Kinda Funny Games Daily – September 25, 2025

Main Theme:
A jam-packed news day in video games, with Forza Horizon 6’s Japan reveal leading headlines, hands-on previews of anticipated Switch 2 titles (including Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment), early impressions of Yakuza Kiwami 3 and its Dark Ties mode, and the crew’s trademark banter and insightful industry takes. Hosted by Tim Gettys and Roger Pokorny.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Forza Horizon 6 Officially Set in Japan

[08:06–14:45]

• News: Forza Horizon 6 launches in 2026, set in Japan. Debuts on PC and Xbox, with a PlayStation 5 release coming post-launch.

  • Quoting Matt Booty: “This has been the most requested location since the very first game, and we can't wait to share more next year” [08:34].
  • Art director Don Arqueta and cultural consultant Kyoko Yamashita stress the complexity and authenticity of Tokyo City, blending urban regions with rural areas like Mount Fuji, plus returning seasonal changes.

• Significance:

  • The long-requested Japanese setting and technical advances (inspired by Horizon 5’s Hot Wheels DLC) make this “the most complex and intricately drivable area in a Horizon game yet.”
  • The PS5 release post-launch signals Microsoft’s ongoing multiplatform strategy, which the hosts dissect:
    • Tim: “They're clearly still trying to figure out what…strategy…” [09:58]
    • Roger: “We're at the point where we're just saying it. We're just announcing a first party Xbox game and we're also saying it'll come out [on PlayStation] afterwards” [09:46].

• Hype Levels & Personal Plans:

  • Roger is thrilled: “This is going to be the Forza Horizon that I fully sink my teeth into” [11:25].
  • Nostalgia and excitement over potential DLC (e.g., Fast & Furious Tokyo, Initial D, Speed Racer crossovers) [13:20–14:06].

• Industry Impact:

  • Tim contextualizes: “Forza Horizon 5: IGN's Game of the Year...So for the follow up to be the Japan one—so good!” [11:10].
  • Discussion on the franchise’s mastery of arcade and sim blending: “It is such a great blend of like old school arcade style racing games, but then also…a modern, fully featured video game…maybe the best blend of those things we've seen in a racing game, period.” [12:03]
  • Speculation on the future of Motorsport versus Horizon, pondering whether Motorsport may just become a Horizon mode [14:45].

2. Hands-on: Hyrule Warriors – Age of Imprisonment

[16:31–25:15]

• Preview Segment: Tim’s demo impressions after playing two ten-minute slices.

  • Set during Zelda’s first time in the Depths, post–Tears of the Kingdom events.
  • Playable characters: Zelda (light arrows), Rauru (spear, Ultrahand abilities), Mineru (Zonai gadget combos and vehicle spawning). Each has distinct combat mechanics.

• What’s New and Standout:

  • “This one way more fascinated by. Because this is pure canon to the story. This is…in the world of Tears of the Kingdom.” [17:59]
  • On-the-fly character switching reminiscent of Final Fantasy 7 Remake, light puzzle-solving with each character separated performing different objectives [21:24].
  • The presentation and soundscape directly call back to recent mainline Zeldas: “It looks like Tears of the Kingdom. This is Zelda’s first time in the depths. Why did that get me so hype?” [20:08].

• Performance and Potential Concerns:

  • Ran smoothly in demo: “It felt totally fine…no problems performance wise” [23:32].
  • Skepticism on split-screen holding 60fps.
  • Critical outlook: Will depend on how well the puzzling/mechanical variety evolves, and the quality of the story and voice acting.

• Reception Forecast:

  • Tim predicts: “I think this will be the most well received of these games…85—no, maybe 80…82” on Metacritic [25:52].
  • Appeal: “There’s just a lot of clever stuff. And it’s fun playing a Zelda [where] the combat is cool. It just feels different” [23:00].

3. Early Impressions: Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties

[28:33–40:40]

• Switch 2 Ports Roundup:

  • Persona 3: Crisp and stable at 30fps [29:05].
  • Two Point Museum: Lackluster, no mouse controls, not recommended [29:33].
  • Sonic Cross Worlds Minecraft track: “It’s the best track in the whole game. This Minecraft track is incredible.” [30:03]
  • Kiwami 1 vs 2: Noticeable jump from 60fps to 30fps between them due to different engines; highlights future performance concerns for Yakuza on Switch 2 [32:17].

• Dark Ties Preview:

  • 15–20 min demo; prequel to Kiwami 3 starring Mine, an ousted business exec obsessed with joining the Yakuza after witnessing their loyalty.
  • His fighting style: ramped-up aggression with a unique “hearts/rage” meter [35:41].

• Kiwami 3 (Remake) Preview:

  • Kiryu as orphanage caretaker—“If you play that first 10 minutes…you’d be like, I understand Yakuza completely.” [38:27]
  • Two fighting styles: Dragon of Dojima (classic) and Ryukiyu (Okinawan weapons).
  • Modern quality-of-life: Instant fights, quick traversal via Segway (not present in Kiwami 1 & 2).
  • English dub only in 3 (not in 1 & 2)—seen as a loss for accessibility.

• Roger’s Take: Very positive on the remake and especially excited for Dark Ties; wants Kiwami 1/2 director’s cuts to bring them to the new technical standard [40:12].

• Tim: “Give it two years” for more remasters; sees the series’ evolution and Sega’s moves as fascinating [40:12].

4. Industry & Platform News Highlights

Switch 2 Physical Media & Performance

[40:40–46:59]

• FFVII Remake integrate on Switch 2 will require a “game key card” and download, not pure physical cart.

  • Director Naoki Hamaguchi explains: “The biggest issue…is the loading speed. Because you compare that to the solid state drive…that’s the bigger issue rather than the memory or cost.” [42:39]

• Analysis:

  • While devs say speed is the constraint, Tim and Roger point out: For many releases, cost (and laziness) is often the real factor, and it hurts physical collectors.
    • “It's a massive turnoff…if you see the smaller games…game key cards…then you know it’s not the speeds…it just…you don't want to spend [to optimize]” [43:47].

• Performance Gripe on Switch 2 (“Shouldn’t Yakuza run at 60fps?”)

  • Roger: “Yakuza for sure should run well, specifically since the last ones ran 60fps.” [46:27]

Nintendo’s Mobile Move

[47:04–49:18]

• Surprise release: Fire Emblem Shadows, a social deduction/mobile Among Us-style game, shadow dropped.
• App seems “kind of fun” (per chat), but hosts are skeptical about its long-term appeal and Nintendo’s awkward fit in the mobile space (“Why now?...seven years since the last one...?” [49:34]).

007 First Light Casting:

[49:56–51:16]

• Gemma Chan joins as key MI6 academic.
• Hosts excited, noting “she enhances projects,” and express anticipation for installment.

Real-world News: Microsoft & Gaza Mass Surveillance

[52:05–53:43]

• Microsoft blocks Israeli military’s use of Azure for Palestinian civilian surveillance.
  • Hosts highlight how “pressure put, results happen” and call it an overdue but important move.

GTA RP Evolution:

[53:46–54:44]

• NoPixel (GTA V’s leading roleplay server) partners with Rockstar for official “NoPixel V.”

Industry Bits

• Splash Damage splits from Tencent, acquired by private equity (“Which is worse?” debate) [54:23].
• Monster Hunter Stories 1 & 2, Gungrave, and Twisted Reflection release news.
• Street Fighter 6 new character C. Viper coming soon.

5. Notable Quotes & Moments

Forza Horizon 6

• On Japan as a setting:

  “We’re finally getting into Japan. It's actually happening. That's crazy.”
  – Tim Gettys [09:58]

• On multiplatform:

  “We're at the point where we're just saying it…an Xbox first-party [title]…will come out after launch [on PS5].”
  – Roger Pokorny [09:46]

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment

• On demo excitement:

  “All this to say I left this even more excited about this entry than I was. And this is already the entry that I've been most excited for.”
  – Tim Gettys [22:21]

Yakuza Kiwami 3/Dark Ties

• On Dark Ties’ protagonist:

  “So then now this whole game is him trying to track down his entry point into the Yakuza …this is his origin story into the darkness of the underbelly of Japan.”
  – Roger Pokorny [35:41]

• On Kiwami 3 remake quality-of-life:

  “You press up on the D pad and you use a Segway…not available in Kiwami 1 and 2…It’s just weird that these games are like…Kiwami 3 is just such a perfect entry point and feels like it's connected to the newer Yakuza games.”
  – Roger Pokorny [39:12]

Physical vs Digital (Switch 2)

• On game key cards:

  “It really affects my interest in physical games on the Switch 2.”
  – Tim Gettys [42:39]

Lighter Moments

• On internal Kinda Funny needling:

  “It's not a secret that I don't respect Nick's opinions on anything because…”
  – Tim Gettys [02:45]

• On the beer run:

  “Mike messaged me…‘I'm picking up beers, I’ll see you in a little bit’…No, he's bringing beers. That's what's happening.”
  – Tim & Roger [04:28]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Forza Horizon 6 Details & Discussion: [08:06] – [14:45]
• Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment Demo: [16:31] – [25:15]
• Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties Preview: [28:33] – [40:40]
• Switch 2 Physical Media & Performance: [40:40] – [46:59]
• Nintendo Mobile/Misc News: [47:04] – [49:18]
• 007 First Light Casting News: [49:56] – [51:16]
• Microsoft/Real-World News, GTA RP, Industry Updates: [52:05] – [55:47]

Tone & Banter

Playful, irreverent, and packed with personal anecdotes and inside Kinda Funny jokes, but always bringing clear insight on the business, tech, and culture of gaming. Both hosts alternate between genuine hype (Forza in Japan, new Zelda canon), wishful thinking (Switch 2 performance, physical media), and hard critique (Nintendo’s hardware choices, lackluster ports), all while actively interacting with the live audience’s chat and superchats.

Conclusion

This episode captures the current landscape of gaming: historic franchise expansions, the emergence of Japan as the hot new setting, hardware and platform evolutions (and their trade-offs), and the energetic pulse of the Kinda Funny team. Forza fans, Switch followers, and Yakuza-heads receive in-depth takes, while everyone else can enjoy being part of the ongoing cultural conversation in games.