The Experience Points Podcast

This is it: the moment we've been anticipating and/or dreading all year. It's the 2019 Gamey awards! At the end of the year, everyone (including us) starts to get really serious about bestowing accolades, so we think it's fitting to hand out some of the most ridiculous awards we can think up. Join us in recognizing the essence of what makes video games so great and so silly: the inherent gameyness of it all.

Small birds, big geese, boyfriends swords, and more this week as we discuss some end-of-the-year news out of Sony's State of Play 2019 and Nintendo's recent indie games showcase. While some of these games are exciting, 2020 remains a big question mark. What does the future hold!?

Well, for one, it holds the annual Gamey Awards! Join us next week when we discuss the gameyist games. If you have a game nominee, send us an email and let us know!

- Runtime: 38 min 18 sec

- Music by Brad Sucks

As we continue our headlong sprint towards the decade's end, we pause to recognize some of the memorable characters of the past 10 years. Using Polygon's list as a starting point, we discuss some standout examples and take stock of where games are in terms of character development. After all, this might be the last decade where we can safely treat these things as fictional characters rather than sneaky AIs waiting for us to drop our guard long enough for them to launch their conquest of humanity. You hear that, Shovel Knight? I'm on to you.

It's American Thanksgiving this week, and I know one thing that I'm thankful for: a new version of Sonic that doesn't look like the monkey-kid from Jumanji. This week on the EXP Podcast, we emerge from the uncanny valley unscathed and carrying a VR headset and some pokeballs!

- Runtime: 36 min 00 sec

- Music by Brad Sucks

All the sudden it's November and we find ourselves in the thick of release season. This week we took a break from delivering packages long enough to do an in-progress check-ins on Luigi's Mansion 3, The Outer Worlds, and Death Stranding. Now that I think of it, Gooigi seems like the sort of thing that would be right at home in a Kojima game.

The decade is almost over and we've come a long way since Y2K crashed our computers and sent modern civilization spiralling towards a Mad Max Oblivion. This week on the EXP Pocast, we discuss the games that got us through the last 20 years and why picking our favorite or the most important games of the 21st century is so damn hard.

- Runtime: 36 min 16 sec

- "The 50 Best Games of the 21st Century," by Keith Stuart and Keza MacDonald, via The Guardian

- Music from the The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening soundtrack

Rise and shine, adventurers! Your dream has come true: a debrief on this year's Link's Awakening remake. We ask the hard-hitting questions: Who is this game for? Has Breath of the Wild ruined everything? Why would a banana man want dog food? Don't worry about it too much; just enjoy the adorable tilt-shift goodness.

We are back after a brief work/life-induced hiatus! And we brought an obnoxious feathered friend with us and... uh... also a girl on a motorcycle.

This week on the EXP Podcast, we review Untitled Goose Game and Sayonara Wild Hearts in a double debrief! While very different, both games are well worth your attention. Especially if you're into either A) pop albums or B) being just a total asshole to strangers.

Show Notes:

- Runtime: 38 min 57 sec

- Music from the Sayonara Wild Hearts OST and Untitled Goose Game Trailer

If there is one thing I've learned from years working at a white-collar job, it's to never underestimate the destructive power of a thrown office chair. This week on the EXP Podcast, we toss around all kinds of office equipment using the telekinetic power in Control, the latest game from Remedy Entertainment. For good and bad, this is an interesting game full of excellent ideas (some of which are readily available online via the SCP Foundation). Give the episode a listen and send us email with your thoughts on the game!

Show Notes:

- Runtime: 46 min 45 sec

- Music from the Control OST

Our 6-part Final Fantasy VII debrief comes to a close this week as the dust settles on Sephiroth's reign of terror! We share some potentially controversial opinions on the conclusion to one of the most beloved RPGs of all time, craft some fan fiction of our own, and ponder what the remake holds for players still smitten with FF7 nostalgia.

Show Notes:

- Intro and fight scene music from the Final Fantasy VII OST

- Outro from "Black Materia" by Mega Ran