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.

2 DAYS AGO

The Punished Podcast: Episode 13 – Final Fantasy VII Rebirth

Happy Friday! After a week of Final Fantasy coverage for the site, we end back where we started—celebrating the PC release of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. In episode 13 of The Punished Podcast, Amanda, Kei, and I dive deep into what makes Final Fantasy VII Rebirth such a special (though often frustrating) experience. Months have passed since the original PlayStation 5 release, and the gloves are off! Nothing is off limits, from the combat and characters to the mini-games, the soundtrack, and of course that wild ending. Don’t worry! If you’re just playing Rebirth for the first time on PC, you can still listen. The first ~55 minutes of the podcast are spoiler-free, while the remaining hour and a half are for those already in the know. Regardless of your familiarity with the VII universe, we invite you to listen! – David Silbert, Editor The Punished Podcast Episode 13 I say it in the audio, but two quick notes about today’s episode: * My audio levels are pretty atrocious (sorry in advance). Thankfully, things get a little better later on. * Amanda, Kei, and I recorded this back in July 2024. So, we mention a few things (theories, GOTY commentary, etc.) that may be outdated. Even still, I think you’ll find most of what we talk about to be pretty topical. That’s it! Have at it: MP3 Download | Spotify | Apple Podcasts Timestamps: * 0:00 – Intro * 4:21 – Our Final Fantasy Journeys * 9:43 – Thoughts on Rebirth’s Structure * 25:21 – TOO. MANY. MINI-GAMES! * 28:22 – Favorite (& Least Favorite) Mini-Games * 35:17 – Combat & Characters * 43:56 – LIGHTNING ROUND!! * 50:12 – How About That Soundtrack?! * 55:45 – Spoilercast Time! Barrett, Dyne, and Cognitive Dissonance * 1:04:13 – Discussing the New Party Members * 1:12:23 – What the Heck’s Going on With Zack? * 1:15:54 – Which Character Did You Date and Why? * 1:27:40 – The Big Question: What Did We Think of the Ending? * 1:53:18 – The Final Boss Gauntlet and Other Thoughts * 1:58:14 – Rebirth’s Unparalleled Scale (and How It May Play Into Part 3) * 2:00:32 – Loveless and “No Promises to Keep” * 2:09:23 – Who’s Singing the Song in Part 3? * 2:10:17 – Outro for Amanda * 2:11:37 – Our Best Guesses on How Part 3 Will Be Structured (Full VII Universe Spoilers!!) * 2:18:24 – How Will Cid and Vincent Play into Combat?

2h 38m
12/20/2024

The Punished Podcast: Episode 12 – The Best Games of 2024 (Speed Dating Style)

What were the best video games of 2024? I need answers! I didn’t play that many games from the year (my life was very hectic!), and I want to know what to prioritize in my backlog. I turned to the contributors of The Punished Backlog and invited everyone to sign up for a speed-dating-like session with me to share one of their favorite games on the podcast. This episode features about a dozen writers (myself included!) and their picks. Each mini-interview is about five to 10 minutes long. In each, I ask for a description of the game, what the writer loved most about it, and who else might enjoy it. At the end, I include a LONG honorable mention list trying to recap every game anyone on our site liked in our Best of 2024 coverage, and I also got just a little emo at the end reflecting on my four years at the Punished Backlog! Hope y’all enjoy, and happy new year! – Amanda Tien, Editor The Punished Podcast Episode 12 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! MP3 Download | Spotify | Apple Podcasts Review the timestamps below to read more from these authors! Timestamps: * 0:00 – Intro * 2:13 – David & UFO 50 * 13:37 – Allison & Turnip Boy Robs a Bank * 17:28 – Zack & Balatro * 27:00 – Vaughn & Tekken 8 * 33:00 – Joe & Buckshot Roulette * 39:40 – Amanda & Thank Goodness You’re Here * 46:56 – Sam & Astro Bot * 56:55 – Alexia & Core Keeper * 1:04:30 – Kei & Final Fantasy VII Rebirth * 1:13:40 – Gary & Metaphor ReFantazio * 1:24:05 – Ben & Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown & Stardew Valley 1.6 Update * 1:33:51 – Outro: Honorable Mentions, Gratitude, and Looking Ahead Song Credits: The songs below, aside from the opener and outro, are all inserted before their corresponding features! * Opening: “Amble” from Thank Goodness You’re Here by James Carbutt * “Play Forever” from UFO 50 by Eirik Suhrkebr...

1h 44m
12/09/2024

The Punished Podcast – Episode 11 – Visual Art Styles

We used an audio medium to talk about a visual one—art styles in video games! Was this a mistake? Only you’ll be able to decide when we start discussing the hands of Final Fantasy characters as an example of evolutions in graphical fidelity! In all seriousness, this fun episode of The Punished Podcast has us reflecting on why and how visuals shape our impression of video games, what art styles have longer staying power, which games are the most beautiful, and if Toon Link is better than Twilight Princess Link. 12/13/2024 Update: I meant to talk about Okami! Re-pushing the audio to include it 🙂 – Amanda Tien, Editor The Punished Podcast Episode 11 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! MP3 Download | Spotify | Apple Podcasts Amanda Tien | David Silbert | Kei Isobe | Sam Martinelli | Vaughn Hunt | Zack Gulinello Timestamps: * 0:00 – 5:00 – Intros and Beautiful Games * 5:00 – 34:43 – What Makes a Game Look Good, and Why Does It Matter? * 35:48 – 50:00 – Visuals in Remasters and Remakes * 50:00 – 59:19 – Indie Games and Standing Out Visually * 59:20 – 1:08:30 – Uncanny Valley and Realism * 1:08:31- 1:17:09 – Who Ya Got?! Vote and Debate * 1:17:10 – Outro: What We’re Playing Episode Intro by Sam Martinelli “Let’s discuss video game visuals. While any video game experience centers on play and control, visuals and visual design have always been an essential pillar to the medium. After all, the main way companies build hype and excitement for a game is through visual media: trailers, screenshots, gameplay demonstrations, etc. But what exactly do players want visually from their games? To some extent, graphical fidelity vs. art direction has been a subject of discourse for decades, but now that upgrades to hyper-realistic graphics are getting smaller and smaller and AAA budgets keep ballooning, the nature of that discourse seems to be changing. It’s also worth noting that we’ve seen somewhat of an indie game revolution over the past decade-plus, where smaller studios—most of which are unable to produce graphical fidelity on par with their AAA counterparts—are forced to be more creative and intentional with their visual design. So to start, let’s go around and describe what we think makes a game look ‘good,’ and whether you think fidelity matters more or less than style…“

1h 19m
09/23/2024

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
06/06/2024

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.
04/24/2024

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 Error happened.

1h 31m
03/19/2024

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
02/14/2024

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

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 - 2025
Episodes

13
Rating

Clean
Show Website

The Punished Podcast