The Texture Pop: Episode 13: Spoopy

As the Halloween episode, we considered it very important that we don't talk at all about Halloween and act like the holiday doesn't exist.

Instead, we decided to do our usual antics.



0:00:00 Introductions
We never did discover Chris's joke. It was probably about ethics in game journalism.
As a podcast about gaming should, we begin by talking about Mountain Dew and Doritos (and Soulless Geoff Keighley). Literally 10 minutes were spent on this topic.
Call of Duty also comes up in this conversation.

0:10:05 Garrett saw Gone Girl.
It was super good. I don't know movies very well. Also, we make fun of Tyler Perry.

0:12:10 Garrett apparently went to his sister's school.
We're not sure if it was, in fact, his sister's school, but there is a high likelihood.

0:14:45 Garrett plays more League of Legends.
Which I'm sure none of you are surprised by.

0:16:50 Garrett talks Game Design Class.
And I don't have more to say about it.

0:18:45 Garrett is getting into Magic: The Gathering.
Which leads into a conversation about TCGs and video games. When you think about it, it is amazing how much money is being made off of what is essential small pieces of cardboard.
Even if I wanted to get back into Yu-Gi-Oh, I fear that the game has evolved so much that I wouldn't be able to keep up. Like Chris, I would pretty much only go for a digital/virtual card game nowadays. It is the only way to keep my costs down.
Man, I spent way too much of my parent's money on Yu-Gi-Oh in retrospect.

0:25:00 Garrett discusses his 360 exploits.
And brings out Sam's PC elitism by mentioning that he plays better on a controller than a KB&M. It's adorable.
I love that you can't see the visual joke on our audio-only podcast.

0:31:15 Viewer Questions
And the fact that Sam is no longer the only one to have access to the e-mail is confusing him.

"Have you guys heard about the controversy over the indie game, Hatred?"
Yes, I have. It looks so pointless. I just don't get it, and have nothing further to say on it beyond what was said on the podcast. Having said, this game came out at a terrible time, when the industry's reputation has been shot by recent events. We need to rebuild our credibility, not shatter it further.

"Have any of you guys played the old Ninja Gaiden games?"
I have, but I am really bad at them. The only game I played in the franchise is Ninja Gaiden Sigma. I died... a lot.
Chris is in a much better position to talk about them than I would be.

0:45:20 I played Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne.
After all of the SMT games that I have played in the past few months, it is of no surprise that the other guys are getting confused by all of them.
An impressions piece on Nocturne will be released in the next few days. Expect an impressions piece on it in the next few days. My explanations on the cast we're great, so I hope that piece will better clarify my thoughts.
Yeah. Interesting, if niche, game.
The article on Persona 3/4 that Sam is referring to is this one that I wrote.

1:01:00 I played Shin Megami Tensei IV.
The big thing I am noticing in SMT IV is that ATLUS has finally been clued in to the fact that literally no one liked how fusion was strongly linked to needed to deal with the random number gods.
Which is a good thing. It saves the player a lot of time and patience.
Having said that, this is still an SMT game. Do not expect the game to give a shit about your pansy ass.
That comment on Persona being SMT-lite really isn't a joke. The original intention behind the Persona franchise was to make a more beginner-friendly SMT game. It did not succeed.
Technical difficulties were experienced.

1:11:50: Chris has been playing Hyrule Warriors.
And, very briefly, goes into a rant about how Dynasty Warriors gets a bad rap. I tend to agree with him on that, personally. Yeah, the Warriors games are stupid fun, but stupid fun is fun nonetheless. I even find myself enjoying them when I play them, as rare as those occasions are.
I sincerely wonder if Ganondorf being the bad guy is a spoiler. It is a lot like Mario and Bowser, where it would be more surprising to not have him as the villain. At the same time, some people might be upset at finding that out.
Aside from that, I have not much more to add to the conversation in the cast.

1:30:10 Sam was selling furniture.
Which gives me a pun opportunity.

1:32:10 Sam plays Adventure Express (by Adult Swim Games)
And it's freemium. Interestingly enough, it reminds me of Marvel Puzzle Quest.

1:33:50 Sam tried a game called Out There.
Not much to say.

1:35:50 Sam played a game called Device Six.
Again, not much more to add beyond what was said.
The trailer Sam was referring to is here.

1:42:50 Sam picked up Shadow of Mordor.
One of the rare times where you'll hear negative critiques of the game.

1:47:30 Sam talks with my game design buddies about indie games.
I honestly did not know my friend Javy was designing his own games. One of the ones Sam was talking about is this one. The site Sam says Javy referring him to was this one.

Javy himself is a pretty cool dude, that I talk games with all the time. You can follow him on Twitter. When Bioshock: Infinite was released, I did a Spoiler-Cast with Javy and our mutual friend Marc Price after we had all finished it. You can find that here.

1:53:00 Wrapping up.
My Impressions of Project X Zone are here.
And Sam's website is here.

Impressions #17: Project X Zone

It was a long time coming, but I purchased a Nintendo 3DS a few months back. All the factors, from its game catalog and price point to my current spending money came together at one time. Of course, one does not buy a console without first purchasing a game or two for it: Project X Zone was one of them. After playing it on and off for a few months now, I have beaten the game. The sheer amount of time it took to complete PXZ is indicative of my decidedly low opinion of the game. This week, I plan to tell you exactly why I feel that way.

Released in January of 2013 in the US, Project X Zone was developed by Monolith Software and Banpresto, published mainly by Namco Bandai. The central premise of the game is pretty simple: Bring all of the most notable characters from various big name Namco Bandai, Capcom, and Sega franchises together for one of the largest crossovers ever seen on a video game console. Given that I have heard of and/or enjoyed most of these franchises at some point in time, I would theoretically be the person with the best chance to like this game. However, the game has so many little flaws that they collectively bring the entire experience down in my honest opinion.

The story is a huge example of this. Similar to Namco X Capcom, the story revolves around two original characters made exclusively for the game: Kogoro Tenzai and Mii Koryuji. Hoping across various dimensions, timezones, and even into cyberspace, they encounter various other characters who, for whatever reason the game provides, join their party and assist them on their adventure to retrieve a stolen relic called the Portalstone. Honestly, it is extremely clear that the plot, for better or worse, only exists to justify why characters like Ryu and Ken from Street Fighter are fighting along the likes of Resident Evil's Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine, Frank West from Dead Rising and Hsien-Ko from Darkstalkers, Kite and Blackrose from .hack, among many, many others. Without the fan appeal inherent to the cast, the story would not be able to stand on its own.

This is mostly because it really is only present for roughly the first and last quarters of the game. The middle portion mostly has the cast faffing about in various stages pulled from some of the games that the characters are from. Nothing of note happens during this section aside from the introduction of new cameos to add to the player roster. Even when the story is happening, it is extremely predictable and most of the plot points are either unsurprising or could be seen from a mile away. Fans of the JRPGs that are drawn upon would probably be able to piece most of the story together shortly after the start of the last quarter of the game. Like I said, it only serves to bring the characters together, and simply does not stand on its own without them.

Having said that, there are many nods, references, and in-jokes that fans of the many franchises present will appreciate. Characters from more “grounded” (for lack of a better word) franchises like Resident Evil and Dead Rising will frequently make fun of the more absurd outfits that characters from RPGs like Toma and Cyrille from Shining Force EXA wear. Differences in magical, martial, and technology powers from the various dimensions are acknowledged and understood by the plot. For example, in Valkyria Chronicles, the Valkyria powers exhibited by characters in the story are awesome. When compared to the kind of powers exhibited by KOS-MOS and T-elos of Xenosaga, or Kite and Blackrose from .hack, they come off as much less impressive, and characters make note of this.

At the same time, the fact that over 70 characters from roughly 30 different franchises has its own results on the story. This results in a phenomenon that I like to refer to as “Crossover Syndrome.” That is, when too many characters are in a scene at the same time, they all need to make an impression upon the player. Since they each only get one or two lines at the most, writers have to reduce those personalities to only the most notable traits out of what might have been a very nuanced, multifaceted personality from the original game. The ultimate result of this is that what were fleshed-out characters have become mere caricatures of what they used to be. With a cast this large, such edits are necessary. However, that does not make it any less disappointing to fans of those characters. I cannot think of a way around it, but it is something that needs acknowledgment.

As for the gameplay itself, the game is divided into a series of roughly 45 chapters. Each chapter takes place on a 2D grid, similar to what one might find in Final Fantasy Tactics. The player's party is divided into different units, which start in pre-determined spaces on the grid. There are two different types of units. The first are “Pair” units, which are comprised of two characters, usually (but not always) from the same franchise. These units are the main force players use. Effectively one unit, these partners move about the 2D plane and engage the enemy units together. What is unique about Project X Zone is that when a player unit attacks an enemy unit, they enter a 2D plane to do battle. The player can then use up to five different attacks and chain them together into a combo. As they land blows, they build up XP (Cross Points), which can be expended to use support skills on themselves or other party members. Alternatively, XP can be spent performing special attacks which inflict massive amounts of damage on the enemy. XP is shared among all player units, so there is a added element of resource management.

In addition to these Pair units, there are also “Solo” units. Rather than stand on their own, these single-character units are equipped to a Pair unit. When a Pair unit engages in a battle alongside a Solo unit, they can call upon that unit to provide addition attacks. Further, if another Pair unit if close by to that Pair unit, they can provide a Support attack. Both the Solo and Support attacks can be used even while the base Pair unit is launching their combo. When this occurs, the enemy is frozen in position during the “Cross Combo,” which provides additional XP as a bonus and can often make it easier to land attacks.

While this all sounds good on paper, the execution leaves a lot to be desired. There are several reasons why this is the case. For one, these battles are extremely long. As I mentioned earlier, there are about 45 chapters, each comprised on a single battle scene. My playtime, not including the many times I performed a soft reset and reloaded a save after a bout of bad luck, totaled over 52 hours. Since many of the early missions can be completed in about 30 minutes, this means that most of the missions towards the end will take players an hour or two to finish up. For me, this was the game I played on my commutes both to school and work, which are both 20 minutes away from my house. On a typical day, I would spend 40 minutes playing this game. Missions frequently took a day or two for me to finish.

And on its own, that might be acceptable, but the game is greatly streamlined. There are no towns, no shops. When a player finishes a match, they are shown an “Interlude” screen. At this screen, players are shown which Pair and Solo characters are available for the next mission. They can change up which Solo character is on each Pair unit, save their game, and manage equipment. Due to the lack of commerce, equipment can only be obtained by beating boss characters and opening treasure chests on the battlefield. Since this means that players will basically just go for the highest numbers, the system can by-and-large be safely ignored. Aside from this screen, players are funneled from mission to mission, without much of a chance for a breather.

Again, this would not be a problem. However, this is further compounded by the issue in that missions lack much in the way of variety or pacing. Missions tend to have a set structure in PXZ. There will be a cutscene at first which sets up the scene. Typically, players will start with an initial board layout and objective, usually “Defeat [Boss]” or “Defeat All Enemies.” Once either several turns pass or that objective is completed, a “plot twist” will occur. At this point, another enemy will appear on screen, bringing their own units into the mix. The objective for the mission may also change, but typically it remains as “Defeat All Enemies.” Once the “true” mission is complete, then the closing cutscene leads into the Interlude screen, followed by the next mission. The first few “plot twists” might catch players off guard, but it will quickly turn into another routine upon the many routines PXZ repeatedly puts the player through. Because of this loop, very few missions aside from the last two stand out to me. Even when the initial objective was unique, it always ended in “Defeat Every Enemy”, so I would mostly just play on auto-pilot.

Project X Zone is a game that only die-hard fans of the various source materials should think about purchasing. Even then, there is not much of a guarantee that said fan will walk away satisfied. I know people who love and hate this game in equal measure. Personally, I found the many otherwise small flaws of PXZ overwhelmingly detracted from my experience in aggregate. Others might have a higher tolerance, or would be more able to lose themselves in the spectacle. Overall, I would warn potential players to watch footage of the game to be a good impression of how it works before investing in it.

The Texture Pop: Episode 12: Project Hate Zone

Sam was busy for this recording, so he had to miss out. At the same time, Garrett had some things to do, so he was a little late to the record. This left Chris and I to start the podcast by ourselves. If it sounds a little quieter than usual, that's why.

Also, the reason this podcast is as short as it is is because we were trying to cut out podcast down to a more manageable length. As a result, each of us only had a time limit of roughly 20 minutes for our respective segments. I really like this, as both a participant and viewer (after all, I have to watch the episodes myself to write the annotations), because it forces us to talk about our big topics first, streamlining the whole production. At the same time, there is more than enough room for our usual shenanigans.



0:00:00 Introduction
In which I teach Chris about geography.

0:03:25 I wanted to discuss GamerGate, because I felt like we had to.
Commenting on this story.

Honestly, I haven't much more to add to this whole thing. It's getting extremely ridiculous, and destroying the image the industry has spent years cultivating. I really don't know how it's gained this ability to persist as long as it has. We'll probably all be better off when it's finally over.
That said, I do regret my choice of the words "tag and bag" though. That wasn't the kind of image I meant to convey. I think the jerk deserves to be punished for terrorist threats, but that was an unnecessary hyperbole on my part.

As for discussions regarding ethics and games journalism, it is a very complicated issue. The thing that people do not seem to understand is that when the industry is so small, everyone knows each other. While this does leads credence to some arguments regarding game journalists and insiders getting too buddy-buddy with each other. At the same time, when those relationships go too far, it is extremely obvious. Fluff pieces read like fluff pieces. Anyone with a critical eye can detect them.

0:15:55 Chris has a bone to pick with Ubisoft.
Commenting on this story.

I think the problem with that story isn't that Ubisoft was running Unity at 900p, 30 FPS. The issue was that they used such a bullshit excuse for it. I think Chris would have been much less angry if Ubisoft just said "We can barely pull off 900p at 30 FPS, we can't do 60 FPS". It's not the technicality, it's the blatant disregard for the obvious truth of the matter.

0:21:35 We discuss Civil War in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Commenting on this story.

The Civil War will be coming to the Marvel movies. Whether or not you liked that plot line, it is hard to deny that it sold well. I personally loved it (even if I only learned about it via talks with friends and wikis), but Chris did not.

I think that kind of highlights an interesting discussion that could be had about how different types of audiences respond to the same stimuli in different ways. Chris, from what I gather about our conversations regarding Superman and the Marvel Civil War, really enjoys when comics are black and white, with easily distinguishable good and bad guys. I, on the other hand, love moral ambiguity in my fiction. I love scenes that show how somebody might think they are the hero, but fails to realize that the consequences for their actions make them out as villains to others. I love stories where everyone means well, but their actions result in a shitstorm that needs to be dealt with. Those are the kinds of stories and characters I like, because I kind them much more interesting.

We then discuss Marvel vs. DC in terms of movies, which is always a sad discussion to have, because DC sucks with regards to movies.

0:30:45 I have, after what seems like an incredibly long time, FINALLY beat Project X Zone.
An impressions piece on the game will be posted on this blog on Saturday, for those of you who want a more detailed write up on my opinions. Until then, I've think I said all that I wanted to say on that subject for now. Aside, of course, from the fact that I did not like this game at all.

And leave it up to Chris to mention Destiny in this discussion, somehow.

0:42:40 I am playing Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne.
On some level, I understand where all the talk about Nocturne being difficult stems from. At the same time, I think much of that talk is unwarranted. While it definitely does not hold your hand, the game can be made easy if players are smart about the demons the recruit and fuse to the party.

It's not so much hard as that it gives players a lot of room for customization, and counts on them being smart enough to use that room to make a well-balanced party. Otherwise, the game will punish them for poor decision making. The Press Turn System, which I elaborated on in my Digital Devil Saga pieces.

So far, I've really enjoyed the game so far. Expect an impressions piece when I do eventually finish it.

It is only in hindsight that I realize that I took entirely too long to say my points. So by the time I finished, we needed to move on to somebody else.

0:55:45 Garrett does some programming in his game design class.
Again, it's interesting comparing Garrett's classes with my own. He is going for a dedicated game design degree. I, on the other hand, am going for a generalized Bachelor's of Science in Computer Science.

As a result, we learn a lot of same material, but it different ways. I didn't really get into the nitty-gritty of planning out systems and mechanics until later. For me, the coding came first. But for Garrett, the opposite is true. I've not much to say on the matter, but it could be worth further study by academics as to how each style affects the student being taught.

0:57:45 Garrett reveals his inner Japan/Korea-ophile.
In particular, we talk a bit about Gantz. I remember that I had a couple of friends from high school loving that series. I would only learn about it later by browsing TV Tropes. Seems like an interesting series, but like most manga, I do not have the time to decide to catching up.

1:08:30 Chris talks about upgrading his desktop.
The bottom line is that one should not cheap out on PC components. Just go whole hog and get the full upgrade. At that point, it'll save you massive headaches later.
Learn from Chris's mistakes as I intend too when I eventually have to go through this.

1:19:50 Chris talks about his internet troubles.
In which Chris and I pool our shared internet knowledge in what could be called the most informative segment we've ever had on this podcast.

1:25:00 We wrap up.
We'll a strange bunch, for sure.

Impressions #16.5: Persona 4 Arena: Ultimax: Part 2

When we last left off, I was discussing my thoughts on Persona 4 Arena Ultimax. I discussed the story and presentation of the game. Today, we will continue past that point. This article is dedicated to the mechanics and gameplay side of the equation.

In terms of mechanics though, Arc System Works was working magic. Ultimax surpasses even its predecessor in terms of making a fighting-game friendly to both beginners and experts alike. For beginners, the game offers many helpful systems to get them started. As an example, every character has an “auto-combo”, an easy combo move that is performed by repeatedly mashing the A button. Veteran players will be able to easily block the entire combo if they see if coming, but this does give newer players a tool to start learning new characters, since everyone has that same combo input.

Another way the game facilitates beginners is through a simplified control scheme. Every special move in the game can be performed by a one or two quarter-circles in a given direction, followed by one the four attack buttons. Unlike many fighters, they are very few complex command strings that need to be input. The key to mastering a character is in knowing when to use a move, not how. Should even this be difficult to pull off, there is a new “S-Hold” system, that allows players to hold down the A button in order to charge the S-Hold meter. The longer the button is depressed, the stronger the move will be when it is released.

On top of these systems, the game offers facilities to help beginner and intermediate players improve their skills. Aside from the standard “Training” mode, two modes are also in the “Practice Modes” category. These modes are “Lesson Mode” and “Challenge Mode” respectively. “Lesson Mode” is designed as a tutorial for basic mechanics for the game, including new mechanics which were added. On the other hand, “Challenge Mode”, is unique for each character. They all have a list of challenges to perform, each one teaching the player about one of their combos. This offers the player a same environment to try to ingrain a combo into muscle memory, helping them transition into the state of being an advanced player. With all of these systems, beginners can start developing skill in a very user-friendly manner.

However, there is still a lot for expert players to play around with as well, in order to get the edge over their peers. Furious actions are commands that can be used to grant temporary invincibility frames and a decent attack at the cost of a little health. This can be used when the player is about to be attacked by a massive combo, in order to capitalize on it. Another option is referred to as Burst, which can be used in several ways. Most commonly, it can be used to break an enemy's combo by sending them flying. Alternatively, a One More Burst can cancel the player out of a combo, returning them to a neutral stance in order to keep up the pressure. Newly added to Ultimax is the Golden Burst. If the enemy is in range, but not connecting with attacks, a Golden Burst will send them back in order to gain full SP meter and all their lost Persona cards. Many intricate systems are all working together to create a truly elegant fighting game for the experienced.

In terms of balance, quite a bit was changed from the last game. One of the most notable changes is in the balance of Persona cards. As befitting a Persona game, every character, with one exception, has a persona that they can invoke during a fight to aid them. If the persona is attacked during the execution of a move, they are dismissed and the character loses one of their cards. Once all of their cards are destroyed, the persona is broken, and will be unavailable for a time. Persona 4 Arena gave every character 4 persona cards. Ultimax changed this by re-balancing the number of cards each character has. Characters like Elizabeth or Yukiko, who are heavily reliant on their personae to fight, get 5 or 6 cards. Meanwhile, people like Akihiko, who rarely ever need their persona, only possess 2 cards. More cards mean it takes more hits to break the persona, but recovering from a break takes more time.

Furthermore, movesets have been tweaked for returning characters. While they still have roughly the same attacks, new moves were added, and many had their properties changed. The most notable of these changes would be the severe nerfing Yosuke received to his Sukukaja, which would previously practically guarantee him the win for the round. Also, the buffing of Naoto's trap, which make it easier for her to perform her Hamaon/Mudoon instant kills. I personally really appreciate these changes, as many of them were greatly needed.

New additions have also found their way in. The biggest of them would be the addition of several new characters, to the point of nearly doubling the original cast. All of the surviving members of SEES who were absent for P4A are present in P4AU. Yukari returns, with her bow and persona, Isis. As befitting an archer, she is very much a distance fighter, not too great in close-range combat. Ken and Koromaru, who fight together, work better at mid-range. Junpei, on the other hand, is not that great in anything. Other characters from the P4 fiction, like Marie, Adachi, and Margaret, join the cast as DLC for $5 each. Each are fairly good in their own right, but serve different playstyles. Also included in the game, Rise joins the cast as a playable fighter for the first time in a Persona game, without any DLC. Lastly, the antagonist, Sho Minazuki, is another newcomer to the cast. He has two forms, with and without a Persona. Both forms serve the same general role of a rushdown character, but they are unique in many different ways to each other.

Another huge addition is that most characters have a “Shadow Type”. Shadow Type characters play very differently from their original counterparts. For starters, they use the old auto-combos from the original Persona 4 Arena. Also, while they cannot Awaken, they can use Awakening SP Skills even in their normal state. Furthermore, SP for a shadow carries over between rounds, adding a new layer to resource management since any SP left unspent can make the next match easier. On that same token, if they max out their SP, then they can enter a Frenzy, where skills no longer cost SP for a short time, until the Frenzy runs out and SP resets to 0. Lastly, they have more health and deal less damage, in exchange for the inability to Burst. Honestly, while the addition is appreciated, most Shadows are pretty useless aside from a select few. I rarely ever used them. Enough tweaks, balances, and additions were made to the game that it feels like a brand new game all its own.

Overall, ATLUS and Arc System Works developed a excellent game that appeals strongly to both fighting game and Persona 3/4 fans alike. The mechanics are easy to understand at a surface level, but experts will find many layers of depth and variety should they wish to dig deeper. Enough was added since the original Persona 4 Arena that the price point more than justified. It is an incredibly easy recommendation to make.

The Texture Pop: Episode 11: Jumping Achark

I could take this space to explain exactly how this picture and title were conceived for this episode. I could also explain why this post is out two days after the podcast was release and why no one posted that a new episode was released.

I could do that... but I won't.

Also, Nick joined us again as a guest. You remember Nick. His name starts with an N and ends with "ick".



0:00:00 Introduction
In which I take the time to make fun of Sam and his living in Georgia-ness.
I also remind Sam of the reason why he wasn't there last time, because he apparently forgot.
I'm pretty sure Garrett was drinking during the cast, but I'm honestly not sure.

0:06:14 Viewer Questions
Truthfully, we did not do these last week because we are all lazy. Please don't tell Sam that.

"Are you guys fans of the old school space sim games?"
Honestly, unless Star Fox counts, the answer is no. At least for me.
We take a brief detour to discuss Star Citizen again, for reasons.

"Have you guys ever played a game you found so complicated that you gave up?"
I'm sure fighting game players are displeased with my answer, but it's true for me. I'm fine at a couple of fighters like Soul Calibur, Injustice: Gods Among Us, or Persona 4 Arena, but most of them just take too much time in order for me to really get good at them. Street Fighter, Tekken, and others of their ilk escape me. I get the theory behind them, but I just cannot execute when push comes to shove. We didn't mention Tekken here, but it applies all the same to me.

My answer side-tracks the discussion and heavily derails it.

0:34:20 Nick has been playing Super Smash Bros. 3DS
Though I've never owned a Nintendo home console, I have to admit that I've always had an interest in Smash Bros. The mechanics are very solid, and it's perfect for large groups. At some point, I'm going to have to get it.

0:39:05 Nick has been playing Brave Frontier
F2P leaves a bit bad taste in my month after Marvel Puzzle Quest. It's unfair, but it's true.
We use this time, however, to discuss Bendgate. By the end, we completely forgot the original topic.

0:44:50 TITLE DROP!

0:45:30 Nick watched Dracula: Untold
Which leads to pun times, movie talk, and making theaters laugh.
Talking about bad movies gets us to start talking about The Room, and unintentionally funny movies.

0:55:56 Garrett released a review for Destiny.
And it's right here.
We continue to be the best Destiny podcast on the internet.

0:57:00 Garrett's Two Cents editorial are going to be a monthly feature.
His description is pretty comprehensive.

1:01:50 Garrett plays Game Dev Tycoon.
I wish actual game development was this easy. The game is a nice little excursion, but it's incredibly easy make tons of money in-game.

1:04:20 Garrett talks real life.

1:05:00 Comic talk with Garrett and Chris.
And we discuss how Status Quo is God and nobody ever stays dead, unless they get cancelled.

1:11:03 We briefly disconnect while Garrett was talking
Because Sam's setup makes no sense.
His motherboard is probably cursed.

1:12:41 Garrett talks about his developer class.
And his partner sounds like a moron.

1:16:55 Garrett talks League of Legends.
You know how it is.

1:17:30 I played Persona 4 Ultimax.
You can hear more about my thoughts on the game here. Part 2 should be out in a few days.

1:21:30 I watched a Heavy Rain LP.
This LP, to be precise.

I remember liking Heavy Rain at one point, but honestly the game is really bad. I'm legitimately surprised at how much badness was crammed into a single game. The voice acting is awful, the story is terrible, and the choices are meaningless.
And David Cage somehow got worse in Beyond: Two Souls.

1:26:14 I watched Two Best Friends play The Walking Dead: Season 1.
You probably don't need a link, but it's here just in case.
It's actually pretty amazing at how easy it is to dislike most of the cast. The entire weight of the plot seems to come from the relationship between Lee and Clementine. The rest of the cast is either take it or leave it, but without those two characters, very few of the rest of the people who join the group serve to just cause problems.
As for Kenny, fuck that guy.

1:31:15 Nick talks about The Walking Dead: The TV Series.
The TV show and the comics are interesting in how quickly they make you hate the characters. I have never read the comics, but I watched one episode of the TV show and decided that if the next episode was "Rocks Fall, Everyone Dies", that would be better than anything else.
Hearing Chris talk about how Meryl and Darryl (I couldn't care any less if spelled their names wrong) were added in to make the cast more relatable is infinitely fascinating. We then discuss other comic to movie adaptation.

And I talk more about the game after that during this discussion.

1:37:50 I yell at Sam for his hosting abilities.

1:38:41 I mention that Naruto is coming to an end.
BELIEVE IT!
We then talk about manga franchises that have lasted entirely too long, of which there are many. Bleach is mentioned. Though we never bring it up, I feel that One Piece belongs on this list.

And Chris talks about why he quit Spawn on a related note, following up with more comic talk. Bottom line, comics are bullshit.

1:51:50 Chris has played Mario Kart.
And I have nothing to add to this conversation.

1:59:25 Sam is reading a love series which I didn't get the name of.
It's anime/manga.

2:02:45 Sam bought some movies while out on holiday.

2:03:05 Sam saw Austin City Limits in Texas.
YEE HAW!
And we discuss musical politics. Like musical chairs, but much less fun.

2:08:20 Sam bought a loud keyboard.
A Razer BLACKWIDOW to be precise. I love Corporate Cool names.

2:11:50 Sam played Shadows of Mordor.
And I'm super jealous because I really, really want to play it. I don't care about Lord of the Rings, but the game just looks awesome.
We then briefly discuss other Lord of the Rings games.

2:20:20 Sam beat all the Dead Rising 3 DLC
And doesn't care about it.

2:21:10 Sam beat Neverending Nightmare
And Garrett wants it to be good, and I'm tired.
It still sounds pretty gruesome, even when it's trying to be a game.
I assume that without spoilers, this is a hard game to talk about.

2:25:20 Sam bought Assassin's Creed: Liberation and Freedom Cry
And he finds their portrayal of slavery weird.

2:26:30 Sam bought Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition on the PC.
Not much to say, aside from what was said during the cast.

2:27:55 Sam watches anime with one of my friends.
It's Japan, and therefore weird.

2:29:50 We start to wrap things up.
None of us can apparently not play games during a podcast.
I'm so, so sorry for this cast.

At the same time, we randomly give our one fan a happy day.