Chamberlain and Chance

While not technically a holiday (at least in the western hemisphere) the release of a new Final Fantasy game is almost always cause for celebration. Or usually. Or sometimes. Okay, once in a while a good Final Fantasy game comes out. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is one of the good ones and Chamberlain is thrilled. Also this week, Alex puts an incredible amount of time into Balatro and Chance has maxed out another character in Elden Ring while preparing for the expansion, stopped playing her, and may very well do this again several times.

You would never guess why, but two thirds of the podcast is playing Elden Ring again. Alex has joined the Balatro card cult, and he is playing Elden Ring. Chance continues to do his part to spread democracy throughout the known universe, and he is playing Elden Ring. And Chamberlain finished up Prince of Persia The Lost Crown, and he has never nor will he ever play Elden Ring.

Important work is done this week. Chamberlain, Chance and Alex each pick their top four games OF ALL TIME. Each brings their own criteria for selection and no one names more than four games. No one at all. Also this week, Chamberlain continues to shill for Ubisoft, swearing up and down that Prince of Persia The Lost Crown is actually good. Alex finishes up Like A Dragon Infinite Wealth, understanding as much as humanly possible without have played all the previous Yakuza games. And Chance tries to play Helldivers 2 but ends up playing Elden Ring instead.

OF ALL TIME.

Chance is doing his part, killing giant insects with democracy. He promises that it is exactly as good as you have heard. Alex crowns Like A Dragon Infinite Wealth one of the three best JRPGs he has ever played (without encouraging debate on what the other two are). And Chamberlain looks past the amazing environments of Avatar and finds that there just isn't anything to do.

In an unprecedented turn of events, all three of us play (relatively) new games! Alex in not skipping the cut scenes in Like A Dragon Infinite Wealth, loving the good natured Japanese mafia and all the good that they do. Chance is mourning the tragedy that is Suicide Squad, specifically that it is only when you are pushing buttons that it gets boring. And Chamberlain visited Pandora in the new Avatar game for about two hours before the siren's song that is Tekken 8 proved too strong. We tried!

It wasn't really a soulslike, but Chamberlain is still proud of himself for finishing The Last Faith. He is less proud of himself for buying Tekken 8, not because it was a bad game, but he is not looking forward to patching the drywall again. Chance finished The Last of Us Part II, and it is just as if not more emotionally draining as the first time, leading to a swift uninstall. And Alex to the financially responsible route and is replaying Dark Souls III again, this time with his eyes closed.

Chamberlain continues to play new(ish) things, finishing up El Paso, Elsewhere, a game everyone slept and missed out on, and The Last Faith, another overly difficult metroidvania. Chance plays a new version of something old, finding a new appreciation for The Last of Us 2. And Alex plays an older new version of something old, revisiting Persona 4 Golden. Because he still loves Chie.

What's indy as all get out, ugly as your favorite tiktok dog and a blatant homage to Max Payne? El Paso, Elsewhere, and Chamberlain is absolutely in love. Chance refuses to sully his eyes with games built of so few polygons so he is playing Baldur's Gate 3, again, and Cyberpunk 2033, again. And Alex lost his save file for Inscryption, then instead of getting mad about it, played the whole thing a second time.

Also, it's cold everywhere, and we wish it would stop doing that.

It's the first episode of the year! In which Chamberlain meets two games half way and enjoys them in spite of their obvious weaknesses. Chance buys Baldur's Gate III for the second time and starts a new character in Cyberpunk for the 100th and Alex does something absolutely unthinkable: he finishes an Assassin's Creed game.

There is nothing left to do in 2023 but catch up on missed games and worry about how few games are slated for 2024. Chamberlain got into the Skull & Bones closed beta and can confirm that it is indeed a game that can be played. He also enjoyed the free Valhalla expansion to God of War Ragnarök more than expected and Super Mario Wonder about the correct amount. Chance is still grinding away in Diablo 4 for gear he doesn't want and/or need and is frankly annoyed by his own persistence. And Alex just might finish an Assassin's Creed game (that came out several year ago).

Merry Christmas and a happy new year!