy and Chris Davis to take a deep dive into Star Wars Jedi: Survivor - Respawn's bold new sequel to Fallen Order. Despite the rough launch on PC, our Console experiences have been more than enough to secure this one as a highlight in a year already bursting at the seams with quality games. It's not ...
May 08, 2023•1 hr 51 min•Season 2023Ep. 754
With the recent developments involving Microsoft's attempt to swallow Activision / Blizzard and Tango Gameworks continuing to rack up wins amidst apparent losses, there is plenty of news to chew on this week. In the second segment, we get our first taste of Street Fighter VI thanks to the new demo and Brad finally has a chance to share his thoughts on TWO grid based tactics games - Advanced Wars 1 + 2: Re-Boot Camp and Wartales. Nick and Chris also share their thoughts on the Burning Shores DLC ...
May 01, 2023•2 hr 11 min•Season 2023Ep. 753
It's not often that we focus our attention on the specifics of game development. With that in mind, our latest bonus episode is inspired by Brad's recent love affair with " PsychOdyssey " the exceptional Docuseries that chronicled the development of Psychonauts 2 at Double Fine! That's right, we run through our personal Top 3 lists of the games that we wish would inspire a similar DEEP dive. Answers range from bizarre (Blaseball) to fascinating (Fable) and everything in between....
Apr 23, 2023•2 hr 1 min•Season 2023Ep. 1
After a rather unexpected tangent involving coffee creamer, we kick the show off this week with the Playstation handheld that is rumored to be in development . It's been a light news week but we find plenty to chew on thanks to some additional developments related to the future of Resident Evil . Nolan makes his return this week so he and Nick talk about their time with DREDGE ; A Lovecraftian fishing game that is sure to be a standout Indie game for the year. Brad finally talks about Wild Heart...
Apr 09, 2023•1 hr 50 min•Season 2023Ep. 752
