Chapter Select

Randy is so happy that we are at the end of Cyberpunk 2077, but what did Jens think of the ending to Night City?

The guys follow the T-Virus into Raccoon City. The second video game took big steps forward for the franchise. Did the second movie do the same or did it take a Nemesis-sized dump? Find out what Jens and Randy think when they review Resident Evil: Apocalypse.

It's the most contentious episode of Chapter Select yet, as Jens turns into a full-blown CDProjektRed apologist in the face of Randy's vexations with Cyberpunk 2077. Most of the episode consists of general gameplay impressions, bug nitpicking, and Sunday Morning Quarterbacking the development decisions. When the guys finally get to the plot, they end up covering Act One and its early aftermath in Act Two.

This week Jens and Randy go down a Tyrant-sized rabbit hole as they start their journey through the entire Resident Evil movie franchise. Randy believed the first movie was the only "Ok" one in the series, but after revisiting The Hive does he still feel that way?

Astounding plot revelations abound in the second half of Binary Domain, raising fascinating questions about transhumanism and what makes a robot a robot. In the course of their discussion, Jens makes an impassioned case to Randy for Binary Domain being counted among similar great works of science fiction such as Blade Runner and Ghost in the Shell. Caveat: in the process Jens ends up SPOILING Blade Runner 2049 so if, like Randy, you haven’t seen it yet, we implore you to do so after finishing Binary Domain, but before listening to this podcast episode.

Jens also finished and discusses Yakuza: Like a Dragon (not to be confused with the Miike film of the same name) and Randy gives his closing thoughts on Bugsnax.

Randy and Jens check out the anime adaptation of Animal Crossing by Jōji Shimura, the director of Tamagotchi: The Movie (stay tuned for that one at some point in the future of this show). While they agree a valiant effort was made to adapt the game’s story, and to include as much fan-service and as many recognizable characters as possible, a spirited argument arises around the big questions “Who is it for?” and “Does it work as a movie?”

Armed with a laundry list of complaints, Randy confronts Jens about his pick for this week’s assignment: the cult-classic sci-fi 3rd person shooter Binary Domain from Toshihiro Nagoshi and the Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio. While empathetic to Randy’s less than ideal experience on PC, Jens nonetheless makes an impassioned case defending a favorite underdog of a game.

Randy has never played a single Wing Commander game. Jens has been a die-hard fan of the series since the ‘90s. Together, they complain about its 1999 film adaptation by none other than series creator Chris Roberts himself.

Despite various setbacks, Randy and Jens finish The Evil Within and try to make sense of its story. Whether or not they succeed in the latter is for you to judge. They also talk about their favorite bosses, how the game lived up to their expectations, and if it whets their appetites for the sequel. They also talk about some other games they’ve been playing, such as Dragon: Marked for Death and Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time.

After 2007’s Like a Dragon, one may understandably be skeptical about Takashi Miike adapting yet another story-heavy classic game. However, in the case of Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, Miike decides to stick lovingly to the source material, much to Randy and Jens’s surprise and delight. Listen to them expound on the finer points of what will be a difficult yardstick to beat for future contenders to the video game movie throne.