The Experience Points Podcast

This week on the EXP Podcast, we pay a visit to Titanfall 2 and wonder where everyone went. Was it the dull brown of the landscape that cleared the room? Would this game be more popular if it had brighter colors, cooler names, or banana rockets? The answer is clearly yes.

Everything is better with banana rockets.

Sometimes, you play a game once and then bounce off, never to return. Other times you see the potential, but are put off by a weird mechanic. And sometimes you're just too damn lazy to leave the house and interact with other human beings. This week, we discuss some games we're considering returning to. Some of them we've finished, others we originally gave up on. We also invent a new Pokemon Go mechanic that would be as dangerous as it would be entertaining.

The endless war between Mayonnaise and Ketchup continues in this EXP Podcast debrief on Splatoon 2. After we get into a heated discussion about condiments, we weigh in on the splatfest design, Nintendo's trouble relationship with online support, and the elements of Splatoon 2 that make this game so damn special.

Summertime means relaxing on an island. After murdering the 99 other people on that island of course. This week we dive out of a plane and into Player Unknown's Battlegrounds. Along the way we learn about abbreviations, Twitch drama, and that there's a high correlation between a game having someone's name in the title and its quality.

This week on the EXP Podcast, we put on our space helmets and meet up in the Tower to discuss the Destiny 2 beta. How do the new classes feel? Is this a significant departure from the first Destiny? How money hours will we spend farming motes of light? Who knows!

Show Notes: * Music from Destiny 2 * Run time: 43 mins 15 secs

Strap on your bowcaster and fire up your T-16s folks: it's time to get immersed in the world of Star Wars. Disney is looking to bring a "100 percent immersive" Star Wars experience to us Earthlings, so Jorge and I decided it would be a good idea to brainstorm what the future has in store for us. Video games have dealt with the challenging concept of immersion for a long time, so we discuss some of the potential benefits and challenges of trying to stage an entire Star Wars live-action experience.

The last few months have been a whirlwind of good times with my Tokyo buds. I've laughed, I've cried, I've told my cat to shut up. Now, at long last, I've finally finished Persona 5. While it'll be awhile before Scott graduates Shujin Academy, it's time we dive into the hotly anticipated entry in the long-running Persona franchise. How do the characters stand out compared to Persona 4? Is this game more approachable? Which confident should you romance?

All this and more in another EXP Podcast!

Show Notes:

- Music from the Persona 5 Official Soundtrack - Runtime: 43 mins 23 sec

Ah how time flies when you're desperately battling against its passage! We're halfway through 2017, so we decided to take stock of some topics that have been bubbling under the surface or were overlooked. VR, Player Unknown's Battlegrounds, eSports labor strikes and more await you. Quick: listen while you still have your whole life ahead of you.

In Nintendo's infinite wisdom, the NES Classic has been discontinued. But never fear lovers of nostalgia! The hardware distribution experts at Nintendo have announced the SNES Classic, another retro-gaming option that you can pre-order now regret not pre-ordering within the first 30 minutes of its sale.

Join us as we discuss the great games on the mini-console, and the great games mysteriously absent. Want to participate? Send us an email with your own favorite SNES games!

Show Notes:

- Music by Brad Sucks

- Runtime: 44 mins 35 sec

It's time once again for our annual E3 debrief! This year we have some father-son drama, some good ol' fashioned pirate swashbuckling, hardware announcements, and so much more. Did we mention Mario? We've got some Mario too. Join us in the discussion and let us know your favorite games out of E3!

Show Notes:

- Music by Brad Sucks

- Runtime: 66 mins 50 sec