Episode 198
Paid early access is becoming more commonplace in the games industry. Game development costs are skyrocketing and publishers are more eager than ever to employ unsavory monetization strategies. How do the three of us feel about paid early access, and what games have got us to opt-in early? Where do we see this paid early access trend going in the future? How do we feel about Civilization VII? We answer all of these burning questions on today's show! As always, we conclude with the games we're playing (Civilization VII, Vintage Story, Monster Hunter Wilds Beta, Severed Steel, Psychonauts 2). This episode was recorded in February 2025. Intro and outro music composed for Gametalk by Dylan Chase (dylan.robert.chase@gmail.com).
Questions or comments? Check us out on YouTube, Instagram, Tiktok, and Bluesky at @PodcastGametalk
Or chat us up in Discord - discord.gg/JZCj5Qn

Timestamps:
0:00 - Opening Banter
3:35 - Thoughts On Paid Early Access
25:44 - Civilization VII
54:44 - Vintage Story
1:00:40 - Monster Hunter Wilds (Beta)
1:07:14 - Severed Steel
1:10:30 - Psychonauts 2

Paid Early Access And Civilization VII

Episode 199
PlayStation tipped their hand for early-mid 2025 with their latest State of Play, and contrary to the prevailing opinion online, we thought what they had to show was quite good! We talk through all the games that were shown, including the exciting new first party game from Housemarque, Saros. As always, we conclude with the games we're playing (Civilization VII, Dead By Daylight, Palworld). This episode was recorded in February 2025. Intro and outro music composed for Gametalk by Dylan Chase (dylan.robert.chase@gmail.com).
Questions or comments? Check us out on YouTube, Instagram, Tiktok, and Bluesky at @PodcastGametalk
Or chat us up in Discord - discord.gg/JZCj5Qn

Timestamps:
0:00 - Opening Banter
2:20 - Monster Hunter Wilds, SHINOBI: Art of Vengeance, Sonic Racing CrossWorlds
11:38 - Digimon Story Time Stranger, Lost Soul Aside, Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii
20:34 - Dave The Diver, Splitgate 2, Borderlands 4, Split Fiction
31:31 - Directive 8020, Five Nights At Freddy's, The Midnight Walk, Onimusha
41:07 - Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, Lies of P: Overture, Dream of Another, Days Gone
48:34 - Days Gone, Abiotic Factor, Tides of Annihilation, Metal Eden, MindsEye
57:27 - Saros
1:04:12 - Civilization VII
1:10:26 - Dead By Daylight
1:15:58 - Palworld

Sony's Strong State of Play

Episode 201
One of our most anticipated games of the year, Monster Hunter Wilds, is finally out! This week, we all give our impressions after having poured many hours into the game. We cover everything from our favorite weapons, to the new monsters, to the various performance issues at launch, and much more! This episode was recorded in March 2025. Intro and outro music is owned by Capcom Co. and composed by Miwako Chinone.
Questions or comments? Check us out on YouTube, Instagram, Tiktok, and Twitter at @PodcastGametalk

Or chat us up in Discord - discord.gg/JZCj5Qn

Timestamps:
0:00 - Opening Banter
4:45 - Commenting on Performance
10:16 - Monster Hunter Wilds Impressions


Monster Hunter Wilds - Capcom's Colossal Classic

Episode 202
The AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 are out, and they have more than delivered! With an extremely impressive showing for FSR 4 and confirmation of console integration with PS5 Pro next year, RDNA4 is presenting itself as a strong mid-range alternative to NVIDIA. Today, we give our latest thoughts on AMD's GPU offerings and how they compared to NVIDIA. As always, we conclude with the games we're playing (Monster Hunter Wilds, Split Fiction, Avowed). This episode was recorded in March 2025. Intro and outro music composed for Gametalk by Dylan Chase (dylan.robert.chase@gmail.com).
Questions or comments? Check us out on YouTube, Instagram, Tiktok, and Bluesky at @PodcastGametalk
Or chat us up in Discord - discord.gg/JZCj5Qn

Timestamps:
0:00 - Opening Banter
3:30 - AMD RX 9070 XT and FSR 4
16:06 - FSR 4 Coming To PS5 Pro
24:34 - AMD vs NVIDIA
35:49 - Monster Hunter Wilds
55:36 - Split Fiction
1:07:14 - Avowed

AMD Advancing

Episode 203
Operating Systems are a significant part of your gaming experience, whether you're on console or PC. Today, we break down our favorite and least favorite OSes, and talk about little touches that fuel our nostalgia for older systems. As always, we conclude with the games we're playing (Monster Hunter Wilds, Urban Dead). This episode was recorded in March 2025. Intro and outro music composed for Gametalk by Dylan Chase (dylan.robert.chase@gmail.com).
Questions or comments? Check us out on YouTube, Instagram, Tiktok, and Twitter at @PodcastGametalk

Or chat us up in Discord - discord.gg/JZCj5Qn

Timestamps:
0:00 - Opening Banter
6:13 - Discussing Our Favorite Console / PC OSes
28:47 - Console Startup Sounds and Favorite OS Features
46:01 - Monster Hunter Wilds
1:06:50 - Urban Dead

OS Observations, Monster Hunter Mania, and the Death of Urban Dead

Episode 204
With the hotly anticipated Nintendo Switch 2 showcase just around the corner, we decided to dedicate today's episode to the Nintendo Switch. We go through our favorite Switch games and gaze back fondly at our memories of the console, as we excitedly look towards the next iteration. As always, we conclude with the games we're playing (Assassin's Creed Shadows, Monster Hunter Wilds, Diablo IV, Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate, Elden Ring). This episode was recorded in March 2025. Intro and outro music composed for Gametalk by Dylan Chase (dylan.robert.chase@gmail.com).
Questions or comments? Check us out on YouTube, Instagram, Tiktok, and Twitter at @PodcastGametalk


Or chat us up in Discord - discord.gg/JZCj5Qn


Timestamps:
0:00 - Opening Banter
2:55 - Remembering the Nintendo Switch Launch
15:15 - Reflecting on Nintendo Switch Exclusives 2017-2025
49:51 - Nintendo Retro Emulation and Other Games on Switch
56:02 - Assassin's Creed Shadows
1:06:24 - Monster Hunter Wilds 
1:12:12 - Diablo IV
1:17:34 - Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate
1:24:17 - Elden Ring

Sayonara, Nintendo Switch

Episode 205
The long-awaited Nintendo Switch 2 blowout is here! Join us as we go through all the major reveals in the Direct. Did it live up to the hype? As always, we conclude with the games we're playing (Monster Hunter Wilds). This episode was recorded in April 2025. Intro and outro music composed for Gametalk by Dylan Chase (dylan.robert.chase@gmail.com).
Questions or comments? Check us out on YouTube, Instagram, Tiktok, and Bluesky at @PodcastGametalk
Or chat us up in Discord - discord.gg/JZCj5Qn
Timestamps:
0:00 - Opening Banter
2:29 - Connor and Mike's Switch 2 Direct Impressions
39:15 - Ahmed's Switch 2 Direct Impressions
56:28 - Monster Hunter Wilds

Hello, Nintendo Switch 2

Episode 206
A slew of questionable pricing decisions after the initial reveal of the Switch 2 launch has left us and many others questioning Nintendo's strategy. What do we think about a $450 Nintendo console? What about $80 Switch 2 games? Will the present tariff situation further escalate Switch 2 pricing? Today, we do a post-mortem of the Switch 2 blowout and discuss these questions, and more! Also, we talk at length about our time with Blue Prince, in both spoiler-free and spoilery contexts. As always, we conclude with the games we're playing (Blue Prince, Monster Hunter Wilds, Monster Hunter World). This episode was recorded in April 2025. Intro and outro music composed for Gametalk by Dylan Chase (dylan.robert.chase@gmail.com).
Questions or comments? Check us out on YouTube, Instagram, Tiktok, and BlueSky at @PodcastGametalk

Or chat us up in Discord - discord.gg/JZCj5Qn

Timestamps:
0:00 - Opening Banter
7:28 - Switch 2 Console and Games Pricing
47:41 - Blue Prince (No Spoilers)
1:01:40 - Blue Prince (Spoilers)
1:28:14 - Monster Hunter Wilds
1:33:12 - Monster Hunter World

Switch 2 Setbacks and the Brilliant Blue Prince

Episode 207
Surprise! A remake of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion was announced and dropped out of the blue! We all purchased the game and were immediately transported to a nostalgic, happier time. In today's episode, we discuss how Virtuos completely nailed remaking Oblivion, and share both past and current anecdotes with this timeless game. As always, we conclude with the games we're playing (Blue Prince, Monster Hunter World). This episode was recorded in April 2025. Intro and outro music composed by Jeremy Soule and owned by Bethesda Softworks.
Questions or comments? Check us out on YouTube, Instagram, Tiktok, and BlueSky at @PodcastGametalk

Or chat us up in Discord - discord.gg/JZCj5Qn

Timestamps:
0:00 - Opening Banter
4:15 - Discussing the Oblivion Remake
52:42 - Blue Prince
1:12:21 - Monster Hunter World

Oblivion's Outstanding Remake - Our Return to Cyrodiil

Episode 208
Growing up gaming over the years, we have been through many memorable console and game launches. Today, we look back at some of the standout launches over the years and swap stories of how we obtained our precious toys. We also talk about how we successfully procured a Nintendo Switch 2 pre-order, and the stresses associated with that process. As always, we conclude with the games we're playing (The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33). This episode was recorded in April 2025. Intro and outro music composed for Gametalk by Dylan Chase (dylan.robert.chase@gmail.com).
Questions or comments? Check us out on YouTube, Instagram, Tiktok, and BlueSky at @PodcastGametalk

Or chat us up in Discord - discord.gg/JZCj5Qn

Timestamps:
0:00 - Opening Banter
4:24 - How We Pre-Ordered Switch 2
17:17 - Our Console Launch Stories
37:34 - Memorable Game Launches
50:04 - The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered
53:34 - Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

Hardware Launch War Stories

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

Hardware Launch War Stories

Gametalk

Related tracks