4player Podcast

For all intents and purposes, 2023 was a great year for gamers but the development / business side of the industry has taken a savage beating. In our final podcast of the year, we talk about two more high-profile cancellations: Naughty Dog's The Last of Us multiplayer project AND E3 were both taken off life support in the past week. Brad talks up Bomb Rush Cyberfunk and Pizza Tower as he squeezes in a few more games prior to Awards season and Chris Davis has us covered with his thoughts on the remake of Super Mario RPG. In the second half of the show, we devote our time to the past, present, and future of Fantasy Critic. We talk final rankings and then hash out the changes and improvements we want to implement in 2024 - including ways of allowing the community to join in the fun more directly! Housekeeping / Game of the Year Plans (2:38) Headline: E3 is (finally) dead (14:50) Headline: Naughty Dog / Sony Cancel 'The Last of Us' Multiplayer Project (19:45) Impressions: Bomb Rush Cyberfunk (35:40) Impressions:

It's an unexpected race against time this week! Sudden, unexpected technical difficulties near the end of the episode force us to do battle with Chris Davis' PC as it tries to silence us. Before that though, we delve into the first ever Grand Theft Auto VI trailer and take a look back at the history of the series and the impact it has had on culture and the industry. Rather than close out the show in our usual fashion, Brad runs us through a series of increasingly ridiculous predictions ahead of The Game Awards. Grand Theft Auto VI Trailer Reactions (09:20) The Game Awards Predictions (51:35)

Ed returns to the show after a hectic but exciting year of traveling and moving across the country! We take some time to catch up with him about Final Fantasy XVI, The Talos Principle 2, Shadow Gambit, and even impressions of the new Steam Deck OLED! The group discusses the latest developments surrounding Dragon's Dogma 2 (including a release date) and the upcoming Fallout adaption on Amazon. Brad makes an argument on Persona 5 Tactica as a potential 2023 underdog and Nick shares his thoughts on Cyberpunk 2077 now that the big 2.0 update has redeemed it in the eyes of players years after launch. Catching up with Ed (6:05) Housekeeping / Fantasy Critic (25:20) Headlines - Dragon's Dogma 2 has a Release Date! (36:00) Headlines - Our first look at the Fallout TV series (50:30) Impressions - Persona 5 Tactica (59:25) Impressions - Steam Deck OLED (1:13:20) Impressions - Cyberpunk 2077 (1:26:00) 4Player Minute (2:05:40)

After a week off from recording due to unforeseen circumstances, we are back with a vengeance! We are bursting at the seams with new (and mostly exciting) games to talk about! Brad gives us the skinny on the latest Yakuza titled: Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased his Name, and Nick recaps his time with Jusant; a touching and impassioned homage to classics like Ico. Chris Davis fills the group in on his latest... video game life choices which includes playing all the way through RoboCop: Rogue City and Redfall. Nick also takes a deep dive into The Talos Principle II which easily earns a place among puzzle game classics like The Witness and even Portal. Housekeeping / Fantasy Critic Impressions - Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased his Name (15:20) Impressions - Jusant (30:00) Impressions - RoboCop: Rogue City (43:00) Impressions - The Talos Principle 2 (1:05:30) Impressions - Redfall (1:24:00) 4Player Minute (1:43:00)

This week, we have the pleasure of delving into TWO quality games that couldn't be more different! Brad looks back on his time with Super Marios Bros Wonder and applauds it's accomplishments while pondering it's place in 2D Mario history. In the 2nd segment, Nick and Chris Davis dive into Alan Wake 2; a long-awaited sequel that brought the best out of Remedy thanks to it's ambitious, open-ended design and it's dramatic pivot into the horror genre. Of course, it's not all rainbows and lollipops. We discuss Konami's baffling decision to lead the Silent Hill reboot with Silent Hill Ascension; a perplexing and somewhat embarrassing experiment that nobody asked for. Housekeeping / Fantasy Critic Discussion Silent Hill Ascension and the reboot of Silent Hill (22:56) Impressions - Super Mario Bros Wonder (33:50)  Impressions - Alan Wake II (58:50)  4Player Minute - (1:34:44)

Another week, another huge release for 2023. We spend MOST of the first segment this week talking about Insomniac's Spider-Man 2; a bold, polished sequel that delivers on almost every front. As it happens, it almost over-delivers with it's new wing-suit mechanics. After that, we ponder the current state of Insomniac and hypothesize about their upcoming Wolverine game. In the second segment, Brad gives us the rundown on two new indie releases worthy of your time and attention: Killer Frequency (Happy Halloween!) and Laika: Aged Through Blood - a game that feels like Trials HD and Castlevania had a brutally challenging baby... Housekeeping / Fantasy Critic  Impressions - Spider-Man 2 (12:55)  Discussion - The state of Insomniac and the potential directions for 'Wolverine' (50:40) Impressions - Killer Frequency (1:09:20) Impressions - Laika: Aged Through Blood (1:19:35) 4Player Minute - (1:29:30)

It's a strange week. We find ourselves in the midst of spooky season as we await the imminent release of some of the years biggest games. After some Halloween banter, we delve into the latest developments surrounding Naughty Dog's troubled Last of Us multiplayer project and the announcement of the new PS5 Slim. In the second segment, Brad finally has an opportunity to talk about the demo for Star Ocean: The Second Story R; An impressive remake of a PS1 classic that also calls more attention to the weird choices Square Enix is making. Nick and Chris Davis talk about the double edged sword that is Assassins Creed Mirage and then brad makes a compelling case for El Paso Elsewhere. Housekeeping - Please take our listener survey (link below) News - The Last of Us Factions 2 is in trouble - (35:15) News - Sony announces PS5 Slim - (42:45) Impressions - Star Ocean: The Second Story R (Demo) - (49:20) Impressions - Assassin's Creed Mirage - (1:02:10) Impressions - El Paso Elsewhere - (1:27:00) 4Player Minute - (1:43

It may be a skeleton crew this week but this industry slows down for nobody; Especially in 2023! We take an unexpected detour into Assassin's Creed territory up front but then go on to revisit Armored Core VI. Nick gushes over Cocoon; A game which may be struggling to find it's audience in such a crowded release season but is undoubtedly one of the best puzzle games of the year. A Starfield discussion goes sideways for Nick and Chris delivers his verdict on Telltale's The Expanse now that the full season has wrapped. Also, it's been an absolutely terrible week for game developers... Tangent - Assassin's Creed Mirage is Out Impressions - Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon Impressions - Cocoon Impressions - The Expanse Impressions - Payday 3 4Player Minute

Microsoft can't seem to catch a break. The Activision aquisition led to another massive document leak which gives us some insight into Bethesda's future lineup including new entries in the DOOM and Dishonored franchises and some rather shocking assessments about the value of certain games when it comes to Game Pass. We also react to the new gameplay footage for Dragons Dogma 2 and Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth which dropped this week at the Tokyo Game Show. Of course, the 2023 onslaught of cool games continues as we talk about the likes of Mortal Kombat 1, Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew (Mimimi's final game), and the new Separate Ways DLC for Resident Evil 4! News - Huge Microsoft Leak News - Reactions to new 'Dragons Dogma 2' and 'Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth' gameplay Impressions - Resident Evil 4: Separate Ways Impressions - Mortal Kombat 1 Impressions - Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew 4Player Minute

It has been a whirlwind week in the world of video games but more importantly, we are sporting new podcasting uniforms; In case there was any doubt that our nerdiness knew no bounds. Of course, we dip our toes in the big Unity debacle that has taken the industry by storm this week and we discuss a major departure from Respawn / EA. It is also a historic day in which a Nintendo Direct and Sony State of Play were held on the same day so we run through the highlights. In the second segment, Brad talks Pseudoregalia and we take our first stab at Starfield impressions which, thus far, is proving to be a bit of a mixed bag. Nick and Chris delve deeper into Sea of Stars and we discuss our time playing The Texas Chainsaw Massacre last week. New Uniforms! News - Unity fucked up big time News - Stig Asmussen leaves EA / Respawn News - Nintendo Direct / Sony State of Play recaps Impressions - Pseudoregalia Impressions - Starfield Impressions - Sea of Stars Impressions - The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 4Player Minute

It's a good news, bad news week. The good news is that Starfield reviews have landed and while they aren't blowing Baldur's Gate 3 out of the water, they do seem to indicate that it's not a disaster! On the other hand, the industry suffered several unexpected studio closures this week. Mimimi announced Shadow Gambit would be their last game and Embracer group shut down Volition. With that said, the year of great gaming continues! We dig into Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon and Blasphemous 2; Two games that faithfully continue their respective franchises while opting to play it safe. Chris also gives us his very early thoughts on Sea of Stars which is on it's way to becoming one of the best reviewed RPG's of the year... outside of Baldur's Gate 3 of course. Housekeeping + Fantasy Critic Update News - Starfield Reviews are HERE News - Mimimi & Volition Studio Closures Impressions - Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon Impressions - Blasphemous 2 Impressions - Sea of Stars 4Player Minute

We take a break this week from the onslaught of current games to delve once again into the world of "what if?" Inspired the release of 'Bomb Rush Cyberfunk' - an indie spiritual successor to 'Jet Set Radio' - we discuss our Top 3 games or franchises that we wish would be reborn as an indie spiritual successor. The possibilities are endless but our answers range from classics like Mega Man Legends to cult hits like Manhunt. These may never come to pass but anything could happen and it's always fun to imagine. Want to share your thoughts or leave a comment on this episode? Visit the official posting for this episode on 4PlayerNetwork.com!

The show name says it all. We live in a post Baldur's Gate 3 world and despite our best efforts at staying on topic, we feel the pull of this massive game in almost every segment. We take our 2nd dive into the game and talk about the impact it has had on the industry and more specifically, the impending release of Starfield which has officially gone gold! We also spend a few minutes talking predictions about next week's Opening Night Live presentation at Gamescom. Chris Davis shares his experience with the recent Payday 3 beta and Brad talks about Blasphemous which he has finally played now that the sequel looms on the horizon. Housekeeping + Fantasy Critic Update News - Starfield has gone gold News - Gamescom is next week; What do we expect? Impressions - Baldur's Gate 3 Impressions - Payday 3 Impressions - Blasphemous 4Player Minute

It's been a couple weeks since our last recording but the world has changed. Baldur's Gate 3 is out and it's already giving Tears of the Kingdom a run for it's money as one of the year's most critically acclaimed releases. We spend the entire 2nd segment diving into this undeniably dense but absurdly rewarding RPG. But first, we discuss the announcement of the Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail expansion and Rockstar's incredibly disappointing Red Dead Redemption announcement. Chris Davis "prepared a statement" about Dead Island 2 and Nick highlights My Friendly Neighborhood which feels like Five Night's at Freddy's and Resident Evil 1 had a baby. Housekeeping + Fantasy Critic Update News - Final Fantasy XIV Dawntrail expansion announced News - Rockstar announced a PORT of Red Dead Redemption on old hardware News - GTA6 might be coming next fiscal year Impressions - Dead Island 2 Impressions - My Friendly Neighborhood Impressions - Baldur's Gate 3 4Player Minute

If you like your video games extra video-gamey, we've got a great episode for you this week. After our Fantasy Critic update touches on the rumored Red Dead Redemption remake (remaster?), we deliver our impressions of some of the most vibrant games to release this year! Pikmin 4 is the most accessible entry in the series to date but it comes at a cost. Viewfinder is an impressive technical achievement that doesn't quite reach the heights of the games that inspired it. Gravity Circuit is a rock-solid homage to classic Mega Man that has struggled to find it's audience. Finally, as Brad put it, Exoprimal is "Everything, everywhere, all at once... with a Battle Pass." Don't be fooled, all of the games mentioned this week reinforce 2023's killer lineup. Housekeeping + Fantasy Critic Update Impressions - Pikmin 4 Impressions - Viewfinder Impressions - Gravity Circuit Impressions - Exoprimal 4Player Minute

With a few members out this week, we figured it would the perfect time to revisit our Fantasy Critic league, discuss the year so far, and look ahead at the games that have been drafted to predict how the remainder of the year might come together. Carlos even joins us to shine a light on his roster thus far and discuss some of the big question marks for the year such as Hollow Knight Silksong, Routine, and Counter Strike 2. Throughout the discussion, we review each of our rosters and dive deep on a lot of BIG games set to release in the fall and beyond including Spider-Man 2, Alan Wake 2, Baldur's Gate 3, and a whole lot more! Catch up with Carlos Fantasy Critic Recap - A look at all of our current rosters  A look ahead at the year to come 4Player Minute

The week has been slow for headlines and Fantasy Critic but that gives us more time to gush over Dave the Diver and vent our frustrations with Final Fantasy XVI. We discuss a small update from IO Interactive regarding a new studio and what it means for their upcoming 007 project and then discuss the validity of the rumors surrounding an impending Red Dead Redemption remake. Beyond that, the gaps are filled with plenty of tangents including bear sex in Baldur's Gate 3 and the impending release of Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning which has Nick chomping at the bit. Housekeeping Fantasy Critic Update News - IO Interactive announce Opening of a new Studio News - Rumors circulate regarding a Red Dead Redemption remake coming 2023 Impressions - Dave the Diver Impressions - Final Fantasy XVI 4Player Minute

Nintendo has spoken and Krispy agrees... the people are ready for an amazing 2D Mario game! We dig into all the big announcements from Nintendo's summer showcase including Super Mario Bros Wonder, a remake of Super Mario RPG, and a new Princess Peach platformer! Annapurna also brought it with their latest showcase thanks to the announcement of an internally developed Blade Runner game. In the second segment, we take our first dive into the meat and potatoes of Final Fantasy XVI, Chris makes a strong case for playing Aliens: Dark Descent, and Nick gives his initial thoughts on Trepang2, an indie successor to the original FEAR. Oh... and Brad found his new drug in Halls of Torment, a successor to last year's mega-indie, Vampire Survivors.  Housekeeping Fantasy Critic Update News - Nintendo Direct Recap News - Annapurna Interactive Showcase Recap Impressions - Final Fantasy XVI Impressions - Aliens: Dark Descent Impressions - Trepang2 Impressions - Halls of Torment 4Player Minute

We follow up last week's Xbox Showcase predictions game with the results and then recap all of the big announcements including updates on Fable, Avowed, Hellblade II, and more! Of course, we also discuss all of the exciting details that came pouring out of the big Starfield Direct which now has us appropriately hyped. In the second segment, we finally discuss our dissenting(?) opinions of Diablo IV and then take a close look at the big Final Fantasy XVI demo which now has us pretty optimistic ahead of it's launch next week. Chris Davis uses his 4Player Minute to give us a detailed breakdown of the rather bleak news about Embracer Group which seems to be faced with studio closures and game cancellations. Housekeeping Fantasy Critic Update News - XBox Showcase Predictions Results & Recap News - Ubisoft Showcase Recap Impressions - Diablo IV Impressions - Final Fantasy XVI (Demo) 4Player Minute - Includes a detailed breakdown of the Embracer Group debacle

It's June so Keigh-3 is in the air. The big Summer Game Fest showcase happened this week so we run down the list of all the big announcements including a new Prince of Persia game, Mortal Kombat 1 and Alan Wake II gameplay debuts, and the re-reveal of Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth! After that, we take a new, points-driven, prediction segment for a test-drive ahead of the upcoming Xbox Showcase. In the second segment, Nick praises Amnesia: The Bunker as a new high bar for the series (and maybe even the genre) and Nolan introduces a clever new 1v1 (or 2v2) card-based FPS called Friends vs. Friends. Housekeeping Fantasy Critic Update News - Summer Game Fest Recap Xbox Showcase Predictions Game Impressions - Amnesia: The Bunker Impressions - Friends vs. Friends 4Player Minute