4player Podcast

Despite Team Ninja's apparent unfamiliarity with real world horses... Brad is happy to report that the world may have it all wrong about Rise of the Ronin! Despite an all too familiar open-world design philosophy, the game has proved to be fun, addicting, and surprisingly competent in the storytelling department! Krispy returns to share his thoughts on Dragon's Dogma 2 and Chris Davis has continued his love affair with Vanillaware thanks to Unicorn Overlord. Finally, Nick talks about his first impressions of the titillating new action game, Stellar Blade, now that Sony has released the demo. Housekeeping - Fantasy Critic (7:50) Impressions - Rise of the Ronin (13:00) Impressions - Dragon's Dogma II (39:30) Impressions - Stellar Blade Demo (1:14:00) Impressions - Unicorn Overlord (1:36:00) 4Player Minute (1:52:45)

Can you believe it has been 12 years since the release of Dragon's Dogma?! As we finally delve into Dragon's Dogma II, one of our most anticipated games of the year, we revel in just how impressive it is despite the formula having changed very little. To Brad's point, the game hasn't changed much but WE have changed a lot in those 12 years. In this episode we also take some time to check in on our Community Fantasy Critic Leagues now that we are a quarter of the way through the year and Chris Davis gives us an overview of the first Judas preview coverage that is rolling out this week. Also, if you were waiting for Nick to play Alone in the Dark... get ready... because he didn't; Chris Davis did... Twice. Housekeeping - Checking in with the Community Fantasy Critic Leagues (3:10) Impressions - Dragon's Dogma II (30:40) Impressions - Alone in the Dark (1:14:00) News - Judas Preview Coverage Rolls Out and Chris Davis is here for it (1:46:00) 4Player Minute (2:11:45)

This week is all about revisiting some of the big games that have been keeping us busy while we patiently await the launch of Dragon's Dogma 2! Nolan dives DEEP into the depths of Balatro; A game that has successfully pulled his attention away from Like a Dragon! Nick's complicated feelings about Final Fantasy VII Rebirth grow more complicated by the day but Brad's love of Unicorn Overlord has only grown deeper now that the full game is out. In other news, Brad goes off on Princess Peach Showtime after a disappointing demo and we argue over whether or not kids have naptime in Kindergarten! Housekeeping - Fantasy Critic updates (10:48) Brad Rant - Princess Peach is a shameless Puppeteer knockoff for Babies (18:00) Impressions - Balatro (29:40) Impressions - Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (58:05) Impressions - Unicorn Overlord (1:34:00) 4Player Minute (1:50:00)

This may not be an official Final Fantasy VII Rebirth special but it may as well be as it accounts for more than 50% of the episode! Most of us have all spent a decent chunk of time with this hotly anticipated follow up to Final Fantasy VII Remake and while the game certainly has some ROUGH edges in places, it still manages to live up to the hype! Quite honestly, Rebirth is a baffling game; Capturing the spirit and variety of the original game in the most fanciful, expensive way possible... while clumsily fumbling the ball in some truly unexpected places. We also spend some time talking Fantasy Critic, random movie talk, and continuing to shake our heads at the awful state of the industry right now. Random Movie Talk! (2:55) Housekeeping - Fantasy Critic updates (14:20) Impressions - Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (46:10) 4Player Minute (1:52:40)

With Final Fantasy VII Rebirth looming on the horizon, Nick and Ed both bring other FF7 games to the forefront. Ed shares his thoughts on Crisis Core Reunion and Nick revisits the remake in the form of Final Fantasy VII Remake: Intermission; the DLC starring Yuffie. While we manage to squeeze in a fair amount of Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth talk, Brad jumps on the opportunity to nerd out over the demo of Unicorn Overlord; a demo which is actually just the first 7-hours of the actual game! Nick also sings the praises of Pacific Drive which finds new and exciting ways to tap into the magic of games like Subnautica. Oh... and the industry is on fire. Housekeeping - Fantasy Critic updates (6:30) Impressions - Crisis Core Reunion (25:45) Impressions - Final Fantasy VII Remake Intermission (37:30) Impressions - Pacific Drive (58:30) Imrpessions - Unicorn Overlord (1:12:05) Impressions - Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth (1:37:50) 4Player Minute (1:48:00)

We're down a chair this week but it has little effect; Even this early in the year, there is so much to talk about! After Brad officially challenges Nick to play more Japanese games in 2024, the Fantasy Critic talk leads straight into a discussion about Balatro; one of the year's first niche indie darlings! Later, Nick tries to decipher Ultros but it proves more difficult than he imagined. In the 2nd segment, Brad dives deep into the complicated reception of Aspyr's remaster of Tomb Raider 1 - 3. Of course, we cap off the show with some more Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth. Housekeeping - Brad's Japan challenge to Nick (2:40) Housekeeping - Fantasy Critic updates (17:10) Impressions - Balatro (27:30) Impressions - Ultros (40:40) Impressions - Tomb Raider 1-3 Remastered (57:15) Impressions - Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth (1:32:00) 4Player Minute (1:45:00)

We open the show this week with the reveal of our community's top 10 games of 2023! After that, we are finally able to play and talk about Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League; Rocksteady's long-awaited follow-up to the Arkham series and their first (and hopefully last) foray into GAAS. Krispy has played the entire campaign and has plenty to say about it; Both positive and negative! Brad talks more about Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth this week but he focuses entirely on one aspect... a mini game that can only be described as "Sleazy Animal Crossing." Nick gives his early impressions of Persona 3 Reload as well; Which coincides with his first time playing this game... ever! Finally, the Chris's talk about Helldivers 2 which certainly holds the potential to be surprise hit... the question is: Does it have legs? Housekeeping - The Community's Top 10 Games of 2023 (3:50) Impressions - Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League (30:20) Impressions - Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth (1:01:15) Impressions - Persona 3

This week, we discuss not ONE, but TWO, Sony State of Plays! First, we delve into all of the new info about Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and Nolan gives us his thoughts after playing through the brand new demo! After that, Brad takes another journey into the wackly world of Yakuza with Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth and to nobody's surprise, he loves it. In the second half, Nick finally broaches the subject of Konami's handling of the Silent Hill revival after having a few days to contemplate. It's a complex subject given the breadth of projects in development versus the games we have actually played but he does his best. Of course, this includes his thoughts on Silent Hill: The Short Message, a free 2-hour experience that seems dead-set on artificially re-creating P.T... spoiler alert, that was probably a bad idea. Housekeeping - GOTY Videos! (3:45) Reactions - Final Fantasy VII Rebirth details + Demo Impressions (18:15) Impressions - Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth (46:00) Inquiring Minds want to Know: How doe

Despite the strong start to the year in terms of good game releases, it's been an overwhelmingly shitty week for the industry thanks to an abundance of layoffs and Embracer's continued reign of terror which has now led to the cancellation of a new Deus Ex game. We do our best to remain positive though amidst the chaos. In the first segment, we catch up on Fantasy Critic and talk predictions ahead of Sony's first big State of Play for 2024. In the second segment, Nick and Brad revel in the sheer quality of Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown and Brad takes us through his early impressions of Tekken 8. Housekeeping - GOTY content is starting to roll out (2:40) Predictions - State of Play for January 31, 2024 (14:10) Headlines - Mass layoffs + Embracer's reign of terror leads to cancelled Deus Ex game (59:20) Impressions - Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown (1:08:30) Impressions - Tekken 8 (1:28:30) 4Player Minute (1:46:50)

Its 2024 and we are kicking things off with some indie gems and some closer looks at a few big games coming to Xbox later this year. Chris Davis gives us his thoughts on last year's Trepang2 which has us all spiraling about the state of Monolith and the potential (or lack thereof) for a return of the FEAR franchise. Brad talks about two games that seem tailor made for him; Cobalt Core has DNA from both card-based deck builders and FTL; Kingsvein is a super dynamic and systems driven strategy game that feels like a Final Fantasy Tactics game with a heavy dose of immersive sim. In the second segment, we discuss our reactions to Microsoft's latest "Developer Direct" presentation which gave us closer looks at Avowed and Senua's Saga: Hellblade II. Of course, we also got our first look at Machine Games new project, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. Housekeeping - GOTY Plans + Fantasy Critic superdrops Impressions - Trepang2 Impressions - Cobalt Core Impressions - Kingsvein Headlines - A closer look at Avowed (M

As is customary around these parts... we send off another great year in video game releases with our annual Awards show! Despite our best efforts to trim the fat, it's hard not to talk about the games that we love (and in some cases, hate) so enjoy another long episode! We talk about everything from hidden gems like Pseudorgalia, to indie bangers like Sea of Stars, to massive successes like Baldur's Gate 3! We even venture down some unexpected rabbit holes like the realistic snot that DEFINED Brad's moment of the year and the... tumultuous reactions to Starfield and Final Fantasy XVI. Community Game of the Year Drawing Winners 2023 Regrets - The games we didn't get to Best World / Level Design Best Looking Game Best Video Game Moment Break - Best Soundtrack - Dave the Diver (Nolan) and Baldur's Gate 3 (Kris) Best Storytelling **BIG SPOILER WARNING FOR STAR WARS: JEDI SURIVOR (1:33:30)** Best Boss Fight Best New Character Break - Best Soundtrack - Xenoblade Chronicles: Future Redeemed (Ed) and Sea of Stars (C

With a new year comes an onslaught of new games to be excited about. As is now tradition around these parts, we kick off the new year with the initial Draft in our ongoing Fantasy Critic league! This year, Ed joins the fray, bringing our roster up to seven! We learned a lot over the last year and I think it shows because not only are our individual rosters stronger and spicier, counter-picking was absolute hell! But hey, it makes for a fun podcast. Pay attention at the beginning for the rundown of the rules and all of the changes we have implemented and then sit back and enjoy. Thanks for joining us for another year of video games! How Fantasy Critic Works (4:20) Determining the draft order (12:10) Initial Draft (18:55) Counterpicks (1:15:00)

For all intents and purposes, 2023 was a great year for gamers but the development / business side of the industry has taken a savage beating. In our final podcast of the year, we talk about two more high-profile cancellations: Naughty Dog's The Last of Us multiplayer project AND E3 were both taken off life support in the past week. Brad talks up Bomb Rush Cyberfunk and Pizza Tower as he squeezes in a few more games prior to Awards season and Chris Davis has us covered with his thoughts on the remake of Super Mario RPG. In the second half of the show, we devote our time to the past, present, and future of Fantasy Critic. We talk final rankings and then hash out the changes and improvements we want to implement in 2024 - including ways of allowing the community to join in the fun more directly! Housekeeping / Game of the Year Plans (2:38) Headline: E3 is (finally) dead (14:50) Headline: Naughty Dog / Sony Cancel 'The Last of Us' Multiplayer Project (19:45) Impressions: Bomb Rush Cyberfunk (35:40) Impressions:

It's an unexpected race against time this week! Sudden, unexpected technical difficulties near the end of the episode force us to do battle with Chris Davis' PC as it tries to silence us. Before that though, we delve into the first ever Grand Theft Auto VI trailer and take a look back at the history of the series and the impact it has had on culture and the industry. Rather than close out the show in our usual fashion, Brad runs us through a series of increasingly ridiculous predictions ahead of The Game Awards. Grand Theft Auto VI Trailer Reactions (09:20) The Game Awards Predictions (51:35)

Ed returns to the show after a hectic but exciting year of traveling and moving across the country! We take some time to catch up with him about Final Fantasy XVI, The Talos Principle 2, Shadow Gambit, and even impressions of the new Steam Deck OLED! The group discusses the latest developments surrounding Dragon's Dogma 2 (including a release date) and the upcoming Fallout adaption on Amazon. Brad makes an argument on Persona 5 Tactica as a potential 2023 underdog and Nick shares his thoughts on Cyberpunk 2077 now that the big 2.0 update has redeemed it in the eyes of players years after launch. Catching up with Ed (6:05) Housekeeping / Fantasy Critic (25:20) Headlines - Dragon's Dogma 2 has a Release Date! (36:00) Headlines - Our first look at the Fallout TV series (50:30) Impressions - Persona 5 Tactica (59:25) Impressions - Steam Deck OLED (1:13:20) Impressions - Cyberpunk 2077 (1:26:00) 4Player Minute (2:05:40)

After a week off from recording due to unforeseen circumstances, we are back with a vengeance! We are bursting at the seams with new (and mostly exciting) games to talk about! Brad gives us the skinny on the latest Yakuza titled: Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased his Name, and Nick recaps his time with Jusant; a touching and impassioned homage to classics like Ico. Chris Davis fills the group in on his latest... video game life choices which includes playing all the way through RoboCop: Rogue City and Redfall. Nick also takes a deep dive into The Talos Principle II which easily earns a place among puzzle game classics like The Witness and even Portal. Housekeeping / Fantasy Critic Impressions - Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased his Name (15:20) Impressions - Jusant (30:00) Impressions - RoboCop: Rogue City (43:00) Impressions - The Talos Principle 2 (1:05:30) Impressions - Redfall (1:24:00) 4Player Minute (1:43:00)

This week, we have the pleasure of delving into TWO quality games that couldn't be more different! Brad looks back on his time with Super Marios Bros Wonder and applauds it's accomplishments while pondering it's place in 2D Mario history. In the 2nd segment, Nick and Chris Davis dive into Alan Wake 2; a long-awaited sequel that brought the best out of Remedy thanks to it's ambitious, open-ended design and it's dramatic pivot into the horror genre. Of course, it's not all rainbows and lollipops. We discuss Konami's baffling decision to lead the Silent Hill reboot with Silent Hill Ascension; a perplexing and somewhat embarrassing experiment that nobody asked for. Housekeeping / Fantasy Critic Discussion Silent Hill Ascension and the reboot of Silent Hill (22:56) Impressions - Super Mario Bros Wonder (33:50)  Impressions - Alan Wake II (58:50)  4Player Minute - (1:34:44)

Another week, another huge release for 2023. We spend MOST of the first segment this week talking about Insomniac's Spider-Man 2; a bold, polished sequel that delivers on almost every front. As it happens, it almost over-delivers with it's new wing-suit mechanics. After that, we ponder the current state of Insomniac and hypothesize about their upcoming Wolverine game. In the second segment, Brad gives us the rundown on two new indie releases worthy of your time and attention: Killer Frequency (Happy Halloween!) and Laika: Aged Through Blood - a game that feels like Trials HD and Castlevania had a brutally challenging baby... Housekeeping / Fantasy Critic  Impressions - Spider-Man 2 (12:55)  Discussion - The state of Insomniac and the potential directions for 'Wolverine' (50:40) Impressions - Killer Frequency (1:09:20) Impressions - Laika: Aged Through Blood (1:19:35) 4Player Minute - (1:29:30)

It's a strange week. We find ourselves in the midst of spooky season as we await the imminent release of some of the years biggest games. After some Halloween banter, we delve into the latest developments surrounding Naughty Dog's troubled Last of Us multiplayer project and the announcement of the new PS5 Slim. In the second segment, Brad finally has an opportunity to talk about the demo for Star Ocean: The Second Story R; An impressive remake of a PS1 classic that also calls more attention to the weird choices Square Enix is making. Nick and Chris Davis talk about the double edged sword that is Assassins Creed Mirage and then brad makes a compelling case for El Paso Elsewhere. Housekeeping - Please take our listener survey (link below) News - The Last of Us Factions 2 is in trouble - (35:15) News - Sony announces PS5 Slim - (42:45) Impressions - Star Ocean: The Second Story R (Demo) - (49:20) Impressions - Assassin's Creed Mirage - (1:02:10) Impressions - El Paso Elsewhere - (1:27:00) 4Player Minute - (1:43

It may be a skeleton crew this week but this industry slows down for nobody; Especially in 2023! We take an unexpected detour into Assassin's Creed territory up front but then go on to revisit Armored Core VI. Nick gushes over Cocoon; A game which may be struggling to find it's audience in such a crowded release season but is undoubtedly one of the best puzzle games of the year. A Starfield discussion goes sideways for Nick and Chris delivers his verdict on Telltale's The Expanse now that the full season has wrapped. Also, it's been an absolutely terrible week for game developers... Tangent - Assassin's Creed Mirage is Out Impressions - Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon Impressions - Cocoon Impressions - The Expanse Impressions - Payday 3 4Player Minute