Episode 149 - Hades

The end has come! Nate, Sebastian, Jordan, David, and Ryan all convene to discuss the games that surprised them on their seven-year podcast journey, the games from our chronology that they MOST recommend everyone try, and some games which we didn't touch on but which we couldn't finish out our tour without at least mentioning. Along the way, we're joined by several previous guests and friends of the show who have recommendations of their own -- come join us for one last chat about games and what we like about them.

Nate, Ryan, Jordan, and David gather for the last game on our whirlwind tour of game history -- Supergiant Games' 2020 rogue-like HADES, about a young god just tryin' to get out from his father's shadow. We discuss synergy, sexy deities, incredible jams, and the magic trick of a persistent narrative doled out in pieces in a run-based structure. Nate gushes about Supergiant's other games, David turns up the heat, and Jordan gets in good with Sisyphus's good friend Bouldy.

Nate, Sebastian, Ryan, and Jordan gather to discuss KENTUCKY ROUTE ZERO, Cardboard Computer's surreal trip through an America haunted by debt, loss, regret, and hope. The first episode released in 2013, but our timeline places it at the journey's conclusion, which only emerged in 2020. We talk theater, symmetry, literature, and whether it's worth it to try and make art in a world which seems to be precipitously falling apart -- and, indeed, whether it's possible to do anything else. Ryan wants to know how we feel about horses, Sebastian encounters a burger too big for him to eat, and Nate maps out a phone tree. 

Nate, Sebastian, Ryan, Jordan, and David all convene to discuss DISCO ELYSIUM, ZA/UM's 2019 surreal detective adventure. We talk about evocative prose, political vision quests, and what kinds of cops we would be, if we were forced against our will to be cops. Nate fantasizes about being bench-pressed by China Mieville, Sebastian brings a cavalry saber to a gun fight, Jordan fails to make time for a crucial nap, and Ryan tells us all about "the only Kim K who matters."

Nate, Sebastian, Jordan and Ryan all gather to discuss OUTER WILDS, Mobius Digital's triumphant space exploration game from 2019. We discuss escape rooms, campfires, and dying in the cold vacuum of space. Sebastian mishears Jordan's latest game investigations, Ryan is scared of Giant's Deep, and Nate watches Predator 2. 

Nate, Sebastian, Jordan, and Brock gather to discuss PATHOLOGIC 2, the "open-world horror RPG" developed by Ice-Pick Lodge and released in 2019. We discuss brutality both thematic and mechanical, folk horror, and starving to death on the steppe. Nate becomes an evangelist for a game he wasn't sure he'd like, Brock gets to know his co-workers in the most awkward way, and Sebastian is stymied by the unforgiving hands of time. 

Nate, Sebastian, and Jordan all gather to discuss RED DEAD REDEMPTION II, Rockstar Games' Western open-world epic from 2018. We talk the problematic circumstances of its production, the surprising subtlety of its storytelling, and the complexity of its systems and controls. Sebastian makes bold claims about Westerns, Nate gushes over the music, and Jordan loses a horse to an unfortunate accident. 

Nate, Ryan, David and Max all gather to discuss FORTNITE BATTLE ROYALE, the 2017 smash sensation that enthralled teens the world over. We discuss the game's quick pivot away from a PvE mode to chase a trend, its nature as "pop culture as a service," and how maybe, just maybe, we owe teenagers everywhere an apology. Ryan gushes about being able to use a lightsaber, Nate ponies up some V-Bucks for Jill Valentine, and Max doesn't have friends that play basketball.

Nate, Jordan, Max, and new guest Pamela gather to discuss THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: BREATH OF THE WILD, Nintendo's 2017 reinvention of the open-world genre. We discuss systems that interact with each other, memory and reimagination, and joyful discovery. Nate likes being in the dark, Jordan embraces his inner Dark Souls sicko on Eventide Isle, and Pam extols the virtues of a maraca-wielding Korok.

Nate, Sebastian, David, and newcomer Dan all convene to discuss SID MEIER'S CIVILIZATION VI, Firaxis's strategy masterpiece from 2016. We discuss the complex, layered systems, our favorite ways to let the game challenge us, and the problematic nature of tossing all the world's cultures into the same expansionist melting pot. Sebastian survives the apocalypse, Nate absolutely dominates the 1984 Olympic Games, and David repeatedly threatens to reveal how many hours Dan has clocked in the game on his Steam profile.