034 - Sea of Solitude

Welcome to Xbox Game Passengers. We may not be having an E3 this year, but early June has been chock-full of gaming news and announcements. Today, Xbox showed their hand with a huge double-showcase — first showing off what’s coming down the pipeline for Xbox as a whole (including a lot of releases for 2024), and then showing off a massive look at September’s highly anticipated (and the platform’s much needed) Bethesda RPG Starfield. A couple of the boys from Dynamic Resolution (Shane and Llogan) joined Derek to break down their favourite reveals, some baffling moments, and what titles they’re most excited for on this very special edition of Xbox Game Passengers. If you missed it, take a look at the showcase right here, and let us know what you’re most excited for! Side note: I totally spent some of the early show complaining about a mass of CGI trailers without any release date. I totally missed that the Fable reveal said ‘in game’, and it never clicked for me because it just looked so good. Listen to find out how things went, and if you like what you’ve heard, here’s where you can subscribe to the show: Anchor Apple Podcasts Breaker Castbox Google Podcasts iHeartRadio Overcast Pocket Casts PodBean RadioPublic Stitcher Spotify TuneIn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to Xbox Game Passengers. After a bit of a much-needed break from the show, we're excited to be back with a brand-new episode. Derek and Dougie jumped into As Dusk Falls hoping to relive the Telltale Games there-are-no-good-choices glory days (well, at least Derek was) with As Dusk Falls. How did things turn out? Listen on to find out! Now, we hope to be back very soon with regular episodes, but we don't quite know what that looks like yet. You'll hear it in the show itself, but Derek has been having a hard time enjoying games at all as of late (hence the long break), and being forced to play some potentially bad games doesn't seem like the best way to overcome that. There are plenty of things that he's missed (and plenty of those things on Xbox Game Pass), so he's going to focus on playing some titles that are hopefully enjoyable, and craft some episodes from there! As Dusk Falls is an original interactive drama from INTERIOR/NIGHT that explores the entangled lives of two families across thirty years. Starting in 1998 with a robbery-gone-wrong in small town Arizona, the choices you make have a powerful impact on the characters’ lives in this uncompromising story of betrayal, sacrifice and resilience.  Replay the story again and again to uncover vastly different outcomes for the characters and explore hidden nuances behind every decision. Will your characters survive unscathed? What kind of people will they ultimately become? Listen to find out how things went, and if you like what you’ve heard, here’s where you can subscribe to the show: Anchor Apple Podcasts Breaker Castbox Google Podcasts iHeartRadio Overcast Pocket Casts PodBean RadioPublic Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to Xbox Game Passengers. Once a month, host Derek and a guest will dissect and discuss just one game available on Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass service, which was chosen for them (usually) at random. Whether the game is a magical or a horrible experience, they’ll force themselves through it, share their thoughts, and let you know whether or not the game is worth your time! At the end of each episode, they’ll also randomly select the game for the following show, so you always know what’s coming up on the next adventure. From Octodad creators Young Horses comes Bugsnax, a nigh-indescribable adventure with cutesy graphics, adult humour, and an astoundingly unique assortment of half bug half snack creatures. Dougie returns to the show to chat all about this unique experience. Bugsnax takes you on a journey to Snaktooth Island, home of the legendary half-bug half-snack creatures, Bugsnax. Invited by intrepid explorer Elizabert Megafig, you arrive to discover your host nowhere to be found, her camp in shambles, and her followers scattered across the island alone… and hungry! It’s up to you to solve the mysteries of Snaktooth Island: What happened to Lizbert? What are Bugsnax and where do they come from? But most of all, why do they taste SO GOOD? Listen to find out how things went, and if you like what you’ve heard, here’s where you can subscribe to the show: Anchor Apple Podcasts Breaker Castbox Google Podcasts iHeartRadio Overcast Pocket Casts PodBean RadioPublic Stitcher Spotify TuneIn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to Xbox Game Passengers. Once a month, host Derek and a guest will dissect and discuss just one game available on Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass service, which was chosen for them (usually) at random. Whether the game is a magical or a horrible experience, they’ll force themselves through it, share their thoughts, and let you know whether or not the game is worth your time! At the end of each episode, they’ll also randomly select the game for the following show, so you always know what’s coming up on the next adventure. This month, it’s time for a time-looping mystery with Skyrim mod turned full game The Forgotten City, and for the first time in quite some time, Derek is joined by a brand-new guest! The Forgotten City is a mystery adventure game of exploration and deduction, and a re-imagining of the critically acclaimed mod that won a national Writers’ Guild award and racked up over 3 million downloads. Combat is an option, but violence will only get you so far. Only by questioning an intertwined community of colourful characters, cleverly exploiting the time loop, and making difficult moral choices can you hope to solve this epic mystery. Here, your decisions matter. The fate of the city is in your hands. Listen to find out how things went, and if you like what you’ve heard, please let us know! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to Xbox Game Passengers. Once a month, host Derek and a guest will dissect and discuss just one game available on Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass service, which was chosen for them (usually) at random. Whether the game is a magical or a horrible experience, they’ll force themselves through it, share their thoughts, and let you know whether or not the game is worth your time! At the end of each episode, they’ll also randomly select the game for the following show, so you always know what’s coming up on the next adventure. Shane volunteered live on the last episode (see Snowrunner here) to dig into Two Point Hospital as well. Can the game recapture the joy of playing Theme Hospital as a young boy? Listen on to find out! BUILD, CURE and IMPROVE! Design stunning hospitals, decorate them as you like, cure very unusual illnesses and manage troublesome staff as you spread your budding healthcare organisation across Two Point County.  Design and build your own hospital — Build up a hospital from nothing to a masterpiece as you design the most beautiful – or functional – healthcare operation in the whole of Two Point County. Cure unusual illnesses Don’t expect Two Point County to be populated with your usual types of patients.  In this world, you’ll experience Two Point’s trademark quirky illnesses; from Light-headedness to Cubism – each requiring their very own special type of treatment machine. The County’s the limit! Listen to find out how things went, and if you like what you’ve heard, here’s where you can subscribe to the show: Anchor Apple Podcasts Breaker Castbox Google Podcasts iHeartRadio Overcast Pocket Casts PodBean RadioPublic Stitcher Spotify TuneIn Thanks for joining us for another episode! We took a long (long) break as the world fell apart, but we’re glad to be back playing games and making new content. We really hope that you enjoy the episode — if you have any feedback for us, we’d love to hear it at [email protected]. Anything you listeners can do to help spread the word about the podcast would be immensely appreciated — from sharing it on social media like Facebook or Twitter, to leaving us five stars (or even a review) on Apple Podcasts, to sending it to a single friend, it can all make a massive difference! Thanks again for coming along on this ride! You can also follow us on twitter @XGPPodcast Theme Song: I Adore My C64 by Nicolai Heidlas from HookSounds.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to Xbox Game Passengers. Once a month, host Derek and a guest will dissect and discuss just one game available on Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass service, which was chosen for them (usually) at random. Whether the game is a magical or a horrible experience, they’ll force themselves through it, share their thoughts, and let you know whether or not the game is worth your time! At the end of each episode, they’ll also randomly select the game for the following show, so you always know what’s coming up on the next adventure. Geekscape Games host Shane O’Hare loves Snowrunner, so when the game popped up as an option on our last episode, there wasn’t really a choice to be made! We’re stoked to get him back on the show, and excited to talk… about a game where you drive trucks and fix bridges. SnowRunner puts you in the driver’s seat of powerful vehicles as you conquer extreme open environments with the most advanced terrain simulation ever. Drive 40 vehicles from brands such as Ford, Chevrolet, and Freightliner as you leave your mark on an untamed open world. Overcome mud, torrential waters, snow, and frozen lakes while taking on perilous contracts and missions. Expand and customize your fleet with many upgrades and accessories including an exhaust snorkel for heavy waters or chain tires to battle the snow. Listen to find out how things went, and if you like what you’ve heard, here’s where you can subscribe to the show: Anchor Apple Podcasts Breaker Castbox Google Podcasts iHeartRadio Overcast Pocket Casts PodBean RadioPublic Stitcher Spotify TuneIn Thanks for joining us for another episode! We took a long (long) break as the world fell apart, but we’re glad to be back playing games and making new content. We really hope that you enjoy the episode — if you have any feedback for us, we’d love to hear it at [email protected]. Anything you listeners can do to help spread the word about the podcast would be immensely appreciated — from sharing it on social media like Facebook or Twitter, to leaving us five stars (or even a review) on Apple Podcasts, to sending it to a single friend, it can all make a massive difference! Thanks again for coming along on this ride! You can also follow us on twitter @XGPPodcast Theme Song: I Adore My C64 by Nicolai Heidlas from HookSounds.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to Xbox Game Passengers. Once a month, host Derek and a guest will dissect and discuss just one game available on Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass service, which was chosen for them (usually) at random. Whether the game is a magical or a horrible experience, they’ll force themselves through it, share their thoughts, and let you know whether or not the game is worth your time! At the end of each episode, they’ll also randomly select the game for the following show, so you always know what’s coming up on the next adventure. Somehow we made it this long without longtime friend and Geekscapist (not to mention Geekscape Games regular) Josh Jackson coming on the show. We’re super happy to finally be changing that, and we’re super happy that he’s here to talk about Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc. Hope’s Peak Academy is home to Japan’s best and brightest high school students—the beacons of hope for the future. But that hope suddenly dies when Makoto Naegi and his classmates find themselves imprisoned in the school, cut off from the outside world and subject to the whims of a strange, murderous little bear named Monokuma. He pits the students against each other, promising freedom to anyone who can murder a fellow classmate and get away with it. It’s up to you to find out who Monokuma really is, and why you’ve been taken from the world you once knew. But be careful what you wish for—sometimes there’s nothing more deadly than the truth… Listen to find out how things went, and if you like what you’ve heard, here’s where you can subscribe to the show: Anchor Apple Podcasts Breaker Castbox Google Podcasts iHeartRadio Overcast Pocket Casts PodBean RadioPublic Stitcher Spotify TuneIn Thanks for joining us for another episode! We took a long (long) break as the world fell apart, but we’re glad to be back playing games and making new content. We really hope that you enjoy the episode — if you have any feedback for us, we’d love to hear it at [email protected]. Anything you listeners can do to help spread the word about the podcast would be immensely appreciated — from sharing it on social media like Facebook or Twitter, to leaving us five stars (or even a review) on Apple Podcasts, to sending it to a single friend, it can all make a massive difference! Thanks again for coming along on this ride! You can also follow us on twitter @XGPPodcast Theme Song: I Adore My C64 by Nicolai Heidlas from HookSounds.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to Xbox Game Passengers. Once a month, host Derek and a guest will dissect and discuss just one game available on Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass service, which was chosen for them (usually) at random. Whether the game is a magical or a horrible experience, they’ll force themselves through it, share their thoughts, and let you know whether or not the game is worth your time! At the end of each episode, they’ll also randomly select the game for the following show, so you always know what’s coming up on the next adventure. We’re (finally) back to some female representation as Mikaela re-joins the show to chat about 2019’s very pretty sadness simulator, Sea of Solitude. Will Mikaela cry before the end of the episode? You’ll have to listen to find out, but damn this game was depressing. When humans get too lonely, they turn into monsters… Sea of Solitude takes you on a personal journey of a young woman’s loneliness. Set sail across a beautiful and evolving world, where nothing is quite what it seems. Meet fantastical creatures and monsters, learn their stories, and solve challenges. Explore a flooded city, either by boat, on foot, or by swimming through the water itself. Dare to look what lies beneath the surface, in a haunting struggle of darkness and light, and discover what it truly means to be human. Listen to find out how things went, and if you like what you’ve heard, here’s where you can subscribe to the show: Anchor Apple Podcasts Breaker Castbox Google Podcasts iHeartRadio Overcast Pocket Casts PodBean RadioPublic Stitcher Spotify TuneIn Thanks for joining us for another episode! We took a long (long) break as the world fell apart, but we’re glad to be back playing games and making new content. We really hope that you enjoy the episode — if you have any feedback for us, we’d love to hear it at [email protected]. Anything you listeners can do to help spread the word about the podcast would be immensely appreciated — from sharing it on social media like Facebook or Twitter, to leaving us five stars (or even a review) on Apple Podcasts, to sending it to a single friend, it can all make a massive difference! Thanks again for coming along on this ride! You can also follow us on twitter @XGPPodcast Theme Song: I Adore My C64 by Nicolai Heidlas from HookSounds.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Note: Derek’s audio is a little crispy this episode. Sorry about that. Welcome to Xbox Game Passengers. Once a month, host Derek and a guest will dissect and discuss just one game available on Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass service, which was chosen for them (usually) at random. Whether the game is a magical or a horrible experience, they’ll force themselves through it, share their thoughts, and let you know whether or not the game is worth your time! At the end of each episode, they’ll also randomly select the game for the following show, so you always know what’s coming up on the next adventure. It’d be hard to keep the show going without talking about one of 2021’s biggest (and last) releases: Halo Infinite. Pretty much co-host at this point and major Halo lover (like mentioned it in his wedding vows) Dougie returns to talk all about if Halo Infinite can save the series, how good Tactical Slayer is, his thoughts on the Battle Pass, and so much more. When all hope is lost and humanity’s fate hangs in the balance, the Master Chief is ready to confront the most ruthless foe he’s ever faced. Step inside the armor of humanity’s greatest hero to experience an epic adventure and explore the massive scale of the Halo ring. Listen to find out how things went, and if you like what you’ve heard, here’s where you can subscribe to the show: Anchor Apple Podcasts Breaker Castbox Google Podcasts iHeartRadio Overcast Pocket Casts PodBean RadioPublic Stitcher Spotify TuneIn Thanks for joining us for another episode! We took a long (long) break as the world fell apart, but we’re glad to be back playing games and making new content. We really hope that you enjoy the episode — if you have any feedback for us, we’d love to hear it at [email protected]. Anything you listeners can do to help spread the word about the podcast would be immensely appreciated — from sharing it on social media like Facebook or Twitter, to leaving us five stars (or even a review) on Apple Podcasts, to sending it to a single friend, it can all make a massive difference! Thanks again for coming along on this ride! You can also follow us on twitter @XGPPodcast Theme Song: I Adore My C64 by Nicolai Heidlas from HookSounds.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to Xbox Game Passengers. Once a month, host Derek and a guest will dissect and discuss just one game available on Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass service, which was chosen for them (usually) at random. Whether the game is a magical or a horrible experience, they’ll force themselves through it, share their thoughts, and let you know whether or not the game is worth your time! At the end of each episode, they’ll also randomly select the game for the following show, so you always know what’s coming up on the next adventure. He’s basically a show regular at this point, but this month Dougie returns to chat all about the first MLB foray that Xbox players have had in years — MLB The Show 21. How do two non-sports fan feel about a simulation sports game? Listen on to find out! Welcome to MLB® The Show™ 21. Experience faster, deeper and more intense moment-to-moment match action on the baseball field in this year’s MLB® The Show™ 21 from San Diego Studio. Play a variety of game modes for all your rookie players and returning seasoned vets. Listen to find out how things went, and if you like what you’ve heard, here’s where you can subscribe to the show: Anchor Apple Podcasts Breaker Castbox Google Podcasts iHeartRadio Overcast Pocket Casts PodBean RadioPublic Stitcher Spotify TuneIn Thanks for joining us for another episode! We took a long (long) break as the world fell apart, but we’re glad to be back playing games and making new content. We really hope that you enjoy the episode — if you have any feedback for us, we’d love to hear it at [email protected]. Anything you listeners can do to help spread the word about the podcast would be immensely appreciated — from sharing it on social media like Facebook or Twitter, to leaving us five stars (or even a review) on Apple Podcasts, to sending it to a single friend, it can all make a massive difference! Thanks again for coming along on this ride! You can also follow us on twitter @XGPPodcast Theme Song: I Adore My C64 by Nicolai Heidlas from HookSounds.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices