Gaming Under The Influence

Welcome to GUI episode 115! Today we'll describe the inner logic and implicit ontology of evergreen/zombie brands, streaming and the metaverse. All appear built on a univocal or homogenous conception of being. The future they envision is dead on arrival insofar as its template of what is to come is based entirely on sameness, the past.

Who ever thought they would enjoy another zombie game? This week Alex & Mike discuss the pleasant surprise that is Dying Light 2. Against our expectations, there is lots to love here. Well-written & acted, beautifully animated & featuring top-notch traversal mechanics, we find ourselves pleased to be back in a zombie game.

Alex & Mike finally get their hands on Pokemon Legends: Arceus and are pleasantly surprised with the result. Gamefreak has managed to successfully shake up the Pokemon formula by modifying the core concept and gameplay loop of the game, creating something almost entirely new.

This week the boys at Green Dragon CVR are surprised to hear about Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision & Blizzard. Mike & Alex discuss the implications of this deal and what it means for the future of the Xbox brand. Spoiler alert: probably nothing as Call of Duty will surely march on as a yearly release. We remain hopeful for something new perhaps, cheers.

Mike and Alex are back for the first episode of 2022. With no interesting releases on the horizon for the next few weeks, an eclectic conversation ensues. Topics include Shin Megami V, Pokemon Arceus, Elden Ring and the fact that Miyazaki does not play his own games.

The first months of 2022 will see some noteworthy games release that Mike & Alex discuss this week. Pokemon Legends: Arceus will express the core concepts of the franchise in novel gameplay mechanics. Likewise for Final Fantasy: Strangers of Paradise, the first soulslike Final Fantasy. Elden Ring hardly needs introduction.

Also discussed this week: the special merits of the soulslike genre, the difficulty of committing to certain games.

There were plenty of interesting games announced at the Game Awards this year. Join Mike & Alex for ‘Gaming Under the Influence” E.107 to discuss the most interesting titles that appeared at the show. Also featuring some information about the developers involved & why their previous work gives us cause to celebrate each project.

This week the boys at Green Dragon discuss their wants & expectations for the game awards. What games are missing from the list of nominees? Which titles do we think deserve recognition in the most prominent categories? What announcements can we look forward to? Should the Game Awards “take a stand” against Activision?

It astounds the boys at Green Dragon that Cyberpunk 2077 is receiving praise a year after its release. This week we get right back into all the reasons why Cyberpunk is an excellent game, delving into the distinction between the form vs matter of a work of art. Also featuring a discussion of how Cyberpunk treats the individuation of the human intellect by matter.

JRPGs are back on the menu! This week Alex & Mike discuss the deep-rooted similarities between Shin Megami & Pokemon . Starting with the obvious turn-based combat, human-decentered parties & character collection, then proceeding into a discussion of the common cosmological concern behind both games, concealed by the outward guise of child vs adult orientation.