PlayStation Plus Game Club

ThePortlandKevin
  • 5.0 (5)
  • Video Games
  • Updated Monthly

A book-club-style show where once a month we take a deep dive on one game from the PlayStation Plus Extra library. You can join our Discord to write into the show here: https://discord.gg/2sAuYTcr3B

  1. Aug 9

    Bramble: The Mountain King w/ Jordan Vickers and Krissy Flora

    This time Jordan and Krissy join Kevin to talk about Bramble: The Mountain King. This game starts out very innocent looking, but quickly takes a very dark turn into material akin to Grimm’s fairytales. The three of them all talk about why that makes the game so interesting and how the game iterates on the nordic stories it is based on. Then they do a quick run-through of the story and break down each of the monstrous bosses that our young protagonist Olle encounters. From Näcken, the fiddler at the lake, to Skogsrå the forest changeling they marveled at them all and you’ll hear why. They also all agree that this game has one of the best versions of “In the Hall of the Mountain King” and makes incredible use of it. If you haven’t played the fairytale Bramble: The Mountain King, we hope hearing about our experience gets you interested.

    Bramble: The Mountain King w/ Jordan Vickers and Krissy Flora

  2. Jul 12

    Until Dawn w/ Kristen TheGameDame

    Kevin is joined by Kristen (TheGameDame on Twitch) to talk about Supermassive's first and arguably best “horror movie” game, Until Dawn. This episode covers both the original 2015 PS4 version and the 2024 PS5 remake by Ballistic Moon. They start off by talking about what made this particular game so special when it first released and how it took a niche genre and elevated it. They list off which characters and actors they love, hate, and absolutely love to hate. Then they rank this up against the other Supermassive games like Little Hope and House Of Ashes and recommend which ones you should play or skip. To wrap things up they go through a quick spoiler-filled breakdown of the story and list off which characters had some of the worst deaths in the game. Again, this covers both the original PS4 version and the remake on PS5, and we hope you enjoy this dive back into Until Dawn.

    Until Dawn w/ Kristen TheGameDame

  3. Jun 17

    Skate Story w/ Nick Hyett-Schnell and FatePrime

    Nick Hyett-Schnell and Brady (FatePrime) join Kevin to talk about Skate Story, a single developer game from Sam Eng that was released in December of last year. This episode is definitely not a spoilercast, but they do try to make sense of the story for a few minutes. They instead focus on the tone the game sets with its kaleidoscopic art style and laid back music by the band Blood Cultures. They cover their favorite songs, tricks, and decks to skate with. They also note how well the game mimics the feeling of owning a board and making it your own. Skate Story captured the essence of skate culture and this episode is all about how the game got it so right.

    Skate Story w/ Nick Hyett-Schnell and FatePrime

  4. May 10

    Metal Eden w/ Kenny Albanese and FatePrime

    Kenny Albanese and Brady (FatePrime) join Kevin To talk about Metal Eden, a stylish and fast boomer shooter that came out just last year. First they talk about what they love about the core gameplay loop of shooting, running, and punching their way through hoards of enemies. They recognize how it features so many different aspects of some of the best shooters in the past few years, but it shows that the small team at Reikon Games knew what made all of those parts special. The three of them take a few minutes to try to make sense of the story, but even after a few playthroughs they still have a hard time piecing it together. That’s not important though because what really matters is the gameplay and how much fun they had, even if there were a few bugs. They each have their own glitchy stories and some are much worse than others. Looking past those bugs is very easy though because they all agree that almost every weapon in the game is arguably a favorite and has a place in the regular rotation. There is a lot they all have to say about Metal Eden and if you haven’t played it, we hope their enthusiastic discussion spurs you to try it. Give ‘em hell, Hyper.

    Metal Eden w/ Kenny Albanese and FatePrime

  5. Apr 12

    The Invincible w/ Josh Demaris and Jordan Vickers

    This time Kevin has Josh from the Trophy Talk Podcast and Jordan from The Sage Temple on to talk about The Invincible, a game based on the book of the same name by Stanislaw Lem. They start by talking about their first impressions of the game and how it wasn’t what any of them were expecting. They have a general discussion and review of the game, and then provide a few recommendations similar to it. After that they go through an in-depth breakdown of the entire story of the game and all the surprising reveals it has in store. They also have a deep discussion of which of the eleven different endings could be the one true ending, and what the implications of it mean. Thanks for listening and we hope you enjoy this analysis of The Invincible.

    The Invincible w/ Josh Demaris and Jordan Vickers

  6. Mar 8

    Gris w/ Kenny Albanese and TheGreenGorillaGamer

    In this episode Kevin talks with Kade (@TheGreenGorillaGamer) and newcomer to the show Kenny Albanese about the beautiful game Gris from Nomada Studio. They break down the game from how it performs as a video game and an art piece, and then go through all of the elements that make up their arguments. They cover the meanings behind the game’s themes and then dive deep into how each chapter illustrates those meanings on various levels. They then each reveal their interpretation of the ending and how it fits into the artistic perspective the game presents. You’ll also hear a few hot takes throughout the episode, but don’t grab your pitchforks just yet. Just like all great art, this game can be seen in many different ways, and no interpretation is wrong.

    Gris w/ Kenny Albanese and TheGreenGorillaGamer

  7. Feb 8

    Thank Goodness You're Here w/ FauxRambo and KingK6969

    Thank goodness you’re here to catch another episode of the PS Plus Game Club! This time Kevin has KingK6969(Kyle) and FauxRambo(Ben) both from the Trophy Talk Discord to talk about the very funny game out of Yorkshire, England, Thank Goodness You’re Here. After a quick overview of the game’s mechanics, they get into what makes this unique game so special: the humor. They each talk about their favorite gags and running jokes while occasionally (poorly) imitating some of their favorite characters. You’ll hear all about what they loved in this game and what made them laugh the hardest. We hope you enjoy their review of the trip everyone should take to Barnsworth in Thank Goodness You’re Here.

    Thank Goodness You're Here w/ FauxRambo and KingK6969

  8. Jan 11

    Somerville w/ FatePrime

    To kick off the new year Brady (FatePrime) joins the show to talk about Somerville, the first game from the indie studio Jumpship. Many on the Jumpship development team come from another indie studio, Playdead, who were famous for making Limbo and Inside, so you might recognize many elements of those famous games here. To start the show Both Kevin and Brady describe what made those early games so special and how they see the DNA of them in Somerville. Then they cover some of the puzzles that either fascinated or frustrated them and some of their favorite story moments in a semi-spoilery fashion. Near the end Brady posits a theory that helps make sense of all five possible endings and what they mean for the overall story of the game. We wish you a happy new year and hope you enjoy this discussion about just a regular guy trying to survive an alien invasion in Somerville.

    Somerville w/ FatePrime
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

A book-club-style show where once a month we take a deep dive on one game from the PlayStation Plus Extra library. You can join our Discord to write into the show here: https://discord.gg/2sAuYTcr3B

Information

  • Creator
    ThePortlandKevin
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    45
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Kevin Garaventa 2023
  • Show Website
    PlayStation Plus Game Club

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