Between Levels Podcast

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is back, and WheelieAverage thinks Nintendo has absolutely nailed the remake. He explains why it recaptures the magic of the original and tries to convince FightinCowboy, who has never played Ocarina of Time, to finally experience one of gaming's most iconic adventures.

Meanwhile, World of Warcraft: Forever has completely taken over Cowboy's life after roughly 65 hours in just one week.

We also check in on Fantasy Critic, discuss criticism in gaming communities, FromSoftware's approach to co-op, life working in games media, and tackle the big question: is 2026 the best year in gaming history?

Finally, we celebrate Episode 20, read your thoughts on Between Levels, discuss future guests, and mark passing 2,000 subscribers with another game giveaway.

WheelieAverage has finally jumped into World of Warcraft: Forever, and after just two hours, he's already hooked.

This week on Between Levels, Wheelie and FightinCowboy are joined by ScreenRant writer and Black Comics Chat podcaster Leo Faierman to discuss the launch of WoW Forever.

Wheelie shares his first-ever World of Warcraft experience, Cowboy gives the veteran perspective on why Forever feels different from modern WoW, and the group discusses PvP, guilds, the economy, bots, controller support and whether this is the best time yet for new players to jump in.

Then it's back to Phantom Blade Zero.

Cowboy is approaching the end of the game and now considers Phantom Blade Zero his Game of the Year. We discuss its combat, bosses, weapon experimentation, difficulty, storytelling, side quests, New Game Plus and whether it ultimately stands alongside games like Sekiro and Onimusha: Way of the Sword.

Featuring WheelieAverage, FightinCowboy and special guest Leo Faierman.

#WorldOfWarcraft #PhantomBladeZero #BetweenLevels

Could Phantom Blade Zero actually be better than Sekiro?

This week, FightinCowboy and Sarthe share their first impressions of Phantom Blade Zero, and the early verdict is VERY positive.

Cowboy is approaching ten hours with the game and believes its combat comes closer than almost anything else to capturing the back-and-forth dance that makes Sekiro so special. We discuss its huge weapon variety, challenging optional bosses, exploration and why some players may be approaching the game with the wrong expectations by treating it like a Soulslike.

We also get into a much bigger debate about what actually makes a video game great. Is gameplay always king? Can narrative-driven games, walking simulators and visual novels be just as compelling with less traditional interaction? And how much do graphics and presentation really matter?

Then we answer your questions about gaming backlogs, whether reviewers and content creators would play as many games if it wasn't their job, and which recent releases we'd actually recommend if you could only afford one game.

Plus, Sarthe is finally back, Wheelie prepares for his first-ever World of Warcraft experience, and Cowboy and Sarthe inevitably end the show nerding out over WoW add-ons.

Featuring WheelieAverage, FightinCowboy and Sarthe.

CHAPTERS

00:00 – Welcome to Between Levels Episode 18

01:17 – Phantom Blade Zero First Impressions

04:24 – Could Phantom Blade Zero Actually Top Sekiro?

07:14 – Why the Combat Gets Better and Better

13:46 – Phantom Blade Zero Is NOT a Soulslike

18:13 – Difficulty, Power Fantasy & Optional Bosses

24:45 – Phantom Blade Zero Early Game Tips

31:33 – Could This Define a New Genre?

33:54 – Calling Out Bad Creator Behaviour

36:47 – Is Gameplay Always King?

40:20 – Can Games With Less Gameplay Still Be Great?

45:29 – Your Comments & Questions

46:05 – Do Content Creators Have Gaming Backlogs?

51:30 – Would We Play This Many Games Without Our Jobs?

55:41 – Which Games Are Actually Worth Your Money?

58:34 – If You Could Only Buy ONE Game...

1:01:57 – Wheelie Picks Call of Duty

1:03:20 – Cowboy Picks Phantom Blade Zero

1:04:11 – World of Warcraft Forever Is Coming

1:05:00 – Cowboy & Sarthe Nerd Out Over WoW Add-Ons

1:10:47 – One Final Community Comment

1:11:15 – Outro

WheelieAverage has played three hours of Stranger Than Heaven, and RGG Studio might have created one of the strangest combat systems we’ve ever seen.

This week, Wheelie and FightinCowboy break down Stranger Than Heaven’s unusual limb-based combat, weapons, executions, accessibility concerns and story spanning five different decades.

We also return to Valor Mortis now that Cowboy has played significantly more of the game. He explains why he currently sits around a 4/5 despite the bugs, while Wheelie discusses his final 7/10 review and why he thinks the game could become much easier to recommend after a few patches.

Then we discuss the closure of BioWare, the legacy of the studio behind Mass Effect and other iconic RPGs, EA’s role in its struggles and why celebrating developers losing their jobs is something we simply cannot understand.

Elsewhere, we talk Dragon’s Dogma, the rising cost and risk of AAA development, whether buying games later hurts developers, community comments, our Fantasy Critic battle and The Bonus Level’s Final Fantasy Resonance roundtable.

Featuring WheelieAverage and FightinCowboy.

CHAPTERS

00:00 – Welcome to Between Levels Episode 17

01:38 – Wheelie Has Played Stranger Than Heaven

02:08 – More Valor Mortis Impressions

04:46 – Cowboy’s Valor Mortis Verdict So Far

06:12 – Wheelie’s Final Valor Mortis Review

07:44 – Why Dragon’s Dogma Feels Like a True Adventure

11:18 – The End of BioWare

14:42 – Stop Celebrating Studios Closing

17:14 – Why Making Games Is Such a Financial Risk

22:49 – Stranger Than Heaven Hands-On Impressions

24:52 – The Combat Is VERY Hard to Learn

26:09 – Weapons Completely Change the Combat

29:11 – Stranger Than Heaven’s Accessibility Concerns

30:35 – How Do You Tell a Story Across Five Decades?

33:04 – Yes, Snoop Dogg Teaches You How to Roll

33:23 – RGG Is Letting Its Next Generation Cook

35:01 – Your Open-World Comments

36:15 – Not Every Game Needs to Be for Everybody

38:05 – Oblivion, Morrowind & RPG Freedom

42:23 – Does Buying Games Later Hurt Developers?

46:43 – Does FightinCowboy Promote Between Levels Enough?

53:06 – Fantasy Critic Is Coming Down to the Wire

1:00:30 – The Bonus Level & Final Fantasy Resonance

1:02:42 – Why Cowboy Struggles With Turn-Based Games

1:05:53 – The Internet Made FightinCowboy Bald

1:08:37 – Can Open Worlds Feel TOO Aimless?

1:10:18 – What Happened to Fun Sports Games?

1:11:34 – A Future Between Levels Tournament?

1:14:34 – The “Beat Down Wheelie” Stream

1:16:10 – Our Game Awards & GOTY Plans

1:16:57 – Outro

Welcome to The Bonus Level — an extra Between Levels episode outside of our normal numbered weekly podcast.

WheelieAverage is joined by Dom from Dom’s Roundtable and Danreb Victorio from SmashPad for a special Final Fantasy Resonance review roundtable.

Wheelie has finished the main story and spent around 40 hours with the game, Dom has put more than 70 hours into it and explored virtually everything, while Dan joins us from the middle of Chapter 6. That gives us three very different perspectives on Square Enix’s return to old-school, turn-based Final Fantasy.

We discuss the HD-2D presentation, characters, story and the Vision system, which lets you combine abilities from iconic Final Fantasy characters in some ridiculous ways.

We also get into Resonance attacks, the soundtrack, how successfully Square Enix transformed a former mobile game into a full premium release, endgame grinding, Espers, technical issues and whether Final Fantasy Resonance really is a must-play JRPG.

Finally, we look beyond Resonance and ask where Final Fantasy should go next. Should Final Fantasy XVII remain 3D? Could turn-based combat make a full comeback? And what influence could games like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 have on the future of the franchise?

Featuring WheelieAverage, Dom’s Roundtable and Danreb Victorio of SmashPad.

CHAPTERS

00:00 – Welcome to The Bonus Level

01:20 – The Final Fantasy Resonance Review Roundtable

02:11 – Wheelie’s Final Fantasy Resonance Impressions

03:07 – Danreb’s First Impressions

05:00 – Dom’s Thoughts After 70+ Hours

06:16 – How Wheelie Got Into Turn-Based Games

10:01 – The Vision System Explained

15:06 – Resonance Attacks & Breaking the Combat System

18:06 – The Problem With Unlocking Visions

19:28 – Final Fantasy Resonance Is a Museum for the Franchise

20:31 – Final Fantasy’s Iconic Music

23:39 – Gilgamesh & Classic Final Fantasy References

24:51 – You’d Never Know This Was a Mobile Game

28:18 – Is Final Fantasy Resonance a MUST-PLAY?

30:27 – What Doesn’t Work?

32:14 – The Endgame Grind

34:43 – The Hidden Vision That Makes Grinding Easier

36:20 – Taking 16 Turns & Dealing Over a Million Damage

37:03 – Are Espers Too Weak?

39:16 – Technical Issues

41:05 – Quality-of-Life Features We Want

42:43 – Why Fast Travel Works So Well

47:15 – Where Does Final Fantasy Go Next?

52:35 – Final Verdicts

56:43 – Guest Coverage & Outro

Valor Mortis takes centre stage this week as WheelieAverage, FightinCowboy and Sarthe dive into the game, its aggressive first-person combat, build crafting and some of the technical issues Wheelie encountered during his playthrough.

Wheelie has finished Valor Mortis, while Cowboy is around five or six hours into the game and having a much more positive experience so far. We compare impressions, break down Cowboy’s parry-focused build and discuss what works — and what doesn’t.

Wheelie also shares his thoughts on the new Street Fighter movie after attending a special screening with Paramount Pictures. That quickly turns into a much bigger conversation about video game adaptations, whether games are the best form of entertainment and why translating an interactive experience into film can be so difficult.

We also discuss whether Castlevania needed to evolve, why franchises have to change, annual sports games recycling old features, Hogwarts Legacy, Lord of the Rings games, the Nemesis System and whether developers should prioritise accessibility or depth when adapting major IP.

Later, we get into gaming fatigue and open-world design, including Rise of the Ronin, Nioh 3, Mad Max, Ghost Recon Breakpoint, Red Faction Guerrilla, Crimson Desert, Outer Wilds, Skyrim and Red Dead Redemption 2.

Finally, we discuss Cyberpunk 2077’s remarkable recovery, whether No Man’s Sky did it even better and some of gaming’s seemingly endless development cycles.

Featuring WheelieAverage, FightinCowboy and Sarthe.

Phantom Blade Zero is getting closer, and after spending six hours with the latest build, Sarthe thinks it could be something very special.

In Episode 15 of Between Levels, WheelieAverage, FightinCowboy and Sarthe dive deep into Phantom Blade Zero. Sarthe has now played the game five different times and breaks down its incredibly fluid combat, huge weapon variety, free respec system, level design, difficulty options, soundtrack and why S-GAME is so adamant that this is NOT a Soulslike.

Cowboy hasn't played it yet, but Phantom Blade Zero has become one of his most anticipated games and everything Sarthe says only makes that anticipation worse.

Wheelie also gives his impressions of Hellraiser, a survival horror game that combines familiar elements from games like Resident Evil and Silent Hill with an uncompromising approach to the body horror that defines Hellraiser.

We also return to Gears of War: E-Day as Cowboy and Sarthe approach the end of the campaign, discussing its more open structure, co-op, horror influences and stunning Unreal Engine 5 visuals.

Plus, we discuss the best video game music of 2026, 007 First Light, Star Wars: Galactic Racer, Forever Ago, Control Resonant and just how difficult choosing our Game of the Year is going to be.

Featuring WheelieAverage, FightinCowboy and Sarthe.

Gears of War: E-Day is finally here, and Wheelie thinks it might be Xbox's best game since the Xbox 360 era.

In Episode 14 of Between Levels, WheelieAverage, FightinCowboy and Sarthe dive into Gears of War: E-Day, including why the preview may have shown one of the game's slowest sections, its early review scores and why games should be judged on what they actually are rather than what a reviewer wanted them to be. Wheelie's verdict? E-Day is a must-play.

We then return to World of Warcraft Forever, with a major beta update bringing new levels, class changes and dungeons before getting into the growing controversy around streamer handouts, gold buying and whether Blizzard should be cracking down harder.

Later, Wheelie and Sarthe give their impressions of Star Wars: Galactic Racer, including its incredibly fast racing, roguelike progression, build variety and multiplayer. Wheelie scored it 9.5/10, while Gears of War: E-Day earned his full 10/10.

We also discuss Minecraft Dungeons 2, Castlevania, Phantom Blade Zero, Stranger Than Heaven, Fable, Final Fantasy VII Revelation and just how absurdly packed the next few months of gaming are.

Featuring WheelieAverage, FightinCowboy and Sarthe.

World of Warcraft has officially taken over Between Levels.

In Episode 13, WheelieAverage, FightinCowboy and Sarthe dive deep into World of Warcraft Forever, with Cowboy admitting he somehow managed around 50–60 hours of WoW in under a week.

We break down why WoW is still so dangerously addictive, what makes Forever different, the classes and professions, PvP, pets, controller support and whether this is finally the perfect opportunity for completely new players to jump in. Wheelie is preparing to play WoW for the first time at launch, while Cowboy and Sarthe attempt to convince him that Hunter is the way to go.

Then it's time for another Fantasy Critic update, with Fire Emblem, Control Resonant, Silent Hill: Townfall and plenty more affecting the standings before we ask the big question: Is 2026 one of the greatest years for video games ever?

We also return to Control Resonant, including why some players are struggling with its progression and combat, whether Remedy went too far with its lack of hand-holding, and where it currently sits in our Game of the Year conversations.

Finally, we dive into your community comments and revisit the ongoing debate over whether Wheelie talks too much trash or Cowboy and Sarthe keep twisting his words. Naturally, this ends with Cowboy challenging Wheelie to a one-handed World of Warcraft fight once they're both levelled.

Featuring WheelieAverage, FightinCowboy and Sarthe.

Chapters

00:00 – Welcome to Between Levels Episode 13
01:56 – World of Warcraft Has Taken Over the Podcast
03:00 – Cowboy Played 50–60 Hours of WoW in Under a Week
05:05 – Why World of Warcraft Is So Addictive
08:36 – Is WoW Forever Going to Be Massive?
09:21 – Cowboy’s Wife, Plants & Retirement Plans 😂
11:33 – Cowboy’s WoW Forever Character Plans
13:27 – Every WoW Class Explained to Wheelie
18:49 – What Class Should a New WoW Player Choose?
21:27 – Wheelie Chooses Hunter
22:03 – Hunting Rare Pets in World of Warcraft
26:31 – Why Wheelie Is Waiting for Launch
29:44 – WoW Controller Support & Accessibility
31:39 – Who Else Is Playing WoW for the First Time?
34:38 – Fantasy Critic Update
36:04 – Silent Hill: Townfall’s Review Score Surprises Us
37:31 – Sarthe Finally Checks His Fantasy Critic Team
39:19 – Can Cowboy Still Win Fantasy Critic?
45:01 – Is 2026 the Best Year for Video Games?
47:03 – Why Control Resonant’s Reviews Are So Divided
47:49 – Does Control Resonant’s Combat Start Too Slowly?
49:18 – Did Remedy Go Too Far With No Hand-Holding?
52:35 – Is Control Resonant Less Forgiving Than Souls Games?
53:09 – Cowboy Discovers How Healing Actually Works 😂
55:18 – How Broken Can Control Resonant Builds Become?
56:25 – Is Control Resonant a Game of the Year Contender?
57:25 – Pragmata Is Still Cowboy’s GOTY
58:59 – Community Comments
1:02:25 – Does Wheelie Talk Too Much Trash?
1:06:00 – Did Cowboy & Sarthe Actually Twist Wheelie’s Words?
1:07:43 – Why Between Levels’ Banter Works
1:09:41 – Cowboy Challenges Wheelie in World of Warcraft
1:10:12 – The One-Handed WoW Fight Is Happening
1:15:22 – Waiting for WoW Forever Launch
1:17:07 – Cowboy Starts Judging Kids’ Pull-Ups 😂
1:20:06 – Somehow We Ended Up Talking About Parenting
1:20:16 – Outro & What’s Coming Next

Between Levels is back with Episode 12!

This week, Jesse from DayOne joins WheelieAverage and FightinCowboy, with Sarthe joining a little later in the show.

The main event is Control Resonant. Having all reviewed Remedy’s latest game, we break down its new melee-focused combat, open-world structure, powers, build variety, puzzles and exploration, as well as Dylan Faden’s development as the new protagonist. We also compare our review scores and discuss why the combat has become one of the most divisive parts of the game.

Before that, we revisit Marvel’s Wolverine, including its linear structure, player guidance and combat, before catching up on The Blood of Dawnwalker and Onimusha: Way of the Sword.

Sarthe then joins us fresh from BlizzCon to talk about Warcraft Forever, why it has pulled him back into World of Warcraft, and whether this could be the right time for new players to jump in.

Plus, we discuss how reviewers and creators decide what games to cover, what actually counts as a first-party game, studio reputations, the return of the Wheelie vs Cowboy For Honor argument, and the latest Mortal Shell II accessibility discussion.