Irrational Passions Presents

Episode Notes Review Discussions are interview-style discussions hoping to discuss specific aspects of the game in question that may or may not be included in the written review. In some cases, the discussion will be the only critical conversation we put out for a game, in others it may complement a review. Auri & Mike traversed the sands of time and have both completed Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown! Follow Auri on Twitter - https://twitter.com/AuriMeansWind Follow Mike on Twitter – https://twitter.com/MikeIP_

Episode Notes Review Discussions are interview-style discussions hoping to discuss specific aspects of the game in question that may or may not be included in the written review. In some cases, the discussion will be the only critical conversation we put out for a game, in others it may complement a review. Auri & Mike bring their detective caps and must podcast to survive the dark place. They discuss the much anticipated Alan Wake II give their thoughts on the game and discuss late-game spoilers!! Follow Auri on Twitter - https://twitter.com/AuriMeansWind Follow Mike on Twitter – https://twitter.com/MikeIP

Episode Notes Alex O'Neill is joined by Raccoon City Radio Cohost Andrew Taylor to discuss their thoughts and feelings on Resident Evil 4 Remake.  1:11:10 - Spoiler Conversation Begins  1:37:56 - Spoiler Conversation Ends (Still some boss video playing though!)

Review Discussions are interview-style discussions hoping to discuss specific aspects of the game in question that may or may not be included in the written review. In some cases, the discussion will be the only critical conversation we put out for a game, in others it may complement a review. Jarrett & Alex sit down to get into the successes and performance issues of Shovel Knight Dig, the rouge-like spin off the the beloved 2014 release with the heart of the Genesis in it. Follow Jarrett on Twitter - https://twitter.com/jarrettjawn Follow Alex on Twitter – http://twitter.com/alfighter27 Articles, videos, and podcasts on gaming plus the world around them. Hangout of some good friends. Follow Us Here: Twitter: [https://twitter.com/IrrationalPod ..](https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbS1XYzh3Q0JDTXZNc3c3eEo1aHNvTlZjTkZYQXxBQ3Jtc0tuYVFCM1Zxd3htTnVmNzJTNGtSRzJTczJmM2xsRnBuWE1uQ2RmV1hZVGY2ZE5tSVRtd0ZqYndxM21udzNCS0xqT003WmN0eThjbE41T1Jqay1IenNEc3FuSXY2Sll3MFRJUjRGNTkwU0hGOTF1N2lvRQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2FIrrationalPod%E2%80%8B%E2%80%8B%E2%80%8B%E2%80%8B..&v=ukCjLkESoB4). Insta: https://www.instagram.com/irrationalp.... Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/irrationalpassi... Our Discord: [https://discord.gg/bSdtq9G ](https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqazFEOGI3UzNrX3lMWjJOMFJMNHNkSTA2RnZLd3xBQ3Jtc0trcGpmRENiRTJsWUZDVmNUYWFOUk5RRGoxdXdCOGhIY1pIeEMtMmF2dFVXU0k1RkdZOEs2NnREVE0xblJqT1JES3Y4NUlRWWwwVUlWUWR3c2FvZXJfOHVkYUNGY2JCMVFJb0FNcm56YmRfY2hHVnVfZw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fdiscord.gg%2FbSdtq9G%E2%80%8B%E2%80%8B&v=ukCjLkESoB4)

Elden Ring Review Discussion It's time! FromSoftware's hotly anticipated, massively open, and hugely explorative Elden Ring is upon us. After spending some time with it, Alex finishing it twice, Scott about halfway through, we dive into our thoughts on Elden Ring. Alex's Thoughts: I obviously cover most of it in our discussion, but Elden Ring is definitely excellent. It has a huge variety of options, fun nooks and crannies to explore, and let's exploration be a reward instead of a checklist. Much like the more innovative open world games before it, FromSoft trusts the player to set goals, find NPCs, and explore on their own terms, which just naturally complements their more freeform, nonlinear game design. On top of that, combat is the best it has ever been in a FromSoftware title, excluding the outlier Sekiro, which still remains the king. Weapon Skills serve a huge purpose here, as opposed to what felt like missed potential in Dark Souls 3. Build variety, weapon variety, and welcomed returning mechanics like dual wielding make combat feel really deep, and more than ever you have dozens of ways to approach Elden Ring's best and most exciting challenges. I do think the back half of the game suffers from repetitious, a de-emphasis on exploration, and loses a lot of the magic the first 75% of the game contains, especially with the huge list of "palette-swap" enemies, but even still, it's final few bosses do make up for it as being some of the best and most epic in the entire game. It's huge, it's very FromSoft, and it'll have you coming back to try new things, so Elden Ring is absolutely a resounding success. Played by the reviewer predominantly in performance mode on a PlayStation 5 Digital Console with a copy purchased by the reviewer. Follow Scott on Twitter - https://twitter.com/solidsnake120 Follow Alex on Twitter – http://twitter.com/alfighter27

Episode Notes Review Discussions are interview-style discussions hoping to discuss specific aspects of the game in question that may or may not be included in the written review. In some cases, the discussion will be the only critical conversation we put out for a game, in others it may complement a review. Tunic is finally here and Alex and Mike are loving its amazingly designed world and uncovering all its secrets. Spoilers ahead as they both get into an in-depth discussion on what makes Tunic so special! Follow Mike on Twitter - https://twitter.com/MikeIP_ Follow Alex on Twitter – http://twitter.com/alfighter27 Articles, videos, and podcasts on gaming plus the world around them. Hangout of some good friends. Follow Us Here: Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrrationalPod

Episode Notes Review Discussions are an interview-style discussion hoping to discuss specific aspects of the game in question that may or may not be included in the written review. In some cases, the discussion will be the only critical conversation we put out for a game, in others it may complement a review. The Witch Queen expansion has been out for a few weeks and Mike & Alex have been playing A LOT. It's finally time for our full thoughts on Destiny 2's latest expansion. Follow Mike on Twitter - https://twitter.com/MikeIP_ Follow Alex on Twitter – http://twitter.com/alfighter27   Final Thoughts: The Witch Queen sets a new standard for high-quality Destiny 2 content. Its storytelling, world-building, and character development push the franchise forward like never before. Newly introduced systems like 3.0 subclass updates and weapon crafting allow for deeper character build crafting even if they aren't perfect and need to be tuned. Destiny 2 is better than ever for its fans but still can struggle to capture a new audience. Even so, this is the biggest and best expansion for its fans to date. Articles, videos, and podcasts on gaming plus the world around them. Hangout of some good friends. Follow Us Here: Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrrationalPod ... Insta: https://www.instagram.com/irrationalp...... Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/irrationalpassi... Our Discord: https://discord.gg/bSdtq9G

Review Discussions are an interview-style discussion hoping to discuss specific aspects of the game in question that may or may not be included in the written review. In some cases, the discussion will be the only critical conversation we put out for a game, in others it may complement a review.   For this review discussion, Quin Hoffman is joined by Jarrett Green as they discuss the latest game from Sundae Month & Kitfox Games, Pupperazzi!   Quin's Thoughts in Review: Dogs? DOGS!

Episode Notes Its a new year! And so with it a new season of Patch Notes! Alex and Nabeshin sit down to discuss various topics across the video games space, their favorite games, or just whatever they want to talk about at the time. This time, to kick of the beginning of the year (and we recorded this pretty obviously BEFORE Microsoft bought ABK [also: fuck Bobby Kotick]) with our good friend Brandon Gann to continue our yearly tradition of playing Fantasy Critic with video game scores. It's a fun time, and we also get to talk about what we're hyped for in 2022. Follow Alex: @ALFighter27 Follow Nabeshin: @Nabeshin186 Follow Brandon @GamesGann go here

Hello and welcome back to another Review Discussion, a feature we're hoping to do much more of in the future! For the uninitiated, a couple of our Irrational Passions hosts and folks sit down and review a game together, either by interview-style or by discussing their time with it! This time I, Alex O'Neill, am joined by the wonderful Quin Hoffman as he picks my brain on DrinkBox's new title: Nobody Saves the World! Music Featured from Nobody Saves the World OST, available here. Opening - Grand Castle, by Jim Guthrie Closing - Empty Eyes, by Jim Guthrie Alex's Reviewer Notes: I just had a blast playing Nobody Saves the World. It's a little too long to just be a "weekend game" by average indie standards, and I had no qualms with that. It's on GamePass, so I think it's in that huge camp of a "no brainer" to just try, but I also think NStW is worth that time too. It's fun, and it layers this very simple systems of unlocking new powers and characters on top of each other that just inevitably leads to some very overpowered characters. But the journey to get there has parts adventure, parts dungeon crawl, and they're both super fun to engage with. I'd often find myself trying to do one more run just to try and unlock a new ability or level up another character. It's fun, it just the right amount of complex, and it's just not super serious, which is a nice departure for me right now. If you're craving something simple and grindy but also fun and layered, this is your game.

Episode Notes As per tradition, Alex and Nabeshin have sat down to discuss their favorite games from the very weird year of 2021, reflect on the changing of the podcast, end of IPP, and the very very weird year it was, even after 2020. Follow Alex: @ALFighter27 Follow Nabeshin: @Nabeshin186

Episode Notes Review Discussions are an interview-style discussion hoping to discuss specific aspects of the game in question that may or may not be included in the written review. In some cases, the discussion will be the only critical conversation we put out for a game, in others it may complement a review. Follow Quin on Twitter - https://twitter.com/Quantum_Arbiter Follow Mike on Twitter - https://twitter.com/MikeIP_ Articles, videos, and podcasts on gaming plus the world around them. Hangout of some good friends. Follow Us Here: Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrrationalPod

Alex, myself, decided that in lead up to Metroid Dread, I'd play every single Metroid Game, again, and boy was it a trip! I got to sit and chat with my good buddy Nabeshin through the ups and downs of the series, where Metroid Other M is today in 2021, and also how Metroid Dread stacks up (spoilers: it's the best one). If you haven't already, check out the Review Discussion I had on Metroid Dread with newcomer to the series Moises Taveras. Follow Alex: @ALFighter27 Follow Nabeshin: @Nabeshin186

Review Discussions are an interview-style discussion hoping to discuss specific aspects of the game in question that may or may not be included in the written review. In some cases, the discussion will be the only critical conversation we put out for a game, in others it may complement a review. Alex's Thoughts In Review:  It's hard to make any buts with me in Metroid Dread. Mercury Steam set out to make a classic to follow up a classic, and they just nailed it. Some of the best movement, mobility, and power-creep in a game like this, I've played it four times and regret nothing. Metroid Dread is just a phenomenally well made action 2D platformer, a great return to form for Samus Aran, the best 2D Metroid you can play right now, and just a worthy follow up to Metroid Fusion. It's all a Metroid fan could ask for, and with Prime 4 on the way, it makes it feel like the holidays. Follow Alex on Twitter – http://twitter.com/alfighter27 Follow Moises on Twitter - http://twitter.com/platanoranger

Warning, this review discussion does include some spoiler discussions. Review Discussions are an interview-style discussion hoping to discuss specific aspects of the game in question that may or may not be included in the written review. In some cases, the discussion will be the only critical conversation we put out for a game, in others it may complement a review. Alex's Thoughts In Review:  Deathloop is a very different approach to AAA Video Games, and I like that! It incorporates rogue-like elements into the "immersive sim" nature that exudes in the level design that you may or may not know and love from Arkane's history. It just doesn't quite go all the way with it, and feels like it burns bright at first, and then burns right out not long after. Things like loot, or multiple paths, or alternative takedowns for your targets, all get left on the sidelines as the game only gets more focused and less interesting as it goes on. Follow Jarrett on Twitter – http://twitter.com/jarrettjawn Follow Alex on Twitter – http://twitter.com/alfighter27

Episode Notes Review Discussions are an interview-style discussion hoping to discuss specific aspects of the game in question that may or may not be included in the written review. In some cases, the discussion will be the only critical conversation we put out for a game, in others it may complement a review. Follow Quin on Twitter - https://twitter.com/Quantum_Arbiter Follow Mike on Twitter - https://twitter.com/MikeIP Articles, videos, and podcasts on gaming plus the world around them. Hangout of some good friends. Follow Us Here: Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrrationalPod Insta: https://www.instagram.com/irrationalpassions Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/irrationalpassions Our Discord: https://discord.gg/bSdtq9G

ShowNotes It's here! The next two chapters of Final Fantasy VII Remake are here, and even if they're just DLC expansion that comes along with the PS5 upgrade of FF7R, it's absolutely still worth talking about. Join myself, Alex O'Neill, and Professor RPG Himself Scott White to give our review and thoughts on the $19.99 DLC “Episode Intermission”, which is available to all PS5 owners of Final Fantasy VII Remake. No, unfortunately, that does not include the PS4 owners. This additional piece of content composes of two episodes featuring Yuffie! Spoiler Discussion begins at 26:26, onward!

Episode Notes It’s another rendition of Patch Notes! A one on one show featuring myself, Alex O’Neill, and my best buddy Brian “Nabeshin” Jackson! This week we are joined by Jess & Andrew Cogswell of UpperCutCrit.com to talk all about Mass Effect! With the Legendary Edition just a few days away, we discuss the aged issues of military politics, great character moments, and racism in the Mass Effect series, and much more! Don’t forget to follow Andrew & Jess: @awildjessichu @cogsthewell Follow Alex: @ALFighter27 Follow Nabeshin: @Nabeshin186

Episode Notes We're back, myself, Alex O'Neill, and Brian Nabeshin Jackson, to sit down and talk about video games and whatever we'd like to talk about! Today we are continuing our conversation from last time, discussing new consoles, games we need to say something on, and also round out July - December of video games in 2020 and talk about the best and worst. We also share our personal Top 10 lists of the year and fill out some final idea categories.

Episode Notes Hello we're back! Yes, it's just Fireside, or one on one, or whatever you want to call it, but we finally have a name for myself, Alex O'Neill, and my good friend Brian 'Nabeshin' Jackson, and our sit down chats. The name fits the idea, periodically we still plan on sitting down and giving updates on what we think of things going on or games coming out. Plus, tune in to our second part to hear our top 10 games of 2020. In this episode, Nabeshin and I reflect on January through June as well as tangents, next gen consoles, Nabeshin's leave from IPP, and just about everything else. Download: Follow Alex: @ALFighter27 Follow Nabeshin: @Nabeshin186

Episode Notes Jarrett and Scott sit down to talk about Zachtronic's latest game, the military tactical title, Mobius Front '83. For fans of RTS and other tactic-heavy games, this game should be on your radar!

Review Discussions are an initiative to talk past or beyond a review or in place of a written/video review in a more timely manner. They’re an interview-style discussion hoping to discuss specific aspects of the game in question that may or may not be included in the written review. In some cases the discussion will be the only critical conversation we put out for a game, in others it may complement a review. For full disclosure, the PR representative of this title is a personal friend of the reviewer. Quin Hoffman is joined by Andrew Cogswell of Uppercut to discuss, the adventure game where you capture creatures which are kinda bug and kinda snack, Bugsnax! Bugsnax has you traveling to Snaktooth Island to uncover the truth behind the mystery behind the creatures which inhabit the island. Follow Quin on Twitter! - Follow Andrew on Twitter! - Follow Uppercut! - Follow Irrational Passions! Quin's Thoughts in Review: The most fun I had in Bugsnax was when I solving the mystery and watching the ecological structures of the island work, but these are also the parts which hurt the game. You have to be the one constantly interacting with the local bugsnax to get these interactions to happen. Even the narrative falls victim to this as well, you as the player character are very much the driving force which makes the world feel less lived in. On top of this, the big narrative reveal at the end of the game feel flat for me because it was visible earlier with the game. There is a lot of heart in Bugsnax but the game falters occasionally. Quin was provided with a review code of Bugsnax by a PR representative.

Welcome back to Irrational Passions Presents. This time, two of your favorite Irrational Passions Podcasts hosts Alex O'Neill & Brian Nabeshin Jackson once again sit down one on one to discuss what's coming in this next generation. With the purchase of Bethesda, Microsoft has poised themselves to take a whole new array of games as exclusives. PlayStation also has FF16 under its belt, with possibility of more. Plus, the two discuss what Nintendo has been doing and why it's working. Follow Alex @ALFighter27 Follow Nabeshin @Nabeshin186

With everyone being horny for the Gods in Hades, Quin Hoffman holds an official panel with two esteemed guests to determine which God is the most attractive and who also provides the best abilities in the game. He is joined by Ash Parrish from Kotaku & Jess Cogswell from UpperCut. Join them for a wild ride to determine the Top God in Hades. Follow the hosts and guests! Quin Hoffman Ash Parrish Jess Cogswell

Quin Hoffman is joined by Monti Velez, Editor-at-large of UpperCut Crit, to discuss the puzzle game A Fold Apart. A Fold Apart is a puzzle game which is centered around the long-distance relationship between a teacher living in the country and an architect in the city. Follow Quin on Twitter! - Follow Monti on Twitter - Follow IrrationalPassions! - Follow UpperCut Crit! Quin was provided with a review code of A Fold Apart by a PR representative.

Alex and Nabeshin are back together to chat about a new topic: exclusives. Specifically the turmoil of how they've both found themselves feeling about many of Sony's first party offerings this generation.  The two discuss and breakdown the complaints, feelings, and frustrations, namely Alex, from God of War, Horizon Zero Dawn, Spider-Man, and especially The Last of Us Part II. This is definitely a highly critical conversation, apologies if it unintentionally ruffles any personal feathers. Follow Alex @ALFighter27 Follow Nabeshin @Nabeshin186

Quin Hoffman is joined by Mike Burgess, Video Producer, & Alex O'Neill, Editor-in-Chief, to discuss the recent mobile port by the Alto Team & Serenity Forge, The Alto Collection. The Alto Collection is comprised of two games, Alto's Adventure & Alto's Odyssey. Both are endless runners with dynamic weather effects and take place on a beautiful mountain slope as well as a gorgeous desert. Follow Quin on Twitter! - Follow Mike on Twitter! Follow Alex on Twitter! - Follow the Site! Quin was provided with a review code of The Alto Collection by a PR representative.

Alex and Nabeshin try and have an open and difficult conversation about where Alex feels about The Last of Us in 2020. Alex reflects on where he was at and being a strong advocate for The Last of Us as well as what he feels like after the limited advertising of The Last of Us Part 2. Apologies for any overstepping in the conversations, but please feel free to give us feedback on this! Follow Alex @ALFighter27 Follow Nabeshin @Nabeshin186

Once again it's time to join two friends by the fireside, this time to discuss those special games that speak to our very soul. Alex and Nabeshin pick apart that most recent experience with The Wonderful 101 and beyond!

Quin Hoffman is joined by Chris Compendio of Uppercut to discuss the dystopian action-adventure game, Liberated. Liberated takes place in the backdrop of a near-future dystopia on the brink of revolution, some pretty weighty themes, but does it deliver? How does its depiction of revolution hold up when compared to the real world and even the moment we find ourselves here in the United States? Read Chris' written review of the game over on Uppercut! Follow Chris on Twitter Follow Quin on Twitter Both Chris and Quin were provided with review copies of Liberated by the PR representatives of the game.

This is a spoken article read for Quin Hoffman's piece titled "To The 1969 Fairlady Z".Read the piece hereFollow IrrationalPassions on TwitterFollow Quin Hoffman on Twitter

Alex & Nabeshin are joined by good friend and confidant, Barrett Courtney, to discuss all the ins and outs of how Royal improves Persona 5.The conversation starts non-spoilery, spoiler timestamp below. 35:20 - Spoiler Zone StartsThank you to Barrett for joining us follow him @SadBoyBarrett & see his work with Kinda Funny on YouTube.

This is a spoken article read for Editor Jarrett Green's piece on Treachery in Beatdown city!Rate Irrational Passions Presents on iTunes!Read it on the siteIntro by Editor Jurge CruzFollow Jarrett on Twitter

It's been a many few weird months since January and the prospect of Next Gen first came together. Alex and Nabeshin sit down again, this time in a post Coronavirus, post spec reveal, we talk about what could be coming with PS5 and Series X.

For this Article Read and Discussion, Quin Hoffman reads his piece "Animal Crossing Offered Me a Nice Temporary Replacement of Community Work" and is joined by Jurge Cruz-Alavarez to discuss his piece. Follow Jurge, Quin & IrrationalPassions!Jurge Cruz Alvarez Quin Hoffman Irrational Passions

Quin Hoffman, Editor at Irrational Passions, was able to sit down with Greg Haynes of AbleGamers, they were able to chat about the mission of AbleGamers and how they are trying to make games accessible for everyone. Follow Quin - Irrational Passions - Greg - AbleGamers

It's time for another Review Discussion, this time on Moon Studios' follow up to a beloved Metroidvania, Ori & The Will of the Wisps.Editor Quinten Hoffman sits down with Alex O'Neill to discuss what Will of the Wisps has changed, evolved, where combat goes, how it sounds, and the beauty of 2D movement. Alex also mentions the patch situation on console. Alex's Thoughts: Here's the deal: from top to bottom, Ori and the Will of the Wisps is a huge Metroidvania in a way I've only ever seen before in Hollow Knight. Maybe not that insane in the side quests or secret challenges, Ori instead builds on the heart and soul of Blind Forest, and perfects 2D movement. I think this might be the best and most fluid platformer I've ever played. I'm not positive, but the incredible feeling I had when soaring through the environment by the end of Will of the Wisps was tantamount to magic.The best thing I can say, that aptly sums up how I, as a long time Metroid fan, feel coming off of finishing Will of the Wisps, is this feels like playing Super Metroid for the first time again. It builds on, evolves, and near-perfects ideas that are fundamental to the genre and contemporaries this evokes. And much like Super Metroid, after finishing this game and seeing it's entirety, it's hard to fathom how you could go up from here. There are pretty noticeable performance issues on console right now, and I played it on an Xbox One X with a code provided by Microsoft, but I haven't played enough since a patch released to say with any finality.Ori is very good. Follow us! Quin Hoffman - @Quantum_Arbiter Alex O'Neill - @alfighter27 IrrationalPassions.com - @IrrationalPod

Alex and Nabeshin convene, one month before its release, to discuss every worry, theory, hope, and dream with Final Fantasy VII Remake.If you liked this, don’t forget to let us know and leave us a review!Follow Nabeshin | Follow Alex

At PAX East 2020, Editor Jurge Cruz got to sit down and chat with Kris Antoni, Co-Writer on the narrative driven game Coffee Talk. In Coffee Talk you play as a barista in a fantastical Seattle filled with civilized monsters and creatures. Jurge wrote about his time with the game in his piece, "Coffee Talk and How Service Work Can Be Meaningful." Give it a read or listen if you haven't already!In their conversation they not only talk about the game's development, but also about the Indonesian game scene and their studio, Toge Productions.Follow Jurge on Twitter Follow Kris on TwitterLearn more about Toge Productions

The editors of Irrational Passions once again descend on Boston for Pax East!This time around the editors chose to highlight or have a deeper dive into a particular game they felt spoke to them after having played it on the show floor!In this Discussion Alex O Neill chats about the visually stunning Greak with Scott White! Follow the Editors here:Alex O'Neill - @ALFighter27  Scott White - @SolidSnake120

The editors of Irrational Passions once again descend on Boston for Pax East!This time around the editors chose to highlight or have a deeper dive into a particular game they felt spoke to them after having played it on the show floor!In this Discussion Video Producer Mike Burgess chats about his game of the show The Pathless with Alex O Neill! Follow the Editors here:Alex - O'Neill - @ALFighter27 Mike Burgess - @MikeIP_Check out the video version here

The editors of Irrational Passions once again descend on Boston for Pax East!This time around the editors chose to highlight or have a deeper dive into a particular game they felt spoke to them after having played it on the show floor!In this Discussion Video Producer Mike Burgess chats about his time with an upcoming action RPG Genshin Impact with Jurge Cruz! Follow the Editors here:Mike Burgess - @MikeIP_   Jurge Cruz - @jcruzalvarez26Check out the video version here

The editors of Irrational Passions once again descend on Boston for Pax East!This time around the editors chose to highlight or have a deeper dive into a particular game they felt spoke to them after having played it on the show floor!In this Discussion Editor At Large Jarrett Green chats with Professor RPG Scott White about Yacht Clubs Games upcoming Shovel Knight Dig! Scott's Thoughts: Going into Shovel Knight Dig, I wasn't quite sure what to expect. I mean, I had watched the trailers so I had a basic understanding of the changes, but it was still a bit nebulous to me. Stepping away from the demo kiosk, I came away much more excited and with a much clearer picture of the game.Dig maintains the distinct responsiveness and tight controls that the Shovel Knight, while also feeling brand new. Shifting to a downward progression, the movement down the tunnels felt good, with plenty of traps and hazards that did a good job replicating the dangers in the side-scrolling games. I absolutely love the new 16-bit art style, and the new Spore Knight enemy from the Hexcavators fits great into the established vibe of the world.Jarrett: Yacht Club Games are some incredibly smart and versatile devs. Not only have they turned Shovel Knight into the indie game Mickey Mouse, they've made Shovel Knight a brand that is ubiquitous throughout the industry.  Part of that is developing a sort of design language and style guide that brings a sort of signature game feel to where ever the azure hero goes. He's been in hack and slashes, metrovanias, fighting games, card games, and will now a maze digging game that makes me beg the question, "can Shovel Knight do literally anything?"Shovel Knight Dig is an adventurous take on the arcade driller game that will strike a cord with fans of the niche genre, and curious first timers alike. Yacht Club has become well known for knowing how to spice up old formulas to make tried and true genres feel new again. As much as it is Dig Dug and Pac-Man, its also Downwell and Steamworld Dig. It has a sense of exploration, while also fiercely compelling you to dig yourself to the bottom as fast as you can. My time with it was too short on the PAX floor, and I really can wait to really bury myself in it whenever it finally drops. Follow the Editors here:Jarrett Green - @Jarrettjawn  Scott White - @SolidSnake120

Jurge and Mike got restless before the start of the IP PAX East panel, so they decided to grab a microphone, walk around, and casually chat about some of the games they played! So apologies for the mid tier audio!Including: Animal Crossing: New Horizons & Destroy All Humans (2020)Follow Mike on TwitterFollow Jurge on Twitter Visit the site for more PAX East content!

Service work is not very glamorous. It's hard, tedious, and can even be demeaning. Editor Jurge Cruz has experience working on the side of a line, he also has experience making coffee. In this article read of his piece, "Coffee Talk and How Service Work Can Be Meaningful" Jurge discusses how the game Coffee Talk has made him recall his time as a barista. Read the articleSay hi to Jurge on Twitter (@jcruzalvarez26)

Ladies and Gentlemen, it turns out that Bayonetta is Very Good Actually, and that 2010 Jarrett was a fool and a sham.This audio read is from Jarrett Green's article, "I Was Wrong About Bayonetta." Give it a read here if you would like!Follow Jarrett on Twitter and tell him you liked this!Follow Irrational Passions

Hello and welcome to the Irrational Passions Review Discussion for Kunai. A 2D Metroidvania game partied with a fun personality and interesting platforming mechanics.For this discussion, our editor and reviewer Mike Burgess chats with Alex O’Neill to discuss his time with the game and both of our overall thoughts on the influx of Metroidvania style games on the video game market. Mike’s Thoughts in Summary:Kunai has a great feel and momentum to its grappling based platforming, but doesn’t do much else to stand out from an already crowded genre. It felt a little too safe and stuck to a lot of traditional tropes in Metroidvania games that we’re starting to see left behind. The core gameplay is still enjoyable to fans of metroidvania tropes and alongside some great animations and soundtrack it’s still worth the play. I just hoped it had swung a little bit further. This game was reviewed on a PC with code provided to Mike by a PR representative of the game. Follow us!Mike Burgess - @MikeIP_ Alex O'Neill - @alfighter27 IrrationalPassions.com - @IrrationalPod

This Presidents Day, Jarrett (@jarrettjawn) wants to know: Who is the President of Video Games?Alex (@ALFighter27), Jurge (@jcruzalvarez26), and Quin (@Quantum_Arbiter) have answers.If you also have answers, tweet them to us @Irrationalpod.