Gametalk

Episode 160 Developing a full game solo is a herculean feat of engineering and artistry. Today, we discuss notable games that were developed by one person and what goes into creating a game alone. We also talk about the newly released Animal Well at length, in both spoiler-free and spoiler-filled contexts. As always, we conclude with the games we're playing (V Rising, Animal Well). This episode was recorded in May 2024. Royalty free music from BenSound. Questions or comments? Tweet @PodcastGametalk Or chat us up in Discord - discord.gg/JZCj5Qn Timestamps: 0:00 - Games Developed By One Person 22:32 - Marketing Small Games and Animal Well Pre-release Talk 29:40 - V Rising 33:53 - Animal Well Spoiler-free Impressions 50:11 - SPOILERS - Animal Well Deep Dive 1:16:50 - Concluding Thoughts on Animal Well (Light Spoilers)

Episode 159 In a one-two punch of terrible first party news, today we discuss both the baffling choice by Sony to require a PSN account on PC to play Helldivers II and the heartbreakingly infuriating decision Microsoft made to close four of its first party studios. In the wake of workforce reductions and studios shuttering, we observe the landscape of the present Xbox ecosystem - and it is not a pretty picture. As always, we conclude with the games we are playing (Dave the Diver, Sea of Thieves, Songs of Syx). This episode was recorded in May 2024. Royalty free music from BenSound. Questions or comments? Reach out to @PodcastGametalk on Instagram, Twitter, or Tiktok Timestamps: 0:00 - Sony and the Helldivers II PC Situation 21:24 - Tangent on Nintendo's Success and Helldivers Controversy Aftermath 25:06 - Microsoft Studio Closures and Future Outlook 45:35 - Xbox Leadership on Studio Closures 52:39 - Dave the Diver 58:14 - Sea of Thieves 1:02:21 - Songs of Syx 1:06:15 - Briefly Discussing Hades II, Stellar Blade, Monster Hunter World, and Fallout 4

Episode 158 Fallout is out now on Amazon Prime Video, and it's a bonafide hit! Today, we talk about the show in spoiler-free and spoiler-filled contexts, and discuss how the success of the show could impact Bethesda's plans. As always, we conclude with the games we are playing (Monster Hunter World: Iceborne, RimWorld, Dave the Diver). This episode was recorded in April 2024. Royalty free music from BenSound. Questions or comments? Reach out to @PodcastGametalk on Instagram or Twitter, or @gametalk on TikTok Or chat us up in Discord - discord.gg/JZCj5Qn Timestamps: 0:00 - Fallout Impressions (Spoiler-Free) 20:08 - Our History With Fallout Games 23:44 - Bethesda in a Post-Fallout Show World 32:30 - SPOILERS - Our Thoughts on Fallout Season 1 1:03:09 - Monster Hunter World: Iceborne 1:08:29 - RimWorld 1:16:38 - Dave the Diver

Episode 157 Ahmed and Connor have returned from Italy, and travel is on their minds. Today, we discuss video game settings that are inspired by real-life locations and talk about games that capture a sense of wanderlust. As always, we conclude with the games we're playing (Slay The Spire, Monster Hunter World, Lil Gator Game). This episode was recorded in April 2024. Royalty free music from BenSound. Questions or comments? Tweet @PodcastGametalk Or chat us up in Discord - discord.gg/JZCj5Qn Timestamps: 0:00 - Visiting Real Locations Depicted in Games 15:43 - Popular Locations Adapted in Games 26:46 - Assassin's Creed and Historical Locations 30:28 - Ahmed and Connor's Italy Anecdote 34:17 - Uncharted and Wanderlust / Idealized Places 42:15 - Sucker Punch and Other Sony Studios Tangent 49:58 - Slay The Spire 56:55 - Monster Hunter World 1:02:22 - Lil Gator Game

Episode 156 When a game series is around for a while, eventually the identity of the series will begin to mean different things to different people. Today, we discuss games that divide fanbases and what the merits of each series pre and post divide are. As always, we conclude with the games we're playing (Monster Hunter World, Minecraft, Ultros). This episode was recorded in April 2024. Royalty free music from BenSound. Questions or comments? Tweet @PodcastGametalk Or chat us up in Discord - discord.gg/JZCj5Qn Timestamps: 0:00 - Pre vs Post Breath of the Wild Zelda 8:41 - Portable vs Mainline Monster Hunter 13:11 - The Split Fanbase Between The Last of Us Part I and II 17:30 - Old vs New Fortnite 23:41 - Smash Melee vs Smash Ultimate and Fighting Games 30:56 - Pre vs Post Elden Ring Soulslike Games 35:40 - Distinct Final Fantasy Fanbases and Other Split Fanbases 42:28 - Monster Hunter World 54:17 - Minecraft 1:02:25 - Ultros

Episode 155 Video games have produced countless iconic and memorable characters over the decades. Today, we reflect on what makes a character iconic, and which ones we think stand the test of time. We also review the results of the recently conducted BAFTA poll naming the top 20 most iconic gaming characters of all time. We end the show by shouting out a couple of our favorite games (Stardew Valley, Mass Effect Trilogy). This episode was recorded in April 2024. Royalty free music from BenSound. Questions or comments? Tweet @PodcastGametalk Or chat us up in Discord - discord.gg/JZCj5Qn Timestamps: 0:00 - Some of Our Most Iconic Gaming Characters 13:14 - Discussing the BAFTA List of Most Iconic Characters 41:12 - Discussing Notable Omissions / Final Thoughts on Iconic Characters 45:13 - Stardew Valley 51:04 - Mass Effect Trilogy

Episode 154 Mike has returned from PAX East, and he has many stories to tell! Today, we talk to Mike about some of the new games he played, the developers he spoke to, and the events he attended. As always, we conclude by talking about the games we're playing (Sea of Thieves, Dragon's Dogma 2). This episode was recorded in April 2024. Royalty free music from BenSound. Questions or comments? Tweet @PodcastGametalk Or chat us up in Discord - discord.gg/JZCj5Qn Timestamps: 0:00 - Mike's PAX East Adventure 22:51 - PAX Tekken 8 Tournament and The Fighting Game Community 34:30 - PAX Final Thoughts and The Gaming Community 48:58 - Sea of Thieves 57:00 - Dragon's Dogma 2

Episode 153 As game development takes longer and costs more, remakes and remasters of older titles have become commonplace. Today, we talk about some of our favorite remakes and remasters, how the industry handles these games, and whether or not certain game remakes are warranted. As always, we conclude with the games we are playing (Rise of the Rōnin, Sea of Thieves, Disco Elysium). This episode was recorded in March 2024. Royalty free music from BenSound. Questions or comments? Reach out to @PodcastGametalk on Instagram or Twitter, or @gametalk on TikTok Or chat us up in Discord - discord.gg/JZCj5Qn Timestamps: 0:00 - Thoughts on Remasters and Remakes 9:23 - Notable Nintendo Remasters and Remakes 16:17 - Notable PlayStation Remasters and Remakes 21:08 - Our Favorite and Least Favorite Remakes 29:18 - Remakes That Don't Need to Exist 32:33 - Final Fantasy VII and PC Game Remakes 37:16 - Halo Master Chief Collection, Monster Hunter, and Other Notable Remakes 45:44 - Rise of the Rōnin 1:05:33 - Sea of Thieves 1:24:44 - Disco Elysium

Episode 152 The specs for the PlayStation 5 Pro have leaked, and they paint a picture of high resolutions and framerates via Sony's proprietary upscaling solution, PSSR. But do we need a PlayStation 5 Pro? Today, we discuss the Pro specs and the technology behind them, and talk about historical mid-gen refreshes and they impact they have. As always, we conclude with the games we are playing (Helldivers 2, Balatro, Baldur's Gate 3). This episode was recorded in March 2024. Royalty free music from BenSound. Questions or comments? Tweet @PodcastGametalk Or chat us up in Discord - discord.gg/JZCj5Qn Timestamps: 0:00 - The PS5 Pro Specs and PSSR 12:27 - 8K and Upscaling Tech 29:32 - Historical and Modern Pro Consoles 51:07 - Helldivers 2 53:06 - Balatro 1:00:19 - Baldur's Gate 3

Episode 151 In today's somewhat somber episode, we take a step back and reflect on the Rooster Teeth shutdown and the death of the legendary Akira Toriyama. As always, we conclude with the games we are playing (Balatro, Infinite Craft, Persona 3 Reload). This episode was recorded in March 2024. Royalty free music from BenSound. Questions or comments? Tweet @PodcastGametalk Or chat us up in Discord - discord.gg/JZCj5Qn Timestamps: 0:00 - Reflecting on Rooster Teeth's Shutdown 27:14 - Processing Toriyama's Death 44:45 - Balatro 1:02:21 - Infinite Craft 1:05:15 - Persona 3 Reload