4Player Podcast 4Player Podcast

Indie-May continues! We revisit Animal Well and focus a little more on what that game looks like once you have peeled back a few layers of the proverbial onion; More specifically, after the credits roll. Brad goes to town on Dread Delusion as it subverts expectations in both good AND bad ways. Despite that, Brad is very clearly all in on the game. Nick circles back to Stellar Blade which has, at this point, established itself as an uncompromising horny game with some rock solid mechanics to boot. Also... we ask the age old question... what will Chris Davis play next?
Housekeeping / Chit-Chat (1:30) Impressions - Animal Well (30:08) Impressions - Dread Delusion (39:38) What will Chris Davis Play Next?!?! (1:03:40) Impressions - Stellar Blade (1:20:25) Fantasy Critic Updates (1:37:36) 4Player Minute (1:52:38)

The video game industry landscape continues to shift and collapse as everyone tries to time their layoffs to blend in with the outrage aimed almost entirely at Xbox. While the AAA space might be in turmoil at the moment, May is shaping up to be an absolutely incredible month for indie releases! We try our best (and mostly succeed) to not spoil Animal Well; but with a game built around discovery and experimentation, it proves difficult. As a lover of classic survival horror, Nick is ecstatic to share his thoughts on Crow Country while Brad hypes up V Rising which just hit 1.0 and offers one of the most genuine and addicting Vampire power fantasies out there. In the 2nd segment, Chris Davis entices Krispy to play Star Ocean: The Second Story R with an impressive but unexpected pitch.
Impressions - Animal Well (13:10) Impressions - Crow Country (35:25) Impressions - V Rising (42:00) Impressions - Star Ocean: The Second Story R (1:10:40) News - Playstation now has TWO CEOs... Hurray! (1:02:00) Fantasy Critic Updates (1:22:00) News - Assassin's Creed: Shadows to be Revealed on May 15th (1:26:00) 4Player Minute (1:34:00)

It's yet another sad day for the industry - Unfortunately just another week of mass layoffs, studio closures, and project cancellations thanks to out-of-touch, overpaid executives and bad management. On the morning of May 7th, Microsoft officially (and unexpectedly) closed down Arkane Austin, Tango Gameworks, Roundhouse Games, and Alpha Dog studio. As a result, hundreds of talented folks are suddenly unemployed and the future of promising IP like Hi-Fi Rush, Evil Within, and Prey are now in indefinitely in limbo. Of course, Sony is also in a hell of their own making (albeit a temporary one) thanks to a wildly misguided decision regarding Helldivers 2. It's a lot to unpack this week but it's not all doom and gloom; Nick takes the time to share his thoughts on the wacky world of INDIKA.
News - Microsoft suddenly shutters Arkane Austin, Tango Gameworks, Roundhouse Games, & Alpha Dog Studio (2:30) News - Sony stirs up controversy surrounding Helldivers 2 (43:35) Impressions - INDIKA(53:40) 4Player Minute (1:15:20)  

The calm before the storm that is May. We have a smaller crew this week but we assure you... it's not short; it's not boring; and most importantly... it's not organized! Brad kicks things off with a little candy interrogation followed by some random movie talk before we buckle down to talk about video games. Nick shares his early impressions of Stellar Blade and is surprised by how much substance there actually is in a game that seems more interested in being titillating. Brad also returns to Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes and his enjoyment is only getting more and more intense as time goes on. Throw in a little bit of random Baldur's Gate 3 talk along with some of our usual chaos and you've got yourself a podcast!
Housekeeping (2:00) Brad takes the Wheel (6:20) Impressions - Stellar Blade (21:35) Impressions - Eiyuden Chronicles: Hundred Heroes (53:40) Fantasy Critic Updates (1:20:20) 4Player Minute (1:27:30)

We've got a short show for you this week but it's no less important! Brad - resident Suikoden fanboy - finally got his hands on the modern day spiritual successor, Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes! It's a game that feels light on modern conveniences yet it remains relevant and important to the fans. In the Fantasy Critic segment, we cover some exciting new pick-ups following some big announcements and release-date reveals!
PSA: We experimented with a new pre-show format this week by doing 'Trailer Talk' LIVE as a group before recording the show and we expect it to become part of the routine going forward! It's a lot of fun so make sure you tune in at 8:00pm so you can catch up on the latest game trailers!
Housekeeping (3:20) Impressions - Eiyuden Chronicles: Hundred Heroes (5:25) Fantasy Critic Updates (40:00) 4Player Minute (58:00)

We took a week off of podcasting but dipped our toes into the wild world of Content Warning and the results were hilarious to say the least! Chris Davis revisits Shadows of Doubt now that it is approaching its 1.0 release later this year; It's an interesting discussion that delves into the strengths and weaknesses of making games using procedural generation. Brad talks about Inkbound, the next game from the creators of Monster Train and of course, we spend a little more time with Dragon's Dogma II. During the Fantasy Critic and 4Player Minute segments, we talk a little about the recent news regarding Star Wars Outlaws, Assassin's Creed codename Red, and impressions of the new Fallout TV show on Amazon Prime.
Housekeeping (2:30) Impressions - Content Warning (8:35) Impressions - Shadows of Doubt (24:35) Impressions - Dragon's Dogma II (51:00) Impressions - Inkbound (1:01:20) Fantasy Critic Updates (1:35:35) 4Player Minute (1:48:00)