Batman: Arkham Knight: Being the Batmen

Harley goes H.A.M. on some piggies and we discuss Batman's social media presence.

 

Pleasant Surprises at E3

The new Wii Bowling game looks cool.

This week, inspired by Jorge’s optimism, I take a few minutes to recap some of the nice surprises from E3.

As bloated and gross as it is, I still enjoy watching the E3 drama.  There’s a circus-like appeal to the event.  For the past few years, it’s been one of those “It’s horrible but I can’t look away” type of things.  What tired franchise will be paraded around this year?  How Microsoft try to convince me that the Kinect was a good idea?  How many cringe-inducing sexist jokes will be in the press conferences?

2015 turned out to be a nice change of pace.  The unexpected announcements were actually about games.  There was a mixture of fan service and new material.  While there were still plenty of faux-military shoot-fests, lots of genres got the spotlight and a variety of developers had some stage time to lend some personality to marketing-heavy presentations.

Pelé talked about soccer.  Martin Sahlin talked about yarn.  Media Molecule talked about dreams.  I hadn't realized how eager I was for variety, but all the quirkiness was much appreciated.  On the more franchise-oriented side of things, even my icy heart was warmed by some of the fan service (it's still incredible to imagine The Last Guardian as an real, playable thing).

Maybe this is more sad than anything, but the focus on actual games rather than motion control junk or transmedia noise was an immensely welcome surprise.  After a rough start, it seems like this console cycle is finally hitting its stride.

EXP Podcast #334: E3 2015 Debrief

Crowd reaction at Sony press conference.

Shenmue, The Last Guardian, Final Fantasy VII remake, and Xbox backwards compatibility: These are the four horsemen of the apocalypse that herald the end times...

Welcome to the E3 extravaganza! This week on the lengthy podcast, we discuss some of the show's biggest reveals and all its E3-weirdness. Did you check out the press conferences this year? Anything you're thrilled to see? Still crying because they canceled Phantom Dust? Let us know in the comments or by shooting us an email!

- Here's the show's stand-alone feed
- Listen to the podcast in your browser by left-clicking here, right-click and select "save as link" to download the show in MP3 format, or click play below.

Show Notes:

- Runtime: 40 mins 15 sec
- Music by Brad Sucks

Spelunky: Ceci N'est Pas Une Grotte

I don't know when we became professional Spelunky players, but I can safely say this was the moment we retired. Also, neanderthal conversations.

Some E3 Optimism

It's so easy to be cynical about E3, so this year I tried to show a little optimism.

I really was stunned when Sony revealed The Last Guardian. It is hard for me to overstate how important Ico was when I first played it. The game released during a tumultuous period for me and I found it quiet mystery immensely enthralling. It was a safe space to escape, but more than that it filled me with a wonder. Many of the games I enjoy today remind me of that first experience when I felt games could create such a dramatic sense of awe.


One of my favorite experiences at E3 this year was Beyond Eyes. Created by Sherida Halatoe and a team of developers from Team 17, Beyond Eyes follows a young blind girl who's past experiences define how she interprets the world with her new limited senses. It's an absolutely gorgeous watercolor world, and the way it colors itself into being is reminiscent of The Unfinished Swan. The way Rae, the young protagonist, colors in her surroundings based on earlier encounters makes for some interesting moments where sound triggers emotion. Thinking she hears, say, a flock of crows, Rae can move on, avoiding the creatures, or confront her fears and reveal, say, a harmless group of chickens. I could see a compelling coming-of-age story in this charming indie game.

A larger title than Beyond Eyes for sure; Gigantic also makes my list for most interesting games from E3. I mention it briefly in the PopMatters article, but I find the diversity of the characters fantastic. From old women to weird monsters, the game sets itself apart from many of the other third-person competitive action games coming out as well as other MOBAs on the scene. While it might not be enough to draw me away from League of Legends, it certainly has my attention. When so many games can start bleeding into each other at a huge trade show like E3, it's rejuvenating to see something stand out with its own aesthetic.

EXP Podcast #333: Splatoon Debrief

I don't think you're ready for this jelly...fish.

Jorge haven't had too much luck with eSports, but maybe we'll have a shot at seaSports?  Anyone?  Whatever.  You'll all come around when we win the Splatoon world championships.  We've had some time to get our tentacles around Splatoon and have surfaced from the briny deep just long enough for a debrief.

- Here's the show's stand-alone feed
- Listen to the podcast in your browser by left-clicking here, right-click and select "save as link" to download the show in MP3 format, or click play below.

Show Notes:

- Runtime: 40 mins 15 sec
- Music by Brad Sucks

Spelunky: E3 Predictions and Dinosaur Discussion

We ask the tough questions about Jurassic World. Also: since when did when did Batman get into screamo-metal?