The Level is a podcast for people who love video games. It's a weekly roundtable hosted by friends and industry outsiders Kaye Ross, Ben Merkel, Dennis Furia, Moxie, and Jala Prendes. Every Friday, we discuss video game news, the games we've been playing, and listener mail.
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Kole, Ben, Dennis, and David talk about Crusader Kings III, the Resident Evil Village trailer, and we do a Free Play Multiplayer. The Grind: Ben: Paper Mario: The Origami King. Crusader Kings III. Slay the Spire. Among Us. Dennis: Slay the Spire. Among Us. David: The Division 2. Remnant: From the Ashes. Kole: Hades. Super Mario 3D All Stars. Multiplayer: Free play. The End Boss: NieR Replicant remake launches April 23, 2021. Pokemon Go to retain some of its pandemic changes. Resident Evil Villag...
Kole, Dennis, and David talk about Death Stranding, some upcoming releases, and we ask you about times games didn’t line up with your expectations. The Grind: Kole: Death Stranding. David: Disgaea 4: A Promise Unforgotten. The Division 2. Dennis: Fall Guys. Midboss. Codemancer. Celeste. The Multiplayer: What game didn’t match your expectations? The End Boss: Amnesia: Rebirth is launching October 20, 2020. Twin Mirror is launching December 3, 2020. Ethical data use! In sports!?...
Kole, Ben, Dennis, and David talk about Monster Train, the recent Mario news, and we ask you about your favorite drinking video games. The Grind: Ben: Paper Mario: Origami King. Among Us. Monster Train. Dennis: Minecraft Dungeons. Remnant: From the Ashes. David: The Division 2. Into the Breach. Kole: Crusader Kings III. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2. The Multiplayer: What’s your favorite drinking video game? The End Boss: Madden NFL 21 adds Colin Kaepernick as a free agent. Stories from Nintendo’s ...
Kole, Jala, and David talk about Death Stranding, the many development problems of Halo Infinite, and we ask you about desirable and undesirable video game worlds. The Grind: Jala: Agatha Christie: The ABC Murders. Kole: Death Stranding. David: Remnant: From the Ashes. The Multiplayer: Let’s play a game of Kiss/Marry/Kill with video game settings. The End Boss: Halo Infinite could be dropping Xbox One support. Summer Games Done Quick raises $2.3 million for MSF. Fall Guys created a brand battle ...
Kole, Ben, Dennis, and David talk about Remnant: From the Ashes, the feud between Epic, Apple, and Google, and we ask you what moment made you fall in love with a particular game. The Grind: David: Warframe. Factorio. Ben: Fall Guys. Ghost of Tsushima. Kole: Fall Guys. Death Stranding. Dennis: Salt and Sanctuary. Remnant: From the Ashes. The Multiplayer: What moment made you fall in love with a particular game? The End Boss: Hypnospace Outlaw is getting wider release, more content, on August 27....
Kole, Ben, Dennis, and Jala talk about Fall Guys, Amazon Gaming, and we ask you about your favorite times when games were deceptive. The Grind: Jala: Sniper Elite 4. Dennis: Salt and Sanctuary. Ben: Ghost of Tsushima. Fall Guys. Kole: NOTHING. The Multiplayer: What’s your favorite time that a game tricked you? The End Boss: Amazon changes Twitch Prime to Prime Gaming. Vampire: The Masquerade: Bloodlines 2 delayed to 2020. Rocksteady is working on a Suicide Squad game. Minecraft Dungeons gets new...
Kole, Ben, Dennis, and David talk about Grounded, the upcoming Sekiro patch, and we ask you about your favorite missable content in games. The Grind: David: Grounded. Ghost of Tsushima. Ben: Ghost of Tsushima. Slay the Spire. 5D Chess With Multiverse Time Travel. Kole: Frog Fractions: Game of the Decade: Hop’s Iconic Hat. Carrion. The Sinking City. Dennis: Tabletop Simulator. Minecraft Dungeons. Diabotical. The Multiplayer: What’s your favorite missable or hidden content in a game? The End Boss:...
Kole, Ben, Dennis, and David talk about Carrion, the Nintendo Gigaleak, and we ask you about your favorite diegetic interfaces in games. The Grind: David: West of Dead. Neon Abyss. Volcanoids. Kole: Carrion. Good Sudoku. Bendy and the Ink Machine. Dennis: Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle. Homeworld Remastered. Ben: Ghost of Tsushima. The Multiplayer: What are your favorite ways that games have made their mechanics diegetic? The End Boss: The Nintendo Gigaleak is a huge deal. Someone tries to work ...
Kole, Ben, Dennis, and Jala talk about Ghost of Tsushima, the upcoming Blasphemous DLC, and we ask you which life lessons you learned from games. The Grind: Jala: Alternate Jake Hunter. Resident Evil: Revelations. Kole: Resident Evil: Revelations. Disco Elysium. Ben: Ghost of Tsushima. Dennis: Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle. Pokémon Sword. Arkham Horror Card Game. The Multiplayer: What life lessons have you learned from video games? The End Boss: US game spending is at a record high. Blasphemou...
Kole, Ben, Dennis, and David talk about A Plague Tale: Innocence, Resident Evil: Revelations, and we ask you about your dream game crossovers. The Grind: Dennis: STALKER: Shadow of Chernobyl. Killing Floor 2. David: Killing Floor 2. No Man’s Sky. Ben: A Plague Tale: Innocence. Parallax. Youropa. Alucinod. Mushroom 11. Kole: Resident Evil: Revelations. The Multiplayer: What’s your dream game crossover? The End Boss: Amazon’s game studio delays another game. Carrion gets a release date… next week!...
Kole, Ben, Jala, and David talk about Valley, the upcoming price raise for next gen games, and we ask you about character growth arcs. The Grind: Jala: Resident Evil: Revelations. Alternate Jake Hunter DAEDALUS The Awakening of Golden Jazz. Valley. Kole: Rusty Lake Hotel. Death Stranding. Ben: The Last of Us: Part 2. Patrick’s Parabox. Mushroom 11. David: Dead Rising 4. No Man’s Sky. Hitman 2. The Multiplayer: Which character’s growth arc do you like the most? The End Boss: Next gen games will l...
Kole and Jala gather to talk about the Steins;Gate series, specifically focusing on the sequel Steins;Gate 0. These are sci-fi visual novels about a group of college students who accidentally discover time travel, and find themselves working against huge violent conspiracies and causality itself to avert World War III. We really recommend them if you're looking for something gameplay light and can handle some of the more annoying tropes when they pop up (before being subverted).
Kole, Ben, Dennis, and David talk about The Last of Us: Part 2, the Haunted PS1 Press Event, and we ask you about your favorite bad or goofy AI in games. The Grind: Ben: The Last of Us Part 2. David: No Man’s Sky. Dennis: Minecraft Dungeons. Dungeon Defenders: Awakened. Kole: Hitman 2. The Multiplayer: What’s your favorite example of bad or goofy AI? The End Boss: Mixer shuts down. Haunted PS1 trailer announcement video was amazing. FDA approves its first video game for ADHD. Cyberpunk 2077 dela...
Kole, Ben, Dennis, and Jala talk about Resident Evil: Revelations, Layers of Fear 2, and we ask you about your favorite vehicles in games. The Grind: Jala: Digimon Story Cyber Sleuth. Resident Evil: Revelations. Dennis: Ark: Survival Evolved. XCOM: Chimera Squad. Middle-Earth: Shadow of War. Minecraft Dungeons. Ben: The Pillar. Kole: Layers of Fear 2. Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow. Multiplayer: Which video game vehicle would you want in real life? The End Boss: Resident Evil 8 trailer fun. Demon’s...
Kole, Ben, Dennis, and David talk about the Dread X Collection, For the King, and we ask you which video games should be made into board games. The Grind: Dennis: For the King. Valorant. Middle-Earth: Shadow of War. David: For the King. Just Cause 4. Dead Rising 4. Ben: Deep Rock Galactic. Picross. Kole: Dread X Collection. The Multiplayer: Which video games should be made into board games, and vice versa? The End Boss: PS5 event happened in the future in the past! Devotion is getting a physical...
Kole, Ben, Dennis, and David talk about Minecraft Dungeons, how scary and uncertain things are right now, and we ask you to wish games into and out of existence. The Grind: Kole: Alien: Isolation. Dennis: The Cycle. XCOM: Chimera Squad. Pokemon Sword. David: Steamworld Dig 2. Minecraft Dungeons. Ben: NOTHING. The Multiplayer: What game would have the best/worst impact on the world if it no longer existed? The End Boss: Publishers and manufacturers delay announcement events to avoid pulling focus...
This episode delves into various new game experiences, including a detailed review of Tacoma's narrative design and a critical look at Tonight We Riot's political themes. The hosts also share personal gaming quirks, creative tabletop RPG sessions with kids, and a deep dive into Alien Isolation's polarizing gameplay. The discussion wraps up with anticipation for next-gen consoles, a Tony Hawk remaster, and reflections on game failures and design.
Kole, Ben, Dennis, and David talk about Lonely Mountains: Downhill, the Xbox event, and we ask you what gaming tattoo you would get (or which one you already have!). The Grind: Kole: Lonely Mountains: Downhill. Ben: Fire Emblem: Three Houses. Dennis: XCOM: Chimera Squad. Steamworld Quest: Hand of Gilgamech. Steamworld Heist. David: Fallout 76. Multiplayer: Video game tattoos. The End Boss: Sony is working on full-hand-tracking VR. Microsoft reveals two horror games: Scorn and The Medium. Innovat...
Kole, Ben, Dennis, and David talk about XCOM: Chimera Squad, the Final Fantasy VII Remake, and we ask you about your most ridiculous or useless pieces of gaming hardware. The Grind: Dennis: XCOM: Chimera Squad. David: Generation Zero. Fallout 76. Ben: Rocket League. Luigi’s Mansion 3. Kole: Final Fantasy 7 Remake. The Multiplayer: What’s the most ridiculous or useless piece of gaming hardware you own? The End Boss: Someone ported Mario 64 to the PC. Vader Immortal is coming to PSVR. EVO 2020 has...
Kole, Ben, Jala, and David talk about Kirby Star Allies, A Short Hike, and Onimusha: Warlords Remastered. (Note: There’s some weird distortion on David and Jala’s voices at times, making their voices a little lower. I couldn’t fix this. Sorry!) The Grind: Jala: Nine Parchments. Trine 3. Kirby Star Allies. Ben: Death Stranding. A Short Hike. Luigi’s Mansion 3. David: Fallout 76. Kole: Onimusha: Warlords. Final Fantasy VII Remake. Half-Life: Alyx. The Multiplayer: Describe the last game you played...
Kole, Dennis, and David talk about Valorant, Fallout 76: The Wastelanders, and Animal Crossing: New Horizon. The Grind: David: Dying Light. Fallout 76: The Wastelanders. Dennis: Valorant. Steamworld Quest. The Cycle. Kole: Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Multiplayer: Propose a new installation arcade game. The End Boss: Chex Mix HD is coming this summer. Streaming aggregation platform Popdog. Fallout 76 has NPCs now, and they don’t care about being nuked....
Kole, Ben, Dennis, and Jala talk about Half-Life: Alyx, Nine Parchments, and we ask you which game characters you would kill off for good. The Grind: Jala: Nine Parchments. Trine 3. Kole: Half-Life: Alyx. Dennis: The Division 2. Steamworld Quest: Hand of Gilgamech. Dirt Rally 2. Ben: Death Stranding. The Multiplayer: Which game character would you kill off for good? The End Boss: Resident Evil 4 remake is in the works. Goldfinger releases a quarantine video of them performing your favorite song ...
Kole, Ben, Dennis, and David talk about Resident Evil 3, Overcooked 2, and the Last of Us 2 delay. The Grind: Kole: Resident Evil 3. Dennis: Overcooked 2. The Cycle. Ben: Death Stranding. David: The Division 2. The Multiplayer: You can only keep one save game file, and all others are deleted. Which do you save? The End Boss: Riot has a convoluted scheme for distributing the Valorant beta. Rocksmith DLC has ended. Boston Gamestops forced to close. The Last of Us 2 delayed indefinitely. Someone bu...
Kole, Ben, Dennis, and David talk about World War Z, Twin Peaks VR, and the Surge 2. The Grind: David: World War Z. The Surge 2. Dennis: World War Z. Sundered. Ben: Subnautica. Slay the Spire. Death Stranding. Kole: Twin Peaks VR. The Multiplayer: Which video game apocalypse would you want to live in? The End Boss: Plague, Inc. developer does very good things. Steam changes update defaults as more people turn to games in quarantine....
Kole, Ben, Dennis, and David talk about the Resident Evil 3 Demo, State of Decay 2, and we ask you about your favorite games for coping with social distancing. The Grind: Dennis: Jackbox Party Packs. Diabotical. Borderlands 3. Kole: The Evil Within 2. Resident Evil 3 Demo. Ben: Jackbox Party Packs. Death Stranding. David: State of Decay 2. The Multiplayer: What’s your “hang out” game in the time of social distancing? The End Boss: Resident Evil 3 remake allows knife-only runs. Virtual racing ste...
Kole, Ben, Jala, and David talk about Death Stranding, Bury Me My Love, and the global Ring Fit Adventure shortage. The Grind: Jala: Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age. Wildermyth. Bury Me My Love. David: The Division 2: Warlords of New York. Ben: Ring Fit Adventure. Luigi’s Mansion 3. Death Stranding. Kole: The Evil Within 2. The Multiplayer: Your life is a game in your favorite genre. What is it like? The End Boss: Ring Fit sold out, being price gouged. Rocksteady was going to debut their new g...
Kole, Ben, Dennis, and David talk about This is the Police, Sunless Skies, and we do a Free Play Multiplayer. The Grind: Ben: Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. Disco Elysium. This is the Police. Sunless Skies. Dennis: Super Mario Odyssey. Quake Live. Diabotical. Fun Center. David: The Division 2: Warlords of New York. Kole: NOTHING. Multiplayer: Free Play. The End Boss: Amnesia: Rebirth revealed. Destiny 2 players solve old riddle in-game. SXSW will not be refunding passholders. The Last of Us is ge...
Kole, Dennis, Jala, and David talk about the Final Fantasy VII Remake Demo, World of Horror, and we ask you which games you love, but would never recommend. The Grind: Jala: Trine 2. Apartment: A Separated Place. Kole: Final Fantasy VII Remake Demo. World of Horror. David: World of Horror. The Division 2. Dennis: The Cycle. Super Mario Odyssey. Just Dance 2020. The Multiplayer: What game do you love, but would never recommend someone else play? The End Boss: Riot announces Valorant, a competitiv...
Kole, Ben, Dennis, and David talk about Frostpunk: The Last Autumn, Crash Team Racing Nitro Fueled, and we ask you about your favorite vehicles in games. The Grind: Dennis: Middle Earth Shadow of War. Crash Team Racing Nitro Fueled. Quake Live. Kole: Frostpunk: The Last Autumn. Haunted PS1 Demo Disc. Ben: Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. David: Sunset Overdrive. World of Horror. The Multiplayer: What’s your favorite vehicle or conveyance in games? The End Boss: It’s good that game companies are sit...
Kole, Ben, and David talk about Void Bastards, more Fallen Order, and we ask you about your favorite pets in games. The Grind: David: Void Bastards. Sunset Overdrive. Ben: Slay the Spire. Luigi’s Mansion 3. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. Kole: Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. The Walking Dead Season 2. The Multiplayer: What’s your favorite fictional software pet? The End Boss: House Flipper is coming to PS4 and Xbox One. Goose Game GOTY. The Division 2 gets an overhaul....
