Electronic Wireless Show

We're in Cologne! It's Gamescom, the yearly games show, where we've been looking at Cyberpunk 2077, Metro Exodus, Biomutant, Dying Light 2, Ape Out, Wolfenstein: Cyberpilot and many more. We recorded this after the first day of the show, in an echoey hotel room, so apologies for the sound quality. We’ve since played Sekiro, Anthem, Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord, Battlefield V, and lots more. So keep an eye out for more write-ups and videos at rockpapershotgun.com. Links: Some games that will good on Nvidia’s new graphics cards: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/08/21/nvidia-geforce-rtx-2080-turing-confirmed-pc-games/ Biomutant is a kung fu furball RPG: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/08/22/biomutant-announced/ Cyberpunk 2077 demo is cool (but maybe too cool): https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/06/13/cyberpunk-2077-e3-gameplay-demo/ Dying Light 2 revamps the day and night cycle: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/06/18/dying-light-2-preview-e3-2018/ The manchildren of Metro Exodus: htt

Good end, bad end, noncommittal end. But what are the worst endings of all time? Matt reckons the big ol’ fart noise at the end of Mass Effect 3’s deserves a mention. And Noa thinks Dragon Age: Inquisition’s final moments were rubbish. Meanwhile, Brendan doesn’t like the ending of Tacoma. What? Shut up, Brendan. But we’ve also been polishing memories in Finding Paradise, hacking chocolate bars in Exapunks, and punching the money out of people’s faces in Yakuza 0. Super. Links: Mass Effect 3’s sythesis ending: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6u8QIqLSmU Deus Ex Human Revolution ending: https://youtu.be/DibJL1F6S5k Layers of Fear endings: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcvYAG0s_fE Dragon Age Inquisition final boss and ending: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5dYgKNqY-g Tacoma ending: https://youtu.be/_diIY626Z5A?t=6m20s Wall-e ending: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KUBX5GwV3M Far Cry 5’s endings: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yKREaJk-OQ Forbidden Siren’s ending: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=

Then the bus EXPLODED. Hello, we're talking about the best game openings this week. Cold opens or slow burns, we love a good first impression. Matthew and Brendan are both boring, however, and pick all the usual suspects, from BioShock to Half-Life 2. But there are some unexpected loves too. We’ve also been playing No Man’s Sky and Dead Cells. And there's a game opening quiz too. Hooray! Links: BioShock’s opening: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QfZ30sfjdLY Half-Life 2’s opening: https://youtu.be/y_3vMUOayyc?t=8s Mass Effect 2’s opening: https://youtu.be/Hia_m36pEpA?t=45s Portal 2’s opening: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ByNcVu5a1qQ Dragon Age: Origins’s peasant Dwarf opening: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8fPpjO_BQM A forest elf’s opening: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcNQtgo5A0U Grim Fandango’s transition to Year 2: https://youtu.be/-HX1_jwJR-Y?t=1m22s The terrible opening FMV of Resident Evil: https://youtu.be/G9A-D7XLMsI?t=1m10s Prey opening: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PCEdbrzcL

We’re talking about our dream games - games we want but don't exist so far. John wants a Robinson Crusoe style survival game that isn’t so punishing to those who can’t reach the good coconuts. Brendan wants an open world talk ‘em up with obscene amounts of detail. Speaking of dream games, John has also been playing No Man’s Sky again, following the recent update. He hasn’t tried multiplayer yet, but much has changed, not always for the better. Links: All is Lost featuring Robert Redford: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2017038/ Hell in the Pacific featuring Lee Marvin: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063056/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1 Have you played… Deus Ex Mankind Divided? https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/12/06/have-you-played-deus-ex-mankind-divided/ Shenmue III is being made: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/08/17/shenmue-3-published-by-deep-silver/ No Man’s Sky Next brings multiplayer to eleventy squillion planets: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/07/24/no-mans-sky-next-overhaul-update-live/ Hel

We're talking about music in games this week, and what makes a good soundtrack. The bleeps and bloops of Pac Man, or the orchestras of Oblivion? We’ve also done a music quiz! Can you guess the game based on a few seconds of music? Alice likes the music from the Fallout series, while Brendan is more into the chiptune of VVVVVV. Katharine is a devourer of music and even goes to concerts for Final Fantasy music. Links: To Zanarkand from Final Fantasy X: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-0G_FI61a8 You can listen to one hour of Zelda Breath of the Wild if you want: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NntQ86FHcMY Final Fantasy orchestral concerts are intense: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sh6V1zMmbuU Florence and her Machine did a cover of Stand By Me for Final Fantasy XV: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vv2DSmy3Tro Final Fantasy X-2’s colourful J-pop: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDQxs__0tg0 There’s a Jet Set Radio Live! http://jetsetradio.live/ VVVVVV’s soundtrack is called PPPPPP: https://www.youtub

Let's chat magic in games! What are our favourite spells? Should magic be chaotic? Or should it be arranged in an orderly tome? Alice likes the competing forces of technology and magic in Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura, while Matthew tells us about a Japanese import of Ni No Kuni on Nintendo DS which came with a real spellbook. But we’ve been playing stuff too. Alice has been shouting at gravity in anti-platformer Youropa, and Matthew has been trying to cope with the size of Egypt in Assassin’s Creed Origins. A special thanks to Chris McDowall for the theme suggestion. May your life be full of good magic and only a moderate amount of chaotic magic. If you want to suggest a theme for a future episode, please email podcast@rockpapershotgun.com. Links: Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arcanum:_Of_Steamworks_and_Magick_Obscura Final Fantasy XV is so magical: Two Worlds was a game: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two_Worlds_(video_game) Sorcery was our b

Non-player characters! Whether they’re annoying companions, side characters, or disembodied human heads, let’s talk about some of our favourites. John likes nice people, like Nicole Collard from Broken Sword, or Alyx Vance from Half-Life 2. Brendan likes the plucky passport forger in Papers Please who won’t take no for an answer. And Alice wants to carry around Murray the skull from Curse of Monkey Island. We’ve also played things. John has been smashing his car up in The Crew 2. Brendan has been kickflipping and faceplanting in OlliOlli 2. Whereas Alice has been puzzling through the calm architecture of Starman: Tale of Light. Links: Who is Nicole Collard from Broken Sword? http://brokensword.wikia.com/wiki/Nicole_Collard Our best friends in games podcast: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/03/08/podcast-who-are-our-best-friends/ Jorji Costava from Papers Please: http://papersplease.wikia.com/wiki/Jorji_Costava James Kidd from Assassin’s Creed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUfVDcR4SmA Solas f

Welcome to Soundbyte, an audio mini-series that explores topics in the games industry. In our first episode, Astrid Johnson talks us through unionisation in the games industry. She speaks to Doug Cockle, aka Geralt of Rivia, about his negative experiences in the recording booth, and ‘Emma’ from Game Workers Unite, who explains the challenges of unionising. On top of that, we hear from two worker-owned studios, including the creators of Dead Cells. Links: The voice actor strike started in 2016: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/10/17/voice-actor-strike/ And was later suspended after a tentative agreement: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/09/26/voice-actor-strike-suspended-as-tentative-agreement-reached/ Adam’s coverage of the GDC unionisation debacle: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/03/23/the-game-industry-needs-to-change-and-it-begins-now/ Game Workers Unite website: https://www.gameworkersunite.org/ Pixel Pusher's website: http://www.pixelpushersunion-512.com/ Dead Cells is a good game

Let's talk about the naughty games we weren’t allowed to play as youngsters (but did anyway). Alice suffered strict rationing of The Sims 2, and Dave was scolded about Silent Hill. Although, Brendan’s parents didn’t seem to care about GTA 2. And we’re still sneaking games today. Alice has been kidnapping policemen in Cultist Simulator, while Dave has been scurrying around in Ghost of a Tale. Also, keep your earholes primed for some bonus facts about axolotls. Links: Dave is our new guides writer - hello Dave! https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/06/20/meet-dave-irwin-rpss-new-guides-writer/ King’s Quest II is an old Sierra adventure game: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King%27s_Quest_III Antichamber was good wunnit? https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2013/01/31/wot-i-think-antichamber/ Nights of Azure 2 is the worst game Dave ever reviewed: https://store.steampowered.com/app/636570/Nights_of_Azure_2_Bride_of_the_New_Moon/ Have you played… The Sims 2? https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/11/12/the-sims-

E3 is over, but that won’t stop us. We pick out our favourite games and oddest moments from the LA show. But we’re also introducing two new voices this week: Alice Bell and Noa Smith. Alice is excited for Ashen and enjoyed Andrew WK’s performance at Bethesda’s press event. Noa is looking forward to Beyond Good and Evil 2, but also the smiling veggies of Ooblets. And Brendan tells the story of how Hideo Kojima mildly inconvenienced him while visiting the show. Oh, and of course everyone is intrigued by Cyberpunk 2077. Link blast: Noa Smith is our new video person! https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/06/19/welcome-noa-smith-to-rpss-video-team/ Alice Bell is our new deputy editor! https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/06/19/alice-bell-is-rpss-new-deputy-editor-say-hello E3 was last week – here’s the best stuff we saw: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/06/18/best-games-of-e3-2018/ And here’s the 9 best games you might have missed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ueuWfjAV9gs Bethesda’s E3 conference,

E3 is coming! So here are some of our predictions, hopes and fears for this year’s dreaded multimedia assault on the nervous system. Alec is dreaming of XCOM sequel news but is more realistically expecting Spelunky 2 or Prey’s moon expansion. And Brendan wants a Elder Scrolls teaser, but might have to settle for Fallout 76. Alec has also been playing Vampyr, the bloodsucking RPG. Links: All our E3 coverage this year: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/tag/e3-2018/ Who is Chris Evans? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Evans_(presenter) Fallout 76 will probably be shown: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/05/30/fallout-76-trailer/ The Elder Scrolls VI isn’t being worked on (but this was 2 years ago tbf): https://www.gamesradar.com/the-elder-scrolls-6-is-not-in-development-for-the-time-being-says-bethesda Okay, we get it, Prey’s expansion will be set on the moon: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/05/19/secret-patch-updates-prey-with-rem-lyrics-as-achievements/ The “what games are good to play wit

Let's talk about the shooters we love in particular, following our recent list of the top 50 first-person shooters. Matt loves the backstabbing spy of Team Fortress 2. John adores Dark Forces and immersive sims like Prey. And Brendan has been playing Unreal Gold, which celebrates its 20th birthday this week. Also, we’ve got another patch notes quiz, this time focusing on shooters. Which “Turkey was too powerful”? Listen to find out. Links: Our top 50 FPS games: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/05/21/best-fps-2018/ Doom is the best shooter and definitely not chosen more or less at random: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/05/21/best-fps-2018/51/ Quake is proper good too though: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/05/21/best-fps-2018/48/ Alec loves Transformers: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2014/12/18/the-inevitable-failure-of-transformers-games/ “Kieron” is one of the ancient RPS myths that John sometimes tells us about: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kieron_Gillen Team Fortress 2 is onl

This week's topic: character creation! Matthew makes his debut on the podcast and tells us he always creates the same persona – a silver-haired man with a pencil moustache called “Mr Basil Pesto”. Terrifying. Meanwhile, Brendan makes poetic orcs or misshapen monsters. We’ve also had time to play things. Matthew is pottering through the first Pillars of Eternity and Brendan is scavenging through the bugs and jank of State of Decay 2. The topic this week was sent in by listener Orlando. Thanks, Orlando. Thorlando. Links: Matthew is our video person! https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/05/01/meet-matthew-castle-our-new-video-person/ He makes our videos here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5bKSAZBvV9AKlBJPG0Py-A Have you played… Mass Effect 3? https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/03/21/mass-effect-3/ Mr Basil Pesto looks like John Waters: http://i2.cdnds.net/12/44/618x957/wenn436344.jpg Have you played… Grand Theft Auto Online? https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/01/22/have-you-played-grand-theft-

We’re going full Dad this week, talking about the games we play with our children. Alec’s daughter is excited by the characters of Rayman Legends (and is strangely fascinated by Battletech). John’s son likes to watch his dad diving in Abzu and Subnautica. Brendan doesn’t have children, only a cat. She can’t stand videogames and thinks they are a waste of time. Thank you to listeners Jon and Andy for submitting the topic! Links: Battletech is good but perhaps not for 5-year-olds: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/04/27/learning-to-love-battletech-an-evolving-opinion/ Connie also likes Rayman Legends: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/03/24/have-you-played-rayman-legends/ Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2 is great but also not great: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/11/21/lego-marvel-super-heroes-2-opinions/ Can I bring a chair in? https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/01/13/rip-hugh-walker-1949-2016/ Have you played... Trackmania Turbo? https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/05/10/have-you-played-

Let's talk about freezing cold city-builder Frostpunk. Katharine lost a third of her people when she forgot to turn the heat on, while Brendan dug up his society’s dead. Matt is horrified by these tales, but soon proves he’s just as horrible in our Frostpunk “ethical dilemma quiz”. We’ve been playing other games too. Matt has been sneaking around in Murderous Pursuits. And Katharine has been hopping around in two colourful platformers - Celeste and Fe. Links: Frostpunk review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/04/23/frostpunk-review/ Murderous Pursuits is a tense game of assassination: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/04/26/murderous-pursuits-has-slunk-out-of-the-shadows/ The Ship Remasted was a similar deal: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/02/22/the-ship-remasted-early-access/ Have you played… Assassin’s Creed multiplayer? https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/11/16/have-you-played-assassins-creed-multiplayer/ SpyParty also has you pretending to be an NPC: https://www.rockpapershotgun.c

This week we're chatting about our favourite robots. Alec likes the robo-ostrich from World of Warcraft. Brendan is fond of the abandoned bots of Hackmud. And John loves little BUD of Grow Home because of his wobbly walking animations. Speaking of bi-pedal machines, Alec has also been stomping around in strategy mech-clicker Battletech. John has been fighting a witch in The Swords of Ditto. While Brendan has foolishly appointed a gambler as his finance minister in Ni No Kuni II. Links: Machinarium review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2009/10/16/wot-i-think-machinarium/ The robot ostrich (or “mechanostrider”) from World of Warcraft: https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/wowwiki/images/f/fe/Red_Mechanostrider.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20090506095642 The hospital bot from Quadrilateral Cowboy: https://assets.rockpapershotgun.com/images//2018/04/quadrilateral-cowboy-robot.jpg Bud is the wobbly robot from Grow Home: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2015/02/05/grow-home-review/ Brendan is thinking of TerRove

Astrid Johnson takes us through the halls of London game show EGX Rezzed, on a search for oddities like Stereopolis, a game projected onto a disc of frosted glass, or Wobble Garden, which is played entirely by twanging a bunch of springy door stoppers. It's an overview of the show for all those who couldn't make it. We also learn about the plane tinkering of Above, two-player sausage-dog cooperation in Phogs, and Disco Elysium, an isometric RPG featuring an alcoholic detective having an unconscious argument with his lizard brain. Links: Eurogamer’s roundup of the best games from the show floor: https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2018-04-16-rezzed-2018-best-games-from-the-show-floor Wobble Garden, with a controller made of door stopper springs: http://wobblylabs.com/projects/wobblegarden Mmmmm, door stopper springs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lhy-jK93hY4 Fernando’s chicken shop: https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/fernandos-peri-peri-chicken-shop-12167244 Phogs, the two player game of controlli

We're talking about how being a critic changes the way you play. Don’t blame us, blame listener Aleksei, who sent in the theme as a suggestion. But please also forgive Adam, because it’s his last week on the podcast. Adam says he’s been forced to play things he otherwise wouldn’t, and ended up loving Euro Truck Simulator 2 as a result. Matt says he sometimes now worries if he should be playing Fortnite. And Brendan says he’s just periodically disappointed at hype. Also mentioned: Battletech, Dota 2 and upcoming detective RPG Disco Elysium. Links: Adam is leaving us :( https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/03/28/adam-is-leaving-for-pastures-new-so-come-work-for-us/ Occupy White Walls is an MMO art gallery: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/tag/occupy-white-walls/ Getting Over It requires a resolve Matt doesn’t have (nor Brendan): https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/12/12/getting-over-it-with-matt-and-brendan/ Raft is about surviving on a raft at sea: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/04/06/sea-survi

Last week we talked about good games with rubbish tales. This week, it's the reverse - great stories with bad games attached to them. John thinks Dreamfall had an moving story about faith, alongside an awful 3D adventure interface. Katharine hates looking at the wall in Soma because the underwater robo-facility is so intriguing. And Brendan is sad that Pyre had a fiddly netball game attached to its warm tale of friendship and justice. Links: Adam didn’t care for Soma as much as us :( https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2015/09/21/soma-review/ But here’s Steven on its strengths: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/06/17/have-you-played-soma/ Soma’s safe mode lets you delete monsters: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/12/01/soma-safe-mode-update-released/ Have you played… The Longest Journey? https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2015/11/05/have-you-played-the-longest-journey/ A Dreamfall retrospective: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2011/04/26/eurogamer-retrospective-dreamfall/ Ragnar Tørnquist on Dr

It's a common problem. A good videogame let down by a terrible story - whther that's cheesy dialogue, dull characters, nonsensical plot. Try harder or let us go back to shooting the things. Alec is semi-suffering through Far Cry 5, adoring the woodland shootouts between the trite storytelling. Brendan has been riding chocobos in Final Fantasy XV while navigating plot holes the size of a fancy car. And Katharine has been partnering up in co-op prison break game A Way Out. Links: Videogame weddings are full of lies, says Katharine (supporter only): https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/03/23/video-game-weddings-are-full-of-lies/ Our Far Cry 5 review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/03/29/far-cry-5-review/ Far Cry 5’s interrupting story ruins everything: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/04/03/far-cry-5s-interrupting-story-ruins-everything/ Alec loves Montana though: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/03/28/best-far-cry-setting/ Katharine’s Final Fantasy XV review: https://www.rockpapershotg