4player Podcast

Rats. There's lots of them this week. Thousands of them! Nick and Chris discuss the impressive technological and design leap made in Asobo's A Plague Tale: Requiem - a game that Chris Davis is convinced will sit atop his Game of the Year list this year. Brad acknowledges the charm and skill on display in Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope but laments what could have been if Nintendo had decided to pursue other Rabbids crossovers. Nolan charms the group with Bone's Cafe - another delightful (and morbid) indie gem that combines necromancy with the pressures of Overcooked. In the second segment, the group discusses the announcement of a Witcher remake and Nick rattles off a list of impressive horrors games from his most recent stream including In Sound Mind, Mother, Love Sam, and more!

It's been 3 weeks since our last podcast recording but the industry hasn't slowed down to wait for us! The news segment this week is bursting at the seams with big headlines like the return of Silent Hill, our first real look at the remake of Resident Evil 4, and the unfortunate drama unfolding between Platinum Games and the original Bayonetta voice actress, Hellena Taylor. But before we get there, we have loads of new games to talk about. Things get weird (and squishy) when talks about Scorn, Nolan laments the troubled launch of Deathverse: Let it Die, and Krispy is losing time in Mount and Blade II: Bannerlord. Nick also revels in the bliss that is Cultic: Chapter One; the "Boomer Shooter" that he has been searching for all year.

Circumstances force us to record a "shorter" show this week but make no mistake... there is a lot to dig into. Brad shares some insightful but hilarious anecdotes about his family time with 'Disney Dreamlight Valley,' and Nick talks up 'Prodeus' which manages to deliver the goods as a classic "Boomer Shooter" while also making some bizarre design choices. Nolan finds more digging goodness in 'Dome Keeper' and Chris Davis brings another inspired "Boomer Shooter" to the mix with 'Fashion Police Squad.' In the news, we delve into the first teaser trailer for HBO's 'The Last of Us' and discuss Google's decision to call it quits on Stadia.

Thanks to the Tokyo Game Show, it's another jam packed week in the world of video games! We take a (really) deep dive into the surprise demo of 'Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty,' Nick shows his support for 'SteelRising,' and Chris Davis talks about the demo of 'Valkyrie Elysium'. Brad and Nolan finally get a chance to talk about 'TinyKin' which seems poised to be one of the chillest and most enjoyable indie games of the year! In the news, Brad finally has his chance to talk about the newly announced remasters of Suikoden 1 & 2 and we of course delve into the massive (and unfortunate) Grand Theft Auto 6 leak at Rockstar.

In this jam packed episode, we do our best to recap the boat-load of news that made headlines in the past week. Ubisoft laid out their plans for the next 4 Assassin's Creed titles, Disney announced Amy Hennig's new Marvel game, and Nintendo and Sony both hosted Direct events featuring tons of announcements. In impressions, Nick discusses the controversial but impressive remake of 'The Last of Us,' Chris Davis discusses 'The Ascent,' and Krispy delivers his analysis of 'Immortality' in true Krispy fashion. It's such a jam packed show that we didn't even have time for feedback or community questions (sorry!). Regardless, it's an exciting time for video games and that's always welcome news.

Sam Barlow throws Brad and Nolan for a loop this week with the bizarre but undeniably impressive new game, 'Immortality.' It throws you into the deep end with no guidance and countless things to click on and discover... including boobs! Nick backs up Chris Davis with his assessment of 'Sifu' which somehow manages to be brutal and refreshing in equal measure. In the news, we talk about a frightening new precedent in the tech industry and Ubisoft's planned unveiling for the future of Assassin's Creed.

It's hard to believe but Geoff Keihley now produces THREE huge gaming events every year! This week, we discuss the highlights (or lack thereof?) from 'Gamescom ONL' (Opening Night Live) including: Dune Awakening, Hogwart's Legacy, Tales from the Borderlands, The Expanse, Dead Island 2, and more! In the first segment though, Krispy discusses his enjoyment of the new "Saint's Row" despite middling reception from critics. Nick highlights the demo for 'Conscript' which channels classic Survival Horror by way of WW1 and shares his initial thoughts after finally trying 'Telling Lies.' Brad discusses an unfortunately named gemmie called 'Crystal Project.'

Devolver Digital drops another indie banger this week with the release of 'Cult of the Lamb' and Nolan and Nick can attest to it's addictive qualities. Brad shares his initial thoughts on another Square Enix strategy RPG, 'The Diofield Chronicle' and Chris Davis brings up 'Ex-Zodiac'; An early access throwback to classic Star Fox (in everything but name). Nick, despite thinking he didn't have much to add after last week, lets his love of 'The Mortuary Assistant' get the best of him. In the news, we discuss a high profile and highly unexpected leak that appeared just moments before the live recording: 'Dead Island 2' is back and it's coming soon.

When we think of RPGs, we often think about classic mega-hits like Final Fantasy 7 and Chrono Trigger (rightfully so) but over the years, RPGs have taken many memorable forms. In spite of change, they have almost always been defined by the cast of characters that surround and support the player character. In this episode, we look back at our personal favorites to find the RPG parties that stuck with us the most. Our choices span decades of gaming history and explore the differences in approach that are explored in both Eastern and Western RPGs.

Brad dished up a real doozy for our latest Revival Club game. Vagrant Story may be verifiably impenetrable but it remains a fascinating RPG that remains unlike anything else out there. While the game may have proven too much for Nick (and perhaps the community at large) to overcome, Brad does an excellent job of explaining it's systems and what makes it so unique. Perhaps most notably, It shrugged off almost every other common RPG convention and defined itself as an unapologetic Yasumi Matsuno game.

Ed returns to the hot seat this week to talk with us about the early hours of 'Xenoblade Chronicles 3' and how it compares to the games that came before it - 'Xenoblade Chronicles X' in particular. Nick discusses his first night shift in 'The Mortuary Assistant' which takes the horror genre to some... inspired places. Brad pinches himself when he finds out that Ed wants to talk more about 'Symphony of War: The Nephilim Saga' (what are the odds?). Of course, we also play catch up with Ed and answer some great questions from our listeners!

It's been a BUSY week! All 5 of us bring a new game to the table to discuss which doesn't happen often... Nick delivers his early impressions of a new suspense / thriller adventure game called 'As Dusk Falls' and Krispy took a break from Monster Hunter to get swept up in 'V Rising.' Nolan is playing Timberborn, a city-builder... with Beavers so as expected, prepare for some bad puns. Brad's annual "ugly but addicting indie" game finally shows itself in the form of 'Symphony of War: The Nephilim Saga' and Chris Davis shares his thoughts on 'Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin.' But on top of all that, it has also been a big week for news with rumors swirling about an open-world Black Panther game in development and the first details about the future of Grand Theft Auto 6.

The games discussed this week range from adorable to unsettling to downright horrifying. Stray is finally out and despite a somewhat shallow outward appearance, this charming, cat-based adventure game still manages to impress. Krispy is smitten over a bizarre, "Lynch" adjacent indie game called "Who's Lila?" but conveying why proves to be a challenge. Nick is enamored with MADiSON, another new horror game that draws inspiration from PT while channeling the obtuse nature of escape rooms. Of course, we give a quick Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak update before delving into the latest Platinum Games development and our first look at Yakuza 8!

We can't promise answers to the important questions in life... questions like "Do babies drink water?" BUT we can promise plenty of enthusiastic video game discussions on this week's episode. Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak is finally out so Brad and Krispy take a deep dive into this massive expansion. Chris Davis sells us on Sniper Elite 5 thanks to some surprisingly open design elements and a cool invasion mode that sounds like a ton of fun. Plus, Nick brings his latest obsession with modern "Boomer Shooters" to the table with Forgive Me Father - an addictive FPS with Lovecraft undertones and a striking visual style. In the news, we cover new release dates and delays.

It's time to hash out another Top 3 list and this month we are taking a closer look at a handful of upcoming projects that look promising but remain just outside our hype threshold. While we are eager to get our hands on most of these games, they still have something to prove. We try to get to the bottom of what that is and discuss what moves they would need to make to earn our trust.

Another year. Another Steam Next Fest FULL to the brim with interesting demos for upcoming indie games! Between the five of us, we deliver quick impressions of 15 upcoming games that we think you should keep an eye out for including Cultic, Signalis, Cult of the Lamb, Metal Hellsinger, and more! It's not all demos though. Brad sells us on his latest addiction in the form of Neon White and in the second segment, we discuss the official announcement of Dragons Dogma 2 and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth!

The summer announcement season continues. This week, we delve into the litany of reveals from the Summer Game Fest and the Xbox / Bethesda Showcase. Of course, that includes the reveal of the The Last of Us: Part I and the big gameplay reveal of Starfield! In the second segment, Nick discusses Supermassive's latest, The Quarry, and Brad delivers his first impressions of Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak following the demo that dropped earlier this week.

This week, Brad is sleepy but not even sleep deprivation can contain his enthusiasm for Monster Hunter Rise or keep him from discussing the future of Dragon's Dogma! Nick finished Elden Ring and is now free to diversify his playtime once again so he is starting with a strange anime-inspired action-adventure game called ANNO: Mutationem. In the news, we delve into the huge Silent Hill leaks (courtesy of Dusk Golem) which include a new core entry from Konami, a Silent Hill 2 remake from Bloober, and an episodic adventure game from Annapurna.

Carlos takes the Revival Club back to 2007 to revisit 'The Darkness' - a gritty, supernatural action game based on the comic book series of the same name. Starbreeze, best known for their take on "Chronicles of Riddick," developed the first game with their signature style but the game is perhaps most interesting for how it compares to its sequel which was helmed by Digital Extremes. On this episode, we take a closer look at how these two WILDLY different games coalesce to tell a singular and emotionally gripping story.