4Player Podcast

The first segment this week is dominated by games developed by Nintendo or rooted in a deep appreciation of classic Nintendo game design. Nick and Nolan talk up Death's Door which feels heavily inspired by classic Zelda but with a modern spin. Brad is replaying Metroid Fusion in preparation for the release of Metroid Dread and Nolan is playing The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword for the first time thanks to the release of the HD remaster. In the news, we debate the approach EA is taking to the re-launch of the Dead Space series after the announcement of a remake at EA Play.

Nolan hosts the show this week since Nick has fallen victim to the perils of being middle-aged. As they say though, the show must go on. Brad delivers his impressions of Monster Hunter Stories 2 (much to the dismay of Chris Davis) and the indie strategy RPG, Wildermyth. Krispy is finally far enough to deliver some juicy impressions of Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers now that he's had some time with the expansion with the community! Of course, this episode was recorded mere hours after the announcement of the Valve Steam Deck so we deliver our first impressions of this bonkers announcement.

Leave it to Nolan to make a game about flipping houses (House Flipper) sound super compelling! Additionally, Brad has a "new" game for fans of Slay the Spire called Griftlands, Nick gives an update on his progress in Returnal, and Chris Davis talks about his secret love of Photography... and why New Pokemon Snap doesn't quite capitalize on that concept in 2021. Of course, Nintendo dropped big (and unexpected?) news this week with the announcement of the new Switch OLED model so we cover our thoughts on that.

Do you like Metroidvanias? We do! This week, Brad returns to talk about a "gemmie" that you won't want to miss called 'Astalon: Tears of the Earth.' On that same front, Nick played all the way through 'Blasphemous' and highly recommends it. We also talk about 'Mario Golf: Super Rush' for the Switch and the demo for the upcoming 'Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin!' In the second segment, David joined the group to answer questions and talk about the latest rumors involving Konami, Bloober Team, and Silent Hill.

Not only are we rocking shiny new recording equipment (courtesy of our Patreon & Twitch supporters) but there is a LOT to talk about in this post E3 2021 world. Nick finally has a chance to talk at length about what he thinks of Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart and Nolan has found his latest obsession in the form of Industries of Titan. Krispy surprises the group this week with a fantastic discussion about the potential behind an exciting early access gem called Phantom Abyss. Of course, Steam Next Fest recently ended so Nick and Chris Davis plug a few of their favorite demos from the event such as SABLE, They Always Run, Road 96, and more!

For obvious reasons, 2021 may be remembered as the strangest year for both E3 and for the industry in general. Now that the first all-digital E3 has come and gone, we sat down to talk about the big news and glaring omissions from this year's bizarre showing. Despite all the weirdness, there is still a ton to be excited about including The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2, Metroid Dread, Starfield, and more. This episode includes an extensive recap but it's not comprehensive. We recommend checking out the E3 Recap website to see everything discussed on this episode and more!

It's hard to believe but after nearly two years, E3 is upon us. While the show is going full digital this year due to the Pandemic, the industry is bracing itself for announcement season nonetheless. In this episode we take a stab at predicting what we may or may not see at the various presentations from publishers like Microsoft, Nintendo, Ubisoft, Capcom, and more! We also respond to some predictions and dream announcements from the community!

This week, Biomutant fails to deliver the experience we were hoping for but it's not all bad. Brad delivers an update on the Monster Hunter Rise 3.0 update and elsewhere in the industry, it begins to feel like E3 season despite the obvious caveats that go hand-in-hand with the event this year. We talk about the rumored Souls-like Final Fantasy spin-off from Team Ninja and we give our impressions of the big Dying Light 2 and Horizon: Forbidden West reveals that dropped this week!

What's old is new again in 2021! Nolan is deep into the 1.0 release of Subnautica: Below Zero and loving this follow-up to one of our favorite games of 2018! Nick and Chris talk about their time with Mass Effect: Legendary Edition before it inevitably veers into the great Mass Effect debate of 2007. Brad delivers his final thoughts on Resident Evil Village and the group spends a surprising amount of time talking about theme park rides.

Nick is joined by community guests, TheDrunkenMerchant and GonzoLewd, to talk about the 2nd Revival Club game of the year, Final Fantasy XII! While the series has a long and storied history, this entry is often overlooked or excluded during discussions about the series despite being chock full of inspired (but flawed) ideas and being heavily influenced by the growing popularity of MMOs in the early 2000's. There is even some discussion about what influences, if any, this game might have on the upcoming release of Final Fantasy XVI.