Electronic Wireless Show

This week sees the triumphant return of Nate - or should I say The Electricity Cop, as this episode of the Electronic Wireless Show podcast goes down to Cyberpunk 2077 town. Matthew has played 70 hours of that game that everyone is talking about, so we ask him 20 questions about it (or, well, like, ten-ish, probably). These range from "what games is it most comparable to?" to "what about the performance issues?" and also "have you been watching The Mandalorian?" Plus, we get the thrilling conclusion to Matthew's ConeGate aka Game Of Cones aka the Conetto Trilogy, and a Cavern Of Lies that has to be heard to be believed. Full show notes: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/12/10/podcast-episode-120-the-cyberpunk-special Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we hit the yearly milestone of deciding it was finally cold enough to turn the heating on. You hold out as long as you can, obviously. Not made of money. Perhaps we could have lasted longer if we'd had very fashionable coats made out of the skin of a rare bat monster, such as you can hunt and kill in Monster Hunter: World. Yes, from this thrilling segue you'll now be aware that this week's episode of The Electronic Wireless Show is all about fashion in games. We talk about Dark Souls, we talk about Hitman, we talk about Fable. All the hits! Since Nate is regrettably still bust, it was just me and Matthew again, but we fill the time by discussing peacocks. Plus! The second instalment in the ConeGate Conspiracy. Will Matthew be able to secure a parking space? Will the scaffolding go up okay? Catch up today, and stay tuned for a further update next week. Full show notes: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/11/26/podcast-episode-119-the-fashion-in-games-special Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I don't want anyone to be disappointed, but Nate is away this week so you've got an Alice 'n' Matthew special, since I couldn't draft in a third body in time. Nevertheless, this week we had a grand old time, albeit one with less chat about animals. In fact, we manage to talk about games quite a lot! Historically speaking, JRPGs didn't often come to PC, but the times, they are a changin', so we have plenty to chat about. There aren't none diversions. We talk quite a lot about scaffolding, for example. Don't forget to tune in to the Five Nights At Freddy's Book Club spin-off podcast. Full show notes: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/11/19/podcast-episode-118-the-best-jrpgs-special Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, dear listeners, we urge you to think small, as we take a look at our favourite little details in games that don't need to be there, and yet are. The strange Easter eggs, the loving little inclusions, the proverbial mint popped on the digipillow of your entertainment. Matthew talks about Red Dead Redemption 2, obviously, the big mass entertainment-liker. Diversions this week include the fact that Nate imagines game characters are whatever size they appear on his screen, conspiracy theories about Avril Lavigne, and a five minute extended series of in-jokes that will sort the TRUFANS of EWS, the Shergar's Heart Squad, from the fake haters. Full show notes: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/11/12/podcast-episode-117-the-best-small-details-in-games-special/ Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome again, dear listener, to the Electronic Wireless Show, the best and most solidly on-topic PC gaming podcast the world has ever seen. This week, we invite you to be our guest, take a seat at our dinner table, and prepare for a hearty helping of chat. About food. Because this week the topic is all the best food in games, you see. I hope I laboured that point enough. We cover all manner of games, with only a brief mention of Skyrim, and a more extended chat about Final Fantasy XV and Monster Hunter. But to be honest we spend most of our time talking about actual food. Conversational diversions this week include how dead bodies are transported around cruise ships, and our death row meals. Death comes up a lot, actually. It gets kind of dark. But in a fun way! Full show notes: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/11/05/podcast-episode-116-the-best-food-in-games-special Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After the rip-roaring success that was last week's episode of The Electronic Wireless Show, where we talked about autumnal games and Matthew and Alice almost came to blows, this week's podcast is a sequel. Yes, this week we are discussing our favourite wintery games. There is, obviously, a discussion about what constitutes 'wintery', because Alice thinks a game being snowy isn't enough. Surprisingly, it is Nate who tries to keep on theme this week, and Alice that goes off on upsetting tangents. Wonders never cease! We also spend some time discussing Skyrim, i.e. whether it is on or off the wintery table. Tangents include the Vic Mignona lawsuit and Matthew becoming the sort of person who hangs out by canals. Also, thank you to listener Kitku, who sent us a very nice email telling us how great we are. Full show notes: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/10/29/podcast-episode-115-the-wintery-games-special Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I won't lie to you listener, the ratio of games to not-games chat on this week's episode of the Electronic Wireless Show is pretty... it's pretty low. This may be the least amount of games chat we've ever done. Nevertheless: here is a podcast. This time it is about autumnal games - not games about the season, but games that are cosy, that are good to play when the evenings are drawing in and wish you had a log fire to sit in front of. Although perhaps not, because on one of many tangents Nate describes how one time a pigeon wrapped in a binbag fell down the chimney in his childhood home. So. Other topics not related to games include hyperforeignisms and what member of a family is, psychologically and emotionally speaking, representative of the concept of autumn. There is also a very tense Cavern Of Lies, where Matthew does impressions of Baldur's Gate characters (only slightly undercutting the tension). Reminder: Matthew is, incredibly, not a professional voice actor. Full show notes: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/10/22/podcast-episode-114-the-autumnal-games-special Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Yesterday, Nate observed that he is increasingly becoming a single issue voter and that single issue is "beasts". This week, therefore, the podcast is about the best dinosaur games. There is, of course, some haggling over what constitutes a dinosaur (does it include all birds and some robots?). Expect a lot of discussion of various incarnations of Jurassic Park, as you might expect. There is also a long tangent at the start about toilets because Matthew signed in to the recording as 'Toilet Lawyer', which is probably less expected, and a pretty credible impression of the Queen from Nate. Nate also recommends a bunch of early access or indie games that will be of interest to dinofans, although one of them is "I can't remember what it's called." Full show notes: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/10/15/podcast-episode-113-the-dinosaurs-special Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alice Bee is back from holiday in time for a massive CRPG to enter early access, so this episode is supposedly about our favourite companions in games, but it's really mostly about Baldur's Gate III, Larian's massive new Dungeons & Dragons-themed, reawakening-a-classic fantasy game. She and Matthew have both played a bit of it (Matthew a lot more than her), but we have a chinwag about it and the characters in it nonetheless. We do also get to chatting about our actual favourite companions from other games, though. There are mentions for some old reliables that I bet some of you already knew were going to come up, as well as some surprise entries from new up and comers. We like to keep things fresh here at the Electronic Wireless Show. Just don't hit your head on all the digressions, or in this week's Cavern Of Lies, which is a lil' D&D treat. Full show notes: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/10/08/podcast-episode-112-the-excuse-to-talk-about-baldurs-gate-3-special Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alice is on holiday, which means it falls to Graham to lead Nate and Matthew in cheerful conversation. Unfortunately I've been playing a lot of Spelunky 2 over the past two weeks, which means all our cheery conversation in this week's Electronic Wireless Show is about death. We talk about our favourite deaths in videogames, whether they be the systems-driven demise of a Crusader Kings king or a shooter protagonist permanently snuffed out by a scripted sequence. We also talk about the end of swarms, Matthew's strange theories about What Remains Of Edith Finch and Call Of Duty, spoil the first season of The Walking Dead, and a lot more. Find full show notes here: http://rockpapershotgun.com/2020/10/01/podcast-episode-111-the-death-special Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a change of pace for the Electronic Wireless Show this week, Nate is on holiday and we're joined by special guest VidBud Colm Ahern to discuss our favourite special powers from video games. The title is actually a misnomer, because I immediately go on to say that really we're talking about weird or supernatural special powers, not super powers like wot The Avengers have. An example, that we talk about at in fact, is Max's power to rewind time in Life Is Strange. Our diversions this week are less likely to involve the term "bumeggs", but we do spend ages talking about whether or not a character in Resident Evil 7 has a beehive for a bum or not. Also, it turns out that we mostly want special abilities that facilitate the acquisition and consumption of food. We did record this around lunchtime, in fairness. To make things more confusing, the Cavern Of Lies this week is superhero themed, specifically around 2002 strategy game Freedom Force. Full show notes: www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/09/03/p…-ins-special Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As you all know, we here at The Rock Paper Shotgun Electronic Wireless Show podcast love to innovate and do things that nobody has ever done before. That’s why we did a live podcast episode! I know, I know. This has never been attempted by god nor human. But hold your applause and gasps of wonder until you’re listening to The RPS Electronic Show Live – The Living A Normal Life Special, part of EGX Digital! The theme, living a normal life, is partly so we could make a terrible pun that doesn’t quite work on live/life, but partly because in 2020 normal life seems a dream, beyond the reach of our grasp. Not if you have games, though! So, in this episode, we chat about the games that let us simulate a life, be that a tiny but more attractive version of your own in The Sims, or one where you are a cruel and capricious god in Black & White. Full show notes: www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/09/03/p…-ins-special Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week the podcast moves out of Nate's dad wheelhouse and into Matthew's film wheelhouse. It's a bumper and bumpy ride this week, as we discuss video game adaptations of them there Hollywood talkies! This does end up involving quite a lot of Star Wars chat, because there are so many Star Wars games. Tangents this week include Nate going on about Gimli a lot, the terrible Mothers' Day present Matthew nearly got for his mum, and what film series LEGO should tackle next (spoilers: it is the work of Lars von Trier). Full show notes: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/09/03/podcast-episode-108-the-movie-tie-ins-special Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week the podcast truly is the daddy of all podcasts, as we decide to talk all things dad in games. This, of course, means we must first establish what a dad game is. Are we talking about games that dads will like or games about dads? And what is the crossover between the two? Full show notes: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/08/27/podcast-episode-107-the-dad-games-special Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we have an extra special treat for you! It does mean we don't talk about PC games at all, though. Well, we do, but we talk about fake ones that we've made up. Today we're joined by special guests Meg from EGX and ReedPop video producer Dean to for an actual play of our new free tabletop RPG, EGX Rezzed The RPG! EGX Rezzed The RPG was written by Grant Howitt, of Rowan, Rook and Decard, and our own Nate Crowley. It is a madcap dungeon crawl adventure through the Tobacco Dock, and it's free for you to download and play right here: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/08/20/we-miss-rezzed-so-much-that-we-turned-it-into-a-free-tabletop-rpg/ Full show notes: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/08/20/podcast-episode-106-the-rezzed-tabletop-rpg-special Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ave, citizens! Rome wasn't built in a day, but this podcast was built in a few hours, so you tell me which is better? This week, we're doing a Romans special. We talk about the games Romans appear in, the way they're portrayed, and the difference between Romans on console vs on PC. Also we talk a lot about the Pope, and ask the important question: what does a wolf's milk taste like? Full show notes: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/08/13/podcast-episode-105-the-romans-in-video-games-special Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week's Electronic Wireless Show is a bit quick and dirty - like a spiced pork meat snack. We loved talking about baddies so much last time that we've done a bit of a lateral move, and have each brought our favourite 'bad' game to the pod-table. Because secretly, all games are good. As ever, there is a healthy dose of chat along with our game talk. Nate's watery menagerie is multiplying at an alarming pace because all the animals are having sex, and he is also eating a lot of #BigOats, and basically Matthew and I want to talk about detectives again. Plus: weird old school adverts, KFC, and the return of the return of the Five Nights At Freddy's Book Club! Full show notes: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/08/06/podcast-episode-104-mr-animal-peperami Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week the podcast talks bad, meaning good, and if we say a villain is bad then we mean they are not good, but bad. Make sense? Of course it does! Yes, we're talking about some of our favourite villains in PC gaming. Some interesting topics come up, including the utility of different kinds of villain, what kinds of villain are good, and whether Dr Eggman is a sad, sad boy. Full show notes: www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/07/30/podcast-the-worst-villains-ever-by-which-we-mean-best Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week the Electronic Wireless Show celebrates the 7/10 game. Yes, we know RPS doesn’t have scores but the 7/10 is as much a feeling or a way of life. It’s those games that are a bit jank at the same time as being a bit genius, the ones that you love even though they’re a bit rough around the edges. Plus: more fish anecdotes, and how the TV show Friends could have been improved (the answer isn’t “delete Ross”, sadly). Full show notes: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/07/23/podcast-heres-to-the-glorious-7s/ Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're back! This week, we've reverted to a more traditional gaming podcast format by spending the first five to ten minutes talking about 90s kids' TV shows we watched. Did you miss us?? Remarkably, we do also talk about some video games, to whit: Halo 3 and Death stranding, which are two big beasty release from this week that VidBud Matthew and Nate have been playing. Unfortunately I, Alice, haven't been playing anything new, but is able to provide input - as well as sound effects! Yes, this week also sees the return of the much loved soundboard. Ooh la la! Full show notes: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/07/16/podcast-chiefing-death-a-pun/ Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rock Paper Shotgun doesn't do scores - until today! For a very special episode 100 of the Electronic Wireless Show, we've decided to finally ditch coherent critical analysis in favour of the comforting certainty of math(s). Over the course of the episode, Matthew, Nate and special guest host Graham (hi) assign numerical scores to 100 games, and then average out the results to deliver a single, definitive score for the entirety of PC gaming. Full show notes: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/06/26/podcast-episode-100/ Discord: https://discord.gg/rockpapershotgun Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we’re being vaguely topical! Imagine that. Today, because we’ve come through what we might call phase one of the not-E3 livestreams (with phase 2 being Thursday's EA stream and the underway Steam Game Festival) we decided to behave like proper games journalists. We pick out some favourites and standouts from the Guerrilla Collective streams and the PC Gaming show – links to the complete roundups of every trailer and announcement can be found in the show notes. Discord: https://discord.gg/rockpapershotgun Full show notes: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/06/18/podcast-not-e3-best-bits/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we got an email from listener Tom from Melbourne, who suggested that it would be fun for us to talk about the scariest games we've all played. Would it, Tom? WOULD IT? What sort of pervs enjoy being afraid? Well, many people, obviously, so we thought Tom's suggestion was a good one. A lot of games come up, from The Evil Within to Soma to Chronicles Of Riddick. Talk about this episode on our Discord: https://discord.gg/rockpapershotgun Read the full show notes here: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/06/13/podcast-june-halloween-special/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Remember when podcasts weren’t even a thing? Us neither. This week, you can join us in an ouroboros of podcasting where we, on a podcast about games, talk about games that we play whilst listening to podcasts. Come, stand betwixt these two mirrors with us! Discord: https://discord.gg/rockpapershotgun Show notes: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/06/05/podcast-games-to-play-while-you-listen-to-podcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The big physical summer expos all got cancelled, but instead we have a whole load of great digi-vents to replace them. Looking at the schedule, it seems the Summer Of Games is going on until approximately next January. We’re in a bit of a hopeful mood for this week’s podcast, so the gang discuss their most anticipated upcoming releases, as well as their most anticipated and/or hoped for reveals that might come from the 2020 digital events. Discuss this episode on our Discord: discord.gg/rockpapershotgun Links: Desperados III has a nice big trailer: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/05/20/desperados-3-gets-a-lengthy-gameplay-trailer-before-launch-next-month/ You can play a demo of Desperados III right this hot second: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/05/27/play-demos-for-desperados-3-and-system-shock-right-now-via-gog/ Iron Harvest had a multiplayer alpha last year: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/12/19/iron-harvest-preorder-alpha-released/ Alice is already well excited for Valhalla, and has been doing lots of speculation: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/04/30/7-things-i-demand-from-assassins-creed-valhalla/ Here are some sober facts about AC Valhalla: everything we know and all the release dates: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/05/19/assassins-creed-valhalla-release-date-gameplay-and-trailers-4/ Likewise, here’s everything we know about the cyberbants of Cyberpunk 2077: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/08/13/cyberpunk-2077-release-date-trailer-news-and-gameplay/ Nate is extremely excited for Horizon Zero Dawn to come to PC: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/01/17/5-reasons-im-desperate-for-horizon-zero-dawn-on-pc/ Here’s a preview of XCOM-but-gangsters game Empire Of Sin: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/09/09/empire-of-sin-is-looking-so-good-enough-it-should-be-illegal/ Here’s a preview of nice game about death Spiritfarer: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/07/08/spiritfarer-is-about-death-but-its-how-it-treats-life-that-makes-it-unusual/ Microsoft closed Lionhead Studios: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/04/29/lionhead-studios-closed/ Apple bought the company which made Kinect's 3D sensor: https://www.theverge.com/2013/11/24/5141416/apple-confirms-primesense-acquisition Age Of Empires IV has a trailer and not much else: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/11/14/age-of-empires-4-trailer-shows-off-its-medieval-setting/ Everything we know about Humankind, the challenger to Civ’s throne: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/08/27/humankind-release-date-trailer-gameplay-everything-we-know-about-amplitudes-new-4x-magnum-opus-2/ Bloodlines 2 release a very, very good new trailer: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/05/07/this-vampire-the-masquerade-bloodlines-2-trailer-has-come-to-dance/ One of our excellent videos on Baldur’s Gate 3, on 15 features you didn’t see in the public demo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0mdQF92N_w Dragon Age 4 teases dragons, won’t be out for ages: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/12/07/dragon-age-4-teaser-trailer/ Nate’s Dwarf Fortress Basement Of Curiosity: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/tag/the-basement-of-curiosity/ A peek at Dwarf Fortress’s non-ASCII look: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/03/27/heres-a-preview-of-dwarf-fortress-texture-overhaul/ This week Matthew recommends The Borrowed by Chan Ho-Kei: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30119105-the-borrowed Nate corruptly recommends his own book: https://twitter.com/FrogCroakley/status/1265306814150848512 And Alice recommends making your own pizza: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/no-yeast-pizza-dough Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Technically it should be happy birthday to The Witcher 3, but it’s always better to put a face to an event, don’t you think? Yes, this week we all celebrated the fifth anniversary of CD Projekt’s most favoured baby (until later this year, at least). Join Alice Bee, VidBud Matthew and Nate as they discuss how Geralt would do on Come Dine With Me, if he’d be alright to have a pint with, and also maybe the game itself a bit. Discuss this episode on our Discord: https://discord.gg/rockpapershotgun Links: The Witcher 3 is going cheap for the next couple of weeks, if you don't have it yet: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/05/19/the-witcher-sales-on-steam-and-gog/ Nate is fairly certain he knows the plot of The Witcher 3 now: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/05/19/i-am-fairly-certain-this-is-the-plot-of-the-witcher-3/ Alice likes The Witcher 3 more if she ignores almost all of The Witcher 3: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/05/19/the-witcher-3-is-most-fun-if-you-ignore-almost-all-of-the-witcher-3/ Matt enjoyed the Blood And Wine DLC almost as much as Matthew: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/05/19/the-witcher-3s-blood-and-wine-dlc-puts-geralt-where-he-truly-belongs/ Our original review from all those years ago: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2015/05/29/the-witcher-3-review-pc/ And the review for Blood And Wine, which Matthew says is the best DLC for anything ever: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/05/25/the-witcher-3-blood-and-wine-review/ The best thing that has ever happened on television happened on Come Dine With Me: https://www.joe.ie/movies-tv/scene-by-scene-come-dine-with-me-658079 This week Alice recommends The Last Dance documentary: https://www.netflix.com/title/80203144 Matthew recommends the ultraviolence of Gangs Of London: https://www.sky.com/watch/gangs-of-london And Nate recommends putting Bovril over your roast potatoes just before you take them out of the oven: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bovril Get these links and more on the RPS site: https://wp.me/pkbbD-3vot Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’ve been away from podcasting for a while, ever since Bungus Humongous (who used to record and edit it) fell off his skateboard and exploded into a pile of coins. But now we’re back! And because we all need a chat with mates at this difficult time, we’re just having a nice chat about the games we’re playing every week. This time: Gears Tactics vs. XCOM Chimera Squad, and family bonding in Sea Of Thieves. Plus: the best way to store a body in a freezer chest, the secret to delicious veggie mince, and the best Scampi merch. Discuss this episode on our Discord: https://discord.gg/rockpapershotgun Links: Nate's Gears Tactics review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/04/27/gears-tactics-review/ Ways gears tactics will appeal to Gears fans as well as XCOM fans: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/04/02/gears-tactics-will-appeal-to-xcom-fans-and-classic-gears-of-war-fans-alike/ Matthew's video review of Gears Tactics: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaOPS7L882c XCOM: Chimera Squad's surprise announcement: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/04/14/theres-a-brand-new-xcom-spin-off-coming-out-next-week/ Matt (Cox)'s Chimera Squad review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/04/23/xcom-chimera-squad-review/ Firaxis talking about taking XCOM in a new direction: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/04/24/firaxis-on-taking-xcom-in-a-new-direction-with-xcom-chimera-squad/ VidBud Colm's Chimera Squad video review: https://youtu.be/ELjfi0KlwR4 The VidBuds' Sea Of Thieves Stream: https://youtu.be/g8TmL28f1xU Sea Of Theives' original review, back in 2018: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/03/23/sea-of-thieves-review-pc/ Sea Of Thieves' most recent update (feat. cats): https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/04/22/recruit-a-kitty-as-your-first-mate-in-sea-of-thieves-ships-of-fortune-update-today/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wilmot's Warehouse is a good game about sorting boxes. Alice B likes to pile beautiful sunsets on top of one another. Brendan likes to store dangerous buttons next to the nuclear missiles. And I can't remember what boxes Nate likes. Probably eggs. Links: We can't stop playing Wilmot's Warehouse: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/09/09/cant-stop-playing-wilmots-warehouse/ Nate's Wilmot's Warehouse review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/09/11/wilmots-warehouse-review/ The posters of the warehouse: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/09/12/wilmots-warehouses-motivational-posters-are-a-deadpan-anti-reward/ It's a language game, says Philosophy Matt: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/09/04/wilmots-warehouse-is-a-language-game-please-discuss/ The timelapses are cool: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/09/02/timelapses-in-wilmots-warehouse-are-supremely-satisfying/ Wasteland Baby by Hozier: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSye8OO5TkM&list=PL9tY0BWXOZFtpgUO2E_VBDIMKrNZuLU5f The Mind Explained is on Netflix and YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SzZTTHbj-8 F***ing rawwwwwwww: https://youtu.be/id-M2S5JyC8?t=6 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back, brine fans. Our pen and paper RPG podcast is continuing its salty journey to the top of the pod charts with its fantasy tales of bravery and fishmongering. This week, the gang find themselves waking up in the cavernous city-state of Snarlgrove, nursing some terrible hangovers. Can Nate, Astrid and Alice B uncover the events of their previous night in the settlement? Or did they get so blackout wasted that it's impossible to tell? As usual, the only way to find out is to listen along. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're talking about families in games this week. Brendan likes the Mishima family from Tekken, who throw each other into volcanoes. Sin prefers the simple life of the Sims, and Matthew enjoys the magical tales of the Finch family in What Remains of Edith Finch. We've also been playing stuff. Children of Morta continues the family theme with some dungeon crawling. Gears 5 has some mother-daughter tension as well. And Ghost Recon Breakpoint ... well, I guess a special ops squad is like a family? Links: The Sims 4 new mermaid DLC: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/06/21/the-sims-4-island-living-expansion-released/ What Remains of Edith Finch is good: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/04/24/what-remains-of-edith-finch-review/ The Mishima family is complicated: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozjp_TcB2EA Hong and Kong: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-49603717 Alice B liked A Plague Tale: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/05/13/a-plague-tale-innocence-review/ Sin's review of Children Of Morta: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/09/05/children-of-morta-review/ Valhalla is a cyberpunk bartending game: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/06/21/va-11-hall-a-review/ Matthew's Gears 5 review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/09/04/gears-5-pc-review/ Matt and Brendy played some Ghost Recon Breakpoint: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/09/05/the-first-couple-of-hours-with-ghost-recon-breakpoints-beta/ Money Heist is on Netflix: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvCdLmxnkj0 Green Leaf is on Netflix too I think: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVIgWhOrWes Skateboard Bruh delivers Uber Eats on a skateboard: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvcuEHa4BIo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gamescom is over and the team have returned. Well, only one survivor has made it back to the podcast room - Alice B, who is here to tell us about Atomicrops, Empire of Sin, The Longing, and a whole lot more! Brendan, meanwhile has been monkeying around at home in Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey. Links: All our Gamescom 2019 coverage: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/tag/gamescom-2019/ Angela Merkel is unwell: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jul/11/angela-merkel-sits-anthems-after-latest-shaking-episode The Longing is a 400-day game: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/game/the-longing/ The Eternal Cylinder looks wonderfully strange: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/08/16/the-endless-cylinder-launching-in-2020/ Seed is an ambitious MMO city builder: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/08/30/the-games-chasing-eves-vision-of-a-single-shard-mmo/ In Empire of Sin your gangsters can become serial killers: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/06/18/empire-of-sin-preview-e3-2019/ Spiritfarer is about ferrying souls to the afterlife: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/06/15/spiritfarer-looks-like-utterly-magical-heartbreak/ The Bloodlines 2 demo can be violent or talky: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/08/22/spend-30-minutes-in-the-company-of-vampire-the-masquerade-bloodlines-2/ The Settlers is being rebooted: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/08/22/new-settlers-game-due-autumn-2019/ Humankind is a new upcoming 4X game: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/08/19/amplitude-studios-announce-humankind/ Kine is a puzzler about musical instruments: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/09/26/kine-is-a-beautiful-musical-puzzle-game-to-watch-out-for/ Atomicrops is like a twin-stick Stardew Valley: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/08/28/atomicrops-hands-on-the-twinstick-stardew-valley-game-you-didnt-know-you-wanted/ Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey is not a great ape: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/08/26/ancestors-review/ Magnum's Cookie and Cream: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kB_OV9SBiw Sorry to Bother You is a surreal comedy and very good: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5688932/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gamescom is next week, and it will see a few of the RPS treehousers zipping off to Cologne. In this pod, they prepare themselves for the mission ahead. Thumbs at the ready, maggots. Alice is looking forward to playing some Watch Dogs Legion, and seeing how much Laaaaahndaaaan they can fit into their game. Matthew is eager to see the Cyberpunk 2077 demo that was shown at E3, to see what’s what. Links: Matthew and Brendan played Mount and Blade 2 at Gamescom last year: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ByrC0GoQrE& Matt played Watch Dogs: Legion at E3: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/06/14/watch-dogs-legion-does-a-good-lahndan-but-the-npcs-left-me-cold/ Desperadoes 3 looks interesting: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/08/21/desperados-3-announced/ Matt had problems with Cyberpunk 2077’s latest demo: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/06/12/cyberpunk-2077s-e3-demo-has-weak-gunplay-and-unimaginative-stereotypes/ The Longing is a 400-day game: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/04/24/the-best-games-from-a-maze-festival-in-berlin/ Alice’s Ritual of the Moon diary: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/04/12/ritual-of-the-moon-diary-day-one/ Empire of Sin is all about them gangsters: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/06/18/empire-of-sin-preview-e3-2019/ Steve Coogan gets off driving ban: https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2019/aug/13/alan-partridge-saves-steve-coogan-from-lengthy-driving-ban Brendan’s Dicey Dungeons review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/08/13/dicey-dungeons-review/ Horace is a platformer about a sad robot: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESmao3XvT2E The Lehman Trilogy is good: https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2018/jul/13/the-lehman-trilogy-review-lyttelton-sam-mendes Midsummer Nights Dream has her from Game of Thrones: https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2019/jun/11/a-midsummer-nights-dream-review-bridge-theatre-london-gwendoline-christie-nicholas-hytner Kurzgesagt is doing a series about ants: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_e0CA_nhaE Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Streets Of Rogue is a tiny immersive sim full of angry gorillas. We can’t stop playing it. This week, the pod squad are gathering to chat about why they think it’s so good. But also choose their favourite characters, from a drug-addicted investment banker to a tiny naked body snatcher. Also, it’s Astrid’s first appearance! Well, her first time on the main pod, anyway. Plus, a special patch notes quiz! Links: Astrid is our new video person: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/07/17/welcome-astrid-johnson-the-newest-member-of-rps-video/ We can’t stop playing Streets Of Rogue: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/08/02/august-cant-stop-playing-streets-of-rogue/ Brendan’s Streets Of Rogue review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/07/19/streets-of-rogue-review/ The moment Nate swore to play Final Fantasy: https://youtu.be/qIu_e75a6qs?t=2361 Man and mantis can be friends: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0_NtUhOw_g Idles are the band that Astrid likes: https://www.youtube.com/user/Idlesband Follow Tony Hawk on Twitter, he’s good: https://twitter.com/tonyhawk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week: the best cities in games. Alice B reckons the streets of Dishonored's Dunwall are perfectly safe. Brendan likes the upside-down buildings of the Hanging City from Outer Wilds. Meanwhile, Dave appreciates the big lights and fist fights of Kamurocho in Yakuza 0. We also talk about taxi murder-mystery game Night Call, the roguelike spaceship stormer Void Bastards, and another chaotic city in Streets of Rogue. Links: Everyday life in Yakuza’s Kamurocho: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/08/14/gallery-everyday-life-on-the-streets-of-yakuza-0/ The cat cafe is in Yakuza 6: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsuUSUsvRuE Outer Wilds is good, have you played it yet? Hurry up: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/05/29/outer-wilds-review/ A landscape designer inspects the gardens of Dunwall: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/03/02/dishonored-garden-design/ Matt’s Resident Evil 2 review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/01/22/resident-evil-2-review/ New York is cool in the Division: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/03/15/the-division-pc-review/ Have you played… Else Heart Break? https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/02/20/have-you-played-else-heart-break/ Alice’s Night Call review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/07/17/night-call-review/ Graham’s review of Void Bastards: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/05/30/void-bastards-review/ Have you played… Streets of Rogue? https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/01/12/have-you-played-streets-of-rogue/ Derry Girls is on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/80238565 Fleabag is on BBC: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5687612/ The rise and fall of the English sentence: http://nautil.us/issue/54/the-unspoken/the-rise-and-fall-of-the-english-sentence Our reader’s favourite cities (Facebook): https://www.facebook.com/rockpapershot/posts/2296969467055908 Our reader’s favourite cities (Twitter): https://twitter.com/kyotocosmology/status/1151102507738980357 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Horses, that’s this week’s topic. Big galloping buddies full of teeth and flies. Alice B likes the creepy horse from Kingdom Come Deliverance, who appears behind you like a tall ghost. Brendan likes Argo from Shadow of the Colossus, even though it’s NOT ON PC YOU IDIOT. And Sin Vega joins us for the first time to sing the praises of the woman who runs around like a horse in real life. Which is ALSO NOT A PC GAME. Honestly, gang, you have one job. Links: Sin Vega is our new staff writer: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/07/03/welcome-sin-vega-rpss-newest-staff-writer/ Unknown Pleasures is Sin’s regular column: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/tag/unknown-pleasures/ Woman who can gallop like a horse: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvhlWbnl_qM Ostwind is the game about the 13-year-old with a horse and a crossbow: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/08/03/best-new-steam-games-august-2017/ The battle nug from Dragon Age: Inquisition: https://youtu.be/VoQY0j4SkY4?t=31 The bog unicorn: https://youtu.be/_ZeD1uyhlco?t=81 Have you played… Horse Master? https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/06/12/have-you-played-horse-master/ Sin’s Chinese Parents review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/07/11/chinese-parents-review/ The Miami Showband Massacre on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/TITLE/80191046 Who Fears Death by Nnedi Okorafor: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7767021-who-fears-death The Mastermind by Evan Ratliff: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41181600-the-mastermind Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oh no. This week we're forcing game characters into romantic couples. It's the shipping forecast. Alice L reckons Chell from Portal and Lara Croft would make a good couple, raiding tombs together. Brendan disagrees, putting Lara into a doomed relationship with Adam Jensen from Deus Ex. And Nate thinks the Stardew Valley protagonist would have a four-month affair with the engineer from Factorio. We’ve also been playing stuff. Brendan is clawing through rubbish bins in Pathologic 2. Alice L is enjoying the waves of The Sims 4: Island Living. And Nate has been off to the Baltic in both real life and in Crusader Kings 2. Nice. Links: Dance, Voldo, Dance: https://youtu.be/XNGjSll2_Uc No, they still make Matchmakers: https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/search?query=matchmakers Alice L flipping out in The Sims 4 Island Living: https://youtu.be/6NPSlsSUGyc Our Battlefleet Gothic Armada II review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/01/24/battlefleet-gothic-armada-2-review/ Pathologic 2’s spooky train summoning: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/05/24/pathologic-2-train-summoning/ The spooky Twitter video that scared Alice L: https://twitter.com/angelachavezz/status/1146116162305970176 The Vocal Coach videos Alice L likes on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CDCOdZKTU8 The Ants Man wot Nate likes, keeping them as pets: https://youtu.be/UUCoajYwo8s The Fixer by Barnard Malamud, just to remind you life is bad: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3066.The_Fixer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

E3 2019 is finished! More importantly, we have almost recovered from E3 2019. To celebrate their convalescence, Alice B and Matt piled into the podcast studio for a 40-minute post-show chat about their favourite games from the show, their thoughts on the many E3 press conferences, and why it's all a bit cult-like, really. Games discussed: Ubisoft's roller derby-derived future sport Roller Champions, Obsidian's stop-getting-the-name-wrong open world RPG The Outer Worlds, and the turn-based tactics of Desperados 3. Plus we talk about Keanu Reeves, inevitably. Links: Roller Champions' E3 trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PYfi7DqJZ8 Matt's The Outer Worlds preview from E3: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/06/17/the-outer-worlds-preview/ Matt's Desperados 3 preview from E3: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/06/19/desparados-3-preview/ Brendan and Matt's liveblogs of all the E3 press conferences: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/tag/the-cheerer-and-the-jeerer/ All our E3 2019 coverage: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/tag/e3-2019/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

E3 is getting started this weekend. Let us be your digital sherpa through the show. Matt and Brendan join Alice B to have a big group natter about the upcoming games. Halo Infinite has Brendan glancing furtively sideways. Alice B is pretending she hasn’t seen Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order when really she has. And Matt is bouncing his knee up and down with nervous excitement for his date with Cyberpunk 2077. Links: All the games confirmed for E3: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/?p=688727 Cyberpunk 2077 demo from last year: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/08/28/cyberpunk-2077-gamescom-2018-gameplay-video/ Halo Infinite is coming to PC: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/06/10/halo-infinite-announced-returning-to-pc/ Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is coming out in November: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/04/13/star-wars-jedi-fallen-order-emerges-from-hiding-this-november/ Watch Dogs 2 was good but probably didn’t need guns: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/12/06/watch-dogs-2-review-pc/ Xbox Games Pass for PC is a rental service basically: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/05/30/xbox-game-pass-the-monthly-subscription-games-buffet-is-coming-to-pc/ Bee Simulator is about being a bee: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40x46MWPdOE What Elder Scrolls VI should fix: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/11/04/elder-scrolls-5-skyrim-sequel/ But it should be set in Elsweyr (supporters only): https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/06/18/the-elder-scrolls-vi-will-be-set-in-elsweyr/ Dragon Age 4 was supposed to be about wizard heists: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/04/09/before-a-2017-reboot-dragon-age-4-was-about-wizard-heists/ Matt’s Apex Legends review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/02/19/apex-legends-review/ Dino Crisis 2 was the best one: https://youtu.be/vaEMpf-9Z7s?t=4091 Outer Wilds is really good: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/05/29/outer-wilds-review/ But The Outer WORLDS isn’t out yet: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/03/26/the-outer-worlds-release-date-trailer-gameplay-setting-details/ Borderlands 3 is due out in September: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/04/03/borderlands-3-release-date-announced/ Vampire Bloodlines empowered Alice B by accident: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/03/15/vampire-the-masquerade-bloodlines-accidentally-gave-me-a-power-fantasy/ Watch Dogs 3 will be set in London: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/06/04/watch-dogs-3-will-be-set-in-london-says-rogue-amazon-listing/ Good Omens is a good TV adaptation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUJoR4vlIIs Technique Critique is about professionals pointing out bad movie scenes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUqeBMP8nEg So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed is a good book: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22571552-so-you-ve-been-publicly-shamed Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this Soundbyte, we’re talking sexy, sexy sex games, why they’re interesting, and the queer erasure that comes along with blacklisting them from websites like Twitch. Astrid speaks to Robert Yang, NYU arts professor and renowned gay video game developer about the homophobic portion of his audience. Christine Love talks about the importance of consent through dialogue in her BDSM visual novel Ladykiller in a Bind. And Kenzie Stargrifter shares her excitement about trans cyberpunk porn game Hardcoded. But let's ask them: what makes a good sex game? Links: Robert Yang’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/radiatoryang Hurt Me Plenty itch.io page: https://radiatoryang.itch.io/hurt-me-plenty Christine Love’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/christinelove Ladykiller in a Bind Steam page: https://store.steampowered.com/app/560000/Ladykiller_in_a_Bind/ Kenzie Stargrifter’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/yoplatz Hardcoded Demo itch.io page: https://yoplatz.itch.io/hardcodeddemo My thoughts on Hardcoded: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/11/26/hardcoded-lets-trans-women-be-horny-without-being-a-fetish/ Tusks: The Orc Dating Sim itch.io page: https://hxovax.itch.io/orc-dating-sim Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Let's chat about games about discovery! Matthew likes the oceans and scoundrels of Sea of Thieves. Alice B likes finding things in the smaller locale of Everybody’s Gone To The Rapture. And Brendan enjoys getting his flippers wet in Subnautica. But we’ve been playing some games that fit the theme too. Outer Wilds has got both Matthew and Brendan chewing their cheeks to tell people how good it is. Meanwhile Alice has been poking her head around another abandoned village in Draugen. Links: Sea of Thieves review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/03/23/sea-of-thieves-review-pc/ Everybody’s Gone To The Rapture review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/04/15/everybodys-gone-to-the-rapture-pc-review/ Doom 2016 digress-o-review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/05/16/doom-review-pc/ Thi4f review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2014/02/24/thief-review/ Subnautica review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/01/24/subnautica-review/ Sub Culture is an old Ubisoft game: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sub_Culture Journey is out on PC soon: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/12/07/journey-pc-release-announced/ Outer Wilds review in words: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/05/29/outer-wilds-review/ Outer Wilds review in video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kYtnjmpPg4 Edge of Tomorrow is a good sci-fi Groundhog Day: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vw61gCe2oqI Draugen is ut now: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/05/29/fjord-noir-mystery-adventure-draugen-is-out-now/ Chernobyl trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9APLXM9Ei8 Dead To Me trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwYBw1raC2o Lingo by Gaston Dorren: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23534636-lingo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week: games you might have missed recently. Alice reckons you might like Glass Masquerades 2, a jigsaw puzzler about stained-glass windows. And Brendan wants more folks to try tiny chess game Pawnbarian. We’ve also been playing stuff. Alice is witholding her Life Is Strange 2 thoughts for another time, but Brendan is ready to spit with frustration at Pathologic 2. Links: Hurling is great: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmzivRetelE Pawnbarian is like Slay the Spire but chess: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/03/15/pawnbarian-is-slay-the-spire-with-less-math-and-more-chess/ John’s Baba Is You review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/03/14/baba-is-you-review/ Brendan’s Objects In Space review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/03/01/objects-in-space-review/ Glass Masquerades 2 is a stained-glass jigsaw puzzler: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/03/25/glass-masquerades-2-puzzle-game-released/ Skater XL is a skateboarding sim, but is it realistic? https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/01/16/skater-xl-is-a-prototype-skateboard-sim/ Alec’s early access review of Foundation: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/02/08/foundation-review-early-access/ Cities: Skylines has a pedestrian mod that lets you see things up close: https://www.pcgamer.com/see-your-city-up-close-with-this-cities-skylines-mod/ Brendan’s Pathologic 2 review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/05/23/pathologic-2-review/ Life Is Strange 2, episode 3 is out: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/05/09/life-is-strange-2-episode-3-released/ Alice’s review of Plague Tale: Innocence: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/05/13/a-plague-tale-innocence-review/ Hardcoded lets trans women be horny without being a fetish: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/11/26/hardcoded-lets-trans-women-be-horny-without-being-a-fetish/ Gestalt_OS is neat and we have no idea what’s going on: https://games.increpare.com/Gestalt_OS/ Contrapoints is a YouTube channel Alice likes: https://www.youtube.com/user/ContraPoints The Rise And Fall of the Dinosaurs is a book Brendan likes: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35068612-the-rise-and-fall-of-the-dinosaurs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re talking about good friends. Strong companions and fun-loving drinking buddies. Brendan reckons Biggs and Wedge from the Final Fantasies are a good pair. While Katharine enjoys the jibes of Aliya and her robot Six in Heaven’s Vault. But there's lots more. We’re also been playing stuff. Katharine has been rambling through Octopath Traveller, the Switch JRPG soon to be out on PC. And Brendan has been getting his head cut off in Mordhau. Links: The Biggses and Wedges throughout Final Fanatasy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4N0L-F3bdMQ Final Fantasy XV’s good boys:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_xTph8Ib_c Alice B’s Heaven’s Vault review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/04/16/hevaens-vault-review/ Brendan’s Pyre review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/07/28/pyre-review/ Lara’s friendship with Jonah is just one thing Katharine noticed when benchmarking (supporter’s only): https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/01/21/the-weird-things-ive-noticed-when-benchmarking-video-games/ Brendan’s Yakuza Kiwami review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/02/11/yakuza-kiwami-pc-review/ John’s Night In The Woods review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/02/27/night-in-the-woods-review/ Geralt gets drunk with his pals in The Witcher 3: https://youtu.be/csvhxvHZ1fw?t=532 Pip’s Life Is Strange review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2015/10/21/life-is-strange-review/ Matt’s Mordhau review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/05/08/mordhau-review/ SteamWorld Quest is coming out in a couple of weeks: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/05/14/steamworld-quest-hand-of-gilgamech-hits-pc-on-may-31st/ And Octopath Traveller is out in June: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/04/15/octopath-traveler-pc-release-confirmed/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"Time sinks". That’s what we're talking about this week. Games that eat up your precious minutes and hours and days. Nate says Civilization V is the worst contender. Alice B points a cannibalistic finger at Graveyard Keeper. And Graham turns the whole show into a sports podcast by talking about Football Manager. Links: The Yule Lads are terrifying: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Icelandic_Christmas_folklore#The_Yule_Lads Graveyard Keeper is like Stardew Valley but in a cemetery: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/08/15/graveyard-keeper-farming-sim-out-now/ Football Manager is best played when you take it too seriously: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/04/02/the-joy-of-taking-football-manager-far-too-seriously/ Sunderland ‘Til I Die trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLU7aNFp65M Forager review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/04/26/forager-review/ Spaceplan is the funny potato clicker game: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/08/11/spaceplan-is-cookie-clicker-launched-into-orbit/ The gang in Space Engineers are... Wastes of Space: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/05/01/space-engineers-diary-part-one-wolves/ Close to the Sun is basically BioShock with Tesla even if they say it isn’t: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/02/22/close-to-the-sun-is-a-horror-game-thats-definitely-not-bioshock-with-tesla/ Success is in your blood in Rise of Industry: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/02/27/rise-of-industry-early-access-review/ Open TTD is a free version of Transport Tycoon Deluxe: https://www.openttd.org/ The Empire is a LARP that Nate likes: https://www.profounddecisions.co.uk/empire?2 The OA is about a missing blind girl who reappears with her sight restored: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvHJtez2IlY The Song of Achilles is a book about Greek shagging: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11250317-the-song-of-achilles Circe is about a nice witch who turns men into pigs: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35959740-circe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week is all about treachery, traitors and multiplayer backstabbing. Graham tells the story of his traitorous actions in sci-fi strategy game Neptune’s Pride. Brendan enjoys the double-crossing of Eve Online. And Nate remembers the turncoat star fighters of Star Wars: Tie Fighter. Links: Have you played… Star Wars: TIE Fighter? https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2014/10/30/have-you-played-star-wars-tie-fighter/ The Neptune’s Pride chronicles: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2012/01/02/neptunes-pride-the-complete-epic/ Subterfuge is the same sort of thing but not on PC boooo: http://subterfuge-game.com/ EVE Online is a game of constant betrayal: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/09/29/how-eve-online-theft-ended-in-death-threats/ Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas characters modded into Resident Evil 2: https://youtu.be/Rnd7kB8gkTg?t=12 Nate’s Imperator: Rome review: Toca Boca looks like a full-colour migraine: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DdfXVzhTDU Mario is a traitor: https://twitter.com/gamesbymanuel/status/1121348831994679296 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You can watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/qIu_e75a6qs This podcast takes place in a real room in front of a real audience! At Rezzed in London, we thought it’d be fun to re-enact three of the most memorable scenes of PC gaming, exactly as you remember them. Three 100% faithful adaptations of the most notorious moments in our hobby. Honest. Links: Nate is our new writey man! https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/author/natecrowley/ He writes our Dwarf Fortress diary: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/tag/dwarf-fortress-diary/ And a let’s play of Ancient Greek Punishment: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/04/05/lets-play-ancient-greek-punishment-teaches-typing-is-as-hellish-as-it-sounds/ Our favourite games at Rezzed: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/04/11/our-favourite-games-at-egx-rezzed-2019/ The first EGX Rezzed Olympics: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/04/12/the-first-annual-rps-olympics-at-egx-rezzed-2019/ The weird controllers of the RPS room at Rezzed: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/04/08/rezzed-2019-rps-room-roundup/ Primetime Detective is Graham’s game so we shouldn’t even mention it but we’re very corrupt sorry: https://twitter.com/primetimedetect Frog Detective 2 is about an invisible wizard: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/03/09/frog-detective-2-announced/ The real famous scene from BioShock: https://youtu.be/8dL1kz6ojoQ?t=32 The real opening scene from Half-Life: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEgO16JaW4Y The real death scene of, uh, Aerosmith: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wx3duFYCcho Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

That quiet sobbing is coming from the RPS treehouse. Alec has left us. And John is leaving later this month. The boards will creak no more with the weight of their knowledge. The last of the old guard is waving goodbye. But we grabbed them for one last podcast, and forced them to tell us their proudest work, and to pass on their wisdom of over a decade in games journalism. They might be off, but the treehouse they’ve built will remain. (If you're wondering "where is episode 77?" - it was a live podcast, but don't worry, we'll upload it soon) Links: Alec is already gone :( https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/04/09/thank-you-and-goodbye-alec-meer/ The secret history of Rock Paper Shotgun: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/tag/the-secret-history-of-rps/ Telstar, the song that definitely started it all: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryrEPzsx1gQ RPS was once staunchly anti-ocean: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2011/03/22/no-oceans-call-for-worldwide-release-dates/ John’s interview with Peter Molyneux: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2015/02/13/peter-molyneux-interview-godus-reputation-kickstarter/ Godus’ undelivered promises: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2015/02/09/oh-godus-what-the-hells-going-on/ Bryan Henderson, the winner of Molyneux’s weird Curiousity cube, was forgotten: https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2015-02-11-the-god-who-peter-molyneux-forgot What it’s like to interview someone like Ken Levine: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2013/01/18/ken-levine-and-the-conversation-part-one/ Gone Home is a tale of two dads: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2013/08/16/gone-home-a-tale-of-two-dads/ Alec chooses his “least worst” writing: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/04/09/the-rps-omeerbus-alecs-least-worst-writing/ RPS’ stance on misogyny: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2013/04/06/misogyny-sexism-and-why-rps-isnt-shutting-up/ John writing about the death of his Dad, Hugh: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/01/13/rip-hugh-walker-1949-2016/ Have you played… Windows Solitaire? https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/12/24/have-you-played-windows-solitaire/ John’s Dos and Don’ts: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/tag/do-dont/ Horace is our infinite bear mascot who is drawn by John: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/search?q=horace Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sometimes you change your mind about a game partway through. John realised the caves of Spelunky weren’t so bad after all. Alice B’s feelings on the castles of Dark Souls flip-flopped all over the place. And Brendan’s early scepticism about the Yakuza games was eventually washed away. We also have time to talk more about Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. And the Bloodlines sequel! John and Alice recently saw a demo for the vampirism RPG , and they are quietly excited to see how it turns out. Links: What is in Cuphead’s cup head? https://www.videogamer.com/features/what-is-in-cupheads-cup-head Yakuza Kiwami won Brendan over: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/02/11/yakuza-kiwami-pc-review/ The Twin Princes from Dark Souls 3 are horse s***: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rk6mzf240Ew The best clips of Getting Over It: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/01/18/the-best-of-the-internets-attempts-at-getting-over-it/ Brendan’s review of Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/03/27/sekiro-shadows-die-twice-review/ Alice’s preview of Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/03/22/vampire-the-masquerade-bloodlines-2-preview/ Recommendations! The OA (TV show) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4635282/ Milkman by Anna Burns (novel) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36047860-milkman The Critter Shed (podcast) https://podtail.com/sv/podcast/the-critter-shed/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is the new demi-Souls from those sadists at From Software. It’s about being a ninja with a sword and a grappling hook for an arm. Matthew and Brendan have played a few hours. Here’s what they think of it so far. They've also been playing some of The Division 2. They like the bullet-dodging and don’t care much about its vague political hand-waving. The shooty robots are what matter most. Links: Matthew and Alice L play a bit of Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rAJef6F4RY 7 ways Sekiro is cruel and kind: https://youtu.be/0U7LWvaFYhc Brendan’s review of The Division 2: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/03/19/the-division-2-review/ Where do you go after you Baumgartner? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvbN-cWe0A0 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Warning: contains some icky eyeball chat... Be proud of your achievements! Even if they are just in a game. Matt is proud of getting all the achievements in Spelunky. Brendan is pleased he got through Alien: Isolation at all. And Alice B was proud of her victory over the deadly final boss in Fight Night Champion. We’ve also been playing stuff. Brendan clicks buttons in galactic sim Objects In Space. Alice is nosy in the 80s Britain of first-person snooper The Occupation. And Matt has been slicing up demons in action spectacle Devil May Cry 5. Links: Alien Isolation is scary: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2015/09/25/alien-isolation-game/ The eye bit in Dead Space 2 is horrible, but OK, if you must: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9crCGMh4j9g Spelunky speedrunning is impressive: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLYBtpwiE_M OlliOlli 2 is good: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vmkspv2Do_s This is a waveboard: https://youtu.be/1kmsFu24ivE?t=30 Fight Night Champions’ final boss is not messing around: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3hXOr8zuT4 Matt’s Devil May Cry 5 review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/03/06/review-devil-may-cry-5/ Brendan’s review of Objects in Space: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/03/01/objects-in-space-review/ The Occupation review from Alice: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/03/07/the-occupation-review/ Our listeners’ take pride on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rockpapershot/status/1103627206042046464 And Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rockpapershot/photos/pb.176784995741043.-2207520000.1551972940./2086384821447708/?type=3&theater Well done everyone. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

LIES. Not a game is made without some use of smoke and/or mirror. Dave’s favourite lies come from Frog Fractions, which seems to be a child’s maths game. Brendan likes how enemies in shooters are programmed to miss. And Alice enjoys cheeky-but-friendly lies, such as the “chance to hit” something in XCOM. We’ve also been playing games. Alice and Dave have been frowning at Anthem. But we’ve also been liking Ape Out. Links: A good Twitter thread about developer trickery: https://twitter.com/Gaohmee/status/903510060197744640 Frog Fractions might be the best game of all time: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2012/10/25/frog-fractions-might-be-the-greatest-game-of-all-time/ Never heard of Frog Fractions 2 but here’s a cool game called Glittermitten Grove: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/01/05/frog-fractions-2-review/ The Frog Fractions 2 ARG spnned 23 other indie games and lasted two years: https://kotaku.com/the-two-year-mystery-is-over-this-is-frog-fractions-2-1790505179 The “permadeath” of Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice was a fib: https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2017-08-09-theres-more-to-hellblades-permadeath-than-meets-the-eye The Station is a sci-fi mystery: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/02/21/the-station-is-a-first-person-alien-mystery-with-an-intriguing-premise/ The ridiculous 12-minute AI phone call of Metal Gear Solid 2: https://youtu.be/eKl6WjfDqYA Alice’s Anthem review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/02/25/anthem-review/ Nate’s Fallout 76 review has many other good lines: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/12/13/fallout-76-review/ Alice’s Ape Out review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/02/28/ape-out-review/ Locked in a room in Fallout New Vegas with “Ron the Narrator”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJnWwli3Thg Choice itself might be a lie according to brain scans, oh no: https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn23367-brain-imaging-spots-our-abstract-choices-before-we-do/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices