Game Scoop! 809: A Tale of Two RPGs

Summary

Game Scoop! Episode 809: A Tale of Two RPGs – Detailed Summary

Release Date: April 30, 2025

Hosts and Guests

• Damon Hadfield (Host)
• Nick Limone
• Sam Claiborne
• Justin Davis

---

Overview

In Episode 809 titled "A Tale of Two RPGs," the IGN & Geek Media team, led by veteran host Damon Hadfield, delves into the tumultuous world of video game pre-orders, explores the nostalgia of the Oblivion remaster, and shines a spotlight on the burgeoning RPG, Claire Obscure Expedition 33. The episode is packed with insightful discussions, personal anecdotes, and expert analyses that cater to both long-time gamers and newcomers.

---

1. Nintendo Switch 2 Pre-order Chaos [02:00 - 12:00]

The episode kicks off with the hosts fervently sharing their frustrating experiences attempting to pre-order the highly anticipated Nintendo Switch 2. The process was marred by website crashes, account logouts, and overwhelming demand, leading to widespread consumer dissatisfaction.

• Damon Hadfield [05:23]:
  "I was trying with Target, refreshing at 9pm, adding to cart, entering payment info, but the page kept resetting. It never went through."

• Nick Limone [07:44]:
  "It's just so consumer unfriendly. Tell people there's going to be a queue and make sure they're prepared."

• Sam Claiborne [07:35]:
  "It's like a whole odyssey. If you don't get them in the first two seconds, you're not going to get in."

The panel contrasts their experiences with the smoother PS5 pre-order process, emphasizing Nintendo's lack of preparedness for high demand spikes.

• Sam Claiborne [11:58]:
  "We generated in like that hour as many people clicked on merchant links on IGN as like an entire Black Friday."

Key Takeaways:

• Consumer Frustration: The lack of effective queue management and server capacity led to a chaotic pre-order environment.
• Staff vs. General Public: Unlike the staff, who coordinated efforts to secure pre-orders, general consumers faced significant hurdles.
• Suggestions for Improvement: The hosts advocate for better communication regarding expected queues and enhanced server infrastructure to handle high traffic.

---

2. Oblivion Remaster Review [12:00 - 29:00]

Transitioning from pre-order woes, the discussion shifts to the Oblivion remaster. As longtime fans, Nick and Justin express their enthusiasm for revisiting the beloved RPG, while Sam and Damon, newer to the series, offer fresh perspectives.

• Justin Davis [19:24]:
  "It's the warm blanket I expected it to be. So nice to return to Cyrodiil and watch guards say their lines before they actually do."

• Sam Claiborne [25:53]:
  "Each aspect of the game's music, voice acting, and writing feels really realistic and emotionally resonant."

Despite praising the optimization and nostalgic elements, the panel points out some outdated mechanics that might affect new players' experiences.

• Nick Limone [25:22]:
  "The loot just sucks. You're stuck picking locks for nothing."

Key Takeaways:

• Nostalgic Value: The remaster successfully brings back the charm of the original game, enhancing it with modern improvements.
• Voice Acting and Writing: Outstanding voice performances and well-crafted narratives elevate the gaming experience.
• Gameplay Mechanics: Some traditional elements like lock-picking and loot distribution remain cumbersome, potentially detracting from overall enjoyment.

---

3. Claire Obscure Expedition 33 – New RPG Spotlight [29:00 - 43:00]

The heart of the episode centers on Claire Obscure Expedition 33, a fresh entry into the RPG landscape. The hosts provide an in-depth analysis of its gameplay, narrative, and unique features that set it apart from traditional RPGs.

• Justin Davis [35:12]:
  "The combat is action-oriented with tight timing windows, similar to Dark Souls, making every battle compelling and requiring skill."

• Sam Claiborne [31:24]:
  "The characters feel like they could be main characters in their own games. The storytelling is mature without being overly wordy."

• Nick Limone [29:35]:
  "It's an emotional, turn-based RPG that treats players like adults, letting them figure out unique mechanics without force-fed exposition."

Gameplay and Features:

• Combat System: Combines turn-based mechanics with action elements, requiring precise timing for attacks and defenses.
• Narrative Depth: Focuses on mature themes and emotionally complex characters, akin to titles like Lost Odyssey.
• Artistic Execution: Inspired by French JRPGs, the game boasts realistic dialogue, rich character development, and a fully realized world.

Key Takeaways:

• Innovative Design: Claire Obscure Expedition 33 distinguishes itself through its blend of traditional RPG elements with contemporary design philosophies.
• Emotional Resonance: The game's narrative and character interactions are designed to evoke genuine emotional responses from players.
• Critical Acclaim: The hosts position the game as a potential Game of the Year candidate, lauding its artistic and technical achievements.

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4. IGN Live and Upcoming Events [43:00 - 58:00]

Moving beyond game reviews, Damon introduces the upcoming IGN Live event scheduled for June 7-8 in Los Angeles. The event promises a day filled with live shows, game demos, celebrity interviews, and interactive panels.

• Damon Hadfield [14:46]:
  "We'll be doing Game Scoop Live, with game demos, celebrity interviews, panels, and giveaways. Get your tickets at IGN.com/live using promo code 'Scoop' for $15 early bird pricing."

Highlights:

• Interactive Experiences: Attendees can engage directly with hosts, participate in game demos, and win exclusive swag.
• Community Engagement: The live event emphasizes building a strong community through shared gaming experiences and interactive sessions.
• Special Features: Nick is set to direct the live stage production, adding an extra layer of excitement for fans.

---

5. Video Game 20 Questions Segment [58:00 - 66:00]

In this week's Video Game 20 Questions segment, Nick challenges the panel to identify the game Hollow Knight through a series of strategic questions.

Gameplay of the Segment:

• Initial Clues:

  • Damon Hadfield [63:08]: "Is it a 2D side-scrolling game?"
  • Sam Claiborne [63:56]: "Yes. That's five."

• Final Guess:

  • Nick Limone [64:16]: "Is it Hollow Knight?"
  • Damon Hadfield [64:27]: "Yep."

Key Takeaways:

• Quick Identification: The game was correctly guessed in just eight questions, highlighting the panel's familiarity with popular indie titles.
• Community Engagement: This interactive segment encourages listener participation and fosters a fun, competitive spirit among fans.
• Game Insights: Discussion around Hollow Knight touches on its challenging gameplay, stunning art, and captivating music, underscoring its status as a beloved indie gem.

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6. Closing Discussions and Additional Content [66:00 - 72:00]

As the episode winds down, the hosts share their recent cinematic experiences and briefly discuss other media, such as the Andor series and the Screen X theater experience.

• Damon Hadfield [50:28]:
  "I watched Sinners on Screen X. While the gimmick of side screens wasn’t immersive, the movie itself was well done with surprising twists."

• Nick Limone [60:00]:
  "Mon Mothma is an amazing actor. She's incredible."

Key Takeaways:

• Media Cross-talk: The integration of movie discussions with gaming provides a holistic entertainment perspective, appealing to a broader audience.
• Upcoming Releases: Brief mentions of new movies and series keep listeners informed about what's next in the entertainment world.
• Engagement: The hosts continue to foster a sense of community by sharing personal experiences and encouraging listeners to participate in future segments.

---

Notable Quotes

• Sam Claiborne [07:35]:
  "I've never in my life seen anything as crazy as the PS5 launch."
  (07:35)

• Justin Davis [19:24]:
  "It's the warm blanket I expected it to be."
  (19:24)

• Sam Claiborne [25:53]:
  "Every aspect of the game's music, voice acting, and writing feels just realistic and emotionally resonant."
  (25:53)

• Justin Davis [35:12]:
  "The combat is action-oriented with tight timing windows, similar to Dark Souls, making every battle compelling and requiring skill."
  (35:12)

• Sam Claiborne [31:24]:
  "The characters feel like they could be main characters in their own games."
  (31:24)

---

Conclusion

Episode 809 of Game Scoop! offers an enthralling mix of gaming news, in-depth reviews, and community interaction. From navigating the chaotic Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders to celebrating the nostalgic yet refreshed Oblivion remaster and exploring the rich narrative of Claire Obscure Expedition 33, the hosts provide a comprehensive and engaging experience. Their passionate discussions, coupled with personal insights and expert analyses, make this episode a must-listen for gaming enthusiasts seeking both information and entertainment.

For More Information: Visit Geek.com to stay updated with the latest episodes and additional content from the Game Scoop! podcast.

Transcript

[Damon Hadfield]

An old RPG is made new again and a brand new RPG is reminding everyone why they like turn based games so much. Oh, and the Nintendo Switch 2 pre orders were a complete shitshow. All that and more on gamescoop right after these messages. What sort of promises have you made to yourself this year? Getting in better shape? Eating healthier, Saving more money? Traveling somewhere new? What about discovering a new culture by learning a new language? With Babbel you can in just a few weeks this year speak like a whole new you. With Babbel, the language learning app that gets you talking. Babbel's quick 10 minute lessons, handcrafted by over 200 language experts, get you to begin speaking your new language in three weeks or whatever pace you choose. And because conversing is the key to really understanding each other in new languages, Babbel is designed using practical real world conversations. Babbel's tips and tools are inspired by the real life stuff you actually need when communicating with a focus on conversation, you'll be ready to talk wherever you go. I've used Babbel to brush up on my Spanish before trips to Mexico. It's useful for learning an entirely new language, but also for those who, like me, haven't used a second language in years and could use some refreshers. Need proof that Babbel gets you talking? Studies from Yale, Michigan State and other leading universities continue to prove Babbel works. One study found that using Babbel for 15 hours is equivalent to a full semester at College. With over 16 million subscriptions sold, Babbel's 14 award winning language courses are backed by a 20 day money back guarantee this year. Get talking with Babbel now let's get more of you talking in a new language. Babbel is gifting our listeners 60% off [e-mail] Gamescoop get up to 60% [e-mail] GamesCoop spelled B-A B B E L.com Gamescoop babbel.com Gamescoop rules and restrictions may.

[Nick Limone]

Apply fellas, you know degree cool rush deodorant, right? Well last year they changed the formula.

[Sam Claiborne]

And guys were mad about it. One dude even started a petition.

[Nick Limone]

So guess what Degree heard us admitted they messed up and brought the original.

[Sam Claiborne]

Cool Rush scent back exactly how it.

[Nick Limone]

Was and it's in Walmart, Target and.

[Sam Claiborne]

Other stores now for under $4.

[Nick Limone]

So grab some and remember why its.

[Sam Claiborne]

Cool, crisp and fresh scent made it.

[Nick Limone]

The number one men's antiperspirant for the last Decade degree cool Rush is back.

[Sam Claiborne]

And it smells like victory for all of us.

[Damon Hadfield]

What's up, everybody? Welcome to IGN gamescoop. I'm your host, Damon Hadfield. And joining me this week here in studio is Nick Limone.

[Justin Davis]

I'm back, Bab.

[Damon Hadfield]

Sam Claiborne is here.

[Nick Limone]

Ice to meet you.

[Damon Hadfield]

And Justin Davis is here. Scoop, we were just talking about Batman Batman earlier. We got a great show for you this week. We all at least attempted to pre order Nintendo Switch 2 last week. I got mine after a lot about an hour of struggling. Nick, did you get one?

[Justin Davis]

I did manage to secure one. I nearly gave up hope the night that it was all going down, but I got through.

[Sam Claiborne]

Justin, I got one and I got a safety pre order too. So I got to decide what I'm gonna do with that second one now.

[Nick Limone]

And you clinched it right at the end there. I actually organized our effort for the staff to get these all, which meant we all stayed up late and refreshed websites together. Yeah, the whole staff. It was really fun.

[Justin Davis]

It was fun.

[Nick Limone]

It was also stressful.

[Justin Davis]

It was like, oh, man, solidarity. Everyone here is going through what I'm going through.

[Nick Limone]

Let me back up, let me back up. The pre ordering sucked.

[Damon Hadfield]

Okay, so it sounds like we're just getting right into this. We're also gonna talk about the Oblivion remaster and Claire obscure Expedition 33. But first, let's just continue talking about what a, what a crap show was.

[Nick Limone]

But hanging out with the staff and helping each other get them and everybody having good tips, that was fun.

[Sam Claiborne]

I mean, I think it was better and smoother than the PS5.

[Damon Hadfield]

So we were talking about this earlier. I had no problem getting a PS5. I got it through PlayStation because of.

[Nick Limone]

The PlayStation pre orders coming at the same time.

[Justin Davis]

I did it through Amazon.

[Nick Limone]

The retailers were just walked up to.

[Justin Davis]

My computer and I was like, hey, I Wonder if a PlayStation 5 is in stock. Typed it in. It was ordered. Great. I was like, wow, I've. It's never been easier.

[Sam Claiborne]

That was not my experience at all. It was like a whole odyssey.

[Nick Limone]

I just don't think much has changed. Like two of the sites had queues, right? They had Best Buy and Walmart had those. That's a little bit more helpful. But if you don't get them in the first two seconds, you're not going to get in them. So that, that was all. That was a little bit better of an improvement. But they don't, they didn't really instruct that they were going to have the queues of like that the other sites and then Best Buy to this too, they just crashed like 20, 25, dude, best buys.

[Justin Davis]

A crashing Best Buy rug pulled me, though, because I was like, oh, man. I was like, you know what? As a former Best Buy employee, I'm going to go back to the old alma mater and pre order there. I got a Best Buy nearby. Why not?

[Nick Limone]

I remember you bragging about it that night and I. And I called you Geek Squad. And then look, they canceled you.

[Justin Davis]

25 didn't pop for 25 minutes. And I was like, dude, yeah, this does seem like something Best Buy would do. All right, fair enough.

[Damon Hadfield]

I had never had the amount of trouble I had getting it switched to last week. I've never had that problem that much trouble before. So just my experience was I had Target and Best Buy open at the same time. And I. A week ago, I didn't have accounts for any of these. I had no Target account, no Best Buy account, no Walmart account.

[Nick Limone]

I know, me too.

[Damon Hadfield]

But I made them all. And then I had the product pages open, which they said, coming soon, you know, or whatever, or currently unavailable. So they went live at 9pm our time Pacific.

[Nick Limone]

What's the first thing they did with you and being logged in?

[Damon Hadfield]

I don't think it logged me out.

[Nick Limone]

But they logged me out. I got logged out of everything.

[Damon Hadfield]

Well, so I was, I was trying with Target. That was what I was going to try with. And refreshed at 9pm There it is. I add it to my cart and then I start going through the process of like entering my payment information and it's on the page, but it like, I'll enter all my card info, hit submit, and then just like refreshes and erases everything. It would not move forward. Eventually it did allow me to put all my payment info in there. And I was at the very last step, you know, to purchase complete purchase. And again it would just. I'd click it and would just reset the page again and would never actually go through with the order.

[Justin Davis]

I was very scared at what I would have to explain to my credit card company. Like, just did the orders go through and did I buy 8 switches without even thinking about it?

[Damon Hadfield]

Yeah, yeah.

[Sam Claiborne]

Thankfully, that did not happen.

[Nick Limone]

Mine, you know, it was like, go ahead, Justin.

[Sam Claiborne]

Oh, just like my. I got all the way to the checkout and I'm hitting checkout and it's like. And I'm on my desktop computer, computer trying to pay with a credit card. And then, you know, the websites are just crapping out. Right. And it's like, you can't pay with Apple Pay on this browser. I'm like, I'm trying to play with Apple pay. I'm like, what do you think is going on here? And then it just, it kept like giving me that error. And then I had to go all the way back and like start over. And then I was able to check.

[Nick Limone]

Out like g some of Those sites, including GameStop the next day had like DDoS level of like, like site errors. It was completely crazy. I think Targa got hit the worst. The apps are a little bit more stable. Yeah, I definitely got logged out immediately. So all of that work that was put into the pressure, there was like one step that was like taken out meant that I had to enter everything or try to log in again. And logging in again would take you out of a queue. And like, it was just, it was just an unmitigated disaster. And it could have been mitigated. We've been doing this for 20 years. Mitigations can happen. So I. What I'm wondering about is like, so you all remember, like the first two went up. It was like the first minute of 9pm on the West Coast, Right. Start refreshing. Everybody's like, they're sold out. Okay, that's done. Best Buy had not even started yet. Walmart had like a queue. And then we're all just sitting there, like, is Best Buy even tonight? And like, that's on Best Buy. Like, tell us you're going live. And I'm not exaggerating here at 9:37.

[Sam Claiborne]

Yeah.

[Nick Limone]

Okay. Why? Yeah, so like everybody just sat there refreshing for 37 minutes and then it was still difficult to get one at 9:37.

[Damon Hadfield]

Yeah.

[Justin Davis]

Homeboy must have been asleep at the will before he hit, you know, go live with Switch two button.

[Nick Limone]

I know, I know. It's just such a weird choice. And you know, it's not a choice. It's like, oh, no, everything's breaking. Hold on. Call it, call it off, call it off. And then they figure it out 37 minutes later and everything just goes sideways anyway. Yeah, like just. It's just so consumer unfriendly. It's like, tell people something. Tell them there's going to be a queue. Tell them that it's going to be really difficult. So make sure you do this. Why are you doing it this way?

[Damon Hadfield]

Well, if there's like enough interest in this new product that people are going to crash your site trying to order it, shouldn't you have like spit up a server? Like sort of. Yeah, eventize that. Have A countdown. Like, get people ready. Let them know exactly when everything's going.

[Nick Limone]

To count down to site breaking.

[Damon Hadfield]

Yeah.

[Justin Davis]

Lean into it at that point. Acknowledge that it'll be tough, but it's like, hey, we'll do our best.

[Damon Hadfield]

Like, in the hours leading up to the pre orders going live, none of these sites were like, hey, it's coming. It's almost here. They're just like completely exactly acting like nothing is happening.

[Justin Davis]

I did my Switch to. I managed to order mine like two hours after it went live, right through Walmart. June 11th arrival for me. I'm a little sad I'm going to be tied up with IGN Live, so it stings a little bit less. It'll be a fun little reward when I'm done with that weekend. But I'm a little mean that, that's.

[Nick Limone]

That night, though, started popping up. People like, whoa. I just got my email confirmation and it says June 11th, you know.

[Damon Hadfield]

Yeah, yeah. Eventually I got through with Best Buy. Just waiting, just waiting their line and went through and I have my confirmation and it's been a week now and they haven't canceled it. So I think you're good. Hopefully that's real.

[Justin Davis]

Did you get anything else with it?

[Damon Hadfield]

Not yet. Because I don't think the accessories or games are going to be difficult.

[Justin Davis]

I got a Switch Pro controller too, because I really enjoyed using that at the Nintendo event. I was like, I love the Pro controller baseline and having the additional buttons on the back is a thing I personally enjoy using. So I'm very stoked to pick that up.

[Damon Hadfield]

Yeah. But then my wife was trying at the same time and she got one through Target. Like, I had so much trouble with Target, but she just got one through Target somehow. So I don't know what happened.

[Nick Limone]

Interesting.

[Justin Davis]

Do. Do. If I may ask, do the children get one or is it just one for the family?

[Damon Hadfield]

I mean. No.

[Justin Davis]

Are they. They're not quite.

[Damon Hadfield]

Have their own. No.

[Justin Davis]

I'm already like, it'll come someday soon.

[Sam Claiborne]

Well, but the real question is, what about the Switch one do.

[Nick Limone]

They're throwing it away.

[Damon Hadfield]

I'd be, yeah, like Kingo said, we can just throw it in the trash now. No. Yeah. Kingo can have that one out because it's so grubby. When I get it back from him, I'm already thinking, I don't really want you playing my Switch 2, dude.

[Sam Claiborne]

Yep. Just get in the original and then let him grub it up.

[Damon Hadfield]

Yep.

[Sam Claiborne]

They find strange ways to grub it up, too. That's like, somehow there's jelly all over it. And they don't even eat peanut butter and jelly. It's like, what happened?

[Nick Limone]

Yeah, where's the stash of jelly? It's between the seats is what the answer to that is.

[Justin Davis]

Yep.

[Damon Hadfield]

But like I was saying, my PS5, I just ordered through PlayStation and I got like an invite, you know, from PlayStation. They emailed me and said if you would like to pre order tube, you know, register ahead of time and then when they go live, just click this link, whatever. It was super easy. Why would Nintendo do something like that? Like if they're gonna have limited supply at launch, just promise it to your die hard fans. You can see how much time they've spent on Nintendo Switch online.

[Justin Davis]

And they sort of implied that already that they would. Right. And it's just like, oh no, that's.

[Nick Limone]

A slap to the face.

[Justin Davis]

Yeah, that one's not until May 8th by the way. So I was like, what? What if I can't?

[Nick Limone]

Then the caveat there too is that they said they won't be delivering those on launch day.

[Justin Davis]

It's ridiculous.

[Damon Hadfield]

Yeah. So I don't know why it's so hard letting people pre order video game consoles.

[Nick Limone]

Either Nintendo could solve it or a retailer could solve it. That's the thing. But no, nobody, nobody cares enough to solve it. And I don't think there's any pressure to because it's one day every three years.

[Sam Claiborne]

I'm glad that you all had an easy time ordering a PS5 from the perspective of someone like, you know, I run like, I run our commerce business and I pay attention to, you know, what people are buying. I've never in my life seen anything as crazy as the PS5 launch ever. Like we generated in like that hour as many people clicked on like merchant links on IGN as like an entire Black Friday.

[Justin Davis]

Wow.

[Sam Claiborne]

Like it was nuts, you know, and the Switch 2 is a really, really big deal. The biggest deal the last couple of years, but probably a third as crazy as the PS5 launch was, I would guess so, you know, like, and like, and that, and that mirrors my experience. Like best buy.com definitely went down when I was trying to buy my PS5. It was a mess.

[Nick Limone]

Think about the level of expertise that we all had and shared as a staff to get these things pre ordered and like how screwed you are as anybody but us.

[Sam Claiborne]

No, exactly.

[Nick Limone]

I don't understand. I don't understand how a parent is like, my kid's birthday's in June. Like, this is like, I really like, you can't get one.

[Sam Claiborne]

Yeah, there's a. There's. There's a million moms out there that are like, I heard there's a new Nintendo coming out. Maybe I'll get one for my kid for the end of school. It's like, no, you're. You're already dead and you don't even know it.

[Justin Davis]

I've already logged in on three websites, Mom.

[Nick Limone]

Exactly.

[Damon Hadfield]

That night when all this went down, I don't think GameStop ever, ever even went live.

[Justin Davis]

No, they went live.

[Nick Limone]

It was the next morning. They did say they were going to.

[Sam Claiborne]

That.

[Nick Limone]

They didn't say that ahead of time.

[Sam Claiborne]

Yeah, again. Yeah, they sent out like a cute tweet that was like, oh, what a crazy night. Like, see you at 9am like, that was their plan all along.

[Nick Limone]

And it was. It was more like Target than anything else. It broke. It never really got fixed, and then it just stayed broken.

[Damon Hadfield]

So then, Sam, where'd you end up getting yours from?

[Nick Limone]

Best Buy.

[Damon Hadfield]

Best Buy. Okay, and then are you having it delivered? Are you picking it up? Is it coming here?

[Nick Limone]

I'm having it delivered to the Los Angeles office because we're all going to be in la.

[Justin Davis]

I'll keep it real safe for you, Sam.

[Nick Limone]

Yeah, exactly. It's going to be an interesting day. A lot of us did that. So, you know, this is a little bit behind the scenes, but we have to get a bunch of these for work, right? Like, we have to have these for projects at work. And that's what I was trying to coordinate and trying to make sure we had a bunch. A bunch of them are getting sent to the office, and I don't have a personal one. I'm just going to use one for strategy guides.

[Sam Claiborne]

Yeah, I have to figure out. Mine is still being shipped to my house, but I'm already in LA on launch day, and so I may. I'm debating, like, do I need to talk to customer service or just, you know, whatever, let it go to my house and I'll have it, as you said, as a little treat after IGN Live is over.

[Justin Davis]

Dude, I'm going to no Mario Kart so bad after I.

[Nick Limone]

Well, and like, yeah, I mean, I think you'll all be in kind of good shape because. Because we'll certainly have this set up just like backstage at the. At the show, and people can play Mario Kart, stuff like that, which is really fun, but it will also be fun to have our own individual ones there, if possible to be playing and stuff like that too.

[Justin Davis]

I can grease up everyone else's Nintendo Switch 2 on my pristine at home.

[Nick Limone]

You could bring your own pro controller.

[Justin Davis]

Oh, we'll see about that.

[Damon Hadfield]

Well, speaking of IGN Live, that is coming up. It's just over a month away now. Coming right up. So it's gonna be June 7 and 8 right here in downtown LA. It was super fun last year. We have a big live stage production happening all day long on both days, which Nick is directing. The director of the IGN Live stage show is right here. Cool. And on stage.

[Nick Limone]

Can we be in it?

[Damon Hadfield]

I'm sorry?

[Nick Limone]

I'm asking him if we can be in it.

[Damon Hadfield]

Can we be in it, Nick?

[Justin Davis]

I think I can squeeze you guys.

[Damon Hadfield]

Okay, good, good.

[Sam Claiborne]

Yeah, yeah.

[Damon Hadfield]

We'll be doing gamescoop Live. All the other IGN shows, we'll be doing gamescoop Live. And then we're have, you know, like game demos on the stage and interviews with celebrities. Then we have a panel room off the side. We're having like, cool panels and talks and more game demos in there. And then there's a whole show floor where you can walk around, play games, pick up swag. We give away so much stuff off of our main stage too. I think people last year were leaving with hundreds of dollars of.

[Justin Davis]

Yeah, it was like, dude, we're giving that away. It's like, all right, go for it.

[Damon Hadfield]

So definitely want to be there. If you're in the area, go to IGN.com live and you can use promo code Scoop to get $15 tickets, which is the early bird special price. And apparently we have a QR code because this is. We're living in the future now. There's a QR code on the screen right now. You can scan that and it'll take you right to where you can grab your tickets. What a time to be alive.

[Sam Claiborne]

But Damon, this show is more popular in audio. They need to have like a tone. An audio tone, Exactly. Beeps and bloops. Yeah, audio QR code.

[Damon Hadfield]

Okay.

[Justin Davis]

I think you could just use Scoop at checkout. That's probably. You could also just.

[Damon Hadfield]

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[Sam Claiborne]

Initially I was skeptical because as you.

[Damon Hadfield]

Know, I live in the middle of nowhere and basically America's hinterlands. I'm actually closer to parts of Canada than I am to most of the rest of the United States. So naturally I just figured that with all the moose and bears and whatnot, a service like Mint was pretty much.

[Justin Davis]

Not going to serve my specific mountain man needs.

[Damon Hadfield]

However, I'm here to say I was pleasantly surprised. Yeah, I can say authoritatively, Mint is pretty rad. Actually, it turned me into a believer and I am, as you know, an expert in what is rad. Thanks, Seth. All Mint Mobile plans come with high speed data or data, your choice, and unlimited talk and text delivered on the nation's largest 5G network. Use your own phone with any plan and bring your phone number along with all your existing contacts. Ditch overpriced wireless and get three months of premium wireless service from Mint Mobile for 15 bucks a month. No matter how you say it, don't overpay for it. Shop data [e-mail] Gamescoop that's mintmobile.com Gamescoop upfront payment of $45 for 3 month 5 gigabyte plan required equivalent to $15 a month. New customer offer for first 3 months only. Then full price plan options available. Taxes and freeze. Extra C Mint mobile for details. Okay, I want to hear about Claire Obscure Expedition 33, the game that's a big hit in spite of its name. But we were. We talked about Oblivion Remastered a little bit last week and Nick, two episodes ago you were talking about how excited you were.

[Justin Davis]

Oh, yeah.

[Damon Hadfield]

Because you're a big fan of the original. Sam and I have never played Oblivion before, and Justin and Nick had. So how are you finding the remaster?

[Justin Davis]

It's the warm blanket I expected it to be. It is just so nice to return to Cyrodiil and, like, look at guards and just say their lines before they say them kind of thing where it's just like. It's so silly. It's also goofy and just charming in all the best ways. It is, you know, medieval high fantasy, but it doesn't take itself all that seriously. I think most of the quest lines in Oblivion are kind of ridiculous overall, and which is why, I think why Oblivion is my favorite of them all. The quests are so creative and silly. The Mages Guild quest, like opening quests for the Mages Guild. Somebody sends you into a well to pick up a very specific ring. And the thing that happens when you put that ring on is one of my favorite things I've ever seen in an rpg. It's so funny. And the Dark Brotherhood, again, still continues to be the best quest line in the entire series. But that said, Thieves Guild is also just as good. So game is beautiful. They finally optimized it somehow. Xbox broke it over the weekend with an update, but I think the game is fixed again. So, yeah, really enjoying my time back in Cyrodiil.

[Damon Hadfield]

Sam, are you still playing? Yeah.

[Nick Limone]

I was pretty surprised that you go into these Oblivion gates and there's like, procedurally generated, like, PC game from 1995 levels. It's really funny. This game's great. I love it. I went to this village and everybody was invisible. And they're like, hey, hold on, hold on. I know you can't see us, but we really need help because this wizard made us invisible. It's exactly. And then it's so funny. And it's like, yeah, it doesn't take itself seriously. And 100%. Fallout was like this at one point.

[Sam Claiborne]

And it.

[Nick Limone]

Fallout still has goofy stuff, but, like, really, like New Vegas and three had their share of like, you know, this is either a duplication of some sci fi, you know, plot from something else that's a Little parody or a twist on it or whatever. And they do that in this too. But yeah, it's great. It's so fun and it's so easy to play. I just like. Like, I'll just lose hours and hours and hours and I'll. You know, I've learned now from Justin not to go into the random dungeons and just to play the quest. But I do like stopping by towns and being like, how did they make something this big in this year? I don't understand. Yeah, like, it's. It's crazy. Yeah.

[Damon Hadfield]

We were talking, Nick, and also I.

[Nick Limone]

Hear the run button is really helpful and I've run everywhere. Well, there wasn't a run button originally.

[Damon Hadfield]

Wait there. Oh, they added a ribbon.

[Justin Davis]

Yeah. There's a sprint. Wasn't in the original game.

[Sam Claiborne]

Game.

[Nick Limone]

Yeah, it's so nice.

[Damon Hadfield]

I think it helps level up your, like, athleticism too. I think so.

[Sam Claiborne]

Yeah.

[Nick Limone]

You don't need a horse.

[Damon Hadfield]

Yeah, I wouldn't use a horse anyway, Sam.

[Nick Limone]

I know, I know. That's an absolutely psychopathic statement we just.

[Justin Davis]

Left standing on that episode. Like in Breath of the Wild. And Breath of the Wild is like, dog, I don't care about you.

[Damon Hadfield]

But.

[Sam Claiborne]

Breath of the Wild, I don't use a horse in Zelda, but not using a horse in Assassin's Creed is. Is absolute insanity.

[Justin Davis]

In Shadows. In Shadows, I don't really use a horse. It's like I could just run there.

[Sam Claiborne]

No, guys, that's absolute sicko behavior.

[Nick Limone]

Yeah, I know. You go. You go like four times as fast.

[Sam Claiborne]

And the horse even. Doesn't it drive itself in that game now?

[Nick Limone]

It does. And the horse. The horse has a. Has a sprint.

[Sam Claiborne]

Yeah.

[Nick Limone]

So it goes even faster. I mean, Red Dead, you walk across that map, you only mosey. You only mosey, and then you run out of mosey energy.

[Sam Claiborne]

What about the Witcher?

[Damon Hadfield]

I use some of the horses in the Witcher. I don't know. I use the horse sometimes. I used all the horse when I used it.

[Nick Limone]

What about the horse in Jennifer's room?

[Damon Hadfield]

I don't remember that.

[Justin Davis]

Oh, the unicorn.

[Damon Hadfield]

Okay.

[Justin Davis]

Anyway, Red Dead does a good job of establishing relationship between your character and the horse. A lot of games don't do that that well also.

[Damon Hadfield]

Well, if I'm a cowboy, I ride a horse.

[Justin Davis]

Roach is good.

[Damon Hadfield]

Oblivion. Yeah, I agree with Sam. I was surprised by how easy it is. Just pick up and play. And it felt a lot like avowed. Actually. That's like the most recent game. And so it's actually. I guess it's surprising to me that Avowed feels so much like a 20 year old game game, right?

[Nick Limone]

Yeah. About is so playable. And what's great about Avowed among many things is that it retains the jank a little bit. Like faces look absolutely ridiculous. No face looks good in this game. I don't know how they rolled dice and made everybody look completely crazy.

[Damon Hadfield]

They're just. They make really wild expressions or that don't always. That aren't always appropriate for the situation.

[Nick Limone]

I mean sometimes they legit look like a bug person and they're not supposed to. I don't know how they did it. It's like. Like they spent. They absolutely dice rolled. They were like. That is so funny. Keep that one.

[Justin Davis]

They're called. You leave them alone.

[Nick Limone]

I just had to make a character that looked like my cat because I couldn't make a human that looked anything remotely like something I. We want to see in a pause menu momentarily. Everybody's just so ghastly.

[Damon Hadfield]

Yeah. I. I just. Enough clear clicks of the randomized character and I finally got a female character that looks pretty good. So I'm happy.

[Nick Limone]

But one thing this game absolutely just completely whiffs on is that the loot just sucks.

[Justin Davis]

Yeah.

[Nick Limone]

Like I know now that there is some stuff I can aim for that's good. Like the skeleton key or whatever. You got to look that stuff up because otherwise you're like, oh, I just learned how to do this lock picking game. The worst one ever. And then you lockpick something for 20 minutes, reload your save, try for another five. Get it. You open it and it's a barrel with four fucking gold pieces.

[Damon Hadfield]

Yeah.

[Nick Limone]

And the same armor you have. And a half like jackass vial of. I don't even know why you'd even use vials of healing potions. What and what. When do you use them?

[Damon Hadfield]

The healing potions?

[Nick Limone]

I don't even know.

[Justin Davis]

Mid battle.

[Nick Limone]

Yeah. Just heal any time.

[Justin Davis]

You can just heal at any time. So you would.

[Nick Limone]

It's completely, completely crazy. But yeah. I love the game. If this is a new game, this shit would be unforgivable. But I like that people like this game because of this stuff.

[Sam Claiborne]

Yeah.

[Nick Limone]

And it feels fun.

[Damon Hadfield]

Yeah. So go ahead, just.

[Sam Claiborne]

Well, no, I just piggyback off what Sam was saying. Like it has sort of reached that point where like even the stuff that makes it bad is like endearing to people. Like, like Nick, you put it as like a warm blanket. Like I think that that's a good way to put it. It gets a little bit of a.

[Nick Limone]

Pass for but it's not unfair, though. It's not like you get really annoyed. Like, not where I am. I hear the leveling is a problem, but, like, I'm not dying all the time, so I don't care that it's like, I. I'm not getting any good loot. That was like, I'm just sneaking around a corner, shooting someone the arrow, and they die immediately.

[Damon Hadfield]

Yeah. I like using the arrows. Yeah. I don't think I've died once in seven hours of playing the game.

[Nick Limone]

Yeah, fine. I hear it does get harder. But that's more interesting than dying a lot up front.

[Damon Hadfield]

Yeah.

[Sam Claiborne]

I mean, we. The right way to play this. I mean, I shouldn't say right way. Play the game however you want. But, like, you know, if you haven't played Oblivion, start the Dark Brotherhood quest. Start the Thieves Guild quest, and then, like. And then the Mages Guild, like, those are the three things to play in this game. Like, the Oblivion Gates, even though it's called Oblivion, are the worst part of the game.

[Nick Limone]

They're so weird.

[Sam Claiborne]

They're weird and bad and, like, you'll just sprint through all the rest of them.

[Damon Hadfield]

Yeah.

[Sam Claiborne]

And. And then that's probably it. Like, if you do those three guild quests, you will have a good time.

[Damon Hadfield]

So I want to do these guild quests, so help guide me here. So I. I started out right from the beginning. When you exit the dungeon and you're free to play, play the game, do whatever you want. I just followed the quest marker.

[Justin Davis]

Okay.

[Damon Hadfield]

So, you know, you walk over there and they send you down to the town where there's an Oblivion.

[Justin Davis]

You went to Wayne and Priory.

[Damon Hadfield]

Yep. Exactly. First of all, that's a little bit confusing.

[Nick Limone]

No, no, he's already talking about the kvatch.

[Damon Hadfield]

It is. So the quest marker is right on the Oblivion Gate. It looks like you're supposed to, like, teleport into Oblivion. I know, but no, you're supposed to just walk past it and go into the town. It's like, okay, whatever. So I did all of that, and then I ran. I think I ran into the bug where the guy who's leading you, who's like, let's charge the courtyard.

[Nick Limone]

Charge the courtyard.

[Damon Hadfield]

We've already cleared the courtyard. There's nothing else to do. So I.

[Nick Limone]

And he says it so emphatically.

[Damon Hadfield]

I saw online. Take back to courtyard. I saw online. All you have to do is just walk through the linear castle and find the ring on the dead body and take it back to him.

[Justin Davis]

That's what.

[Damon Hadfield]

And so now I got. The guy was in Martin. I think his name's Martin. Who is actually the heir.

[Justin Davis]

Sean Bean.

[Damon Hadfield]

Sean Bean.

[Nick Limone]

That's Sean Bean. Did you know that? I didn't know until I found that out today.

[Damon Hadfield]

Yeah. I just. Yeah, I recognize the voice. And so now I have him. And we're supposed to go far away to the next quest marker. So how should I just keep following that and eventually I'll run into the guilds.

[Justin Davis]

I would say.

[Nick Limone]

That's when you do.

[Damon Hadfield]

That's when you do.

[Nick Limone]

No, that is. Yeah. That town that you're about to go into has one of the ones that Justin mentioned. But the others are complicated. You have to look them up and I guess. Spoilers. You have to get arrested to do the Thieves Guild, for example.

[Justin Davis]

And you. You have to do something unsavory to join the Dark Brotherhood. But I'll leave that to you.

[Nick Limone]

Is that how you just start the quest? The Dark. For the Dark Brotherhood.

[Justin Davis]

Yeah.

[Nick Limone]

Okay.

[Justin Davis]

Dude. Still. Still to this day, the you sleep soundly for a murderer is still one of my favorite line deliveries of all video games. H. So good.

[Damon Hadfield]

Yeah. Yeah. I'm in. I'm enjoying it too. It's.

[Nick Limone]

But we're all supposed to play Expedition. So how much of this game can I play back and forth? I don't know if I can go back and forth.

[Damon Hadfield]

I think this year started out very slowly. And now all of a sudden there's way too much to play because I want to play Expedition. I still like Avowed. I still like Assassin's Creed Shadows. I haven't played much blueprints.

[Justin Davis]

Dude. Thank God. I know I still have a lot to do in blueprints, but thank God I rolled credits on it. I got what I needed. I know that there's. That's just the tutorial essentially. But I'm ready to move on because I want to play other games. But I do love blueprints quite a bit.

[Damon Hadfield]

Nick and Justin, talk to us about Claire. No clair obscure Expedition 33.

[Sam Claiborne]

You can just call it Expedition 33.

[Nick Limone]

Can you tell us what all four of those terms mean in the game?

[Damon Hadfield]

I know what three means now.

[Sam Claiborne]

They do. They actually do have. It's not just nonsense JRPG words or. What was the joke somebody makes? It's a French jrpg. But yes. No. The term does actually have meaning in the game.

[Nick Limone]

What are the first. What does Clair Obscure mean?

[Sam Claiborne]

It's a lot to get into. It's a whole thing.

[Nick Limone]

Okay, but is there like a book series or a comic that this is coming From. So we need the colon. Why didn't they just call it Expedition 33?

[Sam Claiborne]

There's an in game reason for it.

[Nick Limone]

For the colon.

[Sam Claiborne]

No, I don't actually think there is a colon. I think it's just the four words, really. I think so.

[Justin Davis]

But. But we're talking about all the stuff that. Why I was immediately drawn into the game because, you know, I've played most JRPGs under the sun. I've played most RPGs under the sun, and I'm used to. I'm used to, you know, your goblins.

[Nick Limone]

For 20 questions, your.

[Justin Davis]

Your goblins, your elves, and all that jazz. So, like, when I'm getting proper nouns thrown my way that I've never heard of, and it's just like, oh, I understand this. Like, the game isn't force feeding you all of this exposition. It's just treating you like an adult and being like, you'll figure it out. Like, what is a gomage? You'll figure it out very soon. Things like that. It's like, oh, that's really clever.

[Sam Claiborne]

It's really. This is. I feel for the people that had to review this game because I watched a couple reviews and, you know, like, the reviewers, like, you know, there's characters in this game and moments that'll stick with me for the rest of my life, and then the B roll is some dude, and I'm like, yeah, okay, whatever. But then it's like. But then you play the game and you're like, no, yeah, totally. Like, it's.

[Nick Limone]

It's.

[Sam Claiborne]

It's. If you were to bullet out what makes the game good, you wouldn't get it, but it's just executed at, like, the music's really good, the voice acting's really good, the writing's really good. Like, every single aspect of those bullet points that are hard to communicate to someone in a podcast or in a review is just like. It's like reading a really, really good book that has, like, amazing prose and how that's different than, you know, a book that's more, you know, workman like prose, right? Like, it just feels artistic. Like, it's really. All the dialogue feels really, just realistic. And all the relationships between the. Between the characters in the game feel believable and. And it's really emotionally resonant. So, you know, I. I don't really want to talk about the story without spoiling anything, but it's got a really unique take on kind of. I don't think it's a spoiler to say, and I'm not Finished with the game. So I don't even know if it's true. But like this expedition is doomed, right? Like that's the premise of the game. It's like they all seem to be doomed. Things. Things are not going to go well for them. And I feel like I'm maybe halfway through the game and I think both endings of like, yes, they're doomed and they fail or no, like they have no hope and they find a way to win. Both would be satisfying. Like both would be interesting ways for this story to go. But just the way that the characters deal with that and that hopelessness and how they contrast with one another is really, really compelling and really well done. And until I played it for myself, I didn't really get, you know what.

[Damon Hadfield]

Made it so good is the Robert Pattinson look alike. The main character. Is that who you are?

[Justin Davis]

He's.

[Sam Claiborne]

That's Charlie Cox by the way.

[Damon Hadfield]

Yeah, that's Charlie Cox.

[Justin Davis]

Yeah.

[Damon Hadfield]

But they made him look like Robert Pattinson.

[Justin Davis]

Yeah, he is the main character that we start off with. Okay, well, kind of the game is very good about making it feel like every single one of the characters that are a part of your expedition are fully fleshed out characters who could be main characters in their own game. So like these are all fully fleshed out individuals who all have their own wants and desires. Duty versus, you know, what do I want as a human being. So I think the game grab like it reminds me quite a bit of Lost Odyssey in terms of how it kind of handles its storytelling just in terms of like its mature themes. Not mature as in, you know, your Gears of War chainsaw through the face, but more so like humans going through genuine emotions that you go through as you get older. I love that this is a cast of 30 year olds. I think that's interesting. It's not what you usually see in a game like this and it has.

[Sam Claiborne]

I was. Go ahead the same thought about their ages. It's like I feel like games either do like the Punished, punished snake old man thing or they do like we're 18 years old or 16 years old thing. And like having a cast of like 32 year olds and. And that are played that way and that are that age, you know, is really interesting I thought and really well done.

[Nick Limone]

So I know it's a turn based battle system, but there's also an overworld and dungeons. Is it just Final Fantasy 6?

[Damon Hadfield]

I was gonna ask that. I was gonna ask is it Final Fantasy.

[Justin Davis]

It's closer to like Final Fantasy 10 with in terms of like you have areas that are very set locations but there's a lot of things to discover in those locations. So you can just be.

[Nick Limone]

But there isn't there like a top down version of the map like Final.

[Sam Claiborne]

Fantasy but you go into areas. So like there's a top down map and then it'll be like do you want to enter this forest? And then you're in more of like the behind the shoulder camera and you explore a whole area.

[Justin Davis]

So like Final Fantasy 6 in that regard. Yeah.

[Sam Claiborne]

Yeah. And the airship. I do not have an airship yet.

[Nick Limone]

A man named Sid perhaps.

[Justin Davis]

I found something pretty interesting. I wouldn't call it an airship though.

[Sam Claiborne]

Yeah, it's. It's very. The game is hard actually.

[Justin Davis]

It's very hard.

[Sam Claiborne]

So it's got this action oriented combat system. I mean so look, it's. This is basically a very adult and you know, emotionally resonant Mario. Paper Mario. So. Except the timing windows are super, super tight. So it's really, it's one of those ideas that once you're playing it you're like I can't believe the JRPG hasn't done this before. Of like it's not a new idea to do timing based attacks and time. Like press the A button at the right moment and you'll parry the attack. But what's unique about it is that the enemy animations are like dark soulsy of like they'll do stutter steps.

[Nick Limone]

Yeah.

[Justin Davis]

And stuff.

[Sam Claiborne]

So like yeah. It feels like the way that a souls boss feels of like, you know, or they'll do this huge, huge wind up and then poke you. You know, and you're like oh, like I wasn't ready for you to attack yet. And so like it, it cuts both ways. Like I find it really. You know, there's no mindless battles in the game. Like even on regular you'll get wrecked if you don't learn to parry and dodge. Like you'll absolutely lose and die. But so on the one hand it's really compelling and you're invested in every single fight. There's no fights you can sleepwalk through. But one thing I dislike is that you do kind of have to learn by failing. Like you just have to learn. Like you're gonna, you're gonna get the timing wrong and not parry or dodge their attacks two or three times until you can learn and then you can dodge and parry things.

[Justin Davis]

The thing that is delightful too is that the dodge window is more forgiving than the parry window. So like in theory you can still survive your first Combat with something, it'll just take you longer. Which I love about this game because scattered throughout the hub areas there's beaten paths that you can or you know, unchart these, these different paths that you can find, right. And there are hidden enemies that are like, you know, they called, they're called like chromatic enemies which are like the bad boys of the area. They are very strong, they will kill you at the drop of a hat. But you can of course go, come back, level up, get better, do all that stuff and fight them the way you would any other jrpg. But if you're stubborn like me and you just want to parry them, you can make the battle with. You can win that battle if you are good enough because you have to be able to.

[Sam Claiborne]

If you Perfect parry for 20 minutes you can beat any, anything in the game. Like even if it out levels you because it won't hit you, it won't damage you.

[Justin Davis]

Additionally like in terms of the combat, it's very Final Fantasy 10 oriented where you can see the turn of who's coming up next, who's going to attack next, all that stuff. So you can see the turn order for everyone. But one thing I really enjoy about the game is all your party members have unique like gimmicks in terms of like what their character is. And they all have just wonderful synergies that feel like a clever like deck builder game to some extent where you are summoning different energies and expending energies to do this thing. So you put your character in a certain flow state where they deal more damage and so there's just a lot of really clever systems that all come together very cohesively and it all makes sense. Good stuff though. I really, really like this game.

[Sam Claiborne]

So it really shames sighting and it really like like playing and I like, I like, I really love the Final Fantasy franchise. Like at one point in my life I would have called me a Final Fantasy fanboy. But like Square Enix seems to have such an identity crisis with that franchise or feel like they have to like we have to burn it down and rebuild it from scratch. And it's like you have this, this new studio coming in and showing you like no, just do a really polished, you know, focused story and you know have a turn based combat system that it has new ideas but it really has is like old ideas just executed at like a really, really high level of like it's not that new of an idea to be like my first character is going to light them on fire and then my second Character, you know, does bon when someone's on fire, but just like the way it's pulling it off is really clever and satisfying and you don't need to completely recreate the wheel when you're making a turn based RPG like this. Just execute well.

[Damon Hadfield]

So it's the studio's first game, but do we know where the team members, where they have experience working at before or what other games?

[Sam Claiborne]

I was thinking about looking into that because there's no way this game came out of nowhere.

[Damon Hadfield]

It's too good.

[Justin Davis]

I am not aware of the pedigree of any of the individual talent, but I'd be very curious to check it out.

[Damon Hadfield]

Like, I think this looks really cool and I want to, I want to check it out, but I also want to try these guild quest lines. And then in two weeks, Doom, the Dark Ages is out.

[Sam Claiborne]

I know, I know. I mean, I'll say this about this game. I didn't think I was in the mood for like, you know, a really emotional, heavy, you know, jrpg. But the prologue, like, it gets you from like the first moment. Like, I'm like, it's on game pass. I'll download it and check it out. And then like once I started, it's. It's just, just, you just sink into it and you're like, all right, well, like, this is all I'm doing now every night until I get through it. Like, it's really. I was very skeptical of the nines and tens and then immediately from the prologue, just the maturity of the storytelling and, and you know, it's really economical with its words. Like, I bounced off of Persona and I actually bounced off of metaphor just because it's like, you know, hey, did you forget what the theme of this game is? We're going to repeat it to you a hundred times. Like, this game really trusts its audience of like, you need to be paying attention and, and you know, you'll get it, you'll figure it out. And so I like that about it too. Like, I wouldn't describe it as like Breakneck Paste, but it is very economical with like explores a narrative idea and then just moves on. Like, now we're, now we're gonna move on to the next thing. It's really good.

[Damon Hadfield]

Well, Sam, what's your, what's your play plan? You're gonna stick with Oblivion? You're gonna check out.

[Nick Limone]

I was gonna switch to Expedition tonight, but I worry I won't go back and do those guild quests. What should I do?

[Damon Hadfield]

What should we do?

[Sam Claiborne]

I mean, stop Criminal Scum.

[Justin Davis]

That's what you should do.

[Nick Limone]

I. I actually think I need to work on Oblivion a little bit more for work. So I think I just need to keep with it for a little bit of people that are switched over to Extra Expedition.

[Sam Claiborne]

Only one of those two games is a Game of the Year candidate, so that would be my take.

[Damon Hadfield]

That's a good point.

[Justin Davis]

Spicy. I like it, though.

[Damon Hadfield]

Well. Well, the remaster is not going to be.

[Justin Davis]

Yeah, yeah, no, I agree. Blueprints was it for me for a minute. But we'll see how. We'll see how Claire Obscure keeps moving along. But I'm. I'm really enjoying it. I can't stop thinking about it.

[Sam Claiborne]

The soundtrack's so good, by the way.

[Justin Davis]

The M music goes crazy.

[Sam Claiborne]

There's. There's these optional enemies and, you know, there's a trophy achievement for beating them all and they all give you these bonuses. And like, I thought I was doing something wrong when I found and fought the first one because it was so hard. And then it turned out that it was just a get good moment of just like, nope, learn to parry. Like learn how to play the game. And then once you do, it's like so satisfying to pull it all off and beat that goddamn mime in his stupid mime face.

[Justin Davis]

He even does, like, he puts up a little invisible wall. It's very.

[Sam Claiborne]

Mimes up an invisible wall and then you can't damage him for a. Oh, man.

[Damon Hadfield]

Well, just from this footage we're seeing from our review, it looks like there's a lot of cool monsters.

[Justin Davis]

Yeah, really cool design stuff that you don't see often in, like, American fiction. Like, you know, this game is very obviously made by French company. It's very French in terms of its subject matter. But a lot of their inspiration is stuff like Mobius and things of that nature. French comics that, you know, people are aware of here, but not as prominent as they would be other places in the world. So it's really cool to see those design sensibilities play out in this really fully realized world.

[Sam Claiborne]

I realized we glossed over them all being 32 just very, very quickly, and then we can move on. The premise of the game is that every year this enemy, this magical being, kills everyone in the world. Yeah, the painters. And it started with the countdown. Like everybody that's 100 or older dies. And the next year everybody 99 or older than 98, 97. And it's gotten down to where everyone in the world that's 33 died that year. And so they send an expedition once a year to go, try to defeat her and put a stop to it. And so if you're 32, like it's your last year of life. And so, you know, the people that are a part of this expedition go and have to kind of try to do their part to put a stop to this. And so that's why.

[Nick Limone]

Didn't they do that when people were 35 dying?

[Sam Claiborne]

No, they did. Like, that's why your expedition. There's been many other previous expeditions.

[Nick Limone]

Okay, you've explained two of the words. Can you please explain the other two?

[Sam Claiborne]

And the premise of the game and the reason I think it's interesting that it's interesting whether they're all doomed or whether they win is because you are laying the ground. You are following in the footsteps of previous expeditions and they've made it so that you can climb this wall that was not climbable before. So even if it's hopeless, there's always hope because you're laying the path for who's going to follow after you.

[Nick Limone]

But confusingly, the next game has to be called Expedition 32.

[Justin Davis]

Just wait till they do Expedition 5 though. We just control a group of four year olds.

[Nick Limone]

That's such a good idea.

[Sam Claiborne]

And that's what makes it, that's what makes it so interesting, is that, you know, the world doesn't end. It's like, what's like if it is. If the oldest person on Earth is 20, it's like, can humanity still survive that? That's like getting borderline. So it's like the state of the world's getting really desperate by the time the game starts.

[Damon Hadfield]

Yeah. Well, now that you've explained that premise, I actually think I might want to fire that up tonight because that sounds pretty good.

[Sam Claiborne]

Yeah, it's interesting.

[Nick Limone]

We'll wait till you hear what those other words mean.

[Justin Davis]

Clear and obscure.

[Nick Limone]

You chose to hit play on this podcast today. Smart choice. Progressive loves to help people make smart choices.

[Damon Hadfield]

That's why they offer a tool called.

[Nick Limone]

Auto Quote Explorer that allows you to compare your Progressive car insurance quote with rates from other companies. So you save time on the research and can enjoy savings when you choose.

[Damon Hadfield]

The best rate for you.

[Nick Limone]

Give it a try after this [e-mail] Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates not available in all states or situations. Prices vary based on how you buy.

[Damon Hadfield]

Junior. Yes, sir.

[E]

CineFix Top 100 is back. It's time to pick up our quest to watch 100 of the greatest movies of all time. If that sounds good to you.

[Sam Claiborne]

No.

[Justin Davis]

Good.

[Damon Hadfield]

Fine.

[E]

Good and season four is taking some time to appreciate family. This season, we're diving into movies about all the crazy things we do for family, about reconnecting, about fighting, and about finding family in unexpected respective places. And what better place to start than with a movie that does a little bit of all of that, starring our favorite archaeologist who named himself after the family dog.

[Damon Hadfield]

You are named after the dog.

[E]

Tune in Sunday, April 6 for Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. And stay in touch with your Cinefix family every Sunday for more of our biggest list yet.

[Nick Limone]

See a little brother. Not a worry in the world.

[E]

Tune in to The CineFix Top 100, part of the Geek Media Network on YouTube, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts.

[Damon Hadfield]

Well, just like there's, like, too much to play right now, all of a sudden, it seems like there's a lot to watch, so extracurricular activities. Sam has seen Thunderbolts. I have, and I saw Thunderbolts.

[Nick Limone]

Did you see it?

[Justin Davis]

I did not. Nuh.

[Damon Hadfield]

IGN gave it a 7. IGN gave it a 7. And it has a 69 on metacritic. So seems like people think it's good as.

[Nick Limone]

You know, I basically like every Marvel movie, which is a problem that I just, you know, even though I get accused of not liking anything, I generally like the Marvel movies. I even like the third Ant man movie because, you know, that's Greg Turkington in it. It was set in San Francisco until it wasn't. And it was like CG nightmarescape. Yeah. Ask me questions because I don't know where to go with this movie.

[Damon Hadfield]

Someone like me, what have you heard about.

[Nick Limone]

Have you heard, like, the rumors about it? Like, how it does have a lot of connective tissue for the next stuff.

[Damon Hadfield]

And everything, but people who have, like, Marvel fatigue and just feel like, is it gonna do anything for them? Do they need to go see it?

[Nick Limone]

No.

[Damon Hadfield]

Okay.

[Nick Limone]

Absolutely not. But it is. So when you see this movie, do you. When you see the trailers, are you like, oh, they're making a Suicide Squad? Yes, yes, that's exactly what this movie is.

[Damon Hadfield]

Okay, Good. Is it 13 suicide squad?

[Justin Davis]

Is it as good as James Guns Suicide Squad?

[Nick Limone]

I think it's okay. So here's the thing about this movie, is that three quarters of the movie is equipping Suicide Squad movie where the people have to work together even though they're bad. You know, heroes and villains that have been defeated. Right.

[Justin Davis]

I like that.

[Nick Limone]

So, yeah. Yeah. So that every part of that movie lands like it just does. Like, however they sorted it, like Florence Pugh is like an amazing actor. And she. She is the lead start to finish. This is a movie about her and her nothing character, right? And then you have, like, the fake Captain America who's an asshole the whole movie, and everybody can't stand him, right? And that has to be resolved. That's interesting. And then it has a villain from Ant man and Wasp. New ghost, you can go through walls. It was in another show, too. And then it has, of course, the Russian version of Captain America, who's Forrest Pugh's character's dad. And so there's a lot of dad daughter moments that are very funny. But, yeah, it really is. Just like about, you know, Elaine Bennis from Seinfeld, she's also in the Marvel universe. She, Julia Lee Dreyfus, puts, you know, doesn't put together the team in the same way, but they have to work together to get out of situations. But from the very start, they're in this really obnoxious situation they have to get out of. And the way it's resolved is, like, really cool and really stupid. And how that happens is really interesting. So the movie is very watchable. Now, the back quarter of it, I don't think is controversial. Just some people are gonna like it more than other people because what it is, it's like. It's like, you know, sometimes there's like a psychological villain, like Psycho Mantis. That's what this villain is. So it's like you go into nightmares and dreams and stuff like that. That's not what you go into. But I'm just not. I'm not trying to spoil it. It's that type of ending. So there's that part of it. And some people really like that because it's about. It's like a bunch of metaphors for mental illness. And some people would be like, well, those are a little on the nose. I think that's maybe where people will fall and some people will be like. But it's all action still at the end. Like, even though I'm describing that, it's not a bunch of people talking it through. It's like they're fighting. So it's, you know, it's unusual.

[Damon Hadfield]

Are the action scenes, like, good? Are they well put together?

[Nick Limone]

I think, and I haven't. I don't know if anybody would agree with me on this, but I think this probably has the best action sequence in any Marvel movie. And I don't think it's the one that. It's not the psychological stuff. It's before that, where there's Basically, you guys know there's a villain in this movie that's, that's like basically an invincible Marvel character with, with a twist. And the invincible stuff that they show I think is like the best action they've ever done. It's like a one shot sequence of like, you know, those, those sequences where somebody's really powerful and they could basically like, like flick their finger and like, everybody's like getting knocked across the earth. It's like things like that. It's like Dragon Ball type stuff, you know, like. But you know, these heroes don't stand a chance anyway, so it's especially funny. So. Yeah, it's got that.

[Damon Hadfield]

Well, if nothing else, it's a Disney plus watch for me. For sure.

[Nick Limone]

It is. Yeah, it really is the, you know, it's not the last. It's the last movie in this phase, but there's still Ironheart this summer as a show.

[Damon Hadfield]

The show.

[Nick Limone]

So it does have to, it does have to wrap up a couple of different things. And I think the reason to watch this is not that it's a Black Widow movie, which it basically is, and not that it's a knockoff Suicide Squad, but it does set up an Avengers premise that's funny if they pursue it, but they can also just be like, well, we forgot about that. Like, I don't know which way they're gonna go. You know, it's like they do all this work in this movie and then there's like these implications for the Avengers and it's funny implications, but it's not. They might not stick with it.

[Damon Hadfield]

Cool. Well, I did go to the movies this weekend to see Sinners, which you probably have been hearing a lot about. That's been a really big hit two weekends in a row. And I thought it was great. I don't really have any. I have no hot take about this movie. I just thought it was really, really well done. This is Ryan Coogler, director of Black Panther Creed. I've only. Those are the only other two cooler movies I've seen. Black Panther and Creed. The first one, of course, he did Fruitvale Station, Wakanda Forever. And what I like about this is that it's clearly the work of an auteur. This is his. Is written and directed by Ryan Coogler. It's his vision. And that's what I really appreciate when I can find that in movies. That's why I like Tarantino so much. I'm always very impressed when one person has the willpower to have, have, bring their, bring their own vision. You know, across the finish line and get it made on their own terms. And the movie's not noted to death by the studio. So it's great. Everyone out there probably knows what this movie is. I don't think it was marketed. I mean everyone knows it's an oops all vampires movie, right? That wasn't, that wasn't. That wasn't kept a secret. It's an oops all vampires movie. And it's really good. That has, it has, it's overly. It starts out very serious but then it sort of like lightens up as the movie goes on on. And there's surprising, really surprising things that happen at the end. Even after you kind of feel like things are wrapping up. You're like, oh, nope, not done here quite yet. Those things happen. And speaking of that, if you go to see it, if you haven't seen yet, make sure you stick around for the mid credit scene. It's an all timer. There's apparently an end credit scene also. That is bad. And I didn't even stick around for that. But that's.

[Nick Limone]

Are you sure you're not thinking of thunderbolts?

[Damon Hadfield]

I'm sure I'm not thinking of thunderbolts.

[Justin Davis]

I'll report back.

[Nick Limone]

I would, I wouldn't call it that. I just, I just know people that are talking about that.

[Damon Hadfield]

Nick's gonna go see it after this. It's great. It's really, really good. And I happen to see it in a very strange setting. I didn't, I didn't do this on purpose. I bought tickets to Screen X theater that I saw it. I didn't even know that was a thing. But Screen X is the latest gimmick where in addition to the screen in front of you, the walls, the entire wall that you're sitting on screen right now. The walls are also screens that they can only at certain moments project more, more of the movie on onto. It's like in centers when they're like driving down a, a country road with, you know, long, really wide horizon. Then they can bring that up on the side screens but they don't use it the whole movie. It's only certain times.

[Nick Limone]

Okay.

[Damon Hadfield]

But the side screams are also not as bright as the main screen and lower resolution commercial. And everything gets kind of like smeared and it's not. The whole thing isn't curved. There's a hard like angle that they have to pass through to. So it's just. It wasn't like a more immersive experience for me. If anything, it took me out of the Experience because when those screen extra screens are on, the theater gets really bright and I can see everyone around me and everything. So I won't be on, I won't be seeking out any more movies on Screen X. That was an accident on my part, but whatever, the movie is still great, dude.

[Justin Davis]

Hearing chicken Jockey though, in the Screen X, people would have lost their minds even more. Yeah, yeah, I've seen.

[Sam Claiborne]

That's how you get Isekai'd into Minecraft.

[Justin Davis]

Yeah, exactly. I've seen one. I think I watched the nun, the original nun in Space X or Screen X or whatever. And ultimately it's just like you said, it's more of a gimmick than anything. After a while I kind of forgot that the sides of my theater were lighting up. And I think it's just very. Whenever there's an opportunity to do a lot of heavy CG stuff, I think that's what like, I don't know, man, just export a couple, you know, some extra aspect ratio on each side and call it a day. It's usually nothing substantial. It's very different from like an ultra wide monitor experience because that's kind of how I thought it would be, but it's way worse than that.

[Damon Hadfield]

Mike. Wondering how this is nothing like what you're seeing on screen now, by the way, this is.

[Justin Davis]

It looks bad.

[Damon Hadfield]

Yeah, it kind of looks bad. Bad.

[Sam Claiborne]

I wonder like, so I'm curious, like I, I have no interest in seeing. I'd never even heard of Screen X before this discussion. But it's like where does the extra visual information on your right and left come from?

[Damon Hadfield]

Yeah, because they're not always there.

[Nick Limone]

So it sounds like they, they're using a three camera setup for some parts of the movie shoot. And then if it's all cg, that doesn't matter as much. But they call them camera because what he's describing, they would have had to do a camera outside of the camera's future field of view to get the sides of the car.

[Sam Claiborne]

Yeah. Or maybe they only, maybe it's only when like a shot pushes in. If a shot pushes in then there can be extra information on the left and right that like ah, we know what was there a second ago.

[Nick Limone]

Like when the shots are not filling in the sides. Is it a Game Boy bezel?

[Damon Hadfield]

Yep.

[Justin Davis]

You just get like cool wallpaper from the movie. You're watching.

[Nick Limone]

The movie. Post coaster on either side.

[Damon Hadfield]

What does it say at the top of the Game Boy dot matrix?

[Nick Limone]

Yeah, that Matrix display.

[Damon Hadfield]

Display.

[Justin Davis]

Yeah, I, I stereo sound. It feels like One of those, like, branded obligations that happens with, like, movie licensing deals and whatnot, where they're like, by the way, we got a deal for this to be in screen X, so you're. You're required to do, like, three scenes with three cameras. Like, all right.

[Sam Claiborne]

Yep. That's a hundred percent. I shouldn't say 100.

[Nick Limone]

But, like, the Cinerama films and stuff, they did the same thing, and they just. They just had a special camera. Right. They could. The most important stuff was up front, and then, like, the lenses were also going to the side. So I think it's the same thing.

[Justin Davis]

Yeah, I mean, I guess in theory, a lot of, you know, movies are shot on cameras that are 8k plus resolution. So in theory, the screen that you're seeing is what, 4 or it's 6 to 8k, and then the resolution is much higher than that. So you can just kind of extrapolate that on the side screens to some extent too, maybe.

[Nick Limone]

But that would be weird to only. Only edit based on a rectangle in the middle of your camera field. Like, that doesn't make sense to me. I think it would have to be additive.

[Sam Claiborne]

It's such a stupid idea since you know that, like, there is, what, 50 of these screens in the country, you know, nothing happening to my right and left is important to them, to the film, because 99% by definition. Yeah.

[Nick Limone]

Here's the movie. This is the movie I saw.

[Damon Hadfield]

Okay. And then there's Andor, which the first three episodes are up. I know Sam is watching. Justin, you watch it?

[Sam Claiborne]

No, not yet.

[Damon Hadfield]

Well, so no spoilers then. But I think so far it's good.

[Justin Davis]

Dude, that opening of that first episode is why I love that show. It's just a lot of the stakes that are at play up front, and you see some cool Star wars stuff, so it's like, wow. A cool, like, deep cut. Star wars stuff was like, wow. I didn't think you'd do stuff like that.

[Damon Hadfield]

That.

[Nick Limone]

Yeah, there's a. In the first three episodes, there's a subplot that's bad. Which is about teens fighting in the woods. It doesn't make any sense. It doesn't lead anywhere.

[Damon Hadfield]

Yeah. Infighting between this group that has captured Cassian. He's a woods.

[Nick Limone]

The woods matter. Yeah. Because it kind of shows it later. But then the. The. But the most intense best screen time is at, like, a. A party, which is just tense.

[Damon Hadfield]

A wedding. Yes. Yeah.

[Nick Limone]

A 10. Sweating. And that's it for three episodes. And it's great.

[Damon Hadfield]

Yeah, it rocks.

[Nick Limone]

It's so good.

[Damon Hadfield]

The end of the third episode has some really good TIE Fighter action.

[Sam Claiborne]

Do we think. Are there any lessons being learned by executives at Disney or Lucasfilm at all from andor being a huge critical success and winning every award? Is anyone learning anything from this?

[Justin Davis]

The lesson we don't know if the.

[Nick Limone]

Critical success is what is the lesson we want them to learn?

[Damon Hadfield]

Right.

[Justin Davis]

The lesson that they learned what they're.

[Nick Limone]

Learning is that it's not being streamed.

[Justin Davis]

Tony Gilroy might be too expensive, so let's maybe not bring him back for the third season.

[Damon Hadfield]

Yeah, no kidding. Anyway, I look forward to more of that.

[Nick Limone]

Mon Mothma is an amazing actor.

[Justin Davis]

Incredible.

[Nick Limone]

The person as an. What. What a treat to watch her act. It's like unbelievable.

[Damon Hadfield]

Yeah. This is the series that on paper shouldn't work. And yet it's like, it's the best thing. It's the best Star wars thing that's happening.

[Sam Claiborne]

You're right.

[Nick Limone]

So every time that ties on screen from the time that Nick is talking about to the end of the. The farm stuff is so good.

[Damon Hadfield]

Great stuff. And they haven't even brought in K2SL yet.

[Nick Limone]

Yeah.

[Damon Hadfield]

Okay.

[Nick Limone]

That sad ass robot's still there running around the farm, though.

[Damon Hadfield]

So cute, though. Sad ass robot is right. But so cute. I don't even know that. I don't even know that droid's name.

[Nick Limone]

Where's Cassian?

[Damon Hadfield]

Oh, last night I went to. I was at Disneyland and we did star tours. And the latest star tours, they have a little Cassian. He makes a little cameo in there.

[Justin Davis]

Oh, wow.

[Nick Limone]

So I just did it like a month ago and it was all Ahsoka. Was she still in it?

[Damon Hadfield]

No, Ahsoka wasn't in it last night.

[Justin Davis]

I heard that they updated it. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Nick Limone]

That's so funny.

[Sam Claiborne]

I looked up. I was on the star tours, like, Wikipedia page or it might have been Wookiepedia. I'm not sure. We're like. Like there's a beginning, middle and end of your star tours. And so there's like a million different configurations of, like, what you get.

[Damon Hadfield]

Yep.

[Sam Claiborne]

And it's like random. I don't know if it's literally random each time or if it's on, you know, some cycle. But, like, I did it twice in one day and it was a different ride each time.

[Nick Limone]

You remember when you first took into Indiana Jones, there's three entrances to it. Although they're all basically the same, they still have them. They're on the left and right, but you only go to the center one.

[Sam Claiborne]

Oh, I Didn't know that.

[Damon Hadfield]

Yep. My star tours last night was start out with being attacked by Darth Vader. And then we jumped to Tatooine and did a pod race. Then we went out to space and Cassian gave us a mission. And then we went to Naboo and went underwater and saw some Gungans and then some of the giant monsters. And that ended like in a. Like a mechanics. A mechanic shop with whatever those little tiny droids they're always working on.

[Nick Limone]

Yeah, yeah, those are all over it. No matter what. I think I went to Kashyyyk. I was like, what is happening?

[Damon Hadfield]

Yeah, the Wookie planet. Yeah, I've seen that one before at a different time.

[Justin Davis]

I'm just imagining I got the an I got the andor one where Stellan Skarsgard just shouts at me for four minutes and gives an impassion about fighting fascism.

[Nick Limone]

I need a number.

[Sam Claiborne]

Yeah, it's just. It's just all about the banality of evil. And you're like, all right.

[Nick Limone]

I just wish they'd bring back the Paul Rubens droid. That was a great join.

[Damon Hadfield]

Yeah, I. I found that to. It launched it like the. The captain was Paul Rubens.

[Justin Davis]

But that was my first time ever being on it.

[Damon Hadfield]

Yeah, I missed out on that. Is that good? Paul Rubens? Well, I don't know if it's good yet. I hope it's good. A documentary coming out on hbo. I know.

[Nick Limone]

I'm so excited.

[Justin Davis]

It looks good.

[Damon Hadfield]

I'm looking forward.

[Nick Limone]

Awesome.

[Damon Hadfield]

That brings us to video game 20 questions. And our suggestion this week comes from Nick, who is living in Boston but is originally from California.

[Sam Claiborne]

Got it.

[Nick Limone]

Would you like to hear about the results of last week then?

[Damon Hadfield]

Oh, yeah.

[Justin Davis]

Yeah. What happened?

[Damon Hadfield]

Did you know Sam had to play solo last week?

[Justin Davis]

Oh, wow.

[Nick Limone]

For our 10th anniversary sequel show, Justin had to leave, and so I played by myself.

[Sam Claiborne]

Myself.

[Justin Davis]

How'd you do?

[Nick Limone]

I did not win.

[Sam Claiborne]

No.

[Nick Limone]

Damon helped a lot. What game was it?

[Damon Hadfield]

Psychonauts.

[Nick Limone]

Oh, I got to Xbox era platformer and.

[Damon Hadfield]

Yeah, that was it. That was on Xbox and PlayStation.

[Justin Davis]

Oh, tricky.

[Damon Hadfield]

Yeah, but there's not many of those.

[Justin Davis]

Yeah, there's not a lot.

[Damon Hadfield]

Right. So anyway.

[Justin Davis]

Blinks a time sweeper.

[Sam Claiborne]

No, it's Xbox only.

[Damon Hadfield]

Anyway, let the questioning begin. Always. Every week, every episode brings a new chance to be a winner.

[Justin Davis]

It's a game from this century.

[Damon Hadfield]

Yes.

[Sam Claiborne]

Can you play it on the switch?

[Damon Hadfield]

Yes.

[Nick Limone]

Is it an indie game?

[Damon Hadfield]

Yes.

[Justin Davis]

Would you want to live in this world, Damon?

[Damon Hadfield]

No. No.

[Justin Davis]

Okay. No. Resounding no.

[Sam Claiborne]

Do you Play it from a 2D side scrolling perspective.

[Damon Hadfield]

Yes. That's five.

[Sam Claiborne]

I think it's Hollow Knight.

[Nick Limone]

Is Bug.

[Damon Hadfield]

Is Bug. Yes.

[Justin Davis]

Oh Bug. Could this be considered a Metroidvania?

[Damon Hadfield]

Yes.

[Nick Limone]

Is it Hollow Knight?

[Damon Hadfield]

Yep.

[Justin Davis]

That's an eight. Eight questions.

[Damon Hadfield]

That's gotta be. Not a record but it's been a long time since you got.

[Justin Davis]

That was a one two punch.

[Sam Claiborne]

Yeah, it's up there man.

[Nick Limone]

Could have used that one last week. Damon. Last week.

[Damon Hadfield]

Yeah. Well man, nicely job we got the real quick. Is Bug. Yep, that's right.

[Nick Limone]

Man.

[Sam Claiborne]

What a good game. I never beat Hollow Knight. I got nobody ever.

[Justin Davis]

I beat Hollow Knight.

[Sam Claiborne]

I think many people did. I. I don't even. It's not like I put it. It was one of those like you. You drop a game for two reasons. One, you're just like okay, I've had my fill. Like I'm all done with this now. But then sometimes it's like we either have to play something else for work or you know, we're going like we're out of town for a long time. And for me Hollow Knight was the ladder. Like I was forced to get away from it. And then I remember firing it back up and I'm like I don't know where I am or what's going on.

[Nick Limone]

And like it's about 4 metroids big and it only needed to be 3 but it's wonderful.

[Justin Davis]

Yeah.

[Sam Claiborne]

Well I think it through the crystal caves. I remember that when you get to.

[Justin Davis]

The third Metroid though is when the game is like oh, this is really fun though. Like it's like hard Metro third Metroid like. Like the Path of Pain is going to be a thing I remember for the rest of my life. That's such a fun platforming, brutal hellish sequence. And then the last boss is very hard but. Or the. The real last boss is very hard but very fun.

[Damon Hadfield]

This is 2017.

[Justin Davis]

Good game. Hopefully they. I wish they would make a sequel.

[Damon Hadfield]

It's really taking a minute to make.

[Nick Limone]

A lot of people are going to play this game again this year because Silksong keeps on saying it's got out this year. So a bunch of people are going to play Hollow Knight again and I highly recommend reading a guide just to know the sequence you're supposed to play it in. Do not sequence break this game the first time you play it. I highly recommend this to you. You can, you can sequence break but you will be boned.

[Sam Claiborne]

I think I feel like that's kind of an anti recommendation on my part of like don't like. Well, I mean like I shouldn't say don't read a guide but like exploration, figuring out where, that's like the whole game.

[Nick Limone]

Yeah, but you can get trapped into later game boss fights that you really should have these counters for. And if you don't have them like you, you really like you, it'll be so annoying that you won't want to play the game anymore. So you need to have the upgrades before you fight certain things. Look how good these bosses look.

[Sam Claiborne]

Yeah, I was gonna say, what a game.

[Justin Davis]

The art is stunning in this game and the music's incredible.

[Nick Limone]

Yep.

[Damon Hadfield]

Well, nicely job. Thank you for the suggestion, Nick, who is living in Boston but is originally from California. Viewers, listeners, if you have your own suggestions for video game 20 questions, email them to me at the email address gamescoop.com and I want to let everyone know about the ID and friends humble bundle that's going on right now. For 28 bucks, you get Doom Eternal. The Doom Eternal Year 1. Pass. Wolfenstein 2, the New Colossus, Doom 2016, Doom and Doom 2. Wolfenstein the New Order, Wolfenstein the Old Blood, Doom 3, Doom 64. And you get 10% off Doom the Dark Ages.

[Justin Davis]

A pretty darn good deal.

[Damon Hadfield]

Pretty good deal.

[Nick Limone]

We're the friends. That's all I have.

[Justin Davis]

Hell of a deal.

[Damon Hadfield]

Well, Wolfenstein's in there. Oh, yeah. So I see what you're saying. Yeah. Friends. The friends are the Doom guys you met along the way. Sam, as always, your donation goes to a good cause. You can get in on this [e-mail] and that's all the scoops that we have for you this week. Thank you, Nick. Thank you, Justin. Thank you, Sam. Thank you to everyone working behind the scenes to make this episode possible. My name is Damon. This is IGN GamesCube. And we're out. Junior. Yes, sir.

[E]

CineFix Top 100 is back. It's time to pick up our quest to watch 100 of the greatest movies of all time. If that sounds good to you.

[Sam Claiborne]

No.

[Justin Davis]

Good.

[Nick Limone]

Fine.

[E]

And season four is taking some time to appreciate family. This season we're diving into movies about all the crazy things we do for family. About reconnecting, about fighting, and about finding family in unexpected places. And what better place to start than with a movie that does a little bit of all of that? Starring our favorite archaeologist who named himself after the family dog.

[Damon Hadfield]

You are named after the dog.

[E]

Tune in Sunday, April 6 for Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. And stay in touch with your Cinefix family Every Sunday for more of our biggest list yet.

[Nick Limone]

See you, little brother. Not a worry in the world.

[E]

Tune in to The CineFix Top 100, part of the Geek Media Network on YouTube, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts.

[Damon Hadfield]

From the folks behind Outside Xbox and Outside Extra comes the Oxventure podcast, where the supernatural action horror comedy of the weird west has returned in a new season of Tabletop RPG Deadlands. Each week on the Oxventure podcast, we.

[Justin Davis]

Visit a treacherous frontier full of monsters.

[Damon Hadfield]

And magic, where even the trains run on the souls of the damned. Our five players have overcome impossible odds and now find themselves running a monster hunting agency for hire. But when sinister forces threaten one of their own, it sets in motion a whole new adventure. They may not all survive. So join us in Oxventure Deadlands only on YouTube.oxventure and on the Oxventure podcast. Available wherever fine podcasts are downloaded. Deadlands is an Oxventure production and part of the Geek Media Network. They were marketing it, so I didn't know if it was supposed to be a surprise that it's oops, all vampires.

[Justin Davis]

Nah, they were very upfront about that in the marketing. We had to do a branded campaign and they were like, I know this has vampires, but just show Michael B. Jordan shooting the Tommy gun. I was like, to be fair, he does look good shooting that Tommy gun. But like, you want to talk about the vampires a little.

[Damon Hadfield]

I want a John Wick movie with Michael B. Jordan.

[Sam Claiborne]

I thought you were gonna say a John Wick movie with vampires.

[Damon Hadfield]

Why not?

[Nick Limone]

Both could be vampires.

[Justin Davis]

We don't know what's his face. Oh my gosh, I'm blanking. Halloween director John Carpenter. John Carpenter's vampires. Kind of John Wick, but not a good movie.

[Nick Limone]

That movie sucks.

[Justin Davis]

I like the opening of it though.

[Nick Limone]

That was like the same year as Dust Till dawn, which is great.

[Justin Davis]

Yeah, that one's a good one. Or Near Dark. Near Dark's excellent.

[Damon Hadfield]

Big Dust till Dawn energy in Sinners.

[Nick Limone]

Oh, really cool. I mean, really. It doesn't. Is it take place? Well, it's like a small town, right?

[Damon Hadfield]

Yeah.

[Sam Claiborne]

That's funny because it doesn't come across in the marketing at all that that's what kind of movie it is.

[Damon Hadfield]

Not, not. Not tonally, but in like the situation that people are in.

[Nick Limone]

I. I see it's cuz there's, you know, I can't remember is Tommy Lee Jones and that movie. Who was it? Who was it?

[Damon Hadfield]

It was Dust Till Dime. Tarantino in George Clooney. George Clooney and Tarantino's in the movie. Yeah, he's one of the main characters. Plays a real creep.

[Nick Limone]

He was the big er, success by then, I guess. I guess he'd been in Batman by then. Well, maybe not, because he was Batman after Val Kilmer, right?

[Sam Claiborne]

Yes.

[Nick Limone]

And Val Kilmer is just in one movie.

[Sam Claiborne]

Yes.

[Nick Limone]

Also had lots of video games.

[Damon Hadfield]

This episode of Game Soup was produced by myself, Damon Hatfield and Gilbert Audienza. Technical direction is handled by Jobert Atienza. Technical production is by Marian Franzen and Amir Akiv. Audio engineering is by Amir Akiv and post production editing is by yours truly, Damon Hatfield. Graphic design is by Nicole Kagempen. Gamescoop is an IGN production and part of the Geek Media Network.