Game Scoop 782: Starfield: Starfixed or Starf*cked?

Summary

Game Scoop! Episode 782: Starfield - Starfixed or Starf*cked? Release Date: October 5, 2024

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Introduction

In this special "Spooky Season" episode of IGN's Game Scoop!, host Damon Hatfield is temporarily joined by Justin Davis, the show's Starfield reviewer and "review master," alongside managing editor Rachel Weber. The trio dives deep into the latest gaming news, with a particular focus on Bethesda's much-anticipated Starfield DLC. Additionally, they explore new gaming hardware, discuss other popular games, and share their favorite spooky season movies and shows.

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1. PS5 Pro Anniversary Edition

The episode kicks off with an excited discussion about the newly released PlayStation 5 Pro Anniversary Edition. Priced at over £1,000 (approximately $1,000), the limited edition console has stirred significant interest among gaming enthusiasts.

Damon Hatfield provides an overview of the bundle:

"The bundle comes packed with a special version of the PS5 Pro console and awesome accessories that feature throwback design elements and a legacy color scheme."
[02:00]

Rachel Weber expresses her admiration despite the high price:

"I love it. I am a PlayStation girl through and through. I cannot justify spending that, but I wish I could."
[02:11]

Justin Davis shares a positive outlook on the console's aesthetics:

"This console is gorgeous. It's amazing what a different coat of paint and different kind of colorway can do for the design of something."
[04:56]

However, the high cost and limited availability, especially with only 12,300 units numbered globally, make it a coveted item that's unlikely to be widely accessible, especially due to reseller protections in places like Japan.

Damon Hatfield adds:

"All the extra stuff you get on it is just gravy, I guess."
[05:59]

Despite mixed feelings about the price, the group's consensus is that the PS5 Pro Anniversary Edition is a must-have for dedicated collectors and PlayStation aficionados.

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2. Starfield DLC: Starfixed or Starf*cked?

The centerpiece of this episode is the discussion surrounding the latest Starfield DLC, aptly titled Shattered Space. As the community debates whether the DLC has "Starfixed or Starf*cked" the game, the hosts share their hands-on experiences.

A. Dan Stapleton's Take

Dan Stapleton is transparent about his experiences:

"I did not dislike this game. I recommended it in the review. I enjoyed playing it and I continue to enjoy playing."
[13:00]

He praises the DLC for adding substantial story content and moving away from procedurally generated filler, emphasizing the handcrafted nature of new quests.

"Once you go to the va'ruun homeworld, you can leave, but you never have to. Every quest there is self-contained. It feels much more like a traditional Bethesda world."
[13:53]

However, Stapleton critiques the DLC for not expanding on space exploration as much as expected, noting the lack of new systems or major gameplay innovations.

"There's no skill tree. There's no new systems or anything. It's just new story content."
[24:56]

He rates the DLC a 7 out of 10, appreciating the improvements but finding it unambitious and not enticing enough for newcomers.

B. Rachel Weber's Experience

Rachel Weber shares her initial challenges returning to the game:

"I was halfway through a mission that I couldn't remember. My inventory was a mess."
[15:28]

She highlights improvements in inventory management and map usability, though she laments persistent issues with inventory complexity.

"It's very Game of Thrones. There's lots of different houses... It wasn't as fun as I think they thought it was."
[18:40]

Rachel appreciates the deeper storytelling and unique quests but feels the DLC doesn't fully capitalize on the potential for space-themed gameplay.

C. Final Verdict

The collective viewpoint suggests that while the Shattered Space DLC enhances Starfield with more engaging storylines and quality-of-life improvements, it falls short of revolutionizing the gameplay experience. Existing fans may find value, but it may not attract new players.

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3. Other Gaming Highlights

A. The Legend of Zelda

Justin Davis and his daughters delve into the latest Zelda game, appreciating its expansive and layered storytelling.

"The more that I play each evening, it sort of like reveals itself like an onion and just gets kind of bigger and bigger in scope."
[28:02]

They commend the game's freedom, puzzle design, and nostalgic elements, although Justin notes a lingering urge to engage more directly in combat mechanics.

"I keep wanting to say that it's clunky, but clunky is not the right word."
[30:21]

Rachel Weber shares her admiration for the game's aesthetic and depth, reinforcing its status as a family favorite.

B. Frostpunk 2

Dan Stapleton reviews Frostpunk 2, praising its grander scope and complex decision-making mechanics compared to its predecessor.

"It's a city-building sim. Yeah."
[35:33]

However, he points out that the sequel shifts away from the intimate feel of the original, opting for a more expansive civilization-level management approach.

C. Lightyear Frontier

Rachel Weber introduces Lightyear Frontier, a farming and crafting simulator with mechs, highlighting its seamless performance on the Steam Deck.

"It's so much fun. It runs great on Steam Deck."
[34:21]

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4. Extracurricular Activities: Spooky Season Entertainment

As October ushers in the spooky season, the hosts share their favorite horror movies and TV shows.

Damon Hatfield recommends:

• Lisa Frankenstein – A teen gore comedy with a playful nod to 90s aesthetics.
• Beetlejuice Times Two – An entertaining double feature with plenty of gross-out humor.
• First Omen – A Catholic-themed horror that combines classic elements with a modern twist.

Rachel Weber suggests:

• Grotesque on Hulu – Ryan Murphy's take on a police procedural with dark, religious undertones.
• Salem's Lot on Max – A new vampire adaptation with mixed reviews.
• VHS Beyond – An anthology series featuring IGN alumna Alana Pierce.
• Hysteria and Teacup on Peacock – Diverse offerings ranging from supernatural bands to family farm mysteries.
• Hold Your Breath on Hulu – Starring Sarah Paulson, it delves into a woman's battle against an unseen evil force.

Justin Davis adds:

• Sunny on Apple TV+ – A dark comedy-thriller starring Rashida Jones, blending quirky storytelling with emotional depth.

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5. Video Game 20 Questions: Twisted Metal

The episode features a fun segment where the hosts engage in a game of 20 Questions to guess a nominated video game. The game in focus is Twisted Metal, a classic vehicular combat game first released in 1995 for the PlayStation.

Gameplay Highlights:

• Twisted Metal involves players using modified vehicles to inflict damage on opponents, emphasizing car-based destruction rather than direct character combat.
• The game is renowned for its unique characters, including the infamous crybaby clown mascot.
• Despite its multiplayer focus, the game does not involve traditional shooting mechanics, as players’ vehicles perform the attacks.

Host Insights:

• Damon Hatfield humorously recounts the game's unique approach to vehicular combat:

  "It's about driving a car, but it's not a racing game."
  [64:03]

• Justin Davis and Rachel Weber discuss the challenges in identifying the game due to its distinctive mechanics and character designs.

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Conclusion

Episode 782 of Game Scoop! offers a comprehensive dive into the latest in gaming hardware, detailed analysis of Starfield’s newest DLC, and insights into beloved titles like Zelda and Frostpunk 2. The hosts also provide valuable recommendations for horror enthusiasts gearing up for the spooky season. With engaging discussions and a playful game of 20 Questions, this episode delivers rich, multifaceted content for both dedicated gamers and casual listeners alike.

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Notable Quotes:

• Dan Stapleton on Starfield DLC's storytelling:

  "It's a lot of stuff that they have almost all of it is stuff they've done before. And they put a little bit of a spin on it here to make it Starfield flavored."
  [23:11]

• Rachel Weber on inventory improvements:

  "Now being able to see a piece of food on the ground and just eat it right there instead of having to put it in your inventory."
  [27:31]

• Justin Davis on the emotional aspect of Zelda:

  "It's so good. I almost wasn't even interested. I'll save this game for Christmas."
  [32:07]

---

This summary encapsulates the key discussions, insights, and conclusions drawn by the hosts in this episode, providing a comprehensive overview for those who haven't tuned in.

Transcript

[Damon Hatfield]

Want to shop Walmart Black Friday Deals First. Walmart plus members get early access to our hottest deals. Join now and get 50% off a one year annual membership. Shop Black Friday deals first with Walmart plus see [e-mail] this episode is brought to you by Allstate. Some people just know they could save hundreds on car insurance by checking Allstate First. Like you know to check the date of the big game first before you accidentally buy tickets on your 20th wedding anniversary and have to spend the next 20 years of your marriage making up for it. Yeah, checking first is smart. So check Allstate first for a quote that could save you hundreds. You're in good hands with Allstate Savings. Vary terms apply. Allstate Fire and Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates, Northbrook, Illinois. What is up everybody? Welcome to IGN's Game Scoop. You'll see some different faces here this week. I'm your temporary Claiborne. Welcome to Spooky season, everybody. Game Spook. It is October and I am joined in this spooky episode by Justin Davis Scoop, our Starfield reviewer and review master. I think that's his official title.

[Dan Stapleton]

Dan Stapleton, Something like that. I'll take it.

[Damon Hatfield]

And then our managing editor, Rachel Weber is back. Welcome, Rachel. Hello. Hello. So Damon is in Hawaii just having a terrible time. I'm sure it just must be just awful being in Hawaii right now. He's probably having a better time than us. But not better than than you because we've got a great show for you today. We are going to talk about the big Starfield DLC that's out. How big is it? All the new games we've been gaming, extracurricular activities, including maybe some spooky movies and shows and games because it's that time of year. But first. That's right, we're doing it. But first there's a PS5 Pro Anniversary Edition out. It costs $1,000 or more than £1,000 actually. I think in certain areas. The big news for me is that it has a reseller proofing going on in Japan. But let's talk about this big boy first. It's that. Is anybody getting one?

[Justin Davis]

First of all, no.

[Damon Hatfield]

Because some people get more excited about the PlayStation Pro once they saw this anniversary gray looking PS1 version. Rachel, you getting?

[Rachel Weber]

I love it. I am a PlayStation girl through and through. I cannot justify spending that, but I wish I could.

[Dan Stapleton]

And we're all the target demographic of this. The people old enough to remember what the original PlayStation looked like. I have to imagine the Kids probably don't care that much.

[Damon Hatfield]

Yeah, I think so. But it did took a bunch of people at IGN immediately. I don't think anybody got one because of what we're about to talk about with how difficult they were to get. But I can tell you why. It's $1,000. So you're kind of seeing it right now, what it looks like. It actually comes in a bundle. I'll read off the descriptions. The bundle comes packed with a special version of the PS5 Pro console and awesome accessories that feature throwback design elements and a legacy color scheme. And by the way, the color had a U in it because I believe I'm reading a press release from Europe that pays homage to the legendary original PlayStation console, which launched on December 3, 1994. Each limited edition PS5 Pro for sale is individually numbered as a collector's item. I don't really know how they do that. I wanted to do like a stamp on the side of it or something like that. And there's 12,300 of these numbered consoles globally. So in the picture I was like, what's going on there? There's like a weird disk thing. And I was like, oh, does it come with a disk drive? No, it doesn't. It comes with a limited edition. I'm just going to stop saying limited edition. Actually, it comes with the PS5 Pro console. A DualSense Edge wireless controller, another DualSense Edge wireless controller. So two DualSenses, a charging station, a console cover for the disc drive. That's the round thing. So if you get the disc drive, because remember, the PS Pro doesn't have one, then this covers it up and makes it look cool next to it. It comes with a vertical stand, a bunch of normal stuff, and then you skip to the bottom. There's stuff that I didn't actually see, which was in here, which actually makes me a little jealous. So it comes with an original PlayStation controller style cable connector housing.

[Rachel Weber]

That is the one I love. That is the absolute I love.

[Damon Hatfield]

What do you think that is specifically? Flatboy?

[Rachel Weber]

Yeah, it has to just be the kind of like, you know, the old plugin because they show it briefly. But it just, it reminds me so much. It makes me so happy.

[Damon Hatfield]

Yeah, it just kind of coats the controller cable in a gray coat with a big wide thing at the end, I guess. It's really funny. It says four PlayStation shapes cable ties. So even your cable ties are branded. A PlayStation sticker, a limited edition PlayStation poster, which I hope says, now you're playing with power or something. Like that Cool. Like, Nintendo used to have posters in their consoles. And then this is the number one for me. Are you ready for this, y'all? A PlayStation paperclip.

[Justin Davis]

Oh. Oh, boy.

[Rachel Weber]

Just the one. You just get one?

[Damon Hatfield]

Yeah, just the one.

[Justin Davis]

I hope the poster is like the polygon head, the pink polygon head with like the spiky sticking out of it. No, I mean, look, it was two weeks ago on this show. We were pretty down on the PS5 Pro. I wouldn't claim to have done a complete 180, but this console is gorgeous. It's amazing what a different coat of paint and different kind of colorway can do for the design of something. I think, Sam, you and I are both on record is thinking, you know, the PS5, I think it looks really dumb. I think it's a really, really dumb looking console. But. Yeah, but this gray and this slightly different kind of shape to it, like, the PS5 Pro is a little thinner than the base PS5. Like, it's gorgeous. Like, it's completely turned around. My opinion of like, the aesthetics of the console. I am not interested in buying one for US$1,000, but. But at least they've made something that's kind of like, you know, crave worthy. Or as you said, like, I'm definitely going to be jealous of the folks that did manage to snag one.

[Dan Stapleton]

And to be fair, like, $1,000 is not much of a premium for all the stuff in that, in that bundle. Like the base console is what, 700, and then the PlayStation portal is another 200, and then the controller is 70 usually, and then another 30. They charge for that base, so. And then all the extra stuff you get on it is just gravy, I guess.

[Damon Hatfield]

I guess just throw in the disk drive and I'd be more happy.

[Justin Davis]

And the paper.

[Rachel Weber]

Does anyone here have a Portal and use it?

[Damon Hatfield]

Mark Medina does and he swears by it. He played all of Astro on it, which is nice for like writing a guide, you know.

[Justin Davis]

Yeah, I don't have one, but I know, like, the way that I play games is like sometimes, not always, but sometimes I'm sitting in front of my television. But I would still rather have my switch in my hands playing Switch games that way. Like, I'm just a little bit. I don't know, I'm just used to it. Like, I like that form factor. And so I think if I did have a PS Portal, I think I would get good, good, great use out of it. But I haven't picked one up.

[Rachel Weber]

I have to Admit that's one of my favorite ways to game. Yeah, just on the couch with a TV show on, with my Steam deck, just grinding something.

[Damon Hatfield]

But you don't have the portal.

[Rachel Weber]

No.

[Damon Hatfield]

Okay. Yeah. I mean if there was. If the PlayStation had the most, I guess, single player, experiential like games out right now that off any system like they have had in PlayStation history. They just don't really have that going for them right now. I don't need to play 10 games in the PlayStation this fall. Sometimes that happens. It's not happening right now, so I can't see a purpose for one. So everybody here said a thousand is too much for them. What about 5,000 bucks? Would you pay 5,000 for this? Because that's how much the aftermarket wants already for it. I mean, that doesn't mean they're selling for that much. I always want it correct. Articles that say this, it drives me crazy. It just means that's what idiots have listed them for on ebay. Right. That's all that means. When they start selling, we'll be able to see an average of what people will pay for the premium over the thousand bucks. Which it could be like 1300 or something. That's the PS5s. They were going for like 900 when they were whatever they. 600. They were like 300 bucks over. So like, you know, it's. I'm not saying that's a good thing. I'm just saying there's. There's a. There's going to be some kind of markup on the aftermarket. Which is why our article says as spotted by Automaton, the Japanese PlayStation homepage confirms that anyone who wants to preorder the PS5 Pro 30th Anniversary Edition in Japan has to. And remember, you could pre order this through an official site, like not on Amazon, stuff like that. You go through a PlayStation site. They did this through the PS5. I think for the first time. I might be wrong about that, but it says in Japan you had to meet the following conditions. You have to have a PSN account registered in Japan and have at least 30 hours of PS4 or PS5 runtime on the account between February 2014 and September 19, 2024. I think this is awesome.

[Rachel Weber]

Yeah, I love this. I want them to do this at Ticketmaster. To do this for gigs, you have to show you've listened to.

[Damon Hatfield]

Exactly. Rachel, that's exactly 10 times. It'd be cool if you could do that. I was thinking, how do you do this for tickets? And yeah, what if you had when you bought a vinyl copy of something or bought the Apple Music version, it came with a redemption.

[Rachel Weber]

I need a receipt or I need like to see it on your kind of, you know, Apple Music or something.

[Justin Davis]

I think it's really smart. I mean I think, you know, it's not like look, this is 30 hours of gameplay over a decade, right?

[Damon Hatfield]

He has four included. It's cool.

[Justin Davis]

Like and it's. So it's not about gatekeeping at all of like haha. We only want our hardcore fans getting this. Like it's to combat bots, right? Like you know, bot accounts that are just trying to scoop up the, you know, not real gamers. They don't want grabbing these consoles. And so I think that's really clever.

[Dan Stapleton]

Only real gamers should be allowed to buy them and post them on eBay for five grand.

[Justin Davis]

Yeah, maybe you should have been like, maybe they should have had like a ladder of like only like people with a thousand hours of game time get in at this time and then people with 5,000 hours get in at this time.

[Damon Hatfield]

So there's that housing we were talking about.

[Dan Stapleton]

Then they'd be getting it to the people who need it the least because they already have all the hardware. Like how about, how about a bundle with two more controllers when you've already got them?

[Damon Hatfield]

I mean time was you had to wait in the rain in November outside of a big box store to even get a console to resell. And I never thought I'd be pining for those times. But bots and Internet sales are a real problem for tickets and for hardware. And I think this is a really cool way to solve it. Maybe there could just be an apportioned amount of these for each territory or something like that. And then you leave the Amazon sales and stuff too. Bought stuff, but it's a problem. And even I guess registering a credit card and stuff like that, none of that seems to be working either. I don't know what's going on, but I want to hear if this worked and we never will. We're never going to hear how slow they sold in Japan.

[Justin Davis]

I mean I think these things are going to be really expensive. 12,300 is not very many at all. They could have easily in one day have sold five times that many. So you know, that's like, it's like legitimately rare.

[Damon Hatfield]

Yeah, I mean I think the next big hardware push is going to be the Switch 2. And I don't think Nintendo will take any precautions to sell the Switch 2 or do anything special with it. But like, I legitimately am worried about being able to find those for. Not just for myself for playing for like staff for work, you know, it's difficult.

[Justin Davis]

Well, just visit IGN, follow IGNdeals on Twitter and subscribe to the IGN Deals newsletter and then we'll make sure we'll let everybody know where the Switch 2 is available.

[Dan Stapleton]

I wonder how much the PlayStation 1 themed Switch 2 will cost.

[Damon Hatfield]

I do love how Nintendo Retro themes their systems. They haven't done anything like that for Switch so far. But that was really.

[Rachel Weber]

I need a translucent one. I need like. Oh yeah, that would be amazing. I buy that instantly.

[Damon Hatfield]

Translucent plus a color is always fun. Purple or green or something like that. Yeah.

[Rachel Weber]

The new Xbox Elite controllers, you can choose colored transparent plastic and I'm.

[Damon Hatfield]

No way. I didn't see that.

[Justin Davis]

Yeah, it's back.

[Damon Hatfield]

All right. Anything else, Justin? We kept cutting off there.

[Justin Davis]

No, I'm good.

[Damon Hatfield]

All right, so let's move on to talk about Starfield. And again we have the reviewer here and maybe by the time you're hearing this we will have a scored review. So I think Dan can talk about that. This goes up late on Friday and then also Rachel had a special assignment to play a little bit of Starfield and we'll talk about some other games too. But I couldn't find a lot of people on staff playing Starfield. So really appreciate you both showing up to talk about this because I'm super curious about it. And Dan, I'm going to start with you. Is everything fixed?

[Dan Stapleton]

I mean, they fixed some things, but that's largely patches outside of the dlc. What about the fun?

[Damon Hatfield]

Did they patch the fun with this?

[Dan Stapleton]

I mean, if you're enjoying. If you enjoyed Starfield and I enjoyed it, I did not dislike this game. Common misconception. I liked it explicitly said I recommended it in the review. That apparently was not enough for some people. But I enjoyed playing it and I continue to enjoy playing. I played, I played this for 12 hours, it says. And what this is is more story content that fills in a gap. It felt like they very intentionally left in the main campaign because I was.

[Damon Hatfield]

Going to mention that. Did it feel like they held this back or did it feel like it was indeed added? If that's a weird situation where you're like, why didn't this faction have their faction quests?

[Dan Stapleton]

Yeah. Felt it feels different enough that it's not just more of exactly the same thing in that once you go to the va'ruun homeworld and you can leave, but you never have to Every quest there is self contained. So it feels much more like a traditional Bethesda world because you can walk from point A to point B. And there's more than one thing on that map that you can get to without fast traveling. Like actually handcrafted and interesting and not just procedurally generally generated filler.

[Damon Hatfield]

It's not geographical anomalies all the way down.

[Dan Stapleton]

Right. So. And I don't even know if I don't remember what it was. I don't even know if I've seen one of those.

[Damon Hatfield]

One thing about Starfield is that we were hoping that this would be Bethesda with, you know, space exploration, space battles. But it turns out Bethesda is more about the planet side in this, at this DLC iteration. So they didn't kind of go all out on boarding spaceships and space battles and stuff like that. Like, I was hoping that would get expanded for frankly.

[Dan Stapleton]

I mean, they call it Shattered Space. So it was reasonable to expect some space, but there is no space whatsoever. I think the only feature I found for, like, if you're interested in spaceships in this expansion, the only thing I found is that there's now a legitimate place to buy varun ships instead of just stealing them from zealots who attack you.

[Damon Hatfield]

Okay, so Rachel, let's go to you for your impressions. Tell us where you're at and how many bugs you've killed.

[Rachel Weber]

I've not killed that many bugs. I've killed a lot of floaty teleporty enemies, which, as we all know, is everyone's favorite enemies. That teleport.

[Damon Hatfield]

Yeah, Wizrobes.

[Rachel Weber]

It took me a little while to get back into it actually, because I swapped pretty far in Starfield and then I must have got distracted by something because I was about level 40. I'd done loads of the kind of main quest stuff and then just walked away. So the first problem going in was kind of. It was a bit like coming back after a vacation or something and walking into an office and being like, what the hell was I doing? Because I was halfway through a mission that I couldn't remember. My inventory was a mess. I was carrying like 17 potatoes and no ammo. So that was the first problem. Just like getting to the Oracle spaceship, which is what starts your mission. And then I. And I have warmed to it now, but the first thing was just getting used to all those kind of little Starfield quirks again. Like the kind of all the oxygen level thing where, oh no, you can't run now because you're carrying too Many things. And so you did do some of the.

[Damon Hatfield]

So that. So that's. I was going to bring up inventory. So that's like the carrying and inventory. So that's not like changed it sounds like. But they didn't. They do some inventory system things. Like it's easier to see your stuff when you're moving things around in shops. I just remember like the inventory was somehow inferior to games that they put out 10 years prior.

[Dan Stapleton]

No, the inventory is still the same. They may have made a few little usability tweaks but yeah, that's still a sore spot for me. They've added maps. Thank you for that.

[Damon Hatfield]

Yeah, I was going to ask about that.

[Dan Stapleton]

They've added the car. Those are both big improvements but they have not fixed the inventory system. And Rachel, I totally agree with you. It took me. I'm glad I started playing to warm up for this mid last week because it took me a while to find my, to find my space legs again. I had forgotten a lot about how stuff works.

[Damon Hatfield]

So you both just went to like a pre completion save and started from there?

[Dan Stapleton]

Yeah, for me, yeah, I went to the save that was like right before I went through the Unity and went through it, which is effectively going into new Game plus and then did just a couple of things. I went and I did the Mantis mission and I did a couple of. A couple of temples and I grabbed Sarah from the constellation and then just ran right into the dlc.

[Damon Hatfield]

It would be funny if you had come back to your game and you're like, why is everybody a child? Because that was one of the permutations of the new Game Plus.

[Dan Stapleton]

I would love if they had done something roguelike. Ish. And every time you go through the Unity it changes something weird like that.

[Justin Davis]

But not really.

[Damon Hatfield]

I mean they do a little bit of that, right?

[Dan Stapleton]

A little. A little bit. But not, not like a, like a global modifier.

[Rachel Weber]

I think, I think that the story is like interesting. I'm not. I don't know how far through I am, but I'm often kind of having to. There's. It's very Game of Thrones. There's lots of different houses. You have to do like a different task, different tasks for different houses that get more complicated to kind of bring everything together and follow the main story.

[Damon Hatfield]

It's a cult story. It's about the religious zealots, right?

[Rachel Weber]

Yeah. So there's a lot of slow walk. It's apparently a slow walking cult because at the first bit where you have to do the ritual to kind of join the cult. There's a lot of just following a guy who, if you get too far ahead of him, he'll stop. And if you stay too far behind him, he'll. He'll also stop. So there was a bit of that. And there's kind of a bit where you do all the ritual that was kind of like a bit, you know, it wasn't as fun as I think they thought it was. But once I started getting into more of like, the little emissions, like trying to solve an argument between two dueling brothers who want to kill themselves, things like that, I am enjoying that more. The kind of weirder little stories. And that reminds, you know. And that's when I start feeling the Bethesda love again. I just wish they'd gone a bit weirder.

[Damon Hatfield]

Well, I mean, so in terms of weirdness, there is a. I mean, we're talking about these, like, teleporting enemies and stuff. There is nothing strictly, I don't think supernatural about the Starfield universe. They kind of explain things with physics. Right. Are they still doing that? Or is there. Are they just opened the floodgates to being. Like, there's another dimension and like, that's. Is that how they're explaining stuff, basically, the interdimensionality instead of like, ghosts?

[Dan Stapleton]

No.

[Rachel Weber]

Better than me.

[Dan Stapleton]

Yeah. Not. Not really.

[Rachel Weber]

Right now. Right now they are. They're kind of like, it's science or it's God. That's the thing.

[Damon Hatfield]

Right.

[Dan Stapleton]

So there's the inherent conflict between religion and science. And they have characters that kind of are representing both sides of that. Of that coin in their. In their theocratic society. It's. It's. It never goes, like, super deep into that. It's. It's not an interdimensional story. And they're not. The phantoms that you're fighting are not ghosts. So it's. They have. They have, like, I kind of like where the story ended, like, or at least the, you know, the reveal of what the big experiment was that went wrong that caused all this destruction. Like, half of their main city was destroyed and is now just this big crater. But I kind of like where they went with that. It takes a long time to get there. It is very long winded. As you were saying, Rachel, it's a very political story about these three factions within House Varun, which I guess is like the Umbrella House. And then within that, there are these three competing factions and their leader has gone missing. And so they're having a little power struggle.

[Rachel Weber]

I will say, absolute genius on the Part of the game designers. Oh, there's been a tragedy. Half the city has been destroyed. So we've just got this small bit of city for you to walk around and go to the store and explore things in. Don't worry about the rest of it. That's gone.

[Dan Stapleton]

I will say, like, it is a little bit odd, like, how kind of pristine the surviving half of the city looks. It doesn't really sell the, like, this is a disaster zone thing for Marie, even though that's like all anybody's talking about is, you know, they apparently had like a, like a Thanos snap level of casualties out of this thing. Just like people right in front of you being gone. But it looks like a nice city most of the time. And it does look like nothing else they've done in this game. It looks almost alien. Even though the Va'ruun are human under their tattooed faces and what we do in the Shadow's accents, but they are just humans who have sequestered themselves off.

[Damon Hatfield]

The lighting in this sequence looks really good. And then a lot of it's in anti gravity. It's like floating.

[Dan Stapleton]

Not a lot, just the opening area. You land on a space station and then after like what, an hour or two hours, you go to the homeworld and you turn the gravity back on. So I kind of like what they did with the gravity, the zero G sequences, because they have those blue glowy walls you see in the footage. And when you shoot, you're being launched backwards, you know, by. By the, the recoil of your gun. So. And if you get. If you don't realize there's one of those behind you when you fire, you get launched into it and then. And it's. It doesn't. It hurts you a little bit, but it also teleports you a little bit, so it's kind of disorienting. It's just something to be aware of.

[Damon Hatfield]

Okay, so what's your verdict, Dan?

[Rachel Weber]

There's a cheeky trash compactor bit that I liked as well. When the gravity's off, I don't know why that. But that's the weirdness I like. You just go into a room that's a trash compactor full of trash bags and it's slowly closing and you have to have to get out there quickly.

[Dan Stapleton]

And all those trash bags are floating and then you turn the gravity back on, then everything falls. Fun little physics moment. So, yeah, overall I'm giving it a seven, which I do think it is generally well done. Content, just more storage content. It's just kind of unambitious. It's. It is. In a lot of ways, it's Bethesda playing the hits, right. A lot of the lot of the main quests it sends you on are find the fugitive and decide if you're going to kill him or help him fake his death. That kind of stuff. So it's all stuff that they have. Almost all of it is stuff they've done before. And they put a little bit of a spin on it here to make it Starfield flavored. And that's enjoyable and interesting and it certainly has its moments. And I do like what they did with, you know, making. Making this planet feel more like, you know, less procedurally generated, more. More to do in that one zone. But it's. It doesn't do. It doesn't. There's no, like, Dragonborn kind of thing where you can. You can fly, you can ride a dragon now, right? It doesn't. It. Once you leave this place, there's not much you'll take with you to the rest of Starfield. So it doesn't have the kind of refreshing effect that something where it's like, oh, you go in there, you don't even get a special va'ruun power that you could use. So there's nothing interesting.

[Damon Hatfield]

I was wondering if they'd upgrade your magic because you went to.

[Dan Stapleton]

No, there's none of that. There's no skill tree. There's no new systems or anything. It's just new story content. And if that's not doing it for you, it's like Starfield wasn't really lacking in story content. There's a lot of it. There's. But. So, so it's. It's good if that's, you know, what. What you're after, but it's not. It's not going to. If you weren't into Starfield before, you probably won't be into Starfield now.

[Damon Hatfield]

Let's see. I was going to look up the price. It looks like 29.99 is the price for. For a standalone DLC, although I believe some editions of the launch edition just included it. Was there like some sort of season pass or something like that?

[Dan Stapleton]

Yeah, it was. The Deluxe Editions came with it.

[Damon Hatfield]

The Deluxe Editions. Okay. All right. Any other thoughts or can we want to move on to other games we're gaming?

[Dan Stapleton]

Is it going to get either of you guys to want to play it?

[Damon Hatfield]

Justin?

[Justin Davis]

No. And I also didn't remember until we were recording this show that I got roped into, like, I'm sure millions of gamers maybe not millions, thousands of gamers that, like Starfield was out three days early. If you had the Deluxe Edition, that's a lot. And so I had Game Pass and there was a Deluxe Edition upgrade of like, buy this upgrade. And then if you have Game Pass, this is what you need to buy. And so I mostly bought it to play the game early, but it's like, oh, yeah, I also have this dlc. So, you know, I'm not super interested in playing it right now. But I don't know, like, I thought Starfield was fine. So, you know, like. And again, it's on Game Pass and I like Xbox Cloud, so maybe I'll go back to my saves, but it's not. It's not compelling enough for me to like, kind of stop what I'm doing and get into it right now.

[Damon Hatfield]

They have your money. You just have to decide if they can have your time as well.

[Justin Davis]

Yeah, yeah. They already got what they wanted.

[Damon Hatfield]

Yeah, unfortunately. Go ahead.

[Dan Stapleton]

I will say that I'm glad it brought me back in there to try it out with the enhancements that the new maps, the new car, the new minor quality of life fixes.

[Damon Hatfield]

Right. That's what I'm most interested in.

[Dan Stapleton]

And just like the ability to. And they patch this in. The ability to see a piece of food on the ground and just eat it right there instead of having to put it in your inventory and then go into your inventory and eat it. Just things like that make the whole thing a lot smoother and that much like usable maps and a good inventory are things that they had in previous games and they're slowly bringing that in.

[Damon Hatfield]

Did they have munchy mode in previous games?

[Dan Stapleton]

Yeah, Fallout 4 had that.

[Justin Davis]

Cute. One thing that's weird is you can only eat food from the ground, not from tables or plates. I don't know why they won't patch that in.

[Damon Hatfield]

Only floating food. Yeah, Frozen floating food. That sounds painful. So to wrap up Starfield. Yeah, we crushed about price. We're good there. Okay, so let's move on to what else we're playing. Justin, you had a game your family's been gaming?

[Justin Davis]

Yeah, me and both my daughters are playing Zelda separately. We actually haven't had a chance to sit down and play together over the shoulder gaming yet. I love it. I think that Tom's review is exactly right where I think that the game, how it demos and how it presents itself is a little bit of a Zelda kind of side story or spin off, but it's not. It just feels like the Next Legend of Zelda game. And the more that I play each evening, it sort of like reveals itself like an onion and just gets kind of bigger and bigger in scope until you're like, wow, like this game is really big. And you know, and the story I'm intrigued by like where that's going insofar as I can be in a Zelda game. Like, it's still not an incredible story. You know, I agree with our review where it's very. I'm still many hours in not used to not being able to attack. I keep wanting to say that it's clunky, but clunky is not the right word. But just like, I just like that urge of like there's enemy. I just want to attack the enemy. And like, I'm still not used to like, I just have to pull out, you know, some Pokemon or a guard or whatever and have it fight the enemy for me. Like I've not quite gotten over that yet. But it's so good. I mean, you know, everything that everybody said about it takes some of the best features of the old school, you know, top down Zelda games. It is a little bit more linear, like go here, do this, go there, do that. But then gives you just complete freedom and trust in the player to like, this puzzle doesn't have a solution, it's just a puzzle. And then you're going to invent your own solution and get past this obstacle however you want. And you know, right from the opening moments of the game, oh, this B roll is very well timed. But like right from the opening moments of the game, it's like you can sequence break, like you can be climbing around on the tops of trees and stuff like that. And the game just like lets you do that. It's great.

[Damon Hatfield]

Hey, what, what are your top three most used echoes right now?

[Justin Davis]

Definitely, definitely. Number one is the bed. The bed. Bed beams are real. I still am using that. I don't remember what it's called. The little floating spinning plant thing.

[Damon Hatfield]

Yeah, the P hat.

[Justin Davis]

Yeah, the P hat. That's what it's called. I don't know what my third one would be. Those are the two.

[Damon Hatfield]

Those are like probably the trampoline. If you're using the battle odd right now.

[Justin Davis]

Yeah, Trampoline plus bet is a good combo.

[Damon Hatfield]

But your, your fighter is the P hat right now. That's what we're seeing right now.

[Justin Davis]

Yeah. Correct. Yes.

[Damon Hatfield]

Okay. I suspect that once you get some other easier to deploy more kind of common Zelda enemies, you're gonna start using Those and start forgetting about the sword a little bit then, because it's like, there's certain ones that, like, as soon as you. And this is a. This is a cheat that I put on our cheats pa. You can drop certain echoes and they attack right away, but then they take a little while to recharge their attack. And so you just spawn them a second time. You just keep on running around your enemy and putting them. And they swipe. So you drop it. They swipe. And then you go behind them and you summon that one back and drop the other one. And then you just attack, attack, attack, attack, attack. Feels really good. Love that stuff. And then you get, of course, different transitional elements like we're seeing right now, which it's a little bit of a spoiler. That one's really great. That we're seeing right now. So I'm still playing Zelda as well, and I have nothing to add except for I'm deep into the side quest side of things and there's just so much. It's just as you said, the onion keeps unraveling and you don't need the stuff you get in them, but it's all unique. At least. You want to get all your heart pieces. You want to get all the collectibles that are tracked in the game. But, like, there's like, tons of outfits and items. And, like, I have a huge inventory of stuff that I'm building. And, like, I only keep this one thing equipped ever. I can equip like, four now. But, like, I keep these. This one set equipped. I'm never going to switch the other ones, you know, like, it's just. It's a little silly, like, how much stuff there is. And, like, there's hard boss fights, but you don't need 20 hearts and four fairies. Like, you just. You would never need that. That's overkill.

[Justin Davis]

Yep. I agree with. I agree with that. No, I'm so pleased with it. Like, I almost wasn't even interested. I'll save this game for Christmas. I'll play it a little bit later. But it was my daughters that were really begging to play it. And so cute. Yeah. And so I'm so glad that I chose to play it now. It's like, if someone is like me and they're looking at it and they're like, I don't know. This feels like sort of a side story.

[Rachel Weber]

It's like, I wouldn't wait now. I'm going to buy it tonight. Now. Because I've been holding off. But, yeah, hearing you talk about it. And I just. I love the way it looks. I love the style.

[Damon Hatfield]

Yeah. Did you play Link's Awakening?

[Rachel Weber]

Yes.

[Damon Hatfield]

Yeah. I mean, that game is a really self contained, wonderful game. And this is just so much far beyond that. Like, it's just really neat to see. Like, whoa. They kind of made a port and they tested some things and then they're like, we're going to make the real game next. You know, it feels so diminutive compared to this now. But Rachel, that's great. So we made you play Starfield for a few days here though. So you were unable to catch up on Zelda. That's okay. What were you playing for?

[Justin Davis]

Fun.

[Damon Hatfield]

Before that?

[Rachel Weber]

I was dabbling in Warhammer. I'm not good at it. I'm never. No one's ever going to want me on their team, but I just love being in that world. I'm very like, I'm a Warhammer admirer. I've never played the games. I do want to start painting the figures, but I love the lore and that game just looks amazing. So I'll go in and get beaten up just so I can look at some things. Dan got me playing Frostpunk 2, which is very bleak. You have to play it in short bursts, really, because. Because it's very depressing and I feel like harder this time around. I don't know if I'm just rusty, but I feel like I've got a lot more starving happening. And there's an adorable indie called Lightyear Frontier, which is kind of like a farming crafting sim, but with like little mechs.

[Damon Hatfield]

Stardew in space. We all called that when it was first shown.

[Rachel Weber]

Yeah. And it's so much fun. It's just had a big update. So I played it in the kind of early access when it first came out and it was just a joy to hang around in and very colorful and fun. But like, it was kind of limited how far you could go up the progression ladder of, you know, new things, craft and stuff. But it's just. How is this on Steam Deck? Oh, it runs great on Steam Deck. I'm not even sure if it's verified, but it runs perfectly.

[Damon Hatfield]

Okay. This is a must play for me on Steam Deck. I think I'm going to switch over to that for.

[Dan Stapleton]

For Frost Plants, they just added pets for Frostbank. As far as versus the original, the original is kind of much more of a kind of, I guess a linear strategy game. There's kind of a narrow path you have to walk in that one. This one is A little bit more open, a little different in the approaches you can take. So because of that, it's more complex and a little harder to wrap your head around, I think. But. But they're both very good in very different ways. And I said in my review, I think the original is much better at kind of an intimate feel where you get to get a better sense of. You can kind of see your people walking around just on the streets as you play. Whereas this one, you kind of have to zoom in super close to get a sense of it, but a sense that there are actual people in your towns, but it's. It's a much grander scope. You're zooming in and zooming out from a town level to the civilization level, basically.

[Damon Hatfield]

So it is a sim above all.

[Dan Stapleton]

It's a city building sim. Yeah.

[Damon Hatfield]

Yeah. Okay, so Dan, you told me about this a little while ago, but it's been one of the most wishlisted games on Steam for years. And then it debuted and it's not a high player count on Steam. There was some sort of audience flight from two at least. Is that what happened?

[Dan Stapleton]

Well, like I said, it's a very different game. So I think a lot of people came to it expecting it to be an iteration on that first idea, when it's really an entirely different strategy game set in the same world. So it's very mechanically different. So a lot of people, I think, were disappointed that it wasn't the same, but I think it's. It's not. I don't know if I would. I. And you know, I gave, I gave. I gave it an 8 as. As opposed to. I think the first one's a nine. So I think it's. I think they're okay. They're both very good games. I think the first one is arguably better. But, you know, one thing that I really enjoyed about it was like, I went from, you know, replaying the first one directly into playing the second one, and I didn't feel like I was retreading the same ground. They're. They're both interesting in the same ways or in different ways.

[Rachel Weber]

And I think that's it. If you're, you know, I played a lot of the first Frost punk, and I think it's almost. You kind of go in expecting to be like, I know, I know what I'm doing. Like, come on, let's. Let's build a beautiful, warm, toasty city for everybody. And then, you know, you're having to kind of make a lot more decisions. Like Dan says, on A much bigger scale. It's a lot easier to make mistakes that you can't really. You know, things just start, the dominoes start falling and that's it. Everybody's dying. There's no. You can't bring it.

[Damon Hatfield]

Oh, my goodness.

[Rachel Weber]

And I think. I think that can feel a bit frustrating when a game is a sequel and you think, I don't need to learn anything. I can just go in and start playing. Because you really do need to learn a whole new system of building, at least, and what's important. So I think people like me, who had a bit of a tantrum when I first tried it, will go back because that's what I did. I started playing, it went, oh, I just keep dying and walked away and then came back.

[Damon Hatfield]

Do you think it's suffering because of satisfactory. This is scratching the same itch is satisfactory for people, or do you think that's different audiences and that's a bad assumption?

[Dan Stapleton]

Those are. Those are very different games. There's no supply chain mechanics in this at all. I barely.

[Damon Hatfield]

Oh, there's not. Okay. Yeah.

[Dan Stapleton]

And it's like you can, like, convert one type of fuel into another, but it's not. And I guess you do convert basic supplies into. Or materials into goods, but that's it. Like, it's only one tier of transition.

[Rachel Weber]

I honestly think what's hurt is the two. I think they would have been better calling it, you know, like Frostpunk Journeys or something. I think the two meant that people who didn't like the first one have no interest in checking this out, even though, you know, the changes might have made it for them. And the, you know, people who loved the first one and bought it and found a pretty different game are kind of, you know, a bit grumpy about it, so.

[Damon Hatfield]

Yeah, or hear me out. Sim Frost. Right?

[Rachel Weber]

Nice.

[Justin Davis]

Yeah. I mean, the two kind of makes it like the worst of both worlds, right? It's like, it's a very different sequel. So fans of the OG are like, a little bit disgruntled. But then if you didn't like the original, then you're disinclined to check out the sequel.

[Damon Hatfield]

And not a Justin game.

[Justin Davis]

Oh, no, this would definitely be a Justin game.

[Damon Hatfield]

Oh, it is. Okay.

[Justin Davis]

Okay. The original Frostpunk is on Mac. I don't have a PC at the moment, so I would have to figure out if it can run on a Mac, which the original Frostpunk can. And I didn't play, you know, like a couple hours of it, and it was good. And then I And then I bounced off it. But it would very much be a Justin game for sure.

[Damon Hatfield]

Okay. Yeah, I think it looks great. I think it looks completely engrossing. And I wish I had this, you know, extra two hours in the day to, for, you know, a 26 hour day so I could play sim games. They all look appealing to me and I just, I just have to let Dan play them instead. It's really sad.

[E]

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[F]

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[E]

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[F]

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[E]

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[Justin Davis]

We don't as my daughters are playing Zelda, they're peppering me with questions like, but they're. But they're farther than me, which has really tickled, tickled both of them. And they're like root farther than you, dad. And I'm like, well you don't have to make dinner and then load the dishwasher and work, you know. Although they're probably playing right now to.

[Rachel Weber]

Stay up later than them though.

[Justin Davis]

So that's a, that's a good point. I do.

[Damon Hatfield]

You should be throwing satisfactory in their faces and be like, listen, every day I have to pump out this much.

[Justin Davis]

The conveyor belts won't, you know, they.

[Dan Stapleton]

Won'T array themselves and you had the spoiler talk with your girls.

[Justin Davis]

Yeah, no, and they also don't. They. They love spoilers. So please tell me how this ends. Like, tell me what happens. Like, they're playing through. They're playing through all three Zeldas at once right now. And like every day she's like, just tell me what happens at the end of Tears of the Kingdom.

[Damon Hatfield]

I'm like, no, I mean that's, I know that's true because we have huge statistical article traffic to all of our spoiler pieces and like for however much people and we don't want to spoil games on our homepage or put spoilers in front of people. But the fact that they're out there and people can look them up is just. I Know, it seems surprising to people that are anti spoiler, but, boy, there's a lot of you that are not. I'd say the vast majority.

[Rachel Weber]

Or you're like me and you're getting older and you watch so many films and play so many games that sometimes you just don't remember what happened at the end. And you just.

[Damon Hatfield]

100%.

[Justin Davis]

Yep. We, as my. My older daughter is 10, and she's like, last night at dinner, she's like, dad, did you know that there's some people that they play video games and, like, record themselves playing the video game, and then they try to play it really, really fast, like, as fast as they can and record that and, like, put that online.

[Damon Hatfield]

You had the Speedrun talk.

[Justin Davis]

Well, yeah, I was like. And like, you know, like, she's waking up to the world, so I'm trying not to give her a hard time. But, like, in that I'm like, you know, like, you know where I work, like, you know what I do for a living. And I'm like, yes. Like, yes, sweetie, I'm aware that that's a thing that people do. And she's like, oh, that's so cool. I want to do that. That so. And I said, no, but maybe when she's older.

[Damon Hatfield]

I love that answer. The kids love that answer. Maybe when you're older. All right, so before we turn to our game of games, let's talk about extracurricular activities right here at the end of this Lord of the Rings season. I think it's crappy, so I can't wait to watch the last episode. Did anybody watch the last one yet?

[Justin Davis]

No, you're the only one.

[Damon Hatfield]

Okay, good. Okay, then I'll wait till next week to talk about that because I was just taking planes. I took four planes, and on each one I watched a spooky season movie. And here's my short list. And Rachel can back me up on some of these and argue with me on others, but I definitely want to hear what people should be watching as we go into October and what you're all watching. So we have Lisa Frankenstein, which I loved. It's a great movie about teenagers resurrecting kind of a Frankenstein plot. But Lisa Frank, the. The Cosmetics for girls in the 90s plays a heavy part of the style of the movie. It's really funny and really well paced and great. And I just love everything about it. I can't believe. Hopefully it's a cult hit. The actors are all so funny in it. And it's a great. Just like, kind of Teen gore comedy. There's a lot of gross stuff in it. Same with Beetlejuice Times two. A lot of gross stuff in that movie that I liked. I already talked about that one. The show that. So those two are great. I saw the TV glow is on the opposite end of that spectrum. I hated that movie. I actually stopped watching it with 10 minutes to go, which is like a really bad sign when you switch something off that I just. I couldn't hang in there.

[Rachel Weber]

It's quite good as well. The ending kind of almost pays off.

[Damon Hatfield]

Yeah, see, that's why I will read the Wikipedia entry. Yeah, exactly. I'll look up the ending because I just had to switch. I had to, like, palate cleanse. I was on, like, the fourth flight of Four. I was so tired. I was just like, I cannot finish this. And it's such a good idea. It's about, like, an Are you afraid of the dark? Show that kids watch and they get obsessed with. It's like half Twin Peaks, half Are youe Afraid of the Darks or whatever. But it's handled like there was a quarter of a script that was stretched across like butter across too much bread. Right. Doesn't work. People talk very slowly. And then first Omen. Okay. It's a good one. Scary movie I don't like. I don't like generally like Catholic based horror just because I think it's kind of boring and hacky. But this was a good one. You like that one, right, Rachel?

[Rachel Weber]

I love this one. Yeah. Yeah, I. I like that. It went, like some darker places, I think. And her name is insane and I can never remember it.

[Damon Hatfield]

Oh, yeah.

[Rachel Weber]

The lead actress, she's got an incredible name.

[Damon Hatfield]

Justin.

[Justin Davis]

What?

[Rachel Weber]

Do you know what it is?

[Justin Davis]

No, I don't. Yeah. I don't like spookies.

[Rachel Weber]

Someone will be shouting at the tv.

[Damon Hatfield]

Justin will be the pallet cleanse at the end of the spooky discussion because he's definitely not watching any of this stuff.

[Justin Davis]

Nope.

[Damon Hatfield]

But what did I miss? What are the scary things you recommend this fall?

[Rachel Weber]

Well, I've actually got a list because there's so much good spooky TV coming. So on Hulu at the moment, there is Ryan Murphy, who usually does American Horror Story, has essentially done American Horror Story, but he's not calling it that. It's grotesque. It is a police procedural.

[Damon Hatfield]

Like it.

[Rachel Weber]

Sadly, Sam, it's. There is a religious. Very heavy religious murder situation happening because werewolves.

[Damon Hatfield]

I don't understand.

[Rachel Weber]

It's. You know, there's lots of. It's people being killed. In sort of weird ways that could possibly point to, you know, various religious passages. But it's really dark. It's very gory. It's got a kind of almost cannibal vibe.

[Damon Hatfield]

I want to qualify. I like it when it's like, vampires and stuff. I don't have no problem with this. I just. Sometimes I'm just like, yeah, if it's like, really, like, oh, the church versus the cabal, or like. I just think that's like so old now. I just don't like it anymore. It just gets a little boring.

[Rachel Weber]

Yeah. I think this is inventive enough that you wouldn't mind it. So that's definitely worth checking out. That's already on Hulu. Salem's Lot is on Max tonight.

[Justin Davis]

Oh, yeah?

[Damon Hatfield]

Yeah. That's new, right? That's just debuting tonight.

[Rachel Weber]

Yeah, that's a new adaptation. I think reviews have been a little mixed, but it's vampires, so we'll watch it.

[Damon Hatfield]

Stephen King. Is that a Stephen King thing?

[Rachel Weber]

Yeah. VHS Beyond VHS is an incredible anthology series. They do kind of little shorts and actually IGN alumni Alana Pierce is in one of the VHS beyond, actually.

[Justin Davis]

Really?

[Rachel Weber]

Yeah. That's going to be on Shutter this month. There is Hysteria, which is coming to Peacock. That's a satanic panic metal band, supernatural horror series. See, we're getting really, really spoiled. And then there are a couple of like, more kind of like wistful horror, kind of a bit more kind of neutrals and calm and less cool. But there's one called Teacup on Peacock, which is kind of a weird. A family are on a farm and strange things start happening. They haven't revealed a lot about it because I think it's one where there's, you know, there is going to be a twist, but that looks a bit gentler if you want something scary but not gory. And if you are missing Sarah Paulson, who is usually in Ryan Murphy's American Horror Story stuff, she is doing one for Hulu called Hold your breath about a woman who believes her family is being sort of persecuted, hunted, it's unclear, but by an evil force. So there's so much good horror right now.

[Damon Hatfield]

Poltergeisty.

[Rachel Weber]

Yeah. So, okay. There's plenty to leave the house.

[Damon Hatfield]

I love it, but you should to be healthy. What are you watching, Justin?

[Justin Davis]

We started watching Sunny on Apple tv. It's become such a meme that, like, Apple TV plus will pay millions of dollars to get like an A list director and actors together to make the most incredible shows and just not tell anybody. About them. Yeah, exactly. I think that that meme is, like, a little bit overblown because there are, you know, there are advertisements and posters and, you know, things for these different shows. But, son, I had literally never heard of.

[Damon Hatfield]

I haven't.

[Justin Davis]

And it stars Rashida Jones, who I really like.

[Damon Hatfield]

She's the best.

[Justin Davis]

She is the best. And it's really good. It's sometimes a thriller and it's sometimes a dark comedy. So the tone of it is really interesting and quirky. And the premise is that she's an American living in Japan, and her husband passes away, and he worked for this kind of shadowy robotics company.

[Damon Hatfield]

It takes place in Japan.

[Dan Stapleton]

Yeah.

[Justin Davis]

Oh, my God. And it's very Japanese, too. Like, it's very prominent in the show.

[Damon Hatfield]

Awesome. Look at that robot.

[Justin Davis]

And so her husband, like, yeah, there's this shadowy robotics company, and then his death is kind of mysterious, and she's kind of trying to investigate it, but she's also very sad because he's dead. And then she has this interesting relationship with the robot that talks. And the robot's voice acting is really good. Like, it's a very Sam show. It's a very ME show. Some of them, like, you know, bad monkey. And some of the other stuff that, like, oh, nobody's ever heard of this. It's like, Apple did advertise those. This one, like, completely flew under the radar, and, like, it's great.

[Damon Hatfield]

Oh, I can't wait.

[Rachel Weber]

How did you even hear about it?

[Justin Davis]

I just was. I found it browsing. Like, we were just, like, looking for something to watch.

[Damon Hatfield]

Wow. Wow.

[Rachel Weber]

Maybe someone in the phones division was like, hey, could you not do the thing that's slightly sinister with an AI whilst we're trying to launch this phone fleet? Just keep that one quiet.

[Damon Hatfield]

Yeah, Maybe they had to quell the AI panic. That's great. Dan, what have you been extracurricular experiencing?

[Dan Stapleton]

Well, Starfield made sure I'm behind on everything right now, but I have been watching all the shows. I've been watching the Lord of the Rings, which. I'm two episodes behind on that. Yeah, I'm two episodes behind on it. I'm okay with it so far. We'll see how that goes. Which camp I end up in.

[Damon Hatfield]

It has orcs in it.

[Dan Stapleton]

Yeah. I'm behind on the Penguin. I'm behind on Agatha.

[Damon Hatfield]

I totally watch Agatha. Speaking of Halloween season, I'm looking forward to the hangover afternoon or something, which I can just catch up on all those.

[Dan Stapleton]

I enjoyed the first two episodes of that show, so I'm Looking forward to catching up on it. And my wife and I are steadily binge, binge watching our way through hacks, which we had not really heard much about until.

[Damon Hatfield]

Rachel, what is up with you? You like that too, right?

[Rachel Weber]

I just started it. I got absolutely brow beaten about it by another member of the Igen team. They were like, you'd love it. It's so you. You'll love it. And I started watching it begrudgingly and I do love it.

[Damon Hatfield]

So explain.

[Rachel Weber]

It's just really incredibly well written. Yeah. So she is a kind of a writer who, a young writer, loses her job job, comedy writing, and sort of ends up having to write material for an older, slightly difficult, but sort of amazing, incredible older actress comedian who does a Vegas residency. So it's two worlds, two generations coming together. They really don't like each other to start with.

[Damon Hatfield]

Awesome.

[Rachel Weber]

I'll let you guess whether or not that relationship falls a little bit, but it's just really, really funny. It's just, you know.

[Damon Hatfield]

Good, good suggestion. I love it.

[Dan Stapleton]

Yeah, it's one of the funnier shows I seen in years. And we were just in the first few episodes of season two. Season one was amazing, but I hear it only gets better.

[Damon Hatfield]

Awesome. Yeah, a couple seasons in already too. I'm shocked again. Where was the show when I needed it? I'm so happy it's around. Okay, that brings us to video game 20 questions. So before I get into this, everybody remember how to play yes or no questions?

[Rachel Weber]

I think has the right mind.

[Damon Hatfield]

Could be. It goes back way far back in time. So that helps sometimes. Right? And sometimes it doesn't. I'll be able to, I think, answer everything, but I might have to stop and look up something. But this one is from Tyler in Midlothian, Texas. And let the questioning begin. He has a little story I'll read after this too about it.

[Justin Davis]

Oh, we can't have any of the story now.

[Damon Hatfield]

Well, it's gonna be so redacted. It says that's.

[Justin Davis]

That's fine. We can be doing it.

[Damon Hatfield]

Let me do this. The reason I nominate it is because I feel like it's the redacted.

[Justin Davis]

Helpful that is heavily redacted.

[Damon Hatfield]

A game that a fellow in Texas thought about is your clue.

[Justin Davis]

Got it. Okay. Did this game come out in the 70s, 80s or 90s?

[Damon Hatfield]

It certainly did.

[Rachel Weber]

Oh, man.

[Justin Davis]

Good.

[Dan Stapleton]

All right. Did it come out?

[Damon Hatfield]

Did you just say, oh, no.

[Rachel Weber]

My memory is very recent. I played so many games that old ones get pushed out.

[Damon Hatfield]

Right.

[Dan Stapleton]

Did it come out in the 90s? Do we have any hope of this confirmed 90s? Okay.

[Rachel Weber]

All right.

[Dan Stapleton]

Okay.

[Justin Davis]

Was it originally released on a 16 bit console?

[Damon Hatfield]

No.

[Justin Davis]

Oh, that's interesting.

[Rachel Weber]

It's the kind of main. Main hero person you play as character, you play as human.

[Damon Hatfield]

The answer to that is yes, but there's not a main.

[Dan Stapleton]

Is the developer still in business?

[Rachel Weber]

He's having to look it up. So it's not a big one.

[Damon Hatfield]

I'm not looking it up. I'm not looking it up. I just tried to determine what I'd say yesterday, but yes, it is. That's five questions.

[Justin Davis]

Is this game multiplayer?

[Damon Hatfield]

Absolutely.

[Dan Stapleton]

Do you shoot?

[Damon Hatfield]

You don't shoot.

[Rachel Weber]

I'm assuming some character can fire a projectile, though.

[Justin Davis]

I'm assuming you get shot or perhaps you do. Yeah.

[Damon Hatfield]

Okay.

[Rachel Weber]

Are we thinking. And this is not a question, Sam, I'm conferring with my. You know, it feels like a fighting game game.

[Justin Davis]

Yeah, I'm assuming. I'm assuming it's a fighting game. That's why I asked if it was multiplayer. Did this game originally come out in arcades? No. Oh. But not on 16 bit consoles either.

[Damon Hatfield]

No. And I'm going to count that as a question. No, just kidding.

[Justin Davis]

No, just to clarify.

[Dan Stapleton]

So that means probably not fighting then, huh?

[Justin Davis]

If it didn't come out in arcades, I mean, it seems less likely. Yes. Yes. Did this game originally come out for the PlayStation 1 or the Nintendo 64?

[Damon Hatfield]

Yes.

[Justin Davis]

Hey, I mean, it's probably the Nintendo 64 then, right? If it's multiplayer. But it's not GoldenEye, because you do a lot of shooting in that one.

[Rachel Weber]

And you mainly play as like a human, right?

[Justin Davis]

Yes.

[Dan Stapleton]

I did not own an N64, so you guys may be on your own here.

[Justin Davis]

Did this game originally come out for the N64? No.

[Damon Hatfield]

That's 10.

[Dan Stapleton]

I didn't own an original PlayStation either.

[Rachel Weber]

So you're on your own here.

[Justin Davis]

So PS1 games, multiplayer. You play. You play as a human. But there's our other characters. Well, presumably just the way that Sam answered it.

[Rachel Weber]

There's no main. He said so. There's a group situation.

[Justin Davis]

I mean, so, okay, so like, you know, sports games. Yeah, there's like sports games, there's racing games.

[Damon Hatfield]

Do you want me to answer one of those?

[Justin Davis]

Give us a second.

[Rachel Weber]

Makes me think almost it could be like a football or tennis or.

[Justin Davis]

Is this a sports, racing or fighting game?

[Damon Hatfield]

No, it's fine.

[Dan Stapleton]

We knew it wasn't basketball.

[Justin Davis]

We knew it wasn't basket.

[Damon Hatfield]

In a very different, very slightly different way it would have been.

[Dan Stapleton]

Yes, but it's not why we know it wasn't basketball because you do all kinds of shooting. Basketball.

[Damon Hatfield]

That's good.

[Rachel Weber]

Per rapper and just anything I can think of that's not fighting. Multiplayer.

[Justin Davis]

Why would the answer be different if we ask the question in a slightly different way? What does that mean? Oh, no.

[Damon Hatfield]

I'll try to remember to explain at the end of this horrible, horrible cycle.

[Justin Davis]

Yeah.

[Rachel Weber]

Is it because you said sports or fight? No, sports or fighting.

[Justin Davis]

Maybe it's.

[Rachel Weber]

Could it be sport fighting?

[Justin Davis]

Sports and fighting, like a boxing game? I don't think because you throw punches, you shoot.

[Damon Hatfield]

Yeah. I'm not sure you'll be able to crack this one. It is just. I'll explain it. It's pretty interesting.

[Justin Davis]

I don't think Sam would do that to us. So. Okay, so hold on. So, okay, let's. Let's reset here. So, people, PS1 has multiplayer. You play as a human. It is not a sports fighting or racing game, and you do not shoot.

[Dan Stapleton]

Could it be like a car combat game? Is that.

[Justin Davis]

Twisted Metal is a pretty good answer or something like that. Destruction derby? Yeah. Car. Car combat game Is this. Are you. Do you spend a lot of time in the game?

[Rachel Weber]

What questions do we have left?

[Damon Hatfield]

You have 11. You've asked 11 questions.

[Rachel Weber]

Has it had in the last 10 years, like a remaster and a rerelease?

[Damon Hatfield]

No.

[Justin Davis]

Do you spend a lot of time in a vehicle in this game?

[Damon Hatfield]

Yes.

[Justin Davis]

I think you were onto something there, Dan. Although I would say that there's a lot of shooting in Twisted Metal, but not in Destruction Derby. I don't know how to narrow this down in an intelligent way.

[Damon Hatfield]

There's some big questions that we always ask on this episode, although I don't know if all of them would be super helpful.

[Justin Davis]

Yeah. I also don't know who made many of these old car, like, you know, car Vehicular combat games. Does this game is one of the mascots of this game a weird, creepy clown?

[Damon Hatfield]

You know it is.

[Justin Davis]

All right, all right, all right. Yeah, it's one of the Twisted Metal games. I mean, is this the first game in a series?

[Damon Hatfield]

Yes.

[Justin Davis]

Is it Twisted Metal?

[Damon Hatfield]

Yes. I got it in 16 questions.

[Dan Stapleton]

I think I got it a little earlier than that.

[Damon Hatfield]

Okay, so here's a couple things.

[Rachel Weber]

So I told you, Dan, Secret weapon.

[Damon Hatfield]

He's got to ask it, though. He's got to ask it.

[Justin Davis]

Officially.

[Damon Hatfield]

You did a great job, Dan. So Twisted Metal, you don't do the shooting in Twisted Metal. Your car does. Right. So I didn't know how to answer that. And like, not all the cars are about that. A lot of them are just about ramming. Right?

[Justin Davis]

Yeah.

[Damon Hatfield]

So I don't know. Like, that's a tough one. If you had asked if it was a driving game. It is. It's not a race. Racing game. Yeah, that's that.

[Justin Davis]

Yeah. The racing game thing I complete. I completely agree with like. But the shooting thing, it's like you're. The car is shooting. You're not shooting like, dude.

[Damon Hatfield]

Yeah, I don't know. I mean, I wouldn't call Gradius to shoot it. You do. You asked, do you shoot in this game?

[Justin Davis]

Yeah. Okay, fair enough. Well, we got there in the end, so no need to send this one up to the commission.

[Damon Hatfield]

No, I hear you. I hear you. It was a tough. It was a tough one. So ignore gave this A7. And in the review, which is like three paragraphs long from 1996, it says like, it's so weird playing a game that's about driving a car, but it's not a racing game. And I just thought that was really funny. I mean, Mario Kart had been out by that time. Right? It's strange, but yeah, it's from 20. Well, it's from 1995. November 1995. Here's a weird one, everybody. I'm so happy you didn't ask this console exclusive. Technically, no. So it did get corded to PC, which it was shown at CES and there was a very limited commercial release on PC in Japan, which has like an incredibly rare run that people desirably search after. So that could have thrown everything off. Right. So very lucky. You follow that default. There's no new games these days.

[Dan Stapleton]

That's what console exclusive means, is on a console.

[Damon Hatfield]

Well, that's true. I guess I would have. Yeah, yeah, we always ask it that way too. So that's make sense. You do. Shoot. I'm watching this car shoot right now too. So yeah, those were the problems with the questioning, I admit. So then there's no new games in production for this. It was also close. The reboot happened in 2012. I know that's not a remake, but still. 10 years. Rachel, you asked within the last 10 years. It's 2012, so we always say that there hasn't been a twisted metal since then.

[Rachel Weber]

Can you believe that there's been a TV show?

[Damon Hatfield]

I know lots of Hikok. Yeah, well, nicely job everybody. You got it. And yeah, some of those difficult games. One of them I'll give you was an NES game called Super Dodgeball. What? Anybody got that?

[Justin Davis]

Maybe.

[Damon Hatfield]

Maybe I like that game. I think maybe with us teaming up just we might be able to get that. But that was one of the harder ones. There are some hard ones that I got submitted, but thanks to everybody that submitted that. Here's the little story. The reason I nominated it, Tyler says, is because I feel like it's the most glaring admission from the latest Astrobot. I kept hoping that some of those characters show up at the crash site and also see what Team Asobi would come up with in terms of twisted metal inspired level. Isn't that true? I mean, that's crazy that there's no twisted metal in it. Yeah. Went on to ask a good question that we can't make it to this week. Just about, like, what other properties were not in Astrobot that could be in dlc. I'm just shocked to hear there's one this big. Frankly, I think they got. They drilled so deep. And we did talk about some of these, like, vib ribbon and stuff like that in a previous episode that could be in there. Okay, let's wrap this one up. That is all the scoops we have for you this week. Thank you, Justin. Thank you, Rachel. Thank you, Dan. Thank you, Justin. Working behind the scenes to make this episode possible. Damon will be back from his vacation next week, so thank you to you all for listening. This is IGN gain scoop. And we're out.

[Dan Stapleton]

Ladies and gentlemen. What are you doing? What do you mean? Just keep it simple. I'm making the promo.

[Damon Hatfield]

Just keep it simple. Just say, hey, we're the Brav Bros.

[F]

Two guys that talk about Bravo.

[Dan Stapleton]

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, we're the Brav bro. No, dude, stop with the voice.

[Damon Hatfield]

Just keep it simple.

[Dan Stapleton]

I've seen promos on tv, dude. This is how you get the fans engaged. This is how you get listeners. We're trying to get listeners here. If we just say, oh, we're two dudes that talk about Bravo, people are get tired of it already. We need to oomph. All right, then, fine.

[Damon Hatfield]

Let's try to do it with your.

[Dan Stapleton]

Voice, Brav Bros. Good job.

[Damon Hatfield]

Contained herein are the heresies of Radolph.

[Justin Davis]

Bantwine, erstwhile monk turned traveling medical investigator.

[Damon Hatfield]

Join me as I study the secrets of the divine plagues and uncover the blasphemous truth that ours is not a loving God and we are not its favored children.

[Justin Davis]

The heresies of Redolf Bantwine. Wherever podcasts are available.