The Punished Podcast

The Punished Backlog

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VIDEO GAMES
UPDATED MONTHLY

The Punished Podcast

Welcome to The Punished Podcast. Each month, our team will discuss the latest trends and topics in video games. We'll also be inducting games (and systems) into our ever-growing "Punished Backlog Hall of Fame." Listen to us here, or read along over at https://punishedbacklog.com.

SEP 23

The Punished Podcast – Episode 10: Fall 2024 Preview

As the summer comes to a close, let’s reflect on some exciting video game announcements! In Episode 10 of The Punished Podcast, we discuss everything that excited us from giant publishers and indie studios alike. We also did waiver wire pickups for our Fantasy Gaming league, which is a fun way to stay in the loop about what’s hot and what’s (unfortunately for me, as you’ll find out) not. There’s a lot to look forward to this fall, starting with this Thursday’s release! As Sam says in the podcast, “The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom is the Zelda game I’ve wanted for 15 years.” The Punished Podcast Episode 10 Check out the latest episode below. A reminder that you can listen here, download the MP3 file, or catch us on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. Happy listening! (Please note: This episode was recorded on August 15, 2024, prior to the releases of Star Wars Outlaws, Black Myth: Wukong, Astro Bot, The Plucky Squire, and Frostpunk 2.) MP3 Download | Spotify | Apple Podcasts Sam Martinelli | David Silbert | Amanda Tien Timestamps: * 0:00 – Intro + Favorite RPG Companions * 03:57 – Biggest Video Game Announcements from Summer 2024 (Hosted by Sam) * 26:50 – Deep Dive on 12 Exciting Indies Featured During Summer 2024 (Hosted by Amanda) * 49:15 – Waiver Wire for Fantasy Gaming League (Hosted by David) * 01:17:25 – Closing & Epilogue Assassin’s Creed Shadows, by Ubisoft Here’s an excerpt from our discussion: * Amanda: “I feel so lame saying this, but I am so excited about Assassin’s Creed Shadows and Star Wars: Outlaws. I know they’re giant open-world games that are just doing the same Ubisoft shit, but I don’t care. I want it. The trailers look fun. I want to run the world around with my little alien guy in Outlaws, and in Shadows, it looks tight. The whole time [I was watching the trailers] I was fist-pumping. It felt very fan service-y… it’s a very simple yay! for me.” * Sam: “Exactly—like, I know you like Assassin’s Creed, so I’m genuinely happy for you. Meanwhile, for me, I watched some YouTube reactions to some of these showcases. For the Xbox one, there was one group of people who were reacting like, ‘All these games look exactly the same, I don’t want any of this.’ Meanwhile, this is like candy for me. Give me more Starfield, give me more Perfect Dark.” * Amanda: Imitating Sam: “Give me more Ge...

1h 22m
JUN 6

The Punished Podcast – Episode 9: DLC

Ah, downloadable content, better known as DLC. It’s such a modern expectation in today’s gaming landscape that it’s an active surprise when a studio says it won’t release add-ons (no matter how badly we want it). Across games big and small, indie and giant, live service and single-player, DLC is everywhere. But what’s the history of DLC, and how has it shaped current trends? What makes a piece of DLC worth it? When (and why) does it work, and when does it really not? Four writers from The Punished Backlog joined me to discuss these questions and much more. Join us for a DLC power-hour discussion! The Punished Podcast Episode 9 Check out the latest episode below. A reminder that you can listen here, download the MP3 file, or catch us wherever you get your podcasts. Happy listening! Download MP3 | Spotify | Apple Podcasts Amanda Tien | Zack Gulinello | Allison McDaniel | Anthony Franklin II | Joe Chivers Timestamps * 0:00 – Episode Intro and the History of DLC * 3:10 – Our Favorite DLC and Why They Work * Amanda: Fallout 4: New Harbor * Zack: Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course * Allison: Animal Crossing: New Horizons: Happy Home Paradise * Anthony: God of War Ragnarök: Valhalla * Joe: Fallout New Vegas: Dead Money * 20:56 – Skins, Cosmetic Content, and Microtransactions * 27:00 – The Trend of Only One Big DLC * 35:24 – How Digital Storefronts Shape Games, Expectations, Endings * 46:52 – Games We Wish Had DLC * 56:23 – Looking Ahead: Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree * 1:02:39 – Open Mic: Shovelware, Life = DLC, Balatro, Sports Games, ToTK * 1:08:04 – Outro: What’re You Playing? More Games We Discussed Alan Wake 2, Apex Legends, Baldur’s Gate 3*, Battle Chef Brigade, Brink, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, Control, Cult of the Lamb, Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course, Deadpool, Deathloop, Eastwards, Fallout 4: Far Harbor, Fallout New Vegas: Dead Money, Horizon Zero Dawn: Frozen Wilds, Hades, Halo, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Madden, MarioKart 8, Marvel Snap, Mass Effect 3: Citadel**, MLB: The Show 24, NBA 2K Series, Splatoon, The Sims 1 through 4, Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Stardew Valley***, The Witcher 3: Blood and Wine, Yakuza 0, Zoo Tycoon * We have a href="https://punishedbacklog.
APR 24

The Punished Podcast – Episode 8: 2024 Vibe Check

Welcome back to The Punished Podcast! In this episode of your favorite gaming podcast, we share our thoughts on 2024 thus far—including GOTY frontrunners, biggest disappointments, and more. Later on, David walks us through the latest update for our Fantasy Gaming league. Amanda brings us home with a hot take that may or may not be absolutely scalding. Only one way to find out! The Punished Podcast Episode 8 Check out the latest episode below. A reminder that you can listen here, download the MP3 file, or catch us wherever you get your podcasts. Happy listening! Note: This episode was recorded on April 6, 2024. MP3 Download | Spotify | Apple Podcasts Sam Martinelli | David Silbert | Amanda Tien Timestamps * 0:00 – Intro * 0:46 – Icebreaker: Favorite Console That Flopped? * 5:12 – Grading 2024 (So Far) * 16:19 – Our Current GOTY Frontrunners * 26:34 – Biggest Disappointments of 2024 (So Far) * 33:25 – Celebrating Women in Gaming * 37:58 – Games We’re Looking Forward To * 46:11 – Games We’ve Been Meaning To Try * 50:14 – Q1 Fantasy Gaming Update * 1:10:15 – Amanda’s Hot Take: Is the Switch 2 Coming Too Soon? * 1:29:13 – Outro: What’re You Playing Next? Fantasy Gaming 2024 — April Standings Song Credits * “Main Theme” (LouisF) from Balatro * “Gongaga Region” (Mitsuto Suzuki) from Final Fantasy VII Rebirth * “It’s Going Down Now” (Atsushi Kitajoh, Azumi Takahashi, Lotus Juice) from Persona 3 Reload

1h 31m
MAR 19

The Punished Podcast – Episode 7: Baldur’s Gate 3

Baldur’s Gate 3 won Game of the Year at last year’s Game Awards, and for good reason. Here at The Punished Backlog, the game made many of our own Best of 2023 lists, to the point that we just had to talk about it! On the latest episode of The Punished Podcast, we explore the game’s relationship with tabletop D&D, and discuss our favorite characters, little magical moments, strengths and weaknesses, the gorgeous Patch 5 epilogue, those wild side quests, and much, much more. The Punished Podcast Episode 7 As I explain in the episode’s intro, we encountered some technical and scheduling issues and had to record audio across multiple sessions. The end result? A mega, three-hour episode! If you loved playing a hundred (or more) hours of Baldur’s Gate 3, hopefully you’ll enjoy hundreds of minutes of our spoilercast discussion. Spoiler warning: This episode is spoiler-heavy, but this post is not in case you’d like to read the excerpts below. Content warning: This episode has swearing and often delves into NSFW content. MP3 Download | Spotify | Apple Podcasts Amanda Tien | Joe Chivers | Kei Isobe | Ben Rashkovich Timestamps By panelist: * Full panel – 0:00 * Amanda, Kei, and Joe – 44:28 * Amanda and Ben – 1:14:17 * Full panel again – 2:53:00 By topic: * Intro – 0:00 * Endings – 4:58 * Characters and Party – 9:52 * Romance (Part 1) – 29:30 * Favorite Moments and Acts – 34:00 * Lowlights – 49:20 * Companion Quests – 56:28 * The Emperor (Part 1) – 58:38 * Future of BG3 and Larian (Part 1) – 1:02:15 * The D&D movie, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023) – 1:13:20 * Side Quests – 1:14:20 * The Emperor (Part 2) – 1:18:52 * Romance (Part 2) – 1:21:25 * Cazador’s Palace – 1:26:48 * Early Access & Patches – 01:28:33 * Finale and Act 3 – 01:34:20 * D&D Comparisons – 01:50:00 * Replaying – 1:58:00 * Save Scumming, Elden Ring, TOTK – 2:04:16 * Future of BG3 (Part 2) – 2:12:06 * Character Backstories – 2:20:26 * The Epilogue,

2h 59m
FEB 14

The Punished Podcast – Episode 6: Pokémon

The Pokémon franchise turns 28 this month (and 25 in North America, specifically)! The Punished Podcast crew celebrates Pikachu and co. with this 90-minute episode. The Punished Podcast Episode 6 For episode 6 of The Punished Podcast, we chat about all things Pokémon. We discuss the strengths of the classic video game formula, reflect on our favorite ‘mon, debate innovations over the years, and share fond memories. And, of course, we had to talk about Palworld, a game that’s made news for being “Pokémon with guns.” Whether you’re a longtime fan of the series or a casual player, a parent or a child, you’ll find something that resonates with you in this super-Lightning-Bolt-charged episode of the podcast. MP3 Download | Spotify | Apple Podcasts Amanda Tien | David Silbert | Kei Isobe | Sam Martinelli | Jason Toro Some excerpts from our conversation: * Kei: “Nintendo tends to struggle [with a balance between casual and hardcore players] because they make deep games which invites intense effort… Pokémon is probably the deepest turn-based competitive gaming experience out there right now. There’s so many variables. They’ve intentionally—or unintentionally—created a very, very layered and complex game. Maybe they wish they didn’t.” * Amanda: “These are games that are ultimately–I think–designed for children, or meant to be easier. Pokémon is a game that’s can be accessible for young people as an entry point into gaming. Into battling, into more serious games. Can you level up? Can you gather and manage an inventory? Can you plan out and advance a [battle] strategy?” * Sam: “The thing I really don’t like [in the series’ changes] is that, after Gen 2, they put a lot more effort into classic RPG storytelling. You’re not just a guy getting badges and trying to catch ’em all, but there’s also some meta plot happening. It’s not just Team Rocket. It’s some bigger deal happening. And to me, it’s never interesting. It’s never written well enough… It goes back to what we were talking about, that it’s hard to make a game that satisfies everyone.” * David: “I accidentally released my starter into the wild, so I decided to main a Graveler and raise that to Level 100 throughout the game.” * Jason: “I’ve been enjoying playing it with my group of fans. Palworld would be fantastic if it wasn’t for its attempts at being ‘evil.’ Palworld takes a lot of mechanics from other games…but it comes together in such a unique way that it’s pretty obvious as to why it’s so successful.” Timestamps * 0:00 — Intro * 4:30 — What was your first Pokémon game? * 8:30 — Innovations (and stagnation) in the formula...

1h 34m
JAN 31

The Punished Podcast – Episode 5: 2024 Gaming Preview

Welcome to the first Punished Podcast of the new year! The Backlog crew is back and better than ever, and we’re excited to show you what we’ve been cooking up. The Punished Podcast Episode 5 For episode 5 of The Punished Podcast, we’re taking a look ahead at 2024 in gaming—and running it back with our annual Fantasy Gaming draft. Will Sam go back-to-back this year? What’s up with Hollow Knight: Silksong, and will Amanda strike out on it, yet again? Will David finally draft a decent team? Take a listen and gauge for yourself. MP3 Download | Spotify | Apple Podcasts (Note: We recorded this podcast on January 6, 2024, before the releases of Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, Tekken 8, and Persona 3 Reload. This podcast also predates Microsoft’s “Direct”-like showcase, which saw Hellblade II, Avowed, and MachineGames’ Indiana Jones and the Great Circle all get 2024 release windows. You’re hearing our thoughts and analysis before ANY of the above occurred—so keep that in mind while listening!) Timestamps * 0:00 – Intro * 3:15 – Thoughts on 2024? * 7:53 – Unannounced or Speculated Games You’re Anticipating? * 13:27 – Sam Rants About George R.R. Martin * 18:28 – 2024 Fantasy Gaming Draft: The Rules * 22:38 – 2024 Fantasy Gaming Draft: The Draft * 57:01 – 2024 Fantasy Gaming Draft: Vibe Check * 59:44 – Sam’s Hall of Fame Nominee * 1:17:15 – What Are You Currently Playing? * 1:20:28 – Outro David Silbert | Sam Martinelli | Amanda Tien 2024 Fantasy Gaming Draft – The Recap Want the Sparknotes version of our Fantasy Gaming draft? Here’s a quick play-by-play: * David — Final Fantasy VII Rebirth * Amanda — Hades II * Sam — Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth * Sam — Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown * Amanda — Persona 3 Reload * David — Dragon’s Dogma 2 * David — Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II * Amanda — Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door * Sam — Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 * Sam — Princess Peach Showtime * Amanda — Hollow Knight: Silksong * David — Rise of the Rōnin * David — Avowed * Amanda — Star Wars Outlaws * Sam — The Plucky Squire

1h 22m
12/13/2023

The Punished Podcast – Episode 4: Best of 2023 Recap

Happy Holidays! Episode 4 of The Punished Podcast marks our final episode of the year, but fret not—we have an awesome show in store for you. The Punished Podcast Episode 4 To close out the year, we brought five of our writers together to reflect on the good, the bad, and the ugly of 2023. Which games wowed us? Which games punked us? What are we excited to play in 2024? Listen along as we tell all. For the latter portion of the podcast, our editorial team reconvened to tally up the final scores for our 2023 Fantasy Gaming league. Despite a competitive draft (and some smart waiver wire pick-ups), in the end, there could only be one victor. Get the full play-by-play in this month’s episode. MP3 Download | Spotify | Apple Podcasts Timestamps * 0:00 – Intro * 2:03 – Grading 2023 * 11:02 – This Year’s Hidden Gems * 18:16 – The Biggest Disappointments * 25:00 – 2023’s Most Notable Trends * 36:32 – Our Most Anticipated Games of 2024 * 38:14 – Fantasy Gaming 2023: The Finale * 55:22 – The Results! * 1:08:38 – Outro: Holiday Backlog Plans Sam Martinelli | David Silbert | Kei Isobe | Allison McDaniel | Jason Toro How Our Panelists Graded 2023 Allison — 4.5 out of 5 * Pros: Lots of bangers. * Cons: Where’s Hollow Knight: Silksong? Metroid Prime 4? David — 4 out of 5 * Pros: Baldur’s Gate 3 and Tears of the Kingdom. * Cons: Got nothing on the goat, 2007. Kei — 4.5 out of 5 * Pros: Huge variety of genres from a variety of developers. Global appeal. * Cons: Lots of remakes. Didn’t have a marquee hardware launch like in 2017. Jason — 4.5 out of 5 * Pros: Revitalization of the CRPG genre. 2D Mario games still rock. * Cons: In a world where Breath of the Wild came before, will Tears of the Kingdom truly stand the test of time? Sam — 4.5 out of 5 * Pros: Stellar new releases for beloved franchises: Zelda, Mario, Alan Wake, Street Fighter. * Cons: Hard to top 1998, where Ocarina of Time, Half-Life, Metal Gear Solid, and Starcraft all pioneered their respective genres. Sam Martinelli | David Silbert | a href="https://p...

1h 12m
11/21/2023

The Punished Podcast – Episode 3: The Backlog

Welcome back to The Punished Podcast! In this episode, we talk about the gaming phenomena that inspired this site’s very name: the backlog. The Punished Podcast Episode 3 You’ve got games to play, and so do we. Listen along as we discuss what’s in our current backlogs, the challenges to getting through that stack of games, and tips for newcomers looking to break into the hobby. Plus, hear our reactions to a spicy take from the site’s newest contributor, Zack Gulinello! MP3 Download | Spotify | Apple Podcasts Tips for Managing a Gaming Backlog Here’s a brief summary of our strategies for managing the backlog: * Create a two-in, one-out policy for yourself (i.e., you have to beat two games before you can buy one new one… though easier said than done). * Find an accountability buddy to play the same game as you. * Use a tool like HowLongToBeat to see how long a game takes the average player to complete, so you can plan accordingly. * Adjust your expectations around what it means to “beat a game.” In his essay on Elden Ring, fellow Punished Backlogger Sam Martinelli encourages the perspective that you’re finished with a game when you’re no longer enjoying it—even if that’s before you roll the credits. David Silbert | Allison McDaniel | Zack Gulinello | Amanda Tien Timestamps * 0:00 – Intro * 3:00 – Discussing Video Game Backlogs * 48:00 – Zack’s Hot Take! * 1:05:30 – Outro: Episode 4 Preview, and “What’re You Playing Next?” Games In Our Backlog We discuss a wide range of games, new and old. In alphabetical order, here are some that dominated our conversation (and haunt our free time): * Alan Wake 2 (2023) * Coffee Talk (2020) and Coffee Talk Episode 2 (2023) * Dave the Diver (2023) * Elden Ring (2022) * Hollow Knight (2017) * Immortals: Fenyx Rising (2020) * a href="https://punishedbacklog.

1h 10m
10/20/2023

The Punished Podcast – Episode 2: Game Length

Welcome back to The Punished Podcast! Before we dive into the meat and grits of this one, a heartfelt disclaimer: We recorded this one on August 27, right at the tail-end of Gamescom. That was seven weeks ago—an eternity in a year as fast-moving as this. Back then, people were excited for Starfield. Anything was possible in the tantalizing reaches of space. Fast forward nearly two months, and the hype has waned. The game was good, not great; life moved on. Cyberpunk 2.0 came out. Maybe it’ll be enough to get Amanda to replay it. Who can say. The point is, I dropped the ball, and I apologize. A special apology to my co-hosts, Amanda Tien and Sam Martinelli, and equal thanks for their patience as I ploddingly put this one together. The good news? The content’s still fire! The Punished Podcast Episode 2 This episode, we discuss the ideal game length. What makes a great two-hour game? A great 100-hour epic? Tune in for our thoughts, accompanied by a truly scathing take from yours truly. Correction: At 43:26, I state that The Shawshank Redemption is a “crisp, 90-minute film.” That movie is two and a half hours, per IMDB. Clearly, I’m not a film expert. (Still a breezy film, though…) MP3 Download | Spotify | Apple Podcasts Timestamps * 0:00 – Intro * 2:59 – Discussing Game Length * 52:08 – David’s Hot Take * 1:05:16 – Outro Every Game We Mentioned, Ordered by Play Time Looking for your next big, medium, or small playthrough? Look no further. We went ahead and compiled every game we mentioned in this episode, then ordered it by “all styles” length on How Long To Beat. Any title marked with an emoji is particularly great. * Venba (1.5 hours) 🕹️ * Journey (2 hours) 🕹️ * A Short Hike (2 hours) 🕹️ * Inside (4 hours) 🕹️ * Smushi Come Home (4 hours) 🕹️ * Oxenfree (5.5 hours) * Titanfall 2 (7 hours) 🕹️ * SEASON: A Letter to the Future (7.5 hours) 🕹️ * Halo 3 (9 hours) 🕹️ * Immortality (9.

1h 10m
08/08/2023

The Punished Podcast – Episode 1: Remakes vs. Remasters

Welcome to The Punished Podcast! In episode one, the Punished Backlog editorial team (Sam Martinelli, David Silbert, Amanda Tien) tackles a topic that is top of mind for everyone in gaming this year: remakes and remasters. We share our favorite examples of both, and discuss what it means that we keep getting so many of them. The crew also adds a new inductee to the Punished Hall of Fame… the Nintendo DS! The Punished Podcast Episode 1 MP3 Download | Spotify | Apple Podcasts Some comments from the podcast (edited for clarity): What’s the Difference Between a Remake and Remaster? David: I would say a remaster is a developer or studio updating [a game] visually and, to an extent, mechanically to make it play well and make it accessible to a modern audience but maintaining the same look and feel. A good example of this, in my opinion, is Metroid Prime Remastered. I know Retro Studios updated the controls to utilize a dual analog setup, so the game is less clunky than we remember from the GameCube version. But it still ultimately looks and feels the same as the original game. With a remake, you’re definitely creating new assets, building everything from the ground up, and re-imagining the visuals and mechanics. A good example of that, for me, is The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker HD. Some people look at that as a remaster, but I look at it as a remake because I think the look and feel are quite different from the original. I think something like the Dead Space remake also fits the bill, though it toes the line definitionally, since the gameplay is mostly the same. On the Potential Risks of Remakes… Sam: It does feel like every medium recycles things constantly. I think about how King Kong has been made several times, somehow we can’t get away from King Kong! Like everyone in Hollywood has figured it out, that all audiences want to see over and over again is a large ape, just with different visual effects. I was thinking about this with Mass Effect, which is such an interesting example to me. I played the entire Legendary Edition last year for the first time, and at any point before the Legendary Edition released, I could have played all three of the original versions of those games at any given time, but I didn’t: I waited for the remaster. In a sense, I got got. EA basically just said, “Hey, what if we gave you access to something again? What if we gave you a reason to pay money for this again?” And that’s sometimes a risk that comes with the desire for more remakes and remasters. Sometimes I think we just want to buy something again. Why the Nintendo DS Is a Hall of Famer Sam: Today, I’m inducting the Nintendo DS! It’s weird… the Nintendo DS is not my favorite Nintendo platform,

59 min

10 Episodes

5

out of 5

2 Ratings

Welcome to The Punished Podcast. Each month, our team will discuss the latest trends and topics in video games. We'll also be inducting games (and systems) into our ever-growing "Punished Backlog Hall of Fame." Listen to us here, or read along over at https://punishedbacklog.com.

Creator

The Punished Backlog
Years Active

2023 - 2024
Episodes

10
Rating

Clean
Show Website

The Punished Podcast