Phil and Tom are back to talk about the upside of Inside, as well as the rest of the current independent development, a counter point to Episode 92.
- Phil
Above: Hobo and the Narc pulling together the latest episode.
Now that NoClip is a travel agency, try something completely different instead
Yes, it's in French. Yes, you have to read subtitles (amusing, considering the video content he shows is dubbed in French!). And, yes, it's a dude improvising a review over a video of the game he's reviewing, while he plays the game. If that doesn't sound bad enough, did I mention he's French?
Yet his stream-of-consciousness critiques are tres haute cuisine, and this one in particular indulges irreverently in one of Game Under's favourite guilty pleasures, criticising videogame criticism (see title), while masquerading as videogame critics.
Endless Backlog Podcast Episode 103: Smugcast [Episode 1]
Tom Towers joins the Endless Backlog Podcast as a special guest. Hosted by Gagan, Episode 103 is an attempt to make the smugingest podcast ever. Even if this dream-doubles team doesn't succeed, smugness and hubris go hand in hand, meaning that failure is literally impossible.
Hollow Knight Release Trailer
Phil Fogg's in hiding for a week, Tom Towers is in biding [of his time], which means it's time for some shameless hustling by Aarny, in the form of a release trailer. If games journalism was a captcha, robots would still pass.
Coming out in but 12 days as of writing (which will be first, Hollow Knight or the next episode of the Game Under podcast?), Hollow knight is apparently shaping up promisingly. Read Aarny's first impressions here.
- Tom Towers
Hollow Knight Sneak Peak
Knowing nothing about Hollow Knight going in - besides that it was a Metroidvania - I was extremely surprised that a hand drawn 2D game could evoke the gloomy and utterly depressing atmosphere of From Software’s Souls series.
The parallels between the games don’t stop at the aesthetics, as Team Cherry - a three man team based in Australia - took inspiration from the Souls series’ intertwined levels that are filled with hidden shortcuts and secret treasures. While exploring the caves below the city of Dirtmouth, I found myself facing many locked doors, initially unreachable platforms and giant enemies, who, in one case, inadvertently destroyed a section of wall which led to hidden treasure. On your travels you meet an array of colourful characters who provide you with the lore of the world and, when you eventually reach the surface, will provide you with essential tools and abilities used to navigate and conquer the chasms below. You buy these tools and abilities through coins collected from fallen foes, treasure chests, and various mineral deposits scattered throughout the decrepit caverns.
Insectoid enemies are the norm, and while the combat starts simple, it requires some relatively precise dodging and, judging by the way the game was progressing, will eventually get more complex. Outside of the bugs, there is a nice variety of humanoid-insect hybrid enemies that attack in different ways, including one that charges head first with a deadly spear on his head. There are also, of course, various bosses and mini-bosses within the depths which provide a great challenge. When you die, you are stripped of your coins and your body splits with a dark spirit. To reclaim your wealth you must return to the dark spirit and destroy it. It’s an interesting twist on the Souls series’ bloodstain mechanic.
This is all brought to life by a hauntingly beautiful hand drawn aesthetic, which is coupled with a sparse and ambient soundtrack that encapsulates the isolated, foreboding and hollowed ancient world you explore. Characters and enemies are distinct and colourful enough to never blend in with the desolate backgrounds.
I’m really surprised at how much I enjoyed the Hollow Knight Sneak Peak, considering it was an added bonus in this month’s monthly Humble Bundle. I’m greatly anticipating the full game, especially since it ended just as I started getting really into it.
You can pre-order Hollow Knight at http://hollowknight.com/ which is coming early 2017 on Steam (PC, Mac & Linux) and the Wii U.
Game Under Podcast Episode 93 Appears
Yes. Just like THAT! Woah, sick hyperlinking dude. Yes I know. Episode 93 of The Game Under Podcast. This episode we start examining the state of so called triple A development and start with Naughty Dog's Uncharted 4.
You'll hear analysis you will not hear anywhere else, so even if you are not interested in Uncharted 4 you will have an enjoyable hour or so listening to the unique perspective fo Tom Towers, and to a lessor extent, Phil Fogg.
Thanks for listening.
- Phil Fogg
Official Tom Towers Seal
Final Fantasy 7: An Oral History
Not only does it features "oral" in its title (which is a word that sounds like "aural"; Phil Fogg's favourite descriptor for reviews on the show), but also because it's one of the few pieces of long-form writing in videogames that deserves its reputation as being good, not simply long.
The key to successful videogame criticism is verbosity. Even popular "short" videos on YouTube, such as Game Maker's Tool Kit, work on the principle of taking a subject that may be covered in a few minutes, then finding a way to wax lyrical verbosity for ten or more minutes about it instead.
But the development of Final Fantasy VII and the impact of its success on SquareSoft is a subject substantial enough that it actually justifies tens of thousands of words of commentary.
Making Social Media Great Again
A recent exchange with Jamie Galea of newgameplus.tv, friend of the show.
Kevin Cloud, Staredown Champion
In this footage Kevin Cloud, one of id's original creative team, proves he is the master of the no-blinking competition for not blinking for 121 seconds (first blink at 10 seconds, second blink at two minutes and eleven seconds). That's over two minutes without blinking. The average adult human blinks ten times per second, which means that Kevin Cloud saved over 20 blinks in the first 2 minutes of this video. Outstanding.
This is the kind of video game Journalism that keeps you listening to the Game Under Podcast.
- Phil Fogg.
VA-11 Hall-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action
I'm about a third of the way through Sukeban's Game VA-11 Hall-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action, which many have compared to Papers Please, my GOTY of 2014. I'll cut to the chase, this "ain't no" Papers Please.
Which isn't to say there is not something noteworthy of the game. So not to spoil future impressions, I'll say that if you like the Trauma Center franchise, this game is right up your alley.
Umm... I think this is taken out of context.
As with that series, beware that there is more text than gameplay, and at times you will feel like you are playing a clicker if you are prepared to skip the copious amount of text.
More impressions in a future episode of The Game Under Podcast.
- Phil Fogg