Co-op Mode Reviews

"It's safe." - After what seemed to be a definitive conclusion in Gears of War 3, Coalition releases the fourth entry - not counting Judgment - that continues the story twenty-seven years after the locust had fallen.  Given the current trend with the Xbox One and PS4 titles, familiar franchises are on the rise but, haven't really offered anything new.  The same can be said about Gears of War 4.  Ben and Chris dissect the pros and cons of the fourth title in the franchise.  Despite the step(s) back Gears of War 4 takes, the guys believe the trajectory it's on is a positive one.  Enjoy the episode!  We do NOT own the rights to the music.  Music is from the Gears of War 4 soundtrack.  Composer, Ramin Djawadi.  Tracks: Anvil Gate and A Nightmare RebornSupport the show

"Same ol' story, but in space" - Just after the initial launch of the Wii, Nintendo launches its mascot into orbit creating yet another successful entry in the Mario franchise and platformer genre.  With the core mechanics still in tact, Super Mario Galaxy is the best combination of old and new Mario games.  Sit back and listen to Josh, Ben, and Mike discuss why this is regarded as one of the best entries in the Mario pantheon.  Enjoy!Support the show

“Wait! That’s not moss!” – With its predecessors and exhilarating cinematic (father to son), Batman: Arkham Knight appeared that Rocksteady created an awe worthy entry in their Batman trilogy. Much to the surprise of the group, majority of the co-hosts found themselves to be taken aback by the game’s approach to scale, narrative, and game play. Check out why Batman: Arkham Knight is considered to be the weakest – still a good game – of the three.  Enjoy!Support the show

"It's not just nostalgia." - With its debut in 1995, Chrono Trigger was the 3rd best selling game of that year.  It was a delightful surprise to the gentlemen during their conversation.  What is it that makes this one of the better - if not best - JRPG's in the history of games?  Is it the presentation?  Music?  Art Direction?  What was "magical" about the 16-bit era?  All this and more is discussed with special guest, Trevor Frohberg, from FortLAN.org, who reminisces about the game but, also shares some gripes that maybe the game hasn't aged gracefully as some might think.  Do enjoy the episode!  Intermission - 59:43-1:02:20.  Running Length - 02:00:24Support the show

An overview of the games the guys played last year in 2016.  Enjoy the episode!  Running Length - 01:10:30Support the show

“Never judge a game by its demo” – 2016 has a whirlwind of notable games.  Blizzard’s Overwatch is one of the standouts for 2016.  It’s a multiplayer game with no single player content.  With its vibrant color palette, art direction, gameplay, and diverse characters, it makes it hard not to recommend a game of such quality to all gamers alike and the multiple platforms (Xbox One, PS4, and PC) it inhabits.  Listen to Josh, Ben, and Mike as to why you should invest your money and time into it.  Cheers, Love!  The cavalry is here!  Running Length - 01:10:30Support the show

“Up In Flames” – Taking a similar idea from Aliens, a group of marines encounter an onslaught of Aliens, one would think the idea of being in the shoes of a marine facing an abundant of these creatures would be a delight.  Shockingly.  It’s the exact opposite.  Ben and Mike discuss their brief stint with the game leading to one conclusion:  don’t play it.  Running Length - 33:50Support the show

“It has moments” – After its successor, Dead Space 2, the third installment sets Isaac Clarke to find the necromorphs home world to destroy the markers.  Along the way he encounters a cult, The Unitologists, that believe the markers are way of humanity’s form of rebirth.  As Mike and Ben played co-op throughout the entire campaign plus the DLC, Awakened, they realized while the gameplay mechanics were still fun, the narrative was flat as was the characters.Support the show

“It’s hyper everything” – Needless to say Bayonetta is one of a kind when it comes to presentation.  The game has no boundaries and pushes the level of insanity to another level.  It’s over-the-top-addicting gameplay drew the guys in paired with ‘Final Fantasy’ like visuals.  Bayonetta may come off as a slim vixen on the surface but, the game gradually reveals that she is more than just hyper-sexual character which defied the pre-existing notions that the guys may have had in the first place.  Prior to the feature the guys discuss some Overwatch and Uncharted 4.  Also, a heads up regarding E3 and a plug for FortCON.  Enjoy!Support the show

“Just scraping by to get the ‘first down'” – Ben and Mike began the Trine adventure nearly a year ago.  Finally, they have completed the second Trine installment which have left them a tad lukewarm due to a lack of intuitive puzzle designs, gaming the game on numerous occasions and buggy controls.  Despite the apparent flaws, the game possesses beautiful environments and the score are something to be admire hinting at the idea that beneath the issues lies a wonderful game.Support the show

“It’s like a bunch of 8 year old kids kicking a soccer ball” – Rocket League came to be one of the biggest surprises in gaming of 2015.  Mike and Ben are joined by the rest of Three Shot Podcast, Ryan Pickard and Steve Clark.  They discuss why its arcade like game play, over the top concept and the ‘just one more time’ addiction made the game to be a massive success.Support the show

“Can love really bloom on the battlefield?” – Join Solid Chris and Big Boss Ben in a very special Espy-less episode where the two boo’s discuss the 2014 prequel Metal Gear Solid V Ground Zeroes and 2015’s Metal Gear Solid V The Phantom Pain in painstaking detail. Will they find out the secret of The Phantom Pain? Will Ben reveal his true love for Chris? Will Chris break his heart and leave him for another? Find out in this very episode!  Spoiler alert as always! Thanks for listening!Support the show

“Adding more 9s and 10s on top of more 9s and 10s” – In 2004 – another great year for games – Half Life 2 became a phenomenon for gamers who have elicited an outcry for a third installment which has yet to come.  Meanwhile, this is the first play through for one of the guys on the show while the others reminisce their experience upon its initial release and whether or not it holds up to current gaming nowadays.  Enjoy the episode!Support the show

"FOR SHOVELRY!" - Josh, Ben and Mike talk about Yacht Club Games Kickstarter sensational platformer, Shovel Knight.  In this episode the guys discuss how the 8-bit wonder borrowed and was influenced from some of the most recognizable late 80s and early 90s titles such as the Mega Man series, Ducktales and so on.  They touch upon the nostalgia factor along with how it feels like a blast from the past and how the other wasn’t raised with the first generation of Nintendo.  After the main feature they discuss what they’re currently playing and reveal that the show’s format will change, sort of. Support the show

Tomb Raider was a series that came off very middling and didn’t seem to excite gamers for when the next installment hit shelves. 2013 was a different story. With its reveal at an E3 conference all the ho-hum, sighing and eye-rolling disappeared. The developers, Crystal Dynamics, breathed new life into the franchise which immediately caught people’s attention, rightfully so. The guys touch upon aspects such as the controlling mechanics – Lara doesn’t operate like a tank anymore – to how Lara is actually a full fledged person and to its representation of females in the gaming community. Enjoy the episode!  Runnging Length - 1:26:27Support the show

On the surface Gone Home doesn’t look like much with its dated visuals.  Though, unlike the majority of titles that are on store shelves or readily for digital distribution Gone Home tackles thematic elements about life such as sexuality, relationships, growing up, etc that most games don’t address or if they are mentioned it’s brief.  In this episode the guys are joined by Neal Lewis from Oops, All Movies! to dissect and relive nostalgic elements that they too recall from the 1990’s and ponder its thematic hefts.Support the show

“A man who never eats pork buns is not a whole man” – Josh has vanished into the shadows preying on those who prey on the weak.  Not really.  Sadly, life got the best of him and he was unable to make it for this episode.  Though, with it being a listener’s choice the guys have Michael Montalvo on the show discussing this 2-D stealthy platforming action based game highlighting why it’s one of the better stealth based games on the market and that it did one thing right:  being a ninja is awesome.  Enjoy!Support the show

“Hong Kong action movie” – In what appears to be a typical GTA (Grand Theft Auto) knock off with some Hong Kong flavor, Sleeping Dogs gave the guys a nice surprise for their monies worth.  While acknowledging that the game doesn’t really offer anything new to the open world based game the game was still has enticing features that’s worth discussing.  With Chris missing the action – unfortunately – the rest of the group are joined by two other individuals including the listener who chose the game, Dan Kinnaley.  Enjoy the episode!Support the show

“The journey not the destination” – Ben and Mike continue their journey through Ninja Theory’s library of work in preparation for the latest/recent entry, Devil May Cry (DMC) reboot, which is to come in the future.  Mike and Ben highlight the fantastic production value, performances (give Andy Serkis an award already), the rather somewhat lackluster combat (surprisingly), and the company’s ability to be “one and done”.  On top of that, the guys talk about their other video game endeavors.  Ben plays Earthbound for the first time and Mike gives his thoughts on Kingdom Hearts 2.5 HD Remix (Kingdom Hearts 2).  Enjoy the episode!Support the show

“Tag team” – Metro Last Light boasts itself with it’s presentation giving the player what seems to be AAA title when in fact its an indie title.  While the presentation is impressive polarity is palpable amongst the guys.  Prior to the main feature Chris talks about his new venture with the Xbox One and its features.  Sit back and enjoy the episode!  Also, we apologize in advance for the audio quality of this episode.  The MP3 Skype Recorder did not function properly creating inadequate audio levels.  Again, we apologize for the quality.  We hope it’s not too distracting.  Thanks!Support the show