Expansion Pass #230 - Astro Bot Spoiler-Free Review

Are you on social media? Of course you are. So follow us! Twitter: @MemberTheGameInstagram: @MemberTheGameTwitch.tv/MemberTheGame⁠⁠⁠Youtube.com/RememberTheGame⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook.com/RememberTheGamePodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok.com/@MemberTheGame⁠⁠⁠And if you want access to hundreds of bonus (ad-free) podcasts, along with multiple new shows EVERY WEEK, consider showing us some love over at Patreon. Subscriptions start at just $3/month, and 5% of our patreon income every month will be donated to our 24 hour Extra-Life charity stream at the end of the year!⁠⁠⁠Patreon.com/RememberTheGame⁠⁠⁠And you can find info on Tyler's flick Contamination here:https://www.brimstonepictures.com/Batman: Arkham Asylum blew my mind back in the day, and Arkham City took that concept to the next level by making it open-world and letting old man Wayne fight even more villains this time around. What else do you need me to say? This game is a masterpiece.And it's not just that Arkham City is a great superhero game, but it really wrote the script for so many games in the future. The free-flowing combat system has been copied over and over, and I'd range that the quality of Arkham City's story, gallery of characters, setting, and graphics have set bars that most modern games still can't touch 15 years later. Genuinely one of the greatest video games ever made.The Batman to my Robin, ye olde Tyler, is my guest this week. He thinks Arkham City is brilliant, I think it's brilliant, and you do too. Admit it.And before we take on Joker and friends, I put together another edition of the Infamous Intro!This week someone asks my love of Blink-182, I talk about who I'd love to interview if I could talk to anyone in gaming, and what aspects of retro gaming do we hope never make a comeback??Plus we play another round of 'Play One, Remake One, Erase One', too! This one features 3 retro Bat-titles: Batman Forever, Batman Returns, and Batman & Robin.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It's game award season, and my review of GOTY contender Hollow Knight: Silksong is going live this week, so I figured I'd deep into our Patreon archives and upload my review of last year's Game of the Year, the spectacular Astro Bot, to the free feeds. Hope you enjoy the episode and RTG will be back next week!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Are you on social media? Of course you are. So follow us! Twitter: @MemberTheGameInstagram: @MemberTheGameTwitch.tv/MemberTheGameYoutube.com/RememberTheGameFacebook.com/RememberTheGamePodcastTikTok.com/@MemberTheGameAnd if you want access to hundreds of bonus (ad-free) podcasts, along with multiple new shows EVERY WEEK, consider showing us some love over at Patreon. Subscriptions start at just $3/month, and 5% of our patreon income every month will be donated to our 24 hour Extra-Life charity stream at the end of the year!Patreon.com/RememberTheGameAnd you can check out Daniel's streams at:Twitch.tv/stpd_mnkyMy knowledge of the PlayStation 2 library is about as deep as a shot glass, but I've been righting that wrong over the years on this show. And while I've played some GREAT PS2 games for the podcast, God of War II might just be the best of the bunch.I've loved the modern God of War games, and whenI finally played the OG a few years ago I thought it was really solid. I've been looking forward to diving into the rest of the series ever since, and hey hell, the sequel did not disappoint. In my opinion, this game raises the bar in every way from the first game. Better story, better graphics, MUCH better pacing, and more incredible boss fights. I don't even mind the reliance on QTEs (minus the Zeus fight, which is a little cheap).My guest this week is our resident Stpd Mnky, my buddy Daniel. He was there for the original God of War episode, and he's back for round 2 to help me remember the names of all these stupid Gods and to help me sing the praises of just a fantastic game. He'll be back for part III, and I can assure you it won't take another 4 years to get there.And before we take on the Gods, I put together another edition of the Infamous Intro!This week, a new game collector asks for a little advice. Do 'spiritual successor' games ever live up to expectations? And am I planning on picking up any games on Black Friday??Plus we play another round of 'Play One, Remake One, Erase One', too! This one features 3 PS2 heavyweights: Final Fantasy X, Metal Gear Solid 2, and GTA San Andreas.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Are you on social media? Of course you are. So follow us! Twitter: @MemberTheGameInstagram: @MemberTheGameTwitch.tv/MemberTheGame⁠Youtube.com/RememberTheGame⁠⁠Facebook.com/RememberTheGamePodcast⁠⁠TikTok.com/@MemberTheGame⁠And if you want access to hundreds of bonus (ad-free) podcasts, along with multiple new shows EVERY WEEK, consider showing us some love over at Patreon. Subscriptions start at just $3/month, and 5% of our patreon income every month will be donated to our 24 hour Extra-Life charity stream at the end of the year!⁠Patreon.com/RememberTheGame⁠And you can find Dan here:https://linktr.ee/dissectthatfilmhttps://x.com/Roehm_21DWAnyone that grew up in the "video game rental" era (that some of you didn't makes me feel old as fuck) remembers renting some mediocre game again and again. And for me and my bro, one of those games was Jaws for the NES.To be fair, it actually isn't the worst NES game based on a movie in the NES library. Or the worst LJN NES game for that matter. You sail around in a boat killing animals and collecting shells that you use for stronger guns to shoot Jaws. You also bomb jellyfish from a plane. And that's, well, that's pretty much. It isn't particular deep, but it's not particularly awful, either.My boy Dan from Dissect That Film returns to this week to talk about hunting sharks. He also gives me a bit of an explanation as to how this ties into the movie, WHICH movie it ties into, and we talk about ideas for a modern jaws game as well. This episode is longer than the game is. It's not a flex, but it is a fact.And before we look for a bigger boat, I put together another edition of the Infamous Intro!This week someone asks if Mass Effect 1 is worth getting through to reach the phenomenal Mass Effect 2? A few people ask about Kingdom Hearts, so I share my long-standing thoughts on that series and why I don't want to touch it. And what do I consider to be must-play NES and SNES games??Plus we play another round of 'Play One, Remake One, Erase One', too! This one features 3 NES movie games: Back to the Future, Ghostbusters, and Nightmare on Elm Street.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Are you on social media? Of course you are. So follow us! Twitter: @MemberTheGameInstagram: @MemberTheGameTwitch.tv/MemberTheGame⁠⁠⁠Youtube.com/RememberTheGame⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook.com/RememberTheGamePodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok.com/@MemberTheGame⁠⁠⁠And if you want access to hundreds of bonus (ad-free) podcasts, along with multiple new shows EVERY WEEK, consider showing us some love over at Patreon. Subscriptions start at just $3/month, and 5% of our patreon income every month will be donated to our 24 hour Extra-Life charity stream at the end of the year!⁠⁠⁠Patreon.com/RememberTheGame⁠⁠⁠And you can find Mark on TikTok @barkmccueIt's a rare movie review on RTG this week, and we're talking about quite possibly the greatest video game movie ever made in Disney's Wreck-It Ralph. If you can't find something to enjoy in this movie, I have to question whether or not you have a soul.The movie is to video games what Toy Story is to toys. We watch Ralph struggle in his role as a bad guy when he isn't really a "bad" guy, and when he sets out to prove it to the NPCs in his game, the world of Fix It Felix Jr comes crashing down. Add in an adorable sidekick, a badass heroine, and more video game easter eggs than you can count, and you have one hell of a movie.Pending RTG Hall of Famer Mark McCue is my guest this week and we praised the piss out of this movie. Laughing at our favourite scenes, pointing out the best cameos (and speculating on what it cost to get Bowser to appear)...this was just a really fun episode. No rage, no arguing, just two man-children geeking out about a movie for kids.And before we wreck it, I put together another edition of the Infamous Intro!This week, someone asks if Sega could take Nintendo down today if they were still in the console market? Are game consoles a good investment by the cost of entertainment today? And Street Fighter or Mortal Kombat?Plus we play another round of 'Play One, Remake One, Erase One', too! This one features 3 games that star villains from the movie: Super Mario Bros. 3, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, and Street Fighter 2.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It's a bye week here at RTG Industries, but I raided our Patreon archives to make sure you still had something to listen to while you're stuck in traffic. Back in January, Rolling Stone published a list of the '50 Best Games of All Time', and I reacted to it on Expansion Pass. Some were spot on, some were a little off, and some, well...You can find the article here if you're interested - https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/rs-gaming-lists/best-video-games-of-all-time-1235215978/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Are you on social media? Of course you are. So follow us! Twitter: @MemberTheGameInstagram: @MemberTheGameTwitch.tv/MemberTheGameYoutube.com/RememberTheGameFacebook.com/RememberTheGamePodcastTikTok.com/@MemberTheGameAnd if you want access to hundreds of bonus (ad-free) podcasts, along with multiple new shows EVERY WEEK, consider showing us some love over at Patreon. Subscriptions start at just $3/month, and 5% of our patreon income every month will be donated to our 24 hour Extra-Life charity stream at the end of the year!Patreon.com/RememberTheGameAnd you can find ye olde Bradley McCue here:Instagram: @TheGamingOdysseyTwitch.tv/VideoGameOdysseyIt's our final "scary" episode for October, and we're wrapping the month up with a horror game I've been jonesing to play for years: Alan Wake. I've heard it described as playing a Stephen King novel, and I couldn't agree more.The game goes as far as to have you play AS a writer (Alan Wake), and while you don't write anything yourself, you stumble through a horror movie set in a novel, finding pages of a manuscript that keep the plot moving as you fight enemies with guns or flashlights. Or should I say guns AND flashlights. Combat isn't its strong suit, but Alan Wake tells a HELL of a story.The Al to my Barry, ye olde Bradley McCue, joins me on the show this week. He was as stoked to jump into this game as I was, and now that we're both done our first playthrough, we have a lot to say about this one. The entire game is 100% story focused, so if you've read this far (does anyone read these?), know that spoilers are incoming.And before we wake Alan, I put together another edition of the Infamous Intro!This week we talk the indie game Ball X Pit, the best games to play while high, and will we ever see Sega Saturn or Dreamcast games on Nintendo Switch Online?Plus we play another round of 'Play One, Remake One, Erase One'!! This one features 3 narrative heavy horror games: Eternal Darkness, Amnesia: The Dark Descent, and Heavy Rain.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Are you on social media? Of course you are. So follow us! Twitter: @MemberTheGameInstagram: @MemberTheGameTwitch.tv/MemberTheGame⁠⁠⁠Youtube.com/RememberTheGame⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook.com/RememberTheGamePodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok.com/@MemberTheGame⁠⁠⁠And if you want access to hundreds of bonus (ad-free) podcasts, along with multiple new shows EVERY WEEK, consider showing us some love over at Patreon. Subscriptions start at just $3/month, and 5% of our patreon income every month will be donated to our 24 hour Extra-Life charity stream at the end of the year!⁠⁠⁠Patreon.com/RememberTheGame⁠⁠⁠And find Patrick's band 'Discount Lion Safari' here:https://linktr.ee/burgerfingerThere aren't many games I've been hounded to review on RTG more than Resident Evil Remake, so on a recent flight I decided to fire it up on my Switch and see what all the hype is about. I couldn't put it down and now I get why so many say it set the bar for remakes all those years ago.The OG Resident Evil is one of the most important (and fun) games ever made IMO, and Remake improves on practically every aspect of it. INCREDIBLE graphics, better controls, slightly less cheesy voice acting, and more. It takes all the ingredients in a great bowl of soup and someone makes them even greater. I don't know if I'd call this the place for newcomers to the series to start because of the tank controls, but I think it's an absolutely must-play for horror fans and one of the best in the series.RTG's resident evil, my buddy Patrick, is my guest this week. We have different opinions on some entries in the Resident Evil series, but we both agree this remake is top shelf. One of us doesn't care for the mansion setting though, and the other thinks that's crazy.And before we kill zombies, I put together another edition of the Infamous Intro!This week someone asks what Nintendo needs to do to stop being a villain? After their horrible year, do I still like Xbox more than PlayStation? And why didn't I launch the indie game podcast I was considering??Plus we play another round of 'Play One, Remake One, Erase One', too! This one features 3 of the lesser-known Resident Evil entries: Survivor, Outbreak, and The Umbrella Chronicles.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Are you on social media? Of course you are. So follow us! Twitter: @MemberTheGameInstagram: @MemberTheGameTwitch.tv/MemberTheGame⁠⁠⁠Youtube.com/RememberTheGame⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook.com/RememberTheGamePodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok.com/@MemberTheGame⁠⁠⁠And if you want access to hundreds of bonus (ad-free) podcasts, along with multiple new shows EVERY WEEK, consider showing us some love over at Patreon. Subscriptions start at just $3/month, and 5% of our patreon income every month will be donated to our 24 hour Extra-Life charity stream at the end of the year!⁠⁠⁠Patreon.com/RememberTheGame⁠⁠⁠You can get tickets to Tyler's movie premiere here:https://www.landmarkcinemas.com/film-info/contaminationAnd you check out the website for Tyler's flick, Contamination, here:https://www.brimstonepictures.com/contamination/I've turned into a pretty big Resident Evil fan since starting RTG, but the third game has never tickled my pickle. Nemesis is awesome, but the gameplay gets under my skin and just sets 3 up to be the weakest of the trilogy, IMO.That doesn't mean Resident Evil 3 is a bad game. It's certainly no Resident Evil 6. I replayed it for the first time in years to get ready for this episode and actually like it a little more than I did on my first run. There's a lot to like here, it's just surrounded by frustrating and tedious combat.RTG's Nemesis, my pal Tyler, is my guest this week. I'm writing this before we talked so I don't actually know how he feels about this game. But I bet he likes it.And before we run from Nemesis, I put together another edition of the Infamous Intro!This week someone asks if I've changed my opinion on horror themed media? Where should a JRPG noob start? And which retro games needed trophies/achievements??Plus we play another round of 'Play One, Remake One, Erase One', too! This one features 3 Resident Evil entries: Resident Evil 5, Resident Evil 6, and Resident Evil: Code Veronica..I've turned into a pretty big Resident Evil fan since starting RTG, but the third game has never tickled my pickle. Nemesis is awesome, but the gameplay gets under my skin and just sets 3 up to be the weakest of the trilogy, IMO.That doesn't mean Resident Evil 3 is a bad game. It's certainly no Resident Evil 6. I replayed it for the first time in years to get ready for this episode and actually like it a little more than I did on my first run. There's a lot to like here, it's just surrounded by frustrating and tedious combat.RTG's Nemesis, my pal Tyler, is my guest this week. I'm writing this before we talked so I don't actually know how he feels about this game. But I bet he likes it.And before we run from Nemesis, I put together another edition of the Infamous Intro!This week someone asks if I've changed my opinion on horror themed media? Where should a JRPG noob start? And which retro games needed trophies/achievements??Plus we play another round of 'Play One, Remake One, Erase One', too! This one features 3 Resident Evil entries: Resident Evil 5, Resident Evil 6, and Resident Evil: Code Veronica..See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Are you on social media? Of course you are. So follow us! Twitter: @MemberTheGameInstagram: @MemberTheGameTwitch.tv/MemberTheGameYoutube.com/RememberTheGameFacebook.com/RememberTheGamePodcastTikTok.com/@MemberTheGameAnd if you want access to hundreds of bonus (ad-free) podcasts, along with multiple new shows EVERY WEEK, consider showing us some love over at Patreon. Subscriptions start at just $3/month, and 5% of our patreon income every month will be donated to our 24 hour Extra-Life charity stream at the end of the year!Patreon.com/RememberTheGameI like to save big games for every 50th episode, and they don't come much bigger than Grand Theft Auto V. I FINALY played this one for the first time and damned if it isn't the most impressive video game I've ever played.I didn't love Vice City back in the day and kinda checked out from the GTA series after that. But hosting this show got me to play San Andreas, GTA IV, and now GTA V, and with each entry I like the series more and more. IV and San Andreas are fun, but V takes it to a whole new level. Michael, Trevor, and Franklin are awesome, the missions are entertaining, the story is interesting, and the world of this game is just, I know I keep saying it, impressive!Our GTA guy, Andre, joins me this week to break down the story mode of Grand Theft Auto V. We spoil everything, get into the quest for The Big One, talk about our favourite plot points and side missions, and heap as much praise as we could squeeze into a 75 minute review onto GTA V this week. A rare-perfect score is in contention on this episode.And before we theft autos, I put together another (super-sized) edition of the Infamous Intro!This week we talk about the crazy number of remakes and remastered we're getting these days. Did I score Mario kart World too high when I reviewed it?? And what 5 games do I consider 'must buys' from the last couple years??Plus we play another round of 'Play One, Remake One, Erase One', too! This one features 3 Rockstar games: Red Dead Revolver, Bully, and Manhunt.Thanks for getting us to 350!!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.