Transcript
neocharge: What's up everybody and welcome to Shapes of Gaming, the weekly conversational podcast all about video games. It's unedited, unfiltered, and unhinged. I'm one of your hosts, Matt Stenson, Neo Charge on PSN, and joining me as always for episode number 43, the Retro Gaming Encyclopedia, Bob Harriman, Leon Lionheart, Leon PSN. What's up, dude?
Leon Lionheartly: Just one thing on my mind.
neocharge: Yeah. And we'll talk all about it. We're all playing it. ah We have another guest here. he is a returning favorite. Caleb Schiff, Admiral Murps on PSN.
neocharge: Everybody loves him. We love him. Welcome to the show, man.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Me? feel like a million bucks.
neocharge: Yeah. Yes.
Leon Lionheartly: ah
neocharge: My favorite was, should have worn a helmet. Ha ha ha ha ha! ah Without context, we're not spoiling anything.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Exactly.
neocharge: But yeah, ah yeah nothing at all.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Nothing.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah.
neocharge: So how you fellas doing? where We're fresh off the heels of Resident Evil Requiem. And boy, oh boy, we're going to talk all about it. No spoilers, of course, because it's been out, what, five fucking days? So we're going to give our spoiler-free thoughts on it. But guess what?
neocharge: You knew it was coming. We're going to have a spoiler cast on this game. So...
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Oh boy. Yes, we are.
neocharge: Yes.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And it deserves it. Damn it.
neocharge: Oh, absolutely. Absolutely.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It deserves it.
neocharge: Yes. So how you guys doing? Caleb, you go first. What are you how you doing?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I know I'm doing all right.
neocharge: What are you drinking?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I'm, I am. Okay. We'll start with the drinky poo. I am having some rabbit hole.
Leon Lionheartly: Thank
neocharge: Hot
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah. Rabbit hole. a Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey.
neocharge: damn.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It's this one is a four grain triple malt. and it's really, really good.
neocharge: Hot damn.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It's really good. I didn't want any beer. I was not in the mood for beer. Matter of fact, I was in the mood for this whole fucking bottle after after the last couple days that I've had, unrelated to Resident Evil.
neocharge: Yeah.
neocharge: Dang.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Resident Evil has been the reason I'm not drinking the whole bottle.
neocharge: It's been the the shining beacon in your your shit of days.
Leon Lionheartly: yeah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
neocharge: Of course.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah. And, of course, my lovely wife. She's been awesome. She's been she's been great that bat I've not been very...
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): not mean to her, but just like, you know, she comes home from work and it's like, how's your day? And I'm just like, God damn it. She doesn't need to hear that. Her day sucked. Like she doesn't need to hear that, but she does.
neocharge: Right. Right.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): She does hear it anyway. Cause that's marriage is.
neocharge: yeah Oh, yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So
neocharge: she's She's slamming them macaroons tonight, isn't she?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): well, actually I think she's, I think she's changing her mind because of the way it works. She got home late. I forgot when we were going to make dinner, she was going to make homemade cornbread, which was wonderful.
neocharge: Gotcha.
neocharge: Ooh.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Usually I do the dishes after, you know, when, when she's baking. ah if if I can't, just cause that's the way I can help and doing this.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And after her day, I think she's just like, fuck it. going to do it tomorrow before we leave. I was like, okay. So I don't know if but if we hear errant slams, I apologize to the cast.
neocharge: Oh, okay.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): She usually, she won't do that.
neocharge: That's some lore for the cast.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah. Well, that's, that's true.
neocharge: She's making the macaroon feet. I learned something today. I learned that cookies have fucking feet.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): You didn't know macaron have feet.
neocharge: No! What the fuck?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It's all about the foot, man. That's it's, uh, I mean, this isn't a baking podcast, so I won't get into it, but they're very, very important.
neocharge: No.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah. yeah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Like if you have a French made macaron and and you have like a, you know, patisserie chef that's, that says like bad feet, like that's not good. Obviously you want good feet on your macaron.
neocharge: Oh, yeah, definitely.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): That's a, Yeah, it's i I can explain it to you.
neocharge: We all want good feet.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah, everybody wants good feet, right? Yeah, I don't know.
neocharge: Cool.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But boy, that digressed quickly. I'm sorry. But yeah, I'm doing all right. Going to see my parents over the next couple days and help them out with some shit, which love my parents.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But man, the interruptions that I've had this week for tech support and even you know this better than anybody, Matt. it's It's one thing when it's like unnecessary tech support, you know, it's like, I don't need to help.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But, and I get angrier at that. When it's necessary tech support and you can't do anything, that really sucks. Because like she called me, her her modem, absolutely, it just died straight up She didn't know how to tell me that.
neocharge: Yeah.
neocharge: Oh, wow.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So it took like an hour to get there because she's like, the thing with the beeping lights.
neocharge: oh
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And I'm like, nothing is beeping in your house.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): blinking like you know and also you have a modem you have a router you have direct tv like she's got so many devices and they're all the thing under the tv and like five of them there so it's like which one like send me a picture the picture she sent was like blurry and gray i don't fucking know it's just yeah so get to go home and deal with that but that's all right i'm glad i'll be able to do that yeah i mean i think it was
neocharge: yeah
neocharge: Mm-hmm. Right.
neocharge: Damn.
neocharge: Damn. So a modem hardware failure, huh?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): probably 11 years old actually it's real shitty up in where they live like just there's no competition so it's all they can use
neocharge: a Oh, yeah. a Dang. Get yourself a Doxus 3.0 or 3.5 modem shit.
neocharge: and upgrade that shit
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): well that's that's kind of what the plan is i'm i was considering just buying one for them myself and having save a bit of money but they only get internet so there's no discount for having your own modem because there's no competition up in northwest ohio
neocharge: Oh, okay.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So that kind of sucks. like
neocharge: yu
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But I feel like if if if we owned it, I would know exactly what we have instead of just like, what did Spectrum give you? So I know it's that's the only option.
neocharge: Oh, God. Spectrum? Yeah, I remember them.
Leon Lionheartly: Oh, I'm so sorry.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It's the only option they have.
neocharge: I remember them.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It really sucks.
neocharge: So they have a monopoly up there.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Well, and I think it's because eight people live in the surrounding area.
neocharge: Dang.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So it's like not any reason. I don't fucking know.
neocharge: Oh, I do not miss Ohio, but yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Why not?
neocharge: So
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): You could pay really high property taxes.
neocharge: they all
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): ah
neocharge: with shitty weather and just all humid. and little No, thanks.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Oh, yeah.
neocharge: Bob, how you doing, man?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So how are you, Bob? Sure.
Leon Lionheartly: Well, I'm doing good because I'm not paying an arm and a leg in property taxes.
neocharge: Oh,
Leon Lionheartly: I mean, we pay for it in other ways around here. ah
neocharge: ah yeah, for sure.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): You're
Leon Lionheartly: Absolutely. like Everybody's insurance, ah I don't know if you noticed this, Matt, like a year and a half ago, just doubled overnight.
neocharge: Oh, yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: out of the middle i don't Yeah, homeowner's insurance doubled overnight.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): in the call motor's insurance?
neocharge: Yep.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Oh, wow.
Leon Lionheartly: ah So yeah, it's real bad here.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Damn.
Leon Lionheartly: But you know what? I'm doing good.
neocharge: Good.
Leon Lionheartly: Definitely been hanging in there doing nothing but, let's be honest, nothing but Resident Evil for the last five days.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Mm-hmm.
neocharge: Hanging with our boy Leon and our girl Grace.
Leon Lionheartly: ah ah Yeah, absolutely. And we'll we'll get all into into that, obviously, and talk about that later.
neocharge: Yeah, we will.
Leon Lionheartly: But ah not too bad. ah Wife went to the new Barnes & Noble that opened up down the street from you. um And it was funny because there there were supposed to be signed copies of this book.
neocharge: Dang.
Leon Lionheartly: um caleb I don't know if Caleb might know it, but it's called The Fourth Wing. ah And it's a real big like cult book with all of the the book talk girlies who love their romance novels, that kind of stuff, right?
Leon Lionheartly: ah Well...
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Sure.
Leon Lionheartly: There were people... I dropped her off. The the store opened up at 9. I dropped her off at like 8.15. She didn't get into the store until like 11 because the line was wrapped around that long. For frame of reference, you know where it's at, Matt.
neocharge: and
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): What?
Leon Lionheartly: It wrapped it wrapped around the dicks.
neocharge: Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: Diggity.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): but
neocharge: Did a dick rap did it?
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So it was a perfect night.
neocharge: Damn.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Something wrapped around the dick.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
neocharge: i
Leon Lionheartly: Hey, wait, you got a camera in my bedroom or something?
neocharge: Bunch of...
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah.
neocharge: Bunch of women waiting on Barnes & Noble wrapping around the dicks. i like it.
Leon Lionheartly: But
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): All right. Well, good podcast, guys. I'll see you later.
neocharge: Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: ah but
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Actually, i i forgot. When you're done, Bob, I forgot there is one one stupid unrelated to gaming story that I wanted to tell about yesterday in my life, like how I wanted to lock myself in a cave, which I did and then didn't matter because I didn't get to play. But I will i will tell you after you're after you're finished.
Leon Lionheartly: Oh, okay. Well, I was going to just say, and then this evening, it is the ah one thing in the fridge that I still got left because I'm waiting on a six pack delivery here shortly.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It's hilarious.
Leon Lionheartly: ah Yeah.
neocharge: Hey, I said, let's go to the liquor store whenever you want. I'm not going to deliver a fucking six pack. We're going to the we're gonna go to the liquor store. We're going to look at all the selections. We're going to get a shitload of beer and then we're going to trade and I'll buy you a six pack because I owe you one.
Leon Lionheartly: ah We'll do it.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Well, you got to tell people, yeah, you got to tell people why.
Leon Lionheartly: we'll do it
neocharge: I...
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
neocharge: Okay.
Leon Lionheartly: We'll get there because we got a draft we got an update of the draft.
neocharge: Okay. Oh, yeah, we have an updated draft. so
Leon Lionheartly: and So, yeah, we're good.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But.
neocharge: we we had ah We had a little gentleman's bet, and I'm going to follow through on it.
Leon Lionheartly: no um Yeah.
neocharge: Don't worry. And he'll tell you what six-pack I get him. It's going to be a premium one. But I lost.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): yeah
Leon Lionheartly: ah
neocharge: and it was kind of a stupid bet, but I was like, ah, whatever.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): but
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But we all won. Except you. You lost. We all won.
neocharge: Did we? if
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah, I'm not really sure.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah. I think we did. Highest rated of the of all time in that series.
neocharge: Oh, yeah, absolutely.
Leon Lionheartly: Absolutely.
neocharge: Yeah, not a mainline either. Ooh.
Leon Lionheartly: Absolutely.
neocharge: Ooh!
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah, yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): What it's worth, I don't get it. i don't I mean, I haven't played it. i you know Who has? But even watching the trailer, I'm not into it anyway.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But I was just like... Okay. Like, it's going to be fine.
neocharge: Right.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): it was going be fine.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And then, so i was we'll talk about it at the draft.
neocharge: It's got that flavor, man.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah.
neocharge: Yeah, we'll talk about it.
Leon Lionheartly: we'llll well We'll talk about it because you know what the premise is, right?
neocharge: Yes.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): No, I don't. don't fucking know. I have no idea what it's It looks to me, we'll talk about the draft.
Leon Lionheartly: Well...
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): We'll discuss it at the draft.
neocharge: yes
Leon Lionheartly: We'll talk about that. Yeah, yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
neocharge: Stay tuned.
Leon Lionheartly: Stay tuned.
neocharge: Oh,
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: But no, it is the Fire Captain Irish Red Ale um from Horse and Dragon here in Colorado.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): For sure.
neocharge: oh yeah. Beautiful.
Leon Lionheartly: It's what I had. I love it. What can I say? It's an Irish Red.
neocharge: Beautiful. Love it. All right, Caleb.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): yeah So what I wanted to tell you, because it's real fucking stupid, but I told you guys before we started recording how just dumb the last couple days have been outside of Resident Evil.
neocharge: Let's hear this story.
neocharge: Yes.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): um i
neocharge: With adulting.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I was going to go to the store. I mean, I did go to the store, so spoiler there. But I had told Lisa just giant eagle to get some regular groceries and and you know baking stuff, whatever, just just normal things.
neocharge: Which one?
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And typically, it's easier if there are things that I don't care about because i I'm not a coffee drinker, but I make coffee for her. I don't know. I mean, I know what kind she likes, but it's easier if she just tells me.
neocharge: You make a damn good coffee too.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Thank you.
neocharge: Yes.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): ah But if she tells me like, these are the kinds of beans I want, this is what it's just easier because they all smell like coffee to me. I mean, they smell, some smell better than others, but I don't drink it. So I don't know.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Anyway. So she was making me a list to go to the store and everything that could go wrong did from the moment I got up, like even the stupid shit I was doing my Duolingo and using my like free experience on my Japanese lessons and like,
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I did it. And then I found out I didn't have enough energy to do the lessons because I had waited until late the night before. It's all very stupid. So don't get me wrong, but it's enough to put a person on tilt when all of it adds up, you know, like one thing it's like, whatever, but that was how the day started.
neocharge: Mm-hmm.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And that was basically how everything went for the rest of the day. So I was going to get in the shower and like <unk> a knock on the door and somebody was trying to fucking sell something. So i had to like put my pants back on and go tell them to go away.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): You know, one of those situations. So I shower, I grab the bag, I grab everything to go to the store and I'm like, all right, everything's good. Let's go. and walk in and there's all these sales that she had told me to check out.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Right. One of of the things was like, we've had a craving lately for Cheez-Its. This is the main point of this story is the Cheez-Its. um And I don't know, it was like two bucks off or something, whatever. And I'm not going to pay $7 for a fucking box of normal Cheez-Its because you get one setting of Cheez-Its. It's stupid.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But so when i show up and I go to get these fucking Cheez-Its and nothing is on sale.
Leon Lionheartly: well
neocharge: shit.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Nothing. Like it says in the ad they're on sale, but there's nothing in front of me that says they're on sale. And I'm just like, it's not worth my time to make a whole stink out of this, but I'm not going to buy these fucking Cheez-Its. So I just say no. And I walk away and I grabbed the other stuff.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): then I start to feel guilty because I'm like, no, If she comes home tonight and we're gonna watch movie or whatever, like have the fucking Cheez-Its. I mean, you guys have been in relationships or are in relationships. You know what I'm talking about. It's just like stuff that you think about.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And it's like, whatever.
neocharge: Oh, yeah. Gotta get gotta get the Cheez-Its.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah. And it's not that she would complain about it, but our our evening would be better if we just had the Cheez-Its, right? Like that's what it boils down to.
neocharge: That's the rule of life, man.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So I go back. I go back. And there's all these fucking Cheez-Its and they're like six or seven, seriously, six or $7. I don't remember. I'm not making a six, seven joke, six or $7.
neocharge: Oh, Christ.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And I'm like, that's way too much. But then I look down, i like hang my head down on the bottom shelf. They have the double packs, the like family size ones, which were the size when we were children, they were the normal size, but now they're the family size.
neocharge: Right.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): We can charge you more. But there's this, there's a price tag that says two for nine. I was like, oh shit. I just get one of those four 50 plus your discount. Like that's two 50 for a a Jesus box. Like, yes, let's go.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And I am, i am notorious
neocharge: Jesus, Jesus.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): for being a stickler when it comes to like coupons. And I mean, I don't, I don't like get coupons. I mean, like reading the price tag where it's like must buy seven to save three. Like I, you know, cause it's just unnecessarily convoluted to make everybody crazy.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So as this is going on, i fully admit I looked down I was like two for nine and I just grabbed it. You know, finished my my shopping. There were other issues running into people that I was like, I don't want to talk to you. Go away. I just want to buy these fucking Cheez-Its and go home and play Resident Evil.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So I'm in the self-checkout line and there are 6 million people behind me. And I boop the Cheez-Its and the Cheez-Its show up as like 11 fucking dollars.
neocharge: Mm-hmm.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I like, absolutely not. It doesn't make any sense. But there's so many people behind me. I'm not going to be that asshole that holds up the line. Plus the lady, because in the self-checkout, they have like maybe 10, but they were awful. all and And there was seriously the longest line I've ever seen there for a fucking Tuesday. it was weird. Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So the lady who was helping the self-checkout people was also the mean one at the store. I don't know if you guys know this about your stores. there's like
neocharge: Oh, yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): There's always the mean one. you know And that's the one that I always get stuck with.
neocharge: Absolutely.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And it's not i mean like it's not that I can't be nice. It's just I don't have the mental capacity for this today, lady. I just want to play Resident Evil and buy these fucking Cheez-Its.
neocharge: Right.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So i just I'm like, going to buy them. and see if the discount shows up at the end of the transaction like it often does. And if it doesn't, then I can fucking can be annoying.
neocharge: Yep. Yep.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): and ah So I do. And it says $1 off, but then the price changed to $12.
neocharge: you
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It's $11.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And I was just like, what is going on? So i I just fucking paid and got mad and was like, I'm going to look in the receipt not be in the way.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So I take everything to the car, look at the receipt. The receipt says that it's $12 minus $1. You paid $11 for these fucking Cheez-Its. And I'm like, no, I didn't. So I go back. To see, I'm like, oh my God, maybe that coupon or maybe that price tag, maybe it was like last week's sale. Because sometimes they do that shit where it's like an old sale that's up there. And then you talk to them and they're like, oh, you're dumb and you didn't read the date. And I'm like, you're dumb and you didn't fucking move the thing. i Like, I hate you. That's the only response you can say to people that means anything.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But- Anyway, so I go back there and I look at the fucking two for nine and it says must buy four lesser quantities sold at seven.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And I was like, that still doesn't make any sense because we bought one and it said 11 minus one equals positive one, which is 12.
Leon Lionheartly: Okay.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): but
neocharge: yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So then this is, this is where, angry Caleb starts to come out and like, i didn't want to ruin anybody's day, but I was just like, it's like 10 30 in the morning and I've already had it.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And I'm, I'm skipping over the drive there with like people being assholes. Like, cause that doesn't, it's just the cheese.
neocharge: i am
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It's, and we don't have six hours for this podcast.
neocharge: The...
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So, i'm I'm like angrily walking down the aisle thinking, what do I do here? Because I really want these fucking Cheez-Its. But on principle, I have to return these Cheez-Its, right? like That's just what you have to do.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So I'm on on my way to go to my to my car, to my trunk and get out the Cheez-Its and bring them back in. And like, I don't know what happened. I must have like... Grocery store, highway hypnosis.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Cause the next thing I know, I tripped over one of those fucking displays that has like 400 boxes of cheese.
Leon Lionheartly: um
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And they just all went flying. And I was just like, I love Cheez-Its!
Leon Lionheartly: yeah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I yelled, I love Cheez-Its in the store. And then I ran out of the store. And so I bought really expensive Cheez-Its. I didn't go back in. i can't show my face in there for at least two weeks.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And we when Lisa got home last night, i was just like, oh no, I'm skipping one part. So I get i get back to the house. I decided to go to the, to get myself canes to treat myself to canes.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Cause I was like, I'm not making lunch. I'll burn the house.
neocharge: Yum.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): and I make lunch. Like I can't do it. So I go to canes and canes was also fucking annoying. The guy didn't give me a receipt. So I have no idea if I actually paid for it. We'll find out if I'm charged $6,000 or 11, I don't know.
Leon Lionheartly: Thank you.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And then he argued with me when I asked him for the receipt. This was right after the cheese incident. So I said, you know what, man, have a great day.
neocharge: The cheese and debacle.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And I just like pulled up. So anyway, I get home and Lisa has texted. She texts me an actual legitimate question about her work computer that her IT t guy can't fix because he's an idiot. and He gets paid a million dollars.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But anyway, so I wrote her back and I was like, you know what? I don't know. i got got by the Cheez-Its and i I just can't. I'm going downstairs. And then like two hours later, she responds to me and she was like, I've laughed at this text 10 times because i I'm not sure you meant to say what you said.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And I was like, oh no, i did. i did mean it. So she gets home last night. She walks in and she like can't even look at me because of this fucking, I didn't tell her what happened though. I just said I got got by the Cheez-Its.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So I open up the drawer and I pull out this big box of Cheez-Its and she's like, oh, you saved you saved a dollar or two on the big box. And I was like, i did not. yeah I started to explain to her the whole story. And the whole time she just stands in the kitchen looking at me like I'm the biggest fucking asshole.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Rightfully so, in her defense. And I will give her credit here. And then I was just like, I'm going to go downstairs. Would you like to join me? it it might not be safe. And so she was just like,
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I'm going to finish the old box of Cheez-Its. I lost my mind. And we came downstairs and, you know, the rest of the evening was, was okay.
Leon Lionheartly: Okay.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But I was just like haunted all day yesterday by all those bad things. The things that I told you off-cap and also the fucking Cheez-Its and getting ripped off and overpaying for raspberries.
neocharge: Damn. Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): What kind of world is this?
neocharge: This story brought to you by Cheez-Its.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
neocharge: no
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): When you asked me, you asked me how I was doing.
Leon Lionheartly: yeah yeah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I wasn't going to share. And then I thought, no, the world needs to hear this cheese at bulge.
neocharge: Sure. the The world needs to hear the great Cheez-It debacle.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I kind of hope when I go back, they just have like a sign of me up. That's like the cheese at bandit or something.
neocharge: The great Cheez-It debacle of 2026.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I don't know.
neocharge: know. It's awesome.
Leon Lionheartly: This sounds like such a Seinfeld episode.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And it's only March.
Leon Lionheartly: I'm just saying.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
neocharge: i know
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): No, it's it's true. It is. it's That's my life almost always when I go to the store.
neocharge: awesome
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But the thing that bothers me the most is I did make the mistake with the cheese at price, like the two for nine being you had to buy 17 of them, which mathematically doesn't fucking work.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Like that is kind of my fault, I admit. But I'm just like, life doesn't have to be this difficult.
neocharge: No.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Life could be simpler if this shit didn't exist. But tripping over that that fucking display and having Cheez-Its fly in the air, I want that that camera footage of me.
neocharge: Right, right.
neocharge: Yes.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): i want I want to go and ask him for it and just be like, can we just post this somewhere? I don't even care. just You can take me out.
neocharge: And then you yelled, i love Jesus.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): i I just... I didn't know what else to do.
neocharge: That's amazing.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And then I just ran.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I mean, I started to put them back and then I realized that you' there's like 45 of these on the ground.
neocharge: this.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): What are you doing? You don't even know what the display looked like. Cause I was so mad at getting, getting got by the fucking cheese.
neocharge: It was like...
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It's in the first place. I don't think I can eat any of those.
neocharge: It's like a Cheez-It revenge story.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I feel like I'm going to choke and die on them. If I eat them like that boxes out to get me.
neocharge: Dude, they might be cursed.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
neocharge: They might be cursed. So watch yourself.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Should I give them to a neighbor? I don't like or something. What do you, what do you guys suggest?
neocharge: Well, curses are... for the Well, I don't know. The box could be cursed. So who knows? But usually the curse lies on the person.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It's me.
neocharge: The Cheez-Its.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It's my RNG. we We know this about me. My RNG is not great.
neocharge: yes g Remember couldn't for the love of...
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): a
Leon Lionheartly: You're going to tell the story
neocharge: de you couldn't you couldn't for the love of like anything get a specific drop from Bolt of Glass? And we were all getting it. and you're like, guess what, guys? I didn't get it again.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I got my 17th Hawkmoon. Oh, well, why don't you fuck yourself? I got a purple shard. I didn't even get a weapon. catch
Leon Lionheartly: no
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I got ass, butt ass. Same thing happened to me back in the day in World of Warcraft. Bob will know.
neocharge: yep
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Molten Corps, I was a hunter, main. I had all the classes, but I was a hunter, main, raid leader, all that shit. Organized these troops from the beginning to the end. We got through it. We suffered. we Guess who never got a fucking pair of giant stalker boots in 16 months of raiding Molten Corps?
Leon Lionheartly: Oh, my God.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): None. There were two times where where we were low on like tanks or or magical DPS. And so I was like, I know the minute that I i sub in my tank or I go in as a my mage, I know they're going fucking drop. I just know it because that's how life works. And every fucking time I did it, every time the giant stalker boots would drop and I would not be on my hunter.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And I was just like, what the fuck?
neocharge: Shit.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): That was, i mean, for context, Matt, in most um MMOs now, you can sort of, if it's your your gear is usually tied to like your account or you your tune can change classes or whatever.
neocharge: Yeah.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): In World of Warcraft, no, it was whoever you were in with, like that instance.
neocharge: Oh.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So if I wasn't on my Hunter,
neocharge: okay
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): which was a huge fucking bummer. But it's like, seriously, my my friend who turns 40 in like four days, five days, he he texts me on my birthday almost every year.
neocharge: Gotcha.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And he says, I hope i hope you get a pair of giant stalker boots. Because he just, I mean, it's it was a thing, notoriously.
neocharge: Oh, no. Too soon, man.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It's ridiculous. So Cheez-Its, giant stalker boots, whatever, you know.
neocharge: Well, that was quite quite the quite the cheese story. And um'm I'm glad you shared that.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Thanks. I'm sorry i added 40 minutes to our time, but it it needed to be done.
neocharge: Okay.
neocharge: Oh, no worries.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Now we're out.
neocharge: That was entertaining.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): now Now we can just do the what the what the cast is for. Game.
neocharge: that was That was entertaining. i had ah I had a little bit of ah bad RNG on the mountain.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Oh, yeah. Yeah, that's right.
neocharge: ah Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): You did. Poor guy.
neocharge: So I was snowboarding, of course. And ah I got lost and found myself in an ungroomed area.
neocharge: So the groomed spaces are like the nice, fresh, clean runs, right? The ungroomed stuff is basically like woods.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I want to stop saying that because it sounds very sexual and I don't like
neocharge: Yeah. I know. Yes. yes ah groomed Yes.
Leon Lionheartly: I was going to say the groomed areas make the trees look bigger. Hmm.
neocharge: The groomed areas.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Brought to you by Manscaped.
neocharge: It's it's a... Yes. And Cheez-Its. No.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Okay.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Sure, why not?
neocharge: ah Anyway, i was going pretty fast, hit a root, and just took a chunk out of my board. Took a chunk. So after that, didn't know that chunk was missing, went down another blue rated slope and a skier like turned into my lane just willy nilly. They don't give a fuck.
neocharge: They don't look where they're going. And i had to like dodge and this dodge otherwise would have been fine. It would have just dodged, but it hit that little chunk on the edge. And I slammed on the ground going about 40 miles an hour.
neocharge: ah I heard a lot of cracks going to the chiropractor Friday.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): yeah
neocharge: ah Thankfully, nothing broke. But boy, oh boy, I am sore as fuck. And that hurt. So I'm drinking ah and to to numb the pain.
neocharge: I'm also...
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah. yeah
neocharge: I'm also a little sick. I still have symptoms. ah People can hear that I'm still stuffed up for some reason. But...
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Was this a a flu that you had?
neocharge: i
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): What what did you have?
neocharge: I don't know. My roommate had it for like two and a half, three weeks. And it's just all upper respiratory. Just...
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): That sucks, man.
neocharge: I mean, it started pretty bad and it was really stuffed up and honestly felt like COVID. But he got tested and everything is clear.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
neocharge: But now it's just like runny nose, constantly stuffed up. ah A lot of congestion.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
neocharge: So I don't know what's going on. But I'm drinking another Prairie Transfusion cocktail-inspired malt beverage with Concord grape, lime, and ginger. So, yeah, it's ah it's an amalgamation of three very different things, and it works.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Nice. Not bad.
neocharge: So, yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So health question for you, because you are more of a health person than I am.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I find sometimes if I ever if i ever drink, because I don't really drink that much anyway, but if I'm ever sick and I, so for some reason, have like a bourbon, whiskey, a beer, whatever, it actually makes my throat and my sinuses like way worse.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I don't know if it's wheat.
neocharge: yeah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I'm not really, I'm guessing
neocharge: No, drinking when you're sick is not good. I haven't been drinking a lot. i just It was a segue for the cast, and I'm drinking now.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): No, no, no, sure. But my question is, like, do you feel, do you notice it when you drink, like, because you're still sort of recovering?
neocharge: Not really, because I don't drink enough. and if you drink I don't drink hard liquor. I i have like a beer every once in a while, and I don't think it's enough to affect it. so
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Okay.
neocharge: yeah i don't I don't drink late at night, because I do feel the effects of late night drinking, and it's really hard to get to sleep.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Gotcha.
neocharge: Because alcohol turns to sugar in your body.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
neocharge: So it'll just...
Leon Lionheartly: Yep. Between the sugar and then your body trying to process it all and turn it into ethanol, essentially, ah you dehydrate your body, which is why my old trick was after a heavy night of drinking, you slam a glass of water before you go to bed.
neocharge: Yeah. Right. Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: And then I wake up four hours later, have to piss, slam another glass of water, and then I wake up and I'm fine.
neocharge: oh yeah. Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah, you feel way better if you do that than if you do nothing, that's for sure.
neocharge: Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: yeah
neocharge: Oh, yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Sure.
neocharge: Yeah. But health-wise, when I'm sick, I don't take anything over the counter. I don't take Sudafed. I don't take NyQuil. I just drink a lot of water, and I sleep a lot, and I get a lot of sun.
neocharge: And I let my immune system do the rest.
Leon Lionheartly: Good, man.
neocharge: Your immune system needs worked out every once in a while, and it'll get stronger when it fights the virus, and it'll remember. So,
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah, typically i don't take meds either unless it's like a ah literal, like you're on death's door kind of thing.
neocharge: yeah. Life or death.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah. yeah like Okay.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): you're You need to cure this thing that is incurable and your body will will not be able to do it.
neocharge: Right.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Like, sure. But yeah, I'm not, I mean, I'm not like
neocharge: Yeah. Even during COVID, I was stubborn. I was like, I'm not taking anything. And I got i got Delta. It was bad. I was swallowing knives, man.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): What did I do? Oh, I mean, I remember when I had it, it was pretty bad.
neocharge: oh
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): i ended up watching golf in the Olympics.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I hate golf, by the way. I'm just not a fan of golf.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): like More power to you if you like golf. it's I just think it's boring as hell to watch.
neocharge: Mm-hmm.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): um But i remember being up at like I don't middle of the night and watching women's golf. And that like helped me. i was, there's nothing on.
neocharge: Interesting.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And I was like, I can't sleep. I need to watch women's golf, I guess for the Olympics, obviously summer Olympics years ago, but that was my cure that and water.
neocharge: Huh. Yeah.
neocharge: Water.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
neocharge: Yep.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
neocharge: Yeah, ton of water. And I'm just i'm just nursing it, honestly. ah it'll It's getting a little better, so we'll see when it goes away. But yeah, I broke my board. ah Went to get it fixed. They said, ah, it's unfixable. You have a nice wall piece now. And I'm like, cool.
neocharge: ah So... A friend of mine that I snowboard with was like, I have an extra board. It's almost brand new. I've used it for like four runs. I'm not a fan of it. And I bought a new one. Do you want it? And he gave me a really good deal on it.
neocharge: So now I have a capita Mercury board with my ah bindings on it.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It's awesome.
neocharge: So yeah, the capitans make really good boards. And I was really fortunate to for for him to do that. So shout out to my buddy. So I don't think he listens to the cast, but yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Shout out, buddy.
neocharge: Yeah. so But that's a bummer. I broke my board. i like my board. And yeah, don't go in ungroomed areas.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It's kind of a cool war story, though. You know, like caught a root, probably cracked a bunch of bones, and I'm living to tell the tale.
neocharge: Yeah. Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I don't know.
neocharge: Right. i Dude, i I should have broke my collarbone.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I don't know the lingo.
neocharge: I'm not sure why I didn't.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Maybe you did and maybe maybe Bob and I are just a fever dream.
neocharge: Maybe.
Leon Lionheartly: i i i saw the video i'm like uh no you should have broke something so you got really lucky man
neocharge: Right?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah, you did for sure.
neocharge: Yeah. Maybe I'm like a superhero because I i heal super quick. So I don't know. Who knows? But that was rough. Might go back on the mountain this week. Who knows?
neocharge: got it got to test out Got to test out the new board, right?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): You to get back on the horse. That's for sure.
neocharge: Exactly. Exactly. So yeah. ah Epic Cheez-It story. Bob Barnes and Noble. got to we we got to go when when When you drop off your wife, just hit me up, say, hey, come down. We're going to go to Barnes & Noble and we'll check it out.
neocharge: And so...
Leon Lionheartly: i I saw some pictures. that It looks like one of those fancy ones. ah So absolutely.
neocharge: Good. Good. Good. So, yeah. And here we all are now talking games and drinking. What? 30 minutes.
Leon Lionheartly: 30 minutes in.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): just I don't know.
Leon Lionheartly: What happened, folks?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): that was that that That was amazing.
Leon Lionheartly: i don't know.
neocharge: thirty minutes
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Here we all are now.
neocharge: Now, yeah, look at us look at us go.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yes, we are.
neocharge: Who would have thought? Not me. ah Yeah, so that's life. and Let's get into housekeeping. What's new in Shapes of Gaming? We got some things in the works. Our wonderful production expert, Alex Meese, has some cool ideas for us that might come to fruition. We're not going to talk about them because we don't know if they're going to work, but we're going to try. And we're working on a lot of things for you all, ah which have to do with our beautiful faces on camera. So we'll see. We'll see about that.
neocharge: ah Yeah, other than that, let's get into the the state of the draft, Caleb. That's why that's why ah we're here and we're going to talk about that.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Got it.
neocharge: And then we have a lot of news to cover. and We're all playing the same game and we're going to have ah kind of a little bit of a spoiler-free brief discussion on the game because we're going save it mostly for a spoiler cast that we're going to do sometime soon.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
neocharge: Yeah, for Resident Evil Requiem, which is fantastic. So let's get in into the state of the draft.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): All right, let's get started on the state of the draft. So I'm actually just going to go through things in a very, very quick order that might not seem like it's, it'll make sense.
neocharge: Sweet.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It'll make sense, I promise. But for a very quick recap for people who don't know the draft is, we all had a draft.
neocharge: All right.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): The draft episode happened. We bid on games throughout the year. the Most points win, blah, blah, blah. If you want to know all the nitty gritty, go into that and listen to that. ah I'm going to start with the month of February, the pickups that we all got.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I'm going to do that before I go into release dates, points, scoring updates, and all that jazz, just just to keep people up to date in that order.
neocharge: Love that.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So first and foremost, ah very, very end of
neocharge: That works.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): or excuse me, February seventh We're to start with February 7th. There was a fight over the game orbitals where Bob tried to pick it up for $1 and Bo, your grandpa's favorite Gooner gotcha game, got it for $3. So orbitals keep, keep your watchful eye on it. It looks like it's gonna be pretty good when it releases later this year.
neocharge: YGFGGG.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah, exactly.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Um, The not reverse, but kind of the reverse. ah Bo tried to pick up the game eugenics. He had asked us in the draft in the draft chat first, like if you bid on something, can you get it? If you bid on it before it releases, even though it releases before the bids go processed. And the answer is no.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So poor guy didn't get it.
neocharge: Won't let you.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): We don't care because that would have been 89 that he would have gotten or an 88 or something. So.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yay for us. Sucks for him. No, it really does suck for him because he had his eye on it before and he just didn't get it in time.
neocharge: Yep, he saw it.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): All right. Yeah. So then on February 14th, a week later, ah Mason picked up Darwin's Paradox for $1 and he ended up dropping his...
neocharge: Konami game, right?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): The what? Sorry?
neocharge: The Konami game?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Is that Konami, the octopus game?
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah, that's the Konami Octopus.
neocharge: Yeah, the Octopus game.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I knew the octopus game.
Leon Lionheartly: They're doing the crossover with Metal Gear Solid.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Oh, that's right.
neocharge: Yep.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah, that's right. Yes. I knew it was in the show. I just couldn't remember if it was a Konami one or not.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Uh, cause the, as you guys talked about the Konami stuff was like unbelievable, just bam bam, bam, bam, bam.
neocharge: Oh, yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So sorry that Darwin's paradox didn't, you know, immediately jump out at me for over metal gear and Castlevania.
neocharge: Yeah, it was between Metal Gear Solid Volume 2 Collection and Castlevania Belmont's Curse.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah. So like, sure.
neocharge: So... ah ah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Uh, He also ended up, this is a good one. um we We're going to take an extra minute to talk about this because remember in the last State of the Draft I did, talked about Mason and how he wasn't going to spend a million dollars.
neocharge: ah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Well, the next game he picked up was the Kena sequel, Kena, Scars of Cosmora. But before I tell you what he paid, I'm going to tell you what everybody else tried to pay and didn't get to pay because it's more exciting that way.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): ah I tried to pay $7 for Kena Scars of Cosmora.
neocharge: Bush league.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And while, while the game is worth more than that, that's all I was willing to pay.
neocharge: Bush league. Didn't need you pump those numbers.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): No, I don't. I'm fine. I didn't get it. I was going to get seven where I didn't. That's that. So seven bucks, no big deal. I was outbid. So I looked who, ah who outbid me?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Well, Oh, Matt, Matt, Matt outbid me. Tried to acquire Kena Scars of Cosmora with a bid of $27.
neocharge: That's a lot.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Failure reason. Publisher was outbid. And I'm like, what?
neocharge: What?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And then I i see Mason acquired Kena Scars of Cosmora with a bid of $55. fifty five dollars So I really, really, truly, sincerely hope it pays off for him.
neocharge: It will.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): That is a hefty price to pay for Kena Scars of Cosmora.
neocharge: More than half.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I do think it looks awesome. I mean, that was, that was my game of the show.
neocharge: Great.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): You guys talked about it. I didn't, I wasn't on that episode, which was obviously totally fine, but that was my game of the show.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Like unquestionable.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): i thought it was a great opener. was like, Holy shit. The sequel looks great. So again, hope it works out for Mason, but I could not help, but laugh my ass off when I saw that he paid $55 for it and we'll get to what's that?
neocharge: We did invite you, but it was it was last minute. i was like, hey, Caleb, we're we're doing the episode tonight.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah. Yeah.
neocharge: You in? You're like, No.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah, yeah. So I i would have loved to be there, but I couldn't do it. And he ended up dropping the unannounced Witcher 3 DLC. So he slid that out for Cana Scars of Cosmora, which again, great pickup.
neocharge: I'd slide it out for Kena too.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I really... god damn
neocharge: She's 18 now, right? In the scars of Cosmora. Let's just say yes. Let's say yes.
Leon Lionheartly: Yes.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): i
Leon Lionheartly: We're going to say yes.
neocharge: Absolutely.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I'm going to repeat what I said on the group chat yesterday.
neocharge: and
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): You're all going to jail.
neocharge: hey
Leon Lionheartly: I agree.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): that's what's good So ah next up, we had ah Bob got the Legacy of Cain Ascendants game with a bid of $21, and he ended up dropping his unannounced Final Fantasy IX re-something.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): on that condition, which, yeah, I mean, if we didn't hear about it by now, not going to happen, I don't think.
neocharge: smart
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And if we do get an announcement for something, it's probably not going to come till next year, not going release till next year. So, you know, good.
Leon Lionheartly: i agree
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): me there And then you got, and we'll talk about this again in a bit, Pokemon Pocopia for two bucks, dropping the unannounced mainline half-life game that you were staking climate.
neocharge: that's a that's a good ah roi bro that's a good ah roi
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): That's yeah. two ah Two bucks is is not not bad. And then the last thing that he had picked up that week was a Monster Hunter Stories 3 Twisted Reflection for $2, which another one i think I think that's going to be just fine. Like two bucks, why not?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Uh, let's see, Matt, the only thing he got that week, cause he was outbid on Kena. He ended up in, in a lot of us, a lot of us, will, I fully admit I did not even bid on it.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I was like, if he gets lucky and nobody bids on this and he gets it for a dollar, he deserves it. Cause this was, this had your name written all over it.
neocharge: oh thanks sure does was my game of the show
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And I was like, yes, I believe in it, but I'm not going to go like, he needs this game in his lineup. So. Castlevania, Belmont's Curse, $33. thirty three bucks And I know that you are not upset about that costing you $33 at all.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): like You are happy to have that.
neocharge: No. Made by Motion Twin? Oh.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah. No, that's that it looks like it's going to be great. I'm going to get it It's going fun. Even if it scores poorly, it's going to be fun.
neocharge: G1!
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Fucking reviewers this year have been on crack mostly, so I don't i don't really understand what they're doing, but...
neocharge: Yeah, half of them are AI.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Like don't, that's proven today by Metacritic.
neocharge: Shit.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So yeah. And you dropped a dragon quest 12, the flames of fate conditionally, which was also smart because that game's not going to come out until I'm 67 years old.
neocharge: Yeah, that's not happening.
neocharge: Right.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): That was an intentional six, seven, just for you. ah Moving on, Bo, Bo ended up getting a silent hill town fall for five bucks.
neocharge: God damn it. Stop it.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah.
neocharge: Stop it.
neocharge: Yep.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I almost bid on it, but I was like, eh, I like the silent hill games.
neocharge: Nice. Good pickup.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I'm going to save for something else. That's kind of my thought.
neocharge: Mm-hmm.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It's nothing against it. I think that was a really good pickup by Bo. I think it's going to do him well.
neocharge: Mm-hmm.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And then, oh, I missed. i'm I'm sorry. I skipped over his. He also tried to get Kane Eschars of Cosmora for $25. So it should have gone me seven, him 25, you 27, Mason 55.
neocharge: Damn. Wow.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): That's my bad. i i I thought he was on the next week. So. And then going to February 21st, Matt acquired Pokemon Champions with a bit of $3 and ended up dropping Pokemon Black and White Remake unannounced.
neocharge: Sure did.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): That was one of your...
neocharge: And we got a release date three days later.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): You what?
neocharge: We got a release date three days later. Or five days later. We're on 21st? Yep.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
neocharge: Pokemon champions? Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah. Yeah, but the, oh yeah, this is a different, the different Pokemon. Sorry. Yeah, that, that ended up getting release date, which was great. And then I ended up dropping Nevergrave, The Witch and The Curse, not because I don't necessarily believe in it.
neocharge: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I just, I don't, I don't know. I don't know that I wanted to take that gamble on a game like that again, this early in the year. If it does great, great. I'm happy for it.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But I was like, eh, I'm, how's it doing?
neocharge: e
Leon Lionheartly: If I may, because it releases the day this cast goes live, we already have three reviews, 7.5 10, 8.5 out 10, and an 82 out of 100.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Sure.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: it would have been a solid pickup.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Okay.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Well, I mean, what does it need for reviews to get an actual aggregate on open critic?
neocharge: I think so
Leon Lionheartly: Something like that.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Well, whatever, but that's, that's the thing.
neocharge: Over four. I think it's five.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): If you take the average here, all it takes is one bad review to tank the whole fucking thing. know, if somebody gives it a four out of 10, then it's going to get a 61.
Leon Lionheartly: That's fair.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Like that's stupid. So I, i I actually feel better knowing that now because i i was on the fence and I said, nope, i don't I don't believe in it enough to keep it. So I got rid of it. And then lastly, the February 28th, just last week, last Saturday, Bob ended up picking up ah the unannounced Doom, the Dark Ages DLC for a buck.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And he ended up dropping it'll Fatal Frame 2, the Crimson Butterfly remake, which I'm a little surprised.
neocharge: Stealth.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I thought that you were all about the Fatal Frame remake.
Leon Lionheartly: um No, i think I think it's going to do good. um absolutely I absolutely think so. um But when I was looking at... Because I want to do um I heard rumors about it and then put in a bid.
Leon Lionheartly: And then after the bids process, that's when news kind of broke that it was officially coming. um So that I kind of felt good that I picked up on a stealth.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): mean,
Leon Lionheartly: And then the only thing I could ah could realistically drop would be the legacy Kane. But I paid for that. I put a plan on my flag. I'm going to stick with it. It's kind of the one for me.
Leon Lionheartly: and really that I'm full up. like everything Everything else should come out this year, hopefully.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): i mean you could You could drop the Trails in the Sky game. You could drop...
Leon Lionheartly: remember, yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): You have Just give me a text before you drop those.
Leon Lionheartly: Matt.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Just just let me know.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): um And then the last thing that happened, i ended up picking up At Fate's End for $1. Do you guys know what that is? At Fate's End?
neocharge: I think I remember.
Leon Lionheartly: i remember yeah oh go i admit
neocharge: that's
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It's made by Thunder Lotus.
neocharge: good.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It's their next game, Thunder Lotus. And they ended up doing like... uh, Spiritfarer was their last big one.
neocharge: yeah that's good
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So I, and I, I thought I've actually really liked the Thunder Lotus, even their games that haven't scored as well, like Sundered and Jotun or Jotun or I, I, however you pronounce that.
neocharge: Hmm. Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Like I, I liked them. I think they're great. So I don't know if at fate's end is actually going to drop this year, but I thought for a dollar I'll hold onto to it and see. I think it looks really cool.
neocharge: yeah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Um,
neocharge: I wonder how that would work. Your ah comment to Bob, if you bid on a game that he drops at the same time the bids are being processed, right like would you would you get it?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): oh
neocharge: I wonder what the hierarchy is there.
Leon Lionheartly: No, I don't...
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Well, I don't think you can, because if I tried to bid on something that's held, it would just say it's already held.
Leon Lionheartly: i
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Like, I don't think your bid would even go through.
neocharge: Oh, yeah. yeah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: Yep, yep.
neocharge: yeah So you'd have to wait to two weeks.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So we need to talk to our our draft leader and say, initiate trades, initiate trades.
neocharge: he Yeah, that's right.
neocharge: Who's that? Right. Yeah. True.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I'll give you money for for this game. Yeah. Anyway, so those are all the pickups for the month of February. Now let's talk about what got released.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): ah I am going to start with some unfortunate... I'm gonna i'm actually going to just go by person instead of the release date this time because it's a little easier to do that now.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): um
neocharge: Okay.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Mason's... I'm going to start with Mason because he yeah Yeah.
neocharge: Super underrated.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Well, the first one was Re-Animal.
neocharge: Extremely.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): He got Reanimal.
neocharge: Oh, that's good.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Reanimal ended up scoring an 81, so he got 11 points.
neocharge: That's good. Okay.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): um From everything I'm hearing, 81 is far too low for that from that game. um So kind of a bummer for Mason. ah Still a solid 11 points. I mean, that's good. I don't want to make it sound like it's super bad, but Reanimal was getting some some pretty high praise. A lot of people loved it.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): i So I don't know why it's such a or low score.
Leon Lionheartly: ah I was going to say, isn't this the ah the game that Mason overbid on?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It sure is, Bob. I'm glad that you brought that up. $21, I think, or was it there's something? It was a lot.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah, $21. $21.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It was a lot because we were all just thinking, yeah, which which kind of sucks.
neocharge: Not a great ROI.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): that's I do feel bad for him there. That's that's a bummer.
neocharge: Yep.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But i I feel much worse about this one. And then, as you guys talked about in the PlayStation state of play, the quite possibly best state of play we've gotten in like five or seven years, um maybe even longer than that,
neocharge: Yep.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): They shadow dropped God of War, the Metroidvania Sons of Sparta, God of War, Sons of Sparta. And it settled at a this is not intentional, Matt, 6-7, 67.
neocharge: Which is good.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It is 67, but it is a 67, so, which 6-7.
neocharge: This is the third time, Caleb.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): You want me to here and do this? Does this help? Okay. which means
neocharge: You can just say the number without acknowledging the bullshit.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): six seven you want me to sit here and do this
neocharge: No!
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): this help
Leon Lionheartly: yeah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I love that Bob knows what I'm doing and he's not even looking.
Leon Lionheartly: I
neocharge: Juggle my balls.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I just hears it. ah But so Mason ended up getting a negative three points for that. And I'm pretty sure that's settled.
neocharge: Ouch. Ouch.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It might go up or down one more point at most. I don't think it's going to move much more than that.
neocharge: Highly underrated.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yikes. That is, that sucks.
neocharge: you better fucking play it.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I can't, it's below 75. I'm kidding. I'm All right, moving on. Bob. neo three actually got a score uh because last time and i mean you guys talked about it a little bit but on the state of the draft last time it hadn't come out yet so neo three ended up getting 85 which means bob netted 15 points from that which is awesome another one that i personally think is underscored i think it deserved three or four more points and which is a little yeah i mean you guys had a great time bo had a great time mason i don't think he's platinumed it yet but i know he's played it and loved it um
Leon Lionheartly: hundred percent
neocharge: who Yeah, we plan a bit.
neocharge: Blast.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): a couple of my other friends here that have gotten it on my recommendation, have just been like, this is one of the greatest games ever.
neocharge: Nice.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): What the fuck? So yeah, I mean, again, 15 points is awesome. Just what the hell reviewers? What, it what, what, uh,
Leon Lionheartly: ah the one but The one person that I saw that tanked the score ah complained about ah not expanding on ah or the open world wasn't a good idea. And I'm like, you're the only person in the room that feels this, buddy.
neocharge: oh
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But even if that's true, was it done well or not? Was the open world effective?
neocharge: Yes, it was.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It's not if you like it and enough. I mean, to me personally, I think a review, while subjectivity does come into it, your job as a game reviewer is to review the game as the game is.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Does it mechanically work?
neocharge: Objectively, yes.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): does it ah you know Does it have...
Leon Lionheartly: Bingo.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): a through point as far as like what you're supposed to do how can you can play it what your choices are if you're supposed to have choices you know i mean so much goes into that and in a game like neo 3 the gameplay is the king that's the point of the fucking game if i mean the next thing you're going to tell me is there's going to be a reviewer who says this wasn't written by a modern day shakespeare so i hated it like fuck you that's not what the game is about the game is about having fun and playing with your friends.
neocharge: Yeah. Mm-hmm.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And did it work? Did it have bugs? Did it glitch? Did it crash all the time? I mean, it might've had bugs where Bob was naked, which is hilarious, but it's not a game breaking bug. It's not.
neocharge: It's a feature.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah, but those that does does increase the points in my in my opinion.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah. Yeah. that' To me, now we're at a 91.
neocharge: Exactly.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Like what the fuck? But anyway, I shouldn't throw in my own opinion about it.
neocharge: Entertaining.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I just, I'm saying on your behalf, I feel like Neo3 was underscored, which sucks.
Leon Lionheartly: Thank you.
neocharge: Agreed, yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But 15 points is still awesome. Like that's a great score.
neocharge: Incredible, yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): ah And then the next one, we are going to touch on it now, even though technically it would be next state of the draft because the score doesn't apply until tomorrow.
neocharge: Whew.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But reviews are in. It's close enough. I'm calling an audible. and I'm just going to fucking do it.
neocharge: Yep.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): um That Pokemon Pocopia that Bob picked up for $2, the scores started pretty damn good. And as of right now, it is sitting at an 88. 88.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): eighty eight which means if it locks in, it'll be roughly 18 points for you.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Go up a little bit, could go down a little bit, but that seems about where it's going to land. And that is a good, good, good get. Would you like to take the opportunity?
neocharge: It's like nine points per dollar.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): yes it's not bad. Would you like to take the opportunity now to tell me, is this game just Pokemon Animal Crossing?
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah.
neocharge: And Minecraft.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): i Honestly, what's that?
Leon Lionheartly: go
neocharge: And Minecraft.
Leon Lionheartly: Yep. It is three genres that I absolutely am not going to be interested in.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Huh.
Leon Lionheartly: But when you say when we say Animal Crossing plus Pokemon with a little bit of Minecraft, my mind goes to the people that would play these games.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I was going to say, sounds dumb to me.
neocharge: Me too.
Leon Lionheartly: And I'm like, they're going to be addicted to this.
neocharge: Yep.
Leon Lionheartly: And it's goingnna and it's going to review well because ultimately this was a non-Game Freak developed game, ah game by the way.
neocharge: Yep.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Okay.
Leon Lionheartly: ah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): That's sure. Good.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah. yeah which Which, by the way, do you know who it was?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): No, I don't. I have no idea.
Leon Lionheartly: um
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Enlighten me.
Leon Lionheartly: No, it was ah Bandai.
neocharge: Oh.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Oh, no shit. Okay.
Leon Lionheartly: I'm sorry.
neocharge: We got some news from Bandai.
Leon Lionheartly: I'm sorry, not Bandai. Koei. It was Koei Tecmo.
neocharge: Ah!
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Oh, that's even better. They're fucking awesome.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah.
neocharge: Wow, okay.
Leon Lionheartly: So as soon as I saw that, yeah, when I first read i readview ah previews on it, I was like, what's going on with this?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Not that Bandai isn't, but wow.
neocharge: Hmm.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Okay.
Leon Lionheartly: Because people were glowing on it. And then I looked into who was developing it and saw some of the what it was. and i was like, this is not my game, but this is a game that's going to get me a return.
neocharge: Yep, we had a bet on it.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): No, that's, I mean, really, really, really good good read on that one. i When I, like, the trailer played, was it earlier this week, last week?
neocharge: Yep.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I don't fucking remember in the Nintendo thing where they showed gameplay of it.
neocharge: I laughed at it.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I laughed at it, but I also didn't think it looked bad. I was just like, not for me. This is going to be fine. I don't care. Like, I did i just didn't care.
neocharge: like fuck It looked like a fucking farm simulator.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It did look like Stardew Valley plus Pokemon.
Leon Lionheartly: Mm-hmm.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Like, that's that was my honest thought.
neocharge: So, maybe yeah. So, harvest a little Harvest Moon in there. But yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Sure. Sure.
neocharge: I didn't think it would do well. I made a bet with Bob. It was over or under 80. He said over 80. I said under 80. Risky bet. I clearly lost by 8 points.
neocharge: Now I owe Bob a six-pack.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I feel like you should have made a better bet, Bob, where he you should have gotten one six-pack for every point over 80. That would have been a much better bet.
Leon Lionheartly: Ooh, see, I was going to say one beer for every point over 80, but I'll take that too.
neocharge: Oh, yeah. Huh. One point for every...
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): What would have happened if it if it scored 80?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Would you guys just call it off?
neocharge: ah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Like nobody, you buy each other a beer and that's it.
Leon Lionheartly: Probably.
neocharge: Right.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Like a gentleman's, okay.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): As though you're not going to do that anyway.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): just Just out of curiosity. But anyway, yeah.
neocharge: Right.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So that'll get him 18 points. That's fucking stellar. Good for you. Seriously, that's really, really good for you. And that's, those were the only ones that dropped for you in the last month.
neocharge: Yeah, really good. Good pickup.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And then tomorrow, or not tomorrow, tomorrow or Friday. don't fucking know. What year is it? And then for Matt, who oh, Matt.
neocharge: What'd I do? What'd I do?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Dragon Quest VII Reimagined, which released early in February.
neocharge: Yeah, it's dropped. Dropped a little bit.
neocharge: Yep.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And now I am going to probably annoy you a little bit when I say i actually think the score is too high based on having flattened It came out.
neocharge: That's okay. No, I agree. I played like 15 hours. 87.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It came out at what, like an 84 or an 85 maybe?
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): it Oh, really? was an 87. Oh, damn. Well, it's dropped to an 83, as you know, ah which for people listening at home is 13 points.
neocharge: Yeah. Yeah. yeah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And again, 13 points is still good. Like it's still a good amount of points, especially because it was one that he got the end of the year.
neocharge: yeah Anything double digits consistently is going to get you close to getting on the podium.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah. But while we can talk about this in the what we're playing afterwards, I'll plant the flag now for a second. I personally thought it should be an 81. That's my final personal score. And for the reasons that made it, probably should have been even lower than that, but we'll, we'll get there later.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So that's all that you had in the last month. ah You're, you're just, well, that's all you had that released. You did end up learning the big ah update with the Pokemon presents was,
neocharge: Right.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Pokemon Wind and Waves. Winds and Waves was announced for 2027, and that was on your draft list for the unannounced official title. So a yeah that'll be one of your your three, you know, canceled or released late super drops.
neocharge: It's getting dropped this weekend. Okay.
neocharge: Super drops.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah. Just to update people at home.
neocharge: Yep.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Can't wait to see what you replace it with. ah And then for me, the only game that I had dropped this month that I also I personally think is scored too low, not just because it's on my draft, but because I think reviewers are drinking pee.
neocharge: Agreed.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): ah But I'm still happy with Resident Evil Requiem sitting right now at a 90. So 20 points for your boy, which is great.
neocharge: Mm! Highest rated game so far this year.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): again Yeah, cannot complain about that. but I personally think that is an easy nineties game. I, my, I'm pretty sure my final score on the game is a 94.
neocharge: Okay.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I think it it is an a, it is a solid a, I was in a 94 to 96.
neocharge: I do a 10-point scale.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah, that's fine.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But I 94 to 96 is kind of where I was rolling around.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And it it really just depends on how critical I want to be for the little, little, little things. i fucking love the game.
neocharge: Sure.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): We can talk about that later, but 90 is great.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I just think, it's crazy that one reviewer gave it a six out of 10. What?
neocharge: He's smoking something.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): He didn't fucking please pry an AI. I do not understand.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): and that goes for other people too.
neocharge: there's probably There's probably a shitload of AIs. And they caught one. And I'm i'm pretty sure like we're just getting a ton of AI reviews. So I don't know how relevant this fantasy draft is going to be with all these AI bullshit.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I know.
neocharge: But whatever.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Fucking sucks. But I will take the 20 points for sure. and i And again, I'm really happy.
neocharge: Incredible.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): That was my number one pick of the year with a solid release date.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And I was really, really glad.
neocharge: Yep.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I mean, even if it scored a 60, I had a fucking great time on with it.
neocharge: Yep.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It's it's a great game.
neocharge: Yeah, exactly.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So it deserves every point.
neocharge: It scored higher than I thought it would. And yeah, this 20s will win you drafts.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): 16 for Call to the Lamb and 20 for Resident Evil. I'm okay.
neocharge: Sitting good. You got two locked ones, though.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): ah
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): To what?
neocharge: Locked ones you can't drop, right? Or one.
Leon Lionheartly: No, he has only one.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Well, no, but I wasn't going to drop it.
neocharge: Solasta.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Remember you you guys, I guess I could talk about this because it's a state of the draft. If it gets scored, because it comes out on early access, like March 12th or something.
neocharge: Oh, yeah, that's right.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And Slade the Spire 2, I think, is Friday.
neocharge: Yeah.
neocharge: Solasta or Silly Despire?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So...
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Solasta 2 is later in March and then Slay the Spire.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Well, they're both March.
neocharge: Oh, yeah. if it
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): don't fucking know.
neocharge: If it gets a score, you're getting that score.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah, but I don't know what the hell to expect.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I thought about dropping. i mean, I would have dropped them both had I known had I had Bob not counterpicked it and known that the mistake had been made during the draft.
neocharge: Sure.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Like, I don't know if I talked about this at all for the people. If anybody even gives a shit.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah, you did.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But yeah, so that was just a bad luck and not a bad pick.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): just It's just a misunderstanding and it's fine.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Like it happens.
neocharge: yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Who cares?
neocharge: right All good.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So, but lastly, Bo still hasn't had anything drop yet.
neocharge: Nothing.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): He, his, his mouse PI for hire got delayed a month and my replaced got delayed a month too.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But so Bo's first game I think is, is now, want to say it's April, right?
neocharge: Yep.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I think just be able hire, yeah, April 16th.
Leon Lionheartly: ah Yeah, the 16th. Yep, yep.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yep. So poor guy sitting on zero points, but i'm not I don't think he should be worried. He's got a great draft and and he's going to be fine.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): He's just a little lo late bloomer ah because of release date stuff.
neocharge: Got a good lineup. Yep. ah but
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So the last ah little just update and take this with a grain of salt because it doesn't really mean that much. Current standings. I am in first place with 35.51 points with two games released. Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Bob is in second place with 14.91 points, but the Pokemon Pocopia has not been added yet. That'll be added tomorrow or Friday. So he'll just go up. um If it sits at an 18, you'll still be in second, but it'll only be like a two point game or three point game.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): ah You've only had one official release. Like I said, the second one's about to hit. ah Matt is in third with 13.41 points from his Dragon Quest, and he's only got the one game released.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Mason is in fourth with 7.93 points with two games released. It's those minus three on God of War, Sons a Sparta that really fucked him. And then Bo is at zero right now. So those are the standings of the draft. Any questions, gentlemen?
neocharge: Cool. ah What are our projected ones for the the next two weeks? let' so Let's rat them off.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Oh, right. ah Marathon is is going to release in the next two like along with or tomorrow, along with Pokemon Pocopia.
neocharge: Yep. That'll be a good one.
neocharge: Yep.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Ghost of Yotei Legends, which is a Mason, Mason has that comes out March 10th.
neocharge: Oh,
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): That should do pretty well.
neocharge: oh wow. It's around the corner.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): ah Bob has Monster monster Hunter Stories 3 Twisted Reflection that is on the 13th. And how do you guys think this is going to score? I think it's going to score mid 80s, maybe high eighty s night Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah.
neocharge: Monster Hunter? Yeah, I'd say.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Like to something like that, probably.
neocharge: Low 80s. 81 to 84.
Leon Lionheartly: I was thinking 81 to 85, somewhere in there is where I'm thinking of the lane.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): You guys want to make another bet? Make another bet on him for a six-pack?
neocharge: ah
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah.
neocharge: Just cancel out the six-packs.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Just give him a chance to win his six-pack back.
Leon Lionheartly: ah
neocharge: That's so fun.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): back yeah
Leon Lionheartly: it's like Double or nothing there, Matt.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Oh, dang.
neocharge: Oh.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): One six-pack for every point over.
neocharge: No, I don't know enough about the series.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): ah
neocharge: Right.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): The next big guy hitting, and i'm I'm really excited about this. is I was on the fence about this game as far as playing it um
neocharge: Me too. Yeah. more I see, the more I like.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): let alone score. But yeah, they've had these like, I don't know if they're developer videos or if it's just like, fan the I have no idea, but Crimson Desert comes March 19th. And this is on on Matt's draft list.
neocharge: Sure is. Who knows?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I think I want to say ah it should score well, but after the weirdness of what we've seen, we've seen like, you know, I can see people being like, ah the open world game is too much open world.
neocharge: Who knows?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): There's too much to do and I hate it. It's not Breath of the Wild, 40 points. like I could see some asshole saying that shit, even though the game is going fun. i feel like it's going to be fun.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): The only thing I don't know is how combat, how long it will not it'll take to get stale. I hope it doesn't get stale. It looks like it's going to be fun, but it also seems like a massive game.
neocharge: Right. Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So are you excited for this, Bob?
neocharge: Yeah. We'll see.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Are you looking at it at all?
Leon Lionheartly: Um, I'm interested, but to be honest, I need to see more. It's kind of like the kingdom come to deliverance from last year where I'm like, I are, I know I might like that. I need to know how much I'm going to really dedicate to it, especially with how fucking loaded this year is in game releases.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): True.
neocharge: Oh, it's true.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah, for me, that's like the next game that I was interested in since Replaced got delayed a month. ah so and And MousePI for Hire got delayed a month, so I'm like, well, do I do a backlog?
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Or do I check out this Crimson Desert that looks like it's going to be kind of dope? so
neocharge: um I'm kind of on the fence too because i'm I'm getting that tails itch. I'm getting it right right in they get my loins.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Are you getting on your front tail?
Leon Lionheartly: You know,
neocharge: sometimes Sometimes I use a cream for it, but it doesn't work every once in a while. Getting that itch.
Leon Lionheartly: you know it's funny you mentioned that, Matt.
neocharge: and Bob apparently is getting the itch too. Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Well, there it goes.
neocharge: Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: So this might be the next one.
neocharge: So he just he just, for the audio listeners, that's because the all that's all we have is audio listeners, he just pulled up Tales of Bergeria Remastered for PS5, and he is going to be playing that this year.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah, it looks great.
Leon Lionheartly: I'm going to go for the Platinum.
neocharge: know Platinum, damn, dude. 120, 150-hour platinum. All right.
Leon Lionheartly: It's doable.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Ain't no thing for this guy.
neocharge: alright
Leon Lionheartly: have you have you Have you seen some of my Platinums?
neocharge: Yeah, yeah. No, dude. I i love it. I love the enthusiasm and the the passion for it. because And you'll stream it on Shapes, and I'm going to watch. So...
Leon Lionheartly: You know it.
neocharge: is
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I'm hoping to get around to it this year, but like Bob said, it's packed.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): The year is packed.
neocharge: yada I'm going to bowl you into planets.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Well, I'm going to play it.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I've always wanted to see what Velvet is like in-game.
neocharge: second Okay.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I mean, I really... That was one back when it came out that I was like, ooh, yeah.
neocharge: wolf
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But Tales of Exilia, I fucking... I got so bored playing that one. I got so bored and I just kind of...
neocharge: Yeah, Zillia isn't great. It's not great.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Well, that's why I was like, I can't anymore.
neocharge: it's It's rated high, but I didn't finish it. So I finished Berseria, finished Symphonia, Grace's F, Vesperia.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I mean, those are great.
neocharge: Yeah, but I remember i revisited Berseria, and I was sending you screenshots, and I was like, oh, dude, it's so good.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And I think I said, when did Vincent turn into a woman? but
neocharge: Yeah, yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Vincent Valentine.
neocharge: And then clyde Clive came out with Final Fantasy XVI, it's Velvet and Cloud.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It's just straight up.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
neocharge: So, yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah, that's cool. but But no, I mean, it looks good. You'll have to let me know, Bob, because I do want to play it.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But do I hit my backlog?
neocharge: Cool.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Do I hit Crimson Desert? do i
neocharge: Right, right.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Tales games are very long, and I will do it someday, but you know.
neocharge: They are. They are.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Uh, let's see what else was, I think that was, oh no, that's not it.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So then after that, we've got Bob's fucking bullshit, uh, great director's cut pickup, um, super Mario brothers, wonder to switch edition meetup and bell bell park, AKA go fuck yourself.
neocharge: Oh, get the fuck out of here.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): You whore.
neocharge: Got that on a fluke.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): um
neocharge: We're going to change the rules next year. We're going to prevent that shit. But hey, yes you slipped by, so we're going to allow it.
Leon Lionheartly: if you're If you're not the reason for the safety sign, then are you really living?
neocharge: ah
Leon Lionheartly: I'm just saying.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): yes
neocharge: ah Nice. Love it.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I'm going to get Bob arrested before it comes out.
neocharge: That's going to be right. in the Easy high 80s.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): i don't know what for you. Yeah, it's going to do well.
neocharge: High 80s. Easy.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It's going to do great.
neocharge: Might even crack nine.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): That's a kind of a gimme. And then the last game for the month for Bob is Legacy of Cain Ascendance, which drops March 31st.
neocharge: Risky bet.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And I feel like you're going to buy it anyway, right? Like even if it scores 70 points, you're going get Legacy of Cain.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah.
neocharge: Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: Absolutely. I'm going to still buy it and I'm to still sell ah tell all you all about it.
neocharge: Yeah. Awesome.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Good. I hope so. But yeah, that's, that's all of March.
neocharge: Cool.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): um And then we'll, we'll do this again in April and see how March fared for everybody.
neocharge: Yeah. Got a lot of releases in March.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I'm actually kind of excited. I don't, I don't have anything to worry about this month now.
neocharge: Yeah. I got a Crimson Desert, but I think it's going to be a hit. and I do. and think at least 80s. At least.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I think if people don't like it, like they should, it'll get like an 83.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): If they like it, like they should, it should be an 88.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So
neocharge: All I ask is anything over 80. I don't care. Double digits. I just want to keep that double digit consistent. That's all.
Leon Lionheartly: Yep, that's exactly what we're going for. And by the way, Matt, just to rub the salt in the wound, the original Mario Wonder got a 91.
neocharge: Yep.
neocharge: Oh, I'm aware. I drafted it.
Leon Lionheartly: Okay. Oh, good pickup.
neocharge: Yeah. Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: like When it when launched.
neocharge: I think ah one of the drafts I have, one of the pick... Or no, it was one of my drafts. Or no, was it a pickup. I forget. I don't know. But I have the next 3D Mario. And we don't have a Zelda.
neocharge: Pokemon got a 2027 release. Mario Day is coming up. March 10th.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): you have You have unannounced Mario 3D here on this on ours.
neocharge: I do. Yes. Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
neocharge: Was it a pickup or a draft?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It was a draft. You drafted it after Yoshi and the Mysterious Book.
neocharge: Yeah.
neocharge: That's right. That's right. So I don't know, man. I think we're going to get the big three for three years. Mario, Pokemon, Zelda.
neocharge: We'll see.
Leon Lionheartly: We'll see.
neocharge: We'll see.
Leon Lionheartly: You never know. It could be like a Zelda 40th anniversary where they just kind of like, here's ah here's a a picture on the app that you you care about so much.
neocharge: I didn't give a shit.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It's going to be Super Mario Metroid Prime.
neocharge: God, they didn't give a shit about Link, did they?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): but
neocharge: They didn't do shit. Pokemon has their own website. They got an announcement. They had an entire event. They were just like Zelda. Isn't that that guy that has the green tunic that has a sword? Yeah. wait Who's that?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): They do. There's a possibility that they're waiting because I don't intend to give a shit about Grand Theft Auto. They don't. They don't.
neocharge: No.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Nintendo does their own thing. They might be gearing up Link for a winter thing.
neocharge: Now, like what, Tears of the Kingdom was 2023?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): If you don't hear anything from Mario, I'd...
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Well, yeah, they were, they were like, you know, March and May, like they were that window, I know.
neocharge: what What was Tears the Kingdom?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But if it's, if they're going to try to do like a the Game Boy releases, Oracle, like I could see being around then for the anniversary.
neocharge: Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, like a remake. Yeah, Oracle of Ages and Seasons remake.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
neocharge: I'm all over that.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Fall is like the perfect time for, for ages and seasons, I think.
neocharge: That's true. i Well, I don't know. They're going to have a hit. like They're going to have a remake as their marquee holiday title.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It's Nintendo.
neocharge: ah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Fuck, I mean, it's Nintendo.
neocharge: Super Mario Galaxy 3.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): You can never tell.
neocharge: You heard it here first.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): They didn't... I mean, that that'd be awesome. i would I'm hopeful for that.
neocharge: Synergy. Why would they skip World? Why would they go Super Mario Brothers and then Galaxy and skip World with the the show or the movie? They're they're gearing up.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I mean, that's true, but it's also Nintendo.
neocharge: They're gearing up.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): remember Remember how good their Metroid Prime Nintendo Directs were? Remember those, Matt?
neocharge: Too soon, man.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): that's That's how Nintendo treats their stuff.
neocharge: Too soon.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): They they don't fucking know half the time.
neocharge: It's true. yeah they did Oh, my God.
Leon Lionheartly: There's no rhyme or reason to anything they do. Okay?
neocharge: That's true.
Leon Lionheartly: Okay.
neocharge: That's true. I'm hopeful. I'd love a a a new galaxy. Anyway, thank you for that update on the draft.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): ah be cool. Yeah.
neocharge: We got some exciting releases this month.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Of course.
neocharge: And then last month, was ah we we had a lot of pickups from the State of Play, and we still have Summer Game Fest. We still probably have two or three more State of Plays. We probably have a first-party Nintendo Direct coming up at some point.
neocharge: Maybe a March 10th Mario Day announcement. Who knows? But we'll see.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): We're going to have an Xbox's liquidating sale by the second half of the year.
neocharge: yes Right? ah Especially with this one announcement in the news, which let's get right into the news.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Spoiler. to it So you want to news first, not games we're playing?
neocharge: Bob? ah That's up to us. We can do news or games we're playing. What do we want to do? Usually it's news and then games we're playing.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): How many news articles?
Leon Lionheartly: Oh, yeah, I was going to say, we we we yeah we've got one, two, three, four, five, six, seven different ah items.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Okay, do that.
neocharge: How many news articles?............
Leon Lionheartly: Obviously, some of them are just like a quick in and out, um like one or two of those.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Okay.
Leon Lionheartly: But yeah, giggity.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Let's do new sports.
neocharge: Kind of like har High Guard was.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Jesus.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah.
neocharge: Quick in and out.
Leon Lionheartly: yeah
neocharge: I'm sorry.
Leon Lionheartly: Hey, if you want to start if you want to start news, let's just segue.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): High card.
neocharge: Hey, let's just segue.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Woof.
neocharge: Let's segue right into it.
Leon Lionheartly: That is perfect. ah yeah yeah But yeah, this is unsurprising to anybody. um the This is shocker.
neocharge: Shocker.
Leon Lionheartly: This ah broke yesterday from on March or third um After releasing a roadmap and laying off half, ah more than half, like 90% of your staff, ah the developer for Wildlight Entertainment is permanently shutting down High Guard as of March 12, 2026.
Leon Lionheartly: twelfth twenty twenty six So, days, ah which means it longer than Concord.
neocharge: And even last fucking three months.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Was that 55 days? 54? for
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): can we
neocharge: Yeah,
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Can we talk about this a little bit more in depth? Your opinions, gentlemen, because I sincerely want you to...
neocharge: yeah that's why we're here.
Leon Lionheartly: Uh-huh.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Well, you don't know my question yet. Because, like yeah, I wasn't a fan of High Guard at all. I thought it looked generic. I mean, I wasn't rooting against it, but I just thought, I don't want this.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Who does? That was my honest take way back when it was announced, way back more than 54 days ago. um
Leon Lionheartly: yeah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): When ah and my question for you gentlemen, and this is probably going to be geared a little bit more towards Bob because he's played more of these types of games like League of Legends and, and you know, ah the overwatches of the world.
neocharge: He played high guard too.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): and Yeah, he, yes, for sure. But, Why would you pull the plug this early? i realized that the the player count was drastically just just down, but the amount of money that has been sunk into this, and I literally mean sunk. It's sunk. That money is gone. You can't get that money back.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): and I mean, even by shuttering the studios and declaring bankruptcy or, you know, is this like a, ah the, the, why can't I remember the name of the fucking play? The,
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Where you can make more money with a flop than with a hit. it's It's completely...
Leon Lionheartly: Oh, I know what you're referring to. Yeah, yeah. um Yeah, go ahead.
neocharge: no let me i'll just go because i'm going to be quick you have more of an in-depth uh answer on this because you played it but my assumption the player account's super low it does require money to keep it going and keep people employed and the money they're making on a ah every day compared to what they have to pay their ah staff every day. They're getting a net loss every day, every month. So it's just losing more money. If they shutter it, they they have that main net loss initially, but they're not continuing to lose money.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): but But sincerely, how much does it cost since most of the the work was front-loaded, like the money was front-loaded, and the movie is The Producers, that the show is called The Producers, by the way.
neocharge: That's my only... Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Nathan Lane, Matthew Broderick, Uma Thurman in the in the movie, the most recent version of it, where you can make more money with a flop than with a hit.
neocharge: Yeah.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): ah But it's
neocharge: Well, let's just do some quick maths, right? How many people were on the development team?
Leon Lionheartly: Don't quote me, but I want to say they had 300 and they ended up going down to 20.
neocharge: Okay. ah Okay, so they have 20 people on the development team. Let's do a net average of the salary. ah a Lost connection to server, attempting to reconnect.
Leon Lionheartly: Oh, we can hear him.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): still hear you.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah, you sounded just fine.
neocharge: Okay.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): can see you.
Leon Lionheartly: Okay.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So, no, I can.
neocharge: You can't see me anymore?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah, we can hear you and see you.
neocharge: Oh, okay. Everything's good. All right. Well, hopefully it clears up. ah What's like the net average salary of each person, 20 people?
Leon Lionheartly: Well, see, that depends. You're right.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Oh, there he goes.
Leon Lionheartly: Oh, there he goes. All right. Well, I guess we'll let him keep doing his thing.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): yeah
Leon Lionheartly: ah And i'll I'll continue his thought for him. um So the thing, I can see where he's going with that, which is you're constantly losing money. um But then you got a factor in who is still on the team.
Leon Lionheartly: What are their titles? What are the positional pay? ah Things of that nature, right? And then more importantly their bait wildlife is based out of austin texas which is technically a little bit cheaper than let's say you know the west coast uh seattle california yeah yeah um so there is uh there is money that's constantly being lost um the difference is and i'll take this as let's say concord i and we can get into this if you want.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah, California is right.
Leon Lionheartly: um I truly think Concord and High Guard are completely two different stories. We make the joke and the meme, but they are completely different. ah Concord cost $40 launch the game.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Definitely.
Leon Lionheartly: to launch the game
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: to To purchase the game and then be able to play it. There was already a cost in. By Sony going ahead and doing what they did and then issuing a refund, they could now take all of that and put it down into their taxes and then kind of do a loss and then minimize the...
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah, that's a lot of sure.
Leon Lionheartly: yeah minimize their they at least get something on the back end from ah from the tax side. From my understanding, and I don't know this side of business, you can't do that on a free-to-play. You're literally just churning money every day hoping to get players. And unfortunately, the numbers kept just going down.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: um
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: Which means at some point, if yeah you know if you have 10 people that are playing the game, ah you're kind of hosed at that point. um And you're just ah burning through money. And more importantly,
Leon Lionheartly: ah Tencent was the undisclosed backer of the of the developer and the process and the team, they cut the funding. So not only were they losing money, now they just lost the revenue stream they did have on top of that.
neocharge: I
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): oh Yeah, they got pincer attacked. So that makes sense. I just, I was thinking, you know, not that I thought it ever had a chance to recover because it took a pretty big fall very rapidly, very quickly.
Leon Lionheartly: Yep. Okay.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But it's just like, boy, you spend like millions of dollars on this. And then you run away at the first sight, the sign of of like an uphill battle instead of saying, you know what, we're going to issue free battle passes and we're going to like add in some, I don't know. I just feel like if they really, really truly believed in it and and thought we have a great game with great mechanics and great everything, then kind of stand by it. And I i don't think that was the smart or that would be the smart choice by any means. I just didn't know enough to sort of have an educated opinion.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I thought, boy, that just sucks. You know, if I have this job, ah something that I want to sell a core corporation and I walk in and the very first, the secretary says, leave, and I just leave, then I probably didn't believe in my my pitch at all to begin with. And that's kind of what it feels like with high guard where they just turned tail and ran so fast. And maybe it's not the developers. Like you said, Tencent just cut them off. They were probably like, fuck it. Cut the head off the Hydra. We don't, we don't care. We'll just, we'll just not bleed anymore. And all right, fine.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It just, it makes you feel for the people that are making the game, you know?
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah, I feel bad for them, man. It sucks for anybody to lose their job, particularly because you know the wrench turners, if you will, really probably truly were passionate about this project and and and believed in what they were doing.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: And you could see that there was there was at least something. like The plug wasn't just pulled suddenly right away. I mean, it was in in the grand scheme of things, but not right away.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): yeah
Leon Lionheartly: Because within that first week, they produced a roadmap. They said, here's what we're doing. Here's what we're planning on. Here's what we're going to provide for the community. Oh, by the way, the biggest feedback that we've gotten about this game, which was the 3v3, we're going to go ahead and we're going to make it now 5v5.
Leon Lionheartly: And they included a 5v5 mode um within the first week of launch. And that didn't turn the tide, which was probably the the the canary in the coal mine that um it was, quite frankly, just not going to last.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Sure.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah. Well, that's, it's a shame for them, for the people that meant well. It's on ah a little bit of a selfish note. I'm thrilled that a game like that, that model just failed really hard.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Not, not bad for the devs. Like that sucks for the devs. I don't, I don't wish anybody to lose their jobs. But it is nice to see a little bit of a shift in maybe this isn't what we fucking want anymore. Stop shoving this down our throats. Like if you're going to do a game like Helldivers had a price when it came out, the content was there, you got your money's worth, and then some.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Same thing with even, dare I say, like you said with Concord, that was more in line with something that I could see succeeding because of the It wasn't a full price game because they expected people to deal with the microtransactions, but you did pay something and you got something for it instead of just rolling the dice completely.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And I think that so many of those rolling the dice completely games and situations are almost doomed to fail. What is it now? Like a 95% failure rate on those. It's, it's, it's yeah it's like winning a lottery to get them to be well received.
Leon Lionheartly: Yep, yep.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And that just sucks when, when they force so many developers to do that. These guys, I do feel like they wanted to. So that's kind of why I feel a little bit more bad today. badly about about their fuck up and of course jeff keighley taking a huge huge hit from from what happened over the last uh well the whole debacle with him and announcing that standing behind it and and who knows what really happened but um you know gotta move on that's that's i i respect him for tweeting about it and saying like and they're shutting down goodbye you know and ah tripling down and saying fuck you people you're ruined my life like he's
Leon Lionheartly: yeah yep
Leon Lionheartly: Yep. Yep. yep
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah, he lost a little bit of his luster with that decision. Oops.
Leon Lionheartly: He absolutely did. And then the internet's going to do the internet. i truly At the end of the day, I truly believe Keeley did see something because I saw something in this game. This game was a very delicious looking cake that was very much underbaked.
Leon Lionheartly: It was very much needed a lot of work. This was more like a beta alpha kind of game. And then you build on it because you're you're trying to work with a lot. you're You're mixing a lot together.
Leon Lionheartly: You need somebody else in in the kitchen to give you a sanity check. And they just quite frankly didn't do that.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: um and and then And then you compound compound that with Keeley. um Because if Keeley had actually, like if this game had actually been good, if it was full of content, there was more champions, heroes, guardians, I don't remember what they call them.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: ah There was more to do on the map. ah yeah at the end of the day and and At the end of the day, Keeley would have looked like a genius. He would have looked like me picking up Pokemon P.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): yeah yeah And that's, that's the thing about Jeff Keighley. I mean, for as hard as people have been on him about this whole thing, The man loves the industry more than just about any one of us. He's been at the front of it for a long time. And he's, I know people's, Oh, he's fake. He's just too nice. And it's like, some people are just that nice. He just, I mean, maybe he is fit. I don't know him personally, but I think that he genuinely has gamers interests at heart.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Now, if we find out that he took a big old paycheck for, for high guard, like that would be a huge fucking problem.
Leon Lionheartly: He...
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But, but he also has to pay for it somehow. So, you know,
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah. and and that's And that's the thing that really irritates me about the whole story is ah yeah ah The way I've always assumed it is a game reveal or world premiere as Xbox would put it, whatever you want to call it, that is going to be a ah pit ah quid pro quo, you know back alley dealing.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah. Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: But the ads, the gotcha slop, the new product, to the food stuff, that's all paid commercials. So this is kind of what really throws me, oh man, Jeff, what what happened here?
Leon Lionheartly: So I truly think he just kind of got stronger. And and then he doubled down. So maybe he did believe in it. But ah I guess at the end of the day, um maybe there are some lessons to be learned. I wait to hear the fallout.
Leon Lionheartly: yeah You know, there's going to be ah some, you know, ah leather shoe reporter that's going to go digging into this. And I'm all for it because this is a this is a ah story that needs to be heard.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Oh, it is an interesting story. Great, great ah research piece for the industry in general, good, bad or otherwise. One of the things that I do think my my one thing that I do think is a flaw in Jeff Keighley, and it's not his fault because he's a busy man.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I think he loves what games could be instead of what they are in ah in a situation like this. And it's I mean, I also love what games could be, but that's my job as the consumer.
Leon Lionheartly: Yep. yep
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): it's, it's quite different. You know, it'd be like an Academy awards host going out and just being like, I like all of these movies that I love are the only ones that are good and win. Like, that's not how you do it with Jeff. I just feel like he loved what high guard could be. The potential was clearly there. You and Bo had a good time sometimes when you're playing, I mean, you know, maybe it wasn't all roses, but you guys played enough of it. You didn't play it for five minutes and say, fuck this. I'm out.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): You know, like you, So I think with Jeff, I think, I don't think that he didn't like it and, and like got strong armed. I think he did like it. He may have still gotten strong arm, but I think he did like it because he's like, boy, this could be something.
Leon Lionheartly: you You're absolutely right.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And that.
Leon Lionheartly: Because there was something there at the end of the day. The gunplay was okay. It wasn't atrocious. um Let's be honest, the the the aesthetics and the presentation was all right.
Leon Lionheartly: um And then at the heart of it, the gameplay loop, I could see it was one of those, you know, when somebody has a really good idea, and you're like, i you have something there. but let me help you adjust this or that because, and kind of give you reality.
Leon Lionheartly: That's where they were at with a game idea. And I, Jeff saw that. Um, so I'm wondering the question I would ask is when did he see it first? first
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Right.
Leon Lionheartly: Because did he see it early on and think they were going to build on it and then they didn't. And now, now he looks like the asshole because if I were Jeff, I'd be a little, I'd be a little jaded about that. Right. Um, But, hey, you know what?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Sure.
Leon Lionheartly: At the end of the day, he manned up to it. He acknowledged it. And can we can, we he you you always get one.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: And I think this is Jeff's one.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Well, and I'll give the guy credit. He was quiet for a bit after he doubled down. He realized that, well, there's no, no reversing course here. And he just stayed quiet and then continued being Jeff like that. That was the the coolest thing that he could have done by acknowledging and say they're shutting down. Bummer.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And then just, you know, the next the next thing that he announces, people are still going to be there.
Leon Lionheartly: Yep.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): They're still going to like it or hate it and talk about it. So props to the guy for getting back on that horse.
Leon Lionheartly: Absolutely.
neocharge: Everybody gets one.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Welcome back, Matt.
neocharge: Hey, I'm back. Yeah. ah Apparently my Mac decided to take a shit. It wasn't my network. My Mac just lost connection and I had to restart. So that's never happened.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): That's weird.
neocharge: Wonder what that was.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): You have, you haven't some, I'm sure we did because that's the Zencaster way.
neocharge: Who knows? I'm back. I hope I didn't fuck everything up. We'll see. but yeah Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: a
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): no offense Zencaster. I know you're trying.
neocharge: I blame i blame Caleb's RNG.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It is.
Leon Lionheartly: yeah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): i mean, your your computer could not handle the Cheez-Its.
Leon Lionheartly: yes
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): That's what's going on.
neocharge: No, it couldn't. It couldn't.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): You weren't feeding it enough Cheez-Its so it lost power.
neocharge: pick good
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): That's what happened.
neocharge: Yeah, yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It's fuck.
neocharge: My point before I left was like, if the cost is more to manage this game than what it's making, it's just a net loss every day.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah, and that makes perfect sense.
neocharge: So.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): what Bob filled in the rest when when you were off, ah sort of picked up where you where you left off.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And i didn't I forgot that Tencent had cut them off from above.
neocharge: Ah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So it wasn't just below, it was above. It was both sides were just being squeezed to death. So yeah, it is what it is. It happens. That sucks for the developers. It sucks for the people behind it. But I'm happy that that game didn't succeed because like I told Bob, maybe it means there's a shift We don't want this show out fucking throats anymore. Stop doing this.
neocharge: Exactly. that That was my thing.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): and And I mean, they do believe they did believe in it.
neocharge: I wasn't...
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): so like Some of the developers absolutely believed in it.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So that's what sucks. So if it's a game you wanted to make, great.
neocharge: I wasn't...
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But, you know, vote with your wallet.
neocharge: Right. wasn't rooting against it.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): That's the, yeah.
neocharge: I wasn't rooting against it. I just wanted them to learn their lesson and for them to really think about, and other developers really to think about what are we doing here? and
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And they did. i think they did learn their lesson.
neocharge: Exactly. and it Yeah, it didn't last three fucking months. They're they're gone.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
neocharge: i hate that people are losing their jobs. And I didn't play it. I can't speak to it. But I haven't heard good things. I'm not a fan of the genre. And it seemed like a big cash grab to me.
neocharge: And to learn that Tencent is behind it makes me even more upset that it exists.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): You know what needs to happen?
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So, all right, here's here's how I want this timeline to course correct. I want Phil Spencer to hire people from Bluepoint and from the team that made Highguard, start his own studio, and make the Schmegand of Schmagoon. That's the game. And Schmlu Schmraggen.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Those are the two games that they need to work on.
neocharge: My goodness. My goodness.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Wouldn't that be something? I'd actually be interested if that happened.
neocharge: Yep.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): but That'd be super interesting. But anyway...
Leon Lionheartly: okay
neocharge: Dang.
Leon Lionheartly: You'd be buying it day one.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): day one!
neocharge: Get one!
Leon Lionheartly: and There it is. oh are
neocharge: Yep. My clock stopped, too. my it reset, by the way. So you guys have the time. I don't.
Leon Lionheartly: Okay.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): One, two, three.
Leon Lionheartly: Well, I got you. I'll let you know when it gets to...
neocharge: Excellent. Excellent.
Leon Lionheartly: Dang it.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): good yeah
neocharge: Jesus, that's too many references.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah, Matt, you know, we already passed the 67-minute mark, so I don't know what you're so concerned with.
neocharge: It's too many references.
Leon Lionheartly: yeah dg it
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): a All right, next news story before we...
Leon Lionheartly: hey Anyways.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): definite
Leon Lionheartly: ah Well, I hate to keep bob piling on you guys. i This is, i'm and as always, I'm sorry, Caleb, I didn't prep you with this, but I'm going to send you the link anyways here.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It's okay.
Leon Lionheartly: um ah With the Bluepoint shutdown, waited and sure enough, we heard ah this is officially coming after the rumors came around.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): oh
Leon Lionheartly: um This is coming through Game Informer. um They're reporting via Bloomberg, jurisdiction trier over there. that PlayStation, ah former PlayStation developer, Bluepoint Games, um did in fact actually pitch a Bloodborne remake, um as they should have, right?
neocharge: as they should.
Leon Lionheartly: That's what everybody else wanted. um Everybody else in the new room knew knew they wanted it. um And then, well, you know let me back up here. If you remember, guys, ah last year, um Shuhei Yoshida did a interview with Kinder Funny last year, and when they were discussing ah the Bluepoint doing a, or rather a Bloodborne remake was brought up and Yoshida had said, quote, he doesn't want anyone, that Miyazaki doesn't want anyone else to touch it. um So Bluepoint, after they pitched, then their remake came back and they were told, quote, was told the numbers made sense to remake Bloodborne, but from Saw 4 didn't want to make it happen, end quote. So once again, we are seeing that while PlayStation owns the IP, Miyazaki and FromSoft refuse to let anybody else work with it.
neocharge: Hmm. So we were wondering who the gatekeeper was or, and we thought it was PlayStation.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): What mess.
neocharge: They just weren't pitching it or Bluepoint wasn't interested in it, but we understand Bluepoint pitched it. PlayStation was like, yeah, that sounds good from software. Stopped it.
neocharge: Why?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah. It's kind of weird to me when you when you get down to something like that. it's it's And I realize that now is a weird time to talk about it, but the same shit happened for over a decade with Square Enix.
neocharge: Hmm.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And everybody, you know, when when Final Fantasy VII's tech demo on the PS3, you remember the the intro to Final Fantasy VII of Cloud jumping off the train was done for their tech demo and everybody lost their fucking minds because the internet does what the internet does and they're like, the remake's confirmed.
Leon Lionheartly: Yes.
neocharge: Oh yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: Okay.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And it's like, no, it was a tech demo. But also a little bit of shame on you, Square. Why would you fucking do that and not expect people to lose their goddamn minds?
neocharge: Right.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Like that's just, you're just an asshole at that point. You're kind of a bully when you do that. Now, after much much, much, much, much berating that Square took, we finally got enough of our Final Fantasy VII remake.
neocharge: You listened.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): We did. So does this mean that From Software is going to pull their heads out of their own buttholes in like 11 years and then we get a Bloodborne when the world is on fire? Like, I don't know why they wouldn't want to do it unless they just...
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): don't know how to do it justice. Like that's the only argument that I can make, but you don't even have to do it justice.
neocharge: Right.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Just, just remake the fucking game like demon souls, like blue point already nailed it.
neocharge: and it Make it in 60 frames. Right?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): it's it's the blood more.
neocharge: It runs lock 30 right now.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I mean, it's low hanging fruit for them.
neocharge: So maybe... Well, maybe... So Demon's Souls was on PS3. Maybe they're like, it's not needed yet, but in the future, maybe. Because PS3 to PS5, two generations. Bloodborne came out on PS4. We're only one generation in. So they might be like, oh let's save it for PS6.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I mean, I do.
neocharge: Who knows?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I get that. But I also don't for a company that is pretty well beloved. They have a huge developing staff. ah You know, Elden Ring, people lost their goddamn minds at Elden Ring.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And rightfully so. The game was was outstanding. I mean, even if you hate that style of game, it was an outstanding game achievement. It's just the achievement alone is crazy.
neocharge: Sure.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): With something like Bloodborne. It's a slam dunk and then some. You just you got more seed money for your next Elden Ring. you know Not Elden Ring, but like the next project for for moving things forward. I will never understand.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And you don't even have to do it. It's another studio developing it. Like at Bluepoint in this case.
neocharge: Right.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So that's what I don't understand. You're you're probably right with the PS3 But I also feel like the work related from the PS3 to the PS5 is so much harder than 4 to 5 Pro because the PS3's 7-cell architecture was a fucking nightmare to develop for.
neocharge: All
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So they really had to do the ground up. From Bloodborne, I'm pretty sure that they could just like load up the old disc and be like, all right, how do we clean this bitch up? like I don't think it would...
neocharge: right.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): not that I wouldn't...
neocharge: Give us a 60 frames patch. Give us a 60 FPS patch.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
neocharge: It doesn't run in 60.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Just something, right?
neocharge: It's lock 30. No.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It's a weird choice by them.
neocharge: if
Leon Lionheartly: that that is the weird That is what makes this really weird. is It hasn't even been updated in any kind of ah capacity.
neocharge: Right? It's a pro patch.
Leon Lionheartly: but Yeah, not a SKU that's bringing it up to the PlayStation 5. Nothing. it It literally is just locked in time. ah Kind of like a metal gears so almost a Metal Gear Solid 4 situation.
neocharge: Oh.
Leon Lionheartly: i
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah,
Leon Lionheartly: And that that's in the the other thing I'll tell you guys. that really scratches my head is because Sony owns the IP. So they could theoretically just say, fuck it, we're going to do it. But then you burn but then you're burning a bridge with Miyazaki and From Software.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): good yeah you know what?
Leon Lionheartly: and then the next thing that, you know, next Elden Ring comes out and you don't get it on your console because you pissed them off, right? Yeah. That's a whole thing. But like you said, Caleb, they own the IP.
Leon Lionheartly: So it could be a deal worked out where it's like, hey, we will bring in the developers. Sony, they, as in Sony, will go, we'll bring in the developers.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: We'll fund everything. willll take We'll take home... 80%, 90%, whatever that it like looks like in from the ah out of the bag. And we'll give you x amount.
Leon Lionheartly: Here, this will literally be free money for you to go make Elden Ring 2026 or 2072 or whatever, right?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: i And...
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Tarnished edition.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah, the tarnished edition on the Switch 2, by the way.
neocharge: So bad.
Leon Lionheartly: ah no you So that's the part that really scratches my head. is yeah Sony could make a bunch of money from software, could make some money from from that because they're tied into it.
Leon Lionheartly: And you want to keep code ah you know courtesies and playing nice with everybody.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): yeah
Leon Lionheartly: it would
neocharge: Right.
Leon Lionheartly: And you know it's going to sell.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: I'd buy it.
neocharge: Mm-hmm.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It is strange. it could be that whatever back door dealings were being done at the time, maybe they really maybe one side was just way too greedy and they didn't want to burn any bridges either way and they were like, fuck it, let's just table this for now. That's that's always a possibility because even the Sony 8020, the hypo hypothetical that you just made, maybe Miyazaki was like,
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): That's not enough for me. And maybe Sony was like, we're going to do all the work. And he's like, nobody's doing the work. Fuck you. I mean, i could see that, but I still just feel like why you wouldn't, why you wouldn't, everybody wants it. That's a slam dunk for everybody involved. Gamers will buy it. You will be a hero for releasing this thing.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And Sony would be a hero for having it on their console. Like, it's just a strange choice. And and when when you had sent this article to me, couple to us like a couple days ago, whatever, I never responded because I think I read it and I just got mad.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I think I was so mad that I was like, I'm not going to ruin anybody's day with my response.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): like I just forgot. But it it really was... ah It took the... took the breath out of me a little bit. Cause I just thought who is making these choices? Honestly, what, what asshole sat there and said no. But then the further I got and I thought, Oh, they're all assholes. Nobody said yes. What the fuck is going on?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So bummer, bummer all around.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah, well, maybe maybe someday we'll get it. But until then, all we can do is just hope and wait. um onto But you know what? let's get We've been a little down. let's keep Let's give you some guys some good news. A little bit of hope in the in ah a beacon of light, if you will. um we're going to and i'll drop You already know about this, Caleb. You already know what I'm thinking about.
Leon Lionheartly: Pick us up from Push Square. It ultimately was pushed out by the official social media account on Twitter. um But Dan...
neocharge: With a little tiny video too.
Leon Lionheartly: ah with a little tiny video that you can go find. Bandai Namco um went ahead and just dropped a 15 second trailer with a post ah video with a posting that says they ah have a new RPG reveal coming March 5th at 1500. So 3pm Pacific Standard Time or 6pm Eastern Standard Time. um Gentlemen, you know what everybody's thinking.
Leon Lionheartly: Are you ready for another Tales game potentially?
neocharge: Fuck yeah, I am.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Tales of Berseria 2.
neocharge: Fucking love it. Tales of Listeria. Tales of Gonorrhea.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Tales of Copium.
neocharge: No.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It's Tales of Copium. We we already know this.
neocharge: Tales of Gonorrhea. here's the thing. Okay.
Leon Lionheartly: Hmm.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It's clobber time!
neocharge: It's flower time. ah The Tales channel actually put out a weird video like a week ago or something teasing something from March 3rd.
neocharge: So I don't know.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Well, when did the Bandai Namco announcement come out?
neocharge: Like,
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Was that yesterday? The third?
neocharge: think it was yesterday.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So maybe they were teasing.
neocharge: No, i think anyway I think it was... Yeah, so the Tales channel teased something for March 3rd. We got this announcement of an announcement March 3rd. So if they're correlated, this is 100% the news new Tales game.
neocharge: And it's not a remaster because that ah clip was not from any Tales game that I know of. It could be a very, very old Tales game being remade. But think I think we're getting a new Tales game, fellas.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): what's What's the name of the first Tales game ever, you know?
neocharge: I think Legendia, Tales Legendia. Let me look.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Because it could, like, I was thinking it could be a remake of the very first one, you know, like, going back to where it all began, the very first Tales game, oh my god.
neocharge: me
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Like, I'm just thinking of what what would get people excited.
neocharge: no
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Not that a new one wouldn't get people people excited, because Arise was good, it was very good.
neocharge: Right. Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And it's time.
neocharge: Tales of Fantasia.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Oh. Okay.
neocharge: Legendia was like, no. Tales of Fantasia, then Tales of Destiny, then Tales of Eternia. That was the Gen 1.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But Fantasia was the first, huh?
neocharge: Fantasia. Yes.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Okay.
neocharge: so And then there's a little sentence they they put in here. what what It says ah a new... Let's see. Where is it?
Leon Lionheartly: A serenity soon to be disturbed.
neocharge: the Tales of Serenity?
Leon Lionheartly: Maybe?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Boy, if it's...
Leon Lionheartly: Tales are disturbed. ah
neocharge: Oh. Oh.
Leon Lionheartly: no no
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah, of...
neocharge: Oh.
Leon Lionheartly: ah
Leon Lionheartly: ah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Tales of Stoopify.
Leon Lionheartly: You know, yeah stupid I like that.
neocharge: sales
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: That's good. which Well, I mean, when was ah yeah when was ah Tales of Arise? ah
neocharge: twenty twenty one
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Like five solid years ago.
Leon Lionheartly: I don't see. All right. You know what, mate?
neocharge: they're they're up they're up they're they're due so
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah. And if you look at... do You saw... I'm assuming you watched the video, right? The little 15 seconds. second
neocharge: Yeah, yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I actually did not because just going to wait to see what they say tomorrow.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah, there's a... So it kind of fades. ah you You get this little... It's like a foresty scene with a castle. assumed would be a castle there. um And then it just fades to a character.
Leon Lionheartly: And he's... It's... I don't want to say Tales style because Tales isn't exactly ah its own style in terms of art direction. But still a kind of...
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Sure.
neocharge: It's all shaded.
Leon Lionheartly: But it is cel-shaded anime. ah Kind of.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): That's it.
Leon Lionheartly: And... He's got to write a sword and he's got a shield with a red shield with some kind of symbol on the on his back. So I'm just saying there's a good chance that this is a Tales game.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): What's the hero of look like in Tales of Fantasia?
neocharge: Oh, yeah. I love the comments. they He's got like a ton of belts on his leg. And they're like, oh, that he has so many belts just like Velvet. It's definitely a Tales game.
neocharge: Tales of Beltasia or something like that. I don't know.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): yeah
neocharge: Crazy. Sorry. What were you going to say,
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): No, I was going to ask what the main character looks like in Tales of Phantasia.
neocharge: Caleb? I think long white hair or maybe that's Legendia.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): john
neocharge: I don't know.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): yeah i mean, it's very anime. He's got a like a red cloak, white-ish armor, I think, and a sword.
neocharge: Yeah. Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I was just thinking, could it be an evolution? is Could it be a remake of Tales of Phantasia based on what Bob just said?
neocharge: I'd be so down for that. I'd be so down for that. Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I'd be down for a game where Shion came back and she was like in Yuna hot pants like Final Fantasy X-2.
neocharge: You see, you saw one of her, uh, costumes she gets, right?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): that's
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah, but I'm just thinking like as far as sequels go to ah JRPGs, 10-2's character choices did not make any sense to me, and that but like so it would be hilarious to see this happen with the most down-to-business, down-to-she's-got-to-get-shit-done and be like, I'm going to just be a singer and wear hot pants now in my sequel game.
neocharge: Velvet.
neocharge: Yeah.
neocharge: Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): like I don't know.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): it's A man can dream.
neocharge: ah
Leon Lionheartly: yeah
neocharge: ah i I do think it's Tales. I think it's Tales of.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah, it
neocharge: There's a lot that points to it. ah the The huge thing that's indicative to this is the Tales channel said there was going to be... like They pointed towards an announcement the third.
neocharge: We got that announcement on the third.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
neocharge: like That's some correlation there. so I think it might be either a remake of a very old genhuan gentu Gen 3 game.
neocharge: or it's going to be a brand new Tales game after Arise. So, yeah. Bergeria was the one before Arise. Then we got Arise. Dude, Arise is built on the bones of Bergeria. You'll see.
neocharge: You'll see.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah. All right. We'll see. We'll see.
neocharge: So, yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: ah
neocharge: Bergeria walks so Arise could run.
Leon Lionheartly: Okay. All right.
neocharge: Yeah, we're going to find out in less than 24 hours. I'm super excited, and I can't wait. I've been waiting on a Tales game. The tease that we got, ah i don't know what game it was, but the Rev Noir, I didn't know we were we were past Konami. or I thought we were past Konami, and they were just going to the next announcement, and I truly thought that was a Tales game.
neocharge: But I love Tales. I love the Tales series. a Arise was critically acclaimed, and it was great. We all played it. We all platinumed it, loved it.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Well deserved. It was really good.
neocharge: Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: yeah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It was a new engine. They needed a new engine. I mean, nothing against the old engine, but it was time, man.
neocharge: Yes. Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): They they got their money's worth out of that engine for decades.
neocharge: Right. Yeah, they did. Yeah, they did.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So this one...
neocharge: I think there were like seven Gen 4 games or some shit like that, including sequels.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It's crazy.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But Arise's engine was awesome. Like very, very good.
neocharge: Oh.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): and it and it just, the evolution of it made sense.
neocharge: Yes.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So I'll take more of that. That's not a problem at all.
neocharge: Yep.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Just FYI, will be at my parents' tomorrow when this announcement happens, so I will not be seeing it.
neocharge: If this comes out this year... oh what?
neocharge: eleven
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So when you guys blow up my phone with 685 messages and I don't respond, I'm not being a dick.
neocharge: Yep. Yep.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I'm just trying to know be respectful of my parents.
neocharge: Gotcha. Good to know. What's the biggest count you've seen so far?
Leon Lionheartly: He's...
neocharge: What's the biggest count?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): uh, high two hundreds, like two 70 something.
neocharge: i just turned my pat I just turned my badge off.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But that's also,
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): well, it does help me if I have like three or four different chains that go and I look and I see like, Oh, this chain only had three.
neocharge: yeah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): This chain had, you know, two, 261 them are in the other fucking group that won't shut up about whatever.
neocharge: yeah Sure.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): and you know, so I can scroll up and see what I've missed, but it would be higher if I didn't clear it out every so often.
neocharge: Yep.
neocharge: Excellent.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): You know, like but when you guys are talking about stuff that I just don't really have anything to add, you know, not like good or bad, just like, I don't, not that I don't care, but it's like, this isn't for me.
neocharge: Bob.
neocharge: Gotcha. Yeah, yeah, of course. yours
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Okay.
neocharge: It's all good.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): great he could
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah.
neocharge: Hey, we're chatty and you have settings on your phone to to mitigate that.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
neocharge: So...
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah. That's, that's not a.
neocharge: Yeah, I don't. I have alerts turned off. I have sounds turned off. I have badges turned off like I could go in and there would be like 50 messages and I don't even know. So I check it on my time and I reply on my time and I think everyone should.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
neocharge: So Caleb, what Tales games have you played?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): No, I agree.
neocharge: You said you played three played and finished.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah, and I might have been wrong about that.
neocharge: Played and finished.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I might have played four of them.
neocharge: OK.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Because it some of them, even though they all have tails in the name, back in like college, ah I wrote them down.
neocharge: Sure.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Hold on, I'm sorry. Because the only one I really remember Arise.
neocharge: Bob,
Leon Lionheartly: He actually wrote them down.
neocharge: what else games what Tales games have you played? Yeah, this was his homework.
Leon Lionheartly: ah
neocharge: I gave him an assignment.
Leon Lionheartly: no i i played a No, I played No, I played Arise.
neocharge: Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: And then I want to say I try ah did dive into Progeria because that was the PS4 version. of But I got sidetracked and it wasn't the game. i I would definitely...
Leon Lionheartly: like I don't remember specifically anything bad about it. So then that tells me it wasn't the game. It was something else happened.
neocharge: it it It does have a slow start. I'm just warning you right now.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah.
neocharge: But once it gets going, it goes. It really goes. So did you get past the prologue or do you remember?
Leon Lionheartly: I don't remember. i All I can tell you is this.
neocharge: Gotcha.
Leon Lionheartly: Have you ever played a fucking Octopath game? Have you played Xenoblade Chronicles?
neocharge: You know. You know. Yeah. So yeah, it's your typical JRPG and incredible cast of characters. Super fun combat. Can't wait to hear your thoughts on it.
neocharge: So
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah, absolutely.
neocharge: Caleb is still looking for his list of Tales game.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah, it's, where the fuck is it?
neocharge: i'll go i'll I'll tell mine.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I'm sorry.
neocharge: I played Symphonia.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I can tell you the two, but yeah, go ahead.
neocharge: Symphonia, Vesperia, Grace's F, Bergeria, Arise, Zillia, and yeah, that's about it. Zestaria I didn't finish. Zestaria's not great. ah But there's a yeah there's a thing with Zestaria and Bergeria.
neocharge: Just saying.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah, that's and definitely a chance. Well, if you get to it, Caleb, if you find it, you let me know. and we'll We'll get you.
neocharge: Yeah, in no worries.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): it would the I can tell you that the two, though, for sure is Arise. Duh.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Thales of Arise. And i played some of Xillia, and I just did not like it that much.
neocharge: I didn't...
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And the
neocharge: Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: oh okay.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): and but
neocharge: So they're great games. They're just ah your typical cel-shaded JRPGs. ah And they're they're they're great. It's one of my top favorite RPG series um up with Final Fantasy. So...
neocharge: Yeah, i'm I'm excited. I can't wait to see what they're going to say. ah We have been ah blindsided before with an announcement it wasn't Tails, but this correlation, I think we're getting a new Tails game. So we'll see. Less than 24 hours. Couldn't be more excited. Maybe it releases this year. If it does, can't wait.
Leon Lionheartly: yeah Yeah, absolutely, man. i'm I'm looking forward to it. We'll see.
neocharge: Cool.
Leon Lionheartly: All right, we'll keep this going um for the sake of, excuse me time. If anybody cares, I'll drop these. We have two others that I'm going to get. ah I'll just cover them now real quick.
Leon Lionheartly: I'm going to put them in the Discord for everybody if in case you care. There are rumors about Starfield coming to PS5 and Nacon recently, yeah the publisher.
neocharge: Yeah.
neocharge: Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: um recently ah filed for insolvency, which is kind of, from my understanding, French bankruptcy. Definitely feel free to go check those out if you're interested. um But, you know, fun fact, do you know what Nacon did publish recently, their last few games, and this is why I'm kind of shocked.
neocharge: ah Wasn't it?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): What's that?
neocharge: Oh my God. i don't banishers, banishers.
Leon Lionheartly: No, no. Sticks, Blade of Greed, which ah is this it's a stealth rogue ah rogue game. And then ah Terminator Survivors, as well as Hell is Us.
neocharge: Oh.
neocharge: Oh. oh Got it.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Okay.
neocharge: Okay. Interesting.
Leon Lionheartly: So...
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Found it. Eternia and Destiny.
neocharge: Well, I wish them the best.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Sorry. Tales of Eternia and Tales of Destiny.
neocharge: Gotcha.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): There were the other two Jesus. I don't know why that took so damn long.
Leon Lionheartly: and then
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I mean, they were so long ago.
Leon Lionheartly: fair
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): i was And I know.
neocharge: You finished them?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): ah Yeah, I did.
neocharge: Nice.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Well, I know I finished Tales of Destiny. I don't know if I ever did.
neocharge: Those are on PS1, right?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Destiny was. Eternia, I want to say it was, but it came out around 2000.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So i don't remember if it was PS1 or PS2.
neocharge: Gotcha.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah, I can't remember.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Well, would have been PS1, but yeah, no.
neocharge: Nacon, wish him the best.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Wish them the best. Sorry.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah, continue.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah. You're good. Uh, all right. Uh, we can touch on this real quick for you guys. Uh, this is our last, before we get into the two big hitters of the, uh, of the, of the week, if you will.
Leon Lionheartly: Um, I thought this be a little interesting curve as the physical collectors that we are. Um, this is coming through push square and, uh,
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Oof.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah. According to Serkana analyst, ah Matt Piscitella, who reports and traffic data on sales within the US, um physical data or physical game sales, video game spending fell 11% in 2025 when compared to 2024 and are continuing on that trend ah since a these stats pretty much started going back as far as 1995. So gentlemen, we're dinosaurs.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): do you I have a question if you know the answer to this.
neocharge: it's It's a slow death.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Do you know if it's a fiscal drop or a quantity drop? like Did fewer units move or did less money get spent? Because...
Leon Lionheartly: oh Oh, okay. Yeah, yeah i know what're I know what you're asking. um As far as I know, let me double check that. I want to say it's the actual revenue.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Okay, because that's a different problem. Because if it's fewer fewer numbers... you know Each one of them costs around 10% after sales tax on average more than they used to.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): you know The $60 games became $70. So I was thinking if it was 11% off, that's that's almost in line. Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: No, no, no. So yeah it is actually based on the dollar amount, the value amount. In 2025, it reached 1.5 billion, um which you know you do the math on how that tells you how much how much ah how bad that is when you compare to how many billions of dollars the industry churns every year anyways.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah,
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): yeah. it'
neocharge: And
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
neocharge: It's inevitable.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I'm not surprised.
neocharge: It's, it's, it's just a slow death. Uh, I'm going to fight it till the end. I'm going to get physical as much as I can. Uh, we saw with Alan Wake to digital only release, but then they did release physical. i was a little upset about that because I bought both. Uh, and yeah, it's just inevitable. It's a way of the future. ownership's kind of going out the window everywhere in our lives.
neocharge: And, uh,
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Unless you're a company, then you own everything.
neocharge: yeah Exactly, right? Ownership for consumers and middle class, should I say, or upper middle. Everyone, right?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I was going to say, we're all fucked, so we yeah, that doesn't matter.
neocharge: If you're not a company. Yeah. Yeah, we're all fucked. So I hate it.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: It's all going to be owned by AI anyways.
neocharge: Yeah, exactly. I hate it. I don't like that direction. I like the convenience of it. I do. But I don't... Like, if I got like one of the... like I was looking at my game eye and what? Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess is like $250 physical.
neocharge: If I got that, let's say it was digital back then. If I got it digital, it would be worth nothing. It's tied to me. I technically don't own it. I'm just... ah i I own the license, right?
neocharge: But ah yes, exactly.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Rent it in perpetuity. This is kind of how that
neocharge: rent it until it's they pull it, right?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
neocharge: ah Like the stuff that you know on the Wii and the Wii people that bought stuff on there. Nothing transferred. They're just fucked. Those digital games are just locked to that console and they don't own shit.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
neocharge: So i I hate it. I will keep getting physical as long as I possibly can. Even when the developer or or the the publisher doesn't offer physical and you have to go through a third party, I'll do that.
neocharge: I don't care. I want to own my games and I want to touch my games. So, and I want to rub them all over me.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): the only the only advice that I would give you, not to sound like a really old man, but because like, I mean, you already admit that it's inevitable. It's going to happen and it fucking sucks.
neocharge: It is, yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And I hate it. We all hate it.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But one of the things that sort of lets me, because sometimes when I buy digitally out of necessity, you know, like Absalom didn't have a physical release when it came out all recently.
neocharge: Right?
Leon Lionheartly: yeah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): um And I used to have like a monetary threshold, right? Say, all right, 20 bucks. you know, whatever, i'll go I'll go to a movie and and watch a movie for 20 bucks and I don't own in that movie either.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Like, it's fine because it's an experience.
neocharge: Yeah. Experience, right? Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But what I get out of games, and and this, you already alluded to maybe being a podcast topic at some point of like, why what games mean to us why why people game because everybody's a little different some people do it solely to unwind others do it to find meaning in something i mean it's like reading a book for me at least uh but either way the point is the thing that they can never own even if i get something digital and i play through it and then they take it away from me they cannot take the experience away that i had when i played it
neocharge: o Sure.
neocharge: Yeah.
neocharge: True. That's true
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And that sort of helps me justify instead of making it feel like I'm throwing money in a fucking trash can, because sometimes it does feel like that. And it sucks because it's like, well, you know, you got me because there's no physical release and this game sucked or like I didn't like it or whatever, but I took my chance on it.
neocharge: true. Right.
Leon Lionheartly: Thank you.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But it it also lets me have... fun and interesting stories to people that might not know what I'm talking about.
neocharge: Yeah. That's
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): like i don't i have I don't know if I've told you guys this before. It's very, very quick interjection.
neocharge: a good point.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): buddy of mine whose parents are are really cool, i'm I'm friends with them, they're they're just they're nice people, they're good people, they ended up taking me to Indianapolis years ago to meet my extended family. like they they I could have driven there, but they were already going and there were already going to be vehicles.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So it was like, oh, if I could just ride with you, that'd be great. And they were they were nice and offered.
neocharge: Mm-hmm.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Well, the guy's mom is such a sweetheart. She she at the time was in her mid to late 60s. And she always asked, she's always interested in my life. You know, like, what are you doing? What stories? You always have fun stories. And I had been playing Red Dead Redemption 2.
neocharge: yeah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So as a joke, when she we were in the we were in this van for like six hours and she's like, what? You know, what's what's your life been like lately? Because Lisa was was gone for a couple of weeks helping her brother.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I was going to meet Lisa. So she's like, what have been doing in this bachelor world? And I said, joking. I was like, well, you know, I've been Arthur Morgan. I've been a cowboy for the last couple of weeks. I was just like saying shit from the game.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): just because that was funny.
neocharge: yeah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And this guy's mom, well, she's not stupid, but she was just like, really? You know, like she was intrigued by what I was saying. And so of course I kept going with it because that's what I do. But I was keeping within the confines of the game, like building the story of the game that I've experienced so far. And she was in the front passenger seat. She turns around all excited. she's like, what happens next? And I was like, I don't know, ma'am. I haven't gotten that far. And she didn't know that it was a game until I told her.
neocharge: Oh.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): She was like, she told her son, my friend, she was like, you need to get this game.
neocharge: Huh.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And he did. That's actually what made him buy a PS4.
neocharge: That's awesome.
Leon Lionheartly: yeah It's awesome.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I got PS4 pro.
neocharge: Hell yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I was like, you haven't played games since the PS2. You need to fucking get in. And so he ended up getting red dead redemption too. and And we still have this ongoing joke where I'll see him and I'll be like, cowboy, you know, and he'll say it back. Cause that's what got him back into gaming.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But the whole point in me telling you that is if a company takes away my copy of red dead redemption to digital, they can't take away that story. They can't take away what it meant to me at the time.
neocharge: That makes sense.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And yeah,
neocharge: Yeah, experience is important.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah, that's really a lot of of why I do it. And so I think that even though we are looking on you know the cliff of Mount Doom, hanging out on for dear life as physical gamers, um maybe try to keep that in mind when we're when we're all getting very angry about it, because we still have those opportunities.
neocharge: Yeah.
neocharge: Yeah.
neocharge: Hmm.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): When they take those away, then we can all just...
neocharge: That's true.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): panic and anarchist you know whatever just bob bob has guns i'm gonna go to bob and say protect me i'm a bitch i don't know what i'm doing in this world
neocharge: Yes.
neocharge: Right?
Leon Lionheartly: When it all breaks down and we're using battle caps as currency.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): yeah i mean i have played fallout but i mean are you gonna sell me some of your weapons so that i can relive fallout i don't think you are you're gonna want me to cut off my leg i'm not gonna do that
neocharge: Yep.
Leon Lionheartly: No, I'm going to be the wanderer.
neocharge: ah
Leon Lionheartly: I'm going to take my rifle and pistol and I'm going wander the wasteland.
neocharge: Yep.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yep.
Leon Lionheartly: Alright, gentlemen.
neocharge: Become a ghoul.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yes.
Leon Lionheartly: ah ja And guess what? That'll happen and GTA 6 still won't be released................
neocharge: Nope.
Leon Lionheartly: yeah ah
neocharge: Yep.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): We might get a new Tales game before GTA 6 comes out.
neocharge: Holy shit.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Think about that.
Leon Lionheartly: ah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): If it gets announced tomorrow and it's going to come out in like September, well, that'd be sweet.
neocharge: Right? Yeah, it would. Yeah, i wonder. Huh. So next piece of news, Bob pushed the server to me because, I mean, it's one of my favorite IPs.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Go for it, man.
neocharge: But yeah, we we got news on Assassin's Creed. And this is significant because they've been doing a lot of shifting and a lot of new leadership and a dedicated team over there.
neocharge: ah to Assassin's Creed and all the new games coming out. So ah they announced a couple things. So John Gouston, I'm saying that, head of content, he has a very, very impressive experience
Leon Lionheartly: you
neocharge: list of experience on many good Assassin's Creed games like Assassin's Creed Black Flag Odyssey Brotherhood so dude's been around for a while and he's overseeing all of the production for the next Assassin's Creed games and we got information on four Assassin's Creed pieces of news. One, weirdly, Assassin's Creed Unity released in 2015, 2016. I don't even know. 10 years ago.
neocharge: It's getting an update. ah We're getting a 60 FPS update for ah PlayStation 5. It's going to run better. I played Assassin's Creed Unity on launch. It was a broken mess, but...
neocharge: It was ahead of its time graphically, and story is really cool. And it's got a really cool piece of Eden, too. So ay did either of you play Unity?
neocharge: it's It's based in in France.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): No, it was it is one of the only ones I haven't played because it was so broken.
neocharge: Arno.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I had to choose when it came out.
neocharge: maybe it might Oh, yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I was going to, and I was like, this is a fucking mess. Like I can't do it. So I never did.
neocharge: It ran like a fucking slideshow, dude. Like, it was bad.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Well, you remember you sent me, you sent me video back way back then.
Leon Lionheartly: Ooh, no, no, I haven't.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Cause I was like, why, why would anybody put up with this?
neocharge: Yes, I did.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I mean, I would for my, one of my favorite IPs too, but I just, I couldn't do it.
neocharge: Right.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It was, it was awful.
neocharge: Yeah. So, yeah, ah we are getting a free update for Xbox and PS5 for 60 FPS and just some enhancements, performance enhancements for and Unity.
neocharge: So, Bob, did you play Unity?
Leon Lionheartly: No. um okay He just passed out.
neocharge: Awesome. Awesome.
Leon Lionheartly: That was a bad time for me. 2014.
neocharge: Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: twenty fourteen
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Mm-hmm.
neocharge: Gotcha. 2014. Okay. Was it 2014 or 2015? One of the teens. um Yeah, that was exciting news. Not really significant, though. They touched on shadows. One of the big things in the the video, he's got like a two-minute video explaining things, and he acknowledged the pushback and the criticism for Assassin's Creed shadows. And he acknowledged that it was a negative thing, and they're they're working to make it better. And they...
neocharge: They acknowledged it and they're like, we're we're getting back on course. So that was really nice to hear because I haven't even played Shadows. I'm a huge Assassin's Creed fan. And like they they kind of dropped the ball on Shadows from what I've heard.
neocharge: So in the DLC, the attack on Titan DLC for Assassin's Creed, what the fuck are you doing? So hopefully this guy comes in and it was, it was bad. The animations were terrible. Like the, the ah main character yelled and his mouth didn't even open.
neocharge: It was dude.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): yeah
neocharge: It was bad.
Leon Lionheartly: what
neocharge: yeah Oh, yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It was terrible.
neocharge: Dude, go look up.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It was hilarious.
neocharge: If you're curious, if you're curious, look up the trailer for Assassin's Creed Shadows Attack on Titan DLC. It's bad. Real bad.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): When I first saw it, I legitimately thought it was fake.
neocharge: like he Yes.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I was like, there's no way this is a real thing.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And then I triple checked and sure enough, it was a real thing.
neocharge: Right.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And I was like, uh-uh, this is not the way.
neocharge: Yep.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): This is this is not.
neocharge: Yep.
Leon Lionheartly: Hold on.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): the
Leon Lionheartly: ah ah now You got my...
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah, it was hilarious.
neocharge: Live reaction.
Leon Lionheartly: yeah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Absolutely hilarious.
neocharge: Look that up and I'll... Yeah, yeah. ah They're going to do some exciting new updates for Assassin's Creed Shadows. I think they are having a little event. Tune in on March 20th.
neocharge: Ubisoft official Twitch channel for a live stream starting at 10 a.m. m Pacific Time, 6 p.m. Central Eastern Time. I don't know what that is. CET. 10 a.m. m Pacific. That would be 1 one pm Eastern, with a focus on our latest game updates for ah Shadows and a couple other things.
neocharge: So I don't think they're going to announce a lot of ah like new games. But in this post, we got an update on Hexay. I think it's Hexay or Hexa. I don't know. Codename Hexa.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
neocharge: ah When they announced this Assassin's Creed game, it's in the 1500s, Salem Witch Trials, and it's going to be more of a ah unique, darker, narrative-driven, almost survival horror Assassin's Creed game.
neocharge: And if you and know anything about the Salem Witch Trials, like we got ah the the Headless Horseman, like all kinds of shit. you The Salem Witch Trials are like witches and and very Halloween-themed.
neocharge: And if if you are, if they incorporate like the magic that the witches were said to be doing with like the modern day animus stuff and explain that, oh, this has me excited to to explore that point in history in an Assassin's Creed game.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah, the Assassin's Creed, the way that they deal with lore in in each time zone, timeline rather, is is very, very unique and cool.
neocharge: Hell yeah.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Even if you hate it, like a lot of people didn't like the science fiction.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Some people thought it jumped the shark at some point and and fine, whatever. There's every game isn't for everybody. But like you said, this is one of those that like, I want to see how they do that.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I genuinely want to see how the Assassin's Creed universe handles the Salem Witch Trials.
neocharge: yeah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): that That's just such a cool idea.
neocharge: yeah maybe have a black cat familiar like ah a companion that like helps you scope instead of an eagle have a black cat that has like eagle vision that'd be cool yeah for well then we had a raven in Valhalla
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah It'd probably still be like a raven Probably be a flying thing Honestly but Oh right the Eye of Odin
neocharge: So, yeah, I feel like it'd be a cat. It's got to be a cat for a witch.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It should be But it could also be a Turkey I don't know Just Just warbling around
neocharge: So, yeah.
neocharge: Yeah, that's true. Yeah. I'll save the best announcement for last, though. ah So there's also another project they're working on, codename Invictus. ah This is a PvP multiplayer Assassin's Creed experience led by the dedicated team of For Honor veterans at Ubisoft Montreal.
neocharge: That's cool. I played For Honor. I liked it. It was awesome. So...
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah, it was fun.
neocharge: I have my eye on this. PvP, I'm not really into, but Assassin's Creed bv PvP, we got a taste of that in Black Flag. had a PvP mode, which was a platinum killer for me because it's got red ridiculous fucking requirements for some of just some bronze trophies.
neocharge: and That's the only reason I don't have the plat.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Honestly, it's the same because it wasn't it wasn't even a skill thing. It was just it was a lot of luck. It was like, you know, being...
neocharge: Right. Exactly.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): in
Leon Lionheartly: Oh, is that RNG for you?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah, it was like be in fourth place and then take the lead in the last 10 seconds by more than 500 points and win.
Leon Lionheartly: okay
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And it's like, okay, fuck you.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): like So you have to like pretend to throw the match until the very end and then hope that you just poison somebody.
Leon Lionheartly: Thank you.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It was stupid. And it's like, this is not how the game, this is not fun for me.
neocharge: Yeah, I know.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): you know It's more fun to just be like, play a hundred of these matches than it is to do this absurd thing that would only happen once in a blue moon.
neocharge: I know.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I just i thought that was dumb.
neocharge: Right.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But the gameplay itself, you know to defend it, the gameplay was was fun. I don't like PvP that much either, but they they did it justice in the Assassin's Creed world.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It was pretty smart.
neocharge: Yeah, and I think the For Honor team is going to nail this, if anything. And I have my eye on it for sure. So codename Invictus. ah Beyond these, they still have several projects currently in the works. Assassin's Creed codename Jade, that's still in the works.
neocharge: ah They're looking to bring up back co-op ah to Assassin's Creed, so that's cool. And then they gave us an update on the Netflix live action. Ugh. ah see series.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): what
neocharge: Come on, just animate it Just fucking animate it. Animate these these things. Like, animate God of War, animate Horizon, animate Assassin's Creed. We got Devil May Cry. It was great. We got Castlevania.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Michael Fassbender tried his very best to make the live action Assassin's Creed movie not stupid.
neocharge: Right. Yeah, exactly.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And even Michael Fassbender can only do so much. Poor guy.
neocharge: Yeah. So...
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): He's such a good actor. ah That movie was not great.
neocharge: Yeah. ah They said it's going to revolve around the older games. So hopefully, I mean, maybe we get one and two. a look at Altair and Ezio. That'd be cool.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Pedro Pascal will play Ezio.
neocharge: ah Right.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Mark my words.
neocharge: And yeah. bell Bella Ramsey will play Altair. Oh, God.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): She'll play the apple.
neocharge: But that...
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Just carry around the apple.
neocharge: Right?
Leon Lionheartly: The apple. yeah
neocharge: Jesus.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): She'll play the eagle.
neocharge: oh my god ah but that
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Her head on an eagle flying around.
neocharge: did right
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Sorry, I'll stop. no
neocharge: um No, that's still in the works, the live action series. But the most exciting one, the main announcement, the one I'm very excited for, for many, many fucking reasons.
neocharge: ah we got we We got it confirmed that Assassin's Creed Black Flag re-synced ah is is going to be Released. ah They said speculation around Assassin's Creed is not new, but it's worth repeating. Nothing is true. Everything is permitted.
neocharge: Oh, chills. Well, except in this case, some whispers have a little more wind in their sails. Keep your spyglass on the horizon. And they showed us...
neocharge: ah art from the game with a new Assassin's Creed Black Flag logo. And it says Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced. That is a confirmation that it's called Resynced.
neocharge: It's probably going to be a remake. And I'd say it's we're going to get more information pretty soon. I'd say this summer. So, right.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah, if we don't hear about it by June, then the whole announcement was a lie.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Like, I don't i don't know why you would say this and then just go radio silent again.
neocharge: Yeah.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): i know i know you and I are all about this, Matt.
neocharge: So.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Like, that's your favorite Assassin's Creed.
neocharge: Oh my God.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It is my second favorite Assassin's Creed.
neocharge: It is.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): um
neocharge: Yes.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Because 2 is my favorite.
neocharge: two Two and Black Flag are right up there together.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It can't can't be topped. Like, it was so good.
neocharge: Yeah. I just love, I love pirates and it and they did so well.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): but and And it was done so well. It was such a great evolution for the series.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Bob, do you give a shit about Black Flag Resynced?
neocharge: Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: ah Yeah. Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Look, I honestly didn't know if you were a fan of this one.
neocharge: Excellent. Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: So I jumped into but Assassin's Creed at three, um I want to say.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I'm sorry.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah, because that was that was the yeah Civil War, the Revolutionary War, wasn't it?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah,
neocharge: I like three.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): yeah. yeah
neocharge: Yes, with Connor.
Leon Lionheartly: Okay, okay. With Connor.
neocharge: Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: um So I jumped in there. So to be quite honest, ah I don't remember the guy's name for the first one, Altair. First and second, Altair.
neocharge: Altair.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I'll tie year.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: Don't fucking care.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: Well, I have no...
neocharge: One was the worst.
Leon Lionheartly: end And I've quite frankly...
neocharge: One was the worst Assassin's Creed game.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah, and I quite frankly have no desire to go back and play them, if I'm going to be honest.
neocharge: Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: ah But yeah, Black Flag is easily my favorite. And that's and that's what really bummed me about Shadows. i'm not say I haven't played it, and I'm not saying it is a bad game, but what I'm saying is it didn't light the world on fire like you do with with Black Flag.
Leon Lionheartly: Black Flag was a massive hit.
neocharge: Right.
Leon Lionheartly: When you're talking about video gamers, because you think about
neocharge: Oh.
Leon Lionheartly: The points in history, which you can pull from. Salem Witch Trials. It's amazing.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: Go play Bandershers Ghost of New Eden. It's a god it's a solid 8 out of 10. I'll give it that much, right?
neocharge: It's during the Salem witch trials?
Leon Lionheartly: yeah yeah Yeah. Let's say the Salem Witch Trials.
neocharge: Oh.
Leon Lionheartly: I wouldn't say the Salem Witch Trials, but the Witch Trials are a part of that group.
neocharge: Sure. Okay. Okay.
Leon Lionheartly: of that backstory so absolutely fucking go play that right but then you think about those things and then you think about okay well you could pull from different points of culture you could pull from somewhere from mongolia in southeast asia and things like that but nobody quite frankly in the zeitgeist of the gaming of the gamer culture is going to give two shits but they care about pirates and they care about ninjas you did really good with the pirates what the fuck happened with the ninjas
neocharge: Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: ah But I, and, and I do do want to ask you there, gentlemen, since you both, you said you both played for honor.
neocharge: Yes.
Leon Lionheartly: Okay. So, uh, you Help me understand. Sell this to me because Assassin's Creed is cloak and dagger back shadow, a single player adventure story. How this is like doing God of War live service to me. How the fuck do you do it? To me, it's it's like you said earlier, Caleb. it's ah It's a jump the jump the shark moment.
neocharge: Yeah. Unity had PvP too. It had co-op PvP. ah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah, I'm trying to remember. i think the original instance of PVP in game for Assassin's Creed, I'm pretty sure was like a training exercise among other recruits for either the Templars or the Assassins.
neocharge: Brotherhood.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Like you would go in there to to train how to be what you need to be in the animus in like the main game, like when you're doing your research or whatever, right?
neocharge: Hmm.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I think that's how they justified it, the PvP iteration.
Leon Lionheartly: Okay.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): In For Honor, one of the things, and correct me if I'm wrong, Matt, because I did play For Honor and I played it a bit, but I don't remember much ah about the mechanics other than it was a lot of, ah not cutthroat, that's not the right word I want to use.
neocharge: Thank you.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): like It'd be like square beats X, X beats triangle, a triangle beats square was kind of the combat system in For Honor, where yeah you you had to pay attention to what your opponent was doing. But it was also about coordinating with your team.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): like it was It was a combination of the two things. So you could have like a brawler, and the class that you are, not being a brawler, might be weak to most of the brawler's moveset. So you would need to have a buddy that could like overpower the brawler in a way that that you can't.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): That's that's where where working together would make sense.
neocharge: Yes.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So I feel like that's what what the Assassin's Creed PvP could become from the For Honor team. They might be able to find a way to make it be like a 3v3 instead of a 1v5, 1v1v1v1, if it's like six players in a match.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah, yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): That would be my guess. But I could also see where...
neocharge: Mm-hmm.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): you know and like using assassin's creed actual movesets like you throw poison or you throw like a shuriken if you're a ninja or you have like a poison dart or you have like a sleeping thing there's a possibility that certain classes if you will might be resistant or immune to certain things like let's say you're a templar just trying not to spoil any assassin's creed lore but generally speaking in the original the templars had like
neocharge: Sure.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): armor I mean, the Knights Templar is an armored thing in in actual history.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So maybe maybe like poison darts will work on them, but maybe sleeping gas won't, or the other way around.
Leon Lionheartly: Okay.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Maybe sleeping gas won't work on them, but poison darts can get through their armor. So I could see the For Honor team figuring out what makes a game mechanically sound in an Assassin's Creed BVP and throwing that all together.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And different weapon types, of of course, like spears, scimitars, ah you know guns. Some of the Assassin's Creed games, when they're late enough, they have guns. ah I mean, does that does that make sense the enough?
Leon Lionheartly: me Yeah, i kind of see where we're going.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah, from a gameplay perspective and a gameplay loop, I can see where you're going with that. don't know. It seems like one of those weird things. though like I said, it's the Horizon. And i'm I'm open to anything, right?
Leon Lionheartly: But it's like the live service God of War, the Horizon, Hunter's Gathering.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
neocharge: It's true.
Leon Lionheartly: I'm kind of curious how you're going to translate that. But if any team can do it, I know i didn't play it, but I know For Honor is a good game.
neocharge: Yeah, I have my eye on it. like I'm not excited for it. It's it's another like maybe, maybe this is a cash grab. But there were other announcements along with this. And I'm very happy they acknowledged re-synced, Sasaki Black Flag re-synced. And Hexay, they acknowledge it's still in development.
neocharge: ah So in Unity, got an update. i might I might revisit Unity.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
neocharge: I never finished it because it was broke as shit.
Leon Lionheartly: Thank you.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But what's what I actually think is a good thing, because I also don't really care that much about the PvP nature, but I think one of the smartest things that Halo did with ah they they separated their multiplayer
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): in their main game wrote for Halo Infinite.
neocharge: That's what they're doing. Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And whether people loved it or hated it doesn't even really matter at that point. You could sort of choose. I did both because the multiplayer was free and I fucking loved Halo. was like, why not? ah But when I finally got into Infinite,
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I was like, this is great. I don't have to worry about you know going into multiplayer to get like the other half of the game. like This is just a full-ass experience.
neocharge: Right.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So I think moving the team, Faroner team, that did PvP very well, because it it wasn't well-received at first. Faroner was broken as shit when it came out.
neocharge: Yeah, yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And they they reiterated it and iterated and iterated it over and over again, and they finally found their way and their magic. I think this could do a really solid boon, or be a really solid boon for Assassin's Creed.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): If they do it right, because there you have people like you, me and Matt that are going to be like, yo, ho, ho and a bottle of rum on the, on the high seas. And then you've got, and I'm not disrespecting it, but I know Bo is a huge multiplayer fan.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): He loves multiplayer games.
neocharge: yeah yeah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And I, and I know that Bo likes Assassin's Creed as well, but I could see him pouncing on this PVP.
neocharge: True, yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): He could just jump on it and like, I fucking love it. I eat it up. Whereas we might join him if we feel like it.
neocharge: Right.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And if we don't, everybody gets their Assassin's Creed. So I thought this Assassin's Creed news today was a very, very needed positive surprise.
neocharge: That's true, yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I just thought, i mean, it's been just fucking humdrum and blah for the last month overall of gaming news outside of the state of play.
neocharge: Agreed.
neocharge: Oh yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
neocharge: And Ubisoft was part of that too.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): yeah So this was, like and and I miss Assassin's Creed.
neocharge: Me too.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I had played all of them up until Valhalla. I Platinum Odyssey. It took 6,000 years. I did it and I loved it because of Greek mythology, but games too, too, too fucking long.
neocharge: Yep. You should play Valhalla. Valhalla is great.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And Valhalla came out at a time that I was like, I don't have time for this, but I do, I do want to actually play it.
neocharge: Yep. Same here. Same here.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I, I, I plan on it. I, I have the complete edition in my, in my wish list and it goes on sale for like 85% off every so often. And I, I should just buy it. But, Once I buy it, then that's like another 150 hours going to dedicate.
Leon Lionheartly: Hey. yeah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And I'm like, I can't do that with the other stuff that I want to play.
Leon Lionheartly: eight
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): so
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah, yeah. but modern Modern day um Assassin's Creed are pretty hefty.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: um So i I totally understand that. I just know Matt's happy because Black Flag Resync was acknowledged um and that's one of his pickups for the year.
neocharge: Oh,
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yes.
neocharge: off
Leon Lionheartly: um
neocharge: that too.
Leon Lionheartly: But that that that's a completely different ah side topic about how that's now that's coming out, but not the fucking game that was finished.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
neocharge: Yeah.
neocharge: Right.
Leon Lionheartly: Sorry. yes
neocharge: Exactly.
Leon Lionheartly: Sorry. ah But yeah, last piece of news we got for you guys this ah this fine week. Are you listeners out there?
neocharge: Big one.
Leon Lionheartly: um ah Yeah, this is this is... So this... I'm going to give you the backstory here. This was kind of rumbling for the last couple of weeks. um But I was waiting to... And we did talk about it on the show um a little bit.
Leon Lionheartly: But I wanted to wait before we really dive into it. And it has finally ah been confirmed over at Bloomberg. Once again, Jason Schreier. He's been pretty busy this week. Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Dude's been on on it, man.
Leon Lionheartly: yeah ah he Yeah, he really really is.
neocharge: good journalist.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): He really is.
Leon Lionheartly: ah He has confirmed that Ghost of Yote and the upcoming bullet hell shooter from Housemarque, Saros, will not be releasing over to the PC platform um like we had with Horizon and and God of War.
Leon Lionheartly: However, the ah the asterisk on this is the multiplayer games, including Marathon and Marvel Token Fighting Souls, are expected which comes out in August, are expected to release to PC.
Leon Lionheartly: um This is marking the trend that, um by the looks, yes, they they well, specifically multiplayer and second and third party games will continue to thrive on multi-platform, um but first party will be a console exclusive behind the walled garden.
neocharge: course. That's second party.
neocharge: course.
neocharge: Yeah, as it usually has been. So ah I gave my thoughts last time when we speculated on this, but I did want to add, I was, you know, shower thoughts, right?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
neocharge: In the shower, you're like, oh, yeah. ah Let's look at the Apple ecosystem. Let's look at the Mac. And they have a closed system and they create their software for their one piece of hardware and they own it all.
neocharge: Well, PlayStation used to do that. And then they started veering into the PC world. And look what happened to The Last of Us, are part one.
neocharge: like it It was a shit show. And I mean, yeah, that's on the dev. I think it was Nixies. Nixies.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Nix is yeah.
neocharge: Yeah, they're great, but they have to optimize this one game that's usually optimized for one fucking platform or maybe two PS4, PS5. And they have to optimize this game for almost an infinite number of fuck.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But same architecture, same architecture. So
neocharge: Yeah, same architecture, x86, but almost an infinite number of a combination of graphics cards, motherboards, like...
neocharge: all kinds of stuff that makes up a PC, right? They have to optimize for AMD, Nvidia, Intel, all kinds of shit. And it was kind of a shit show. And I mean, PC has kind of been a shit show when it comes to the the performance and the like presentation compared to console.
neocharge: So like they probably saw The Last of Us and they saw all those bugs and they're like, wait, this isn't us.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Mm-hmm.
neocharge: We don't do this. We make premium, ah top tier experiences. so But let's be honest, it was probably because of sales.
neocharge: But that it might have been like the all the combinations combinations of the The PC world and all those components, like you can't optimize all of them. And you're going to have stuff flip slip through the cracks. And PlayStation is like, we this are our art and our software is not being well received and is is being criticized because there's like infinite number of of combinations when it comes to PC and we can't optimize for everything. We're going to pull it back.
neocharge: And also, I think, like I said on the last one, I think it's like ah multiple parts, right? The sales were probably low. ah And PC parts are getting super expensive. The Steam machine is going to go into the living room.
neocharge: They want to be the console in the living room. So this is going to help sell units and hardware. So I think it's a good thing.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Well, you're you're right. i mean, the the cost value analysis that PlayStation did obviously took a, it was, it was front and center to a lot of this because if it was worth their time to invest all this money in, or it was if it worth it to invest all this money in time to get whatever in return, they would do it.
neocharge: Right. Yeah.
neocharge: Right.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): They would just find a way to do it. But even, even in the high guard situation that we were talking about earlier, when it comes to value, they, they like PlayStation didn't say, oh my God, we're a sinking ship.
neocharge: Yeah, it's money.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): They were just like, this isn't worth our time.
neocharge: who
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): You know, that's that's it. And I do.
neocharge: The Concord.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I actually think it's really smart to keep the multiplayer stuff because you want as many people playing a multiplayer game as possible.
neocharge: Yes, that makes sense.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): That's what keeps them alive and healthy. um And the cross play. I know a lot of people were really upset in the beginning of cross platform for online play because it was like, oh, it's unfair if you use a mouse and a keyboard versus my gamepad or whatever.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And that was mostly just the talking heads. Gamers were like, I don't give a fuck. I want to just play with my friend anywhere.
neocharge: Right.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Like whether my friend was on his Xbox, his PlayStation, his Nintendo Switch, his PC, his fucking phone, which I would smack him in the mouth if he was on his phone.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But you know, if he wanted it and that was the only thing he could do, as long as we could play together, I didn't really give a shit.
neocharge: Yep.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And so I think that that's a really smart choice for the second party and the multiplayer games. Like that's that's a really good choice.
neocharge: Absolutely.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But the one thing I do want to just clarify for people that what Matt was saying about the development across near infinite amounts of PC types This is not shitting on PC.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It's not against PC gamers.
neocharge: No.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It's so fucking hard to develop anyway.
neocharge: Subjective thing.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I mean, it would be like if you were in college and you had to give a report and you made this report, was ready for the class, and then your teacher was like, great job.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Now tell me that in Portuguese, French, Spanish, Japanese, Chinese, you know, it's like you would have to say it in so many different languages that you would just be like, what?
neocharge: Right.
neocharge: It's a really good analogy.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): like that's, that's not, and and it's really hard on developers anyway. So if it's not your bread butter, if it's not what you're used to, of course, the last of us was going to have a fucking mess of a launch.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And I think it wasn't Spider-Man kind of broken too, or am I, am I misremembering that? I don't,
neocharge: All of them were. I mean, Days Gone, the first one, had issues.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Well, Days Gone, that that might be...
neocharge: I mean, it had issues on PS4, too.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Days Gone might be... Yes, it did. But I think for them, it's like, yeah, are we going to sink all this money and time in for like an extra 15,000 units sold?
neocharge: Right. Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): When clearly a lot of people that play on PC, again, not a dig at PC gamers, but a lot of them play multiplayer games on PC.
neocharge: Sure.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So why wouldn't you just have that go to the PC and say, yeah, you want the you want the good stuff that's just a story?
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Come over to our system. You can keep your PC, you know,
neocharge: Yeah. Buy a PlayStation.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): that that'd be I think that that's actually a pretty good move by them.
neocharge: Yeah. And then the what Xbox is trying to pull, they're like, oh, we're going to have Steam on our console, so you can technically play PlayStation games. And PlayStation is like, ah yeah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): No.
neocharge: yeah, no. So, yeah, no Ghost of Yote, no Cerros, no Wolverine. Dude, Wolverine is going to sell major systems for sure.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I am a little surprised.
neocharge: Wolverine?
Leon Lionheartly: i would I wouldn't bet on that. No.
neocharge: Why?
Leon Lionheartly: GTA is good gta' is going to sell units. so So let me back up on this and I'll tell you.
neocharge: Oh, yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: Because I think this is a good thing if you're going to keep your single player experiences, your Uncharted, your Jak and Dax, your whatever. like You want to keep those strong, right?
neocharge: Mm-hmm.
Leon Lionheartly: um And you want those to be pristine things. But ultimately, Ghost of Yote, while a financial success... raked couple hundred million in in profit for Sony and for Sucker Punch, and they're going to go on. It was 4 million units out of a system that has an install base of 90 million. You got 4% maybe of people who played it. Wolverine is a big IP, but do not mistake it in the Zeitgeist for GTA 6. Yeah.
neocharge: I know GTA is a juggernaut.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah. ah Wolverine is not going to sell, get people to buy PS5. You know what gets them to buy a PS5 is conversations like this that we have and we and go, hey, you know, you can have such good games.
neocharge: Great.
Leon Lionheartly: But the idea that Wolverine is coming to so to a PlayStation, the general individual... ah doesn't care. And in fact, if if you guys are right about, and I agree that it's probably the sales, that tells me what I've always suspected, which is the overlap between people that own a PlayStation and those that own a PC is like this.
Leon Lionheartly: um And for those that are saying that they don't overlap really, right?
neocharge: No.
Leon Lionheartly: Like they they're really not there.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: um So that's that's what I'd say for for for that side of the house. um i I do have concerns though.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): yeah
Leon Lionheartly: um because Apple does you a good job and right now, and they're going to have to really sort this out, them being a PlayStation, is you're going to have to sort this out. You take Housemarque, you take you know Sucker Punch, you take Naughty Dog, and they've got several hundred developers. But if you're going to be part of an organization...
Leon Lionheartly: That once you sell a premium product, you're going to need to buy premium talent off the market. And that premium talent is going to have to be dedicated to be in a dev cycle where they make one game every five years. So that means as a guy that's coming out ah ah out of coming at the start desk, I'm going to make four or five games in my career before I'm ready to pass on, you really want to dedicate that that's what you're going to do. Unless you're a premium, somebody who's already been in the industry for 10 to 15 years, then you're going to make what?
Leon Lionheartly: Two games? And then you're going to... ah Two, three games, then you're going to fuck off your Your talent pool is going to dwindle really fast if you're not careful.
neocharge: That's true.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): The biggest surprise.
neocharge: I mean, PlayStation.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Oh, sorry.
neocharge: Go ahead.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Go ahead.
neocharge: No, you go ahead.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): i The biggest surprise about this to me is Ghost of Yote only because we have legends coming and it is multiplayer.
neocharge: No, you.
Leon Lionheartly: Yes.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I would think that like they would have said, you know what? Fuck it. Let's do that because we'll have a multiplayer angle on this.
neocharge: That's true.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So it's ah that's the only part of this news that I was like, huh, you know, that's choice.
neocharge: But I guess it's free. It's free, so.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah, but it still gets units moved. and And that like multiplayer on a PC is what i would I would think they would focus on.
neocharge: True.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So maybe they were just like, it ain't worth it even for the little bit. Like, I don't know.
neocharge: Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah, it but it probably isn't. um and And that's good. that'ss That's fine. I think that's really awesome. um i just i think you're going to need to pay the premium, and which means you're going to need to get people to really get in the door.
Leon Lionheartly: And I think that's where Bungie and Marathon can absolutely help.
neocharge: Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: ah You need a live service to keep keep the the lights on, um so to speak, and keep that a constant revenue stream.
neocharge: Right.
Leon Lionheartly: So...
neocharge: Right.
Leon Lionheartly: um just don't Just don't put your primary studios on live service. Just let Bungie handle that, please.
neocharge: Yeah, exactly. i I think exclusives are good for competition, and competition is good for the consumer, honestly. So is xbox is Xbox going to retaliate? No, they can't.
neocharge: We're getting Halo.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah, they are. They're going to retaliate by self-destructing. We forgot to launch the thing. We just hit the button. Oops. Who knows what the fuck's going on with that?
neocharge: Right.
Leon Lionheartly: you Could you imagine if they did that, though? If they came back and were like, yeah, we're going to rescind that. you If you want to play Halo, if you want to play as Master Chief, you've got to come over. If you want to play Fable, you've got to come over here.
neocharge: Yeah, they're going to sell all 200,000 units of those.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah. I mean, they're not they're not a hardware manufacturer, so...
neocharge: So...
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): just kidding forza horizon 6 is never coming to playstation we lied to you that would fucking suck that would suck well you'll play it when you come visit because i'll have it
neocharge: Not anymore.
neocharge: I'll never play it. Yeah.
neocharge: Yeah, that's true.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah. We could talk...
neocharge: sure Next year, when we go to MAGFest...
Leon Lionheartly: yeah There you go.
neocharge: yeah this Yeah, next year. So, yeah, I don't know. I think exclusives are healthy for competition. ah I like that everyone can play ah no matter what box they're on, but you know some exclusives are good. And keep the single-player, narrative-driven, first-party titles on PlayStation and say, hey, if you want to play this game, this premium experience, got to get our console.
neocharge: So...
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah, it's it's ah I agree with you, but we're just dying.
neocharge: Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: I've said it multiple times on this in this cast.
neocharge: I know.
Leon Lionheartly: We're dinosaurs, man.
neocharge: I know. That's okay. So I'm glad exclusives are coming back and I think it will be healthy for PlayStation and I think it's going to help them move hardware.
Leon Lionheartly: Mm hmm.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): The only thing about it that's a real bummer, like for me, just as ah from a consumer standpoint is, you know, if I was a PC gamer and exclusively a PC gamer, just because like if I was a video editor full time and I had a massive rig that that just did all the things.
neocharge: So...
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And I finally got this taste of some of these really good games and like, cool, you know, it sucks that I have to wait a year or two, but but at least I'm getting them.
Leon Lionheartly: Right.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And for them to just straight up pull the plug on on the first party stuff, it's a little bit of a bummer just just from a gamer perspective.
neocharge: Sure.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It's like like, yeah, I would find a way to get myself a console because I can. Some people can't.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And that really, it's like, ah, it was I thought it was such a great line they towed when they waited about a year, a year and a half to just say, you know, our, our people are going to get what they paid for and then we'll share the love.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I thought that was, was great. um
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So it, you know, but again, it it does come down to money. That's, I honestly think at the end of the day, every single fucking decision in business comes down to money, which I understand it.
neocharge: Sure.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But at the same time, it's just like, damn, you know, like, damn it.
neocharge: Yep.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Why, why couldn't the money have been just good enough for them to keep it going, make everybody happy.
neocharge: Right.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But it wasn't. So they got to do what they got to do. And I respect that. So what are you going to
neocharge: Yep. Yeah. We'll see how it shakes out. I, yeah, I'm i'm excited for Saros.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
neocharge: I'm excited to play it on my PS5 Pro.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Right. Yeah. No, I'm this, this is one of those things that doesn't affect me directly negatively, but I still care for the people that does.
neocharge: No.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): That's it.
neocharge: Right. Empathy. You gotta to have empathy for them.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah. Yeah.
neocharge: But I mean, yeah. I mean, they're dude, they're dropping way more on their PC rig than they would a PS5 Pro. So I'm just saying.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah. And I mean, it does take, i one of the happiest things that has happened in the last two months, which is weird to say this about like the fact that Alex finally got his PS five.
Leon Lionheartly: All right.
neocharge: Yeah. Oh,
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Cause you guys dogged him and I helped a little bit. And you know, when we were going to mag fest and stuff, but you guys were really like, dude, dude, dude.
neocharge: oh yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And he finally did it. And every time I boot up my PS five and I get to see like a few of the friends of mine that are playing and I see him on there. I'm just like, Hell yeah. I'm excited because it's not like, I would have felt terrible if he got it.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And then two weeks later was like, this fucking sucks. And I hate you guys. Why'd you make me spend this money?
neocharge: Right.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But he, he clearly likes it. um So it's not, we weren't leading him astray and he still has his rig.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): He still gets to play his league of legends. So it's, it's cool that, that, you know, that was able to, to bring joy to somebody.
neocharge: yeah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And I kind of wish everybody had an open mind. about that, you know? Cause I mean, he did push back.
neocharge: Absolutely.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): He's just like, what did you guys get ready? You know, the stuff that, that he knew from the PC world and he was right.
neocharge: And I was like, actually, sure.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): He was right though. that That like, yeah, it hasn't always been that way. You see is if you take, if you don't factor in money, it is the strongest of all the gaming machines. If you don't factor in money, that's just a fact.
neocharge: Yes. Takes a lot of maintenance, though.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But yeah, the, the work, the time, then the money, all of it that goes in there, we have made that.
neocharge: Right.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Well, not we, we didn't make PlayStation, but we as like gamers and and supporters,
neocharge: Nope.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): they have made the consoles that much closer that it's like, it's, it's, you know, I prefer my setup then than, than, uh, uh, even if, if, if money was no option and I could just, you know, I'm going to drop 50 grand on a rig.
neocharge: It's real close.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I'm not, I don't want to, because this is fantastic. What I use now is fantastic.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Uh, with my TV and my, my PS five pro I love it.
neocharge: Exactly.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So the fact that Alex can do that and, and recognize, Hey, you guys weren't completely full of shit.
neocharge: Yep.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): This is really fun. I'm having a great time.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Now, if we could get the bastard to finish Death Stranding 2.
neocharge: ah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But let's just take our wins, right?
Leon Lionheartly: yeah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I mean, the fact...
neocharge: And play Horizon Zero Dawn.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah. But the fact that he's playing, the fact that he's playing is what makes me happy.
neocharge: You got that? Yes. Absolutely.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): that's That's awesome.
Leon Lionheartly: Yep.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So...
neocharge: We were a positive influence with good intent.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: Yep.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Aurora didn't leave him.
Leon Lionheartly: You know, it's fun. and No.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Aurora doesn't leave.
neocharge: Right.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): She likes it too, so that's cool.
Leon Lionheartly: yeah
neocharge: Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: I... I'll put it to you like this and you'll see where I'm going. Gentlemen, you, you said the friends list there earlier, Caleb, and to see all of that, that was going, that's there and you see him, you know, it was such a beautiful site this weekend.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
neocharge: Oh, yes.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It really was.
Leon Lionheartly: And what we're playing, you see what I did there?
neocharge: Everyone. Every single person.
Leon Lionheartly: Everyone on my friends list, boom, boom, boom, boom was playing one fucking game for the last 72 hours.
neocharge: Look at that segue.
neocharge: Resident Evil Requiem.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Requiem.
neocharge: Yeah, it's like Resident Evil Requiem.
Leon Lionheartly: Leon!
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): so was was that the last Was that the last piece of news, by the way?
Leon Lionheartly: Help!
neocharge: Yes.
Leon Lionheartly: Leon!
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah, that was...
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): ah we can officially talk about we werere playing?
neocharge: Yes.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Okay.
neocharge: That was our segue.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): i Yeah, but I didn't know if there was still news and you segued early.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): ah Yeah.
neocharge: Yep.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So that's, I mean, there's not really much we can talk about other than the fact that we all fucking loved it.
neocharge: No.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): You know, it was great time.
neocharge: Yeah. Yeah. but I mean, we can let's let's give listeners so Resident Evil Requiem. It's the ninth main line in the series, like the 25th or 30th Resident Evil, if you count the fucking spinoffs and shit.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
neocharge: ah It's developed by Capcom and published by Capcom. it's we are All three of us are playing it on p s five Pro. on PlayStation.
neocharge: I assume... Well, it didn't really give us... it just so it's i'm I think it's performance, but it didn't give us the option.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): and just It's just beautiful. that's i didn't I didn't even...
neocharge: it's It's gorgeous. It's the first game that utilizes PSSR 2.0. PSSR stands for PlayStation Super Spectral Resolution. and It's like DLSS.
neocharge: and It basically makes things ah clearer and more...
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Pisser.
neocharge: What?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It's clear piss.
neocharge: More...
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It's less dehydrated.
neocharge: yes
Leon Lionheartly: yeah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): it's clear it
neocharge: Exactly. Yeah. yes sir
Leon Lionheartly: Mm-hmm.
neocharge: Pisser 2.0.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): it's less dehydrated
neocharge: ah It is a third person or first person. I'd say it is a first person and third person ah action survival horror. And it's fantastic.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It's two genres in one.
neocharge: It's...
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I don't think that's a spoiler because it's in the marketing that, you know, and they show Leon action.
neocharge: It is. No, yeah, that's in the marketing. And you can change it.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): and
neocharge: like You can do both third person or both first person, which was interesting to see with Leon, you can do first person.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: yeah
neocharge: So, yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): and it But it it does change the game experience. It does.
neocharge: Yes, yes.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And and both and good or for bad, like if you don't like it, okay, that's fine.
neocharge: Right.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But it does change the experience.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So it's kind of interesting that they tailor made it for people to just decide how they want it.
neocharge: I...
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It was like a, not to choose your own adventure, but choose how you have your own adventure, i guess, for lack of a better description.
neocharge: Yeah.
neocharge: It was great. I'm not a big fan of first person, but I played 80% of this game yeah with ah Grace in first person because the developer recommended me too, and you all bullied me into it.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): it's necessary for the first playthrough it really really was yeah
neocharge: so And I'm glad I did, especially for those later parts those later parts of the games.
Leon Lionheartly: Thank you.
neocharge: I am glad I did, but I will be turning off first person. I'll be playing third person for all the consecutive runs we do.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): You'll find it interesting when you do, because I i did for my speed run just because I but didn't for the first run.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So I was like, let me just try this.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And it was just a different experience, not in a bad way.
neocharge: Yes.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I was just like, huh, yeah, all right, that's what this is, cool.
neocharge: Yep.
neocharge: So, yeah, this game, I mean, I was smiling ear to ear from start to finish. ah It has incredible first acts, but act three is this this the show stealer for sure.
Leon Lionheartly: Thank
neocharge: ah And yeah, we can't say a lot with it. We're going to have an entire spoiler cast on it. All three of us will be on that, I assume. And ah we all loved it. um Do we want to just go around and give our personal thoughts?
neocharge: ah Because we've both we've all finished it.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Sure.
neocharge: Bob Platinum'd it. So congratulations, Bob.
Leon Lionheartly: thank you
neocharge: Uh, yes. I took the longest to play it because I was just staring at everything the whole time and and dancing with Leon.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It's true.
neocharge: Uh,
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): There's proof.
neocharge: There is. Yeah, we're going to we're going to post a video. Alex is going to post a video. I made kind of a collage or a highlight reel of my gameplay experience across the entire game.
neocharge: I think i think I made it pretty funny.
Leon Lionheartly: Oh.
neocharge: So it was fun to do. And I just basically compiled all my quick clips of experiences in the game. So, yeah. ah what What a fucking game.
neocharge: It's currently sitting at 90 on OpenCritic. It's the highest rated game of the year thus far. And ah ah Capcom fucking knocked it out the park, man.
neocharge: ah This is an incredible Resident Evil game. It's ah an incredible survival horror game. And i had a blast the entire way through. Has some questionable writing, right?
neocharge: That we've we've all talked about. But other than that, it's premium experience.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It's a style choice. I mean, at the end of the day, I do feel like it's, it used to be the weird, like bad localization, you know, from the old, from the Japanese script back in the day.
Leon Lionheartly: um
neocharge: It is.
neocharge: Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: have
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And then we also didn't have production values in the nineties that we do now.
neocharge: Right.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So the fact that they leaned into, some of it and just kept the schlock. It might not work for everybody. And generally I don't like that, but in these, the, when you do it right, it hits.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And like, I laughed so hard at a lot of the intentionally bad dialogue.
neocharge: yeah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): You know i think we all did.
Leon Lionheartly: Yes.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I think it was, we just were having a good time.
Leon Lionheartly: yeah
neocharge: oh
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It was like, yep, that's exactly what should be said at this moment.
neocharge: Spoiler...
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah. Yeah.
neocharge: Right. Spoiler, Leon has one-liners. Okay? And a lot of them. And I love that. So...
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): and And one of the things, i can tell you this as a film person, one of my favorite aspects of this is after some of the one-liners, when the camera changes, if it's like a reverse cut or you know a jump cut to somebody's reaction shot or whatever it is, because it depends on the situation, those add humor.
Leon Lionheartly: Thank you.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Because there's just like, he says his stupid fucking or great awesome one-liner, and then it'll cut to...
neocharge: Right.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): whoever else might be or whatever else might be with him. And it's just this look on their face.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): That's all. They don't even have to say anything.
neocharge: yeah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And you're just like, God damn it. It's, it's great.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): ah It, it should be studied. Like obscure should be studied for its artistic ah visualization and in their filmography in the gameplay.
neocharge: Uh-huh.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): This game should be studied for its 1980s.
neocharge: Mm-hmm.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Steven Seagal want to be bullshit. It just works. Like, I don't know.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It's,
Leon Lionheartly: at least At least in those Leon parts.
neocharge: Yup.
Leon Lionheartly: It's a it's a James Bond that i love style that I love so much.
neocharge: Yup.
Leon Lionheartly: ah
neocharge: Yup.
Leon Lionheartly: You know, the they should have kept his head on cri or kept his head down or whatever, right?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: get Kind of ah little stuff.
neocharge: Right.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah.
neocharge: Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah, you you guys are all right. um This game is... So when they called it Requiem and not 9, I was like, are they really going to lean into the fact that they called it Requiem?
Leon Lionheartly: um And I will simply say, as ah as a huge fan of the ah RE series, they did this in every way,
neocharge: Uh-huh.
Leon Lionheartly: possible from visual aesthetics to that first person and third person to aspects being really much like seven words, more ah tense and fearful driven to the action stuff of a four and and a five and and so on.
neocharge: Uh-huh.
Leon Lionheartly: um Inventory management. There's two different styles of inventory management. One is more like four. One is more like the classics, the one, two, and three, the OGs, the tank controls, which I'm surprised we didn't get, by the way, in some form.
Leon Lionheartly: right
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): As an option, yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah, as an option. There are ah there i mean there are call-outs to everything. if you will If you're willing and you know your lore and you go digging deep enough, there are call-outs to pretty much every Resident Evil in some way, shape, or form.
Leon Lionheartly: um And I'll leave it like that um because the story, while wonky, does do some things that kind of like makes you go, oh, that means this and X and Y and Z, right?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
neocharge: you think
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yep.
neocharge: Right.
Leon Lionheartly: the one thing The two things I wanted to talk ah talk about specifically for this game, gentlemen, um and we ah um that not spoilers, so i wanted to hear one, I don't know if you saw this, but they posted the numbers of the sales.
neocharge: Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: not that the like It recently sold 5 million, but the most interesting part was the percentage across platforms.
neocharge: Yes.
Leon Lionheartly: Did you see this? 52% of sales were on PC.
neocharge: Yeah, most mainly PC.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Oh, I did not see the percentage. I did not.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Wow.
neocharge: How many were on PlayStation?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): That's kind of...
neocharge: the The last 48%.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Just 48%.
Leon Lionheartly: No. It was four.
neocharge: Yeah,
Leon Lionheartly: ah And then it was, I'd have to go back.
neocharge: because this was on Switch too, right?
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah, I'd have to go back and look, but I think Switch was 4% or 4% and then Xbox was like, I want to say 8% or 12%.
neocharge: Yeah.
neocharge: Wow.
Leon Lionheartly: So the two heavy lifters were PC.
neocharge: More than I thought.
Leon Lionheartly: um But this goes to ah to the, you want a premium experience, you don't always necessarily have to go to a PlayStation. And the reason and and the other thing that I wanted to touch base on this, um because I wouldn't think about it, Matt, outside of Requiem, give me your top three most beautiful games on the PlayStation 5.
neocharge: Death Stranding 2, Horizon Forbidden West, and
Leon Lionheartly: yeah
neocharge: The Last of Us Part 2.
Leon Lionheartly: Okay, good. all right. You know, those yeah, here's the fun thing and something to keep in mind because we know Resident Evil Requiem is using the new version of PSSSR, but Death Stranding 2 on the beach in Horizon Forbidden West did not use PSSSR.
neocharge: The remastered.
neocharge: Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: They used the built-in Decima's upscaler PICO.
neocharge: Yeah.
neocharge: Pico. Yep. And they both use Decima Pro.
Leon Lionheartly: And they used the Decima Pro version of the engine.
neocharge: Yeah. Or did...
Leon Lionheartly: I
neocharge: I don't... Well, we know Death Stranding 2 did, but did Forbidden West use Decima Pro?
Leon Lionheartly: i i i think it did.
neocharge: I don't think they did.
Leon Lionheartly: I'd have to go back and look.
neocharge: Did? Okay.
Leon Lionheartly: I tried to look, but I couldn't get a verification on that.
neocharge: Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: And and i it was a quick search, ah but this was a week or two ago.
neocharge: Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: So just some some interesting ah ah timeline there is to look, because this is using, maybe there is some hope for PSSR um with that.
neocharge: Gotcha. Gotcha.
neocharge: Oh, yeah, dude. ah PlayStation 5 Pro is getting a patch that makes psr at PSSR better, like PSSR 2.0. The game has to support it.
neocharge: ah And Resident Evil 9 was our first PSSR 2.0 experience. And dude, the hair alone, like the light coming through the hair.
Leon Lionheartly: Thank you.
neocharge: Because I played as Grace third person for a little bit. And like the light coming through her hair. And I was like, dude, Every fucking strand of hair has got to be ray traced. And they're like, guess what? Every strand of hair is a polygon and is ray traced. I'm like, holy shit.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): but I mean, that really is just technically insane.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah.
neocharge: It's nuts.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): That's insane. I don't understand. i mean, I do, but I, what?
neocharge: Right.
Leon Lionheartly: So that that that does remind me. We kind of talked about this, so I want to and I know we're getting a little long in the tooth, I apologize, but I really have to to know this before I forget.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It's because of my fucking Cheez-It story, that's all.
Leon Lionheartly: It's because of the Cheez-It story.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I'm so sorry.
neocharge: 20 minute fucking Jesus. I don't even know how long we're going because I dropped.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah.
neocharge: I fucking.
Leon Lionheartly: <unk>ll I'll give you a time afterwards.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Oh, that's weird.
Leon Lionheartly: So we're looking at this and as I was playing after a certain point and for frame of reference, my TV sits in my living room and we get some heavy light being in Colorado.
neocharge: Okay.
Leon Lionheartly: So I have blackout curtains specifically, right?
neocharge: Sure.
Leon Lionheartly: um As I was playing, I was in the, some of the dark sections ah ah with grace and I'd look and I could see it wasn't that it was tone. It wasn't, it's really hard to describe it. It was almost like there was a shadow going down the top to bottom of my TV.
Leon Lionheartly: like And it looked kind of like a ray of light coming through a curtain, right? Or it was in the shape of, should I say, right? And it wasn't that it was completely blacked out. It wasn't doing anything. It was almost like the color of the blacks themselves were muted in that one specific strip.
Leon Lionheartly: I went ahead and I was like, that's weird. Let me go ahead and see if this is a bug. Apologize.
neocharge: And so was it on multiple sources? Did you...
Leon Lionheartly: here's a Here's the thing.
neocharge: Here's the thing.
Leon Lionheartly: Here's where it gets into into Here's the thing.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It's clobbering time.
Leon Lionheartly: this' where we get it to
neocharge: Okay.
Leon Lionheartly: i I went ahead and reloaded a save.
neocharge: Okay.
Leon Lionheartly: Didn't change it. reboot Rebooted the app. Didn't change. Restarted the PS5. Didn't change. Went ahead and booted up another game. Didn't see it.
neocharge: Okay.
Leon Lionheartly: Then started another playthrough for the Platinum, and it was mysteriously gone.
neocharge: Yeah, so maybe something with that save file.
neocharge: No, not save file, the the run.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): what was What was the other game that you played?
neocharge: Well, no, save file, yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah, it was save file, yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): What was the other game you booted up?
Leon Lionheartly: ah ah Turbo Overkill.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Do you know if it does its true HDR flicker when you start the app versus... like it It'll do it for like Resident Evil, but...
Leon Lionheartly: Oh, good point. I know a game that will do that, and that's for Octopath Zero. And there are some dark areas, like in caves and stuff, for Octopath, so so maybe.
Leon Lionheartly: But yeah, that was it was just a really weird technical thing.
neocharge: Weird.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah, I think it might have just been...
neocharge: We all had some bugs with Leon in a certain section that were hilarious.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Oh, yeah.
neocharge: Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: ah ah Actually, did you guys get the digital deluxe upgrade by chance?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah, was pretty good. It was pretty good.
neocharge: Yes, yes I did.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): but I got the physical digital or deluxe version.
Leon Lionheartly: Can we talk about the noir outfits in that game?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Oh, yeah. I wore them on my second playthrough.
Leon Lionheartly: Thank you.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): My speedrun.
neocharge: I plan to. I plan to wear. Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: you want You want to be John Wick? Put on that noir outfit.
neocharge: Mm-hmm.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah.
neocharge: Yeah, I'm going to.
Leon Lionheartly: um
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It's pretty great.
neocharge: It's a John Wick game we we've waited for.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah, ah but we'll we'll get we can get more out.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Pretty much.
Leon Lionheartly: I just wanted to ask that. Those were the two things that I really wanted to talk about.
neocharge: Sure.
Leon Lionheartly: Other than but go play the fucking game. It's available everywhere.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Great.
neocharge: Oh, it's phenomenal.
Leon Lionheartly: If you don't care about graphical fidelity and you've got to switch to, from my understanding, it runs really well. Go check it out.
neocharge: Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: i don't This is, quite frankly, the top runner right now, gentlemen, for the year.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): My, my buddy got, got it on switch too.
neocharge: My question.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And I was telling him, I was like, I realized that you don't care about, he doesn't have, that's the only console that he can really have.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Uh, And I was like, you need to come see it over here, though. Not not to like rub it in, but just because you need to see the work that they put in.
neocharge: paul Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And he was telling me, he's like, it runs surprisingly well on the Switch 2.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It just looks like it's not quite up to snuff.
neocharge: Okay. Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): he's like it but But as far as the game is concerned, he's like I'm fucking loving it. So if if that's your only option, um get it. Resident Evil Requiem is fucking awesome. There is one thing I wanted to tell you guys, and I i will...
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Tell it more in detail in the spoiler cast. I won't ruin anything, but it's it's relatively early on. There's like a pretty jarring thing that happens, right? It's... it's a that's i You know, I was down here in my basement with my...
Leon Lionheartly: Mm-hmm.
neocharge: Is this in my sizzle reel?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Like, no. Well, and so the first part of it is in your sizzle reel, but not like, yeah, I can explain that later.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Anyway, I didn't know what to expect.
neocharge: Right. Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): um And i'm I'm not genuinely the biggest survival horror fan, but I love Resident Evil games. So like's I do it for for them and and Silent Hill. But like beyond that, I just i tend to...
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It's not really my bag, but this, this, when this thing happened, I'm not kidding you.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): yelled Jesus Christ, like out loud. jesus this was It was like too much.
Leon Lionheartly: laughter
neocharge: okay
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And i mean, it was too much in a good way. I loved every second of it. I like in that moment, I understood why people love survival horror, you know, like why they like that feeling of just running or whatever.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): you know you feel the need to get the fuck out of there but I i laughed so hard like when I was done with that session and I went upstairs to you know go to bed or whatever I just started giggling it like what must my wife think of me I'm just like downstairs she's hearing these horrible sounds and then I'm yelling things like but um the only other one and is this is this is not spoiler cast material this is this is just genuinely funny
neocharge: Yeah.
neocharge: Oh, yeah. So many moments like that.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): um about halfway through the first half of the game about a quarter way through the game, I didn't even realize that I was doing this. Tell me if you guys have ever had like a moment in your life where you almost had to stop time and replay it in your head.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): like If somebody's talking to you and you're like, what did they just say? And you like hear them again. i don't know if I'm describing that well, but I was so in the game and in like ah an intense moment that I didn't realize I was doing this until after the moment was over and I sort of like caught up with reality, if this if this makes sense. i It turns out i was I was playing and I was, i will just the only thing I will say is I was running. It's like you I had to run.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And the whole time i was going like this, ah like really quietly. And I don't i dont really react that way
neocharge: kind of like Grace does. She's like...
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): when i'm
neocharge: ah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But it it was just like like part of my soul was trying to scream, but I wouldn't let it.
neocharge: yes
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): don't know. I was being really quiet and I didn't even know I was doing it until the scene like cut to black or whatever.
neocharge: Mm-hmm.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And then I heard myself still making that noise that I didn't know I had been making or how long I'd been making it And then i just paused it and laughed my ass off because I was like, if my wife can hear me upstairs, and I'm not even being that loud, but like, what am I doing?
neocharge: Huh.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I don't do that when I game. So I thought that was pretty funny.
neocharge: Interesting.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): it was And that was like a good, that means that the moment really got to me.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): You know, I was was anxious.
neocharge: Dude, there were some scary-ass parts in this game.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Oh, yeah.
neocharge: So I don't know.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Great moment of this.
neocharge: If you if you guys want to ah find out if I did that, I streamed this entire game on Twitch on mic. So there's all the sections. So ah you can go back and listen to see if I was fucking purring during the game like Caleb was.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): i don I don't know why that happened. I've never done that in like a game ever.
Leon Lionheartly: I
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I, it was wild but when i heard myself doing it. I like, what the fuck? This game is awesome.
neocharge: That's awesome.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): if it it It does things to you.
neocharge: Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: I got to say, that's what makes Leon so good um as a character specifically is because when you're in these tense situations, he just breaks the ice and is like, gives you a one liner. And all of a sudden it it kind of takes you out of the moment, but then you kind of laugh because you're like, okay, it's almost relatable. He is so over the end that he is just beyond reality. And it's just like, you know what? It's all a fucking joke anyways. Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
neocharge: Yeah, it is.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And it's at the end of the day, it is supposed to be a fun game, a good experience. And like, so when you, when, when a game can elicit something like that, in all of us uniquely, separately, you know, it wasn't like, Hey Bob, did you catch this thing that Leon did? Like, no, Bob experienced it.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I experienced it, Matt experienced it. And we all had our own laughter reactions to these moments.
neocharge: Yeah.
neocharge: Yep.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And that like, that's, that's really impressive that they're able to do it and not just make you roll your eyes and be like, Oh fuck this game. I mean, I'm sure some people did.
Leon Lionheartly: mm-hmm.
neocharge: Right.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I'm sure some people rolled their eyes at it and whatever that's, that's fine.
neocharge: Yeah, whatever.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But yeah, more people didn't. I mean, it already sold 5 million units and people are loving it.
neocharge: Hell yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It's getting scored really well.
neocharge: That means we're getting 10.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
neocharge: So can't can't wait. And na I mean, there is a rumor, but there might be DLC in production for this game. So I mean, we got DLC for four. We got DLC for seven.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
neocharge: So, or no, eight. We got DLC for it.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It didn't 8, well 7 and 8.
neocharge: Yeah, no, seven. Seven and eight. We got DLC for it.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): They both did.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah, they both got them.
neocharge: Question for both of you. I hate ranking games.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yes.
neocharge: I really do. But I am curious. Is it your favorite Resident Evil? And if not, where is it rank?
Leon Lionheartly: I'm still chewing on this. um the only I can tell you this much.
neocharge: Me too.
Leon Lionheartly: ah i am an ah As the people ah know, I'm an OG guy. so you're not It's going to take something fucking truly generational to the top two, the OG.
neocharge: Yes.
Leon Lionheartly: The only thing I can't figure out is where this lies when it comes to RE2 Remake.
neocharge: Yes.
neocharge: Right.
Leon Lionheartly: and I'm still trying to figure that
neocharge: Yep.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): That's the hard part.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah.
neocharge: Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: And for frame of reference, folks, we started recording. i had just platinumed it not even 10 minutes prior before we started session.
neocharge: Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: So I'm still digesting the entire experience ah from that perspective.
neocharge: Yep. Me too. Me too.
Leon Lionheartly: um So it's somewhere either it's either number two or number three. Yeah.
neocharge: Wow. Wow.
Leon Lionheartly: if for me, but just this game is it is fucking phenomenal.
neocharge: That's huge.
Leon Lionheartly: It's perfect.
neocharge: It's great. It's great.
Leon Lionheartly: Perfect. Down to the last minute detail.
neocharge: Perfect.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah, it's it's it's very similar because this game is...
neocharge: How about you, Caleb?
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): ah I mean, I'm just going to give Carrie credit because she said it best that it's it's almost at times like a greatest hits of Resident Evil. like There's a lot in there for the fans.
neocharge: Yeah. A Requiem. her
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah, the fans got fed a very good meal with Resident Evil Requiem.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): If this is your first venture into the Resident Evil series, I don't think you would dislike it, but it might be a little jarring because, A, you don't know what the fuck is going on.
neocharge: Yeah, they did.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Not that not that the narrative is the most important thing in every Resident Evil, but still there is one, right?
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I mean, that's the there's an overarching narrative in the entire series. um But there are some tonal shifts in the game that...
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): objectively they work subjectively they might not like they they work because they they they stay in their lane they pick their lane they stay in it this is supposed to feel this way and it will that is supposed to feel that way and it will if you like this great if you like that great if you don't like either one you're only getting like 40 to 60 percent of a game you know and that's not i don't consider that a spoiler we know that there's different uh feelings in the game
neocharge: Yep.
neocharge: Right.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But so I feel like I'm impressed that they were able to stick that landing for both of them.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): um But I... you know If I didn't love both of them for what they are, I could see myself being like, ah, this was a mid one. But my favorite for reference is Resident Evil 2.
neocharge: Right.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I think Resident Evil 2 was one of the most perfect games at the time, and the remake was just outstanding.
Leon Lionheartly: Thank you.
neocharge: Yep.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Resident Evil 4, I think, is arguably a better game, but I don't care. i mean, it it came later, so without 2, 4 wouldn't have been as great as it was. And 4 remake was really, really good.
neocharge: Right.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Exactly like Bob said, it's it's so hard with those remakes that been on point um hashtag code veronica next uh and but with with requiem i just i feel like they hit they fired on all cylinders and i'm i'm not that far behind the platinum i just i've been running around with my fun sandbox like just killing shit because it's fun i i'm not speed running
neocharge: he
neocharge: Oh yeah.
neocharge: That's what I'm about to do.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): insanity run which is probably stupid i probably should because insanity is no joke but i don't care it's fun it's fun to just run around and do yeah
Leon Lionheartly: Insanity is not for the faint of heart. I'm just putting it like that, Okay.
neocharge: Good.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): it's it's but it's fun i mean that's the thing i'm having fun with it so i'm i'm like i'm just gonna run around and waste time and kill more shit and you know it's fun to do it's ah it's that's why the game exists
neocharge: Good.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): So I will probably do that tomorrow morning and finish it before I go be an adult with my parents.
neocharge: Yep.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But I, during the playthrough of Requiem, I really, really, I mean, I think I texted you guys where I said, are we playing the best Resident Evil ever?
neocharge: despite Yeah. what you said.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Like I was really, i was excited about it it. was like, this is, this is awesome. I love how, how much fun I'm having. ah But I, you know, trying to take the subjectivity out of it, which is the best.
Leon Lionheartly: Thank you.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I don't know. I still think scores got it by like this much, but it's so, so close.
neocharge: Yeah. Me too.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): um
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But I don't care. This is a great ride. That's the thing. Like two, four, eight or two, four and Requiem and eight is probably in fourth place now.
neocharge: Oh, dude. We got fed.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I really like eight, but I two and four remakes are so fucking good.
neocharge: Yep.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And this one was so much fun. I, yeah, no it's probably where I sit.
neocharge: Yep. Yeah. ah I'm still trying to determine if it's in my top five or top three, but it sits there. So, yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah. I...
neocharge: Incredible Resident Evil. Capcom knocked it out of the park, like I said.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It's just so funny.
neocharge: Yeah. Keep it up, man. Keep it up. Capcom is killing it. And I think we're going to have another really great game with Pragmata. So, yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And Onimusha. Like, I think...
Leon Lionheartly: i will
neocharge: And Onimushi, yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: and anniusha shes I will say this much as a final thought. If this game is not, if it doesn't get nominated and receive some awards, particularly i think right now it is the front runner on the on the on the big platform, it'll be criminal.
Leon Lionheartly: It'll be a crime for the industry.
neocharge: oh yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: That's how good this game is.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
neocharge: Yeah. If you're a Resident Evil fan, if you're a survival horror fan, if you want to play just a really good fucking game, go check out Resident Evil Requiem. They nailed it. and We all loved it.
neocharge: And we're not the only ones. We have a big old group of people and they all loved it too. So i don't know how many people going to have on the spoiler cast. I don't know when it's going to be. It'll probably be in the next two weeks. We're going to strike while the iron's hot.
neocharge: ah But we'll let you know ah when we have it scheduled because we've got to schedule it, you know, a lot of people. So that's sometimes challenging. But we'll get a spoiler cast out for you all.
neocharge: And we're going to go. all into it. We're going to go all into Leon and all into Grace.
Leon Lionheartly: you
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Okay.
neocharge: So yeah, we have.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): We've reached that point of the cast.
neocharge: So yeah, ah long one, but we we appreciate you joining, Caleb. It's always fun to have you on.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Sorry about the cheeses. I'm so sorry about the cheeses. Yeah. No, i'm I'm glad to be here.
neocharge: um
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I did, like,
neocharge: Apologize to our listeners. They can't get that time back.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): literally Literally 45 seconds to a minute, just what we were playing. Dragon Quest VII Reimagined got the platinum.
neocharge: Oh yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): The game is fine.
neocharge: Congrats.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It's not the best of the Dragon Quest series, not by far, not by a long shot. The pacing issues that we talked about early on when Bob and I were talking about the original, um some have been fixed, some have been not fixed.
neocharge: They're bad.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And other things that were removed,
Leon Lionheartly: yeah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): made more problems that I don't, I don't quite understand what the hell they were thinking when they did this. That is the spoiler free version, but that explains earlier in the shape or the shape, the, um, uh, the draft update state of the draft.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): When I had mentioned that I, my score for dragon quest is an 81, which might seem low. I'm a huge Dragon Quest fan, and an 81 is still a good score. The only reason the game was not in the 70s was because of what they did with the graphics.
neocharge: Oh,
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): and Normally, I'm not a graphics whore, but they did a really cool thing with the character designs, character models, and the dioramas, and the world exploring, bringing it to today's standards.
neocharge: um it's so gorgeous. It's gorgeous.
Leon Lionheartly: Thank you.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): like That was really cool. um What is there and is is good is done incredibly well. like I know Matt had already touched on the music last week,
neocharge: Mm-hmm.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): or the week before, whatever. um But the music is good. It's just there's not enough of it. like That's the difference. it's It's done well. What's there is done very well. The battle system's done very well.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): The job system making you wait 20 fucking hours to get it, is is that should have been fixed. that's That's one of the things. That's not a spoiler. The game was released in the mid-90s originally.
neocharge: I'm 15 hours in and i still I still haven't encountered it.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): What fuck?
neocharge: And I'm like, I'm just sitting i'm just wasting proficiency points at this point.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I mean, it's not like you can't farm them, but it's just not the most fun game choice.
neocharge: It's not cool. It's
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Like, let me play the game. yeah You're telling me like, oh, you can, maybe you can steal this thing. It's like, I can't, don't have a fucking thief class. You know, like, what what are you doing?
neocharge: not cool. Right? Dude, I've been waiting on it.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): and And that's kind of frustrating.
neocharge: I've been waiting on it.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I think for me, I think it took 17 hours and 40 some minutes to get my vocations unlocked.
neocharge: Oh, so I'm close, it sounds.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Which is, yeah well, I would assume. i knew what I was doing in the first half of the game. So not that you don't. I mean, it's not that it's not linear enough. But anyway, just wanted to give a little bit of thoughts on that. Do not, I i will say for the listeners, if you ever want to play this game and you want to, if you're a platinum person, I would not recommend going for the platinum. Not because it's difficult. We joked earlier about my RNG.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): One of the trophies in this game I'll just tell you, it requires you to get all item types, like weapons, armor, helmets, like everything.
Leon Lionheartly: Thank
neocharge: yeah
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And I think it's five of them, five of weapons or five something are locked behind a fucking minigame that is based solely on chance of getting these items.
Leon Lionheartly: you.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It's not like you can, it's just,
neocharge: I'm excited to see like what my RNG is going to be like.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But it's just like a bad choice. Like even if you get it right away, it's not a good choice. It's stupid.
neocharge: right.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And if I didn't have only that trophy left, I would have said, and and if Resident Evil had been out, because Resident Evil is coming out two days later, i was I was like, I don't have time to play anything else. I'm just going to hate play this and hope I get this stupid fucking platinum. But it was I will say it was not worth my time.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): If I had any other things that I could have done in that period of of like day and a half, I would have. It was that I didn't have enough, so i was like, fuck this.
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I just might as well. And it wasn't...
neocharge: Right.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): It added six hours to my playtime of just this stupid fucking game.
neocharge: That's fucked.
Leon Lionheartly: Oh, that's fucked.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And, oh, you know the best part? You can play the game three times, and then the guy kicks you out and says you have to go to an inn and rest. Why?
neocharge: Oh, ho, ho, ho.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Just to fucking pad the time. So you have to port out, you have to go to an inn or or whatever and rest, and then go back. It's just... Like an unfun game design choice. I don't know what the fuck they were doing. and yeah
neocharge: Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Anyway, just as a heads up for people that want to know that.
neocharge: Damn.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But I do think the game is, it's a B- minus or a C+. plus It's a C+, plus realistically. i just I gave it a two-point bump as a Dragon Quest for it.
neocharge: Cool. I'm going to chew through it throughout the year.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
neocharge: I'm in no rush. it's ah Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): They did cut about 40 hours out of it, though, for what's worth.
neocharge: I'll play it. man Holy crap.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): yeah probably about a hundred hour game.
neocharge: That's nuts.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And I think I did it in between 50 and 60. Well, no, I, so when I got everything except the final trophy, cause I didn't look until I had rolled credits and then did the post game stuff.
neocharge: Wow.
Leon Lionheartly: Whole.
neocharge: Sure.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): um And I was like, man, there's nothing else for me to do. like I feel like I've done everything. So I went to the trophy list and I was like, oh, there's literally one thing left for me to do. And it's, oh, you're missing like five things or seven things, whatever. And then i looked up how to get them because I was like, I've done everything in this game.
neocharge: Sure.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): And when i when I went to do it, I was just like, why the fuck was this? No. Whoever, I was i was swearing at the person.
neocharge: That sucks.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): But yeah, that was 49 hours of my save file. And then when i finished and got my platinum, it was like 56 or 57 hours. It's like, fuck this. This this is not worth it. The game is isn't worth it enough.
neocharge: Damn.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): That that is not. that That shit is not worth it, though. so
neocharge: Okay.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Anyway, Resident Evil 9 took that sour right out of my mouth.
neocharge: Cool.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): and made me happy.
neocharge: Sure did.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): so it was It was fantastic, but
neocharge: Heck yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Congrats again on your plat, Bob.
neocharge: Well, cool.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): i I'll be joining you when I stop running around in my sandbox and I just finish the damn thing.
Leon Lionheartly: its
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): um Yeah.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah, when I saw nobody else had posted it and I was like, I'm getting ready to start my insanity run. Will I have a chance to be the first one to do it? So that was my dedication. and like i don't I don't care. I'm going to fucking do it. I want to be the first one to plant that flag.
neocharge: You did it.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I guess you're...
neocharge: Rub it in Bo's face.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): You're lucky that my Tuesday was fucked because I probably would have just done it naturally today if I if i had my Tuesday.
Leon Lionheartly: Oh, I know. That's why when I saw the opportunity, I'm like, I'm like taking this.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): No, take it. That's great. I'm glad you had a good time. I'm still enjoying the shit out of it i'm probably going to play it again when I get my plat.
neocharge: Congratulations. You too.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I'm probably just going to do another fun run because the game is that good.
neocharge: That's what I was telling Bob. I was like, I might just run. I just might go through it just to go through it again and watch all the cut scenes and just play it again and just do all the challenges as much as I can.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): Yeah.
neocharge: It's just so good.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I'm going to get a fun weapon for Leon that I'm not, not that one.
neocharge: Yeah. already got it.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I'm, I'm no, it's, it's, a I don't, I'll tell you off.
neocharge: Oh.
neocharge: Got it. Yeah, yeah.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): after
neocharge: No, I know.
Leon Lionheartly: Yeah. Yeah.
neocharge: Yeah. So, okay. Cool. Well, this has been episode 33. Thanks for joining us, Caleb.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): You're welcome. Thanks for having me.
neocharge: We're ready. Yeah. Ready to get the hell out of here. I'm going to eat and then play some Requiem and just fuck around on it, honestly.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): You're going some Cheez-Its.
neocharge: No.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): You should go get some Cheez-Its.
neocharge: ah I mean, cheez-its are great. Don't get me wrong, but damn.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I love Cheez-Its!
neocharge: you should you should i That should be the last thing that's said on the cast. So you're goingnna you're going to say that ah as we stop it. So thanks so much for listening. Appreciate all your guys' support. Thanks for being part of the the Discord. We didn't even tell people how they could join the Discord. Shapesofgaming.com. Go there, join, have fun.
neocharge: ah And thanks for listening. Have a good evening, morning, night, whatever it is.
Leon Lionheartly: Peace.
Caleb (AdmiralMerps): I love Cheez-Its!
