Electronic Wireless Show: Recent Episodes
Rock Paper Shotgun
Every week, on Rock Paper Shotgun's Electronic Wireless Show, listen to a few friends dive into a topic that revolves around PC gaming. Also, you'll hear them go off-topic and chat about fish tanks and traffic cones, too.
Greetings, starchildren. This week on the Electronic Wireless Show podcast we talk about Starfield, the game on everyone's lips! We got code late due to an unknown random happenstance, but we've now put a bunch of time into playing it so can have a blimmin' great chat about Bethesda's space RPG. I sound like I hate it, but don't. James actually likes it. Nate has not played it but he asks us about it. As you might imagine, the field of stars also makes up the bulk of our What We've Been Playing this week, although Nate is considering whether to start that or Baldur's Gate 3 - we give conflicting answers... Plus, some interesting recommendations, and Garfield! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In a move that I already know I'll live to regret making, this week the Electronic Wireless Show podcast takes a look at the discourse that flared up in and around the release of Baldur's Gate 3. Larian's epic RPG had people asking: why aren't all games like this? But in an angry tone of voice that we feel left some things out of the conversation. Also, Nate challenges a Times columnist to single MMA combat, and we talk about the games we've been playing this week (spoilers: none of them are Baldur's Gate 3!) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Welcome once again to The Electronic Wireless Show podcast. We're discussing current things about old things this week, as Bayonetta man Hideki Kamiya reveals he's not super fond of the term 'retro' when applied to games. We discuss his comments, and what retro even means anyway, as well as what kind of games count as retro. Who even knows? Definitions are a jail, man. James brings good tidings regarding the Steamdeck in two different ways, and has a grim beans metaphor to clarify it, while the what we're playing section allows for another opportunity to talk about Baldur's Gate 3, which is the thing everyone is talking about (it's so hot right now). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Guess what? James and I, and a lot of other folk at RPS, are all learning the importance of rolling for initiative this week, because we're playing Baldur's Gate 3! Larian's take on what is essentially the official cRPG version of Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition is out of early access today and boy, is it a doozy. So we answer your questions and Nates, and talk about animal forms and rolling for initiative and why the DM is a git. Plus, James has been struggling to get the game working on Steam Deck. Sometimes it does! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Having been absent for the majority of the last few pods, I'm back! At least for a bit, and just in time for Six Ages: Ride Like The Wind (a spiritual successor to King Of Dragon Pass) to to get a depressing-sounding sequel and Myst to get a Humble Bundle featuring its sequels, both official and spiritual. So that got us to thinking: what in the darn heck is a spiritual successor anyway? Are there standard parameters? We have a definitional argument, as is our wont. Plus: we've been playing a clutch of games that are both fun to talk about and current, James instigates a discussion about whether SSDs should be considered the default over mechanical hard drives, and Nate does a mini-game contest that is literally just about fish and has no relation to games whatsoever. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
With the news that Assassin’s Creed Mirage won’t get any post-launch DLC, we of the Electronic Wireless Show podcast are wondering: what are some good games that only need playing once? Not out of a lack of enjoyment or interest, but because they were so satisfying that they left nothing else to want. Or because it would be too hard to recapture the joy of a first playthrough. Or maybe because they just ended really damn well. Whatever the reasoning, join us as we ponder our favourite games that we’ve never returned to. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
I was gone but now am here again to join my co-hosts on this week's Electronic Wireless Show podcast, much like the hundreds and hundreds of of hours of interviews, press briefings and old presentations salvaged by Noclip and heaved onto YouTube. We were going to talk about children's games this week, but given the game for children I was going to talk about was once Stadia exclusive Gylt it seemed a time to talk about the precariousness of digital media a bit (and also make James explain Stadia). We've all been playing a few games here and there, and most of them are current, with Nate still very enthusiastic about being a dinosaur. James comes with more beans to the hardware altar, and we all have some slightly weird suggestions for your recommendations. Plus, because Liam is actually away this week, I made a special effort to pay attention to audio levels and reduce background noise because I've seen ye all complaining about when I have to edit the podcast and I'm sick of it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
When is a game not a game? When it’s a sim, according to the head developer of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024. While we quickly agree on a "fair enough" response to this assertation of non-gameyness, we also can’t help but spend much of this latest Electronic Wireless Show podcast remembering the most fun we’ve in the diverse world of sims, be it some actual flight simulating or merely bullying smaller dinosaurs. Also: we chat about how big a deal it is that the Metal Gear Solid Master Collection might not support mouse and keyboard on PC, and discuss what we’ve been playing this week. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Summer Game Fest, Not-E3, Keigh3… whatever you want to call this festival of hype, its annual takeover of the game industry’s collective headspace meant there was only ever one topic for the Electronic Wireless Show podcast this week. Alice even made up for her recording absence by pre-emptively tying Nate to a chair and forcibly making him watch trailers, like that bit in A Clockwork Orange but with “WORLD EXCLUSIVE” flashing up every thirty seconds. Still, we keep it light by focusing on the showings we actually liked, from The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria to Starfield, Nova Roma to Dungeons of Hinterberg. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In a twist of serendipity, the Terraria tabletop game was shown at the very same UK Games Expo that Nate himself visited! We couldn't have planned it better (and indeed, did not) which means this week on The Electronic Wireless Show podcast we talk about not just that board game, but other PC versions of board games, and vice verse, and the games we think should have tabletop versions. Plus, this week we have once again been playing current video games, and Nate returns with an extremely silly mini-game. In the hardware section James lets us in on the unlikely second wind for VR headsets, most notably Apple's extremely stupid fake face projection thing. Please, Silicon Valley: stop. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Today is a sad occasion, as Matthew is leaving the pod, and we take the opportunity to go on a short hiatus while we search for a replacement by making staffers perform tricks for our amusement, reality competition style. But though it be sad, it is an occasion nonetheless, which means Matthew is going out in style as we build the ideal video game character dinner party. Spoilers: there is a giant ant and a boat full of cocaine.
As it's his last day, Matthew also does a fiendishly difficult Cavern Of Lies themed around secret endings. Which of us will end up dead and loaded onto the cocaine boat while the others beat a retreat?
🌐 Read the show notes: www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-electronic-wireless-show-episode-209-the-best-fantasy-video-game-dinner-party-special
🛒 Buy some RPS merch: store.reedpop.com/collections/rock-paper-shotgun
💬 Join the RPS Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
As we leave the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness and plunge headlong into the seasons of frozen toes and unceasing rain, there aren't many good wistful staring days left in the calendar. But not to worry, because The Electronic Wireless Show podcast has collected some of the best games for having a virtual stare, so you can do it from the comfort of your own home.
This does necessitate us defining wistful first, although honestly I think I nail it out of the gate. Nate also provides this week's Cavern Of Lies mini-game, and a) he nearly beats me but b) he'd never heard of Thomas Was Alone, which is pretty funny.
🌐 Read the show notes: www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-electronic-wireless-show-episode-208-the-best-games-for-having-a-wistful-stare
🛒 Buy some RPS merch: store.reedpop.com/collections/rock-paper-shotgun
💬 Join the RPS Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
You know who's cool? You, obviously, for listening to the Electronic Wireless Show podcast. This week we're talking about games that make us feel like proper cool people, just like you - who, I emphasise again, are a very cool person. Matthew is not cool enough to be here this week, but I am joined by Nate, who is the king of cool (and crabs).
There's a Cavern Of Lies to test Nate's coolness, and we check in with Henry "The Vit" Cavill, but first, of course, we must litigate the different kinds of cool we feel, what counts as cool, and which games make us feel the coolest.
🌐 Read the show notes: www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-electronic-wireless-show-episode-207-the-video-games-that-make-you-feel-really-cool
🛒 Buy some RPS merch: store.reedpop.com/collections/rock-paper-shotgun
💬 Join the RPS Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
Following our Halloween special last week, The Electronic Wireless show podcast today moves away from the monstrous to the relatable (which in our case does not preclude monstrosity). We talk about the characters that we relate to most, and also I find a way to mention Saturnalia again. Tune in next week to see if I can keep up my streak!
Matthew being away this week means that Nate takes on the role of the anti-Matthew, and we speculate about which games we think Matthew would probably find relatable. For myself and Nate the themes include sadness and drudgery. But there's good news, because Nate has remembered to make me a Cavern Of Lies this week! Hooray!
🌐 Read the show notes: www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-electronic-wireless-show-podcast-episode-206-the-most-relatable-characters-in-games
🛒 Buy some RPS merch: store.reedpop.com/collections/rock-paper-shotgun
💬 Join the RPS Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
Happy skeleton war month, ya filty animals! This week on the Electronic Wireless Show we talk about dread, as in, the thing Matthew feels when confronted with glistening food, or when he knows he has to record a podcast with us. We talk about some cracking scary games, going a bit down the beaten track and away from our normal path of least resistance (talking about Red Dead Redemption 2 and BioWare games). We also have some spooky recommendations for you to spice up your Halloween! Plus, it's Nate turn to produce a Cavern Of Lies. More like Cavern Of Jump Scares! And we coin a couple of new euphemisms you're sure to work into your every day language.
🌐 Read the show notes: www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-electronic-wireless-show-podcast-episode-205-the-best-dread-in-games-halloween-special
🛒 Buy some RPS merch: store.reedpop.com/collections/rock-paper-shotgun
💬 Join the RPS Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
We celebrate all three of us being back, but 2/3rds of us being be-plagued, by talking about rejuvinating the Earth - truly, the podcast host of us all. Inspired by new eco-friendly farming game Coral Island, which I've been playing this week, we talk about our favourite games that roll with an ecological protection theme. This is hard for Matthew, because he hates the environment (unless his immediate environment contains a can of Rio).
Matthew comes through with an excellent Cavern Of Lies about trees and tree monsters in games, where he attempts to pull the illusive Double Beckford on us. Does he succeed? Listen to find out.
🌐 Read the show notes: www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-electronic-wireless-show-podcast-episode-204-the-best-eco-themed-games-in-games
🛒 Buy some RPS merch: store.reedpop.com/collections/rock-paper-shotgun
💬 Join the RPS Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
We're back with a bang, a villainous laugh, and a dose of coronavirus I've brought back from somewhere in Tenerife. The two week drought is broken with a shower of Electronic Wireless Show podcast rain, were we discuss the best villainous breakdowns we've enjoyed in video games. Matthew is sadly away this week because, while my coronavirus dose is mild, like the tingle of delicious Rio Tropical on your tongue, Matthew's is wild and aggressive, like a super-charged Electricity Cop.
In his absence, Nate and I talk about some proper good villains, and even discuss some sensible things like evil cartoon monsters vs. villains you can sort of sympathise with. Handsome Jack? GLaDOS? LeChuck? Andrew Ryan? That's one hell of an awkward dinner party. Plus stick around for a Cavern Of Lies that proves Warhammer 40k is essentially the same as Tumblr.
🌐 Read the show notes: www.rockpapershotgun.com/electronic-wireless-show-podcast-episode-203-the-best-villainous-breakdowns-in-games-special
🛒 Buy some RPS merch: store.reedpop.com/collections/rock-paper-shotgun
💬 Join the RPS Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
This week on the Electronic Wireless Show podcast we, prompted by friendly listener OurSuperior, talk about the best changes of eras in games. As you can imagine, this is an easier task for Nate than it is to me, because many of his favourite games are predicated around era changes. Thus I find myself in the position of arguing semantics. How the turn tables have turned.
I'm able to win Nate around on at least one of my desperate bids to classify things that aren't eras as eras, although he does promptly shut me down on the most ridiculous one. It may surprise you to know that we don't actually talk about too many history games (although time travel comes up a lot). And stick around for a thrilling Cavern Of Lies. Will the Red Baron (me) be shot down at last?
🌐 Read the show notes: www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-electronic-wireless-show-podcast-episode-202-the-best-era-changes-in-games-special
🛒 Buy some RPS merch: store.reedpop.com/collections/rock-paper-shotgun
💬 Join the RPS Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
We enter the new pod-century on the Electronic Wireless Show a man down, as Matthew won't be here for a few weeks. Not to worry, though, as myself and Nate are ever ready to hold down the fort. This week we're talking about our favourite cinematics in video games, a fitting subject because last weekend I saw the greatest piece of cinema yet conceived by man: Michael Flatley's Blackbird.
I do spend quite a lot of time explaining Blackbird to Nate, but after that we do talk about some cutscenes and cinematics in games (as well as litigating the difference between the two, and Nate tries to remember the first time he saw a cutscene in a game that was in-engine rather than being pre-rendered). And today the Cavern Of Lies is a Cavern Of Justice, after we received a troubling missive from one [squints] Brond Coatwear?
🌐 Read the show notes: www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-electronic-wireless-show-podcast-episode-201-the-best-cinematics-in-games
🛒 Buy some RPS merch: store.reedpop.com/collections/rock-paper-shotgun
💬 Join the RPS Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
Standing on the shoulders of giants (Brendy and Pip and everyone else who did the podcast before us) means we have reached episode 200 of The Electronic Show podcast! Wowzer! Thanks for being with us for this record-breaking feat. We asked for suggestions and received many excellent ones, but in the end we went with a suggestion from Jonathon which, at the time we recorded, I did not realise would be instantly revealed by the episode title. Cheers to you all!
For such a potentially ridiculous theme, the lads have brought some quite serious and sensible suggestions to the table. I can't apologise enough. We do have a long discussion about Banana Man, and this week our Cavern Of Lies is a lovely special reader mailbag which I unfortunately introduce in an accidentally insulting way.
🌐 Read the show notes: www.rockpapershotgun.com/ews-podcast-episode-200-the-things-we-want-200-of-in-video-games
🛒 Buy some RPS merch: store.reedpop.com/collections/rock-paper-shotgun
💬 Join the RPS Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
This week on The Electronic Wireless Show podcast we give thanks to listener Tom Fakelastname, who emailed in to ask us about the moral quandaries in video games that we feel are the most meaningful. Matthew isn't here this week, which means we are very well behaved. I talk about BioWare games a normal amount, and Nate tries (and, in fairness, succeeds) to find a way to make moral choices a thing that you can apply to the sort of games he likes. Not Age Of Empires II this time, though.
Because there's no Matthew, I change the Cavern Of Lies into a cavern of moral judgement for Nate, and make him run a gauntlet of some of the most important choices in Dragon Age Inquisition with no context. He turns out to be both authoritarian and kind of wholesome as an Inquisitor.
🌐 Read the show notes: www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-electron…-video-games
🛒 Buy some RPS merch: store.reedpop.com/collections/rock-paper-shotgun
💬 Join the RPS Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
Today's topic for The Electronic Wireless Show podcast comes from listener Alastair Fakelastname, who suggested we talk about some of our favourite brave last stands in video game history. We do discuss what constitutes a last stand for the purposes of our discussion, but not until quite some time into the podcast. Many things are thrown into the ring, from RTS classics to famous boxart.
As digressions we talk about Nate's monstrous fish army, and the cool ska band I went to see. Matthew has crafted, once again, a marvellous Cavern Of Lies, this time themed around the screen-destroying survival game Vampire Survivors.
🌐 Read the show notes: www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-electronic-wireless-show-episode-198-the-best-last-stands-in-games
🛒 Buy some RPS merch: store.reedpop.com/collections/rock-paper-shotgun
💬 Join the RPS Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
Welcome once again to The Electronic Wireless Show podcast. As a counterpoint to the episode on the nicest blokes to hang out with in games, we've decided to talk about our most hated NPCs (a bonus prize to anyone who can guess which is the one we all say first). It's an interesting one to discuss, because the line between intentionally annoying and unintentionally annoying can be very thin. Plus everyone tends to find different things annoying. Disclaimer: you are not annoying, any similarities you have to characters we find annoying are coincidental.
A huge digression this week because it's Nate's birthday! Wow! So we talk about his birthday and dressing as lobsters. This digression also has an effect on the tone of the Cavern Of Lies this week, which is something of a Nate-stravaganza. This episode is not going to be welcoming if you've not listened to our podcast before.
🌐 Read the show notes: www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-electronic-wireless-show-episode-197-the-most-annoying-npcs-in-video-games
🛒 Buy some RPS merch: store.reedpop.com/collections/rock-paper-shotgun
💬 Join the RPS Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
I'm back from my holidays to record The Electronic Wireless Show podcast once again, and I've brought a reader email and a new tattoo of Murray from Monkey Island with me. These are both relevant, because the email from John suggests that we talk about the games that we'd like to play for the first time again - just erase them from our heads and encounter them anew. Thus, we discuss Lucasarts games like the Monkey Island series. See, I tied it all together.
In fact, I'm not sure if I'd wipe Monkey Island from my head or not, because I can't be sure how much of my love for it is fuelled by nostalgia. Matthew has other concerns, though, because as is our usual fashion we spend some time discussing the question "what games would you play for the first time again?" more literally than is intended. What grave consequences would come from erasing certain things from your brain? What sort of person would co-host Nate be if he wiped the Civ games from his memory? Listen in to find out.
🌐 Read the show notes: www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-electronic-wireless-show-episode-196-the-games-wed-like-to-play-for-the-first-time-again
🛒 Buy some RPS merch: store.reedpop.com/collections/rock-paper-shotgun
💬 Join the RPS Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
Alice is away this week, leaving the lads to their own devices to discuss the best nice blokes in video games. A coincidence? Who can say. What isn't a coincidence is the lateness of this week's podcast, which is a week late. That's Katharine's fault, folks, which probably automatically disqualifies her from any kind of 'nice' list from here on out. Ah well. You win some, you lose some.
The winners in this week's edition of The Electronic Wireless Show, however, are numerous. Taking that nice engineer chap from Metro Exodus as the absolute pinnacle of 'best nice bloke-ness', Nate and Matthew have framed this week's episode as the four people they'd most like to invite to an afternoon pub trip. Who will make the cut? Listen to find out.
🌐 Read the show notes: www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-electron…ames-special
🛒 Buy some RPS merch: store.reedpop.com/collections/rock-paper-shotgun
💬 Join the RPS Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
Matthew is away this week, which leaves me and Nate to take over The Electronic Wireless Show podcast and turn it into a big ol' tower with loads of flamethrowers. That's because we're talking about our favourite towers in games. This means we need to draw a distinction between towers (the gamified concept as most popularly complained about in Ubisoft games) and towers (the architectural thing). Luckily, games have a lot of both.
Meanwhile, Nate's fish issue (fisssue?) is growing worse, I am enjoying the local acts performing on the summer bandstand, and we talk about Lord Of The Rings and Lord Of The Rings related things. What fantasy creature would you like to conjure into real-life existence? We both said orc.
🌐 Read the show notes: www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-electronic-wireless-show-episode-194-the-best-towers-in-games-special
🛒 Buy some RPS merch: store.reedpop.com/collections/rock-paper-shotgun
💬 Join the RPS Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
Come with us now on a journey to our childhoods, as we talk about the games that make us feel the most nostalgic. The games we played as kids, or spent all-nighters on as teens. It's a surprisingly diverse list, and Matthew has one anecdote in particular involving the music of Danny Elfman that I genuinely think makes this a genuine must-listen episode. Do you have the same nostalgia games? Which ones instantly transport you to the past?
This week we also get an important fish update from Nate, who has a tank full of monsters that it turns out are slightly less inbred than we thought, and also I made an unwise purchase. Matthew delivers a Cavern Of Lies that we have to navigate on pure instinct alone, like Luke turning off his targeting computer, and we have three good suggestions in our Recommendations section.
This week Matthew is away, and since he is the real agent of chaos, Nate and I have a remarkably sensible conversation about different weather and seasons in a lot of games. Who'd have thought? Not me. And in fact there is weather in all sorts of places you wouldn't expect to look.
Don't worry, though, because we find time to talk about how our weeks have been, as well as a bit where I tell Nate there's going to be a survival crafting game set in Moria and he gets excited. Also, stay tuned for a Cavern Of Lies where Nate does a lot of cowboy voices. And shout out to John for sending in cheery EWS fan game Aquarium Assault: Dark Day For A Dogfish!
🌐 Read the show notes: www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-electronic-wireless-show-episode-192-the-best-weather-in-games-special
🛒 Buy some RPS merch: store.reedpop.com/collections/rock-paper-shotgun
💬 Join the RPS Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
This week Matthew and Nate are both away, but luckily I'm joined by two very special guests to discuss our favourite games from Summer Geoff Fest and the Not E3 2022 steams and showcases this past weekend. Rebecca from our guides team has been doing exhaustive work doing live chats and roundups for almost all the streams, and Edders was actually out in Los Angeles to play some games and chat to people. He even saw St. Geoff in the flesh. Wowser!
We go through quite a list of things, and I'm sure we've missed some of your favourites, so feel free to chime in. All in all I think we saw some cool stuff; good work to video games.
🌐 Read the show notes: www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-electronic-wireless-show-episode-191-the-best-games-from-not-e3-2022
🛒 Buy some RPS merch: store.reedpop.com/collections/rock-paper-shotgun
💬 Join the RPS Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
Despite Matthew almost wilfully misunderstanding the topic for this week's Electronic Wireless Show podcast, we manage to settle down and talk about the games we'd most like to have toy sets of. What game d'you think would be the best Lego set? Action figures? Obscure 80s and 90s toy? Oh, we have fun on this show.
Diversions this week are predictably about toys we had as kid, including a very long sidebar about Mighty Max, and Matthew's reverse-engineered Boglin hatred derived from his sad childhood. We also have some obligatory Platty Joobs round-up chat, and there's an unintentionally difficult Cavern Of Lies this week, themed around Funko Pop, because any made up Funko Pop is indistinguishable from a real Funko Pop.
🌐 Read the show notes: www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-electronic-wireless-show-episode-190-the-best-games-that-should-be-toys-special
🛒 Buy some RPS merch: store.reedpop.com/collections/rock-paper-shotgun
💬 Join the RPS Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
This week on the Electronic Wireless Show podcast we clear up an initial misunderstanding but eventually get in sync and talk about the game things we'd want in real life: health packs, tetris, inventory management. By their powers combined we manage to create an absolutely nightmarish dystopian society where people live forever but cannot put more than four of the same thing in a line. It's bleak. Games should stay in games.
Matthew continues the Wolfe Carlton saga, Nate is making a crayfish into a mini-model, and I have a cold. A regular cold! No funny business. Matthew also does a very hard Cavern Of Lies this week that honestly nearly has us.
🌐 Read the show notes: www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-electronic-wireless-show-episode-189-the-best-thing-from-a-game-you-want-in-real-life
🛒 Buy some RPS merch: store.reedpop.com/collections/rock-paper-shotgun
💬 Join the RPS Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
This week on the Electronic Wireless Show PC gaming podcast we're talking about the best our favourite noble failures, like the time I tried to make feta and red onion breakfast muffins. Ne'er touch the muffin pan since. No, of course it's our favourite video games that made big swings but didn't quite hit, a Nate Crowley-backed themed - and he kicks us off with a bid discussion about the infamous Jurassic Park tie-in game Trespasser. Try spelling "Jurassic" properly first time; I've never been able too.
Diversions this week are discussing classic UK subterranean tourist attractions Wookey Hole and Cheddar Gorge, and how Matthew's life could have been different if only he'd been Wookey Hole's witch mascot. Nate has bought a model kit for one of those massive excavation machines, which he says is "about as big as an Alsatian" and "basically a bin-bag full of girders". So he is turning it into an Orc sewage treatment plant. Standard week to be honest.
🌐 Read the show notes: www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-electronic-wireless-show-podcast-episode-188-the-best-noble-failures-in-video-games-special
🛒 Buy some RPS merch: store.reedpop.com/collections/rock-paper-shotgun
💬 Join the RPS Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
After some of the stuff we talked about in last week's episode, I decided to take us further down the giggle chute to talk about funny games in general. What games are funny? Why, and how? Is it easier for games to be funny when they're not trying to be? Should self-described funny games be avoided entirely?
Because of this, we end up talking about Blorko again. We also nearly come to war about the difference between randomly improvising funny stuff and deciding that saying 'egg' a lot of is funny. There is a difference, but you know it when you see it. Matthew's life is like a sitcom, and also we apologise to Henry Cavill for forgetting his birthday. Sorry Henry. Please come on the show.
🌐 Read the show notes: www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-electronic-wireless-show-podcast-episode-187-the-funniest-games-special
🛒 Buy some RPS merch: store.reedpop.com/collections/rock-paper-shotgun
💬 Join the RPS Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
We're going macro this week, so we're talking about the best writing in video games. This is a very broad topic for discussion, so that means I also get to say 'ludonarrative dissonance' (we also describe 'ludonarrative harmony' as its opposite). Please don't let this put you off, though, because we do talk about some bloody well good games.
The times being what they are, though, results in us having a long discussion of patter theft, because some dreadful American (we assume) stole the "It's me, Blorko!" tweet and then just did a much worse version of it. Hang your head in shame, whoever you are. I also went to a first communion party and ate a lot of cake, and had a run in with a very charismatic toddler who may or may not be evil.
🌐 Read the show notes: www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-electronic-wireless-show-podcast-episode-186-the-best-writing-in-games
🛒 Buy some RPS merch: store.reedpop.com/collections/rock-paper-shotgun
💬 Join the RPS Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
Nate returns, and with him the suspicious smell of eggs and salt water. But also highjinks! We discuss toilet meals, revenge, and content theft of "It's me, Blorko!" and other instances of stolen Twitter valour. If valour exists on Twitter. This is, of course, all prelude to us talking about some of our favourite dungeons in video games - there are a lot! Shout out to Zelda, which Nate hasn't played, but also Hades, Elden Ring and - of course - Dungeon Keeper. And many more!
There's no Henry Cavill update this week, but there is a nailbiter Cavern Of Lies to look forwards to. Also, Matthew says The Northman has a fight in it that is the closest you'll get to a Dark Souls film. So. Look out for that.
🌐 Read the show notes: www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-electronic-wireless-show-podcast-episode-185-the-best-dungeons-in-games-special
🛒 Buy some RPS merch: store.reedpop.com/collections/rock-paper-shotgun
💬 Join the RPS Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
We're a two-hander this week, as Nate has a sore throat, but Matthew and I have a jolly old time talking about the games that sound like amazing ideas on paper (whether they end up being great off the paper or not) and even manage to contrast them with games that sound like a bad pitch but end up great. We manage to talk about a lot of games in a sensible way, and even gesture at serious discussion of how prestige indies can dominate their niche to the detriment of other interesting games.
Also we talk about holes quite a lot.
🌐 Read the show notes: www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-electronic-wireless-show-podcast-episode-184-the-best-video-game-ideas-on-paper
🛒 Buy some RPS merch: store.reedpop.com/collections/rock-paper-shotgun
💬 Join the RPS Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
As I mention on the episode, we've now organised our podcast recordings with a big spreadsheet, which means that (in theory) repeat topics on The Electronic Wireless Show podcast should be at a minimum. But for now we may have doubled up again, as we talk about games that have other, smaller games in them, like a Kinder Egg or a novelty casino.
Before that we have a big more egg chat to get out of the way, and a decent discussion on some of Henry Cavill's recent activities. Also I complain about how there are too many Marvel heroes now and they need to kill a load of them off. Plus, in exciting news Nate manages to do his first ever accurate impression, by accident. Stick around for another near miss for Matthew in this week's Cavern Of Lies.
This week on The Electronic Wireless Show podcast there was some confusion, because I wanted us to do a part 2 best Easter eggs special, and Nate got confused, so here we are just talking about eggs in games. We also discuss real life eggs i.e. what are the best egg formats? Nate and I are both sad because we consider boiled eggs to be inherently funny but neither of us like eating them.
We also learn that Nate has dismantled his aquarium room (for a good reason) and that Matthew witness a car exploding the other night. Blimey! Plus, stick around for a Cavern Of Egg.
🌐 Read the show notes: www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-electronic-wireless-show-podcast-episode-182-the-best-eggs-in-games-special
🛒 Buy some RPS merch: store.reedpop.com/collections/rock-paper-shotgun
💬 Join the RPS Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
Like all badly behaved children, we're guiltily celebrating Mother's Day a week late this year on The Electronic Wireless Show podcast. This time we're talking about our favourite mothers in games, which basically means we're talking about a bunch of angels and monsters.
But come for the mother chat, stay for the cursed chickens and Matthew's eel/snake hatred. Plus I play one of the best Cavern Of Lies I think I've ever done. Apologies again for sounding a bit echoey this week as I await the delivery of everything I own.
🌐 Read the show notes: www.rockpapershotgun.com/electronic-wireless-show-podcast-episode-181-the-best-mums-in-games-special
🛒 Buy some RPS merch: store.reedpop.com/collections/rock-paper-shotgun
💬 Join the RPS Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
This week, we discuss the games we think would make great TV shows, in honour of Halo being made into a big old telly series this month. Alice Bee is away this week, adapting to life in a brand-new country, leaving Nate and Matthew to dwell on the merits of The Mandalorian, and whether a show following the life of a Halo grunt would be better than big flashy Master Chief quips.
Matthew puts forward the idea of a Hitman TV show in the vein of Succession, focusing not on Agent 47, but the elite corporate villains he assassinates, watching them dealing with various cast members being offed in mysterious circumstances. Nate, meanwhile, wants to go all-in on a Dungeon Keeper sitcom, and The Office-like monster relationships therein.
🌐 Read the show notes: www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-electronic-wireless-show-episode-180-the-best-games-to-adapt-into-a-tv-show-special
🛒 Buy some RPS merch: store.reedpop.com/collections/rock-paper-shotgun
💬 Join the RPS Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
This week, in a move perhaps more suited to an October special episode, we put the spook 'ems right up you and talk about the best ghosts in games. This is in honour of Ghostwire: Tokyo, a game that Matthew played and reviewed for us, and one that has loads of bloody ghosts in it.
No update on Henry Cavill this week, but we talk a bit about Matthew's cursed trip to DisneyLand Paris, ways that Ghostbusters could take on a very different tone, and, once again, inject some serial killer energy into the podcast. Nate delivers a fun Cavern Of Lies where we have to guess which of the plots of terrible ghost games are made up. And for some reason I've written 'The Count of Monster Disco' in my notes. The reason escapes me. But it was probably funny.
🌐 Read the show notes: www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-electronic-wireless-show-episode-179-the-best-guh-guh-guh-ghosts-in-games-special
🛒 Buy some RPS merch: store.reedpop.com/collections/rock-paper-shotgun
💬 Join the RPS Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
This week the Electronic Wireless Show podcast is talking about our favourite heists. Although we start with a bit of confusion because I changed the topic too late and Matthew didn't notice. Yes: I successfully pulled off a truth heist!
As well as talking a lot about heists in games, we discuss whether or not most crimes are heists. For example, theft in general is just spicy picking up, and murder is a soul heist. Matthew clues us in on what it was like to work for a secret shopper company, and Nate tells us about his repeat of his annual Eat Every Thing In Lord Of The Rings watch-along. Will this result in his daughter blocking memories? Only time will tell.
🌐 Read the show notes: www.rockpapershotgun.com//the-electronic-wireless-show-podcast-episode-178-the-best-heists-in-games-special
🛒 Buy some RPS merch: store.reedpop.com/collections/rock-paper-shotgun
💬 Join the RPS Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
This episode of the Electronic Wireless Show podcast is all about our favourite mounts in video games - as in, animals that carry you around in games. Not cars. Machines don't count as mounts, I think we can all pre-agree on that. We discuss a lot of different horses, and some things that are not horses, from a bunch of different games. Also, Nate and I get angry at Metal Gear Solid.
There are some traditional digressions, although there's no substantial Henry Cavill update this week. We spend some time discussing which dinosaur we would most like to ride as a mount, and whether we would rather fight one The Rock sized spider, or 30 spider sized The Rocks. This week's Cavern of Lies is WoW-themed, and if you'd like to listen along to Latvia's Eurovision entry this year then here's the link. Be warned that it is NSFW: https://youtu.be/Bno10845GT8
🌐 Read the show notes: www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-electronic-wireless-show-podcast-episode-177-the-best-mounts-in-games-special
🛒 Buy some RPS merch: store.reedpop.com/collections/rock-paper-shotgun
💬 Join the RPS Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
Full disclosure: this episode of the Electronic Wireless Show podcast was initially going to be called the best menial jobs in games special, but half way through we decided we didn't like the term, and also that it was limiting the scope of the episode, so we changed it to regular jobs. Basically we're talking about when you do normal work in games that isn't hero-slaying-monster type stuff, you know?
A really bumper number of digressions this week, though. The train really gets derailed early as we start talking about Elden Ring, and thus, naturally, what bit of Matthew a king would steal for said king's own body? (The answer is Matthew's nice soft hair). We hear more about Nate's orc/goblin dolls house too, of course, and at certain points in the podcast do manage to drag things back round to talking about the actual topic of the podcast. Plus, Nate has a Cavern Of Lies this week which is themed about, er, Nate.
🌐 Read the show notes: www.rockpapershotgun.com/electronic-wireless-show-podcast-episode-176-the-best-regular-jobs-in-games-special
🛒 Buy some RPS merch: store.reedpop.com/collections/rock-paper-shotgun
💬 Join the RPS Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
Another week, another episode where I get the number wrong again. Contrary to what I say on the recording, this is in fact episode 175 of the Electronic Wireless Show podcast. I probably got it wrong because I'd been up all night at the discotheque. Yes, this week we're taking a suggestion from the listeners and talking about our favourite nightclubs in games. And three more qualified people to talk about clubbing you would not meet.
But first this week there's some big Henry "Vitamin H" Cavill news to get out of the way, plus we discuss drinking animal blood in VIP sections (which is what rich people do), and at what point it stops being cool to go to a nightclub. For me? Almost immediately. And me and Matthew have actually been playing a game, but it's a PlayStation game so please don't listen to us talk about it. But you should definitely listen to Matthew's Hitman-themed Cavern Of Lies.
🌐 Read the show notes: www.rockpapershotgun.com/electronic-wireless-show-podcast-episode-175-the-best-nightclubs-in-games-special
🛒 Buy some RPS merch: store.reedpop.com/collections/rock-paper-shotgun
💬 Join the RPS Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
Happy Valentine's day to you, even though we are a bit late. If any annoying colleagues or relatives ask, you can say that we're all your girlfriend. We at the Electronic Wireless Show podcast like to think of it as Palentine's anyway, because we're all pals and you, our listeners, are all our pals too (including Henry "Vitamin H" Cavill). So today we're talking about our favourite romances in video games, but also our absolute best mates, too.
Sadly Matthew, one of our real life bestest pals, couldn't be here this week. Curiously, it's a much more well-behaved podcast than normal, suggesting that actually the chaotic influence was Matthew all along... Still, Nate updates us on his war gaming models, which are slowly becoming a diorama and/or dolls' house. I also tell him about the final third of a film about an aquarium where all the fish become zombies, called Aquarium Of The Dead. It is not a good film.
🌐 Read the show notes: www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-electronic-wireless-show-palentines-day-special-2022
🛒 Buy some RPS merch: store.reedpop.com/collections/rock-paper-shotgun
💬 Join the RPS Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
Inspired by how much Matthew made me laugh with his withering assessment of the MacGuffin in the film Red Notice being an egg, this week the Electronic Wireless Show podcast is all MacGuffin, all the time. We discuss some of our favourite examples of the plote device in question to be found in video games, which of course leads to some interesting discussions about what even is a MacGuffin. Can a MacGuffin be intangible? No, probably not.
We discuss whether any MacGuffin is improved by replacing it with an egg (yes), why a lot of games have souls as MacGuffins, and what our own personal MacGuffins would be. Plus! Impressions of Henry "Vitamin H" Cavill, and sensational new character Sir Terence Plunder. Will Sir T become a podcast regular? Only time will tell. There is no Cavern Of Lies this week, but in a shocking turn of events it's because Nate forgot, not because I forgot. Hooray!
🌐 Read the show notes: www.rockpapershotgun.com/electronic-wireless-show-podcast-episode-173-the-best-macguffins-in-games-special
🛒 Buy some RPS merch: store.reedpop.com/collections/rock-paper-shotgun
💬 Join the RPS Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
This week the Electronic Wireless Show podcast is going all in on our favourite finishing moves. This doesn't just mean things from fighting games, although they do obviously make a good showing. As you can imagine, Nate makes the case for RTS games with what he and his pals term 'the GG push'. Plus, we have a great Mortal Kombat themed Cavern Of Lies this week, courtesy of Matthew.
Much time is spent on some excellent digressions this week, including James MacAvoy as a rampaging dinosaur from Jurassic Park (a state of affairs that I think would have improved his weird improv film My Son). Plus, could Matthew Save the world if he grew to six size the times of the earth and cut off a slab of his bum like a big steak, to feed us all? Will someone make a game like Deep Rock Galactic, but for mining Matthew's celestial bum-meat? A whimsical episode this week indeed. Plus: don't forget to tell Henry Cavill we love him and want to be friends.
🌐 Read the show notes: www.rockpapershotgun.com/electronic-wireless-show-podcast-episode-172-the-best-finishing-moves-in-games-special
🛒 Buy some RPS merch: store.reedpop.com/collections/rock-paper-shotgun
💬 Join the RPS Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
This week the Electronic Wireless Show podcast discusses some of our favourite (and least favourite) inventory configurations. A humble beast, the inventory, yet a feature of many games - sometimes even a necessity. Often we only notice one if it's terrible. But boy, a good inventory is worth a dozen mules. So lets talk about them today!
In other news this week, Nate thinks he has come up with an original premise for a Pixar film, only to discover he has invented Seth Rogan's nightmare film Sausage Party, and we are officially starting our campaign to get Henry 'Vitamin H' Cavill on the show. We will be mentioning him every week from now on. Plus: what we like doing on our birthdays, school plays, and pro-wrestling adaptations of Dickens.
🌐 Read the show notes: www.rockpapershotgun.com/electronic-wireless-show-podcast-episode-171-the-best-inventories-in-games-special
🛒 Buy some RPS merch: store.reedpop.com/collections/rock-paper-shotgun
💬 Join the RPS Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
There was a small recording blip at the start of this week's podcast, but apart from the opening banter we've got a great episode this week. We open an estate agent to appraise the houses in games that would actually be good to live in. It turns out there aren't that many. Not a lot of them would be convenient.
There's an excellent Cavern Of Lies this week, in which Nate hosts a game-themed episode of Through The Keyhole in character as Lloyd Grossman/a robot version of Matt Berry. We also have some great diversions, and some opening chat about the time my friend was a real life suspect in a murder for a few days. Plus: Matthew had an unpleasant experience watching House Of Gucci.
Happy 2022! New year, same old us. The Electronic Wireless Show Podcast will make no effort to change or better ourselves; this is our promise to you, listener. For our first episode of the new year we're doing the traditional "what games are we most looking forwards to" episode. Yes, our most anticipated games. There is very little crossover, and lots of orc chat.
Before that, though, we're lucky enough to have scored an interview with the "It's me, Blorko" guy. Yes, we have the man who came up with this winter's most fashionable Marvel-based viral tweet, live and on the podcast (I mean, technically he is on the podcast every week but this week we ask him about the Blorko thing for like 20 minutes).
🌐 Read the show notes: www.rockpapershotgun.com/ews-podcast-episode-169-our-most-anticipated-games-of-2022
🛒 Buy some RPS merch: store.reedpop.com/collections/rock-paper-shotgun
💬 Join the RPS Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
God rest ye merry listener, let nothing you dismay - for today, for one night only, the EWS Podcast wrestling promotion rolls into your town for a show stopping tag team match. Each of your pod hosts fields a three-game tag team of our favourite games of the year, and fields them in a spectacular(ly described) ladder match. The victor will claim the GOTY In The Bank briefcase and win the chance to compete next year as well.
Before we get to that, though, we must first discuss (at length) whether 200 t-shirts is a lot of t-shirts, what Nate is having for his Christmas dinner, what kind of cop duo would be named Halloumi & Date, and also what our favourite Christmas songs are. Nate also does a really good Mankind pun.
🌐 Read the show notes: www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-electronic-wireless-show-podcast-episode-168-bah-gawd-thats-the-christmas-special-2021s-music
🛒 Buy some RPS merch: store.reedpop.com/collections/rock-paper-shotgun
💬 Join the RPS Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
I'm not normally a fan of children in games because, as noted in this episode of the Electronic Wireless Show podcast, they get into the uncanny valley pretty quickly. But it's the season to be jolly, so we're talking about the times we thing kids in games are actually really good.
We do end up going on quite a lot of tangents, notably one on which Warhammer faction Matthew would play, and of course we ask Matthew for his thoughts on Mr. Beast's Squid Game. This week's Cavern Of Lies is in Nate's control, which means he takes us to Dwarf Fortress, with predictable results.
🌐 Read the show notes: www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-electronic-wireless-show-podcast-episode-167-the-best-children-in-games-special
🛒 Buy some RPS merch: store.reedpop.com/collections/rock-paper-shotgun
💬 Join the RPS Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
Let me start out by immediately apologising to our podcast editor Alix for the fact that this best cars in games episode of The Electronic Wireless Show Podcast does not mention the Regalia from Final Fantasy XV. Mea culpa. But that glaring mistake aside, we do have a bit of a chat about Forza Horizon 5, and other good cars in games and car games in general.
We also have a very good Cyberpunk-themed Cavern Of Lies courtesy of Matthew, who has no updates on his Olympic feud this week, but does reveal (during a long digression about whether or not we, personally, can drive) that it took him nine goes to pass his driving test. Nine honestly seems a bit excessive.
🌐 Read the show notes: www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-electronic-wireless-show-podcast-episode-166-the-best-cars-in-games
🛒 Buy some RPS merch: store.reedpop.com/collections/rock-paper-shotgun
💬 Join the RPS Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
This week, based almost entirely on the fact that we have been enjoying Rio Tropicale (other fizzy drinks are available) the Electronic Wireless Show podcast is doing an episode all about our favourite drinks in games! We didn't think we'd manage to get a whole show out of it, but boy did we.
Also tune in to learn about Matthew's new (and extremely one-sided) rivalry with an Olympic swimmer, a cavern of lies featuring bar tender Ed Harris, and a digression so self-indulgent we talk about how self-indulgent we are, and decide that it is a good thing.
🌐 Read the show notes: www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-electronic-wireless-show-podcast-episode-165-the-best-drinks-in-games-special
🛒 Buy some RPS merch: store.reedpop.com/collections/rock-paper-shotgun
💬 Join the RPS Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
I can't remember why I picked this theme, but for this episode of The Electronic Wireless Show podcast I wanted to talk about AI characters - as in, characters that are, in game, an artificial intelligence of some kind. This definition does cause some trouble. After all, is not every character in a game that isn't player controlled an AI character, fn fn fn?
No, because you all know what I mean and so does Nate. Matthew doesn't, know, and had prepared a list of just, companion characters. Don't worry, he actually pulls out some really good examples. We talk about a lot of games this week, not least because I didn't prepare a Cavern Of Lies again. Sorry. There is also a lot of talk about clones, and what Matthew would do with clones of himself (e.g. shove them out of an airlock).
🌐 Read the show notes: www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-electronic-wireless-show-episode-164-the-best-ai-characters-in-games-special
🛒 Buy some RPS merch: store.reedpop.com/collections/rock-paper-shotgun
💬 Join the RPS Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
I'm once again back, and I'm badder than ever! To mark my triumphant return to the Electronic Wireless Show podcast, I (Alice) suggested we talk about our favourite non-game celebrity appearances in games. Not because I'm very famous and important, although I am, but because I wanted to spend some time making fun of Chris Pratt.
In the end, though, we don't talk much about Chris Pratt, partly because we are so very excited to be joined on the pod by 'Bath's Nic Cage', and discuss the time he turned on Bath's Christmas lights, and partly because we do talk about a lot of games this week. I hope you're all proud of us. We're showing personal growth. Digressions this week include Harrods, a lot about Garfield, and Nate doing fat rips on his vape.
🌐 Read the show notes: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-electronic-wireless-show-podcast-episode-163-the-best-celebrities-in-games-special
🛒 Buy some RPS merch: http://store.reedpop.com/collections/rock-paper-shotgun
💬 Join the RPS Discord: http://discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
Hey podcast fans. Mum’s away this week, which means the inmates have taken over the asylum once again. The temptation was to play another round of Sweeten The Deal, but instead Nate and I were good little podcast boys and delivered a surprisingly on point discussion of our favourite videogame adaptations of literary works. Well, I say ‘on point’; there’s a fair amount of discussion of new Dune, too, which is what got us thinking about successful book to screen journeys. Sadly, the House Atreides bagpipe band were not available for a rousing rendition of the podcast theme.
There’s also a micro Cavern of Lies in which things get biblical.
🌐 Read the show notes: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-electronic-wireless-show-podcast-episode-162-the-best-literary-adaptations-in-games-special-1
🛒 Buy some RPS merch: http://store.reedpop.com/collections/rock-paper-shotgun
💬 Join the RPS Discord: http://discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
It occurs to me now that "best songs" is probably not a great topic for the podcast, given that we do not perform any of the songs, or put them in the show. But on this week's episode of The Electronic Wireless show, we talk about our favourite songs from games real good. Plus, we are joined by Randy Newman, who sounds a surprising amount like Matthew Castle.
Matthew himself has a new awkward food related story to share, Nate has been watching Squid Game, and a listener has sent in a very special musical theme for Sweeten The Deal!
🌐 Read the show notes: wwww.rockpapershotgun.com/the-electronic-wireless-show-podcast-episode-161-the-best-songs-in-games-special
🛒 Buy some RPS merch: store.reedpop.com/collections/rock-paper-shotgun
💬 Join the RPS Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
This week the Electronic Wireless Show podcast is going the place you can always go when you're alone and life is making you lonely. That's right: down town! We're talking about our favourite cities in games, although we spend a lot of time talking about city builders even though we decide they probably don't meet the brief.
Surprisingly, though, we talk about games so much this week that we run out of time to do a Cavern Of Lies! Even though I had actually prepared one! Unprecedented scenes. Don't worry, though, because there are plenty of diversions this week too, including Nate's unwise excursion into green milk, and Matthew eating something he shouldn't ought to have ate.
🌐 Read the show notes: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-electronic-wireless-episode-160-the-best-cities-in-games-special
🛒 Buy some RPS merch: store.reedpop.com/collections/rock-paper-shotgun
💬 Join the RPS Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
Matthew once again has the temerity to be away, so this week Nate and I play another round of Sweeten The Deal (per a vote in the podcast Discord), in which, as Nate says, we both lose. On the upside, since this is the third game of Sweeten The Deal that we've played, we are both developing very distinct, high-level playstyles and also a theme song for it.
It does mean there isn't a whole lot of game chat this week, although we do discuss the very important developments in the case of The Zodiac Killer, as well as a very special Cavern Of Announcements.
🌐 Read the show notes: www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-electronic-wireless-show-episode-159-deal-sweeten-with-a-vengeance
🛒 Buy some RPS merch: store.reedpop.com/collections/rock-paper-shotgun
💬 Join the RPS Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
In honour of the new DLC for Outer Wilds, this week on The Electronic Wireless Show Podcast we're discussing our favourite spaceships in games. In the process, while we do discuss some games, there is quite a lot of chat about the origin of the spaceship as 'space-house' - the hub area where all your pals hang out - both in games and in wider space media. Also, Nate has a great Cavern Of Lies that is Star Wars-themed, and does indeed give us a terrible fright.
Digressions this week are a big discussion on Matthew's tooth situation, and a semi-argument about what planetary circumstances would be enough for me to agree to go into space (e.g. planet covered in really nice soup). Also: is Elon Musk's divorce the origin story for Warhammer 40k?
🌐 Read the show notes: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-electronic-wireless-show-podcast-episode-158-the-best-spaceships-in-games-special
🛒 Buy some RPS merch: store.reedpop.com/collections/rock-paper-shotgun
💬 Join the RPS Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
This week on The Electronic Wireless Show podcast I was inspired by the extremely cute little monsters the Rot, who are you besties in Kena: Bridge Of Spirits, to ask Matthew and Nate about their favourite animal companions in video games. You will probably be able to predict some of their answers. Others, not so much.
A big digression about trains and commuter rage this week, as well as a shocking update from Matthew re. the farewell fizzy drink tour. But most exciting is that the Cavern Of Lies is replaced this week by a Cavern Of Announcements! Yes, we have very special news indeed, and you have to listen to at least two thirds of the podcast to find out what it is. But it is genuinely incredible.
🌐 Read the show notes: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-electronic-wireless-show-episode-157-the-best-animal-companions-in-games-special
🛒 Buy some RPS merch: store.reedpop.com/collections/rock-paper-shotgun
💬 Join the RPS Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
The recording of this episode of The Electronic Wireless Show podcast turned out to be unfortunately cursed with technical issues, which means I am (probably noticeably) tired and grumpy, and don't let Matthew and Nate reproduce their witty banter from the first time we tried to record. No cold open! Still, nothing to cheer me up like some good bedside manner from a doctor. Oh no, it turns out all game doctors are awful!
We discuss our favourite game medical types, and also discuss why doctors in games are so often evil baddies. The saga of Matthew and his teeth continues, as well as envisioning Matthew as a clown who just turns up to your kids birthday party smeared in his wife's lipstick, drinks all your Fanta, and leaves again. Now that's malpractice.
🌐 Read the show notes: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-electronic-wireless-show-podcast-episode-156-the-best-doctors-in-games-special
🛒 Buy some RPS merch: store.reedpop.com/collections/rock-paper-shotgun
💬 Join the RPS Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
We here at the Electronic Wireless Show podcast have done an episode about puzzles before, but Matthew and I just love puzzles a whole lot. We're talking about our favourite puzzle, as well, not puzzle game. This means that nate can bring up games about orcs, or whatever, that also happen to have a puzzle in them somewhere. Also yes, I got the number of the podcast wrong again, I know I keep doing this, let's just all move on together.
What is a surprise is that we don't really need to spend ages arguing over what the definition of a puzzle is, which I think shows personal growth. Well done us! Asides this week include what role Matthew you fill on the team in a heist movie, Nate vs. Rufus Hound, and what the hell is the Riddler's whole deal about, anyway? Also: please give us creative control of all major IPs in cinema and games, so we can remake them to be about the drink Rio Tropical.
🌐 Read the show notes: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-electronic-wireless-show-podcast-episode-155-the-best-puzzles-in-games-special
🛒 Buy some RPS merch: store.reedpop.com/collections/rock-paper-shotgun
💬 Join the RPS Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
With an unseasonal theme this week, the Electronic Wireless Show podcast is about our favourite seasonal updates in games. You know, where they make it all snowy or put pumpkins everywhere. That kind of thing. The podcast is substantially derailed, however, when we start cyberbullying Matthew about food yet again, and also discuss what the seasonal spirit of The Summer Of Games would look like if personified (like how Easter gets the Easter Bunny).
In the mix this week we also learn about how Matthew wasn't allowed to watch any Australian Television as a child in case he started talking like an Aussie, and there is a special Matthew-centric Cavern Of Lies for everyone to enjoy.
🌐 Read the show notes: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-electronic-wireless-show-podcast-episode-154-the-best-seasonal-updates-special
🛒 Buy some RPS merch: store.reedpop.com/collections/rock-paper-shotgun
💬 Join the RPS Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
The Electronic Wireless Show podcast is playing with a full hand today, as Matthew rejoins us! Inspired by the reveal of new games like theme park sim Park Beyond, which uses a resource currently earmarked as Amazement, and Strange Horticulture's Will To Explore, episode 153 is all about weird currencies and resources in games.
We do have a decent discussion about games, and what constitutes a resource (answer: possibly everything). But because Matthew is back, we grill him about how much ice cream he at at a wedding, and also discuss what mineral we would most like to keep in a vault in our home in place of gold. Unfortunately, a lot of time is taken up by making fun of Matthew for not using salt, like, at all, but there is a decent Cavern of Lies that's all about the most expensive digital things people have bought with real money.
🌐 Read the show notes: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-electronic-wireless-show-podcast-episode-153-the-best-weird-currencies-in-games-special
🛒 Buy some RPS merch: store.reedpop.com/collections/rock-paper-shotgun
💬 Join the RPS Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
This week Matthew is away doing other things - how dare he! But Alice and Nate are here with another episode of Sweeten The Deal, featuring travelling around the world on a raft with Geoff Keighley, and every live games event being a Psychonauts-style level about your subconscious. How sweet would those deals need to be for you to say yes?
🌐 Read the show notes: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-electronic-wireless-show-podcast-episode-152-another-nightmarish-gameshow-special
🛒 Buy some RPS merch: store.reedpop.com/collections/rock-paper-shotgun
💬 Join the RPS Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
This week on the Electronic Wireless Show podcast you see us trudging back and forth over a field, grimly trying to locate the little bit of rock or feather that our map tells us is right here, dammit. Yes, we're all about the best collectibles in games this week - which, it turns out, is a pretty short list, so we have some meaty discussion of whether they actually are good, and if so, how?
Digressions get off to a good start with Matthew's adoption of the Lego Stud as a name, which makes him sound like a hot LEGO minifig, leading us to wonder what it would be like if we were all just shadows conjured by Nate's subconscious. Truly beastly. Plus: a Cavern Of Lies giftshop disrupted by the Eds, dastardly foes of the show.
🌐 Read the show notes: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-electronic-wireless-show-podcast-episode-151-the-best-collectibles-in-games
🛒 Buy some RPS merch: store.reedpop.com/collections/rock-paper-shotgun
💬 Join the RPS Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
This week on the Electronic Wireless Show podcast we discuss our favourite weapons, which I was reasonably sure we hadn't done before but as we started recording I lost that confidence... Today is a healthy mix of nonsense and actual sense, as we do chat seriously about weapons and what, for example, having a very silly gun brings to a game brand.
On the nonsense side, we discuss what our weapons would be in Boyfriend Dungeon (please sent fanart of Nate the Ashtray), learn more about Matthew's tragic childhood, and have a Cavern Of Lies hosted by friend of the show Anthony Hopkins, featuring enemy of the show Ed Harris
🌐 Read the show notes: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-electronic-wireless-show-podcast-episode-150-the-best-weapons-in-games-special
🛒 Buy some RPS merch: store.reedpop.com/collections/rock-paper-shotgun
💬 Join the RPS Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
This week, the Electronic Wireless Show podcast is all about the best robots in games, which is another one of those topics we might have done before. But we're doing it again because darn it, robots are cool. Obviously, this means we have a short discussion on whether cyborgs count as robots (yes, probably, but not in all circumstances).
As well as what I feel is actually a very productive chat about robots this week, we also talk about Miles Jupp and his thousands of children, Thomas The Tank Engine, and Matthew does a truly stunning Cavern Of Lies themed around Ace Attorney.
🌐 Read the show notes: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-electronic-wireless-show-podcast-episode-149-the-best-robots-in-games-special
🛒 Buy some RPS merch: store.reedpop.com/collections/rock-paper-shotgun
💬 Join the RPS Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
Here at the Electronic Wireless Show podcast we are struggling with the heat. Yes, I understand that other places in the world are hot, but right now it is hot where I am and we're not used to it, so we're going to complain about it and you can just live with that. Okay? Because temperature is consuming all our thoughts today is just the best heat in games.
🌐 Read the show notes: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-electronic-wireless-show-podcast-episode-148-the-best-heat-in-games-special
🛒 Buy some RPS merch: store.reedpop.com/collections/rock-paper-shotgun
💬 Join the RPS Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
This week, the Electronic Wireless Show podcast finds itself briefly rudderless once more, as skipper Alice heads off to the Realm of Spiders to settle an old score. In her absence, Nate decides it would be fun for Matthew and he to play a game called "Sweeten The Deal", which he invented once during a 24-hour layover in an airport. It almost works!
🌐 Read the show notes: http://rockpapershotgun.com/the-electronic-wireless-show-podcast-episode-147-matthew-and-nates-half-arsed-gameshow-special
🛒 Buy some RPS merch: store.reedpop.com/collections/rock-paper-shotgun
💬 Join the RPS Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
This week the Electronic Wireless Show podcast is looking at our favourite hub areas in games, which necessitates a brief discussion as Nate had entirely misunderstood what that meant. That doesn't matter, however, because we still manage to mention at least four video games, and tick off a few boxes on your EWS bingo card.
If we're honest, though, this episode ends up being, bizarrely, mostly about philanthropic YouTuber Mr. Beast. I'm not sure how this happened, but it did. There's a Cavern Of Lies about cereal, where my lie is so transparent you could make windows out of it - yet it still fools one of the lads.
🌐 Read the show notes: www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-electronic-wireless-show-podcast-episode-146-the-best-hub-areas-in-games-special
🛒 Buy some RPS merch: https://store.reedpop.com/collections/rock-paper-shotgun
💬 Join the RPS Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
This week the Electronic Wireless Show podcast is all about DLCs and expansions. We even briefly flirt with actual journalism by discussing some of the controversy associated with expansions and DLC and the Oblivion Horse Armour incident. There is, however, an extended break in the middle of discussing DLC where we talk about Toby Carveries. Oh, don't worry if you don't know what that is: we explain.
We also talk about gravy and Toby Jugs, although sadly Matthew does not have any new treats to discuss this week. But there is an excellent Cavern Of Lies hosted by friend of the show Sr Anthony Hopkins.
🌐 Read the show notes: www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-electron…ames-special
🛒 Buy some RPS merch: teespring.com/en-GB/stores/rockpapershotgun
💬 Join the RPS Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
After last week's fun on the Electronic Wireless Show podcast, we then actually had to live through E3, and I, especially, am very tired. This week the show is all about our favourite box art or key art images from the history of games. The episode starts off with a sort of funereal air and ends, as Nate described it, like the final scenes of Fury Road, where we are desperately trying to keep going to the end even as bits of the engine fall off.
There is an improvised Cavern Of Lies, Matthew has some new sweets, and Nate has a poorly crayfish. But we also do an extremely in-depth analysis of the original Doom cover art, with reference to classical art.
🌐 Read the show notes: www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-electronic-wireless-show-podcast-episode-144-the-best-box-art-in-games-special
🛒 Buy some RPS merch: teespring.com/en-GB/stores/rockpapershotgun
💬 Join the RPS Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
This week we have a special E3-themed episode of The Electronic Wireless Show podcast, which will be of no use to you if you want actual information about E3 2021. Rather, we imagine what we would do if E3 was condensed into one show, and we were put in charge of its content.
As you can imagine, this goes off-piste almost from the get-go. We start with cloning and escalate from there. Nate pitches a mobile game about Gimli that doesn't exist. Matthew suggests that platforms for games should be decided by a Wheel Of Fortune spin. But we do get around to making some sensible points about creativity, and the role of E3 in general, although we apologise for doing so.
🌐 Read the show notes: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/games/the-electronic-wireless-show-podcast-episode-143-the-ideal-e3-special
🛒 Buy some RPS merch: teespring.com/en-GB/stores/rockpapershotgun
💬 Join the RPS Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
My own tragic backstory is that I grew up without any real tragedy, thus meaning my life will never be serialised on Netflix. I have lobbied producers many times, but they just say things like "Half of everyone's parents are divorced, Alice, you're not special!". Luckily, games provide richer narrative ground to tread, so this week's Electronic Wireless Show podcast is all about our favourite backstories in games!
It is, however, a highly derailed podcast even for us. First of all, we need to clear up what exactly a casserole is, and then we get into this whole thing about what a gritty reboot of Matthew would be like, and also I describe the time I and my brothers were so hungover one Christmas Day a decade ago that we couldn't stand up. There's a bunch of games stuff in there, though. Also: The Sopranos.
🌐 Read the show notes: www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-electronic-wireless-show-podcast-episode-142-the-best-backstories-in-games-special
🛒 Buy some RPS merch: teespring.com/en-GB/stores/rockpapershotgun
💬 Join the RPS Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
I was going to write this as a whole bit where it was like a narrator describing you reading this post and then listening to the podcast, but I respect you too much to lie to you: it is after lunch on a Thursday and I had a very big sandwich. There is simply no way I could be expected to write that bit. But anyway, this week's episode of the Electronic Wireless Show podcast is all about our favourite narrators!
We talked about so many games that I'm just making the show notes a big list, and I will probably accidentally leave some off - we just talked about that many games! Regular listeners will know that this is unusual for us. But we do also have a big bit about how city management games would be way more fun if the advisors giving you tooltips on your sewage system were e.g. talking turds. So there's that.
🌐 Read the show notes: www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-electronic-wireless-show-podcast-episode-141-the-best-narrators-in-games-special
🛒 Buy some RPS merch: teespring.com/en-GB/stores/rockpapershotgun
💬 Join the RPS Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
It seems, after weeks of investigation, we have uncovered the truth: it was you, podcast listener, who was the culprit all along. Well, well, well. Don't bother trying to defend yourself. We can't hear you. It's all recorded ahead of time. Yes, this week the Electronic Wireless Show delves into our favourite mysteries.
There's only a brief intermission to discuss what counts as a mystery (mysteries being a topic we designate "Matthew Kibble", similar to "Nate Bait"), but watch out for the extended break where Alice chokes with laughter because Matthew has to take a Rennie, live on air. We also introduce a lot of Adrian Chiles chat. Only time can tell if Chiles will become a regular podcast character.
Also: yes Alice did get the episode number wrong in the recording. IS THAT A CRIME??
🌐 Read the show notes: www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-electronic-wireless-show-podcast-episode-140-the-best-mysteries-in-games-special
🛒 Buy some RPS merch: teespring.com/en-GB/stores/rockpapershotgun
💬 Join the RPS Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
The EWS podcast was on hiatus last week, because I was in a cottage where milk gets delivered in old-school glass bottles and then isn't drunk but left in the fridge unopened so it curdles but still looks new and then my cup of tea is ruined. But now I've returned to the land of wired internet, so too the Electronic Wireless Show returns with the best giants in games special.
🌐 Read the show notes: www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-electronic-wireless-show-podcast-episode-139-the-best-giants-in-games-special
🛒 Buy some RPS merch: teespring.com/en-GB/stores/rockpapershotgun
💬 Join the RPS Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
Back once again with a topic that I suspect we may have done before, it's the Electronic Wireless Show podcast. This week we're talking about the best water in games, but we also take the time to discuss what we think counts as a sandwich (we are surprisingly on the same page with it).
Digressions, apart from the sandwich thing, are surprisingly few, although we make time to talk about what Andrew Ryan would be like if he took a trip to the London Aquarium with Matthew, and there's a pretty off-topic Cavern of Lies in there too.
🌐 Read the show notes: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-electronic-wireless-show-podcast-episode-138-the-best-water-in-games-special
🛒 Buy some RPS merch: teespring.com/en-GB/stores/rockpapershotgun
💬 Join the RPS Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
This week, after a post by Graham inspired a big discussion in the RPS Discord, the Electronic Wireless Show Podcast is having a best combat in games special. In a surprising move we manage to not have a huge discussion about what constitutes 'combat', but we do discuss what Batman would do if he went to the London Aquarium with Matthew.
Aside from that, there are surprisingly few digressions this week. Us, staying on topic? Armageddon must be upon us. But there is a moment where Matthew reveals that he basically thinks he should never be punished for anything, and Nate provides a bumper Mortal Kombat-themed Cavern Of Lies.
🌐 Read the show notes: www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-electron…ames-special
🛒 Buy some RPS merch: teespring.com/en-GB/stores/rockpapershotgun
💬 Join the RPS Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
What's up? The thermostat, that's what! After a very brief hiatus last week (when Nate and I were both away and Matthew didn't want to rant into thin air by himself) we return in time to greet the sun. The approach of Summer in the UK has been heralded by the big hot ball in the sky, but also sometimes snow in the same day, because this is Normal Island in many ways. The changeable weather made me suggest this as our topic for the Electronic Wireless Show podcast this week should be the best weather in games. So it is...
We open, as you can predict, with a discussion on Matthew's opinions on barbecues. After this, and a lengthly chat about police procedurals, we do talk about some of our favourite game weather (not including mud, which is not weather). There is also a lengthy argument about whether "the moon" counts as weather, which it clearly does not.
🌐 Read the show notes: www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-electronic-wireless-show-podcast-episode-136-the-best-weather-in-games-special
🛒 Buy some RPS merch: teespring.com/en-GB/stores/rockpapershotgun
💬 Join the RPS Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
After what's becoming a chillingly regular meditation on the concept of Matthew extinguishing the lives of astronauts, this week's podcast waded into some staunch reminiscence about classic co-op games on PC. Indeed, with Alice away this week, the boys were really method-acting the theme: two extraordinarily buff soldiers, grimacing with war-weary determination against a horde of meandering, half-on-topic anecdotes.
Nate got way too excited about his idea for a Dance Dance Revolution mod based on Pacific Rim, Matthew got to show some love for the adorably brutish Gears Of War series, and stern warnings were given on the damage that Overcooked can do to relationships. The Cavern of Lies featured a short and utterly brutal RPG adaptation of the first level of Halo 2.
🌐 Read the show notes: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-electronic-wireless-show-podcast-episode-135-the-best-co-op-games-special
💬 Join the RPS Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
🛒 Buy some RPS merch: teespring.com/en-GB/stores/rockpapershotgun
After being on holiday last week, Alice makes a stunning return to The Electronic Wireless Show podcast, just in time to wrangle Matthew and Nate away from excessive egg chat (Nate genuinely mooted today's episode be eggs: part two). Today's episode is actually all about our favourite journeys in games.
At first, we interpreted this literally, talking about favourite progressions from place A to place B. Eventually we do start discussing whether we can also count metaphorical journeys: character arcs, or stories that take us as a player on a journey. Digressions this week include whether the sand in Journey is better than the mud in Red Dead Redemption 2, the time Nate offended a very famous chef, and Matthew just being generally sinister and saying words like "flesh".
🌐 Read the show notes: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-electronic-wireless-show-podcast-episode-134-the-best-journeys-in-games-special
💬 Join the RPS Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
🛒 Buy some RPS merch: teespring.com/en-GB/stores/rockpapershotgun
Cats went chasing after dogs on the Electronic Wireless Show podcast this week. Birds flew upside down, water fell upwards, and men became beasts, as Nate and Matthew plunged headlong into the chaos of a world where Alice is on holiday for a week. Needless to say, the conversation on this wild new frontier turned immediately to the subject of the best eggs depicted in PC gaming.
Immediately, that is, after an intense discussion of goldfish husbandry, cats that can open doors, and eggs in general. But eggs were indeed discussed, Dizzy was needlessly disrespected, and there was a deeply experimental Cavern of Lies, in which Matthew and Nate had their bodies swapped by friend of the show Sir Anthony Hopkins.
🌐 Read the show notes: www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-electronic-wireless-show-podcast-episode-133-the-best-eggs-in-games-special
💬 Join the RPS Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
🛒 Buy some RPS merch: teespring.com/en-GB/stores/rockpapershotgun
If you build it, they will come, as the old saying goes. In this week's episode of The Electronic Wireless Show podcast, we discuss some of our favourite buildings in games. At least, that is the stated intent. In reality, this becomes one of those episodes where at some point Alice drops the reigns and doesn't really manage to pick them up again.
There is game chat, yes, but also a lot of talk about pizzas, Matthew's concerns about eating pork, and the British Museum. Strangely, we are low on fish chat this week. I think over time we are gradually transitioning to being a podcast about the specific food anxieties of one man.
🌐 Read the show notes: https://www/rockpapershotgun.com/the-electronic-wireless-show-podcast-episode-132-the-best-buildings-in-games-special
💬 Join the RPS Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
🛒 Buy some RPS merch: teespring.com/en-GB/stores/rockpapershotgun
Protect your glowing red weak spot, reader, because this week the Electronic Wireless show podcast is on the hunt for the best bosses in games. we're actually fairly sure we've done this topic at least once before, but let's do it again!
This does actually result in some fairly sensible dicussion of bosses and what we think of them as a concept, which I know will come as a great surprise to you all. We were surprised our own selves. There is, however, a lengthy discussion on the 2010 film Wolfman, and an anecdote about pizza from Matthew. We shall circle back to his opinions on cured meats, never you fear.
🌐 Read the show notes: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-electronic-wireless-show-podcast-episode-131-the-best-bosses-in-games-special
💬 Join the RPS Discord: https://discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
🛒 Buy some RPS merch: https://teespring.com/en-GB/stores/rockpapershotgun
You've heard of loving to hate something? Well, this week the Electronic Wireless Show podcast is talking about things we hate to hate. It's the games that we know are good, and really wished we enjoyed... but just don't. Some controversial picks here, I'm sure.
The most significant digression this week is how Matthew is a serial killer who makes his victims into chocolate-coated mannequins, which runs throughout the whole episode. And how many sharks would Aloy from Horizon Zero Dawn strangle at the London aquarium? Probably a lot.
Full show notes: www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-electronic-wireless-show-podcast-episode-130-the-best-least-favourite-games-special Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
Once again stealing a concept from a post by Alice0, this week we the Electronic Wireless Show podcast straps on waders to discuss our favourite sewer levels in games. We start off by talking about the sewers in Vampire - The Masquerade: Bloodlines, which we do not think are good sewers. There is also a brief debate about whether the canal level early on in Half-Life 2 counts as a sewer - at the very least, it has some grim pipes.
Come for the municipal waste discussion and stay for the extended chat about sharks, the embarrassing email mishap I had this week, and a very special Cavern Of Waste Management.
Full show notes: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-electronic-wireless-show-podcast-episode-129-the-best-sewers-in-games-special
Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
This week on the Electronic Wireless Show podcast, we buy in to that corporate lifestyle by talking about our favourite fictional brands in video games. We talk about some absolute classics. Mmm, why I could go for a delicious glass of Nuka Cola right now!
We have plenty of digressions this week as well, including a big thing about the whole beans on Weetabix thing, and giving Matthew a roasting because he says he doesn't like food that "glistens". Absolute nonsense.
Full show notes: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-electronic-wireless-show-podcast-episode-128-the-best-fictional-brands-in-games-special
Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
This week the Electronic Wireless Show podcast has been inspired by a post wot Graham did asking what the most underrated game is. We have ignored all the comments underneath and are going our own way. Alice, predictably, is the BioWare apologist, while Matthew and Nate bring some surprising nominations to the table. Also some Egypt.
Full show notes: www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-electronic-wireless-show-podcast-episode-127-the-most-underrated-games-special
Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
Here at the Electronic Wireless Show podcast, we believe in magic because, as regular listeners will know, we are all lighthearted, cheery souls, with nary a curmudgeon who bangs on aquarium walls to be seen.
At least, we believe in magic in video games, and that's the topic of this week's episode. We may have already done this one, I'll be honest, but I don't remember it, so no harm, no foul. Digressions include a whole thing about whether a lever counts as 'technology' (it does not) and what it is like to get a blood transfusion. Plus, there is a magical Cavern Of Lies provided by Matthew - one of the most funnest yet.
Full show notes: www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-electronic-wireless-show-podcast-episode-126-the-best-magics-in-games-special-2
Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
Welcome once again, gentle listener, to the Electronic Wireless Show podcast. This week's episode demands that you tread carefully and quietly, in case you disturb Nate, or awaken the Ken Loach he has trapped in a shipping container in his garden, for we are discussing the best sneakings in games. Our favourite stealthy-me-dos.
We also bring you a long tangent about Zoos, a brief discussion on the wonderful lack of complexity in the baddies in Indiana Jones, and a lot of anger at Matthew because he likes banging on the glass at aquariums because he is a monster. Nate threatens to bury him in the desert. Also, there's all the aforementioned Ken Loach stuff, which goes on a long time. Plus, I bring you a Cavern of Lies that becomes, alas, a Cavern of Sadness.
Full show notes: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2021/01/21/the-electronic-wireless-show-podcast-episode-125-the-best-sneakings-in-games-special
Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
Excuse me do you have the directions to a good podcast episode? Actually, I don't know why I'm asking: here at the Electronic Wireless Show we practically wrote the map. Ahahaha. Yes, episode 124 is all about the best maps in games, which means it is mostly an excuse to talk about Hitman. Nate enthuses mightily about Red Dead Redemption 2, and I get a word in for Ubisoft, specifically how the Assassin's Creed games prove that Ubi are good at maps, actually.
Apart from that, we don't actually go on too many tangents, although we talk about swearing for a bit. Matthew also does a lovely Cavern Of Lies on hidden Easter eggs on game maps.
Full show notes: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2021/01/14/the-electronic-wireless-show-podcast-episode-124-the-best-maps-in-games-special
Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
It's the new year! And, like everyone else, as the first weeks of January creak by, we turn our thoughts to Sir Anthony Hopkins, two versions of whom join us on this week's Electronic Wireless Show. Pick your favourite Hopkins in the comments. The Anthonies' surprise appearance was precipitated by this week's theme, via listener Malcolm, who emailed in with the suggestion 'best whales'. Because we thought there might not be enough whales in games, we also added Wales (the country) and a special wails (the sound) Cavern Of Lies.
Tangents this week include, fairly obviously, whaling and what whales might taste like, what role Matthew would have in a whaling operation, and events we have attended where actors have been dressed as video game characters. Also: Matthew reaffirms he didn't eat any fruit as part of his main Christmas meal.
Full show notes: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2021/01/07/the-electronic-wireless-show-podcast-episode-123-the-whales-wales-wails-special
Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
The RPS podcast network (comprising this podcast and The PC Gaming Weekspot) didn't want to leave you bereft over the break, so we've got a little Christmas Eve treatette for you, stuffed right down in your filthy stocking. Yes, it's a mini podcast - by which I mean about 40 minutes, which is actually quite maxi - where we just have a little chat about what games we'll be playing over Christmas, and some of our Christmas traditions.
Full show notes: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/12/24/the-electronic-wireless-show-podcast-the-christmas-2020-specialette
Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
Welcome, gentle listener, to the 2020 Electronic Wireless Show game awards special! No, not an entire show like Geoff Keighley's cavalcade of trailers (and some awards sometimes), but a bumper episode where we make up our own award categories, and then give them to the deserving games of 2020.
These include The Ronseal Award for doing what it says on the tin (podcast not actually sponsored by Ronseal, so it does sort of feel we're missing a trick here) and the Very Tiny Men award for tiniest men.
Full show notes: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/12/17/electronic-wireless-show-podcast-episode-121-the-2020-awards-special/
Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
This week sees the triumphant return of Nate - or should I say The Electricity Cop, as this episode of the Electronic Wireless Show podcast goes down to Cyberpunk 2077 town.
Matthew has played 70 hours of that game that everyone is talking about, so we ask him 20 questions about it (or, well, like, ten-ish, probably). These range from "what games is it most comparable to?" to "what about the performance issues?" and also "have you been watching The Mandalorian?"
Plus, we get the thrilling conclusion to Matthew's ConeGate aka Game Of Cones aka the Conetto Trilogy, and a Cavern Of Lies that has to be heard to be believed.
Full show notes: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/12/10/podcast-episode-120-the-cyberpunk-special
Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
Today we hit the yearly milestone of deciding it was finally cold enough to turn the heating on. You hold out as long as you can, obviously. Not made of money. Perhaps we could have lasted longer if we'd had very fashionable coats made out of the skin of a rare bat monster, such as you can hunt and kill in Monster Hunter: World.
Yes, from this thrilling segue you'll now be aware that this week's episode of The Electronic Wireless Show is all about fashion in games. We talk about Dark Souls, we talk about Hitman, we talk about Fable. All the hits! Since Nate is regrettably still bust, it was just me and Matthew again, but we fill the time by discussing peacocks. Plus! The second instalment in the ConeGate Conspiracy. Will Matthew be able to secure a parking space? Will the scaffolding go up okay? Catch up today, and stay tuned for a further update next week.
Full show notes: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/11/26/podcast-episode-119-the-fashion-in-games-special
Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
I don't want anyone to be disappointed, but Nate is away this week so you've got an Alice 'n' Matthew special, since I couldn't draft in a third body in time. Nevertheless, this week we had a grand old time, albeit one with less chat about animals. In fact, we manage to talk about games quite a lot! Historically speaking, JRPGs didn't often come to PC, but the times, they are a changin', so we have plenty to chat about.
There aren't none diversions. We talk quite a lot about scaffolding, for example. Don't forget to tune in to the Five Nights At Freddy's Book Club spin-off podcast.
Full show notes: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/11/19/podcast-episode-118-the-best-jrpgs-special
Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
This week, dear listeners, we urge you to think small, as we take a look at our favourite little details in games that don't need to be there, and yet are. The strange Easter eggs, the loving little inclusions, the proverbial mint popped on the digipillow of your entertainment. Matthew talks about Red Dead Redemption 2, obviously, the big mass entertainment-liker.
Diversions this week include the fact that Nate imagines game characters are whatever size they appear on his screen, conspiracy theories about Avril Lavigne, and a five minute extended series of in-jokes that will sort the TRUFANS of EWS, the Shergar's Heart Squad, from the fake haters.
Full show notes: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/11/12/podcast-episode-117-the-best-small-details-in-games-special/
Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
Welcome again, dear listener, to the Electronic Wireless Show, the best and most solidly on-topic PC gaming podcast the world has ever seen. This week, we invite you to be our guest, take a seat at our dinner table, and prepare for a hearty helping of chat. About food. Because this week the topic is all the best food in games, you see. I hope I laboured that point enough.
We cover all manner of games, with only a brief mention of Skyrim, and a more extended chat about Final Fantasy XV and Monster Hunter. But to be honest we spend most of our time talking about actual food. Conversational diversions this week include how dead bodies are transported around cruise ships, and our death row meals. Death comes up a lot, actually. It gets kind of dark. But in a fun way!
Full show notes: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/11/05/podcast-episode-116-the-best-food-in-games-special
Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
After the rip-roaring success that was last week's episode of The Electronic Wireless Show, where we talked about autumnal games and Matthew and Alice almost came to blows, this week's podcast is a sequel. Yes, this week we are discussing our favourite wintery games.
There is, obviously, a discussion about what constitutes 'wintery', because Alice thinks a game being snowy isn't enough. Surprisingly, it is Nate who tries to keep on theme this week, and Alice that goes off on upsetting tangents. Wonders never cease!
We also spend some time discussing Skyrim, i.e. whether it is on or off the wintery table. Tangents include the Vic Mignona lawsuit and Matthew becoming the sort of person who hangs out by canals. Also, thank you to listener Kitku, who sent us a very nice email telling us how great we are.
Full show notes: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/10/29/podcast-episode-115-the-wintery-games-special
Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
I won't lie to you listener, the ratio of games to not-games chat on this week's episode of the Electronic Wireless Show is pretty... it's pretty low. This may be the least amount of games chat we've ever done. Nevertheless: here is a podcast. This time it is about autumnal games - not games about the season, but games that are cosy, that are good to play when the evenings are drawing in and wish you had a log fire to sit in front of.
Although perhaps not, because on one of many tangents Nate describes how one time a pigeon wrapped in a binbag fell down the chimney in his childhood home. So. Other topics not related to games include hyperforeignisms and what member of a family is, psychologically and emotionally speaking, representative of the concept of autumn. There is also a very tense Cavern Of Lies, where Matthew does impressions of Baldur's Gate characters (only slightly undercutting the tension). Reminder: Matthew is, incredibly, not a professional voice actor.
Full show notes: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/10/22/podcast-episode-114-the-autumnal-games-special
Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
Yesterday, Nate observed that he is increasingly becoming a single issue voter and that single issue is "beasts". This week, therefore, the podcast is about the best dinosaur games. There is, of course, some haggling over what constitutes a dinosaur (does it include all birds and some robots?).
Expect a lot of discussion of various incarnations of Jurassic Park, as you might expect. There is also a long tangent at the start about toilets because Matthew signed in to the recording as 'Toilet Lawyer', which is probably less expected, and a pretty credible impression of the Queen from Nate. Nate also recommends a bunch of early access or indie games that will be of interest to dinofans, although one of them is "I can't remember what it's called."
Full show notes: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/10/15/podcast-episode-113-the-dinosaurs-special
Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
Alice Bee is back from holiday in time for a massive CRPG to enter early access, so this episode is supposedly about our favourite companions in games, but it's really mostly about Baldur's Gate III, Larian's massive new Dungeons & Dragons-themed, reawakening-a-classic fantasy game. She and Matthew have both played a bit of it (Matthew a lot more than her), but we have a chinwag about it and the characters in it nonetheless.
We do also get to chatting about our actual favourite companions from other games, though. There are mentions for some old reliables that I bet some of you already knew were going to come up, as well as some surprise entries from new up and comers. We like to keep things fresh here at the Electronic Wireless Show. Just don't hit your head on all the digressions, or in this week's Cavern Of Lies, which is a lil' D&D treat.
Full show notes: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/10/08/podcast-episode-112-the-excuse-to-talk-about-baldurs-gate-3-special
Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
Alice is on holiday, which means it falls to Graham to lead Nate and Matthew in cheerful conversation. Unfortunately I've been playing a lot of Spelunky 2 over the past two weeks, which means all our cheery conversation in this week's Electronic Wireless Show is about death. We talk about our favourite deaths in videogames, whether they be the systems-driven demise of a Crusader Kings king or a shooter protagonist permanently snuffed out by a scripted sequence.
We also talk about the end of swarms, Matthew's strange theories about What Remains Of Edith Finch and Call Of Duty, spoil the first season of The Walking Dead, and a lot more.
Find full show notes here: http://rockpapershotgun.com/2020/10/01/podcast-episode-111-the-death-special
In a change of pace for the Electronic Wireless Show this week, Nate is on holiday and we're joined by special guest VidBud Colm Ahern to discuss our favourite special powers from video games. The title is actually a misnomer, because I immediately go on to say that really we're talking about weird or supernatural special powers, not super powers like wot The Avengers have. An example, that we talk about at in fact, is Max's power to rewind time in Life Is Strange.
Our diversions this week are less likely to involve the term "bumeggs", but we do spend ages talking about whether or not a character in Resident Evil 7 has a beehive for a bum or not. Also, it turns out that we mostly want special abilities that facilitate the acquisition and consumption of food. We did record this around lunchtime, in fairness.
To make things more confusing, the Cavern Of Lies this week is superhero themed, specifically around 2002 strategy game Freedom Force.
Full show notes: www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/09/03/p…-ins-special
Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
As you all know, we here at The Rock Paper Shotgun Electronic Wireless Show podcast love to innovate and do things that nobody has ever done before. That’s why we did a live podcast episode! I know, I know. This has never been attempted by god nor human. But hold your applause and gasps of wonder until you’re listening to The RPS Electronic Show Live – The Living A Normal Life Special, part of EGX Digital!
The theme, living a normal life, is partly so we could make a terrible pun that doesn’t quite work on live/life, but partly because in 2020 normal life seems a dream, beyond the reach of our grasp. Not if you have games, though! So, in this episode, we chat about the games that let us simulate a life, be that a tiny but more attractive version of your own in The Sims, or one where you are a cruel and capricious god in Black & White.
Full show notes: www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/09/03/p…-ins-special
Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
This week the podcast moves out of Nate's dad wheelhouse and into Matthew's film wheelhouse. It's a bumper and bumpy ride this week, as we discuss video game adaptations of them there Hollywood talkies! This does end up involving quite a lot of Star Wars chat, because there are so many Star Wars games. Tangents this week include Nate going on about Gimli a lot, the terrible Mothers' Day present Matthew nearly got for his mum, and what film series LEGO should tackle next (spoilers: it is the work of Lars von Trier).
Full show notes: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/09/03/podcast-episode-108-the-movie-tie-ins-special
Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
This week the podcast truly is the daddy of all podcasts, as we decide to talk all things dad in games. This, of course, means we must first establish what a dad game is. Are we talking about games that dads will like or games about dads? And what is the crossover between the two?
Full show notes: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/08/27/podcast-episode-107-the-dad-games-special
Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
This week we have an extra special treat for you! It does mean we don't talk about PC games at all, though. Well, we do, but we talk about fake ones that we've made up. Today we're joined by special guests Meg from EGX and ReedPop video producer Dean to for an actual play of our new free tabletop RPG, EGX Rezzed The RPG!
EGX Rezzed The RPG was written by Grant Howitt, of Rowan, Rook and Decard, and our own Nate Crowley. It is a madcap dungeon crawl adventure through the Tobacco Dock, and it's free for you to download and play right here: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/08/20/we-miss-rezzed-so-much-that-we-turned-it-into-a-free-tabletop-rpg/
Full show notes: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/08/20/podcast-episode-106-the-rezzed-tabletop-rpg-special
Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
Ave, citizens! Rome wasn't built in a day, but this podcast was built in a few hours, so you tell me which is better? This week, we're doing a Romans special. We talk about the games Romans appear in, the way they're portrayed, and the difference between Romans on console vs on PC. Also we talk a lot about the Pope, and ask the important question: what does a wolf's milk taste like?
Full show notes: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/08/13/podcast-episode-105-the-romans-in-video-games-special
Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
This week's Electronic Wireless Show is a bit quick and dirty - like a spiced pork meat snack. We loved talking about baddies so much last time that we've done a bit of a lateral move, and have each brought our favourite 'bad' game to the pod-table. Because secretly, all games are good.
As ever, there is a healthy dose of chat along with our game talk. Nate's watery menagerie is multiplying at an alarming pace because all the animals are having sex, and he is also eating a lot of #BigOats, and basically Matthew and I want to talk about detectives again. Plus: weird old school adverts, KFC, and the return of the return of the Five Nights At Freddy's Book Club!
Full show notes: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/08/06/podcast-episode-104-mr-animal-peperami
Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
This week the podcast talks bad, meaning good, and if we say a villain is bad then we mean they are not good, but bad. Make sense? Of course it does! Yes, we're talking about some of our favourite villains in PC gaming. Some interesting topics come up, including the utility of different kinds of villain, what kinds of villain are good, and whether Dr Eggman is a sad, sad boy.
Full show notes: www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/07/30/podcast-the-worst-villains-ever-by-which-we-mean-best
Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
This week the Electronic Wireless Show celebrates the 7/10 game. Yes, we know RPS doesn’t have scores but the 7/10 is as much a feeling or a way of life. It’s those games that are a bit jank at the same time as being a bit genius, the ones that you love even though they’re a bit rough around the edges. Plus: more fish anecdotes, and how the TV show Friends could have been improved (the answer isn’t “delete Ross”, sadly).
Full show notes: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/07/23/podcast-heres-to-the-glorious-7s/
Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
We're back! This week, we've reverted to a more traditional gaming podcast format by spending the first five to ten minutes talking about 90s kids' TV shows we watched. Did you miss us?? Remarkably, we do also talk about some video games, to whit: Halo 3 and Death stranding, which are two big beasty release from this week that VidBud Matthew and Nate have been playing. Unfortunately I, Alice, haven't been playing anything new, but is able to provide input - as well as sound effects! Yes, this week also sees the return of the much loved soundboard. Ooh la la!
Full show notes: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/07/16/podcast-chiefing-death-a-pun/
Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
Rock Paper Shotgun doesn't do scores - until today! For a very special episode 100 of the Electronic Wireless Show, we've decided to finally ditch coherent critical analysis in favour of the comforting certainty of math(s). Over the course of the episode, Matthew, Nate and special guest host Graham (hi) assign numerical scores to 100 games, and then average out the results to deliver a single, definitive score for the entirety of PC gaming.
Full show notes: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/06/26/podcast-episode-100/
Discord: https://discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
This week we’re being vaguely topical! Imagine that. Today, because we’ve come through what we might call phase one of the not-E3 livestreams (with phase 2 being Thursday's EA stream and the underway Steam Game Festival) we decided to behave like proper games journalists. We pick out some favourites and standouts from the Guerrilla Collective streams and the PC Gaming show – links to the complete roundups of every trailer and announcement can be found in the show notes.
Discord: https://discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
Full show notes: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/06/18/podcast-not-e3-best-bits/
This week we got an email from listener Tom from Melbourne, who suggested that it would be fun for us to talk about the scariest games we've all played. Would it, Tom? WOULD IT? What sort of pervs enjoy being afraid? Well, many people, obviously, so we thought Tom's suggestion was a good one. A lot of games come up, from The Evil Within to Soma to Chronicles Of Riddick.
Talk about this episode on our Discord: https://discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
Read the full show notes here: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/06/13/podcast-june-halloween-special/
Remember when podcasts weren’t even a thing? Us neither. This week, you can join us in an ouroboros of podcasting where we, on a podcast about games, talk about games that we play whilst listening to podcasts. Come, stand betwixt these two mirrors with us!
Discord: https://discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
Show notes: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/06/05/podcast-games-to-play-while-you-listen-to-podcasts
The big physical summer expos all got cancelled, but instead we have a whole load of great digi-vents to replace them. Looking at the schedule, it seems the Summer Of Games is going on until approximately next January. We’re in a bit of a hopeful mood for this week’s podcast, so the gang discuss their most anticipated upcoming releases, as well as their most anticipated and/or hoped for reveals that might come from the 2020 digital events.
Discuss this episode on our Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
Links:
Desperados III has a nice big trailer: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/05/20/desperados-3-gets-a-lengthy-gameplay-trailer-before-launch-next-month/
You can play a demo of Desperados III right this hot second: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/05/27/play-demos-for-desperados-3-and-system-shock-right-now-via-gog/
Iron Harvest had a multiplayer alpha last year: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/12/19/iron-harvest-preorder-alpha-released/
Alice is already well excited for Valhalla, and has been doing lots of speculation: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/04/30/7-things-i-demand-from-assassins-creed-valhalla/
Here are some sober facts about AC Valhalla: everything we know and all the release dates: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/05/19/assassins-creed-valhalla-release-date-gameplay-and-trailers-4/
Likewise, here’s everything we know about the cyberbants of Cyberpunk 2077: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/08/13/cyberpunk-2077-release-date-trailer-news-and-gameplay/
Nate is extremely excited for Horizon Zero Dawn to come to PC: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/01/17/5-reasons-im-desperate-for-horizon-zero-dawn-on-pc/
Here’s a preview of XCOM-but-gangsters game Empire Of Sin: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/09/09/empire-of-sin-is-looking-so-good-enough-it-should-be-illegal/
Here’s a preview of nice game about death Spiritfarer: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/07/08/spiritfarer-is-about-death-but-its-how-it-treats-life-that-makes-it-unusual/
Microsoft closed Lionhead Studios: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/04/29/lionhead-studios-closed/
Apple bought the company which made Kinect's 3D sensor: https://www.theverge.com/2013/11/24/5141416/apple-confirms-primesense-acquisition
Age Of Empires IV has a trailer and not much else: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/11/14/age-of-empires-4-trailer-shows-off-its-medieval-setting/
Everything we know about Humankind, the challenger to Civ’s throne: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/08/27/humankind-release-date-trailer-gameplay-everything-we-know-about-amplitudes-new-4x-magnum-opus-2/
Bloodlines 2 release a very, very good new trailer: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/05/07/this-vampire-the-masquerade-bloodlines-2-trailer-has-come-to-dance/
One of our excellent videos on Baldur’s Gate 3, on 15 features you didn’t see in the public demo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0mdQF92N_w
Dragon Age 4 teases dragons, won’t be out for ages: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/12/07/dragon-age-4-teaser-trailer/
Nate’s Dwarf Fortress Basement Of Curiosity: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/tag/the-basement-of-curiosity/
A peek at Dwarf Fortress’s non-ASCII look: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/03/27/heres-a-preview-of-dwarf-fortress-texture-overhaul/
This week Matthew recommends The Borrowed by Chan Ho-Kei: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30119105-the-borrowed
Nate corruptly recommends his own book: https://twitter.com/FrogCroakley/status/1265306814150848512
And Alice recommends making your own pizza: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/no-yeast-pizza-dough
Technically it should be happy birthday to The Witcher 3, but it’s always better to put a face to an event, don’t you think? Yes, this week we all celebrated the fifth anniversary of CD Projekt’s most favoured baby (until later this year, at least). Join Alice Bee, VidBud Matthew and Nate as they discuss how Geralt would do on Come Dine With Me, if he’d be alright to have a pint with, and also maybe the game itself a bit.
Discuss this episode on our Discord: https://discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
Links:
The Witcher 3 is going cheap for the next couple of weeks, if you don't have it yet: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/05/19/the-witcher-sales-on-steam-and-gog/
Nate is fairly certain he knows the plot of The Witcher 3 now: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/05/19/i-am-fairly-certain-this-is-the-plot-of-the-witcher-3/
Alice likes The Witcher 3 more if she ignores almost all of The Witcher 3: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/05/19/the-witcher-3-is-most-fun-if-you-ignore-almost-all-of-the-witcher-3/
Matt enjoyed the Blood And Wine DLC almost as much as Matthew: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/05/19/the-witcher-3s-blood-and-wine-dlc-puts-geralt-where-he-truly-belongs/
Our original review from all those years ago: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2015/05/29/the-witcher-3-review-pc/
And the review for Blood And Wine, which Matthew says is the best DLC for anything ever: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/05/25/the-witcher-3-blood-and-wine-review/
The best thing that has ever happened on television happened on Come Dine With Me: https://www.joe.ie/movies-tv/scene-by-scene-come-dine-with-me-658079
This week Alice recommends The Last Dance documentary: https://www.netflix.com/title/80203144
Matthew recommends the ultraviolence of Gangs Of London: https://www.sky.com/watch/gangs-of-london
And Nate recommends putting Bovril over your roast potatoes just before you take them out of the oven: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bovril
Get these links and more on the RPS site: https://wp.me/pkbbD-3vot
We’ve been away from podcasting for a while, ever since Bungus Humongous (who used to record and edit it) fell off his skateboard and exploded into a pile of coins. But now we’re back! And because we all need a chat with mates at this difficult time, we’re just having a nice chat about the games we’re playing every week. This time: Gears Tactics vs. XCOM Chimera Squad, and family bonding in Sea Of Thieves. Plus: the best way to store a body in a freezer chest, the secret to delicious veggie mince, and the best Scampi merch.
Discuss this episode on our Discord: https://discord.gg/rockpapershotgun
Links:
Nate's Gears Tactics review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/04/27/gears-tactics-review/
Ways gears tactics will appeal to Gears fans as well as XCOM fans: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/04/02/gears-tactics-will-appeal-to-xcom-fans-and-classic-gears-of-war-fans-alike/
Matthew's video review of Gears Tactics: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaOPS7L882c
XCOM: Chimera Squad's surprise announcement: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/04/14/theres-a-brand-new-xcom-spin-off-coming-out-next-week/
Matt (Cox)'s Chimera Squad review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/04/23/xcom-chimera-squad-review/
Firaxis talking about taking XCOM in a new direction: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/04/24/firaxis-on-taking-xcom-in-a-new-direction-with-xcom-chimera-squad/
VidBud Colm's Chimera Squad video review: https://youtu.be/ELjfi0KlwR4
The VidBuds' Sea Of Thieves Stream: https://youtu.be/g8TmL28f1xU
Sea Of Theives' original review, back in 2018: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/03/23/sea-of-thieves-review-pc/
Sea Of Thieves' most recent update (feat. cats): https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/04/22/recruit-a-kitty-as-your-first-mate-in-sea-of-thieves-ships-of-fortune-update-today/
Wilmot's Warehouse is a good game about sorting boxes. Alice B likes to pile beautiful sunsets on top of one another. Brendan likes to store dangerous buttons next to the nuclear missiles. And I can't remember what boxes Nate likes. Probably eggs.
Links:
We can't stop playing Wilmot's Warehouse: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/09/09/cant-stop-playing-wilmots-warehouse/
Nate's Wilmot's Warehouse review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/09/11/wilmots-warehouse-review/
The posters of the warehouse: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/09/12/wilmots-warehouses-motivational-posters-are-a-deadpan-anti-reward/
It's a language game, says Philosophy Matt: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/09/04/wilmots-warehouse-is-a-language-game-please-discuss/
The timelapses are cool: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/09/02/timelapses-in-wilmots-warehouse-are-supremely-satisfying/
Wasteland Baby by Hozier: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSye8OO5TkM&list=PL9tY0BWXOZFtpgUO2E_VBDIMKrNZuLU5f
The Mind Explained is on Netflix and YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SzZTTHbj-8
F***ing rawwwwwwww: https://youtu.be/id-M2S5JyC8?t=6
Welcome back, brine fans. Our pen and paper RPG podcast is continuing its salty journey to the top of the pod charts with its fantasy tales of bravery and fishmongering. This week, the gang find themselves waking up in the cavernous city-state of Snarlgrove, nursing some terrible hangovers.
Can Nate, Astrid and Alice B uncover the events of their previous night in the settlement? Or did they get so blackout wasted that it's impossible to tell? As usual, the only way to find out is to listen along.
We're talking about families in games this week. Brendan likes the Mishima family from Tekken, who throw each other into volcanoes. Sin prefers the simple life of the Sims, and Matthew enjoys the magical tales of the Finch family in What Remains of Edith Finch.
We've also been playing stuff. Children of Morta continues the family theme with some dungeon crawling. Gears 5 has some mother-daughter tension as well. And Ghost Recon Breakpoint ... well, I guess a special ops squad is like a family?
Links:
The Sims 4 new mermaid DLC: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/06/21/the-sims-4-island-living-expansion-released/
What Remains of Edith Finch is good: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/04/24/what-remains-of-edith-finch-review/
The Mishima family is complicated: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozjp_TcB2EA
Hong and Kong: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-49603717
Alice B liked A Plague Tale: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/05/13/a-plague-tale-innocence-review/
Sin's review of Children Of Morta: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/09/05/children-of-morta-review/
Valhalla is a cyberpunk bartending game: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/06/21/va-11-hall-a-review/
Matthew's Gears 5 review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/09/04/gears-5-pc-review/
Matt and Brendy played some Ghost Recon Breakpoint: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/09/05/the-first-couple-of-hours-with-ghost-recon-breakpoints-beta/
Money Heist is on Netflix: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvCdLmxnkj0
Green Leaf is on Netflix too I think: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVIgWhOrWes
Skateboard Bruh delivers Uber Eats on a skateboard: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvcuEHa4BIo
Gamescom is over and the team have returned. Well, only one survivor has made it back to the podcast room - Alice B, who is here to tell us about Atomicrops, Empire of Sin, The Longing, and a whole lot more! Brendan, meanwhile has been monkeying around at home in Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey.
Links:
All our Gamescom 2019 coverage: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/tag/gamescom-2019/
Angela Merkel is unwell: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jul/11/angela-merkel-sits-anthems-after-latest-shaking-episode
The Longing is a 400-day game: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/game/the-longing/
The Eternal Cylinder looks wonderfully strange: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/08/16/the-endless-cylinder-launching-in-2020/
Seed is an ambitious MMO city builder: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/08/30/the-games-chasing-eves-vision-of-a-single-shard-mmo/
In Empire of Sin your gangsters can become serial killers: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/06/18/empire-of-sin-preview-e3-2019/
Spiritfarer is about ferrying souls to the afterlife: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/06/15/spiritfarer-looks-like-utterly-magical-heartbreak/
The Bloodlines 2 demo can be violent or talky: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/08/22/spend-30-minutes-in-the-company-of-vampire-the-masquerade-bloodlines-2/
The Settlers is being rebooted: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/08/22/new-settlers-game-due-autumn-2019/
Humankind is a new upcoming 4X game: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/08/19/amplitude-studios-announce-humankind/
Kine is a puzzler about musical instruments: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/09/26/kine-is-a-beautiful-musical-puzzle-game-to-watch-out-for/
Atomicrops is like a twin-stick Stardew Valley: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/08/28/atomicrops-hands-on-the-twinstick-stardew-valley-game-you-didnt-know-you-wanted/
Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey is not a great ape: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/08/26/ancestors-review/
Magnum's Cookie and Cream: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kB_OV9SBiw
Sorry to Bother You is a surreal comedy and very good: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5688932/
Gamescom is next week, and it will see a few of the RPS treehousers zipping off to Cologne. In this pod, they prepare themselves for the mission ahead. Thumbs at the ready, maggots.
Alice is looking forward to playing some Watch Dogs Legion, and seeing how much Laaaaahndaaaan they can fit into their game. Matthew is eager to see the Cyberpunk 2077 demo that was shown at E3, to see what’s what.
Links:
Matthew and Brendan played Mount and Blade 2 at Gamescom last year: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ByrC0GoQrE&
Matt played Watch Dogs: Legion at E3: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/06/14/watch-dogs-legion-does-a-good-lahndan-but-the-npcs-left-me-cold/
Desperadoes 3 looks interesting: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/08/21/desperados-3-announced/
Matt had problems with Cyberpunk 2077’s latest demo: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/06/12/cyberpunk-2077s-e3-demo-has-weak-gunplay-and-unimaginative-stereotypes/
The Longing is a 400-day game: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/04/24/the-best-games-from-a-maze-festival-in-berlin/
Alice’s Ritual of the Moon diary: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/04/12/ritual-of-the-moon-diary-day-one/
Empire of Sin is all about them gangsters: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/06/18/empire-of-sin-preview-e3-2019/
Steve Coogan gets off driving ban: https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2019/aug/13/alan-partridge-saves-steve-coogan-from-lengthy-driving-ban
Brendan’s Dicey Dungeons review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/08/13/dicey-dungeons-review/
Horace is a platformer about a sad robot: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESmao3XvT2E
The Lehman Trilogy is good: https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2018/jul/13/the-lehman-trilogy-review-lyttelton-sam-mendes
Midsummer Nights Dream has her from Game of Thrones: https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2019/jun/11/a-midsummer-nights-dream-review-bridge-theatre-london-gwendoline-christie-nicholas-hytner
Kurzgesagt is doing a series about ants: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_e0CA_nhaE
Streets Of Rogue is a tiny immersive sim full of angry gorillas. We can’t stop playing it. This week, the pod squad are gathering to chat about why they think it’s so good. But also choose their favourite characters, from a drug-addicted investment banker to a tiny naked body snatcher.
Also, it’s Astrid’s first appearance! Well, her first time on the main pod, anyway. Plus, a special patch notes quiz!
Links:
Astrid is our new video person: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/07/17/welcome-astrid-johnson-the-newest-member-of-rps-video/
We can’t stop playing Streets Of Rogue: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/08/02/august-cant-stop-playing-streets-of-rogue/
Brendan’s Streets Of Rogue review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/07/19/streets-of-rogue-review/
The moment Nate swore to play Final Fantasy: https://youtu.be/qIu_e75a6qs?t=2361
Man and mantis can be friends: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0_NtUhOw_g
Idles are the band that Astrid likes: https://www.youtube.com/user/Idlesband
Follow Tony Hawk on Twitter, he’s good: https://twitter.com/tonyhawk
This week: the best cities in games. Alice B reckons the streets of Dishonored's Dunwall are perfectly safe. Brendan likes the upside-down buildings of the Hanging City from Outer Wilds. Meanwhile, Dave appreciates the big lights and fist fights of Kamurocho in Yakuza 0.
We also talk about taxi murder-mystery game Night Call, the roguelike spaceship stormer Void Bastards, and another chaotic city in Streets of Rogue.
Links:
Everyday life in Yakuza’s Kamurocho: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/08/14/gallery-everyday-life-on-the-streets-of-yakuza-0/
The cat cafe is in Yakuza 6: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsuUSUsvRuE
Outer Wilds is good, have you played it yet? Hurry up: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/05/29/outer-wilds-review/
A landscape designer inspects the gardens of Dunwall: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/03/02/dishonored-garden-design/
Matt’s Resident Evil 2 review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/01/22/resident-evil-2-review/
New York is cool in the Division: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/03/15/the-division-pc-review/
Have you played… Else Heart Break? https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/02/20/have-you-played-else-heart-break/
Alice’s Night Call review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/07/17/night-call-review/
Graham’s review of Void Bastards: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/05/30/void-bastards-review/
Have you played… Streets of Rogue? https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/01/12/have-you-played-streets-of-rogue/
Derry Girls is on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/80238565
Fleabag is on BBC: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5687612/
The rise and fall of the English sentence: http://nautil.us/issue/54/the-unspoken/the-rise-and-fall-of-the-english-sentence
Our reader’s favourite cities (Facebook): https://www.facebook.com/rockpapershot/posts/2296969467055908
Our reader’s favourite cities (Twitter): https://twitter.com/kyotocosmology/status/1151102507738980357
Horses, that’s this week’s topic. Big galloping buddies full of teeth and flies. Alice B likes the creepy horse from Kingdom Come Deliverance, who appears behind you like a tall ghost. Brendan likes Argo from Shadow of the Colossus, even though it’s NOT ON PC YOU IDIOT. And Sin Vega joins us for the first time to sing the praises of the woman who runs around like a horse in real life. Which is ALSO NOT A PC GAME. Honestly, gang, you have one job.
Links:
Sin Vega is our new staff writer: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/07/03/welcome-sin-vega-rpss-newest-staff-writer/
Unknown Pleasures is Sin’s regular column: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/tag/unknown-pleasures/
Woman who can gallop like a horse: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvhlWbnl_qM
Ostwind is the game about the 13-year-old with a horse and a crossbow: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/08/03/best-new-steam-games-august-2017/
The battle nug from Dragon Age: Inquisition: https://youtu.be/VoQY0j4SkY4?t=31
The bog unicorn: https://youtu.be/_ZeD1uyhlco?t=81
Have you played… Horse Master? https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/06/12/have-you-played-horse-master/
Sin’s Chinese Parents review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/07/11/chinese-parents-review/
The Miami Showband Massacre on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/TITLE/80191046
Who Fears Death by Nnedi Okorafor: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7767021-who-fears-death
The Mastermind by Evan Ratliff: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41181600-the-mastermind
Oh no. This week we're forcing game characters into romantic couples. It's the shipping forecast. Alice L reckons Chell from Portal and Lara Croft would make a good couple, raiding tombs together. Brendan disagrees, putting Lara into a doomed relationship with Adam Jensen from Deus Ex. And Nate thinks the Stardew Valley protagonist would have a four-month affair with the engineer from Factorio.
We’ve also been playing stuff. Brendan is clawing through rubbish bins in Pathologic 2. Alice L is enjoying the waves of The Sims 4: Island Living. And Nate has been off to the Baltic in both real life and in Crusader Kings 2. Nice.
Links:
Dance, Voldo, Dance: https://youtu.be/XNGjSll2_Uc
No, they still make Matchmakers: https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/search?query=matchmakers
Alice L flipping out in The Sims 4 Island Living: https://youtu.be/6NPSlsSUGyc
Our Battlefleet Gothic Armada II review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/01/24/battlefleet-gothic-armada-2-review/
Pathologic 2’s spooky train summoning: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/05/24/pathologic-2-train-summoning/
The spooky Twitter video that scared Alice L: https://twitter.com/angelachavezz/status/1146116162305970176
The Vocal Coach videos Alice L likes on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CDCOdZKTU8
The Ants Man wot Nate likes, keeping them as pets: https://youtu.be/UUCoajYwo8s
The Fixer by Barnard Malamud, just to remind you life is bad: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3066.The_Fixer
E3 2019 is finished! More importantly, we have almost recovered from E3 2019. To celebrate their convalescence, Alice B and Matt piled into the podcast studio for a 40-minute post-show chat about their favourite games from the show, their thoughts on the many E3 press conferences, and why it's all a bit cult-like, really.
Games discussed: Ubisoft's roller derby-derived future sport Roller Champions, Obsidian's stop-getting-the-name-wrong open world RPG The Outer Worlds, and the turn-based tactics of Desperados 3. Plus we talk about Keanu Reeves, inevitably.
Links:
Roller Champions' E3 trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PYfi7DqJZ8
Matt's The Outer Worlds preview from E3: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/06/17/the-outer-worlds-preview/
Matt's Desperados 3 preview from E3: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/06/19/desparados-3-preview/
Brendan and Matt's liveblogs of all the E3 press conferences: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/tag/the-cheerer-and-the-jeerer/
All our E3 2019 coverage: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/tag/e3-2019/
E3 is getting started this weekend. Let us be your digital sherpa through the show. Matt and Brendan join Alice B to have a big group natter about the upcoming games.
Halo Infinite has Brendan glancing furtively sideways. Alice B is pretending she hasn’t seen Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order when really she has. And Matt is bouncing his knee up and down with nervous excitement for his date with Cyberpunk 2077.
Links:
All the games confirmed for E3: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/?p=688727
Cyberpunk 2077 demo from last year: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/08/28/cyberpunk-2077-gamescom-2018-gameplay-video/
Halo Infinite is coming to PC: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/06/10/halo-infinite-announced-returning-to-pc/
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is coming out in November: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/04/13/star-wars-jedi-fallen-order-emerges-from-hiding-this-november/
Watch Dogs 2 was good but probably didn’t need guns: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/12/06/watch-dogs-2-review-pc/
Xbox Games Pass for PC is a rental service basically: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/05/30/xbox-game-pass-the-monthly-subscription-games-buffet-is-coming-to-pc/
Bee Simulator is about being a bee: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40x46MWPdOE
What Elder Scrolls VI should fix: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/11/04/elder-scrolls-5-skyrim-sequel/
But it should be set in Elsweyr (supporters only): https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/06/18/the-elder-scrolls-vi-will-be-set-in-elsweyr/
Dragon Age 4 was supposed to be about wizard heists: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/04/09/before-a-2017-reboot-dragon-age-4-was-about-wizard-heists/
Matt’s Apex Legends review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/02/19/apex-legends-review/
Dino Crisis 2 was the best one: https://youtu.be/vaEMpf-9Z7s?t=4091
Outer Wilds is really good: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/05/29/outer-wilds-review/
But The Outer WORLDS isn’t out yet: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/03/26/the-outer-worlds-release-date-trailer-gameplay-setting-details/
Borderlands 3 is due out in September: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/04/03/borderlands-3-release-date-announced/
Vampire Bloodlines empowered Alice B by accident: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/03/15/vampire-the-masquerade-bloodlines-accidentally-gave-me-a-power-fantasy/
Watch Dogs 3 will be set in London: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/06/04/watch-dogs-3-will-be-set-in-london-says-rogue-amazon-listing/
Good Omens is a good TV adaptation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUJoR4vlIIs
Technique Critique is about professionals pointing out bad movie scenes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUqeBMP8nEg
So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed is a good book: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22571552-so-you-ve-been-publicly-shamed
In this Soundbyte, we’re talking sexy, sexy sex games, why they’re interesting, and the queer erasure that comes along with blacklisting them from websites like Twitch.
Astrid speaks to Robert Yang, NYU arts professor and renowned gay video game developer about the homophobic portion of his audience. Christine Love talks about the importance of consent through dialogue in her BDSM visual novel Ladykiller in a Bind. And Kenzie Stargrifter shares her excitement about trans cyberpunk porn game Hardcoded.
But let's ask them: what makes a good sex game?
Links:
Robert Yang’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/radiatoryang
Hurt Me Plenty itch.io page: https://radiatoryang.itch.io/hurt-me-plenty
Christine Love’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/christinelove
Ladykiller in a Bind Steam page: https://store.steampowered.com/app/560000/Ladykiller_in_a_Bind/
Kenzie Stargrifter’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/yoplatz
Hardcoded Demo itch.io page: https://yoplatz.itch.io/hardcodeddemo
My thoughts on Hardcoded: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/11/26/hardcoded-lets-trans-women-be-horny-without-being-a-fetish/
Tusks: The Orc Dating Sim itch.io page: https://hxovax.itch.io/orc-dating-sim
Let's chat about games about discovery! Matthew likes the oceans and scoundrels of Sea of Thieves. Alice B likes finding things in the smaller locale of Everybody’s Gone To The Rapture. And Brendan enjoys getting his flippers wet in Subnautica.
But we’ve been playing some games that fit the theme too. Outer Wilds has got both Matthew and Brendan chewing their cheeks to tell people how good it is. Meanwhile Alice has been poking her head around another abandoned village in Draugen.
Links:
Sea of Thieves review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/03/23/sea-of-thieves-review-pc/
Everybody’s Gone To The Rapture review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/04/15/everybodys-gone-to-the-rapture-pc-review/
Doom 2016 digress-o-review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/05/16/doom-review-pc/
Thi4f review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2014/02/24/thief-review/
Subnautica review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/01/24/subnautica-review/
Sub Culture is an old Ubisoft game: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sub_Culture
Journey is out on PC soon: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/12/07/journey-pc-release-announced/
Outer Wilds review in words: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/05/29/outer-wilds-review/
Outer Wilds review in video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kYtnjmpPg4
Edge of Tomorrow is a good sci-fi Groundhog Day: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vw61gCe2oqI
Draugen is ut now: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/05/29/fjord-noir-mystery-adventure-draugen-is-out-now/
Chernobyl trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9APLXM9Ei8
Dead To Me trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwYBw1raC2o
Lingo by Gaston Dorren: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23534636-lingo
This week: games you might have missed recently. Alice reckons you might like Glass Masquerades 2, a jigsaw puzzler about stained-glass windows. And Brendan wants more folks to try tiny chess game Pawnbarian.
We’ve also been playing stuff. Alice is witholding her Life Is Strange 2 thoughts for another time, but Brendan is ready to spit with frustration at Pathologic 2.
Links:
Hurling is great: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmzivRetelE
Pawnbarian is like Slay the Spire but chess: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/03/15/pawnbarian-is-slay-the-spire-with-less-math-and-more-chess/
John’s Baba Is You review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/03/14/baba-is-you-review/
Brendan’s Objects In Space review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/03/01/objects-in-space-review/
Glass Masquerades 2 is a stained-glass jigsaw puzzler: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/03/25/glass-masquerades-2-puzzle-game-released/
Skater XL is a skateboarding sim, but is it realistic? https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/01/16/skater-xl-is-a-prototype-skateboard-sim/
Alec’s early access review of Foundation: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/02/08/foundation-review-early-access/
Cities: Skylines has a pedestrian mod that lets you see things up close: https://www.pcgamer.com/see-your-city-up-close-with-this-cities-skylines-mod/
Brendan’s Pathologic 2 review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/05/23/pathologic-2-review/
Life Is Strange 2, episode 3 is out: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/05/09/life-is-strange-2-episode-3-released/
Alice’s review of Plague Tale: Innocence: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/05/13/a-plague-tale-innocence-review/
Hardcoded lets trans women be horny without being a fetish: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/11/26/hardcoded-lets-trans-women-be-horny-without-being-a-fetish/
Gestalt_OS is neat and we have no idea what’s going on: https://games.increpare.com/Gestalt_OS/
Contrapoints is a YouTube channel Alice likes: https://www.youtube.com/user/ContraPoints
The Rise And Fall of the Dinosaurs is a book Brendan likes: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35068612-the-rise-and-fall-of-the-dinosaurs
We’re talking about good friends. Strong companions and fun-loving drinking buddies. Brendan reckons Biggs and Wedge from the Final Fantasies are a good pair. While Katharine enjoys the jibes of Aliya and her robot Six in Heaven’s Vault. But there's lots more.
We’re also been playing stuff. Katharine has been rambling through Octopath Traveller, the Switch JRPG soon to be out on PC. And Brendan has been getting his head cut off in Mordhau.
Links:
The Biggses and Wedges throughout Final Fanatasy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4N0L-F3bdMQ
Final Fantasy XV’s good boys:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_xTph8Ib_c
Alice B’s Heaven’s Vault review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/04/16/hevaens-vault-review/
Brendan’s Pyre review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/07/28/pyre-review/
Lara’s friendship with Jonah is just one thing Katharine noticed when benchmarking (supporter’s only): https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/01/21/the-weird-things-ive-noticed-when-benchmarking-video-games/
Brendan’s Yakuza Kiwami review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/02/11/yakuza-kiwami-pc-review/
John’s Night In The Woods review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/02/27/night-in-the-woods-review/
Geralt gets drunk with his pals in The Witcher 3: https://youtu.be/csvhxvHZ1fw?t=532
Pip’s Life Is Strange review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2015/10/21/life-is-strange-review/
Matt’s Mordhau review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/05/08/mordhau-review/
SteamWorld Quest is coming out in a couple of weeks: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/05/14/steamworld-quest-hand-of-gilgamech-hits-pc-on-may-31st/
And Octopath Traveller is out in June: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/04/15/octopath-traveler-pc-release-confirmed/
"Time sinks". That’s what we're talking about this week. Games that eat up your precious minutes and hours and days. Nate says Civilization V is the worst contender. Alice B points a cannibalistic finger at Graveyard Keeper. And Graham turns the whole show into a sports podcast by talking about Football Manager.
Links: The Yule Lads are terrifying: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Icelandic_Christmas_folklore#The_Yule_Lads
Graveyard Keeper is like Stardew Valley but in a cemetery: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/08/15/graveyard-keeper-farming-sim-out-now/
Football Manager is best played when you take it too seriously: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/04/02/the-joy-of-taking-football-manager-far-too-seriously/
Sunderland ‘Til I Die trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLU7aNFp65M
Forager review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/04/26/forager-review/
Spaceplan is the funny potato clicker game: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/08/11/spaceplan-is-cookie-clicker-launched-into-orbit/
The gang in Space Engineers are... Wastes of Space: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/05/01/space-engineers-diary-part-one-wolves/
Close to the Sun is basically BioShock with Tesla even if they say it isn’t: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/02/22/close-to-the-sun-is-a-horror-game-thats-definitely-not-bioshock-with-tesla/
Success is in your blood in Rise of Industry: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/02/27/rise-of-industry-early-access-review/
Open TTD is a free version of Transport Tycoon Deluxe: https://www.openttd.org/
The Empire is a LARP that Nate likes: https://www.profounddecisions.co.uk/empire?2
The OA is about a missing blind girl who reappears with her sight restored: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvHJtez2IlY
The Song of Achilles is a book about Greek shagging: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11250317-the-song-of-achilles
Circe is about a nice witch who turns men into pigs: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35959740-circe
This week is all about treachery, traitors and multiplayer backstabbing. Graham tells the story of his traitorous actions in sci-fi strategy game Neptune’s Pride. Brendan enjoys the double-crossing of Eve Online. And Nate remembers the turncoat star fighters of Star Wars: Tie Fighter.
Links:
Have you played… Star Wars: TIE Fighter? https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2014/10/30/have-you-played-star-wars-tie-fighter/
The Neptune’s Pride chronicles: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2012/01/02/neptunes-pride-the-complete-epic/
Subterfuge is the same sort of thing but not on PC boooo: http://subterfuge-game.com/
EVE Online is a game of constant betrayal: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/09/29/how-eve-online-theft-ended-in-death-threats/
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas characters modded into Resident Evil 2: https://youtu.be/Rnd7kB8gkTg?t=12
Nate’s Imperator: Rome review:
Toca Boca looks like a full-colour migraine: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DdfXVzhTDU
Mario is a traitor: https://twitter.com/gamesbymanuel/status/1121348831994679296
You can watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/qIu_e75a6qs
This podcast takes place in a real room in front of a real audience! At Rezzed in London, we thought it’d be fun to re-enact three of the most memorable scenes of PC gaming, exactly as you remember them. Three 100% faithful adaptations of the most notorious moments in our hobby. Honest.
Links:
Nate is our new writey man! https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/author/natecrowley/
He writes our Dwarf Fortress diary: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/tag/dwarf-fortress-diary/
And a let’s play of Ancient Greek Punishment: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/04/05/lets-play-ancient-greek-punishment-teaches-typing-is-as-hellish-as-it-sounds/
Our favourite games at Rezzed: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/04/11/our-favourite-games-at-egx-rezzed-2019/
The first EGX Rezzed Olympics: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/04/12/the-first-annual-rps-olympics-at-egx-rezzed-2019/
The weird controllers of the RPS room at Rezzed: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/04/08/rezzed-2019-rps-room-roundup/
Primetime Detective is Graham’s game so we shouldn’t even mention it but we’re very corrupt sorry: https://twitter.com/primetimedetect
Frog Detective 2 is about an invisible wizard: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/03/09/frog-detective-2-announced/
The real famous scene from BioShock: https://youtu.be/8dL1kz6ojoQ?t=32
The real opening scene from Half-Life: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEgO16JaW4Y
The real death scene of, uh, Aerosmith: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wx3duFYCcho
That quiet sobbing is coming from the RPS treehouse. Alec has left us. And John is leaving later this month. The boards will creak no more with the weight of their knowledge. The last of the old guard is waving goodbye.
But we grabbed them for one last podcast, and forced them to tell us their proudest work, and to pass on their wisdom of over a decade in games journalism. They might be off, but the treehouse they’ve built will remain.
(If you're wondering "where is episode 77?" - it was a live podcast, but don't worry, we'll upload it soon)
Links:
Alec is already gone :( https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/04/09/thank-you-and-goodbye-alec-meer/
The secret history of Rock Paper Shotgun: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/tag/the-secret-history-of-rps/
Telstar, the song that definitely started it all: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryrEPzsx1gQ
RPS was once staunchly anti-ocean: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2011/03/22/no-oceans-call-for-worldwide-release-dates/
John’s interview with Peter Molyneux: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2015/02/13/peter-molyneux-interview-godus-reputation-kickstarter/
Godus’ undelivered promises: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2015/02/09/oh-godus-what-the-hells-going-on/
Bryan Henderson, the winner of Molyneux’s weird Curiousity cube, was forgotten: https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2015-02-11-the-god-who-peter-molyneux-forgot
What it’s like to interview someone like Ken Levine: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2013/01/18/ken-levine-and-the-conversation-part-one/
Gone Home is a tale of two dads: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2013/08/16/gone-home-a-tale-of-two-dads/
Alec chooses his “least worst” writing: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/04/09/the-rps-omeerbus-alecs-least-worst-writing/
RPS’ stance on misogyny: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2013/04/06/misogyny-sexism-and-why-rps-isnt-shutting-up/
John writing about the death of his Dad, Hugh: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/01/13/rip-hugh-walker-1949-2016/
Have you played… Windows Solitaire? https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/12/24/have-you-played-windows-solitaire/
John’s Dos and Don’ts: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/tag/do-dont/
Horace is our infinite bear mascot who is drawn by John: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/search?q=horace
Sometimes you change your mind about a game partway through. John realised the caves of Spelunky weren’t so bad after all. Alice B’s feelings on the castles of Dark Souls flip-flopped all over the place. And Brendan’s early scepticism about the Yakuza games was eventually washed away.
We also have time to talk more about Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. And the Bloodlines sequel! John and Alice recently saw a demo for the vampirism RPG , and they are quietly excited to see how it turns out.
Links:
What is in Cuphead’s cup head? https://www.videogamer.com/features/what-is-in-cupheads-cup-head
Yakuza Kiwami won Brendan over: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/02/11/yakuza-kiwami-pc-review/
The Twin Princes from Dark Souls 3 are horse s***: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rk6mzf240Ew
The best clips of Getting Over It: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/01/18/the-best-of-the-internets-attempts-at-getting-over-it/
Brendan’s review of Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/03/27/sekiro-shadows-die-twice-review/
Alice’s preview of Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/03/22/vampire-the-masquerade-bloodlines-2-preview/
Recommendations!
The OA (TV show) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4635282/
Milkman by Anna Burns (novel) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36047860-milkman
The Critter Shed (podcast) https://podtail.com/sv/podcast/the-critter-shed/
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is the new demi-Souls from those sadists at From Software. It’s about being a ninja with a sword and a grappling hook for an arm. Matthew and Brendan have played a few hours. Here’s what they think of it so far.
They've also been playing some of The Division 2. They like the bullet-dodging and don’t care much about its vague political hand-waving. The shooty robots are what matter most.
Links:
Matthew and Alice L play a bit of Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rAJef6F4RY
7 ways Sekiro is cruel and kind: https://youtu.be/0U7LWvaFYhc
Brendan’s review of The Division 2: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/03/19/the-division-2-review/
Where do you go after you Baumgartner? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvbN-cWe0A0
Warning: contains some icky eyeball chat... Be proud of your achievements! Even if they are just in a game. Matt is proud of getting all the achievements in Spelunky. Brendan is pleased he got through Alien: Isolation at all. And Alice B was proud of her victory over the deadly final boss in Fight Night Champion.
We’ve also been playing stuff. Brendan clicks buttons in galactic sim Objects In Space. Alice is nosy in the 80s Britain of first-person snooper The Occupation. And Matt has been slicing up demons in action spectacle Devil May Cry 5.
Links:
Alien Isolation is scary: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2015/09/25/alien-isolation-game/
The eye bit in Dead Space 2 is horrible, but OK, if you must: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9crCGMh4j9g
Spelunky speedrunning is impressive: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLYBtpwiE_M
OlliOlli 2 is good: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vmkspv2Do_s
This is a waveboard: https://youtu.be/1kmsFu24ivE?t=30
Fight Night Champions’ final boss is not messing around: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3hXOr8zuT4
Matt’s Devil May Cry 5 review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/03/06/review-devil-may-cry-5/
Brendan’s review of Objects in Space: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/03/01/objects-in-space-review/
The Occupation review from Alice: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/03/07/the-occupation-review/
Our listeners’ take pride on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rockpapershot/status/1103627206042046464
And Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rockpapershot/photos/pb.176784995741043.-2207520000.1551972940./2086384821447708/?type=3&theater
Well done everyone.
LIES. Not a game is made without some use of smoke and/or mirror. Dave’s favourite lies come from Frog Fractions, which seems to be a child’s maths game. Brendan likes how enemies in shooters are programmed to miss. And Alice enjoys cheeky-but-friendly lies, such as the “chance to hit” something in XCOM.
We’ve also been playing games. Alice and Dave have been frowning at Anthem. But we’ve also been liking Ape Out.
Links:
A good Twitter thread about developer trickery: https://twitter.com/Gaohmee/status/903510060197744640
Frog Fractions might be the best game of all time: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2012/10/25/frog-fractions-might-be-the-greatest-game-of-all-time/
Never heard of Frog Fractions 2 but here’s a cool game called Glittermitten Grove: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/01/05/frog-fractions-2-review/
The Frog Fractions 2 ARG spnned 23 other indie games and lasted two years: https://kotaku.com/the-two-year-mystery-is-over-this-is-frog-fractions-2-1790505179
The “permadeath” of Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice was a fib: https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2017-08-09-theres-more-to-hellblades-permadeath-than-meets-the-eye
The Station is a sci-fi mystery: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/02/21/the-station-is-a-first-person-alien-mystery-with-an-intriguing-premise/
The ridiculous 12-minute AI phone call of Metal Gear Solid 2: https://youtu.be/eKl6WjfDqYA
Alice’s Anthem review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/02/25/anthem-review/
Nate’s Fallout 76 review has many other good lines: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/12/13/fallout-76-review/
Alice’s Ape Out review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/02/28/ape-out-review/
Locked in a room in Fallout New Vegas with “Ron the Narrator”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJnWwli3Thg
Choice itself might be a lie according to brain scans, oh no: https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn23367-brain-imaging-spots-our-abstract-choices-before-we-do/
A ten-sided shape appears in your hands. It's this week's podcast! And it's all about puzzle games. John enjoys number puzzles like Hexcells and Globesweeper. Matt enjoys the Jindosh box of Dishonored 2. And Brendan likes being a pretend hacker in Zachlikes.
But we’ve also played non-puzzle games. Apex Legends has been keeping Matt happy with its bullets and crows. While John is liking the unserious shooting of Far Cry: New Dawn. Brendan still just wants to punch people in Yakuza Kiwami.
Links:
Here is John’s Globesweeper review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/02/13/globesweeper-review/
And his Tametsi review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/02/20/tametsi-review/
And his Hexcells review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2013/09/13/wot-i-think-hexcells/
And Pip’s review of She Remembered Caterpillars: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/01/19/she-remembered-caterpillars-review/
And here’s Tom Francis on Opus Magnum: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/02/27/what-works-and-why-opus-magnum/
And Alex Wiltshire on on Exapunks: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/09/12/how-exapunks-represents-hacking-without-limits/
And John talking about 7th Guest: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2012/02/09/bad-old-games-the-7th-guest-is-unleashed-once-more/
And a video featuring Dishonored 2’s ‘Jindosh box’ puzzle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7oTKmQMJP8
And here’s our review of The Witness: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/02/04/the-witness-pc-review/
And here’s a nine hour playthrough of Gabriel Knight 3 for masochists: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPByLdCYPpo
And this is Freeways: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/09/18/freeways-is-a-puzzley-road-builder-from-desert-golfer/
And Matt’s Apex Legends review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/02/19/apex-legends-review/
And his Far Cry New Dawn review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/02/14/far-cry-new-dawn-review/
And Brendan’s Yakuza Kiwami review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/02/11/yakuza-kiwami-pc-review/
Okay, that’s your lot
This week: the best guns. The pod squad are stocking a chest full of videogame firearms. Matthew is stocking a laser pointer from Gears of War, Alice wants the exploding teddy gun from Sunset Overdrive, and Brendan is taking Symmetra's energy gun from Overwatch.
But we've also been playing games! Come hear our thoughts on post-apocalyptic shooter Metro Exodus and Inkle's upcoming translate 'em up Heaven's Vault.
Links:
Matthew’s video on Metro Exodus: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLAZAmJPKUQ
Brendan’s Metro Exodus review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/02/13/metro-exodus-review/
Matt enjoyed Sunset Overdrive: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/01/08/so-last-years-best-game-was-actually-sunset-overdrive/
Alice’s preview of Heaven’s Vault: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/02/15/heavens-vault-preview-an-ouroboros-of-wordery/
Oh, grow up. Booby traps as in “dangerous mechanisms that kill over-confident explorers”. Be they in temples, tombs or tunnels - traps can be anywhere (so long as it begins with a “T”).
Katharine celebrates the hungry foxes of Shadow Of The Tomb Raider. Brendan is fond of the jail cells of the Resident Evil 2 remake. And Alice B appreciates Half-Life 2’s barnacles. We also play a little "death traps quiz".
Links:
Katharine’s graphics cards coverage is pretty thorough, actually: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/category/hardware/?search=&component=graphics-card&brand=&y=&m=&sort=date
John’s Shadow of the Tomb Raider review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/09/13/shadow-of-the-tomb-raider-review/
Uncharted 4 is basically the Goonies: https://www.videogamer.com/features/how-uncharted-4-is-basically-the-goonies
Rain World has a lot of creepy animals: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/03/30/the-deadly-creatures-of-rain-world-a-bestiary-in-gifs/
Fallout 3 baby bomb: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_5cDF49-Kg
The Bonfire Mimic was NOT a scrapped idea for Dark Souls, it was just some good fan art: https://www.deviantart.com/vempirick/art/Bonfire-Mimic-526068354
Katharine loves the Zero Escape games: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/01/03/have-you-played-zero-escape-zero-time-dilemma/
Again, these spike traps in Skyrim are brill: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTMwjYgJsFQ
Things Katharine notices while benchmarking (supporters only): https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/01/21/the-weird-things-ive-noticed-when-benchmarking-video-games/
Yakuza Kiwami is out soon for PC (and cheap!): https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/01/22/yakuza-kiwami-pc-release-date-and-price-confirmed/
Purrrfect Date is not about shagging cats don’t be disgusting: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/02/07/romancing-the-code-do-not-think-about-having-sex-with-a-cat-in-purrfect-date
Grange Hill is a bit heavy isn’t it? https://youtu.be/ZQ-HAkmOD5Y?t=113
Videogames! That’s the topic this week. Okay, you got us, we couldn’t be arsed to do a theme. But we've been playing a lot of games.
Graham comes on to discuss the teeny-weeny strategies of Wargroove. And John has been enjoying the company of penguins in Subnautica: Below Zero. Meanwhile, Brendan has been running away in Resident Evil 2, trying to escape a big man in a hat.
Links:
Brendan’s Wargroove review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/01/30/wargroove-review/https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/01/30/wargroove-review/
Shark Tank is a dumb TV show: https://abc.go.com/shows/shark-tank
So is the Great Interior Design Challenge: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04nj4d5
John’s thoughts on Subnautica: Below Zero: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/01/30/subnautica-below-zero-early-access-review/
Matt’s Resident Evil 2 review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/01/22/resident-evil-2-review/
Marvel’s Runaways isn’t good: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-OJVwUG76k
Under the Dome isn’t good: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Under_the_Dome_(novel)
Elite Beat Agents isn’t good: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhH43qleR6k
But Mila Jovovich kicking a “zombie dog” in the head is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXXoq3yr4eI
Battle royales. The RPS treehouse is unable to comprehend these destructive influences on society. Well, this week we’ve got a young person to help us decipher them.
Ollie, one of our guides writers and freshest recruit, plays Fortnite for the fun of it. So he has been drafted in to chat to Alice B and Brendan about the ultra-deathmatch, among others.
Links:
Fortnite’s trap towers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cdW4d94Uf0
Nate’s Dwarf Fortress diary, part one: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/01/14/dwarf-fortress-diary-the-basement-of-curiosity-episode-one-crushed-legs-and-eagle-guts/
Control is the key to CS GO Danger Zone: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/12/21/control-is-key-in-counter-strike-global-offensives-battle-royale-mode/
Brendan said Plunkbat was uninteresting in his early access review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/03/28/playerunknowns-battlegrounds-review-early-access/
Radical Heights was that last ditch battle royale from Boss Key: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/04/18/radical-heights-battle-royale-early-access/
The Culling wasn’t tooooo shabby: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/07/25/the-culling-review-early-access-2/
PUBGCorp aimed to sue Epic, yeah: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/05/29/pubg-corp-to-sue-epic-games-over-fortnite-similarities/
And dance move creators are pulling some legal moves as well: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/12/05/fortnite-dance-legal-dispute/
Matt liked Battlerite Royale: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/10/03/battlerite-royale-gets-battles-royally-right/
The saddest scene in Walking with Dinosaurs: https://youtu.be/b0VQkX3cgzw?t=111
Fortnite’s first incarnation was free-to-play vom: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/08/08/fortnite-review-early-access/
Stardew Valley has a battle royale mod: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/01/07/stardew-valley-has-a-battle-royale-mod-because-of-course-it-does/
Steve liked the early access version of Hades: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/01/08/hades-early-access-review/
Alex Wiltshire is the only good ‘Mechanic’: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/tag/the-mechanic/
Ace Combat 7: Unknown Skies is out on Feb 1: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/08/22/ace-combat-7-gamescom-trailer-date/
Watch Alice’s panel on Dragon Age at PAX: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/366747349
In this episode, we’ll take a look at accessibility in gaming. We talk to the studios making specialist hardware, the people that use it, and the activists and advocates who are trying to do even more to bring gaming to those who aren't able to put two hands on a keyboard or a gamepad.
To read a transcript of this episode, please go here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/141PFfT-DInmZGn4NxIcjEtWG-9x2QZIqdbpv9f0UWqo/edit?usp=sharing
Links:
Rocky Stoutenburgh's Twitch channel: https://www.twitch.tv/rockynohands
The Quadstick is a controller for quadriplegic gamers: http://www.quadstick.com/
Zoran's Twitch channel: https://www.twitch.tv/kurirko402
The Xbox Adaptive Controller is a controller for those with limited mobility: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/05/17/microsoft-xbox-adaptive-controller-windows-10/
Microsoft want it to come to PS4 and Switch but that's unconfirmed: https://www.gamespot.com/articles/e3-2018-microsoft-wants-xboxs-adaptive-controller-/1100-6459637/
Ablegamers charity: https://ablegamers.org/
Mark Brown's video series on designing for disability: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ufe0i26DGiA&list=PLc38fcMFcV_vvWOhMDriBlVocTZ8mKQzR
LEPMIS is an independent UK company that makes bespoke controllers: http://www.lepmis.co.uk/
The Gaming Accessibility Conference: https://www.gaconf.com/
New year, old friends. The RPS podcast have not been reborn, they have no resolutions, no goal to learn German or eat more spinach. They just want to play more games.
Alice B is looking forward to zipping about in a big metal space tuxedo in Anthem. And Brendan is keen to let loose his inner ninja in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. But there are many, many more.
Links:
The most anticipated games of 2019: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/01/01/the-rps-hivemind-presents-the-most-anticipated-games-of-2019/
We’d love it if Disco Elysium came out this year: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/10/01/disco-elysium-preview-egx-2018/
Alice played a summery bit of Metro Exodus: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/01/16/metro-exodus-pc-preview-summer-map/
Anthem’s open beta is in February: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/12/10/anthem-open-beta-dates/
Sekiro: Shadow’s die twice is a good Cells-like: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/08/28/sekiro-shadows-die-twice-preview-hands-on/
Outer Wilds is Majora’s Mask in space and pretty sweet: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/06/21/outer-wilds-preview-e3/
The Outer Worlds is a sci-fi RPG by Obsidian: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/12/07/obsidian-entertainment-announce-the-outer-worlds/
Ape Out is a game in which you are an ape and you are OUT: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/08/23/ape-out-delivers-gorillas-and-violence-and-jazz/
Genesis Noir sounds like one of Italo Calvino’s Cosmicomics: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/02/23/genesis-noir-game/
You should read the Cosmicomics: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmicomics
Heaven’s Vault is alien Duolingo: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/03/23/learning-the-ancient-language-of-heavens-vault/
Slay the Spire’s best mod adds googly eyes: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/01/14/slay-the-spire-googly-eyes-mod/
The Division 2 is NOT political OK? https://www.polygon.com/e3/2018/6/12/17451688/the-division-2-is-not-making-any-political-statements
Matthew’s Return of the Obra Dinn review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/10/26/return-of-the-obra-dinn-review/
Have you played… Duolingo? https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/02/26/have-you-played-duolingo/
Destiny 2 puzzle was too tough: https://www.gamespot.com/articles/destiny-2-bergusia-forge-unlocks-bungie-deems-niob/1100-6464294/
Gearbox legal battle becomes publicly messy: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/01/12/gearbox-legal-battle-with-former-employee-becomes-messy-publically/
Sometimes we get emails from people who think we create the videogames we're writing about. They report bugs, complain about crashes, demand refunds, or gush enthusiastically while asking for DLC.
In lieu of a real episode this week, please enjoy some of these emails.
Happy Christmas from RPS.
The year 2018 is going down in a storm. Hundreds of games will perish. But there’s one tiny lifeboat, and enough room for three games. It falls on the sorry shoulders of the RPS podcast crew to decide which games survive.
Listen to find out what survives this terrible fate. Alice B is vouching for a well-known blockbuster. Brendan is sticking with the nautical theme. And Alice L is saving some slippery friends. But perhaps the sunken ship is just the first of their troubles.
Links:
Alice L’s introduction to Megaquarium: https://youtu.be/mIocQyKdHE8
Matthew’s review of Return of the Obra Dinn: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/10/26/return-of-the-obra-dinn-review/
Alice B’s review of Assassin’s Creed Odyssey: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/10/05/assassins-creed-odyssey-review/
Dragon Ball Fighter Z is good actually, and did not deserve this fate: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/02/06/dragon-ball-fighterz-review-pc/
Ashen is about unknowingly playing as an NPC: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/11/27/ashen-is-a-roleplaying-game-about-unknowingly-roleplaying-an-npc/
But the multiplayer was broken for a bit: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/12/13/ashens-wonky-multiplayer-has-been-un-wonked/
John’s review of The Hex: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/10/16/the-hex-review/
Adam’s review of Celeste: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/01/25/celeste-review/
The Council is a curious historical murder mystery: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/03/19/the-council-is-a-curious-episodic-murder-mystery/
There were too many games in November. So we're running through as many newly released games as we can, from Hitman 2 to Darksiders 3 to Just Cause 4 to… well, lots more.
Links:
Hitman 2 review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/11/08/hitman-2-review/
Hitman is about killing your boss: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/07/19/hitman-and-the-joy-of-killing-your-boss/
Mutant Year Zero: Road To Eden review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/12/04/mutant-year-zero-review-pc/
Artifact review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/12/05/artifact-review/
Darksiders 3 review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/11/26/darksiders-3-review/
Fallout 76 player begs for death: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/11/23/fallout-76-player-begs-bethesda-for-the-sweet-relief-of-death/
Farming Simulator 19 and the ethics of pesticide brands: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/07/05/farming-simulator-19-licenses/
Just Cause 4 review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/12/04/just-cause-4-review-pc/
Just Cause 4 has some odd bugs: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/12/05/just-cause-4-concern-a-bug-collectors-video/
The Quiet Man thinks it is woke, but it is broke: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/11/06/please-do-not-play-the-quiet-man-with-sound/
One Odd Gamer Girl’s review of the Quiet Man: oneoddgamergirl.net/index.php/2018/11/03/the-many-problems-of-the-quiet-man/
Battlefield V review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/11/13/battlefield-v-review/
Footbal Manager 2019 review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/11/01/football-manager-2019-review/
Bad North review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/11/20/bad-north-review/
Underworld Ascendant is too bad to be actually reviewed: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/11/21/underworld-ascendant-is-unfinished/
Grip the Rollcage ‘em up is properly out: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/11/06/grip-combat-racing-leaves-early-access/
Battletech Flashpoint review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/11/28/battletech-flashpoint-review/
Steel Rats review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/11/16/steel-rats-review/
Overkill’s The Walking Dead review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/11/13/overkills-the-walking-dead-review/
Starbreeze offices searched after insider trading allegations: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/12/05/starbreeze-searched-in-insider-trading-investigation/
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey first stabby DLC is out: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/12/04/ass-creed-odysseys-first-dlc-is-out-offers-some-standard-stabbing/
Gris is nice: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/08/13/video-poetic-platformer-gris-is-so-delicate-i-wont-spoil-it-with-my-honking-voice/
This week, three of the boyz chat about their early impressions of card game Artifact. Matt quite likes the nitty gritty complexity of it all, but Dave says it needs to be streamlined, and Brendan is simply too stupid to understand all the moving pieces. There there, Brendan. There there.
Links:
Artifact is out now: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/11/28/cards-on-the-table-artifact-is-out/
Dave’s guides will make you better GUARANTEED: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/game/artifact/?search=&type=guides&y=&m=&sort=date
Matt and Brendan play dodgy bootleg Netrunner: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/02/26/netrunner-online-jinteki/
The Elder Scrolls Legends review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/07/14/elder-scrolls-legends-review/
Our Spawn Point guide to collectible card games: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/05/03/spawn-point-collectible-card-games-beginners-guide/
The world is ending, so here's the team screaming about the best post-apocalyptic games.
Brendan enjoys the dark tunnels of the Metro shooters, and Alice B likes the river navigation of The Flame in the Flood. Meanwhile, John enjoys The Long Dark but also yearns for a game where the apocalypse is one of abundance and zoo animals.
Links:
We celebrated Apocalypse Day this week: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/tag/apocalypse-day/
And then Post-apocalypse Day, of course: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/tag/post-apocalypse-day/
Metro 2033 and Last Light are good: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2014/08/22/metro-redux-review/
But Brendan is getting Metro 2033 mixed up with this scene from bad dragon movie Reign of Fire: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCBA1wii70o
The human stations are still pretty neat though: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMhcnRQLjkk
Bob Geldof broadsides Farage on the Thames: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVJkkl_cMfg
Mutant XCOM Road of Eden Mutants Zero Eden Mutant Year Zero: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/09/10/ctrl-v-mutant-year-zero-road-to-eden-preview/
Adam’s The Long Dark review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/01/09/the-long-dark-sandbox-review/
Have you played… The Flame in the Flood? https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/11/14/have-you-played-the-flame-in-the-flood/
Fallout 76 released early by accident: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/11/13/fallout-76-released-early/
Matthew’s video on the best and worst of Fallout 76: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxH1QHmcyv4
The beta deleted itself though and that’s silly: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/10/31/fallout-76-beta-bug-deletes-preloaded-client/
Mad Max is the most 7/10 game: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2015/09/10/mad-max-review/
Have you played NEO Scavenger? https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/08/08/have-you-played-neo-scavenger/
It's a real mystery this week. Matthew has been solving murders in Return of the Obra Dinn and indulging his detective skills. Meanwhile, Alice has fond memories of a creepy Watson, and Brendan scratches his head over an alien language.
Links:
Matthew’s Return of the Obra Dinn review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/10/26/return-of-the-obra-dinn-review/
How a book binds the Return of the Obra Dinn: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/11/07/how-a-book-binds-the-return-of-the-obra-dinn/
Creepy Watson: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2010/06/08/youre-a-scaring-me-my-dear-watson/
Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishment review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2014/09/30/wot-i-think-sherlock-holmes-crimes-punishments/
Her Story verdict: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2015/06/25/her-story-verdict-analysis/
Sethian is an interesting alien language mystery: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/01/06/sethian-review-alien-language/
Heaven’s Vault is another linguistics mystery: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/03/23/learning-the-ancient-language-of-heavens-vault/
Tacoma review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/08/01/tacoma-review/
Firewatch review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/02/08/wot-i-think-firewatch/
Danganropa are silly games: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/09/26/danganronpa-series-overview-pc/
Someone should make a game where you play the defence lawyer from The Staircase: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bvv97sCcruY
Judgey Eyes is actually called Project Judge: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAGe6bXrrC8
We're talking kings and queens this week. Brendan likes the off-hand lieges of Mount & Blade, while Alice B pitied the downfall of the Lich King of Warcraft. And Katharine appreciates the wholesome rule of child king Evan from Ni No Kuni II.
But these are just some of the rulers we chat about. We’ve also been playing Reigns: Game of Thrones and Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales. It’s a very royal episode.
Links:
Dishonored 2 review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/11/14/dishonored-2-review-pc/
Ni No Kuni 2 review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/03/23/ni-no-kuni-2-pc-review/
Arthas from World of Warcraft: http://wowwiki.wikia.com/wiki/Arthas_Menethil
Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales review - https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/10/18/thronebreaker-the-witcher-tales-review/
Final Fantasy XV review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/03/08/final-fantasy-15-pc-review/
Final Fantasy IX’s oglop king: http://finalfantasy.wikia.com/wiki/Cid_Fabool_IX
Figuring out Game of Thrones based on the Reigns game:
Soulcalibur VI review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/10/24/soulcalibur-vi-review/
Hollow Knight review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/03/02/hollow-knight-review/
Ori and the Blind Forest review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/05/03/ori-and-the-blind-forest-definitive-edition-review/
Into the Breach review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/02/27/into-the-breach-ftl-sequel-review/
Who is the mystery king? https://twitter.com/CagilIgaz/status/1055061221987229697
This week we are talking: panic. Matt describes the panic he felt in Amnesia: A Machine For Pigs, but also an unnerving encounter in the terrible land of DayZ. Meanwhile, Brendan praises the panic of Duskers and how it makes you type useless commands.
But we also talk a bit more about Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, and there’s a fun quiz featuring the support emails we often get sent in error.
Links:
Dusker’s review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/05/23/duskers-review/
Amnesia: A Machine For Pigs review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2013/09/09/wot-i-think-amnesia-a-machine-for-pigs/
Subnautica review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/01/24/subnautica-review/
Has Killing Floor 2 been improved by its updates? https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/10/04/has-killing-floor-2-been-improved-by-its-updates/
Noa and Alice play Spy Party: https://youtu.be/YicXZNVP-rg
Have you played… Assassin’s Creed multiplayer? https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/11/16/have-you-played-assassins-creed-multiplayer/
Murderous Pursuits is the best version of it though: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/02/21/murderous-pursuits-is-the-best-version-of-assassins-creed-multiplayer/
The Joy of killing your boss in Hitman: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/07/19/hitman-and-the-joy-of-killing-your-boss/
Heat Signature review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/09/26/heat-signature-review/
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/10/05/assassins-creed-odyssey-review/
Role-playing cruelty in DayZ: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2014/02/17/the-injustice-engine-cruelty-and-murder-in-dayz/
The RPS verdict on Keep Talking And Nobody Explodes: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2015/10/29/keep-talking-and-nobody-explodes-review/
From the powerful hoof of Kassandra in Assassin’s Creed Odyssey to the zombie-launching boot of Dying Light, we are chatting about the most forceful feet in games. Alice likes the rapid kicks of Street Fighter’s Chun-Li, while Brendan enjoys the stumbling hoofs of Miguel in Tekken 7.
But it’s not all toepokes. Alice has been delivering olives and flirting with Greeks in Assassin’s Creed Odyssey. And both our hosts have played the first episode of Life Is Strange 2. Be warned, there’s some SPOILERS in this chat.
Links:
Assassin Creed Odyssey has one hell of a kick: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/10/01/assassins-creed-odyssey-impressions-kick-backwards-into-hell/
The Street Fighter movie in black and white: https://twitter.com/glitchritual/status/670256197140930560
Kick the vending machine honestly it’s fine: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2BBGypSSD8
Disco Elysium became very good once Alice found her shoes: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/10/01/disco-elysium-preview-egx-2018/
Yakuza Kiwami’s sublime door kick: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHz-4mBiq5A
Yakuza 0’s dropkick in the toilet: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYaX9JXxb6s
Dying Light lets you kick zombies off the roof: https://youtu.be/CzlyY2xjbq8?t=1m27s
Pikuniku is a world of armless Mr Men: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/09/07/pikuniku-is-an-absurd-world-of-armless-funny-mr-men/
The ordinary folks of Assassin’s Creed Odyssey: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/10/02/a-tour-of-regular-people-having-regular-jobs-in-assassins-creed-odyssey/
We chat about Life Is Strange 2, episode 1: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/09/26/life-is-strange-2-episode-1-verdict-o-chat/
Noa plays the first bit of Life Is Strange, episode 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGmMLTdWAc8
Life Is Stange 2’s child is a puppet (supporters only): https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/10/01/life-is-strange-2s-psychic-child-is-a-dummy/
We went to EGX, the games show in Birmingham, England. And there were TOO MANY GAMES. Alice Bell, Matthew, Katharine and Graham gathered together live on stage and spoke about the best games at the show. They all enjoyed otherworldly detective RPG Disco Elysium, but there's also chat about 90s net surfing game Hypnospace Outlaw, and crazy putt game What The Golf.
John drafts in his three-year-old son Toby to describe the games in this week's Steam Charts. Kingdom Come Deliverance becomes a horrible fighting game called 'Meanies', SCUM becomes 'The Horrible Story', and the sad beasts of Monster Hunter World become the joyous dinosaurs of 'Pterodactyl Spinners'.
To see the Steam Charts, just head here: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/09/24/steam-charts-flibble-glibble-pants-edition
We're talking about funny bugs. Alice Liguori of the video squad joins us to say hello, and to celebrate the twitchy bodies of the Sims. Meanwhile, Alice Bell tells us about a rude Wyvern who keeps interrupting a romance scene in Dragon Age: Inquisition. And Brendan tests our bug knowledge with a patch notes quiz.
We've also been playing Two Point Hospital, Spy Party and Unavowed. We're so very very busy.
Links:
Lydia of Skyrim is a curse: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTMwjYgJsFQ
Mammoths from heaven: https://youtu.be/Rvtl-a9QZLk?t=22s
Fallout New Vegas doctor has a case of the headspins: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITOrKb5HP6s
Oblivion’s paintbrush lets you build staircases: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-60UmK9Id0
The Sims are strange beings: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFdS1bYvcYw
The WWE Live referee with a twisted body: https://giphy.com/gifs/thumbs-glitch-way-5BTyQlNh8Ugmc
Red Dead Redemption’s weird animal people include a donkey lady: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7q7v4F8r9Og
And a cougar man: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVVXyKP1FVk
And a horse pilot: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vavUXJXV7ec
Kanye the Wyvern interrupts a roantic moment in Dragon Age Inquisition: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPvs4ykC7mE
Vampire the Masquerade Bloodlines has an unofficial patch to get rid of bugs: https://steamcommunity.com/app/2600/discussions/0/540740501569512130/
Fraser’s Spy Party early access review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/04/24/spyparty-early-access-review/
Nic Rueben’s Two Point Hospital review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/08/31/two-point-hospital-review/
John’s Unavowed review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/08/08/wot-i-think-unavowed/
Skate 3’s kickflipping corpses: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfl33Tn0pYc
Does a typo correction fix Aliens: Colonial Marines? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bdyYQMCxIc
You should be playing… Everybody’s Gone To The Rapture: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JitImPMIiYc
Reader responses on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rockpapershot/status/1039797154901049345
….and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rockpapershot/photos/a.590931837659688/1843536449065881/?type=3&theater
Onimusha is back, so let's talk about our dream remakes. Dave wants the turn-based tactics of Shining Force to make a comeback, and Brendan is angry that Capcom have said nothing about Dino Crisis.
There are other suggestions. A remake of Croc made by From Software? Why not. Gone Home redesigned from the ground up by Ubisoft? Uh, no thanks.
Links:
All our Gamescom coverage from this year: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/tag/gamescom-2018/
Onimusha Warlords is getting a remake: https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2018-08-28-capcoms-bringing-onimusha-back-from-the-dead
Streets of Rage 4 is coming out too: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/08/28/streets-of-rage-4-announced-by-dotemu/
Shenmue I and II have already got one: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/08/21/shenmue-1-2-are-out-now-on-pc/
Shining Force was a turn-based RPG for the Megadrive: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pewTGCkt4qE
Into The Breach review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/02/27/into-the-breach-ftl-sequel-review/
Dino Crisis needs remade sort it out Capcom: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dino_Crisis
Tim Curry’s best scene in Red Alert 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yMy7JuGpJM
Sunset Riders was pretty neat: https://youtu.be/lvoAmeDq3sU?t=16s
Have you played.. Star Wars: TIE Fighter? https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2014/10/30/have-you-played-star-wars-tie-fighter/
This is what Revenge of the Shinobi looks like: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyJPHZSchRA
Sega collection lets you play Mega Drive games in a VR bedroom: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/05/31/sega-mega-drive-genesis-classics-gets-a-vr-overhaul/
Timesplitters and Second Sight rights acquired by Koch Media: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/08/15/new-timesplitters-game-from-deep-silver/
Cannon Fodder was shooty: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XUqK4l3VAU
Dave's massive Monster Hunter guide: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/08/24/monster-hunter-world-guide-monster-hunting-basics-combat-tips-4/
We're in Cologne! It's Gamescom, the yearly games show, where we've been looking at Cyberpunk 2077, Metro Exodus, Biomutant, Dying Light 2, Ape Out, Wolfenstein: Cyberpilot and many more.
We recorded this after the first day of the show, in an echoey hotel room, so apologies for the sound quality. We’ve since played Sekiro, Anthem, Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord, Battlefield V, and lots more. So keep an eye out for more write-ups and videos at rockpapershotgun.com.
Links:
Some games that will good on Nvidia’s new graphics cards: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/08/21/nvidia-geforce-rtx-2080-turing-confirmed-pc-games/
Biomutant is a kung fu furball RPG: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/08/22/biomutant-announced/
Cyberpunk 2077 demo is cool (but maybe too cool): https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/06/13/cyberpunk-2077-e3-gameplay-demo/
Dying Light 2 revamps the day and night cycle: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/06/18/dying-light-2-preview-e3-2018/
The manchildren of Metro Exodus: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/08/22/the-manchildren-of-metro-exodus/
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey’s bear-kicking is available in October: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/06/11/assassins-creed-odyssey-release-date/
Ape Out is about indulging in a primate rampage: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/03/09/ape-out-demo/
Wolfenstein: Cyberpilot is about frying Nazis in VR: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/08/16/podcast-55-the-worst-endings/
Transference is a spooky VR game that Elijah Wood is somehow involved in, we’re not sure: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/06/12/transference-announced-with-elijah-wood/
The Sinking City is a Lovecraftian detective adventure: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/05/30/the-sinking-city-trailer-details/
Sherlock Holmes: Consulting Detective is a cool board game: https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/2511/sherlock-holmes-consulting-detective-thames-murder
Anno 1800 does some of that bad colonialism: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/08/22/anno-1800-announced/
Five themes emerging in Life Is Strange 2: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/08/21/5-themes-emerging-in-life-is-strange-2s-first-episode/
Just Cause 4 looks like a lot of fun: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/06/27/just-cause-4-wants-you-to-kick-up-a-storm/
Control is a “new weird” shooter from Remedy: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/06/12/remedy-announce-new-game-control/
All of our Gamescom 2018 coverage: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/tag/gamescom-2018/
Good end, bad end, noncommittal end. But what are the worst endings of all time? Matt reckons the big ol’ fart noise at the end of Mass Effect 3’s deserves a mention. And Noa thinks Dragon Age: Inquisition’s final moments were rubbish. Meanwhile, Brendan doesn’t like the ending of Tacoma. What? Shut up, Brendan.
But we’ve also been polishing memories in Finding Paradise, hacking chocolate bars in Exapunks, and punching the money out of people’s faces in Yakuza 0. Super.
Links:
Mass Effect 3’s sythesis ending: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6u8QIqLSmU
Deus Ex Human Revolution ending: https://youtu.be/DibJL1F6S5k
Layers of Fear endings: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcvYAG0s_fE
Dragon Age Inquisition final boss and ending: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5dYgKNqY-g
Tacoma ending: https://youtu.be/_diIY626Z5A?t=6m20s
Wall-e ending: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KUBX5GwV3M
Far Cry 5’s endings: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yKREaJk-OQ
Forbidden Siren’s ending: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYk-2pt2evo
And the Siren: Blood Curse counterpart: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmZk9BFNx7s
Do not open the box: https://youtu.be/AnqRXUwxmXQ?t=3m
Half-life 2 Episode 2 ending: https://youtu.be/_zbrkhcF4_8?t=6m15s
Walking Dead Season 1 ending: https://youtu.be/_w9Ba5KhciE?t=20m51s
To The Moon ending: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUFLrr2yK88
John’s Finding Paradise review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/12/14/finding-paradise-review/
Yakuza 0’s streets are full of everyday life: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/08/14/gallery-everyday-life-on-the-streets-of-yakuza-0/
Takashi Miike movies: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0586281/
Exapunks is about hacking peanuts: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/08/09/exapunks-hacking-early-access-launch/
Overwatch’s Hammond (a hamster): https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/07/24/overwatch-adds-new-character-wrecking-ball/
Silent Hill 2’s dog ending: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUDcSeUvkOw
Silent Hill dog song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1nDafqdH9o
You should be playing Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVKxrWDbhPY
Some things we like in We Happy Few: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbIBc6gHyOk
And some things John doesn’t like: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/08/15/wot-i-think-we-happy-few/
Then the bus EXPLODED. Hello, we're talking about the best game openings this week. Cold opens or slow burns, we love a good first impression.
Matthew and Brendan are both boring, however, and pick all the usual suspects, from BioShock to Half-Life 2. But there are some unexpected loves too. We’ve also been playing No Man’s Sky and Dead Cells. And there's a game opening quiz too. Hooray!
Links:
BioShock’s opening: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QfZ30sfjdLY
Half-Life 2’s opening: https://youtu.be/y_3vMUOayyc?t=8s
Mass Effect 2’s opening: https://youtu.be/Hia_m36pEpA?t=45s
Portal 2’s opening: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ByNcVu5a1qQ
Dragon Age: Origins’s peasant Dwarf opening: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8fPpjO_BQM
A forest elf’s opening: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcNQtgo5A0U
Grim Fandango’s transition to Year 2: https://youtu.be/-HX1_jwJR-Y?t=1m22s
The terrible opening FMV of Resident Evil: https://youtu.be/G9A-D7XLMsI?t=1m10s
Prey opening: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PCEdbrzcLE
Resident Evil 4’s opening: https://youtu.be/oQ6sr7Bvl7Y?t=8s
John didn’t like No Man’s Sky’s “Next” update: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/07/26/no-mans-sky-next-beginning-is-inaccessible/
The most dismal planet in No Man’s Sky: https://www.pcgamer.com/i-found-the-most-dismal-no-mans-sky-planet-where-absolutely-no-happiness-is-allowed/
The Last of Us opening: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecpQ_WUqKUM
The making of the Last of Us: https://youtu.be/yH5MgEbBOps
We’re talking about our dream games - games we want but don't exist so far. John wants a Robinson Crusoe style survival game that isn’t so punishing to those who can’t reach the good coconuts. Brendan wants an open world talk ‘em up with obscene amounts of detail.
Speaking of dream games, John has also been playing No Man’s Sky again, following the recent update. He hasn’t tried multiplayer yet, but much has changed, not always for the better.
Links:
All is Lost featuring Robert Redford: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2017038/
Hell in the Pacific featuring Lee Marvin: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063056/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
Have you played… Deus Ex Mankind Divided? https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/12/06/have-you-played-deus-ex-mankind-divided/
Shenmue III is being made: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/08/17/shenmue-3-published-by-deep-silver/
No Man’s Sky Next brings multiplayer to eleventy squillion planets: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/07/24/no-mans-sky-next-overhaul-update-live/
Hello Games on the death threats they received over butterflies: https://www.theguardian.com/games/2018/jul/20/no-mans-sky-next-hello-games-sean-murray-harassment-interview
The Black Watchman is about bad doctors: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/07/21/the-bleeding-edges-the-black-watchmen/
Ahnayro is about a dream world: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/08/03/the-bleeding-edges-ahnayro-the-dream-world/
A retrospective on The Stone: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/07/28/the-bleeding-edges-the-stone-retrospective/
The Coral Castle of Florida: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coral_Castle
Quintin Smith’s Pathologic review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2014/10/05/pathologic-review/
Have you played… Salt? https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/03/16/salt-review/
Our listeners’ dream games: https://twitter.com/rockpapershot/status/1022059175558430726
We're talking about music in games this week, and what makes a good soundtrack. The bleeps and bloops of Pac Man, or the orchestras of Oblivion? We’ve also done a music quiz! Can you guess the game based on a few seconds of music?
Alice likes the music from the Fallout series, while Brendan is more into the chiptune of VVVVVV. Katharine is a devourer of music and even goes to concerts for Final Fantasy music.
Links:
To Zanarkand from Final Fantasy X: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-0G_FI61a8
You can listen to one hour of Zelda Breath of the Wild if you want: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NntQ86FHcMY
Final Fantasy orchestral concerts are intense: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sh6V1zMmbuU
Florence and her Machine did a cover of Stand By Me for Final Fantasy XV: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vv2DSmy3Tro
Final Fantasy X-2’s colourful J-pop: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDQxs__0tg0
There’s a Jet Set Radio Live! http://jetsetradio.live/
VVVVVV’s soundtrack is called PPPPPP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbXryUNgIyU&list=PLE2FD0021FD676541
Beyoncé in Dream Land: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8ZF_ISU2Xg
Animal Crossing browser extension adds music to your day: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/animal-crossing-music/fcedlaimpcfgpnfdgjbmmfibkklpioop
The oldy-worldy Fallout music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7l8iJgzNmlk
Two Steps From Hell do loads of trailer music: https://www.youtube.com/user/TwoStepsFromTheMusic
PUNKSNOTDEAD is the punk punching game Brendan can’t remember: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2013/04/05/punksnotdead/
Watch Dogs 2’s punk pop song by Masked Intruder: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRiVdYMa2pc
Katharine uses the Doom soundtrack to test headphones: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jm932Sqwf5E&list=RDJm932Sqwf5E&start_radio=1
Far Away in Red Dead Redemption: https://youtu.be/AUXGW6sWYDY?t=44s
BioShock Infinite’s barbershop quartet sings God Only Knows: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUffPtS3-7A
It’s whole anachronism soundtrack idea was great: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQheaCpjH0I&list=PLRj6F86aEpZQIGj6_1A1rkMDuNm5ulEDg&index=6
The Yawhg has gentle, calming music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5dCILvtLtaA&list=PLp5noFfOiI_MKs_mryYXFcyoygmSc3g2X
The Red Strings Club’s soundtrack is good: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fqh2R0ZffWY
Our Spotify music quiz: https://open.spotify.com/user/brendankillsu/playlist/6p1RPaPiKhWXw6O31iWZub?si=k_KxZTuES-K_RrfAoxjgng
10 hours of Sims build music jesus wept: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAhwkPDYnUA
The joy of Absolver’s social fight clubs: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/11/21/absolver-social-combat/
Absolver is getting new stuff in September: https://absolvergame.com/news/absolver-downfall-content-update
Banner Saga 3 is a final foray into darkness: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/04/13/the-banner-saga-3-will-be-a-final-foray-into-darkness/
Ni No Kuni 2 review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/03/23/ni-no-kuni-2-pc-review/
New Ice York is funny: https://magicdweedoo.itch.io/new-ice-york
Reader responses on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rockpapershot/status/1019534817116000256
Reader responses on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rockpapershot/photos/a.590931837659688.1073741826.176784995741043/1756526871100173/?type=3&theater
Let's chat magic in games! What are our favourite spells? Should magic be chaotic? Or should it be arranged in an orderly tome?
Alice likes the competing forces of technology and magic in Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura, while Matthew tells us about a Japanese import of Ni No Kuni on Nintendo DS which came with a real spellbook.
But we’ve been playing stuff too. Alice has been shouting at gravity in anti-platformer Youropa, and Matthew has been trying to cope with the size of Egypt in Assassin’s Creed Origins.
A special thanks to Chris McDowall for the theme suggestion. May your life be full of good magic and only a moderate amount of chaotic magic. If you want to suggest a theme for a future episode, please email podcast@rockpapershotgun.com.
Links:
Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arcanum:_Of_Steamworks_and_Magick_Obscura
Final Fantasy XV is so magical:
Two Worlds was a game: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two_Worlds_(video_game)
Sorcery was our best RPG of 2016: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/12/03/best-rpg-2016/
The cannon spell from Planescape Torment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKZZEPoVb4c
Ni No Kuni’s magic spell book on DS: https://youtu.be/HQtH4eQI7sA?t=1m8s
BioShock Infinite was pretty different in early demos: https://youtu.be/6WUt5dEMt_Y?t=4m22s
Have you played… Else Heart.Break()? https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/02/20/have-you-played-else-heart-break/
The Earthsea books: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earthsea
The Knightmare TV show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eU5pdZOA9vc
Knightmare Live: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XC_46fJIySw
Have you played… Encarta Mindmaze? https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/04/04/have-you-played-encartas-mindmaze/
Gravity works differently in Youropa: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_t3XUurm6Q
Our Assassin’s Creed Origins review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/11/01/assassins-creed-origins-review-pc/
Non-player characters! Whether they’re annoying companions, side characters, or disembodied human heads, let’s talk about some of our favourites.
John likes nice people, like Nicole Collard from Broken Sword, or Alyx Vance from Half-Life 2. Brendan likes the plucky passport forger in Papers Please who won’t take no for an answer. And Alice wants to carry around Murray the skull from Curse of Monkey Island.
We’ve also played things. John has been smashing his car up in The Crew 2. Brendan has been kickflipping and faceplanting in OlliOlli 2. Whereas Alice has been puzzling through the calm architecture of Starman: Tale of Light.
Links:
Who is Nicole Collard from Broken Sword? http://brokensword.wikia.com/wiki/Nicole_Collard
Our best friends in games podcast: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/03/08/podcast-who-are-our-best-friends/
Jorji Costava from Papers Please: http://papersplease.wikia.com/wiki/Jorji_Costava
James Kidd from Assassin’s Creed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUfVDcR4SmA
Solas from Dragon Age Inquisition: http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Solas
What the BioWare writers listened to while writing for their characters:http://blog.bioware.com/2014/12/12/the-sound-and-the-fury-what-we-listened-to-while-writing-dragon-age-inquisition/
HK-47 from Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic: http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/HK-47
Crestfallen Warrior from Dark Souls: http://darksouls.wikia.com/wiki/Crestfallen_Warrior
Alyx Vance from Half-Life 2: http://half-life.wikia.com/wiki/Alyx_Vance
Dying Light Zombie who says “No! Please!”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqKo5Jmgdgg
Uncle Pey’j from Beyond Good and Evil: http://beyondgoodandevil.wikia.com/wiki/Pey%27j
Murray the skull from Monkey Island: http://monkeyisland.wikia.com/wiki/Murray
Johnny from Metal Gear Solid: http://metalgear.wikia.com/wiki/Johnny_Sasaki
John’s review of The Crew 2: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/06/28/wot-i-think-the-crew-2-as-a-single-player-game/
John’s review of Red Faction Guerilla Re-Mars-tered: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/07/03/wot-i-think-red-faction-guerrilla-re-mars-tered/
Olli Olli 2 is a good skateboarding game: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2015/08/12/olliolli2-released/
Alice’s review of Starman: Tale of Light: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/07/03/starman-tale-of-light-review/
Lydia versus a gate (again): https://youtu.be/MTMwjYgJsFQ
Trying to bring Lydia back to life: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2KrgDbLwAU
Lucian Lachance from Oblivion: http://elderscrolls.wikia.com/wiki/Lucien_Lachance
Welcome to Soundbyte, an audio mini-series that explores topics in the games industry. In our first episode, Astrid Johnson talks us through unionisation in the games industry.
She speaks to Doug Cockle, aka Geralt of Rivia, about his negative experiences in the recording booth, and ‘Emma’ from Game Workers Unite, who explains the challenges of unionising. On top of that, we hear from two worker-owned studios, including the creators of Dead Cells.
Links: The voice actor strike started in 2016: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/10/17/voice-actor-strike/
And was later suspended after a tentative agreement: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/09/26/voice-actor-strike-suspended-as-tentative-agreement-reached/
Adam’s coverage of the GDC unionisation debacle: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/03/23/the-game-industry-needs-to-change-and-it-begins-now/
Game Workers Unite website: https://www.gameworkersunite.org/
Pixel Pusher's website: http://www.pixelpushersunion-512.com/
Dead Cells is a good game: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/tag/dead-cells/
Motion Twin's website: http://motion-twin.com/en/
Let's talk about the naughty games we weren’t allowed to play as youngsters (but did anyway). Alice suffered strict rationing of The Sims 2, and Dave was scolded about Silent Hill. Although, Brendan’s parents didn’t seem to care about GTA 2.
And we’re still sneaking games today. Alice has been kidnapping policemen in Cultist Simulator, while Dave has been scurrying around in Ghost of a Tale. Also, keep your earholes primed for some bonus facts about axolotls.
Links:
Dave is our new guides writer - hello Dave! https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/06/20/meet-dave-irwin-rpss-new-guides-writer/
King’s Quest II is an old Sierra adventure game: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King%27s_Quest_III
Antichamber was good wunnit? https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2013/01/31/wot-i-think-antichamber/
Nights of Azure 2 is the worst game Dave ever reviewed: https://store.steampowered.com/app/636570/Nights_of_Azure_2_Bride_of_the_New_Moon/
Have you played… The Sims 2? https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/11/12/the-sims-2-best-sims/
Silent Hill is scary even behind the scenery: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/11/03/silent-hill-2-boundary-break/
Fortnite is discussed on Good Morning Britain: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6EF_dgO3Vk
The children are falling asleep in school: https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/bristol-primary-school-warning-children-1670369
Giants: Citizen Kabuto was an odd one: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2015/12/11/giants-citizen-kabuto-free/
Not including a tutorial in Cultist Simulator was a contentious decision: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/06/19/not-including-a-tutorial-in-cultist-simulator-was-the-most-contentious-decision-of-the-whole-project/
Nic Rueben’s Cultist Simulator review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/05/31/cultist-simulator-review/
John’s Ghost of a Tale review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/03/15/ghost-of-a-tale-is-a-stealthy-rpg-with-bright-whiskers/
Ghost of a Tale is designed by a former Dreamworks animator: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2013/05/08/lionel-gallat-explains-ghost-of-a-tale/
Redwall is NOT Animals of Farthing Wood meets Dark Souls: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redwall
Axolotls are amaaaazing: http://mentalfloss.com/article/63130/11-awesome-axolotl-facts
No, really: https://twitter.com/FrogCroakley/status/985890829154865152
The visual novel about the is called RB Axolotl: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3s1uCfywrwI
Dying Light 2 hopes to improve on everything: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/06/18/dying-light-2-preview-e3-2018/
The games our listeners weren’t allowed to play: https://twitter.com/rockpapershot/status/1011918305710559232
The most exciting PC games still to come in 2018: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/06/26/video-the-most-exciting-pc-games-still-to-come-in-2018/
E3 is over, but that won’t stop us. We pick out our favourite games and oddest moments from the LA show. But we’re also introducing two new voices this week: Alice Bell and Noa Smith.
Alice is excited for Ashen and enjoyed Andrew WK’s performance at Bethesda’s press event. Noa is looking forward to Beyond Good and Evil 2, but also the smiling veggies of Ooblets. And Brendan tells the story of how Hideo Kojima mildly inconvenienced him while visiting the show. Oh, and of course everyone is intrigued by Cyberpunk 2077.
Link blast:
Noa Smith is our new video person! https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/06/19/welcome-noa-smith-to-rpss-video-team/
Alice Bell is our new deputy editor! https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/06/19/alice-bell-is-rpss-new-deputy-editor-say-hello
E3 was last week – here’s the best stuff we saw: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/06/18/best-games-of-e3-2018/
And here’s the 9 best games you might have missed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ueuWfjAV9gs
Bethesda’s E3 conference, featuring Andrew WK: https://youtu.be/OxGorVTMDIU?t=6m27s
Beyond Good and Evil 2 brings back Pey’j and Jade: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/06/11/beyond-good-and-evil-2-e3-2018-trailer/
But Ubi’s crowdsourcing of art and music is a bit cheeky: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/06/15/hitrecord-claim-no-spec-work-on-bge2/
Cyberpunk 2077 had a cool trailer: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/06/10/cyberpunk-2077-e3-2018-trailer/
But Cyberpunk’s demo was shown in secret: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/06/13/cyberpunk-2077-e3-gameplay-demo/
Just Cause 4 has tornadoes: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/06/10/just-cause-4-announced-e3-trailer/
The Quiet Man looks, um… https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/06/11/square-enix-announce-the-quiet-man/
Sony’s press conference was a bit silly: https://youtu.be/JqAVdqh91eA?t=2m13s
Maneater is Jaws: The Game (and we’re Jaws): https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/06/12/maneater-shark-game-announced/
Resident Evil 2 remake, starring a rat: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/06/12/resident-evil-2-remake-release-date/
Ooblets has ditched fighting for dance battles: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/06/12/ooblets-has-ditched-dogfighting-for-dance-battles/
Neo Cab wants you to embrace the Pain Worm: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/03/15/neo-cab-is-a-tale-of-emotional-survival-in-a-dying-industry/
Devil May Cry features Dante and Virgil and Nero and… Trish? https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/06/11/devil-may-cry-5-announced/
Ashen is pretty Souls-y: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2015/06/16/ashen-e3-2015-trailer/
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey has romances! https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/06/11/assassins-creed-odyssey-release-date/
But Anthem doesn’t: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/06/10/anthem-preview/
EA’s press conference, featuring Vince Zampella: https://youtu.be/ekKth75c4bg?t=19m8s
Respawn’s Star Wars game is Jedi: Fallen Order: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/06/09/respawn-announce-star-wars-jedi-fallen-order/
Ubisoft’s conference, featuring a wonderful dancing panda: https://youtu.be/vHYtD8jWMTo?t=1h10m52s
Dead or Alive 6 says it’s going to ‘tone it down’: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/06/18/dead-or-alive-6-will-tone-down-the-wobbly-bits-half-heartedly/
But Soul Calibur VI isn’t: https://kotaku.com/at-e3-soulcaliburs-objectified-women-felt-like-a-relic-1826929714
Control is the new weird shooter from Remedy: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/06/12/remedy-announce-new-game-control/
Sable looks phwoar: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/06/12/sable-trailer/
The Elder Scrolls VI is set in Elsweyr and here’s the proof: https://assets.rockpapershotgun.com/images//2018/06/supporter-post-ted-vi-cat-620x338.jpg
Dying Light 2 is changing its day and night cycle: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/06/18/dying-light-2-preview-e3-2018/
E3 is coming! So here are some of our predictions, hopes and fears for this year’s dreaded multimedia assault on the nervous system.
Alec is dreaming of XCOM sequel news but is more realistically expecting Spelunky 2 or Prey’s moon expansion. And Brendan wants a Elder Scrolls teaser, but might have to settle for Fallout 76. Alec has also been playing Vampyr, the bloodsucking RPG.
Links:
All our E3 coverage this year: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/tag/e3-2018/
Who is Chris Evans? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Evans_(presenter)
Fallout 76 will probably be shown: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/05/30/fallout-76-trailer/
The Elder Scrolls VI isn’t being worked on (but this was 2 years ago tbf): https://www.gamesradar.com/the-elder-scrolls-6-is-not-in-development-for-the-time-being-says-bethesda
Okay, we get it, Prey’s expansion will be set on the moon: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/05/19/secret-patch-updates-prey-with-rem-lyrics-as-achievements/
The “what games are good to play with your kids” podcast: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/05/10/podcast-what-do-we-play-with-our-kids/
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey revealed by promotional keyring: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/05/31/assassins-creed-odyssey-keyring/
Hitman 2 revealed by logo leak: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/06/05/hitman-2-revealed-by-logo-on-warner-bros-website/
Red Dead Redemption likely to have timed exclusivity to PlayStation 4: https://kotaku.com/red-dead-redemption-2-will-have-some-sort-of-timed-play-1826536689
Rumour: Cyberpunk 2077 to be shown at E3: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/01/16/rumour-cyberpunk-2077-to-be-shown-at-e3-2018/
Edwin’s preview of the new Tomb Raider: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/04/27/shadow-of-the-tomb-raider-appears-to-be-beautiful-but-a-little-vacuous/
The Elder Scrolls Online didn’t start out very good, says Brendan: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2014/04/07/impressions-the-elder-scrolls-online/
But it it has improved a fair bit, says Alec: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/05/25/elder-scrolls-online-summerset-review/
Spelunky 2 is happening: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/10/30/spelunky-2-announced/
Brendan also didn’t like Plunkbat when it came out. What’s wrong with you Brendan? https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/03/28/playerunknowns-battlegrounds-review-early-access/
What the hell is “Centre Parcs”? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Center_Parcs
Alec’s Vampyr review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/06/04/vampyr-review-pc/
Stalker 2 is being made but a long time off: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/05/16/stalker-2-release-date/
Rumour: Unannounced BioShock game being worked on at ‘secret’ 2K studio: http://www.newsweek.com/bioshock-4-development-2k-secret-studio-rumor-885903
Lovecraftian detective-em-up The Sinking City looks good: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/05/30/the-sinking-city-trailer-details/
My Friend Pedro has backflips, flipkicks and uzis: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/11/23/my-friend-pedro-has-kickflips-and-bullet-time/
Disco Elysium is still the game we want most: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/05/29/disco-elysium-rpg-details/
Let's talk about the shooters we love in particular, following our recent list of the top 50 first-person shooters. Matt loves the backstabbing spy of Team Fortress 2. John adores Dark Forces and immersive sims like Prey. And Brendan has been playing Unreal Gold, which celebrates its 20th birthday this week.
Also, we’ve got another patch notes quiz, this time focusing on shooters. Which “Turkey was too powerful”? Listen to find out.
Links:
Our top 50 FPS games: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/05/21/best-fps-2018/
Doom is the best shooter and definitely not chosen more or less at random: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/05/21/best-fps-2018/51/
Quake is proper good too though: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/05/21/best-fps-2018/48/
Alec loves Transformers: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2014/12/18/the-inevitable-failure-of-transformers-games/
“Kieron” is one of the ancient RPS myths that John sometimes tells us about: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kieron_Gillen
Team Fortress 2 is only number 40 tsk tsk: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/05/21/best-fps-2018/12/
Dark Forces is pretty good you know: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/05/21/best-fps-2018/5/
It’s no Devil Daggers though: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/05/21/best-fps-2018/47/
City of Heroes wasn’t a shooter, get out: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2012/12/04/city-of-heroes-a-farewell-to-superarms/
Unreal Gold is free whaaat: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/05/22/unreal-free-for-20th-birthday/
Amnesia: A Machine For Pigs is a game of nope nope nope nope: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2013/09/09/wot-i-think-amnesia-a-machine-for-pigs/
Ion Maiden is a good old-but-new shooter: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/03/05/ion-maiden-review/
The game John couldn’t remember is Boiling Point: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boiling_Point:_Road_to_Hell
Boiling Point’s patch notes are classics: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2007/12/18/fixed-size-of-the-moon/
Have you played… Hexen? https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/06/02/hexen-retrospective/
System Shock 2’s controls are willy-nilly, but it does have a “standard FPS” setting Brendan is too stupid to find: https://www.reddit.com/r/SystemShock2/comments/43t3bd/system_shock_2_controls_help/
Half-life on PlayStation 2 had a lock-on mechanic: http://combineoverwiki.net/wiki/Half-Life_(PlayStation_2_port)#Differences
This week's topic: character creation! Matthew makes his debut on the podcast and tells us he always creates the same persona – a silver-haired man with a pencil moustache called “Mr Basil Pesto”. Terrifying. Meanwhile, Brendan makes poetic orcs or misshapen monsters.
We’ve also had time to play things. Matthew is pottering through the first Pillars of Eternity and Brendan is scavenging through the bugs and jank of State of Decay 2. The topic this week was sent in by listener Orlando. Thanks, Orlando. Thorlando.
Links:
Matthew is our video person! https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/05/01/meet-matthew-castle-our-new-video-person/
He makes our videos here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5bKSAZBvV9AKlBJPG0Py-A
Have you played… Mass Effect 3? https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/03/21/mass-effect-3/
Mr Basil Pesto looks like John Waters: http://i2.cdnds.net/12/44/618x957/wenn436344.jpg
Have you played… Grand Theft Auto Online? https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/01/22/have-you-played-grand-theft-auto-online/
Brendan’s misshapen ‘Blapchap’ in 7 Days to Die: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2014/11/27/7-days-to-die-diary/
Lauren Morton at PC Gamer investigates the Dark Souls fashion police: https://www.pcgamer.com/in-search-of-the-mysterious-dark-souls-fashion-police/
Tekken 7’s character creator is joyful: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/06/19/tekken-7-outfits/
A very Tekken Christmas: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/12/20/dressing-up-as-santa-in-tekken-7-and-visiting-players/
The Fabsolver community: https://www.reddit.com/r/absolver/search?q=fabsolver&restrict_sr=1
Samuel Beckett or Dishonored NPC? https://twitter.com/Brendy_C/status/802956653704450050
South Park: The Stick of Truth’s character creator: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qg1XMZCFGZU
South Park avatar creator: http://southpark.cc.com/avatar
Things to celebrate about Divinity Original Sin 2: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/09/22/divinity-original-sin-2-best-things/
Kirk Hamilton of Kotaku on Splinter Cell’s enemy barks: https://kotaku.com/5921878/why-video-game-characters-say-such-ridiculous-things
John’s Pillars of Eternity review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2015/03/26/pillars-of-eternity-review/
Pillars of Eternity II review-in-progress: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/05/08/pillars-of-eternity-ii-deadfire-review-in-progress/
20 minutes of State of Decay 2: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/05/01/video-state-of-decay-2-goes-for-the-jugular-and-jugglers/
Some early impressions of its buggy zombie shopping trip: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/05/17/state-of-decay-2-review-in-progress/
Sad weary science lady with a weak arm: https://twitter.com/Tomi_Tapio/status/997081888887058433
We’re going full Dad this week, talking about the games we play with our children. Alec’s daughter is excited by the characters of Rayman Legends (and is strangely fascinated by Battletech). John’s son likes to watch his dad diving in Abzu and Subnautica. Brendan doesn’t have children, only a cat. She can’t stand videogames and thinks they are a waste of time.
Thank you to listeners Jon and Andy for submitting the topic!
Links:
Battletech is good but perhaps not for 5-year-olds: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/04/27/learning-to-love-battletech-an-evolving-opinion/
Connie also likes Rayman Legends: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/03/24/have-you-played-rayman-legends/
Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2 is great but also not great: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/11/21/lego-marvel-super-heroes-2-opinions/
Can I bring a chair in? https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/01/13/rip-hugh-walker-1949-2016/
Have you played... Trackmania Turbo? https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/05/10/have-you-played-trackmania-turbo/
Proteus is good for kids: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/04/26/have-you-played-proteus/
Abzu is good: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/02/14/have-you-played-abzu/
Fe is good: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/02/16/fe-review/
SteamWorld Dig 2 is good: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/09/29/steamworld-dig-2-is-a-gentle-jewel/
Hidden Folks is good: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/02/15/hidden-folks-review/
The Binding of Isaac is NOT GOOD: https://youtu.be/ICtSJDOYn-A?t=22s
Let's talk about freezing cold city-builder Frostpunk. Katharine lost a third of her people when she forgot to turn the heat on, while Brendan dug up his society’s dead. Matt is horrified by these tales, but soon proves he’s just as horrible in our Frostpunk “ethical dilemma quiz”.
We’ve been playing other games too. Matt has been sneaking around in Murderous Pursuits. And Katharine has been hopping around in two colourful platformers - Celeste and Fe.
Links:
Frostpunk review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/04/23/frostpunk-review/
Murderous Pursuits is a tense game of assassination: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/04/26/murderous-pursuits-has-slunk-out-of-the-shadows/
The Ship Remasted was a similar deal: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/02/22/the-ship-remasted-early-access/
Have you played… Assassin’s Creed multiplayer? https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/11/16/have-you-played-assassins-creed-multiplayer/
SpyParty also has you pretending to be an NPC: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/04/24/spyparty-early-access-review/
Celeste is a good platformer phwoar: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/01/25/celeste-review/
Why Celeste’s dash feels great: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/04/03/celeste-dash/
Fe review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/02/16/fe-review/
A list of literary subgenres with ‘-punk’ attached: https://litreactor.com/columns/punkpunk-a-compendium-of-literary-punk-genres
Meet Matthew Castle, our new video person: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/05/01/meet-matthew-castle-our-new-video-person/
And watch him run over zombies in State of Decay 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXGZK9MhcMw
This week we're chatting about our favourite robots. Alec likes the robo-ostrich from World of Warcraft. Brendan is fond of the abandoned bots of Hackmud. And John loves little BUD of Grow Home because of his wobbly walking animations.
Speaking of bi-pedal machines, Alec has also been stomping around in strategy mech-clicker Battletech. John has been fighting a witch in The Swords of Ditto. While Brendan has foolishly appointed a gambler as his finance minister in Ni No Kuni II.
Links:
Machinarium review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2009/10/16/wot-i-think-machinarium/
The robot ostrich (or “mechanostrider”) from World of Warcraft: https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/wowwiki/images/f/fe/Red_Mechanostrider.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20090506095642
The hospital bot from Quadrilateral Cowboy: https://assets.rockpapershotgun.com/images//2018/04/quadrilateral-cowboy-robot.jpg
Bud is the wobbly robot from Grow Home: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2015/02/05/grow-home-review/
Brendan is thinking of TerRover. “Terrarium” doesn’t exist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZoS8y5I7NU8
The Planescape Torment robot’s full name is Nordom Whistleklik: http://torment.wikia.com/wiki/Nordom
Hackmud was our best MMO of 2016: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/12/07/hackmud-best-mmo-2016/
Dog from Half-Life 2: http://half-life.wikia.com/wiki/Dog
XCOM’s Sectopod: http://xcom.wikia.com/wiki/Sectopod_(XCOM:_Enemy_Unknown)
X-COM’s penis bot: https://www.ufopaedia.org/index.php?title=Sectopod
Have you played… Project Eden? https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/12/15/have-you-played-project-eden/
Bot Colony’s voice recognition make its robots infuriating: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/04/04/bot-colony-review-early-access-2/
Have you played… Transformers: Fall of Cybertron? https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/01/03/fall-of-cybertron-review-pc/
James Pond 2 Robocarp ugh, Robocod: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Pond_2
Battletech review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/04/24/battletech-review-pc/
Swords of Ditto review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/04/24/the-swords-of-ditto-review/
Into the Breach review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/02/27/into-the-breach-ftl-sequel-review/
Ni No Kuni II review:https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/03/23/ni-no-kuni-2-pc-review/
Ni No Kuni has the nicest Facebook comments (Supporter only): https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/04/23/ni-no-kuni-ii-has-the-freindliest-facebook-comments/
The best of HK-47: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CqpGfWrmc4
Please comment on this Fallout: New Vegas review because Quinns reads them every day: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2010/10/21/wot-i-think-fallout-new-vegas/
Our special podcast on the weird games of Rezzed: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/04/24/podcast-the-weird-wild-and-wonderful-of-egx-rezzed/
Astrid Johnson takes us through the halls of London game show EGX Rezzed, on a search for oddities like Stereopolis, a game projected onto a disc of frosted glass, or Wobble Garden, which is played entirely by twanging a bunch of springy door stoppers.
It's an overview of the show for all those who couldn't make it. We also learn about the plane tinkering of Above, two-player sausage-dog cooperation in Phogs, and Disco Elysium, an isometric RPG featuring an alcoholic detective having an unconscious argument with his lizard brain.
Links:
Eurogamer’s roundup of the best games from the show floor: https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2018-04-16-rezzed-2018-best-games-from-the-show-floor
Wobble Garden, with a controller made of door stopper springs: http://wobblylabs.com/projects/wobblegarden
Mmmmm, door stopper springs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lhy-jK93hY4
Fernando’s chicken shop: https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/fernandos-peri-peri-chicken-shop-12167244
Phogs, the two player game of controlling a single sausage-bodied dog: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/09/26/phogs-co-op-two-dogs-one-controller/
We’re all excited about Disco Elysium: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/03/09/no-truce-with-the-furies-gets-a-mad-new-title-and-trailer/
Above, a flying game about soaring over islands: https://youtu.be/9utVnw0vAiU
We're talking about how being a critic changes the way you play. Don’t blame us, blame listener Aleksei, who sent in the theme as a suggestion. But please also forgive Adam, because it’s his last week on the podcast.
Adam says he’s been forced to play things he otherwise wouldn’t, and ended up loving Euro Truck Simulator 2 as a result. Matt says he sometimes now worries if he should be playing Fortnite. And Brendan says he’s just periodically disappointed at hype. Also mentioned: Battletech, Dota 2 and upcoming detective RPG Disco Elysium.
Links:
Adam is leaving us :( https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/03/28/adam-is-leaving-for-pastures-new-so-come-work-for-us/
Occupy White Walls is an MMO art gallery: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/tag/occupy-white-walls/
Getting Over It requires a resolve Matt doesn’t have (nor Brendan): https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/12/12/getting-over-it-with-matt-and-brendan/
Raft is about surviving on a raft at sea: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/04/06/sea-survival-sim-sandbox-raft-sets-sail-for-steam-in-may/
North is about being a refugee in a confusing city: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/04/05/north-free-game/
Far Cry’s story ruins everything: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/04/03/far-cry-5s-interrupting-story-ruins-everything/
Fortnite Battle Royale plays second fiddle to Plunkbat: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/09/28/fortnite-battle-royale-plays-second-fiddle-to-plunkbat/
Where The Water Tastes Like Wine review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/02/28/where-the-water-tastes-like-wine-review/
Disco Elysium breaks down the psyche of a detective: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/03/19/disco-elysium-breaks-down-the-psyche-of-a-detective/
Plunkbat versus Fortnite: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwe0S4s0EAE
Battletech mechs its way to PC: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/03/27/battletech-release-date/
Tekken player wrecks opponent’s controller: https://compete.kotaku.com/tekken-7-competitor-gets-so-mad-he-has-to-spike-someone-1825191366
Adam’s review of roguelike Unexplored: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/02/23/unexplored-review/
50 best strategy games: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/11/18/the-50-best-strategy-games-on-pc/
Adam’s Night drive in Euro Truck Simulator: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2013/03/13/night-drive-euro-truck-simulator-2/
You can find all of Adam’s articles here: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/author/adam-smith/
There’s 3278 of them.
Last week we talked about good games with rubbish tales. This week, it's the reverse - great stories with bad games attached to them.
John thinks Dreamfall had an moving story about faith, alongside an awful 3D adventure interface. Katharine hates looking at the wall in Soma because the underwater robo-facility is so intriguing. And Brendan is sad that Pyre had a fiddly netball game attached to its warm tale of friendship and justice.
Links:
Adam didn’t care for Soma as much as us :( https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2015/09/21/soma-review/
But here’s Steven on its strengths: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/06/17/have-you-played-soma/
Soma’s safe mode lets you delete monsters: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/12/01/soma-safe-mode-update-released/
Have you played… The Longest Journey? https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2015/11/05/have-you-played-the-longest-journey/
A Dreamfall retrospective: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2011/04/26/eurogamer-retrospective-dreamfall/
Ragnar Tørnquist on Dreamfall and faith: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2008/08/20/ragnar-tornquist-on-dreamfall-faith/
Pyre review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/07/28/pyre-review/
You’re not the hero of Pyre’s revolution, and that’s the point: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/08/18/youre-not-the-hero-of-pyres-revolution-and-thats-the-point/
Zunless Zea Zubmariner lured Pip into the water: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/10/11/sunless-sea-zubmariner/
Alec’s choose-your-own-review of Torment: Tides of Numenera : https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/02/28/torment-tides-of-numenera-review/
ER: The Game is good-not-good: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1n1cZ9D5cg
Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/08/12/hellblade-senuas-sacrifice-review/
The Walking Dead: Season One, Episode One review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2012/04/25/wot-i-think-the-walking-dead-episode-one/
Have you played… Spec Ops: The Line? https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2015/11/19/spec-ops-review
It's a common problem. A good videogame let down by a terrible story - whther that's cheesy dialogue, dull characters, nonsensical plot. Try harder or let us go back to shooting the things.
Alec is semi-suffering through Far Cry 5, adoring the woodland shootouts between the trite storytelling. Brendan has been riding chocobos in Final Fantasy XV while navigating plot holes the size of a fancy car. And Katharine has been partnering up in co-op prison break game A Way Out.
Links:
Videogame weddings are full of lies, says Katharine (supporter only): https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/03/23/video-game-weddings-are-full-of-lies/
Our Far Cry 5 review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/03/29/far-cry-5-review/
Far Cry 5’s interrupting story ruins everything: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/04/03/far-cry-5s-interrupting-story-ruins-everything/
Alec loves Montana though: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/03/28/best-far-cry-setting/
Katharine’s Final Fantasy XV review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/03/08/final-fantasy-15-pc-review/
“What does a lowly, ephemeral speck know of All Creation!” (spoilers for FFXV) https://youtu.be/OfOiiF0fK3A?t=2m23s
Have you played… Murder Dog IV: Trial of the Murder Dog? https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2015/08/07/have-you-played-murder-dog-iv-trial-of-the-murder-dog/
FFXV’s sidequests are pants (supporter only): https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/03/12/final-fantasy-xvs-side-quests-are-pants/
A Way Out is a co-op prison escape game: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/06/10/a-way-out-prison-game/
The crew were in San Francisco last week for the Game Developer's Conference, where they spoke to developers and gambled on the results of the annual awards show. Now they’re back to tell you all about their Stateside adventures. Between sessions of Far Cry 5, of course.
Adam chatted to Civ IV creator Soren Johnson about his upcoming 4X game. John spoke to Paul Neurath, the creator of Ultima Underworld II. And Brendan was at the awards ceremony at the Independent Games Festival, where he quizzed Tim Schafer. None of these people actually feature in the podcast, but look at all the names we've dropped!
Links:
All our GDC 2018 coverage so far: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/tag/gdc-2018
Have you played… Ultima Underworld II? https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/05/14/have-you-played-ultima-underworld-ii/
The Fe and SteamWorld people are the same now: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/01/25/steamworlders-merge-with-fe-folks-to-create-thunderful/
Emily Short’s interactive fiction columns: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/tag/if-only/
Fork Parker is the fictional chief financial officer of Devolver who once straight-up asked for money: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2013/11/08/forkstarter-devolver-digital-just-plain-ask-for-your-money/
Devolver’s nightmare press conference at E3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqPT9hyPANs
Have you played… Thief: Deadly Shadows? https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/12/08/have-you-played-thief-deadly-shadows/
Level designer of Thief 3’s Cradle is working on Blackout Club: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/02/28/the-blackout-club-cooperative-horror-game/
10 Crowns is a 4X game from Civ 4 designer Soren Johnson: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/02/05/10-crowns-is-a-historical-4x-from-civ-4-designers-studio/
Night in the Woods wins grand prize at IGF Awards: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/03/22/night-in-the-woods-wins-igf-grand-prize/
And here were the other nominees for all the awards: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/01/03/igf-2018-finalists/
Baba Is You is a puzzler that lets you write the rules: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/12/12/baba-is-you-puzzle-game/
How Butterfly Soup creates believable characters: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/12/08/butterfly-soup-characters/
SpyParty is coming to Steam early access after one billion years: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/11/22/spyparty-is-coming-to-steam-early-access-after-8-years-of-development/
Alec really likes Far Cry 5’s Montana: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/03/28/best-far-cry-setting/
Our Far Cry 5 review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/03/29/far-cry-5-review/
A man in Far Cry 5 who didn’t want to be shot: https://youtu.be/ksILKlN8Dr4
With the release of Warhammer: Vermintide 2, we decided to celebrate the lovable dirtbag of videogames. The lowly, filthy, wonderful rat.
Adam respects the helpful rats of Dishonored, who take the blame for all unusual noises. Matt likes the swag-carrying Loot Rat of Vermintide 2, who scurries away as you pursue it. And Brendan vents his disappointment at the Rat King of Dark Souls 2, who’s just a normal rat with a posh accent.
But who among the three of our hosts is a rat themselves? Find out (and play along) in our squeaky quiz.
Links:
Dishonored 2 review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/11/14/dishonored-2-review-pc/
A Plague Tale has the best rats: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/02/08/a-plague-tale-innocence-rats/
Vermintide 2 is grimdark ultraviolence at a spectacular scale: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/03/09/vermintide-2-is-grimdark-ultraviolence-at-a-spectacular-scale/
Warhammer expert on why we all love the Skaven: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/09/01/total-war-warhammer-ii-interview-skaven/
The Rat King: http://darksouls2.wiki.fextralife.com/Rat+King
And his lovely Covenant: http://darksouls2.wiki.fextralife.com/Rat+King+Covenant
The psychic rat in Planescape Torment is called Many-as-One: http://torment.wikia.com/wiki/Many-as-One
Boo the “miniature giant space hamster” - http://baldursgate2.wikia.com/wiki/Minsc_and_Boo
Slay the Spire has fungi that are NOT rats: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/12/19/slay-the-spire-deck-building/
Rat-avoiding stealth game Ghost of a Tale came out this week: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/03/13/mousy-rpg-ghost-of-a-tale-squeaks-out-of-early-access/
Book of Demons pops up on early access: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/07/28/book-of-demons-early-access-release/
Best pals John and Brendan discuss friendship in videogames. What characters feel like close buddies to them? John felt a kinship with Alistair from Dragon Age: Origins and a lesser attachment to Lydia from Skyrim. Whereas Brendan was habitually close to an undead woman in Dark Souls who sold him poisonous arrows.
John also enthuses about animated adventure Chuchel and recommends Ion Maiden, a new retro shooter from 3D Realms. Brendan, on the other hand, comes up with some fictional scenarios between iconic videogame characters. Would J C Denton get along with Adam Jenson? Listen to find out.
Links:
The Ridealongs: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/tag/ridealong/
Agony aunt Anna Rayburn: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anna_Raeburn
Alistair from Dragon Age: http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Alistair
Lydia vs a Gate: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTMwjYgJsFQ
The life and death of Lydia in Skrim: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2011/11/21/skyrim-lydia-death/
Stardew Valley review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/03/04/stardew-valley-review/
Barbas was a dog in Skyrim, and so was Meeko: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2014/10/22/skyrim-survival-diary/
John hates Fallout 4’s “stupid dog” : https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2015/11/30/why-i-hate-fallout-4s-stupid-dog/
Oxenfree review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/01/20/oxenfree-review/
You’re not the hero of Pyre’s revolution (and that’s the point): https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/08/18/youre-not-the-hero-of-pyres-revolution-and-thats-the-point/
Night in the Woods review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/02/27/night-in-the-woods-review/
Have you played… Else Heart.Break()? https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/02/20/have-you-played-else-heart-break/
The Witcher developer hints that Geralt will guest appear in a different game: https://twitter.com/Marcin360/status/970994926677872640?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Ion Maiden review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/03/05/ion-maiden-review/
Chuchel review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/03/06/chuchel-review/
Who is Garrus? http://masseffect.wikia.com/wiki/Garrus_Vakarian
This week the team is snowed in. So let’s talk about the weather. Blizzards, thunderclouds, sandstorms and, er, night-time? All of it classifies as weather to us if it appears in a game.
Adam likes being warm while looking out at the frosty cold in survival game The Long Dark. And Brendan likes the blizzards of Viking strategy game Northgard and the foggy, windless days of sailing sim Sailaway. John, however, thinks the weather should stop. There’s no reason why everything should be covered in smog, nor our hands and feet detached from the cliffside by Zelda: Breath of the Wild’s annoying rain.
But we've also been playing lots. Assassin's Creed: Origins, Vagante, All Walls Must Fall, Orwell: Ignorance Is Strength, Street Fighter V, and Where The Water Tastes Like Wine - all come under scrutiny.
Links:
The joy of Witcher 3’s great outdoors: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/06/16/the-joy-of-the-witcher-3s-great-outdoors/
Adam and Brendan’s road trip in The Crew: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/09/20/the-crew-free-road-trip/
Weather watching in The Long Dark: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/08/03/the-long-dark-weather/
Northgard’s early access review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/02/27/northgard-review-early-access/
Have you played… Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/09/20/have-you-played-metal-gear-solid-v-the-phantom-pain/
Sailing the Northwest Passage in Sailaway: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/05/04/sailing-sim-northwest-passage/
Sailaway floats out of early access: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/02/27/sailaway-released/
All is Lost is about a competent man: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2017038/
Hell in the Pacific is about two incompetent men: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063056/
Games don’t get Thunderstorms right (supporter post): https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/07/19/heres-why-games-dont-get-thunderstorms-right/
Have you played… Proteus? https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/04/26/have-you-played-proteus/
Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles has great storms: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/07/20/yonder-the-cloud-catcher-chronicles-review/
Where the Water Tastes Like Wine review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/02/28/where-the-water-tastes-like-wine-review/
All Walls Must Fall is also out: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/02/23/quirky-time-travelling-nightclub-crawling-tactical-rpg-all-walls-must-fall-busts-out-of-early-access-today/
Vagante is also finally out: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/02/23/4-years-later-platform-roguelike-vagante-launches/ Orwell: Ignorance Is Strength chapter one review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/02/26/orwell-ignorance-is-strength-review/
Assassin’s Creed: Origin’s tour guide teaches badly: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/02/22/assassins-creed-origins-discovery-tour-review/
And it covers up the willies: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/02/21/assassins-creed-origins-discovery-tour-censors-all-the-nudey-statues/
Three days of Blanka in Street Fighter V: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/02/27/blanka-slate-starting-over-again-in-street-fighter-v/
Adam’s pretentious Everybody’s Gone To The Rapture article: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/04/18/everybodys-gone-to-the-rapture-englishness/
This week the gang are talking JRPGs, or Japanese role-playing games to use words. Does a game have to be made in Japan to be a JRPG? Or does it just need bright colours and turn-based battles? We seek to understand the true meaning of the genre by stumbling over dozens of games and deciding whether or not they’re allowed into the JRPG treehouse.
Katharine reckons if it isn’t made in Japan, it can get out. Adam thinks the US-made Anachronox counts. And Brendan is happy to apply the label to Undertale, or anything with lots of townspeople to speak to.
Links:
Spawn point - The best JRPGs for beginners: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/02/16/spawn-point-the-best-jrpgs-for-total-beginners/
Have you played... Anachronox? https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2014/09/30/anachranox-retro/
It’s on GOG if not! https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2012/03/15/the-wait-is-over-anachronox-is-on-gog-com/
Final Fantasy XV is coming to PC soon: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/01/16/final-fantasy-xv-pc-release-date/
Katharine’s Final Fantasy XV interview: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/02/20/final-fantasy-15-mod-support-essential/
The trailer for Kingsglaive, the film you need to watch to understand FFXV: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htnkOpknGok
Final Fantasy XV will have co-op multiplayer: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/02/20/final-fantasy-xvs-co-op-expands-with-its-pc-launch/
Have you played… Final Fantasy VII? https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/06/29/have-you-played-final-fantasy-vii/
Kotaku’s Found in Translation for Final Fantasy VII: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZefYEaNUJ7w&list=PLsiJPoHlPqEEA07AKMQ2Hm2oRLiGkR_uJ
Space Funeral is the best IJRPG ever: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/10/31/the-50-best-free-games-on-pc/42/
What’s Hyperdimension Neptunia? https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2015/11/03/hyperdimension-neptunia-rebirth3-v-generation-pc/
Recettear (it’s pronounced racketeer) review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2010/09/11/wot-i-think-recettear-an-item-shops-tale/
The Secret of Mana remake is out: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/02/15/secret-of-manas-3d-remake-is-out-now-on-steam/
Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel 2 is definitely a JRPG: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/08/05/the-legend-of-heroes-trails-of-cold-steel-released-on-pc/
We're talking morality. Paragons, renegades, sith, jedi, and everything in between. Matt thinks the decision to reprogram the Geth in Mass Effect 2 is full of complexity. Brendan prefers the moral drudgery of being an Arstotzkan border guard in Papers, Please. Whereas John enjoys being bad in Knights of the Old Republic.
We also play a game in which John and Matt are put through the confessionals of Catherine. Who is "Lawful" and who is "Chaotic"? Thanks to Tom Frederick for suggesting the topic of 'morality'!
Links:
Killing the Geth in Mass Effect 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fiaedZF72gg
Bastard of the Old Republic, part one: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2009/02/22/bastard-of-the-old-republic-on-eurogamer/
Have you played… Soma? https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/06/17/have-you-played-soma/
Soma’s safe mode has no monsters: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/12/01/soma-safe-mode-update-released/
Who is HK-47? http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/HK-47
Functionalism??????? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5AwaFsp5Os
Altered Carbon is a new Netflix show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhFM8akm9a4
Have you played... Sun Dogs? https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/10/17/have-you-played-sun-dogs/
Have you played… Papers Please? https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2015/07/28/papers-please-have-you-played/
A Good Gardener is a war time grow 'em up: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2015/11/16/a-good-gardener/
The Red Strings Club review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/01/22/the-red-strings-club-review/
Catherine's confessionals: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXj46LBVhb4
Talos Principle 2 is actually coming out: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/05/20/the-talos-principle-2-announced/
Readers’ answers on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rockpapershot/photos/a.590931837659688.1073741826.176784995741043/1584457891640406/?type=3&theater
... and Twitter: https://twitter.com/rockpapershot/status/964077020937367554
They lurk, they creep, they skulk and weep. This week the team is talking about their favourite monsters in games. Alice reckons you can’t beat a good Dark Souls skeleton. And Katharine tells us about a demon in Okami. Meanwhile, Adam ponders the gameiness of movie monsters like the sex curse of It Follows.
But we’ve also been playing monstrous things. Slay the Spire gets more praise from Alice the acrobatic stabber. Adam has been tracking a gigantospider in Hunt: Showdown. And Katharine has been acting most monstrously, playing games on a Nintendo.
Links:
The RPS verdict on DOOM: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/06/07/doom-pc-review-2/
Final Fantasy’s bomb: http://finalfantasy.wikia.com/wiki/Bomb_(creature)
Official Rock Paper Shotgun policy as regards to skeletons: https://twitter.com/rockpapershot/status/960861687887908864
Dark Souls has some good skeletons: http://darksouls3.wiki.fextralife.com/Root+Skeleton
Look, these ones are wheels: http://darksouls3.wiki.fextralife.com/Skeleton+Wheel
Okami review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/12/18/okami-hd-review-pc/
How do you get THIS THING drunk? https://orig08.deviantart.net/5eb0/f/2008/194/4/4/okami___yamata_no_orochi_by_vyrilien.jpg
Merlocks are adorable: http://wowwiki.wikia.com/wiki/Murloc
Have you played… Left 4 Dead 2? https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2015/01/12/have-you-played-left-4-dead-2/
Neon Maniacs is a b-movie about killing things with water and such: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0127045/
Have you played… Soma? https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/06/17/have-you-played-soma/
It Follows is a movie about a sexually transmitted curse: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It_Follows
Slay the Spire has some mad possibilities: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/02/02/slay-the-spire-infinite-combo/
Hunt: Showdown looks neat: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/06/21/hunt-showdown-e3-2017-gameplay-footage/
Final Fantasy Explorers was a bad go at Monster Hunter: http://finalfantasy.wikia.com/wiki/Final_Fantasy_Explorers
Anatomy by Kitty Horrorshow on Itch.io: https://kittyhorrorshow.itch.io/anatomy
Depths of Fear review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2014/04/29/roguelike-horror-depths-of-fear-review/
The Deadly Tower of Monsters: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2015/06/12/deadly-tower-of-monsters-zeno-clash-devs/
We're talking about remakes, remasters and recurrent nightmares. What would we like to see remade? Katharine wouldn’t mind a spruced up Deus Ex. Brendan thinks a rejigged Assassin’s Creed could work (how perverse). While Adam doesn’t want any of his loves remade, lest they pollute his fond memories (OK, maybe Pathologic 2).
However, the real question is what games from today will be remade in the distant future?
Links:
Remaking old adventure games is bad, says Ron Gilbert: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/11/22/when-is-it-ok-to-remake-a-classic-game/
Okami HD review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/12/18/okami-hd-review-pc/
Pathologic remake confusingly renamed Pathologic 2: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/08/31/pathologic-remake-renamed-pathologic-2/
Have you played… Doom II? https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/05/24/have-you-played-doom-ii-hell-on-earth/
How Doom’s Glory Kills maintain momentum: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/07/15/doom-glory-kills-mechanic/
Everything you need to know about Final Fantasy XII: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/01/29/spawn-point-what-to-know-about-final-fantasy-xii/
Underworld Ascendant is a bit of an Ultima Underworld remake: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2015/10/14/underworld-ascendant/
Prey review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/05/09/prey-review/
Resident Evil 2 remake is in the works at Capcom: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2015/08/16/resident-evil-2-remake/
Can you SURVIVE the evil!? https://youtu.be/lgAJB9Q2LzM?t=13s
Grow Home’s flailing hero is a good robot: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/09/23/how-grow-home-uses-maths-to-generate-a-personality/
Adam talks to a nice man in Budapest: https://twitter.com/noneconomical/status/958381777155969029
Assassin’s Creed’s post-murder chatting: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/06/05/have-you-played-assassins-creed/
Have you played… Anachronox? https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2014/09/30/anachranox-retro/
The god game From Dust: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2011/07/27/from-dust-review/
Have you played… Startopia? https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/03/22/startopia-retrospective/
Psst! You can play No One Lives Forever for free: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/07/05/no-one-will-sell-no-one-lives-forever-so-lets-download-it/ The cancelled Legacy of Kain game, Dead Sun: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2015/02/24/legacy-of-kain-dead-sun-cancelled/
The long road to Timesplitters Rewind: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/06/06/timesplitters-rewind-pc/
The answer is no, by the way. But there are so many examples of bad survival games that it’s important to remember the good ones. Adam wraps himself up in the Long Dark, while Matt gets sea sickness from Subnautica. But it’s not all barbequed pork chop and pointy sticks. Brendan is enjoying card game roguelike Slay the Spire. Adam is climbing a mountain in tough platformer Celeste, and Matt is second guessing the intentions of the cyberpunk heroes of The Red Strings Club.
And, bonus: We've also got Quickfire Questions with Charlie Cleveland of Subnautica developers Unknown Worlds Entertainment.
Links:
The Long Dark is survival at its brutal best: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/01/09/the-long-dark-sandbox-review/
Subnautica review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/01/24/subnautica-review/
The Forest is beautiful and terrifying: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/01/18/the-forest-review-early-access-2/
Zelda’s hardcore survival island: https://tay.kinja.com/breath-of-the-wilds-eventide-island-is-nothing-new-but-1793447344
Dying Light: The Following review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/02/12/dying-light-the-following-review/
Have you played… I Am Alive? https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/11/07/have-you-played-i-am-alive/
The Solus Project early access review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/05/31/the-solus-project-review/
The deadly creatures of Rain World: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/03/30/the-deadly-creatures-of-rain-world-a-bestiary-in-gifs/
The Long Dark’s story mode wasn’t great: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/08/01/the-long-dark-review/
Project Zomboid devs talk zombies with Dean Hall: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2014/04/01/forever-undead-dean-hall-and-indie-stone-talk-zombies/
This is Dead State: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2014/12/11/pc-game-review-dead-state/
And this is State of Decay: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2014/10/21/have-you-played-state-of-decay/
Frostpunk asks why we survive: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/06/26/frostpunk-preview-survival/
Have you played… UnReal World? https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2014/10/20/have-you-played-unreal-world/
Pour cyberpunk drinks in The Red Strings Club: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/01/22/the-red-strings-club-review/
9 minutes of mountain climbing in Celeste: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/01/12/celeste-mountain-climbing-gameplay-video/
Slay the Spire made Adam love deck building: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/12/19/slay-the-spire-deck-building/
It also has a goblin who runs a gameshow: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/01/17/slay-the-spire-good-roguelike/
We speak to Charlie Cleveland, director on underwater survival game Subnautica about why there are no guns in their game and why "terror" is a better way to describe the depths than "horror".
It's a party podcast this week and you are all invited. Adam likes the shouting and panic of co-op chef game Overcooked. Alice enjoys throwing people around paddling pools in Jelly Stompers. And Brendan will always adore the playdough wrestlers of Gang Beasts.
But it's also a minigame special. We've got two new quizzes. One called Pure Steamin' and the other called, er, Patch Alice. What a good party.
Listen up, 2018! The team have a list of demands and they're not leaving until you've delivered. Or until the one hour playtime is up, whichever comes first.
Adam wants more surprises and creativity from big developers, but also Pathologic 2. Alec desires something that will confound and delight him as much as Twin Peaks. And Brendan wants a large city to explore, maybe Cyberpunk 2077. Our listeners also shout their demands, making the list quite a long one. But you had better deliver, 2018. Or else.
Links:
Dead Cells was our game of the year: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/12/25/best-pc-games-of-2017/25/
Steam's 100 bestselling games of 2017: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/01/02/biggest-steam-games-2017/
Platinum self-publishing games of their own: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/01/03/platinumgames-self-publishing/
Have you played... Anatomy? https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/10/23/have-you-played-anatomy/
The games that channel Twin Peaks: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/07/03/twin-peaks-games/
The Pathologic remake is called Pathologic 2 for some reason: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/08/31/pathologic-remake-renamed-pathologic-2/
Prey review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/05/09/prey-review/
Adam loves the skill trees of Kingdom Come: Deliverance: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/10/27/kingdom-come-deliverance-skill-trees/
The annual screening of Jaws on a lake in the US: http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/this-is-surely-the-best-way-to-watch-jaws-10363456.html
Have you played... Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance? https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/01/03/have-you-played-metal-gear-rising-revengeance/
The team discuss the worst games they've played in 2017. John thinks the misogyny of House Party puts it firmly in the bin, and Brendan is still wiping the red dust from his eyes after woeful survival game Rokh. But Matt can't bring himself to call any game terrible, not even Star Wars Battlefront 2.
It's not all negative vibes, however. We've also been smiling at pretty and poignant Gorogoa, climbing a mountain in Getting Over It, and shooting our way through Destiny 2's Curse of Osiris expansion.
Links:
Edith Finch is good, actually: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/11/24/edith-finch-secret-stories/
Star Wars Battlefront 2 multiplayer review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/11/21/star-wars-battlefront-2-multiplayer-review/
Mass Effect Andromeda review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/03/20/mass-effect-andromeda-review/
Don't play Agents of Mayhem: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/08/15/agents-of-mayhem-review/
Or martian survival game Rokh: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/05/23/review-rokh-early-access/
Play Empyrion: Galactic Survival instead: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/10/10/empyrion-galactic-survival-review-early-access/
Podcast chat about Need For Speed Payback: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/11/16/podcast-star-wars-battlefront-2-and-need-for-speed-payback/
Consider not playing House Party: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/07/14/so-you-could-consider-maybe-not-playing-house-party/
Caveblazers is good, shame about the ending: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/05/31/caveblazers-review/
We took a real comedian to Comedy Night: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/12/04/ridealong-a-real-comedian-goes-to-comedy-night/
Beat Cop review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/03/28/beat-cop-review/
Ghost Recon Wildlands review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/03/10/ghost-recon-wildlands-review-pc/
Fortnite's 50 vs 50 mode is good, says Fraser: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/12/12/fortnite-battle-royales-new-mode-needs-to-be-a-fixture/
Gorogoa is magic, says John: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/12/12/gorogoa-review/
Destiny 2: Curse of Osiris trailer: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/12/01/destiny-2-curse-of-osiris-trailer/
Bungie admit Destiny 2 endgame was daft: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/12/12/bungie-admit-their-plans-arent-working-and-address-endgame-destiny-2-content-lockout/
Matt tries Getting Over It: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/12/07/getting-over-it-is-out-now-watch-me-flail-and-fail-in-it/
And so does Brendan: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/12/12/getting-over-it-with-matt-and-brendan/
The pod squad chat about some of the most overlooked and underappreciated games of this year. Katharine thinks head-in-a-sack sim Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice might qualify, while Adam praises the unsettling tales of Stories Untold. Brendan just wants more people to slap in skinny biffing game Absolver.
We've also been playing the magical realist family chronicle What Remains of Edith Finch and naval tactical battler Mare Nostrvm.
Links:
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/08/12/hellblade-senuas-sacrifice-review/
Stories Untold review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/02/28/stories-untold-review/
The joy of Absolver's fight clubs: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/11/21/absolver-social-combat/
Absolver's most insulting move is a slap: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/09/11/absolver-slap-how-to-learn/
Get Even review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/06/30/get-even-review/
Zero Escape: Zero Time Dilemma review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/07/26/zero-escape-zero-time-dilemma-review/
Tim looks at Mare Nostrvm: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/11/10/the-flare-path-never-mind-the-rollocks/
What Remains of Edith Finch review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/04/24/what-remains-of-edith-finch-review/
The team look at some upcoming games of 2018. Adam is looking forward to smashing big robots with other, bigger robots in Battletech. Matt wants to make trousers from dinosaur skin in Monster Hunter World. And Brendan forgot all about the surreal isometric detective game No Truce With The Furies.
We've also got some chat about viking strategy Northgard and some more love for FTL follow-up Into The Breach. Plus, our quiz Patch Adam is back!
Links:
Surreal detective game No Truce With The Furies: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/02/13/no-truce-with-the-furies/
Turning dinos into pants in Monster Hunter World: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/09/01/monster-hunter-world-preview-pc/
Anthem looks borrrrring: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/06/11/anthem-e3-2017-reveal-trailer/
But Frostpunk looks good: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/06/26/frostpunk-preview-survival/
The Crew 2 is accidentally a transformers game: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/06/12/the-crew-2-e3-gameplay-trailer/
A road trip in The Crew: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/09/20/the-crew-free-road-trip/
Phoenix Point is XCOM man's new game: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/06/14/phoenix-point-new-xcom-julian-gollop/
Cyberpunk 2077 doesn't have a release date :( but looks good: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2015/10/06/cyberpunk-2077-release/
Civilization VI's Rise and Fall expansion is out next year: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/11/28/civilization-6-rise-and-fall-expansion-details/
Adam loves Kingdom Come: Deliverance's skill trees: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/10/27/kingdom-come-deliverance-skill-trees/
My Summer Car review (early access): https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/11/07/my-summer-car-early-access-review/
Into The Breach is ace, so say we all: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/11/27/into-the-breach-preview-tactics/
So is Northgard: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/02/27/northgard-review-early-access/
Let's talk about "running away". Ie. games that encourage you to flee from danger, rather than face it. Adam runs from the soldiers of ARMA. Brendan scarpers from poor odds in For Honor. And Alice only pretends to run away in Playerunknown's Battlegrounds.
We also have some Quickfire Questions with Zach Barth of Zachtronics about their alchemy-based puzzler Opus Magnum.
Links:
How do Alien Isolation's lockers work? https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2015/12/18/alien-isolation-lockers/
Overwatch's cowardly hacker, Sombra: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/11/04/overwatch-hero-sombra-finally-revealed-in-animation/
Outlast 2 review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/04/24/outlast-2-review/
Have you played... Metal Gear Solid V? https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/09/20/have-you-played-metal-gear-solid-v-the-phantom-pain/
Have you played... Company of Heroes? https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/03/28/have-you-played-company-of-heroes/
How Rimworld generates great stories: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/08/12/how-rimworld-generates-great-stories/
NEO Scavenger's scrappy, excellent combat: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2014/12/06/best-combat-2014-neo-scavenger/
Opus Magnum interview with Zach Barth (article): https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/11/22/opus-magnum-interview-zach-barth/
Opus Magnum interview with Zach Barth (podcast): https://soundcloud.com/rockpapershotgun/electronic-wireless-show-the-opus-magnum-interview
Into The Breach is smart and tense: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/03/01/into-the-breach-details-preview/
Playerunknown's Battlegrounds adds vaulting to test servers: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/11/13/playerunknowns-battlegrounds-climbing-vaulting-on-test-servers-tonight/
Spelunky 2 is happening: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/10/30/spelunky-2-announced/
We like Opus Magnum, the new alchemy-based puzzler from Zachtronics. So we decided to have a chat with developer Zach Barth about it. We also talk to him about researching life in China, his short stint at Valve and the reasons he sold his studio.
The team have accidentally overdosed on EA games, and they don't like it. You could say they're in a ... critical condition! Ha ha ha. But seriously, don't buy the new Need For Speed.
Links:
Need For Speed Payback is really very terrible indeed: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/11/14/need-for-speed-payback-review/
‘We don’t attempt to be too serious’, says Need For Speed developer: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/08/25/need-for-speed-payback-preview/
Have you played… Burnout Paradise? https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2015/10/21/best-burnout-game/
EA respond to loot crate concerns: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/10/13/ea-respond-to-star-wars-battlefront-2-loot-crate-concerns/
Battlefront 2 cuts hero unlock costs: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/11/14/star-wars-battlefront-2-hero-unlock-costs-reduced/
For Honor ups steel rewards after threatened boycott: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/04/02/for-honor-update-increases-steel-rewards/
A Way Out, the co-op prison escape game: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/06/10/a-way-out-prison-game/
The team assemble to pass judgement on the latest shootwar, Call of Duty WWII. John says single player is better than usual and our multiplayer reviewer Matt says he misses the jetpacks. Meanwhile, Brendan has concocted a war-based quiz game.
There's also time to horse around in the ancient Egypt of Assassin's Creed Origins, which has psychic eagles, glittering unicorns and a nice photography mode.
Links:
Call of Duty WWII single player review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/11/03/call-of-duty-ww2-review/
Call of Duty WWII multiplayer review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/11/08/call-of-duty-ww2-multiplayer-review/
Wolfenstein 2 review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/10/26/wolfenstein-2-the-new-colossus-review-pc/
Assassin's Creed: Origins review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/11/01/assassins-creed-origins-review-pc/
The photo mode is real good: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/11/02/assassins-creed-origins-photo-mode/
But the animals are weird: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/10/30/assassins-creed-origins-humanoid-animal-bug/
Oh no, Brendan is sick. That means there's no new episode this week. But we don't want to leave you hanging, so we've ventured down to the dusty audio archives and pulled out a recording of an old misadventure.
Arma 3 is a realistic military sim. But one of its mods, Altis Life, is a strange world in which players become police officers, ambulance drivers and outlaws. In this Ridealong, Brendan joins one of the island's bandits on a cross-country jaunt that ends, unsurprisingly, in bloodshed.
Links:
A written version of the Arma 3 ridealong: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2015/10/16/altis-life-my-ridealong-with-a-rebel/
All our Ridealongs: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/tag/ridealong/
This week we're talking guilty pleasures - the games that make us feel embarrassed but not so much that we won't play them to death.
Alec feels a bit sheepish about American Truck Simulator, Matt remembers picking flax in a Runescape field, and Brendan attempts to explain the sea-based boredom of Sailaway.
We've also been playing Opus Magnum, the alchemy puzzler from Zachtronics, in which we're struggling to make Viagra as fast as possible.
Links:
Assassin's Creed: Origins hands-on: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/06/23/assassins-creed-origins-preview/
Have you played... Runescape? https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/10/09/have-you-played-runescape/
Have you played... Dofus? https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/08/22/have-you-played-dofus/
Is Destiny 2's story fun junk or hot trash? https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/10/24/is-destiny-2-story-any-good/
Sailing the Northwest Passage in Sailaway: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/05/04/sailing-sim-northwest-passage/
Alec's baffled office mates and American Truck Simulator: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/02/04/american-truck-simulator-review/
Opus Magnum's gorgeous alchemy machines: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/10/20/opus-magnum-alchemy-machines/
The gang talk about their worst nemeses from gaming. Dota 2 magicians, evil JRPG electricity corporations, and giant '@' symbols all deserve our animosity.
But there's also the orcs of Middle-earth: Shadow of War, the ghosts of The Evil Within 2, and brutal robots of Tekken 7. We have enemies everywhere.
Links:
EA closing down Visceral Games: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/10/17/ea-to-close-dead-space-studio-visceral-in-development-star-wars-game-moving-to-vancouver/
ADOM is available on steam: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2015/11/18/adom-steam/
Middle-earth: Shadow of War review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/10/05/middle-earth-shadow-of-war-review/
In Shadow of War, revenge is sweet: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/10/12/middle-earth-shadow-of-war-revenge/
UK govt respond to loot crate questions: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/10/17/uk-government-responds-to-loot-box-questions-vaguely/
The Evil Within 2 review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/10/16/the-evil-within-2-review/
The weird Evil Within snail is creepy: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/10/17/the-evil-within-2-snail-logo/
Tekken 7's character customiser is cool: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/06/19/tekken-7-outfits/
The team talk about "binge" gaming, the grubbiest and unhealthiest form of digital entertainment. Adam has been gorging on Bungie's alien shootfest Destiny 2, along with Alec, who insists he will be going on a "controlled binge". Meanwhile, Brendan is slurping down Steamworld Dig 2, like a silky warm soup.
Links:
1000 years of Football Manager: https://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/aug/04/football-manager-1000-years-sheffield-united-burnley-chelsea
Destiny 2's combat is a kinetic joy: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/06/19/destiny-2-singleplayer-preview-pc/
Destiny 2 on PC runs as smooth as butter: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/08/29/destiny-2-pc-performance/
Steamworld Dig 2 is a gentle jewel: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/tag/steamworld-dig-2/
Have You Played... AM2R? https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/02/02/best-metroid-fan-game/
Fan made Metroid II remake shut down: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/08/09/metroid-ii-remake-goes-bye-bye/
Middle-earth: Shadow of War review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/10/05/middle-earth-shadow-of-war-review/
XCOM 2: War of the Chosen review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/08/24/xcom-2-war-of-the-chosen-review/
Sega's continuing their march into PC: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/08/23/sega-amplitude-pc-publisher/
Tekken 7 brings the fight to PC: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/06/02/tekken-7-released-on-pc/
The RPS team talk Things Going Wrong. Adam once accidentally murdered many more people than he intended in Dishonored 2, while Brendan threw a gun at a guard's head in Heat Signature, to no effect. John likes to "save scum", so he has none of these problems.
We also talk about the Zelda-like Hob and the big ol' RPG of the season, Divinity: Original Sin 2. AND we've got quickfire questions for the lead writer of Total War: Warhammer II.
Links:
Dishonored: Death of the Outsider review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/09/20/dishonored-death-of-the-outsider-review-pc/
Heat Signature review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/09/26/heat-signature-review/
Divinity: Original Sin 2 review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/09/21/divinity-original-sin-2-review/
John's fave things about Divinity: Original Sin 2: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/09/22/divinity-original-sin-2-best-things/
Total War: Warhammer II review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/tag/total-war-warhammer-ii/
Total War's Warhammer expert on why we love Skaven: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/09/01/total-war-warhammer-ii-interview-skaven/
A free version of HyperRogue! http://roguetemple.com/z/hyper/download.php
But you should buy it: http://store.steampowered.com/app/342610/HyperRogue/
Phogs is about two dogs with no bum: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/09/26/phogs-co-op-two-dogs-one-controller/
No Truce With The Furies looks good: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/02/13/no-truce-with-the-furies/
Hob review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/09/26/hob-review/
The RiME review that John forgot he did: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/06/01/rime-review/
We're chatting roguelikes, roguelites, roguefites and roguelifes. None of these things mean anything. Pip is enjoying the blocky scampering of Rogue Islands, while Adam is fantasy-ing all over the RPG world of Divinity: Original Sin 2. Brendan is just sitting there feeling sad because PIP IS LEAVING US.
Links: What is a roguelike? https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/09/14/what-is-a-roguelike/
Roguelikes we've covered: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/tag/roguelike/
Delver review (early access): https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/11/21/premature-evaluation-delver/
Streets of Rogue review (early access): https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/03/14/streets-of-rogue-review-early-access/
Seven days of Rogue: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2012/03/20/the-many-faces-of-roguelikes-seven-days-of-rogue/
Rogue Islands review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/09/18/rogue-islands-review/
Divinity: Original Sin 2 verdict: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/09/15/divinity-original-sin-2-verdict/
Our readers' favourite roguelikes: https://twitter.com/rockpapershot/status/910431423823319040
It's an animal extravaganza! We're talking pets in games this week. Alice joins us to praise a terrible raccoon Pokémon who's great at surfing. Pip adores the ghostly holo-cat of Tacoma. But I prefer a cute xenomorph.
We also talk about birdy meditation of Fugl, the ratty wars of strategy game Tooth and Tail, and the ever-popular man-murder of Playerunknown's Battlegrounds. On top of that, we confront the producer of The Sims 4 Cats and Dogs with some Quickfire Questions.
Links:
Have you played... Alien: Isolation? https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2015/09/25/alien-isolation-game/
Cuteness overwhelming in Ooblets: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/02/22/cuteness-overwhelming-in-ooblets-trailer/
Animal Inspector is Papers Please with pets: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/06/16/free-3-our-final-batch-of-games-to-tide-you-over/
The Sims 4 Cats & Dogs expansion : https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/08/21/the-sims-4-cats-and-dogs-expansion-announced/
Firewatch features portable tortoise: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2015/06/16/firewatch-e3-2015-trailer-tortoise/
Turtle/tortoise nomenclature: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tortoise#Use_of_the_terms_turtle.2C_tortoise.2C_and_terrapin
Playerunknown's Battlegrounds gets foggy: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/09/08/playerunknowns-battlegrounds-adding-fog-map-mini-14-riffle/
Cute animals go to war in Tooth and Tail: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/09/13/tooth-and-tail-rts-released/
The swoopy bird-flying of Fugl: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/09/14/fugl-early-access-play/
The podgang love videogames so much they met up in real life to talk about them in a room. Pip likes the new teen angst drama Life Is Strange: Before the Storm, in which she's been talking back like a brat.
Speaking of which, special guest Chris Bratt from Eurogamer joins us to talk about XCOM 2: War of the Chosen, because we're sick of Adam's face. Meanwhile, Brendan is getting slap-happy in brutal facepuncher Absolver.
Links:
XCOM 2: War of the Chosen review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/08/24/xcom-2-war-of-the-chosen-review/
Chris plays 80 minutes of XCOM 2: War of the Chosen with developer Jake Solomon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-ik5hH9gGU
Adam is an Ironman idiot and XCOM proves it: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/09/04/xcom-2-ironman-2/
Life Is Strange: Before the Storm review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/08/31/life-is-strange-before-the-storm-episode-1-review/
9 minutes of Life Is Strange: Before the Storm: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/08/04/life-is-strange-before-the-storm-video/
Absolver review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/09/05/absolver-review/
Absolver's insulting slap move: https://www.reddit.com/r/absolver/comments/6xln95/i_finally_did_it_i_got_the_slap_kill/
The gang are back from Gamescom and ready to CHAT HARD. Pip has been shooting aliens in the Destiny 2 beta, while Adam has been shooting other, slimier aliens in XCOM 2's massive War of the Chosen expansion. Brendan is the only one who's been hurting humans, punching and kicking them in multiplayer martial arts fighter Absolver. But he just lifts them off the floor afterwards.
Links:
Final Fantasy XV's director on Prompto: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/08/24/final-fantasy-xv-interview-hajime-tabata-director/
Cologne's cathedral which is identical to all others: https://twitter.com/Brendy_C/status/899667244229251072
Pip's Destiny 2 beta impressions: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/08/29/destiny-2-beta/
Destiny 2's graphics cards testathon: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/08/29/destiny-2-pc-performance/
XCOM 2: War of the Chosen review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/08/24/xcom-2-war-of-the-chosen-review/
One perfectly ridiculous turn in XCOM 2: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/08/29/xcom-2-war-of-the-chosen-single-turn/
Julian Gollop on Phoenix Point: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/04/25/phoenix-point-crowdfunding-interview/
Absolver review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/08/29/wot-i-think-absolver/
Pip, Alice and Adam gather round the podfire for warmth to talk about the lies (told by Adam) of Gamescom, the chilly wastes of The Long Dark, the beautiful rain of Playerunknown's Battlegrounds, and the deadly climates of No Man's Sky.
We then turn to you, to discuss reader's favourite in-game weather. And somewhere in the middle there's also a long discussion about karaoke, for some reason.
Gamescom is like this: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2015/08/07/gamescom-2015-overview/
Artifact is a Dota card game: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/08/09/valve-announce-artifact-dota-2-card-game/
Pip reviewed The Long Dark ep 2: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/08/08/the-long-dark-episode-2-review/
Adam previewed Frostpunk: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/06/26/frostpunk-preview-survival/
More Plunkbat chat: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/07/25/the-tactics-and-tension-of-playerunknowns-battlegrounds/
Details of No Man's Sky's new update: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/08/11/no-mans-sky-atlas-rises/
The best 7/10s including Mad Max: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/08/04/best-average-action-games-on-pc/
Alice's mod readme Tumblr: http://readmedottxt.tumblr.com/
This is Adam Smith: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/edinburgh_and_east/7488348.stm
Graham and Brendan man the podcast all by themselves. The topic: "What TV show deserves to have a good videogame adaptation?" Graham desires a road trip game based on anime Kino's Journey, whereas Brendan wants a cop management sim of The Wire. The listeners also have their say.
But we've also been playing things. Limbo follow-up Inside gets the pair disagreeing over dark humour, while Brendan has been hunkering down in the sandbox multiplayer war-mongering of Foxhole.
Links: Kino's Journey isn't like ordinary anime: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/01/11/kinos-journey-anime-review/
Impressions: This Is The Police: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/08/16/this-is-the-police-impressions/
The Moomins!?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utXbpKrWRBs
The deliciously dark comedy of Inside: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/07/18/inside-meaning/
Fortnite review (early access): https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/08/08/fortnite-review-early-access/
MMO sandbox war Foxhole marches on early access: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/07/31/foxhole-released-on-steam-early-access/
Rock out with the Lonely Geologists: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/02/13/best-free-games-week-pc/
How to make a Great British Bake Off game: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2015/10/23/great-british-bake-off-game/
Deadly Premonition is the game worth saving from 2013: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/05/30/deadly-premonition-is-the-game-worth-saving-from-2013/
Readers reply with their TV show games: https://www.facebook.com/rockpapershot/photos/a.590931837659688.1073741826.176784995741043/1410460745706789/?type=3&theater
We're talking comfort games - things you play when you feel down, stressed or sick. Adam cosies up in his cottage in the Long Dark, Pip faffs around in Zelda, and Brendan renames characters in Final Fantasy IX.
But we've also been playing Tacoma, the new spacewalking sci-fi tale from Fullbright, the creators of Gone Home. So we also do some Quickfire Questions with Karla Zimonja of that very studio, as well as looking at what YOU play as a comfort game.
Links:
The Long Dark is survival at its brutal best: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/01/09/the-long-dark-sandbox-review/
The Long Dark weather watching: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/08/03/the-long-dark-weather/
Have you played... Final Fantasy IX?: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/08/02/have-you-played-final-fantasy-ix/
Tacoma review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/08/01/tacoma-review/
Gone Home review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2013/08/15/wot-i-think-gone-home/
Bonbon on Itch.io: https://aethericgames.itch.io/bonbon
Bonbonbonbons: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NjTWvl8x-U
Conduct sacrificial duties in the Shrouded Isle: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/10/09/conduct-mayoral-sacrificial-duties-in-the-shrouded-isle/
The gang are talking horror in games this week, though not necessarily "horror games". Adam and Brendan are scared witless of the depths of Subnautica, while Pip likes the water just fine.
But we've been playing nice games too. Brendan has been scoring points in the purgatorial fantasy sport of Pyre, while Adam goes fishing in Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles. And Pip is dating dads in the queer utopian cul-de-sac of Dream Daddy.
Links:
The 25 best horror games on PC: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2015/07/27/best-horror-games/
Subnautica is secretly a brilliant horror game: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/02/24/subnautica-horror/
How do Alien Isolation's lockers work?: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2015/12/18/alien-isolation-lockers/
Outlast 2 review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/04/24/outlast-2-review/
Pyre's release trailer: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/07/26/pyre-released/
Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/07/20/yonder-the-cloud-catcher-chronicles-review/
Adam's wandering through Yonder: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/07/24/quest-in-peace-wandering-through-yonder/
Pip is the new Dream Daddy in town: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/07/25/dream-daddy-playthrough/
The terrifying "eagle" of text adventure Radical Castle: https://youtu.be/ssndEwLFAIA?t=1m11s
The RPS team gather to talk merch, and why it's often a bit rubbish. Pip will regale you with a story about a hidden dagger, while Adam has his own bloody airport tale. Brendan doesn't have any merch, because he THINKS HE'S TOO GOOD FOR IT THE SWINE.
We've also played "transhumanist text adventure" Sun Dogs, in which we drink cocktails of bacteria and get swallowed up by solar flares between glimpsing beauty during our immortal post-human lives.
Links: Sun Dogs: A transhumanist open world text adventure: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2015/08/26/sun-dogs-space-game/
Sun Dogs' expanding (and contracting) solar system: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/01/27/sun-dogs-game/
Word games: Failbetter's Black Crown: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2013/06/03/word-games-failbetters-black-crown/
The creator of Black Crown writes about the game: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2014/11/03/i-did-a-thing-on-a-hill/
The RPS team talk "replayability". Why do we always go back to our comfort games? What makes something replayable? How many hours does Adam have in Crusader Kings II? (hint: a lot)
Meanwhile, Pip tries to cultivate the excrement of colourful monsters in Slime Rancher, Adam's cowardice is unassailable in Playerunknown's Battlegrounds, and Brendan is sneaking around stabbing cards with other cards in Elder Scrolls: Legends.
Links:
Elder Scrolls Daggerfall retrospective: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/08/31/elder-scrolls-daggerfall-retrospective/
Firewatch adds 'free roam' mode: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/11/10/firewatch-free-roam-mode-pc/
The butterflies of Firewatch: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/07/22/firewatch-butterflies/
How a cargo plane sets Battlegrounds up for greatness: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/06/30/how-a-cargo-plane-sets-up-playerunknowns-battlegrounds-for-greatness/
Slime Rancher leaving early access in August: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/06/20/slime-rancher-release-date/
The Elder Scrolls: Legends gets Skyrim expansion: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/06/13/the-elder-scrolls-legends-heroes-of-skyrim-expansion/
Pip, Adam and Brendan gather to talk about the gossip from Barcelona's Gamelab, including tales from a RiME developer and the creator of the Cyberpunk 2020 pen and paper RPG. We've also been falling off airships thanks to poor grappling hook skills in sandbox MMO Worlds Adrift.
As a treat, there's also an especially tough edition of our patch notes quiz, Patch Adam, and we answer some reader's questions about good camera tricks in games and the upcoming Autumn deluge.
Links: RiME review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/06/01/rime-review/
What Cyberpunk 2020 can tell us about Cyberpunk 2077: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/06/05/what-the-cyberpunk-2020-rpg-can-tell-us-about-cyberpunk-2077/
Prey director Raphael Colantonio's reasons for leaving: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/06/30/arkanes-founder-on-why-hes-ready-to-leave-prey-devs/
How Raphael Colantonio coined the phrase "press sneak fucks": https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2013/08/15/arkane-making-prey-2/
Randy Pitchford's confusing tweet: https://twitter.com/duvalmagic/status/486550022910005248?lang=en
Worlds Adrift early access review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/07/04/worlds-adrift-review-early-access/
Path of Exile: Fall of Oriath expansion starts July: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/05/11/path-of-exile-the-fall-of-oriath-beta/
Path of Exile review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2014/04/15/wot-i-think-path-of-exile/
Horror FPS Get Even review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/06/30/get-even-review/
Dead Cells interview in podcast episode 6: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/06/29/podcast-the-electronic-wireless-show-6/
Nier: Automata review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/03/20/nier-automata-review/
Abzu review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/08/02/abzu-review-pc/
Abzu screenshot gallery: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/08/11/abzu-screenshots/
Become an astro-detective in 2000:1 A Space Felony: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/07/04/become-an-astro-detective-in-20001-a-space-felony/
The RPS team talk about the Steam summer sale and their respective piles of shame. Our editor Graham joins us to talk about his spelunking in Caveblazers, while Pip takes on the free-to-play Orcs Must Die! Unchained and Brendan is still trying to finish the Witcher 3. What?
Also featuring a big interview with the creators of Dead Cells, the popular and slash-happy "roguevania". Plus, some reader's questions and BRAND NEW JINGLES.
Links and info:
Our giant Steam sale recommendation list: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/06/23/steam-summer-sale-our-giant-recommendations-list/
The joy of the Witcher 3's great outdoors: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/06/16/the-joy-of-the-witcher-3s-great-outdoors/
Caveblazers: an interesting contrast to Spelunky: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/06/07/caveblazers-is-an-interesting-contrast-to-spelunky/
Life of Tar's journey through prehistory: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/06/28/life-of-tar/
Orcs Must Die! Unchained beta preview: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2014/10/07/orcs-must-die-unchained-beta/
Orcs Must Die! Unchained returns to PvE: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/12/13/orcs-must-die-unchained-pvp-removed/
Dead Cells review (early access): https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/05/16/dead-cells-review-early-access/
Our EVE Online coverage: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/tag/eve-online/
Quadrilateral Cowboy review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/07/27/quadrilateral-cowboy-review/
Have you played... Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/11/13/have-you-played-brothers-a-tale-of-two-sons/
Adam of the RPS podcast crew returns from E3 and we interrogate him about the games he's played, including Destiny 2, Frostpunk and Middle Earth: Shadow of War.
We've also had time to play blood-spattered expansion for Darkest Dungeon and dusty survival RPG Kenshi, as well as catch up on sad GTA V news. On top of that, we see the return of our patch notes quiz, Patch Adam! This time: Dwarf Fortress.
Links:
Frostpunk’s steamy city in the snow teased: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/04/11/frostpunks-steamy-city-in-the-snow-teased/
Destiny 2’s combat is punchy, kinetic joy: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/06/19/destiny-2-singleplayer-preview-pc/
Middle Earth: Shadow of War casts a shadow over the open world genre: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/06/12/mordor-casts-a-shadow-over-the-open-world-genre/
GTA V modding tool OpenIV shut down by legal threat: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/06/15/grand-theft-auto-iv-mod-tool-openiv-shut-down/
Darkest Dungeon: The Crimson Court expansion released: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/06/19/darkest-dungeon-the-crimson-court-released/
Darkest Dungeon review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/01/25/darkest-dungeon-review/
Premature Evaluation: Kenshi: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/06/20/kenshi-review-early-access/
Dwarf Fortress patch notes: http://www.bay12games.com/dwarves/
Every PC game announced or trailered at E3: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/06/13/e3-2017-pc-games/
We take on the tidal wave of news from E3 to talk about Beyond Good and Evil 2, Life Is Strange: Before the Storm, Anthem, Sea of Thieves, Wolfenstein 2 and much more. We've so much news that we need our news editor Alice to come on and help us in this extra-long special episode.
We also (somehow) had time to play battle royale murder sim PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, arcadey sci-fi dogfighter Everspace, and Football Manager 2017.
Links: Life Is Strange: Before the Storm trailer: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/06/12/life-is-strange-2-release-date/
Life Is Strange voice actor changed because of strike: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/06/13/life-is-strange-before-the-storm-different-chloe-voice-actor/
Beyond Good and Evil 2 announcement trailer: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/06/12/beyond-good-and-evil-2-is-online-world-of-space-pirates/
Sea of Thieves co-op trailer: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/06/13/sea-of-thieves-storms-skeletons-and-treasure-hunting/
Sailing the Northwest Passage in a sailing sim: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/06/02/northwest-passages-sailing-into-terror-bay/
BioWare’s new online sci-fi game Anthem: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/06/11/anthem-e3-2017-reveal-trailer/
XCOM: War of the Chosen trailer: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/06/12/xcom-2-war-of-the-chosen/
The Evil Within 2 trailer is pure dad schlock: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/06/13/the-evil-within-2-gameplay-trailer/
The tension and elation of PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/05/02/the-tension-elation-of-playerunknowns-battlegrounds/
Football Manager pass and save diary, part one: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/06/09/football-manager-2017-lets-play/
Everspace early access review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/09/19/everspace-review-early-access/
Every PC game announced or trailered at E3: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/06/13/e3-2017-pc-games/
Pip, Adam and Brendan talk about sun-drenched platformer RiME, imperial strategy Endless Space 2 and some of the best board games from the UK Games Expo.
Also featuring: Quickfire Questions with Scott Benson of Night in the Woods, walking sim meets rudimentary shooter, OrbLands, and some of the best games of the year so far, as suggested by readers.
Links:
The top bestest best games of 2017 so far: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/06/06/best-pc-games-2017/
Endless Space 2 review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/05/18/endless-space-2-review/
Rime review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/06/01/rime-review/
UK Games Expo: https://www.ukgamesexpo.co.uk/
OrbLands video: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/04/20/orblands/
Night in the Woods review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/02/27/night-in-the-woods-review/
Pip, Adam and Brendan talk about their E3 expectations, the multiplayer slasher Friday the 13th, Witcher card game Gwent and mathematical puzzler CrossCells.
Also featuring Patch Adam, in which we jumble fake patch notes into a pile of real ones and ask Adam to guess which are true and which are false. This week: Crusader Kings 2!
Links:
Friday the 13th review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/05/26/friday-the-13th-game-review-in-progress/
CrossCells review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/05/26/crosscells-review/
Gwent preview: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/11/01/gwent-beta-review/
Ubisoft's new "ice cream": http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2017-05-31-ubisoft-has-a-new-logo
Crusader Kings 2 patch notes: https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/index.php?threads/ck2-dev-diary-48-2-7-1-patch-notes.1008864/
The Electronic Wireless Show makes a triumphant return!
Pip, Adam and Brendan talk about Far Cry 5's "Last Supper" image, the layoffs at Hitman developer IO Interactive, and the peaceful jaunt of Old Man's Journey.
Also featuring Quickfire Questions with one of the developers of survival platformer Rain World.
Click "show more" for links and info!
Far Cry 5's "Last Supper" art: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/05/22/far-cry-5-set-in-montana/
Far Cry 5 trailers and info: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/05/26/far-cry-5-trailer-details/
Layoffs at Hitman devs IO as Square Enix ditch studio: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/05/23/hitman-developer-layoffs/
Rain World review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/03/27/rain-world-review/
Prey review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/05/09/prey-review/
Old Man's journey review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/05/18/old-mans-journey-review/
We chat to the creators of Hyper Light Drifter and Virginia about how to tell a story with no words
We have the makers of Ladykiller in a Bind and One Night Stand on to talk about sex in games and why it is usually so bad
This time we host the creators of Orwell and 1979 Revolution: Black Friday and talk to them about politics in games
We gather the creators of Duskers, Event[0] and Quadrilateral Cowboy to talk about science fiction in games and the joy of pressing buttons on old machines.