4player Podcast

Microsoft can't seem to catch a break. The Activision aquisition led to another massive document leak which gives us some insight into Bethesda's future lineup including new entries in the DOOM and Dishonored franchises and some rather shocking assessments about the value of certain games when it comes to Game Pass. We also react to the new gameplay footage for Dragons Dogma 2 and Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth which dropped this week at the Tokyo Game Show. Of course, the 2023 onslaught of cool games continues as we talk about the likes of Mortal Kombat 1, Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew (Mimimi's final game), and the new Separate Ways DLC for Resident Evil 4! News - Huge Microsoft Leak News - Reactions to new 'Dragons Dogma 2' and 'Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth' gameplay Impressions - Resident Evil 4: Separate Ways Impressions - Mortal Kombat 1 Impressions - Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew 4Player Minute

It has been a whirlwind week in the world of video games but more importantly, we are sporting new podcasting uniforms; In case there was any doubt that our nerdiness knew no bounds. Of course, we dip our toes in the big Unity debacle that has taken the industry by storm this week and we discuss a major departure from Respawn / EA. It is also a historic day in which a Nintendo Direct and Sony State of Play were held on the same day so we run through the highlights. In the second segment, Brad talks Pseudoregalia and we take our first stab at Starfield impressions which, thus far, is proving to be a bit of a mixed bag. Nick and Chris delve deeper into Sea of Stars and we discuss our time playing The Texas Chainsaw Massacre last week. New Uniforms! News - Unity fucked up big time News - Stig Asmussen leaves EA / Respawn News - Nintendo Direct / Sony State of Play recaps Impressions - Pseudoregalia Impressions - Starfield Impressions - Sea of Stars Impressions - The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 4Player Minute

It's a good news, bad news week. The good news is that Starfield reviews have landed and while they aren't blowing Baldur's Gate 3 out of the water, they do seem to indicate that it's not a disaster! On the other hand, the industry suffered several unexpected studio closures this week. Mimimi announced Shadow Gambit would be their last game and Embracer group shut down Volition. With that said, the year of great gaming continues! We dig into Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon and Blasphemous 2; Two games that faithfully continue their respective franchises while opting to play it safe. Chris also gives us his very early thoughts on Sea of Stars which is on it's way to becoming one of the best reviewed RPG's of the year... outside of Baldur's Gate 3 of course. Housekeeping + Fantasy Critic Update News - Starfield Reviews are HERE News - Mimimi & Volition Studio Closures Impressions - Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon Impressions - Blasphemous 2 Impressions - Sea of Stars 4Player Minute

We take a break this week from the onslaught of current games to delve once again into the world of "what if?" Inspired the release of 'Bomb Rush Cyberfunk' - an indie spiritual successor to 'Jet Set Radio' - we discuss our Top 3 games or franchises that we wish would be reborn as an indie spiritual successor. The possibilities are endless but our answers range from classics like Mega Man Legends to cult hits like Manhunt. These may never come to pass but anything could happen and it's always fun to imagine. Want to share your thoughts or leave a comment on this episode? Visit the official posting for this episode on 4PlayerNetwork.com!

The show name says it all. We live in a post Baldur's Gate 3 world and despite our best efforts at staying on topic, we feel the pull of this massive game in almost every segment. We take our 2nd dive into the game and talk about the impact it has had on the industry and more specifically, the impending release of Starfield which has officially gone gold! We also spend a few minutes talking predictions about next week's Opening Night Live presentation at Gamescom. Chris Davis shares his experience with the recent Payday 3 beta and Brad talks about Blasphemous which he has finally played now that the sequel looms on the horizon. Housekeeping + Fantasy Critic Update News - Starfield has gone gold News - Gamescom is next week; What do we expect? Impressions - Baldur's Gate 3 Impressions - Payday 3 Impressions - Blasphemous 4Player Minute

It's been a couple weeks since our last recording but the world has changed. Baldur's Gate 3 is out and it's already giving Tears of the Kingdom a run for it's money as one of the year's most critically acclaimed releases. We spend the entire 2nd segment diving into this undeniably dense but absurdly rewarding RPG. But first, we discuss the announcement of the Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail expansion and Rockstar's incredibly disappointing Red Dead Redemption announcement. Chris Davis "prepared a statement" about Dead Island 2 and Nick highlights My Friendly Neighborhood which feels like Five Night's at Freddy's and Resident Evil 1 had a baby. Housekeeping + Fantasy Critic Update News - Final Fantasy XIV Dawntrail expansion announced News - Rockstar announced a PORT of Red Dead Redemption on old hardware News - GTA6 might be coming next fiscal year Impressions - Dead Island 2 Impressions - My Friendly Neighborhood Impressions - Baldur's Gate 3 4Player Minute

If you like your video games extra video-gamey, we've got a great episode for you this week. After our Fantasy Critic update touches on the rumored Red Dead Redemption remake (remaster?), we deliver our impressions of some of the most vibrant games to release this year! Pikmin 4 is the most accessible entry in the series to date but it comes at a cost. Viewfinder is an impressive technical achievement that doesn't quite reach the heights of the games that inspired it. Gravity Circuit is a rock-solid homage to classic Mega Man that has struggled to find it's audience. Finally, as Brad put it, Exoprimal is "Everything, everywhere, all at once... with a Battle Pass." Don't be fooled, all of the games mentioned this week reinforce 2023's killer lineup. Housekeeping + Fantasy Critic Update Impressions - Pikmin 4 Impressions - Viewfinder Impressions - Gravity Circuit Impressions - Exoprimal 4Player Minute

With a few members out this week, we figured it would the perfect time to revisit our Fantasy Critic league, discuss the year so far, and look ahead at the games that have been drafted to predict how the remainder of the year might come together. Carlos even joins us to shine a light on his roster thus far and discuss some of the big question marks for the year such as Hollow Knight Silksong, Routine, and Counter Strike 2. Throughout the discussion, we review each of our rosters and dive deep on a lot of BIG games set to release in the fall and beyond including Spider-Man 2, Alan Wake 2, Baldur's Gate 3, and a whole lot more! Catch up with Carlos Fantasy Critic Recap - A look at all of our current rosters  A look ahead at the year to come 4Player Minute

The week has been slow for headlines and Fantasy Critic but that gives us more time to gush over Dave the Diver and vent our frustrations with Final Fantasy XVI. We discuss a small update from IO Interactive regarding a new studio and what it means for their upcoming 007 project and then discuss the validity of the rumors surrounding an impending Red Dead Redemption remake. Beyond that, the gaps are filled with plenty of tangents including bear sex in Baldur's Gate 3 and the impending release of Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning which has Nick chomping at the bit. Housekeeping Fantasy Critic Update News - IO Interactive announce Opening of a new Studio News - Rumors circulate regarding a Red Dead Redemption remake coming 2023 Impressions - Dave the Diver Impressions - Final Fantasy XVI 4Player Minute

Nintendo has spoken and Krispy agrees... the people are ready for an amazing 2D Mario game! We dig into all the big announcements from Nintendo's summer showcase including Super Mario Bros Wonder, a remake of Super Mario RPG, and a new Princess Peach platformer! Annapurna also brought it with their latest showcase thanks to the announcement of an internally developed Blade Runner game. In the second segment, we take our first dive into the meat and potatoes of Final Fantasy XVI, Chris makes a strong case for playing Aliens: Dark Descent, and Nick gives his initial thoughts on Trepang2, an indie successor to the original FEAR. Oh... and Brad found his new drug in Halls of Torment, a successor to last year's mega-indie, Vampire Survivors.  Housekeeping Fantasy Critic Update News - Nintendo Direct Recap News - Annapurna Interactive Showcase Recap Impressions - Final Fantasy XVI Impressions - Aliens: Dark Descent Impressions - Trepang2 Impressions - Halls of Torment 4Player Minute

We follow up last week's Xbox Showcase predictions game with the results and then recap all of the big announcements including updates on Fable, Avowed, Hellblade II, and more! Of course, we also discuss all of the exciting details that came pouring out of the big Starfield Direct which now has us appropriately hyped. In the second segment, we finally discuss our dissenting(?) opinions of Diablo IV and then take a close look at the big Final Fantasy XVI demo which now has us pretty optimistic ahead of it's launch next week. Chris Davis uses his 4Player Minute to give us a detailed breakdown of the rather bleak news about Embracer Group which seems to be faced with studio closures and game cancellations. Housekeeping Fantasy Critic Update News - XBox Showcase Predictions Results & Recap News - Ubisoft Showcase Recap Impressions - Diablo IV Impressions - Final Fantasy XVI (Demo) 4Player Minute - Includes a detailed breakdown of the Embracer Group debacle

It's June so Keigh-3 is in the air. The big Summer Game Fest showcase happened this week so we run down the list of all the big announcements including a new Prince of Persia game, Mortal Kombat 1 and Alan Wake II gameplay debuts, and the re-reveal of Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth! After that, we take a new, points-driven, prediction segment for a test-drive ahead of the upcoming Xbox Showcase. In the second segment, Nick praises Amnesia: The Bunker as a new high bar for the series (and maybe even the genre) and Nolan introduces a clever new 1v1 (or 2v2) card-based FPS called Friends vs. Friends. Housekeeping Fantasy Critic Update News - Summer Game Fest Recap Xbox Showcase Predictions Game Impressions - Amnesia: The Bunker Impressions - Friends vs. Friends 4Player Minute

Nolan returns to the "studio" after 2 months of relative silence to talk Zelda and reveal that he picked up and moved across the country! Not only that but he gets a chance to chime in on the recent Playstation Showcase and join us for an important conversation about the state of The Last of Us multiplayer project which is apparently struggling to live up to Sony's expectations. Konami shed some light on Silent Hill Ascension which is interesting but concerning if they intend for this to be the first impression for Silent Hill's big resurgence. In the second segment, Nick talks impressions of Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun (a Warhammer boomer shooter!) and the newly released remake of System Shock. Housekeeping Nolan Updates + Playstation Showcase Fantasy Critic Update News - The Last of Us Multiplayer Development Woes News - Konami Reveals more about Silent Hill Ascension Impressions - The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Impressions - Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun Impressions - System Shock (2023 Remake)

It's another big week in gaming. In fact, we spend almost the entirety of the first segment discussing the news and announcements out of this week's big Playstation Showcase! Strangely enough, that first-party showcase ended up being more of a third-party showcase but we still got big news including a release date for Alan Wake II, a debut of Dragon's Dogma II, and a lot more! In the second segment, we talk Planet of Lana, Humanity, and we dig a little deeper into The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom! Housekeeping Fantasy Critic Update News: Playstation Showcase Impressions: Planet of Lana Impressions: Humanity Impressions: The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Nick is back from vacation and full of Coronavirus. Fortunately, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom has been keeping him (and the rest of the crew) plenty busy. Before we delve into the biggest game of the year though, there is some important business to discuss... because Chris Davis was right and Mortal Kombat 1(12?) is real! We break down the biggest Fantasy Critic twist thus far and talk about what we expect from this new entry. Sony also announced their official 2023 Summer showcase for next week so we spend a few minutes talking predictions. Of course, the rest of the show is ZELDA ZELDA ZELDA. Housekeeping Fantasy Critic Update News: Mortal Kombat 1 Revealed (Release in September) News: Playstation Showcase Announced for May 24th Impressions - The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Recorded in the final hours of a pre-Tears of the Kingdom world and with Nick out on vacation, Chris Davis, Krispy, and Brad sit down to clear out their game dockets so that Zelda madness can consume them. Krispy and Brad give their impressions of Darkest Dungeon 2, a daring departure from the original's enjoyably challenging formula, followed by updated impressions of Star Wars Jedi: Survivor. And there's no way we couldn't talk about the Mortal Kombat news and how that affects our Fantasy Critic league! Topics:Housekeeping Fantasy Critic Update (5/11/23) News of the Week Impressions - Star Wars Jedi: Survivor Impressions - Darkest Dungeon 2

The Star Wars gods have shined upon us this year by giving us one of the best Star Wars games to date and allowing our recording date to coincide with May the 4th (be with you). Nick is joined by Krispy and Chris Davis to take a deep dive into Star Wars Jedi: Survivor - Respawn's bold new sequel to Fallen Order. Despite the rough launch on PC, our Console experiences have been more than enough to secure this one as a highlight in a year already bursting at the seams with quality games. It's not all sunshine and rainbows though; Star Wars may be great but Arkane Austin had a disastrous launch for Redfall which is on track to be the worst reviewed game of the year. We take a look at the circumstances that led to this unforunate outcome and discuss what it means for Microsoft and Arkane going forward. Housekeeping Fantasy Critic Update News - Redfall has a Disastrous Launch Impressions - Star Wars Jedi: Survivor

With the recent developments involving Microsoft's attempt to swallow Activision / Blizzard and Tango Gameworks continuing to rack up wins amidst apparent losses, there is plenty of news to chew on this week. In the second segment, we get our first taste of Street Fighter VI thanks to the new demo and Brad finally has a chance to share his thoughts on TWO grid based tactics games - Advanced Wars 1 + 2: Re-Boot Camp and Wartales. Nick and Chris also share their thoughts on the Burning Shores DLC for Horizon: Forbidden West; a DLC that is equal parts impressive and perplexing... Guerilla somehow decided to deny PS4 players the opportunity to play this chapter in favor of some bold new "cloud" tech... Housekeeping Fantasy Critic Update News - UK blocks Microsoft's acquisition of Activision / Blizzard News - Remedy provides development update on all projects News - Microsoft to Expand Tango Gameworks amidst rumors of Hi-Fi Rush failure Impressions - Street Fighter VI (Demo) Impressions - Horizon Forbidden West:

It's not often that we focus our attention on the specifics of game development. With that in mind, our latest bonus episode is inspired by Brad's recent love affair with "PsychOdyssey" the exceptional Docuseries that chronicled the development of Psychonauts 2 at Double Fine! That's right, we run through our personal Top 3 lists of the games that we wish would inspire a similar DEEP dive. Answers range from bizarre (Blaseball) to fascinating (Fable) and everything in between.

After a rather unexpected tangent involving coffee creamer, we kick the show off this week with the Playstation handheld that is rumored to be in development. It's been a light news week but we find plenty to chew on thanks to some additional developments related to the future of Resident Evil. Nolan makes his return this week so he and Nick talk about their time with DREDGE; A Lovecraftian fishing game that is sure to be a standout Indie game for the year. Brad finally talks about Wild Hearts - game that has challenged his Monster Hunter programming but is shaping up to be a worthy relative to the beloved hunting franchise.