Gaming Under The Influence

Mike & Alex get into the acquisition of Zenimax/Bethesda by Xbox; truly a paradigm shift with implications for console exclusivity in the 9th console generation. Also includes a treatment of the end & themes of Bloodborne, its place in the Fromsoft canon.

Gaming Under the Influence @ Green Dragon CVR; this week, a dive into today's PS5 showcase, covering Final Fantasy XVI, Hogwarts Legacy, Resident Evil VIII, Death Loop & the Demon's Souls remake. Also treating the universe of Cyberpunk 2077 as presented by the book "The World of Cyberpunk 2077"

Gaming Under the Influence @ Green Dragon with Mike + Alex; Alex describes Tony Hawk Pro Skater to a layman, we revisit Kingdoms of Amalur & dissect the mechanics, tropes and mood of Code Vein (so much jrpg vibes).Greendragoncvr

Gaming Under the Influence @ Green Dragon with Mike + Alex; We offer our thoughts on the newly revealed Nvidia cards, describe our recent delves into the podcast format and finally get around to playing the (awesome) Code Vein.

Gaming Under the Influence @ Green Dragon with Mike + Alex; today is the "Mortal Shell" episode, where we discuss what this fine little game represents for one of our favorite genres. A few words also about Dusk and the Surge 2.

Welcome back to Gaming Under The Influence, with Mike and Alex;  we ramble on about current events including the State of Play on August 6th & the announcement of the Series S. We also elaborate on the concepts of real games vs "money farms", how we like Activision (!), the grammar of genre & video game universes.

Welcome back to Gaming Under The Influence, with Mike and Alex;  This week we take a break from dense, adversarial subject matter and sit back to chat and drink about current and upcoming soulslike releases (in Hellpoint and Mortal Shell), the dull transitional period that always seems to initiate the start of a new console cycle, technology as a mere instrument of artistic vision and video game sage personalities like Hideo Kojima.

Welcome back to Gaming Under The Influence, with Mike and Alex;  we revisit the xbox games showcase to address the negative reactions from all corners of the industry; thoughts on Game Pass, Ghosts of Tsushima and Carrion; are video games useless? Joe Rogan and D.T. Suzuki.

Welcome back to Gaming Under The Influence, with Mike and Alex; In proportion as the value and quality of services of the “Xbox ecosystem” increased, we saw a decline unto nothing of Microsoft’s interest in cultivating autotelic, self-contained, single player experiences, with Cuphead and Sunset Overdrive as notable exceptions. Today portends change; we may have just witnessed the resurrection from puerile, service-based, sequel-flooded death of the Xbox brand. The return of beloved franchises and introduction of new IP’s from renowned developers leaves us optimistic about the future of Xbox and eager to invest in the upcoming Series X.

Welcome back to Gaming Under The Influence, with Mike and Alex; we delve deep into Ghost of Tsushima, including world-building, gameplay and the emergence of a grammar of open world games.