---
title: 'We Asked the God of War Laufey Game Director About That Cube... | Friends Per Second #96'
source: 'https://youtube.com/watch?v=4j269FSfs7o'
video_id: '4j269FSfs7o'
date: 2026-08-12
duration_sec: 9024
---

# We Asked the God of War Laufey Game Director About That Cube... | Friends Per Second #96

> Source: [We Asked the God of War Laufey Game Director About That Cube... | Friends Per Second #96](https://youtube.com/watch?v=4j269FSfs7o)

## Summary

In this episode of Friends Per Second, the hosts discuss their experiences at the Summer Game Fest and other major gaming events, covering a wide range of game announcements and reveals. They share their thoughts on new titles like God of War Laufey, Wolverine, and Crossfire, and include interviews with key developers.

### Key Points

- **Podcast Introduction** [00:13] — The hosts welcome listeners to episode 96 of Friends Per Second, recorded in Los Angeles during a busy week of gaming events.
- **Lucy's Newsletter Launch** [01:46] — Lucy announces the launch of her indie game curation newsletter 'Looking for Game', which she launched just before flying to LA for Summer Game Fest.
- **Meeting Fumito Ueda** [04:15] — The hosts share their excitement about meeting Fumito Ueda, creator of Shadow of the Colossus, and having an hour-long interview with him about his new game, Gen: Atlas.
- **Wolverine Gameplay Impressions** [08:05] — The hosts discuss the Wolverine game reveal, noting its gory combat and the debate over whether the violence is excessive, referencing a Kotaku article on the topic.
- **Rayman and Other Reveals** [12:46] — They talk about the new Rayman game, Marvel's Tocon Fighting Souls, and other announcements from the PlayStation showcase, including a new Tomb Raider and The Lost Wild.
- **Phantom Blade Zero Hands-On** [18:53] — Jake shares his hands-on experience with Phantom Blade Zero, praising its over-the-top power fantasy and improved combat rhythm compared to previous demos.
- **God of War Laufey Reveal** [27:05] — The biggest reveal of the showcase: a new God of War game starring Kratos's wife, Laufey, as she fights through the underworld. The hosts discuss the visual style and the potential of the new protagonist.
- **Raycon Sponsor Segment** [34:21] — Jake presents a solo sponsor spot for Raycon Essential Open Earbuds, highlighting their open-ear design and suitability for Father's Day gifts.
- **Interview with Ariel Lawrence** [35:57] — The hosts interview Ariel Lawrence, game director for God of War Laufey, discussing her history with the franchise, the team's reaction to the reveal, and the creative challenges of the new game.
- **Summer Game Fest Highlights** [01:05:07] — The hosts recap the Summer Game Fest showcase, including the Resident Evil Veronica reveal, Gen: Atlas, and other notable trailers like 1666 Amsterdam and Hex.
- **Lucy's Announcement on Stage** [01:31:21] — Lucy announces her departure from GameSpot and the launch of her newsletter 'Looking for Game' on stage at Summer Game Fest, with support from Geoff Keighley.
- **Crossfire Interview** [01:36:20] — The hosts interview Taylor Kurosaki and Jacob Minkoff of That's No Moon about their new game Crossfire, focusing on its innovative adaptive cover system and narrative approach.
- **Xbox Showcase Discussion** [02:13:12] — The hosts briefly discuss the Xbox showcase, including Gears of War E-Day, Fable, and the announcement that some games will be console exclusives, sparking a debate on the strategy.

### Conclusion

The episode wraps up with a summary of the summer gaming events, highlighting the abundance of new game announcements and the hosts' anticipation for future discussions. They encourage listeners to sign up for Lucy's newsletter and stay tuned for more content.

## Transcript

>> And that is our show, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to the first per me. >> Hello, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to the friends per second podcast. Episode number 97.
>> Six. Five. >> Nope. It's definitely not five. I think it is definitely >> not. >> Uh, it is number 96. 96. 96. Right here, right now. 96.
you know, I wanted to make sure we captured that. I look like I'm host. >> You're in the You're in the host cook. >> We're getting close to theund the 100. do need to talk about that. I'm not going to be traveling internationally,
>> You want to do like a big pizza party? I would love to do a pizza party, but it's uh I don't know if you know this, Australia, pretty far from America. We worry. >> Yeah. Okay.
>> Yeah. Okay. >> We are here in beautiful Los Angeles and >> Beautiful Los Angeles. >> That's right. they say, right? >> Oh, I don't know.
>> Los Angeles. >> Same thing. Um, and we have been here I've been here since um, Wednesday last Wednesday last week. You guys have been >> No, Luc has been here since Monday. >> Jake arrived on Thursday.
>> And, uh, it's been very very crazy as all of these things are. So, uh, how you >> Good. >> Yeah. I've been making sure to go to bed >> Every night. >> Why is that, Lucy? Did you have some
were here? Something you want to share were here? Something you want to share with the class? quit my job. No. Yeah. So, I had I launched Looking for Game on the Monday in the LA in the department
>> Oh, it's going to be one of those, isn't it? Where >> And also, it's like I'm not even in the lounge. I don't pay for lounge access because I'm, you know, I was sat in the D8 department gate.
>> Yep. >> Help me. Departure gate at SFO. Launched the brand. got on a plane 20 minutes after I hit go and then um 20 minutes after I hit go and then um flew to LA, did all that, went to that
snow moon next day, played Control, then Summer GameFest rehearsal, Summer did Summer Game Fest. It was incredible. >> Then Play Days. whole time. It was >> You had like quite a few big reveals,
which we will talk about throughout the show, but uh yeah, I mean you I mean Jeff didn't give you no drags. He was he was giving you some top shelf. Top shelf >> Yeah. That's how tired we all are because even you I'm getting my Shan
Connory on. >> No. Yeah. I I had uh when I had the >> Sure. >> This is uh this is some pretty good >> you're getting your Sean Connory up. >> Good stuff.
Veronica. Yeah. And then also just Veronica now and then uh yeah just >> a lot of games seeing a lot of games. Meeting a lot of great people who work on games meeting a lot of people who like make content around video games.
>> You know I met Super Butter Buns finally. I've actually been watching her stuff for years. She's really funny. She's fantastic. And she was just like I a very distinctive hairstyle and I'm like I think that's her but I don't want
to just assume because it's a woman with a hairstyle. So, I'm not going to just she came up to me and she has the most distinctive voice imaginable. And as thank God. It's definitely her, you know." So, uh that's I that's one of the
actually. Just like Yeah. meeting content creators. while we were here. >> Yeah. He's very nice. Such a nice We had dude. >> Cat as well. Like we had such a great
>> go on. >> I was just going to say it's cool to talk to developers, too. >> I was going to say the flex was though that we met Fito. >> That was crazy.
>> That was actually crazy. We got a photo with him from of Shadow of Colossus Eco currently working on Gen Atlas, which was sort of revealed earlier, but we saw more of it here. Um, got a photo with him after his moment at the Thing. And
we just also had like an hourong interview with him, Lucy and I. not recorded unfortunately not for the podcast but um we'll be talking about that later on but a really fascinating interview just like an incredible person
>> so fascinating man just like I don't know sitt I I those are the moments that like >> I never would have imagined when I was would one day be sitting across a table from this guy just being able to ask him
like why are your games so [ __ ] sad man like what's up with that you know >> Do you need a hug? >> Yeah. I mean, it's it's honestly very for granted. >> I never take it for granted. I never
special. It's never like >> I don't know. I I think a lot a lot of and you're like, "Ah, who cares?" Whatever. But like and some aspects of I think there's certain moments that still really break through and you're
this. This podcast has done a really good It's been really good for me because I' I'm I'm more comfortable meeting and talking to developers and And I've been doing this for >> like over 10 years and going to things.
like, >> I know how to talk to developers. I know how to learn. >> Uh and I've gotten that from doing this >> It's been cool. Yeah. A lot of information. A lot of stuff that we're
the next podcast. >> I was going to say, do we want to do some housekeeping? >> Yes. Good suggestion. Uh so in this the uh we're going to go back to the Sony showcase because we haven't spoken
about that yet. Then we're going to jump forward to the summer games showcase hosted by Jeff and Lucy. And then we're going to finish up with the Xbox Xbox showcase because during that time I was playing on Imusha. There was a
to we had like a Q&A. >> You were also playing on Musha at that >> No, you were a different session. Oh, well you had like Oh, I see. Right. Uh we were catching up sort of in the car and in between other appointments.
>> but we do definitely have some >> highlights. Totally. Totally. interviews and and these are particularly exciting for us. Uh the first interview we'll show you is actually with Ariel Lawrence, who is the
game director for God of War. Uh you know, we had no idea this was going to happen. We actually I got this email while I was on the flight over and I opened it up and I'm like, "What the [ __ ] is this?" And Sony Santa Monica is
studio and speak with Ari?" We're like, "Yes, we do." Uh, so Lucy was busy couldn't do it, but Jake and I made it out there. Had a really fascinating chat with her, which was just awesome. >> And we also, well, we didn't actually,
but Lucy got the chance to speak to That's No Moon. >> Yes. So, I went to That Snow Moon on Monday, spoke to Jacob Minkoff and Taylor Kurasaki um about the game and their approach to
like to come out of incubation after 5 years uh especially in a game like >> That's right. Yep. So, they're the two interviews we got. So, it's a huge show. the can which we won't spoil yet. We're going to roll that in
that we've played because there's a lot of stuff we've played and a lot of it's covering a lot of that now. >> Um so the next episode will have all of >> But there's so much to talk about. So
>> jump into it. I'm going to do this in the lab for a little bit. going to take you back a whole like >> we do this by the way and whenever we're together it's Ralph and a big list and he's just like so about this one. like
>> Uh, well, let's let's let's get back to the PlayStation showcase. So, let's Wolverine. >> Uh, what do you how you feeling about guy. >> Yeah, really cool. Um, my my thing is
like I feel like >> some I don't I don't know how to Maybe it's like the look of Wolverine. There's some like uncanny weird thing to and not uncanny. >> But uh yeah, gameplaywise, it looks
murder. It's actually surprising how much it just seems like X-Men Origins respect. >> Yeah. Yeah, of course. Of course. >> Yeah. Yeah, of course. Of course. >> Gory, crazy. Um fighting the Reavers,
the the the Reapers. They're like the main >> loose. It's a crossover title. They were they're like a band of mercenaries and in like some of the stories like they they've been beaten by already by heroes
and people and like a lot of them have lost limbs to Wolverine. That's why they >> they have like a little support club like they meet like every Monday >> personally victimiz you may be you may be entitled to compensation.
>> Kalisto's in it. Gan Gray is in it. It's really interesting to see Gan Gray like set up Wolverine for murder kills. Like like she'll telekinesis a guy in the air while like Wolverine cuts his balls off. Like it's insane. It's like really gory.
Like it's like okay I will say this. I I read actually a piece I was in Kotaku. Um it was from like John Walker or whatever and that the headline was like something about like we need to talk about the gore in Wolverine, right? And
know what I mean? And already like all the replies on Twitter were dunking on blah blah. But then I was like I'm going to read this thing and I will say I think the man had a point right and his point was
I don't think Wolverine is the guy that just mercilessly like carves up every Like I think he has a relationship with violence that's like when he completely loses it, sure that happens. but he's also working to contain it as much as he
can and he's kind of fighting that urge, you know what I mean? So, like I think it's cool that it's violent, but it feels like there's so much violence, >> is it actually a little bit too much? And again, not because I'm against him
being violent, but because it stops his violence from meaning anything >> When it's just constant, right? So, I thought that was an interesting take and consider." >> Definitely. And I don't know. I see how
time he's not doing that. That was just one mission where he's like, "They're [ __ ] these people up." That's they got my boy. >> They got my boy this cute little beanie. Uh and you know, and but maybe there's
maybe there's like narrative stuff for this as well where like who knows? But of it of course. I think it looks super fun. I'm into it. I would say though that there is like this real Spider-Man quality to its
rhythm. Definitely, you know, and like the way that enemies kind of stand and that's the audio tell and he can like leap over to them and take them down and just the the feel the look of it >> just looks very Spider-Man and I kind of
>> I wonder if there's more than that that we haven't seen yet, if you know what I that format a little bit more that that combat pacing. Um, >> having said that, as I said, it's going to be fun. I'm into it. I'm glad they're
>> A couple of cool things like um like they like obviously they were really moves with how the camera angle would change how incredible it was. Here it's >> the the when the camera pulls up and the his claws come out right in front of the
camera and they glint in the sun with that first kill. Really cool. Also, I'm sorry. Am I boring you? >> Sorry, loose. >> Jake talking about cape [ __ ] expert. I'm so sorry. I have chronic
my >> Here we go. To be fair, I was in an Xbox showcase today and it was a really good, really interesting one and I was falling asleep so badly cuz the jet lag was hitting me like a truck to the point
was like, "Bro, you fall asleep in that shit." And I was in the front row >> She's going to yell at you. >> The So the presenter who I can't name I'm just jetlagged. Okay, you gave a great presentation. I apologize. I feel
truth, man. I was like I was fighting for dear life in that room. It was warm. It was dark, dude. It was Anyway, um >> Wolverine. Cool. Looking forward to it. Correct. But I'm glad that they're sticking to like not an open world
>> It's like an adventure. >> Yep. Cool. I agree with that. >> Um Marvel Tocon Fighting Souls is continuing to look pretty rad. Rayman >> Wouldn't have expected them to bring that one back. What do you think?
>> Sorry. I know. Sorry. It's also like I know we've got the the air con cranked in here, but I'm still quite warm. >> Um, >> man, Ubisoft just really throwing it at the walls here.
>> Did you? >> Yeah, I was I was supposed to. They had a hands-on thing just before SGF. I was supposed to and I and I >> Me too, actually. >> You're not going to believe this.
>> Like the old one. Nice. When when the appointment came through, I think they sort of said like a new Rayman. Like they didn't say new "Oh, an exciting look at Rayman." I was like, "Holy [ __ ] they're remaking the
>> That's what I thought. Yeah, like a >> Rayman. Rayman 2. What was that called >> Rayman 2. He takes a piss or something. Do you remember that? Do you remember Do you remember that? Do you remember the magazine ad?
>> At least it's not Rayman number two. >> Rayman number two. Rayman two piss. >> Rayman magazine ad. >> Yeah. Are you thinking of the infamous runchy Rayman 3 urinal ad that featured the limbless hero peeing
>> or people on YouTube? Stu is no doubt adding this image to the podcast right now. Otherwise carried the famously carried the tagline no arms, no legs, huge features.
[ __ ] man. >> And now here they are in 2026 making for kids." >> It's nice. It's got 3D graphics. >> Um, there's a guy there's someone on YouTube, I for I forget what the channel
specific challenge runs and he did one think, without gliding. >> Without a little Yeah. >> Wow. Okay. Fair enough. >> Cuz that guy's
>> very talented. Also, just Rayman Legends is good. Like it's a good platformer. I critical >> and fan beloved one. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. >> Right. It was the last Rayman game.
>> Well, yeah, they did the other one, too. But yeah, I think you don't I think he moved on to Wild or whatever by then. >> Um >> what what about the original is not is is needs bumping up to 202.
know, man. >> It's it looks quote unquote better, but it is They changed the art style which I was like this is actually pretty good. >> Okay cool.
>> We also had uh what else do we have after that? We had Kimuri which is the after that? We had Kimuri which is the one from um I could she you know you >> person behind Ghostwire Tokyo. >> That's right. Yep. And uh I think that
>> Oh that's right. Okay. Yeah. >> So that's looking pretty sick. Very thought that was a gacha game when I saw it and I was like, "A, this looks cool." I'm excited. >> Um, and Tomb Raider Legend Legacy of
Atlantis has been delayed. It was going to be this year in February next year now. Um, it was kind of just like, yep, it's it's Tomb Raider again with dinosaurs. We missed that era. >> Speaking of dinosaurs, The Lost Wild.
>> and this is one I can talk about actually because I actually saw a behind and it's not under embargo so I can talk about it. >> Um but anyone who missed it, it is essentially it's a dinosaur survival
different things cuz it can be like Dino Crisis or it could be >> Exactly. Right. There are so many of those by the way. But this one it turns out is actually a essentially like Alien Isolation but with dinosaurs.
>> Yes. Uh, so the the setup is that she just kind of there's a woman, she wakes up in a forest, >> doesn't know how she got there. Um, and through the forest and then she sees like someone who's like speaking
Saying things and then all of a sudden dinosaur ra like grabs him, literally just bites his torso in half and then she's just like, "What the [ __ ] man?" >> first person or I missed this one. >> It's all first person. that dinosaur was
kind of then um like hunting her as she was making her way through things. So, she had to be quiet. Uh then sort of making her way through this. It pretty sure it's like a big island. It definitely has Jurassic Park vibes. uh
and eventually made her way to an area where she had to kind of like manipulate her environment to sort of because this this she was sort of trapped in a space. same space with her hunting her in very
throw things to make noise and turn out light bulbs and all this sort of stuff and you know crouch and and whatever. Super tense. It really nailed the vibes. The dinosaur was genuinely terrifying.
velociaptor or >> No, it was like a a dinosaur that I but just imagine like a >> tiny Tyrannosaurus. That's what it kind dinosaur. They didn't make the [ __ ] Anyway, so uh it was but it really
nailed the tension. Like I really felt it. And it's a small team. This guy actually made like a mod of this years ago in like Cry Engine as a hobby project and then he came back to it like 10 years later and then got a team built
Annaperna and now it's on the way and it looks pretty sick. Like tomorrow. >> Okay. You'll enjoy it. It's a really of these things sometimes these behind closed door sessions
stuff you've already seen or they give you like a very brief snippet. >> I won't say which I won't say which game it is. Like one game today they did like something and then they invited us in. They played a trailer that we'd already
seen before and then they said, "Any questions?" it, but I wanted to BE LIKE, "YES, WHY are we here?" Like, >> um, but no, this was actually a really great behind closed doors presentation.
>> next up was actually Phantom Blade Zero, one we've had on our radar for a while the show. >> I did. So, I had um an hour and half an hour I got to play the game and half an hour was a behind closed doors thing
that I can't actually really talk about. >> Okay. Till next episode >> till No, I don't even think then. >> Okay. Right. >> I played um Phantom Blade for half an hour. And so what I will say is that in
the kind of as character action games are becoming even more popular, it's kind of funny going between, you know, one and another and another in a short space of time. Phantom Blade, I think for me really
>> right now in this preview stage is kind of delivering on the really over-the-top power fantasy promise. >> Um, I don't think that what I was do like I as I sat down, I said to the the the demo uh guy and I was like, I'm not
good at this game. because I've played it I played it at Gamescom. It was here a couple years ago at summer game fest at play days and I remember being bad at >> and now I'm just like I feel I understand the rhythm of it more and
There are some things that I was doing in that game and I was like I'm I'm >> That's a good feeling. >> Uh and that's the thing is like I'm
>> you play something like Saro for the challenge and it's a very specific way of playing. a little more things. Whereas Phantom Blade, I just felt like I was crushing it. Okay. And
so it looks really good, plays nicely. I'm excited to see more of it. It's when I say over the top, I can't talk about the behind closed door stuff really, but some of the stuff I saw is wild. >> Okay. Excellent. Yeah, I've been
played a bunch of times actually and like I'm going to play it more tomorrow and like do some capture on it. So yeah, I think it's looking very promising. I of work into it. Like I remember playing it at first I was like okay yeah this is
this is like interesting but you know a lot of work to go and then I played it like last year actually I was like whoa they jump the jump is massive and I was game now and it's actually looking really good.
>> Um June Awakening is headed to consoles with a single player mode. That's nice. >> That's right. Uh No Rest for the Wicked hitting 1.0. Uh that's happening in uh
>> That was that was fantastic. I'm actually super pumped. Um and it's skipping Xbox at least at first because of Series S. Damn. Hate to see it. >> I know that happens all the time by the way. It feels like there's like people
up. >> Air pressure. fantastic. Oni Musha, where are the swords? >> Uh that is one we will be able to talk about next episode.
But uh the trailer obviously it's more of what we've seen before and it looks really cool. Uh Silent Hill Townfall is >> Can't wait. I've got that this I've got closed doors for it. >> I'm going to see it tomorrow.
here, but it is behind closed doors. >> I'm skeptical of that one, but like I've been impressed by like the British. >> That's what it is. It's a natural honest. I go >> Why are your teeth like that? It is. It
is looking very cool. Uh, Ace Combat 8, Wings of Thieve. I'm actually super melodrama of it. They're just leaning into it, >> You've never played one? >> But people tell me about them and I'm
>> dude. I play I played Ace Combat like back on the PS2 and then I didn't play any of them until I played seven and I'm like actually this rules like it's super good. The mission design is incredible. like you just think, oh, just flying
actually look at how they've built this game and how they've designed missions, it's like incredibly good. You really should make the time for it. It's super stick though. It's It's definitely worth it. Um, Stunt Man Hollywood, how we
feeling about Stuntman coming back in the year of our Lord 2026 back. made a reappearance. >> That's right. Yeah. cool. I >> don't know why you like it.
>> It does have a Delorean in it. It also has kit from Night Rider. >> Really cool. It has kind of like a MadMax and like a >> It looks like Death Race Mad Max. >> I'm not sure what it is. Yeah, legally
>> Whatever. It's cool. Fast and Furious stuff like that, which so like that IP >> kind of makes sense for stuff, man. Like that's cool. So, I'm excited to see how >> It's a nice It's a nice twist. >> Uh Ill actually emerges as one of the
most promising games in the showcase. I think it's that first person survival horror that's just like super gory one. >> The icky one. It's from Mundfish or at least the they're publishing it. It's made by a different developer. But yeah,
looks like it's going to be instantly demonetized when we when we review it. >> Yeah, we've been tracking that one for a long time. Back when it was just like and they were just putting videos on Twitter
>> and uh it's been interesting to see how it stuck to that original vision. Yes, going on now with the trailer. I think that'll be cool. >> Uh, Control Resonant. >> We When what is the embargo for that? Is
>> It was SGF. >> Okay, cool. But then we're going to talk about that next episode because Jake and I haven't yet played it. it properly next episode. But that trailer though that they showed at SG
cuz they showed a trailer here and they showed another one at SGF. Correct. The SGF trailer I thought was like amazing. It's like so beautiful. Some of the framing of it was just like >> cooking. Yeah. Remedy is remedying.
two hours hands on. >> Oh yeah. Awesome. >> Tomorrow. Yeah. >> Uh and I also spoke to the team. We're not going to like >> I like it a lot for Remedy doing third
really well. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. God talented, man. That's nuts. Uh, we had a brief trailer for Marathon. Can I just say >> Yep. Exactly. That's my point. >> I was like, I need a I need a water.
community need a little bit of love right now. I think Sony did Marathon super dirty in this showcase because like if you want that game to succeed, you can't just give it a 45se secondond trailer where it's just pitch black the
[ __ ] is going on. It was like literally launching like the night map or whatever >> That's full of spooky. I mean, yeah, but like if you kind of know what it is and might think, "Oh, that's a cool spin on it." But a lot of people still have not
like stepped into that world. And so, like I don't know, man. I just feel like lot more with that. They are doing a free weekend, but that's over by the time this airs, I think. >> Um, either way, man, I feel like they
Until Dawn 2. >> Yeah. Is he Is he the old guy that everyone's like, "Who is this guy? Is he who that guy is? >> Yeah, he's kind of like scary, too,
>> is he there just to hit on teenagers or whatever? He's like one of those old find out. Yeah, >> that's right. >> that's right. >> No, I mean, Until Dawn, I loved the
>> Yeah. Yeah, me too. >> I really enjoyed it. I think just the branching paths and just how weird everything got and just I don't know how game everyone everyone who was in that game kind of knew what they were doing
and what what what game they were in. >> Um I think other super massive things really enjoyed the quarry but like man of madan and stuff didn't >> I play direct 8020 recently >> but this is not super massive is it?
>> Yeah. So it's like you know you see those go one way and then who's picking >> Fire sprite. >> Fire sprite. So, I kind of hope it goes back to the promise and the uh originality of the first game.
it's just like now instead of it being snowy, now it's on a tropical like love >> Why not? >> A hot new bombshell. >> Who's the hot new bombshell? >> Neil, there was there was some sex
scenes in there. You know, it was it was doing that thing. Uh and finally, biggest reveal of course was God of War La. um which is >> not le which is what I thought uh a new game in the God of War series.
uh a new game in the God of War series. It is if anyone missed it uh the opening of God of War 2018 when they're like cremating you know Kattos's wife. >> We were like watching this and we're like oh no is it a remaster Sony doing
their remaster thing again? That was that was that was actually Stu in our Discord that said that. Um and thankfully no. You then see her spirit thankfully no. You then see her spirit go up into the afterlife or whatever and
you think, okay. And then you know, like Katto is like, "Your mother's at peace now, Atraus." Turns out not so much. >> It's like Doomslayer in hell. Like heaven. >> That's right. Uh so it's actually uh
Kratos's wife, La Fay, fighting her way through the underworld or like the >> It's called something. What was it called again? I forget now. The in It's like >> Ever or something like that.
>> So, it's where it's basically where all magic comes from and where it returns to. And it also happens to be the afterlife for the gods. So, you got all mythologies and whatever else, but there was Egyptian gods, there was Mongolian.
She said there were other ones, but Ariel, but um she didn't say which. But, trailer? >> Yeah, I mean, there have been rumors about another God of War for a long time. I you know I think enough time has
passed like it's been a couple years and I'm I'm excited selfishly like for it not to be for a while. I want to see I want to see another character. I want to just there's so much rich >> mythology to explore in that franchise
and I'm excited we're getting to see it through another character's eyes. >> I want Kratos, but I think they're doing the right thing by being up front saying we're doing this right now. I think that's smart. That's good. Um, and I
think with this character, like it feels it feels earned. Like I like the way they set her up. Like 2018, she was vague. Ragnarok, they set her up. So, I think this is cool. And I honestly like >> I'm more interested in her than playing
as like Atreaus. >> Totally. No, no disrespect to Atraus, but just like I think it's a really interesting hook because like family and the drive has been like a very powerful thing with the recent games. And this is
a woman trying to get back to her like husband and son. But we assume like we for, but you assume that's I'm out of here. >> So mean that sucks. Why is it so cranky? >> Would it hurt? Smile a bit for Kattos.
>> Uh that's right. >> Yeah. I think like uh that angle is cool. And like I'm into the potentially really tying in and kind of weaving weaving through and Ragnarok. That to me is interesting. That's really
>> it the visual style from what we've seen, it wasn't really doing it for me. >> mish mashy kind of thing, >> mashy battle world that kind of looked my finger on it. >> I love that. Personally, I feel like cuz
there's there's such a defined visual language for the last two games because on the trot in the same sort of setting with whatever. This one was like not Different color palettes, different textures at times. like just it just
felt completely different and I really loved that. I it also made it because >> That's a cool idea >> and and I think that naturally necessitates a sort of more of a mishmash of art styles and whatever
different, you know, histories and artistic traditions. >> I really think it might just be like I'm not getting what they're going for yet. Honestly, the whole different gods things, it it's like probably so great
for video games cuz it's going to mean a bunch of different biomes probably. So, >> Okay. >> Uh the whole conversation about stuff >> With like the kind of >> I don't know what you call it like
quippy dialogy like the weedenesque. >> The only thing I the only thing it was like >> but I didn't mind the cube. So, I didn't >> but I didn't mind the cube. So, I didn't mind any of that because for me, uh, you
know, 2018 and Ragnarok had like a talking goofy squirrel. Brock and Synry things in the newer God of War games that are a little >> lighter. So, but it's also like mythology is full of those sorts of
things, you know? So, that never bothered me really. And I'm also like >> I think that when it comes to these sorts of things, we have to see more of minutes. >> Not a lot of dialogue. Yeah, that's
20 hours straight, I'd be like, "Oh, okay. That sucks. I hate it." But if they just kind of land it correctly, >> So, uh I'm not ready to judge it just yet.
>> The only thing uh I mean the big thing for me though is just like all that like like I'm definitely in on the combat cuz I just like their combat and I like this is just building on what they've done with the last two games. So crunchy.
>> Yep. also love to say the cube. >> Frank the cube with the spelling of >> Frank the cube with the spelling of Frank though is like h a r a n q u e or >> Um >> would kill and scrabble if you could use
>> But I guess before we throw to the interview with um with Ariel uh any >> solid >> solid >> solid good >> things to look forward to. Um,
>> They finally got games. >> Yeah. I mean, >> um, I would say that, yeah, like there's it's it wasn't a Haymaker kind of event, >> but it was Yeah, it was solid. And would, uh, if someone didn't own a PS5,
is this the kind of show that would make them want to buy a PS5 right now? >> Wolverine for some people, maybe. >> Wolverine for some people. I agree. If it, for sure. Marvel toon for fighting fans. Absolutely. um God of War if you
had your PS4. This is the first exclusive uh God of War game, PS5 exclusive. So yeah. >> Um but yeah, there's also a solid third party lineup there and but many of them are also coming to other platform to
>> overall, I think it was good. It was solid. I enjoyed it. >> I don't think it was >> I would like to know about that. >> What is that? What are you talking about? So Sony owned the Alamo Draft
House uh theater movie theater chain. Okay. And they did screenings of State of Play and they had like special Wolverine menu items. >> I've never heard of that. Oh, I think Game Awards or something has been put in
>> for State of Play. >> Well, I think this is a um fantastic opportunity to cut over to our interview now with uh yeah, the go the game director for God of War, La, Ariel Lawrence. And as I said, we got that
invitation. Um, had a really great chat with her. Um, not much else to say with her. Um, not much else to say really, so we should roll the tape.
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>> Glad you guys are here. >> We got to ask the obvious question. You feel like always has a different answer, though. But like the game is finally the team feeling now that people have seen it?
>> I mean, I think we're just really excited that the surprise is finally out there. Um, you know, we've been trying to keep it under wraps for a while. Uh, so now it's just nice to be able to talk about it with other people and to share
it and to just see everybody's reactions to it. Um, so it's always really exciting for that for the team. You know, it's a big morale booster to just >> Are you guys like sitting in a room together when this trailer like during
the showcase like watching it all together at once or like how what's the actual process of this? So, we have uh on the on the team floor um you know, we gather in each other's cubicle spaces and watch it together and so we're right
there clapping along with everybody else for the the showcase and uh and so yeah, >> Sure. And would this have been the first time that cuz it's such a massive team, lot of people would have seen a lot of other people's work or like was this the
combined in this way or >> So we definitely watched our piece as a as a team before it was you know um shown to the public. Um, but I think with the team this big, it's sometimes hard. You're you're so focused on the
thing that you're working on to really see all of the pieces come together. And uh, you know, a lot of times, especially for the end of the pipeline, you know, hearing it with the final mix and the sound coming in, the music coming in and
thrilling for the whole team to see it that way. Well, I'm we're both I mean I I think everyone's kind of really interested in um your history with the franchise because we I we obviously you've been
it was the same >> feel like cuz we're like okay there's a Okay, how long have they been with the studio? Oh my god. Okay. Right. So be in more detail about your history with
franchise. >> Yeah. So I started with Santa Monica in 2003. I was like fresh out of college. I was a film student and they needed somebody to cut trailers and so I started here doing that. And the first
trailer piece that I worked on was what we showed at Tokyo Game Show. Um and it was really early days. The game was still called Dark Odyssey uh back in the day. But, you know, they were looking for somebody who just could could edit
footage and I happened to be in the right place at the right time and it just was, you know, it was such a kind of welcoming environment and having grown up playing games, I was just really excited and so I asked if I could
I ended up kind of being a production assistant and still editing and taking screenshots. So, all those videos and screenshots of early God of War, that's probably me playing at that point. Um and uh but you know I um you production
team and running late night ice cream runs and you know all the all the things small team you know we were like maybe 35ish people. Uh and every game we kind
of got bigger and I stayed in production but I always you know my film background I just gravitated a lot to story. So on God of War II, I was kind of shephering point and probably too young to know that I was like I don't know uh learning
on the job a lot of just how we build those things. uh and then just evolved and you know I've probably production-wise I've been uh you know a producer for almost every department on on the team at some point in time and
and that just led from one thing to another and then you know I was basically on every God of War until 2018 and even then I was with Corey on the you know as we worked for the first two years of pre-production on that but
>> I just had to kind of figure out who I was after a little while uh and so I I left it was really hard because you know this is like my family but uh I wanted to know if you know what was out there besides you know Kratos and Santa Monica
and went into the world did some stuff but I just I miss this place so much and the people here uh and just being challenged you know every time we do one of these big games it's something new and you know like how do we build on our
success you know like nobody here wants to just be like oh we could just you how do we actually make it different and push ourselves And I I missed that. I >> Yeah. >> Your fingerprints are all over the
franchise. So, do you do you have like a favorite? Can Can you say Can you War game? >> I I don't know if I have. They all have right? like I I don't know if they have as I can say one way or the other, but I
as I can say one way or the other, but I think for me um God of War II, we were a growing studio and you know people were surprised by the first game and you know Sony came back to us and said that was really great. Do it again and then do it
in two years. the first game took a while to, you know, come together. And going to be the one of the last ones on the PS2 and just really how do we push every inch of juice out of that machine? Um, how do we make a game that's even
more adventurous and exciting and violent and just expand Kratos's story? So, I think that one probably left a big impression on me. Um, but each one of them, you know, has been a a different creative challenge. Uh, and has been, I
through. two is the best. So, >> all right, there we go. Um, coming back sort of leaving and coming back because we actually um bumped into Eric Williams in the lobby and he was the director of um God of War Ragnarok and he actually
thing where many people leave Santa Monica to then you know do something else and then they eventually come back cuz they realize that they you know this and I was just curious in terms of your perspective on that like what is it that
makes this studio so good that people want to keep coming back to it even greener pastures. >> I mean I think that it really is that kind of creative challenge but it is a place where you can feel safe because
we're all pushing the same same way right like you know it's there's not competition between departments or any of that stuff. we're really all coming together to make something really awesome. And I think sometimes uh just
be in some place where you can be pushed uh and and take on risk and uh you know go after something big but do it with a group of people who are all pulling that exciting and it's you know it makes me
happy to come to work uh every morning to be with this team and you know and it's it's just yeah it's just kind of a special place. I think there's uh you you know we're you know not trying to like shelter each other during critique
what we're doing is trying to push the best experience the best story the best together. >> So how do you essentially get tapped for leading the next God of War game? Like how does that even start? What are the
conversations like? So when I was I was thinking about coming back to the studio, I started talking to people and um you know I came when I came back I came back as the lead writer for this project and when I was interviewing with
um you know coming back and talking um with people it was uh you know I wasn't be working on. I just assumed it was a Kratos game and when I came back um I found out it was a FA game and you know I was ready to be kind of lead writer
and you know Corey's responsibilities to the studio as the head of creative now like there's just we've got so much stuff going on and so many projects going right now that uh just how to shepherd a team like this uh and just
keep them going was not kind of like a day-to-day thing that he'd be able to do all the time. So he and I have worked together for a really long time and uh you know they asked me if I wanted to do it and I think that I just said yes. Uh
and you know I think that's it's was scary and I think for me the best kind of experiences of my career have been you know saying yes to an opportunity that I wasn't sure I was ready for and then just trying to kind of meet that
then just trying to kind of meet that challenge as best I could. Um but I I it's a thrill and an honor to basically lead this team. like they're just an awesome group of humans. Um, >> and how big is the team now? Because
and I don't even know what that size is and then working on multiple projects. speaking working on >> LA? I mean, I it's the full brunt of the SMS team, but I don't know how we like calculate all of our partners and
friends who help us in all of the different department. So, uh, you know, pretty big. I don't know. I'd say like, you know, on par with Ragnarok size. So, >> Not small. Yeah. Yeah. And how have you found that process of of managing that
many people and and being at the top of that pyramid? Like what's that been like >> You know, I think for me it's really what can I do uh to help the team achieve the best results and and be as creative as possible and problem solve
as best as possible. So, it's like my job to be able to see the project at kind of that 30,000 foot view, but really be able to deliver the advice, the the comments, the, you know, the ideas at the personal level so that
work and and do that and feel good about the work that they're doing that this is all going to come together. Um, so it's uh it's exciting. Um, it's, you know, can be kind of intense a lot because it's uh a lot of context switching. So,
you know, I my day is just a ton of different kinds of meetings and so going into each one and uh you know, being aware of what's going on and talking about the specificity of that particular problem or you know, you know, creative
the things is just we have so many people who are so creative, you know, and and want to make great games that how about this character or what if we
those things and thinking about does that help us tell LA's story and uh and you know the trust that they put in me I don't take for granted you know it's really it's my job to help keep this you know game on the rails and get it out
the door um so it's I don't know it's been an awesome responsibility it's been uh in all the senses of awesome >> and I think a sort of at a more high you started in this industry at a time when you could make a game like God of
War with 30 people and now you're here we're making a game takes hundreds of people and what are your reflections on what that's like in terms of how this there are good and bad things when it comes to that kind of evolution. Well, I
comes to that kind of evolution. Well, I think that uh you know the amount of table which is always great uh to be you know considerate to see things maybe that you wouldn't have seen before. Um but kind of holding on to all of those
ideas at the same time is you know it becomes a lot to juggle uh in there. But you know I there's so many specialties now that we maybe didn't have. I mean on God of War in 2005, Kratos didn't have eyelids. Like he didn't have like it was
a painted texture for his eye. And now the amount of humans it takes to you know not only sculpt our face and texture and rig and animate and render and all of the things like it's a lot of people. Um and you know we're trying to
push as hard as we can to make that the best we can. Uh so it's still get to use that film background now? like especially as someone who is editor? >> I am as an editor. I I mean, so when I
went to film school, I studied a lot of different things, but uh I do miss miss a good camera cut every once in a while. Um but I think that uh you know um the the one style really makes us be intentional about the things that we're
doing. And I think actually one of the blessings it is is when we go to do like blessings it is is when we go to do like pcap sessions um we film the whole scene in a winner and it's not like going to go back and pick up you know somebody's
closeup or you know uh do an insert on something and so what we really do is get the moment of people being together and it for me it's actually more like and it for me it's actually more like filming live theater. Um, and uh, but
you know, we do as much rehearsal with camera and uh, as our actors to just make sure that we're in the right places at the right time, but it's like just about when putting it all together. >> Speaking of uh, casting and mocap and
what have you, obviously you've got Deborah and Wall um, returning. What's has that process been? And yeah, I mean she already in that trailer I just think just from that first 20 minutes alone. So, what else?
So, what else? >> That kicks some ass. Like, she's so uh she's just so present. Uh she has such good energy, you know, like going to set good energy, you know, like going to set with her is amazing. Uh and um she she
brings it in the booth, she brings it to stage, you know, she she challenges us too on like what would Fay do in this situation and uh that becomes a great conversation about how to bring that character to life. So, you
know, I think it's been maybe fun to be a little bit more of an action hero. uh and to to do like amazing awesome things. Um so I think she's having a >> what about uh Jack Quaid? How did that how did that work out?
how did that work out? >> How even a gamer just like walk in or got anything for me? He's been a friend of the the studio I think for a little while and uh you know he was uh you know helping us out with some Sense of Sparta
stuff and you know I think just uh you know Jack's presence and his kind of like honesty his kind of like earnestness just felt right for Frank. And so when you we were thinking about you know who could lend their voice to
to Frank and somebody was like oh well maybe would would Jack Quaid work and I was like oh my god that's amazing and you know so we asked the right questions and it worked out. So but he's great. >> So Frank is a gelatinous cube.
>> he is a cosmic cube. Got it. Okay. Right. So, I think definitely one of the emerged about the game, you know, since its reveal was, you know, just some curiosity about that character and how they fit into the overall story and the
obviously people are always worried about, you know, like kind of quippy and whatever else. So, how do you feel this character like fits into this universe and and what kind of spirit is Frank bringing? And do you feel like the
that, it's going to be fine when they see the full product? You know, I think that uh there's not a ton of dialogue in the game reveal for how long uh it is. So, I don't know if they've seen like a full picture of Frank's humanity uh in
there, but I think for us, you know, we always want to have a range of of presentation for somebody's character. And so that, you know, Kratos is like very serious and a lot of the time and so around him we can have a certain
you know, being able to tell kind of a full extent of a Faze character, she's a world, um, we can kind of ride that line a little bit differently. But for us, it's, you know, Frank's not he's not an unserious character. I think for me,
it's most important as a kind of a a presence in the everyone and a kind of a being of magic that, you know, he's very into being here, being in this moment. and for Fay who is kind of distracted by getting back to Kratos and and Atreaus
and for Ru who's also you know concerned about the future and both like everybody has kind of drifting from this moment. Frank kind of helps anchor them in a in a way that I I hope will be uh interesting and challenging um for Fay
as she kind of moves through her story. >> I'm excited to see how that goes. Yeah. Uh, in terms of I had watched the video you put out uh your you guys put out uh with you and Corey talking and you did mention something about every god of war
coming with a different challenge. So like what is the top level challenge for LA? You know, I think for this is just the creative risk of being able to tell a story that's not Kratos um but within our world. Um you know, how do we take
20 years of experience building a character and and kind of start over a little bit but also expand our world? Like how is Fay that yes and to the God of War universe? And um you know how do we you know we've had kind of 20 years
to evolve Kratos like game over game over game of what he can do and how he do that from the start like all that learning um and and just you know all the other things too like how do we grow our our approach to level design and
combat and art and technology and all these things like what is the next evolution? Um, and for us just how do we challenge ourselves? Like where's the surprise in it for for us as well? Um, so that's been the fun part.
>> Yeah. And I guess sort of drilling down into that. So this has been in development since 2020. >> You know, I think that uh Fay as a character has been in Cory's head for I don't know 10 years, long long time. Uh,
and I think he probably pitched uh Deborah on when she was hired for Ragnarok about the future and I think he told her about a Fay game. Uh, and so longer than that, but uh, you know, I think um, when I came back to the
studio, both Fay and Frank were in kind of early development of where their story and the everyone like where was it going to go? Um, so I don't know how long that is. It's uh, I came back in 21 so long in that ballpark. Yeah. Is there
a sort of sorry throw please is there a sort of kind of big grand picture or about how we're going to see more of Kratos in the future too. So like is >> a big idea or is this still kind of like >> that's that's Barlo's job. Uh so yeah I
think that idea of just where does the we've talked about the remakes uh coming um and uh going forward you know more stories for Kratos. Definitely. >> Yeah. All right. Well, coming back to the sort of foundations of of La cuz I
ourselves and how do we change this and that and I'm interested because imagine is a story you know it's a story of Fay um but then you know outside of just that sort of narrative pitch like what were some of the goals the studio
set for themselves when they imagine what this project would be like as opposed to you know Ragnarok 2018 or any other game before it? Well, I think you know delivering that kind of like new hero to the space and just seeing like
is this something that we can do uh and expanding the world of possibility of storytelling you know I think there's you know a lot of expectation for us to do a certain thing in a certain kind of way and you know how can we maybe uh
surprise uh players a little bit and push that in a different direction um different mythologies you know I think for us just you know we have we're you know the different folks from different mythologies. How do we
actually do that right? Uh so the everyone as a kind of concept was like oh this is a way that we can actually meet different mythologies uh and exciting >> and the everyone is wholly new right
god of war. >> Yeah. Well I mean I think every mythology has kind of a concept of a place beyond like the mortal plane. And I think for us the question was well maybe what if all of those places beyond
are like the same place. Uh so I think that was for us that kind of like little that. >> Is it the is it the afterlife for the >> Uh the afterlife of the gods. So it's this place where all magic originates
and all magic returns to uh so it's it happens to also be the afterlife of the >> one thing I'm Because obviously this is a broad pantheon cuz we saw I think a broad pantheon cuz we saw I think Egyptian gods, Mongolian gods. Do we see
recognized? >> You certainly see them. Um there's more >> excuse me, I have a frog in my throat right now. Sorry. No worries. Um really curious about how you go through the process of
uh de developing the stories for those gods in a way that is sort of true to their history and sensitive to the realities of the history and cultures behind them while also still being able to put your own unique stylized spin on
them. How does that work? Like how would you how did you like research a to life in your own way? Well, I think that, you know, when we start the project, a lot of folks and this idea of like this that we could go to many
mythologies to find people to interact with. You know, the team bubbled forth a met this person and like look at like find somebody that we kind of latch on to, we go talk to people who know more
do a lot of like foundational research, but you know, we've um if we want to have somebody who speak speaks Mongolian, we want to find somebody who can do that. And so having those conversations about we've got meeting a
lot of different people uh about um you know who was this person? Would it make this? Is that in their personality? And so how do we build on what is understood for the myth and then go forward right um with that and kind of push and pull
little things but still >> feel like that person's recognizable um from. >> Yeah. Yeah. Fascinating. evolutions of combat because that was one of the biggest things that stood out
very feet on the ground. >> Well, he is now. He he you're right. You're right. You're absolutely. Uh so, so in this modern iteration though, he's sort of more of a tank and uh Fay seems much more agile.
>> Well, I think that you know, we we start with the character, right? So, like the physicality of Kratos and the physicality of Fay are are pretty sized, but you know, they're both we know them both to be warriors. So, it's
kind of like if this is true, right? Like how does she approach combat differently than Kratos might? And so that kind of more agile, flexible um you that kind of more agile, flexible um you know um acrobatic um feel to it felt
experimenting. A lot of times what we do is we we get the rig of the character and we let the animators just go wild for a little bit and just say like, "Show us what you got, right? like what could this person do with this physique?
their hands? And that becomes a conversation with animation and combat. Like it's a very kind of everybody talking uh and bringing ideas to the table. And then there starts to feel something that that's right. Right. Like
the for us the sword felt like it represented phase speed and agility. Um, and then the ribbon started to evolve as like, well, what if we kind of use this to bring people in closer or to keep them at a distance, you know, and uh
just the things that emphasize the fluidity of her movements. Uh, and then, you know, for us, it it didn't make sense for somebody who was so agile to to not jump. So, why not, right? Why not bring jump back? Uh, and that challenge
of that leads to so many other places, right? When you have jump, what does it >> No. >> Do can you share if there's almost kind of like a the the wow mechanic, the hook in terms of like how the Leviathan axe
took so much work. >> What is that for Fay? >> I think for us uh realizing all of Fay I think is you know been a a big challenge thing that just like the thing that everybody's been so excited to play with
uh has been her Yotnar uh soul ability. So, you know, being a we knew the Giants So, you know, being a we knew the Giants had a, you know, uh were wrapped up in and if that was really part of FaZe arsenal, what does that mean? And so,
out of somebody, we're like, that feels >> That was a whole show. That was >> so I think building that system uh and just seeing where it could go so people could kind of experiment with it and you
know um you know, show off a little bit with it. So the depth in that system I think is really uh been really exciting. Um but just you know bringing kind of air combat back um and you know context moves like in the air. Um that's
>> Was it inspired by any specific games you might be willing to list or is it just like any game with air juggles? >> I mean I think we we went to our roots a lot for that one of just like you know uh if Kratos does it this way how would
uh if Kratos does it this way how would FY do it differently? Um like and uh but I you know I do kind of take it all in and kind of synthesize it uh out. But interview with GameSpot with Tamore friend of the show a couple days ago and
you you did mention that uh you you you pull from Norse and and Greek, but you from the Greek saga here. You pulled >> Oh, I mean I think I think the air combat the agility part of it
definitely. But I think um just even like uh size of creatures and monsters and combat and things like we looked at all the things that we've made and said, you know, is this something that like would be fun to do with Fay or would
challenge Fay's story or would push her as a character? And if the answer was yes, we're like okay, let's figure out how to get it in the game. Uh so prequel, >> correct? This is uh is this story
happening in parallel tortos and Atraus' journey? >> So the every when is kind of an all time no time every time kind of thing. Um so but we we want to make sure that it starts with this moment. So uh we'll I
>> but there will probably be some surprises around. Okay. Right. Okay. >> I guess I think that would just be such I want to know is just like approaching a new character in God of War. That's
crazy. That's crazy ambitious. So, how do you carry the feel because God of War is so distinct down to like how Kratos opens a box? Like there's so many little subtle things. So, how do you work in applying that God of War feel to a new
>> is there a Bible or like is there anything? So we actually for you know Kratos we it took 20 years to kind of develop the rule set of like what would Kratos do in this situation. I mean in terms of like actually writing it down
and doing all those things it evolved over time. And so I think that we started with this idea of FA is every bit as much of a warrior as Kratos is. So how would she do that right? Like how would she open a box or a door or any of
these things? and how does it make sense for her as a warrior, right? Her for her as a warrior, right? Her strength, her, you know, um just and and we start there. We kind of go forward from that. Um but I think in terms of we
have a lot of folks who've been on the franchise for a long time, uh and have have this conversation with each other. Does that feel like God of War? Um you know, is it is it responsive enough? Is it brutal enough? Is it like, you know,
does it make sense for our universe? Like we ask these like questions we ask So, um I'm hopeful that we're all getting to the same answer. Uh so that's been working on them for so long. So, >> well, we've definitely the team's gotten
bigger, so we've welcomed more folks into that. Um but I think that's, >> you know, we make this game because we love this game. Uh so I think that's for what it feels like to have a God of War game.
>> Yeah. Is LA part of what you might consider a trilogy or is this a separate story from those other two games? >> I it's hard to answer that question because for me Kratos's story isn't set into like this is the like the end of
his story and for FA this isn't the end of her story either. So for me in my head they both go on. Um so we might have had like you know the Greek saga and the north saga and whatever the next thing is for Kratos. for Fay, you know,
her journeys in the everyone I hope will continue on. Uh so this um we'll we'll see how that goes. Uh >> where they where the universe goes. to learn more? When are you guys going to start talking more about the game?
>> I I hope relatively soon. Uh so this is for for us this was like kind of the first big reveal, but you know, we've got some more stuff coming. Cool. >> Sure. Excellent. Well, we love what we saw. It looked amazing. Uh we're easy
marks though cuz you know we love the other games. Uh so yeah, thank you for all your work to date. It's looking fantastic and um really looking forward to be. >> Awesome. Awesome. Hopefully not too
>> Thank you again. >> Oh, thank you. >> And we're back mid mid yawn for Lucy. We caught that one. That's right. Make sure
make sure you get the whole yawn and that's when we come back in, right? That's get the whole one. >> Um, all right. So, next up was the big >> Yes. >> Uh, it was the Summer Games Fest
Showcase. >> And excuse me, I'm going to do a big cough. Um I I'm sorry. I've actually had Every >> cough, >> every time I come to Summer Games, I get
sick every single time. >> Um the show of course opened with right away. >> And I I hats off to that, man. I It took >> For me, it was the tiles. >> A couple tiles.
>> The tiles, the old So, we're talking about Resident Evil Veronica, the Code old lady's face. I was just like, "That's re engine face. >> And it was in Europe. And she was like, "Oh, your brother." I was like,
"Resident Evil." [ __ ] yeah. And then they went into the room. And in the room there was cigarettes everywhere and like dumbbells and uh a green shirt on the ran through here." And I was like, "This is insane." Um I'm very happy about it.
Veronica is great. Yeah, >> it it just uh it's a game that sure >> cuz it's got a lot of like gameplay stuff like systems wise like you can soft lock yourselves. Some stuff has
aged poorly, but it's also really atmospheric. It's got some of the atmospheric. It's got some of the coolest monsters and bosses and uh yeah, >> Yeah, it was it was a really great open. I mean, Capcom, of course, we say it
such a massive tear just and this is just the next good thing that they're be excellent and that we'll all love it >> unless it's bad. >> I mean, what? But all of them have been good. Like, even three, which were like
even It wasn't even bad. It just wasn't like great like the others were, you know? So, and like given the nature because also three as a product is kind >> if you were around for three when it came out three is a little like three
felt kind of like after two three was like it's a little weird. It was awesome >> I agree with that completely and I love three actually fantastic but like even then so the source material is hard to work with. Source material for Veronica
much there. So um >> drop the code >> just it's cleaner. That's right. Nice. Um, so that was a great open for the that as well. Like people were losing their minds around around in my part of
>> I I was backstage obviously and I was like, it's taken them a while to get >> Oh, right. No. Yeah. I was like surprised. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Uh, and then you saw like Yeah, it was it was great. Um, then
game >> uh in addition to something else. >> retro style 2D. That's right. Exactly. So that's that's nice to see. >> I really loved with that with the like little box art Cuphead that kind of
And he also had that like 80s9s character cartoon voice where he's like coming soon. Like I was like that's awesome. That's so perfect like for the time period. >> Yeah. Yeah. Uh after that was the I I
feel like Alien Isolation 2 was already announced or something. was in like a press release or something. Yeah. It was one of those time we actually saw a proper trailer for it and uh yeah, really nice trailer.
know. Yeah. >> Good. Bad vibes. Bad vibes, but you know, but that is at this showcase. We can't talk next episode. Please be excited. >> You can see why we're we're sort of
episodes. Exactly. A lot of stuff to talk about. >> Um so, that was that, but it is looking very promising. Now, next, my game of show and it has been my game of show like since uh Jen Atlas.
>> Jen Atlas is uh was called Project Robot. Uh it's the next game from of you know, Shadow of Colossus and Ecoame. And uh man, I absolutely love
this. I have heard some people not really jelling with it as much. a little bit disappointed by kind of its direction cuz it's like technology as shooting in it where they're like, "Whoa, why is there shooting in this
>> Uh, how are you guys feeling about that? >> It didn't really No, it didn't really >> No, I'm saying it didn't really bother me. I mean, there's >> Yeah. No, I Yeah, I actually didn't even think about that until you mentioned it,
gameplay shot >> is him in the back of a truck shooting things. That's right. Which is very different. Unexpected. Um, but the rest of it is so like with in line with like what they create agree atmospheric, sad,
lonely. >> Yeah. Beautiful, majestic. Like >> Yeah. Like the idea of like cuz we think of Shadow of Colossus and the size of these behemoths and whatever. Colossi >> and like I mean Yeah. Just the idea of
mechs fighting really slowly. >> I love that. I'm sure there's lots of anime cuz I don't watch much anime, but like I can't think of anything where where mech giant mechs fight really slowly.
>> You know what I mean? >> You know, and I just think that the way giant mech. >> Of course. Exactly. You know, but but >> sense of scale too is like he's like it seems like he's taking that further as
>> Totally. Absolutely. Yeah. I just >> And the the cheeky notice that? >> No. So the the character in Gen Atlas, him. >> You only really see it in like a couple
>> Yeah, but it's the it's the pattern that's on Wonder in Shadow of the Cross. >> Oh, I didn't know that. >> Yeah. So, uh, yeah, and we also had a probably talk about a bit more later, but, um, but yeah, really fascinating
>> yeah, he just has a very unique way of making games and thinking about them and his sort of source of inspiration and yeah, really cool. But like I said, we really I think a beautiful trailer. It is
>> maybe my most anticipated game. >> Full stop at this point, I think. You know what I mean? like it's it's that I just really loved it a lot. >> Um, Blood Message, very long trailer from Netis for that sort of Chinese.
>> You know, like cinematic Sony game, but from Netis looked kind of cool. I don't >> In what way? >> Because I see what you mean. Yeah. >> It was a whole battle with this badass character and then it ended with the
character's child being a little grown up and then it looked like that character was setting out. >> So, interesting way to market the game. >> Yeah. >> Um, next up, Stranger Than Heaven.
>> Okay. >> That hasn't changed, but the reveal that Snoop Dogg is in the game. Okay. But also, Tupac is in the >> The ghost of Tupac. >> The ghost of Tupac or I don't know.
Look, who knows? And the thing is, people are either totally fine with this or they're really not fine with this. They're pissed off and they feel like he shouldn't be in this game because >> obviously he's dead and his estate is
anymore. Apparently it's held by like some investment dude >> and like yeah that's that's what I've heard that his family are trying to again. >> So then when like if if Snoop says, "Oh,
it's okay." >> They're probably just talking to some don't know if all that's true, by the way, but that's just what I've seen on possible it's just misinformation. Either way, I don't know, man. I I don't
know how to feel about this personally. I I don't really have I don't really personally, but it's definitely been a thing that other people have very strong thoughts about. >> I am a big Tupac fan, like
>> but uh nah, I'm not into this. Not at all. No, Snoop Dogg awesome. Like, why not? And it's it's nice to see him in like a good game, you know, not some since >> fear and respect.
>> Remember that like AI game he did with Amazon or whatever? He's like a judge. >> It was like you would turn on the TV to go Amazon Prime. It be like the big >> Yeah. Remember this? I have never even played that. I just saw an image of
that. I'm like that looks like dog [ __ ] >> Like he he lends his likeness to a lot of things. But this is like a genuine I'm like oh this is cool. Like he hasn't been I don't know what what like he hasn't been in any like substantial
>> I don't know man. >> Like Def Jam. I don't know. So is in GTA. It >> was in the It was in the soundtrack at >> Well no I mean with the Tupac stuff I'm also
>> It's not It's not a thing that I love like it's not a trend that I love. >> I I Are they going to try and do the voice? I don't know >> because that's like I hated Ian Holm in um Alien. Hated hated hated that because
um Alien. Hated hated hated that because they used like an AI model to replicate >> Dreadful >> and I that really left a bad taste in my >> They didn't like CGI Christopher Reeve in in the Flash movie.
>> Yeah, they resurrected. I saw that. Yeah. >> So, no. Like I don't know, man. Yeah. But look, the game looks interesting. >> I'm so excited for the game. like the concepts behind the game like the combat
>> Yum. >> Stylish trailers, too. >> Yeah, their trailers are >> so stylish they put Tupac in it. >> Uh the next one that actually has drawn a lot of attention is Hex
>> Hex >> or Hex as we depending on Hex. >> No, this one is Hex. >> The my subtitle. This one actually comes Division and Little Nightmares, which means it's a Sweden a Swedishbased
cool. >> Bad Astronauts, I think is the name. >> Um, what are they called? Uh, there's actually >> Is it? Okay, cool. There you go. Um, but yeah, it looks very promising. Looks
interesting. >> In a world, sorry. >> in a world. In a world where we do watch a lot of these cool like live stream game reveal announcements, there's always like it feels like there's always
like three >> four player co-op survival run shooters. same. This looks different. Like really different. >> Agreed. Agreed. Agreed. Looks very promising. Uh Mortal Shell 2 was doing a
thing where now you have like a guitar and you're rocking out to kill people. I >> I'm so happy this got a sequel. >> Yeah, I mean it's nice. Good on the man. got a trailer. We already know about that one.
>> Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin from Platinum. about this one. >> The buzz on the streets. The streets are really like >> prove that Platinum still has it. Like
>> Haven't they been saying that for a while now? You know, they've been saying don't uh you know, people will remember they did a Ninja Turtles game already, >> In that period where they also did the Transformers game where they were like
>> What was the Ninja Turtles game? What was it called? Or something. >> Okay. >> Shredders. Splinter does a flip. trailer. When that site went through the water, the cra like crap went completely
>> Uh so it was a nice trailer. There's a lot of potential for that in terms of out a universe and and then also like combat obviously because of like all the character like >> God pizza I meant to say I meant to say
me >> pizza there's a there's a there's a rat I think >> it's in New York right it's got to be >> the last round is kind of like weird it's it's almost like a little cyber
>> I did I have read it yeah it It's interest. It's It's more different than incredibly cool though. >> It's sci-fiish. >> It's very comic booky. >> I just can't get over the way they look.
>> Well, like the feet the way their feet, I agree. They're really messed up. I agree. They're really messed up. >> Um, so yes. Um, so then Fortnite Chapter friend of the Ben Star. >> I could have one of those shits. Yeah,
just being like best I will do anything for money. Uh, so he was up there for that. Gundam Rogue Orbit was just a cinematic trailer, >> but it looked they showed some gameplay
>> Oh, right. Okay. Sure, sure, sure. Um, but yeah, people were very excited about >> Were Gundam people into that? Cuz it felt very like different. I don't know. me and there were definitely some Gundam people in the crowd who knew exactly
"Oh, Rogue Orbit." They were like saying that. And so I think they kind of knew what that thing is and I guess it's a thing. I don't know. Um there's one here very end. We'll skip this one for now. >> Uh Guild Wars 3. Uh this is so funny cuz
like Austin is part of the crew and like I'm going to tell this story. I don't Austin like when Guild Wars 3 was announced, Austin called me at like announced, Austin called me at like 11:00 at night to tell me he had like
some flimsy excuse about like, "Oh, I uploaded this thing." I'm like, "All just wanted to [ __ ] geek out about Guild Wars 3, man. He was He was so excited about Guild Wars 3 when it happened. He was just losing his [ __ ]
Wars like fan on the planet. >> He was the first person I thought of when I saw. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So, um, he was very pumped and I think a lot of people are very pumped because look, MMO scene
right now, you know, it's it's it's pretty it's pretty dire in many ways. >> Yeah. Guild Wars 2 is what, 201? Not sure how long, but like it still has a very rusted on fan base. People really respect it. They love it. And the fact
>> And coming to PlayStation >> and coming to PlayStation and Yeah, >> Would you uh Would you believe I played Guild Wars 2 when it came out?
>> Didn't we both do this? Didn't we both um and the secret dual boot our MacBooks so we could play? I was way on Windows. Yeah. Right. Um, cool.
show off too much except like new visual style, which is very different. style, which is very different. >> I thought I for thought for a second I >> Yeah, I mean cuz it looked that different. So, uh,
>> logo that looks like it says Chud Wars. >> That's a different game. We'll come to >> That's a different game. We'll come to that one later. Um, now skipping over a few cuz we've just got some update trailers, but we did get a reveal for
Virtual Fighter Crossroads. Oh, I am so into this idea. Really into this idea. >> So, just for anyone who doesn't know, >> it's uh it's it's it's a virtual fighter game, but it's not a fighting game. It looks like it's more of like this
>> story linear >> fighting game element style thing. Um I think this is a cool idea just because >> it's like Zigg when everyone else is to beat Tekken, you're not going to beat all these other things. Like the
stacked from like all these players. >> So do something different cuz like Virtual Fighter never really attached as hard as any of those. So uh it looks really interesting. >> I want to see if they're going to bring
back the guy that is like legally distinct. Uh Ryu >> Yeah, headband guy in the white ghee or whatever. Yeah, sure. Um, after that
they they announced a Mafia Old Country is getting some DLC, which to me is hours long and it was just there was no gameplay. It was just a story game. Like people dunked on mixtape. Go and play
Mafia, bro. Like please. >> I loved it by the way. It was great. young that guy." >> That's right. That's right. >> Yeah. >> And he said, "Don Salaryi." I was like,
"Oh, yeah. >> Um, I think one of the most interesting reveals of this whole showcase was actually 1666 Amsterdam." >> So, yeah. Anyone >> to Patrice cuz that's 16 years.
>> What's the TLDDR on that, Lucy? >> Um, so 1666 is a game that Patrice creators, he is the original creator of Assassin's Creed, um, has kind of been percolating on, working on for a very long time. It was some when uh there was
like THQ. There was a sort of b ownership battle over it for a bit and then he left and formed Panache uh released uh Mankind uh >> Ancestors the the humankind Odyssey. >> The monkey game I played for like I
played for like 50 hours cuz I thought I was supposed to evolve. become a man. Yeah, >> I was completely misinformed on that game. But now he has this new game 1666. Well, well, the game that he's been on
us. And uh >> yeah, it's witchy. It is >> yeah, it's witchy. It is >> awesome. It looks real dark and I really hope it does. >> That's different.
>> It looks different. I think it's quite funny that he he also sort of dropped a free prologue at the show. >> Yes. Right. And at this rate, he's gonna >> the witch game out before Assassin's Creed has that witch game out.
>> Yeah, because Hex, I don't think a couple years. >> Yeah. Other than Resident Evil, it was my game show. >> So, so I saw he came in rehearsal uh the day before and I had I I didn't know the
reveal was and I was like, "Holy shit." >> Yeah, it's exciting. >> Um Saw Genesis. So, Blubber Team is making one of those asymmetrical horror games. Not my jam. Those games and >> them is anch studios.
was backstage the whole time. >> Jigsaw. >> Billy. >> Jigsaw is the guy, the man. Yeah. Okay. the show and stuff, people just kept putting him in different places to get
>> And so, there was one point where I turned around, I basically screamed for >> He was also doing the rounds at some at play days, by the way. >> Took a selfie with him. I was like, "Come here, little fucker."
>> Um, so that's cool. We got a proper look at Star Wars Zero Company here, which is actually from former Fire Access developers, and it's their studio, Bit >> and uh, it's basically like XCOM with Star Wars.
>> of what? >> Well, Zero Company, which is not XCOM, but ZCOM. >> Oh, yeah. Okay, sure. Yeah, that makes thought about that. >> Um, but it looks nice. I mean, it looks
just like Gexcom, you know, but I think those those games timeless quality. >> Were you an XCOM guy? >> I was an XCOM guy big time. Yeah, cuz then I even enjoyed like Marvel's
different. It was fantastic. The the gameplay, I didn't like the story stuff, but the gameplay was top tier. And even like the, you know, the Mario Rabbit stuff, like if you can really nail that formula, you can make a great game. And
with. They obviously know what they're doing because they've built this kind of pros. >> There's a good chance this is this is going to be excellent. >> Um the Among Us story on guard.
>> Yeah, agreed. There's a there's a TV show for Among Us. >> I don't know, man. I wasn't really paying that much attention to that one. Uh 007 First Light is getting a new story mission and luckily Bathmar is
>> featuring the worst guy in the game. >> Featuring the worst Bond villain of all >> Love the game. >> Thing is like I know you guys have done your videos on it but we haven't talked about 007 first life. True. So none of
haven't had the therapy session about >> BMA. I really hated the opening act of that of of Bond for a couple of reasons. Number one, I hated how, and this is just the open, by the way, so it's not spoilers, right? I hated how in the the
camp where they were doing the boot camp thing, the the the like the agents or whatever were just dicks. >> And they were like beating up the SAS people when they wanted to steal that flag. And I was like, that's awful.
other thing where like him where Bonded Monroe had that fight and it was such a violent fight. It trashed half the base. [ __ ] late 20s. >> Yeah, exactly. You should know better
up." And I was like, "What do you mean? >> Clean it up. What are you a carpenter You ruined everything." Right. >> Threw each other through a ceiling. was the mission with Bathma or whatever. And I'm like, "Oh no, is this the
villain for this game? This is going to be terrible." So that was why cuz a lot talking about?" I'm like, "Okay, look. If you loved it, great. That's why I hated that act. It was dreadful. After
pivots, by the way, and doesn't like refer to >> almost all of those characters that you meet in the first for different reasons >> but um but yeah, man, it was >> so more BMA content.
>> Bathma content. That's right. >> Um so other other highlights are a edge Cyberpunk Edge Runners uh Wthering Waves crossover. uh the reveal of Monster Hunter Wilds Ascendants uh expansion, which is which
>> A massive expansion. They said >> they they did call it massive. Actually, excited about. Hot Wheels Infinite Rush >> because I'm actually a huge mark for >> They are the Hot Wheels influencers. >> I love those games. They're great.
>> I do have Hot Wheels cuz No. Do you know what they did though? Because I did the hands-on with Infinite Rush and then the the asset kit is on the back of that little Yeah, they printed the asset kit on the So clever. Anyway, uh so I did
have to go and check the embargo. I'm not sure if I'm allowed to talk about another Hot Wheels game, but this time it's like semi-open world, and it's really fun, but again, we'll talk more about it later. Um Sonic 30th, 5th
anniversary. We're doing like crossover content with like Godzilla minus one in >> So the the Evangelion stuff. >> Oh, Evangelion as well. Went. >> They really did. That was Evangelion. Um, we got our first proper look at
yet talk about. >> Shout out to Jane Perry. >> Uh, like scanned in and everything. >> That's right. That's right. Yep. Yep. Yep. But Clutch is a racing game from former Playground game developers.
>> But then up until quite recently, it was being made, published by Amazon, and >> Dropped it. >> The reveal was really good. I like car movie. I like this." >> Yeah. Absolutely. I again can't talk
I'm looking forward to talking about it. And >> I'll just say that all I will say at this point is that I'm extremely because >> nice.
>> nice. >> Um so what else other than that? Um >> PAL World is coming to 1.0 in next Wolf Among Us 2, which we got a little sneak peek at. Nice to know that's back.
>> A remaster of the first one. Good. And a remaster of the first one. Good move. It was like, "Ah, I can't wait to replay one." And then they did that and I was >> Sure. Does it need it though? It's like it's stylized. Like I don't know how you
once. >> Nice. Nice. >> Nice. Nice. >> Um, and finally, we got a very very very deep deep dive into Final Fantasy 7 Revelation, the final chapter in the
remake trilogy. Uh Matt Mercer was up there as old Vincent. It was cool. He was he was nerding out. He was having a good time. Um lot of stuff discussed there. A lot of things shown. >> I'm at this point I don't really care if
feature or this improvement." I'm just like I'm just there to finish this story. Like I'm happy with what you've built. I'm happy with more of it. I'm its conclusion. >> It's It's interesting. I actually I
feel, but like I would have been good with just it. >> Yeah. No, I agree. I think they overcooked this a little bit. >> Like it was a bit too much cuz they it
kept going back. We're like, "We got a bit more." And you're like, "Oh, okay. >> So, um >> yeah, I agree with you. I think uh it seen a little bit less of it. just like, you know, pick out Curiosity a little
>> It does. It does. >> I got to I got to play I got to finish package that so many people have been waiting on is on the way soon cuz so many people are like, I'm going to wait until all three games. Yes, a lot of
people are doing that 100%. >> Um because they kind of they played it >> and they're kind of frustrated to imagine that they wouldn't be able to experience the whole story in one hit. But then I'm like, damn, man. you're
of game that you're going to have to play through at least depending on how big because the last one was like 80 hours at least I think you know I can't remember how long my playthrough was the first one's only about 30 normal game
>> I mean that's the thing is like you know if the audience is the type of people who can wait seven years >> because they don't >> play everything true Final Fantasy seven years
>> six seven years >> shut Shut up, Jake. Jet. He's from New York. [ __ ] one hour one two hour time difference. Live my life. Jet.
>> That's right. Um anyway, that was uh Jeff and Lucy's uh summer game showcase. on stage though. >> I was going to say, what about my >> I was thinking about you. >> Give me a second. Give me a second. Uh
but in addition to all of the game announcements, >> there was another announcement that was also very important. that one. >> Yeah, so I left GameSpot a couple of
>> after working there for 44 years. Can you believe that? 44 years at the one place. That's wild. >> They gave her a cold lunch.
>> Um to launch something new. So I've launched a newsletter which I was joking podcast. >> Oh no. It actually was and now it's like >> It's on the other side of it now, you know.
>> Uh yeah. So it's a newsletter focusing on indie game curation and discovery. It's called Looking for Game. Looking for.game is the website. You can go sign up. Uh, it's basically just because through doing this podcast really, I've
through doing this podcast really, I've kind of reignited a love of recommending games and talking about and highlighting smaller games. And I know because people comment um or email that that people do like that. And so that gave me some
confidence in saying, hey, there's people who want games that aren't just, find things. It's so much harder these days to find those games because there every day. >> Um, and so yeah, I am working on that
be working with developers, right? And essentially >> providing some access to like game codes, demos. >> So that's uh it's going to be like weekly gaming recommendations for free.
Um the paid tier gets you access to Discord and um extra newsletters and recommendations will be free. And what I'm doing right now is talking to like, "Hey, you have a demo. You know, we can put it out here to this audience
who is hungry for it. Um, and the tech partner, the tech platform is first look player.gg." So, uh, they are a play testing platform. You can sign up. It just means like for key distribution, we can just send you uh codes and Yeah. Uh
>> and you you have spoken a lot too about how you you you've chosen this over research like >> Yeah. I mean I had um our newsletter is >> Yeah. I mean I had um our newsletter is on Substack and you know it's fine. Well
I mean you know >> our needs are simple right but they don't have a video game um category like our our categories that I put in are culture and technology like they don't have a category. Um, and then
I had a meeting with Beehive and they were just, it's just they're not going to be as interested in this because, hey, anyone can have a newsletter, so why do you need special like technology that we don't we can't
of, you know, we came to that realization quite quickly. And then this, you know, he's um supporting me the way he supports the game business. Uh, we got in touch with first look player.gg GG and they just get it.
>> they work with developers and publishers all the time. They understand key mailing. They understand um you know the importance of how difficult discovery is. And uh they already had a product that was doing a lot to help that. And
>> we were talking about what my needs would be for this. And so um yeah, now got the curator side of player.gg, GG, which is what my newsletter is on. >> It is cool. It makes sense. It makes perfect sense. You literally honed
>> here. I' I've told this story to people a million times, but like from Vampire like, I played this weird game. And I'm like, what the how did you find this? it. It makes sense. >> Thank you.
>> Yeah. And uh shout out to Jeff for not only just being very supportive in this we've been talking about it for a bit, but like letting me do it on stage is but like letting me do it on stage is wild. And um I think that helped it get
>> Definitely. >> I mean it it certainly but it like you audience would be. And so I am very grateful and I hope to share in even more great gaming recommendations. Last week's newsletter was the Day of the
all to go play anything right now, it would be Blood Dungeon from Meshoff actually. Yeah, >> Chris Grant. Chris Grant. >> Chris Grant told me that >> who was my boss at GameSpot for a short
newsletter and you should talk about Blood Dungeon." And I was like, "Chris, I already did." And it went up yesterday cuz you and I are on the same wave. So >> "Yeah, >> it's awesome."
>> It's it's it's auto shooter like Vampire Survivors. >> Yeah. Yeah. Um, >> um, well, there was one other thing in the showcase that we didn't mention and it was Crossfire, which is the game from
That's No Moon, bunch of developers from a bunch of, you know, like AAA studios, >> No Dog, Infinity War, >> all that sort of stuff. And, uh, >> Yeah. So, they came together and they're working on a sort of narrativeled
military shooter kind of game. Sci-fi military shooter thing. Um the trailer didn't give away too much. It was pretty sort of like just high level. You're going on and it's >> Yeah. You're like two mercs y
>> that something weird is going on. But it's like it's around like >> tweaking and changing the third person shooter and like how how cover works, >> they're really trying something cool. >> Definitely. And uh we know this because
Lucy actually interviewed them while she was at their studio earlier in the week. And so that interview is with their names again are >> That's right. And so we're going to cut
>> That's right. And so we're going to cut over to that interview right now. joining me. Thank you for having me at your actual studio. It's rare these days to go to a studio. And Taylor, when you were giving us the tour earlier, you
said there's a lot of history with this place, this room in particular. Could you walk us through it a little bit? >> Yeah, so the uh stage we're in right now, which is within the four walls of that snow moon, um was a mocap facility
back in the 2000s and the 2010s. It was called House of Moves. And it's very called House of Moves. And it's very connected to that snow moon because uh back when we were at Naughty Dog uh we shot the performance capture for
Uncharted Drake's Fortune and Uncharted 2: Among Thieves uh in this facility. Uh Uncharted Drake's Fortune was in our bullpen where Jake's desk is now. Uh,
and for Uncharted 2, uh, House of Moves built this sound stage that has since built this sound stage that has since been improved dramatically, uh, for that game. Uh, and then a lot of other games, but I think we were the big driving
reason that they created this cuz they didn't want to lose us as a client. And didn't want to lose us as a client. And so to have That's No Moon uh have its headquarters in this place that I first stepped foot on like in 2005
is really really cool. It just feels warm and fuzzy and like like you know a homecoming >> and but it's not just you who've been here like Disney was here too. So this place has seen a lot of
>> You know, people have asked us about our studio name uh That Snow Moon, and uh reference?" Well, yeah, it is a reference to Star Wars. It doesn't mean that we're making a Star Wars game. It means that for people of a certain age,
people, that there was the world before Star Wars and the world after Star Wars. Star Wars and the world after Star Wars. and that sense of wonder and uh and that sense of wonder and uh possibility that just blew many a young
child's mind uh when those movies came out. Uh yeah, that is the sense of wonder that we want to capture with that snow moon. And so uh again, same place,
snow moon. And so uh again, same place, this same stage um was a Disney stage this same stage um was a Disney stage for a while. And uh both um uh the Lion for a while. And uh both um uh the Lion King reboot was shot here and then they
used this stage in this facility to do a lot of uh Mandalorian season 1. So I'm a lot of uh Mandalorian season 1. So I'm a big Star Wars fan. Uh did some work on a couple little games called Uncharted and now that's No Moon. So it's it just it
just again feels feels perfect. So I mean to talk let's let's get to you know Crossfire and the the founding of the studio. Um obviously you are very storied developers working across you know some games you might have heard of
over the years. How did That's no moon how did that formation happen? >> Sure. >> How did you end up deciding like oh crossfire is the game that we're going to make? Well, again, I'll I'll tell the
story because part of it is uh so a lot of the folks at That's No Moon have worked on similar titles across the years. So, we have do we have a shared vocabulary of how we make these kind of games, but primarily uh it's Jake and I
history together. We've been working together for 18 years running now. Uh we were at Naughty Dog together. He was crazy enough to follow me or come along
crazy enough to follow me or come along with me to Infinity Ward and then even with me to Infinity Ward and then even crazier again to come and work at That's No Moon and and and start this studio together. And sure, we could have played
it safe and stayed, you know, in comfortable places and working within comfortable places and working within comfortable IP, but for folks like Jake comfortable IP, but for folks like Jake and myself, um, when you have, uh,
someone that says the only metric for your success is to make the game of your careers, to innovate, to push the medium forward, to
make something that's high quality. It's like catnip, you know, and I couldn't refuse it. And I knew that I was kind of hooked because that's what makes me want
to keep making games. But I actually thought that Jake was going to be mad at me when I said, "Hey, I'm going to go do this crazy thing. You want to do it with me? Please don't yell." And instead, he was like, "Oh, yeah. Like, let's go do
that." So, I was a little shocked. You surprise me sometimes. Um, >> yeah. still surprising me. Uh, but you know, I shouldn't have been surprised because again, the thing that keeps me coming back to work every year and every
project is pushing the medium forward, innovating, doing stuff we haven't done So, here we are. >> Yeah. I I get really bored. Um, you >> Yeah. I I get really bored. Um, you know, if you look at my uh work history
know, if you look at my uh work history resume, it's like every fiveish years, I'm like, uh, okay. So, I've made one of those and then I'm I made the sequel and now it looks like we're doing the same thing again. Um, I always want to make
something that really feels like we're doing something different. We're moving the industry forward. We're pu we're pushing the medium forward and uh, you know, Smilegate basically offered us that opportunity. Uh, there's a bunch of
stuff in Crossfire where um, you know, I've been pitching people on things for years. you know, the story we wanted to tell, the the animation system innovations that we wanted to push forward with with adaptive cover and all
that. And people had said to me repeatedly like, um, you know, well, we have 25 years invested into our tech stack and it works perfectly fine. Why would we take on the risk of doing those things? We
have brand equity. We this is what we make. Why would we put risk into making a new thing? And then Smilegate said, "We want you to make a new project, a
new studio, and we want you to stand out and make something that people are going to recognize is is special and new and different." Uh, and that means taking a different." Uh, and that means taking a risk. So, um, we really built this
studio around innovation because of the opportunity that Smilegate gave to us. can absolutely understand why you would go for it. Would there never any
wasn't the same back in you know late 2020 21 when you were forming but you bigger risk these days. We are seeing all these horrible shutdowns. We are
seeing lack of investment in space. How does that do you feel more pressure now as a new studio with uh like your first game as this studio with a with a realize it was a billion players?
>> Yeah. >> Yeah. Um no, I don't think we feel more pressure. Um we try to keep it really simple. We make the games that we want simple. We make the games that we want to play. We make the stories that feel
to play. We make the stories that feel relevant to us and we hope that there is relevant to us and we hope that there is an audience that agrees. Uh and we it's an audience that agrees. Uh and we it's that's just simpler you know and until
such day if there is a day where it's like you know what what you guys think we're going to just keep making what excites us. And honestly, even now, the fact that you are making, you know, this character-driven narrative game in a
character-driven narrative game in a world of live service already makes you do live. >> Well, it's funny because we've, you know, again, it's been 5 years since we started the studio and um this is the
longest we've ever gone between game releases. And it's not that it's not just because or it's not because this game is um inherently we're slowing down or it's it's bigger or whatever. It's because we we we grew
a studio. I mean, again, not us like the team. We we f found like-minded folks that were subject matter experts in the kind of games that we like to make. And
kind of games that we like to make. And um so building this technology from the ground up in a lot of cases building the team from ground from the ground up has team from ground from the ground up has taken uh a bit of time. So we've had to
be quiet for a really long time and we're actually really relieved to be able to to talk about the game because we're we're we're excited about it. And uh it was funny because the the industry kind of goes in these waves, right? So
don't know, you know, you should really have multiplayer component because you that was where the whole industry was sort of skating toward. And we've just kept we've just been here this whole time, you know, and now we get people
coming in and going like, well, you know, uh, live service games like that's You should really be in single player. We're like, well, we just never left. It's the it's the it's the part of the industry that we we like the I mean we
like all these other games but in terms of making them and in terms of seinal experiences we've had playing games um single player games are you know take up a lot of my top 10 for sure. Yeah. you know, just speaking for myself, like I'm
just going to myopically keep working on the thing that I like making. And, you know, if if somebody comes along like Smilegate and says, "We want you to make one of those things." Oh my god, I'm going to make it. Um, but there there
there definitely are fewer opportunities to make these types of games than there to make these types of games than there used to be. And, um, you know, I think we feel really lucky that we've gotten this opportunity. And uh we hope that
enough people out there still want to play single player narrative driven play single player narrative driven prestige AAA type games that um you know we get to make another. >> So we're obviously recording this before
little snippet of gameplay but behind a good like a chunk of it and keep you playing. Um, what is your beef with how
cover shooters handle cover? >> Uh, going to get me off on the tirade. >> Uh, going to get me off on the tirade. Um, so like 20 years ago, um, the the third person coverbased shooter was created and um, you know, we we were
there for that. We've been working on it on on that type of genre, shooters like on on that type of genre, shooters like that since then. Um, and 20 years ago it was amazing new technology. It was incredible to see
somebody like slam into cover and aim over the top of it. It felt so over the top of it. It felt so highfidelity and so grounded. Um, but it was also built around the limitations of the technology at the time. Uh, we
couldn't push that many polygons. um we didn't have that much in the way of uh memory and processing power for lots of animations. So the system itself was
very limited. The the way that basically all of these games were is um the all of these games were is um the metrics are about 0 to 6 in. That's your step height. You just automatically walk over that. Um 6 in to about 24 in. Do
You are not allowed to build anything. the systems cannot handle it. Uh 24 to the systems cannot handle it. Uh 24 to 36, that's your low cover height. Uh and then like 36 in up to about 100. Um do not build anything. You're not allowed
to build anything. Uh and then 100 and above that's like your high cover height, maybe your high mantle height. Um and what that does is it makes these very stairstepped environments. And now as a player, you walk into this space
and you say like um you know a bunch of like crates and fallen over pillars and >> crate in a room. I know what's happening. >> straight to it. >> Yeah. The all So like the the surprise
and delight of what these experiences used to be um is kind of gone now because we as gamers recognize that pattern. We're like, "Oh, it'd be so surprising if a bunch of enemies spawned here with this room with all these
here with this room with all these crates." Um, and you know, fundamentally that's not how cover works in real life. In real life, you don't it's not a sticky state. Uh, it's not like I stick into cover and my state goes, my my
stance goes down and I detach from cover and I stand up. In real life, there's what's called defilade. That's the military term for it. You look at the line of sight of enemies and anything that blocks their line of sight, no
matter how far it is from you, that provides you cover. It provides you provides you cover. It provides you defilate. And um what our system does uh defilate. And um what our system does uh adaptive cover is you enter cover mode.
you uh deflect the stick and given the line of sight of enemies and the line of sight of enemies and the defilade between you and the enemies um your character will take the appropriate stance given that context. So you'll
move from all the way from like a a low crouch up into you know a high uh stance crouch up into you know a high uh stance um automatically uh based on our motion matching database um determining what the right pose is given the context of
uh the environment and enemies line of sight. And what really excites me about sight. And what really excites me about that is um it creates a an analog play space where you as the player need to be much more immersed in the space because
much more immersed in the space because you are you know you're not just like in to worry about where bullets are coming from cuz I'm in this sticky state. Instead you are looking at enemy elevations and saying like okay I think
given that elevation of that enemy the this shape of of object over here is such that I the from the biomechanics of my character I will be able to get down and take cover behind that and then move along here and find a a good route to
flank an enemy or take cover. Um, and it's a much more cerebral experience. Uh, and I find it very refreshing compared to the types of thirdp person
coverbased shooters experiences we've been having for the past 20 years or so. And, you know, I I feel like there was a point where
coverbased shooter. Like the whole industry was just doing that. And there's been a real falloff in that genre. And I I believe that it's because of the stagnation. It's because of how these mechanics are very limiting and
these mechanics are very limiting and they telegraph the uh the gameplay to the player. They also really tie the hands of the artists and designers. make the most beautiful environments when you're telling them all that
stairstepped spaces. >> Yeah. There's only so many ways you can make crate in a street interesting. Why do you think no one has tried to do >> Cuz it's hard. >> It's really hard.
>> you've had a lot of incentives. >> Yeah. Exactly. Like um if you're a longunning studio, you have an investment in a certain technology stack and you've got to keep leveraging that. You've got IP, you've got people have
certain expectations. You've got a team that's used to working a certain way, but this is again part of why that's no moon exists is we didn't have a technology stack when we started. We didn't have and we got to kind of
organically grow this team to make this game. So, I just don't think I think this would have been too much innovation for an existing team with an existing
IP. Yeah, it's it's risk, you know, like like Taylor's saying, people have their existing tech. They have, you know, their brand equity. They they have what players are expecting from this studio. And they're saying like, why would we
take on that risk of doing these really really difficult things that nobody's really difficult things that nobody's ever done um when it might not pan out. Um, for us, we have no choice but to take a risk because if we make something
just like everybody's made before, then nobody's going to hear about us. No, nobody's going to hear about our game. Nobody's going to like that's no moon. Won't make a splash, you know? It it'll just be like, oh, they made another one
of those. But if we do something genuinely risky and different and innovative, then we have a chance of standing out and at the same time pushing the medium forward and giving gamers uh an experience that they've
never had before. So yeah, people don't do it because it's risky and hard. We have to do it because it's risky and hard. And how are you feeling about, you
know, game comes out like the the cover system, you know, people really just the next thing." Is this like you want to have That's no moon attached to it. You know, like Arkham and Combat. >> What would you call it?
>> Learn Heather. >> Well, we call it adaptive cover, but um >> put you got the branding in there. >> Sure. uh you know I >> but no we don't really need to because if if we created a new paradigm and
other studios made games similar to it we'd be fine with that >> because now again there's probably a lot more to explore in this paradigm. So, we're cool with, you know, with sharing,
honestly. Not sharing like we like here, here's our code, but, you know, again, that's how this industry works is you build on those that come before you. We're certainly building on those that have come before us and building on our
have come before us and building on our own work. And we would love it if if now this was, you know, the new the new thing. And then, you know, maybe maybe 20 years from now someone else will make a brand new one that's even, you know,
>> Unless you're the Nemesis system and Warner Brothers stops it. >> I know, right? I mean, you never know how it's going to I mean, you never know how it's going to work out, but we we hope that other
people feel that this is as refreshing an experience as we think it is. And, you know, I'd love to inspire other teams to innovate and do more. Let's move to I know we're not talking too much about story and narrative
today, but in the presentation you were talking about how you know how you want to make these characters and like you want to have a narrative that serves want to have a narrative that serves gameplay. Um obviously from you know
days on Uncharted I'm sure you've heard the term ludo narrative dissonance. >> Oh yes. How are you approaching that >> when it comes to Crossfire? specifically >> in like you know making gameplay a
narrative more like a marriage rather than you know one is a means to than you know one is a means to >> well uh one thing we're doing is um our >> well uh one thing we're doing is um our characters are not sort of gleefully
characters are not sort of gleefully murdering waves and waves of enemies. Um murdering waves and waves of enemies. Um circumstances in our story are such that circumstances in our story are such that um Cross uh his name's Delroy uh and
um Cross uh his name's Delroy uh and Leila are compelled to work together or they're both going to die. They don't like each other very much. They would probably prefer that they could go their separate ways, but today they don't have
separate ways, but today they don't have that that luxury. And um the enemies that that luxury. And um the enemies that they are fighting uh they there is something that is they are humans and there is something that is sort of wrong
there is something that is sort of wrong with them that um and in any other circumstance like I mentioned maybe they would try to maybe these people just would try to maybe these people just need a hug but unfortunately they also
don't have that luxury. So, in terms of ludo narrative dissonance, um, we are okay, and this is something else that we're doing that's kind of maybe risky, we're doing that's kind of maybe risky, is that we are okay with the cuz our
characters, they talk about not wanting to kill unnecessarily, but it's they're in a kill or be killed situation. So there is a if they want to survive, which they do, there is a certain amount of damage
they're going to have to deal out and we also give the player enough agency that also give the player enough agency that if they want to sneak past an encounter, they can do that, too. That's probably going to be pretty difficult, but again,
we really want our players to feel like that they're immersed in this world. And that they're immersed in this world. And if it seems like this is um a situation if it seems like this is um a situation where they could avoid uh confrontation
that we give them that option. And you know we talk a lot about um putting the player in emotional par with the protagonist. So these two soldiers right
protagonist. So these two soldiers right these these two operators um they are uh these these two operators um they are uh saying hey we are diametrically opposed. saying hey we are diametrically opposed. We are dogmatically opposed and
We are dogmatically opposed and we don't want to work together but because of the pressure being placed on us by this existential threat we have to work together and uh that's the only way we're going to survive. So, you know,
there could be ludon narrative dissonance there if the player is now playing the game and the game is like really easy and they're like, you know, everybody. They have regen health. They're, you know, taking a million
bullets. If the game were to be tuned that way, the player might say, "Well, that way, the player might say, "Well, these these characters are saying to me um that they are only willing to work together because oh my god, I I have to
in order to survive. There's so much pressure on us." But we are tuning the game such that there's a similar amount of pressure on the player. We're of pressure on the player. We're creating um lethal um uh grounded uh to
creating um lethal um uh grounded uh to some degree realistic combat where the some degree realistic combat where the player really has to rely on um Delroy to draw enemy fire while the player goes and uh reacquires stealth and flanks
and uh reacquires stealth and flanks around and attacks the enemy from um around and attacks the enemy from um from stealth. uh and that puts the same lethality puts the same pressure on the player as the protagonists are
experiencing. So that makes the player buy into the story because these willing to work together because of this pressure placed on us." And the player's like, "Yes, I get it. There is a ton of pressure being placed on me. I do have
overcome this." Therefore, they don't feel lud narrative distance. talk a little bit about the casting process because you were talking about you know Ricky and um Claudia and like hearing them both in their natural
accents is kind of wild because we heard them you know Claudia American accent and the boys Ricky with American accent in American Gods but they're Australian and and British and so does that bring a kind of authenticity to their
performance or like you said it was a layer of them having to think about what >> Yeah. Any actor that's putting on an accent that is not their natural accent really has to devote quite a bit of their mental capacity to keeping that
their mental capacity to keeping that accent on point. Um, I prefer to have uh the actors put all that mental uh acumen into the nuance of their role. Number one. Number two, we're creating these
roles together. It's a collaborative process. We have our ideas of who I is and we have our ideas of who Delroy is. But if I just dictate to them it's like
this and it's like that and like then I'm I'm preventing them from making these characters better than what we envisioned. And so I've worked with Claudia for a long time now. I've
actually now worked with Ricky for a long time. um and being able to have long time. um and being able to have them be equal partners in this and we see the benefits of this. So again, you'll know clearly I'm American. So
writing humor that a British person would say or an Australian person would say, sometimes we miss the mark. And sometimes Claudia will say, "I would never say that >> because you said you want me to be like
fullon Aussie." And I'm like, "Just your version of Aussie, whatever that is, Claudia." But she'll say, "Well, then I would never say this." And so then I'll >> Yeah, we all speak the same language, but actually we don't.
>> Exactly. And so she'll say, "Well, I would say this." And we look around and go, "Can we say that in a game?" And >> let's see what >> uh it's Australian. They say it a lot. >> So I've heard. Uh but again it now we
>> So I've heard. Uh but again it now we are a team right like uh Delroy and Ila are a team right like uh Delroy and Ila are a team Ricky and Claudia are a team working with our team right again there's all these metaphors of we are
better together than we are apart right so we don't Jake and I don't ascribe to so we don't Jake and I don't ascribe to this like uh you know uh it's my vision and you know everything's got to be just so I mean we have very strongly held
ideas, controlling ideas, gameplay and and narrative like being inextricably and narrative like being inextricably linked. Those are sacrosanked for us. But in terms of really fleshing out these characters and bringing them to
life, uh why would I think that I can just do everything by myself when I have this incredible team of writers and animators and cinematographers and lighting artists and actors, right? So, so together we we make these things just
be be the best versions of them. And so having them be fully invested. And by the way, it was a real process. Uh Claudia was like, "No, you don't want to hear me do me." And I'm like, "Yes, I do. I love your your terrible sense of
humor and your sarcasm, and I just want to capture that." And same thing for Ricky. You know, Ricky said, "But, you know, I I sound a little too posh." you soldier. And it's like, but that's that's amazing that dichotomy, right?
that's amazing that dichotomy, right? You can both be tough and be you, Ricky. You don't have to put on this like butch American accent in order to pull this off. Like, that's boring, right? Let's let's like let's be a little more
true to self. >> So, no release date just yet. >> More to come on that. No. Um, so I guess my final question would be, you know, both been making games for a long time. You seen the industry change in many
ways and you said this is the project, you know, this one, this be your best game ever. How are you feeling about it as it sits right now? >> Pretty good. I mean, we've been talking to a lot of people. Again, we've been
just completely silent for the last 5 years, which is, as you can tell, we kind of like to talk. It's more that we like to we like to show our math, right? We didn't when we showed you the game, we didn't just say here's the game. We
said this game is like this because here was our logic. It has to be like this because we believe these things to be true. And so, um, it's really nice to be able to finally talk about it and to finally be able to reveal it to the
finally be able to reveal it to the world. And, um, and so far so good. Um, feedback. We've had some people come by the studio and check it out over, you know, here and there and now like more people and so far seems like uh what we
think is cool other people are thinking is pretty cool. >> Yeah, it's it's been really great because um you know, you get so close to because um you know, you get so close to something for so long you you're like uh
is is anybody else going to like this? Is anybody else going to feel the way I feel about this? And it's been really great putting it into people's hands and having them say like really complimentary things like get it, you
know, because that's really one of the things about this game is it's it's very easy to just look at it and say, "Well, isn't that what all games do?" You know,
because our our whole goal is to try to make this as seamless as possible. And what we're doing is incredibly difficult. It's it's new. Nobody's ever done this. Um, you know, we we have this crazy motion
matching database with like hundreds of thousands of connections to make the character move through the environment appropriately. We captured thousands of appropriately. We captured thousands of hours of uh character movement on this
stage to be able to achieve that. even when you like I one of the craziest things about this game is that um aiming your gun is probably the most complex
your gun is probably the most complex problem we had to solve because but that's the point. The the the thing that makes it so difficult is because in any traditional thirdp person coverbased shooter, you would uh get into cover and
cover because it is always exactly the same height and it's flat. We know exactly what animation you have to play to aim over it. But because in this game it's a completely analog space. When you hold that aimdown sights
space. When you hold that aimdown sights trigger, we have to do a ton of calculations to figure out what's going on. Um, Unreal has this system called EQS, the environmental query system. It's usually used by um, you know, enemy
AI as they walk around the environment to determine where's a good place to take cover. We take it off the ground, put it up in front of you, and when you pull that trigger, we say, "Okay, what is in front of the player?" Draw a
grid of traces. Okay, there's there's a rock over here, and there's a tree over there, and there's a thing over here, and it has this exact shape. Therefore, this part of the grid is the only place that they could aim through. Motion
matching database. What poses do we have that can get the player to aim over that? Is it a low pose? It is. Is it a high pose? Do they have to lean? Do they have to lean left? What what shape does their body have to be in in order to aim
around that such that the muzzle of the gun is cleared given where the reticle isn't the character. The player is the reticle, right? You're looking through the reticle. So, we have to do a trace from the reticle into the distance and
from the reticle into the distance and say, "What did that hit?" Okay, they're probably aiming at that. choose the correct pose given the EQS query to aim through the environment and hit that. And now, as you move the character and
the camera, rotate it all around that distant point so that whatever the player is aiming at doesn't change cuz we can't touch that. We got to make sure that that's always at the same place. So, we do all this absolutely ridiculous
So, we do all this absolutely ridiculous math every time you pull the trigger to aim down sights. And since I know we've been doing our job well, nobody will have any clue that all that stuff is happening. That is
>> sign of GDC. >> I I mean our team has done magic and and they absolutely should do GDC talks about this. But the whole point is like hopefully players have no idea all of
>> Feels natural. It feels good. It just it you just feel like you are in this space uh moving naturally, aiming like you would if you were in a space like that. and and yeah, it's you're more immersed >> and and because these systems that we've
built allow our artists and our designers to build arbitrarily complex organic geometry that is more detailed and more um complex in shape and more
organic than any third person coverbased shooter ever before. What the player should experience is like, wow, look at this beautiful environment. Look at how how realistic and immersive it is. Look at how I'm able to navigate it and use
at how I'm able to navigate it and use it the way a real person would. it the way a real person would. And that's really hard to convey in a two-minute trailer. It's really hard to convey in uh a few seconds of gameplay.
>> but you know, I I think gamers are perceptive and they're smart and I think they're going to see the trailer and they're going to say I'm not sure if they're going to be able to exactly pinpoint what feels
different. I mean, Lucy, maybe you know, you saw it, but our hope again is that different." >> Yeah, this is hopefully people see it and they they realize that it's special and different. And you know, hopefully
that message out there. >> Well, best of luck. Excited to see more. >> Thank you. Really appreciate it. We'll let you know how it goes on Friday. >> Yeah. And you'll know how it goes. I mean, tell us.
here, we are going to talk about Xbox, but we will say that we have not yet because we were in bookings all day long at Summer Games, we haven't had the We've only seen little snippets as we've won. So, we're actually going to talk
record. >> Um but we will talk about little bits and pieces here because there are little things that we have seen and little trailers we you know, whatever else. Uh so yeah, major stuff obviously is Gears
of War Eday. So you have seen that. Okay, tell us what's the deal. So, it's >> it's what we knew. It's like it takes place Eday. It's like a it's like a Um >> what we saw gameplay was like it
literally starting to happen and so they're like in plain clothes and it >> how thick are the necks. >> They're still pretty thick. They're all like so it's it's still keeping that art style, that environment style. It's a
modernized, but like it looks like Gears. Um, but the gameplay is faster. >> Nice. >> At first I was like, whoa, sliding in Gears of War, but >> once you see it in action seems cool.
>> uh climbing. So, there's like verticality now. A lot more verticality. Um, >> and it's just a straight up Gears adventure, like more linear like you know how we the original games were.
>> Um, >> yeah. I I it's it it was just a cool just essentially >> started and it was just like chaos in the streets. Like it's not like warfare yet. It's literally just like
like what's going on and like trains are crashing and like buses are exploding walls and like >> they're just figuring it out and like still there. Okay. >> Uh it's in the middle of the screen now.
>> Which is interesting. But >> yeah, I'll talk more about it next week. Uh that's probably the theme with Xbox, I think, is that a lot of stuff we're more in depth later on. >> For example, Fable, uh like they had a
new trailer here, but they also were showing us things behind closed doors as that in the next episode. >> Haley Atwell is the villain of Fable. >> Yeah. >> And then also from what we do in the
>> Cool. >> Okay. I missed that. But um they tease >> I think I think that's just going to be like a small thing. >> The uh Halo campaign evolved. Big reveal here is that they're actually getting
new missions added to the campaign and they're going to take place before the Johnson. >> Um which is interesting. I think that's Uh I'm interested to see how they do with that. So, um we'll come back to
that in the future as well. Uh, Resonance A Plague Legacy got a release date for 27th of August and I'm very excited about that actually because game >> Yeah, very different. Yeah, but like they they have my goodwill previous
exactly where I'm at with it for sure. Persona 4 Revival is coming February >> And uh this is also that's it. And this is also they didn't do it here, they did it later in the show, but they did uh
reveal the existence of Persona 6. >> Yes. as a very quick teaser. >> So, I will say that when I went to the Sega booth uh yesterday internally, they 30th
get I know Revival's coming." Um, yeah, all time. I'm very excited for Revival. >> Um, obviously the Persona 3 remake went down really, really well. Um, there are
some things about four that I think have really stood the test of time. I think friendship. >> And I think the thing about when I that I'm not spending time with the characters anymore. And I felt that so
keenly with Persona 4. So I'm excited to revisit them all again. I do wonder I mean kind of the thing with P3 too where it's like you go from Persona 5 and
dungeons back to the ones that were more procedurally like randomly generated a feel to sort of go back to that one. >> Um, however, the music is still
spectacular. Um, I couldn't quite catch I was trying to do it before. I was trying to figure out if that still was Troy Baker playing um, Kanji, but I don't know if it I don't know. >> Uh, and then the Persona 6 reveal.
>> Yeah, >> that was a real hint of a tease. >> I there's not really much to glean from it from me. It was it was like this shot it from me. It was it was like this shot of a bunch of graves and um a little bit
stuff. And so I assume someone is going through it frame by frame. For me, honestly, it's just I'm really glad to know it exists. We know that um >> it's been a long time since Persona 5. Even even Royal Royal was the last thing
office before lockdown. So that would have been March 20. >> 20. And so just the fact that we know that six exists, uh, by my reckoning though, if revival is next year, I wouldn't expect six
>> Um, >> but it's nice to know it's coming. coming. Persona is such a special. >> Nice, man. >> Still exists. >> It's coming next year, apparently. Let's
see about Let's see about that, right? Let's just see about that. Uh, Metro 2039 is I actually have not yet seen this trailer. Desperate to see this games. And this one's now launching in February 27.
>> Story ramifications are cool. Like from that initial reveal like they're really >> September 26 and February 27. >> February is always big. September's because you're getting into the end of the year, but this this September's
>> No, absolutely. Yeah, >> I spoke to the Hot Wheels team, the I'm like, "When's your game coming out?" They're like, "24th of September." I'm >> Yeah, we're filling up. >> Uh, so the reveal of Bad Magpie, which
is apparently a British game. >> Little British game. We'll talk about it more next time. >> Okay, fantastic. Uh, Woolong 2, Wings of going back for another Woolong. I'm guessing it sold really well. I'm
>> it was cool, too. >> Yeah, it was a great game. I enjoyed it. I didn't play all the DLC cuz there was a lot of DLC. Yeah, there was like a lot of D at least three, maybe even four DLC drops for that. Yeah.
drops for that. Yeah. >> So, uh, they did that. Um, Join Us is a cult game. It's weird, man. It's kind of like >> GTA like sandboxy kind of just >> it's it's it's madness. We'll talk more
about it later as well. Um, there was a Cena game uh revealed here. seen that one? >> I saw the trailer for it a little bit. >> yeah, >> you're not really
Hellblade 2 did not do it for me at all. I think it's a very beautiful game. I I think it's a very beautiful game. I really admire what um Ninja Theory do in trying to um reduce stigma on mental illness and the the way that they treat
things like quite respectfully um and do their research and stuff. I respect them a lot for all of that. However, in terms of the actual act of playing that game of the actual act of playing that game is very um not what I'm looking for me
>> Sure. >> And so I'm interested to see what Cena >> Yes. >> Uh Dune Dark Ages Revelations is some DLC arriving on July 8th. I will be there day one. Crazy Taxi World Tour.
Did it have the offspring in it? Yes, it did. [ __ ] yeah, man. I was worried they rights? >> Yep. No, it was and it was Axel and his green hair driving around. >> Yeah, seems like it's going to be more
than just a San Francisco type city. Do other stuff with it, but opened confirmed. >> They revealed the Xbox 25th anniversary >> They revealed the Xbox 25th anniversary collection. I have not uh have not used
my Xbox very much in the last few years, but I want this Xbox. It looks incredibly You don't like the clear the plastic? Oh my god, I love purple >> I used to have when my original Xbox I used to have that clear green. Yeah, I
love that [ __ ] I loved it. So when I saw that I was like, "Oh, I need this." Um, so um, Age of Empires Raiders of the North is an expansion coming out in fall. Minecraft Dungeons 2 has been revealed.
>> I like Minecraft Dungeons. I liked the original Minecraft. I didn't like it any terrain destruction and you couldn't do any building and I'm like Minecraft. But anyway, look, it was very
it. It's a very good sort of like baby's first ARPG. It's very good for that. Um, September. This is a first person souls like actually previewed this one a little while ago. I really enjoyed it. I liked it. Um, and
uh, what else? Wherewinds Meet is coming onto Xbox. There you go. Another look at Castlevania: Belmont's Curse, which is now launching uh October 15th, which is now launching uh October 15th, which is cool. Is Yep, that's nice. Um, we talked
beyond. >> Not a realm reborn, as I keep track. game. >> Very small slipp snippet of gameplay. Where's Sparks, though? >> But I'm super glad. I love Spy. I love
Spider-Man. It was just so lovely. >> Tom Kenny's back. >> Oh, the voice actor. Okay. Right. Fantastic. >> Oh, okay. Awesome. Uh, but yeah, it was just I love those games. They were
fantastic. Clockwork Revolution is the one trailer that I'm devastated to have a spare 5 minutes, I'm going to go and watch this. >> And that release date is >> next year.
says 27. >> I'm happy it has a release year >> window. Okay. Right. Okay. Fantastic. And then finally, Call of Duty Modern Warfare 4. Not going to lie, I'm not that interested in Call of Duty, but
thoughts? >> It's incredible. You know, looks cool. showcase was one we'll discuss very briefly cuz we're on a time and Jake's got to go soon. But the news that two of the games that we listed here are not
coming to PS5. They were coming to PS5. Now that's been cancelled. Those two games are Gears of War Eday, >> console exclusive, >> and and Clockwork Revolution are both locked in as console exclusive. They
will come to PC >> and Xbox consoles, and they will never come to PS5. They are never. They are not timed exclusives. They are just full stop like exclusive to Xbox consoles and PC.
PC. >> How do we feel about that change? Just also as a bit of extra as a bit as a bit of extra flavor for this, they did multiplayer titles are going to continue to be multiplatform.
>> They said for their single player stuff, it's going to be on like an as like a case by case basis is what they said. Um, so how do we feel about this? What >> Messy, messy, messy. >> It's messy, but like just with what
been positioning it lately, I'm not like surprised. >> No. >> Oh no. >> No, the outlet's fine. >> On the outlet. It's fine. We're actually
quite safe. Just a bit of just a bit on the carpet. We're safe. We're safe. Jake. You were saying, >> "Yeah." Uh, >> Lucy? How do you feel about the exclusive pivot?
>> Steal it. >> Uh, no. You just say that given >> how they've been talking, how they positioning. I'm not surprised. I would that I am most surprised about because it feels like it perhaps has a slightly
like putting it on PlayStation would give it more of a helping hand. Uh maybe it was just the one that you could do that with more easily. Um you know I
[ __ ] out. >> Here's what I >> Yes. Well, I mean I think that having a new leader in place gives you a little bit of latitude to sort of like reset the table, right? So, I feel like we
right? >> It's that's why I'm saying messy rather >> sure, but like at the same time, it wasn't work. Xbox has not been working got a new leader in place now who's trying to like figure out a way to make
wants to try, right? A lot of people have said, "This is something you should >> Personally, I I'm actually quite torn on it for personally, in all other circumstances, I would be like, "This is a great move. I 100% support it. I'm all
fight for your platform. I think exclusives are the way you fight for a people onto it and I know that means get that. But I think fighting for overall platform health is important,
right? Because otherwise I just don't think this industry works unless we've got good strong platforms that are fighting each other essentially. You know what I mean? Like and trying to one up each other compete, right? Yeah.
console generation, the prices have dropped substantially versus launch. >> and it would be a great play to be like, you know what, now we're at the back end of a console generation. Console prices are down to like 350 bucks or whatever,
$400. We think we have a good library behind you and we've got some exclusive content that we think deserves your money. So, to me is a slam dunk sell. But right now, if you've got to fork out like
a,000 bucks for an Xbox after an entire generation where nothing has been exclusive and then the next generation is like in I don't know what they're what I mean? So, it's like >> that's where that is very messy and
fault obviously because like that they didn't know, so I just they're caught in between a rock and a hard place. And I with the launch of Helix and they were announcing that pivot there, I think
make that jump in that moment, that change of policy. >> But to jump into it here, >> I don't know, man. That's pretty I don't know about that. You know what I mean? And again, not their fault. I just
because I personally otherwise if console prices were reasonable, I would decision. >> But unfortunately, now. No. >> No. But it sets the stage for like when
going to continue to be a thing. And maybe eventually when things settle. >> Yeah. It prevents like a a potential negative outlook when if when Helix Like laying the groundwork now, letting the dust settle, and then you go into
>> concrete plan. >> I just I I can't really imagine that it I can't really imagine that it results in like a lot of new Xbox console sales. That's the thing, right? Cuz I think Gears of War is a very very very gear
people who are excited about it already own an Xbox and Clockwork Revolution. It I don't know that it would necessarily be a system seller. And if it were to be such an absurd system seller that it would need to push against all those
other forces that I just described a minute ago. And I just so I I hope they hope that they don't go, "Oh, we tried to do some exclusives. They didn't work. Consoles didn't sell and games didn't sell. Therefore, exclusives are bad.
Hopefully Xbox people, there's some smart people working there. They'll like >> they're keeping it interesting. That's for sure. >> You've got to get out of here, man. We got to wrap this [ __ ]
>> We were supposed to wrap 10 minutes ago. >> But um but yeah, overall a good summer >> Oh, yeah. So much more to talk about for the future for the next god knows how >> Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. But it was a good showing. Lots of games, hands-on
time, lots of stuff behind closed doors, lots to share. Um, and look, great to pleasure. And, uh, yeah, we're doing hand We're doing handshakes, are we, Nice to see you. Fantastic. >> Thank you all for being here.
>> looking for.Game. >> That's right. Don't forget to sign up to our newsletter as well for when that when that goes out. Uh, don't forget to subscribe. Please do leave reviews on uh
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