Emotive Pixels - All Podcasts

Let's get back to nature with someone fresh from the cast of Mad Men.Relevant links!From "Irritable Heart" to "Shellshock": How Post-traumatic Stress Became a Disease (via Gizmodo)The theme this week is Linker, by our very own Pauly!

Join us for a discussion of The Beginner's Guide. This game is so complicated and so deep and so oddly emotional - whether funny or brutally devastating is really up to you, apparently - that we bring in a psychiatrist to help us sift through the experience. I'm having a hard time deciding exactly what to type here about this game; it's almost a divine experience certainly without parallel in the gaming space, an opinion I hold to the level of that for Kentucky Route Zero. The Beginner's Guide is not as much all about videogames as The Stanley Parable, but instead it's a game all about the making of games, the sustaining of the creative forces required to make such inhumanly exhausting projects that are such pieces of the creators' soul(s). I don't want to spoil this experience for any of you (spoiling is what listening to our podcast is for, after all), but take it from me: this is a game you should play if you've ever even considered the humans behind your games.We recommend listening to our The Stanley Parable podcast beforehand, the spiritual precursor to this game, also by Davey Wreden.Relevant links!Check out our own musician Pauly, whose song Unravishing is featured in this episode!Galactic Cafe: Davey Wreden's blog post about The Stanley ParableThe Artist is Absent: Davey Wreden and The Beginner's Guide - a truly amazing analysis video of The Beginner's Guide by Innuendo Studios on YouTube (33m)Errant Signal: The Beginner's Guide - another awesome breakdown analysis from the YouTube channel Errant Signal (20m) - watch this if you suspect Coda might be a real personThe theme this week is "The Func" by VCMG, a free download from chipmusic.org.The Will's Quiz Minute(tm) theme is Linker, also by beloved Pauly!

Join us for a discussion of The Stanley Parable, a game entirely focused on turning negative possibility spaces into positive possibility spaces. Game design theory and meta-commentary abound in this episode about the utterly-hilarious Half-Life 2 mod The Stanley Parable by Davey Wreden. The level of fergazzlement on display is outstanding!Tune in with us next week for a talk about the emotional follow-up to this game, The Beginner's Guide. If you enjoyed this game, BG is a must-play from Wreden's own experience after the release of SP.Relevant links!UPDATE! The Baby Game has been patched as of 2016/12!Jazzpunk by Necrophone Games, an absurdest alt-Cold War comedy game with a similar sense of humor to StanleyWay of the Samurai, an oldschool game about multiple endingsThe Art of Game Design: A Book of Lenses, a textbook on game designyep, we talk about the Swiffer in this podcastThe theme this week is "The Func" by VCMG, a free download from chipmusic.org. Also from chipmusic, the WILL'S GAMING MINUTE(tm) theme is "Wienerhype" by jaar.

Warning: This is an early podcast of ours and is long! You have been warned.Join us for a discussion of Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4. This week, we talk about the differences between the base game and the glorious PS Vita port, Golden, and whether you have to actually experience something the first time for it to be nostalgic when you play the remaster - a more involved discussion than the "yes" you'd expect from a podcast who's been doing this for a lot longer than we had been at this point. (Yes, the legends are true, it took us a year to bother editing this one.) We discuss Nate's uncanny similarity to Yosuke for frankly pretty trivial reasons, and the intricacies of polyamory. Yes, there's lots to talk about and a contest to be won!The theme this week is Linker, by our very own Pauly!

Nine years out from its release, we return for some thoughts and critical analysis of Mass Effect. This is almost a companion podcast to our bookclub on Drew Kapyrshyn's first Mass Effect novel, Revelation, and in this podcast we hear Nate being a huge grump after (or because of) missing what is easily argued to be the entire point and centerpiece of not only this game but entire series of games; also hear us talk about the Mako, that lovely divisive game mechanic (I guess some people have to like something for it to be divisive, huh?). We'll chat about other things too, but you'll have to listen to find out!The theme this week is "Cracks" by Clamm, a free album download from chipmusic.org.

Join the text version of a single Mass Effect side-mission, Mako-free, here in Drew Karpyshyn's debut prequel to Mass Effect.The theme this week is "Cracks" by Clamm, a free album download from chipmusic.org.

Papers, Please is aptly summed up by its marketing tagline: "A dystopian document thriller". Everything that can go wrong will go wrong in this 'simulation' of being a border crossing agent in the clearly-Soviet-in-all-but-name Arstotzka.Morality and shades of gray are front in center in this puzzle game, but transparency of choice is not; what you do may make be ethical but its outcomes vary wildly in the face of a political system so obfuscated as to be completely labyrinthine. Papers, Please does more to simulate the atmosphere of Soviet politik than even a good read of Solzhenitsyn, but that isn't just why it's popular: it's also a darn strong puzzle game.Relevant links!Document types in the gameCaustic Soda, a podcast about gruesome or weird stuff by lovable CanadiansRelevant games!The Westport Incident by Double Zero One Zero (the newspaper version of Papers, PleaseThe Tomorrow Children by Q-GamesCalm Down, Stalin by Cartboard Games (no, not Cardboard Computer)This War of Mine by 11 bit studiosEkranoplans, by Russia Itself, GiantBomb'd hereThe entire Metro series by 4AThe theme this week is "Duck Wings Going Down in Smoke and Flames" by Duck Boy, a free album download from chipmusic.org off of his new album Unknown Command. Also from chipmusic, the WILL'S GAMING MINUTE(tm) theme is, fittingly, "Wienerhype" by jaar.

It's a very intimate show tonight, as Will and Nate venture deep into electronic music territory in two distinctly different approaches to the musical platformer. Electronic Super Joy is a pixel graphic-styled brutal platformer's chase (the difficulty of which has only Super Meat Boy to pay homage to) in order to take down Rogue Pope One as a silhouette of a boy to the incredibly loud thumping beats of Eurodance backed by mid-tier-quality German gonzo porn sound effects. Meanwhile, in a far more mature and artsy vein, PixelJunk Eden is Q-Games and Baiyon's collaboration to give you an idea of what his DJ residency nights at Tokyo's infamous and somewhat secret underground megaclub Womb might be like if you were the only one around and a weird drum track kept popping either into your head or off to stage right; you're not sure because you're on a couple too many tabs of acid, but everything is incredible neon vectors on sharp black backgrounds the color of the Arctic night sky before the Canadians set up that Santa shop and the Russians needed the oil money enough to explore the taiga.Relevant links!Ellie Gibson of Eurogamer gets incredibly frustrated and reviews EdenJohn Walker of RPS, someone who "gets it", reviews EdenMaybe relevant to your ESJ interests: some gameplay of Crypt of the NecroDancerMaybe relevant to your Eden interests: Hohokum, a Phil Kollar Polygon reviewRelevant music podcasts!The Anjunadeep Edition for good deep house, a bit more calm than Eden's soundtrack (a progressive house record label out of London)Resident Advisor (RA) podcast for getting into techno and more eclectic, less smooth, more worldly soundsThe Monstercat podcast for slightly more energetic, upbeat sounds midway between the energy of these two OSTs (an upbeat trancey-dance record label out of Vancouver)The theme this week is so incredible it couldn't be contained: "Voyage: Andromeda" by Jayster, from chipmusic.org. Also from chipmusic, the WILL'S GAMING MINUTE(tm) theme is, fittingly, "Wienerhype" by jaar. The song towards the end is from the ESJ official soundtrack, so go check that out!

In our most up-to-date episode ever, some of us sit around and chat about that rehashing of the '90s phonomenon of Pokémon. Remember that? Yep, so does everyone gathering in your local civic area either rejoicing the human condition together, or robbing one another (or falling off cliffs). We hit peak 2016 this week.The theme this week is a mildly jazzy and mildly chippy one: "Funk of Ages" by The Jazz Surgeon, from chipmusic.org. The ALBERTO'S HOT TIPS(tm) theme is Summon In The Sunlight from the fantastic YouTube video HAPPY SOULS, and it also makes a charming ringtone.

Here we have a very strange experience that you might or might not share with your boy/girlfriend. The thing about Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime is... well, okay, the first thing is that its name is ridiculous and rad. But the second thing is you might not remember your play session if your host is generous enough with his - bourbon, was it? I don't remember.Anyways, Lovers is a couch co-op game wherein you and a friend (or AI if you don't have friends [available]) control various parts of ridiculously spherical spaceship(s!) and destroy the anti-love that is green and has escaped its confines, now wreaking havoc upon the universe's previous exclusive force: love. It's from Canada and has a silly synthpop soundtrack. Play it!Relevant links!Giant Bomb plays Mario Party: the seriesSeattle's own EMP, a divisive Frank Gehry structure housing major nerd alertsTotalBiscuit asks us WTF is Slam Bolt Scrappers?The theme this week is retrofunk reggae tune "Guilty Heart" by automatonsubsys, from chipmusic.org.

This podcast is part 2 of 2 in our Hack and/or Net series. This week's title comes 13 years after the original magnificent Uplink that really forms part 0 of the hacking series, but that's not what's important because what is important is games that share flipped versions of the same name. But I don't want to rush ahead of myself and spoil anything.Listen along this week as we delve into a superindie hacking game with ridiculous open domain synthwave hacker soundtrack accompaniment as you hack fried chicken establishments and college records databases. It's fun, but only mildly dangerous, much to our chagrin.Relevant links!RETICULATING SPLINES!Danger! High Voltage! by Electric SixThe theme this week is "Total Bae" by Brink, from chipmusic.org.

NetHack is a 1987 text adventure game that's stood the test of time, surviving countless ports and interface changes. How does it hold up, and what is its depth? Each of us will give a dramatically different answer to that. Join us today around the campfire as we share our stories.The theme this week is "NetHack" by Rob Balder, parodying of course the Butthole Surfers' "Pepper" - more info at his website.

Active from 1999 to March of 2016, we (Craig and resident racing nut Nate) hope you haven't forgotten the contributions of famed British racing developer Evolution Studios. And to wit, we've reviewed 3 MotorStorm titles, and the infamous Driveclub. We won't spoil much here, not even the plot of Apocalypse, but we will talk at length about the physics and overall appeal of each game. And we also discuss The Crazies. And Slam. And Pendulum & Monument Valley and other great places, most of the rest of them digital but not entirely fantasy.We even reference Split/Second, which is the first time that game has ever been mentioned, ever, let alone by us! RIP Black Rock too.Plus, a new segment!: Would this game be better with mechs? (The answer is always yes.)We also cover the odd link between Evo boardroom conversations and Fast & The Furious.The theme this week is "Red Riding Hood" by Klamm, from chipmusic.org.Cover image (website only) is, unaltered, from Driveclub's photo mode, courtesy our host. Protip: put your PS4 into PNG screenshot saving mode.

This week, we take a look at Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception, the third title in the series, and one we found somewhat forgettable - until we took a second look, some of us in the Uncharted Collection on the PS4. This time, we're heading to the Rub' al Khali, as mentioned in the Quran and the works of T.E. Lawrence. Is it really fair to call this the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull of the Uncharted series?

This week, one bold host claims this is the best JRPG ever and that all others are stupid. The entire cast disagrees with both points.Okay seriously though. Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch is a lengthily-titled Studio Ghibli (yes, the Spirited Away and Howl's Moving Castle folks) role-playing game in the Japanese style, like Final Fantasy but prettier and more sensible but also more childish. You play as Oliver, a charming young boy who is taken to another dimension by his stuffed animal after he cries upon it. Yup. And in this fine another world, there are Pok-- err, familiars to be tamed, caught, and battled! Yup.Relevant link!Yahtzee says: Zero Punctuation review

Join us this week for an unpredictably-temporally-allocated game of the year discussion spanning unpredictable bounds of time - for here, we aren't reviewing games released in 2015, but instead games we've uploaded podcasts about in 2015. There's 29 items to be voted upon and the vast majority of them slide by like buttered diskettes gliding down an icehill, but the in the final three discission becomes clogged and horrific, like a 6-car pileup sliding down a buttered icehill. We also play a game wherein we assign one game to each person in the group; what fits them most, what really matches up with someone, you know? I, the omnipresent but conspicuously absent Producer Or Editor Person, am given Cities: Skylines, with so little fanfare that I don't honestly think anyone even spent a full mental thought cycle on it. For the other group members, things take a slightly devious turn. All this and more in this, what would turn out not only to be a great year for us, but a great year for games as innovation, accessibility, and representation soar to new heights that we are somehow still reminded are only just the beginnings for this industry and us younguns here in Seattle & Denver. Southpark: TSOT - Brian PachuckiHotline MiamiUncharted 2 Among Thieves Dangan Ronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc - Alberto Orejel MalfavonUntil DawnSpec Ops: The Line - Craig Schuemann, Tyson LambertHer StoryUncharted: Drakes Fortune - Will AtkinsonMiddle Earth: Shadow of MordorShovel KnightSunset Overdrive - Pauly KrollThe Vanishing of Ethan Carter - Tien-Ju YuBastionHotline Miami 2: Wrong Number - Sy Donovan-SmithFar Cry 4Everybody's Gone to the RaptureWalking Dead Season 2 - Megan PaulsonFrog FractionsDevice 6 - EstebanThe FallSim City 5Cities: Skylines - Nate StevensEndless LegendThe Order: 1886Sins of a Solar Empire - Matthew SassuCivilization: Beyond Earth - Geoff GariandoUplinkFallout ShelterNCIS: The Video Game

There's a lot to talk about this week as we inspect Supermassive's wild horror adventure, Until Dawn. This game is fun and only mildly quick-time-event-driven, but we come away feeling a lot more positive than you'd expect if you'd listened to our (admittedly early) Heavy Rain spoilercast. We also feature some lovely excerpts of a lengthy edition of Will's Gripes(tm), this time about character animations and use of the word 'garbage', was it?All that about the actual content of the episode is a bit of a moot point though, because we have a new crew member as of this episode, dear Pauly! He's kind of the best.Relevant links!Probably from Bradbury: the actual 'butterfly effect'The Butterfly Effect: an actual movieAs "How I Met Your Mother" shows us, a reference or twoThe Nintendo "Vita" a.k.a. the Vitality SensorHow hard is it to steady that Lightbar? Let's find out by pendulums and girls in the bar. Try to keep it still!Podcast recommendation & backstory: Lore podcast episode 18: Hunger Pains about the 'villians' of this gameStill need to read it: Seveneves by Neal Stephenson

There really isn't enough space to talk about Naughty Dog's Uncharted 2, the (spoiler alert) fantastic sequel to Nathan Drake's first adventures through the (spoiler alert/debatable conclusion) wendigo worlds. This game sees Naughty Dog and writer Amy Hennig at their utter strongest with plot and pacing good enough to keep even Will satisfied, right alongside so many millions of movie-style-game-hungry players that have played it since, so much so that you can now get your grubby hands on the PS4 remaster 3-pack - for all the peasants who weren't into these games back when they were cool on that weird 8-core PS3!We talk a lot this week about plot and the femininity and feminism of both Chloe and Elena and we duke out who is the cooler of the two. There are no winners, as usual around these parts. We also discuss mysterious absences through the plot, iconic scenes, the train scene, Transformers spoilers, and, of course, everbody's favorite segment, Will's Gripes(tm).Relevant links!Probably the greatest music video of all time, The Chemical Brothers' "Star Guitar", fresh with train sceneryWell, okay, John Williams didn't quite invent the refrain; someone in 1595 did, but I still don't like him for itExtra Credits on videogame music past and present: why it was better then

What do these two games have in common? More than you'd think, and that's their abstract surrealism, the magicality of their wonderful worlds, and the gorgeousness of their graphics. Seriously, play both of these games and join us this week as we discuss their finer points, and how spiritual you really are in Everybody's Gone to the Rapture, and how alive you are in The Vanishing of Ethan Carter.Relevant links!GamesRadar: "How to Enjoy Rapture: A real Englishman explains"On The Vanishing of Ethan Carter's ending: references and more by The AstronautsEthan Mars from Alfredo's favorite Heavy Rain

This week, we all sat down to play each other (or mostly, to collectively fend off expert Will) in Ironclad Studios' Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion, which is a hybrid 4X and realtime ("RT4X") strategy game all about managing a spacefaring empire in the far-flung future. And of course since it's a 4X, you battle each other. And of course since it's a 2015 game, there is no campaign-- wait, this game first came out in 2008?! Ahead of its time!We discuss our experiences, 4X play strategies in general, and generally rib each other about the inevitable outcomes of our two games together - with about half of us being completely fresh to the game.Relevant links!Who needs backstory?: enter Gratuitous Space Battles - a game where you stage a space battle and watch the ensuing carnage

This week, we're coming up roses as we review Supergiant's 2011 double-A (?) indie darling, Bastion. This game has been around forever, and it has made its way onto so many platforms, it's almost difficult to keep track - but it began life as a 360 indie game by a group of seven devs mostly of ex-Westwood/EA LA fame. Needless to say, there isn't much resemblance to the days of Kane & Co., but what remains is a shining gem of gorgeous graphics and a fun brawler, though we wish it was a bit less obscure and a bit more RPG-ey (some of us, anyway).The key thing this podcast might help you with, oh previous player of Bastion, is a far more comprehensive understanding of the story, which our friend Matt knows a suspicious amount about. Listen up!Also featured are extensive recommendations, some of them strange, based on what we feel are similar or precursory games to Supergiant's first. And somehow, zero spoilers for Transistor!Relevant links!Bastion Original Soundtrack via Darren Korb on BandcampAutomodellista: racing made artsy (and mildly age-resistant) [Editor's note: vexels and oldschool DangeRuss on dA are probably inspired by this, wish I had known more about it]Wiki: Zia is an 'unseen character'Neal Stephenson's Seveneves is a book y'all should read. Because it rocks.BT's "Road Trip" (or, ingame Tiger Woods 2006, "Convergence") sounds awful familiar...

This week, we turn our attention to the flawlessly-animated but badly-loading South Park: The Stick of Truth, a game written by South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, designed by Obsidian Entertainment (that's right, the guys behind Fallout: New Vegas, amongst other classics), and published by Ubi. We have varying reactions to the various levels of abortion on display (no, that's not a metaphor), and our game-constrained abilities to save Randy from anal probing aboard spaceships that crash amidst Taco Bell construction coverups via rhythmn game mechanics – are thrown into question occasionally, but all in all, we are quite fond of the game, even those amongst us who somehow have missed out on all the South Park contributions to the cultural zeitgeist.Relevant links!Screenie: at the Canadian borderWhat in the world is the Zephyr Blade, and where does it come from, you ask? Only the best animated webseries The Escapist ever had anything to do with: Doraleous and Associates.Early forays into DLC: the horse armor mod for Oblivion"The Internet is a series of tubes": the wonderful words of Ted Sanders, R-AK

Get down in the dirt with us as we talk about Fallout Shelter, the hip game that literally attaches to your hip (it's a mobile game, is the joke I'm making here) and nags you incessantly but is so charmingly styled with that one Pip-Boy guy and the love of the world(s) of Fallout, that you just can't be mad. You'll find yourself a whale indebted $20 to Bethesda in no time as you build a Vault of their dreams for your mostly-pregnant or child inhabitants! Remember to not let them out very often, especially if they're Liam Neeson. That's the lesson I think this game teaches.Editor's note: But what would I know? I didn't get to play it because it wasn't on the more open platform.Editor's successive note: Turns out now it's on Android, as of August [2015]! Huzzah! Here's a podcast to commemorate the occasion of actual global accessability! Relevant links!Warm Bodies: a zombie film with heartCinna from that one dumb movie trilogy (quadrilogy?)Seven Eves: A[nother] Neal Stephenson novel (woop woop!)Justice Scalia's Language 101: jiggery-pokery & the nature of pure applesauceMobile Dead Space interface: 1 was best *neener*

This is a super-spoilery kind of episode, even more than normal, possibly even moreso than our Spec Ops: The Line cast. Which you should totally check out because it had a social worker dad in it. Ok so yeah, only listen if you're immune to spoilers (there's not much point to playing this game if you know the plot!) or you've played it already. Got it? Her Story is an indie detective 'game' (it's an FMV game fosho) by Sam Barlow, a British fellow, with acting talent of one singular person: a femme fatale rockstar, Viva Seifert, who's damn good. Wiki says it is "about a set of fictional police interviews from 1994", and I see no reason to either disagree or expound upon that considerably other than to say that you play the role of a hip and more-protagonist-y-than-you'd-expect databaser querier who is tasked with querying a database per the direction of you, the player. Search for clips by their audio transcription, 5 at a time, and understand what happened in this woman's life.Her Story draws heavy influences from things like L.A. Noire and Phoenix Wright in some ways, and we liken it to Papers, Please in that it is effectively a game about you doing the mundane to receive story. This is a game that is utterly new and we all appreciate that about it, just like the critics I'm sure you haven't been able to avoid scrounging the floor for something positive that hasn't already been said. This game is emotional and brave, and though it's written by a man, there's some really compelling female narrative here; some of the best I've seen. (Cue angry folks asking why a woman didn't write it - that's discussed in the interview linked below, so don't blame us for not mentioning it.)Relevant links!True Crimes and Family Histories: The Story Behind Her Story via Klepek & Barlow via Giant Bomb (also in Giant Bomb Presents podcast feed)Prisoner's tap code: communicating by tap matrices

URL OF THE YEAR EDITIONPlay this (Flash) game now here before continuing.Seriously, play this game.It's about 5 to 10 minutes long,it's free,and it plays in your browser.(Don't play on your phone though, it's Flash and Apple killed that.)Definitely do that.Okay?Frog Fractions is an edutainment game, and it is an invaluable part of your toolkit as either a present-day or future parent. Not only will it teach the young people surrounding you, it might make you a bit smarter, too!Frog Fractions is a one-man production by Twinbeard, a.k.a. Jim Crawford. Ostensibly, it is a Flash-based Missile Command-esque edutainment 'title' that focuses upon fractions and general non-integer values. But if you look at it just right, it might let on to more than it initially appears... Relevant links!Ars: 'Frog Fractions 2 Kickstarter aspires to be so much more', by Kyle Orland (actual Kickstarter link here [now closed])Giant Bomb's Interview Dumptruck: The surprising history of Frog Fractions, interview between Klepek and CrawfordWell, it isn't against the rules: Animal athlete loophole via TVtropes, and how AirBud addresses itZorkmids, straight outta the Zork series by Infocom, and, of course, a fan project to re-mint Zorkmids, sadly abandonedDafuq is 'Toejam and Earl'? Oh Sega. And of course, a reboot has already been successfully Kickstarted!Edutainment staff picks (play links via playDOSgamesonline): The Learning Company's Treasure Mountain!, Reader Rabbit, Midnight Rescue!Further edutainment picks (post-DOS piratable era): Sesame Street Countdown (no relation to the IT Crowd 'countdown', JumpStart series, LP Elroy Hits the PavementFinal nerd tier of edutainment: Logo, the dynamic educational programming language created in 1967 by Wally Feurzeig & Seymour PapertYup, parodied that too: The Matrix end credits track, by Rage Against The MachineSpoiler city beyond: Frog Fractions' final tech treeReference alert: Allen Iverson's just talkin' 'bout practice

Come join us as we reminisce about our sojourn to the wondrous world of Benaroya Hall in downtown sunny and heatwave-drenched Seattle as the boys (and two girls) ventured into the halls of retromancy (wait... not what that means) and modernity. Uematsu and Hama-isuzutrooper are at their heights this week! Topics include which FFs are our favorite, which we [haven't] played, which ones have the best OSTs, which videogame music podcasts you should listen to (just kidding, we didn't talk about this but I have a couple), and which games we want to play just based on the FMVs we saw as each game was being showcased behind the orchestra - a question we were inspired to ask by having seen Zelda performances elsewhere. These truly are some master works, some of the defining works that will last beyond many other pieces of the medium's finest productions, perhaps even outliving a world in which "Final Fantasy" is a common household franchise to namedrop. Some say Uematsu is regarded as a celebrity in Japan, and some of these pieces - especially some of the earlier ones, say some in our group - really bring that point home. Relevant links! Nobody knows who that is: Ross GellerPenny Arcade: Annarchy (this is hanging on Will's wall y'all)Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children - Tifa vs. Loz Relevant podcasts! Super Marcato Bros.: A Videogame Music Podcast (lots of retro and really knowledgeable folks about scores)Train Station at 8: also A Videogame Music Podcast! (also videogamey, a bit more interviews and more unpredictable)

This week, we draw lots of parallels to somewhat-obscure post-postmodernist English literature in a discussion about DEViCE 6, a game by Swedish developer Simogo. Device 6 is an iOS-exclusive title heartily inspired by 1960s-era spy films, most notably "The Prisoner", and it plays as an interactive text adventure fiction combined with escape-the-room puzzles across 6 separate 'episodes'. The game plays with a mild illusion of choose your own adventure, but doesn't quite work out that way by the end. Our host this week, Nate, has a lot to say about the parallels between this game and ergodic literature (a form of literature that requires more out of the reader than basic text); Nate's most prominent example being Mark Z. Danielewski's seminal 2000 work House of Leaves, a book that attempts to answer the questions and fantasies of early media experts prophesizing about what the internet would do to the written word. That is to say, reading House of Leaves is crazy; its text is constantly in changing styles, with some passages being backwards, upside-down, laid out in spirals, or told through margin liners of someone else's inane notes and scraps, for the most part in immersion-constructing ways. And from this, there are some clear but toned-down inspirations in the 'interface' of Device 6, Nate thinks, and we'll talk a bit about that and why that book might interest you if you liked aspects of this game (and vice-versa), in addition to the J.J. Abrams contribution to the world of the ergodic. It isn't just about books this week though, as we ponder the puzzles in Device 6, their difficulty, the story of the 'game', the divide between reading and playing, and just how similar this is after all to Fullbright and Emotive Pixels both's classic Gone Home. Relevant links! Simogo's official list of all cultural references in Device 6Book time I: House of Leaves by Mark Z. DanielewskiBook time II: S. by Doug Dorst & J.J. AbramsBootstrap paradox: the one Esteban was talking aboutMusic time I: "Creepy Doll" by Jonathan CoultonMusic time II: "Anna" by Jonathan Eng from the D6 OSTRelevant to the next Simogo production: The Lighthouse Painting, a 4-part podcast story

"The soundtrack to this damn game got me good." - Craig This week we peek at all 9001 bits of retro glory 2D sidescrolling platformer Shovel Knight, a Yacht Club Games production funded via Kickstarter and initially released in 2014. The game is a standout selection for many reasons, not the least of which is its absolutely jammin' chiptune soundtrack arranged by Dearest 'virt' to fit and match the capabilities of the sound card expansion to the SNES console. Didn't know there was a sound card expansion? Well, it was Japan-only, and late in the console's life, but it's a real thing, and armed with that bit of knowledge you'll understand the level of love and care that went into crafting such a beautiful homage to the classics of the 80s and 90s. We discuss how, thankfully for some of our peasant cast, you don't need to be "in the know" about all these references to really love this game; none of them are too overt or heavy-handed; they're just there if you think to look for them. That being said, comparisons both graphically and mechanically abound, and just some of the ones we can think of off the tops of our heads include Final Fantasy (the early ones), Super Mario Brothers for the overworld map, Duck Tales [Remastered] for just about the entire game, Castlevania for several weapons and the like, and Mega Man - again for just about everything.Relevant links!Plungers as weapons: not to be trifled withThis Week in Chiptune, your weekly dose of chips pres. The Shovel Knight tag!Yacht Club announces physical releases; this game is still going strong!Extra Credits: Video Game Music(answering the question of why game music seems to have been better in the past, by and large)Kinda Funny: Colin Moriarty plays Castlevania 3Joe Matar, Den of Geek! - Why Shovel Knight is a masterpiecePlayStation Store: The Last Guy!(go to the PSN on your PS3 and find the subtitled dev interview trailer. Do it now. It's the best

This week, we peer very critically at Firaxis' so-called sequel to Civilization V and its expansion, Brave New World, the much-hyped 'successor', 2014's Sid Meier's Civilization: Beyond Earth. Beyond Earth was promised as not only a sci-fi successor to the mainline Civ series but also as a spiritual successor to 1999's Alpha Centauri, a promise that we have some pretty damning beliefs about. From my humble origins pecking around Beyond Earth, it immediately became clear that something else would be necessary for my full step forward in the 4X sphere, and Rock, Paper, Shotgun's GoTY '14 awards happened to make it very clear just where that fix might be, a potential diamond in the rough from indie developer Amplitude Studios, a tiny ex-Ubisoft Parisian team working one indie darling after another through the Unity framework, and tying together all of their games' lore no less. That gem is indeed late 2014's Endless Legend, released just one month prior to Beyond Earth to quiet rave acclaim, and its subsequent minor add-on, Guardians in 2015. From the moment I first loaded up EL, it was clear these two games were meant to be contrasted, from their combat to their tech trees to their soundtracks, and that's exactly what we're here today to do; in a somewhat messy and mildly unorganized fashion, we sit down and talk about exactly what makes these two games. You'll benefit most from a passing knowledge of the Civilization series, but it isn't required, and knowledge of Endless Legend is absolutely not required whatsoever - it is new, after all! Relevant links! Rock, Paper, Shotgun: PC Game of the Year '14, Endless LegendPolygon: "How 4X fans have helped design the genre's next big thing" by Wes FenlonReddit: How to find Beyond Earth soundtrack files with standard Steam installAll you need in one picture: Super Mario Galaxy (as mentioned)

Fresh from the shrinking backlog here at Emotive Pixels, we serve up the long-overdue finale to our discussion surrounding The Walking Dead Season Two, a Telltale adventure series loosely paralleling Robert Kirkman's comic and - of course - the culturally monolithic AMC TV production. We tackle episodes 4 and 5 here - check out earlier coverage further back in our catalog! In these episodes, we follow Clementine through more harrowing guts-strewn throngs of zombies on through even more awkward and profound emotional moments and, as our cast is wont to point out, intolerable humans. We get into the conclusion of the series quite deeply and really rue the things we felt we've missed with our endings (especially as they relate to our mostly-merciless treatment of Kenny). We talk about how much Bonnie is no good, the fine balance beam Telltale is walking with their action-to-cutscene ratio, statue quotes, dream sequences neverending, and niche Hotline Miami references. It's an exciting week, and an older episode serves as an excellent reminder of the thrills that are only possible when you rate games. Remember when we did that? Relevant links! Austin Powers steamroller scene: important cultural references aboundWes Fenlon via PC Gamer: The Walking Dead Season 2 Episode 5 reviewMDK: murder, death, kill? A game of madness, but it's Interplay so you know it was goodSPOILER: Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons death scene - death done 10/10 as only in videogames Shameless plugs! (quality warning) Emotive Pixels #4: The Walking Dead: Season 2, Episode 1 podcastEmotive Pixels #9: The Walking Dead: Season 2, Episodes 2 & 3 podcast

Join us this week for a detour from game reviews right into topical discussions as we cover the Sunday and Monday of E3 2015! We review the Bethesda, Microsoft, EA, Ubisoft, and Sony press conferences, with each of us speaking to our passions, then we rate each show as a whole. We get into some depth about most of the releases announced, so this is as much editorial content as there is summary. It's a good year, surprisingly earnest even from the big boys. Check out our summary, even if you didn't catch the shows!

This week, we take a glance into two titles and one franchise highly revered by our host Nate. We discuss the (relatively) recently-released Cities: Skylines, the first proper city simulator by Finnish studio Colossal Order (previously responsible for the similar but transit-scenario-focused Cities In Motion series), and in so doing we decided to compare & contrast with Maxis' final hurrah, its much-ballyhooed SimCity. Cities: Skylines is an open-ended city simulator designed in Unity from the ground-up to be moddable and fully support the Steam Workshop with everything from custom structures to camera mods and custom interfaces; from cel-shaded graphics, new rendering engines, and color palette tweaks to R34 Skylines that drive about your cities. Three months after release, the Workshop has 45,000 items and ex-Maxis employees on Patreon earn $700 per building they post. The quantity of content here is on the level of Simtropolis in its prime, and we consider whether the game is all the richer for it, or whether it suffers from a lack of directive - a question that turns out to be larger than simply content. SimCity was a reboot of the SimCity franchise, a new take on what the 1989-spawned Will Wright classic was all about featuring a new spiffy rendering engine called Glassbox, social play across tiny towns, regional resource management, always-on DRM, and - relatedly - one of the most disastrous launches on record. SimCity 5, as we refer to it despite the existence of Societies, expanded on some of the interesting regional development ideas of 2003's SimCity 4 and its 2005 expansion, SimCity 4: Rush Hour. SC5 established greater goals and obstacles with mining of resources and management of supply chains all the way up through their contributions toward regional superproject goals like arcologies. SimCity was followed up by an expansion of its own, Cities of Tomorrow, which focused on developing cities vertically with modular arcologies connected to each other in the sky, a gameplay element we discuss and a sociological concept of infinite coolness. Listen to us whinge freely about the two games as we discuss how they compare. Specific points of focus include city plot size, regional and social play, the intrusiveness of mods upon curated experiences, city design philosophies, and nuances of relationships between modding communities and community ambassadors. Relevant links! Bryan Shannon on Patreon: 'burrito consumer and polygon pusher', ex-Maxis employee paying off student debts with buildingsReddit: Is there IHT/high-tech industry in Cities?Faux Nate methodology: non-rectangular traffic grid inspirationsArchitecture meets ecology: Paolo Soleri's 'arcologies', tracing back to 1899 (wiki)RPS' Mirror's Edge color mod screenshot

Join a fractured crew of 5 this week as we discuss The Fall, a very indie 2D puzzle platformer with the gameplay and mechanic stylings of '90s adventure games. This game was Kickstarted by enthusiastic legions in 2013 (raising $38,155 CAD of its $17,000 target) as the first episode of what was hoped to be a series (update: II is in progress, helped along by passing Steam Greenlight), and its final form won Giant Bomb's Story of the Year award for 2014. Just why did it get that award, you ask? Join us and find out...*! The format this week is unique as our show is divided and spliced between two evenings, two separate events both hosted by Will: Brian & Geoff vs. Nate & Esteban. You'll get to hear two distinct groups' totally separate and uninformed-to-the-other's opinions and see for yourself just where we all fall down on the matter. RELEVANT LINKS!Isaac Asimov's Three Laws of RoboticsGDC Vault 2015: Itay Keren's "Scroll Back: The Theory and Practice of Cameras in Side-Scrollers"! * You might not actually find out.

This time around the sun, we have blasted our way through the oxygen-poor air of Kyrat in the world of 2014 Ubisoft's Far Cry 4: the crew this time is Will (hosting), Craig, and Brian. A far cry from a truly original concept, 4 is definitely a sequel to 2012's Far Cry 3, but yet it does so well enough to avoid too many Assassin's Creed gripes... but this might be the last time the franchise escapes so easily. Near-faceless protagonist Ajay Ghale, 26, is following his mother's dying wish to have her ashes spread in the mountainous terrain of her home country Kyrat, and Fashionable Dictator Pagan Min shows up right at the onset of your necrotic visit to run interference on the plan, for your mother is (one of) his lost love(s?). From there, you spread many other people's ashes all over the country as you liberate much of the countryside from the tyrannical dictator's clutches, and you'll do so with flag-totin' Americans and bible-thumping UAC born-agains, with Yogi & Booboo and magical materials that gain you access to hallucinatory Shangri-La, with an arsenal of crazy weapons drip-fed to you from a hybrid mix of Christian-history-inspired figures and egregious quantities of slain wildlife. Far Cry 4, like 3, has a lot in common with games like Mercenaries and Just Cause 2, and in setting has a few things in common with the later setpieces of Uncharted 2. Unlike that game, the world here is open to you to do with as you please, whether that's exploration-heavy or demolition-soaked. Listen to us this week discuss our approaches, what worked for us (the world), what didn't (the plot), and what chilled us (De Plure). Make sure you try not leaving the table! Buy Far Cry 4 (PS4) on Amazon and support us!

This week, we take a peek at 2012's Hotline Miami and 2015's Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number: the crew this week is Brian (hosting), Will, and Nate. Both of these games are incredibly twisted and violent gore-soaked 16-bit top-down depictions of Miami across a variety of retro timeframes, tied together by wicked soundscapes and rad driving electronic/nu disco beats. Both games employ unreliable narrators a la a certain movie whose first rule is that it is not to be spoken of; set in a lush vaguely-alternate history where the Russians are every bit as much of a concern as all those Cold War action films would have made you believe, both of these games are clearly inspired by Nicolas Refn's Drive. We delve into both at length and examine just how splendid they are, and whether 2 should really get a '2'. Release dates: 2012-10-23 / 2015-03-10 (2) Developer: Dennaton Games (Jonatan Söderström & Dennis Wedin) Country: Sweden Publisher: Devolver Digital Genres: action, shooter: top-down Relevant linkage: Hotline Miami soundtrack on Steam ($9.99) Devolver's Hotline Miami OST on SoundCloud Caustic Soda podcast: Heroin (pt1&2) R.I.P. Giant Bomb's Ryan Davis DBOYD - Sunset For A Lonely Heart - theme!

This week, a splinter group of the gang takes a peek at the Vita/mobile game DanganRonpa: Trigger Happy Havoc, a visual mystery novel [game], the type of thing that's all the rage in the Japanese scene and trickles of which we see with other Vita games in particular such as Virtue's Last Reward. In essence, DanganRonpa plays as a fast-paced Ace Attorney game. From this crazy game there has spawned mobile ports to iOS & Android, two manga adaptations, full-on novels (yes, the written word), a TV anime running for a season so far (imbibed by our hosts alongside the game) and highly eligible for a second, a proper sequel titled DanganRonpa 2: Goodbye Despair, and a spinoff creatively entitled Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls - not only that, there's a set of pretty cool Monokuma merch for which Brian has already clicked the big "BUY NOW" button because, to Will's mild chagrin, everyone loves this demonic bear. A roundtable is held regarding [anime] adaptations - this specific one and the idea in general, with discussions about backstory and relevance of season 1; the game's soundtrack is discussed with a woeful lack of mention of composer Masafumi Takada's masterwork soundtrack of GodHand (Editor's note: rage) but with an abundance of approval on the theme's use of English. In our critique of the finer points of this game's plot, we draw reference to a most unexpected game we recently podcasted upon; we admire the titling of the Family-Oriented Serial Killer and the demise of many of Will's first date - er, character - choices, to the surprise of nobody and the sadness of all, in addition to his strange formulaic calculations of death rates over the episodes. DANCE, BABY, DANCE! Cast: Will, Esteban, Brian

On this week's episode, we ponder some unique reasons for the strange epilogue of Ready At Dawn's first original IP, The Order: 1886 that are surprisingly palatable despite being initially proposed as pure sarcasm. We also discuss mandatory deets like the plot, flaming coffin shipping, barely-disguised historical references, vampires, and lycans (but not the cool supercar you've totally seen in DRIVECLUB). We ponder the influence of Ready At Dawn's legacy of mobile development and handling others' IPs (in the case of the God of War franchise) and how that pans into this game's strengths and weaknesses, we reflect on who this game would be good for (spoiler: it's one of our cast who didn't show up), and we draw some parallels between a certain French game that has lots of emotions; we reflect upon the gender roles in the game's female characters, and in so doing we either get something completely inappropriate or guess accurately at something hidden and slightly odd. All in all it's a pretty straightforward discussion this week: The Order: 1886 is a one-knight stand, a fine mark in the emerging genre of perfect triple-A Redbox rentals.

This week more than ever, it's very important that you've played this game before listening to the podcast. This game is highly recommended for all. Beginning with our opinions of the armed forces, we tackle tough issues this week with a very interesting discussion about the narrative masterpiece of 2012 that is Jager's Spec Ops: The Line. We have a social worker of advanced wisdom and a psychologist (both of advanced credentials) weighing in on a few key points in our discussion this week, supporting our exploration of PTSD and the reliability of dear protagonist Walker. What's the trigger? What happened in Kabul, and just how much of this game is a flashback? Is Conrad even real? How do you blend in, getting two trained soldiers not to question you as you subvert your only authority? Should games stress us out? Are we literally descending into hell? Is survival a moral choice for our protagonist? It's unbelievable that a game that starts like any other drab shooter generates these kinds of questions by its shocking end. Also, turns out the P90 exists outside of Stargate. Who knew? Not one of us, apparently. It should be noted that we almost successfully avoid making Darude references. Go team! RELEVANT LINKS! Extra Credits - Spec Ops: The Line Vsauce - Why Do We Play Games? Vertigo Comics - Pride of Baghdad (it's real!) “When 9/11 happened, it was clear that war was inevitable. They'd been preparing for it all along. A generation of young American pilots would use my interfaces to hunt and kill Afghani people and Iraqi people, too. This would be my fault. I felt so sorry for those Arab people and their families, and I knew the American pilots would suffer, too. Maybe not right away. At the time those young boys were carrying out their missions, it would all feel unreal and exciting and fun, because that's how we designed it to feel. But later on, maybe days or months or even years later, the reality of what they'd done would start to rise up to the surface, and they would be twisted up with pain and anger and take it out on themselves and their families. That also would be my fault.”– Ruth Ozeki, A Tale for the Time Being

On this week's Emotive Pixels podcast, we nitpick a production of next-gen pure joy! Sunset Overdrive is an Insomniac-produced Xbox One exclusive that arrived with a splash on a system that at the time was in need of a fun fix. Sunset Overdrive is an over-the-top third person action/adventure platformer & shooter that revels in breaking the fourth wall. It enjoys lampooning LARPers and any other stereotype you can conjure up even peripherally related to gaming, and shattering your expectations of what Insomniac can produce as a studio, especially in the wake of their overwhelmingly morbid Resistance series. We hit upon the concepts of interface frustration, hitting the first 80%, traversal issues and delights, uncooperative co-op, and the pros and cons of a game even bothering to pretend to take itself seriously. Does a game have to top the charts in one category to truly be recommend-able?

On this week's Emotive Pixels podcast, we bring ourselves back to the roots of Generation VII with a voyage through some highlights of 2007 Naughty Dog's title Uncharted: Drake's Fortune. As the first of what would come to be a tril- and then quadrilogy, Uncharted was a fun romp in the park of ludonarrative dissonance. No, really: someone besides Nate uses that phrase in this podcast. Uncharted is a third-person shooter with a distinctly Indiana Jones-like style. In this podcast, we lob all sorts of critiques at the 7-year and one-generation old game. We speak a lot about what levels we play games on (especially Will), and we delve extensively into voice acting: what exactly makes Uncharted? is it Heavy Rain? is it Bastion? is it Ravenholm? (We don't go to Ravenholm.)Special bonus points go to the astute listeners who can spot the hidden reference to a superindie underground Sony-exclusive title in this episode. Feel good about yourself if you find it, you sherpa you. ;)

You were awake for this scene.*trophy sound* This week on the Emotive Pixels podcast, we take a glimpse into the NCIS videogame, released in late 2011 to the universal acclaim of platinum trophy hunters everywhere (and probably not very many others). This is a concerted effort by an internal Ubisoft studio, which apparently makes it a step up from similar CSI games developed by Ubisoft which are handled by a satellite studio in China. We completely avoid discussing this in the podcast, and instead focus on whether or not this is an enjoyable experience for fans of the show, and how badly you'll have to suffer for what many consider to be last generation's easiest 100% completion achievement. Specific points touched upon include voice actors that make the jump between CBS and Ubisoft (there are two of them, by our count), integration and dependence on dastardly quicktime events, pattern matching minigames, and vaguely uninstructed nuclear bomb disarmaments atop skyscrapers. In a lengthy discussion about the worst games we've experienced, we awkwardly and inadvertently compare Hatred and Noby Noby Boy and discover some strange passion, before moving on to discuss the raw historical offensiveness that is Custer's Revenge for the Atari. As a special featurette, we delve into some quick 2005 reminiscence with tales of launch date Xbox 360 fails courtesy of the illustrious Nate.

On this episode of the Emotive Pixels podcast, we are joined by special megaceleb Anthony Gallegos of Rebel FM and The Comedy Button fame to discuss Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor.Topics covered this week are broad, but focus particularly upon our elusive belief that this game is an example of mechanics-driven game design. To that end, we imagine where WB might apply the Nemesis engine next, whether in a Tolkien-centric direct sequel or liberally peppered throughout all kinds of whimsical IP in need of a fix. There's some discussion about voice acting focusing upon some North-Baker interplay, and there is a mild amount of required background research for a brief discussion about PlaidSocial and WB's review policy which is thoroughly draconian, to quote our esteemed guest. Check out the Jimquisition episode on the matter here for more information.There's no surprise in our ratings all being quite consistently 'great', and that isn't a spoiler. This is a great game and is, some of us daresay, something truly next-gen. Finally.

On this episode of the Emotive Pixels podcast, we discuss the 2002 PC classic "Uplink", a game which Will persuaded Brian, Alberto, and Nate to play. Despite possessing a bevy of thoughts about the game, we ultimately come away with a surprisingly expectation-defying set of ratings, none of which will be spoiled here.There's considerable banter about the amount of time we spend playing the game, and our deepest conversational stride (and the point where Will's opinion wavers in silence) occurs when we ponder what a present-day (2015) version of Uplink would look like - this on the tail of our trivia about Introversion Software's latest releases.

News: 1. Uncharted 4 will have multiplayer, also new details about the game's story have emerged. http://www.ign.com/articles/2015/01/06/uncharted-4-will-have-multiplayer http://www.ign.com/articles/2015/01/06/naughty-dog-discusses-uncharted-4s-story-and-life-after-the-last-of-us 2. In an interview by GameInformer Neil Druckmann creative director of Uncharted talked about the direction and development of the game. http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ps4-uncharted-4-will-be-more-personal-probably-won/1100-6421635/ 3. Lizard Squad brought down XBox Live and PSN on Christmas day via a DDoS attack by exploiting routers. http://www.theverge.com/2014/12/25/7449471/xbox-live-and-playstation-network-are-having-problems-on-christmas-day http://www.gamespot.com/articles/here-s-what-sony-is-offering-to-make-up-for-playst/1100-6424433/ 4. PS Now service for PS4 pricing details and release date announced. http://www.ign.com/articles/2015/01/05/this-is-how-much-ps-now-subscriptions-cost 5. Evolve lets players on Xbox One skip grinding by pre-order digital copy of the game for $60. http://www.forbes.com/sites/insertcoin/2015/01/10/evolve-lets-xbox-one-players-skip-grinding-with-60-pre-purchase/ 6. Halo 5 is adding Stongholds and Rocket Launcher in the 3rd and final week of beta. http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/10/halo-5-beta-adding-strongholds-mode-rocket-launcher/ 7. Destiny leak shows major expansions are coming: March 10th and in September. http://www.ign.com/articles/2015/01/05/alleged-destiny-leak-reveals-possible-2015-expansion-plans 8. Xbox One opens up 50-80% of 7th core of CPU to devs by forgoing voice commands (kinect). http://www.forbes.com/sites/insertcoin/2015/01/04/microsoft-opens-up-more-cpu-power-on-xbox-one/ 9. Sony has exceeded 18.5 million PS4s with 4.1 sold during holiday season. PS4 is on track to beat PS2 sales which sold 150 million for the console's lifespan. http://www.ign.com/articles/2015/01/05/playstation-4-sales-exceed-185-million-worldwide 10. Nintendo to end direct sales in Brazil at end of the month due to import taxes. http://www.engadget.com/2015/01/10/brazil-nintendo-exit/ 11. Rogue Legacy coming to Xbox One sometime this year. http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/09/rogue-legacy-coming-to-xbox-one-sometime-ish-this-year/ 12. Microsoft released new rules governing Let's Play and Streaming of Microsoft properties. http://www.ign.com/articles/2015/01/09/microsoft-announces-new-rules-for-streaming-and-lets-play-videos 13. Microsoft claims no change to DRM policies on Xbox One. http://www.gamespot.com/articles/microsoft-makes-new-assurances-on-xbox-one-drm-pol/1100-6424559/ Game Reviews (Bold is platform game was played on by reviewer): Will - Played 2 games: 1. Plants vs. Zombies 2 (iOS and Android) - 8 out 10 2. Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward (Playstation Vita and Nintendo 3DS) - No rating (game not finished) Alberto: 1. Never Alone (Playstation 4, Xbox One, and PC) - 9 out 10 Brian 1. Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare (Playstation 4, Playstation 3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, and PC) - 9 out 10

Introduction: Cast introduction and discussion on whether the weaknesses in episode 1 of season 2 helped to strengthen the plot of episodes 2 and 3. Episode 2 Plot: Episode 2 starts after with the fallout from the decision on whether to save Nick or Pete. All podcast members choose to save Nick and as such end up running through the woods and end up in a cabin. After fighting to make it out of the cabin you make it back to the main house of the group. You are left with Sarah at the house as the rest of the group goes searching for Nick and Pete. While waiting in the house a "creepy" guy shows up and starts looking around. He ends up leaving, but not before recognizing that Sarah is with you. When the rest of the group returns everyone decides to leave after finding out what happened. After walking for a while you make it to a bridge by a river. Luke and Clem decide to scout the bridge when walkers show up. While fighting them off a nice guy shows up and helps you. Nick appears and still shaken from early events shoots the man and kills him. The group continues over the bridge and makes it to a cabin up the hill. When you begin to enter the cabin Kenny shows up alive. As you go through some exploration and chores around the cabin you meet a woman Bonnie. After going through an emotional encounter with Walter, telling him of the death of Matthew (guy on the bridge), the wind electric generator stops. After going to restart the generator a group of walkers appear. In the ensuing chaos Carver (the "creepy" guy) and his group appear and take the group hostage. After a standoff with Kenny who managed to avoid capture, Carver's group is successfully in capturing everyone. Episode 2 Questions: 1) Kenny? - Brian hated Kenny in season 1 and immediately changed to loving him in episode 2. Will - Best buddy with Kenny in season 1 and continued to be so into episode 2. Everyone in agreement that the immediate emotion upon seeing Kenny was happy with everyone choosing the option to hug Kenny. During the dinner at night Brian and Will choose to sit with Kenny and the cabin group while Nate choose to sit with the group from the house. Will describes all this emotion as being from a known entity, while Nate describes this as the closest thing to family that exists in the current world. Brian adds that he might me crazy and creepy with the new beard, but you ultimately know he will not screw you over. 2) Dude (Matthew) on the bridge - Nate asks about moment when Nick killed Matthew. Nate is furious with how Luke handled the whole situation. Brian talks about how this is a moment that you know will come back to bit you in the end. Will brings up the fact that Nate thinks that Matthew and Walter were in a relationship and more then just friends. Will and Brian didn't get that feeling, but could see that being a possibility. All the cast members agreed that each wanted to tell Walter that the group was responsible for Matthew's death. 3) Back to original house - What is the deal with Sarah? Nate says that she is a sheltered child while Will thinks she is more of a foil to the group. Are we irritated with Sarah's father for the way she is being brought up? Brian states that it is definitely irritating, but he still tried to be friendly and understanding with her. Nate told Sarah the truth about the situation and where everyone had gone. Brian asks Nate if telling her made any difference, to which Nate explains that is made her more self aware and more pissed at her father. Will notes that Sarah has been treated with kid gloves for a long while. Brian adds that in this world kids can not afford to not know what is going on and the inevitable munching that will occur makes it that much more important to be prepared. Episode 2 Notes: Will - Clem's voice was annoying. Will - Plot hole on the bridge as the team splits up. Will - Cabin was very unsettling after just playing The Last of Us. Will - War on Christmas with choice to pick angel or star for tree topper. Will - Another walker with a letterman jacket during end of episode walker attack. Episode 2 Ending: Large number of walkers attack due to noise from wind turbine generator being restarted (turbine sabotaged by Carver's group). Carver captures the group (except for Luke and Kenny) in the ensuing chaos. Brian notes that the group seemed to be over-run by Carver's group a little easier then they should have. Will thought Carver did it well waiting for the group to run low on ammo before going after them. Once inside Clem sneaks upstairs and you are faced with a choice to either surrender to Carver or sneak outside. (Will and Nate's choice) If you sneak outside you meet up with Kenny who has a sniper rifle. Kenny snipes a generic guy in Carver's group. You then have choice to tell Kenny to shoot Carver or surrender. If you choose to have Kenny shoot, he grazes Carver who grabs Alvin and kills him. Carver then grabs Sarita and threatens her. Kenny then surrenders and everyone is captured. (Brian's choice) If Clem surrenders everyone comes downstairs and Carver asks for Kenny the remaining person not captured. Kenny snipes a generic guy. Carver picks up Walter and kills him. You are then given a choice to yell to Kenny to keep firing or surrender. If you tell him to surrender Kenny comes in. Carver picks up Alvin and attempts to shoot him. You can then choose to push him out of the way and you get grazed. Everyone then surrenders and is captured. Confrontation With Walter: Everyone in the podcast felt that the confrontation was going to lead to something big. Will felt this was another example of a great character setup to ultimately die. Nate felt worse in this part of the game then any other game moment. Nate also felt this was unavoidable confrontation. Episode 3 Plot: Episode 3 starts with everyone being transported in the back of a truck. You end up making it to a strip mall with a home improvement store. You are led to the garden section which becomes your new place of residence. Your are immediately introduced to Reggie (the Walking Dead version of Nate) and other new characters. After the first night you start new work and help Bonnie at the armory. Afterwards you are brought to a greenhouse to prune plants with Sarah and Reggie. After Sarah fails her part Reggie is killed by Carver. You next are sent to the end of the strip mall where you see Kenny arguing with another guy. After a walker attack you make it to a comic book store and meet up with Luke who has been sneaking around. He suggests a plan to you and asks for you to get a walkie-talkie to communicate. When you get back to the garden section you tell everyone else the plan and at night you sneak into the home improvement store via the roof and steal a walkie-talkie. The next day you get Luke the walkie-talkie and he explanis that a herd of walkers are headed to the store. Knowing that defense is week you sneak back into the store via the roof at night to turn on the PA system to attract the walkers and after killing Carver you escape in the ensuing chaos. Episode 3 Questions: Did you watch Kenny beat and kill Carver? - Brian and Nate did, Will did not. Pissed at Luke? - Brian was after liking him the first episode of the season hated him both episode 2 and 3. Will liked to keep secrets in season 1, but hated them in season 2 and hated Luke for doing so. Nate didn't much care about Luke. Carver really wants Clem's group to join? - Will states that Carver is in charge and basically can have his way (cult-like). Nate adds that it is annoying that this is not explored and explained further. Reggie - Will talks about how Reggie is the guy who tries to please everyone and ends up pleasing no one. He's the second interesting guy introduced only to be killed immediately. Nate's explains this is his favorite character for obvious reasons. Conversation in the back of the truck - Will talks about how this was a great scene with conversation so fast that you can not here it all and make the required choices presented to you. Kenny garden scene - In the garden scene where you are discussing plan to escape Carver comes in and asks about the missing walkie-talkie. You are about to take the blame when Kenny grabs the walkie-talkie and says he took it. Carver then proceeds to savagely beat Kenny. Doctor forced to hit Sarah - Will notes that Clem reminds Sarah that Carver made him do it and really Carver hit him. Episode 3 Ending: Final scene involves you walking through a herd of walkers covered in walker guts. Will notes "Wow what a scene". Brian notes this is reminiscent of season 1 episode 5 where you walk through walkers hacking as you go. A guy on the roof shoots the doctor and Sarah runs off scared causing walkers to go crazy. As Clem you continue to fight off walkers only to turn around and see Sarita with a walker biting on her arm. You can then either attack the walker or chop off her arm. Everyone in the podcast chose to chop off her arm. Brian notes that chopping off limbs has now become common place and almost automatic at this point. Episode 3 Notes: Will - We still don't know if the game has the notion that everyone is already infected. Nate - Beating of Carver with crowbar by Kenny was crazy. Brian - Did anyone see a lettman jacket in the final scene (no one did). Brian - Scenes sneaking on the roof were meant to be stealthy, but really were not. Brian - Bonnie you go from liking her to hating her to liking her again in 400 days, episode 2, and episode 3 respectively. Will - 400 days characters end up as Carver's group. Will - External reference to Penny Arcade comic strip. Ratings (Episode 2 and 3 combined): Brian - 8.0 Nate - 8.0 Will - 8.0 Final Comments: Everyone agreed episodes 2 and 3 were much much better then episode 1.

The Emotive Pixels games of the year: Will Hotline Miami[1] Lego Marvel Superheros[2] Assassin's Creed IV - Black Flag[3] Brian Sunset Overdrive[4] Uncharted 2 - Among Thieves[5] Brothers[6] Alberto Brothers[6] Gone Home[7] Never Alone[8] Nate (Most Special) Never Alone[8] (Best Production) Endless Legend[9] (Most Fun) Forza Horizon 2[10] Our most disapointing games: Alien Colonial Marines[11] Gone Home[7] Voice Commander[12] Watch Dogs[13] Civilization - Beyond Earth[14] The games we wished we'd played Shadow of Mordor[15] Shovel Knight[16] Wolfenstein - The New Order[17] Darksouls 2[18] Also a super special thanks to Mitchell Dillard[19][20] for providing us with podcast music! [1] http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009GKT2Y0/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B009GKT2Y0&linkCode=as2&tag=emotpixepod06-20&linkId=HOLXACT7DRKFL5I7 [2] http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DUARDFC/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00DUARDFC&linkCode=as2&tag=emotpixepod06-20&linkId=64VNIDFRXHMGOXWC [3] http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BMFIXT2/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00BMFIXT2&linkCode=as2&tag=emotpixepod06-20&linkId=646JBUXDF4GQ5EYV [4] http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00M31VIOG/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00M31VIOG&linkCode=as2&tag=emotpixepod06-20&linkId=RZF43WI6FIVSIY76 [5] http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002I0F5I2/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B002I0F5I2&linkCode=as2&tag=emotpixepod06-20&linkId=3ESTZ3ZCWSV6NZOV [6] http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FQPQGSY/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00FQPQGSY&linkCode=as2&tag=emotpixepod06-20&linkId=VLMGYCO5CMZ2EQG4 [7] http://store.steampowered.com/app/232430/ [8] http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00P9QGNEM/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00P9QGNEM&linkCode=as2&tag=emotpixepod06-20&linkId=FKPYK3AXPE5ZDR5J [9] http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JWZ2480/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00JWZ2480&linkCode=as2&tag=emotpixepod06-20&linkId=MUNS5NU3SUHFELDA [10] http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KSR396C/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00KSR396C&linkCode=as2&tag=emotpixepod06-20&linkId=IEPS355PKFBUHZCO [11] http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005THAX5Q/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B005THAX5Q&linkCode=as2&tag=emotpixepod06-20&linkId=KRUV3SUEIWZZEYJM [12] https://store.xbox.com/en-US/Xbox-One/Games/Voice-Commander-a-Microsoft-Garage-project/0cb1ab17-55e9-4925-a55c-f6edb332e40b [13] http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BI83EVU/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00BI83EVU&linkCode=as2&tag=emotpixepod06-20&linkId=4ELS3N7Q4FUAZOD6 [14] http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JLK6ULS/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00JLK6ULS&linkCode=as2&tag=emotpixepod06-20&linkId=TQNXOMH7OJ34MW7C [15] http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GMFKYK8/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00GMFKYK8&linkCode=as2&tag=emotpixepod06-20&linkId=MN6T3VMCGKMBC7OL [16] http://store.steampowered.com/app/250760/ [17] http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DHF39KS/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00DHF39KS&linkCode=as2&tag=emotpixepod06-20&linkId=OINU3GH6RW7ZPJKP [18] http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006YDPU48/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B006YDPU48&linkCode=as2&tag=emotpixepod06-20&linkId=XBRKPH4QWWIYDZMR [19] https://twitter.com/mitchelldillard [20] https://www.facebook.com/mitchell.dillard

This discussion is the first of many about the news and games of the day. In this first recording we discuss two topics: our take on how we rate games and this year's GamerGate scandal. Our discussion about ratings started by Nate bringing up a discussion first inspired by Polygon's Quality Control Podcast[1] (the Bayonetta 2 episode), the thesis of which was that a perfect score is not necessarily an indicator of a perfect game but 'the highest recommendation a game can recieve.' Brian was leaning more in the other direction - that a perfect rating is in fact an indication of a perfect game and as such is exceedingly rare (if not impossible). Will's opinion was a bit less defined but he ultimately felt that we should attempt to rate across the spectrum of a full 10 point scale. To gain some perspective on our ratings, we talked about what some of our all-time favorite games are. Nate accused Will of having a 'big budget bias' when he brought up Mass Effect 2[2] and Half-Life 2[3] and countered with Myst[4] and Pokemon Crystal[5]. Will came back with some lower budget games: the classic Ghostbusters[6] and Magica[7]. Sadly though, not everything is coming up roses in late 2014, and through the eye of the GamerGate 'controversy' we take a glance at Anita Sarkeesian, the threats made against her, and her Kickstarted video series 'Tropes Vs. Women in Video Games'[8]. Our views on the entire debacle are somewhat tempered by Polygon's Letter From the Editor[9]. We then took a look at it Bayonetta 2[10] and how it was both feeding and fighting the problem. From GamerGate to the wide issue of rating systems, we hit the rounds, but never fear - this is just be the first conversation of many. [1] https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/polygons-quality-control/id925059601 [2] http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001TORSII/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001TORSII&linkCode=as2&tag=emotpixepod06-20&linkId=KLUYSKFPLL3A2BLW [3] http://store.steampowered.com/app/220/ [4] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myst [5] http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Pok%C3%A9mon_Crystal_Version [6] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Ghostbusters_video_games#Ghostbusters_.28Activision.29 [7] http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004JN176K/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B004JN176K&linkCode=as2&tag=emotpixepod06-20&linkId=G3U2W7KSWGL3W4B2 [8] https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLn4ob_5_ttEaA_vc8F3fjzE62esf9yP61 [9] http://www.polygon.com/2014/10/17/6996601/on-gamergate-a-letter-from-the-editor [10] http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DC7G1WE/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00DC7G1WE&linkCode=as2&tag=emotpixepod06-20&linkId=D472VSSFZGW6CZ5D

This is the Emotive Pixels podcast covering our group tonight's thoughts on the 2013 Fullbright Company release Gone Home. The game is firmly rooted in the indie genre, winning several 2013 Game Of The Year titles (insert Polygon plug here) alongside other triple-A giants like The Last of Us and BioShock Infinite. What makes this game so good, despite falling firmly in the category the crassest of Steam users tag "walking simulator"? Join us for a hearty discussion and hear our thoughts on the matter! In the opening minutes, each of the group - Will, Alberto, Brian, Esteban, Nate, and Megan - shares their experiences with leaving home in their own lives, which will set the stage for some of the discussions and particular motivations that arise during the discussions following. Then Esteban takes us away with a brief but well-meaning attempt at summarizing Gone Home's plot, which quickly segues into some thoughts on the nature of expectations when approaching Gone Home - perhaps an integral piece of the reason for Gone Home's rampant success and fame. We discover that one of our friends isn't particularly invested in this style of gameplay, and discuss the nature of what makes a game, with varying degrees of believed complexity. We discuss the nature of communication and whether or not this story could (/should) be boiled down to a single paragraph on a 3x5 post-it note. At that point, we also begin wondering why Sam ran away at all, which quite frankly quickly becomes altogether too much for us and we splinter off into other talks about hair and scalps - most of which was cut. We discuss lockers, codes, and religious heroin, which are all exciting concepts of game design, and this segues the discussion brilliantly (not) into the reality of morality of lightswitches. Then inevitably, we bring up three-ring binders. Alberto shows his class by describing Gone Home's binders as 'high-class' and, I quote, 'expensive'. And hey wait, why is there an inventory? And then we delve into the application of the 'walking simulator' label, which is of course my personal favorite thing (editor's note). Allegations against thatgamecompany's Flower are leveled, which nearly ends the podcast (a fistfight broke out, no joke). We discuss whether or not haters on this game hate the game or the idea of the game - is plot relevant to these folks? Brian is our scapegoat in this arena. We discuss the (extremely interesting) concept of forgetting the purpose and nature of joining the military, which everyone should listen carefully to and imagine what things were like once the events of September 2001 reached a fervor pitch. We discuss how following your emotions can sometimes jeopardize your career. Level and set design is discussed, particularly in the case of the horse-blinder-likened attic, which is very exciting for all involved (especially the horses which are strangely omitted in this game). We think anticipation will either ruin you or immerse you, but it will not prepare you for the use of 'orgy' in any way to describe the attic. Brian gets fussy about the lack of backstory, and then Megan goes for a full Mortal Kombat evisceration with a rebuttal: how much can you actually learn about a set of humans from walking into their house? Brian debates some of the finer points of un-realism, to varying degrees of attentive listening. Then, completely un-dramatically, we progress to the discussion of Polygon's brief mentions of familial abuse and other themes that the game touches on. We then talk about the sex ed class papers written by each of the sisters and how these very effectively illustrate characterization; not to mention, how Kaitlyn is our protagonist but not our main character! Then we delve into the trophies in the foyer and how that demonstrates who our main character is - with an OkCupid analogy in case you weren't really getting what we were going for. Then we get into some personal interpretations of why exactly the story is presented in the way that it is - why didn't Sam just write out her new identity on a postcard, for example? Alberto's ancient Spanish is observed to be poor - and then we segue into talking about Sam's Captain Allegra narrative and what it says about D. From there, we speak about the creepy uncle and how Polygon mentions abuse: you'll find out what these two things have in common, in case you didn't know it from looking at photos in the foyer! Then, we move right onto Nate's random mention of S.EXE on RPS. After that, it's naught ahead but ratings, final thoughts, and some sass. We wrap things up and take you away to whereever your life is going next! MENTIONED LINKS:Polygon's 2013 GoTY announcementRock, Paper, Shotgun - Cara Ellison's S.EXE on Gone Home IMPORTANT OTHER LINKS:PBS' Game/Show via Polygon

BACKLOG EPISODE!This episode is an early work and is only recommended if you love the game - or, slightly more likely, love hearing us. :) Introductions begin this week with our favorite weather. It's the smallest of small talk to open the episode that honors what might be Movie Fan Alberto's favorite game ever, the David Cage pixels-are-emotions-fueled narrative experience that is 2009's Heavy Rain. Our cast is large and unwieldy, featuring Will, Alberto, Nate, Brian, Tien-ju, Megan, and Alberto tagalong Angelica. JASON! JASON!!! Heavy Rain is a mystery novel game unsubtly aimed at aping the cinema style by French studio Quantic Dream, who also did Fahrenheit (or Indigo Prophecy, depending on how much nudity you saw) in the PS2 era. It centers around a mystery serial killer dubbed the "Origami Killer", the pronunciation of which you had probably better hear on your own. There are four main protagonists, whose roles you switch between as the game goes on and you attempt to figure out who is kidnapping children, culminating in the abduction of Protagonist Ethan's young son Sean, suspiciously during one of Sean's blackouts. Is Sean the killer? We discuss. We're really quite curious when each of us figured out who the killer actually was (we're going to spoil the heck out of that), where the origami in Ethan's hand came from (spoiler: we don't know either), and whether the game is amazing or terrible. If you've listened to us for very long, it's very predictable who holds what opinion. Various endings are discussed, and we hear Alberto brag about having the platinum and are collectively sad about the effort it takes to get. And, most importantly, we question whether this would be better as a racing game. Turns out nothing can help it. RATINGS (/10)Alberto: 9.5 Megan: 8 Tien-Ju: 8 Nate: 7.5 Brian: 7 Will: 4.5

BACKLOG EPISODE! Introductions (Tien was wet) The origins of the tomb raider and a quick reboot. Oreo negotiation techniques. Was the queen more like a Goa'uld or a Tok'ra. Justifying the supernatural. Indiana Jones and the trapping of Laura. Contextualizing craziness with black box mysticism. An occult cult and Alberto's (anti)climax. Zip lines, how do they work? Taboo emotions in video games. Be the car. Love for our sisters. Chicken Break Foreshadowing... Alberto likes the young Polygons. Name that arsenal! Build a better silencer. Personal progression systems. Pretty pixels: earth wind and fire. Disjointed story development. Nobody leaves Moria alive! More foreshadowing... Alberto's a little squeamish. Simon's simple fail states. Quick break and again with even more foreshadowing. Parkour master. Follow the white rabbit. Most foreshadowing! Hidden transistor. Listen to the sounds of safety. And he arrives!!! Angelina Jolie fixation! Tien explaining multiplayer but let's talk about Assassins' creed instead. The Fat Princesses' cake is a lie. Does multiplayer hurt or help player retention. Maybe a lot squeamish. The next tomb, still running away. Apparently Alberto has horrible taste in movies. Tien shows grace in wrongness. Setting sans character. Tien's Yoga level stretching. Some scores. Nate invokes LND.

We walk through a game that's just barely holding on to life.