Episode 135
In today's episode, we talk about our favorite bossfights (among several other tangents), and excitedly anticipate Spider-Man 2 and Super Mario Wonder. As always, we conclude with the games we are playing (Cocoon, Forza Motorsport, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim). This episode was recorded in October 2023. Royalty free music from BenSound.

Questions or comments? Tweet @PodcastGametalk
Or chat us up in Discord - discord.gg/JZCj5Qn

Timestamps:
0:00 - Upcoming Games, BandCamp, and Microsoft/Activision
4:36 - Spider-Man 2 Reviews and Reflecting on the Batman Arkham Games
6:56 - Opinions On Bossfights, Challenging Bossfights vs Spectacle Bossfights
16:16 - Metal Gear, Zelda, God of War, Armored Core, QTEs, Ace Combat, Star Fox, Pikmin
27:34 - FromSoft Bosses, Bethesda Bosses, Megaman, Hollow Knight
30:09 - Optional Bosses, Dragon Quest, Final Fantasy, Destiny, Deep Rock Galactic, Monster Hunter
37:32 - Surprise Bossfights, Spider-Man 2 Preview, Devil May Cry, Shadow of the Colossus, Roguelikes, Final Shoutouts
49:53 - Cocoon
54:05 - Forza Motorsport
56:29 - The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
58:37 - Anticipating Spider-Man 2
1:01:08 - Resolution Discussion
1:04:35 - Anticipating Super Mario Wonder

Bossfight Breakdown

Episode 156

When a game series is around for a while, eventually the identity of the series will begin to mean different things to different people. Today, we discuss games that divide fanbases and what the merits of each series pre and post divide are. As always, we conclude with the games we're playing (Monster Hunter World, Minecraft, Ultros). This episode was recorded in April 2024. Royalty free music from BenSound.

Questions or comments? Tweet @PodcastGametalk
Or chat us up in Discord - discord.gg/JZCj5Qn

Timestamps:
0:00 - Pre vs Post Breath of the Wild Zelda
8:41 - Portable vs Mainline Monster Hunter
13:11 - The Split Fanbase Between The Last of Us Part I and II
17:30 - Old vs New Fortnite
23:41 - Smash Melee vs Smash Ultimate and Fighting Games
30:56 - Pre vs Post Elden Ring Soulslike Games
35:40 - Distinct Final Fantasy Fanbases and Other Split Fanbases
42:28 - Monster Hunter World
54:17 - Minecraft
1:02:25 - Ultros

Fanbase Fissures

Episode 157

Ahmed and Connor have returned from Italy, and travel is on their minds. Today, we discuss video game settings that are inspired by real-life locations and talk about games that capture a sense of wanderlust. As always, we conclude with the games we're playing (Slay The Spire, Monster Hunter World, Lil Gator Game). This episode was recorded in April 2024. Royalty free music from BenSound.

Questions or comments? Tweet @PodcastGametalk
Or chat us up in Discord - discord.gg/JZCj5Qn

Timestamps:
0:00 - Visiting Real Locations Depicted in Games
15:43 - Popular Locations Adapted in Games
26:46 - Assassin's Creed and Historical Locations
30:28 - Ahmed and Connor's Italy Anecdote
34:17 - Uncharted and Wanderlust / Idealized Places
42:15 - Sucker Punch and Other Sony Studios Tangent
49:58 - Slay The Spire
56:55 - Monster Hunter World
1:02:22 - Lil Gator Game

Globetrotting Games

Episode 158

Fallout is out now on Amazon Prime Video, and it's a bonafide hit! Today, we talk about the show in spoiler-free and spoiler-filled contexts, and discuss how the success of the show could impact Bethesda's plans. As always, we conclude with the games we are playing (Monster Hunter World: Iceborne, RimWorld, Dave the Diver). This episode was recorded in April 2024. Royalty free music from BenSound.

Questions or comments? Reach out to @PodcastGametalk on Instagram or Twitter, or @gametalk on TikTok
Or chat us up in Discord - discord.gg/JZCj5Qn

Timestamps:
0:00 - Fallout Impressions (Spoiler-Free)
20:08 - Our History With Fallout Games
23:44 - Bethesda in a Post-Fallout Show World
32:30 - SPOILERS - Our Thoughts on Fallout Season 1
1:03:09 - Monster Hunter World: Iceborne
1:08:29 - RimWorld
1:16:38 - Dave the Diver

Fallout Fever

Episode 159

In a one-two punch of terrible first party news, today we discuss both the baffling choice by Sony to require a PSN account on PC to play Helldivers II and the heartbreakingly infuriating decision Microsoft made to close four of its first party studios. In the wake of workforce reductions and studios shuttering, we observe the landscape of the present Xbox ecosystem - and it is not a pretty picture. As always, we conclude with the games we are playing (Dave the Diver, Sea of Thieves, Songs of Syx). This episode was recorded in May 2024. Royalty free music from BenSound.

Questions or comments? Reach out to @PodcastGametalk on Instagram, Twitter, or Tiktok

Timestamps:
0:00 - Sony and the Helldivers II PC Situation
21:24 - Tangent on Nintendo's Success and Helldivers Controversy Aftermath
25:06 - Microsoft Studio Closures and Future Outlook
45:35 - Xbox Leadership on Studio Closures
52:39 - Dave the Diver
58:14 - Sea of Thieves
1:02:21 - Songs of Syx
1:06:15 - Briefly Discussing Hades II, Stellar Blade, Monster Hunter World, and Fallout 4

Shortsighted Sony and Mismanaged Microsoft

Episode 160

Developing a full game solo is a herculean feat of engineering and artistry. Today, we discuss notable games that were developed by one person and what goes into creating a game alone. We also talk about the newly released Animal Well at length, in both spoiler-free and spoiler-filled contexts. As always, we conclude with the games we're playing (V Rising, Animal Well). This episode was recorded in May 2024. Royalty free music from BenSound.

Questions or comments? Tweet @PodcastGametalk
Or chat us up in Discord - discord.gg/JZCj5Qn

Timestamps:
0:00 - Games Developed By One Person
22:32 - Marketing Small Games and Animal Well Pre-release Talk
29:40 - V Rising
33:53 - Animal Well Spoiler-free Impressions
50:11 - SPOILERS - Animal Well Deep Dive
1:16:50 - Concluding Thoughts on Animal Well (Light Spoilers)

One-Dev Wonders and Animal Well

Episode 161

As we get older, retro games are something we grow increasingly fond of. But is it entirely due to nostalgia, or do retro games still have merits when compared to modern releases? Today, we discuss our love of retro games, and what goes into collecting and playing older titles. As always, we conclude with the games we're playing (TerraTech, Hades). This episode was recorded in May 2024. Royalty free music from BenSound.

Questions or comments? Check us out on Instagram, Tiktok, and Twitter at @PodcastGametalk
Or chat us up in Discord - discord.gg/JZCj5Qn

Timestamps:
0:00 - Retro Gaming
16:46 - Retro Artstyles
25:49 - Retro Hardware, Collecting Games, and Emulation
31:59 - Preservation Issues with Modern Games
37:03 - Retro Games and Things Modern Games Lack
55:26 - TerraTech
1:01:00 - Hades

Retro Replay

Episode 162

Game design is challenging, doubly so when designing a game for both casual and competitive play. Today, we discuss games that balance both competitive and casual play, our experiences with competitive games, and how we think the player bases of these games impact design decisions. We also give our thoughts on the newly released Hellblade II, and what its release could mean for Microsoft and Ninja Theory. As always, we conclude with the games we're playing (Senua's Saga: Hellblade II, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, Assassin's Creed Odyssey, Monster Hunter World: Iceborne). This episode was recorded in May 2024. Royalty free music from BenSound.

Questions or comments? Check us out on Instagram, Tiktok, and Twitter at @PodcastGametalk
Or chat us up in Discord - discord.gg/JZCj5Qn

Timestamps:
0:00 - Competitive vs Casual Game Design
18:09 - Balancing PVE and PVP
23:13 - Our Experiences With Competitive Gaming
29:58 - Speedrunning
34:05 - Balancing High-Level and Low-Level Play
41:44 - Senua's Saga: Hellblade II
1:09:27 - Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
1:23:43 - Assassin's Creed Odyssey
1:36:02 - Monster Hunter World: Iceborne

Competitive vs Casual and Senua's Struggle

Episode 163

Summer is just around the corner, and that means "E3" season is here! While E3 may be gone, the Summer Games Fest lives as its spiritual successor; and Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo all have games to show as well. In today's episode, we discuss last week's PlayStation State of Play and make predictions for the upcoming Nintendo, Microsoft, and Summer Games Fest showcases! As always, we conclude with the games we're playing (Monster Hunter Rise, Assassin's Creed III, Destiny 2). This episode was recorded in June 2024. Royalty free music from BenSound.

Questions or comments? Check us out on Instagram, Tiktok, and Twitter at @PodcastGametalk
Or chat us up in Discord - discord.gg/JZCj5Qn

Timestamps:
0:00 - Concord First Gameplay Trailer
6:27 - God of War Ragnarok PC and FSR 3.1
12:46 - Discussing State of Play Games
28:26 - Monster Hunter Wilds First Gameplay Trailer
36:31 - Astro Bot Announced
45:43 - Xbox Showcase Predictions
56:37 - Nintendo Showcase Predictions
1:04:19 - Summer Games Fest 2024 Predictions
1:13:13 - Monster Hunter Rise
1:18:47 - Assassin's Creed III
1:29:04 - Destiny 2

State of Play Summary and Summer Showcase Predictions

Episode 164

In the midst of the summer games frenzy, Xbox delivers what could be their most impressive showcase ever. Today, we discuss this historic Xbox showcase and all of the games that were shown. As always, we conclude with the games we're playing (Enshrouded, Alan Wake 2: Night Springs). This episode was recorded in June 2024. Royalty free music from BenSound.

Questions or comments? Check us out on Instagram, Tiktok, and Twitter at @PodcastGametalk
Or chat us up in Discord - discord.gg/JZCj5Qn

Timestamps:
0:00 - Overall Impressions of The Xbox Showcase
3:46 - Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, Doom: The Dark Ages
12:52 - State of Decay 3, Dragon Age: The The Veilguard
23:09 - Starfield: Shattered Space, Fallout 76: Skyline Valley, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
30:20 - South of Midnight, World of Warcraft: The War Within
35:02 - Metal Gear Solid Δ: Snake Eater, Sea of Thieves, Flintock: The Siege of Dawn, Age of Mythology: Retold
40:07 - Perfect Dark, Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred, Fable
48:13 - Fragpunk, Winter Burrow, Mixtape, Microsoft Flight Simulator
52:25 - Life is Strange: Double Exposure, Indiana Jones and The Great Circle
59:41 - Mecha Break, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers, Avowed, Atomfall, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl
1:05:26 - Gears of War: E-Day and Final Thoughts on Xbox
1:11:24 - Enshrouded
1:16:19 - Alan Wake 2: Night Springs

The Exceptional Xbox Showcase

Gametalk is a podcast discussing games and the gaming industry. New episodes are uploaded Wednesdays on SoundCloud, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and all major podcast services.

Bossfight Breakdown

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