Wednesday, September 30, 2015

EXP Podcast #348: Destiny Revisited

If this guy asks you to raid, don't flake on him.
The latest Destiny ads are using Led Zeppelin songs, but based on all the events of Destiny's first year, I think Katy Perry might fit better.  The Taken King is out and with it come a slew of big changes.  This week, we talk about what's new.  Sick helmets, strange coins, and social faux pas: you can find it all in this big ol' universe.

- 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: 37 mins 54 sec
- "I never expected Destiny to make me feel so very, very alone," by Chris Plante, via The Verge
- Music by Brad Sucks

Tuesday, September 29, 2015

Metal Gear Solid V: The Legend of the Shonkey

In which we discover new discover new lifeforms, tranquilize known lifeforms, and try to ride shipping containers.

 

Thursday, September 24, 2015

Getting to Know the Ground in ‘Metal Gear Solid V’

PopMatters is undergoing some maintenance, so I'm posting this now and will update with links once the column goes live.


This week on PopMatters I talk about how Snake gets low.

I mean literally low to the ground.  Like hiding in the brush low.  Like down in the dirt low.  This assumes you’re playing Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain stealthily of course, which is a reasonable assumption seeing as how you’re rewarded with points and unlocks for avoiding detection.  If you’ve decided against the Rambo path you’ll need to do lots of hiding, which means becoming very familiar with the way the world looks from a snake’s eye view.

If you pay attention, MGS V telegraphs this from its very opening moments.  A huge portion of the hospital scene is focused on introducing you to crawling, crouching, and hiding under things.  The pace is deliberately slow and Snake is fairly fragile compared to his enemies.  The “normal” state of the world is one where you’re looking at it from the ground up.

I also got to do some pretty fun research around how many different ways there are to interact with the ground in MGS V.  Here is a video of my studies:



Silliness aside, MGS V’s open world feels very different than GTA or Saint’s Row.  Instead of being rewarded for stealing planes or jumping halfway across the map, you’re prompted to spend time inching along the terrain.  It’s a slower, more methodical pace that is unique and useful as a juxtaposition for scenes when everything goes to shit.  The quiet moments are more tense and the chaotic scenes are more bombastic when it feels like your life is tied to your ability to become part of the landscape itself.

Wednesday, September 23, 2015

EXP Podcast #347: Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain Debrief, Part 1

The truest act of heroism.
Nothing makes a splash in the video game world quite like Metal Gear Solid, mostly because it brings Hideo Kojima parachuting in from the skies to wreak havoc on sheep and the like. This week on the EXP Podcast, knowing we have a massive game in front of us, Scott and I discuss our first impressions of The Phantom Pain, from the tutorial to the effect of horse poop on moving vehicles.

If you're playing MGS V yourself, let us know what stands out in the comments below. And of course be sure to check back after awhile once Scott and I have actually, you know, finished the game.

- 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: 45 mins 11 sec
- Music by Brad Sucks

Tuesday, September 22, 2015

HotS Stuff Coming Through

Scott is behind the wheel for our latest venture into the moba world with Heroes of the Storm. This game featuring Valla and Arthas.


Thursday, September 17, 2015

The Phantom Pain has the Best Tutorial Ever Made

What is this guy's problem!?
My argument in this week's PopMatters article is right in the title: The Phantom Pain features the best tutorial ever made. I will hear no counter-argument. This is just an objective truth.

Ok, I'm willing to hear some avenues of disagreement if you have a great tutorial in mind. For example, I'm partial to the built-in tutorial of Gears of War that flows effortlessly into the main storyline without skipping a beat. Portal and Portal 2 also have pretty great tutorials that get you comfortably familiar with the world and the mechanics before tossing you into the full-blown puzzles.

You know what neither of them feature though? Fiery unicorns. It's not just the mayhem of Phantom Pain that sets it apart though. It's that this prologue mission is so meta that it's more an introduction to the idea of Metal Gear than the actual game. There isn't some crazy village you have to grok in the prologue for example, no need to fulton people, animals, or goods into the sky. But that's fine. Metal Gear is not about aerial trickery.

The game is about navigating a landscape of controlled chaos. It's about accepting what's in front of you and acting (and reacting) accordingly. It's about confronting insane surprises with calculated and logical decisions given the context. Sometimes fighting back is playing dead. Sometimes defeating your foes means shooting a fire extinguisher. Sometimes everything goes out the window and dammit, that's alright, because you'll figure it out as you go along.

Wednesday, September 16, 2015

EXP Podcast #346: Guiness Certified

This guy just discovered Scott's basement.
This week on the EXP Podcast, Scott and I bust out our huge collection of authentic Cool Spot merchandise and try to make our way into the Guinness Book of World Records. Did you know Mario was originally called Jumpman (of course you did), Skylanders is the best-selling videogame toyline (you could've guessed)? More importantly, can you figure out why anyone would still care about world records?

All this in more inside the podcast! When you're done, chime in below in the comments with the gaming world record you're hoping to achieve in your lifetime.

- 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: 39 mins 46 sec
- Music by Brad Sucks

Thursday, September 10, 2015

A Fleeting Sense of Presence in 'Everybody's Gone to the Rapture'

At least we'll remember where we parked.
This week on PopMatters I slowly crawl through Everybody's Gone to the Rapture.

Yes, it's easy to take shots at the game's movement speed, but it's a good symbol for Everybody's Gone to the Rapture's overall shortcomings.  Everything looks very lifelike, but the moment you start interacting with the world things start to fall apart.  You're a person-sized entity with person-sounding footsteps interacting with some objects in a person-like way, but you move like a weird Ken Burns camera.  It's frustrating and detracts from moments that would otherwise be exciting.

There are certain flashes of brilliance, especially when it comes to the sound design.  Aside from Metal Gear games, I can't think of another game where I've paid more attention to every small noise.  Hearing the muffled phone ring from inside the house when you're walking past it seems mundane, but the fact that it's tied to understanding the game's mystery and that the game doesn't explicitly guide you too them make them feel special.

A host of little details foster this same feeling: clouds briefly drifting across the sun, backyard toys, suitably-cluttered garages.  Everything looks like it was a place humans inhabited.  Then you realize that half the doors are inexplicably locked, the bike sitting against the tree can't be used, and the people you're following don't seem all that angry about the world ending.

It's a shame, because every once in a while Everybody's Gone to the Rapture makes you feel like you're experiencing a lived-in world.  Unfortunately, the feeling is fleeting.

Wednesday, September 9, 2015

EXP Podcast #345: Get Off My Lawn and Onto YouTube

Kimmel takes the fight to YouTube
Remember this day everyone: today is the beginning of what will almost certainly be our decades-long feud with Jimmy Kimmel.  Inspired by his spat with let's play fans, we're diving into how and why seemingly-random people on YouTube have more watchers than major network talk show hosts.  We don't pretend to completely understand it, but we're happy that when we put stuff on YouTube there are at least a few of you who don't want us to die in a fire!


- 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: 34 mins 04 sec
- Music by Brad Sucks

Tuesday, September 8, 2015

Rocket League: All-Star 2v2 Action

In which we school people with offensive screen names. We're not here to judge; we're just here not to get fined.

 

Thursday, September 3, 2015

Photos from Shropshire

Maybe all those points of light are deadly beings?
There's brief PopMatters hiatus today, so instead of an essay about Everybody's Gone to the Rapture, I'll shared some of the screenshots I took while playing the game.  I suppose there are some spoilers here, but nothing too explicit.

Regardless of how you feel about the game, it's hard to not to marvel at its scenery.

One of my favorite scenes: a windmill backlit by the rest of the universe.

Somebody check this person's credentials.  I'm from California and I've never heard of this school.

The real mystery: What happened to this shed's floor?!

Both entities seem to be reaching out to touch the unknown.

I'll say more on Everybody's Gone to the Rapture in a couple weeks.  In the meantime, check out our podcast if you want a more animated take on religion, science, and speed walking.

Wednesday, September 2, 2015

EXP Podcast #344: Everybody's Gone to the Rapture Debrief

Why can't we just bike around Shropshire?
Everyone has been sucked up into the big glowing pattern in the sky. This week on the EXP Podcast, Scott and I go with them. What do we find there? Why some balls of light, a pastoral British village, and some serious problems with alien life forms of course!

This is a lengthy podcast this week about an interesting and potentially divisive game, so of course we want to hear your thoughts. If you've got some time, send us an email or leave a comment. We'd love to hear your perspective on Everybody's Gone to the Rapture.


- 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: 51 mins 54 sec
- Music by Brad Sucks

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

The Flock: A Light Touch

Our flock might be small, but our thirst for the light is as strong as ever. Come and watch us scream like terrified children!