Between Levels Podcast

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.

Sarthe is back from Gamescom for Episode 11 of Between Levels, joining WheelieAverage and FightinCowboy to talk about what he saw and played in Germany, including Tides of Annihilation and more.

Then we dive into Onimusha: Way of the Sword. Cowboy has finished the game, Wheelie is near the end, and Sarthe has spent several hours with it. We discuss the combat, Issen system, difficulty, open areas, surprising humour, story and whether Capcom has delivered another must-play action game.

We also go deep on The Blood of Dawnwalker. Wheelie and Sarthe have completed the game while Cowboy has started his first playthrough, leading to a huge discussion about its directional combat, vampire and human builds, witchcraft, the 30-day time system, genuine choice and consequence, multiple endings and how dramatically different two playthroughs can become.

Plus, we update Fantasy Critic, predict review scores for Marvel’s Wolverine, Silent Hill: Townfall and Control Resonant, and finally choose the three winners of our Mortal Shell II Steam code giveaway.

Our next giveaway will happen when Between Levels reaches 2,000 subscribers, when we’ll be giving away a PC copy of The Blood of Dawnwalker.

Featuring WheelieAverage, FightinCowboy and Sarthe.

Sarthe is away at Gamescom this week, so TheMavShow joins WheelieAverage and FightinCowboy for Episode 10 of Between Levels!

We’re breaking down our favourite reveals from Gamescom Opening Night Live, including The Witcher 3 remaster, Tides of Annihilation, Warlock, Fable and plenty more, along with some of the games that left us a little less convinced.

Then Mav and Cowboy give their hands-on impressions of FromSoftware’s The Duskbloods, explaining how its unusual multiplayer structure works, what surprised them after actually playing it, and when we think Nintendo could release the game.

Finally, Wheelie has played three hours of Marvel’s Wolverine and gives his full hands-on impressions. We talk combat, optional stealth, Logan’s rage and healing mechanics, the more linear approach to storytelling, costumes and interchangeable claws, Jean Grey, Team X and whether Insomniac has successfully translated its Spider-Man formula into a Wolverine game.

Plus, we answer your community questions, discuss whether Insomniac’s Marvel games are taking too much time and attention away from original PlayStation IP such as Ratchet & Clank, and get an unexpected Fantasy Critic update as Cowboy and Wheelie’s battle at the top gets increasingly competitive.

Featuring:

WheelieAverage

FightinCowboy

TheMavShow

Check out TheMavShow:

https://www.youtube.com/@TheMavShow

Follow Between Levels:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BetweenLevelsPodcast

X: @BtweenLevels

Instagram: @betweenlevelspodcast

TikTok: @betweenlevelspodcast

The developers of Mortal Shell II join Between Levels! For Episode 9, WheelieAverage, FightinCowboy and Sarthe sit down with Mortal Shell II co-founders Vitaly Bulgarov, Andrew McLennan-Murray and Anthony for an in-depth conversation about the making of one of our favourite Soulslikes of 2026.

We discuss the huge leap from the original Mortal Shell to Mortal Shell II, how Cold Symmetry’s creative process works, why a bug accidentally turned playing as a sheep into a full feature, the game’s original roguelite beginnings, Shell design, lore, memories, difficulty, community feedback and how player telemetry influences balancing decisions.

The team also talks about the future of Mortal Shell II, including the possibility of expanding the existing world with new areas, Shells, weapons and more — and even gives us an interesting answer when FightinCowboy asks the all-important question: where is Solomon?

We also have a deeper discussion about the Slayer Seal, achievements and accessibility, why Cold Symmetry prefers diegetic difficulty options, maintaining creative freedom as development budgets grow and what the team has learned from the response to Mortal Shell II.

00:00 – Welcome to Between Levels Episode 9

00:47 – Meet the Mortal Shell 2 Developers

02:46 – The Stress of Launching Mortal Shell 2

04:24 – How Cold Symmetry Came Together

06:31 – Leaving AAA Behind & Building Games Differently

10:16 – “We Have To”: How the Sheep Became a Feature

12:17 – Mortal Shell Started as a Roguelite

17:13 – Community Feedback, Balance & Telemetry

25:28 – The Developers’ Favourite Shells

31:06 – How Mortal Shell 2’s Shells Are Designed

41:36 – Improving Mortal Shell 2’s Storytelling

48:01 – Night Mode, Horror Areas & Missable Content

52:42 – How the Lute Became a Weapon

56:18 – Bigger Budgets vs Creative Freedom

1:03:49 – Why Slayer Seal Disables Achievements

1:08:39 – Why Mortal Shell 2 Doesn’t Have Difficulty Options

1:10:21 – The Developers React to Mortal Shell 2’s Reception

1:17:01 – Mortal Shell 2 Steam Code Giveaway

We’re giving away THREE Steam copies of Mortal Shell II!

To enter, leave a comment telling us why you want to play Mortal Shell II and/or what you enjoyed most about this episode.

This episode contains some light discussion of Mortal Shell II story, bosses and late-game content.

Let us know what you think of Mortal Shell II and what you’d like to see from its post-launch future!

Featuring:

WheelieAverage

FightinCowboy

Sarthe

Vitaly Bulgarov

Andrew McLennan-Murray

Anthony

Follow Between Levels:

X: @BtweenLevels

Instagram: @betweenlevelspodcast

TikTok: @betweenlevelspodcast

Mortal Shell II is finally here, and WheelieAverage, FightinCowboy and Sarthe are joined by Dom from Dom’s RoundTable for the first full Between Levels review roundtable.

The four break down Mortal Shell II’s enormous evolution over the original, including its combat, Shell system, build diversity, exploration, bosses, lore, difficulty, performance and technical state.

They also discuss how it compares to games like Elden Ring, Lies of P and Nioh 2, the best Shell for new players, some completely broken builds, whether the beta’s technical issues have been addressed and whether Mortal Shell II is ultimately worth your time and money.

The opening section is spoiler-free before a clear warning marks the beginning of the spoiler discussion.

Plus, the hosts answer questions submitted by the Between Levels community and reveal their final verdicts on Mortal Shell II.

Beast of Reincarnation has excellent combat, impressive traversal and plenty of promising ideas—but almost every strength comes with a frustrating catch.

In Episode 7 of the Between Levels Podcast, WheelieAverage, FightinCowboy and Sarthe break down where Beast of Reincarnation succeeds, where it completely drops the ball and why its repetitive enemies, reused bosses, limited progression and disappointing final hours prevent it from becoming something special.

The conversation also turns into a heated discussion about the current state of Pokémon, whether Palworld has become the Pokémon experience fans actually wanted and why Game Freak’s latest release left the hosts so disappointed.

Elsewhere, the trio updates the Between Levels Fantasy Critic league, discusses Marvel’s Wolverine, GTA 6’s unusual Netflix showcase, the Gears of War: E-Day beta and the upcoming WheelieAverage versus FightinCowboy For Honor showdown.

They also discuss the excellent Mortal Shell 2 beta, whether game demos should make a full comeback, 007 First Light, the current Game of the Year contenders, Capcom’s incredible year, Phantom Dust and some of the best community comments from Episode 6.

Let us know in the comments: What OpenCritic score do you think Mortal Shell 2 will receive?

Subscribe for a new episode of Between Levels every week.

Hosted by:

WheelieAverage

FightinCowboy

Sarthe

Follow Between Levels:

X: @BtweenLevels

Instagram: @betweenlevelspodcast

TikTok: @betweenlevelspodcast

What are the greatest video games of all time?

This week, WheelieAverage, FightinCowboy and Sarthe reveal and discuss their personal Top 5 Video Games of All Time. Some choices may be predictable, while others could raise a few eyebrows.

From nostalgic classics and community-driven experiences to modern masterpieces, the hosts explain why games including Phantom Dust, Elden Ring, Nioh 2, Armored Core, Destiny, Shenmue, Alan Wake 2 and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 left such a lasting impression.

The discussion explores how narrative, gameplay, music, exploration, replayability and the memories created with other players can transform a great game into a personal favourite. The hosts also debate nostalgia versus modern game design, the growing focus on optimisation over exploration and how gaming communities influence the way games are experienced and remembered.

We also share Top 5 submissions from the Between Levels community, featuring several unexpected choices.

What are your five favourite video games of all time?

Follow Between Levels:

YouTube: youtube.com/@BetweenLevelsPodcast

X: @BtweenLevels

Instagram: @betweenlevelspodcast

TikTok: @betweenlevelspodcast

Between Levels is a weekly gaming podcast hosted by WheelieAverage, FightinCowboy and Sarthe.

Timestamps

00:00 – Introduction and how the Top 5 lists work

00:20 – FightinCowboy’s number one: Phantom Dust

02:09 – Elden Ring and the joy of discovery

04:58 – Nioh 2 and the evolution of Soulslikes

12:12 – Armored Core’s legacy and latest instalment

21:17 – World of Warcraft, MMOs and community memories

23:04 – Nostalgia versus modern gameplay and graphics

26:49 – Turn-based games and narrative-driven experiences

34:50 – Shenmue’s legacy and Alan Wake 2

43:33 – Sarthe’s Top 5: Destiny, Clair Obscur and more

50:36 – Exploration, breaking mechanics and game design

55:44 – The community’s Top 5 submissions

1:03:35 – Competition, collaboration and community feedback

1:08:06 – Close calls, World of Warcraft and creative MMO PvP

1:14:25 – Optimisation versus exploration

1:17:28 – Final thoughts on our favourite games

Join WheelieAverage alongside special guests Arc Knight and Keith Mitchell as they dive into Soulslike games, upcoming releases, game development, rising prices and the realities of creating content in the gaming space.

In this episode, we discuss Elden Ring and modded Soulslike experiences, some of the most frustrating enemies in Dark Souls and Bloodborne, fall damage and traversal mechanics, Mortal Shell 2, Blood of the Dawnwalker, Lords of the Fallen, GTA VI pricing, the importance of supporting indie developers, art direction versus hyper-realistic graphics and much more.

Keith and Arc also share their experiences from across the gaming industry and offer advice for aspiring streamers and content creators looking to build genuine communities.

Between Levels is a weekly gaming podcast bringing together different perspectives from across the gaming community to discuss the latest news, releases and trends shaping the industry.

Follow Between Levels:

Instagram: @betweenlevelspodcast

TikTok: @betweenlevelspodcast

X: @BtweenLevels

Featuring:

WheelieAverage

Arc Knight - https://www.youtube.com/@ArcKnightt

Keith Mitchell - https://www.youtube.com/@UCeiLjzNqtYKk-M8lRIW1BMg

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction and guest lineup

02:00 Getting into Soulslikes and modded Elden Ring

08:00 The most hated enemies in Soulslike games

15:00 Fall damage, traversal and game design

22:00 Mortal Shell 2, Blood of the Dawnwalker and upcoming games

38:00 GTA VI, $100 games and the future of game pricing

51:00 AAA development, indie games and industry collaboration

1:05:00 Industry egos, consumer expectations and value

1:15:00 Advice for aspiring content creators and streamers

1:23:00 Community questions and what’s next for Between Levels