Matt and James talk about the new characters in Marvel Rivals. They also saw Captain America: Brave New World...

Matt and James talk a lot about Marvel Rivals. Butt.

Matt and James watch and react to the 2024 game awards.

Matt and James talk about MapleStory Worlds. They somehow go on a tangent about EVOLVE and bad monetization in gaming. Subnautica 2 will hopefully have multiplayer.

Matt and James talk about trying to buy any 30th-anniversar Sony products. Scalpers bought every last piece of hardware like the Grinch on Christmas day. Sony had a very underwhelming State of Play and overall just left a bad taste in their mouths.

Matt and James talk about the terrible Minecraft movie trailer. Also, they discuss Concord being a hot dookie and how it got canceled after 8 years of dev time.

Matt and James catch up after a brief hiatus. They discuss their experiences with "Deadlock," a secret Valve game that has now been revealed to the public. The game is described as a third-person shooter with MOBA elements, combining aspects of Dota and Overwatch but with its own unique mechanics. James initially found the game fun but lost interest, while Matt, who generally dislikes MOBAs, wasn't as impressed.

The hosts then segue into rumors about the long-anticipated "Half-Life 3" or another Half-Life-related project. They discuss the history of failed attempts to develop a new Half-Life game and speculate on how Valve might be approaching this new project.

Next, they critique "Concord," a game released by Sony that has been widely considered a failure. They describe it as a safe, uninspired attempt at a live-service game that lacks the innovation and character appeal needed to stand out in a crowded market. Despite some players finding the gameplay enjoyable, the hosts agree that the game’s lack of originality and poor character design have doomed it from the start.

The conversation then shifts to other games, including "Black Myth: Wukong," which neither host has played but acknowledge as a significant release, particularly in the Asian market. They discuss the game's impressive sales and popularity, comparing it to other titles and expressing interest in possibly playing it in the future. However, they note that it doesn’t currently hold the same must-play status for them as other major titles.

Towards the end of the episode, the hosts briefly touch on the recent Nintendo Direct, specifically the announcement of the "Castlevania Dominus Collection," which includes three classic DS Castlevania games. Matt expresses excitement about this collection, particularly due to the quality-of-life improvements made for playing these games on modern hardware.

In this episode of the "Have You Ever Played" podcast, Matt and James explore the challenges of porting AAA games to mobile platforms, using Resident Evil 7 as a prime example. They discuss the difficulties developers face when adapting console games to touch controls, which often result in subpar experiences for players. Reminiscing about their longest gaming sessions, James shares a 36-hour marathon of Modern Warfare. The hosts touch on the novelty and limitations of such ports, comparing them to older game adaptations for mobile devices. They delve into the subject of nudity in video games, pondering its appropriateness and impact on gameplay, and wrap up with a humorous take on sensational headlines in gaming journalism.

Going into debt during the Steam Summer Sale can be tempting with all the exciting news and releases in the gaming world. War Thunder's developer, Gaijin Entertainment, recently issued a heartfelt apology for accidentally using an image of the Challenger disaster in their artwork—because nothing says "fun game" like a tragic explosion. Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erd Tree is too hard Kai Cenat. Nintendo's recent Direct featured promising titles like Mario and Luigi: Brothership, Donkey Kong Country: Returns HD, and The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom. Exciting announcements include the Ace Attorney Investigations Collection and Metroid Prime 4: Beyond. Matt has been playing Binding of Isaac Four Souls Card Game while James is engaged with the latest Apex Legends patch and the Supervive announcement. Discussion points include whether stealth is fun in gaming and the least enjoyable character archetypes, such as healers or tanks.