[00:09] just say you're going on a trip for three nights, how many pairs of >> Wow. >> Okay. You are my people. I have been getting the piss taken out of me because I always pack two extra.
[00:23] >> One in case one extra in case I [ __ ] myself and another extra in case I [ __ ] myself again. [laughter] >> Well, I feel like we shouldn't delve too deeply into the sort of ratios there, but I do feel as though the overall idea
[00:37] >> Thank you. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. we're going away for the weekend and they looked at me like I was insane. >> I feel like No, I you got to have some spares, man. It's You don't know what's
[00:49] get ripped. Something could get lost. You know, there could be some mess. There could be all sorts of things. Also, exercise. I like to try and get a away. So, you know, bring a spare pair so you can get a run in or whatever.
[01:02] >> And then fresh pair wedding tennisck. Tennis. well because I bring like multiple pairs of shoes with me when I travel and I'll socks or different shoes. So, for like a 5day trip, I'll sometimes bring like 12
[01:17] >> So, >> cuz I don't know which shoes I'm going every single day I want to wear a certain type of shoe. So I need to have >> Yeah. >> I It's difficult. It's very very
[01:31] So >> Okay. >> Yeah. Oh, I did um I got I got told to get new new socks because um I keep having holes in mine. But um it's fine. They're arriving today. Don't worry
[01:45] >> Why did you have holes in the socks in the podcast the last podcast episode? >> Yeah. Did you really? No. >> The comment section The comment section >> No, no, no, no, no. Um, I was hanging out at the Miller's house and I was
[01:59] Like, every time I'm with someone, they're like, "What is up with your you know? I just don't want to throw them away. I should have darned them." Instead, I'm just >> That's why you need to try Bombas. Go to
[02:12] No, I'm kidding. >> No, I did the I did like a sock audit the other day. Okay. >> Um, that you you make socks sound so thrilling. [laughter] >> This is what people click on this
[02:26] podcast for, man. They want to hear about the [ __ ] sock or tell me about all about it. >> On the same day, I hit laundry zero. >> Oh, no. I know what that means. I never know what that means. But like, yeah,
[02:41] >> laundry zero means you have nothing to wash and nothing to put away. Every thing. >> I did it. I lived it. >> That's impossible. >> 30 minutes and it was the best time of
[02:55] >> I could never have that. I have too many [ __ ] silly t-shirts and like novelty >> Yeah. >> What are you going to do? >> with that? Uh, welcome to the Friends Per Second podcast, everybody. We're
[03:09] back uh not in person this time, but some of this is going to be a now we get to talk about all the games we got our hands on and previews and stuff like that. So, we have a lot to chat about, but I think first things
[03:22] first, hot off the presses. It's going to be one of those episodes. We're going [groaning] >> There's been so many of these episodes, man. It's just like when can they get their [ __ ] together? I recorded the game
[03:34] and he did like the exact same thing where he was like, "One of these days we will not have to talk about Xbox." And I was like, "Well, no, it's not today. >> It's definitely It is not this day. >> It is not this day." So, we're recording
[03:47] happens, >> yes, seems Yeah, things seem to be developing rapidly, but as of right now, uh Bloomberg is reporting that >> uh multiple Xbox studios are on the chopping block. Uh the main ones that
[04:05] came up were Compulsion, of course, behind South of Midnight, uh as well as Double Fine, >> things like Psychonauts 2, uh and Ninja Theory with the just announced Senua game.
[04:19] >> Uh the the report said that that's part of Xbox's >> tough quote unquote reset that Asha Sharma referred to. Uh as well as uh other reports now coming out too that uh these studios are sorry specifically I
[04:36] uh GameFile reported that Ninja Theory specifically is uh they did they put out the Senoa trailer. >> Yeah. >> For look it's to help to help Ghana interest
[04:52] there will be cuts >> across the org. Um, >> more are expected. Yeah. Beyond that, >> more. Yeah. Many are expected. And then there's talk about, you know, heavy cuts at places like Arcane,
[05:06] >> Bethesda Game Studios, like every every like the thing is there's also the rumor mill going around and everyone is finding out on X and Blue Sky. Um, as finding out on X and Blue Sky. Um, as everyone else is. I will say we were at
[05:20] the Xbox uh Summer Gamefest adjacent activities a couple weeks ago. Like it was just such a flagrant display of look at us, we're great, we have so much money, we're doing all this and like
[05:35] announcing things >> behind closed doors and then the >> behind closed doors and then the immediate 180 to go to well can't make a few omelets without breaking >> some eggs so I'm afraid you're all going
[05:48] >> Yeah. >> Yeah. that show that like location that we were at was like it felt like the last it felt like the level where a boss like slick cinematic action game like the like a b like Bond the final boss in
[06:02] a Bond game would be fought in that area. It was this massive dome in the floor and it just like >> it was the academy academy museum for >> the academy museum and then like and oh there was just so much it was just it
[06:15] which was multiple levels and >> yeah we didn't even go to that part. Uh-huh. They were giving away Xboxes and it was just this like big >> demonstration of like look this is us Xbox 25 years look how much we've
[06:28] week it's literally the following week is all this sort of stuff. So um >> yeah I mean look I think I think there's fallen out you know like for example rumors of Gears of Wars development
[06:41] budget being like $400 million. [snorts] Um, there's all this the the sort of fallout from the decision to make Gears and Clockwork Revolution exclusive, which is kind of like a very baffling decision in the context of the current
[06:56] component shortage and what that's doing a brand new Xbox so they can buy Clockwork Revolution this year? one's doing that. Do you know what I mean? So, it's just like what is the
[07:10] strategy behind that? Um, you know, you've had uh the Xbox's like chief creative officer guy, Matthew Ball, chief strategy officer. Yeah. Um you know, he's sort of talking about he wasn't
[07:22] >> just started and he's like sort of talking about like cuz he was asked about ads in games or whatever. He didn't say that Xbox is interested in that. He just said it. It's like it's a growth vector that some places might
[07:34] pursue, you know. And just this week as well, EA announced they have like an ad well, EA announced they have like an ad platform coming to um their games their sports games that just dynamically insert ads into things. So like there's
[07:46] on the Xbox side there's just a lot going on and it all >> headu head of studios left, chief of staff left. Yeah, for sure. For sure. >> you go on >> I was just going to say the one thing I
[07:59] fumbled through what the news actually was, uh, was that, uh, the Bloomberg report also suggests that, uh, potentially those studios are are in negotiations to possibly spin out of Xbox, either buy themselves out or look
[08:13] >> Um, >> famously, there's so much money just >> around in the video game industry right now. So I I think as well like and so you know it's kind of a complicated theme because and I think the other
[08:27] thing as well that that popped up out of this is that like you know the rumor is that uh Asha and her team really want to accelerate development on their key hits uh you know particularly like Halo and uh Gears of War no sorry not Gears of
[08:41] like they really want to hit the accelerator on these titles. Mhm. accelerator on these titles. Mhm. >> Um, and yeah, I mean, look, for me that know what I mean? Like Halo is a very legacy franchise at this point. If you
[08:55] brings your business back, I think you're like really misunderstanding where things are currently at. Um, I think as well like Elder Scrolls and shift a lot of units, but like Bethesda Game Studios last two games were Fallout
[09:10] 76 and Starfield, so I feel like that's a risky proposition. Um, and yeah, of brand cash on that one right now given the Fallout TV show, but at the same time, like it's been a long time since the last Fallout game. And uh, I
[09:25] whole strategy seems very shortsighted. Uh, and I think if you're going to go bunch of smaller studios and invest in our hits, I think you better have some more compelling hits than like hoping Elder Scrolls 6 is going to be good, if
[09:39] you know what I mean. >> So, yeah. Well, it's also as well just like Fable Fable Gears and Halo. Halo is what? A re a remake of the of Combat Yeah. >> Hang on. What is the remake mate called?
[09:54] >> Campaign Evolve. All right. Okay. Yeah. All right. >> They did. >> Um [laughter] so yeah, Halo, you got a remake of Combat Evolved. Fable complete re reimagining. Get in on the ground
[10:07] floor. Gears of War. Screw you. We're not going to finish the game that we ended on a cliffhanger. We are going to go back to Eday so we can see all that finish that trilogy. >> Yeah, [laughter] I actually
[10:21] [laughter] I wasn't like I wasn't like this is devastating. Like I can't believe they're not making this. Are you going to do that? Yeah. It's like that reset where it's like
[10:34] I hope for everyone who is working there that it finds that new audience, but do those franchises like and everything else has evolved around it? >> Yeah, I think I think it's just we talk about like aging demographics of like
[10:47] you know these of of this industry and whatever else and I think Xbox is like a really good example of not really recognizing that reality you know like Yeah, >> I 100% agree with you. Like I Well, hang
[11:01] say? >> Well, I like I love Fable. I'm so feels like this like niche thing. Like Fable Games did well. They were big, but not in the level of not not even the level of like a Halo or anything like
[11:16] that. Like I don't think Fable would be like a brand saving thing unless it's ever been >> I said this in my session when I saw Behind Closed Doors. They got to stop
[11:28] having the >> plus kind plus mean like that [ __ ] I immersionbreaking stuff. I I need to turn that off. I can't. [gasps] Um, >> it could be a cool RPG, but I I don't think that especially like the it's it's
[11:43] the buildup of it and it's like time spent and clearly money spent. >> Uh, is that all going to result in all those original Fable people coming back? think so. >> Did they Did they show up for Molyneu's
[11:58] new game >> No, I don't know that that that's out >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So, >> I downloaded it. >> Did you? Nice. Play it. >> I was ready, man. I was We've talked
[12:11] about this. I was like, "Let's go." But, uh, no, I I haven't played it. And I've Steam reviews are all over the place. great. So, but I mean, look, I think when it comes to the closure of these
[12:24] complicated thing to talk about as well because, you know, Psychonauts um, and you know, it's a double fine, right? So, Psychonauts, which is we all love it. game of the year nominee by the way. One of the few game of the year nominees
[12:39] like decade, right? >> Uh and then after that, you know, we had >> Uh and then after that, you know, we had like Kil, sorry, Keeper was that the Kil was the pottery game >> and then Yeah. So K was like a little
[12:52] sort of game jam spin-off thing. Like you can imagine the budget for that was fun with it, whatever. >> Keeper was obviously a main thing, but it wasn't Tim Schaefer's project either. It was led by someone else. It was a
[13:05] nice little game. It was, you know, good. I enjoyed it for sure. Um, I it. It's a nice little time, but at the same time, it's also, yeah, it's certainly no psychonauts or whatever. So, you've got a studio there that is
[13:17] not like producing really big mega hits by any stretch of the imagination, but it's producing nice little games that are a nice complement to Xbox's portfolio. Compulsion Games with South of Midnight,
[13:29] they made a really nice game that clearly did not sell well at all. like it's if you look at the Steam numbers like no one bought that game which is a game. >> Uh and then obviously with Ninja Theory,
[13:41] you know, Hellblade was quite breakout for its time and then Hellblade 2 didn't for its time and then Hellblade 2 didn't really hit the same like hit the same >> But at the same time, the development time on it was quite long and you know,
[13:54] invested in that in that game to achieve that. And now they're working on this action version, which I don't know about that direction for the franchise. Maybe Obviously, we need to play for ourselves. So, like these studios, I
[14:08] think there's one reading of this, which is like, oh well, they don't make money, so Xbox has to sell them. That's just how it is. That's capitalism, buddy. But I think there's another like I think more realistic or more reasonable
[14:21] these studios weren't purchased to make big amounts of money. These studios were purchased to make nice games that sell modest amounts and that fit into Xbox's portfolio and complement it in ways that Gears of War and Halo do not. Right? It
[14:35] Pass the Game Pass offering >> fatten out the Game Pass pipeline, right? So, I think that you might say, well, the sales were so abysmal for South of Midnight that they had to make
[14:48] know what the sales were, but sure. that the Game Pass economics have changed and that Xbox is now less interested in having these smaller titles drive game pass adoption. They're
[15:00] Game Pass because it's maybe hit saturation point and they don't see it growing that much more. I don't know. Who knows? But like bottom line though, that makes hundreds of billions of dollars of profit each year. Okay, these
[15:14] are good studios who make like highquality award-winning games. They're teams that have come together that have created chemistry that like can continue to make good games. And I think closing them down at this point is a bad idea
[15:27] because I think if Ash is coming in at this moment and being like, here's how Here's like the the the agenda that I'm setting down. immediately be like, you know what, small stuff, small studios, talented
[15:40] studios. No, shut them down. We're going to focus on Gears of War and Elder Scrolls. I think that's a bad idea. I think it's better think it's better at making a really nice game that works.
[15:56] product because these studios always make good games and you know like you've you've you've kept your commitment to those studios and the Xbox community, franchises. I just think it doesn't I
[16:08] than just turfing them out. I think that's a very bad call. >> Yeah. I also think that like I [snorts] I do think it's a good idea to a point to like try and ramp up gears, try and ramp up this IP that you have and you
[16:22] know obviously you want the big hits, you go for the easy hanging fruit. So, so bolster those, but it's always been like that. Like you can't just have those. You have to have the weirder smaller things. And like I don't think
[16:36] >> those [snorts] game studios are like, you know, entitled to just be owned by a corporate master just cuz they make cool art games. But I they existed under the the pretense of of previous, you know, the game pass thing, the portfolio
[16:50] filling out. So, I think that's the jarring thing here is that that that's >> nope, never mind. That's why I'm really hoping that they can somehow buy themselves out or spin off somehow
[17:05] because just like a brutal shutdown and then Microsoft obviously probably like keeps the IP and kicks them out the door or whatever like that just sucks. doors? >> Yeah.
[17:17] >> Yeah. I mean the the Toys for Bob representatives were basically because Toys for Bob, if anyone is unaware, um owned by Activision at the time and then they did not go over when Microsoft
[17:30] bought Activision Blizzard King. Uh they they got their own independence and it going to get shut down. >> Yeah. And it was funny how much of that presentation they focused on talking about, hey, we're reclaiming, you know,
[17:44] the studio and we are still managing to work with our partners success story. The Spyro Reignited Trilogy sold a lot of units. They are working on a new Spyro game, right? But it's like, is that going to be the case
[17:59] for everyone who's potentially on the chopping block? Probably not. And that >> I mean, when did they go independent? I'm just googling it now. Toys for indie. like there was still a funding back
[18:12] then, but it wasn't anywhere near as sever >> there's there's no money, man. Like and so the idea that these studios can
[18:24] somehow like find money randomly like to buy themselves out and whatever like that's a real that's a real long shot. >> Yeah. Cuz was Spyro Reignited before or after they bought themselves out? Uh that would have been before because this
[18:38] that because I imagine that that like was like however many millions that that Marin. >> Like hopefully the profit was enough [clears throat] to uh get him out of there. But yeah, dude [ __ ] sucks.
[18:53] >> Yeah, it's such a it's such a bummer. >> I don't know, man. It just Sorry, you say something? I just I think like the reaction too is is even harsher because it always comes back to Xbox talking so much and I think the more they talk and
[19:08] at like a like two weeks ago, it was like the return of Xbox, smart little moves here and there, you know, lowering the price of Game Pass, good positive energy, and then immediately this and like it's like I understand that new
[19:23] leadership would come in and the business is not great. New leadership is going to come in and do things like this. It happens. But it's just it just feels so much worse when it's also like we have this big dumb new Project Helix
[19:35] thing and also Xbox is all caps now. what up guys? Like, you know, that just doesn't quite sit with me. >> I totally agree with you. I think it's Yeah, I mean, look, I I I think I think I think the reality is that, you know,
[19:51] there are different portions of the Xbox community, like different parts to it. There's there's your Xbox people who only care about Halo and Gears, and there's your Xbox community who only play Game Pass games, and there's your
[20:03] interested in their sort of other studios, their broader portfolio, and and the work that they're doing. I think that like Phil Spencer, obviously plenty of issues and like, you know, problems during his tenure and certainly with the
[20:16] outcomes of it, but I think the single best thing he did really was that 2018 these small studios. And I think that like he communicated a vision of Xbox small. You know, it wasn't just going to be about hits. It was also going to be
[20:31] about other games. And I think this what's happening here is winding back >> and that commitment. >> And I think this is the one of the most important parts of Phil Spencer's, you know, legacy. And it should be protected
[20:46] because I think he had the right of it when he made these decisions. um these studios are good studios that look because the thing is right Arcane look because the thing is right Arcane uh Austin when they were shut down I was
[20:58] like look that really [ __ ] sucks but at the same time I kind of get it there's obviously been a huge amount of brain drain out of that studio and you a complete catastrophe top to bottom
[21:10] they thought okay >> there's nothing to salvage here which I kind of almost sympathize with the decision be like all right fair enough consistently make high quality games and you think shut them down. That just
[21:23] Like >> shut them down when again they were it seems like you know especially considering output like South of Midnight took a long time. Hellblade 2 took a long time. Like they were clearly
[21:36] left to their own devices. They were purchased and then kind of left with the okay work on your thing. They like it doesn't seem like there was like a whip the year. Make a game of the year. add microtransactions like do all this [ __ ]
[21:50] were just left to their own devices to make their things and then new leadership comes in and immediately no we're not doing that >> and I brutality of that. >> That's true. And like I and I think you
[22:03] know if you want to keep them around and then maybe do provide like a firmer hand not saying force them to make sports games with microtransactions, but I'm saying like clearly Xbox has really failed when it comes to actively
[22:15] managing its projects and like project managing things to completion and and whatever else. Like that's actually been horrendously bad for all of Xbox >> state of the K3. >> Like there's so many on that list, man.
[22:29] like if you can bring a different model of management to those studios and maybe little bit of a shove along at times and just like interface is happening try and achieve some different outcomes with it because
[22:44] the the the the components that you have the people are incredibly talented they have the chemistry as a team like it you know if you want to change the way that that before you just like spin them out or or or realistically shut them down
[22:58] guys getting spun out is is pretty remote. So, I don't know, man. I just think it it really Yeah, it really sucks. I just think this whole thing is >> Yeah. >> It's like is my question cuz I'm not I'm
[23:12] not strong on like the financials and stuff. Is Xbox in that dire of a position where they do need to quote unquote like cut the fat here that >> drastically and suddenly? Chris Dring told me this morning, I hadn't seen this
[23:28] quote, but um Nadala said something like, "YouTube monetizes Xbox better >> Damn, [laughter] that's a line. >> That's >> Yeah. Okay. Sure. Like, [sighs and gasps] yeah. Okay, cool.
[23:41] Like, yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. >> But it's like and also like if that's about your division, then >> but like do you really think does anyone going to be the thing that makes the difference? They're like, "Well, we were
[23:54] at a 3% profitability margin, but double fine, and so now we're fine." Like, >> There's going to be so many things that Xbox can do to achieve growth that are like Call of Duty can sell an additional [ __ ] Nicki Minaj skin and it's going
[24:09] to generate more revenue than the next Double Fine game. Like, that is a fact. fact. And >> like that's why I think putting our closing these studios, which are very often like smaller significantly smaller
[24:24] financial investments for them versus other things. That just seems again very short-sighted. There is more to this medium than just like the profit and the like, well, that's so naive. It's like, well, I don't think so. I just think
[24:38] that there's something here. And like other companies are willing to invest in perfect example. Not every game Nintendo needs to make needs like makes needs to hit 50 million units sold. They make all sorts of weird games that don't sell
[24:52] going and they just keep doing it. And as a result, like we have such enduring faith in the quality of that brand and and what that's going to eventually result in over time. And you know, not
[25:05] everything is Breath of the Wild. You know, sometimes you get a Metroid Prime you know that like maybe the next Metroid Prime game is going to be better the people and they've worked on things and they have the right kind of
[25:18] and they have the right kind of approach, right? Um, yeah, I think these of because like Xbox in the past has been very proud of how uh some of their studios have actually worked together and supported
[25:31] especially on the accessibility um initiatives like they really did a great Rod Ferguson about it once when he was still on Gears. that being able to work together and such.
[25:47] Yeah, I feel like there was so much potential there for even just some and happening yet. Like it hasn't been like official confirmation of shutting down or anything, but like >> there there could be some support or
[26:01] molding [snorts] teams together like keeping talent. I don't know. Compuls compulsion games, they do their thing. Uh Double Fine is weird. Um, Ninja
[26:13] Theory has all that like experience in performance capture and like mo all that stuff which now is becoming more and more popular in these giant games that >> to to to kick that all to the curb, yeah, again
[26:26] >> short I think I I think as well like I think the other side of this equation is and I would also agree with this that like clearly the uh the overall like clearly the uh the overall timelines and budgets for video games uh
[26:38] sustainable, right? And clearly some work needs to be done to fix this, you know, because the reality is Clear Obscure was made with like €10 million, right? Ballpark. Okay. And now I'm not saying therefore that
[26:55] every game can and should be at that sort of like very lean budget and very different dynamics across different types of projects, different companies, different locations, yada yada, but clearly there's some rebaselining to be
[27:08] done with regards to how these games are funded. And I think that work should happen. But it I think it should happen in collaboration with these studios who, you know, are full of talented people rather than turfing out these studios
[27:22] just we're just going to start again or we're going to ignore them completely >> Yeah. even too like what was you know some of the big problems with Halo Infinite a revolving door seemingly so all this
[27:37] door >> a huge issue with um the initiative right it was like creating a quadruple a studio from scratch like you have to such a dumb thing to do like that was so [ __ ] stupid
[27:50] >> I just think that was crazy to invest that much money and energy in Perfect Dark which again goes back to what we were saying before with Fable where Like >> It's wild, man. It's really wild. >> Should have been Blinks the Time
[28:04] >> should have been Absolutely, man. I totally agree with you. Unironically, I Blinks, man. That's >> Was there a second one? There was a bad. >> I don't remember. I only remember the
[28:18] >> I think you just made that up, man. >> Like he they put him in like a brown third person shooter. >> Are you thinking of Resident Evil 4? >> [gasps] >> All right, I checked. There was a Blinks
[28:31] time sweep super masters of time and space. And he looks like he's got a little bit more attitude. Um, so that's good. And he's >> I that had big blinks died on the way back to his home planet energy, by the
[28:44] >> So there you have a little more tude. >> Actually, actually, here's one thing I actually, let's do this. Let's play the clip from kind of funny from Jeff from Greg Miller where he talks about thoughts on uh on Xbox abandoning
[29:02] clip? >> Xbox is losing money handover fist. They are not doing well. That's my problem and that's your problem parents is that we're [ __ ] smart. If you took any of us and gave us control of Xbox, we would
[29:15] walk into Sati Nadella and be like we're not getting rid of any of these [ __ ] studios. What we're doing is stopping [ __ ] hardware. You [ __ ] up the world. You [ __ ] up the entire industry by wanting to go after this AI [ __ ] And
[29:27] now no one can buy components. So it doesn't matter if I get Gears as an exclusive as an Xbox. You can't buy a new Xbox cuz it's too [ __ ] expensive. components are too expensive. The thing that would be the shot in the [ __ ]
[29:39] arm right now would be, "Hey, we have a brand new spanking console called Helix. THAT [ __ ] IS TOO EXPENSIVE. So Sati and Nadella, eat a big bag of [ __ ] the ground." So now we're going to save the Xbox brand the only way we know how.
[29:52] that's keeping all these studios, letting them make cool art, and we're Why the [ __ ] are we talking about exclusives right now? What godamn reality are you living in right now, Xbox leadership, that we're thinking
[30:06] people back to this platform. Get out of the [ __ ] hardware, Double Fine. We need an awesome fun game in 9 months to put on Game Pass. I'm going over and I'm saying Outer Worlds devs, you're making Fallout New Vegas, too. Those kids who
[30:20] made the [ __ ] Fallout London mod, I'm giving them money and we're [ __ ] I'm here right now. And I'm talking to Sati. Well, he's this giant [ __ ] bag of [ __ ] cuz [ __ ] this guy. You are not going anywhere with this brand if we
[30:33] don't have a vision for what it is. I don't know how you cannot look at the failure of the announcement and generation that was the Xbox One and not go we will never do that again. We will never step foot on a stage and not have
[30:48] a message we believe in. Nobody believes in any of this EXCEPT THE [ __ ] MONEY. go have successful lives. And that's not possible and I hate that. >> We're back. That's that clips a lot. Jeff uh I don't know why I'm calling him
[31:02] Jeff. Greg I don't know why I'm doing this. Greg really uh really went off there. Now, uh I don't know. What do you guys think about the proposition of Xbox abandoning hardware entirely? >> I think it is definitely a valid opinion
[31:17] that Xbox is doing that is murky and weird and it's like what are we what are you doing? Is it a PC? Is it an Xbox? Whatever. I But >> this is an Xbox. >> I don't know. I have no idea.
[31:30] >> I Yeah, I I I don't agree with Greg here. I think I don't agree at all. In fact, I think Xbox them having some sort of presence in the hardware space, I think, makes sense for them. Does it necessarily need to be uh
[31:43] a mass-produced console like we've, you know, the Xbox has been in the past? I don't think that really works either, but clearly Xbox has a a very large hardware install base. It's got a lot of fans who are invested in this ecosystem,
[31:57] and I think walking away from them would be a bad call. Again, I think you don't need to produce aim to sell a 100 million consoles, but if you have a nice highquality product that your really rusted on, devoted fans are able to buy
[32:11] into, then great. And whether that is produced by Microsoft or produced in partnership with someone else like the Asus ROG Ally X or whatever it's called, sorts and I and Matthew Ball in his interview with Chris actually did talk
[32:25] about the fact that they are exploring ways to sort of like >> they're reimagining what the next console generation would look like is definitely not specific. >> So I do wonder if they are exploring
[32:39] with other manufacturers for their hardware. If they're are exploring other really big on cloud because they already have a strong footing there. But personally, I think that Xbox stepping out of hardware entirely is a bad call.
[32:55] to compete with Nintendo and Sony to sell 100 million Xboxes next generation >> is foolish. >> Yeah, I think talking to third party developers and the split between Xbox and PlayStation is um
[33:09] that's done now. I think it's settled, you know? So, it's like how does Xbox adapt to that reality and find a footing for itself? You know what I mean? >> I agree. And that's the thing. It's like the Xbox ecosystem
[33:21] like you know just it's [snorts] >> people are invested in it. achievements, you have friends, you have messages, you have crucially your game >> Yeah. >> Like being able to access that all over
[33:33] like on different pieces of hardware. Like I have the Rock All X and just copy of Mass Effect 2 with all of my achievements. I will play it again. like I've said it a million times at this point, but like Xbox still does
[33:47] this point, but like Xbox still does have brand cash. It does have mind share with casual audiences. Like there's going to be a bunch of people that I' out there that are excited for Grand Theft Auto 6, casual gamers, and they
[34:00] got to go out and buy a new console and they're gonna buy an Xbox just because Xbox is like a brand name. Do I think that's insane? Kind of. But like [laughter] it still exists. It still has that brand
[34:13] recognition. It's rapidly dwindling, I think. Um, but it's still there. So, for think. Um, but it's still there. So, for them to try and pivot and do something [clears throat] >> Yep.
[34:27] >> Anyway, so that's >> Slam's kind of funny. >> Finally. >> Yeah. said they should get Double Fine and make them make a game in 9 months. I was
[34:40] >> that's right." I was like, >> "Greg Miller supports Crunching." >> I was like, "What?" [laughter] >> Oh my god, that was that was uh that was >> we love you, Greg. >> Anyway, so uh that's the situation with
[34:54] >> Yeah, speak for yourself. >> Um we that is the situation with Xbox. Surely a lot will happen between now and this episode. Uh and we'll no doubt be talking about it again next week. But uh yeah, one day we will not have to talk
[35:08] about Xbox's [ __ ] but it is not this day. >> No, no, but seriously, can we actually just talk about that for a second? >> Just briefly, shut the [ __ ] up, Xbox. Just [laughter] shut the [ __ ] up, man.
[35:22] up. >> Oh, there's this rake on the ground. Would it be fun if I >> don't care? Like, I just I'm so over that brand talking so much. It's just I don't want to hear from you and I don't
[35:35] really was hoping that they do some kind of reset >> where like they just stop talking when Asha arrives and they're just like focus mean? But it feels like there's been more talking since they she's arrived
[35:49] mean? >> And it's just kind of like none of this is helping, man. It just make it just makes things worse. So just shut up and just do the things, you know? >> Yeah. So, I'm I never out here being
[36:03] like, I wish Nintendo would talk to us more, man. Like, why aren't Nintendo Nintendo's Nintendo, they're weird. They're working on their [ __ ] and point. I will buy the Zenolade upgrade pack. In fact, that is a lie. I've als
[36:17] [laughter] that's the thing. It's that's what happens with this company and I >> Do you want me to start every Discord message with this is Miamoto? So, it to you. >> So, this is Lucy James. This is Lucy
[36:31] James still on for recording intent. >> That's right. [laughter] >> Well, I think uh with that we should probably jump over next to an interview we have. We did a cool interview. Did we not Lucy?
[36:44] not Lucy? >> Yeah. Well, I did um the royal. Yeah. So, uh earlier in the week at SGF um I spoke to male Kazarinan and Sha Duri. So, that creates director head of control franchise. And uh Sean is the
[37:00] actor who plays Dylan. So this was after about two hours of hands-on time, which you guys also did later in the week. But it was a really fun chat. Um one of the things I love about whenever I talked to male is um like his influences. So when
[37:14] was very much House of Leaves and such. And so I really wanted to know what kind of media he'd been consuming um specifically for Control Resonant. And also, yeah, we dig into like how many questions are they realistically going
[37:27] thing that I love the most about control is that they they ask a lot of questions but don't necessarily answer them. So, it was fun chat. Roll the tape. it was fun chat. Roll the tape. [music]
[37:43] Control Resonant, my most anticipated game for the rest of the year. I want to game for the rest of the year. I want to talk to you about movement first because since Control, I'd forgotten just how fun and fluid it is. What steps did you
[37:56] take for Resonant after going from a shooter to uh like a more character action game, >> right? So, because of melee, we had to through the world. So having that kind
[38:10] of a snappy responsiveness and it can get quite chaotic with all the different and the shape of the environments themselves can be kind of messy and weird and and the world literally like falls onto itself and so on. And we have
[38:24] shift which is the kind of a where you kind of change your gravity. And um so yeah we we kind of really had to push not light uh to its limits in regards of how to handle this animation transitions and cancelling movement. And so making
[38:39] sure that every time the player wants to have something happen, it does happen and it goes exactly as you expect it to go. So yeah, that was tough. A lot of work went into that. But yeah, it was super important to us to make sure that
[38:52] moving through the world is fun and responsive and as easy as possible. because I do want to ask obviously this is remember when we had the the sort of
[39:04] said you know you could play resonant first, you could play control first. Um, when it comes to being the star of such a game with so many threads to pull on, what does Remedy tell you about the overarching control narrative remedy
[39:21] verse stuff to give you the best preparation you can have? Um, as far as this particular game, I was very, very privileged to be able to come in right at the ground floor and work with male and all the writers uh, making
[39:37] suggestions on how this character might be portrayed because uh, this Dylan is very very different than his infected Dylan. And so we got to build it from the ground up together and and it was a real collaboration. So it was a
[39:52] wonderful experience. So it was easy to keep track in my head because I was with ideas. >> And I mean how does that work from the sort of writing and design and creative direction process where did you have an
[40:05] idea for Dylan obviously going in and then due to this collaboration? Was changed or that really shaped what become the final game? >> Right. So it was very important to me that we tell a very specific story with
[40:18] that we tell a very specific story with Jesse uh her rise to power in regards of becoming the director of the FBC and so on dealing with the his and the house and so on. Uh with Dylan, what we wanted to have is a very human journey because
[40:31] to have is a very human journey because he's always been um ever since he's been a kid, like trapped inside the oldest house, the the the kind of a panal world is the normal to him. And with all the strangeness and kind of a like a weird
[40:46] world with strange characters and so on, I wanted to also kind of find uh like Dylan as a character who's like deep inside like a human being at the end of
[40:58] the day. Yes, he's kind of gone through all kind of crazy stuff and and so on and tried to kind of deal with all of that. Uh but when when you kind of follow him through this experience, you will see uh at the end of the day a very
[41:10] human story. So that's something that we talked a lot about early on. And also to me it's important that Dylan doesn't necessarily come across as your kind of expected hero archetype like you know this stoic confident person who
[41:23] immediately knows what to do but it's instead a very like relatable from a perspective that we are also confused sometimes when you kind of face a new situation how to deal with that and and it was important to me and and as we
[41:37] find who that character is in the middle of all of these strange events and so on. Yeah, there's an innocence to him that I was actually quite after knowing Dylan from Control, there was an innocence to him and sort of maybe a
[41:50] that's accurate? >> Absolutely. Especially in what you've seen so far and that's uh the beginning of his journey of kind of discovering his humanity and rediscovering his selfworth.
[42:05] selfworth. >> What is it like returning to control? Was um you know cuz you and I spoke. When did we film that? 2019, I think. You know, we did a a video about the uh the Asht train maze. And what was what
[42:20] was some of the threads you felt were dangling that you couldn't do in control that you have taken into resonant? >> Um I think at the back of my head already at the time, uh when I was thinking
[42:34] about control, uh as an experience and as a journey and as a story, at the as a journey and as a story, at the middle of it are two siblings. uh Jesse looking for Dylan and the fate of the world and and Jesse's fate and you know
[42:47] the oldest house all of that was about them two trying to navigate these different situations and so on that unfolded in different ways um and at the time it it definitely was in my head like how do we turn this the other way
[43:02] around like once we step into control resonant I wanted to be that in a way like familiar feeling like it's it is about the famous siblings at the end of the today. But there's a there's a kind of a new perspective into it, like a
[43:15] reversal basically. Things are turned upside down. And this time it's Dylan who's always lived inside the oldest house stepping in the normal world that is familiar to us but new to Dylan and and like see how he handles that how he
[43:29] reacts to all of that and how can he find uh like a sense of uh let's say not not a conclusion but at least some kind of a place where he can feel at somewhat of a place where he can feel at somewhat content and at peace at least. So
[43:43] thinking about that as as a kind of a package like how do we create that full circle uh once we're done with control and stepping into control resident was was a huge part of that. Uh then of course there's the
[43:57] exciting side of like seeing the outside world what it is. The urban environments world what it is. The urban environments like where normal like humans live yet overlapping that with the different paranal forces and the the strange
[44:11] stories that we want to tell and how all of that comes together was of course a exciting thing to tap into. >> Well you mentioned there as well uh you know flipping things upside down. You play with perspective
[44:23] >> quite a lot. Can you talk about because once you get into the flow of things, it just kind of seems second nature to sort of tap and you know the walls shift and something. Is that as difficult to implement as I think it is?
[44:36] >> Yes, it was extremely extremely difficult. It's it and it took honestly a lot of time and we needed to create like new technology to even make it like new technology to even make it happen and uh but once I realized that
[44:50] this is possible, we can do this and actually there was this teaser that we actually there was this teaser that we kind of uh hid uh inside the game where you see the cam like rotating and we actually see a moment from the game and
[45:03] Dylan at the end of it is like standing upside down and uh so so it was early on pull it off, but it wasn't an easy place to reach [snorts] and and it's not just
[45:15] Dylan who can utilize this gravity anomalies and and shift perspective. Uh enemies can do it as well. And that's one of the coolest things. And honestly, I don't think there's another game that is actually able to do all of that
[45:28] stuff. So, what we do with AI and the shifting camera perspective and all the physics and so on is honestly uh quite unique. Remedy is uh very well known for
[45:40] the kind of odd humor that I love and so a lot of the time that is uh in you know like live action stuff. So you've got your Casper Darling, your threshold kids. Um but a lot of it is also in music. So have you been taking singing
[45:55] lessons? Can we expect any kind of dance number? What have they got you doing in this But >> I don't uh want to give anything away to >> I don't uh want to give anything away to be fair. But we are definitely um going
[46:08] to explore that. >> Interesting. Because Casper Darling is back. Thank god. I love him. Love that character. What is it like for you? Do you get to shoot with a lot of people on set? Like run lines against um other
[46:20] folks? >> In this particular game, uh Zoe, the character of Zoe and I shot almost everything together. Amazing. >> So, we were often in the same studio. We went to Finland at the same time
[46:32] together. So, even when we were doing facial capture, we were in the booth >> talking to one another and actually having those conversations. So, it isn't uh there's there's not that disconnect that can sometimes happen when uh it's
[46:46] response is recorded, >> right? regard. >> Yeah. When we spoke last, we were things like House of Leaves came up, Three Body Problem.
[47:00] Three Body Problem. >> What have you been um reading, watching, >> What have you been um reading, watching, playing uh to gear up for Resonant? playing uh to gear up for Resonant? >> Uh for me personally, um the uh the
[47:12] anime show from the '9s uh called Neon Genesis Evangelion >> uh was a major inspiration and >> Oh, so we're going to be sad. [laughter] Yeah. Yes. >> Uh
[47:27] but what was amazing about that show was that they did things that went against convention at the time even in regards of what a hero can look like. It was a
[47:39] 14-year-old kid trying to deal with this immense responsibility and a father figure who expected way too much from him and so on and seeing him struggle. And obviously there's the really thoughtprovoking
[47:53] thoughtprovoking uh complicated esoteric world where the like planet is being invaded by strange beings from above, angels and and so on. So so [snorts] I I'm sure like when you look at the game and you see our
[48:06] biblically accurate pigeons and stuff like that, you can see see it like the connective tissue or the inspiration from from that anime. And it it's something that I I love dearly. And um still at the at the kind of heart of the
[48:20] experience like the new weird the uh the literary genre about like how incomprehensible forces are part of this world and and kind of stay [snorts] as a mystery even though people of course want to and try to understand it is is
[48:35] still huge part of the concept and so on but it's layered with these new inspirations as well. That's one thing I do actually really like about the weirdness at the heart of everything is that you don't explain it because I
[48:48] think it would lose that magic if you did find out what it was. And so no answers in this game. >> Um I think there will be answers, but they're going to be satisfying >> more questions.
[49:04] I I think it's important that you just don't do mystery for the sake of mystery. It's it's more about like having a world that feels like the answers are out there and they are. >> Uh and then it's all about you trying to
[49:19] dig into it and trying to understand it and uh pay attention when it's important don't. >> Yeah. Just cuz the answers are out there >> Yeah. >> Uh let's talk about combat a little bit
[49:32] just to round things off. So melee, lot of variety. How did you kind of set the scope of what Dylan's melee combat would be, the aberrant, the abilities? There is so much going on and it I like
[49:47] that it just really throws you in at the beginning. The tutorial is like, "Hey, this, now you can do this. You can swap things out. How Let's talk about that process. What inspired you to go to Melee instead of using the service
[50:00] Melee instead of using the service pistol again?" Um so when when I think about these two games I I think of them as two different siblings. Um and they have their own ways of thinking, their own approaches, their own like
[50:13] personality and spirit. They belong together into a larger family. Yes. But they stand on their own feet as well as separate beings if you will. And uh to me it was like a natural way of thinking about it like that the siblings are like
[50:28] each one like one side of a coin. So, if Jesse has a gun, then Dulan obviously has a mele weapon. [snorts] And um and Millie is cool. I've always loved Millie games and so on. And it's actually been on my mind for a long a while that this
[50:43] like with you know, the first control game. Uh a big part of the kind of undertaking was just my desire to do like a like a defining telekinetic combat experience basically. Um so Millie uh overall like early on was like
[51:00] kind of take and utilize and it's a new >> Um and a lot of preparation of course went into it. A lot of prototypes and tests and making sure that you can really pull this off because like a lot
[51:13] of people were like ask like really are you serious about this? And >> I mean that's the thing though there is so like if you're not innovating then thing over and over again. >> Exactly. And there was also something
[51:27] that I loved about the idea of a shape-shifting weapon, but it's a melee shape-shifting weapon, but it's a melee weapon instead. And uh and then all the different glorious ways that can manifest through the combat experience.
[51:40] And we found like an interesting way of doing that, kind of a shape-shifting side to it. Like the weapon is essentially born every time you need a form. it appears and once you're done with it like that which can be within
[51:53] seconds it's left on the ground and you create a new one whenever you need it. So, it's this kind of a continuous loop of birth and death that is kind of [snorts] um and I I think there's
[52:06] as a kind of a conceptual idea. >> And actually one uh other inspiration for that was the anime Attack on Titan where they have this kind of a blaze like disposable blades that kind of dull out when they use them and they have to
[52:20] actually equip a new one. So, so there was something really interesting about that and once we could kind of see not just from a visual standpoint like how it would work and so on, but also what it did for the combat experience because
[52:34] it felt very natural to combine the use of, you know, movement and the paranal abilities together with Millie and so on. And when you kind of step into this on. And when you kind of step into this kind of a more open-ended, bigger world,
[52:47] uh, you don't want to necessarily give a gun to the player because you tend to You just start to shoot >> spot to hole up in. You don't >> Yeah, exactly. You don't you don't kind of go to the enemies. You don't go
[52:59] So Millie actually did a lot of good for the overall like core loop as well and also amplified that intuitive feeling of I have to stay in motion as well. Yes, I
[53:11] absolutely have to stay in motion, otherwise you will get killed. Um, thank you both so much. I'm can't wait to play more and see more and hopefully get some questions answered. Um, we'll see you chat again soon.
[53:24] >> Fantastic. Thank you. >> Thank you. should probably talk about uh what we played with control 2. Control resonant.
[53:39] >> Yeah, it's not control two because they you can play them in any order. >> Oh, okay. There we go. >> Or at least I think they said that in a >> That's fun. That's an interesting approach.
[53:54] >> Uh having played it, uh yeah, the way it starts out, I think you know, obviously you have a lot of questions, uh if you didn't play the original control, but I going to kind of play out in terms of like what's what's this place I'm
[54:07] so basically, just to set it up for people, uh, the demo that we got to play is essentially the start of the game >> where you are Dylan. Uh, you wake up
[54:20] from a coma, you step outside of the FBC, and New York City is all kinds of >> you're tech. >> Yeah. So, it's up to him to figure out what's going on with the H, link up with the FBC, and uh, do some do some
[54:35] the FBC, and uh, do some do some asskicking. Um, top level takeaway, Ralph, I would love to know. >> I am really into this in every way really. Um, you know, obviously I really enjoyed Control. Um, I think that
[54:50] they've now moved it. It's so it's out of the old house. It's no longer inside York City. Kind of reminded me of like, you know, Inception, how there's that city's like folding on top of itself or whatever. The city is kind of like that.
[55:04] Um, but I think the other thing, uh, and I think you called it out in your video, Jake, is that like the amount of movement tech that's built into this, how much you're able to like jump and then dash and double dash and double
[55:16] cross. >> Yeah, you can cross a huge amount of distance after you leave the ground. And it makes things like air juggling really easy because they're going to be, you know, an enemy 50 meters away from you
[55:29] in the air, but you can literally just like jump and then sort of zip over to them in your own way. Um, so I like that a lot actually. I think and and as a large cuz they give they to give you that room to move around. Um, I was
[55:43] really struck by like artistically, you know, how nice it looks as well with the enemy designs and the lighting choices and like it feels very remedy, you know, like they have a very specific style in terms of how they like to use the
[55:56] >> And it just it looks as beautiful here as it as it has in their previous games. was very impressed cuz that was my biggest concern going into this. I was this kind of game. Like, can they can they pull this off? But I think they are
[56:11] pulling it off. like it definitely doesn't feel as sort of like deep uh and expressive as like a Devil May Cry, but it definitely feels really fun and it definitely feels really fun and immediate and like the feedback is good.
[56:24] going through it, you know, like it doesn't I was never really getting bored from like an early save file to a later one where I unlocked like way more abilities. And those new abilities were [ __ ] cool, man. like they were just
[56:38] really there was this one where I like could of rock shield around myself and massive amounts of stagger damage and it was just super cool. Like you could there was that depth to it but it was very approachable. Uh I feel like so far
[56:52] they really found the right balance between like something very very complex right in the middle there and I kind of I really like it. like kind of what it's taken from controls
[57:07] uh pre-existing like Jesse's move set like with the um how how much distance you can move like Jesse had like a float, she had the shield thing. Um, but
[57:19] because you taken away the pistol, the um the service weapon, and you've got the aberrant, which is the thing that can change form and stuff, like it's it's like a nice bridging, I think. Um, as someone who
[57:34] >> Oh, okay. Nice. I didn't know that about you. you. >> Yeah. Um, I did platinum Control 20 2020 played it in 2019. I think it was in 2020 that I planned it, but no, it was
[57:47] >> I'm really intrigued to see more of it. [laughter] I >> they when you said about the inception stuff, like they do play with um it's >> Yeah, the gravity brush of it all. >> No, they do. That's right. There's Oh,
[58:02] that section, Lucy? >> So, you go into a place, was it called >> Yes. Um and you are basically on this giant weighted um yeah so uh so the the federal bureau
[58:17] paranatural activity which is what the hiss uh who have invaded New York they were previously in the oldest house uh so you go down this big sinkhole to try and find like the resonance of them I think and then um as you are trying to
[58:31] get out because the big bell leaves without you and you can't jump up to it without you and you can't jump up to it you basically toy with like your the walls will go on the side, you can zip to the ceiling or zip onto
[58:43] the wall and then the whole world moves. Um, obviously it should be noted that is very much working on this game. >> one of the most standout levels I think in recent memory and so yeah, there's a
[58:56] lot of cool stuff and playing with perspective and playing with >> Yeah, because there's literally >> I just wouldn't expect anything less >> No, I agree. Yeah, it's literally like you walk up to a you're in this kind of
[59:09] imagine like a a set of boxes that are kind of connected to each other like a grid almost. Um and you are able to kind of like walk up to one corner and then just like press a button and then the plane of gravity will shift. And now
[59:22] this it's kind of so the world doesn't move, you move. Uh and it is very you can just kind of press a button and and it and you're on a different plane all of a sudden. Um incredibly cool but also kind of hard. I found that section
[59:36] >> because you're also getting attacked >> and there's the invisible ghost thing you're like where are you man where you going you know you're just kind of hitting the the the air. How did you guys did you guys find did you guys beat
[59:49] sinkhole. >> I did he was I was >> Yeah, I was getting my ass kicked um a few times. One one thing I would say, one like criticism at this stage for me is visibility. When there are so many
[01:00:04] enemies, especially ones that fire things at you from far away, >> um it can get pretty chaotic. And so evacuation zones, which are similar to the missions that they had in in
[01:00:17] control. We'd go to one area and like clear it out. But in this one, you basically have these bigger enemies that you have to deal you have to kill first keep respawning. There was a mini map that shows you
[01:00:31] There was a mini map that shows you which one the big enemy is, are so much going on in there. I was like, there's one room in particular where I was just like, I'm going to lose my mind cuz I just keep getting kicked
[01:00:44] feedback right now. >> Did you play control pre patch of like >> Pre- patch, baby. >> Bro, that was [ __ ] Like that was so
[01:00:57] >> It was ridiculous. >> That's like being consult Redan pre >> so bad. [laughter] And so I as I was playing through that are on their [ __ ] again." Like they're doing that thing, [laughter] you know.
[01:01:10] tester actually and he was like, "Yeah, yeah, balance is the last thing to come in." I'm like, "Okay, cool. Good to know." Uh because it definitely feels quite overtuned. And also like the beams from that major boss enemy, like if if
[01:01:23] screwed, you're just dead. You're just like it's two shot. I'm just like, "Come on, man. Give me a chance here." >> Um, so other than that though, so yeah, haven't you haven't said much. >> Yeah. No, I uh I actually like I was
[01:01:36] listening to you guys talk about it because in my one video I did say >> I like the combat. It feels good, but I was wondering where the the the hook would be that would like really get me like hooked on it, like addicted to it.
[01:01:49] later abilities like when you have a fully built character but also I think the fact that it doesn't at least for me as a fan of their games it doesn't need to be a Devil May Cry. It doesn't have to have that insane level of like combat
[01:02:03] to actually hook me and really get me along is seeing what's next, seeing the story, seeing some insane sequence that they created in terms of like gameplay variation. Um yeah, but like overall, yeah, I did really enjoy what I played.
[01:02:18] yeah, I did really enjoy what I played. Um the only thing I didn't like really >> Um >> floating head boss. I found that kind of flat. Uh and not very
[01:02:31] >> Did you figure out that you could like get her down before she did her like you like knock her out of the sky. Did you figure that out? >> Yeah. >> Yeah.
[01:02:43] "Oh, this is taking a long time, man. What are we doing? We're just standing around, aren't we?" And then I kind of died and then I tried it again. I'm like, "Oh, that's what you So, uh, I don't know. I I enjoyed that boss
[01:02:55] overall." Yeah. But the pacing was a bit slow, but I just love the visual design >> Oh, visually it was nuts. It was so weird and unnerving. Um, so that's the really come to these games for. But I I do like that they're doing something
[01:03:07] different gameplay-wise. I also like uh Dylan just from what I've experienced of from the last game, but experiencing him here as the main character, he's very different than Jesse. He's a little bit more like aloof. He doesn't really know
[01:03:22] but he like wants to do something. He's clearly powerful. He knows he's powerful. Um so that that I I found that immediately pretty engaging. Also, >> they just they do a good job with New
[01:03:34] York. Um they make it look cool. Uh, it's stylized. It's like their take on here. >> Um, but I I just I like the way they do it and I'm curious to see how >> exploration really feels cuz I didn't I
[01:03:48] >> Sure. >> Yeah. There was no real exploration. It like the streets of New York. Very linear, very guided. I wonder if there >> Yeah. Well, I don't think it's like fully open world. I think zones.
[01:04:04] >> Yep. Yep. Yep. Definitely has potential. I'm excited. Yeah. other game, right? >> Oh, that's great. It's fantastic. Love it.
[01:04:16] >> Which was another highlight for me from SGF. You >> Yeah. Hit us. Go on. >> Go on. Well, we didn't get to play it >> Go on. Well, we didn't get to play it sadly. Um but Silent Hill Townfall is um
[01:04:29] previously called No Code and now they're called >> They changed the name, but um it's a bunch of exrostar ex alien Isolation devs. Um they've been making a bunch of uh what was it? Was it observation was
[01:04:44] >> Um >> really good. >> Horror. U been given the Silent Hill license working with Anna Perno and Konami. Um you play as a guy who is drawn to this um this fake Scottish
[01:04:59] island. Um, and you have like a little portable TV in your hand and you tune into various radio frequencies. Um, but then of course it's Silent Hill, so once the fog creeps in, there are some awful creatures. I think the thing that I
[01:05:13] have a real thing with survival horror and I actually kind of felt bad that I and I actually kind of felt bad that I saw Lost Wild straight after town. Okay, >> cuz Lost Wild commits, I think, the biggest sin any game can, which is if
[01:05:27] you say if you have a character who says, "What is this place?" out loud. >> You've never done that. >> Wow. You >> No. No. I hate it. And so, the thing that I loved about Townfall is that
[01:05:42] that I loved about Townfall is that Simon doesn't react to [ __ ] like that. would come up on screen. And so there was a point where he found finds a torch it. >> And [snorts] he says and so like a thing
[01:05:54] comes up and that's his internal thought which is this doesn't work. It needs a it needs a battery, right? >> Whereas in Lost Wild, which is the game horror where you are >> on an island and you're being chased by
[01:06:07] really cool concept. I think that main character talks too much and I think it's going to annoy me. >> I love an overly talkative main character. I think it's funny. Have you tried uh Horizon Zero Dawn or Horizon
[01:06:20] Forbidden West that I've got the game? >> There's no space in there. There's no >> That's right. >> No, I just find it all the way up there. >> I just find it so immersionbreaking especially when it comes to horror. Um
[01:06:32] and so for me also like Townfall looks really good. >> But also as someone who grew up in the northeast of England, a lot of um like my my stepgrandmother was uh from Glasgow.
[01:06:47] Um the fact that they went around and just basically went to a bunch of Scottish towns and made one like that place felt real to me. I was saying to John, who's the director and the writer, I was like, "My granddad had that
[01:06:59] >> Like the wallpaper in the house that you see in that demo, like my granddad had >> That's cool. Like for me it was like this feels like a place I have been to and that's why it was scary. >> That's awesome. That's a endorsement
[01:07:13] >> That's awesome. That's a endorsement right there. I have a question. Um enemy revealed it, I was like, "Oh, I don't know if these creatures have the sauce. >> It's like a guy with an axe for a face. >> We saw only one enemy.
[01:07:28] >> Um here's here's I have a slightly different take on all of this and it relates to your question. So, I'm not like I enjoyed what I saw and I'm there's some really cool ideas, particularly like the TV, you know,
[01:07:41] which I think >> kind of like use that in place of a very cool. I like that a lot. I think it's nice. Um >> I think yeah, the fact that it's not in, you know, I think the fact that it's not
[01:07:54] location is also really cool. Like I'm into that idea that it's in other places now. I just think visually it looked extremely clean and all it was was just like normal clean locations but
[01:08:08] Like if you if you took the fog out of that it wouldn't actually be anything just at Silent Hill at all. Right. >> And I think as well the enemy design was just kind of like it just sort of seemed
[01:08:22] very jarring when set against the backdrop of those locations. I think if you look at a Silent Hill game, it's so [ __ ] up in it settings when you start up. They they look like they belong there. But when I saw these very clean
[01:08:36] streets and these clean walls and whatever, and then all of a sudden I see this armless thing with an axe head come up to me, I just didn't feel quite right. So, I think visually that part of it's not clicking for me yet. And that
[01:08:50] when it comes to Silent Hill cuz I need like all of it to look and feel like Silent Hill. And I think this sounds like Silent Hill. It's got a lot of the sort of tropes that I'm into with Silent Hill, but that visual part of it is just
[01:09:05] I'm hoping it gets more [ __ ] up as we get further in. Maybe we This is just the opening. It's just like, you know what I mean? For sure. For sure. >> Yeah. But also, this is no this is no indictment on what Ralph thinks about
[01:09:17] Scotland. He loves it. >> That's good. That's good. >> Has he I mean, >> has he endorsed Scotland before or >> You like it? >> It's beautiful. It's beautiful. I loved
[01:09:29] it. It's fantastic. Yeah. No, it's so nice. Who doesn't Who ever goes Scotland? [ __ ] hole. Hate it. >> I am really enjoying the fact that the Boston at the moment for the World Cup and all the bars run out of beer.
[01:09:43] and all the bars run out of beer. >> Yeah. [laughter] chant. Have you heard like the Aussie chant? Aussie boys on a bend that Donald Trump's a sex offender. [laughter]
[01:09:57] >> Oh my. I was LIKE THAT'S MY VOICE RIGHT THERE. >> Hell yeah. >> I love it. >> All right. Next up, uh, I'll I'll go with one. Uh,
[01:10:12] Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis. Uh, I got to play a very short demo. Uh, >> shoot some shoot some >> dinosaurs. Yeah, that was actually the best part by far.
[01:10:26] >> By far. >> I was like, whoa. Cuz like, so the demo was it it drops you into the jungle and you're wandering around as Lara and it's and like the visuals like, wow, look at the detail. Crazy. And then you're
[01:10:39] climbing, you're jumping, you're looking for [clears throat] environmental things to essentially work this cog wheel puzzle that opens up a waterfall. crates, which I thought was really funny, pulling a crate in 2026. I feel
[01:10:55] like Tomb Raider, it's like it belongs. It's part of the legacy. >> Um, but yeah, you're navigating, you're doing your environmental puzzle. It's at this point fairly standard stuff. Um, I like the uh actor for Lara Croft. I
[01:11:10] immediately >> Wilton Regan right. I like what she's doing. This is cool. This Lara feels great." Um, but cool. This Lara feels great." Um, but yeah, my interest really kicked in when
[01:11:23] uh the action ramped up and the the combat ramped up. So, you get chased by a T-Rex and it's very much a modern Tomb Raider sequence. Like I said this in my video, but like in the 2012 uh reboot, you know, when you're running and the
[01:11:36] flying and you're running and jumping. Had a T-Rex sequence like that. Uh but you're also squaring off against Velociraptors. The Velociraptors around, they encircle you, so they're kind of hard to hit. So you have a focus
[01:11:52] kind of hard to hit. So you have a focus meter. Um, so Lara, you can like dodge back and forth, left and right, but she does her uh from uh Underworld and uh the other one, Legend. Uh she kind of has a Mario jump, like the the the three
[01:12:06] jump, the hop. Woohoo. But it's it's cool back flips. Um so that's still in generates focus the more you dodge enemies. You can then burn that focus meter by tapping R1 and she'll do a roundoff flip or a backflip or a
[01:12:20] cartwheel and the game goes into slow motion for a second and gives you a window to like pelt the enemy with a bunch of bullets and it is so satisfying. Like it's just like a well- constructed mechanic. It just felt
[01:12:34] how they're going to continue to make game and like if there's going to be any variation to it, but I just like the way that felt. My demo was really short. The jump felt weird and floaty. Um, still a
[01:12:50] work in progress. the jump. It was like, it reminded me, you know that clip of like um like Mario but made in Unreal or whatever and it's the music's playing or whatever and it kind of like he has that floaty jump
[01:13:03] where he's like >> that's what it felt like to play the >> It's like I almost felt like they were trying to go for the hang time of her old jumps from like the '9s game, >> but they felt really good in their own
[01:13:16] weird way. Like they had beautiful to them. This felt awful. Awful. Awful. Yeah, I hope they work on that. The rest of the climbing was fine. Like it was just standard video game climbing. >> Um, it felt a little less magnetic, but
[01:13:31] it still just was like, you know, regular video game climbing. I the the that don't know, were very much about like precision jumps. Pixel perfect. >> Yeah. Like lining up, being insane, getting the perfect sprint, jumping at
[01:13:45] >> model, wouldn't she? like when you were edging going up against an edge like you >> Yeah. [laughter] >> Yeah. The fact that it had a button you held to walk like stuff like that. Um I actually would have liked to have seen
[01:13:58] like a modern take on that type of mechanic. Doesn't seem like we're like a regular old Tomb Raider adventure, >> we're we're getting that. Um I'm hoping they can
[01:14:10] >> Yeah. You want more? >> I mean, yeah. ultimately like I just feel like this felt very sort of a generic strong word but like it did I was just like cool we're in a temple area and we're pulling some cogs down a
[01:14:23] them in a place and then we're going to run through some jungle area and the dinosaur the combat actually felt kind of cool and I was like all right if this is like a combat based game I'm kind of into this you know I I I enjoy it felt
[01:14:36] >> but uh I don't know I just I feel like yeah those original Tomb Raider games personally like them, by the way. I I wasn't a fan of that control scheme, but obviously had people who really enjoyed them for that challenge and for that
[01:14:51] thing. And this doesn't try and capture any of that at all. And I think that's a been interesting to sort of reimagine that thing and bring it to life in the modern era. How could you do that? I don't know. But um yeah, this just felt
[01:15:05] kind of like a lot of other Tomb Raiding games that we've played over the last, you know, 20 years, you know, sort of Unchartedesque is Uncharted differentiating itself. >> Yeah. I mean, again, and some people
[01:15:21] those and that's totally fine and I suspect this will be a good time for me go, "Oh, I really can't wait to play more of this." This, you know what I mean? I wasn't I didn't land there. >> I get it. Yeah.
[01:15:34] for you? >> I'm trying to think. Was it Ralph Hugo? >> I'm going through my old appointments list. >> Yeah, I played Stunt Man. >> Okay. Yeah. Jake also played that one.
[01:15:46] Um, >> so Okay, this is I'm I like this. I like >> I think >> waiting for the however. >> But okay, I'll put it this way. I think this is a really fun game to
[01:16:02] play. I can't imagine how this game sells though. Like what is the >> Jurassic Park. >> Because because basically it's these levels that are like 90 seconds long and they're very scripted linear levels
[01:16:16] there's a there's a director in your ear and he's like, "Okay, next up, do a hairpin turn. Okay, now over the jump. Okay, hard left turn here." >> Where is this director from? >> Uh, he actually is funny. What is his
[01:16:30] accent? He's He's He's not Australian. >> It's got kind of like a eur like almost accent a little bit or something? >> Eastern European. It's almost like it's almost like not He wasn't Dutch. It's just kind of like a general European
[01:16:44] >> European British. >> General European accent. Uh and so he's you can also see the instructions on screen. That works too. But then, yeah, the levels are like 90 secondsish and they have, you know, you hit your marks
[01:16:58] and if you get a perfect run, then you've essentially done it. And then, you know, we played through five levels and that didn't take very long. I don't there there's going to be. There's no multiplayer. I checked that with them as
[01:17:11] know, versus mode where you need to compete with each other to see who can >> There's no leaderboards either, right? >> I don't know about leaderboards did I did um kind of funny last week with um Simon Cardi and I think he was
[01:17:24] saying there's no >> So like this is the thing. really good time as I was playing it. I like the mechanics. I like the physics. I like the there's a Back to the Future level where like you're driving the
[01:17:37] Libyans and instead of being there being one Libyan truck, there's like 12 of them for some reason. There's a lot of them. Uh, so I was into all of it to be can if they say to me, "Oh, we've actually made 50 of these levels." I'd
[01:17:51] be like, "Oh, okay, cool. Yeah, sweet. All right. I can I can see how that might work." But I don't suspect there will be 50 of these levels. I can and I it's going to make it a really hard proposition as like a box product. Uh,
[01:18:05] >> I'm I'm rooting for it. I'll tell you that much. I'm This is what I say. I played Tomb Raider. That's going to be a full price game, no doubt. I'm not of it. It's fine. Whatever. This one, I don't know how they're going to charge
[01:18:17] but I'm actually excited to play more of it when it arrives because it's going to on, Jake? >> I was happy that they announced it. I'm happy that it's back. Um, they're simple by nature, right? But I do think like
[01:18:31] player tastes and demands and wants have changed because I even was like, "Oh, yeah. This is a little simple." And uh it also lacks uh RZ. It [snorts] has no
[01:18:43] charisma or like style to it or excitement to it. Um that I I I think wise, everything. >> The thing that um so like I'm like you like I really like the Back to the Future level. I like the the the feel,
[01:18:58] the gameplay feel. Yeah. Um but when they announced it with all these like, "Ooh, this is their ace in the hole. this is really cool. But now playing a lot of it, like the Fast and Furious level didn't really feel like a
[01:19:13] look of the car. >> Um, it didn't really have a lot to it. Uh, I actually had more fun with the levels that were just completely their incredible. >> A lot going on. Really good set pieces.
[01:19:27] Um, so I I just I don't know if the IP stuff is really going to live up to it things with this idea. Like what if instead of just these individual levels, you kind of built like Hill Valley, you know what I mean? In Back to the F and
[01:19:41] entirety of the town and there were like different challenges in different to it and I don't know like >> uh road rage style out in the desert and there's all sorts of like there's the bullet farm like you
[01:19:55] ambitious title in terms of what you're building for sure but at the same time explore different subobjectives. >> Exactly. You know, I think those would be cool ideas and that would make this product feel a little a little more
[01:20:09] meaty >> and an easier pitch to consumers. Uh because again, I am into this. I plan to play it, you know, but at the same time, I just I wonder how they're going to sell this thing. Like it if it if it's
[01:20:22] like a $30 game, sure. If it's like a Game Pass game, sure. But if they're plus, I don't know, man. I think audiences will be like, uh, yeah, that's >> because I did have fun. Like I was hooked. I was very quickly like, ooh,
[01:20:38] want to do that run perfect. So, it definitely got its hooks in me like that that is there, but yeah, it's really the rest of the package. Also, it needs a quick restart. >> It doesn't have quick restart.
[01:20:50] you can like do it, but there should be like a button. You have to pause and to restart. >> In this day and age instant reset >> Yeah. >> Um anyway, in the same at the same booth
[01:21:05] actually I also played Turok Evolutions. >> Okay. Yeah. interactive. They're all they're like bringing back the old IPs, right? This is just a general trend right now in in video games. They're like let's bring it
[01:21:17] all back. Tur Rock is back. Uh very different though. It's now a co-op squad shooter. So like think Aliens Fire Team Elite Elite >> but Tur Rock, you know, and
[01:21:31] >> with classes and [ __ ] and like there's different abilities. >> First or third person, too. >> First or third person. Uh there's waves of enemies in certain locations and then you need to like, you know, walk a
[01:21:43] up and then walk it to a spot and then that unlocks a thing and then you can that unlocks a thing and then you can shoot a thing and whatever. Um, look, [snorts] I like this. I think it's dumb fun. Like, like again, I think it's the
[01:21:57] same sort of a similar conversation to like stunt man actually, which is like, yeah, you've made a nice simple game that is a good time. If you have a group of friends to play with, it'll be a fun time, I think. You know, that's I
[01:22:09] suspect. Um, but is there really a standout feature that I can point to and be like, here's why you should buy Turok. to like that. It's just it's just another one of those co-opy games if
[01:22:23] what I mean? So Jakey, Lucy, did you play this one? >> No, I didn't do any Saber this year. >> Okay. Sorry. Yeah. It was just like I like a
[01:22:36] like a Netflix movie like a where you watch it and you go, "Okay, that was cool." And then you move on. Like I still want more from Tur Rock as a as a really been able to crack into. Um, >> why is every dinosaur franchise dormant
[01:22:51] Right? There's so dinosaurs are sick, man. Why are there no big dinosaur games out right now that we're all like frothing over? They're just It's >> There's that one with the sexy lady code Violet or whatever.
[01:23:03] >> Slop game. >> Slop game. [laughter] was a game, right? >> The big sexy lady in it. >> yeah, my internet's so incredibly slow. Yeah, it's it was just like a weird ass
[01:23:17] >> it was like what if Stellar Blade was shitty [laughter] >> and trying to be Dino Crisis? >> So, can you think of any reasons why people would uh jump out and grab uh what do you call it? Tur Rock right now.
[01:23:31] what do you call it? Tur Rock right now. >> Yeah, good question. Uh I think it was >> It was I agree with you. >> Moving around. It's got a really good uh dodge and slide and switching between first and third. The weapons felt pretty
[01:23:47] first and third. The weapons felt pretty good and distinct. Character classes all have like distinct abilities. The character models also look pretty cool. Um but like yeah, maybe for like a quick good co-op
[01:24:00] yourself would be pretty dull. something to play with buddies if you have them. Uh yeah. I don't know. I'm kind of just like h okay with this one, which is not how I want to feel.
[01:24:15] >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. [snorts] >> Did I play Stranger Th? >> No, but I want to know all about it. >> Tell us. Tell us. Tell us. >> So, I can't say anything about the
[01:24:28] story. This is very much a combat focused uh demo. So, it was >> Tupac dies at the end. [laughter] >> Are you ever joke? you allowed to make that joke. People are going to get mad in the comments, man.
[01:24:42] >> Um, but no, so it's a three different sort of beginner, intermediate, and and sort of beginner, intermediate, and and more expert. Um, and so it controls quite strangely, but once you get into it, so, uh, the left left bumper and
[01:24:57] shoulder button, well, that's the same button. Left left trigger and left body, and the right trigger and right bumper are the right side. >> Oh, I [ __ ] love that. It's getting momentum. You can like if you I think if
[01:25:11] you do both triggers at once, you do like a big grab move. Um, and it means that if you get grabbed by an enemy and you can like hammer the left bumper to like punch away. Um, so it's all contextual based on like what side you
[01:25:26] are attacking from. Um, >> what if you get like because I've seen >> Yeah. No, same same kind of deal where it's, you know, you just >> Wow. with that. Um I think you can So
[01:25:38] and you can also have um like we had a build where it was um just fists, a little quick knife, and a um a big old crowbar. What I will say is that it feels
[01:25:53] really fun. I really enjoyed it. It is hard as [ __ ] um of the session that I was in and I think we were the first session of the whole weekend. Only one person, Blessing Addio Junior, um shout out to Bless, um
[01:26:07] was the only person to furnish the final boss, which was um cuz the other two were like typical like a dragon Yakuza, like menacing men, you know, attacking you in a group. Um and there's all the contextual stuff of like being able to
[01:26:20] pick things up off the table and throw them at them, too. The third guy was, have a human enemy and you're like, "Oh, this guy's going to [ __ ] my [ __ ] up." >> That was this guy. He was um he was shirtless, covered in tattoos, and just
[01:26:36] had a massive sword. >> Um and he has the most [ __ ] move where he he grabs you and like with his thighs >> and then rolls over on the ground with you intertwined. I promise this is not
[01:26:52] sexy, although uh and then he just gets his sword and just you have to be at full health otherwise he gets you. >> And I got [snorts] him down to this so many times. Uh you can also stagger
[01:27:04] enemies. They can stagger you. They can knock you on the ground and it's not necessarily, you know, like, oh, I'm so screwed because if you time it just can roll away and sort of recover. So, there's really way more thought to it
[01:27:18] cuz I did not particularly enjoy um the brawler combat in Like a Dragon. I found Yakuza, >> but I love the turnbased stuff they did for Like a Dragon. Um I think stamina >> is like stamina based or
[01:27:33] >> is like stamina based or >> so from my recollection, the actual attacking I don't think takes stamina, but the blocking does. because obviously there's a lot of the music and you know, it was very the
[01:27:47] trailer was like super like infused with jazz and everything. The your health, your stamina thing is uh a record. And so it took me a moment to realize that, kind of doing that, that was my stamina breaking and it goes red a little bit.
[01:28:02] >> Um, >> but it feels like really heavy and weighty. Um, the one my one big thing from it right now is obviously you'll very throw you in at the deep end kind of situation. It's really hard to close
[01:28:19] of situation. It's really hard to close gaps. Um, and I found myself coming up against that number of times where it was just too difficult for me to to close a gap. Um, because you know Kiru or well not not uh yeah, Kiru could just
[01:28:33] woo. >> Yeah. >> Waltz over the battlefield and and pummel a guy with a bike. Um but [snorts] not not so much in Stranger Than Heaven.
[01:28:45] >> It was only it was only combat. No, really like no exploration. Like the >> Um >> Okay. >> But yeah, so this is all all combat. Feels really good.
[01:28:58] >> Um but but tough. >> I'm excited for this one. I love the ideas behind it. Mhm. I think I think the trailer stuff like we talked about kind of stuff, but I think the trailer has been like so stylish and just has
[01:29:11] such a >> I don't know just such a Yeah, just really cool. >> Got to play some Halo Campaign Evolved. >> 2001, >> the newest PS5 game.
[01:29:25] >> Hey man, Halo, Gears of War, Spyro. We are Xbox is back, baby. Xbox [laughter] are Xbox is back, baby. Xbox [laughter] is totally back 100%. Oh man. >> Book it. Book it. Book it. >> Uh yeah. So we got to play uh the
[01:29:38] assault on control room and silent >> Yes. >> Um the they're significant. They're like the original Halo. All those missions bangers. Oh, most of them. Um
[01:29:52] >> yeah, it's a remake of Halo. [laughter] >> It's good. >> Trailed off. Yep. It's a remake of Halo. Dot dot dot. Um, yeah, I I totally agree. It looks
[01:30:06] really nice. Um, it's >> Yeah, the control feel is there. I mean, there are some slight differences that you will immediately feel if you've like certainly did, >> but they've done overall like a pretty
[01:30:18] good job of recapturing. I I would say it's like in the 95th percentile of >> a lot of people probably won't be able to tell the difference unless you're too much Halo growing up. If you're just like your average person who play a
[01:30:31] probably feel the same to you, right? But um yeah, it feels nice. It looks really good for sure. Um you know, the visual glow up is significant. No doubt >> And they've got some cool stuff coming. Like there's three new missions that are
[01:30:46] the game. We didn't get to experience those unfortunately. Would have been >> Um there's step before the events of the game. And there's also like some remix stuff going on where like you can play through a version of the game where like
[01:30:59] the remixes the location of weapons and like weapons from other Halo games have is actually kind of cool and I think that's a really nice touch for real enthusiasts or whatever. Um but yeah, ultimately it's a remake of Halo. Um,
[01:31:14] they did rework some of the levels, like library for example, cuz they're like, uh, everyone agrees it kind of sucks a bit, right? just seems like it makes sense. It's probably not going to be like an
[01:31:27] offensively >> like insanely redone, overhauled level. paced a little different, >> and I think that sounds like the right going to argue like, "No, we must have the library exactly as it was. needed
[01:31:41] that fifth corridor full of more flood, you know. Um, so yeah, I I don't know. But I'm I'm in the same basket as as I was when I first saw this. I'm like, >> yep, >> Halo was already pretty fun to play
[01:31:56] through, even though it looked a bit old. Now it looks better and there's some remix stuff coming to it, but >> I would probably have rather this team was working on a new Halo game. Obviously, these assets do contribute to
[01:32:09] a new Halo project and their overall Halo pipeline. I get that. That's fine. This also is coming to PS5, which may >> depending on Xbox's appetite for that ever gets released in PS5. So, buy
[01:32:22] collector's edition. >> Um, and that's it. So, >> I uh I didn't think it looked like as amazing as like some people were hyping it up. I don't know. I felt the uh assault and control room in particular
[01:32:37] snowy landscape. >> The sense of scale felt good, but >> I think >> I think if you freeze like it actually looks better in screenshots than it does in motion because in motion it's a it's
[01:32:50] a fairly like big game, big spaced out levels, scale, whatever, and you don't really focus upon the like particulars. But if you really like freeze frame, gun look, how do the enemies look, how does the lighting looking in a specific
[01:33:05] >> it is it looks really nice, I think. Like I I do think that. notice that as you're playing through it cuz you're just like, "Oh yeah, I know up around the next corner." Do you know? >> It does make a good first impression
[01:33:18] though with uh Silent Cgrapher at least. I think it definitely looked first revealed the game. The water looks the halo ring. >> Can you believe that human beings made
[01:33:31] the silent cgrapher? I mean, for real, just take a step back and remember that beings. Like, I just >> just like everything about it, like the >> everything about it is the it's just it's just divine. Like, it's literally
[01:33:45] like God reached down through Bungie's artists and his people and they're like, I mean? Like, >> yeah. I mean, I played uh so I played Halo >> uh with a friend and I impulse purchased
[01:33:59] an Xbox like that day. >> That like know, like only certain games do that. >> For sure. For sure. >> So, yeah, I'm I'm I'm excited to really the the the the remix stuff has me
[01:34:12] interested. Sounds cool. Fighting different enemies in a different spot, picking up a grenade, like a rocket launcher, like cool. Fighting flood in Yeah. >> Three levels actually look like they're
[01:34:24] trying >> cuz I I I don't know why my expectations were so low for the three bonus levels. Um the new levels trailers and stuff like the weapon types are different. The environments, the
[01:34:37] hopefully they're not like a short little thing. >> But uh yeah, looking forward to playing this with the remix mode. Um the four player co-op has potential to be a lot of fun. And uh that third person mode,
[01:34:51] >> it's like a silly little thing, but I I like that. I think that's cool. That little bit. >> Yeah, true. Very true. Very true. Yeah. >> When Steve Jobs was involved. >> Oh god. Yeah. Moonlighting between Pixar
[01:35:05] and Bungie and uh inventing the iPod. I mean, >> Yeah. Ruining the world with the iPhone. [laughter] >> I say that as we're on a podcast. >> Exactly. Right.
[01:35:17] >> which everyone is listening to on their iPhone. Uh Lucy, what do you got? What's >> Well, you know what I've just noticed? >> What? >> Two two pairs of legs sticking at the top of your screen, Ralph. I just saw
[01:35:30] >> Kajjima. As soon as I moved into my house, the first thing I put up in this go right there, baby. I'm just disappointed it's not in frame. I I can >> I think I think it's funnier that it's just your legs,
[01:35:43] >> you shorts. Kjima wearing his pants. >> What else did I play? Um like a little things from me. I played Grave Seasons finally, which is uh new from Blumhouse
[01:35:57] and uh there's something garbage. Perfect garbage I think is the name of Perfect garbage I think is the name of the developer. It is a farming sim Allah Stardw Valley. Allah fields of mystery except uh people keep dying uh and there
[01:36:10] except uh people keep dying uh and there is some spooky cause and you can spend your time you know growing things and uh building relationships. There are break and enter into people's houses,
[01:36:22] find their secrets. So difficult to I mean that's a game that's going to take you you know a good while to sort of get into the groove of it. But I liked the art of it. I liked that it was more of an isometric look rather than more of
[01:36:35] the the way that um you saw in your fields of mystery. I I like that it's not fully going into that art style. Like it's it feels a little chunky like it Yeah, it feels more interesting. Like it takes more space.
[01:36:47] interesting. Like it takes more space. >> Um and so I'm excited. Like had a good sense of humor about it. Uh it's not afraid to show blood splatter, which is I was afraid it would hold back on the violence and stuff like that. It doesn't
[01:36:59] seem like it's going to. Um, good time with that. Also, one of my highlights was Mr. Records, which is that game that was shown at Day the Devs where >> Mr. Records. >> Mr. Records. So, you play a guy called
[01:37:12] >> Mr. Records. So, you play a guy called George and he when he listens to music, George and he when he listens to music, he can envision it and it's a it's a um uh it's like a it's a that's a level like a musical level.
[01:37:25] >> Um rhythm game. And so they have all of these songs from different genres that the developers themselves have actually done. And so that's and then by what by the time you finish the level, you've like absorbed the song and you can sell
[01:37:38] it as a record because the other half of the game is a record store management. >> Oh, cool. Cool. I like this art style. >> It's a really cute like idea. I like the >> My overall >> I don't mean this as like a disrespect
[01:37:50] is this mobile? >> No, no, no, no. I played it on like >> Cool. Yeah, because it looks pretty it's like on a on a 2D plane, right? And it's just you're moving forward. >> Yeah. Well, and then you get into the um
[01:38:05] you're in the store, people come in and they're like, "Oh, I kind of like this remember what it's called, but it kind of looks a bit like this." And they give right records and stuff and so then there are these characters who come back
[01:38:18] something. >> Did you get a sense of how much of it is in the record store management versus the rhythm? But there was like a surprising amount of songs that that was even in the demo that I played. Um, and
[01:38:31] the best Beatles song that has not been done by the Beatles. >> Yeah, that's interesting. >> So, my overall highlight of the show um was Blood Dungeon, which was in Day of the Devs. It is the new game from the
[01:38:46] Nidhog team, uh, Meshoff, >> and it rules. There's a demo available right now. Go play it. I put it as one of my picks of um uh Day the Devs in my
[01:38:58] first issue of the newsletter and I was like this is gonna be it and I'm los >> It's called Looking Looking for Games. >> Excellent. Okay. Yeah, I'll I'll sign up >> I was going to say thank you. >> I was going to say I was like I want to
[01:39:12] be on the ground floor with this one cuz it rules. It is uh an auto shooter ally your vampire survivors except it is you're in a 2D plane and you are enemies are chasing you and sometimes you'll go through a door and it locks
[01:39:27] to do is you're trying to find keys. You're trying to basically find your way You're trying to basically find your way out. Um you get different um abilities element to it. M >> um it's also just like like you know how
[01:39:43] just be like the and just like the little stick guy with all the blood and humor >> gets to the fun immediately. Um it's it's not like you need one or two runs to get going. You know what this game
[01:39:58] is. You know how to play it from the jump. Uh and it's it rules. It's so it. >> Does it have that like punch? Does like >> You know the sound design, the presentation, the music like the
[01:40:13] >> sound design. There's like one guy who just goes like when you die you just have like a really funny death animation. You flail around. Um yeah, I think it has the souls.
[01:40:29] I've already downloaded the demo. >> So, uh yeah, I'll be checking it out on Deck. >> Perfect. Perfect game for a Steam Deck. >> How's that vibe? >> Um, I got one. I got Clutch.
[01:40:44] >> Oh, please. >> I did not play it, but I want to hear with this. I really enjoyed it a lot. So, um, imagine James Bond 007 First Light, except >> instead of it being like stealth and
[01:40:59] shooting, it's car races. So imagine like cutscenes full of like drama and beautiful locations and beautiful people and all this sort of stuff and then when your car. Like that is essentially the best way to think about this game.
[01:41:14] They've gone all in on the story and the motion cap and like the they've got like of thing. Like it's very and it's set in Monaco or something. So it has that kind underworld and what have you. But then you get into the cars and the cars look
[01:41:29] around these small open world areas. Uh and then you know there's basically two world which you can explore but then there's like organized races that are
[01:41:41] street races. And the cool thing about the street races is that you get to take like gadgets into them. So one of the gadgets that we got to try was like literally a harpoon. So you would like, you know how the Batmobile can like put
[01:41:54] hairpin turn like around that like that's exactly what this lets you do um in those ra in the open world and in the street races but again the other racing league is is all clean. It has to be legit. Um but it's from the people who
[01:42:07] worked on Fortza Horizon as in like many of the developers from Horizon and also turned 10. They left and formed this new studio. They had Amazon publishing them um and then Amazon actually dropped that partnership earlier this year.
[01:42:21] And I actually walked into this thinking, h, you know, this is probably just trying to get it out the door as best they can, whatever else. But at the like, why the [ __ ] would Amazon drop this? It doesn't make any sense to me.
[01:42:35] Like, there's this a proper video game. I can see it finding an audience. I was very impressed by it. I think it looks and handles really well. I think its premise is great. It's a really nice compliment to Fortza because or Horizon
[01:42:47] I should say because Fortza Horizon story is total dog [ __ ] It's the worst [ __ ] of all time and it just seems to get worse every year, right? But whereas like the fortza kind of vibe but we actually had a proper story with
[01:43:00] So that is a great segment they're know at this point it's a really nice proposition I think. So I am look of it. Maybe the rest of the game is like a dog's breakfast. I don't know.
[01:43:15] But if the rest of the game is as good as this is, I think this will be pretty solid and I would be very I'd expect it to do pretty well, you know. So, think if you are a racing fan or you like cinematic storydriven racing games,
[01:43:31] many of them. Speaking of which, did any of you play Star Wars Galactic Racer? I >> I got to I got to watch someone play a lot. fun, doesn't it? >> Looks challenging.
[01:43:44] >> It does. I watch crash over and over and over again. hard, man. Remember that [ __ ] Like it was when you were really going, it was a kind of like >> the turn, like the drift turn on it, the
[01:43:57] way it would kind of >> remember the banking was really quite they're going that direction. It looked really good. I'm I'm bummed we didn't get to play it. I got to play uh Hellraiser Revival for for some sickos
[01:44:11] out there. Yeah, it was >> in in the sex dungeon in they they built >> which apparently had the best bar in the whole campus. Was the hallway a bar? >> I don't even know it had a bar. Do you remember? Cuz Ralph, we we were
[01:44:25] remember it smelled like there was like a fire or like there was something >> You don't remember that? Okay. I Well, when I was there, we were all kind of something burning? It turns out they were doing like smoked margaritas like
[01:44:38] >> Oh wow. No, so I can follow up from this. So I went to New Blood to see this. So I went to New Blood to see Tenebra Insomnia and I had the same I was joined with Nicositus. Uh Leon from Resident Evil was in my appointment or
[01:44:51] actually I gay crashed his >> and he came in and he smelled of smoke thing and he came in with a little margarita in his hand and he was like >> God bless. [laughter] God bless.
[01:45:05] >> Yeah. So, that's really well corpses. >> Yep. How about the game? How was it? >> Yep. How about the game? How was it? >> Uh, it was surprisingly cool. think they're they're they've been pretty on it. Um, and it seems like when
[01:45:21] they get IP, they take it seriously. And, uh, they're taking Hellraiser And, uh, they're taking Hellraiser pretty seriously. Uh, it's it's part very much kind of Resident Evil survival horror style game. I'd say kind of
[01:45:34] almost Resident Evil 4 because you're a little bit more capable. Um, but like you have Resident Evil 4 style inventory management and crafting, but it's first person and you navigate these weird levels and you like shoot demonic
[01:45:50] perverts or whatever. Um, but it's a surprisingly playable zippy game. like surprisingly playable zippy game. like you can sprint, you can slide. Um you have the Genesis configuration. Uh this is like one of the cubes. Uh and
[01:46:04] ability in one hand and in the other hand you have a gun or a melee weapon. Um so you're like using it to suck up like if there's like a candlestick you shoot fire at a guy. It's kind of like a telekinesis cube. Um so you're doing
[01:46:19] stuff like that. Very cool environmental puzzles. You're setting traps for enemies. you're, you know, finding key codes and figuring out what door unlocks. You're finding weird keys to open, like what if the door was like a
[01:46:31] weird vagina and you put a key in it, you know, like stuff like that. Um, and you know, like stuff like that. Um, and then it also kind of devolves into good, then it also kind of devolves into good, more linear horror sequences. Uh, I got
[01:46:44] to a point where like I walked into a hallway and the lights went out, the lights came back on, and I was in this twisted, dark 90s, wet, disgusting Hellraiser world. And like the lighting and the detail and all
[01:46:58] they were kind of doing a PT thing where like repeating over and over again. And you're like, am I going crazy? Is the game showing me new things here? Um, you're walking through like brutal
[01:47:10] cenobites from the movies just in like the like lightning will flash and you'll like see a weird guy and then he's gone instantly. So like it has the scares. It has the feel. It also seems like it's dealing with like pretty intense subject
[01:47:25] matter. Um like I saw like the makings of like a really dark abusive of like a really dark abusive relationship like heroin, drug abuse, um people getting tortured and ripped apart like right in front of you. um graphic
[01:47:40] sexual depiction stuff like they they really aren't shying away from like the >> yeah, Ralph, you're never gonna get to play this [laughter and clears throat] >> My government will be like, "No, present
[01:47:53] 500 points of ID to be able to play this video game." >> So, I uh yeah, I thought it was pretty cool. Uh I thought the horror stuff felt pretty fresh. I thought the moment to moment survival horror gameplay felt
[01:48:06] decent. Um, you know, I'm curious to see how it all comes together. I was kind of you were just kind of like thrust into it. So, it's imagine like playing a demo of Resident Evil 4 and you've never played it before.
[01:48:20] >> So, a little tricky, but um I'm curious to see like how it goes with enemies, how stealth works. I didn't really get to experience too much of that, but in terms of it kind of delivering this weird authentic Hellraiser experience, I
[01:48:33] really enjoyed it for that. Oh, also it had one puzzle room that was kind of like an MC I think it was MC Cher like you know like the the staircase >> like the the staircase like confusion and perspective and stuff like that. Uh
[01:48:45] there was essentially this whole giant hallway that was that but you get to spinning around. >> So it's kind of like working out how to the way I describe it but I've never quite done it like that in a video game.
[01:49:01] some of the puzzle stuff might be pretty solid. Um, yeah, I uh I'm looking coming out along with all the other games in September, October. >> Yep.
[01:49:16] Isolation, the prologue. >> Me, too. us. >> I Okay. Oh, wow. Abby, was that her cat? >> Yeah, dude. She was like, >> never makes an appearance.
[01:49:32] She knows I'm here. That's why she's drawn to me. Um, >> I I liked it because it was more of the same from what I came to love about Alien Isolation. I think they did a really good job in One sec.
[01:49:47] [laughter] My cats are getting fed by the timer. >> You can hear every last drop of of feed. [laughter] >> It's great. >> How you know it's 6:30, guys. every
[01:49:59] >> Yeah, that's right. [snorts] [snorts] >> So, overall, I liked it. Um, I really I love Alien um as a franchise. I'm looking at uh my beautiful Zenomorph
[01:50:14] queen right now. She's right behind my desk. Um, the thing with Alien Isolation is I think they nailed a lot of things in terms of that sense of place on the Sevastapal. like they obviously a lot of the source material that was very
[01:50:26] accurately depicted. I think [clears throat] the alien AI itself was really good. I think that game was 10 hours too long and it lost any sense of completely gone cuz I was like all right okay. Um, so from this demo it was like
[01:50:41] half an hour maybe if that ballpark. Yeah. >> And so one thing I did enjoy is that like you're not immediately on the ship. like you're not immediately on the ship. It you're through this storm which um
[01:50:54] was just like but it's funny going in as someone who like knows Alien. It's like immediately don't trust any of this. And really fun way, even though everything around you was so loud and there was all
[01:51:06] this wind and rain whipping around you. And then by the time you get to um the the first game, >> like that tension is like that you're just ready to play with it. Which is why I think the the first the first there is
[01:51:21] one scare that's particularly good. It got a lot of people around me, but I think the first sighting of the alien itself sucks. Uh-huh. >> I think it was kind of comedy. She like drops down
[01:51:34] >> and it's like mogs the camera and [laughter] it's like, "Hello, it's me. I'm back." And I'm like, "No, that I think that needs to be a much scarier, more impactful moment." And I'm sorry for saying it sucks. I try not to say
[01:51:49] >> I think you did such a good job of building to the tension to that point that when I saw her, I was like, "Come on, give give her a little something bit of feedback. >> Um, and then, yeah, it was just, uh,
[01:52:05] kind of business as usual, trying to open some doors and escape while the open some doors and escape while the ship is basically being taken out to sea because of this insane storm. What did you think?
[01:52:17] >> Yeah, I um I think here's what I think. Overall, it's too early to judge a game based on its prologue. And I also think that this prologue wasn't like think that, yeah, being on a planet with that wind and noise and that change of
[01:52:30] setting is really cool and I'm into it. I do think some of the facial capture "All right, sweet." >> Good teeth. Good teeth. >> Good teeth. That's right. Uh, and uh, you know, but then obviously, yeah, the
[01:52:42] alien arrives and I found it also quite sort of overtuned actually in terms of like the alien's pathing by the end. >> He alien really wasn't letting you get man. Give me a little break here." Like, "Come on, let's just just just chill a
[01:52:56] bit." Right? Cuz don't forget like it was almost like the alien from the later parts of Isolation rather than like a prologue alien where you're just like a lot of people who are stepping into this would have never played Alien
[01:53:08] Isolation before and it was yeah a little bit tricky I think. Um but that wasn't really the main issue I just think it was overall yeah I think you're right loose just kind of like you're just sort of in a in a ship and
[01:53:22] and then you got to get away from the alien. I don't know. I just feel like I do feel like some other kind of setup for that moment would have been more interesting. >> Um, some letting that sort of burn a
[01:53:35] little longer before we finally >> like I imagine that prologue would have ended with just like a brief flash of an alien and then like cut to black or >> you know, after I'd spent 20 minutes just sort of really immersing myself and
[01:53:47] being drawn into this world a lot more than I was in that prologue. Um, but saying, it's just unfair to it's unfair to really like judge a game based upon this small slice. Um, you know, they they're working on it. They It's not
[01:54:01] It's still a ways off. >> Um, interestingly, on that point of difficulty, I because I interviewed the team and I I asked them, I'm like, "All right, not difficulty, sorry, on um on game length." I'm like, "All right,
[01:54:13] everyone thinks that Isolation was too long, right? What do you think about that? Do you agree with that criticism? And will the sequel be shorter? And the game director basically said that in his view difficulty is more a function sorry
[01:54:28] difficulty and there's different types of players who are able to get through slower and he says that as they're approaching the sequel they're really looking to dial in the difficulty so that it's you know it feels right.
[01:54:42] >> And I was like okay >> is he telling us to get good? No, he wasn't saying that. But I think I think what he was trying to do if my suspicion is that he was not trying to say our game will be shorter
[01:54:56] >> because that doesn't play well. That would be the headline. Okay. He's trying something else. >> Um but I do think that it's not really I think it's a bit disingenuous to say that like oh all of the criticisms about
[01:55:10] the length of this game were really a function of difficulty because that's long. Do you know what I mean? Like it just there was too much [ __ ] and by the end people were done. And uh so I don't know. I think it probably would have
[01:55:23] been better to be like, "Yeah, we're looking to make sure we're better paced experience and we're really I don't know. Who knows?" Point is um I raised it with them [laughter] and I'm sure they're going to I'm sure they're
[01:55:35] thinking about it well before I raised it. That's for damn sure. Uh and I wouldn't be at all surprised if this game was shorter because like we don't you if you dialed this in at 15 hours and you nailed every one of those 15
[01:55:48] happy with that, man. They're going to love it. So yeah. >> Um anyway, that was Alien Isolation. Um I'll we'll just another quick one to wrap up. Uh sorry, my thing here. Um I did Onim Musha.
[01:56:02] Um so you can experience that for yourself if you'd like to check it out. But overall, I'm really into it. I love the feeling of combat. I love the setting. I love um everything. two things. Everything except two things.
[01:56:15] Number one, uh difficulty where I played on normal and it was like super easy doesn't feel right here. You know what I mean? Like it just feels a bit >> I also but the thing is is that I raised that when I was playing cuz I was like
[01:56:28] this is really easy. And then I got to the hospital it my way. Hey, stop it. That's my chair, dude. That cost more than you. Quick. [laughter] Um >> wow. flex on your cat.
[01:56:43] >> I say to my cat, >> it's like it's like my running joke that >> Um I promise. [clears throat] >> Probably why they do it to your way. So yeah, >> but the boss battle for me was I I tried
[01:56:57] to play it the way that it did not want to be played. And then I played it like Sakuro and I didn't take any damage >> with like the parrying stuff and whatever. Yeah. >> So really folks, if you're playing on
[01:57:09] >> Yep. And I died I died once on that boss. boss. >> I I also I I'm okay with it not being that challenging. Uh >> maybe I'm just not as capable of as a
[01:57:22] player, but I found it like I had to pay attention. Um and I'm glad it's not like a securo experience. >> No, I agree. I'm definitely not saying what I am saying is that I think I was surrounded by three or four enemies at
[01:57:37] >> I never felt like truly under threat. I never felt like I was really being like pushed, you know what I mean? >> The father enemies are really easy. more challenge out of them would be good, I think.
[01:57:49] >> Um, and I think the last one is the English dub. Oh man, it is very very >> I remembered this from the first time I played it like last year. Uh, I played it in English and like absolutely zero shade to the actors or anything, but I
[01:58:05] just do not see >> London like cheery chappie as the lead of an onimusha. And so I immediately put it into Japanese. >> It is terrible. So >> it it just doesn't it doesn't match up
[01:58:19] the moment. >> It's immersion breaking. Yeah, >> it is. It really is. It really is. Sometimes it's immersion breaking and sometimes it's not when it comes to accents and games and whatever else.
[01:58:31] >> Um I remember thinking the same sort of thing about Xenolade 2 actually with its um voice actors cuz [laughter] they also have these like these English accents people really didn't care and they're like, "No, it's fine, whatever." So it's
[01:58:43] different people whatever. But for me with this one with the distinctly Japanese setting and these like very Japanese characters and whatever. >> That's right. >> Yeah. It's It's
[01:58:55] >> Yeah. It's It's more like he's come out of um uh what's that? What's that Killian Murphy show? Peaky Blinders. >> Oh my god. >> By order of the Peiquey Blinders.
[01:59:10] >> Oh, please. Let's not do that. Um anyway, so uh I've got one more, but I'll save it for after you guys. What? You guys got anything else? >> I like the combat. Uh oh, sorry. >> Yeah. Sorry. Yeah. No, sure. Yeah. Only
[01:59:24] >> I don't I ain't got nothing. >> No. Uh fun. I like the combat, especially figuring out now the is attacks. They require like really good timing. They're very satisfying to pull off. Uh using the environment. Uh kind
[01:59:36] of like tumbling around with enemies. It's really fun. It's really different. Um my only concern still for the game is uh the the content of it in terms of what you're doing in these open environments, the side quests.
[01:59:50] >> Even the story. Like none of that stuff. cuz I' I've played this game I think >> None of that stuff has really clicked with me at all. It's all the combat. Nothing else I really have been into. >> Maybe it's just me.
[02:00:03] >> I I actually really enjoyed the quest that we did where it was like a god who was promising to solve your problems but with cursed solutions. Like a woman who didn't want to practice her like shamasan or whatever it was. And she was
[02:00:16] practice." And he's like, "Well, if you practice anymore." And then she's like, "Yes, take my fingers." And then like getting sliced off or whatever. And then he's like holding the fingers up. So
[02:00:29] it's like kind of dark. >> I'm into that. You know what I mean? And >> design was cool. So I personally was into that stuff. I I'm I like that more than I thought I would have. I'll put it that
[02:00:41] >> I think it's just the down the down stuff like when I'm talking to an NPC or sequence. None of that stuff really >> true vibe with me. But I got you. >> Yeah, stuff like that boss. If we get more stuff like that. Holy [ __ ] He was
[02:00:55] like made of fingers and he had like a big [snorts] a big toothy grin. Really >> Stuff that he'd taken from other people. The other woman who was blind cuz he taken eyes cuz she What was the reasoning? Was like I always I think I'm
[02:01:09] other people. So he's like well if you can't see >> problem solved. By the way, Jake, I looked up Code Violet. The first uh the first search result I got was code Violet review
[02:01:23] dash. If you bought this, get a refund. So, uh that was that was sitting in a tab for a while. It's one of those that one. Um one other thing I will say is I played Ace Combat. >> Uh I [ __ ] loved it, man. It might
[02:01:37] have been like the most fun thing that I played there. I was just so all in on Combat game in the modern era? >> Just a little bit. I'm I'm just really them. >> I think you in particular, Jake, would
[02:01:50] imagine you're playing like Top Gun, right, if you can imagine if you just playing it, >> it's so sick. Like the mission design is so fun and the music is so like dramatic and the cut scenes and like the radio
[02:02:04] chatter and the tension that it creates in missions is just like so good. And I actually experience it for yourself where when you finish these missions, like a ride at a theme park. Like it just does such a good job with your
[02:02:17] just does such a good job with your emotions and it looks beautiful and it's just honestly it's a great formula and this is just more of it and I was super into it. I absolutely loved what I played. Uh so yes, please please make
[02:02:30] the effort to play some Ace Combat. You will be very surprised by how good it is. truly like >> I downloaded seven. So yeah, until you actually spend some time with it and realize how diverse the
[02:02:43] mission design is, you don't really appreciate what this game is. But it's like, "Oh, I'm just flying a plane shooting things, aren't I?" No, no, no, no, no, no. There's so much more to it. And they're so inventive with the way
[02:02:55] land tank in this, by the way. Like imagine the Scarab from Halo 2, but in that's one of the main features of this game and so you kind of got to do battle with that at a certain point. So that's how wild this gets. Uh I am like super
[02:03:10] pumped for it. It was it was super. >> Um and I think that was pretty much it. but I don't want to go on too long. But um those are my real standouts. Um
[02:03:22] um those are my real standouts. Um anything else from you guys? What happened?" >> [ __ ] Because my computer was taking off
[02:03:34] and I did a thing where I was like, >> "It was a very good year." confidence in that. >> Season 2, episode one. [laughter and gasps] >> It was a really good summer game fest.
[02:03:48] >> Yeah, I think it was solid. I I think it was solid. Um Yeah. I I think this year there wasn't any sort of like really big standout games that cuz a lot of them we knew they existed and so we kind of knew to look for them and we knew what to
[02:04:02] expect when we're playing them. Like we'd seen Control Resonant and we'd seen all this sort of stuff. So it felt a little more routine this year I would say this show because there weren't those bigger surprises. Um but still
[02:04:15] good hands-on time with things. Enjoyed a lot of what I played. really keen to play more of most of them. And uh yeah, those were all pretty good. trip a little short, so I didn't get to play as many games as I wanted to, but I
[02:04:29] still get what I I I still got what I come I I what I still got what I needed for me, it's always >> I get to see a lot of things. I get to play a lot of things, experience a lot of things, and then that kind of fuels
[02:04:44] my thought [clears throat] process for the next year at least in terms of like notes for like videos and like what I'm going to say. So, definitely a lot in the memory bank for sure.
[02:04:56] >> Well, with that, we should probably move on over to uh show and tell we've been enjoying that isn't a video game. Lucy, would you like to go first? The vampire stat is um back, baby.
[02:05:11] >> Oh boy. Okay. >> Um I won't go on this, by the way. >> It's on AMC Plus. >> I haven't uh I haven't seen the second episode yet. I'm actually after this we're going to go and uh watch Widow's
[02:05:23] Bay finale and the vampire set. >> So yeah, basically [snorts] seasons one and two were Interview with the Vampire, which is everything from Louis point of view, and now it's the Vampire Lat. and Lat Sam Reed, I've said this before, is
[02:05:37] absolutely perfect. He just is and embodies that character so well. Lestat, the vampire who's hidden in the shadows, he's too outrageous for that. He decides to become a rock star. Um, and so it's all about following him, the fallout of
[02:05:50] the book being published into the vampire, like vampires being put on this global uh stage that they are not supposed to be. Like one of the rules of stay hidden. >> Uh, the show is really good. like it it
[02:06:03] just it is fantastic. Uh I think it's the highest rated TV show of the year. >> Oh, really? >> Yes. Um it's really good. I'm obsessed with it. Uh and I also saw the uh the Valkyries play, the San Francisco
[02:06:18] Valkyries play, who is a WNBA uh basketball team on Monday, which was such a fun time. Like I don't normally go for sports that much. Um the crowd
[02:06:30] was amazing. There were so many like young girls like young impressionable girls there who were all just like cheering and going crazy. Um there's all referees is also like professional ballroom dancer. Um
[02:06:46] refereeing? >> I was with a friend of mine and he pointed it out and I was like, "Oh yeah, I can tell cuz of her incredible posture." Uh, but no, it was just like it was just really fun. And like they
[02:06:59] had like some parts were sponsored by like period products and they had little talking deliberately about mental health and just like all the athletes were health is and how it's as important as physical health. And I just thought like
[02:07:14] if I was a kid like boy or girl like if I saw that at such a young age that would have I think really made a mark on me and I was just really impressed with suck at LA box. >> That's wholesome.
[02:07:26] >> like the male sporting ads are like beer, stakes, fast food, gambling, >> Oh, and there's also the halftime show was this all ages dance group. Okay.
[02:07:38] >> So, there were like these younger kids and then these older people and they all don't know. It was just a really wholesome Monday evening and it finished >> yeah, let's go.
[02:07:50] >> In bed by 10. I like sports making like a wholesome impression on kids. Like for me that was like >> like the like Scooby-Doo meets the [laughter] like blew my mind back in the day. [clears throat]
[02:08:02] >> We had the Knicks game that was huge. It was great to be here for that. overturn cars and [ __ ] in New York City after it was over? should have. >> But yeah, it it's crazy. Good energy.
[02:08:16] Really exciting. Good games. Um, what do I have this week? I I've been busy with like personal life stuff, but for some reason I did sit down and mod Assassin's
[02:08:29] >> Why? Like >> to do what? >> Like the mod scene behind Assassin's Creed Unity is insane. There is so much. >> They've altered the RPG elements. They've fixed the glitches. They've
[02:08:44] upgraded the parkour with more move sets. They've completely changed how the game looks and almost plays. You can play it like Splinter Cell Conviction now. It's insane. Um, so that's been that's been fun. I just kind of like
[02:08:58] channel, by the way. Do like a full mod stack on this. I reckon it would pop >> I you know, maybe I will cuz I'm doing that. And I also I've been messing around trying to fix >> uh Assassin's Creed 3. there's not as
[02:09:13] much in terms of the mod world going on for going on with it, but the Assassin's Creed 3 remaster that they released kind of looks like [ __ ] So, some of the mods kind of fix it. So, it's been fun to kind of go through that and uh replay
[02:09:27] one a fair shake. >> Um so, yeah. Yeah, maybe I'll report back. But that's what I got this week. >> I uh first of all, there's some future the Odyssey, >> right? And they were all sold out at the
[02:09:43] minute. >> The big um 70 mm. >> The popcorn bucket. >> I'm going to get the popcorn bucket if >> Uh >> eat the popcorn out of its ass.
[02:09:58] of the Keely camera. They were very They were very insistent on that. So that's for us and we're going to be seeing it. And then later that day, we're going to be seeing uh Spider-Man. cuz that's going to be out at the same time by the
[02:10:11] time I actually get to watch this. >> Uh, and that's not an IMAX, so I was doing an IMAX showing for that one. >> So, uh, I'm excited, man. I've never I I've done a double feature day, so it's going to be big. I'm excited. Um, but I
[02:10:25] >> Last time I did was Bob and Homer, >> of course. Yeah, sure. Nice. Nice. Yeah. Um, and stuff I have watched on the plane on the way here or to sorry, on the way to LA, I watched Marty Supreme. Uh, that guy was an [ __ ] 100%. I
[02:10:39] don't know how accurate it was, but that dude was a proper [ __ ] And uh, incredible performance. It was a stressful movie. And then I just needed decided if I had legs, I would kick you, [laughter] which is basically the most
[02:10:55] stressful movie I think I've ever seen in my entire [ __ ] life. >> That movie was my um, Uncut Gems. >> Yeah, I loved it, but it was more stressful for me than Uncut Gems ever. But that's like again Marty Supreme was
[02:11:08] like uncut gems and then uh you know if I had legs I would kick you was is basically like that but you know for motherhood and um the premise of um if I mother who's kind of just dealing with everything all at once. Everything is
[02:11:23] bad and she's just kind of in the thick of it and Conan is her therapist except he doesn't crack a single joke the entire time. >> Yeah. like yeah wow what other Conan what other con like no man the barbarian
[02:11:36] okay [laughter] >> um and then um and you know it's just it's an incredibly stressful film but like very powerful I think she won an >> she was nominated I think she won the Golden Globe
[02:11:50] >> but like she should have just won yeah she was because it was like crazy it was unless you are ready for just an incredibly stressful unpleasant experience that you are glad to be rid of I I have seen it. I never want to
[02:12:03] >> Um, but it was very like enriching and thoughtprovoking and good and she really like Christian Slater rocking up at the end. I was like, "That's whose voice it was on the phone the whole time cuz he's like the dad on the phone being like,
[02:12:17] you just do that? Just fix this. Just just make that happen." Ya. And he pops "That's whose voice it was." >> Um, anyway, I like it. Uh, I recommend watching it only once and then never seeing it ever again.
[02:12:30] >> Nice. >> Damn. Good stuff. No, what an episode, >> Yeah, >> this was a like a nearly three-hour one >> Two and a half. Yeah, we've got the interview to put in, too.
[02:12:42] >> Yep. >> Yeah. Big thanks to the folks at Remedy for uh chatting with us. That was That was fun. I remember doing that. [laughter] >> Shout out to Jordan Middler. I forgot to
[02:12:55] do it when we threw to the uh interview, but Jordan um brought mics for us. Nice. >> Shout out to BGC. Go check them out. Go follow the Patreon. Um, we love you. >> They are >> JJM JJM Enterprises.
[02:13:10] >> Shout out to them. >> Uh, that's about it. I think we got housekeeping? Anything at all? >> Only one other thing. at the end, right? >> That's right.
[02:13:23] >> All right. Tie tie your shoes and go to bed. bed. >> [music]