The Backrooms Podcast

Side quests and collectibles are things that often get overlooked when analyzing games. The boys aim to change that by shining a spotlight on some of the things games do right and wrong when it comes to optional content in gaming.*(This episode is optional viewership and is not required to remain up-to-date on the current goings-on of the Backrooms Cinematic Universe)*

After 6 months of absence, the boys are *finally back* (heard that before) and ready for another round of group therapy.Life has gotten more complicated for all of us since our last episode, so we figured now would be the best time to check in with each other as good friends should. As it happens, we found out that mental health can actually DECLINE if we don't continue taking proper care of ourselves! But what does that look like?Sit back, and relax, cause you're about to find out...

Tutorials can be awesome, but they can also be suck-tacular. They can be brief, or overly drawn-out. They can sometimes hold your hand, and they can sometimes be Dark Souls. The one thing that most games have in common is that they each have one, even if you might not realize that it's there. In today's episode, the boys use what *some* might call "QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS" to determine how different games approach teaching new players their mechanics, as well as engage in a broader discussion about how we as individuals go about learning. I hope we teach you a thing or two...

The boys are back for Sub-Level 4 of the Backrooms Podcast!! In a industry hyper-saturated with dime-a-dozen button mashers and mindless time killers, there are a growing number of games that tower above the masses as narrative "blockbusters" nearly fit for showtimes at your local AMC! But do games need to have Oscar-worthy levels of storytelling to be enjoyable, or is it fine to just switch our brains off and get lost in the flow of a great gameplay loop? Join us in the first episode of this new season of somewhat intelligent and barely engaging game analysis, and you may hopefully find an answer! (no guarantees)

Last year, the boys dived into their personal mental health journeys. We received a ton of positive support on that episode, and if we had helped even just one person listening, we consider it worth doing again. In today's episode, the boys talk about how our interaction with media can shape the way we perceive the world and our place within it. Not only this, but also the phenomenon of which viewing the end of a series, can feel like the loss of a close friend. The United States has transitioned away from the 10-digit National Suicide Prevention Lifeline to 988 - an easy-to-remember three-digit number for 24/7 crisis care. In the UK, the National Suicide Prevention Hotline is open from 6:00pm to midnight every day on 0800 689 5652.

In 2015, 343 decided it was in the players' best interest to remove local co-op capabilities from Halo 5: Guardians. This was the beginning of the end of gaming with your friends together in the same room. Nowadays, AAA games tend not to support local multiplayer, so the boys decided to take a trip down memory lane in the oh-so distant past of before 2007.

We are retconning our first episode; it is no longer cannon. But unfortunately, we have to deal with poorly executed plotlines; some so bad, that even one of the greatest experiences can be ruined by its own writers.

Even though the sentient ADHD hivemind comes & takes over the conversation as usual, we like to believe we were able to take the time to discuss & reflect on the experiences of single player gaming & all that comes with it. Are story-driven titles taking a backseat to multiplayer experiences? Is single player gaming dead? Am I a lonely individual? Maybe, but come join & find out!

For a while now, everything has become a service model, and thus the "as a service" mantra is everywhere. From "Software as a service" to now "Games as a service." Come join us in a completely all-over-the-place stream of thought on how this, audience retention, & adaptation to change all have culminated into what the Entertainment industry is today. Like seriously, how'd we go from map packs to Battle passes??

Indie Games have been rising in popularity over the past few years, & this is a great trend to see. Nowadays, the boys feel as if the creativity we see in the industry is only offered by the independent developers. Concepts, mechanics, design, & stories that offer a more unique experience are more likely to be found in this space.

What do you do to pass the time? Do you have any specific interests or hobbies? If you do, great! That's exactly what we are here to talk about. Hobbies can fall anywhere between just having a simple interest or taking up a large chunk of dedication and enjoyment, to being a lifestyle or a complete definition of your Self. Which one are you? Come join us on a deep dive of the importance of having some hobbies, what can be considered a hobby, & some of our own lame hobbies.

Did you know there is a proper way to have fun? Yep, the boys figured it out. Come join us in our completely objective analysis of how people enjoy engaging in video games, and how some people incorrectly find joy in gaming.

Two games this year stand out as fantastic additions to an already existing IP, Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom & Diablo 4. With Tears of the Kingdom being a sequel to Breath of the Wild, & Diablo being a sequel to, er, the other Diablos, both games polish & improve on the full package of their ancestors, and the boys could not be happier. Justin's eager for Bryan to give TotK the time of day, Bryan's determined to make Justin live in the desolate world of Diablo, & Jack just wants everyone to engage with the amazing experiences offered by both.

Some of us got "plays well with others" on our report cards as kids. And some of us definitely did not. Co-op has been a staple & centerpiece for gaming since the introduction of the Home Console systems & as the era of Arcade gaming saw its retirement. But, as technology & gaming both mature, it seems as if even co-op gaming is getting ready to head to a nursing home, as developers, and maybe even some gamers care about it less and less.

With Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom having a fantastic reception & release recently, another discussion around the visual fidelity & art in gaming seems to have bubbuled (hehe) up to the top of the (very civil) discussion boards again. TotK does not have the best fidelity in the world, but that's okay! The boys pretend like their opinion matters once again and get deep into the depths of this conflict. Let's light up a Lightroot, pop open an elixir, and kick back and listen.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and with it comes the important dialogue that is never had. The boys have both direct & indirect experiences with mental health conflicts, and it is fitting to start here, in the first room of Sub-level 3, as we descend further into The Backrooms. We ask our listeners to make a promise. If you know someone who may struggle with mental health, please check in with them, and say hello. If you need someone to vent to, message us on social media, we will listen. The United States has transitioned away from the 10-digit National Suicide Prevention Lifeline to 988 – an easy-to-remember three-digit number for 24/7 crisis care. In the UK, the National Suicide Prevention Hotline is open from 6:00pm to midnight every day on 0800 689 5652.

Creativity & Imagination are what make humans, human. So, let's take some time and dive into the world of creative tools within games that the communities of these games went crazy with. The sandbox that exists within each of these games offers players the ability to express the artistic ability that exists within each of us. Forge mode in Halo, Garry's Mod from Valve, Minecraft, the Trials series, and so many more games are alive to this day due to developers embracing this artistry within their communities, rather than control it.

Bugs are some of the best parts of the gaming experience. It could also completely break an experience. When a game is buggy or broken, it can ruin our enjoyment & break our immersion. However, some of the best moments in gaming history would not be here without the use of bugs & exploits. Hell, even some old games are still played, and in the spotlight, due to their unintended exploits.

In this Episode, we discuss the principles of Laminar Flow in Fluid Dynamics. We get into disciplines such as hydrodynamic stability & the diff... wait... no...  In this episode the boys discuss what it means when a video game has a good "flow state," or when all the aspects of a great game line up to keep you engaged without taking away from the core gameplay. What does this mean? Well, we aren't too sure, so come join us and let us all figure it out together! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

In this very very late edition of The Backrooms, we get a little spooky. All forms of media use our fears & anxieties, in one way or another, to give us a sense of realism or Engagement in a story or setting. The boys decided it was time to take a dive into the depths of the dreadful & dreary world of horror, and the use of horror, in telling a story and setting a scene. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Everything must come to an end someday, thanks to our friend, Entropy. However, when should a story end? The boys discuss different ways writers & developers have either hung onto their favorite stories for too long, or cut off a series or character too early. Maybe there are some movies, shows, & games that should have a sequel or spin off, but maybe there are some that we're better left alone. And maybe Disney needs to chill with all these damn Marvel spinoffs that are starting to make absolutely no sense. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Everything becomes "retro" at some point. Regardless, the boys are taking a step back in time once again to talk about their golden age of gaming, the early 2000s. Now, is this really retro? Probably not to most people, but that doesn't matter because we're talking about it anyways. Let's take a moment to enjoy this trip down memory lane to discuss games and consoles of our childhood and their influences, and maybe some actual "retro" games. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Some games are all about the power dynamics. How powerful or powerless you are and can be, compared to your adversaries, can make or break the enjoyment of a game. The boys talk about the balance of power between players and the AI, and how different games & game genres rely on different power scales to bring forward an enjoyable and immersive experience. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Does Customization matter in Gaming? Player Expression & Payer customization has become a staple in video game culture, so much so that the lack of freedom in this area can cause disarray in a game's community, even in a great title. With this being said, let's take a moment to discuss player expression & customization and how it affects a game's community, atmosphere, and tone. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Is it easier or harder to make friends in gaming now or in the past? As time marches forward, the way we interact, especially in gaming, has shifted away from Couch Co-op to strong online social chats & communities. In this time, there has been a shift in how we interact within & between communities, and even within the games and chats themselves. Come listen to three anti-social outcasts give their uncredible two cents on the social aspects of the gaming world! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

While we are definitely not qualified to talk about the mechanisms that surround AI in gaming, we have a discussion anyways. The boys discuss the way developers build and design AI & their systems to interact with the game world and the player. Join us and have some fun with this rather chaotic and disorganized discussion on Artificial Intelligence in video games. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Welcome to sub-level 2 of the Backrooms Podcast!  After a brief hiatus, the boys are finally back for a much-needed group therapy session after experiencing the trials and tribulations of Elden Ring.  Laughs, tears, and an abundance of methane gas are shared in this room.  Join in on our suffering as we recount our struggles as well as successes throughout the Lands Between.  And most importantly, welcome back! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Games are getting bigger and more expensive. More and more titles are embracing the open world structure of game design and in this room, the boys take a shallow dive into some of the ways that these open worlds can benefit, and even harm, a game's atmosphere and experience. Between Spiderman, GTA, Elden Ring, & even now, Halo: Infinite, every game is becoming more and more similar, but at the same time, each of these open world experiences offer something unique and enjoyable. What makes these open worlds so unique? Why is every game moving in this direction? And is this a good or bad trend? Are there negatives to an open world? --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Does anyone else feel that AAA studios are releasing games in an incomplete or unfinished state? Well... --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

As is tradition with any game release by FROM Software, the overarching gaming community and media outlets gather round the bonfire to have a debate about difficultly and accessibility in gaming. While the boys are not experienced enough with accessibility tools in games, they sure have had their share of difficult encounters in some of their favorite games. In this room, we take a dive into what makes a game difficult, how difficulty and accessibility can differ, and how developers finesse their way around the delicate task of tuning a game's difficulty curve. Should games have an easy mode? Does difficulty affect the developer's vision? Are players "owed" the completion of a game? --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

We tend to remember the more positive moments in our past, rather than the mundane and "normal" moments. In gaming and other media, this leads people to form bonds not necessarily with the game or media itself, but with those moments in time that were attached to that media. What does that mean for modern games, or games of the future? Is the quality of media worse in the present than in the past, or do people just need to "take off the rose-colored glasses?" The boys take a trip back in time and talk about what we're nostalgic about, and why we think nostalgia is good, and bad, for the industry. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

In any form of media, be it a game, movie, or show, to capture an audience, there needs to be compelling characters. When watching or experiencing a connection with a protagonist, antagonist, or even a minor character, have you ever thought why you feel a connection with them? Why are they so compelling or convincing to you? What makes a character well designed and compelling? In this room, the boys get into discourse discussing their favorite heroes, villains, and antiheros. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

In 2009, the sandbox game, Minecraft, took the world by storm. Having sold almost a quarter billion copies across the globe, Minecraft has not only had a monumental impact on the gaming and entertainment industry, but it has also impacted other areas of our society, including education, design, creativity, & even the freedom of the internet. Over the past decade, how has minecraft changed? Why is it so successful? And how can such a simple and seemingly "childish" video game become such a recognizable and impactful piece of media? --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

In this room, the gentlemen discuss change in gaming, both on a micro and macro scale. Some game developers make incremental changes between installments of their games, while others make more drastic choices that can affect core mechanics and gameplay. And sometimes, there are games or releases that have monumental impacts on the industry as a whole. What features or mechanics are good? Which are gimmicks? And what changes in games had a more positive or negative effect on that franchise or the industry? --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays! In this room, the guys discuss realism in gaming. From first person shooters, to racing games, to sport games, a game developer can either make their game more realistic, or more Arcade-like. On this spectrum, at what point does the game become a "Sim" game? At what point does the simulation break? And are people even playing Simulation Games anymore? --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

The Halo Franchise turned 20 this last November! This anniversary brought with it the surprising early release of the Halo Infinite multiplayer experience. While Jack, Justin, & Bryan are thrilled with the game's early release, and more importantly the astounding quality and refinement of the core gameplay, a much larger controversy has sprung forward; The Battlepass. The guys, and the larger Halo Community as a whole, are having grievances with the game's poor progression system, and the game's lack of a solid reward structure. So how can the developers resolve this conflict? Do they even need to? And how come the best halo in years feels, in a sense, unsatisfying? --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Video Games have the unique ability to provide an experience that other forms of media cannot. In Room 3, the boys discuss the different and unique avenues that game developers take to share their story and help a player not only follow that story, but truly experience it. Every game and every developer has a story to tell, and how that story is portrayed can either build on, or detract from the experience. But with so many different types of games, between open world adventure games, to linear First-person Shooters, what is the best way to tell that story to the player? --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

With the recent remaster of Diablo II, twenty-one years after its original release, Jack, Justin, and Bryan delve into the discussion surrounding the modernization and revivifying of games from the past. Many developers are remaking and remastering games to be played on newer hardware with updated visuals, audio, and a fresh experience. But do some games even need a remaster? Why are some games re-released so often and so many times? And what even is the difference between remasters and remakes?

Welcome to Room 1, our horrible introduction in which we discuss the upcoming 343i release, Halo Infinite, alongside the release of The Master Chief Collection's 8th and final seasonal update, and we discuss the modern monetization of video games with battle-pass systems and seasonal Content. Has the battle-pass extended the life of games? Or has this system allowed for a more lazy and stripped-down experience? --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app