Metroid Dread – Cane and Rinse No.734

Access Software had landed an unexpected hit in Under A Killing Moon but by 1996 the FMV boom had begun to bust and it was into this environment that its sequel The Pandora Directive was released. Chris Worthington, Brian and James consider whether they feel that this “bigger and better” Tex Murphy is rightly acclaimed as one of the genre’s greats.

Cinemaware comes under the Cane and Rinse spotlight for the first time, on the 40th anniversary of mobster life sim, The King of Chicago. Wise guys Leon, Chris Worthington, Jesse and James put on their sharpest suits and shake down Doug Sharp's interactive movie. The gang discuss whether this is more point and click or visual novel, chew on the vagaries of the branching narrative system as well as its underlying code, and even touch upon some other Cinemaware classics. Listen up and don't make your momma cry.

Liberty City is yours for the taking. Join Brian, Darren, and Tony as they head back to their gaming roots to explore if Grand Theft Auto 3 is still as impactful today as it was all those years ago. Will the crime and carnage simulator stand the test of time?  Listen in to find out.

What happens when you filter Hollywood's romantic view of the Old West through the lens of a Japanese arcade game studio in the early 1990s? Sunset Riders, yeehaw! A posse of Leon, Brian, Chris W and returning guest Ben "One Credit Classics" Cartlidge mosey on down and saddle up with Konami's gaudy run and gun, rootin' tootin' shootin' and lootin' through its hectic stages and tough boss encounters, along with help from their podners the Cane and Rinse listeners.

Chris O'Regan is joined by Brian Edwards and Chris Worthington to examine how Dome Keeper balances the tension between deep underground exploration and frantic surface defence. The panel discusses Dome Keeper's distinct pixel art style, atmospheric audio design, and mechanical pacing, evaluating how well its subterranean risk-reward decisions hold up across repeated runs and various loadout combinations.

It's taken five years but we've finally caught up with the game that was released around the time we began our Metroid series of podcasts. Leon, Darren, Jon and Sean - along with contributions from the Cane and Rinse listeners - face their fears and the familiar yet different environments of planet ZDR in Metroid Dread. Was this follow-up to Fusion worth the 19-year hiatus? Listen in and find out what we thought of MercurySteam's second Samus sortie.

Keyblades, nobodies, heartless, and drama. The Four Pillars of Kingdom Hearts. Join Brian, Chris, Leah, and Ryan as they navigate one of the handheld games in the series, Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, a game with a story as convoluted as the title. Listen in to see if they can untangle the knot known as Kingdom Hearts to find the fun within.

The alluring combo of super-powered, hyper-skilled parkouring pilot and giant machine of heavily-armed destruction. Following the heavily multiplayer and Xbox-centric original, Respawn kicked on with a sequel that offered a focused single-player campaign - and an appearance on PlayStation. Leon, Chris O'Regan and Tom - along with contributions from the listenership - reacquaint themselves with Jack and BT's biomechanical bromance.

Remember a time when the most lavishly produced videogames were full motion video comedy adventure games? Chris Worthington, Brian, Chris O’Regan and James do! In this issue they have a long look at Access Software's cult hit, Under A Killing Moon, to find out whether all that investment would guarantee a game that still shines 30 years later.

This week, Ryan, Leah and Tony take a road trip to the town of Haven Springs, Colorado for a look at 2021's Life Is Strange: True Colors. From foosball matches to mineshaft crashes, the crew digs into the emotional depths of this supernatural adventure.