Become a Creator today!Start creating today - Share your story with the world!
Start for free
00:00:00
00:00:01
55. Our Most Hyped Games of 2026 (feat. Lord Cognito)
43 Plays1 day ago
Join us and our returning special guest Lord Cognito as we discuss the Xbox Series X and what we think will happen to the Xbox brand. Then we will count down our individual lists of the ten games we are most excited for!
Time Stamps
00:00:00 - Show Start
00:07:28 - How do we feel about Xbox in 2026?
00:26:05 - Sean’s #10
00:29:47 - Cog’s #10
00:32:08 - Midnight’s #10
00:35:47 - Hodge’s #10
00:38:17 - Sean’s #9
00:42:34 - Cog’s #9
00:48:48 - Midnight’s #9
00:50:50 - Hodge’s #9
00:53:26 - Sean’s #8
00:58:47 - Cog’s #8
01:00:50 - Midnight’s #8
01:02:45 - Hodge’s #8
01:04:00 - Sean’s #7
01:08:02 - Cog’s #7
01:13:38 - Midnight’s #7
01:16:13 - Hodge’s #7
01:18:19 - Sean’s #6
01:20:25 - Cog’s #6
01:25:25 - Midnight’s #6
01:33:32 - Hodge’s #6
01:35:38 - Sean’s #5
01:38:05 - Cog’s #5
01:40:05 - Midnight’s #5
01:43:29 - Hodge’s #5
01:46:46 - Sean’s #4
01:48:37 - Cog’s #4
01:50:55 - Midnight’s #4
01:53:16 - Hodge’s #4
01:55:48 - Sean’s #3
01:58:32 - Cog’s #3
02:04:14 - Midnight’s #3
02:05:28 - Hodge’s #3
02:06:30 - Sean’s #2
02:08:27 - Cog’s #2
02:12:35 - Midnight’s #2
02:15:11 - Hodge’s #2
02:17:48 - Sean’s #1
02:23:20 - Cog’s #1
02:30:46 - Midnight’s #1
02:33:53 - Hodge’s #1
Follow Cog!
LordsOfGaming.net
https://x.com/LordCognito
https://x.com/LordsGamingNet
https://x.com/IronLordPodcast
https://www.youtube.com/c/IronLordsPodcastRoundtable
Follow us on X/Twitter
Podcast - http://www.x.com/gameoverplastic
Midnight- http://www.x.com/midnightdt
Sean- http://www.x.com/seanlikestobake
Hodge- http://www.x.com/hodgebaba57
Video and Audio edited by: Hodge OR Midnight (episode dependent)
Intro and Graphics by: Hodge
Intro music created by: Hodge
Recommended
Transcript
Introduction and Snowstorm Concerns
00:00:40
Speaker
And welcome everybody. This is games over for plastic. I am midnight as always joined by my lovely co-host and my cat as you guys can hear.
00:00:52
Speaker
First of all, we have the man, the myth, the legend, Sean Mason. How you doing, Sean? Doing well, you know, just hanging out. um We're supposed to get like 20 inches of snow on like Sunday night into Monday morning. So I doubt, so I was on school. I had school vacation this past week.
00:01:10
Speaker
And I was out the previous week, so I've been out for like two weeks because, you know, dealing with the family stuff. And I'm supposed to go back, but I don't think we'll be going back Monday, and I don't think we're gonna be in school Tuesday. So I might get an extra two days here, but I'm not looking forward to the snow. i um I'm done with it. It's over, and I'm not looking forward to it.
00:01:28
Speaker
Yeah. 20 inches of snow is insane. And it's supposed to be like they're they're saying it's going to be like the blizzard, like the blizzard, like it's extreme winds, everything like 70 mile hour winds. So I'm just hoping I don't lose power.
Guest Introduction and Episode Focus
00:01:44
Speaker
I'm hoping you don't lose power as well. and And every time I hear about that, that also gives me anxiety and stress because I'm a property claims adjuster. so I'm going to get an increased claim volume from from that. So that's great. But yeah, I'm really hoping that you don't lose power and everything goes well, Sean. um Hodge, Master of Graphics, how are you today, sir?
00:02:07
Speaker
I'm doing good. Yeah, i my parents texted me, like you know as parents do. They texted me to just like, hey, it's you're going to get a storm like the other night. I'm like, oh, well, I can do handle some rain. I don't care. i wake up. No, they meant snowstorm. i was like, come on. I thought we were done with this. It was 60 degrees last week. So I was like yes, we're here. We're spring, baby. I work outside. So I was that was music to my ears. And then, nope, just kidding. Here's some here's some more snow for you. So it sucks. But I'm happy to be here. Happy we have our special guest. And I'm happy to do this topic, even though we're a little late into the year to be doing most anticipated. But still, I'm excited to do it anyway.
Xbox Console Rankings and Critiques
00:02:46
Speaker
Yes, sir. Yes, sir. and in the discords, I was teasing a little bit that that this episode was going to be a big episode. I was saying return of the goat. And some people thought they were I was talking about myself, you know, because I missed the last couple episodes. But I was not talking about myself because I'm not the goat.
00:03:03
Speaker
I'm not the goat. Cog is the goat. Lord Cognito. How you doing, sir? Welcome back. Appreciate you, man. The illustrious intro. You know, now it's good to be here, man. Games over plastic. It's cool to see us full strength and um ah good to really see you, Sean, civically. You know what mean? And um obviously, everyone's been going through a lot and and and obviously, this has been an interesting week to do this show. Yeah. Based on climate and stuff like that. But I'm glad to do it. love lists. I love the stuff. Haji, the homie. So it's always good to to talk with you and and just talk games and stuff like that. feel like I'm always bothering you for graphics. so that I like i like i start go love it, man.
00:03:39
Speaker
I love doing graphics. It's so much fun. You're super good at it. like you're super good at But no, I'm super hyped to be here. I actually love shows like this because it's like, let's just talk about what we're excited about. You know what mean? think that's always fun. And just to see what our little, our tastes are and what we have crossover where we differ. So this type of stuff, I love this. So this is a perfect show for me to come on.
00:03:59
Speaker
yeah we yeah oh we go no here go Yeah, we don't really focus on a lot of the news too much. We don't focus on console wars and stuff. We kind of just do a lot of lists and just stuff we're into.
Microsoft Strategy and Leadership Analysis
00:04:10
Speaker
Sean or Hodge, either of you wanted to respond? Yeah, I was going to say, I'm going to guess I'm going to have the list that doesn't align with you three the most. That is going to my guess. There's going to be some Japanese anime crap on my list. The list of a list.
00:04:25
Speaker
yeah Yeah. Which is good to say, Hodge. I'll just say basically what Midnight says. Yeah, we this show, we definitely don't focus on the news because we're not insiders. So we don't really care about what's going on the news. We just like talking about the games that we love. And that's why the show is called Games Over Plastic, because we talk about the games, not the plastic boxes they play in. So it's just kind of what we're here, even though we are going to my question for you guys will refer to a plastic certain plastic box that's out there in the news right now. So, oh, wow. oh What's that? Oh, is that was that clear obscure right there?
00:04:57
Speaker
I got this, I got this baby. Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. You let the music rock? Oh yeah. Oh yeah. Oh i yeah. Oh yeah. I got i don't, Midnight and Sean, I haven't heard it yet.
00:05:10
Speaker
Oh. But it gets demonetized. That's dope. Yeah, don't get demonetized. Dude, i i've been I waited a year for that thing. I'm still happy. was counting the days when it when they put it up and how long it would take for it to arrive. but yes yeah I remember i i gave it well I ordered the physical edition. So I played on Game Pass, but I wanted to play it again on PlayStation. So I bought the physical for PlayStation because I'm like, I'm going to earn the you know the platinum, quote unquote, in both of them.
00:05:41
Speaker
Uh, cause that was my game of the year last
Collectibles and Gaming Delays
00:05:43
Speaker
year. That's, that was by far my favorite. And so uh, since I bought the collector's edition and the physical, they both came with the steel book. So I gave one of the steel books to my buddy and he texts me like seven months later, goes, dude, have you gotten that steel book yet? I'm like, no, no. Bro, it legit took a full year almost to come to. up You ain't lying. That's crazy. The worst I've ever had with shipping was when i freeor when i I ordered Bug Fables, like the Everlasting Sapling. I ordered the limited run edition. It was like collector's edition. And it I ordered it, like it was like May 2020 when they they announced it. I completely forgot about it.
00:06:19
Speaker
About, i think it was like 15 months later, I get this thing in the mail. I'm like, what is this? I don't know. What did order? I open it up. I'm like, oh my God, totally. I like had completely forgot i even ordered it Bro, once you say limited run, I say, I know exactly what he's talking about. Like Streets of Rage took that long, with it you know, for the idea I got to switch to physical and they had that Genesis cover kind of deal. Anything from them and you legit waiting and you're, ooh, what's that? Okay. It's the it's the light from Alan Wake 2 from the limited run Alan Wake collection.
00:06:50
Speaker
it is lovely I got my Shadowheart. about that? i My Shadowheart plushie. Let's go. it is The best company that I've ordered from for a limited edition collector stuff is Neon Falcom.
00:07:04
Speaker
They get it to you like the day of. like I get my trail stuff the day it comes out. All collectors, all that, it comes the day it comes. got Daybreak 1 a day early. That awesome. daybreak one a day early that was awesome Nice. You're getting stuff early. That is the best. It's the best. I'm going to yeah oh Good stuff.
00:07:26
Speaker
All right. So, yeah, I had a question for you guys. So last time we recorded us, it was Sean wasn't here because he was on his way actually to Seacog and we ranked our Xbox consoles. And i actually was going to ask this question before the news from yesterday. So I wanted to ask. So when we did it, our order was ah Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and then 360, obviously, because that's the
Phil Spencer's Leadership and Xbox's Future
00:07:51
Speaker
best. And I wanted to ask, but even before this news came, with what's been happening with Microsoft, do you still put Series X at number two overall?
00:07:59
Speaker
Because I don't think I do anymore. like so what what So what did we have? We had last place was Xbox one, even though I had it at third and then it was OG, then series X at two and then 360 at one, which 360 at one is going to stay. That ain't moving. That's a tough question now. Cause series X has really been a letdown kind of now. x Honestly, the series X has kind of slipped for me. It might be third or fourth now because I feel like they've dropped the ball this generation and I just can't love it anymore. Like it's still great. Like it's a powerful console. The quick resumes, awesome game pass. I mean, that's not related to the console. So it's like, the generation's still all right but they've dropped the ball so bad it's like i don't even i don't know and'm myself not really using my series x much to be honest like i'm using my pc or playstation cog what say you that's a good question i think i will probably stay firm with your list because as much as we understand what's going on with the political climate of xbox energy and stuff like that i just look at it as a pure games and feature set kind of thing yeah So if you're looking at it pure game, Series and that's probably given the most games. Look, 360, we know, is untouchable. That is GOAT level, the greatest experience, you know, the Blades, the 360, Xbox Live, everything that they did. They had original IPs, exclusives, all that stuff. But if you're looking at it for pure game output,
00:09:19
Speaker
it is still hard to take series and S out of the conversation. When you get like, you know, and a Ninja Gaiden 4, you get games that still come to the platform. i know we we look at the multi-platform strategy and it looks almost like a demerit. But at the end of the day, I just look at it in pure games. And from a feature standpoint, it's still a great console. But I get what you're saying. If anyone says, hey, i have to, you know,
00:09:41
Speaker
because of the way the generation went for them as far as the success of the generation. If that's the, you know, what you use it as a a metric, then I can understand that. But I think for me, I just, it's pure games and what the console did.
00:09:53
Speaker
And then I'll be honest, like I'm a huge, from a technical standpoint, I'm a huge Play Anywhere fan. I mean, there's certain things that, They have done hardware and feature-wise that I think is really cool. It's just that they just fumbled the magnet.
Xbox vs PlayStation Market Strategies
00:10:06
Speaker
This will probably be the last you know generation from them. So yeah it's weird to rank in the mix of obviously what has happened this week. yeah I do have to say i thought about this yesterday is obviously, i don't know, I'll probably be called an X-Bot for this, whatever. But i mean, you are an X-Bot. It's true. It's true. own x expert yeah But I have to say, i still don't blame Phil for this. So many people do. It's all like, oh, Phil lies about everything. I'm like, no, he doesn't. He promised stuff that he wanted to happen. And the higher ups like, no, we ain't doing that. And I know that's what happened, because when he said like, oh, it's just these four games. I don't think he was lying, saying he thought it was just going to be those four games. It's just that experiment went so well on PlayStation and thought ah that the higher ups like we're doing all of them. And I saw one someone made a point on Twitter yesterday of it's kind of it's not that surprising that Phil is retiring after he hasn't at all mentioned Halo since they announced it for PlayStation. And so people like I think that was just was his last straw like, oh, we're everything's going to PlayStation and why am I here kind of thing and. I kind of think that's where it's at. And so i just I still, I don't blame Sarah Bond or Phil Spencer for anything that happened this generation, because I think they tried their hardest to make it a a great console. And it's just, I mean, the PlayStation five is a great console, so I can't like, you know, fault it at all. But I feel like they wanted to bring back the 360 era greatness of Xbox, but the higher ups were just like, I don't care about Xbox. Don't do that. Like, we're not doing that. We're making money. And so I really think that they were forced into failure.
00:11:37
Speaker
I think the biggest difference is this, is that Microsoft is not a gaming first company, whereas like Sony and Nintendo are gaming first companies. yeah PlayStation is the number one moneymaker for Sony. Nintendo is obviously Nintendo gaming, whereas Xbox is just like the little side gig for Microsoft.
00:11:58
Speaker
Ding, ding, ding, ding. You guys appreciate it. going to let Midnight go and then I'll go after if you you had any bars on that Midnight. Yeah, so to answer the original question, i think i am I am going to stick to the original listing. I think I'll still have Series X at two, but I will say that the gap between the 360 and the Series X has widened pretty substantially. I think the 360 is way at the top now, and there's a big gap. um I still don't think I can put the one – the the one or the original above the series x right now just because i don't think they had enough compelling games or anything like the hardware is still banging on the series x and the uh like i said the play anywhere is great i mean i'm playing on pc and then i remember when i had my power supply die on my pc i was able to continue exactly where i left off on the series x which was pretty sweet and continue my game so that's awesome um
00:12:50
Speaker
So, yeah, i'm gonna keep my list the same, but there is a much larger gap than I originally thought there would be and was between the 360 and the Series X.
Speculation on Xbox's Independence
00:12:58
Speaker
um And then, yeah, just regarding the current Xbox situation. Yeah, I mean, I don't necessarily blame Phil completely. i just think that the situation was probably untenable for almost anybody. um after the whole Don Matrix situation. The iceberg that was Xbox One. They just got absolutely demolished by the PlayStation 4. The PlayStation 4 was sexier. It looked better. It was $100 less. It was more powerful.
00:13:25
Speaker
It was more friendly. Like, you could trade games. It didn't have all the DRM and stuff. It didn't have a stupid Kinect plugged in there. And that was also when all of their... best first party games came out. They had had all these banging games came out. It was like it was like getting knocked out by Mike Tyson left and right. So everybody switched over. All my friends who were Xbox switched over. All my Call of Duty bros, they're on PlayStation now and they're not coming back because that's where they are. And most people are just not ever coming back. So even if you put like the best CEO ever in place of Phil, I just think they would have an almost impossible task really.
00:14:01
Speaker
Bridging that gap, especially when you consider how dominant PlayStation or playstation is outside of North America. Like you're never went in Asia and Japan and in Europe, they're super dominant, too. So um I don't blame Phil that much. I think the decision to purchase Activision was a disastrous decision because when you did, and if that was Phil's decision, then that was a horrible decision. Because that really bought brought Big Boss Satya and the board into the room. Because then they really started looking. And I think that's when you saw them really being like, well, hold up.
00:14:33
Speaker
We got to get this money. And that's when they really started coming in there and making everything third party, multi-plat. And that's when the Xbox brand as a console really really kind of died. So that's my thought.
00:14:45
Speaker
Well said. I agree with all you. I agree with all of you. I think there's all those are factors into it. And it's just like... You you just sit there and say, okay, how could they survive? What they could have done better? i'm I'm in agreement. It's being put in a situation where you... I think of it like, Hodge, I think of it like sports. like You're given a franchise at the time of a rebuild where the brand power of the franchise of the fan base is at its lowest. And that's when Phil was kind of given the keys to say, okay, go fix it, go save it. Post-Dom metric era. That's why i could never really give the Xbox One...
00:15:17
Speaker
I love that system on certain levels, but it was such a disaster. And Midnight, you said it perfectly. I remember that day like it was yesterday. You woke up and I believe it was, what is it? Shuhei doing the, this is how you trade games. in the game That was the death blow. That was the death blow. And just like you, Midnight, all my friends were like,
00:15:34
Speaker
Look, cog it it makes no sense. that It's a PS4 is a more powerful device. It's a hundred dollars cheaper. I don't want to connect. Their messaging was bad. Everything about the Xbox world with DRM and everything just led everybody to PlayStation, which was the right decision. um Honestly, if you're a gamer, you know, I understood it. So Phil had to work from that starting point.
00:15:54
Speaker
Right. yeah And then basically rebuild and listen and then go on to what we we are now. But I think, again, like you said, again, midnight. Once ABK, if there's any accountability in Phil Spencer's reign, whether or not it was his decision with ABK solely, then that was the swing that ultimately led maybe to the demise quicker than you know it would have it would else otherwise. Right, because it's just like at that point, now stakeholders have interest. Why are we doing exclusives again? like I don't understand. 69 Billy? Yeah, why are we doing that? But to your point, like anything...
00:16:26
Speaker
that I felt had gamer sensibilities. And this is where I 100% agree with Arge. You know, Phil kept this thing alive. I cannot hold blame for someone for keeping a franchise in, I mean, keeping a whole organization intact with gamer sensibilities when you're fighting an uphill battle against stakeholders who all, stakeholders all they can about is money. All they can is about what's the revenue, what's the return. And the final thing is what Sean said, which is about Every aspect of Microsoft, right, is doing successful. 30% gains here and all these different things. they not Gaming is not their sole focus. So you have this one part of the house that's only doing quote unquote 5% or 26, but whatever the number is that people would be very happy if Xbox was spun off by itself working independently.
00:17:10
Speaker
And that's the pressure that they're under consistently. So, yeah, that that to me is is kind of what happened. And obviously this has been a a crazy week. So, yeah, we'll see what what what happens in the future. And Asha all this stuff
Podcast Dynamics and Community Engagement
00:17:23
Speaker
going on. I have a lot to say on Duke about this stuff.
00:17:26
Speaker
But, oh yeah, were we are in a very transitionary period for Xbox. And for a lot of people, they are very concerned. Because, again, the the last part I'll say is when there's no resistance to people who have no gamer sensibilities and it's strictly about profit and revenue, oh yeah, it's gonna be it's gonna be different. It's gonna be different. That's why always tell people, be careful what you wish for. Be careful about, you know, look, no one's perfect.
00:17:56
Speaker
Everyone makes bad decisions. And I love Phil. just like He's made some bad decisions too. But be careful of that day when he's gone. i always tell people this. When that regime's gone, that had a little bit of gaming sensibilities in mind, how it could turn out. And look, we'll see we'll see what happens. I'll try to be be nice and great give grace. But we we will see. Well, yeah, with that, i you're completely right because Phil is a gamer. He likes games. And so obviously he wanted that to be the primary thing with Xbox. And yeah, like you said, when it's the people who are just in it for the money, they're going to be like, I don't care. Just – I mean, let someone to say like get ready for AI games because that's what we're going to start getting is games built on AI because – off on that yesterday.
00:18:38
Speaker
Yeah. mean did sea does not All I will tell people is look – at the new regime, look at the resumes, look at the experience. Look at the, okay, I know you want it. You know what I'm saying? Just look at those things. A lot of the answers are there and don't get me wrong, you know, the public statements sound excellent, but all of us are smart enough to realize, don't pay attention to what someone says, look at the actions post. And that's what's gonna determine it. So that's why everyone is on edge because we're like, wait a minute,
00:19:10
Speaker
Doesn't seem like a lot of experience here. And we were seeing what your background is or what and even the team of people that you're bringing in. So, yeah, it is an interesting time for Xbox as like as ah as an organization, as a company.
00:19:25
Speaker
Yeah. I had a couple more things I was going to go back in to kind of reemphasize, but I decided I'm not going to do it because that's not really what we do on this podcast. We can keep it moving and get into the fun stuff, but Sean, I see you want
Fun Stories: Xbox Voice Commands and Pranks
00:19:38
Speaker
to get in. Yeah, I got two things just want to say real quick. Two, ILP is going to be insane tomorrow. Oh, yeah. It's going to absolutely insane. Oh, yeah. It's going to be I'm not ready for ILP. I am not. You're trying to get my sleep. I don't know, bro.
00:19:52
Speaker
I've been instructing this show because I'm literally just thinking about saying, okay, one topic and just go. it just Just do it in the most natural, organic way because everyone is hitting my floorboard like, bro, we cannot wait.
00:20:04
Speaker
King is going to be off the chain, dude. telling I can't wait for Astro Parrots. iop without contact I know. And then to my own. So obviously, as Hodge and I know the only Xbox one ever had is a Series X. But my memory of Xbox one here it is. So it came out when I was a senior in high school. So that next year I was a freshman in college. My biggest memory is kids running up and down halls yelling Xbox off!
00:20:33
Speaker
Xbox off! And then sprinting away. and people's Xboxes shutting off and people were getting so mad. Oh my god, it was hilarious. i forgot about that. error I forgot about People used to say that in Call Duty lobbies, try to get people's stuff turned off. Yeah. You should run up and down the dorms yelling Xbox off. Yo, I forgot about the voice era, man. Yo, what a time, man. That's grimy. I will say, said it on the last episode we did. was a staunch Xbox One defender. actually loved that console. I liked the Kinect being able, because I remember I had it. I had just graduated college. I saved up all my money to get it at launch. because being a broke-ass college kid, it's like, I need this thing. And I just remember being able to walk in my house, say Xbox on the Xbox, the DVR, the TV turned on when it saw your face, it signed you in. That thing was awesome. I love that thing. It was all about giving up all rights. We was all about... Listen, bro, I was a dude that... Bro, I was into... I did Xbox Fitness. I did Dance Central. Bro, I was regular on Xbox. Xbox Kinect, me Kinect was friends on that device. I did so much. And then I remember the goofy stuff in-game. They would have the little gimmick stuff and I remember playing Rise to the Road and you'd yell out and throw the spears and do all that. Oh, man. I was definitely hardcore supporter of the tech. Because I just thought, look, I'm a techie. Whenever you do something innovative, I want to at least try and see it. I will say it was a 1080p camera. It was extremely precise with the movements. I remember to the point I would do work. I'd say, nope, your form is incorrect on that squad and incorrect on that setup. And I was like, wow, that's impressive, you know, to be honest. So, yeah, I wish I was one of those guys.
00:22:23
Speaker
Before we move on, just because you mentioned the game, were originally our topic for this week was going to be underrated games that we love. And we've done that episode before. Ben Smith was on for that one. And one of my games was Rise, Son of Rome, because that game is one of the most underrated games I've ever played. I love that game. I was there for the launch. I still got the drink right here. Hold on, let me show y'all. It was in New York City with, what you call it, with a...
00:22:51
Speaker
Like Roman soldiers for the launch. It was insane. That's but the say The greatest NLP game of all time. That game got so much hate and it's a good game. like It still looks good. If you took away the messaging, the horrible messaging of the Xbox One launch and you looked at the launch lineup,
00:23:11
Speaker
Between Rise, Southern Rome, I believe Dead Rising 3, I believe they had a Forza game, and maybe like, bro, they had some joints, man. They had some joints. It's just that they could never overcome just the horrible, PlayStation just destroyed them in terms of that. It's how you trade games and the DRM and the messaging.
00:23:29
Speaker
There was no doubt there was some good memories on Xbox one. I remember, you know, playing like 2K against my friends and you would like cross them over and do like a crazy dunk on them. And then afterwards you'd be like, Xbox, record that while you're in the port while you're in the party too. you they They hear you say that. And they'd be like, oh, you're going record it. Okay.
00:23:46
Speaker
Remember the basketball, I think it was 2K, one of them where if you curse, they'll give you a technical foul? was just about to say, it wasn't there technicals? Yeah, yeah, yeah. I remember the Xbox record that. Oh, this motherfucker. I can't believe you. I i was toxic, man. You're toxic. I'm toxic, yeah.
00:24:06
Speaker
I'm toxic sometimes. I'm trying to be better. I'm trying to be more like Sean. I'll be a better man about it. All right. Should we move on, boys? Let's do it. Yeah, let's get on to our main topic. Before we get into the main topic, though, we do have a write-in from Broderick Fleming, one of our good friends. And this is going to lead right into the main topic of our most anticipated games in 2026. He says... Have the state of play announcements bumped any games in or out of your guys' most anticipated games for the year? Now, I say we don't answer this now.
00:24:38
Speaker
I say we just get into our list, and then, Brodrick, you'll see, because I will say I will tease it out. there Some of the stuff shown in the state of play may or may not appear in my list. That means it will.
00:24:50
Speaker
Yeah. For sure. You'll will see. ah Real quick before we get into that, we were so excited to have COG back on that I never even got into like the usual promo. So let me just real quick let it at all you guys know that this is Games Over Plastic. We come to you now every Monday, not every other, every Monday on all audio platforms. Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Cast, everywhere. Just search for us. You can also find us in 4K, video glory with amazing edits and graphics by the one and only Hodge at youtube.com slash at games over plastic. Leave us likes, subscribe on YouTube.
00:25:29
Speaker
Leave us comments. Help us move up the algorithm. If you're on audio platforms and you want to support us for free, just leave us a five-star rating. If you like the show, that really does help us out. Maybe get a couple new listeners, and we appreciate you. And with all that said, enough shilling.
00:25:44
Speaker
Let's get into this. So what we're going to do is we got 10 games each. So we'll count down, I guess, from 10 to 1, right, that we're most anticipated for. that are coming out in
Most Anticipated Games for 2026
00:25:55
Speaker
2026. And the order, it looks like, is going to be Sean, Cog, Midnight, and Hodge.
00:26:01
Speaker
Best for last. Yeah, best for last. Let's get it started. So, Sean, you're up first. What is your number 10 most anticipated game? All right, so my number 10 most anticipated game, it's a game that is the most that is coming out the soonest on of my list, and that is Pokemon Pocopia.
00:26:21
Speaker
That comes out March. This is one of those... ah um one of those games that's like an Animal Crossing, but it's like Pokemon. So I love Animal Crossing. We all know I'm the biggest Pokemon fan here. We all know that I'm the i'm the defender of Game Freak for everything they do, even though I do criticize them. But I'm excited for this because it actually looks freaking awesome. It comes out March 5th. From everything I'm seeing, the game is supposed to be like pretty long. It's about like 40 hours, they said. And it just looks super cool. It looks super interesting. The one thing that kind of makes me like like a little weird, weirded out, is that you're playing as a Ditto who is like transforming into something else. so that's kind of weird. like if They're imitating a human.
00:27:03
Speaker
But it has a crafting mechanics, building mechanics. It's literally Animal Crossing, but you're playing as a Pokemon. So that is pretty cool as a day and night cycle. So I'm really interested to see what happens. I've kind of gone blackout on this, but it comes out March 5th. So I am so looking forward to it. And one of the co-developers of the game is the Dragon Quest Builders, which Dragon Quest Builders was awesome. That was one of the cool Builders games. So I'm looking forward to this. it It looks interesting. I am. I'm a little worried again that it's going to be like we have Animal Crossing at home. One of those things or just like, you know, just like, oh, here we go. We're just going to throw Pokemon on here and it's going sell a million copies. So but I am excited.
00:27:46
Speaker
and um I'm always interested to see these Pokemon spinoff games. So we'll see. Who's developing this? Is this game free? Oh, we Tecmo. Oh, it's Tecmo. Omega Force. Omega Force, yeah.
00:27:58
Speaker
But it's being published by Nintendo. yeah It's not also. No, it's just it's ah it's like Animal Crossing. It's just like a life lifestyle. It's weird to see Omega Force with that. Okay. Hodge, are you going to play this?
00:28:09
Speaker
ah Probably not, but I actually did watch a preview on it just because I was curious. And they say... it's, it looks animal crossing, but once you start playing it, it plays very differently, but they say it's like an improvement almost on animal. cro So I was actually, it intrigued me a little more than what the trailers did because a little creepy ditto girl was kind of, it was little odd. Yeah. Yeah. But, but it looks like a very charming game. It's just, I just don't see myself dropping other games. I'd rather play for it, but it, I'm not going to say it looks bad by any stretch. I it looks better than the Pokemon games we got in recent years, but ah yeah, I,
00:28:44
Speaker
It looks interesting, but i'm I'm not going to drop anything for Maybe if it's ever you know on sale in 45 years when Nintendo games go on sale, then kind can I can pick it up. But yeah, not I'm not going to rush out to play it. But it looks more, the preview I watched made it look a little more charming and interesting than what i originally thought. So it looks cool, but yeah, not my cup of tea.
00:29:03
Speaker
The Tangrowth, that's an evolution of Tangowirl. The Tangrowth kind of looks a little creepy. Yeah. Everybody knows that I'm the huge Pokemon fan. oh yeah. Biggest Pokemon fan here.
00:29:17
Speaker
X and Y was the only one that I beat. ah And I liked it, actually. Kog, if you have any bars for Pokemon, go ahead. And then you are next with your number 10, sir. Sadly, sure. Not the biggest Pokemon guy. Oh, thought you were. Oh, no. No surprise. not catching them all. I'm definitely not catching got a shell love it It looks charming. And I'm very excited to see how you guys, you know, kind of take it because I know how, how strongly people feel about that franchise. So respect of for me. Yeah. My, my number 10 is something that is coming out really soon. And I want to shout out to sad cat studios. The name is replaced. And I followed this game for about two years. It's, you know, for those that don't know, it's the 2D side scrolling pixel art kind of cyberpunk, a little 3D, a little going into the foreground, going into the background. There is some fighting, there is some Connor and Parry system. And it has some really deep lore to it. I love the grunge of the world. kind of giving me like 2D cyberpunk kind of energy. and the story sounds cool. Now, at the time when I played the demo of it, the frame rate, surprisingly, was a little rough on this 2D game. And I'm like, I was a little surprised. I'm like, damn, it's an indie game. This should be moving, you know, a little better than that. But it's a lot going on to especially the ray tracing. It's so much going on that they're packing into it. And I just gave them the feedback. Now, they just grant granted, they just put out a demo.
00:30:42
Speaker
um They did get some feedback in reference to that demo. And now they say, hey, we're going push our release date from March to April, which is great for me because I was like, great. Get out of March. There's a lot of games I'm interested in. I don't want to forget it. But Replaced has my attention. I think there's so much potential here and I'm pulling for it. and I love these little indie artsy fartsy kind of games. And I think this is right up my alley. So, yeah, Replaced for me.
00:31:06
Speaker
That was my ah like my number 11. That was like right on the cusp of coming in here. It looks freaking awesome. It looks really good. I love like alternate history. So like that whole idea of like the United States dropping nuclear bombs on like their own country rather than Japan is so fascinating to me. And very similar. I love like those 2D like side scroll, like art games. Like I loved lim like Limbo and Inside. I love those. Yeah.
00:31:30
Speaker
And obviously this is a little different because it's little bit more action packed. But like I love the just like the art style. I think Hodge. Hodge. Was this going to be on was this on your list? Maybe. You know, oh, actually, ha well, you're going to later. Sean, did you have anything else to say about this? Oh, that was all. That was all. Okay. You know, this this probably might have been on my list, but I don't know why. I thought this game already came out now. Apparently, I was tripping. So I'm just going to say this is an honorable mention for me because I think it would have been on my list, but ah apparently i was I was on something. Good good good pick, though. Awesome-looking game, and I think there's a definitely – I'm definitely going this game, so.
00:32:08
Speaker
All right, looks like I'm up next. So ah my next game is going to be, my first game, my number 10, is going to be Tomb Raider Legacy of Atlantis, the remake. That's right.
00:32:21
Speaker
Yeah, this game looks really good. um It looks like a really good remake. I'm really liking the graphics. um You know, I did play a little bit the old Tomb Raiders back in the day with the old triangle pixel graphics. um I'm really looking forward to this game. It looks like some grade A Gooner material as well. but you know I could always get down with that occasionally. Nothing wrong with a slight amount of Gooners. Woo! I like how it seems very true to the original. The puzzle stuff actually looks pretty cool and interesting. I don't like too much puzzles, but like you know Tomb Raider games I've always been into. like I like the Crystal Dynamics games, but Sean, you need to play, honestly. you really I know. i know i i would like them you really i downloaded the for I have the first one downloaded on my PS5. I'm ready to go. I got to start playing it.
00:33:10
Speaker
I know you would like them. All right. The Tomb Raider's even better. yeah cause you like Uncharted, right? Love Uncharted. And I know Uncharted. That's why I'm like, I'm like really excited. And like I said, my only experience with Tomb Raider was watching the blocky triangle pixels on a computer, watching my dad being like, this game looks horrendous.
00:33:29
Speaker
yeah I'm going go play Nickelodeon Party Blast 12 on Metacritic. All right. Now, I didn't play the third ah Tomb Raider game because it was made by a different studio. ah But the first two that were made by Crystal Dynamics, very good. um All right. So Tomb Raider Legacy of Atlantis. That's my pick.
00:33:46
Speaker
Anyone got thoughts on that? Otherwise, Hodge is up. No, classic, classic, man. I come from that era as well. I remember how impactful Lara Croft was they're taking it back to the essence to see them bring that back is so cool. I'm literally, you're preaching my, like speaking my language, but like that those games really are part of our like gaming history, you know? So yeah, I'm there. When I saw that announced, was like, okay, yeah.
00:34:11
Speaker
Yeah, those were two that when they were announced at the, was it the Keeleys last year that they were both shown? Yeah, because that was one of my most anticipated, well, one of my most hyped moments was that remake, because I want to get into Tomb Raider, so. Yeah, I played them, yeah, I haven't played them since, well, I played the two Crystal Dynamics one, I too didn't play the third one, I own it, I'm pretty sure, I just never got around to it, but. uh i played those first ones on ps1 way back in the day what's up you're talking about the third one that you own but you didn't play yeah the yes the shadow uh i think it's shadow the tomb raider believe one day we should probably play that but yeah yeah but uh yeah the ogs on playstation one i love those games and so when this got announced as remake was like oh i'm 1000 percent and because as everyone knows i am i am a whore for the playstation one platformer action games i that is my As people know, Spyro 2 is one of my favorite games of all time. I just love that era of games. So I am so excited to see with a pretty cone of paint on. Just like God of War Trilogy. Cannot wait to see what that is. But that's a different story for a different day. But yeah, this game, looks incredible. I can't wait. This actually was on my... So I had 20 games, 19 once I played the Pragmatte demo. And then this one barely missed my list. But yeah, I'm so hyped for this game.
00:35:28
Speaker
So in other words, if you miss that, Pragmata got knocked the fuck out. what You play as the Kojima Productions mascot in JonBenet Ramsey, bonet ramsine you fight iRobot robots and do the Bioshock hacking. And hey yeah, never I'm never going to get to that later when I talk about it.
00:35:44
Speaker
yeah But ah yeah, so my number 10, though, i I'm actually more hyped than some of the other games on my list. But since it's so it's going to be out soon, I'm just putting it at number 10. And that is Resident Evil Requiem. This is going to be the first Resident Evil game I buy day one. It's not that I have anything against any of the ah RE games. It's just I've always bought them when they've been on sale. And I like i played seven on Game Pass. that's like i just never Because I never got into the series until two remake came out because I heard how good it was. And I played it. And it is one of the best horror games. of all time.
00:36:17
Speaker
And so I got into the series recently. And so, but this one just looks so freaking good that I'm like, I have to day one. I can't FOMO this one. it's, it looks so good. i know, as I said before, i like the horror, the, the survival horror aspect of resident evil more than the action based resident evil. So I have a feeling I'm going to like the grace parts more than the Leon parts, but I'm still very excited. The, the, the Leon parts look more re two than re four. So I'm, I think it's going to still be a slower. It's not going to be so action heavy like four is, but yeah, I'm, I'm so pumped for this game. And obviously it comes out the Friday after this episode premieres. So I'll be playing it next weekend and and I cannot wait.
00:37:03
Speaker
Cog, what'd you think about Resident Evil? Yeah, man. I've come full circle on that one. I'm with Hodge on that. that I'm with the survival horror aspect. And definitely once I've seen Leon, which I'm definitely completely biased towards, I'm like, yes.
00:37:17
Speaker
I'm ready. I'm ready, man. Yeah. So I'm with you. I'm there on Requiem. You know, as I've said before, I want to get into Resident Evil. You know, the only ones I haven't played it since literally the PS1. Oh, I played 1 and 2 on the PS1. I don't remember anything about 2 literally at all. I do remember 1, like the key moments, like the dogs through the window, the zombies turning around, you know, that stuff. But yeah, so I want to get into it. It's funny, GJ just randomly in Discord was like, Yo, Midnight, how you doing? I'm going to get Resident Evil Requiem on that account that we share because he he randomly he has an account that like he buys games on and like he has shared with me. um I don't remember how that started. I think it was when I took the trip out to California and I was really broke. um And like, I think Death Stranding 2 came out or something. And he just like he's like, I'll just share it for you. um
00:38:01
Speaker
So like randomly every now and then he just offers me games. So he's like, I'm going Resident Evil Requiem. So if you want to play it and I'm like, oh, well, I might have to play it now. don't know. So. Whereas an Evil Requiem, I think, is going to get played by me sometime this year. I don't know if I'll play it at launch, though.
00:38:15
Speaker
Good pick, Hodge. Sean, you're up. And if you have thoughts, feel free. All right. My next pick, my number nine, is a game that also comes out in March. It comes out March 16th. And that is it this is a weeb Japanese anime RPG. And that is seven The Seven Deadly Sins Origins. So this is based off the anime, Seven Deadly Sins slash manga. this is There is a game on mobile that is like kind of like a gotcha Seven Deadly Sins game. But this is like a... full-on console open world RPG.
00:38:46
Speaker
I'm really looking forward to it. The combat looks awesome. um It's like an action combat. so It's not turn-based, but it's action. But the art style looks beautiful. The game looks awesome. I remember when it was first first shown right away, I was like, all right, this is definitely right up my alley. I've watched the anime since. I had heard about the anime. i remember i I tried watching it before and it didn't click with me, but since the game was announced, I did watch the anime. There are a lot of characters though. So um there is going to be, I think there's like, there's obviously, I think there's like seven, there's seven, obviously seven playable characters. Each one's going be based off one of the deadly sins, which is kind of cool. They have like the personality of that. So I am looking forward to it. Each have their own unique combat features. I'm just really looking forward to where the story goes because they say you don't need to watch the anime or read the manga to like be in the universe. Like it's like, It's like it's a standalone story. So if you're not into the anime or manga, you can still play the game. You can still experience the story. So I'm like really looking forward to it. They have some of the original voice actors from the Japanese show. I don't know if the English voice actors are going to be the same because I watched Sub.
00:39:51
Speaker
So I'm not sure. But they have the same Japanese voice actors. So I'm looking forward to it. um It looks sprawling, very wide open. It reminds me of Xenoblade with how alive the world is where there's not like loading screens like every, you know, tense it's not a, you know, Fallout 4, enter the building, loading screen, leave the building, loading screen. It's much more like Xenoblade where um the draw distance isn't great, but as you go, like the world kind of populates in front of you. So I'm really looking forward to it. So that's Seven Deadly Sins Origin right up my alley. Nice weeb JRPG. Cannot wait.
00:40:26
Speaker
I ain't going to hold you, Sean. It looked fire. I ain't going to hold you. The art style, it's beautiful. I remember seeing this. I don't know. if I feel like a state of play or something. It's been at state of plays a couple times, and it was at Gamescom.
00:40:42
Speaker
Yeah, now this looks gorgeous. I'm not going with you. I would have no time in the world to play. It feels like 75 to 100 hours. but Oh, this this screams yeah this screams like 80 to 100 hours for a couple of playthrough. And then platinum probably like 300 hours. Yeah, but oh my God. Like I said, the boss fights, that the things that they got going on. Yeah, this looks great.
00:41:03
Speaker
It does look great. And I think this is a great pick. Honorable mention for me as well. um Best character in Seven Deadly Sins is Eskinor, by the way. Sean, okay who who decided that?
00:41:17
Speaker
Love it. I watched the anime. I played the the mobile game Seven Deadly Sins Grand Sins for a while. That game was pretty fun. It's a gotcha game. And it's really greedy. And that's why I eventually dropped that shit. uh i'm looking forward to this game um it's not on my list but it's a good pick the game looks awesome yeah escanor and merlin are my two favorite characters good pick sean good pick uh hodge i know this isn't for you do you have anything well i gotta say i find it funny that you are excited for this game because i very specifically remember saying i'm surprised you didn't draft this for fantasy and you said it screamed 65 to you
00:41:51
Speaker
Well, it does. It streams one of those 65 to 70 games, but you know I enjoy those games. Yeah, yeah, yeah. but It's going to be... You know what this reminds of? You know how I really loved Granblue Fantasy Relink?
00:42:03
Speaker
That's what it reminds me of. A solid 70. It's not going to get you points on Metacritic, but what is it going to be on my list? It's going to be a nice 10 out of 10 for me, but it's going to be a 70 for everyone else. That's right. It's going to be that delicious pepperoni be pizza. yeah oh yeah We know I do my toppings. yeah It's going to be, for you guys, probably just the plain cheese for me.
00:42:24
Speaker
We'll say the pepperoni slash ah flash the hamburger. Bacon. All right. No, bacon, that's top tier right there. Okay. We know that. That's top tier. that All right. Cog, sir, you are up next. What is your number nine?
00:42:38
Speaker
Speaking of games that are probably going be a 70 for everyone else, but like a 90 for me, i am embarrassed to say. I have been secretly scheming on Marathon.
00:42:53
Speaker
And um I'm not, I came as a Destiny fan, I came in hating this game. I was like the sheer existence of this game destroys my hope of Destiny continuing. And I saw the initial trailer for it and I was not impressed. And I was like, Bungie, you're done.
00:43:14
Speaker
It's over. Then you're stealing art. It's over. I was like, there's there's no coming back from this. My beloved destiny will die. And this is you know one of my favorite companies of all time. you know In Bungie, literally going out sad.
00:43:27
Speaker
And for me, the turnaround was when I saw the ah Vidoc, them talking about taking the feedback and I saw the graphical update, which I didn't think was possible at the time. And the the transformation, whether it be just from the environments, the lighting. It was a graphical glow. like, okay, wow. Oh, wow.
00:43:48
Speaker
We have proximity chat. Wow. We took the feedback that everything that you guys wanted and complained, because literally Arc Raiders is killing it right now. And what's funny about this whole situation is I am not an extraction shooter guy. I don't like these type of games. So I'm sitting and I'm just like, okay. Yeah.
00:44:05
Speaker
That was a good sign. The the next Vidocq is what put it over the top for me, where they showed the different runner shells, which denoted specific
Extraction Shooters: Marathon and Ark Raiders
00:44:14
Speaker
play styles. It was like a destroyer class, very aggressive, shield moving to the front lines, jet boots, mobility, a vandal class moving around using a grappling hook, almost by the commando. Then there was the assassin going stealthily. And I was like, man, I'm scared that class. But then they had a class for me, which I call like a cop, which is Blackbird, where it could literally send out sodar pulses and sent out drones to try to find enemy placements in the map and support. There's a triage class. And as a person who loves build crafting,
00:44:43
Speaker
with the cores, the shells, the implants, like that's my addiction to Destiny. And the last thing I'll say is as great as Ark Raiders isn't, it is amazing. You know, one thing I do realize about Bungie is the hook for me. What keeps me playing? What's that thing that keeps me to come back? And that they do very well. When I saw the shells, the implants, the cores, things you can do with the modern weapons. And the thing that ultimately it always comes down to is gunplay for me. How does it feel? How does the shooting feel? And yeah. And last thing, when they hinted this derelict ship,
00:45:13
Speaker
as kind of like um in game content for for the people who have the highest gear, who want to test themselves to the highest level. And as a person who fell in love with Destiny, I played the original Destiny. I was like, OK, this is cool, but I'm done with it. It's very average for Bungie. What made me stick with Destiny was when I found out, OK, if you get to level 30, you could do this thing called the Vault of Glass.
00:45:34
Speaker
was like, okay, what's that? And I did that and I was like, what is a raid? Oh my God, this is the greatest cooperative experience I've ever experienced in gaming. And that's what made me fell love. So I know in terms of end game, I'm not saying this is gonna be on that level, but I know Bungie enough to be like, okay, they've got potential. Is this thing gonna be awkward as though it could still flop and that's fine. But everything they've shown and it seems like the ultimate mea culpa after they resolve things with anti-real, from a moral standpoint, now my conscience is clear. She put that out. Okay, cool. I can look at you now. And then the subsequent video. So yeah, have marathon, I am embarrassed to say I am hype for marathon. So yeah, I'll be there in March.
00:46:17
Speaker
Yeah, I'll say i'm not an extraction shooter either. I tried Ark Raiders, was not a fan. i couldn't The only extraction shooter I play is Helldivers 2, but that's against PC. You're not fighting other people to extract. So that's just a fun, I'm blowing up my friends kind of game. But... ah Yeah, this one, it did not grab me at all at first. I do like the art style other than the stuff they stole, which that as a designer really pissed me off. but ah But kind of the more I've watched, I'm like, i know... like i I fell off Destiny during the first one. I never bothered with the second one. It just... but
00:46:52
Speaker
I can never complain about their gameplay. Their bungee gameplay is so good. And so I'm going to play this game during that stress test thing they got going this next weekend because I really want to see if i if it'll hook me. Because i at first I was kind of poo-pooing it, but now I'm kind of like intrigued. Because like you said, like the more they've kind of shown in trailers, im like, know, does look kind of fun. Yeah. I'm not sure because I was I was very against like not against it, but I was like that not for me when it first. launch So I'm going to use this this stress test to see if it's something I want to go in on, because, again, I love Bungie. Like they are a great studio. So I'm curious, but i can't say I'm hyped for it, but I definitely am intrigued by it. And so I'm I'm curious to see if it'll hook me or not.
00:47:36
Speaker
All right. Sean, do you have any thoughts on that? Probably not. No. like Looks cool. Gameplay looks cool, but that's about it. Yeah, he's not a multiplayer guy. Yeah. yeah yeah um All right. yeah I'm not really a big extraction shooter guy either myself, although I did have a lot of fun. I won't lie. I did have a lot of fun when I was playing The Division in the in the Dark Zone back the day, which was an extraction shooter. oh You know, he was getting the loot, and then you had to you had to extract and pull out, and people be coming for you, and that was ah that was exciting, honestly. It really was. I'm mad at them. They kind of originated the genre in a way in the console space and they just never. And they just stepped out. Yeah.
00:48:16
Speaker
That's weird. Yeah. Division it was such a bummer because I remember that reveal trailer and I was like, this is gonna be the greatest game I've ever played my life. And then they just did the Ubisoft thing of like, oh, it looks way worse than we showed. Yeah. But I remember I enjoyed what I played of it. I just fell i didn't have people to play it with. And I was just like, I don't want to solo this. and But it was it was such a cool concept, too, that game. it was incredible. But, yeah, it's it's a shame that that series. are do this Is that movie still in works? Like, what's going on? I don't know. But, yeah.
00:48:46
Speaker
Anyway. All right. So my number nine is a little game that somebody on this panel is excited for. you it's a small game called control resonance yeah i know there's somebody on here that's excited for that besides myself i don't know who but uh yeah control resident is my number nine i am excited about this game um because you know i played control last year and i did enjoy it pretty pretty well i think i gave it like an eight or something um so i'm looking forward to this one this time you play as the brother and we're going to be in new york and we're gonna be beating up some ah some bad guys. And i'm just I'm just looking forward to a good time. I will probably play this. I don't know when it comes out, honestly. I forget. Hodge, do you know when it comes
00:49:31
Speaker
It doesn't have a date. It's just 2026. Oh, it's not dated. Okay. yeah I'm hoping that it it comes out before Halloween because I want to play this around spoopy season. I think that's a good time to play it. So hopefully it's coming out around or before October and then I can get it in around October and then we can talk about it on our Halloween special.
00:49:49
Speaker
Yeah, that's my ah that's my number nine, Control Resonant. Nice. Anyone got thoughts on that? i didn't know Hodge we'll talk about later, i'm sure. Yeah, Hodge and i talked about it last week from – do we to did that say to play ri yeah yeah we last night we did and i like i said i never played control but i thought this i thought it looked incredible so i no doubt if i had was caught up to date in the series probably most likely be on my list no doubt yeah i just love the the visual imagery almost inception like kind of things going on it it just really messes with the senses and i think it's very creative and yeah i'm with you man when i it looked spectacular i thought it showed very well
00:50:31
Speaker
yes sir yeah I will say before I go, it it is one of those games where like I know I should be on Blackout because I'm already sold, but at the same time, it's like, I want to see everything because I'm so excited for this game. No, don't do it, man. Blackout, blackout, blackout. Don't ruin yourself.
00:50:46
Speaker
i used I haven't blacked out since college. Anyway, um ah my number nine, it's not a game like I'm like super hyped, like waiting every day for, but I'm so intrigued by it that I have to put it on my list. And that is the Halloween game where it's that it's that like one V six kind of, you know, multiplayer game, because Halloween is is one of the greatest horror movies ever made. It's I watch it every single year for for Halloween. obviously. And I'm just so intrigued by, I feel like we could, especially our in our Discord everything, I feel like we could get a group of guys to be like, to do this game. It looks, it just looks fun. I don't think it's going to even be in my top 10, even though it's on this list of games that that came out this year that I'm excited for, but I'm just so intrigued because I love Halloween that I just want to see what this game does. And who knows, it might be like the Friday the 13th game or whatever, where it's kind of people like it, but it's a not a social or a
00:51:40
Speaker
like a ah big thing and it just kind of dies. I wouldn't be as surprised if that's what it is, but at the same time, I just want to be excited for this game. So I'm going to go with yeah the Halloween game coming out this year.
00:51:51
Speaker
Interesting. Nice. nice it Is that, I think, is that from the same developers that did the the the Friday the 13th game? I think it is, right? I think so. It's in that same spirit, right? Where it's like, hopefully they don't lose a license, though.
00:52:07
Speaker
What happened to them? They lost the Friday of the 13th license. isn yeah That's crazy. Yeah, isn't it like one of those deals where it's like it's like co-op type deal where like one person is, ah you know, is ah the bad guy and everyone else is trying to survive. the the the is getting was named the Michael Myers. Yeah, Michael Myers and everyone else is just trying to survive. Yeah.
00:52:28
Speaker
So you're saying it's like a Halo 2 or Halo 3 multiplayer juggernaut game mode. Is that what you're trying to say I actually, I don't remember that game. ah Kog, is it like that? It's similar. I definitely, it kind of has that inspiration. But once I saw Illphonic, I was like, you got a good shot here, at Hodge. They usually got some this decent. Yeah, that's what it Illphonic, they did Predator, hunt Hunting Grounds, and that Killer Clowns game. And the Ghostbusters game from while ago. remember Killer Clowns. That's what i remember too. yeah Yeah. That movie was crazy. Killer Clowns. Oh, it's the dumbest horror movie ever, but love So stupid, but also great at the same time. Yes. Yes. So I feel like this will be one of those where even if we do play it, it's kind of one of those we'll go in and enjoy like three weekends and then everyone will fall off and go on to something else. But yeah I'm just i still I just I'm so curious and I just I want to love it because I love that movie. So it's goofy fun.
00:53:20
Speaker
Fun. Interesting pick. Anyone else have any thoughts on Halloween? Otherwise, Sean, number eight. All right. My number eight is the already been spoken by Hodge. We know it's not on his list. That is Pragmata.
00:53:33
Speaker
Pragmata comes out April 23rd. So I'm i'm kind of going in ah order here. i'm I don't mean to, but I am going in kind of chronological order here. I did play the demo. I am very excited for it. I thought the gameplay was very different than I expected. It was much more action-packed than I expected. I loved the hacking. hos Did you like the hacking aspect when you're fighting the enemies? You have to hack into the enemy before you can actually shoot them?
00:53:59
Speaker
i like I like playing puzzle games. So I actually like, I joke that it's the Bioshock hacking mechanism, but i actually enjoy those games because I like puzzles. So i like everyone knows, i actually, like where most people are like, want to skip all the puzzles in the games. I actually really love doing them. It's just be part of the game for me. And So I liked it, but it would it was just annoying that every single enemy you had to do it to them. or Otherwise it would either be 25 bolts to kill them. Or if you hacked them, it was four bolts to kill them. And it's just like to, to fight the enemy, you have to do it. And it should just be kind of like a special thing, not like a, not what like a requirement. So when you have five enemies coming at you and you have to hack, shoot, hack, shoot, hack, shoot, I'm just like, all right, I don't want to keep, I don't want to have to do this for 30 hours or longer. There is, there is a fast action pace to it. So there's going to like a lot of enemies at once. So you're going to have to constantly be hacking and shooting and hacking and shooting. So that does worry me a little bit. I also am a little worried that this game is going to be much more gameplay centric than like um exploring the environment centric where it's going to be much more, yeah Hey, we're gonna out here. We're killing a bunch of enemies. Yeah. Where originally I thought it was going to be more of like, hey, you're going to encounter your enemies, but there's a lot of it is exploration, exploring this crazy world. p What the heck's going on? So I'm a little worried about that. But like i said, I enjoyed the demo. I love the whole sci-fi aspect of it. I'm a big sci-fi guy. And Hodge, did you find the shockwave gun? It's like the shit's like a shotgun.
00:55:34
Speaker
Yeah, yeah. I got on that. thought that was super fun to shoot with. Yeah, the the weapons weren't bad at all. Like there's one that's like the net basically where it freezes them so you can hack them easier and stuff like like the the gameplay itself was fine, even though I think the sprint you kind of felt underwater when you're sprinting. It was pretty slow, but and the characters are charming and stuff. It's just that gameplay I was not a fan of. The demo is also only so I've beat it in 16 minutes. It's a very quick demo. uh so if anyone wants to play it it'll take you longer to download it than to play it uh and but yeah it was fine but when i got done with it i'm like really that's it and i'm like i'm never gonna play this game and it had the very video gamey thing which i'm not complaining about but at the end of the demo you get you fight a boss so as you do in most demos and you get you get to this big open room, there's just a bunch of ammo laying around the room. I'm like, oh, gee, wonder what's going to happen here. So it's very Capcom-y in that way and whatnot, but which which isn't a complaint. It was just kind of, eh. I was never hyped for this game, but I was interested. But that demo just made me go over the opposite direction of what I thought it was going to do. So if people enjoy it, awesome. But it's it's not for me. um like I fell off it, so.
00:56:50
Speaker
All right. Yeah, I don't know. if i don't think this game is for me either. I was never really all that interested. Something about the creepy little girl and just the look of the game it just kind of turned me off. ah It doesn't look like something I'm into. And plus, when you're talking about like you're constantly hacking and shooting, hacking and shooting, I just don't know. um And yeah, like as us as like seasoned veteran OG gamers, I think we all kind of know when a boss fight is coming in almost any game now. Like when you're traversing, anytime you get to like any area that's kind of like slightly open, you're like oh about to be a cut scene or a boss. yeah And like 90% of the time we're right. But yeah.
00:57:24
Speaker
ah Cog, did you have any thoughts on Pragmata? And then you are up, sir. Yeah, and I'm kind of ashamed it because I saw it briefly. And feel like every time I got a chance to be in proximity to this game, something happened. And when I was at CatCon's booth, I was like, I'm going to choose these other games. And then I believe it Attica King went to Pragmata. they were like, bro.
00:57:42
Speaker
We love it. You know what I So unfortunately, everything I've seen, like, okay, I'm not, it looks cool, but i it's all it's my all-me. Like, haven't done enough research on it to be like, okay, is this truly for me? So I'm kind of a wait and see with it. That's kind of thing. I'm like, i want people to get a hold of it, experience, and then they tell me, okay, Noah Cog, this is a really great game me need to try. So that's what it is. But ain't freaked out with a creepy creepy girl yet, but I'm going to wait and see kind of thing with it. You know what I'm saying? Shout out to you, man.
00:58:09
Speaker
yeah Real quick before you go into your number eight.
Forza Horizon 6 and Japanese Setting
00:58:12
Speaker
i just want Another thing just about demos real quick on PlayStation. I'm a little scared to do demos now on PlayStation now. because Well, demos that carry over into the main game.
00:58:22
Speaker
okay if it's If it's a game that I want to play. Because Trails in the Sky first chapter me over, man. The the trophies didn't carry over, Sean. ah you know I did like a two-hour demo for Trails in the You don't go for Platinums. What do you care Well, I still would like my trophies, man. I earned them. ah Like, you know, I earned like three or four or five trophies in that demo, and they didn't carry over to the main game. I'm sad. But anyways, Cognito, sir, what is your number eight?
00:58:50
Speaker
Number eight. All right. So this one is more of a recency bias based on a trip. So as you know, I just came back from Tokyo and um last year and rode to Tokyo was part of it. And I just fell in love with the culture, you know, saying being out there. And I'm not going lie. i've and I saw Forza Horizon 6. It hit some emotional notes for me because I was in Shibuya. I was in Acahabara. They're going to all these iconic places. And i like i but I'm a Horizon guy. I'm i'm i'm not a motorsports guy. So for me, it's like I could go off road. I could go off the beaten path. And it's one of the best looking games ever. and fun games, you know, Playground does. So when I saw this locale, I'm yes, this is where I want to be when I do play. for This was like the case of emergency break glass location. They're taking me there. So, yeah, I'm ready, man. I am actually ready for Forza Horizon 6. And, yeah, it's it just they're doing a lot of things that really speak to my sensibilities from a gameplay standpoint. So I am ready for that.
00:59:57
Speaker
Yeah, we did an episode recapping the developer direct because it was it was a great show, but i was I'm not a racing person, i but i i said on the episode, I'm like, I kind of want to play it just to drive around Japan. like I want to look at because it looks gorgeous. and that's i mean That's what I did with Horizon 5. I just played it just to kind of look at the graphics and everything. and so I'm kind of thinking I'll do the same with 6 because I'm like, that Japan, looks it looks so good. so I might have to play for that, but other than that, I'm not a huge racing person, but yeah, graphically gorgeous.
01:00:31
Speaker
e Sean, do you have any thoughts on Forza? When we did the Xbox thing, I shared my thoughts, and I read my text from my dad. He was pretty excited. was pretty worried. Racing game in Japan, that screams. Yeah. All right. um Yeah, I don't really have any thoughts on that right now.
01:00:48
Speaker
um Let's see. So my number eight... is going to be Resonance, a Plague Tale Legacy. That's right. The next game from, is it Asobo, I think?
01:01:01
Speaker
um Yeah, the the people who made Microsoft Flight Sim and also Plague Tale Innocence and and ah Requiem, I think. Great games. I played both of them. Loved both of them.
01:01:13
Speaker
Liked Innocence a little more, but those are great games. Awesome games. And I'm really looking forward to this next one. It looks very interesting. The graphics are always stunning. I love those games. they do what They do give me a little bit of unease, a little bit of anxiety with all the rats flo going around and all this craziness, but And it's a great experience, man. It's just a fun vibe. It's a cool setting in like, ah I don't know, I forget, like 14th century France or something. You know, you got all the plague rats going around. You got like these medieval soldiers going around. Then you got the church acting crazy. And it's just it's it's great, man. I'm really looking forward to Resonance of Plague Tale Legacy. That is my number eight. And it will be played a hopefully this year. There's so many games. It will be played at some time. promise you that.
01:01:57
Speaker
That's my pick. Yeah. Sean or Cog, you got anything about that? Yeah, man. Great, great series. So what kills it, man? I love how they focus on um stealth and as opposed to like direct combat. And then one thing about like what does I call like the rat mechanics, like amazing in those games, like the the sheer volume and how they control the flow of how you can move around in the game. So, yeah, I know Maddie loves that series, like loves that series. And we don't we all feel like they get enough credit for how diverse and great a developer they are technically. And and that new one, yeah, it looks cool. So I i like the choice, man.
01:02:34
Speaker
Yeah, that's who I was saying. that's who i That's who I was saying Xbox needed to buy, not ABK, but anyway. Yeah. Sean, got anything about that series? or No.
01:02:45
Speaker
All right. So i will say that it's also my number eight. So i am i am very excited for this. I've only played Innocence. I i remember I played it twice in a row when I first played it because I loved it so much. I just never got around a Requiem. And that was – believe that was one of my – my resolutions this year is to play Requiem because I've been wanting to, I own it. I, and I'm, but I'm as the person who has to replay an entire series before they get to the next game, because I'm an insane person, I'm going to have to replay innocence. And since I have that on PlayStation also, I know i' got a PS five upgrade. So I'm very curious to see how well innocence plays. So I'll play both of them and then Resonance. I know this game is a very different tone kind of, and you play as a new person, I believe. And so i'm I'm not sure what, because I know some people were saying like, you play as this person from the other game. I'm like, well, I haven't met that person yet. So, but yeah, the the Innocence was such a great game that I'm so excited for this one. And i I'm excited. I heard Requiem from some people's better. I've heard it from others that it's worse, but I think it's just because it's a different play style.
01:03:49
Speaker
But ah yeah, I'm excited to replay those and play this. So yeah, Resonance Plague Tale Legacy looks great. But Sean, you are up. All right. For my number seven game, I'm going to take a little break from the Japanese devs, give them a little time off. And we're going to go to Lego Batman Legacy of the Dark Knight. This comes out on May 29th. I'm really excited. I love Lego games. I actually really liked the direction they took the Skywalker saga. I know
01:04:21
Speaker
everyone's like oh it's so bloated i liked it obviously it was very big um my favorite lego games are the dc games like i love lego batman one through three i love the dc supervillains game uh this looks f freaking awesome they have all the different versions of batman in there it kind of looks much more like ah it's like arkham knight it's like arkham but lego so i'm really looking forward to seeing what they do with this and um these lego games are very much like a not like not like it's very much easy pick up and play like Just enjoy yourself. You don't have to think about it. There's always some humor in there. so I'm really looking forward to this because it's been a while for since I played a Lego game. It's been since that Skywalker Saga um game. So yeah, i it looks good. I love Arkham and I really like the whole Batman universe. So we'll see. Batman cross Lego. Let's go.
01:05:08
Speaker
Have they even released a game since Skywalker Saga? No, that was the last game they released. But there i since then, I like i picked up Lego Indiana Jones just to play it, even though I've never played Indiana Jones. I'm not a big Indiana Jones guy, and I like never got around to it.
01:05:23
Speaker
a yeah I've played them all. I love the Lego games. ah me it's It's been – I've said this a million times before, but it's a tradition between me and my older brother. We've played every single Lego game since the PS2. It's just a tradition that we had where every single one that came out – because we loved building Legos when we were kids and all that. So we've always played these games together. and so like when we were in high school or college or just out of college, we had to kind of wait for holidays to get together to – bob get through them. And that's the one reason I didn't like Skywalker saga is because that game is like 150 hours, get the freaking platinum. And when me and him couldn't see each other that often, and there's no on online play that we're sitting there trying to get this platinum for like months and we couldn't do it. But yeah, I'm very excited for this. We're both huge Batman fans, so I'm excited to see what they do. And I know they're, it's basically going like Skywalker saga for Batman, where they adapt basically all the movies and it's going all the different universes. So, But one thing that is different is they're not going have play. This is not like a million playable characters. There's only seven playable characters. It's much more going to be like story focused. So that's why they're taking in a little bit of a different direction. So that kind of gives me a little bit of hype, too. But it's going to have that like you know Lego theme in there. Also, Hodge, we're completely wrong. We missed the best Lego game ever that was released in Skyward Persega. Lego Horizon. Come on.
01:06:42
Speaker
so actually out and play the I'm okay here i'm they one of the biggest Horizon fans here, and i'm like ah I'm good with that. Oh, you was like, no. you I don't need a Horizon. I don't need that. Why not? why not Because i don't i don't it's not what i'm that's not what I'm looking for out of Horizon there.
01:06:59
Speaker
right Yeah, he just wants Hunter Gatherers or whatever that one's called. Of course, you know that. You know going to all over that, Mr. Multiplayer over here. Yeah. All right, good stuff. Yeah, now I think Lego Batman, on great pick, Sean. It looks cool. I probably won't play it because I'm not a huge Lego guy, but I think it actually looks pretty sweet. um All right, Kog, if you have thoughts, but you're up, man. you No, great choice, Sean. I am not the Lego guy, but that game will do it for me because it's the Arkham system. You know what I mean? And I'm a Batman fanboy in that sense. You know what it is? I saw Bane. That's what did it for me. And if they do the voice, are they going to do the voice?
01:07:39
Speaker
they Well, I mean, in all the LEGO games since like Jurassic Park has done actual voice acting. So I would assume so. this I need that. I need that.
01:07:50
Speaker
If I got that, you got me day one. I'm a big, big. I need to see a back move. I think it's the most amazing decision ever did. But anyway, I'm with you on that one. Number seven. Number seven. I'm going to go commercial again. going to keep it very basic.
01:08:06
Speaker
um And what's weird about this choice is that I am really not a fan of
Anticipation for Grand Theft Auto 6
01:08:12
Speaker
this series. Not that I think it's overrated, but I'm not the biggest fan, but I must admit, as we're getting closer,
01:08:20
Speaker
Grand Theft Auto, I'm gonna have to see oh wow what you're doing. You know, it is, look, for me to disrespect Rockstar is just sacrilegious. What they do in terms generationally and how they push technology in the overworld formula, right? My issue is not that the games are never good.
01:08:41
Speaker
is that i I get so distracted, I never stay on course with the main quest of what was to because i'm like oh, look, squirrel, I can do this, I can do that, I can go jack somebody over here. Like, that's my problem. it's It's a me problem. It's nothing to do with Rockstar. But look, man, that that predict depiction of Florida looks amazing. One thing about them, they're very bold on what I consider social commentary and the parodying of it, right? And I'm like, damn, that's so accurate.
01:09:11
Speaker
depending on different, you know, neighborhoods, regions, you know, climate people. I just think it's fun. So look, I want to be there. And and ah ultimately, you know, this is I know we've been talking about consoles and what's been going on in this. Grand Theft Auto is going to be a huge injection and boost to the console space. And we need it right now. So I'm pulling for them. I want to see what happens. Rockstar, those guys are ah wizards. And yeah, man, Grand Theft Auto 6, I will be there day one to partake.
01:09:40
Speaker
Yeah, man. yeah man you know It's okay to squirrel. That's part of the experience, man. Go squirrel. Go do your thing, man. Go go jack that car and go do some fun. Go stick up the store. but But then after you do that and you get a little bored, then you go to the next little D icon or whatever, you know the mission, right? And then take the next main mission. That's all you got do. Just get back on track.
01:10:01
Speaker
You got a lot of willpower. You're stronger than me. I just get too distracted. have my own little quests and games going on. This will be the one, though, that's going to get you. this will be the one All right. All of us are going to talk about this later, right?
01:10:14
Speaker
No, it's definitely not. No. Oh, right. I forgot. I want to hear the hate because I used to be a hater. want to hear the hate. Get your hate off. So, no, I have nothing against Rockstar as a company, obviously, but GTA games have just never spoken to me. like Red Dead Redemption is an amazing game. I love that game. I've said a million times Undead Nightmare is the greatest expansion ever created for games. I love that.
01:10:38
Speaker
expansion so much. RD2, RDR2, I fell off, but it was because it was at launch on my Xbox. I don't know why it kept crashing. So I just fell off it and I decided, hey, if they ever have the next gen update, I'll go into it again. But apparently that's not happening. So I'm waiting on that to go back to that. But I don't know. It's just the vibe of GTA has never spoken to me. I played three on PS2 back in the day just because it was like, oh, my God, open world. It's amazing. I just didn't like it. I played a little bit of five and it was just it's whatever. So i I understand that this game is going to be a monster. It's going to sell seven billion copies. It's going to be number one for the next
01:11:18
Speaker
150 years. like I get all that. It's just, it doesn't speak to me. Maybe I'll play it Maybe it does come out and everyone's like, no, seriously, it's like the greatest game ever made. And then I'll be like, right, fine. I'll give it a fricking try. But, and graphically what they've shown, it obviously looks like it is going to be a monster when it comes to graphics. And it, That art style is enough to get me into games. Like I've played games that aren't that great purely because I like how they look. So who knows? GTA might even do that for me because now that i've might I have my pro that thing running on that, that thing might be a monster. I don't. Yeah, exactly. Yeah, so I, who knows, I might like it, but I can't say I have any hype for because GTA has just never spoken to me. So that's why I don't poo-poo GTA, like these games are terrible because that'd be a ah stupid thing to say because obviously they are objectively not bad games. It's just they don't speak to me, so.
01:12:10
Speaker
we're very We're very similar in that regard, brother, like I say. just I know what you mean. I know what you mean. Yeah. Hey bro, I respect it. I respect some good hating, man. Somebody's got to hate. You know, like with Expedition 33, it was always me hating. Everyone else was, you know, giving it like the Gok Gok 9000, like second at all.
01:12:28
Speaker
And I was like, man. on good this i I mean, it was good. It's a good game. But it was like, you know, come on, man. it's Come on. I will say I said it at the time. I i love that game is my game the year. But I still think Troy Baker should have won best actor because him as Indy was incredible. So i will I will say that. But I mean, even though you like Jennifer English. So I like i love Jennifer English, but I will I will be honest.
01:12:51
Speaker
I will be honest. She's an amazing voice actress, but she needs to work on developing some different characters because she always sounds the same in every game. But she is amazing, though. Like I said, like when she was doing like those vision scenes, like she was literally giving me anxiety. Like she was so into the the fear of her voice.
01:13:10
Speaker
But ah anyway, I appreciate your hatred. ah ah But hey, you're going to play Vice City this year. You have to. It was your Secret Santa. So that's going to hook you. Yeah. So cog every Christmas episode at the end of the year we always do a Christmas episode. We do a Secret Santa where we give each other gifts. And so it was midnight. So that's why Midnight Play Control. I gifted him Control. And so this year he gifted me Grand Theft Auto Vice City. So I have to play Vice City this year. Let's go. Let's go. Get the indoctrination. All right.
01:13:37
Speaker
So I am up next. And my number seven pick is a little game that Cog already talked about. And it is Forza Horizon 6. That's right, sir. We're going to be racing in Japan, Cog. Let's go.
01:13:54
Speaker
You know, I've never been big into racing either. um I've never played any of the Forzas seriously. um I dabbled in Forza Horizon 4 in the UK a little bit. um I'm definitely more of a Horizon person. I like the open world. You know, I like the more arcadey nature. um But yeah, when I saw this, though, like, you know, Japan, say what you will about Japan. You know, it's kind of weird.
01:14:15
Speaker
There's too many weaves. Right. But it's beautiful, though. It's beautiful, though. You can't you can't knock that, though. I mean, the the foliage, the the four seasons that they got going on. You got you know you got like the frickin cherry blossoms, the castles, the architecture. It's very beautiful, man. The snow up in the up in the top and what Hokkaido or whatever. i don't know. It's amazing. And I just want to, I want to do the Tokyo drift. I want to be racing all around. I want to see, uh, what is Mount Fuji? I want to see it all, dude. I want to go around.
01:14:45
Speaker
I also like how they were talking about it, how you're gonna like, like Drake started from the bottom. Now we're here. Uh, They're bringing that back. Like you start as like kind of like a scrub with like a weak vehicle and going to have to win some races and then you get a better car and then get a better car and get a better car. And I like that progression loop. Right. that That's the stuff that hooks my brain like RPG. You know, I got RPG brain rot that that's the stuff that hooks me. So Forza Horizon 6, I think I'm go be playing it. And here's the thing here. You know.
01:15:14
Speaker
think I'm go be playing it on the PS5 Pro. Hey man. Or PC. hey look Better graphics. Better graphics because I want that i want that Japan looking pristine. Nah, I'm with you. It looks spectacular. I love the verticality of a lot of the maps, which was like, kind I don't see like a first, but I really see that since they done like Lego track stuff. And I was like, that kind of represents Japan. And the last thing I need from them If they give us like a at night Tokyo drift style mode, it's going to hit different, man. So I am with you on that. Yeah, man. They got you out there racing the the bullet train, the Shinkansen or like they' just
01:15:53
Speaker
Japan's beautiful. It really is. Beautiful country. You can't take that away from it. The hot springs and all this stuff they got. Yeah. Yeah, that is the one country I want to visit more
Nostalgia for Fable and Retro Gaming
01:16:02
Speaker
than any other. I can one day I'll get to Japan. Got addict to do it, brother. One of the best curses you you'll have.
01:16:08
Speaker
All right. So we already talked about this. No one really has bars. I don't think um Hodge, you're up. So I have a feeling this is going to probably some of your guys list, but I don't know.
01:16:18
Speaker
ah And that is Fable. So I have ah I've played the OGs a couple like I had a buddy in high school who was really into him. So I kind of co-opt him with a little bit. But that's really all I did. I never played them on my own. But I remember they were very charming. And again, as I've said, ah you haven't heard this, but like so legacy Hogwarts Legacy. I played it finally all the way through last year because I just put it off. And it was so charming. I love the magic. Like the, it just felt so cozy and I'm getting that vibe from fable. I, it just feels so cozy. So like such a charming game. I, I am actually legitimately hyped for this game is as someone who's not a fable fan. I love the British humor. I saw a lot of people complain about the office humor. I think it looks actually hilarious. I love that. And so I'm very, very, very excited for this game. I have it higher up but just because I'm not the biggest fantasy RPG person as we've all
01:17:12
Speaker
talked about before but this game it's just it's selling me uh if i might play it on ps5 pro i might try it on game pass just to get a feel of it first and then get it on playstation but because i still got that game pass it is as they say best deal in gaming so um but yeah i'm i'm just so hyped for this game it looks so funny so and again like i said so charming and comfortable like i'm just that's the kind of vibe that i would love from a from a fantasy game so yeah fable As the biggest fable hater here, I am actually, I think it looks good.
01:17:46
Speaker
And i know i have to I know I have to play, I know I have to but actually play this or people going to kill me. I have to. I know I have to. AC, that's for you. Yeah. We're to show up at your door. Yes. Yeah.
01:17:59
Speaker
Like, what was was that? Was it office space where they showed at people? No, wasn't office space. It was ah clerks. I don't know. Anyway, anyone else have bars for Fable? Maybe later. later Yeah, I don't have any bars for Fable. I don't care about that game. but Sean, you are up, sir.
01:18:18
Speaker
All right. I am up. And with my number six pick, we're going to go back to Japan, back to the Japanese devs. We had a little time off, but... Not not so much anymore. And we are going to go with Brigadine Abyss. This is a game that was revealed at the State of Play. This is a ah tactics JRPG for the PlayStation. It was a series that was originated in PS1. And Hodge, I talked about how I'm like, I have no idea how I didn't own this game because my dad was buying every single freaking JRPG Japanese game for PlayStation back in the day. Somehow this this did not hit the Mason household somehow. um so this is a continuation of the series so i'm looking forward to it um i actually brought it up to hodge that i was gonna actually uh on i went on ebay looked up ah an original copy of the ps1 game brigadine abyss and i actually did buy it so i am gonna and um crank out the old ps2 and uh play that brigadine abyss you know if this was an xbox i could probably play it on my xbox somehow because they would somehow bring it forward you know but no i not here not here so I am looking forward to this. I talked about it a lot last week. so If you want to hear my full thoughts on the game, you know we can talk about it. You can go back to it last week. short Short answer short. Game looks gorgeous. Gameplay looks cool. Really excited to get into this world.
01:19:34
Speaker
yeah It's on Steam, Sean. Just get a PC. No one can afford a PC now with RAM prices. geez but I already bought the PS1 disc. so you know i'll but I'll crank out the old PS2. now The question is, do I crank out the fat PS2 from the OG launch or do I get the slim version?
01:19:50
Speaker
Do I crank out the silver slim that we have? I don't know, man. Flip a coin. Flip a coin. I don't know. If I boot up the the launch PS2, I don't know. That might that thing might explode. It might. Launch day. like take off Circuit City.
01:20:04
Speaker
What a console. Take it back. Take it i got I got nothing on that game. Does anyone? Just the, I love the, it looks like tactical RPG. Yeah, it's like a tactical game. When I saw the grids, was like, oh. Yeah. yeah what But yeah, I mean, that is, oh you already have the disc. So nevermind. I was going to say, okay. um All right, cool. um Cog, no you are up. Number six, number six, Insomniac. Come to the front of the congregation. need to talk.
Speculation on Insomniac's Wolverine Game
01:20:32
Speaker
I want to see what you're doing.
01:20:34
Speaker
Wolverine, I want to see what have you learned through the Spider-Man series, through MCU characters. I want to see how you translate grit, gore, you know darker tone, not as friendly you know with dealing with us someone like Peter Parker. Look, I'm an MCU guy, i admit, you know, so I want to see. i like the idea of Insomniac kind of creating their own video game cinematic universe, so to speak, where it could be potential crossovers. So that excites me. um You know, I saw some things from the tone and the motorcycle stuff.
01:21:07
Speaker
They've got a lot to prove to me. i mean, I'm not I will say i'm not like 100 percent sold yet, but I'm excited that they're taking on the challenge of when we're in character graphically looks good. And now it's going to be a matter of the gameplay and if they land the play. So, yeah, Insomniac, man. I am ready to see what Wolverine does.
01:21:24
Speaker
Insomniac doesn't miss. Wolverine's going to be great. I know it is. I was under the impression that they totally rebooted this game from all those after all those leaks came out. I think they completely shut change direction of the game, completely changed everything. That's my take on it. But I think Insomniac just they constantly deliver. So I am really looking forward to this. I'm not the biggest Marvel guy. Wolverine, though, the X-Men, Wolverine, that whole universe. That is one of the only that Spider-Man are like the only two Marvel characters that really like I was like really looking forward to that, like hype me and drag me into the Marvel universe. I actually wrote two papers in college on the X-Men, the whole X-Men. So that was really cool. So I do like it. So I am looking forward to it. But honestly, I totally forgot that this was confirmed for 2026. So need to put it on my list.
01:22:09
Speaker
ah ah All good. So many games, bro, right? Yeah. So games. yeah i Yeah, I didn't include this. It is in my top 20, but I didn't put it in the top 10 purely because, again, you're you're right. Insomniac doesn't miss. I actually think they're Sony's best studio, even above Naughty Dog. i Because Ratchet & Clank is amazing. And the Spider-Man. your face, man. Fix your face, man.
01:22:29
Speaker
Yeah, he finally played Last of Us 2 last year. yeah. he yeah don Dirty gods. Dirty gods. I know where he is. I know where is. Hotty dog, sucker punch. Even though he has a weight on... Continue, sir. Media Molecule. Come on, guys. Media Molecule.
01:22:44
Speaker
Oh, yeah. Blue Point. Wait. Oh, no. i Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. The only reason why this didn't make my top 10 is because Spider... So Ratchet & Clank, obviously, it's the platformer, which I love. I love platformers. And then Spider-Man, it's so fluid. Like, it's a fluid Arkham Knight almost, in a way. And this one... Beautiful games, too. Yeah, and this one just seems more brawly than like open and fluid. So it's kind of the thing of, ah like it's very brutal, obviously, in the trailer that he shows him slicing people up with his with his claws and everything. like it looks It's just such a different tone that I know Insomniac doesn't miss, but I am still like, it looks a little like more action brawly than fluid brawl. You know what it looks like to me? It looks like a sucker punch game.
01:23:31
Speaker
Kinda. Yeah. Yeah. So it's, it's really, I'm, I'm hyped for this game. Wolverine is, I grew up obsessed with Wolverine again, i X-Men and stuff. I was a, I was a huge Marvel nerd growing up, but ah yeah, it just, I feel like I just need to see like one more trailer of like a gameplay mission or something, like not a, not a quick action knee trailer. I need to see a mission played because as of right now, I'm like, it looks good. And I know I have to believe in insomniac, but I'm not like hyped for it yet. because You need, a little bit more to be sold i got you yeah yeah but it obviously yeah again insomniac they don't miss so i'm hoping it's great good pick good pick
01:24:10
Speaker
ah Not on my list. However, it is a good, good pick. I am also pretty excited for this game. Honorable mention for me. um I will play this at some point. No doubt. You know, I did enjoy ah all the Spider-Man games. I enjoyed my favorite was the first one 2016 or whatever. No 18.
01:24:26
Speaker
eighteen Actually, that's what that's a lie. My favorite was Miles. Let's go. I love Miles Morales because I love that tight like eight to 10 hour ah runtime was like perfect. And I like Miles. And I thought it actually people kind of hated on the story, but I kind of like the story in that. um But and then followed very closely by the first one. And then two, I thought was a little bit of a step back, but still good.
01:24:47
Speaker
So good. Really? Interesting. I love to. yeah interesting Now that it's on PS Plus, I can finally play it. Yeah, they make they make fun games. You know I'm not a huge Marvel guy. I find, you know, Cape Slop games a little bit to be, you know, predictable and samey. But um you know But like I said, I think it's good. Insomniac is a great studio. I personally disagree that they are the best studio because Naughty Dog is in the building. Sucker Punch is in the building. Santa Monica is in the building. um But anyway, I respect your opinion, though, my friend Hodge.
01:25:22
Speaker
And with that said, i am up. yeah So with my next pick, what are we at right now? is a six Six. Six. Number six. Another amazing Sony studio here that I honestly may be better than it anyway. MLB The Show 26,
MLB The Show Addiction
01:25:41
Speaker
boys. How about that? Okay. You know, this I don't know if anyone expected this because I haven't played and MLB The Show since 21.
01:25:49
Speaker
21 or 22. It's been a minute. It's been a minute. um But I have to crank out the ah MLB trivia for you. Midnight again. Do I crank it and you don't know any of it? just Break it out. Break it out. Break it out. Quiz me. But ah I love and MLB the show game so much that I have to literally stop myself from playing it. I literally have to not play for multiple years in a row because it will literally take so much of my time.
01:26:13
Speaker
Because I'm addicted to Diamond Dynasty. That's the mode that I love. Diamond Dynasty mode is like ah marvel or um marvel like Madden Ultimate Team or FIFA Ultimate Team or 2K, my team mode or whatever. But it's free to play friendly. You don't have to spend money.
01:26:29
Speaker
in Diamond Dynasty. That's why they they give you 99 overall players out the ass. You just play the game and they're just giving you amazing cards. They're just giving you diamond cards. It's amazing. um So you just play the game a bunch. There's all these fun game modes and you can assemble an amazing team and then you play people online and you play challenges against the CPU. And it's so fun.
01:26:48
Speaker
um And it really steals so much of my time. And that's the reason why I haven't played it for the past like three or four years, because I'm, you know, I'm worried that I'm going to be able to play other games because I'm gonna be hooked. But I think 26 is the year that I go back and get my time sucked. Pause.
01:27:02
Speaker
here John, if you want to hit me with a trivia or two, feel free. Here we go. Midnight 2011 World Series champion. Who was it? Quick. Three, two, one. And Cardinals, seven games. Rangers. Come on. Let's go.
01:27:16
Speaker
No fucking clue. Yeah, I'm not a huge baseball fan, ah but I am a fan of Diamond Dynasty. How about that? We got my big fantasy craft next week.
01:27:27
Speaker
All I know is... All I know is... I love the show....was the White Sox 2016. Have you ever played Diamond Dynasty? I will not play Diamond Dynasty. Why not? It's free to play. When I play MLB The Show, I like to do the franchise mode. I like to be like the sim guy. I sim it. I don't actually play the games. I do the sim. You should have seen it. The only time I actually, you know, I used to really get in show when they were on PSP and Vita.
01:27:55
Speaker
Oh, hell yeah. MLB 06 The Show, the first MLB The Show game. David Ortiz on the cover. I had it for PSP. i remember getting it. i was not I was nine years old. I played my career, Road to the Show, and I got to the year 2024. I was on the Cubs franchise, the starting pitcher. I was a left-hander even though I was a righty, and I was black, and I threw submarine. No idea why, but my name was Sean Mason. I was in the Cubs organization. Three Cy Youngs, couple World Series rings. It was great.
01:28:27
Speaker
a Shout out to you, Sean, on Black History Month. Represent. what yeah Should have been LaShawn. I used to play the show religiously like every year like I had 06 to I'd probably say 16 every single year. I'll never forget MLB like getting and MLB 10 and 11 on release day with Joe Mauer was on the cover of both of them. And like I remember getting 10.
01:28:55
Speaker
instantly coming home and me my dad just like playing it constantly and then 11 hit and i remember i had an older friend who could drive because i was you know was just getting into high school older friend he was like two years older than me we drove down to game stop picked up mlb 11 literally played it all weekend oh we go I love this. been that yo I love I love the ballsy this is your choice, because I know a lot of people would kind of hardcore gamers would kind of criticize this choice, so to speak. But I love it because I do love the show.
01:29:21
Speaker
um i will say that for me, I think for my mode, was it the march to March to October, which was first reveal, which was the first in MLB 21? Because remember I did it with the Mets and it was awesome. yeah It was awesome, bro. And then for me, as a person doesn't have a lot of time, when they added the feature, i believe it was like quick counts and stuff like that. Just little little quiet ah basic quality of life things that really extend. So, yeah, I'm i'm with you on that. on Fun quick story is that I remember, this is my best film special moment, is that I remember when, during the time they did not have a baseball game on the Xbox. And MLB, the show I was very jealous. I was like, man, that's it.
01:29:55
Speaker
that PlayStation game, man, Xbox doesn't have any baseball game. And I remember speaking to him at the time and I was just like, bro, what is going on? Like, you guys have the money because MLB license, you can still make your own game. And they were like, okay, God, we will look into it. And maybe two years later, that's when the game pass situation, it was able to come onto the platform. I was like, yes, I'm fine. finally get baseball on X-Files. So that's my greatest. but I was like, you did it. You brought it up. goted things let deliver that was be music That was huge huge deal. I did a mercy pot with Colin on that one. He was like, yeah, the the, the way they structured that contract, he was like, Sony should be kind of a show of how that happened. But yeah, man, I was just happy that more people got a chance to play that game because ah it is amazing.
01:30:41
Speaker
Yeah. One thing I'll say about, uh, MLB the show is I used to really love ah the road to the show mode. One thing I really want them to do with road to the show is you know how MLB to get our NBA 2K used to I don't know if they still do because I don't play it anymore, but they used to have ah on the the my player mode. They used to have like a full story with like cut scenes and everything. It's a little cheesy cheesy at times too, but I kind of want ah road to the show to do something like that. I think that would be cool. I want like a story. man yeah Give me a story. You know I'm a narrative guy. Just for one year. Just for one year. Let me
01:31:19
Speaker
They were kind of corny sometimes, but give it to me, man. I'm with you. I did secretly enjoy it. yeah ah so but they They started off all right. like the first one to do right and then they got increasingly cringe. Your friend gets killed in one of them?
01:31:35
Speaker
Yo, freak! Yo, freak! Yeah, they started to get increasingly like more cringy and stuff. oh Frequency Vibrations. That was your name. um remember remember I played that one. yeah That what you talk about with Fre- I played that one. I know what you're talking about, Sean. Jackson Yo, Jackson Ellis. The rival. Remember you said the little rival? yeah yeah But ah yeah, i love I love MLB the show Diamond Dynasty, man. nice It's so good. Like all of those other modes like that are just so predatory. Like they just want all your money. But Diamond Dynasty is not like that, dude. They're just giving you cards for free. and And they make fun ways for you to earn it. Like you do some challenges. You complete a conquest map. You earn these. Complete a set. You get these awesome cards. It's it's fun. But ah Hodge, my friend. Or does anyone else have bars? are the Last thing before Hodge goes. Real quick. Last trivia here. Who's on the cover, Midnight? Go right now. Three.
01:32:28
Speaker
Aaron Judge, come on! Oh, that's right. I'm a fraud, I guess. I just like Diamond Dynasty. I'm just messing with you, bud. Sure, we got Bo Bichette.
01:32:42
Speaker
ordered a Bichette jersey. Right now I'm wearing my Lindor jersey, but I have Bichette jersey coming. I'm wearing my jersey. Let's get hard stretch before he loses the bottle with the damn sports talk.
01:32:53
Speaker
Well, I love sports. I just don't care about MLB. I was thinking, I haven't bought a sports game since NHL 2011. Yeah, 2011, because that's when Jonathan Taze was on the cover. the patient Okay, there we go. Look the that Dugax. There we go. and i yeah and i never bob One thing, last thing, before Hodge, real quick. Last thing, we all know Cog's number one game is going to Madden, so let's go. Hell no. did a box. Oh, yeah, I We appreciate you, Cog, but you're not welcome back on the show, Mike. You're squalid out of the building. All right.
01:33:31
Speaker
Hodge, sir, what is your next game? All right. Number six. It would have been higher, but they left a a huge part out of it, and that is Halo Campaign Evolved.
Halo Campaign Evolved and Onimusha Revival
01:33:41
Speaker
I am so excited to replay this game with this Unreal Engine, even though I've seen a little bit of graphical. o me But ah the fact that they left the multiplayer out is really what is keeping it in my like bottom five, because playing Blood Gulch multiplayer back in the day, that there's just there was There's no better multiplayer like experience than Blood Gulch. and So then only doing the campaign just kind of bums me out. i Honestly, I might play this on PlayStation, as sacrilegious as that is, just because...
01:34:16
Speaker
why not it's gonna be there but uh i obviously i love the halo especially the og trilogy i love four infinite was pretty good five exists um and so i'm just i'm so excited to replay this campaign and the fact that this campaign is four player co-op is awesome i cannot wait to do that for player that is going to be so much fun so yeah i mean as everyone knows we all ah we all love halo even sean who's not an x-bot likes likes halo so So yeah, just I'm so excited to play this campaign again with the new graphics. So, yeah. Yep.
01:34:50
Speaker
Based. That's all I'll say. Nothing needs to say about Halo. Yeah, I'm with it, man. and Like I said, I'm in the same mode as you. would it It would have been higher and included on my list. It's just that, you know, the multiplayer. But yeah, I'm with think shout out to them for having some different ah narrative moments that they will explore that wasn't in the original, which is kind of interesting with Sergeant Johnson and stuff like that. So yeah, I'm with you on that one. Yeah, like I loved the Halo 2 remake that they did for the Master Chief Collection. Like, see i want to see this game with those graphics because that Halo 2, those cutscenes were on another level when they redid that game. Those were so beautiful. So yeah I wish they would do it with 3 also. But, I mean, if this one sells, I'm sure they will do 2 and 3 eventually. But, yeah, I love Halo, so I'm so excited for this build out.
01:35:36
Speaker
All right. Sean? Well, funny enough, my number 5 is 3.
01:35:43
Speaker
Campaign Evolved. Oh, wow. Hey. Yep. Mr. Sean, Mr. Sony Pony over here. Mr. Nintendork. Whatever they call them. Nintendo nerd. I don't even know what they call Nintendo. Nintendork. Yeah. Nintendork. Nintendrone. Yep. I have the the Microsoft Studios, the Xbox game Halo on my list. i Me and Hodge and Locke joked about it two weeks ago, how i had Halo 3 in my um like my top 30. And I was like, yeah, Halo 3 is amazing. I think Halo is one of the greatest you know shooters of all time. I'm super excited to dive back into the Halo campaign. ah For me, one of the selling points is no multiplayer. Get all that multiplayer crap out. Focus solely on the campaign. Let's go. Four-player co-op has me hyped. I cannot wait. going be playing this game co-op as I do all my Halo games. I'm really looking forward to the retelling of one of the... The the beginning of the pinnacle of the Halo, you know, that Halo trilogy. I mean, even Hodge, me and you have talked about Even Halo 4 is great. It kind of drops off after 4. But... um yeah
01:36:45
Speaker
Yeah, no, I'm really looking forward to this. I can't wait to see the changes they make, how different some of the things are. I know that they are looking to include some stuff that they had they had to originally cut out because they just didn't they they couldn't put it in back in the day. So I am totally looking forward to playing this Master Chief. And as we all know, I do actually, i did enjoy the Halo show as a... Not not as a like a, this is not a Halo show, but it's an enjoyable show. So I want to get back into the universe of Halo with my Master Chief.
01:37:16
Speaker
Yeah, Master Cheeks out there. yeah My only concern is this. only concern is this. Now that you know Phil's gone and we're getting all this AI, Cortana is going to be in control of Microsoft. you can go in Oh, they're going to love about her. Yeah, yeah right. I hope she don't turn evil again. Yeah. great choice good so yeah um yeah good choice uh i didn't really give any bars last time i'll just say yeah i i do i did love you know playing co-op with your boys uh through the campaign what was it on legendary right you got to be it on legendary and get the achievement you know that way all you get older one badge of um' still hunting i doing that so much
01:37:59
Speaker
This game is not on my list, but great choice, guys. It's it's an honorable mention. yeah oop ah Cog, yo you are next. Keep forgetting this game supposedly is coming out.
01:38:09
Speaker
Capcom, come back to the table, man. Onimusha. Onimusha, man. I remember playing the original ones. and I remember when they first came out, it was kind of like billed as like a...
01:38:20
Speaker
Samurai rip off Resident Evil based on the style of art and the camera angle stuff. But to see the evolution of where they go on now is spectacular. love the fighting. I love, you know, the creativity with the combat arm. I think the story seems really cool to me as far as like I like stories where it's like this only you've died and you've been your spirit and, you know, you get you stay alive and stuff like that. So I'm excited, man. The more I see, the more I get hype and I believe the they got like a famous actor who's doing you know portraying the main protagonist which is kind of interesting as well so only much of the more I see it the more like I saw a lot of it behind closed doors I was blown away they are doing a lot of creative things with combat so keep my fingers crossed Capcom has been cooking lately they've been on a heater I feel this generation and um yeah only much is on my list
01:39:15
Speaker
Yeah, i've never I've never gotten into this series. It was just one that always fell just by the wayside. and never But this one looks so gorgeous. That's like, man, I kind of... And as everyone talks, Capcom is on their game nowadays. So it's like, i even though I don't really think Pragmon is that great. But this it it looks gorgeous. And this would be one of those that like if I just was trying to find something to play, which is rare, I would probably try and look into this one. But yeah, it looks it looks good.
01:39:43
Speaker
Yeah. I think this does look pretty good. i don't know if I will play it or get to it just due to time and with so many games, but it does look cool. um Let's see. Sean, did you have any thoughts on this one? I've never played on Onimusha. I know it's I probably love it, but i'm um it looks really good.
01:40:02
Speaker
All right. Okay, so my number five pick is going to be a little game called The Blood of John Walker.
Upcoming RPGs: The Blood of John Walker and Co-op Games
01:40:14
Speaker
This game, Cog, you're looking like you haven't heard of this. This is from a little studio called Rebel Wolves. Now, you might be wondering, who is Rebel Wolves? Rebel Wolves is a studio that was put together by the creative director of The Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk 2077 and a bunch of other CD Projekt Red developers. So we got goaded developers and talent over here, a bunch of CD Projekt Red developers and other developers. great devs um it is a cd project red style rpg where you play as a dawn walker so during the day you're like you're like in between a vampire and a human so during the day you know you're like you know you're walking around sword fighting and doing cool stuff and at night you kind of turn into a vampire and it just looks really cool um they showed where you're like traversing the world and like using your abilities and like you got to
01:41:08
Speaker
choose when to feed on people. um I don't know. This game shows a lot of promise. I am a little bit worried. i don't I hope they stick the landing. You know, it's a brand new team, so who knows? But I think that this game has a ton of potential.
01:41:20
Speaker
um I think this game could be incredible. um I'm hoping for an awesome story with fun combat. I'm hoping for a CD Projekt Red-like experience. And if they can if they can deliver even half of the greatness of The Witcher 3 or Cyberpunk,
01:41:35
Speaker
it's going to be amazing. So, I mean, they literally have the the creative director, the lead of Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk. I mean, and a bunch of the other like high-ranking devs moved over too, so...
01:41:48
Speaker
I'm sold. And they did show off a bunch of gameplay recently, um and it looked pretty solid. so And I know Lockmort, our boy, is excited for this, too. He's really hyped. Of course, me and Lock have very similar interests, that's not surprising. And you guys were slandering me, by the way, about that random MMO ah that I was into, which was Dark Age of Camelot. and i mentioned And when I bought that up, by the way, Lock was like, oh, that was one of my favorites, too. Him and I, two peas in a pod right there. That was a great game. But ah yeah, the blood of John Walker. That's my number five pick.
01:42:19
Speaker
Yeah, it looks good. I actually do remember it now. I remember seeing that whole trailer, that cinematic reveal, the traversal. And then, um you know, I think ending up in like in a church boss fight, some crazy stuff.
01:42:30
Speaker
It did look, I forgot all about this game. Yeah, it was promising. I didn't realize the the amount of talent amassed on it. So yeah, I'm pulling from the land that that that played as well because it looks good. Yeah, bunch of CD Projekt Red talent. So hopefully, hopefully it's good, man.
01:42:44
Speaker
You know those Polish devs. They they knew it ran from polish developers was very do right. Hodge and Sean, i not really your type. I got enough vampires from Redfall, so I'm good.
01:42:56
Speaker
Redfall. When's the Game of the Year edition coming out, man? When's that port coming out? Hodge, what is your number five, sir? Well, quickly, i actually had Blood of the Dawnwalker on my top 20. It just didn't make my top 10. I'm not like huge, obviously, into the CD project, but this game does look awesome. like I'm very intrigued. I might have to give it a try if it's available easily for me. I'm probably going to drop 70 on it, but I am very curious about this game. It looks really cool. so Yeah. it barely It barely missed my top 10. My number 5 a little game for the Nintendo Switch 2. I was torn between this and another so another game of this type, and that is Orbitals.
01:43:41
Speaker
It is that two-player co-op game that looks like a nineteen eighty s sci-fi anime, and it is gorgeous. And my girlfriend and has already agreed to play with me because we like playing co-op games together, and it just looks so much fun. And that art, like I said, art styles alone have sold me on games, and the art in that game looks so good. Like, it straight up looks like an anime from that era, and it's it's unbelievable how good it looks. So, The other one I was torn between is because it's kind of a similar game is out of words. It's that claymation one, but I think I'm more excited for orbitals than this. And I don't want to include them both of my list, but ah yeah, it just, it looks so much fun. Like we just got done playing. It takes two, which deserves that game of the year that it won a phenomenal game. ah So it just looks like that kind of game, but in this amazing sci-fi anime it aesthetic, and I am so excited for this game. So, Yeah, orbitals. yeah
01:44:35
Speaker
Nice choice. I remember this game from the yeah direct really good. And yeah, co i it screams like an enemy. jumps off the page. I have to admit, I do remember this. ones play Did you do um did you wanna go for do a split fiction or no?
01:44:48
Speaker
I played that with my brother. okay We've we've only been dating for a little bit, but I saw I played that when it came out. My brother split fiction is incredible. That game that it takes to as the better story. But split fiction has the better gameplay that yeah i it they're doing. as Yeah, pretty amazing. like Yeah, the fact that you were constantly split in between the fantasy and the sci-fi, it was so fluid. I could not believe how amazing that game played. The story, the characters were a little cringe, but other than that, i I loved that game so much.
01:45:16
Speaker
i am i am i I am a huge Hazelight fan now. Whatever they make, give it to me. that Those were so good. But yeah. All right. ah Sean, did you have any thoughts on orbitals? yeah Okay. we yeah We've been doing the audio listeners a little dirty. I think we need to do a quick recap for the audio listeners. Sean, can you recap your ah first six games real quick? Yeah, my first six games. I have Pokemon Pocopia, Seven Deadly Sins Origins, Pragmata, Lego Batman Legacy of the Dark Knight, Brigadine Abyss, and Halo Campaign Evolved.
01:45:48
Speaker
Great list. Cog, yours? Yeah, Tennis was replaced. And then we have Marathon, Forza Horizon 6, and then Grand Theft Auto 6. And number five was Oni Mache.
01:46:00
Speaker
And you had Wolverine at six. had Marvel's Wolverine in there, too. Wolverine, sorry. Yeah, very good. And then you um I had Tomb Raider Legacy of Atlantis, Control Resonance, Resonance of Plague Tale Legacy, Forza Horizon 6, MLB The Show 26, and The Blood of Dawnwalker.
01:46:19
Speaker
And Hodge? I had RE Requiem, Halloween, Resonance Plague Tale Legacy, Fable, Halo kind Campaign Evolved, almost said Combat, and Orbitals.
01:46:30
Speaker
All right. um All right, Cog, I'll DM you by the... Or I'm going post in the chat the link to the Google Doc if you want to pull it up. You have access. I never took it away. so i didn't I forgot it it was a doc. Yeah. yeah Just so if you want to, you have it. yeah um All right. Sean, we're in the final four now. What is your number four? right.
Game Freak's Beast of Reincarnation and Resident Evil Requiem
01:46:50
Speaker
I've spoken about this game many times. Spoke about it last week with Hodge. That's Beast of Reincarnation, the Game Freak game. the The non-Pokemon Game Freak game. So I am, like I said, we talked about it a lot last week. um I'm looking forward to it. i think i think it's so super cool. It takes place in Japan in 4026, and it's post-apocalyptic. I think the kind of the the combat looks awesome. It's like a
01:47:13
Speaker
It's like an action RPG. It's like Nier and Black Myth Wukong and Sekiro and just like a almost like firm soft combat, but not like a firm soft game where like you're getting killed to collect your souls. So I'm looking forward to it. Just see what Game Freak can do with an actual budget. So we'll if you want to hit me and Hodge talked a lot more about it last last week. So because we were both pretty impressed.
01:47:37
Speaker
Yeah, so I'll go really quickly for those who didn't listen to last week's episode. i This is a game that if it weren't in Game Pass, I probably would just pass on. But the fact that it's in Game Pass gives me the ability, because it does look good. And again, i love that setting. It's kind of the horizon of its post-apocalypse, but it's kind of in the ancient like rebirth of society kind of thing. So I really love it and like the magical creatures and stuff. It looks really good, but it only like I said, it only looks really good enough of it's in Game Pass, so I'll give it a try. Otherwise, i I'd probably pass on it, but it does have my interest enough that I'm going to try it when it comes out for sure. I'll be there day one.
01:48:13
Speaker
Yeah. Looks really good. Yeah. Yeah. um I'm interested in this game as well. It is an honorable mention for me. So good pick. I will probably play this game at some point unless it comes out and everyone's like, this game sucks. it's busted But as long as it comes out and people are like, yeah, it's pretty good or, you know, it's great. I'll probably check it out. It looks interesting.
01:48:33
Speaker
Yeah. uh cog if you have any bars and then you got your next game so we are up to what four now oh yeah yeah final four we get into the final four this is uh hodges game moves up a bit higher based on the hype and keeping the capcom resident evil time it is requiem time man um The hype has consumed me. The more I see it, the more you know it takes me back. I think for me, the decision for third person really resonated to have that option. you know and no hate against the first person resident evil, they're good, but it's what I grew up with. I grew up with seeing the third person and then
01:49:11
Speaker
Leon's my GOAT, man. Leon Kennedy is back and I want to see what's going on. They are alluding to things. So I'm curious about that. And then for me, the ultimate as a person who loves Resident Evil 2, that's like really one of my GOAT games. I get really scared the head of me because I remember when I first seen Mr. X for the first time, I was like this. like you were not safe. I felt like, I'm in the safe room. I'm okay. No, we busted the wall. We're coming after you. Like that type of tension, you know what I'm saying? Is like classic for me. So Leon is always synonymous. That game is always synonymous with that. But you see Reckham and them go back. They kind of hinted.
01:49:45
Speaker
the the flashback of the og raccoon city which i thought was a nuke but that's neither here nor there somehow it survived in some form but yeah requiem man i am really hyped to see what capcorp and what i like it's not from what i'm hearing it's not like 30 hours and 100 out like you know pretty tight linear i can get to it but you have a lot of replayability if you want to do other things so requiem i am there before yeah you made me You made me think, I forgot to say it, the third versus first person. did You you've played Village then, right?
01:50:16
Speaker
Yeah, did you play that in first or third? Because I know they added... They added it, yeah. Well, because I didn't play it until it was already added. I tried it for third for a little bit, but with all the cutscenes being first person, it was just so jarring for it to keep swapping back and forth. So I just played it in first, because yeah but I'm the same. I prefer third person. RE2, again, it's my favorite of of the games. That game is...
01:50:38
Speaker
It's incredible. RE2 is legitimately a perfect 10 out of 10 video game. it's I love that game. but yeah i'll probably If this one has actually was actually built on third person instead of being just shoehorned in, i will play this one third person for sure.
01:50:54
Speaker
Alright. My number four. is going to be Crimson Desert. That's right. This game looks pretty awesome. They're promising everything. They're promising the Earth, the Moon, the stars, the universe, and a Snickers bar. Like, they're promising everything out here. Like, I hope they can deliver. I don't know, man. ah This game looks f freaking insane. Like, i I don't know how they land this. like The infinite draw distance, their offer like every single thing in the world seems to be in this game. And I don't know how they're doing it, but they're showing a ton of gameplay. like It looks legit. I don't know. If they land, yo, chill, bro. I'm trying to talk, man. I am sorry about that. My cat, my cat's really hyped for Crimson Desert too. But yeah, if they land this, I think it's going to be an awesome open world RPG. The combat looks really fun. There's all kinds of systems, all kinds of quests.
01:51:45
Speaker
um You know, you could do like delivery quests and there's just all kinds of stuff to do. Like you're out there like building stuff and chopping down the trees and mining and doing all kinds of stuff. And yeah,
01:51:58
Speaker
Honestly, I've tried to not look at too much because I don't want to spoil it, but I am very cautiously optimistic for this game because I am worried that it's going to come out and it might be a technical mess or it might have a bunch of issues just because of the scope of it is insane. Like, I just don't know how they can a game can do this much. But if it if they deliver it, if they deliver even 90% of it, we might have a banger here. So ah cautiously very excited for Crimson Desert. That's my pick.
01:52:27
Speaker
Love it. Love it. yeah I'm with you. Everything you said, like, this game is so damn ambitious. Like, how can they pull us up? But they just seem to be doing it, right? Just like every time you see it, it's it's amazing to me. I'm completely with your assessment, Midnight, on how great and ambitious this game looks.
01:52:44
Speaker
Yeah, I will say, I don't know, if maybe it's just the optimist in me now. I don't really have any hype for this game at all. It doesn't look like my type of game. But I will say, in a game that looks better than that you kind of start being cautious about, we did get Expedition 33, which people were cautious about too, and that game came out and was amazing. So I'm going to be the optimist to say it's going to be as good as it looks, guys. You're going to love it.
01:53:09
Speaker
All right, there you go. um Sean, did you have any thoughts? Probably not. Game looks great. one Game looks great. All right. um Hodge, your number four. All righty.
Anticipation for Star Wars Galactic Racer
01:53:20
Speaker
I, too, have a racing game on my list, but it is Star Wars Galactic Racer. As people know, i absolutely – I've talked about it before. The pod racing game from back in the day. Absolutely loved it. This is just that modern-day spiritual successor to it, and I am so hyped. Even though ive even though Star Wars has been absolute ass for the last 10 years. i don't It's whatever. But I am so so so so, so, so, so excited for this game. Just apparently, I guess the people made Burnout are making it And that's what a lot of people are hyped about. I've never played a Burnout game, but apparently those are like the creme de la creme racing games. So I'm just so hyped. And the fact that they did show Podracers, as we we talked about this in the the State of Play episode last week, but just the fact that they showed the Podracers, knowing that all this race stuff, ah it just looks amazing.
01:54:11
Speaker
absolutely incredible. I cannot wait. So Star Wars Galactic Gracer, will probably platinum the crap out of this unless it's one of those really impossible platinums in which I'll bitch out and move on. But I'm just so excited for this game.
01:54:23
Speaker
Looks cool, looks cool. Attic put me onto it. It looked really cool. He told me about the history. I think it was a 64. It was on this 64 point? Yeah. Yeah. And I like games like that. like They're kind of in that, I'm considering like that F-Zero kind of thing. But when I went to Star Wars, Code of Paint, and i heard there was like rivals. and I heard really good things about this game. So yeah, I got my eye on it, man. Keep me posted on that one. Annie.
01:54:47
Speaker
Annie. That better be in the game. I want to hear that. Yeah, right. Yeah. You know, I think this is a fantastic pick. um I think the game looks awesome. um I just don't know if I will get it. Like, I just don't know if like if there will be enough there for me on the enough meat on the bones for there for me to like, is it $70? Like, I don't know.
01:55:10
Speaker
yeah maybe probably maybe i don't know i can see it being like a 50 game but who knows yeah if if it's like 40 or 40 bucks maybe i don't know if there'll be enough beat on the bones for me to uh to justify personally oh it does have also it has online racing too up to i think 16 people so i'm all in it definitely looks sweet and it could be fun to play with the boys um if this was something in game pass or ps plus or if it was like 40 bucks i think i would definitely scoop it but It looks sweet, dude. It looks really sweet. Like a blast from the past, like, you know, pod racing and all that stuff. So I think that's a great pick.
01:55:45
Speaker
um Anyone else have any thoughts or? Sean, you are next. All right, my pick, we're heading back to Japan. Well, we're sticking with Japan. That is The Adventures of Elliot, The Millennium Tales. This one of those 2D HD Square Enix games. Unlike Octopath and Live Alive, this is not turn-based. This is much more like Legend of Zelda combat where it's like action. It's it's real-time combat.
01:56:10
Speaker
um I played the demo. It does very much feel like a Legend of Zelda, like a top-down Zelda game in the combat style. not puzzle-wise, but just combat style. um I'm looking forward to it. It has supposed to be a very compelling story. I mean, Square Enix never lets me down with their stories. I freaking love everything they put out.
01:56:29
Speaker
I'm really excited to see where this goes because there's a kingdom and it's been taken over. and it does remind me of Zelda. Again, you're trying to basically rescue the kingdom. Combat is really fun. There's treasure chests, there's dungeons, there's puzzles. It's going to be a blast. I'm really looking forward to because i love these HD 2D games and I think it will be a nice switch up from the you know turn-based combat to just real-time combat where you're just running up and all sudden you're fighting. It's even a little different than Star Ocean where Star Ocean is real-time combat too, but it's Like you get into the fight and it it is like a transition screen into like an open field. Whereas this, it's like literally, it's like Zelda, you run up and you start fighting.
01:57:09
Speaker
So I am looking forward to it. I am a little weird with the, some of the names. Like, I don't know if you guys remember the fill the Philadelphia or whatever it was called in the reveal instead of Philadelphia, the town was like Philadelphia. philadelphia Really weird. Hilarious. Yeah. But I'm looking forward to it. I can't wait. We know, like I said, I love Square. It's my favorite dev. And these 2DHD games are just gorgeous. And this is right up my alley. So yeah, this comes out in June. I played the demo on Switch last year. The demo's out. It's the same demo, but it's out now for PlayStation Xbox. um So I won't play it again. But yeah, really looking forward to it.
01:57:44
Speaker
Yeah, I think this is ah a fantastic pick. As you know, I am a fan of the studio that makes this because I love Octopath Traveler 2. It's a different studio making it, but it's the same. It's a different studio under Square Enix because that studio left Square. the Octopath team left Square. Oh, and I thought it was the team. Same engine, though. Same engine because Square owns the engine. Okay, okay. Got you.
01:58:04
Speaker
all right, well, all right. Maybe a little less excited now, but I i still think it looks pretty cool. um What I was going to say, though, is that the... I before I would ever play this, though, the game that I would really want to get to is Octopath Zero. Yeah, great. That's what it's called, right? yeah mike tre but ah Yeah. But yeah, I think Adventures of Elliot looks pretty cool, though. Good pick.
01:58:24
Speaker
Yeah. Solid HD 2D goodness. with Yeah, I love that HD 2D, man. It's beautiful. Beautiful look. Beautiful look. Yeah. So I'm up or what we are. You are up, sir. Number
The Adventures of Elliot and Planet Alotta 2
01:58:34
Speaker
three. Number three. We getting into the final three. It's time, man. It's time to go artsy fartsy time.
01:58:40
Speaker
um Yeah. Yeah, but look, Planet Alotta too. Planet Alotta is one of my most underrated games from last year. um if you... I was surprised how many emotional beats the game had. And I'm a very, I'm a person that like a painterly art style 2D, atmospheric storytelling when it necessarily not giving you this full blown narrative, but you kind of process it, make sense of what's happening. And I thought it was a charming game. And I think the game for you, Midnight, know if you played the first one, but I'm actually curious because
01:59:13
Speaker
If you're a pet lover, this game hits different. The relationship between Lana and Mui, where kind of like it's was almost like a cat dog hybrid, you can command it, like, stay, follow, do that kind of thing. And then from a puzzle aspect, I don't know ah how you you like puzzles, this game has some really cool puzzle mechanics that I thought is really cool. It's absolutely gorgeous.
01:59:35
Speaker
And ain't going to lie at end, I started feeling things. started A tear may have been shed it some moments at the end. So I thought the game was fantastic. It was one of my surprise gems last year or whatever it came i think was last year the year before.
01:59:50
Speaker
So I didn't think there was any sequel involved or or coming to me. I thought the game did what it needed to do and it was it. And then I went to Tokyo and I saw that they had um a announced Planet Alana 2. And when I spoke to the devs at Wishfully, they just said, yeah, we did very well. And I was super hype about that. so they were like, hey, these are things that we really wanted to expand on upon the game. There is a demo out now. So if you guys want to check it out, if you've never played Planet Alana, you know, highly recommend. And, um, yeah, it's just, it's just a really cool, unique concept. And I come from games like inside and and that kind of stuff, but this is very still unique and they're, they're getting really ambitious with some of the things and the powers that movie and stuff can do. So plan a lot of two is super high. It's coming out very soon. I believe you want six. I got to compete. Yeah, I got to compete with Marathon during that time, but it's so different enough. And this is obviously clearly, I don't expect it to be anything more than a 10, you know, 12-hour game, if that, you know, kind of thing. So, yeah, I'm i'm a huge player to lot of fans. Swedish Studio, wishfully come right to the front of the congregation. I will be there again. It's crazy. I'm having deja vu. I feel like I just listened to talk about this on Duke when I was running this morning. That's crazy. That's weird.
02:01:02
Speaker
Dude, i I forgot this was coming out this year. Like entirely forgot. It is in my top 20. It was, I think, number 11 on my list. It barely. I loved the first one. That game was incredible. It was. I truly. I looked it up. I only got. I only got 69 percent. of the achievements of the first one. I didn't a hundred percent it, but yeah, I remember I love that game. Cause it is that beautiful side painterly side scroller of, and it's the, it's kind of the survival puzzles rather than it's not like an action side scroller. So I absolutely loved this game and yeah, it it makes you feel things for sure. It, this game, the first was incredible. I don't know how I forgot this game was coming out this year. Cause actually i didn't, I didn't realize it until I was doing some, Graphic work that hasn't been released yet, but yeah, but but yeah so I was like, oh my God, I've completely forgot about this game. So yeah, I'm hyped for this. I'm 1000% going to play this as well because yeah, I love that first one and everyone everyone knows I'm a whore for eightyd d games. so i'm yeah I'm all in. Yeah, for sure. And shout out, I forgot to all my man, Farakawa, who's doing the soundtrack again, who did the soundtrack for a Last Guardian. You want to talk about hitting emotional beats. and like
02:02:18
Speaker
This guy's music is is really fantastic. and I was very honored to get an interview with him in Japan. It was a big get for that studio to have him you know return as the composer. This guy, he gets music on a fundamentally different level than a lot of people. So highly recommend. Plug, plug, plug if you haven't seen it. That's one of the interviews I'm actually proud of was my Planet Allotted 2 interview at Tokyo Game Show last year. And this team, they just have a lot of heart. You can tell they love this game. so yeah they you if if you were even curious you think about giving a shot this demo so just check it out if you like it you like it if you don't you know but uh definitely you know one of those i don't know if midnight you got a chance to see it off even into these type of games but i'm just curious as a cat lover i think as a cat lover you owe it to you it Yeah. So, I mean, I am an animal lover, I suppose. I do love dogs. I love cats. I have a cat. um I love dogs and cats equally. I have a cat because I'm lazy and they're easier to take care of. You know, dogs be always wanting you to take them out and everything you going crazy, you know, but I love dogs too. Don't get it twisted, but.
02:03:19
Speaker
um Yeah, so, but I don't know. i I usually, like, I usually am not super into, like, retro type of games, like, like the side-scrolling games these days, just because I'm more into, like, the big open-world RPGs and all that crap like that these days. But I don't
Fable's Development and Excitement
02:03:36
Speaker
know. Maybe if it's, how how long is the first plan? Short, bro. You're talking six to eight. Yeah, it's less than ten it's well. Bro. I'll look at my... Maybe I'll check that out sometime. I'll look at my gameplay thing on here. Oh, what to yourself? It's a pet lover. I'm going to hold you to trying it. You got to try it. i beat it in I beat it in four and a half hours. short lookss on both Yeah, love. I'll see if I can get to that sometime this year. I got so many games to get to and so many coming out. But yeah, I'll try to i'll try to work that in. I'll hold you to going to follow back. All right.
02:04:11
Speaker
um Sean, did you have anything you wanted to say? i don't. Okay. My number three pick here is going to be a little game that we talked about earlier, which was Fable.
02:04:21
Speaker
Now, I don't think Fable is coming out in 2026, but... The spirit of this topic is games that are slated for 2026, so I got to include it. I am super excited for Fable. Very excited. I think it looks amazing.
02:04:35
Speaker
It looks incredible. I love the humor. I love the team that's behind it. You know, ah Playground Games. Now, this is an offshoot of Playground, like a side studio, but still, they're going to be great. um They're making it in Forza Tech, which is interesting. You know, they had to build this engine kind of from the ground up to support an RPG game. an action, you know, RPG type experience. They had to build all these systems.
02:04:56
Speaker
So we'll see how it all comes together, but it looks great. Everything that they've shown looks awesome. I'm super hyped. I hope it, I hope it comes out and is incredible. I don't think it'll be this year if they surprise me. Awesome.
02:05:08
Speaker
But whenever it comes out, I will be there and I'm thrilled. It's going to be great. I'm confident that they're going to, they're going to nail it. It's going to be awesome. So fable is my pick.
02:05:20
Speaker
We've already talked about this, so there's probably not too much more to be said. Hodge, if you want to, if no one else has anything else, Hodge, you are up with your number three. Yeah, my number three is a game we talked about earlier that was on COGS list, and that is Replaced. I've been hyped for this game for years. It looks gorgeous. Yeah, I am so, I remember the first time seeing this, I was like, I am 1000% in on this game. And That art style is so good. I'm hoping that that extra month really lets them polish it because I'm so hyped for this. I don't want it to be another last case of Benedict Fox where it looked amazing and then just just fell short, which unfortunately. But yeah, I'm... I'm so, so hyped for this. It looks beautiful. And I don't have much else to say about it. But, yeah, day one for me. My my top four, those are these are all going to be day one games that I am dropping everything for. Replace is one of those. I cannot, cannot wait for this game.
02:06:16
Speaker
Oh, yeah. Yeah, my top three, definitely day one, 100%. Oh, yeah. Crimson Desert for me. I got to make sure they land it first. us But, yeah. um Great pick. Great pick. We already talked about that. It looks incredible. All right, Sean, number two. All right. Real serious now. My number two, I talked about it a lot last week, and that is Mina the Hollower. I've beenve been talking about this for years, actually. Let's be serious. Decades. Played it three years ago at a PAX East. twenty twenty three I remember and I was like, oh I'm ready to this game should come out now was supposed to come out last year. it still doesn't have the release date. They just said spring 2026. But as I said to Hodge last week, this game looks gorgeous. It's literally a Game Boy Color Zelda game. Those Oracle of Ages, Oracle Seasons games, puzzles, combat. I am so looking forward to it. It looks awesome. Demo's out now.
02:07:07
Speaker
I'm not going to play because I already played the demo a year ago on Switch. So, yeah, I freaking, this game's going sweet. I love Yacht Club. been This game's been in development for forever. It clearly went through development hell, obviously. But I really, really want this game to hit because...
02:07:26
Speaker
um Shovel Knight, one of my favorite games of all time. Everything they do for Shovel Knight is just amazing. And this just is like the next iteration there. So I really can't wait. I am a little worried that this game's going to get, you know, forgotten. Everyone's going to think, oh, this game already came out or, oh, you know, this game, we've been talking about it so long. Who cares now? We're on to bigger and better things. So please, please, please get this out as soon as possible. Like you said, it just said spring 2026. I'm hoping that means like late April, early May. That would be ideal.
02:07:58
Speaker
Please, because it was supposed to come out last year on Halloween. So let's let's get this out now. So Mean of the Holloway. Yeah. I like that. I like that. Solid. Yeah. We talked about last week, but I will say this is the game that looks the most like a Game Boy Color game since Game Boy Color. It looks – the graphics are so nostalgic, even though it's brand-new game. It looks great.
02:08:22
Speaker
All right. um Cog, you have any thoughts? And then you're you got your number two. Number two, we are here.
Gears E-Day and Fire Emblem Fortune's Weave
02:08:29
Speaker
Coalition, come to the front of congregation. i am ready to go back to Emergence Day. As a person who grew up with the original trilogy, shout to Cliffy B. That is one of the GOATs. um I just miss Gears being more of a kind of like a horror vibe and and more of that intensity that under the bed kind of the you know the the locusts are coming and you know i love to see it go back to the original series and marcus and dom is
02:08:57
Speaker
It doesn't get any better than that. I could care less if they continue the story. he already heard me on Duke. You know, as far as the, you know, Kate and all, that's cute. Take us back to the essence. I'm super excited. I think there's a lot of potential here. Now, there's a lot of pressure too, because I think the Gears formula, as much as I love it, it has become a little formulaic. And I think they do need to do some things to really transform this series. One thing that I like is with Hivebusters, they kind of flirted with class systems per character and things like that. I don't know if they're gonna go that far with it, but I would like a little bit of a spin on it. But I think the thing that intrigues me the most is the tone.
02:09:32
Speaker
I like where they're going with that. So we're gonna get some more history on Sarah, Planet Sarah, what was going on, them trying to deal with this emergence and not, and being completely unprepared and overwhelmed. That story excites me. What I'm hoping for as a person who likes the Gears universe, I really love Gears Tactics. And one of my favorite characters was um Gabe Diaz and it was Kate's dad. And I would love to see if there's any crossover with the timelines and we get to learn about other characters and stuff like that. But yeah, Emergence Day, I'm ready. I think Coalition's been quiet, but now they've been they've been popping up like, OK, it's coming. Get ready. And I just hope they nail it, man. I'm i'm a huge Gears fan and I would like to see that series get restored back to the greatness I know they're capable of. So E-Day, I'm ready.
02:10:20
Speaker
Great pick. Any of you get any you guys, Hodge or Sean, got thoughts on that? They're going to nail it. It's going to be awesome. I know it is. Gears is going to be sweet. It's going to be return to greatness. We got it. We got the Gears character himself talking it into existence here, so it's going to happen. Yeah, right? My nobesake. Yeah, there you go. um Yeah, I I've never I haven't played four and five. I still want to at some point. I just never got around to him. But that OG trilogy was so good. So seeing him return to those characters makes me like if they had announced gear six, I'd have been like, OK, I guess they're not Gears game. but when they announced E-Day, I'm like, oh, hell yeah. Let's go back, baby. So, yeah, I'm so pumped for this game. I hope it's i hope it's i hope it's like a return to form, but i at the same time, like you said, not stale. It needs to be something new, but I i just love these Gears games. Because like I said, people forget that back in the 360 days, it was do you play Halo or do you play Gears? like though
02:11:15
Speaker
That was the fight. And yeah, now Gears has fallen so far behind that I want this E-Day to be like, hey, remember us and how awesome we are? I'm happy. I remember. Halo finished that fight.
02:11:26
Speaker
Yep, that's for sure. i would eat a lot He He ain't lying. Gears got a lot to catch it up to do. because yeah yeah up yeah i'm not I'm not the biggest Gears fan anymore. Gears of War was a vibe for me. like Gears of War 2 was a special moment in time for me. I played the hell out of Gears of War 2 with my brother, my friend Daniel and other friends. And we played so much of that. We played a ton of multiplayer. We played the campaign. We played the horde mode and we just love that game. But then i kind of fell off after that. Like we played a little bit of three, but wasn't feeling it as much. And then just really drifted away from the franchise. So I'm not super excited about E-Day, but I hope it's amazing. I think they're going to land it.
02:12:09
Speaker
I think Coalition's an amazing studio. um I really was disappointed when I heard that because they were working on original IP, weren't they? And when that it was canceled, right, I thought. it And I was really disappointed when I heard that because the coalition are like masters of the Unreal Engine. And I thought they could do something incredible with a new IP. I hope maybe one day they get the chance. But but that's another topic. Gears E-Day, I think it's going to great, Cog.
02:12:33
Speaker
i was Good pick. thank you All right. My next pick is one that you guys might be able to guess. I'll give you a hint. It's on the Nintendo Switch. It's a little franchise that I think you know I love.
02:12:47
Speaker
And that would be Fire Emblem Fortune's Weave. This game looks fucking beautiful. The animation, the graphics. Oh my God, it's gorgeous.
02:12:59
Speaker
I cannot wait to play this game. this is It kind of looks like a spiritual successor to Three Houses. it just looks great, man. I love Fire Emblem, especially the newer ones. After Awakening, especially, I love. them um actually i i went back and i tried the one um radiant dawn i think that's on the uh and i gotta say so far it hasn't hooked me um but it might just be that i'm not in the right headspace because i've i've been going through it lately and i've been in not the best headspace lately but i'm starting to feel better now so
02:13:32
Speaker
That's good. But yeah, I love Fire Emblem, as everybody knows. I'm super hyped for Fire Emblem Forge the Sweep. I literally cannot wait. This is day one. This is take-off work style game. Straight up. Call-off. Well, pre-plan it, right? Pre-schedule, not call-off. Just don't show up. No call, no show. And then if my boss texts me where you're at, be like, bitch, it's Fire Emblem. No. But yeah, the fire on fortunes weave. going to be there day fricking minute one, like second one. to be there. I can't wait. It looks incredible.
02:14:07
Speaker
Oh my God. I can't wait. What more is there to say? I'll be right there with you day one. Yes, sir. I'm not the biggest Fire Emblem guy. I did love Three Houses when I played it. It was my introduction to the series because that was one of those one of those Japanese games that just never really clicked with me. But I'm going to be there. This game looks awesome.
02:14:27
Speaker
Doesn't it look gorgeous? It does. It looks gorgeous. So I'm sure Midnight and I will be doing a spoiler cast for it. I'm sure. Yes, that we will. We will. I know he will. Definitely. be there in spirit. Oh, yeah.
02:14:38
Speaker
but I know I am looking forward to it. It looks awesome. And I love just, they're going to create some awesome characters. Like they always do. Yeah. The dude, the, I already said it, I know, but just the animation and the graphics just looks so gorgeous. Like they've stepped it up a lot from the previous games and intelligent systems is just a great developer. Mario thousand year door. Let's go. Yeah. They make great. I need to play that. Don't you do?
02:15:01
Speaker
Yeah. All right. So that's my pick. Sean and I are hyped and we are a hundred percent going doing a spoiler cast, which, uh, I guess that'll just be a mainline episode now. So, uh, Hodge, what is your number two, sir? All right.
02:15:15
Speaker
I, uh, lost my ever loving shit when this one was announced and I talked about it a lot last week.
Kena: Scars of Cosmora and GTA 6 Nostalgia
02:15:21
Speaker
And that is Kena scars of Cosmora. adored the first one. And the second they showed that staff at the start of that trailer, i was like, Oh, that is Ken. That's Kena. And then Ember Labs popped up. I'm like,
02:15:34
Speaker
i was in a I was in a group chat with Locke and a couple other guys on Discord, and i was everyone everyone's like, oh, there's Hodges' game. And I'm like, ah! Just losing my mind. Because I, as I am someone, I almost went to college to do animation because i would my dream was to work for Pixar. Like, I love animation stuff. it it it Again, as I've said... Art styles alone have sold me on games. Like I am that kind of person. And the look of that first game is so unbelievable. And now that this one's going to be even better looking and they're going to improve the gameplay. You know, I love the gameplay. Like I said, it it was like a 2D platformer. It had very yeah good gameplay. It wasn't amazing and by any stretch. The combat was a little, it was souls light, but not like super great, but The the fact that I know they're going to just, it's going like you said last week, it has that sequel, like, you know, kind of vibe of it's going to improve on everything that it was ah like a shortcoming in the first one. And I love that game. So I'm a thousand times more hyped for this sequel. I cannot wait. And the fact that it was announced and for the same year, I was – because I was expecting it to be like, yeah, 2028, here we go. like but nope, it is this year. i can – unless it gets delayed, of course. But I cannot – I can absolutely not wait for Kano. It looks incredible. So, yeah, it looks awesome.
02:16:53
Speaker
Yeah. Big saw, baby. Jumped off the screen. you dail it yep that's exactly what I saw when I looked at my guy. I didn't expect the another one, but we got one. so yeah As I said last week, when me and my dad were watching the State of Play, a couple days after it had appeared, we both looked at it. There's this Hodges game right there.
02:17:08
Speaker
That's a Hodges game. p s five pro oled tv That's the combo right there. That game is going to look gorgeous, just like just like my Fire It's going to even better than Fire Emblem in a different way, but ah yeah no no, it's not. but awesome Awesome pick. ah I will play this game, but not day one. I just got too much going on. You know, I played the first one. You recommended it to me. I played it for you. I liked it.
02:17:38
Speaker
I enjoyed it. um So yeah, I think that's a good pick. one day and that's ah it's ah It's an honorable mention for me. It's a distant honorable mention, but I think it's a good pick. the show all right uh sean number one all right wow i think we all know what my number one wow okay let me guess let me guess let me guess um what's that show what's that no it's already been him i forgot it's already been talked about no i mean I know what it is, but I was trying to make a joke. What's that one game that's based off Nicktoons? There's a bunch of Nicktoons games that are just on the list right now. yeah I can't remember. right GTA 6. GTA 6. Grand Theft Auto 6. Let me get my notes app out here. I have watched trailer number one.
02:18:19
Speaker
i'd keep track of how many times I've watched it. so Trailer number one has been watched 783 times. 432 times.
02:18:27
Speaker
and trail number two has been watched four hundred and thirty two times I have created a Tom Petty playlist based on this because there's going to be various Tom Petty tunes in this game.
02:18:39
Speaker
I am so looking forward to this game. We all know I freaking love Grand Theft Auto. I have put hundreds and hundreds of hours into GTA 5 and GTA 4, and that is zero online play. That is just running through the world.
02:18:53
Speaker
if If there was no online trophies, I would have the platinum. I've done everything many, many times. I freaking love Grand Theft Auto. I love just driving around the universe, stealing cars, you know sometimes following the law, you know stopping at spotlights. Just you know what figuring, you know what going to do right now? I'm going to go down to the Los Santos airport, steal a jet, see how far I can get away, see if it works. and Then you get that wasted when you get killed. i love I'm so, so looking forward to this game. I have been anticipating this game since we just got that little like reveal, GTA 6.
02:19:27
Speaker
That Tom Petty song from the original trailer, Love is a Long Road, has been literally stuck in my head since the trailer came out. I probably listen to it every other day. i randomly sing it. I am so glad. I'm already...
02:19:41
Speaker
I'm definitely not going to work that i'm I'm going to take that day off. That is very Mr. Mason here. We do not take days off, no days off, but I would, it will be taken off. Grand Theft Auto six will be played. I cannot wait to just run around Vice city. The, it looks unbelievable. And just like the vibes of the trailer. I just can't wait. Oh my God. Just give me the freaking game. And if, if it didn't get that delay, we'd be like less than we'd be like a little over two months away. november It's definitely going to hit.
02:20:13
Speaker
I know it is. It's going the first ever 100 on Metacritic. I cannot wait. It's going to be insane. I am going to lose my freaking life to this game.
02:20:25
Speaker
the Everything will be dropped. Everything. And this is all I'm going to play. I'm going to quit my job and become a full-time streamer. That's the new thing. New full-time GTA streamer.
02:20:37
Speaker
It's going to be insane. I cannot wait. There was a girl I knew. She said she cared about me. Oh, he ready. I ready i cannot freaking wait. I love it. I love I did not know you was that old. I am like, Cog, you have no idea with Grand Theft Auto. I wasn't one of those kids too because I was really young when GTA 3 came out. I wasn't one of those six-year-old, seven-year-olds running around playing GTA 3. That was not me. I would know. wasn't because I wasn't allowed to. I had no interest. Randomly,
02:21:10
Speaker
Christmas 2010, I was like, you know what? I kind of want Grand Theft Auto 4. I go, I pick it up. I played Grand Theft Auto 4 with my mom watching me play the entire game with all the DLC. My mom was sitting behind, never forget it. It was ah one of my favorite memories of her. And she's like, that Nico Bellic, I remember going on. dates with You know the whole dating scenario? Yeah, yeah. It's like, oh, do you go inside? i remember doing that. i remember doing the Ballad of Gay Tony, and she watched every every single minute of me with it. It's one of my most cherished memories with my mom. I freaking love that. And she and I remember when I got GTA V, because it was my senior year, we did the same freaking thing. She watched me play through GTA V with me, and it was awesome. We fell in love with the characters, and it was one of those things that just resonates with me. I freaking love it. I cannot wait.
02:21:59
Speaker
Bro, it's funny you said that one, because Nico, that would I believe that was the New York one, right? That was also- Liberty State, Nico Mellick. Bro, yeah, bro. Because I get it. As a native New Yorker, like i was ever they had Dukes, that was Queens, Bowhead, but like all this. I'm like, this is my area. So I resonated with that. Soundtrack was crazy. Hip-hop got it. They had a Nas song on that. It was crazy. like I think it's awards. every Oh my God. I'm with you there. That one resonated with me specifically. because of that but yeah shout out to mama love on that one man i mean i gave with like i love four but i actually like five more too i think again mainly because that was the first one i experienced at launch i remember going to the midnight launch for it and that soundtrack of five like when swimming pools by kendrick comes on i'm driving and i'm like you've got to be kidding me right now like this and then you had oh it just amazing they had in sync in it too they had like um
02:22:54
Speaker
Backstreet Boys were in it. Oh, my God. I just freaking love driving around low sand. I want to go boot up GTA 5 right now. He's ready. He's ready. He's got the tunes, the radio. He's ready. I'm ready. I played through the game. Remember when they added the first person mode to GTA 5? Yes. I played through the entire game like that. You're a beast. I love it. love the pastures. Let's go golfing. All right.
02:23:14
Speaker
Let's go. He's ready. He's ready. All right. Good stuff. Good stuff. Great number one All right. Cog, what is your number one, sir? What does it mean to be a hero? It is time to see what Fable is doing.
02:23:29
Speaker
Oh, yeah, man. hum And I'm kind of like, huh? It's like I'm a casual fable guy. I don't have that association with my Xbox history with it. I was playing Halo. I was playing Gears. I was perfectly fine. And people told me about it. and I remember seeing like Peter Molyneux get on stage and describe the game. And I'm like, all right, it seems cool. It had the British humor stuff like that. I played it. It was cool. I won't say like I hated it, but I just it wasn't one of those games that I like I'm synonymous with.
02:23:55
Speaker
But what I saw that playground was kind of doing the reboot and I saw graphically how impressive if it looked with Forza Tech. And I'm like, OK, this looks spectacular. You know, and like you said, on Midnight, the office humor. And, you know, what what really impressed me is once we saw the latest data or the developer developer direct,
02:24:14
Speaker
that living population and the fact that everyone has their own routines, their own things, their own you know daily life activities, I could influence that. But the thing that really resonated with me was kind of like um the choice and consequence with the giant, which like if you choose a specific outcome,
02:24:34
Speaker
he will be in the background dead like a Gulliver's Travels character, you know, and that affects the world. And to see that level of ambition is really i important. This is a super, in my opinion, high CPU kind of game. So I'm going to forgive them if there's any frame rate issues because every single NPC, you could do something. And look, you know, Cog likes his romance. Cog likes to have relations. Saying, yeah, I can go from town to town and, hey, do things. And if they keep it true, which it seems they are the original fable, you can catch things, too. So you got to be careful if you're running around in them sheets.
02:25:12
Speaker
You know what I'm saying? It could go down for You got to be careful. You're going to go Bill Gates over there. Exactly. got to be careful. And I'll be all running loose. Yeah. So I got that going on right there. The job system, the real estate, bro. It's like you're giving me this playground to to mess with. And the fact that it seemed like, you know, the combat and narrative story, I'm excited, man. This is a big deal. of and I'm pulling for them because I will say this. midnight If Playground pulls this off he enforces the horizon six and 6 in the same year, oh, we got to have a conversation.
02:25:47
Speaker
We got to have a conversation about play. If they pull this, especially with Fable, I am super excited. Oh yeah, that that that trailer definitely impressed me. So we'll see. Well, hopefully it doesn't get delayed, but I wouldn't be surprised by that if it did, you know what saying? Based on the sheer ambition, they need to nail this. But yeah, Fable has risen to the top. of that curious What conversation will we be having?
02:26:07
Speaker
the i'm putting yeah how high How high in the top 10 all-time studio or well current studios we put in them? i mean if you have They have to move in there yes if they if they nail both. when first of all Just by having Forza Horizon alone, push them in rarefied air as the the de facto casual racer to get people who do not care about racing into it. Now, if you nail a completely different genre, an RPG, and you pull this off, I have to look at you. different Y'all know I love the Black Rock and all that because I love the diversity of But there's a AAA feel. There's a AAA budget at level and risk level with with Playground. And again, yeah i'm i will I will bend the knee if they could do this. It would be really impressive. We have to talk about them in a different area.
02:26:50
Speaker
I mean, Playground is so good that they came in as kind of like a side support studio to turn 10 and basically got them kind of fired. Like now turn 10 is like, almost kind of done. a little baby playground so yeah there's the winning leg um now pi so Yeah. I mean, if playground sticks, like nails, both games, like you're going to have to start like putting them in like the top 10 current best studios. Like they're going to be, you're going to have to find out where you're ranking them with like the, what the Larry ends and the naughty dogs. And I, I, they're the below them for me. Of course. But I mean, they'd be in, I, they would start to creep in the top 10. Yeah. if they know both But ah yeah, we'll see. we'll see i'm I'm really excited for Fable. um The only negative that I'll bring up here, I don't want to keep it too negative, but do want to address it for my my our homie Lockmore. He's a little upset that they got rid of the they got rid of
02:27:41
Speaker
the the what is for the transformation. transformation i think you you know You're not going to get sickly. You're not going to get brawny. You're not going to have the horns and stuff. And I do think that is unfortunate. I think that is a little bit of a miss. But I tend to take the more like a glass half full approach to it though. Just, i I look at everything that we're getting. This is open world. The other one wasn't. um This has like the fully immersive world where every character is different. The NPC with their, like you said, they're doing their own daily schedule. They react differently. I think it's just, I think it's going to be great.
02:28:14
Speaker
I agree. I just want to jump at because you made a fantastic point. And that is a fair ah criticism. But when when I heard playgrounds devs explain it, It did kind of make sense because they were like, okay, look, we get it.
02:28:27
Speaker
You, you want this physical representation of what your actions do in the world. But they were saying like, that's specific to that town. If you already come into another town, then people have this predisposition to what get you that you're automatically this evil person. And basically how they said is they want to create a scenario where you have a reputation between different, know what saying? Like areas. And I thought that was a fair enough answer. I understand the disappointment, though, for people who truly love that feature. I get that. So hopefully there's still some way to do something cosmetic. But I actually didn't mind the answer. I was ready to see how they were going to, you know, deal with that because that's a big thing for Fable, you know, kind of thing. So it's a good talking point.
02:29:10
Speaker
yeah i don't I don't see how it would be that difficult to have like a back-end system for me if you're kind of acting crazy like to like have some horns start growing, but i don't know. But anyway, but I think the game looks incredible. It's going to be incredible. Hodge, what you want to say? Well, I was going to sorry if I missed if you guys said that. Did they confirm that's not in the game? Yes, I think so. I think they did. yeah they've all they fabled it They're not including that feature. Okay. Because I wasn't sure because I know sometimes like if you can customize your character, they don't show other costumes in the trailers. So to true not ruin the surprise. so i didn't know if they were hiding it. But if they've confirmed, it's not there. you But to your point, they haven't confirmed that it's not in cost customization, though.
02:29:47
Speaker
I'll give you that, though. They have not confirmed that. So it could be a cosmetic thing, but not necessarily and ah a progression based on actions thing. yeah Like it was always. and yeah It was the thing where your character would transform transform over time based on your actions. yeah Like if you was getting crazy, you would start to look demonic and have horns and shit. yeah given the Given the direction that Xbox Studios is going in, they're going to charge you $29.99 to make that a feature.
02:30:16
Speaker
that'll be the That'll be their special feature, $29.99. They might with the new AI boss. Of course. But anyway, anyway, we keep in it in positive. I think the yeah the pros are definitely vastly outweighing the cons, and I'm super hyped. so yeah And yeah, if like you said, if they stick both these games landings, yeah, I think we're to have to start talking about Playground as as potentially like a top 10 current ah gaming studio out there in the world, ah because that'll be really impressive. And their games are dripping with AAA graphical. Yeah.
02:30:46
Speaker
All right. Moving on to my number one. It's GTA six. You already knew it. You already knew it, Sean. You and i day one, taken off work, probably. You already know it.
02:30:57
Speaker
Sean, I have a sneaking suspicion, by the way, that while you will be taking your rare day off work, I bet a lot of your students will be somehow sick. I've already been told. already been told.
02:31:08
Speaker
kids are think there's gonna be a stomach bug going around on that day i bet that's hilarious staff members tell me too they're not coming in that day too gta 6 is different it moves the industry um everybody moves everybody got to get out of the way even call of duty and games like that are are shook of gta 6 like you don't want to launch around gta 6 even nobody does nobody yeah It's going to be so big. It's going to be massive. I will be their second one. I'm so hype. I can't wait to go around. The map looks incredible. It's like almost the whole it's like the whole state of Florida.
02:31:43
Speaker
I can't wait. The music is going to be banging. The graphic is is going to be awesome. The story is going to be incredible. I can't wait to to beat the whole story, to get up to some some foolery, jack some cars, mess around with some hookers, do some all kinds of crazy stuff that you get up to and grab that photo. and then the online gta online as much as i kind of hate gta online because of what it's done to the dlc model we don't really get dlc single player anymore because of the online i can't lie that the gta online is fun like my brother and i really got into that for a while um they had like that businesses thing where we had like a bunker and we were running drugs and we had all kinds of stuff and we were making all kinds of money and you have to do that in a live server And it gets really it gets intense because, like, you're transporting your product and you're on the map.
02:32:29
Speaker
And people can see you. And you got to protect this product. And players can come after you. And it it gets intense. And it's a lot of fun. And then you got people going after each other. so Some of the funnest fun I had, funnest fun, listen to me, professional podcaster, is when i had I had this stealth helicopter right when it came out called, I think, the Akuma or something like that. i Maybe not. But there was a stealth helicopter where like you put down the wings or whatever, ah the missile launchers you put down and you didn't appear on the radar.
02:32:57
Speaker
And anytime somebody grief me or pissed me off or if I just felt like griefing sometimes, ah usually if it was it was retaliatory, though, usually I would pull up my stealth helicopter and you would just pull up on somebody. They would have no idea. You would not be on the mini map. And then you will all a sudden you pop out the missiles and then you would appear on the minimap. But by then it's too late. You already got a missile lock. Boom. you would just blow them up and it's a wrap.
02:33:18
Speaker
And then you retract the missiles. You're off the radar again and you just fly away. Oh, it was great. It's hilarious. It was great. Love it. But yeah, I'll keep it short with GTA. I mean, Sean already wax poetic about it. We can't wait. we will be there. There will be a spoiler cast, no doubt, for ah GTA 6. Cognito is going to finally experience a full GTA game. Hodge is finally going to stop hating. The world, the stars are going to align and indicator is and the world will be saved. Yes.
02:33:49
Speaker
there go All right. All right. And then Hodge, bring us home with your number one game.
Control Resonant and Final Thoughts
02:33:56
Speaker
It is a game that has been discussed already, of course. It is from my favorite studio, and that is Remedy Entertainment, and that is Control Resonant. As everyone knows, yes, they are my favorite studio. Alan Wake and Alan Wake 2 are two of my top 20 games of all time. i think I had Control at 21.
02:34:14
Speaker
I absolutely love everything this studio does. they I love the Sam Lake weirdness. i love I think Quantum Break is a severely underrated game. I absolutely just love this studio. I cannot wait for the Max Payne remakes because I've actually never played those. So I'm very excited to experience that world. But Control Resonant, ah yeah, i've I've beaten Control three times. I beat it twice on Xbox and I got the Platinum earlier this year on PlayStation.
02:34:42
Speaker
Yeah, because I absolutely love Control. It is one of the best feeling playing games I've played. i Obviously, it's one of those that you don't really think about it, but it's one of those games with like the particle effects of there's so many... like You're in this office building, so there's chairs and thermoses and coffee. Just everything up, and it's all movable. Nothing's like frozen in... So when you throw like a piece of something at Psychic... You know use your Psychic powers, everything blows up and shatters around. It's Graphically, it's gorgeous. And so this second one, I know they're going to take that to the nth degree. This out this open world-ish looking kind of New York City that you're going through. The melee combat looks amazing. As I said, we talked about this last week a bit, but
02:35:24
Speaker
Going from that that distance shooting ah combat to that up-close-and-personal melee combat, I'm so excited to see how that plays. Again, just the absolute weirdness of the Sam Lake universe. i just I cannot wait to see what they do with this story. I know it's that Jesse is missing this time, so that's why you're playing as your brother to go find her and stuff. And so and I'm curious as to what a resonant is, because apparently that's what the evil or the enemy is. It's the resonant. And...
02:35:52
Speaker
with like awes and all this in the control universe i'm just so curious as to what that means and i cannot cannot wait to play this game i am so excited and so yeah control resident is by far my favorite or most ah hyped of 2026 if you guys were with us when uh when we did we did discord chat during the keely's last year and i absolutely like the second they kind of lowered the guy down i'm like that's control it's control controls back And then, of course, it is exactly what it was. And I i've lost it. And so, yeah, I am. I'm so pumped for this game. I cannot wait to play this game. Let's go.
02:36:28
Speaker
Yeah. All right. All right. love it Yes, sir. All right. Let's go around. And for the audio listeners and everything, let's go ahead and recap real quick. ah Hodge, why don't you go ahead and recap yours? Yeah, so RE Requiem, ah Halloween, Resonance of Plague Tale Legacy, Fable, Halo Campaign Evolved, Orbitals, Star Wars Galactic Racer, Replaced, Kena, Scars of Cosmora, and Control Resonant.
02:36:55
Speaker
All right. I had Tomb Raider, Legacy of Atlantis, Control Resonance, Resonance of Plague Tale Legacy, Forza Horizon 6, MLB The Show 26, The Blood of Dawnwalker, Crimson Desert, Fable, Fire Emblem, Fortune's Weave, and Grand Theft Auto 6.
02:37:13
Speaker
Cog? Yes. We got Replaced, Marathon, Forza Horizon 6, GTA 6, Marvel's Wolverine, Only Wish a Way of the Sword, Resident Evil Requiem, Planet of Lana 2, Gears E-Day, and Fable.
02:37:28
Speaker
right I had Pokemon Pocopoeia, Seven Deadly Sins Origin, Pragmata, Lego Batman Legacy of the Dark Knight, Brigadine Abyss, Halo Campaign Evolved, Beast of Reincarnation, The Adventures of Elliot, The Millennium Tales, Mina the Hollower, and Grand Theft Auto 6.
02:37:46
Speaker
Oh, yeah. Great list. Great list. I think all four of us had amazing lists. Listeners, I am very interested. Who do you guys think had the best list? Let us know in the comments below on YouTube. Who do you think? Was it Sean? Was it Cog? Was it Midnight?
02:38:04
Speaker
Was it Hodge? Let us know who had the best list and you decide. You decide. But ah yeah, so any ah any final thoughts here, guys? This has been an awesome episode. I had a lot of fun. Any final thoughts? Let's go around the horn here. um Sean Mason, final thoughts for this episode Great list of 40 games. um All of these games are great. i think I think we're all in for a good 2026. Game's just been so good since forever. But like it just seems like in the last like decade, every year, banger after banger. So this year seems right there with it. Can't wait.
02:38:40
Speaker
All right. Hodge, final thoughts here for episode number 55. Yeah. I agree. the The fact that we're having another banger year, like I, I, I am praying actually for a year where nothing comes out so I can actually catch up on my backlog because I have so much to play still, but I want to get to, but this year looks amazing. I can't, I cannot wait to play all these games. And then of course, ah thank you once again, Cog for joining us. We'll have to have you on,
02:39:10
Speaker
yeah We do these games occasionally too, and we'll have to have you on for a game. And that would be a lot of fun. so But I always love hanging out with you ever since. Man, I haven't known you now for five years. That's crazy. We met in Butler. In Butler. Yeah, in Butler. Way back that day. Yeah. So, yeah. And that's actually where I first met Sean in person. We'd talked, but that's where I met him. But yeah, that, ah yeah. Just love having you, man, hanging out with you. So we'll definitely have you back someday to play a game or do some more fun lists.
02:39:41
Speaker
Yes, sir. And I want to give a quick shout out, of course, to our special guest. I probably should have done this at the start of the video, the start of the podcast, to be honest with you. But let's be honest. All of our listeners know this, man. But, of course, thank you so much, Cog, for joining us for two hours and 40 minutes of your precious time. yeah Of course, Lord Cog, you know, if anyone out there doesn't know so Cog, I'm You can find him on the Iron Lords podcast every Sunday on YouTube and audio platforms. You can find him on Defining Duke, and you can always go to the most amazing website, thelordsofgaming.net to get your gaming news.
02:40:18
Speaker
ah Cog, thank you. and What are your final thoughts for this episode? Thanks for the invite, fellas. This is fun. This is fun, man. I love seeing lists and the diversity that we have with our lists because there's some gems. We're like, oh, yeah, I forgot.
02:40:31
Speaker
about that game damn you know i was on my list too or just things that are on the fringe as well so yeah just like i said you know 2026 man wow what an amazing amount of games that are coming out and i just do not have the bandwidth for all of them so it's just gonna be funny to see how you know this all plays out but i think it's gonna be shaping up to one of those banner years super excited to be here love talking with you guys but i appreciate the invite sure good to see you you know what saying and of course hodge the homie as well so yeah Shout out everybody, man. this was This was really fun, and I like to talk games and do this kind of stuff. Get back to the fun part. like Sometimes the news and all that is cool, but I just like to talk about games. or that like That's just what it is for me. So I love that you guys have that focus, games over plastic in the realm. Much love, man. I really appreciate that.
02:41:15
Speaker
Yes, sir. Thank you. Yeah, my final thoughts are, as always, just thank you, the listeners. Let us know, like like I said, who won, if you will, who had the best list. Thank you, Cog, again, for ah spending your precious time with us and just being an awesome ah awesome friend and a great person. And we're going to go ahead and get out of here. This has been Games Over Plastic, episode number 55.
02:41:38
Speaker
Goodbye. Bye. Wait, why is my hair blue?