We get deep into the plot of this large JRPG political election story, its metatextual commentaries (or lack thereof) on 16th century English authors, and its intertwining of Medieval royal succession and liberal democracy.
We break the hearts of fandom as we are baffled by the rampaging success of Baldur's Gate 3, an interesting game made of many spectacular details that don't cohere for us into something that we like playing - a game whose reception and accolades led us to be very confused: "It's all informed by the next sentence you don't get to pick." Part 2 in our evolving series of wrestling with understanding the inherent appeal of all-consuming and frictional media objects.
We continue our investigation of what big-budget gaming means with one of the titans of AAA graphical fidelity, marred by a rocky launch. Yet, after 4 years, the game captivates us all. Was it all the dollars spent on Polish demoscene graphics programmers, fantastic voice acting, and Studio Trigger tie-ins?
From Keighleys 2024 winners to Italian gamebook dozen-sellers. Craig: Lil' Gator Game, The Plucky Squire, Shadow Warrior 3, Road 96, Astro Bot Nate: Balatro on mobile updates, Another Crab's Treasure, 1000xResist, Final Fantasy XVI, Felvidek Pauly: 49 Keys, Home Safety Hotline, White Knuckle, NaissanceE
Season 5 is all about AAA gaming in 2025, and in episode 1 we inspect the EA-published Immortals of Aveum, which was declared a commercial failure last year, with most of its studio laid off. What is going on in the game - can we find a reason for its lack of success? Is it actually an indie game in disguise, and is that what "AA" gaming is? Remap Radio interview with Bret Robbins...
We ride the cozy caravan into the storm in this charming open world. We ponder identity, coziness, and the differing texture between this and Sable.
We dive deep into the mind of a lekky on a crumbling North Shore oil rig as the otherworldly manifestation of our avoidance gives us a hard time.
We press through the fog of trauma.
We fall into the Olympic Peninsula trauma-bonded to a four-wheel Object of Power. Pacific Drive and the New Weird A Shell in the Pit's website Dear Dwery: Pacific Drive with Alexander Dracott
We probe the tender and potentially autistic-coded Harold Halibut, a German narrative game handmade with over 200kg of clay.
Three gamers absolutely fail to grok a cultural phenomenon that uniquely represents today's neoliberal world. Ordered map of Elden Ring Hustling Souls — Hard games and neoliberal catharsis Hollywood's Downfall Hidetaka Miyazaki on guides...
We question the voice in our head during a surrealist existentialist Siberian adventure about faith and relationships, full of a lot of interesting and satisfying mechanics. This game has it all!
We slay a major white whale. Pauly: Future Racer 2000/Silkbulb Test, Chess for Idiots, Asphalt Legends 9, Mullet Mad Jack, Star Trucker, racing sim updates Nate: Night Runners Prologue, 20 Small Mazes, Sheepy: A Short Adventure, Exophobia, NASCAR Heat 4 (bad), Exit 8, The Thaumaturge Craig: Cuccchi, Super Mario Maker 2, Super Mario Brothers Wonder, God of War Ragnarök: Valhalla, Red Dead Redemption 2
We are gripped by poker-solitaire fever. Playing Balatro is Like Being Elon Musk on Ketamine
The gang's all here! We cover racing sims, VR DJing, visual novels, aspirational Unity jank, and splatterfests. Automobilista 2, Assetto Corsa, Hotshot Racing, Vampire Survivors, Windy Meadow - a Roadwarden Tale, Slay the Princess, Jett: The Far Shore + Given Time, Foam Stars, Persona 5, virtual reality DJing feat. Vinyl Reality and Tribe XR, Killer Frequency Pauly Mallwear's Necrowave Nightmare DJ set The Playdate Podcast MKBHD's podcast interview with Teenage Engineering...
We regale in deep philosophy and fantastic Yugoslav architecture.
We aim to hit the best line of loving Forza without comparing to Gran Turismo, but end up off-track.
A celebration of the Playdate, as well as some retrospectives on 2023. We take a new approach to reviewing the year, with 6 categories of highlights and a look to the year ahead. Some of what we mentioned: Saturday Edition, Crankin's Time Travel Adventure, Forza Motorsport, Talos Principle 2, Chants of Sennaar, Marvel's Spider-Man 2, Tinykin, Super Mario Brothers Wonder, Jusant, Red Dead Redemption 2, Cities Skylines 2, and Baldur's Gate 3.
We attempt to fit Alan Wake 2 in the Alan-Wake-2-shaped-hole in Nate's heart labeled "POSTMODERN MEDIA THEORY".
We remove all the limbs, and are not triggered by any of it. In a bonus segment, we also fail to escape prison.
We visit Mortimer Goth's digs while creating a gorgeous but confusing [Loading...] bridge to the undead and time-warped.
A smattering of minisodes. We cover: Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin, Cult of the Lamb, Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores, and also, more quickly: Dear Esther, Resident Evil Village (demo), Venba, Madison Karrh's "Birth", The Master's Pupil, Terra Nil, Suzerain, Roadwarden, Dave the Diver (speculative), Inscryption, Haven, Deathloop, Star Wars Jedi Survivor, Viewfinder, Forza Horizon 5 & Rally Mexico/Hot Wheels DLCs, and Ace Attorney Chronicles. (Whew! 😅) Also covered: A psy...
Craig has a blast being a dog.
We try to classify Alan Wake, like, as a person. Alan Wake from the Control universe
We tango our way through the tensions between Finance and R&D.
We explore the historical and theological sides of Josh Sawyer's Pentiment with an enjoyer of all things Lutheran.
We journey deep into City 17 in true first person mode, and discover who employs the G-Man.
We explore a procedural Chicago, in which we were twice joined by an open-hearted A$AP Rocky.
We learn Kratos's full story, and ponder why Microsoft struggles with the Sony flavor of AAA.
We journey to the hopeless glittering land of Revachol, where tides of history wash over citizens in ways we are unaccustomed to.
