Remap Radio 118 - We're So Friend-Pilled Right Now

Hey, Rob is back! So is everyone else, thankfully, which means it’s a packed stage of podcasters for the latest Remap Radio. Join Danika, Patrick, Janet, Chia, and Rob as they ponder the very nature of modern awards shows, plus a slew of video games, including Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, Consume Me, Promise Mascot Agency, Master of Command, and more. Also, in The Question Bucket, we try to solve video game reviews via a new idea: Michelin stars.Discussed:Kier Starmer "Concerned" by Rockstar's Union Busting - 8:11The Game Awards - 15:48Consume Me - 48:55Promise Mascot Agency - 1:14:17Metroid Prime 4 - 1:18:40Master of Command - 1:40:18Horses - 2:20:34The Question Bucket - 2:25:12Outro and Announcements - 2:59:04See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It’s shocking that Routine, a sci-fi horror game announced all the way back in 2012, is finally here. It’s a game that died along the way, only to be resurrected in a surprise twist of fate. It’s a game that basically bankrupted the people who were making it. They were almost homeless because of it. And yet, Routine is here. It’s a video game you can play right now. Which is why it was so exciting that Patrick had a chance to chat with two of its developers about their journey.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Bears are better than we thought they’d be. But are they actually good? It’s hard to make that argument after (yet again) another loss to the Packers, but screw it, we’re going to make it anyway. Plus, we chat about some other NFL storylines, including the implosion of the Indianapolis Colts, the prospect of Patrick Mahomes not being in the playoffs, and more. We also listen to a bunch of sad Blue Jays fans write in about how sad they are. It’s true: they’re sad.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Rob’s internet went kaput right before recording, but that’s not gonna stop Danika, Patrick, Janet, and Chia from huddling up for a new episode of Remap Radio. We spend a long time unpacking the banning of the avant garde indie horror game Horses from major distribution platforms and what that says about the new cultural lines at various online gatekeepers. Plus, the holiday meant we played tons of video games, including Constance, Dispatch, Windswept, Routine, Squeakross, and more. Plus, Chia went to PAX Unplugged to play some board games!Discussed:Horror Game Horses Delisted Steam and Epic - 3:32Horses - 26:56Constance - 1:03:51PAX Unplugged - 1:14:26Silksong - 1:25:55Dispatch - 1:30:09Windswept - 1:40:09Routine - 1:53:09Squeakcross - 1:55:09The Question Bucket - 2:02:42Outro and Announcements - 2:32:44 See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Just when we thought Rob was coming back—well, he got sick. Fortunately, we’ve still got Patrick, Chia, Janet, and Danika on this week’s episode of Remap Radio, where we recount our group’s sickness streak, react to the latest slate of nominees for The Game Awards, and remember legendary game developer Rebecca Heineman. Plus, we have a ton of games to talk about, including Constance, Dispatch, Lumines Arise, Goodnight Universe!, Hades II, Where Winds Meet, and more. Towards the end, a reader has us pondering friendslop again.Discussed:Chia and Janet's no good very bad week - 7:30The Megabonk Dev Pulls Game from Game Awards - 27:43Rebecca Anne Heinemman Passes at 62 - 55:28Lumines ARISE - 59:44Dispatch - 1:25:26Hades II - 1:28:30Constance - 1:43:02Where Winds Meet - 1:53:41Goodnight Universe - 1:59:24The Question Bucket - 2:11:17See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Content Warning: Discussion and Description of Assault and Domestic Abuse from around 58:53 to 1:16:42We did it. We attended a Buffalo Bills game. For years, Rob and Patrick have joked about traveling to other cities to attend a football game and take in the local culture. This past weekend, it finally happened. There was tailgating, excessive amounts of light beer, plates of buffalo wings, and a moment where we almost got in an altercation in the parking lot of Highmark Stadium. That last part was, uh, less fun. 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 Remap week for the books - with Rob, Chia, and Janet out, Patrick has turned to his old friends Danika Harrod and Natalie Watson to talk Waypoint, a mysterious shape-shifting man, Hyrule Warriors, "friendslop," and more.Discussed: Waypoint 02:25Arc Raiders and AI 25:07Natalie joins episode 1:07:25Valve hardware announcements 1:10:25Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment 1:35:00Dispatch 1:57:40Friendslop 2:13:10See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

With Rob out for personal reasons and Danika down with a migraine, it’s time for Remap Radio to throw a pokeball onto the field and see what comes out. Join Patrick, Janet, and Chia as they react to the ray of political hope from this past week, before digging into a slew of gaming news, including PlayStation Portal getting proper cloud streaming, EA promising Saudi Arabia won’t erase queer people from its games, and Fortnite getting backlash by overly monetizing pets. Plus, we’ve been playing a lot of games, including Janet finishing Silksong, Patrick being super impressed with Dispatch, and Chia’s many hours spent playing online mahjong with anime girls.Reminder: In early April, the a pro-Palestinian human rights movement BDS that’s pressuring Israel by promoting boycotts, divestment, and sanctions against the country added Xbox to its boycott list. Learn more here: https://www.bdsmovement.net/news/boycott-microsofts-xboxDiscussed: Mamdani Minute - 6:40Playstation Portal Can Now Stream Games From The Cloud - 32:44EA Responds to Concerns around sale to Saudi Arabia - 55:42Fortnite Faces Backlash over new Sidekicks cosmetics - 1:05:53Silksong - 1:37:50Keeper - 1:47:21Silksong - 1:50:07Dispatch - 2:05:14Vampire's Best Friend - 2:17:50Mahjong Soul - 2:25:28End of Year Wishlist - 2:35:32 See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Once again, the Chicago Bears have been involved in a very weird football game. But once again, they have prevailed in a game that, in years past, they would have lost. Is this real? Are the Bears actually good? The answer is probably somewhere in the middle, but amidst the stress, we’ll be thankful for the lack of heartbreak—for now, anyway. Plus, the World Series is over and it was incredible. Is Shohei Ohtani keeping the Dodgers from entering their villain arc?See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Remap Crew really gets into the Halloween spirit, mostly by dying from laughter and being otherwise childish. After an appropriately somber news section discussing the massive Amazon layoffs, Microsoft's ridiculous profit margin targets, and moral at EA deteriorating after workers are forced to use AI, we try our best to talk about the games we've been playing, or at least, have tried to play. Chia finds a new obsession, Janet continues her Silksong journey, Danika can't stop herself from laughing while Patrick tries to explain Ball x Pit, and Rob finds himself being left behind by a Paradox game.Discussed: Amazon hit with massive layoffs, including Games Division - 2:36Microsoft Set 30% Profit Margin for Games Division - 33:03Halo coming to PS5 - 46:15The DHS Memes - 52:09Internal Attitudes at EA Deteriorate around AI - 1:10:29Silksong - 1:29:08Pokemon Legends: Z-A - 1:37:53What Chia Did On Her Flight - 1:39:37Pokemon Legends: Z-A - 1:49:11.230Ball x Pit - 2:02:48Slots and Daggers - 2:16:07Absolum - 2:18:43Europa Universalis V - 2:24:35Master of Command - 2:44:36Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines 2 - 2:51:04Battliefield: Redsec - 2:56:15See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.