Like a phoenix rising from the bargain bin of a Fry's electronics, Steam Machines are back. And they've brought controllers and VR glasses with them. This week we debrief on the latest Valve hardware announcements and review what is shaping up to be an exceedingly strange time in the video game hardware market.

We are back from the thoroughly miserable round of sicknesses, but at least we've brought back another fun conversation about video games. This week on the EXP Podcast, we dive into recent games including Keeper, Baby Steps, Silent Hill F, and of course Hades II. Welcome back to the show!

Show Notes:

Like a glowing boon sent by your favorite uncle from Olympus, Hades 2 has bestowed its favor upon us. This week we dig into on of our most anticipated games of the year and experience some para-social pride around what Supergiant Games has accomplished. And of course: death to Chronos.

New announcement are coming thick this time of year, and what better way to take a Silksong/Hades/Silent Hill break than with weird Kojima trailers and the hairiest hero there is. Join us as we chat Death Stranding, Wolverine, Battlefield 6, Saros, and more!

Show notes:

- Music from Brad Sucks

Well, it's finally here: Silksong! This week we take a break from scrambling after beads and trying to understand just what type of creature Hornet is in order to share our thoughts on the game. I'd like to say that by the time you listen to this we'll likely have seen credits, but let's be honest: we'll be in the middle of a dastardly run-back to a boss that has a third form we have yet to see. What can you do though? That's just a bug's life.

Wallets are getting thinner, and there are only so many services I can maintain. Are live service games one of them, in this economy? This week on the podcast, we discuss the state of always-on (and always paying) live service games, some hardware rumors, and movie news! Show Notes: - Music by Brad Sucks

With the summer is wrapping up, it's time to talk about a great crop of games we're squeezing in prior to the fall rush. We're still on our journey to spread the chiral network of course, but we've picked up genealogy and bike racing as well. We've also dusted off some old classics, although it seems that we still don't know what sort of animal Klonoa is after all these years. Maybe some fall semester zoology classes are in order.

This week on the podcast we visit the beautiful city of Lumiere, eat (and wield) a baguette, take a boat ride on a weirdly large creature, and analyze a painting. Join us on a full debrief of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 - including a deep spoiler section on the divisive ending!

Show notes:

- Music from the Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Soundtrack

This week we get a report from the field about Gen Con 2025. Despite a microscopic demonic onslaught, Jorge was able to see some of the newest table top games. What have we discovered? Well, the Souls-like genre seems to be transcending the boundaries of video games. Prepare to sit across the table from your old friend, Patches.

Fumito Ueda, the creator of Shadow of the Colossus, has called it folks. The age of game mechanics is over! Pack it up folks, we're all out of ideas. This week on the podcast, we chat about philosophy, the creation of art, and some video game movie news that has us both excited and miserable!

Show notes:

- "'The age of game mechanics is over', claims Shadow of the Colossus director Ueda from" VideoGamesChronicle

- Music from Brad Sucks