Content Warning for this episode: discussion of suicide throughout. Evangelion is a messy series. For all the craft and care put into the characters and arcs in the first half of the show, which was uneven in it's treatment of women even then, the back end has higher peaks and even lower valleys. And while lore dumps and twists are being deployed it's Evangelion's female characters that end up with the brunt of the low points. For as shocking as the reveal is that Rei was a series of clones all...
Jul 25, 2019•3 hr 26 min
It's a hot one as Rob, Danielle, and Cado are doing their best to cope. Rob's apartment is starting to ferment, Danielle's breaking legs, and Cado has been hiding at the movies but they've also made time for games. Danielle and Rob have both spent more time with Night Call and how you build a good mystery, while Cado is increasingly frustrated by the worldbuilding of Nowhere Prophet. Rob, meanwhile, tried to learn Coimbra, a complicated Euro-style boardgame, while slowly overheating. Discussed: ...
Jul 22, 2019•1 hr 26 min•Ep. 250
With Austin still away on vacation, Patrick, Rob, and Cado decided to dive in to the question bucket and fish out the weirdest questions we've been sent. Little did we know that we'd be faced with questions that shake the very foundations of our beliefs. We question the nature of order and chaos, the ethics of jumping off of a Yoshi to save yourself, and wonder out loud what ever happened to Need for Speed? And finally, we enter into that eternal debate, one that's been asked and answered for as...
Jul 19, 2019•1 hr 38 min•Ep. 249
Content Warning: Discussion of suicide from around 1:48:00 through 1:52:00 and 1:59:00 through 2:04:00 Neon Genesis Evangelion is often touted as a "thinking person's anime." Despite it's unevenness, it does tend to stay away from a monster of the week narrative and will often devote entire episodes to the mental states of it's main characters. What sometimes gets conflated with this fact is that all of this deep introspection lands or has narrative weight every single time it happens. At its be...
Jul 18, 2019•2 hr 21 min
There's a certain feeling that seems specific to modern Fire Emblem games, a sense of pride when you go into battle with your carefully leveled squad. You've come to know these characters intimately, watched their relationships with each other mature, and come to think of them as family. However, amongst the expansive cast of characters in Fire Emblem: Awakening , one particular character sticks out for having a great arc, and that's Donnel. A farm boy wearing a pot on his head, he starts out so...
Jul 15, 2019•1 hr 56 min•Ep. 248
Do you remember when we said “wouldn’t it be cool if game franchises got traded every year?” Well, two community members (@RevRyeBread and @regresssion) decided to write a short fantasy draft game that we’re gonna play! Tune in as Austin, Patrick, Rob, and Cado choose their platforms and vie to fill out their rosters with the best gaming franchises. There’s drama, tension, and lots of dubious math! Stick around after the game as Austin and Cado do a nearly frame by frame breakdown of the new Gun...
Jul 12, 2019•2 hr 34 min•Ep. 247
We've returned this week revitalized by a new batch of episodes that, it turns out, we actually liked! The Waypoint Radio crew discusses the existential and physical horror of episodes 14-19 and ask, what is an Eva? Is it just a big Human? Is Gendo the original Wife guy? Why does their teacher just keep talking about the Second Impact? What are the Dead Sea Scrolls, and who is the Human Instrumentality Council? We discuss all this and more on this episode of Waypoints! Hosted on Acast. See acast...
Jul 11, 2019•4 hr 12 min
It was a long weekend and that means we were all staring at our phones: Which is alright, because it turns out those have games on them now. Cado briefs us on the Capcom card game Teppen, the, uh, DOTA Autochess DOTA Underlords, and Austin is terrified of what an upcoming Gundam-builidng gacha game will do to his credit score. Back on consoles and PC, Patrick is disappointed by Sea of Solitude, while Rob offers high praise for F1 2019 and dire warning about Total War: Three Kingdoms: Do not purs...
Jul 08, 2019•1 hr 59 min
Content Warning: discussion of the sexualization of children, sexual violence, and child pornography. There is a long running trope of fan service in anime, where by characters (almost always women) are sexualized by the "camera" for the enjoyment of the (largely male) audience. Often it's deployed in irrespective of whatever plot point is happening at that moment, purely to titillate. Evangelion is no exception, however, it complicates it's own usage by attempting to explore the burgeoning se...
Jul 03, 2019•3 hr 19 min
The crew is at the top of their game in this episode about, um, NBA free agency, James Dolan's band, how FFXIV broke Austin, and the latest season of Riverdale. But also there are video games! We talk about them too! We talk about Mario Maker 2, and have some question about that boot that Mario uses (but Patrick doesn't). Rob talks about F1 2019 and its interesting but too-sparse narrative, before getting sidetracked by describing the plot of Draft Day. Cado's great too. Anyway, that's life unde...
Jul 01, 2019•1 hr 56 min•Ep. 245
We've got a long one today (partially to make up for Monday's short episode? Who could say!?) Danielle starts us off with her impressions of The Sinking City, Frogwares' new detective game set in a Lovecraftian flooded town . She and Austin discuss the game's racial politics and how they shift the lens through which Lovecraft wrote his original works, while Rob draws a through line from this game to the works of Dashiell Hammet. Then Patrick stares at a wall and groans about the existence of Mar...
Jun 28, 2019•2 hr 46 min•Ep. 244
Neon Genesis Evangelion is finally streaming, and with it comes our long promised rewatch of the series. On this episode we discuss the first seven episodes, from the different translations, to it's cinematic story-telling, from it's use of sexist anime tropes, to the deep exploration of its character's psyches. Danielle, Rob, and Patrick give their first time impressions while Cado and Austin shoot knowing glances back and forth. It's a long one, so strap in! Episodes Discussed: 1: Angel Attack...
Jun 27, 2019•3 hr 9 min
Ah summer. A time for beaches, BBQs, and new game announcements... but not a whole ton of new games. Austin spent a weekend deep in TTRPG land, so it's up to Rob and Cado to talk about the games that have come out this week. We're fully into the summer lull, but Cado decided to take a vacation to the frigid new region in Monster Hunter World: Iceborne 's beta. Rob's back from vacation, and he brought a few billion friends with him as he dives into the new single player campaign for They Are Bill...
Jun 24, 2019•59 min•Ep. 243
We had so many E3 questions we decided to split our recording on Tuesday into two podcasts so we could do a real deep dive into what you wanted to know about this year's show. We dig into how inspiration can take many forms in game development, games that have purposefully tackled political issues in the past, our personal histories with E3, and what the future of the expo might hold. Patrick checks back in with more info on Monster Hunter World: Iceborne , and shares a few anecdotes from his in...
Jun 21, 2019•1 hr 37 min•Ep. 242
With the Netflix release of Neon Genesis Evangelion around the corner, we're rereleasing our conversation on the landmark series' first two episodes from Waypoints 10. The team examines the first two episodes, with Rob, Patrick, and Danielle giving their first ever impressions of the series, struck by it's narrative structure and striking visuals. Then Austin leads them through a discussion of the show's predecessors, it's troubled production, and complicated readings. We will be back next week ...
Jun 20, 2019•49 min
With E3 2019 behind us, the crew at Waypoint Radio turn their attention to what really matters: The games we played going to and coming from E3 2019. We dig into Cadence of Hyrule: Crypt of the NecroDancer Ft. The Legend of Zelda , SteamWorld Quest , Slay the Spire , BattleTech: Urban Warfare and more! Plus, we begin to answer your questions about E3... but you'll have to tune in later in the week for the REAL deep dive into ol' Question Bucket. Games Discussed: PiXXL Cube, Dicey Dungeons, Slay ...
Jun 18, 2019•1 hr 37 min•Ep. 241
Twas the night after E3 And all through the house Not a producer was stirring No clicks of a mouse. The mics had been packed In the pelican with care, But podding must happen Even if Cado's not there Rob saw some Vampires That filled him with dread While Natalie had images Of Gooigi in her head Austin saw Link in his little green cap And Patrick was a Shark that mostly attacked And now E3 is over It’s been quite a sight! Merry Gamer Christmas to all, And to all a good night. Discussed: Vampire t...
Jun 15, 2019•2 hr 1 min
We're nearly at the finish line. Day two of E3 2019 is in the books, and so is our podcast. Join Austin, Patrick, Cado, and Rob as they discuss how Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order (aka Star Souls??) is actually rad, why we still don't know what to make of Marvel's Avengers even after watching someone play it, and more! Those more things include hands-on with Final Fantasy 7 Remake, and impressions of Dying Light 2, Age of Empires II, Outer Worlds, and Psychonauts 2. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/p...
Jun 13, 2019•2 hr 36 min
We have finally left the negative zone—E3 has officially started. Join Patrick, Cado, Austin, Rob, and The Joyous Gamer herself, Natalie, for a VERY LONG discussion about our first stay at the show. We start with Nintendo’s E3 announcements, including the surprise reveal of a sequel to Breath of the Wild, and what it means for Zelda’s role in the series. From there, a bunch of heavy hitters: Cyberpunk 2077, DOOM Eternal, Empire of Sin, Vampire Bloodlines 2, Wolfenstein: Youngblood, Ghost Recon: ...
Jun 12, 2019•3 hr 43 min
With just about all of the major conferences behind us, E3 2019 is now in full swing. Join the Waypoint Radio crew as they describe their hands on experiences with Ubisofts' Watch Dogs Legion and Roller Champions , plus their thoughts on Final Fantasy 7 Remake , Marvel's Avengers , and everything else from the Square-Enix's big event. What else was there at Square Enix's big event? Who could say. I'm writing this description at 2:14 AM, and you'll have to join us on this audio journey to find ou...
Jun 11, 2019•3 hr 29 min
Microsoft and Bethesda brought a ton to show during their press conferences last night. But no story felt more important (in the broad view) than Microsoft's continued support of Xbox Game Pass, the company's subscription based service. With the announcement of the company's new service featuring a catalog of games especially curated for the PC, Game Pass has become a hard-to-deny value. In our second E3 2019 episode of Waypoint Radio, we dig deep into the service, plus chat about Cyberpunk 2077...
Jun 11, 2019•4 hr 20 min
It's Gamer Christmas Eve as Austin, Patrick, Cado, and Rob talk about the big E3 news that's already broken before E3 has even begun. The gang discuss the Google Stadia announcement and how it could transform game development and economics. They also dig into Destiny 2's upcoming expansion, Shadowkeep, and whether this is the kind of story and atmosphere that Destiny is capable of evoking. Other big changes are coming to Destiny as well, so the crew discusses the game's upcoming transition to fr...
Jun 09, 2019•2 hr 16 min
Rob may be back from vacation but he's definitely not all there on this loopy Waypoints. Patrick has gone back to Gareth Edwards' 2014 Godzilla and found an underappreciated gem whose perceived flaws may have resulted in an inferior sequel. Danielle can buy the giant monsters, but not the depiction of affordable family housing in San Francisco. Rob has the giggles, but maybe that's just because Bon Appetit's Youtube series are so funny. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information...
Jun 05, 2019•1 hr 11 min
Dread it, run from it, E3 still arrives. Despite quickly deleting any email referencing the “electronic entertainment expo” in our inboxes, apparently that won’t stop gaming’s biggest event from happening, so we might as well yell into a microphone about it. Austin, Cado, and Patrick use the press conference schedule for next week to talk about expectations, rumors, and surprises set for next week. And yes, we spend a lot of time wondering about the new From Software game. We also touch on a few...
Jun 03, 2019•2 hr 24 min•Ep. 240
As time marches inexorably on, the seasons change, and so we must change with them. In the spirit of growth that the summer brings, we are joined by Joel Fowler, Waypoint's former publisher, on his final day at VICE, to say good bye and talk about how awesome Bitterblack Isle from Dragon's Dogma is. Austin's been exploring space and time in Outer Wilds, while Danielle and Patrick have both been exploring space and death in Void Bastards . Cado updates us on the world of Pokémon (turns out it's f...
May 31, 2019•2 hr 44 min•Ep. 239
Austin is out this week due to a Dental Procedure, which leaves Patrick, Rob, Cado, and Danielle to come to terms with their own oral hygiene. Does anyone go to the dentist enough? How long is too long between visits? Excuse me did Rob just say the word "decade?" The crew then shift to the lighter topic of horror games; Danielle has been playing the sea based Layers of Fear 2 and Patrick brings us the space station thriller Observation . Rob learns the horrors of "accidentally" declaring yoursel...
May 24, 2019•1 hr 39 min•Ep. 238
This episode contains spoilers for all of Game of Thrones! So. Game of Thrones is finally over. Through ups and downs, good seasons and bad, it seemed like the entire world was watching. And when something has that much attention, even the smallest change gets noticed. This week on Waypoints, Austin brings us an article on how the final seasons of Game of Thrones shifted storytelling styles, and we discuss how those changes manifested in a season that has a lot of people scratching their heads ...
May 23, 2019•1 hr 42 min
Austin returns from the world of “Los Angeles” to...not talk about any of the video games he played—well, except one! He’s joined by Rob, Cado, and Patrick to wonder why more people aren’t playing the new and excellent season of Life Is Strange, what to make of Microsoft and Sony partnering on cloud gaming, an update on Rob’s conquests in Total War: Three Kingdoms, and Patrick with some first impressions of the latest game from the developers of Stories Untold, a game where players, more or less...
May 20, 2019•2 hr 5 min•Ep. 237
Motherboard’s Emanuel “I Should Honestly Get Paid For My Viral Tweets” Maiberg joins Patrick, Cado, and Rob us for a wide-ranging episode of Waypoint Radio, in which we discuss our uncanny ability to never hear about Homestuck despite being extremely online, the best way to tell a debt collector to screw off, what Patrick has to fear from Super Mario Maker 2, and the games that we’ve been playing, including Rage 2, Project Hospital, A Plague Tale: Innocence, and Total War: Three Kingdoms. Hosted...
May 17, 2019•2 hr•Ep. 236
This week, Rob, Danielle, and Patrick welcome Motherboard's Jason Koebler discuss the strange and somewhat hard-to-credit tale of a young teenage boy who was lured into the alt-right via online communities, and how his mother helped him escape. It touches on the nature of online radicalization, the way young white kids can recast themselves as a persecuted class, and how that process can be stopped. Then, Danielle explains the wonder that is the Jason X plot, and Rob has read an essay on how the...
May 16, 2019•1 hr 31 min
