Standard Podcast [ 1:31:10 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (771)

This week’s episode is 50% longer as the first 20 minutes or so are devoted to the reaction to Jim Sterling’s explosive review of Hellblade and his subsequent recanting later that day. This week has no Gaming Flashback or Gaming History, but there are six news items to make up for it.

The items include:

• EA talks about Nintendo Switch support
• Rainbow Six: Siege “Operation Blood Orchid” update launches August 29
• Myth-inspired RTS Deadhold charges into Early Access later this month
• No Man’s Sky “Atlas Rises” update adds story content and “limited” online co-op
• EA says Star Wars: Battlefront “lacked long-term goals”
• Moons of Madness is Lovecraftian horror on Mars

Let us know what you think.

Standard Podcast [ 1:15:33 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (771)

This week’s episode not only has a Gaming Flashback, but a Gaming History as well. The Flashback looks at the hardware intensive PC game Crysis, while the Gaming History looks at one of the bigger crowdfunding fiascos, Starforge. Jonah also reminds viewers that the “mayo” in the Splatfest for Splatoon 2 probably wasn’t actually mayo.

This week’s news items include:

• Lexington video game company sues after personal information posted online
• New game combines monster taming and Stardew Valley
• Respawn: “We’re doing more Titanfall“
• Destiny 2 will not offer customization of imported characters

Question of the Week: “What two games would you like to see combined?”

Standard Podcast [ 52:57 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (754)

This week’s episode features Jonah being seriously critical of the Zelda series and getting the aghast reactions from his co-hosts (and probably the internet at large). The crew also discusses games on laptops and dreaming about the games they’d played. There’s another Gaming Flashback this week, 2007’s Game of the Year, Yaris.

This week’s news includes:

• Night Trap 25th Anniversary Edition to haunt PS4 and PC players in August
• Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy spotted with Xbox One controls
• Dragon Quest XI coming West next year
• Assassin’s Creed Origins director says game won’t be on Nintendo Switch

The Question of the Week: “What game do you play most on your laptop?”

Standard Podcast [ 1:04:09 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (736)

Last week’s episode was torpedoed by audio issues (who knows, maybe they’ll come back in a outtakes episode), so this week returns with half old news and half new news. The Gaming Flashback returns with a vengeance with the classic Popcap game Peggle — which came out while Gaming Podcast debuted!

This week’s new/old news includes:

• Atari’s ‘PC technology-based’ Ataribox will echo NES Classic, crowdfunding campaign coming
• PC release of Classic action-RPG Ys Seven announced
• Possible Xbox One X wireless module passes through FCC
• New trademark sparks rumours of ‘Nintendo 64 Classic’ console release

Also, there’s a Question of the Week — listen in and let us know what you think.

(Review written by Scott Dirk.)

Yonder is an open world exploration game that really delivers on its premise. You begin your journey on a ship your parents have sent you away on in an attempt to keep you safe from danger. After talking to the crew, a storm rolls in and the ship is quickly struck by lightning. A Sprite then intercedes and makes a deal with you to help you if you help the spirit find its children. These Sprites help you to combat the Murk that is littered across the land in which you are now stranded.

The game has a relaxed atmosphere of letting you explore your surroundings with childlike wonder without fear of monsters or traps. The game has a lot to explore, from huge plains, forests, and towns for trading and quests. Once you obtain tools, you’ll be able to collect various resources which you can use for crafting. The main mission is to restore the land from the infection of the Murk, but you do so at your own pace. The game gives you a lot of side quests to do as well as having farms and ranching.

The graphics in the game are very lush, but are not too demanding. The landscape is very enjoyable to look at while traveling between locations, and you can get lost in simply exploring what is around you. The world music is relaxed, but cycles between varied motifs, so it’s not just one tune set repetitively. There is also a day-night cycle which seems to have little effect other than the wild animals sleeping; the NPCs seem to be night owls.

The mechanic I enjoyed most was fishing, where you cast your line and use WASD keys to move the bobber. Once a fish bites, you then pull in the opposite direction of the fish. There is an arrow to help you with the direction, which made me feel like I was pulling in the fish. The fishing mechanic does seem better suited to a controller with thumb sticks but combing WASD keys worked well; you can also customize the key bind commands.

This is one of those expansive games that may take players a while to complete depending on how they pace themselves during gameplay. I think it’s worth the time to explore Yonder in this world.

Yonder is available on PC and PlayStation 4.

Standard Podcast [ 1:02:43 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (764)

Nintendo is the main focus of this week’s episode, but we can’t discuss the company too much or they’ll sic their lawyers on the podcast. Other than that, there’s plenty of safe things to discuss.

This week’s episode includes:

• Evil Genius 2 in development at Rebellion
• Nobody can find the source code for Icewind Dale II
• Breath of the Wild players will learn more about Zelda in The Champions’ Ballad DLC
• Where are all the Nintendo Switch game ports?

Also, learn about who won the contest, which was decided by the roll of a die.

Standard Podcast [ 1:01:48 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (576)

The The Sims 4 contest is still going on this week, with the winner to be announced in Episode 471. The crew gets back to discussing news, but as is usual, it’s a light week in July.

This week’s news items include:

• Starcraft Remastered is coming in August in 4K
• Star Wars Battlefront 2 loot boxes spark pay-to-win fears
• Only main player will progress in Far Cry 5 story
• Destiny 2’s getting rid of random perk rolls for loot and the response is divided
• Nintendo Switch Virtual Console will be the only way you can play certain Super Mario games

Again, The Sims 4 Contest is only eligible for US entrants.

Standard Podcast [ 1:27:31 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (683)

It’s Contest Time, as Gaming Podcast is giving away a swag bag that includes The Sims 4 and some videogame merch from E3. Most of the 87 minute podcast deals with more E3 talk, and 5 minutes spent on news items.

This week’s news includes:

• Everything known about the Ataribox so far
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered standalone release confirmed
• Gigantic launching in July, escapes Windows 10

Let us know what you thought of E3 this week in the comments.

(Must be a continental US resident to win the contest.)

VR has become a major buzzword around the videogame industry these days. For the past few E3 conferences, there have been whole sections of the floor devoted to people strapping on headsets and playing first person titles where you rock climb or pilot a spaceship. Other times you’re running in a foot race like the intriguing title Sprint Vector that I demoed at the show.

Then there’s Bloody Zombies, developed by Paw Print Games and published by nDreams, which hints at an alternative future for VR gaming.

[Read more →]

Standard Podcast [ 53:31 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (706)

Look, we’re back, and as promised, the new podcast is now up and recorded on the final day of E3 in Devolver Digital’s off-site space. Jonah and T.J. hang out near the Fable Fortune booth as they discuss the games they scoped out on the show floor. If T.J. seems a lot more chill than usual, keep in mind he’s enjoyed a few beers by then.

Next week will see Scott joining in with his impressions of the conference from afar.