Game Query

Game Query is dead. Long live Game Query.

Hi everyone, it’s weird to write this because on the one hand Game Query is a very tiny podcast, but on the other hand it’s why we’re all here, and has been a large part of our lives for four years now. Game Query is coming to an end. The episode after next will be our final episode — so there’s still two shows coming. We’re recording the final episode next week with Leo. For what it’s worth (and I can’t really say anything) the reason GQ is ending is for a very good reason that I’m very happy about. It’s just not my place to reveal what that thing is. So what does this mean? Well, for one, the Patreon will be ending of course. An unfortunate casualty of that is that the Patreon feed will also be gone, too. I’ll probably find a way to get those old episodes to anyone that wants them, though. What will happen to the main feed, I don’t know. Part of me thinks it’s poetic to nuke the whole thing from the internet — if you were there you were there, if you weren’t you weren’t. We’ll see. The one thing that is 100% going nowhere is the discord. We will keep this around as long as people still use it. Which leads me to my last point: even though we will all still talk everyday, I want to thank you all so much for listening to this awful, ridiculous, and fun show. It’s been a blast to record and I’m constantly in awe that ANYONE cared enough to tune in and want to engage with us. Y’all are the best. Never stop sniping.

Surprise! To commemorate its 8 year anniversary, we gathered with returning champion Jacob Geller to slice-and-dice Platinum Games' Kojima spinoff, METAL GEAR RISING REVENGANCE. In this two hour conversation, we get into what makes the gameplay so satisfying, the troubled development with Konami, and analyze the philosophical themes of characters like Raiden, Monsoon, and Senator Armstrong.

Michael makes Haley sit down and fully beat one of his favorite games of all time, Dark Souls. Just so we can talk about it. We chat about the game's story, bosses, platforming, online legacy, and more, with one hot and one cold(ish) on the infamous title.

Welcome to another Listener Special! Come along with the crew as we start beef with another prominent video game podcast, impersonate former President Barack Obama and make a *big* announcement - so be sure to listen until the very end!

We return to the wonderful world of Paul WS Anderson films with a review of MONSTER HUNTER (2020).

Dear gamers, it's the return of the king. We're joined by the Internet's own Leo Vader, back from the dead, to discuss 2021's early GOTY contender - Hitman 3! Along the way, we dissect our favorite levels from the entire trilogy and speculate about how Agent 47 would kill the president (in a video game.) Support our beautiful boy Leo: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDT-KKAV1iTIoD1j7AZKkYw

The GQ Crew is back to speculate which of the biggest releases of 2021 will be the quickest to see price cuts, get in touch with our religious sides, answer a bunch of listener questions, and chat Call of Duty screennames. Plus, boy time!

We're joined by Mike Mahardy to decide definitively what the Game of the Year is. What year? You'll just have to listen to find out. Also Blake's audio is real messed up on this one. We're sorry. It gets a little better halfway through, but not by a ton. It was a fun episode and we didn't want to throw it out, so we're still running it as is. AJ won't ever let it happen again. Follow Mike on Twitter: https://twitter.com/mmahardy

Well, here it is. By this point, we're all probably tired of the discourse surrounding Cyberpunk 2077, but GQ has a weird publishing schedule, so we're just now getting to this one. Join Blake, AJ, and guest host Jacob Geller for a two hour deep dive into everything good, bad, great, and ugly about Cyberpunk 2077.

Jacob Geller is here with us to expose the real names of a bunch of babies, make an AI text generator write fan fiction and talk about games the internet has ruined. (Episode 58 was too foul for the public feed but you can grab it on our Patreon at any tier!)

We're back to talk everything Watch Dogs: Legion. On the one hand, Legion is a technical marvel, that when it works, really hits some special notes. On the other hand, it's a technical mess that can't escape the fact it's a game about resistance from a company the size of Ubisoft. Join us as we crack this one open, leaving no database undecrypted (idk computer lingo it's after midnight when I'm writing this give me a break).

Hey gamers! Here's a quick and dirty review of Spider-Man Miles Morales on the PS5. Tune in to hear why it's one of the best looking games I've ever played and how Insomniac continues to climb to another tier of AAA-storytelling. (The first half-ish is totally spoiler free!)

In the inaugural episode of Game and Make Up, Haley makes Michael play one of her favorite games: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. We discuss (and 'respectfully' disagree) on the overall quality of the 2006 title covering topics like Nintendo's writing style, Link and Midna's relationship, the game's slow start, and much more. Ending with some listener opinions and hints for which game Michael will be forcing Haley to play next month!

At last, we've talked all the Titanfall there is! Join AJ and Blake to walk through the (disappointing???) conclusion to Titanfall 2 and speculate about its legacy and what could come next.

Hey boils and ghouls, welcome to Game Query's Halloween special! Released after Halloween, but what can ya do? Join us as we run down the scariest movies of all time, go trick-or-treating, and answer a ton of listener questions. Also, sorry about the wonky audio. We streamed this episode and for some reason it messed up our audio a bit.

We're bak with more Titanfall 2! After the dizzying heights of last week's action-packed missions, the campaign continues with a pair of bombastic, cinematic adventures. Join us to break down why the platforming works so well, what makes Respawn's approach to single player so compelling, and how this game has an 'Ark Weapon' and an 'Arc Tool' at the same damn time. Alex Kane is our special guest today! Please give him a follow here: https://twitter.com/alexjkane

Episode 55! This time around, Haley and AJ each brought a special game to play. Join us and rank whether or not the various gods from Hades can kick it, as well as which Next-Gen games we'd throw a Master Ball at. Blake is in the hospital from balling out too hard at Call of Duty, and Leo is still dead. Peace.

Folks,,,,, this is a big one. Our Titanfall 2 retrospective has reached two of the game's most infamous and memorable missions. Join us to dissect exactly how the unique gunplay and platforming of this section helped cement the game's legacy as one of the most beloved Shooters in recent memory. Big thanks to Mike Mahardy for joining us this week! Follow him here: https://twitter.com/mmahardy

The Titanfall 2 trains keeps rolling with the first two proper missions of the critically acclaimed campaign. But does TF2 make a strong first impression, or is the best yet to come? Join us to break down how the gameplay philosophies that defined the original concept carry over into Respawn's first standalone single-player mode! This week, we're joined by Javy Gwaltney, who you can (and should!) follow here - https://twitter.com/iv_javy

It's a classic GQ, solving mysteries of the industry like: which video game characters wouldn't pay their taxes and what happens if Kirby swallows a girl from Dead or Alive?

This week, we're kicking things off by looking back at Respawn Entertainment's original Titanfall, including the gameplay concepts and mechanics that carried over to the sequel. We then dissect the game's multiplayer modes and how they stack up against the beloved campaign. Follow Levi: https://twitter.com/dangerhazzard Support: https://www.patreon.com/gamequery

So, it's come to this. One of our own, our brother, Leo Vader, has decided to leave us. But if we can't have him, no one can. Join the original Game Query crew one last time as we talk about our first impressions of Leo, play Leo trivia, are joined by many, many guests, and then finally kill Leo off. Support Leo on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/leovader Leo's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/leovader MinnMax: https://www.youtube.com/c/MinnMaxShow/videos

For years, the friendship between Blake and Leo has burnt bright and hot. But is that relationship in trouble? Can Leo ever win back Blake's trust? Find out in the new episode of Game Query!

Niantic's groundbreaking title is built around going outside and making new friends. But now that we can't do any of that, is it better than ever? Find out why AJ thinks so, and be sure to Pokemon Go to the polls this November!

We're joined by special guest David Shimomura to decide, definitively, if Sony's latest exclusive, Ghost of Tsushima, is good or bad. The answer might surprise you. Follow David: https://twitter.com/UnwinnableDavid

Sorry in advance to God, our moms, and all of you. The return of The Drinking Episode.

BONUS POD: Q&AJ Review — Ghost of Tsushima by Game Query

Three entire years and countless fart jokes later, Game Query has finally recorded 50 episodes! Join the usual cast of idiots, as well as a special, secret, yet not surprising special guest, as we give some ugly games the Naughty Dog Treatment, speculate on which game will be the first to hit 50 entries, and even personally host our own E3 press conferences. Game Query forever.

If there's one thing to know about Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, it's that it's freaking bad ass, dude. It makes no sense, and it pissed a lot of fans off, but this movie is a blast. Join Blake, AJ, and special guest Shak Lambert as we dive into Square's second attempt at bringing the Final Fantasy series to the big screen. Follow Shak on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ShakExcellence

Good evening, gamers. Face The Gamer Nation returns to report on the biggest news stories in or around the game industry — including our recent hands-on time with Grand Theft Auto 6, Boat Gate, our never ending deluge of publisher streams, spoiler culture, and dead Nintendogs.

Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within is not a particularly good movie. But buried beneath the boring, nonsensical plot is a movie that had a massive, lasting impact on the video game industry and the movie industry. In 2001, it was a movie that left many in Hollywood terrified, fearing the implications of photo-realistic CGI characters. Join Blake and AJ as they dive deep into the production and impact of Spirits Within!

Here at GQ HQ, we are freaking AMPED about the news of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 & 2 getting HD remakes! So much so that we devoted an entire episode to the Hawk Man himself. Join us as answer some Tony trivia, debate what super hero should be added to the new games, talk about the coolest things on Earth, and re-write the THPS cannon. Enjoy!

Here it is! The final episode of Something Rotten, our Max Payne 3 retrospective. Join Blake and Jacob as they wrap up their thoughts on this game, talking about such topics as its gross view of Brazil, why the last two chapters are some of the best, and the ways it throws away its themes of sobriety and addiction when they're no longer narratively convenient. We are happy to announce that this is NOT the end of Something Rotten! In the near future we will return with a new season of the show. Next time, please join us as we dissect the ugly world of the Kane & Lynch games. Details to come soon!

Silent Hill: Revelation is an unfortunate viewing experience. One that, following the surprising successes of the first film, is hard to justify as necessary. Join us as we discuss the ways this movie changes fundamentally alters the series' cannon, why Blumhouse horror is terrible, and get far more heated than any adults should over a video game movie. Enjoy!

We're joined by YouTuber Zac Frazier on our penultimate episode of Something Rotten. Join as we discuss the game's best setpieces, worst level design, and the most brutal moments of this already bleak game. Check out Zac's work: https://www.youtube.com/c/ZacFrazier

We're joined by Alex and Guy Dalbey-Thomas to discuss, like, quite literally, and we mean this, a good ass movie. Silent Hill is a bleak, violent, and visually striking film about maternity, trauma, and grief. The entire crew here loved it, and there is LOTS to unpack. Join us for the longest GQ Review yet! Donate to Emma Norton Services: emmanorton.org Follow Alex: https://twitter.com/thedialogtree Follow Guy: https://twitter.com/the2pagespread Enjoy!

We're joined by writer, PR person, and all around good guy Javy Gwaltney as we continue our play through of Max Payne 3. Join us as we cover chapters 7 - 9, touching on what it's like to play this game as a sober person, the ways the game submits to brutality, and whether or not Rockstar wants to have its cake eat it, too. This section of the game is dark, bleak, and at times hard to play. Follow Javy on Twitter: https://twitter.com/iv_javy Something Rotten is a five episode series in collaboration with YouTuber Jacob Geller, and we encourage you to play along with us. The next episode, publishing May 1, will be on chapters 7-9. If you have any questions, comments, or observations you want to send us, Tweet them @game_query or email us at gamequerypod@gmail.com. Enjoy!

Join the Game Query crew as we consider what games should be added to the Criterion Collection, lose ourselves in a debate over ethics in Persona 5, clique up, watch Green Day fall out of a plane, and relish in some good ol' fashioned American capitalism, baby. Support Game Query on Patreon: patreon.com/gamequery

We never thought we'd see the day. Blake and AJ both agree that Uwe Boll's Far Cry movie is ... not the worst thing in the world. In fact, they kind of enjoyed it! Join us on our final episode covering Boll's work as we talk about why simple things like structure make this a much better viewing experience than his previous films and why we're excited to never mention the name Uwe Boll again. Enjoy!

We're joined by special guest and Game Query co-host AJ Moser to talk about Max Payne 3 chapters 4-6. Listen and play along as we discuss this game's treatment of certain characters, fan service, its similarities to Hotline Miami, and the ways it dips into cruelty and brutality. Something Rotten is a five episode series in collaboration with YouTuber Jacob Geller, and we encourage you to play along with us. The next episode, publishing May 1, will be on chapters 7-9. If you have any questions, comments, or observations you want to send us, Tweet them @game_query or email us at gamequerypod@gmail.com. Enjoy!

Pain. All we feel is pain. In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale is the fifth Uwe Boll film we've forced ourselves to endure, and like all before it, it is miserable. Why are we doing this? Is Uwe Boll even worth talking about? Is he just a troll uninterested in his own movies, thriving on negativity? Is Jason Statham even a good actor? We answer all these questions, and more, in the latest GQ Review. Enjoy?

Welcome to the debut episode of Something Rotten, Game Query's Max Payne 3 retrospective made in collaboration with Jacob Geller. Join us as we begin to crack open the themes, gameplay, and production of this standout Rockstar title, talking about the first three chapters of the game. Topics include: How Max Payne 3 was made, how the game tackles addiction, why playing on PC is better than console, and the narrative weight of dense story telling. Spoilers ahead. Something Rotten is a five episode series, and we encourage you to play along with us. The next episode, publishing April 24, will be on chapters 4-6. If you have any questions, comments, or observations you want to send us, Tweet them @game_query or email us at gamequerypod@gmail.com. Enjoy!

This episode is the audio from our recent "Fuck Covid-19 Charity Stream." It was a lot of fun, so we wanted to give anyone that wasn't able to watch the chance to enjoy it, too. The audio is a little rough and there's some bad segues where I had to cut around segments that wouldn't translate without video, but I think for the most part it works. And we've got some great guests on this one! Such as Ben Hanson, Jacob Geller, and LD Wallace. Thank you to everyone that helped us raise money for Nurses House and medical workers nationwide affected by Covid-19. We're in awe of the money we were able to raise and can't be more appreciative of our community for helping us out. If you'd like to donate to Nurses House, here's a handy link: https://donate.nurseshouse.org/ Enjoy!

As we get deeper into the work of Uwe Boll, the boys find themselves at an existential cross roads. Alone in the Dark is bad, yes. But is Uwe Boll really the worst director of all time? Or is the question we should be asking ourselves instead, based on what we know of Boll and how he makes movies, whether he is even worth talking seriously about? Enjoy!

Two titans enter the arena. Whom, among Doom and Animal Crossing, will emerge victorious? Join us as we dissect these landmark releases, launched on the same day, March 20, 2020, to figure out which Animal Crossing character is the ugliest, what the absolute FUCK is up with Nook Miles, kill Tom Nook, and break Doom Eternal. Enjoy!

A lot has been said about how Uwe Boll is the "worst director of all time." And while that may be true, when it comes to Bloodrayne, the biggest sin isn't that the movie is bad. It's that it is unimaginably boring. Join our boys as they try to stay awake through this stinker, and discuss its nonsensical plot, German tax breaks, and Michael Madsen's career defining performance.

Oh boy ... Blake and AJ begin their second week watching the video game films of Uwe Boll. If last week's viewing of Postal wasn't bad enough, House of the Dead is utter nonsense and nearly unwatchable. A film full of uninteresting characters, baffling story arcs, and absurd, masturbatory action sequences. And one of us kinda likes it! Enjoy! Samhain - To Walk The Night - Lucio Fulci's Gates of Hell aka City of the Living Dead (CW: GORE) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIK0VJJ4HrM

We begin our trip down the rabbit hole. Join Blake and AJ as they visit Paradise City and review Uwe Boll's Postal. This movie is hard to put into words. At almost every turn it is repugnant, disgusting, and mind-numbingly obnoxious. Can the boys find anything redeemable in this movie? It's not looking likely. Enjoy!

We're joined by special guest Leo Vader to learn the hidden truth about Peanuts, discuss what video game remakes we'd spend too much money on, correct our past (and very rare) mistakes, and maybe talk a little too much about gulags. Enjoy!

It's hard to believe it's all over. After nearly two months of diving deep into the Resident Evil film series, we're finally here at the Final Chapter. Join Blake and AJ one last time as they discuss how this movie wraps up six film's worth of story, reflect on the cultural cache (or unfortunate lack thereof) of the Resident Evil film series, and then get ready for our next movie. The one, the only, the unfortunately real Postal by director Uwe Boll.