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11. Ranking Our Top 5 Most Anticipated Games Of the 2nd Half of 2024! | Games Over Plastic
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All three of the Knight of the Plastic Roundtable are back and in this episode we rank our top 5 most anticipated games for the second half of 2024! It was a lot of fun and a great discussion was had!
As always check out the video version at http://www.youtube.com/@gamesoverplastic
Timestamps:
00:00:00 Intro
00:01:10 Show Starts
00:04:35 AC Unity
00:12:35 Diablo IV
00:14:52 Fortnite Reload
00:20:31 XDefiant
00:24:35 Still Wakes the Deep
00:27:00 Rebirth and Animal Well
00:31:45 SMT V Vengeance
00:37:40 Fire Emblem Three Houses
00:41:00 Top 5 Games We are Looking Forward To 2H 2024!
00:42:55 Mario and Luigi Brothership
00:47:45 Kena Bridge of Spirits (Xbox)
00:50:55 AC Shadows
00:55:31 Dragon Ball Sparking! Zero
01:02:30 TMNT Splintered Fate
01:04:17 Metaphor Re:Fantazio
01:07:35 Zelda Echoes of Wisdom
01:13:08 Flintlock Siege of Dawn
01:15:55 Star Wars Outlaws
01:19:33 Dragon Quest 3 HD2D Remake
01:24:30 COD Black Ops 6
01:28:35 Dragon Age Veilguard
01:32:16 Trails Through Daybreak
01:36:17 Astrobot
01:40:05 EA College Football 25
01:48:48 Wrap up!
Transcript
00:01:10
Speaker
Welcome everybody. This is games over plastic episode 11 for real this time. It's actually episode 11. I am midnight. As always, I am joined by my two amazing co-hosts. We have the man, the myth, the legend, the master weeb, master of JRPGs and the Lord of summer, the man who's living his best life right now, Sean Mason. How you doing, sir? I'm doing great. Yeah, I'm enjoying my summer vacation so far. It's like week two of a summer break and loving it. Peak gaming time. Played a lot of games over the last two weeks and, you know, just been loving life, loving it. Going to a Red Sox game today, actually. Ooh, nice. Who they playing? Padre, which is funny because when I went to the Mets game a few weeks ago,
00:01:57
Speaker
with Lord Cognito and Lord Sov and Astro Pirate King. They play the Padres then too. So second time in two weeks, I'm seeing the Padres play. There you go. That's awesome. Yeah. Shout out to Lord Cognito. He was on the show last week, which was awesome or two weeks ago. And also shout out to Sov and Astro, friends of the show. Awesome people. All right. And of course, last but not and least, we have the man who's down here in Texas crawling around in your attic, but with permission though, with consent. He's sweating, but he's doing God's work, keeping everybody cool. Hodge, how you doing, sir?
00:02:38
Speaker
I'm doing good. Happy. It's the weekend. I'm always happy when it's the weekend because, yeah, I'm not sweating my ass off in an attic. So excited to be here, so excited to talk about some games that will be coming out this year. It's going to be a lot of fun. Oh, yeah, um absolutely. And ah in today's episode, that is what our topic is going to be. We are going to be going over our five most anticipated games that are coming in the second half of 2024. So five each 15 amazing games we're going to be going over. So look forward to that.
00:03:12
Speaker
Let's get into some administrative stuff. This is games over plastic. As I always say, the podcast for the agnostic gamers, real gamers, no console wars, just fun. You can find us on YouTube with video glory, beautiful graphics and cameras. And, you know, every now and then you might even see some leg or something. You never know. We're at youtube dot.com slash at games over plastic. We're also on audio podcast services everywhere. So that would be Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Pocketcast, Everycast. If you're on an audio service right now, check the description. There is a link to the video version if you want to see said cameras and graphics. All right.
00:03:55
Speaker
Please leave us a like and a subscription if you're on YouTube. but Thank you guys for subscribing. By the way, we have jumped up. um We gained like 15 subscribers recently. So that's awesome. know We're moving on up. Maybe we might hit a hundred subs sometime soon. So keep on subbing. We really appreciate you and your support. Um, and yeah, that's pretty much it. I guess it comes every other week on Mondays, you know, the drill. So let's go ahead and get into some video games, shall we? Let's go ahead and start off with what we are playing. And I suppose I'll start it off this week. Cause that's what it says on the show notes. So I am playing two games guys, two games. So one I talked about last week, last episode, I beat it. Assassin's Creed unity.
00:04:40
Speaker
and the DLC, the Dead Kings DLC. So I beat this. When I mentioned this before, I talked about how much I was enjoying the game. It was so cool. I love the settings. It's running at 60 frames on the Series X with that wonderful FPS boost with the backwards compatibility. You love to see that. I gotta say, though, I wasn't a huge fan of the ending. It felt a little bit rushed. um The game's a little short. The ending just wasn't super awesome, in my opinion. um The DLC was pretty good. Overall, though, I did enjoy it, and I have no complaints. I'm glad I played it. um It was looking like it might have been like a 9 out of 10, but it it kind of settled around the 7.5 range for me, I think, just because something in particular happened at the ending that I'm not going to spoil that I wasn't a fan of.
00:05:28
Speaker
So, and the runtime. um Have you either of you guys played this? I don't even remember. I don't think so. Never played Assassin's Creed. Probably never will. Unless shadows is a game that would probably make me play it. Yeah, play shadows. Because of the setting. And it's an RPG. Oh yeah, I mean, everything's RPG now.
00:05:51
Speaker
All right. I have not played Unity. It was the one that came out and it was busted when it launched, so I just kind of looked away from it. I never bothered going back to it. I've always heard it was, you know, good once it got updated and everything, but I just punched my finger. um But yeah, it was I it was also kind of at that point where Assassin's Creed was being an annual title and it just it got so stale because of that and Unity was one I remember I was excited for when it was announced because I was like four player co-op as assassin sounds awesome That's like just going around mercant guards as a team. That'd be so much fun But yeah, it just came out busted. So I never bothered with it and at that point I like, you know Ford come out and they had kind of rebranded with origins by the time I was thinking and I
00:06:41
Speaker
once it Once it rebranded with Origins, it was kind of hard to go back to those older games that had the old format because they were kind of just samey, and it was outdated at that time. so because i also I remember I bought Syndicate, I never played it. because i just i just got It was one of those like cheap Black Friday purchases. They were like, I'll get to it eventually, and then it just never do, and then it feels like the time has kind of passed where you're like, I don't really want to play this. so So it's just' it's just kind of a series I fell off of. I loved Origins. I liked Odyssey, but fell off because I got the open world fatigue. And then I heard Valhalla was even longer than both of them. So I was like, I don't want to put that time into it. So I've just kind of fallen off of these houses. I'm interested in shadows, but it's it'll probably be a the typical Ubisoft. Three months later, it's $20 kind of purchase.
00:07:33
Speaker
But was, uh, was unity the one that launched and they had like the, all the models were all screwed up. Like it was eyeballs and floating. ts yeah some Yeah. Okay. Cause I, that's my experience with assessment. for just Exactly. What listen looking at all those pictures in me and being like, Oh my gosh. Yeah. no I thought the NBA 2k face scan was bad. I remember that. It was really bad. Yeah. I've never played an NBA 2K game, but I do remember the memes are just like the the monstrosities of the facial scan month. The first year they had the facial scan, I spent hours trying to scan my face because you get like you get it uploaded and then it'd be like an arrow and you'd be like, oh my gosh, I have to do it again. You'd be like, are they back turn your head at a 30 degree angle, slightly, slightly. like It's so much easier now to do it, but like when it first happened, oh my gosh, i remember that was wasted a whole night doing that.
00:08:25
Speaker
Yeah, I remember that. It was nightmare fuel, with some of those scans that came through. I just want to say that somewhere out there, see Hawk, our friend, is out there listening to this podcast and he's hearing Hodge say going back to the old games is pointless because the formula is all the same. And he's he's yelling in his car right now. He's mad. He loves he loves those old games. He's not a fan of the rp ones. Well, that's the thing. I liked the old ones. They just got so same. That's why Black Flag felt like was such a refresh even though it was still that old format Black Flag had had that open seas pirate kind of it was like and it just didn't take itself as seriously you were just like a fun pirate like it wasn't the uh the Desmond like the world's ending if we don't get this done kind of thing it was it was a lot more of lighthearted and fun and that's why for honestly it might be my favorite Assassin's Creed of all time it was it was a blast but just playing those other ones that are just kind of forgotten like once they got away from des once they got away from the Desmond plot
00:09:22
Speaker
They're very hit or miss on if they were even interesting. Like, I'm sure the gameplay was fun, but like the plots and everything I was like, I don't want to play as have Sturgill employee number 12, who's just scanning into random memories and stuff like yeah it just it just didn't hit the same. um But I did love Orange. I mean, to me, I don't think the the formula changed as drastically as people make it seem like they make it seem like it went from open world sandbox to um like open world or like just amazing RPG. It's like, It's still basically the same game. They just changed a couple of things. It's not it's not stand in a crowd of people and blend in kind of shit anymore. But I don't know. Assassin's Creed is a good it's a good series. It's just one I kind of got bored of and fell off. hodge What what it scream it's screaming to me is that since you liked Black Flag so much, you should just play Skull and Bones.
00:10:11
Speaker
Dude, so I I know I said like it had the ship stuff in open. See the ship combat, I thought, sucked. Like I like it. I liked sailing. or Oh, I fucking hated it. I remember when it got introduced in Assassin's Creed three. I was like, oh, this is terrible. And then four came out and I was like, it's even more. I'm like, oh, fuck. I just like the setting of being in like the Caribbean, like. Sailing around like that. I put the ship combat itself sucks. So when they're like, hey, we're making a game That's dedicated to the part you hate most about Assassin's Creed. I'm like, I'm never going to play that game I will never place call them votes. I'd rather play Sea of Thieves, which is a fun game but yeah Yeah
00:10:52
Speaker
Yeah, so I actually I enjoyed the ship combat in Odyssey more than Black Flag. It was simplified. Like you were just sailing around shooting like arrows and fire arrows and ramming into people and then boarding them and killing them. Like that was fun. And I've said before, I just absolutely love that Greek island setting. It was just so it was just beautiful. You know, the turquoise water, the white sand beach is the big statue of Poseidon. and It was just epic. Um, but it was, it was a, it was a beautiful setting. It's just, I was, I, it was one of those, it was like the same of how I fell off horizon and her horizon, forbidden West. I just had open world fatigue at the time. And I just, I was like, I'll come back to it eventually. So Odyssey and forbidden Western two games, I'll go back to eventually, but yeah, it's just one of those things where you start a game. You're like, I'm not feeling it right now. And you just kind of put it down until another time.
00:11:38
Speaker
All right, let's keep it moving here. That was seven minutes on Assassin's Creed. But yeah, Assassin's Creed Unity. Good game. I enjoyed it. And I will say real quick, right before we move on, that unfortunately, because I played it in 2024, I didn't get to experience the co-op. I tried, but surprisingly, nobody was queuing up for co-op. Can you believe it? I couldn't find any partners, so. And that's sad. Can you be like a custom, like, local or not local? you know local co-op but can you do like a private yeah private party to do it like if you had maybe i don't know i didn't have any i don't know if like if three people signed on and played all so you could have a group do it or not but uh maybe well if you all searched at the same time it would presumably maybe put you together oh you can't even make a private party to i don't i don't know i was playing alone so
00:12:21
Speaker
Oh, OK. Gotcha. Would have to look that up and experiment. But yeah, so that was Assassin's Creed Unity. The last game that I'm playing, I also mentioned this before, I'm still playing Diablo 4. I'm playing through that right now, having a good time. I'm playing as my necromancer. This is my first time ever playing the game. So I'm just playing through the campaign and the story, doing a lot of the side quests, too. The story is pretty good. I'm enjoying the game. I'm not um'm not like head over heels enjoying the game um because it's not like a full on like super RPG where you actually have like choices and dialogue and stuff. You know, that's the stuff that really hooks me. It's pretty much just a set narrative that you're experiencing, but it's good though. I mean, I'm having fun for what it is. I'm definitely going to beat the game and I'm enjoying it. So that is it Diablo four for me. um So any any thoughts on Diablo four real quick and then we'll pass it over to you Hodge for what you're playing.
00:13:17
Speaker
Is the story as shallow in the Diablo games as people make them out to be? Because people make it out to be like, it is so shallow of the story. like It's all about just playing the game in the combat. like A lot of people have no idea what's going on. I wouldn't say that it's that shallow. um I mean, there's a there's been like so far there's been like 15 to 20 missions that I've done. We're like hunting down a big bad and trying to stop them and, you know, saving a couple of people. So I don't think it's that shallow. It's not like crazy deep or anything, but it's not like it's not super shallow either. So far, it's a decent story. um Once I beat the game, though, I'll be able to better answer that because I'm still in it. I'm in act three. I think there's four acts. I'm not sure, though. But yeah, it's not bad. All right. I'm just curious. Yeah.
00:14:00
Speaker
All right. um Hodge, any thoughts on Diablo? And then get into what you're playing, sir, because you are up next. Yeah. Um, no, my brothers have been trying to get me to play it, but it's just, it's, that's just one of those, like the top down gameplay. It's I, my brothers also played the OG war crafts back in the day, like even before world war craft and stuff like that. So they always, they've always been into those and they've always tried to get him into, but it's just never appealed. I'm sure they're fun, but it's, it's just one of those game game styles where I'm just like, eh, it's just,
00:14:31
Speaker
I'd rather play other stuff. I don't I don't need to force myself to try and like something that has it appealed to me. But yeah, I mean, I've heard people love it. So it's cool. But yeah, it's just really not my not my thing. But for me, my games, the first one I just wanted to hop into super quick. Cause I don't like, so it's Fortnite reload. Uh, I don't obviously don't like talking about Fortnite every freaking week, you know, I've been, you know, playing it, but there's this new game mode that just came out called reload where it's a small, it's I think it's, um, people were saying it's a ripoff of, I think it's called like rebirth Island or something and call of duty. Um,
00:15:09
Speaker
where it's like a I can't remember what it's called, but it's basically a game mode where instead of it being 100 people and you have to be the last one standing, it's 40 people on a smaller island and has landmarks from the original map, the weapons from the original map, which is, you know, the nostalgia that everyone has for Fortnite if you've been playing it for. you know, since the beginning. And it's 40 people on a smaller map. And if you die, you can choose to kill like you. Like when you get down, you can choose to kill yourself and respawn. And so basically, when you're fighting and you get down, you just let yourself die. And then you're in squads, it takes 30 seconds to respond. In duos, it takes eight seconds, I believe six or eight seconds to respond.
00:15:51
Speaker
So you just kind of make that strategic choice of do I let myself respond at full health in 30 seconds and see if they can survive or do I stay down, let them come heal me and trying to and so it's cool. And then once it gets to like a certain point in the game, the the automatic reboots just go away. So you have to survive the rest of the game. And it's just a really fun game mode with the old OG Fortnite kind of vibes with it and so I've been having a lot of fun with that it's kind of reinvigorated since like I talked about I think two weeks ago when we talked about our games were playing they talked or maybe it was four weeks I don't remember
00:16:24
Speaker
But ah how it's like kind of turned into car combat in the main battle royale right now with the with the theme. And it just kind of sucks. And so um it's been nice going to reload where it's all the old stuff that I remember and love about Fortnite and just kind of play this really fun game mode that goes way quicker. And so it's a lot of fun. But um I know you guys have nothing to say about Fortnite. so i got one thing I got one thing to say. okay hello okay it's It's crazy to me that you're we're already at a point where people are nostalgic for OG Fortnite. I know. Like, it was like Twisted Towers or what is that what it's called? Twisted Towers or Leaky Lake? Tilted Towers. Tilted Towers, Leaky Lake. Is that one of them? Leaky Lake, okay. Look at this, this is crazy. I can't believe it's been around and people are still playing this game. I mean, is that a fact? I just hate that game.
00:17:12
Speaker
its It's a it's a game that I mean you can have the nostalgia because it's an ever-evolving game like I just saw today Our buddy Corey posted in a discord that hell divers has lost 90% of its player base including me I had I don't play it anymore and Because but it's because it's stale like I earned the platinum which was awesome. I was grinded for that I earned all the Stratagems and ship modules all the stuff you unlock as you play and they cap you at certain like if you you search for materials and you cap it like 500 for the common ones and stuff like that and And so I maxed out on everything. I've unlocked everything. i have all the i have the pla They haven't added anything. It's just different planets. Sometimes you defend different planets. It's different environments. But you're still doing the same missions, the same two enemy types. And so it's just gotten a little stale. And people fall off of it because you're not earning anything anymore. And that's what ah a good live service keeps you in the thing. And so the long,
00:18:12
Speaker
story short ah is Fortnite is constantly evolving. So it's cool that we have nostalgia for the old map, even though 26 years old, because it's grown so much to this new game that keeps people engaged, that when they do bring back that OG shit, you're like, oh my God, I forgot about this weapon. I forgot about this island. I loved it landing here. like It's this really fun thing. And it was also when it was it was my favorite time to play Fortnite back in that day. but So it's obviously that nostalgia also. but Yeah, it's just really cool that a game can keep evolving so much that six years later, it's still going strong with millions of people playing it because they're just ever evolving it. It's really so I just love that about it. But um yeah, so it is kind of funny that i've the nostalgia but I like that they evolve it like that. But
00:18:56
Speaker
my next also one more thing yeah yeah one more thing It's also funny that we've come to the point where we need games. like as much as Even though we're from that era where we play games for fun, we don't need to we don't need to be earning stuff. It's come to that point where like people are like, no, we need to earn stuff. So we're going to the games that give us new stuff. Yeah, I mean, but it's also, it's, I agree but that I, because I wouldn't want that in a game. Like, I don't know. They don't need to make Alan Wake to a live service game. No, I understand what you're saying. I'm talking about multiplayer though. yeah It's just funny that we yeah we come from that era where, you know, Oh, we play the game for fun. Like we don't need to just be real constantly rewarded with these battle paths and new skins and all that and all this stuff. But like, it's just funny that we, everyone, we all evolved. Everyone evolves.
00:19:42
Speaker
Yeah, I think that there's two there's two aspects that that I can kind of think of is when we were kids, we had the games that we had, and you had to pay you had to buy them. So you bought that game and you were stuck in that game. Like I the days of Halo three, everything was unlockable in game. And but once you got the skin, you're still playing just because it was fun. Same with Call of Duty. Battle passes are cool, but it's it's obviously just a thing to incentivize you to stay, whereas games just used to be fun and that incentivized you to stay. But nowadays, the other thing is these games are free. So if it doesn't have something to keep you, people are like, well, I'm just going to go the next free.
00:20:19
Speaker
game like so it's like but the next game I'm going to talk about. It's just just a game that was free. I downloaded it. I loved it for a while and then I fell off of it, which is my next game is X Defiant. After you talked about it, I really wanted to try. When you said it was old school Call of Duty vibes, I'm like, I have to yeah play this. So and it and it. What do you think? What do you think of it? It was old school Call of Duty vibes. I've really loved it until me and my buddies got out of the welcome playlist. and just started playing the normal game mode. And it was the sweatiest game I have played in a long time that was at the point where I was going like five and 30 in games. I'm just getting my ass kicked. And like and my cousin, who's a very, very, very good first person shooter, he's going like 500 and he's getting pissed off because he's usually the guy who goes a three OKD.
00:21:10
Speaker
You know, 2 0 3 0 4 OKD. And so he's getting his he's he's finishing 500 and he's like, what is going on? like And we're just playing against the ultimate sweats. These people, you know, they're suddenly we're playing as PC people, obviously. And so they have a sniper, which is a one shot kill. And you're just so the second go on the open, you're just dead. And I'm just like, this isn't fun. I don't find this fun anymore, because it was it was fun when if I finished, you know, 500, it's like, all right, it's a decent match. I killed people as much as they killed me fun. But when I'm going minus 50, I'm like, what is this isn't fun to me anymore? So I i mean, it's also a skill issue. Get good. I i get that. But it's just I just fell off. And I'm just like, it was fun for the week and a half. We played it until we got kicked out of the welcome menu and went to the sweat menu, but her playlist. But I'm just like, I can't I can't do this anymore. But it was awesome old school Call of Duty vibes. And I did have a lot of fun with it when I wasn't getting my ass kicked.
00:22:07
Speaker
Yeah, it's funny with X Defiant, because I'm also playing that. I didn't put it on my list, because I'd already talked about it. It's it's a live service. So I feel like I don't need to talk about these every week. like But I am playing it still. um I play it with um with my with a friend of mine, D.O.B. He was on one my 1v1. oh Call of duty call so i'm uh, so i like we're good players i'm a 2k d player in call of duty He's like a 4k d player. Um, so we're partied up and we're playing and we're doing pretty good We're winning the majority of our games, but it is very sweaty. Um, it is very sweaty. You are absolutely, right? Um, we're usually doing pretty good and we're usually going positive but there are games where i'll go negative like i'll go like
00:22:49
Speaker
Like I think like the worst game I had, I think I went probably like 13 and like 27 or something like it, which for me is really bad. Um, but there's also really good games where I'll get like 38 kills and only like nine deaths or something. So there's a huge variance of the games, but it is super sweaty. There are games where we get stomped out. Like when there are games where we get absolutely destroyed. Like we can barely get out of our spawn. Cause you play against like a full team and they just got the map locked down and they're on the head glitches and stuff. And like you're getting, they're flanking you and you're getting shot in the back. So that can be very stressful. So I do agree with you. It is very, very sweaty. um But one thing I will mention is that with season one, which is coming soon, um they actually have a ranked playlist. And I know when you hear ranked, you probably think that's going to be sweaty, right?
00:23:34
Speaker
But the thing about the ranked is it has skill-based matchmaking. So if you go in there, you actually will probably be getting matched up against people that are like around your wavelength. And you'll probably have a lot more fun. It's also 4v4, which i kind of like I feel like these maps play well. 4v4, we played a couple games. We didn't play a lot. We played a couple. And like they they felt pretty good 4v4. It wasn't too crowded. You weren't getting shot in the back all the time. But you were able to just get out there and shoot people and have fun. So the ranked playlist might be something that you enjoy because it will have skill-based. Yeah, so that could be cool, but we'll see when season one comes out. But anyways, that's ex defiant. I'm playing it. I'm enjoying it. But I absolutely agree with you. It is a sweaty mother effing game, dude, because like ah even us, we're really good players, especially him. We get stomped out on there sometimes like you play some teams and it's rough. Yeah. And so I don't know if you had anything to say about it or not. Okay.
00:24:29
Speaker
okay Uh, then the last game I played is, uh, Game Pass release game, uh, still wakes the deep. Um, I, it's not the best walking sim I've ever played, but it was very good and the graphics were gorgeous. It was, it was very photorealistic at times, but I didn't know it was going to be as much of a horror game as it was actually, because the trailer is just kind of, We're like, you're walking around. like So if and anyone who doesn't know, you're basically a guy who's working on an oil rig and they drill into something like that. Oh, you like there's a moment where you're up talking to your boss and he gets a phone call like, oh, the drill stuck. We can't keep going. And he goes, I don't know. They're all Scottish or whatever. So I don't care. Keep drilling.
00:25:14
Speaker
and so they and then all of a sudden there's just a huge explosion and you know the oil rigs kind of start falling apart like what the hell is going on and it turns out that they hit like this alien kind of thing and it just like sprouts up through the oil rig and just starts taking over people and so basically the whole game is you're just trying to avoid these like creatures that are killing everyone and it's just very cool like it is just a walking sim because really all you do is you walk around and you interact with stuff so it is like they're buried and they're actually it's funny there i uh i got the achievement it's the achievement is called walking simulator but and it's don't sprint for more than 10 minutes during your entire playthrough and so ah so i got i got the walking sim achievement
00:25:56
Speaker
And, uh, but it was a very, very good story, which is what the, the point of walking Sims are. Obviously you're not playing that for gameplay. You literally walk, swim, open doors, interact with stuff. Like that's literally all it is, but it's this amazing story because it's also this guy he's like going through a divorce and like, so it's this really emotional story. And I really enjoyed it. And it was like graphically gorgeous. Like I said, like it doesn't live up to what remains of Edith Finch or gone home or called to see like these other walking Sims that I absolutely adore. But it is a very good one. It's about a five, six hour game. If anyone wants to check it out in Game Pass, if you do like the story based walking Sims, it's definitely I think it's definitely worth checking out for anyone interested in that.
00:26:41
Speaker
All right, good stuff. I don't have anything to say about Still Wakes the Deep. It looks cool. It's on Game Pass, so that's cool. So let me go. I'll pass it over to Sean. Sean, if you... I just want to say, well, I think the setting of that is so fascinating, like being trapped on this, like an oil rig in the middle of the ocean. Yeah. To me, that is... Even that, without the supernatural elements, like you had said, that's terrifying to me. Yeah. Yeah, it was a lot creeper than I expected it to be, but it was awesome. I don't know if people should play it for sure. Especially if you have game pass. ah yeah game Game pass is awesome. Yeah, I was going to say, Sean, if you had any thoughts on still wakes and then go ahead and get into your games. But yeah, go ahead and ah hit us with what you're playing or talk about whatever you want, sir.
00:27:24
Speaker
All right, so I wasn't on the last main episode. So it's been about like almost like almost ah almost a month, about but four weeks. you know i was on all the I've been on like two supplemental shows, two DLC episodes, and not a main episode. But in the meantime, the day we recorded our last main episode, so four weeks ago, I got the Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Platinum. like I got the Platinum that day. So that was pretty cool. I just wanted to mention that. don't I don't need to say anything more about that. So then I was like, well, I'm going to be playing a game that I will be talking about in a little bit. But I only had like a week to figure it out. So I decided to play Animal Well on PS5. It was on PS Plus. That's a donkey one, right? Yeah, let me figure this out. Let me ah me check this game out. Really interesting puzzle game. um Some very obscure answers. I don't think any of them were too like, oh my gosh, I'm banging my head against the wall, like trying to figure this out.
00:28:19
Speaker
Um, I ended up, I ended up getting the platinum. It took me about 10 hours to get the platinum. Um, but yeah, it wasn't bad at all. Like not, not bad at all. Um, some of the solutions, like I said, were not as, um, not as difficult as others. But as I went on, i got and I got into the game a little bit more. Like at first I was like, yeah, this game's kind of alright. There's not really like a main, there's not like a story to it. It's kind of like you're just in a well and there's like animals in a well and you're trying to like figure, you're trying to like just go around and trying to get out of a well basically. But there's like little, it's kind of like a Metroidvania-like because like you go to certain areas and you come back and you have to like find certain items to use to um,
00:29:05
Speaker
You find certain items to use to help you like navigate through the area. And then there's obviously this optional challenges. Like you can find these eggs. There's like, I think there's 64 of them. I can't remember if it was 64. I don't know. There's like 64 eggs you find and like that helps you. If you find all 64, you get the true ending. Um, is at one point this giant demon cat kind of like chases you around. It's like really weird and like it chases you around like, and it's part of a puzzle. And like to figure that out, that took me a while to figure out like what I needed to do. I got really, I beat the game without looking anything up regularly. And then I found like, I think it was like 55 eggs without looking anything up. And then I was like, I have to figure, I can't, I have no idea what else to do. And I was so close already that I decided to look it up. It's pretty cool. Art style is very unique, very old looking. Like if I showed it to a student, they'd think it probably came out in the 80s.
00:30:01
Speaker
um But it it does a lot. It's really cool. I'm glad that he, you know, it's Dunkey's game. I'm glad that he got to you know put this out there. i'm I'm excited to see what he does next. any Any thoughts on Animal Well? i No, I'm not familiar with this game. I haven't played it, but um or I haven't even heard of it. But that sounds sounds interesting. I'm glad you got another plat. So that's two plats for you. And a shout out to the Bubble Wand. The Bubble Wand is my favorite. but
00:30:32
Speaker
little item you got blow bubbles, you can jump on the bubbles. Yeah, all I have to really say about it is it I just like that it's an indie game like a true indie game of someone put their own money towards it and just was like, I want to make good games because that's kind of what a lot of gaming is suffer missing right now. I mean, there's a lot of indie games, obviously, but like having people who make the games for the passion of game rather than making like kind of a corporate like deadline kind of game. It's just, it's very cool that a game like that is like in talks of game of the year already. Like it's the fact that people are loving it that much is just really cool. But yeah, it's not a game I've played and I would like like to play it one day, but it's just not at the top of my radar right now, but I'm happy people are loving it for sure. Cause that's, that's just really cool when games like that succeed.
00:31:22
Speaker
Alright, next up, I am playing SMT5 Vengeance. So this is the game that I had like ah like a week and a half like buffer, so that's why I played Animal Well. So if I if this if i didn't have that buffer, I probably wouldn't even play Animal Well, which I'm glad I did. But SMT5 Vengeance, now this is a re-release of SMT5, which came out originally on Switch back in December of 2021. So it was like at a weird, like, release in your game, and it was literally like a week before Christmas. So even like, weirder, not even like the first week of December, like right before Christmas. So um I eventually did play it on Switch, not right away. um I played it probably a year later. and I liked it. Wasn't my favorite Atlas game. Now, this but what Vengeance does, it adds a lot of quality of life features. um Like there's some new quests they add, but some quality of life is with like traversal. They add these like things while like grind rails so you can easily get across the map. So you find like a little like waypoint. And if you click, if you like,
00:32:20
Speaker
click the waypoint it will grind you'll like literally get on like a rail and grind across and go to another waypoint so that's pretty cool ah they added some extra demons too so um it's very similar to persona like instead of personas you're getting demons and to get demons on your team you have to recruit them by talking to them the conversations are quite funny some of them like they'll ask you a question it'll be like i smell blood can you smell it and like you have like three options to choose from and like depending on what you choose the demon you have no idea how the demon is going to react like you could choose oh yeah it smells great and you'll be like ew you you you you can smell blood but you're a human how can you smell it um stuff like that um
00:33:01
Speaker
It's pretty humorous. ah One thing that I do not like about the game is that the demons level up so quickly that and once you level them up to a certain point, they they and anytime they level up after that, like they don't grow and they don't learn any new skills and it's harder for them to grow. up like They're level capped pretty quick. So you're cycling through demons a lot. So like it's really hard to get attached to one because you're like, well, I'm just going to end up dishing you anyway. But overall, it's cool. It's much more similar to Soulhackers than Persona in that there's no romancing. like You have optional side conversations with characters. like There are some other humans. There's only a select few other humans, like four or five. um But most of it is talking to your demons. and you really Like I said, you're cycling through the demons so much, it's really hard to get attached to them.
00:33:52
Speaker
But the combat's great. It's classic Persona-style combat. um it's very It's a lot more difficult than Persona. um like you hat like You definitely have to use your buffs and your debuffs on enemies or you're going to get your butt kicked. I'm about three quarters of the way through the new playthrough according to like on Pia on PlayStation They have that little thing like percentage that shows I'm like at 76% right now and I played about 35 hours so So far I'm liking it. I don't know if I'm gonna go but go for the plat You have to play it like six times and I don't know if I want to do that I might eventually ain't nobody got time for that. I Mean I have all the time in the world right now It's true but
00:34:37
Speaker
Um, SMT five, I, if you like Atlas, I suggested, but if you're like only like Atlas, because of like the, like the, the character development and the romancing and you're like, yeah, I don't really care about the combat or like anything like that, then I, this game isn't for you. But yeah, any questions about SMT five vengeance. You know, it's funny. Um, you know, shout out to my friend DOB that I was just talking about. He's as casual of a gamer as you get. I mean, he's, he's the call of duty. He's the two K he's the, uh, you know, the Madden type gamer, right? He just plays those, those tent pool, live service games. But I actually saw the other day he was playing Shin Megami 10 say five vengeance. And I was like, this is weird because he doesn't play a lot of RPGs and stuff like that. So I was like, Hey man, how do you liking it? He's like, it's cool, man. It's good. He's like, it's hard, but I like it. So, uh, you know, that's cool.
00:35:26
Speaker
Uh, this is a game that like I've said, I do want to play, um, but it's another, it's just one of those things where there's just too many damn games and I don't have enough time. Um, my backlog is, is literally like 50, 45, 50 games right now. So, um, Hodge, I know this is definitely not something that you've played or care about really. No, I didn't know it was like a persona or I didn't know it was an Atlas game until I saw like a trailer for this one a long time ago. And I was like, Oh, it's those same people. And that's really all. Yeah. and Like literally the demons, like literally the demons are the same exact thing as personas. There's demons. Yeah, it's like copy for like same name, same name. like If you look at if you look up like a demon name, you'll get like sometimes like persona wiki will come up instead of like SMT wiki. I'm like, all right. To be fair, though.
00:36:14
Speaker
I was gonna say to be fair, though, it is a spin off persona was a spin off of Shin Megami. So they're in the same universe. So it's not like they're just like blatantly copying each other. It's the same. mean Obviously, oh i'm tired I'm talking to the audience. I know you know. shock Yeah. um No, but one thing that is pretty cool is the whole the whole game takes place in Tokyo. And like, it's like a almost like an alternate realm where you're going through and like it's like the future but it's all like post-apocalyptic like you start out in like this like desert there's just sand everywhere you're supposed to be in Tokyo and it's just covered in sand and then you get to go to Akihabara and it's like just taken over by demons and it's all run down it's pretty cool and like there's this one guy who you buy and sell items to and he's obsessed with like like old-time like um relics so like you'll sell him like it'll be like an ancient video game system
00:37:06
Speaker
It's supposed to be like right it's referencing like an NES if you read the description. So that's kind of cool. But yeah, I'm enjoying it. And this can then very rarely, I am playing a second JRPG. And that is Fire Emblem Three Houses. I'm so excited to hear what you think about this. I love Fire Emblem. Let's hear it. So I'm playing I'm playing this exclusively on the switch So basically this is um, well obviously explicit it's always so I meant in handheld mode playing exclusively handheld mode So it's like my handheld game So anytime I'm like out by the pool when I get out of the pool if I'm just like laying down I'll just be you know playing on my switch. I'm about 25 hours into it. So I've played a lot of it and you know what this I'm not a tactics guy, but you know, I'm this combat's got me and This combat's got me hooked like to the point where I'm doing all the optional, like making it more difficult for myself, doing all the challenges. like I'm really invested in the characters. like I'm playing with permadeath, so like if a character dies, I'm like, oh my gosh. But I'm not resetting. That's not how you play. You don't reset. Whatever happens, happens. I'm part of, um so, yeah sorry. Got a little, sorry. We can edit this out. You're fine, you're fine. It's professional podcasting. Let's go roll roll with it.
00:38:19
Speaker
um So there are three houses you get put in. um And you can choose from the Blue Lions, the Golden Deer. And I can't remember what the last one's called, because I'm not part of that one. Blue Lions, Golden Deer. It doesn't matter. The third one. Yeah. but Oh, and the Black Heels. Sorry. And I actually took a quiz online to kind of determine my house. I'm like, oh, you know what? Let's do this. um but I'm in a Harry Potter mood right now. So I got the golden deer and that's considered like the underdog and like the, like the Western, almost like the Hufflepuff of the, um, which is funny cause I'm a Hufflepuff too. So was I. Yeah. So I'm in the golden deer and it's really cool. Cause all the, yeah, of course you are. Um, all the different.
00:39:07
Speaker
my
00:39:10
Speaker
um All the different characters in the Golden Deer, they come from like different backgrounds. So you have some from nobility, and then you have others who come from just regular families, and some who come from like almost, not poverty, but like lower, low class. um They're specifically, they're range-based, so like a lot of like archers and mages in this class. um It's pretty cool. I'm really getting connected to a lot of the characters. The the relationship system reminds me so much of Persona. And the writing is insane. like One of the big reasons why I couldn't i couldn't get past six hours of Fire Emblem Awakening is I didn't really like the writing style. um This writing is ten times better. And you really are invested in the characters and it makes you, when you when you lose someone in battle, you're like, oh my gosh, I can't believe I just lost them.
00:39:59
Speaker
um Couple characters I just want to shout shout out is Lysithia. Lysithia, she's awesome. She's like by far my favorite character right now. She comes from like a very noble family, but she's like very humble in her nobility. Like she doesn't want people to know like where she's like, she doesn't like to reveal like, oh yeah, I'm from this big noble family. ah She's a mage too. And I i love using mages when I'm on that tactics grid-based combat. And like I said, I'm a sucker for that range class anyway. So like anytime there's a mage or an archer, I'm like all into it. So yeah, I'm really enjoying it.
00:40:30
Speaker
um I have no idea, I don't know how long the game is, I have no idea how close I am to the end, so I'm loving it. Dude, I'm so happy. yeah as As you know, we talked about this in our 1v1. People who know me, you know, I'm a huge Fire Emblem fan. I love Fire Emblem. Awakening was awesome. Stop slandering Awakening. But I have heard that Three Houses is like maybe one of the best ones that they've ever done. um So I'm just glad that we finally got you. You finally recognize the greatness of Fire Emblem because it's always been great. um Well, the ones I played anyway.
00:41:01
Speaker
because they have awesome social links, they have awesome characters, they have awesome combat, and they usually have good stories, too. So shout out to Fire Emblem. I can't wait to play that myself when I finally get a Switch, too, when when they ever announce that. It better be backwards compatible Nintendo or else. All right. So Sean, was that it for you? Was that... ah Yeah, that's it. Hodge, do you have anything you want to say about Fire Emblem? I don't imagine so, but we want to give you a chance. No, I've it's never been anything that's ever appealed to me. So I have nothing bad shock. I'm shocked. ah i'm Shocking not into it. All right, ladies and gentlemen. yeah That was fun. It is now time. Let's get into the main event, shall we, boys? This is going to be a lot of fun. We are going to talk about our five games that we are most looking forward to for the rest of twenty, twenty four. So it's we're about at the halfway point of the year.
00:41:56
Speaker
pretty much here. So we got six months left and there are some awesome games coming. A lot of games coming and we're going to get into that. So as usual, we're going to go five, four, three, two, one roundhouse style and we're going to get into it. Utilize the timestamps people. If you're still listening to this awesome podcast, please leave a like and a comment. We appreciate it. And let's get started. Shall we? Sean Mason, you are up first by random drawl. Not really. What is your number five game, sir? All right, my number five game is a game that I just recently talked about on one of our DLC episodes, and that is Mario and Luigi Brotherhood. um I am a sucker for obviously JRPGs, and I'm a sucker for these Mario RPG games. Oh my gosh. I've talked about how much I love Paper Mario. Mario and Luigi is basically a spiritual successor, kind of like a spinoff of Paper Mario. Very similar combat, except you're only, you're just limited to Mario and Luigi running around and like, you know,
00:42:54
Speaker
the way that Brotherhood looks, it took the art style of those like older games and kind of like Elevated it to not like fully like oh my gosh We're going from 2d to 3d because the other games were kind of 3d ish like especially the 3ds versions of the games But like it's an evolution You can see the art style where it started on GBA and where it is now on switch and I love it And I I'm such like I said I'm a sucker for these Mario and Luigi games and Mario RPGs in general the writing of these games is hilarious It's so funny just like reading some of the stuff in these games you find yourself constantly laughing um I'm really interested in
00:43:30
Speaker
Some of the who's developing this game. There's no confirmed developer for this game. They didn't announce who's developing it. There are rumors online but um Some of the stuff they've shown they've shown that there's some new abilities in game with Mario and Luigi like they have these like brother They call like the games called brotherhood, but they have brotherhood abilities where um you do special moves and they consume some of your empty um I'm just overall, I'm really excited for this game. It comes out November 7th, 2024. I'm curious to see where the story goes because all the different Mario and Luigi games, the stories are so wonky and so unpredictable. The enemies are all unique too. So like, we're not, it's not like, oh, we're fighting Bowser every time. It's like, no, one game you did it, but one game you fought inside Bowser. That was pretty cool. Bowser's insides, but Mario and Luigi Bowser's inside story. That was pretty cool.
00:44:19
Speaker
There's usually a ah whole unique big bad guy for the series, so I'm really excited to see what they do with this. And it saddens me to say that Mario and Luigi has become the but better RPG series than Paper Mario. Obviously, Paper Mario has the best game in Thousand Year Door, but the Mario and RPG series is really good, and I'm i'm really looking forward to it. Heck yeah. All right. I don't really have anything to say about that. I mean, I like RPGs, so maybe Maybe I'll check that out when I eventually joined the switch brotherhood. Um, how'd you have any thoughts on that? And then go ahead and give us your five afterwards. Yeah, of course. Um, I, I was intrigued by this one mostly because of the art style. Like I was, I hadn't, I've never seen a cell shaded like Mario game before. So that that's what stuck out with to me. Also, isn't it called brother ship, not brotherhood. Did I say brotherhood? Yeah.
00:45:12
Speaker
But I just didn't want the internet to yell at you. aye Yeah. think brothership my ben Yeah. But yeah, it's really, it's that art style that, and like, I've gotten into games before purely because they're art style. Not even the, it's not the gameplay or the plot that intrigued me. It's just how it looked is why I got, that's why I got into the game guilt that I talked about ah on our recommendations episode, ah because it looked like Coraline, a great movie. But but ah yeah, this art style is really what intrigued me. I'll have to look more into like what the gameplay and everything is, but it did, It did intrigue me enough to that it's one that I'm like, i we weren't on the Nintendo episode, but that i I was going to talk about. I wanted to briefly kind of mention it. So you talk about this game brought it up is that's the first Nintendo direct that really stuck out to me in a long time of where it's like, damn, these games look.
00:46:01
Speaker
Because most most most intended directs, it's either none of these games are for me or maybe I'll see one or two that I'm like, oh, that's pretty good. But that direct actually really stuck out to me as a really good show. And this was one of those games that I was watching. and I was just like, I actually might dust off the switch for this one at some point, because it's ah I mean, when the game goes on sale in 27 years, I might give it a shot. Yeah, it just it it intrigued me. And I think it's one I'm hopefully will check out one. I was going to say, you'll be able to pick it up for $5 off on the Switch 7. So look forward to that in 30 years, and save $5. When they release it. It's turn-based combat. But there's interactions in it, too. It will be like, press A button, and you get more damage. Or you have to time A correctly. So it's kind of like, that's what I like about the Sea of Stars combat, was that turn-based kind of boomerang. Yeah, it's similar to that kind of thing. Yeah, it's similar to that.
00:46:59
Speaker
i Yak is a like a dragon is also like that too. And that that has fun combat. All What was your number five? Oh, yes, my number five. All right. I actually picked six just in case this first one doesn't count. So I'll let you guys be the judge of this one. um My first game was actually just kind of Bridget Spears coming to Xbox in August. OK. because I've already already played it, beat it on PS5, I adore this game, but I'm just so excited to honestly buy it again and play it again because this is one of those games that this was, this was it felt truly next gen with how beautiful this game is. It plays like a PlayStation 2 platformer, like not to say it's dated, but that's just what the vibe it gave me for.
00:47:43
Speaker
but it it should genuinely the company that made this game was an animation studio and they cut scenes and stuff legit look like Dreamworks movies like they are beautiful and so and it's very cute you find these little black creatures and stuff and it's just ah and obviously everyone knows I'm a platformer slut so I am really I really love the gameplay and it was like a souls like to I mean I played it on journalism mode because I'm not a psycho but but apparently the people who played on more difficult setting said that it's actually a pretty tough game to play because it is a souls like in the combat but it's just a beautiful game that I cannot wait to experience again on Xbox and just
00:48:24
Speaker
grab the achievements for it because it's, and it's, ah it's one of those small studios that, you know, I love supporting the smaller studios and be like, Hey, I'll buy your game. We're the ones I've bought Hades two or three times at this point. So like, I love super giant and that's kind of how I feel about this kind of game that I loved it that much on PS5. I was going to play it again on PS5, but instead I'm just going to buy it on Xbox and play it again there. because i I really do want to support the studio because this game is so good. And honestly, I didn't even know it was coming to Xbox. Literally, I found out in one of Skillop's videos where he's like just kind of doing a news roundup and he goes, and in August, Ken is coming to Xbox. I'm like, wait, wait, wait. When was this announced and why did no one tell me? Because everyone knows I love this game and no one freaking told me. But yeah, so I'm just really excited for this game to come out to Xbox. um Yeah, I actually played on the ah more difficult and it was very difficult, the more difficult. That's what I heard. it was
00:49:14
Speaker
It was very difficult. Yeah, I know that Ken over the spirit. Is it Ken or is it Kena? Didn't they say it was Kena? Did they say that? I thought it was Kena. I don't know. I've always said Kena, but I don't know. It might be Kena. I think it was. I don't know. All I know is, yeah, the game's the game's great. Really glad people on Xbox who haven't played it get to experience it. So, yeah, it's gorgeous looking to go. Yeah, it's beautiful. If it's Japanese, then it would be Kena. That's how no I just still i don't i remember remember. I remember people saying Kena because that's what like the developer on like an interview one time. Yeah, I'm not sure. um Real quick, Hodge. Just as an honorable mention, what was your sixth game? Just real quick. What was it? It would have been Stars Outlaws. Ah, that's a good one. Okay.
00:50:07
Speaker
All right. Let me get into my number five. um I'm going to go ahead and I'm going to do this here. So I have an honorable mention. And the reason why this is an honorable mention is because I don't believe it's actually going to come out this year. So I'm just going to say avowed. I love avowed. I love BlackRock. Shout out Obsidian. You know, I love you. But I don't think this game is really coming out in 2024. So I'm not going to mention it. It's just honorable. My actual number five is going to be Assassin's Creed Shadows. RPG Assassin's Creed is arriving in Japan. So that's kind of cool. ah Will it be as good as Ghost of Tsushima? I doubt it, but I'm still excited. I'm going to play it despite all the drama that surrounds it. um You know, people are upset that there's a black samurai. um I don't really care that much, um but I think the game looks cool. I watched the gameplay review. I thought the graphics looked pretty awesome. I liked when they were going through. And of course, you know, Japan is just kind of beautiful anyway. You see like the Sakura trees with like the the pink
00:51:07
Speaker
uh leaves or whatever follow falling and stuff and it just looks really cool you know i love assassin's creed odyssey assassin's creed odyssey is my favorite assassin's creed game of all time after two so i guess that would be my second favorite actually i forgot about two is the best But besides two, Assassin Creed Odyssey is is my favorite. I love that game. And it is the same developer, which is why I bring this up. It's the same developer. Ubisoft Quebec, I believe, is the one who's making shadows. So I have a lot of faith in them to deliver a great game. The combat looked fun. The graphics looked good. I'm sure the story will hopefully be good. So I will be playing Assassin's Creed Shadows. I won't say day one because I'm just so busy, but I will definitely be playing it.
00:51:50
Speaker
at some point soon after launch. So that's my number five pick, AC Shadows. Any thoughts, you guys, unless it's on your list on Shadows? I guess you kind of mentioned that. I'll go first just so then Sean can get into his after. I just it's I've talked about it a couple of times on this podcast. It's a game that I'm definitely interested in. I don't think it's going to be a day one for me is as well, because I like ah I still want to play Mirage also, because I've heard it was decent and it's short, which is nice. But, um, yeah, it's, I keep going back and forth where I'm like, Oh, I can actually really do want to play this. And part of me is also like, ah, it looks fine. Cause I just don't think it's going to live up to ghost of Tsushima because that game perfected feudal Japan video game. Like it, it.
00:52:34
Speaker
That game is almost perfect, if not perfect. So it's I just I mean, I know I shouldn't judge it to a game that's completely different from a different studio and like all that kind of. But in the back of my head, I'm just going to be like, this isn't Ghost of Tsushima. This isn't Ghost of Tsushima. And I just don't want that to kind of ruin it for me. So I feel like I will play it. Like I said, Ubisoft games when they go on sale two weeks after they fucking release, I might pick it up eventually. But it's not a day one for me, but I am definitely intrigued with this game for sure.
00:53:05
Speaker
Right on. Sean, take it away. Like I said, I've never played an Assassin's Creed game. if there If I were to play one, it would it this would likely drag me in, given the setting. um So as of right now, I don't plan on playing it. I think it's time. I think it's time we get you in there. We we already got you in the Fire Emblem now. I think it's time to get you into Assassin's Creed, Sean. This is the game. Well, I didn't mention the reason why I'm playing Fire Emblem is because someone else is playing ah Straw Hat, who was on the Nintendo episode. he He's playing Octopath. So he kind of made a little bit of a deal and he's loving that, too. So I just real quick. Cool. um I'm sorry. I did. Real quick. Shout out to Straw Hat, Parrot and Poot for coming on our awesome Nintendo episode with you. That was great. that You guys all did a great job. And thank you guys for appearing on the show. Shout out. I did listen to it. It was a good episode. Yeah. Yeah.
00:53:56
Speaker
Yeah, they're good dudes. I like them. I like them a lot. yeah um All right. So my next game. Oh, hang on. I'm just going to do one thing since you both ah um mentioned in our mention, I mentioned one. I'll mention one. And this one I know nobody is going to have this organ. You guys probably don't even know what it is called. Thank goodness you're here. It comes out on August 1st. It is defined as a 2D side-scrolling, um what do they call it, a slapformer. So it's like slap comedy platforming.
00:54:29
Speaker
ah The art style looks hilarious. And I looked at it and it's like kind of like a 2D side scroller and you're running around, but there's like gags going on. It's supposed to be fun. It's supposed to be a comedic game. and I'm kind of interested in it. It comes out August 1st. This screams handheld to me. So I, you know, I just wanted to throw that game out there, put that people on. This has like, this has like a where's Waldo art style. it looks yeah I think it's it's so cool. Yeah, that's pretty cool. Where's Waldo if it was on Adult Swim? Yeah, it's pretty cool. So I never heard of this. That's an awesome honorable mention, Sean. Yeah. um All right. So my real number four, well, my number four is Dragon Ball Sparking Zero. um Yeah, that comes out October 11th. So I'm pretty excited for this game. Spiritual success for the Tenkaichi series, Dragon Ball, Budokai Tenkaichi, absolutely adore these games. I've been waiting for this game essentially since 2008.
00:55:28
Speaker
when Tenkaichi 3 came out after I played that. Everything they've announced about it, it looked awesome. They've announced so many different characters already. The fighting looks crisp and looks so good. The animation looks amazing. It looks like Tenkaichi, but like next, year basically current gen. So basically these are PS2 games looking like they're playing on PS5. It looks unbelievable. um Every couple of weeks they're announcing like a batch of characters. They're doing like 12 at a time. And this range from Dragon Ball to Dragon Ball Super. We have GT in there. So they've confirmed all the different errors. So I'm like really excited to, you know, finally get to do like, you know, we got Super Saiyan Blue Goku versus Super Saiyan 4 Goku. Like who's actually going to win or you can do like GT Goku, Super, like Kid GT Goku, Super Saiyan 3 versus, you know, Super Goku. So um I'm pretty excited for this. Yes. Hot take. You want to know who the best Goku is? It's not even Goku.
00:56:27
Speaker
Super Saiyan Rose Goku was the best shout out shout out to Goku Black. All right. Well, that's not Goku either. I know. Well, I said it wasn't Goku, but that's the coolest one. I think I like that. Well, it's a completely completely different character, but semantics. But, yeah, no, I am like I'm really hyped for this game. Like I said, I've been waiting for this game since 2008. So let's go. And it wasn't even announced. I never thought I'd see this day this coming. Yeah, and I know Chris is excited. um Yeah, so I don't really have any thoughts on this too much. um I think maybe I'll play this one day, I'll put it on the backlog, but it's not going to be very high priority on the backlog. um The main reason why I'm considering this is because I think it does have kind of like some RPG elements to it. I saw a screenshot where you kind of get to make a choice, like whether you go with someone or you go with someone else. So I like that type of stuff, where you can kind of influence the story maybe, um and just hopefully have fun and experience a fun story. um So
00:57:25
Speaker
Yeah, that is something that I might play one day, but it's going to be later on down the line. um So Hodge, any thoughts you have on Dragon Ball and then give us your number four. Yeah, I am so intrigued in it. So the only game Dragon Ball game that I've really been super excited about since the Budokai series was Kakarot. And Kakarot was great until I fell off of it when I think it was only like the Saiyan saga. I was fighting Vegeta and he was so overpowered over me that I was like, I don't want it to go grind to, you know, be able to do this fight. So I just kind of fell off of it.
00:58:01
Speaker
But because these other fighting Dragon Ball games, I just none of them first. I was just terrible at fighters. I didn't know how to play that game. It looked really cool, but I just sucked at it. So I just didn't play that much of it. too But ah like I tried playing the Xenoverse games. I tried playing other fighting games that just. Butakai was always my favorite. I loved that original Butakai trilogy. I thought it was perfect. It was just the it was just that very simple side by side street fighter, moral combat type Tekken fighting game where you just move in kind of back and forth on the 2D plane. And I thought that worked so well. But when they made it like an open world, you know, bigger arena type fighting, I was like, that's really cool. But
00:58:43
Speaker
it just doesn't seem because like so much of it is you're just trying to fly towards the enemy to punch them and it's just like it felt too distant to me and I just couldn't land any of them but this one is just such a love letter to the entire series, not even just Dragon Ball Z. It's not just going sand and Majin Buu and ending. It's not just super. It has GT, it has the movies, it has characters from everything. And I don't I don't really care about super. So every time they show a super character, I just kind of
00:59:15
Speaker
turn my brain off for a second. But but just the fact that it's a love letter to the entirety of Dragon Ball Z is what and it's a beautiful looking game like it looks like the anime just three dimensional. And so um I really am curious. I don't know if it's gonna be a day one for me because as everyone knows, I do love Dragon Ball Z. It's one of my favorite things of all time. But these games just yeah, they're never but I'm actually I just found a screenshot of the Gohan with one arm from the history of Trunks movie. Like it's just such a random like no one really thinks about that as like a main character because it's just a Gohan that appeared for 15 minutes and died. Like so the fact that they're even bring that into the game. It's just so it's just so cool.
01:00:00
Speaker
That's why I loved the Tenkaichi series because they they really leaned into all those characters. Tenkaichi 3 had like 200 characters yeah and that think and i think that's not even like a like an understate, like they had 200 characters to choose from. Yeah, this this game has kind of given me that Super Smash Brothers Ultimate vibe where there's just like every single character ever is in this game. And that's kind of the vibe I'm getting. And I think that's really cool. So yeah, i it's it's a game that I hope I love, but I'm not like so excited where I'm like, I can't wait for Sparky Zero. like Also, I've just never been a huge fighter game. Like I said, Budokai is my favorite. And those came out 20 years ago. so
01:00:42
Speaker
ah i yeah I want to be super excited and I hope it's awesome. like it's just what It's not one that I'm hyped about, but I hope I play it one day and I hope it's awesome kind of game. Cool. All right. Sohaj, you're number four. My number four, my bad, I forgot that I was next, ah is Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Splintered Fate, which is going to be exclusive to Switch and I think iOS for the time being. And it's just... I'm not the biggest Teenage Mutant, like I like the Teenage Mutant Turtles, they were one of my, I loved them growing up, but it's never been like an IP where it's like, another TMNT thing's coming, oh hell yeah, gotta see it. But this game, when it was announced that it was basically like a co-op Hades, I was just like, I'm in, I'm already in. It looks like it plays like a...
01:01:36
Speaker
Hades and it's just it's just filling that void for me of waiting till Hades 2 comes out and it just seems like a game I could see myself loving playing and it's coming out actually in two or three weeks I think um so yeah it's it just looks it's it looks like Hades but TMNT and I so it really I really want to hop in and try it it looks really fun
01:02:04
Speaker
All right. What do you guys think? Sean, anything on that? I'm not a big teen Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fan. Like I was born like right after like that kind of that Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles era. um I did like Shredder's Revenge, though. That was like the first ever like Turtles thing I consumed. And then I watched that movie they released like last year or two years ago with that really cool art style. I think it was Mutants. Mute Mayhem. Yeah. really you mayhem Yeah, that was a really cool art style. I watched that, which I really like. So those are the only two really ninja turtle things that ever really consumed. So, um, if, if this game does well, um, I'll probably maybe try it one day, but I'm hoping it does really well because I know a lot of turtles fans are pretty pumped for the way that the series has been handled over the last couple of years. Yeah. I'm a turtles fan casual.
01:02:57
Speaker
Um, this game looks cool. I might play it at some point, um, but I haven't played a ton of Ninja turtle stuff lately. Um, I did try that one, um, that was like on the. It was on Game Pass. It was like the beat them up game where you co-op. Shredder's Revenge. Shredder's Revenge. I just yeah just mentioned it. Yeah, I played a little bit of that. I couldn't remember the title of that game, but um I played a little bit of that with my brother and it was pretty fun. But we actually, we didn't beat the game. We beat like a a few stages and then we ended up kind of moving on, um but it was cool. So let me go ahead and get into transition here into my number four here. I got my phone out here. My list is on there. So my number four is going to be, Sean, you're going to like this. Ready? It's weebry, you guys. My number four is going to be metaphor, refantazio from Atlas. I'm looking forward to this. I've been looking forward to this. It is original kind of persona devs making a new IP that's kind of set in more like medieval fantasy type.
01:03:57
Speaker
type setting and vibes. So I'm looking forward to this. I think it's going to be hopefully it's going to be awesome. um And I will be there playing it. um I can't wait. I think the art style looks cool. Of course, it's going to have great music. It's an Atlas game and they always have amazing music. um The combat looks pretty fun, how like you can kind of go into like an action combat and then switch it to turn based combat. um I don't know exactly how that works. I think maybe once you stun them or something, it goes to turn base. I'm not positive. um But it looks awesome. And I am looking forward to this. I feel like Persona is very cool. One of my favorite JRPGs for sure, definitely. um And i love the I love the combination of the social links and then the combat. like It's almost two games in one. um But I've always felt like You know, I'm ah i'm a medieval fantasy guy. um That's like my setting. I love, you know, Elder Scrolls and stuff like that. So this is kind of like taking it out of the modern school setting and more into like something that's more up my alley with that fantasy vibe. um So I am very excited for Metaphor Rifantazio. That is my number four game. Hodge and Sean, do you have any thoughts on this one?
01:05:04
Speaker
what Every time I'm getting to that point of like, I am going to play Persona. I just am reminded. Yeah, it's 100 hours long. You ready? I'm like, nope, I'm not. And then I don't play it. So that's kind of how I feel with this. If if this one comes out and everyone's like, yeah, it's a 30 hour campaign, I'm like, oh oh, I'll play it. But it's not going to be. And so I know I'm not going to play it. But it it looks cool. It's just it's one of those games where it's like it's too long. I know I'm never going to get to it. But maybe it'll be 30 hours. We don't know. But I doubt it from their history. Yeah, exactly. Exactly.
01:05:49
Speaker
but Yeah, so it looks cool. It's just, I know it's one I'm probably never going to get to. What about you, Sean? I'm sure this is up your alley. Might even be on your list. It's not on my list, but I'm ah really i am really excited for it. I'm i'm not going to play it day one. I actually might actually wait like just because Dragon Ball comes out that day too. So I'm choosing Dragon Ball over that. They come out in the same day. I will get it shortly thereafter, though. I'll probably wait a couple of weeks. um But yeah, I am excited. you know I had talked about how much I'm enjoying SMT5 and how much I've liked Persona in the past. So I'm really excited to see what where they take a new IP and you know what they do with it. So um yeah, looking forward to it. And like you had mentioned that that they go from action to turn base. That whole idea is really fascinating to me, like how they're going to implement that. So yeah.
01:06:42
Speaker
I thought you were going to say when you said you might wait, I thought you were going to say because they might do the traditional Atlas thing where in like a year they come out with like a super version that's way better. Yeah, probably. They probably will. I will say I really like the logo. That's the graphic design nerd in me. I really like that. Just the pointed A with like kind of the bow tie look. Yeah, I like that. Very cool. but All right, Sean, what's what's your number three then? My number three is the Legend of Zelda Echoes of Wisdom, another game shown at the and Nintendo Direct. Now I am a huge, huge Legend of Zelda fan. It's one of my favorite series of all time. I wasn't, I'm not a big fan of Breath of the Wild or Tears of the Kingdom, but I
01:07:26
Speaker
I'm a huge, huge into like the older, more traditional Zelda games and especially 2D Zelda holds a really special place in my heart. And when I found out, when I saw that they were doing a brand new 2D Zelda game in that Link's Awakening art style, which is just absolutely gorgeous. Like, you know, basically it's like you're playing in like a diorama, basically. um I couldn't believe it. Yeah, and i i I have been asking for a new 2D Zelda for a long time in that art style. Heck, I would have taken a remake. And I am so curious to see how this, where they go with this, because you actually get to play as Zelda this time. Like, you're you're playing as Zelda. Spoiler, that boy in the green tunic was not Zelda. That was Link, for those who didn't know. and Just blew someone's mind right there. I was going to make a joke. You beat me to it there. know Yeah, um yep you're actually playing as Zelda, and it's kind of cool how you can
01:08:20
Speaker
the way that they showed it like you can basically like conjure up items you find in the real world and use them like all over the map to either defeat enemies or like jump over gab you can use like a like a dresser to like get over like a gap in the area um and i'm The map looked very familiar to a link to the past map. But there were some new areas that I'm not familiar with. And I played a look to the past a million times. So I'm really curious to see where this goes. And I just can't wait for September 26. This is day one. I actually preordered um the collector's edition that come back that collector's edition like switch handheld version, which I will not open like a golden switch. Not opening that. Yeah, I'm so excited for this. Okay.
01:09:06
Speaker
Let me give my thoughts here and then we'll pass it over to Hodge because he's going to be next on the list anyway. So I think they missed an opportunity to call this the Legend of Link. Legend of Link. That would have been funny. The Legend of Link, but you play as Zelda. I made a joke about that on the nintendo on our Nintendo recap. I was like, how did they not do? They should have done it. That would have been awesome. and's That's awesome. That would have been hilarious. Even if it was just like a fake out, like they had it and they're just, yeah, we're just kidding. Yeah. yeah right But yeah, I mean, this game looks pretty cool to me. I think the art style is beautiful. I think it's cool how they're leaning into their physics engines like they did with the last game where you could pop out like and be creative and pop out, like you said, ah the tables and the the stools and and and all these things to traverse the world and and kind of get creative with it. So that's pretty cool. um this is This is a game that I will not be playing because I don't own a Switch right now.
01:10:00
Speaker
Um, but if I do, when I do eventually get the switch to it as a game, I will consider, um, but probably will be on the lower tier for me, um, personally, but I think it looks awesome. Zelda is obviously an OG, uh, game in the industry that we must respect. So, uh, shout out to that game and their fans, uh, are going to get to finally play really well and truly as princess Zelda. So, um, Hodge, go ahead and give us your thoughts and then your number three. So this is the game that stood out the most to me during that Nintendo Direct. I thought this looked amazing. Like, I love that puzzler. Like, I'm a puzzler platformer, as people know, so kind of doing that thing of like, you, what is it called? They're just called Echoes when you learn to like recreate things. Yeah, they call it they call them Echoes. Yeah, so i like the Echoes of making tables and then stacking them so you can get up walls. It's like,
01:10:49
Speaker
that is right up my alley and actually I own the links awakening remake I just I can't remember why I bought it and I just didn't play it I can't remember it's so good yeah if it if i if I was busy you know what I'm gonna challenge myself next week when or two weeks it's gonna be on my games we're playing as links awakening I do because it the art style is why I bought it because again I I'm a guy who has played games purely because of their art style and that links awakening style slash echoes of wisdom style is so cool that like yeah you putting it as like you're playing a diorama like that's very true it looks like you're like looking down into a diorama and so i'm super excited for this game i if i do play links awakening and beat it and love it and all that i might actually make this a day one game which i haven't done for switch game since
01:11:41
Speaker
ah Shit a breath of the wild but the councilole for good day came out yeah I bought a switch I think I came into stock like two weeks after it launched and I was like, I know I played a ah sword and shield the day it launched I remember I did and I did not like that game. But anyway, uh, yeah this echo but this game looks awesome I I'm so excited like I knew the second they announced I'd like all the internet soy boys are gonna get very angry. Are you playing as a woman? Nintendo went woke but this game looks so fun. I'm so excited for this one. Yeah, I'm gonna play Link's Awakening before the next episode, at least try, or start it. Cause yeah, this, it's one of that, I wanted it and and I just haven't played my Switch and song that I forgot that I owned it. But then upon seeing this and I was like, oh yeah, I own that game. I need to beat it. So I'm gonna play it. And then yeah, I'm super excited for this game. It looks so, it looks so much fun.
01:12:36
Speaker
Um, but my next game is, uh, Flintlock siege of dawn. Oops. That did pay straight. So I got it. I got it. Yeah. Flintlock siege of dawn. I actually I didn't realize it tells put my list together, but this and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles games come out a day apart, so Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles might have to wait just a little bit Whereas flintlock I it's a game pass game. So I will be playing at day one It just it's one that ever since it was announced that at the game showcase like two years ago or whatever I've been so excited to play this one. It looks so much fun. It looks beautiful The gameplay looks so cool. I love the setting of that that steampunk like fantasy
01:13:17
Speaker
look like the Order 1886 Bioshock Infinite like that steampunk vibe is so cool. And this game just looks awesome. And I'm so excited for it. And I actually didn't realize until I was looking at the list that it was I knew it was coming out this year. I didn't realize it was coming out in three weeks. So that's what was great news for me finding that out. And so yeah, I'm I'm I'm stoked for this game looks so cool. Sean, any thoughts? Um, I actually, i I remember like hearing about it, but I had actually never really looked it up. So I just quickly looked it up. Um, it looks pretty cool. I mean, they're, they're, they're saying it's going to be like a kind of a combination of like a God of war and an Elden ring. So it's like a,
01:13:58
Speaker
God of War combat, but kind of like a, um not like Souls-like, but similarly to Souls-like, but they're they're making it a little bit more accessible. there's gonna be and There's going to be an easier mode. So, I don't know, it looks pretty cool. Hodge, I'll be curious to to know what you think, because if you like it, I might. you know, might jump right on that. Yeah, I hope it's not painfully difficult because then I will fall like I wanted to play Liza P, but I got my ass kicked in the opening and I was just like, I don't know. So I don't want I hope that doesn't happen with this one either or also. So yeah, I really hope this is awesome. And I'm really excited for it in a couple of weeks comes out. Yeah, they're calling this game a soul's light is what they called it. So it probably will be difficult, but not nearly as difficult as like a dark souls. But
01:14:44
Speaker
Yeah, this game looks cool. It's something I've had my eye on for quite some time. It is a game that I would love to play. But again, it's it's just got there just so many games, man. I don't know when I'll be able to play it because I have 50 games to play. um But it is going to be on the backlog. It will be one of the 50 games. And hopefully one day I will get to play it because I think it looks very cool. I like the character. I like the art style. I like what they're doing with the combat. Um, and it looks really cool. And, uh, it, Hodge and Sean, if you guys go ahead and beat that, you guys, we could do the Flintlock spoiler cast with you too. But that'd be cool. But, uh, all right, let me go ahead and get into my number three game here. So my number three game is another Ubisoft open world game. Look at me. Uh, it's going to be star Wars outlaws.
01:15:30
Speaker
So Star Wars Outlaws, I think, looks pretty cool. yeah You know, you're playing as the female, whatever she is. She's an outlaw, I guess, um like a smuggler, an outlaw, and it's open world. And you're going to be doing all kinds of cool Star Wars things. And it just looks cool from what I've seen, like the the story stuff, the, you know, hopefully there's some hopefully there's some dialogue options and stuff. I love that. I'm a sucker for that. um But, you know, if you give me a cool Star Wars world to explore with some fun combat and some traversal and Hopefully it will just be a good time. So that's one that I have been looking forward to for a long time. And, uh, yeah, I don't know what more to say. It's Star Wars, you know, ah it looks cool. I'm not, ah I've fallen off a bit on the Star Wars with like the media side, but for the games, I'm still there. I'm still there. So, um, that's it for me. That's my number three Star Wars outlaws. Um, do you guys have any thoughts of that? Let me go. to Hodge you first.
01:16:25
Speaker
Yeah. Uh, yeah, like I said, this was an honorable mention. If Kenna hadn't counted, I would have put this on there because that is, that that is true. I don't think about that often, but you are right that in terms of like media outside of games, the Star Wars is basically dead to me. I just don't care anymore. But with games, they haven't missed like the Jedi survivor games or Jedi fallen or just survivor. Both amazing. This one looks this one looks really fun. It doesn't look like amazing. It doesn't look like a 10 out of 10 from what I've seen. It looks like it'd be a solid.
01:16:57
Speaker
seven and a half eight out of 10 kind of a game where it's like I really enjoyed it but it's not like we're shouting from the rooftops but I do like the vibe of it's you're the third person shooter because you're a bounty hunter you're not playing as another Jedi who escaped order 66 because apparently that order was terrible and didn't kill anyone um So it's just I I'm happy that it's just exploring a different rent ah like realm in Star Wars lore because I they're gonna have the huts in there for the member berries and stuff obviously like because you're a bounty hunter so you deal with the Hudson and they're gonna have that kind of stuff in it which is kind of the oh I see it I remember and so the that kind of stuff I don't really care about but the the the gameplay itself the openness and what it's about it looks really cool and so I'm excited and I think I think it will be a pretty sweet game but yeah I'll be you Sean
01:17:52
Speaker
Yeah, um'm I'm pretty interested in this game. I've been in a Star Wars mood so much so that I'm actually watching the Acolyte, which is funny. cause like You guys know I'm not a big show guy, so I'm actually watching it. But I've been in such a Star Wars mood that the other night I watched the Attack of the Clones. Worst one, but it was good. Worst worstrel not free yeah worst prequel. we um But yeah, I've been in a Star Wars mood and I've always been so fascinated with like a bounty hunter or like just like that whole aspect of Star Wars is really cool. And I definitely agree. I think the huts were definitely going to be involved in this. oh And I love the effect that this is like a story based Star Wars game. Like we're not.
01:18:32
Speaker
You know, we're not just isn't like, ah this isn't Star Wars Battlefront, we're having a battle pass and we're being thrown in. Oh, you gotta buy this, you gotta buy that. Nope, sorry. um So I am intrigued. I don't have a deep history with Star... It's funny, like I do not have a deep history with Star Wars games. Huge Star Wars fan as a kid. The only games I played were Battlefront. Never played anything else. No idea why. Never did. So I am intrigued by this. and it It was on my list of games I was choosing from that I like picked originally and then narrowed it down. so Excited to see how this does. Oh, yeah. All right. Right on. And then Sean, I think you are up right now with your number two. Yeah. My number two is Dragon Quest HD 2D Dragon Quest 3 HD 2D remake. um This game. Oh, my God. This game looks insane like how good this looks. It takes that.
01:19:28
Speaker
that 2D HD art style from Octopath and like to the umpteenth degree. yeah Like I didn't think it would look better than that and it does. It looks, I couldn't get over how good this game looked. Also, I love the fact that they're taking an old Dragon Quest game that has essentially been really difficult to play and like like just to find and play legally without emulating and giving giving it access to us. and it's I like how dry that they're doing is theyre they're releasing, this one is the first in a trilogy of games, so they're releasing this one first. And Dragon Quest is the classic turn-based JRPG. If you want like a real turn-based JRPG, you play Dragon Quest. The story is not it's not like groundbreaking. I'm sure they are gonna make some additions to the the story to make it more like, hey, this is a 2024 JRPG with a great story with you
01:20:25
Speaker
yeah you know um characters that are really in-depth. Wasn't really like that back when it first came out, but I'm really excited to just see where this goes because this game just looks gorgeous. The world is great. It's accessible, too. The original game's like 20 hours, and that was considered long back then. Like, the world was a long game. It was 1993, 1994, when it came out originally. So I cannot wait for this game. All right. Yeah. Actually, you go first, because I'll be up next. Yeah, I think that you, like you said, Sean, this game looks absolutely insanely gorgeous. Like the graphics that they put on this is like a masterclass. Like this is what we want for HD 2D games. Like I said on our 1v1, like this is HD 2D porn right here. Like it is so
01:21:17
Speaker
Um, I can't believe it. Like I thought, uh, Octopath and I thought you'd in Chronicles looked good. This is like next level. Like this is like eight K visuals. It looks like, like it's so crisp and awesome. And it it makes, yeah, it looks insane. Like I want to play it just because of the art style. Like, uh, it just looks beautiful. Um, but I've never played a dragon quest game. Um, as I understand it, dragon quest is like a hardcore, like masochist type, uh, RPG with a lot of grinding, isn't it? It's very it's very much the traditional like when you think traditional jrpg like we have our warrior we have our mage we have our white mage we have our thief we have our monk like it's those traditional classes and it's very much like you are gonna grind this out and you are gonna get xp there's like oh we don't have a side quest thing you you make your own side quests and stuff like that
01:22:09
Speaker
Yeah. So I don't know if I'll play it because it it might be just a little too grindy and a little bit too much for me, but man, it looks so good that I want to play it. So who knows? Maybe one day. Um, but let me pass it to you Hodge for thoughts on that and then get into your number two as we do. Yeah, I've never played a Dragon Quest. And honestly, it just feels like a sin from me with how much I love Akira Toriyama and Dragon Ball Z and all of his other stuff. He's made what that he made in his life. And I know he's really just kind of the artist on the game. But it's like when I saw this trailer, well, one, it hit me for two reasons. One, as you guys said, this game is beautiful.
01:22:46
Speaker
it It looks so good, I love that. Like Octo, the reason I played, I played the only the demo for Octopath because it didn't grab me, but that art style is, like I've said 100 times just this episode, that art style has gotten me into games before, and that's what Octopath made me reach out, and seeing this HD2D with this remake, I was like, I've never played a Dragon Quest game, and I kind of feel like this should be my entrance into it, because I really do want to, just love more of what Akira Toriyama has put into this world and it just feels like I would I just I don't know it looks so gorgeous and it's just such a vibe that if it is grindy I might fall off of it eventually I don't know but I really do feel like I might just buy it and try it and even if I spent 60 bucks on a game that I end up falling off of whatever but it it does look so good that
01:23:39
Speaker
I really want to give it a try. And yeah, I even if it's not the RPG style that I've enjoyed or in my life or whatever, it still looks really freaking cool. And it's and it with it being an old one, it was an old long RPG where it's like 25 hours. So I could do it. Not 100 hours like they are today. So, yeah, I definitely I definitely want to give this a try at some point. Um, but my number, what do we two, uh, is I've, it's funny. I've, I feel like I've talked about all these games on other episodes, but they're all just being combined. with This list is called duty black ops six. Like I said, it was on my showcase top five or top, whatever we did. I think it was five.
01:24:23
Speaker
And I haven't been this excited for a Call of Duty since like Modern Warfare 3 or something like that. Or actually, it was actually technically Call of Duty 4 remastered that came to the Infinite Warfare was the one I was excited about. um I haven't seen an Xbox or a Call of Duty trailer that has actually been like, oh my God, I can't wait for this to come out since this one. And just the fact that it's on Game Pass is just that much better. I don't have to buy it. I can just play it. And if I don't like it, I move away. but I feel like this is the first time they've come to Call of Duty and given it this huge step up that it needed because the last time they tried improving
01:25:02
Speaker
Call of Duty was when they added the like the jet packs when Titanfall got popular in Advanced Warfare. And I was like, I don't want this futuristic bullshit. Just give us ground action. Call of Duty, which again is why I like to find. It's like old school Call of Duty. And even though this one is going to be more advanced, it's going to be in the Black Ops universe and all that stuff. And it's going to have the omnidirectional movement, which is probably going to make sweaty sweats, sweater, sweatier. It's it just looks so freakin cool, and I'm actually so excited for this one And yeah, I don't know I just I'm excited for Call of Duty for the first time in forever, and it's just a weird feeling so yeah ah What about you Sean? How do you feel about this? I'm happy for those that are excited that you know those called people who are like looking for something new It's really excited. I'm happy my wife's really excited for this. I'm happy that
01:25:54
Speaker
A lot of people who seem to have fallen off Call of Duty are like, this is, we're back. We're back. yeah Um, so yeah, I, I'm looking forward to seeing how people like it. I haven't played Call of Duty since black ops. So, um, to my understanding, this is a, this is like, um, timeline wise, doesn't this take place like right after black ops too? Uh, yeah, I think it's like adjacent to two. Yeah. Yeah. So yeah, I'm mean you know looking forward to it. If it does really well, maybe I'll pick up Black Ops 2, plug through that campaign, and then maybe plug through this. We'll see. Yeah. Yeah. There you go. ah So yeah, Black Ops 6. As I mentioned on previous episodes, this is something that I am going to try out. I've been very disillusioned with Call of Duty lately. um I've really fallen off a lot. um The game is just too sweaty for me these days. like I don't like the map design. like I've mentioned like the chaotic map design.
01:26:49
Speaker
They moved away from the simple three-lane mats where when you were when you were navigating through the map, it used to be you only had to look at the two or three spots. You'd look to your left, you'd look straight ahead, and you might check a window. Nowadays, you got to look at like 40 different areas and you're getting shot in the back and stuff and just dying. And it's just too much. Like I'm too old for that shit. And you got all these people sweating and sliding and jumping and doing all kinds of stuff like it. Like it's a freaking tournament. They're all hopped up on Adderall and G Fuel and stuff. And it's like I can't I can't keep up with this, dude. um So but this is pretty much the the last hurrah and the last shot for me with Call of Duty, because it is Treyarch. Historically, Treyarch has been my favorite Call of Duty developer.
01:27:28
Speaker
So I'm hoping I'm hoping that they will create a fun game, but I am not super. optimistic that they will, because I think the core issues will still be there. And the core issues for me, as I've mentioned, are skill based matchmaking, it's too damn sweaty, and um the map design, like I literally just mentioned. So those are still going to be there. So I'm not super optimistic, but I am hopeful I'm going to play it. And this will be the last chance if if they fail this one, I will probably not be playing much if any Call of Duty in the future, until they come out and like do something drastic. But
01:28:04
Speaker
But yeah, so Black Ops 6, I think that was a good pick, Hodge. ah Let me go ahead and move into my number two pick. This is one that I've talked about a lot. You guys already know probably what's coming. It's gonna be Bioware, Dragon Age, The Vale Guard. Really excited about this game. I love Dragon Age. I love Bioware. We're talking about my favorite developer. We're talking about one of my favorite series. This is Western RPG greatness at its peak. I'm talking about the old Dragon Age, Dragon Age Origins 2 and Inquisition were also great. But yeah, I can't wait for this. It looks awesome. The graphics are beautiful. The combat looks like it's going to be fun. um You're going to have a lot of different choices, apparently. You know, they showed that in the gameplay. I love dialogue. I love choices. um These are the things that speak to me, and as you guys know. So I'm looking forward to this. There's going to be romance. There's going to be violence. There's going to be blood. There's going to be all kinds of adult stuff.
01:29:03
Speaker
This is a game for me and I cannot wait. I will be there day one, whatever game that I'm playing at the time, it might get set aside. It might just get set aside. We'll see if I'm really close, maybe I'll finish it and then I'll hop into it, but I'm going to be there. Dragon age, the veil guard is my number two. I would go on and talk about this much longer, but I've talked about this on so many episodes already. You guys know how I feel. I cannot wait. Hodge any thoughts on Dragon age, the veil guard. that you haven't already said. Yeah, I've really nothing to add because I've talked about it before. This has never been a series I've been into, so I don't I'm happy that it looks awesome for people, especially after that terrible fucking trailer that they put out the the Marvel trailer. Yeah. Yeah. But thankfully, the gameplay reinvigorated everyone's excitement in this game. So those who are going to love it, I'm happy for them. But yeah, I mean, I do. Like I said, I do have Dragon Age origins. Maybe I will play it one day, but
01:30:00
Speaker
As of right now, I don't it's not at the top of my list. So I'm happy this is games coming out for those who are and who are loving it, but not for me. A shout out to Deontay from our discord. He ah you know, he just recently beat Dragon Age Origins. and He said it crashed it crashed multiple times on him, but he still liked it. He still had a great time. So that's the problem when you go back and play some of these really old games on PC. A lot of times you have technical issues. If you play it on console, it's usually good. But ah Sean, Hit us with some Dragon Age and then your number one game, which we already know what it's going to be. But go ahead. This game looks dope. I'm pretty excited for it, actually. I've never played a Dragon Age game. And you know I love, I know a lot of people are flanking them for the art style. They chose like the art direction that they're going in. And I think it looks awesome. It looks very like um almost a little bit more anime to me. So i'm maybe that's why I'm kind of intrigued by it.
01:30:58
Speaker
um Maybe not anime, but kind of it's is's more unique. It's brighter than a medieval game would be. Yeah. um So intrigued by it. I'm glad that the gameplay resonated with people over the kind of weird trailer they showed originally. yeah What I am a little worried about, not worried, but like I'm concerned that a lot of people saw that original trailer and they go, oh, it's Bioware and they don't make good games anymore. So why am I going to touch this? But I'm glad to hear that the gameplay came out well. And yeah, I'm really excited. I'm looking forward to it. Actually, I think I will play it. Nice. Yeah, they did themselves no favors with that trailer. um So they're going to have to have a stellar launch and get some good press and some good reviews to really get some of these people off the fence. But ah i'm I'm hoping. But yeah.
01:31:49
Speaker
Sorry, Sean. You're number one game when you're ready. I'm sorry. All right. My my number one game. Conqueror. It's not. Not Concord. Dance Dance Revolution, I thought. No, no if there was a real thing on if there was a real DDR game that would be on this horse Let's let's not let's be serious here um No, my game is trails through daybreak the legend of heroes trails through daybreak This comes out this upcoming week July 5th this Friday or Thursday, whatever day it is either Thursday or Friday. Oh my gosh I've been waiting for this game for forever it seems like um
01:32:31
Speaker
This is just a continuation of a series that I absolutely love. The reviews just came out and it's getting outstanding scores. I know Mr. Matty Plays gave it, he says it's his game of the year. It's the best RPG he's played, and that includes a year of so many good RPGs. um just i've I've talked about this so much. This is such like a slow build with a story, but the payoff when they hit in this game, it's so worth it. And you get so connected to some characters. And some characters who, they die, and you're like you really feel it, or you really have a connection with the relationships you build. And this is like kind of starting a new arc. So it is a new story, but there are some connections to the older games. So I am really looking forward to this. I can't believe it's already here. I'm so ready. like I am so ready. I'm going to be done with SMT 5 by then, and I'm just going to jump right into this game.
01:33:31
Speaker
Yeah, trails, you know, you gotta spend your 900 hours to get to it, but it's so worth it. All right, yeah, so I'll get. couple quick bars off real quick and then pass it to Hodge for trails. as As we have mentioned in the past, I have not played any of the games. So I will not be playing this game either. um But who knows, maybe one of these days, I mean, people keep trying to to get me to play these games. Sean's been trying to get me to play these games. Maddie's always trying to get the entire world to play these games. He won't shut up about them. so
01:34:04
Speaker
Apparently, they're awesome. And it's just so many games. That's what really intimidates me. But the game looks really awesome. of Great graphics, great art style. So I'm happy for you, Sean. It sounds like man, this series is really, really rewarding their fans because it feels like they come out with a new game like every damn year. ah Like, how are they pumping these games out so fast? What are they doing? It's because they've been out in Japan already. And we used say used to take like it used to take like two to three years for them to come into America. But now they're like, oh, here's one. Here's another one. Here's another one. And like we're just like this game, the sequel is already out in Japan. Oh, and it's been out for like two years. Like I thought they were just developing games like at insane pace. I was like, what is going on? OK, like we got trails from zero last year.
01:34:51
Speaker
That came out in like 2012 in Japan. Jeez. Yeah. All right. like ah but I'm excited. Um, this game, yeah, it's a, it's a series I'm probably never going to touch, but valid the this game, I'm looking at just screenshots and it's a gorgeous game. Like I'm very fascinated by the look of this game. And if it wasn't but the game and then 400,000 hour series, I would probably look into it more, but, uh,
01:35:25
Speaker
Yeah, just for now, it's kind of one of those things, again, where I'm like, I'm happy for the people who love this series, but it's probably not what I'm going to touch because of the of my OCD of having to play every game leading up to a game. So, yeah, it looks cool, but i'm I'm not going to touch it for sure. But there is a game that you are going to touch. Oh, yeah. My number one game is, I mean, I don't know, might be a surprise you guys, but anyone who knows me probably knows it's not that much of a surprise, especially once I say it is Astrobot. I am so, so stoked for this game. I actually just watched a show, did a preview for it on his YouTube a couple of days ago, two or three days ago.
01:36:08
Speaker
and i He just talked about how basically the one that came with the PlayStation 5 was a very good tech It was a very fun game. Everyone loved it, but it was a very good tech demo for the dual sense and This one takes that to a new level just a completely new Level where every little thing in the game is something you're gonna feel on that 3d haptics on that controller which you it's one of those things really you have to play to understand what people are talking about when they say that because the feeling is just so
01:36:39
Speaker
weird and so cool but uh yeah he said that this is just a step up in every way it's just a joy to play it's one of those really charming games where every little thing that happens you just have a smile on your face because they got a little astrobot like Kratos and Atreus on their boat doing their weird stuff and like it's just it's just so cute and so fun and I'm excited and the fact that they said that it's going to be like a there's like 80 levels but it's like a 20 hour game it's like it's not a super huge commitment but it's going to be have so much uh nostalgia but for the or not nostalgia but like amages to the playstation's history and all it's just
01:37:19
Speaker
I'm so excited for this game, me being the platform whore that I am and just, and it's such a shame that not many games have taken that much advantage of the dual sense. Like really all it is is sometimes the trigger is harder to pull for certain things or the vibration might be a little different, but I feel like they don't do as much. And I said this when they announced. it I remember I was like, that's going to be a feature that's barely touched. Everyone's going to say it's super cool and then they'll never do anything with it. And that's kind of what they've done with the dual sense. So I'm really happy that this being a PlayStation first party game that they're like, no, we're going to like do the dual sense right with this game. And so I'm just so it's and like the games are fun on their own, but that just adds another level to it where you feel the game a little more and
01:38:06
Speaker
Yeah, me being the platform lover that I am, I am so, so excited for this game. It's definitely my number one most anticipated game for the rest of the year. But yeah. Right on. I was going to say ah you were talking about how they had Kratos and and boy getting in the boat. I was just going to I was going to I was going to say I hope they didn't reuse that boat animation. That would be yeah be an outrage. Yeah. Be so lazy. Yes. Those jerks. Sean, hit us with some astro thoughts. Dude, I'm I'm really looking forward to this game. This just missed my list. I like how I like you. I love platformers. And this pays such homage to like PlayStation history.
01:38:52
Speaker
And I love that they're doubling down on that. like They had that in the last and the launch one. And now like it just seems like this is going to be the Astro Bot thing. like We're going to pay so much respect to all to the history of PlayStation, regardless of like how long ago it was. like You get to ride around in the controller. Like you had said, you get to like see all these different characters. And this game seems very expansive, too. There's going to be 40 different levels, 40 different worlds to travel. I can't wait. Definitely day one for me, definitely. yeah September 6th. Whoo. All right. There you go. So that's Astro Bot. Hodge is number one. Good stuff. um I don't really have anything to say about this. It's not a game that I'm really interested in. I don't want to bring down the mood, though. I'm not going to be a hater. It looks great. And I hope you guys have fun.
01:39:40
Speaker
Let me go ahead and hop into my number one game of all time here. And I would imagine that a lot of people hopefully know what I am about to say, because this is a game that I have not been able to shut up about in Discord on multiple podcasts. And of course, I'm talking about EA Sports Return to the Gridiron after 11 years. I'm talking about college football 25. It's going to be the best game ever made. Maybe a slight exaggeration there, but just a little bit, not much. ah This game is going to be so great. Everything that they've shown has looked phenomenal. ah They keep coming out. They just did the sights and sounds trailer just the other day. Dude, the attention to detail that they have put into this game, this is a labor of love for these developers. They're big college football fans. They're big fans of the old games. And you can just tell there's 134 teams in this game because it's college.
01:40:35
Speaker
um They have taken the time to go out and and do the stadiums for every single team with immaculate detail. They've got small things like there's there's some university that's super small that nobody really even knows about that has like a fountain in their stadium and they've completely designed that perfectly. Um, they have custom audio and commentary for all every school, like custom sayings. Like they had one in the trailer. They're like, who gives a hoot? The owls do for like some super small school that like probably not many people care about, but they have put the attention to detail. The pageantry is there. They got the bands, the fight songs. The crowd is super animated and changes based on the games.
01:41:18
Speaker
You got Penn State doing the famous whiteout games. You got Georgia doing blackout games. um You've got my Ohio State Buckeyes. They're doing script Ohio and the dudes running out there to dot the I like the like the band does. Dude, it's going to be so awesome. It's going to be so awesome. I cannot wait. ah Coming up on July 2nd, which I think is Tuesday, they're going to be doing the dynasty mode deep dive. And that is my favorite mode. That's where you get to pick your team and then you get to build them up and recruit talent. and then play the games and win national championships and win Heisman trophies with your players. Dude, it's going to be so great. I just cannot wait. I am so hyped. I'm going to be playing this. It's going to absorb my life. This is definitely going to take away from all the other games I want to play because I'll be playing too much damn college football, but damn it, I'm going to have fun. Um, so that is my number one game. EA Sports college football 25. Woo.
01:42:15
Speaker
I haven't been this excited in a game in so long. I'm more excited about this than I was for Starfield and stuff like that. Like I just can not freaking wait. I've been waiting for 11 years, boys. Any thoughts on this? I know you guys aren't, you guys aren't so huge sports fans or, well, you are sports fans, but not like games. You do you're are sports fans, but I don't think you're like huge sports gamer fans, ah but maybe a little bit. What do you think about college football? Well, on our on our one-on-one, I talked about how much I used to only play JRPGs and sports games and platformers. That was like all I played. I am pretty excited for this. I'm not the biggest college football fan, but I'm looking forward to this because NCAA 14 was an awesome game, like the last college game they made. So this looks so cool and Madden's terrible. So anytime you can give me a good like sports football game, I'm in. So let's go. We'll bring UMass to the championship.
01:43:07
Speaker
Yeah, this looks a lot better than Madden. ah The gameplay is faster than Madden um because it's it's college. I don't know. It's faster. You can do quicker moves and stuff and they they have new elements in it. Like there's a passing meter like where you have to like hold the A button or whatever the X button for so long and like hit it right in the center so that you get a more accurate dot pass and stuff. It's cool. Um, Hodge, any thoughts? Well, see, that's the, that's the thing is I, this is game. I'm so, I was so excited when they announced they were bringing back NCAA. Cause as I said, when we were with cog is the NCAA games, I always loved them more than Madden and always, even though I'm a bigger NFL fan, I see him wearing a bear's hat.
01:43:48
Speaker
I'm a bigger NFL fan than I am a college fan, mostly because I don't have really a college team that I'm that obsessed with. I like Minnesota and Iowa because I almost went to Iowa and my brother went to Minnesota. so I even like Iowa State, which is funny because they're rivals. but Yeah, so I don't really have a huge attachment to college football as its own. But the end, like if you were talking about how they're bringing in like all this just specific things to each college, I remember as someone who likes the Hawkeyes, they're bringing in the wave where they waved to the kids at the at the hospital, like their attention to detail is so good, that I hope that it doesn't get lost in the gameplay. Because as we said, Madden has sucked.
01:44:30
Speaker
for years at this point and so if it's just madden but with a college skin outside of all that awesome detail i know i know i'm just saying if that's what it was it would suck so i'm kinda at the point where i am excited for this but i need to see reviews before i actually i'm not going to preorder it my older brother who's ah die hard college football game. He will watch or a fan. He will watch every single game. It could be two division one double eight teams facing off and he's going to watch the game because he's just that obsessed with college football or sports in general. Um, but so like I
01:45:06
Speaker
I really want to play this game, I want to love it, but i I am skeptical because of how bad Madden has been in the last few years that I need to see reviews first. But i I do love the attention to detail that they're bringing to this game, and I really do hope it's awesome. That's just kind of where I'm at with it, where I'm excited for it, but I need them to prove it before I can jump in on it, because I can't buy it purely because of the title, because I know that could bite me in the ass if they if they do end up fucking it up. But I just yeah, yeah I don't think that's what it's going to happen. But I also just realized it's called college football 25, not NCAA football 25. That's right. Yeah. But ah yeah, so I'm excited for it. It's just they have to prove it before I can be like all in on it. Like I can't preorder it. I don't trust them enough to preorder it. But that's fine. I do hope this game is fucking awesome because it does look awesome. So yeah.
01:46:00
Speaker
That's fine. That's smart. You should always you should always be very hesitant about pre-ordering. But I will say from what I've seen and what I've heard and what I've what I know, I i think your fears will be, ah you know, set aside because this is not this is not a Madden clone. um They've done they've already done the gameplay deep dive. They've already had content creators come out and play like four to six hours of the gameplay. And then those people shared all their thoughts. And everyone has said like this is It's a, first of all, it's a completely different development team. It's not the Madden team. Um, and they've built it from, they've built it from the ground up. Um, a lot of actually the Madden people are saying we want what they're doing in college to come over to Madden because there's a lot of new stuff. Like there's a wear and tear system. Um, there is, uh, like I said, the precision passing, it's faster pace when you do can spin. It's more arcadey kind of. Um, and then of course it's the presentation and the pageantry is just way better than Madden.
01:46:56
Speaker
um When you have that like I said the bands the cheerleaders the fans going crazy They have the stadium pulse thing going on like when you're playing in like a very hostile stadium like Iowa Iowa is one of the harder places to play in their stadium um They have the stadium pulse going and like it literally rocks the screen when you're the away team um And sometimes it makes it hard to call Audibles and like when you pull up the thing to see like your play art like because if you're in your when you're the away team sometimes it'll take away the icon and Like, if it's the B for this one, it'll be a question mark instead. Like, it makes it a little bit more difficult on you. Like, I think it's gonna be awesome, and I just cannot wait. But, but you are wise to wait and see, because you never know. Even though everything looks great, there's always a chance that it could be a dud. So. And it's, yeah, it's not even like,
01:47:41
Speaker
If it had come out last year and been excited, but we before if it had come out last year and had been good and obviously I would have, you know, I'd see with that. But the fact that it's been 10 years of them just fucking got mad and it's like hearing that's a different team that actually makes me excited. I didn't know that. But yes, it's just really with it being the first one in a decade, it's like they just going to they're going to have to prove that I'm excited for it. It's because it's like I used to love Chell. I used to play Chell every year, especially when they go. Yeah, yeah. And for those who don't know, yeah Chell is NHL, back especially back when the Hawks were fucking amazing and they were always on the cover because the Blackhawks were just that good of a team.
01:48:20
Speaker
that i i ah I used to love it. And then that that game went to shit also. And I haven't played an NHL game since 2013, maybe 2014. So, yeah, it's it's I want to get back into sports games because I loved them, but they just haven't given me a reason to like them anymore. So I really do hope that college football is one that's like, oh, yeah, by the way, you're going to love these annual games again. So they are. So I'm excited. But they're going to like I said, they're going to prove it to me. Right on. Yeah. All right. So I think we said enough there, uh, college football 25 is going to be amazing and I cannot wait. And all of these games, we just gave you 15 games that we're excited about and all of them sound and look amazing. So we look forward to those, but I think that has been it for us. Let's go ahead and get our final thoughts and get about it here, guys. Um, so Sean, let's go ahead and pass it to you. Go and give us your final thoughts and say goodbye to everybody. This has been episode 11. Video games rule.
01:49:17
Speaker
way too much to play. No one should be bored. It's 2024. That's dang right. Dang right. Hodge. Final thoughts, sir, for episode 11. Sean is right there. There's way too many games. It's kind of the thing of I was reading that people struggle to find stuff to watch on Netflix, not because there's nothing to watch, but because there's too much to watch. And that's because sometimes how I feel with games, it's like, what do I want to play? It's like I have so many games, my backlog. I don't know what I want to play. So I'm going to play another Fortnite round. And so ah having these five games come out and honestly, most of these of these games, even on your guys list, there's a lot of games I want to try. So hopefully I can get to the majority of them this year. We have a good ass second half of this year coming. We thought it was going to slow down after 2023. We were wrong. So I'm excited for the the rest of this year. It's going to be awesome. Absolutely. All right on. And ah my final thoughts are just thank you guys out there.
01:50:09
Speaker
Listeners, if you're still listening here, you are the best. If you're on YouTube, please drop a like. Please leave us a comment. It really helps us move up that algorithm and maybe get YouTube to recommend our podcast to new people. My cat's super excited for these games. He wants some food. We're going to go ahead and get up out of here, guys. This has been episode 11 of Games Over Plastic, the best podcast that's on this YouTube channel right here. All right. Thanks, you guys. Have a great day. Be well. Bye, everyone. Love you. Bye, guys.