Closing thoughts and future plans

Hello, welcome to the Aether. It's a low-key video game podcast. My name is Brennan Bigley. My name is Steven Hilger. I've been watching, I've been watching a lot of Taskmaster recently. You ever see Taskmaster? Is that the Marvel Skeleton. It is. Yeah, he's the I'm wrong and right at the same time. I can feel it. You are wrong and right at the same time. I love that for you. Taskmaster is that BBC show where they like get five comedians and make them like go do like weird stuff. Anyway, I've been watching so much Taskmaster recently that I feel like I accidentally like for a hot second just just like had Taskmaster voice as I was doing the intro. Uh welcome to into the aether. It's uh uh it's wonderful to be here he can learn anything he sees. Yeah, he can watch Captain America and then also throw his shield. Thank you for being here, everybody. And more specifically, thank you all for uh supporting the show on Patreon, allowing us to do the PlayStation Vita retrospective, which just launched this week at the time of this recording. Actually today at the time of this recording, but this week at the time of this episode coming out. The Vita episode is out and available. People are listening to it. People are enjoying it. People are saying very nice things about it. Thank you all so much. Yes, thank you. It was really fun to make. It's one I mean, I think the console episodes are always fun, but sometimes after recording, I'm just so tired from like the collective experience. I just want to like pass out. Uh that one was like I've I left feeling rejuvenated. Yes. Um maybe maybe it's the difference between a four hour recording and a five plus hour one. But maybe maybe maybe four hours is the exact sweet spot. Yeah. As many people said about the PlayStation Vito. Hey, maybe do less. Our guiding philosophy is less is more. Six months of exclusives and then it's an accessory. But yes, thank you all for your kind words. I mean just immediately like it came out this morning and like it's already gotten a really nice response. Um that's available on the five dollar tier. Uh and also if you're on the grandfather plan, uh for those who supported us way back when it's available for you as well. For all I think one hundred of you who are still there. The lat the last one hundred. The one hundred grandfathers. Thank you all for your patronage. One thing that uh that we talked about on that episode, first of all, as we always say, is like doing those console retrospectiv es is always kind of, you know, it's it's never closing the door behind us on the way out. It's leaving the door open to return and revisit. And what I'm going to talk about right now is not exactly a PlayStation Vita game, but it might as well be. So part of the experience of playing all of these games for the Vita was also revisiting a bunch of games that I really loved. And we talk a lot in that episode about how formative my experience with Spelunky was on that console and the binding of Isaac and Rogue Legacy as well. But Rogue Legacy and Spelunky are both games that have had sequels in recent years. Yeah. Both of which kind of like came and went a little bit, like didn't get as much of the spotlight on them as their original releases did. And I've been thinking about this a lot. This actually like to be perfectly blunt, like this was going to be an episode of the Wavelengths podcast, and I filmed the whole thing, recorded it, and then scrapped the whole thing. So I was like, I I think'd rat Where's Steven? I uh no, literally I was like, I think I'd rather have this conversation with you than just like to myself in a room. Shucks. Um I I've been thinking a lot about like what makes a handheld game. Ah, like this. Like what what what kind of games do you play handheld? Which kind of games do you play like docked on a console? And and I've been thinking a lot about Spelunky and Rogue Legacy, which are two games that I loved on the PlayStation Vita, played incessantly on the Vita, and then didn't really have my time with again on any other console outside of like just kind of fits and starts. Like I would jump in and be like, oh, I'm gonna have another spelunky moment again, like when it launched on Switch, for example. And then like I didn't get into it enough to really do that. I remember when e this is where it gets a little bit tricky, but I remember uh when the Steam Deck came out, one of the first games I downloaded was Rogue Legacy and I was like, wow, I can't wait to play this game in handheld mode again. And then was like, well the Steam Deck is gigantic. Like it it almost doesn't feel handheld in some ways. Um and then it wasn't until we did the PlayStation Vita episode and started prepping for that where I got back into both of those games in the same way I was when the Vita was like in its prime, in its heyday. And all of that kind of drove me down this path of being like, I wonder if these games actually just work better for me on a smaller, more handheld form factor, like on a smaller screen in a more handheld form factor, which led me down a path that I'm very interested to talk to you about, which is uh I've talked about this before. I have the PlayStation Vita and I also have this other thing that looks almost exactly the same. Uh the AYN ODEN Two Mini, which looks basically exactly like a PlayStation Vita, but slightly bigger. But runs Android. And recently, an interesting thing about Android handheld emulation is that um you can like because of some stuff that Valve has been doing behind the scenes for apparently a decade. You can just like access your Steam library and play Steam games on Android devices now, which is fucking sick. So it basically turns into a little Steam Deck Mini. So I downloaded Rogue Legacy 2 and Spelunky 2 on this thing, and I was like, let me see, just out of curiosity, if I enjoy these games more, literally just like having them this size and like in my pocket. And the short answer is yes. Like the short answer is unbelievably unequivocally yes. Like I specifically like Spelunky 2 I've dipping in and out of, but Rogue Legacy 2 is the game that I have been like consuming for the past week in a way I really wasn't expecting because I remember when that game came out, I think you played it a little bit, I also played it a little bit, and like as a person who loves the first game has played through it many, many, many times. I was so surprised at how little my attention kind of fell into Rogue Legacy 2. Like it's just a game that I was like so excited for in the lead up to, and then it launched, and I I think beat like maybe the first boss, made it to like another location, and then bailed from it entirely, and haven't really revisited it since. And I kind of chalked a lot of that up to the art style has changed. Like the original art style has this like wonderful little pixel art , kind of like going for a more cartoony Castlevania vibe. The music is all chiptune, and I think the way that that shrinks down onto the PlayStation Vita screen is really nice. And the second game is this like much, I would say like, big ger, maybe even more considered, like hand-drawn quote unquote art style. Uh the music is like definitely going for a little bit more of like an orchestrated vibe. Like it's trying to be the very classic, like bigger and better sequel in every single way. And I think in some ways that increased scope, even making it down to the aesthetics, made it feel like too big to me, especially like playing it on the Switch, playing it on the Steam Deck, playing it on my PC. Like I just I never really felt like I I could like fall into it and it was like a comfort roguelike, quote unquote, the way that some of these other ones were. And then suddenly I started playing this game on my Android handheld, like on the subway, as I've been like traveling around New York recently. And oh my God, it's so fun. Like it really is. Like taking a game that big and shrinking it down into a tiny handheld has made me enjoy it a lot more. Like I've played a lot more of Rogue Legacy in small bursts and in small sittings than I did when I was trying to like sit down and like play it, play it in like a real, like considered way, which I find really interesting. And it and it's it's raised some questions for me about what we all consider to be a quote unquote handheld game, besides the like snarky answer of it's a game that you can hold in your hands. You know, like that that's one version of it. But I do I do think there's something more nuanced about this like this delineation. We all I think subjectively make about this kind of thing. Like, remember like in the early days of the Switch, asking people like Breath of the Wild, did you play it handheld or docked? Yeah. Mario Odyssey, handheld or docked. Like everybody kind of has different answers to those questions. And I find that really interesting. Like some people with Breath of the Wild, they're like, this is my like cozy world I can hold in my hands. And for me, I was like, the biggest screen in my house is the only one I'll play Breath of the Wild on. Then it was the opposite for me with Odyssey. I'm wondering if any of this resonates with you at all. It does, yeah. I was thinking I definitely was thinking back to the Switch One days of like we even said like often in the early days of the show we would say as like an addendum to any Switch conversation, like, should you play this handheld or not? Yeah. Uh like into the breach was a game that you and I were both like, absolutely play this handheld. Like it is noticeably it's a better experience to play it handheld. And what I was thinking about while you were talking, it feels like there's almost a third word required here. You know, we have the the TV, you know, sit down games and handheld games. Because of how big devices like the Steam Deck and the Switch 2 are, I feel like there are now lay down g ames where like it's like are you playing this game handheld on the go or are you laying in bed holding this on your chest as you like doze off? Right. You know? I think the introduction of the gaming pillow as a as a product category has in some ways really exemplified the exact problem that we're talking about here. Like as soon as you need to introduce that product and it isn't laughed at, but it is actually considered like maybe even necessary to some people, really does indicate that like the way the quote unquote handheld direction has gone is like way literally outsized versus what I think people were accustomed to, you know, at least we were growing up. Yeah, like and and the difference between us is that I don't play games nearly as much on the go. But I do think it's notable that like when I'm at the airport, I will usually play my 3DS or a similar size device. At least I I did for a while, not as much recently, but um I'll probably play my Vita at the airport for the thrill. Yeah. I'll probably get questioned, but I'll do it anyway. Um and uh whereas like pulling out my Steam Deck in the airport just feels like too much. Yeah. But I do love the laydown experience because you know, yeah, who doesn't? And I do think there are different games that I'll play. Like for me, I think that over all it's a mood thing for the most part. Uh like if I'm in the mood to play a game in bed or play a game on the go or play a game with friends or in the living room. Um so in that sense, like the genre that I almost never play handheld and always play on a big TV are fighting games. Right. And also like any game that's like, you know, a Sony first party, like let's show off how powerful this thing is. Like any game that's like made with like most open world games or most games that are like flashy in that way, um, or or narratively driven in some capacity. And then handheld or lie down games I find are always either like when I have an inventory I have to manage. I feel I feel like uh like Fire Emblem is obviously I mean that that series kind of started largely on the Game Boy Advance. I know it predates that, but like I think that's sort of hit it stride, I think. Yeah. Yeah. And I think even three houses, here it is. Uh has like handheld DNA in it. You know. I wouldn't be surprised if that game started development as a three DS g ame, you know. Um, but uh yeah, I think I think handheld games like I I for me, it's usually like something I can chip away at episodically, like a visual novel, or something that requires like long sessions of just sort of putting a plan in motion. Yeah. Whereas games that I'll play on the TV or with friends are usually more uh more of a like active experience. Um or active in the sense of like it's more maybe it's more real-time focused. Um action RPGs I also tend to play on the TV. Yeah. Even if they play well handheld, like I'm gonna play East 10 on the TV. Yeah. Whereas trails I will always play handheld. Yes. The only the only real exceptions to that for me, I I would say are like Hades 2 and and Hollow Knight and Silk Song. I uh like those those games for some reason I was like, I'm gonna play these mostly in handheld. Um, you know, I I guess silksong played mostly docked because I needed to capture footage for the review, but like generally speaking, for some reason I I enjoy those games as like handheld experiences. Yeah, games where you have to try again a lot, I also think weirdly mesh well with being handheld. I don't know why. That might be what you're gravitating towards with with all the roguelites. Yeah. It's like something about trying again when you're holding it versus like just watching on a big screen you losing. Yeah. I yeah, I think I think there's something about like like session based games. Yes. That that translate very well to a handheld form factor. Uh and that's the PSP's whole thing. Like all so many of those games, like the design philosophy for all those games was like short bursts. Yes. And I do think actually like long RPGs kind of fall into that idea of session-based in some ways, right? Because especially and inventory management. Yes. Something something like a dragon quest, for example, like does feel very natural in a handheld form factor because those games are episodic for the most part. Um so, you know, the equivalent of like doing two runs of Spelunky is kind of similar to doing one chapter of a Dragon Quest game. Yeah. That's interesting. Yeah, I didn't really think about it from that perspective. Uh but I I I think I think you're right that like we do need this kind of third point of delineation between these three, because like the idea of what a handheld is has gotten so out of whack recently. And I I know we clown about this all the time, but like the PS six coming as like a gigantic PC handheld is so funny to me and so absurd. And like Yeah, and I I I know we're in a little bit of a bubble in terms of like what we are excited about. Or not in a bubble life we we have very specific opinions of like what we're looking forward to so I don't want to I don't want to uh uh debase anyone who is excited about the PS6 but I I don't know anyone who is so it it just feels like such an uphill battle. I was surprised to see, despite how ambiguous this generation has been, part of the Vita research I was looking at, like just the list of best-selling consoles of all time. PS5 has sold remarkably well. It's done so well. Yeah. It's climbing the ranks. Like it's not in the you know top five, but it's like I think it's the eighth best-selling console. Yeah. The fact that it's in the top ten at all is pretty wild. Yeah. Yeah. That really surprised me because I just I f I felt like it's been such a weird thing. But a lot of that is like the PS four was like, you know, by far and away like the winner of that generation. And I think going into this one, a lot of people were like, oh well like the logical investment here is the next PlayStation. Cause like, you know, overall that's like the the safest bet but i do think at this point just because of like honestly like where the economy is at and how expensive everything has gotten i don't really know anyone who's like dying for a new console in general right even the Sitwch 2 which, was done very well, there was a lot of like initial resistance to with the price and everything. I feel like I think there still is. That's it's actually it's a conversation Percy and I have all the time because she's constantly like looking over my shoulder while I'm playing the Switch 2, being like, Can I play that? And I'm like sorry it,'s on Switch Two only. And she's like, God damn it. And I get I mean, if we didn't have this show, I would not be able to afford the Switch Two. You know? And I probably wouldn't really want one until like this year, honestly. Yeah, would fire them came out and that would probably be it. Yeah, right.. You know me So anyway, I guess my point is like I think independent of the handheld factor, I'm just like the PS6, I'm curious what their approach will be, considering Sony has also like recalibrated so many different things. Like they're they're just still pivoting away from like their live service bet. My prediction based on nothing, but I think this would be like generally a good idea for Sony at this point is they did say that they're moving away from putting their games to Steam. So it does seem like they want people not only for exclusives, but like they want people buying games in their e store. That's like the big thing. They want to keep people in the Sony marketplace. So I wouldn't be surprised if the PS six has n almost no exclusives at all, but it is just a hardware upgrade for the people that are really interested in that. Or a different experience. Like, you know, the portal sold pretty well. Yeah. So I could see them like making kind of an upgraded portal of some kind. Basically I see it as like a lesser version of what Xbox did before, where they're like we will continue making new PlayStations, but the games will come out for everything. But maybe like this game will look the best on this thing. Yeah. Yeah, I think I think in a world where like the current asking price for a PlayStation 5 Pro is somewhere in the realm of a thousand dollars right now after all the price hikes, which is yeah, it I think it launched at $800 and is closer to $1,000 now. And the idea of a PlayStation 6, like if it if it's just like a very classic upgrade from the PlayStation 5 generation, you would have to say conservatively the price will be $9 99, like at the very least , which is way too much for most people to be paying. So I I think you're probably right that the idea then is like do a little bit of a swerve and say like the PS5 generation kind of continues. Like maybe it is maybe it isn't even the PS6., L likeike who knows? You know, we don't we don't know. Yeah. I could see it taking the route that like TVs take, where it's like you can get the OLED, you know, fanciest top model, but you don't need that to watch the new movie. It becomes an iPhone at that point. Yeah. Exactly. So which is not like necessarily what I want, but I could see that being the route Sony goes, considering like I do think even outside of like video game podcast hosts, like the the idea that like we needed to get the PS5 to play this generation, there are only really a handful of games that have like utilized that hardware. Yeah. So I I guess overall it just feels like we're no longer in an era where there's like a collective des ire for an upgrade in hardware and visuals. Like I think the biggest thing people care about these days is performance. Yeah. You know, like there there's data to suggest that. Yeah. Yeah. I think I think at the end of the day too, the the idea of like I don't let me just be clear. I don't know if I like this. I'd need to think about it more, but I I do think the idea of a more iPhone adjacent upgrade cycle for consoles does kind of make sense to me in a way where like your PS5 will work and be fine for a long time, and there's really no reason to upgrade, but at a moment where you feel like, you know what, I think now is the time, like there will be a console there for you to upgrade, actually does feel better to me than what has been the case since the beginning of consoles, which is you cannot play these games unless you have our newest console. And so you buy the new box. And yeah, and that goes into like paying the toll. You know, it's like pay pay the pay the toll and play the stuff and it'll be better there when you're ready for it, but you don't need to, I think is a is a is a nicer in some ways, value proposition. Yeah, especially if if you can play the games, you know, cross-generation. Like if you don't need it to play whatever's new. Yeah. I yeah, who knows? I mean, we're in a really weird era right now and the economy is so bad that like I expect things to change dramatically for Sony and for all three big party. Oh, Nintendo will do what they're doing. Nintendo will keep doing what they're doing, yeah. I I wonder if there was a version of the Nintendo Switch 2 at any point that was literally just handheld boost mode and that was it. It was like like you you would get the Nintendo Switch 2 and every game would come out for the Switch 1 and the Switch 2, but on Switch 2 it would just like look and perform better. Like that I think that was there probably was a version of the Switch 2 that was that and would be fine to some people. I think people some people would revolt, but I think for the most part, like that would be totally fine. It was funny too, like just thinking about I mean funny is maybe not the right way of putting it, but like just considering the chip shortages and the RAM shortages and and the the flash memory shortages that are happening right now. I was reading uh at the time of us recording this, uh, the embargo has lifted for reviews of the new Steam controller. And I think it was Geo at Polygon who asked somebody at Valve, was like, why are you launching this now and not alongside the the Steam frame and the steam machine? And they were just like, Well, this doesn't have RAM in it. So we might as well sell it. So we might as well sell it. Yeah. Which I'm like, damn, I guess like that's where we're at. Yeah. I re that that's actually speaking of like consoles, that the one console in the foreseeable future that I want is the steam machine. Yes. Because that kind of feels like the last console I actually need. Yeah. And that that kind of replaces so many things for me. Yeah. Cause like I love my Steam Deck, but there it the it it is limited. Yeah. In term like even the game I'm gonna talk about later is like just barely running on the Steam Deck. Yeah. Well, that's a bit of an exaggeration, but you know, I know what you mean though. Yeah, I I've seen it running there. Yeah, I I think well it's also worth mentioning some of the interviews that uh we've had with Valve executives this week have also had them for the first time, I think, being pretty open about the fact that they're working on a Steam Deck too, which is like it's kind of about time for that, you know. What the original came out was it, 2021? 2022. 2022. We we got ours like right when that came out. So it was early 2022. So it's been oh god, it's been four years. I need it now. I need a new one. It's been four years I would bet within the next year or two we will start to see that. Because I I remember even when uh John Voorhees and I, my my co-host for NPC, we went to CES uh in Las Vegas was that last year. Yeah, last year . I remember I I was sitting at the AMD presentation, they were showing off chips, and and like John turned to me, he was like, if they make a Steam Deck too, like that would be the chip that's inside of that thing. Um and I remember we we went to uh, I think it was Asus's booth, and they had a tablet that was like the size of an iPad playing Ratchet and Clank Rift Apart at Mac settings uh with that chip in it. And I was like, we like the future is so close at this point. Like we are basically here. And I think if it wasn't for all the shortages that are happening because of AI, like we'd probably be at that spot a lot sooner in terms of like consumer hardware that's decently affordable. But I think we're not that far off from a Steam Deck 2. Uh considering what I've already seen in the space. It feels it feels like we're inching closer closer and to it. Yeah, I mean I'm until it like stops working, I'm fine with my Steam Deck One. Yes. Now, especially considering like going back to our conversation like what is a handheld game. I don't need to play Rift Apart flawlessly on the Steam Deck. Like basically I think it's like we've kind of been moving more to investing like as much as possible in Steam and having a Steam machine in a Steam Deck, it's like I can divide what what is handheld and what is on the TV. Yeah. Although I'll I'll probably keep my I mean I watch Blu-rays and TV on my PS five, so I'll probably keep it for that as well. Yeah. Um that's worth it. So yeah, that's gaming. That's gaming. But I have my Vita and my modded Dreamcast. So what else do I need? I'll just just a a a little a little like actual video game note to cap this off. I I will continue playing Rogue Legacy 2 and I I do want to report back about what that experience is like as I get further in. Um I'm basically at the exact point that I stopped at last time, but I've done that in like three days instead of a month. Yeah. I remember playing that because that actually came out right when the Steam Deck came out full circle. Yeah. Um I remember playing it I remember enjoying it. I just like I don't remember like anything else about it. It kind of came and went for me, like you said. Yeah. Um, but I also wasn't as into the first one. But I I think I remember liking the second one more. So yeah. There's that. That's interesting. Yeah, I I don't I don't know what it was. I just it I I just bounced off of it. I feel like I something about the more concise package of the original I think worked better for me. I I really love a roguelike that you can finish very easily, uh in some ways. I think I think there's a lot of power in that. Um it's actually wh,y I've been so interested in a lot of the negative reviews about Saros, that new uh housemark game by the people who made Returnal, because like most of the reviews are from people like me who are Returnal Siccos, but are like, they made this game too easy and even though I loved Returnal a lot, like that game will always be there. And the idea of a version of Returnal that I can play and like finish in ten hours. It's actually really nice, especially like considering it has a narrative experience and a great like lead actor. Um I'm I'm excited to check that game out uh purely because it is very easy to finish. Like that that actually makes it more appealing to me instead of less. Yeah and I think we talked about this before, but like it's hard to make a sequel to roguelikes in general because, you'll have that kind of formative hundreds of hours with a game. And like you and we talk about this with Slay the Spire 2, I'm remembering, is like you either you if you change it too much, you risk alienating the people that kind of found a sort of ritual with the first. But if you just add like more if you just iterate on it, you end up peop people will say like, oh this could have just been DLC or whatever. Yeah. And uh I think South Spire 2 is like probably the best example I mean, it's still in early access, but even in early access, I think it's one of the best examples of like here's how to iterate on a foundation in an exciting way. Um I mean, adding multiplayer alone kind of gives that game like a different identity. Um , but yeah, I uh I enjoyed both Splunky 2 and Rogue Legacy 2, but yeah, they they they felt a little bit like okay, here's the first game again. Yeah, yeah, and and like very intentionally, and in some ways I respect that, and in some ways I think that work it worked against them. But uh I I am now in this case of playing them on a small Vita-shaped handheld, enjoying them a lot more than I was expecting to. So I do want to report back as I get further into both of them. I've also made it as far in Spelunky two as I did on the Switch two when it first came out as well. So I'm like You know what game is also kind of pulling me back? Which one? In my head is uh speaking of Derek U is UFO fifty. Buddy. That's yeah we talked about how like 'cause that was on both our goatee lists in 2024 and that is literally 50 games and we're like we will eventually like go back and see more of these and I feel like there's so much in there that feels like another Vita. Oh my god, yeah. It's like the Vita 2 is UFO 50. Yeah. You gotta play that uh that Western Dragon Quest more. I think I think you'll love it. Yeah I did play it, but I feel like I it it is like an actual like 30 hour RPG. So and I want to do there's a horror like visual novel in that game. Oh yeah, I think it's just called Nighthouse. Yeah. There's so much in that game. I remember that. Night Manor. Sorry Night Manor. But yeah, that that game is great. The end you'll you should play through that. It's really good. Our friend uh and co host of I the Duck, Don Miro, came on when you were out one day and talked about I forgot which game it was, but there's a game in there that's like sort of like if Zelda mesh with Animal Crossing, where like it is like a daily check in game. Oh yes, yes, yes. Uh oh my god, I forget what that one is called. Yeah. Is it pilot something? Pilot quest, yes. Yeah, it's pilot quest. Pilot quest return to Zol Death. Yeah, that was like the game Dom got really into. And that's the thing about that game is like you start getting like a sample of each one and then there's one that will just pull you fully in. Yeah. So I want to go back to that. For me it was Party House. That was that uh Party House was really good. I really liked a lot of the shmups. Yeah. The one where it's like outrun but also like a space shooter was really fun. Oh, um Seaside Drive. Seaside Drive is a good one. Yeah, that has maybe the best soundtrack in the entire game too. Yeah. It's awesome. Dude, I fucking love UFO fifty. Yeah. Yeah, that's one that I I think probably should have been higher. I think it was like five or six for me. Anyway. Sometimes you're wrong in the past. And uh and and as always, uh video games are pretty good. Yeah. Let's get some water and go outside. Bye. See ya. Brendan. Hello. Um, we've been talking a lot about how we both want to play Monster Hunter Stories 3 Twisted Reflection. Um, after playing the demo a month or so ago. Yeah. And uh now that Vita is behind us and now that our uh we did like a a no-buy for a month for us for budget reasons, um I finally did it. I added Monster Hunter Stories 3, Twisted Refle ction to our Steam library, and I've started playing it. Um, I actually played the demo on Switch and I noticed that like it had a little bit of performance issues. Again, I'm not like a snob for that, but like it was a little noticeable for me. Like consider ing how pretty the game is, there was like a lot of like texture, at least in the demo. Maybe they fixed it since, but like there was a lot of like texture stuff, um, and just a little bit of noticeable performance issues. So I got it on Steam and it is verified on Steam Deck and it's one of the first times I've slightly doubted that lately. It's it's more than playable. Like it it and I think considering how much customization there is on Steam Deck, like ProtonDB gives it a gold, which basically means like it it's good and it's good out of the box, but if you want it to run great, there's a few things you can change. Yeah. Um so like it's by all means and and it's by all means playable, and I would also say that it's a game that I want to play handheld. So I'm like actually happy to have some light trade offs and performance to play this game handheld 'cause it it just feels like a fun handheld game. Yeah. But um for those who don't know, Monster Hunter Stories is a spin-off of the Monster Hunter series. And it's it's basically like in the world of Monster Hunter, what if it was a JRPG? Kind of like Pokemon. There are three Monster Hunter Stories games and each one I think has kind of taken a different like direction for the series. So the first game was like visibly way more kid friendly and seemed to be made for a much younger audience and was like I think more unambiguously going after Pokemon. Like, okay, let's like let's make a Pokemon in the world of Monster Hunter. Um I keep almost saying Monster Rancher. So that might happen at some point. And that game was fun. Um, I think it was like a good proof of concept. I think there's a version of Monster Hunter stories that could feel very like derivative and kind of like a cash grab or something. Right. Right, right. But in that first game was like, oh, this is cute. And also like in addition to being like a good take on Pokemon, I think the world, you know, the Monster Hunter games in the mainline series are usually pretty light on narrative. Um and they usually give you a very strong sense of sett ing and not really like lore per se, but there is like a at least like a history to these creatures in this environment. And I do think if you play enough monster hunter games, there will be a piece of you that's like, what is this place like? Like who are these elves? Like, what is yeah going on here? Are there any, I don't know, stories to this world that we can tell? Um Right. And and I I also think that Monster Hunter as a series, as evidenced by both of us kind of bumping against the narrative in wilds, I do think that is a game that is at at its best when it's like narrative light. Yeah. Like when there's like setting first, maybe some fun characters, but you're kind of there for a sense of place and the loop of like meeting up with friends and fighting monsters. Like wild trying to tell this. I mean, I think I think that game just had a weak story, to be honest. Not to be mean, but like it just did not work for me. Yeah, same. But there was also just so much of it that I think even if it was good, I'm like, this is not really what I'm here for. Right. I'm saying that as someone who like is very interested in narrative design and like often we have uh you know uh many episodes that are hours of us talking about a game and we don't even touch on the gameplay. Like we'll just talk about like the characters and story. But I do think why I played Monster Hunter is is not for the story. Um, so all that to say, I think there's a place, I'm sure they recognized this when they made this spin-off series of like, what if we had like an RPG in this world? Um, it makes sense too from like a business perspective of like, okay, Monster Hunter is one of our biggest IP. Why don't we, you know, rather than creating like a new RPG series, we can kind of make it in this world kind of already has a pre-built fan base. And also like as you were saying earlier, like expand the audience, right? That first game is very more kid or is much more kid friendly, even down to calling the monsters monties, like they still do, which is yeah, which is very funny in this game in particular. Yes. Um, but you know, they I I think just from like an art style perspective and even from a stor ytelling perspective, like it is very kid-friendly, which you know, as we always say, there's a there's a place for that that should exist. And I think that that game, as you said, it was a good proof of concept, felt very simple, felt like really great foundational bedrock upon which you could make a great sequel. And if I'm being honest, I think Monster Hunter Stories 2 kind of let me down in that way, personally. Like I didn't connect with it the way I wanted to. I liked it enough, but I didn't it didn't really feel like the full culmination of what that first game was offering me. It it kind of felt like more of Monster Hunter Stories one in a way that this game super does not. Yeah, I I agree that I don't think two was like it didn't strike me as a moment of like, oh, they fully found it, but I do think it was a significant improvement. They've basically gotten better each time. Yeah, totally. Um Yeah, that's undeniable. Yeah, they've definitely gotten better. Two, I think, proved that like, okay, this series has potential and this is a really good one. I think my thing with two is I really enjoyed playing through like the tutorial and the opening beats, but I didn't have the drive to keep going. There wasn't like an element of the loop that made me want to like stick around for the full thing, despite enjoying it. This game though, I mean, you can tell it has a much bigger production budget, or at least it looks like it does. Like it's it's really, really striking . I think the way I put it when we first talked about the demo was they dumped money into this thing. It's uh it looks it's a common art style these days of like going after a like Breath of the Wild Ghibli adjacent visual style, but it does still look distinct. Like it has that kind of like lighting and texture, but the character models they look a little bit more like mature, I guess is the word. If fire emblem was on one side of a scale andath Bre of the the Wild was on other side, it's like right in the middle. Yeah. It's basically if you kind of fire emblem if I D Zelda. Yeah. I was I was yeah, I was actually the the the thing I had locked and loaded in the chamber was the fire emblemification of Monster Hunter. Yeah. I feel like uh Tears of the Kingdom maybe gets closer to how this game looks in in terms of just the character design of the I think I think yeah, the way things are like shaded and stuff feels very feels very uh Breath of the Wild coded, yeah. So anyway, this is a series that I've been interested in for a while, and I've been kind of waiting for like the one to come out. And so notable about three, it feels like it's definitely still like appropriate for all ages , but it feels way more like going after fire emblem it kind of is going after maybe at least closer to like a young adult style narrative where the main character uh you make your character. And I I love this game's approach at making the protagonist. Um, cause like there's a lot of options. Um, there are a lot of options for customizing your character, and they're also fully voiced. And I I found similar to like Baldur's Gate 3, I found my attachment to the character was was sort of increased by how much of an authored character they were, even though I had a large say in how they look. It's sort of like a lighter version of like the Commander Shepherd eff ect of like you put a lot of thought into who this person is and then the game shows you them in action. You're like, wait, that's my son. Like I know who that is. Same with Baldur's Gate 3 where like you make you know whatever or whoever you want, and then seeing them like smirk and cross their arms. It's just it's like a magic trick. And so this game is like going after kind of a high fantasy, you know, medieval politics narrative where basically you play as the prince or princess of this kingdom where uh it's set up that like you know they call them monstes which again is funny in this game where it's like sort of more serious stakes and like the monsties have arrived. Like my liege. Um but basically like the kickoff event is like when your protagonist was a kid, uh twin Rathal oses, which are these like big kind of dinosaur, like sort of like a T-Rex pterodactyl hybrid, like a dragon, basically. Two Rathalos are born from the same egg, which is a bad omen. Yeah. So the ritual is to basically kill one of them, but your mom, the queen, ends up like running off with one of the Rathaloses to like as far as we know, like the enemy kingdom. So everyone calls your mom the turncoat queen. Uh and your dad seems to be the your dad's the king, and he seems to be kind of hardened by that experience. I'm impressed by the game's like camera work, which is interesting to say for a game that's like first of all a video game and also like an animated kind of like a game that looks like this. I don't necessarily expect the cutscenes to have like visual storytelling and like what is in the frame of each shot, but like there's this scene where you first meet with your father, it's this really tense interaction where like as the the protagonists you're playing as like they are simultaneously the prince or princess of this kingdom but they're also part of the rangers and those two roles are very clearly at odds with each other because the rangers' whole philosophy is like we love and respect Monsties, they're our partner. It's like the Pokemon lesson of like yes, your Pokemon are your friends, not a weapon. But filtered through like medieval politics. Um and uh and there's also like a quest of the Rangers of like restoring the environment and like being one with nature. Yeah. And as the prince or princess of this kingdom, your role is like inherently more militaristic and like kind of Right. You kind of get roped right in the beginning of like being kind of on the front lines of a global conflict. Yeah. And in the in the scene with your father, I like the choice. It's very simple. Like the story is not like wildly ambitious in what it's covering, um, and it's all like approachable themes, but it's very well done in its execution. And I love how in this scene, like you just see this big empty throne seat the whole time. Like just the the ghost of your mother's absence hangs over that entire interaction. Yeah. And the choice of your character calling the king, in my case, I'm playing as a woman, so she, you know, was calling the king her father and and the king only calls you princess. Like he never calls you my daughter or my child. At the same time you you get a sense that he's not like evil. He's just like a very hardened and kind of like pragmatic guy. Yeah. Well, yeah, because I you have to the the the the interesting thing about his characterization, I think, is you can read a lot into it via his dialogue in the way he chooses or the way the actor chooses to deliver it and again the way they're shooting it, right? Like you can fill in the gaps of what that experience was like for him. You know, there there's probably this great amount of shame that he feels because it's like this happened, you know, it's his wife, it happened right under his nose. He he feels this like kind of obligation. I think this is why the throne is still there empty, right? He feels his obligation to like own the fact that he also probably feels like he failed in some way by allowing this to happen in his kingdom. And the way that that would impact obviously his relationship with his kid is you're talking about, but also, you know, needing to constantly acknowledge that that happened would radically change who you are as a person, I imagine. And especially considering like that, hypothetically, it seems like, and I didn't get far enough in the story to know the answer to this either, but like, you know, you are a kid in that opening sequence when the two Rathalos are born, and then you are, I th I would say in your like mid-20s probably or maybe early 30s when when uh you know the the time jump happens between that opening cutscene and when you like regain control of the character and just thinking about needing to stew in that for anywhere between 15 to 20 years is like that would that would fuck a person up mentally, you know? Yeah. What's interesting is that like the whole kingdom kind of like gossips about you. They're like, Oh, that's the that's the princess, like her mom is a traitor. Because you're following in her footsteps is also worth mentioning. Like she is the one who founded those rangers, so you you being in in her her role literally casts you in her shadow. And if her shadow is that long because of what she did to the kingdom, then there is this sense of like, is she gonna do the same thing? Right. Which I'm sure the king is like terrified of happening. Yes. But at the same time, he constantly comes to your defense where he's like, I don't believe children should inherit the sins of their parents. Like she's her own person. So again, it's like Can you believe we're ta having this conversation about Monster Hunter Stories 3? Yeah, a game where they call Monstys. I said this about the demo, and I'll say it again. My favorite thing about this game, and also my least favorite thing about this game, is that it feels like every scene is like about to burst into song. Like every like the the the storytelling is so direct and on point. Like it's successful in the way that like a good musical like gets everything you need and then they burst into song to the point where like when you make food like in every Monster Hunter game, there's like a fun animation of the cats cooking. Yeah. In this game, like one of the main characters like dances and like winks at the camera and like serves food and like just make it a song. Every like all these scenes, this even this tense interaction with my father could have been like a Javert esque number. I think it's the greatest missing hole in video games as a as an art form. Is that we don't have a game that where characters are constantly bursting into song. I I feel like musicals fill seats, musicals sell consoles, make it happen, Monster Hunter Stories 4. Uh forever yours. But yeah, I think uh so the narrative is is interesting enough that it it pulls me through. It's it's the missing piece of two where like two it's fine like the story's serviceable but it's not enough to to pull you through. Yeah. There's at least enough intrigue here that like I'm invested. Like I care about the characters at the very least. And there's a lot of mystery. I mean it's like obvious what is going to happen , but also like, you know, it it does a good job, like it's very um it's very direct and very simple, but I think there's enough up in the air that it keeps you excited to see how it plays out. Like for like the other big thing is that at you know the Rangers their job is um they've noticed an increased presence of feral monsters. So like they don't really believe in like killing monsters unless they're a threat to the environment. And there are all these monsters that have basically they have these like weird crystals on their backs that are making them like enraged and like way more aggressive than usual. And basically its seem to be an unnatural occurrence. It's very clear that like maybe these monsters are being like manipulated in some way by a different kingdom. But then you learn like the warring rival kingdom is basically a post-apocalyptic wasteland where like they it's beautiful like you see a glimpse of it where it looks like kind of this snowy landscape where there's always this like dust falling, but it's like toxic. Like it's a it's a uninhabitable environment. And so that complicates the story a little bit where it's like everyone you meet from that kingdom initially is like, I love war. I can't wait for war to begin. It would be a shame if war began now. But then you learn like how jealous they are of this kingdom. Yeah. And that has everything. It's like lush paradise, basically. And also knowing the kind of guy the king is, it's not quite clear who the real villains are . And adding to that, um, I don't know if you met the character Eleanor, but uh basically there's a meeting between the two parties um about sort of like uh just like I I forget the exact inciting event for the meeting, but regardless, like the other princess is there, um, uh a girl named Eleanor who to prevent war offers herself as a hostage. So she'll be like, I will live in this kingdom. Yeah. And if there's any conflict, then like I will die basically. Yeah. Like I'm basically like your like me being here will kind of keep an uneasy like peace between these two kingdoms. And the way the character is performed and written, she like at the drop of a hat flips between being like very inten se and very good at politics, and then like extremely goofy Disney princess . Um and it's interesting to kind of have that like like she's very likable, but you're also not sure if you can trust her either. Yeah. Which I think is really fun. She also has her Monsty is is it the Ajanoth the, like T-Rex that breeds fire? Oh yeah, yeah. So like that's her she's like a dinosaur princess basically, which is sick. That's great. Um and she's the one who like dances and sings when making food. This game rules. That's awesome. Um but she is very obviously, and this is where I think they really miss the drop the ball with not having a song. There's a scene where like the player character and Eleanor recognize they're like in the same role. And you know, combined with the twin, you know, uh twin and the twin kingdoms, it's very clear that like what the game is about is like, you know, trying to find balance and peace in an environment where there's like, you know, that's been damaged in some way. What I also really love, so the the way the gameplay works, which I haven't even talked about yet, is it's turn-based combat. You fight, like you have a party of three, uh, it's you and two party members, and then you each have your own Monsti. And so basically, at least in the beginning, the way it plays out is you're actually only controlling yourself. Everyone else is controlled by the computer. So it almost is like halfway between an auto battler and a turn based RPG, which actually really works for me because I think the whole game is about trusting your trusting other people and trusting your Monsti and adding that to the gameplay where you kind of have to trust them to make the right decision in combat, I think, is a fun choice. I wouldn't be surprised if later on I have more control over everybody. Mm-hmm. Despite how kid friendly this series is, there's like a lot of rules and systems to the combat in a way that's kind of confusing even for me, I found the tutorials in this game to be kind of confusing. Yeah. Well, I also find that interesting because I've I've felt that way since the first game where I'm like, It does feel like they're trying to actually pair back on the Pokemon of it all, right? Because like if you look at Pokemon as a rock, paper, scissors where you have also added, you know, fourteen other things that people can throw, you start to need you that that it necessitates like every once in a while googling a tight matchup chart or like downloading an app on your phone to like see what is weak and strong against other stuff. In this game, they actually just kind of pair that down to three, which seems like it should make it easier, but then they have kind of a weapon triangle that they attach on top of that, and then they also have elemental damage on top of that. And then they have this whole system of like who is targeting who and what move takes priority in those instances. And it does start to complicate it and it really has never got ten less complicated in any of the iterations of this series. I get it now, but you kinda have to just like learn by doing. Yeah, you gotta intuit it eventually. Yeah. And they throw you into like they throw you into some pretty tough bosses right away, which I appreciate that like like the thing about Monster Hunter Stories 2 is like it follows the Pokemon beats where like you start small. Like you start with like lower level monsters and you're kind of being like taught by this, you know, this person who's older than you and more experienced than you. Yeah. Um this game, like you're already like the Rathalos riding princess of legend. Yeah. So in a fun way they they have another character who's like the youngest, newest member of the Rangers. So the tutorial is basically like their first mission. I thought that was a smart way of like the player is learning through that character, even though we're playing as the princess of legends. Right. Which I thought was kind of fun. Yeah. Instead of just like the princess fell off her Rathalos and has amnesia. Oh no, we have to learn everything again. Yeah. The other thing the other thing is that like because so much of your party is your other party members, which you don't really have control over who's in your party right a way. And because they're so good, I haven't yet felt the like reward of hatching a new Monsty yet. Like because you start with Rathalos and your party members are like the dinosaur princess of leg end and like the cool guy with the ice moves. Like it doesn't really matter that I hatched like a chicken with good jeans. At least at this point. I'm sure by the end game, like I will need more. Um and what's fun too, so basically, let me explain the loop a bit. So the turn-based combat works where like you uh the rock, paper, scissors you're describing is like you can choose whether your attack is a power move, a speed move, or a technique move. Power beats technique, uh, speed beats power, and technique beats speed. They're also red, green, and blue, so you can kind of look at it like that too, which is cool. But what's interesting about those moves is like it only really matters if the monster is attacking you. So if the monster is attacking you, you basically have to make your best guess at what they will choose. Yeah. And that way like you'll either draw, lose, or win, and you'll cancel their attack if you if you win. But otherwise you can kind of choose freely what you want to do. So you can choose to attack. You have three different weapons you can switch from. You start off with the bow, the sword, and then the weird like club that's also an instrument, which is my favorite one. It's like it basically like buffs everyone's stats and heals them, but is also a budgeting weapon. But you can also like all the weapons in this series, you can choose from. And that's the fun of this series, is like seeing all the mechanics, like all the weapons and the costumes and the monsters from the mainline series filtered through a JRPG lens. Right. How have they translated them into this into this combat format? Yeah, and then also you can you can you know if you're equipping certain weapons, you can target certain parts of the monsters as well. And you can break them the same way you can in the mainline series as well. So like for I don't know, pick pick any monster that has a long tail, like you could use a a a sharp sword and then attack the tail over and over again and chop the tail off. Or for something that looks like a triceratops, you can like hit it in the head with the bludgeoning weapon, etc. And in a lot of cases with the pharaoh boss fights, you have to like destroy the crystal that's like making them crazy. Yeah. Right. And but you also have unique skills for each weapon, and your monster is like choosing their attack stone. You can switch which monster you have out at any time. And then once you build up your like kinship level, you can ride your monster and do like a big limit break attack. Yeah. That's when the Steam Deck like begs for its life, is whenever you do one of those attacks. Yeah, they're like unbelievably over-the-top cinematic. Yeah. Gorgeous. Yeah. And then also if the enemy gets it kind of reminds me a little bit of the Xenoblade Chronicles 3 combat where like that game once the enemy is like toppled like this electric guitar starts playing and everyone's like let's rock it and like you're just all doing like as many attacks as possible as the enemy is like spinning and you know, it's just like if you can overkill the enemy, you get like bonus experience. There's that energy to like toppling where everyone just like piles on moves. Yeah. So like the combat's really fun. Uh, it's I get where they're going for with the rock, paper, scissors, where like it's trying to replicate what it feels like fighting a monster as a small party in the mainline series, but through turn-based combat, where it's like the risk reward of choosing the right attack at the right moment and switching weapons. In this game, you don't can't really switch weapons that much in the mainline series, but in this game, like choosing which weapon and which monster is out any time is really fun and gripping. And like the animation and the music is really cool. So the combat's good. My favorite part of the game, honestly though, is just the open world piece of it. Um, I really love just riding around on a Rathalos. Like the we joke about how so many open world games have taken the hand glider from Breath of the Wild. Few let you ride like a flying squirrel monster, just like you know, jumping off a cliff, and then the monster like spreading its arms and it's like poof. Um, is so cool. And every monster has like unique terrain abilities. So like one strategy for having your party, you can have up to six equipped, and you can switch them out really easily in the in the overworld map. Some of them can like walk up walls, some of them can swim. That part of it is like really engaging, really immersive. And there's a whole quest where like they gamify the sort of responsibilities of being a ranger by um one of your main quests is restoring the like environment of each zone by releasing monsters back. So there's a beat in the story where you hatch an endangered species species and you let it go back into the wilds to like repopulate. Wow. And that raises the like letter rank of the environment. So not only is it like just like a nice thing to do, but it also makes that environment better and have rarer eggs that will pop up. That's very cool. I thought that was a really clever way of like giving because you know, Pokemon always says like your Pokemon are your friends, but there's nothing in the game that's about that. Yeah. Like the game is just an Excel spreadsheet, really. In terms of like the gameplay. Like you're not like uh other than maybe like some of the later ones where you can like feed them and rub their head on the touch screen like there isn't really a friendship mechanic outside of the hidden friendship meter that goes up through battling so uh or having them in your party. But regardless of all that, like I think it was fun to be like, oh, like caring about the environment has been gamified here. Yeah. And like it just adds to this feeling of of being immersed in the world. And the way getting eggs works is uh when you're on the map, there are these little dens that will randomly pop up. And uh depending on the color of the den, is how rare the eggs in there are. Uh, and when you go into a den, um, you can go into the nests, and based on the den, there's like a certain probability of what egg you'll get. So you'll pick up an egg and it will say, like, oh, this is like a very promising like bird wyvern egg. And you can either just choose you literally have to carry it out, like sort of the monster hunter animation of like carrying something's very card. It's almost like steamboat Willy. Yeah. You carry it out of the den and then you'll gain experience and you'll also get that egg. But you can also like try your luck and keep swapping out eggs. But the more you swap them out, the higher the risk is of waking up the parent monster and then you'll have like a really tough fight. So that's that mechanic is really, really fun. I could do that all day. I could literally just like exhilarating, yeah, go get eggs. That's like one of those things that has remained mostly unchanged since the first monster stories. And it's it's one of those things where it's like, yeah, you fucking nailed it. Never, never touch this. Yeah. And when you hatch them all, my first thought was like the animation of all the eggs cracking and you sh and them showing you what monster it is. There's a nightmare gotcha version of this game that so could have easily been the alternative where like this thrill of seeing the age eggs hatch is also a twelve ninety-nine purchase that I didn't mean to make. Like I'm so glad it's not that. But like it just really and you can I mean you can have up to 70 monsters I think in the stable. So like I haven't quite clocked like what potential I'm looking for yet because I feel pretty satisfied with my Rathalos. Like they're doing their job in combat for the most part. I did hatch a pretty good like I had the puffy bat and the like weird like spongy lizard frog. Yeah. So I have a cool team brewing. But uh the the main like gameplay loop is like you explore this beautiful environment, find eggs, hatch them, refine your team and get into battles. Um but then there's the added thrill of like the new story. You also per Monster Hunter tradition, like you can make cool and unique armor from all the monsters you've defeated. So like the the look of the armor and the clothing is a lot of fun. So it's just like a really, really good RPG. Like this, this is definitely the best monster to story so far. I think, even just like in a vacuum, like as an RPG, it's a really strong one. You know, I think it's like I kind of see it as like extremely well done, com fort food, but I wouldn't be surprised if like if it makes my list at the end of the year just because of how enjoyable it is. Yeah. Yeah, I I loved what I played of the demo. Um and I imagine I will love the full game as well. And and even just from that demo, it really shone a light on that question that you and I have always asked, which is like when will they like nail it with this series? And it really feels like this is it. Like this is the blueprint for all the Monster Hunter stories games they should make going forward, if they're gonna continue it. Yeah, they could they could even like keep setting it in this place, I feel like it's a rich enough world that like I wouldn't be surprised if four is also here, maybe just in a different era or something. But regardless, I think it paints a promising picture because you and I were talking about how Capcom has had such a great year so far, and they've also had such a great decade, and like all their series have come back in a big way for the most part. Yeah. Minus uh Breath of Fire, which is like you know, their old RPG series from the PS one days. Yeah. And I'm curious if there's any interest in bringing that back or if this is it instead. Yeah. 'Cause I I do think they wanna have like a turn based RPG? And it seems like they really place their bet on this being that series. Yeah. Which I think was probably the smarter move as much as it would have been cool to see Breath of Fire come back. Yeah. I think this is also about dragons that can breathe fire, so yeah. Yeah. Do they have w am I remembering correctly, the Capcom showed off like a new JRPG series recently? Uh oh did they? I'm not sure. I feel like I feel like they did. I feel like they they revealed one like semi-recently, but maybe maybe I'm wrong about that. I don't know. Anyway, either way, uh I I think you're you're probably right about that. I'm I'm interested to see uh I'm interested to see though if Capcom ever decides to return to Breath of Fire. That would be very exciting. I'm sure they will the day after our PS1 episode comes out. That's always how it works. Yeah. It's always how it works. I am I did get Breath of Fire four on Steam. I'm excited to finally play that 'cause that's a huge blind spot for me. I've never played that series. Yeah. Um I'm sure I'll love it. Yeah, you and I will get into it, I'm sure. We'll in a big way. We'll we'll eventually have our time with it. Yeah. But that's all I have currently on Monster Stories three. I'm excited for you to get deeper into this and uh it may or may not come up again if I get further in and have more thoughts, but really good. I would I would recommend it. Um it's just like why this feels like Atlas's 2024 is Capcom's 2026. Where it's like they just released like five of their best games like very casually back to back. Yeah, I think I saw um a rumor today that what is it, Oni Musha also has a new game that's probably coming out this year as well. Like they're bringing Oni Musha back and they're gonna launch that at some point in 2026. Um so the hits keep coming from Capcom. This is like an unreal year. I'm excited to get to Pragmata as well. I haven't started that yet, but that's kind of great. I I watched the donkey video. It was very funny. Oh yeah. Yeah, it's good. It was really good. All right, let's take a break. When we come back, I'm gonna talk about a bunch of games. I have a bunch of games I'm playing. We'll see you then. Bye Monstys. Bye Monstes. Hello, and welcome back. One more egg, another hatch, another Rathal os . I don't have any more. That's it. Okay, I was I was start I was starting to sway. I I feel like my zippo I have a c I have a couple games I just want to talk about real quick. Some of them are just updates. Some of them are games that I don't think we've talked about before. Uh and I I just want to start by mentioning Vampire Crawlers, a game that I I think I was probably like five or six hours into when we last talked about it on the show, and I'm now I think fifteen hours into. Yeah. Uh it has become like my go-to. I'm chilling on the couch and we have like Taskmaster or something on the background video game. Um I keep seeing his skeletal face every time you say it . It's dude, that game gets so interesting and so cool and weird and I I have finally come to terms with what they mean by turbo wild card as the subtitle for this thing. Cause they introduce eventually, and and I guess like you see some of this earlier on in the game where I where I was last time we talked, but like where I'm at in the game now, they introduce the idea of wild cards, which is like I think we talked about this last week, but you they have this combo system where if you use things in sequential mana orders, like a zero mana card, then a one mana card, then a two mana card, then a three mana card, each card becomes more powerful as the combo continues. Wild cards can be are free to use and are in you can introduce them at any point in the combo. So like if you wanted your, for example, one mana card to be twice as powerful as it would have been if you just went zero to one, you could do zero wild card one instead of just zero to one, which is interesting. Uh alternatively also like if you want the highest value card to be the most powerful, you could do like zero, one, two, three, wild card four. And then that four card would go from being like extremely powerful to like holy shit powerful. And as you play more of the game, they introduce more ways of acquiring wild cards and also the ability to change cards that would normally cost mana into wild cards. So things that like cost two mana can now be free and just be used to like increase combos. Uh and that's that's where the idea of the turbo wild card comes from is where is where I've landed. Is like you get to a certain point where like the game becomes less even about sequencing mana and more about sequencing wild cards in certain spots, especially as you continue to upgrade all your stats and you have, you know, your hand size is gigantic and stuff. Like every turn, especially when you're fighting bosses and stuff, like every turn is just sitting there looking at like 15 cards, being like, okay, what is the what is the the order of events in here? My one actual like now late game gripe about vampire crawlers is I do think it's going to just end. Like I do think at a certain point when I have unlocked all the characters and I've unlocked all the all the levels and I've beaten all the levels, I don't think there will be a reason to return the way there is for a lot of people with vampire survivors. Like I think I think at a certain point the game will stop having this fun like exploratory loop when I know what i there is to be found. You know what I mean? I can't see a situation in which I will continue to play this game when I've beaten the last boss or whatever. Especially like where I'm at now where uh I can like I can equip multiple crawlers at once. So I have like multiple characters I'm playing as, and you get all of their decks like combined. Oh, wow. The uh it's kind of like ball pit where like when you unlock that ability in ball pit to have more than one character at the same time, like it just kind of breaks the game in really fun ways. They really like they allow for that early on in this game where, it's pretty cheap to get the ability to have two crawlers simultaneously, and now I'm at a point where I have three crawlers, and like that is just chaos. Chaos. It's exhilarating, don't get me wrong, and I'm still finding like really cool, fun, weird stuff to do. Even at the point that I'm at in the game now, like I just unlocked a new relic that uh gives you like a two-time speed mode, so you can like toggle it on and off before you go in. So like if you're going back to an earlier dungeon to like grind or find a secret or something. Like you could just turn on two times speed mode and fly through. They also introduced a nuke that you can set off on the first floor of a dungeon if you've already beaten it that just kills all of the enemies at once and gives you all the gems. So you can just like beeline it to the second floor. Oh that reminds me, sorry one thing I I forgot to highlight about Monster Understories three is they have a similar thing where if it's a if it's a monster you have like a very high probability of beating, you can click both joysticks and just immediately destroy them all. Like it just like kills them. I love that. There's also I forgot to mention this. I'm so I want to go back to Viper Crawlers, but okay. Uh you'll love this. There's a metal slime equivalent in Monster Hunter Stories 3 where there are tell me about cats, tra pped in barrels and their like eyes are peeking out and they will like run away and they're hard to kill but if you kill them you get like a or if you break the barrel you get like a whole bunch of experience. That's amazing. I do love that.' Youre right. Yeah, it is just straight up metal slimes. It's awesome. Yeah. Yeah. That's really good. Anyway, point being, vampire crawlers. It it kind of it's interesting the way that that game ebbs and flows. Where like early on, it's like, oh, what am I doing here? This is kind of an interesting thing. I think I grafted myself onto it a lot faster than a lot of other people did, but like I still kind of was a little bit trepidatious about it. And then a couple hours in, I was like, oh no, I fucking love this. And then it's kind of become like the thing that I do over the past week. But I do I do see the end coming for me. And I and I assume it'll be a game that they'll continue to update like long term, the same way they did Vampire Survivors. I just think the nature of it being this card game does make it so I will probably not continue to go back to it because like there will be a point where there will be no more lands to conquer. Un unlike a lot of other roguelikes. Unless, you know, maybe maybe when the game is over they introdu ce something like heat meters or ascensions like they have with in Slay the Spire. Like maybe there's something like that, but at least from what I can tell, talking to people who have already beaten this game, quote unquote, I don't think that kind of stuff is in there. But again, it's early days, so maybe that stuff will show up later. Yeah, and I wonder if maybe they if it is as finite as you feel it is, maybe that was kind of by design because it's it's such a new direction for the series. Yeah, maybe. But uh yeah, I'm I'm excited to play more of it. I didn't get much further, um 'cause I I got uh Monster Hunder Stories threed. Uh but um I'm I'm curious. Like I definitely enjoy what I played of it so far. I think my big question mark was like uh how much does the chaos of it mesh with like what you or what at least I want out of a dungeon crawler deck buil der. Um, and it sounds like like based on what you share with me, it sounds like there's eventually well, I'm curious because how you've described it, from my point of view, it sounds like it starts off very simple and then it becomes more of a thoughtful strategic thing. And then it becomes full chaos. And I'm curious if in that third phase, does the like strategy kind of dissolve away? I I would argue no. I think I think the strategy is still there. You the the thing is you need to be thoughtful to employ chaos. If that makes sense. And that that comes in the form of like choosing which crawlers you're gonna go into a dungeon with in the first place. But also like I think I think the the one thing is at this point in the game where I'm at, most normal enemy encounters I I breeze through without thinking. Like it like I am I am being a little bit thoughtful about the orders in which I I play cards, but like for the most part, my stats are so wildly upgraded, and I'm like good enough at playing with the set of three that I have that I'm like I will be pretty fine against them. Bosses in particular do get significantly more difficult as time goes on. They start to do this thing where uh bosses will like have a countdown timer where they will attack you. Instead of like waiting for their turn to attack you, they'll start to attack you when you've used a certain amount of cards. So you'll see like you only have three cards until they have their move. Or you know they have like six you have you can play six cards and then they'll be able to attack you or like you know give themselves shield or hit you with you know they'll like start flooding your deck with like bad cards and stuff like that. That's where the game gets really interesting, I think, is when you start to go up against boss encounters. And they start introducing more mini bosses as well the further into the game you get. So like you're having that kind of more thoughtful encounter experience more frequently than just like at the end of each floor, considering usually at most there's like five or six floors in a dungeon. That's good to hear. Because the I I think my fear is just big the reason I wasn't able to get as into vampire survivors is the sort of like the passive element and just how it like I just felt it was eventually like too many like colors and explosions and that's a personal thing. Yeah. No, I agree with you. I I was the same way. Yeah. Yeah. But um it's interesting to think about this game alongside Montsts Hunderers Stories 3 is like both are spin-offs that are trying to filter the mainline game through a turn-based logic. Yeah. You know, it's interesting to see when series try to do that and which ones work. Um, I think what comes to mind immediately is like a dragon, you know, and and playing through Yakuza Zero, it's interesting how like you go back and you play the the real-time Yakuza games and it's like it always has had a turn based vibe, even when it wasn't turn-based. So like kind of a natural transition. But yeah, it's it's I think that's like the biggest feat of uh what I've played of Vampire Crawlers. Like that that transition actually works pretty seamlessly here too. Yeah, I do I do think it's like it's a game made for a different kind of pla yer but there is that center of the Venn diagram where I do think there there will be an overlap between both player bases who will like love this game. Yeah. I am definitely more on the side of like Vampire Crawlers is the one for me. Uh and and I I hope they add more stuff to it over time. I I I would love to continue playing this uh forever. Vampire Monstees. Vampire Monstes, okay. Crossover of the century. Now we're getting somewhere. They do do a lot of crossovers, so it's not unthinkable. We'll see. It's not unthinkable. Yeah. Tonkal's a a real studio now. They're they're like a they're a big deal. One game that I wanted to shout out, just because you'll be happy to know I'm playing it, is Paranorma Site, the Mermaid's Curse. Fuck yeah. How are you enjoying it? Uh first of all, great laying down game. Uh I've been playing it with it is made for uh one's early thirties. It's the it's the the thirty year old game. Yeah. It's been a great like when I when I come back from like a boxing class and I'm and my legs don't work anymore, like just lying in bed and being like PC handheld paramount. Let me tell you something about this game. It it I am very early on, just to be clear, very early on. I haven't even met all the characters yet. Uh, but who I did meet was uh the Tokyo housewife who's like a paranormal investigator. Oh yeah, she's and her psychic ward. Yes uh obsessed with them. They're really good. I love them so much. So much so that uh Percy and I immediately started watching X-Files from the beginning again. Because I was like, I just want more of this kind of vibe in my life. Yeah. I think I think that plus I've also been like reading and watching a lot, like reading a lot of uh like noir detective stories and watching a lot of film noir recently as well. So they fit perfectly into that like aesthetic center of my life that I've been experiencing. I liked the cast a lot in the first game, but this game I think it has the better ensemble overall. Yeah. Yeah, that duo was a lot of fun. Have you met Avi yet? No. Avi and Cersei? Oh. Yeah. Yeah. I remember you telling me about them. I'm excited to meet them. I and and I just want to reiterate a thing that you mentioned when you first brought this game to the show, which is like it is so hard to move past that diving minigame at the beginning. It's so good. I have I have played much more of this game than you would think, considering how far I am in the story, and mainly it's because I maxed out all my stats in diving before I moved on. That that opening also like without spoiling it's it's there for a narrative reason too, which I thought there was there's cool payoff there. Yeah. It's a it was a it was a really cool thing to do. Ye. Yeah ah. Uh I I yeah, I I also want to spoil that, but it's really fun. Um but I I just I really love the like town drama aspect of it. Yeah. I think that that stuff is really interesting. I love the introduction of like a more paranormal side to what's happening on this island. Uh I I think obviously, you know, that's what the game is about. But like I I think there's a version of this where like you could explain it all away n using like normal, you know, it's oh, if you just look at it from this, you know, there's a good explanation for everything, etc. But no, it's like I am I'm a Tokyo housewife who like has history studying and investigating like ghouls and g oblins and I'm I'm gonna go investigate this mermaid corpse. Yeah I like how they just like establish it exists. And like not only that but they're like, oh well there are several types of mermaid corpses. Yes. Yeah. And I mean what's really fun is like you have like the game is really good at like duos. Like almost every character has like a opposite uh foil. And when you get to Avi in Cersei, Avi is like this kind of uh larger than life um fantasy author who the game makes clear like hasn't been very successful. Like he his books sell moderately well. Um, and his niece, I believe, is this like prodigy who's also kind of psychic and, she's like obsessed with Japanese history. So she'll just go off for like a half hour of like our time about like the specifics of this region. And like in in a lot of cases, it is actually educational. Yeah. And then Avi will like bud in with a joke and she'll be like, I guess that was kind of funny anyway. And keep going. Like it just the way the game handles exposition is really good. Cause there's there's a version of this where it's like dry and tedious and like you're always getting character when you're getting history. And yeah, I do think this game uh I think it actually overall, I think as a total experience, I think the first one worked better for me. But this one I loved the act of playing more. I know that might sound weird, but like I just I liked being in this setting more and I liked the characters more. And I think the structure of like the game is a little bit more off to me, but I think leaning away from horror was a really smart decision. I think so too. There was a there was a quote from one of the producers of the series that said like the only thing a paranormal site game needs as far as the team is concerned. The game only needs uh to like have something paranormal happening, have like a detailed archive about like the region and the and the paranor mal thing and the storyteller. Everything else is like up in the air. Cool. And like that's such a great way, like having that loose of a connection opens up so many possibilities for this series. Yeah. And I really, I really, really hope it keeps going 'cause I think it has incredible e even if it's just these two games, we were lucky to get them. But I think that this could be a really special series for for Square Enix and just in general. I think so too. I uh I am lov ing this game. I'm really excited. Like I even uh like Percy and I we were out uh like celebrating our anniversary uh yesterday and we were just like on this very long walk through Central Park and uh the two of us were just like it's gonna be so cool to get home and play paranormal site. Like so excited. Like oh, she's joining in. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I I filled her in on what had happened and she was like, Okay, I'm interested. I I I wanna I I think I think some of the town drama stuff, she was like, I'm in on that. Oh yeah. I will say, um, it is worth mentioning that these are games that you can play on your phone and on tablets as well. Like it it launched on basically everything including iPad. Um and every once in a while I do think to myself like I think this would be really great on iPad. I I am not personally gonna go and get it again. I am enjoying playing it on my handheld PC um and occasionally on my Android handheld, but like I do think there's probably something to be said about playing this game with like a big honk and touch screen, you know. That'd be cool. Yeah. I do think some of the like metagame stuff seems to be made with PC players in mind, weirdly. Um like even the diving, like you could just do the whole thing by clicking. Yeah. Yeah, the diving is so fun. The diving is really good. It's kind of a flex of the whole game is largely a visual novel, but then there's like a secret, like great it feels like one of the best like yakuza side quests you can find. Yeah. You know? Yeah. Where it's like why? You could so see Ichiban getting into being an Amadiver. Becoming an Amadiver. Yeah, exactly. Um I will say that you you probably you did not experience this, but I'll tell I'll I'll tell you this, and I'll tell the the listener this at home. Um because I didn't finish uh Seven Mysteries of Hanjo. I did that that first game. And uh the storyteller at the beginning of the game asks you if you finished it and tells you, like, you don't have to finish it before you play this one, but I do recommend it, which I find interesting. Yeah, I would say I I think think it depends on your interests in the series. They're overall very isolated stories. Like I don't think you need to know. The biggest thing you probably need to be prepared for is the like five D chess of a secret ending. Like the I think playing the the first game much more gradually introduces the sort of metagame elements. So by the end when you're tasked with like you've got full control of the character flow chart and you have to like figure out how to manipulate events to like get the true ending. Yeah. It's still esoteric, but it feels more like you do get that like I'm a genius feeling when you figure it out. I don't know a single person that has figured out how to get this ending without and that's my main critique of the game. Is like well I love that like I want that tradition to continue. I do think that if I didn't look up how to get the ending, the path I was on that I thought was right, I think I would have been more frustrated if I tried on my own. Uh and and every review I've read that has tried said like I like drove myself to resent this game thinking I was like on the right track and I wasn't figured out yeah. So like I think I think it's it's that idea of getting prepared for that piece of it and also like there are like references but they're pretty light. I would say overall, like play whatever one is more interesting to you, and I think you can kind of go back or forth pretty freely. So I I slightly disagree with the storyteller, but it's not my place. They're they're the one driving this show . They're they're the omniscient being. I think you should play both though. If you don't mind the horror of the and the the second one has its scary moments, but like the first one is significantly scarier. Like that that opening hour or so is like a straight up horror game. So good. Yeah. Um yeah, I I I will get back to that game. I think I think uh especially considering how taken I am by this one, I think the the odds of me not going backwards and playing the first one all the way through finally. Uh it's interesting how I I'm I mentioned when I finished uh Mermaid's Curse that like both games start as one thing and kind of transform into another genre by the end. So I I without spoiling, I describe Seven Mysteries of Hanja, the first paranormal set game. I describe that as a horror game that slowly turns from horror to a thriller to a like drama, basically. And I feel like it kind of I think some people didn't like that because they loved the horror of the opening and felt like it wasn't that the whole time. But I felt that like the story and the characters won me over so strongly that by the end I was more invested in like what was happening rather than like the scares of the early game. Yeah. This game is interesting in that, like, it's a mystery, first and foremost, that is very fascinated and linked to folk tales and mythology. And I think by the end, it becomes a folk tale of its own. Cool. Uh even in that it's like largely based, I believe, off of a uh uh it's based off a story about mermaids, I believe. So like there is like a real world or there's a fictional anchor to like what this story is exploring. Yeah, one of my favorite parts of this game so far actually has been like the file system that just gives you all the historical context. Like I I am not a person who usually will spend all of my time reading every single piece of it, but I am in this case 'cause like it's r it's down to like every time you meet a character you get like a fully written detailed bio of who they are. And they're appropriately written. The length isn't too much. You know, like it's and they update over time also. Like the more you learn about them, they'll like add more stuff to it, which is fun. So like I am constantly going back and checking that stuff. But I I'm f I'm finding that aspect of it in particular to be really interesting. Especially early on in the game when they first introduce like the idea of maybe there are mermaids around and they and they give you like the full history of like mermaids being in vogue in the 80s in like the 70s and 80s in Japan is like really interesting. Like the real world cultural context of mermaids is fascinating because like yeah like their depiction the first thing you get is like the difference between what they call fish mermaids and human mermaids because in like older Japanese folkl ore, mermaids are depicted as like a fish with a human face. Right. Sort of like seaman actually. So sea man ally sea man. Is the mermaid. Um whereas if if you think mermaid now you probably think of like Ariel from The Little Mermaid. And that mermaid design is actually based off of sirens from Greek mythology, which have a totally different connection. Yeah. You know, and so that and and then coupled with the reason why each character is searching for a mermaid and like who just wants to meet a mermaid to say they've done that and who is like interested because the the myth is that if you eat the flesh of a mermaid, you become immortal. Yeah. So that's kind of the rumor that's like causing all this stuff. There's also this like pending potential crisis. Like the main character you play is first, his mother disappeared after this terrible sea storm that the whole town kind of blames his mom for for unknown reasons, but you'll get into that. Yeah. That that is one of the more interesting lingering mysteries. Yeah, it's weird. Like I'm the same way where like when games I almost never read the books in Baldur's Gate 3 because I just find that it's like slows down I've been experiencing that in Esoteric Ebb, which is not a game I'm bringing to the show at the moment, but like is is a game that also has fully readable books in it that I'm like I'm already spending all of my time reading basically book length yeah right conversations with my own self. Like I I can't be doing that. The games where I've had dedicated sessions where I'm just in the wikis are both paranormal set games 'cause you kind of have to for some of the puzzles, but also it's fun. Yeah. Hades, uh especially Hades one, I loved how it was written by Achilles and like uh you get his point of view on on things, which is fascinating. Like I love how he writes about Ares, the god of war, where he's like, you know, I have like as as a formal mortal, I have a sort of like inherent reverence for all gods save one. Like this one. Uh and um Mass Effect. I love the the Mass Effect uh archives. And of course Thirteen Sandals, um, which is also I think kind of it demands it as important to the gameplay, yeah. Yeah. But those are the ones that come to mind off the top of my head are like where I'm given sort of an internal archive. And if I if I have to chart a path there, it's like the games that sort of require it of you or that treat it as like a reward of some kind, but give you a different perspective than like oh, you know what other game did it that I liked? Uh Witcher Three. I actually really liked the internal uh glossary of Witcher Three 'cause it's written by the I forgot his name, but the Bard, who's like your friend, Ger like one of Geralt's few friends , um, I think it's Dandelion or something, uh, he writes the descriptions and they change depending on your choices in the game. So like it's interesting to see how he kind of narrates the tale of Witcher 3, depending on how it goes. Yeah. That's a game that I know you're not super into. And I I am with you in that like I'm not as like Witcher 3 is commonly like one of cited as one of the best games of all time. I really liked it, but I I found I I wasn't as hot on it. But I was glad I saw it through because I really liked the ending that I got. Yeah. That's my Witcher 3 segment. Oh and I I love Gwent, of course. Gwent is good. I do think though that like that beginning with the bloody Baron is worth playing. That that whole opening is awesome. It's really in terms of just like games with interesting choice-driven narratives, like that little like arc is really, really well done in my opinion. Yeah. Paranorma Site. Mermaid's Curse. It's good . It's a good game. I I will talk about it more when I get further into it. Uh I'm I'm enjoying it a lot. Last game I'll shout out just very quickly. Uh I just wanna mention, uh I I I played this with some friends uh the other the other night and really liked it a lot. Flock Around. It's a new uh multiplayer bird watching game uh that it kind of has like peak energy if you know like the the friend slop genre of video game yeah I I almost could have predicted that based on the name. Yeah. Flock around is like literally just you make like a little cartoony guy uh and you have a camera and you run around and there's birds flying all over the place and you just have to take pictures of birds and you get like judged kind of Pokemon snap style on like Well done. Yeah, no, like actually like how well you did uh taking a picture of the bird. Like is it doing a cool pose? Is it like big and in the center of the frame? Uh are there other birds present in the shot, stuff like that? And uh there's like shiny birds and stuff like that. And you're like upgrade you spend all the money you get from taking good pictures on like giving yourself funny outfits and stuff. And it has, you know, proximity chat and just looks very silly. I liked it a lot. It's by a a team called Secret Plan Games. I think it's really cheap. I think it's like five bucks. Yeah, that genre tends to be cheap for some reason. Yeah. I'll give a shout out to uh to my friend Alex who uh said I I think while we were watching the the triple I initiative like indie game. He said something to the effect of like, I want these games, like I am not at all worried about there being too many of these games because at like the very least they all cost five dollars and encourage us to have like one fun night together. Yeah. And like that's that's great. Five five dollars to hang out with my friends and like do something silly, like watch birds and laugh at a swan, like sure. Yeah. That's great. I I feel like uh I've been thinking a lot about game pricing lately, just in terms of like the thought behind especially for smaller teams and for indie developers, like how much to price their game. 'Cause like it's so case by case and based on the production. But I can't help but imagine a big piece of it is looking at the genre you're in and be like, what is everyone else doing? Like if you want to make a friend slap game, like it kind of has to be in that five to ten range, you know. Yeah. Which is unfortunate, but also kind of like that's you know, as I'm slowly working on my project, which is a visual novel, I've been thinking about like, okay, if and when this is done, how much would this be? And and I've been thinking in a similar way of like what what does paranorma site cost? You know, and has that. Probably. Uh but yeah, it's it's it's also like I I wonder how much for bigger teams, I wonder how much of it is like, okay, it actually has to be this for us to break even. You know, it's it's a tough question. I I think it's like as much as I recognize that like games are in a triple A space getting too expensive, it's also worth recognizing like what the production of each game is. And you know, it it's it's a tough balancing act is my point. Yeah. But yeah. I agree. Yeah. Flock around. Flock around. It's good video game. I also mentioned that uh Paranorma Site and the Mermaid's Curse is on sale right now. Yeah as well. Which is nice. Really good. Yeah. Yeah. Maybe that first one too. I think yeah. Oh uh Square Unix just has a sale going on for I think the next week it looks like. Whenever they have a sale, I get excited and then I check and I'm like, Oh, I actually have all of these. I have all these games. I always yeah. I every time they have a sale, I look through and I'm like, is there anything that I have not purchased from them? And like voice of cards three is still twenty bucks. All right . Yeah. Why is voice of cards always so expensive? I'm always curious about that. Like even Bravely Default 2, which just came out on Steam, is 20 bucks right now. Yeah. Deeply on sale. But but voice of cards. Always expensive. Anyway . Man, I wish they had a pre-purchase sale on Elliot. Oh my god. Elliot Summer. I can't wait. I'm so excited for Elliot Summer. I'm curious what I'm curious if Fire Emblem or Elliot will be the dominant force. You know what I mean? Like, yeah. I I think it probably will be Fire Emblem unless it's like a total miss. The long and short of it, I I think for me, is at the end of the year , you and I will be deciding between Elliot and Fire Emblem, and the rest of the world will be like Grand Theft Auto 6. That'll be the funniest, most into the Aether thing possible. I can't wait to get a one-star review that's mad that G TA 6 didn't come up on Cody . It's gonna happen. Someone who just searched like game show and got us by accident, and then like, where the fuck is what the who's Elliot? Yeah. I was trying to watch Taskmaster. Anyway, let's wrap it up . We've been doing this show for almost eight years and we still just go anyway, that's it. I really love there's no other way to wrap up. Well, because I feel like we wouldn't stop, which often happens. I think a running joke I see is like people say, like I love when they say, Well, that's it, and then there's an hour left. Yeah. Um, but anyway, thank you all so much for listening. Um and also thanks again to all our patrons who made that Vita episode possible. That was like if we hit a certain I think the goal was six thousand dollars on Patreon. If we hit that, we would do the VEET episode. And at the time of this recording, we're almost at seven, which is really amazing that like we've gone over the goal that quickly. And that makes a huge difference for all three of us. So just thank you all so much for supporting the show and for allowing us to do this for this long. Um, yeah, I I really enjoyed that episode. I hope you enjoyed as well. Vita means life, baby. Vita means life. How do you find out later? Um if you know, you know. But uh if you want to support the show, the best way to help it grow is to share it with a friend. You can also rate and review us on your podcast app of choice. You can give us one star if you uh were mad that GTS6 didn't come up before the episode came out. I already mentioned Patreon, but it's Patreon.com slash into the cast. Anything you're excited about for next week? I feel like I have a lot of games that have already come out. Like I'm excited to go back to Pragmata and uh other games. Play more Monster Hunter Stories 3. Yeah, man. I there's there's so much. There's so much going on. Um yeah, honestly, I'm a little bit in backlog mode, which is why I'm playing things like Paranorman Sight right now. Like there's a little bit of me that's like kind of reveling in this one very brief period we've had since the year began where I can go back and play all the stuff I did. Like I want to s I I've started PS1 prep, but I'm trying not to dive too headfirst into it. Just to kind of give myself a little bit of a break of like, let me just play whatever I want for a bit until I but I I'm I'm not too intimidated by that because we have a more set playlist already, and like yeah, I've played a lot of it already, so I think it it won't be quite as intense as even the Vita prep was, weirdly. Yeah. Yeah. I I''mm kind of having the reverse thing where I I have a I have a lot of PS1 games to play, but I was pretty good on on the Vita. But I did just buy I was telling you beforehand, I I just bought a PS1 controller and a memory card. So I'm like I'm all ready to go now. I'm really excited for Carnel Cross to be our number one. I think there's a pretty that that's my that's my bet right now is that that's the game we will choose for number one. Not Jersey Devil. Woohoo, woohoo. That's it. That's all I have. I have nothing else to say for this week. See you next week. Goodbye, everybody. Thank you so much. Talk to you later. See you then. We're actually I'll say this. We're about to record uh shortly for the month. Oh yeah, that's right. I knew there was something else. An another thing that you can get if you back the Patreon. Okay, now now we should leave. That's all I have to say for now. Yes. See you then. Bye-bye TWG , the worst garbage online