For our first podcast of 2020 we break the record for longest non GOTY podcast. We do that by chatting it up about the Pokemon expansion pass and the PS5 logo. We didn't play many games, but we do talk a whole lot about the upcoming games in 2020.
News - 00:54 to 49:47
What We Played - 49:48 to 1:22:02
2020 Preview - 1:22:03 to 3:07:59
Specific Game Time Stamps
Bayonetta - 49:48 to 1:01:16
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night - 1:01:17 to 1:06:52
Final Fantasy XIV - 1:06:53 to 1:22:02
Friday, January 10, 2020
Tuesday, December 31, 2019
Top Ten Games of 2019
2019 really didn't do a whole lot for me personally in video games. Normally I gravitate towards narrative experiences, but there weren't too many great ones to latch onto this year. While there were a bunch of games that were great not many of them were "Manny" games. Despite that I still had a rough time cutting my list down to ten, but as always I managed in the end.
As always I will list my top ten games of the year in descending order. These are my opinions based on games I beat in 2019.
10. Kingdom Hearts 3
I feel that most people were disappointed by Kingdom Hearts 3 as the conclusion to the plot arc set up over the course of numerous games, but I wasn't. This game ended the arc as well as I thought it would and delivered compelling enough gameplay to pull me through.
Sure it could have been better, but I'm a firm believer that this was the best outcome we were going to get. I enjoyed it.
9. Concrete Genie
Sony did a bad job marketing this game, so not many people even knew it came out. It's a bummer, because Concrete Genie is a magical experience. You play as the bullied Ash who finds a magic paintbrush he can use to revitalize the dilapidated town of this childhood.
Neon colors and interesting painting mechanics carry this colorful adventure for its roughly 6 hour run time. Just enough time to leave me wanting more, but not so much that it burned me out.
8. Yo-kai Watch 3
Every year I think I won't play another 3DS game, but this year I truly think I mean it. Yo-Kai Watch 3 takes the system to its limits and shows that level-5 has truly mastered the hardware.
It's the Yo-Kai monster collecting I have come to love, but built out to an insane degree. The battle system became a bit more tactical and it has more content that anyone can handle.
7. Control
Control is the game I feel like Remedy has always been trying to make forever. They found their thing that allows them to finally have fun gameplay while exploring a story with the tone they're known for.
You play as Jesse Faden in what is the equivalent of the Men in Black for paranormal things. She shoots things with a magical transforming gun and throws stuff with telekinetic powers. It has amazing world building, but the overarching story falters a bit near the end.
6. Devil May Cry 5
Capcom decided to un-reboot the Devil May Cry franchise and didn't totally mess it up. Nero and Dante return as they were in Devil May Cry 4 and somehow it works.
As usual the stylish action feels good and is a ton of fun. The story isn't anything special, but it's exactly what I expected.
5. Katana Zero
Katana Zero is an action puzzle game where you play as a Samurai in a bizarre future. He can slow down time allowing him to deflect bullets and cut down enemies before they even realize he's there.
The story is like a Quentin Tarantino fever dream and I hope that more gets made in this universe. It's almost like a 2D SUPERHOT and that's awesome.
4. Fire Emblem: 3 Houses
I hated Fire Emblem: Fates so much that I had to take a break from the franchise. Three Houses brought me back in and I liked it a lot. It dumps some of the waifu stuff that Fates doubled down on and got back to the tactical combat I love. The social elements are still present, but they are now closer to Persona school life than a bad dating sim.
Instead of making three games they crammed three stories into one, so there's a LOT here if you want to play through it a few times.
3. Judgment
Once Kiryu's story was over in Yakuza the team decided to try something new with Judgment. The main bummer is that it's not that different from Yakuza. The combat system is very similar and it takes place in the same city.
The compelling part of Judgment for me was that it's a courtroom drama mixed with the insane high octane action of a Yakuza game. New characters elevate this story to new heights.
2. Sekiro: Shadow's Die Twice
In Dark Souls I played as a slow tank-like character, which Bloodborne did not allow me to do despite giving me the illusion that I could build a character to my liking. Sekiro removes the illusion of Bloodborne and lets you know that you are a specific character you're going to play a specific way.
In my opinion the game design here is superb. Areas leading up to a boss will teach you lessons to help later in the game. I loved it.
1. Outer Wilds
Outer Wilds wasn't even on my radar, but I fell deep into it immediately. You play as an astronaut of a new space faring race. The setup is very loose and then you're launched into space to explore the world for 22 minutes before everything resets. After each run you only retain the knowledge of your previous run. The ultimate goal is to end the loop.
I can't go too deep into detail, but the world building in this game is incredible. You need to have the personal drive to continue in the game, because the story unfolds as you find it. It's not for everyone, but it was certainly for me!
As always I will list my top ten games of the year in descending order. These are my opinions based on games I beat in 2019.
I feel that most people were disappointed by Kingdom Hearts 3 as the conclusion to the plot arc set up over the course of numerous games, but I wasn't. This game ended the arc as well as I thought it would and delivered compelling enough gameplay to pull me through.
Sure it could have been better, but I'm a firm believer that this was the best outcome we were going to get. I enjoyed it.
Sony did a bad job marketing this game, so not many people even knew it came out. It's a bummer, because Concrete Genie is a magical experience. You play as the bullied Ash who finds a magic paintbrush he can use to revitalize the dilapidated town of this childhood.
Neon colors and interesting painting mechanics carry this colorful adventure for its roughly 6 hour run time. Just enough time to leave me wanting more, but not so much that it burned me out.
Every year I think I won't play another 3DS game, but this year I truly think I mean it. Yo-Kai Watch 3 takes the system to its limits and shows that level-5 has truly mastered the hardware.
It's the Yo-Kai monster collecting I have come to love, but built out to an insane degree. The battle system became a bit more tactical and it has more content that anyone can handle.
Control is the game I feel like Remedy has always been trying to make forever. They found their thing that allows them to finally have fun gameplay while exploring a story with the tone they're known for.
You play as Jesse Faden in what is the equivalent of the Men in Black for paranormal things. She shoots things with a magical transforming gun and throws stuff with telekinetic powers. It has amazing world building, but the overarching story falters a bit near the end.
Capcom decided to un-reboot the Devil May Cry franchise and didn't totally mess it up. Nero and Dante return as they were in Devil May Cry 4 and somehow it works.
As usual the stylish action feels good and is a ton of fun. The story isn't anything special, but it's exactly what I expected.
Katana Zero is an action puzzle game where you play as a Samurai in a bizarre future. He can slow down time allowing him to deflect bullets and cut down enemies before they even realize he's there.
The story is like a Quentin Tarantino fever dream and I hope that more gets made in this universe. It's almost like a 2D SUPERHOT and that's awesome.
I hated Fire Emblem: Fates so much that I had to take a break from the franchise. Three Houses brought me back in and I liked it a lot. It dumps some of the waifu stuff that Fates doubled down on and got back to the tactical combat I love. The social elements are still present, but they are now closer to Persona school life than a bad dating sim.
Instead of making three games they crammed three stories into one, so there's a LOT here if you want to play through it a few times.
Once Kiryu's story was over in Yakuza the team decided to try something new with Judgment. The main bummer is that it's not that different from Yakuza. The combat system is very similar and it takes place in the same city.
The compelling part of Judgment for me was that it's a courtroom drama mixed with the insane high octane action of a Yakuza game. New characters elevate this story to new heights.
In Dark Souls I played as a slow tank-like character, which Bloodborne did not allow me to do despite giving me the illusion that I could build a character to my liking. Sekiro removes the illusion of Bloodborne and lets you know that you are a specific character you're going to play a specific way.
In my opinion the game design here is superb. Areas leading up to a boss will teach you lessons to help later in the game. I loved it.
Outer Wilds wasn't even on my radar, but I fell deep into it immediately. You play as an astronaut of a new space faring race. The setup is very loose and then you're launched into space to explore the world for 22 minutes before everything resets. After each run you only retain the knowledge of your previous run. The ultimate goal is to end the loop.
I can't go too deep into detail, but the world building in this game is incredible. You need to have the personal drive to continue in the game, because the story unfolds as you find it. It's not for everyone, but it was certainly for me!
Podcast Episode 71 - GOTY 2019
As always I am going to issue a rough audio warning. This one is better than previous years, but we're four people using a single mic. More often than not Scott and I are louder while Noukeo and Matt are quieter. Since it's all one track I can't properly adjust anything individually. Someday we'll be able to use multiple mics and it'll be magical.
This is the same as every GOTY podcast. We count down our favorite games of the year from 10 to 1. So buckle up for three and a half hours of non-stop action!
This is the same as every GOTY podcast. We count down our favorite games of the year from 10 to 1. So buckle up for three and a half hours of non-stop action!
Friday, December 27, 2019
Podcast Episode 70 - Game of the Year Categories 2019
There was absolutely no news for the past two weeks that we cared about, so we move right into talking about the four games we played before getting into our Game of the Year Categories!
News - There isn't any
What We Played - 4:06 to 29:05
GOTY Categories - 29:06 to 2:32:18
Specific Game Time Stamps
Control - 4:06 to 11:23
Wreckfest - 11:24 to 15:16
Sayonara WIld Hearts - 15:17 to 24:41
Resident Evil 2 Remake - 24:42 to 29:05
News - There isn't any
What We Played - 4:06 to 29:05
GOTY Categories - 29:06 to 2:32:18
Specific Game Time Stamps
Control - 4:06 to 11:23
Wreckfest - 11:24 to 15:16
Sayonara WIld Hearts - 15:17 to 24:41
Resident Evil 2 Remake - 24:42 to 29:05
Friday, December 13, 2019
Podcast Episode 69 - Ghost of the Game Awards
This week is action packed as we start off looking at Porn Hub's year in review to see what video games people were searching for the most. It's a wild ride. In terms of actual news we chat about In the Valley of the Gods being put on hold and 2Ks newest studio.
The games we played goes fairly quick and then we transition into talking about The 2019 Game Awards, which also gets pretty wild.
News - 15:27 to 37:08
What We Played - 37:09 to to 58:52
The Game Awards - 58:53 to 2:20:06
Specific Game Time Stamps
Shenmue 3 -37:18 to 38:32
Romancing Saga 3 - 38:33 to 43:19
Need for Speed: Heat - 43:20 to 48:04
Control - 48:05 to 55:34
My Friend Pedro - 55:35 to 58:52
The games we played goes fairly quick and then we transition into talking about The 2019 Game Awards, which also gets pretty wild.
News - 15:27 to 37:08
What We Played - 37:09 to to 58:52
The Game Awards - 58:53 to 2:20:06
Specific Game Time Stamps
Shenmue 3 -37:18 to 38:32
Romancing Saga 3 - 38:33 to 43:19
Need for Speed: Heat - 43:20 to 48:04
Control - 48:05 to 55:34
My Friend Pedro - 55:35 to 58:52
Friday, November 29, 2019
Podcast Episode 68 - Star Wars Fallen Strand
The length of the podcast this week gets away from us, but we discuss quite a bit. We begin by discussing the nominations for the 2019 Game Awards, and then transition into what we've been playing. Pokemon and Death Stranding take up a lot of time, but at least we won't really have to talk about them much now that they're done! The final portion is about Fallen Order. Matt did not like it very much, while I did.
Beware of spoilers for Fallen Order. I marked them in the timestamps.
News - 00:35 to 59:40
What We Played - 59:41 to 2:08:42
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order - 2:08:43 to 2:52:34
Spoilers start at 2:38:51
Specific Game Time Stamps
Shenmue 3 - 59:41 to 1:14:38
Pokemon Sword/Shield - 1:14:39 to 1:34:35
Death Stranding - 1:34:36 to 1:50:05
Forager - 1:50:06 to 1:54:11
Bug Fables - 1:54:12 to 2:02:21
Sparklite - 2:02:22 to 2:05:32
Luigi's Mansion 3 - 2:05:33 to 2:08:42
Beware of spoilers for Fallen Order. I marked them in the timestamps.
News - 00:35 to 59:40
What We Played - 59:41 to 2:08:42
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order - 2:08:43 to 2:52:34
Spoilers start at 2:38:51
Specific Game Time Stamps
Shenmue 3 - 59:41 to 1:14:38
Pokemon Sword/Shield - 1:14:39 to 1:34:35
Death Stranding - 1:34:36 to 1:50:05
Forager - 1:50:06 to 1:54:11
Bug Fables - 1:54:12 to 2:02:21
Sparklite - 2:02:22 to 2:05:32
Luigi's Mansion 3 - 2:05:33 to 2:08:42
Friday, November 15, 2019
Podcast Episode 67 - Tony Hawk's Game Freak Out
Two of the most highly anticipated games of the year have finally arrived. Death Stranding and Pokemon Sword/Shield. You'll never guess which one I yell more about on the podcast!
To start we go over some news about PlayStation employees leaving, and Xbox Inside 2019. It leads to some conversations about what the two will be doing in the next few years.
The what we've been playing segment gets heated as we discuss a myriad of new releases and then transition to talking about Tony Hawk Pro Skater where I get heated, but in a good way.
News - 00:39 to 40:14
What We Played - 40:15 to 2:13:59
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater - 2:14:00 to 2:38:11
Specific Game Time Stamps
Zelda 2 - 40:15 to 46:03
Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair - 46:04 to 46:54
Pokemon Shield - 46:55 to 1:18:04
Luigi's Mansion 3 - 1:18:05 to 1:29:17
After Party - 1:29:18 to 1:32:38
Call of Duty Modern Warfare - 1:32:39 to 1:35:28
Death Stranding - 1:35:29 to 2:13:59
To start we go over some news about PlayStation employees leaving, and Xbox Inside 2019. It leads to some conversations about what the two will be doing in the next few years.
The what we've been playing segment gets heated as we discuss a myriad of new releases and then transition to talking about Tony Hawk Pro Skater where I get heated, but in a good way.
News - 00:39 to 40:14
What We Played - 40:15 to 2:13:59
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater - 2:14:00 to 2:38:11
Specific Game Time Stamps
Zelda 2 - 40:15 to 46:03
Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair - 46:04 to 46:54
Pokemon Shield - 46:55 to 1:18:04
Luigi's Mansion 3 - 1:18:05 to 1:29:17
After Party - 1:29:18 to 1:32:38
Call of Duty Modern Warfare - 1:32:39 to 1:35:28
Death Stranding - 1:35:29 to 2:13:59
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