The Giant Beastcast: Episode 120

@sethmode: I know exactly how this is gonna go. Being a big release that people on the staff played, it's going to be mentioned in the huge list before they start cutting games. Alex is gonna say, "I didn't love this game and it doesn't hang here, but it was okay and I think if you're into that kind of game, you might really love it. It does some cool stuff, but we can cut it from the list. I just wanted to say my piece."

A few things here. First, this is not a dig at Alex in any way. I honestly think including games they liked before cutting them is a great way for the staff to get in their final comments on the biggest games of the year. Second...I'm sure everyone read that in Alex's voice. :-)

And finally, everyone playing at home, remember to fill in your Giant Bomb Game of the Year bingo cards when this is said!

The way Abby approaches video games is kind of a bummer. Looks up an ending to a game and decides to sell it based on what she read.... there's more to a game than just the story and you're also robbing yourself of the actual experience. So weird.

Cream cheese on your face is a power move.

KAKAO OR BUST. They're definitely either using LINE or Kakao Talk.

I find it odd that Dan is perfectly fine with having spent out for 2 TV's and 2 PS4's but draws the line at the prospect of owning 2 copies of a game.

@madbootsy: Yea, that is a bit odd. It is like instead of watching a movie, you wikipedia the plot summary and decide not to watch the movie.

It's crazy to me that people play Destiny alone. It's absolutely the worst way to experience either Destiny game. A huge draw of both games is the "hanging out" mentality of the game, where much of the fun doesn't come from the game itself, but from playing the game with friends while joking around.

Glimmer is gold/credits/gil/zenny. All Planetary tokens are just consumables that give you rep at that specific location.

@doncabesa: Yupp. I've given up in general that the Bomb crews across both coasts will mention good things about the Xbox One, X or not. If it's not on the PS4, forget it. I guess this is what it felt like to be a PS3 fan during 360's dominance.

I can't help but find it humorous when the staff talks about what a good year of games it has been. I don't disagree with the sentiment but it doesn't really ring true when the list of games people on staff have completed are slim this late in the year and their top prospect is an unfinished multiplayer game. I'll be surprised if everyone except Dan and Alex have personal lists bigger than a top five. Not that the actual number of games on a list matters but it does give me the feeling that this was a year where the number of personal obligations of the staff far outweighed their desire to play a wide array of games. Nothing wrong with that, just an observation on my part.

I for one had no clue that Bakalar had done 80 bajillion episodes of 404. That certainly would explain how he's been an absolute pro on the Beastcast since the beginning. CNET would be foolish not to harness his talent for radio as long as it doesn't make him less of a regular on this show because he's so terrific. I know it gets said to death but Abby has been such a great addition to this crew. She strikes that perfect balance of class and crass that I strongly associate with the best members of this staff. I could really get behind this "Who cares!" catch phrase she's got going. Thanks as always for the podcast and keep up the good work.

@madbootsy: If she wasn't enjoying the game enough to keep going, then she was looking for a good reason to keep playing. The ending didn't give her one. I figure that's a better way than just giving up on it.

The Beastcast is now officially my favorite content on Giant Bomb. This crew is so perfect together.

@matthewgm said:

Well, spoiling the ending for herself and then selling the game is her giving up on it. In my experience, most games get better as you continue to play them. Also, if your big motivation for playing video games is to just see their endings and be like "Hey, I did it.", that is kinda strange - it's about the journey, not the destination.

It's her choice and her time, but I feel like that kind of approach to entertainment is a real shame.

To imitate @alex, it seems like you need to combine the perception of Rainman, vocabulary of Dennis Miller, and intensity of Beavis 10 years after having been cured by mind altering substances.

If you want to do great Alex impersonations there are three simple steps.

Be as monotone as possible, say "fuck(ing, er, ed, etc.)" a lot and more than anything else... pause with some "uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh"s

You'll get there in no time! :-)