Y2Ken

I still get it quite frequently - recent games that have done that include Monster Hunter World, Hitman 2016, Yakuza 0, Tokyo Mirage Sessions, Bloodborne, Into the Breach, Dead Cells, and Rocket League. I love tons of games but it is always special when you get that true feeling of unbridled joy from something.

Most recently Two Point Hospital is giving me those vibes (as a huge fan of Theme hospital when I was younger). Wargroove definitely has me interested as well - hopefully both of them can deliver on what they're going for!

Yeah I saw the second half, which was great. Hopefully they're able to edit and re-upload it with the personal info removed if that's the case, it'd be a shame to lose the episode entirely!

I don't use them too often these days, but it's not really surprising that those are the top-ranking articles during a period where not many big-budget games are releasing. GameSpot appeals to a very wide audience, so its most popular content will naturally be the bigger-name stuff, which during the summer slowdown is not a great deal (so Fortnite naturally wins out, though it probably would rank highly regardless).

Did you play the most recent games? I've stuck with the series since the first generation and, while I still enjoy them all, I definitely felt some of the fatigue you're getting at. It's notable that my favourite things about entries past early gens were the narratives - I loved Black & White's story aspects, but I bounced off X & Y's a lot faster. However, Sun & Moon are the most different the series has felt structurally since its inception - you still have major "tests" but you arent' going from town to town and collecting eight badges, and the Pokémon League doesn't even exist in Alola initially but is being built as your journey progresses. It's a lot more story-driven, with the narrative being the main drive for you to go from place to place (whereas in pretty much every game prior your goal was always finding that next gym, and the story sequences just kind of popped up around that every so often). It really felt like a breath of fresh air to me and ended up being one of my favourites.

To speak to Aroe's point about the mechanical depth, I actually appreciate their design there. There's so much nuance to building up a perfect team and breeding ideal Pokémon for competition, but I love that none of that is required for the main game. In past years I've meticulously sought out that depth and spent hours perfecting my IVs (and had a fantastic time doing so)… but these days I don't have as much time to invest and so the past few entries I've just caught one of each Pokémon I encounter and then levelled up the ones I liked most aesthetically. I definitely play in a more tactical way than I did as a very young child, but I enjoy & appreciate that I can see all the game's content without having to invest time into the breeding and EV training aspects if I want to.

They're mostly inoffensive, but it kinda bums me out that they're all so generic because when they do make more uniquely-designed ones they look so much better. I kinda want the Rathalos figure they did because it's got a distinct design that actually captures the thing it's supposed to be.

There are tons of great ones (including the older entries, I'm not really sure why you'd write those off so easily) but personally XIII is probably the standout. It's odd, because it feels like the point where they stepped a little further away from the traditional "sound" of Final Fantasy at times, but that battle music is absolutely phenomenal. I have a ton of love for the soundtracks of XIV and X as well, so they'd come in a close second and third. But I could listen to just about any music from the series and have a good time.

I still haven't seen RoboCop and it seems wild to me not that most people have seen it but that you all apparently saw it as children. But who am I to judge?

Left pocket: phone

Right pocket: handkerchief

If I'm going out of the house then add wallet to right pocket, and keys to back-right.

I've never walked out of a movie, but I've also only ever gone to the cinema with people and I'm pretty tough to persuade to see something in the first place so its unlikely I'd have gotten that far if I wasn't interested. I have a fairly high tolerance for bullshit, too, so it'd take a lot to get me to actually leave.

Looking good, Jan! Interested to see what else y'all have in store.

I think the "current game" thing is definitely very useful. The news thing I could kinda take or leave - I feel like it might distract my brain from the actual discussion too much, but I can always just not look at it. Personally I'm always a fan of 60fps video, too, but I don't mind the 24fps if you prefer the way that looks. 60 just feels more like being "in the room" to me, which works well for a podcast.