Triple Click

This year has seen the release of three great open-world games: Dying Light 2, Horizon Forbidden West, and Elden Ring. What do they all have in common? And what do they all do differently? This week, Kirk shares his new taxonomy for open worlds in video games and the Triple Click crew figures out what they like most in an open world.

One More Thing: 

Kirk: Public Defenders

Maddy: Elden Ring

Jason: Steam Deck

Links:

Steven Lumpkin's Twitter thread: https://twitter.com/Silent0siris/status/1498408412555747333

Maddy’s articles about getting into Elden Ring: https://www.polygon.com/22948213/should-i-play-elden-ring-dark-souls-fromsoft-easy-hard and parkour in Dying Light 2: https://www.polygon.com/22941196/dying-light-2-stay-human-climbing-parkour-techland

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ECOTAG: Kirk’s Open-World Personality Test

Video game open worlds can be broadly thought of according to three metrics: Emergent vs. Controlled, Opaque vs.Transparent, and Aesthetic vs. Gamey. IMPORTANT: These are gradients, not on/off switches, and they’re for categorizing the open worlds, not the games as a whole.

EMERGENT→ CONTROLLED (How dynamic/simulated is the open world?)

OPAQUE → TRANSPARENT (How mysterious is the open world?)

AESTHETIC → GAMEY  (How involved is movement through the open world?)

SOME EXAMPLES

• Dying Light 2 = ETG (Emergent, Transparent, Gamey)
• Horizon Forbidden West = CTA (Controlled, Transparent, Aesthetic)
• Elden Ring = COA (Controlled, Opaque, Aesthetic)
• Red Dead Redemption 2 = EOA (Emergent, Opaque, Aesthetic)
• Outer Wilds = COG (Controlled, Opaque, Gamey (Jason convinced me))
• Gravity Rush: CTG 
• Cyberpunk 2077:CTA (people expected more of an ETA or EOA)
• Subnautica: EOG
• Skyrim: EOA
• Forza Horizon 5: CTG 
• Divinity Original Sin 2: COA
• Sunset Overdrive: CTG 
• Ghost of Tsushima = CTA
• BOTW = EOG
• GTAV = EOA
• Assassin’s Creed = CTG (becoming more CTA lately)
• Ghost recon = CTA
• Minecraft = EOG

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Robot... dinosaurs!!! Kirk, Jason, and Maddy take out their best bows and prepare to go on a hunt for big machines in Horizon Forbidden West, a new open-world game for the PlayStation that rules. They talk about how things have (and haven't) changed from the first game, the big, beautiful world, and the good and bad of Forbidden West's story.

One More Thing: 

Kirk: ELDEN RING

Maddy: Peacemaker

Jason: ELDEN RING

Links:

Horizon Forbidden West score by Joris de Man, Niels van der Leest & Oleksa Lozowchuk

“Do You Wanna Taste It?” by Wig Wam from Non Stop Rock ‘n Roll, 2010

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And now, for Jason's dream episode: the gang plays Suikoden II! Kirk and Maddy give their impressions of the first 25% of the classic JRPG, from the very beginning through getting your very own castle. Do they love it as much as Jason? (No.) The three of them talk about the relationship between Riou and Jowy, the parts of the game that feel clunky in 2022, and what it's like to recruit all those characters. Plus: Dracula!

One More Thing: 

Kirk: Horizon Forbidden West

Maddy: Murderville

Jason: Also Horizon Forbidden West

Links:

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From silent protagonists to badass students, there are all sorts of protagonists in the world of video games. Let's talk about them! Jason, Maddy, and Kirk list their favorite heroes, then break down all of the archetypes, from the Chosen One to the Determined Daughter (subcategory: Queer Millennial Edition). From Mario to Kratos, we've got'em all.

One More Thing: 

Kirk: Station Eleven

Maddy: The official Dark Souls TTRPG

Jason: Arrested Development

Links:

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Light: it's dying! This week, the Triple Click gang plays through Dying Light 2: Stay Human, a new game in which you jump between buildings and smash zombies in the head. They talk about the game's slick parkour system, the silly writing, and the drab visuals. Plus: the one and only... Aiden.

One More Thing: 

Kirk: Roasting Coffee

Maddy: West Side Story (2021)

Jason: The Thursday Murder Club (Richard Osman)

Links:

That Iconic 2011 Dead Island Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfhtiG66SQc

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Maddy, Kirk, and Jason take a few minutes to react to last week's megaton announcement that Microsoft is buying Activision Blizzard, then prepare for the new Uncharted collection on PS5 by diving into the iconic adventure series. What's the deal with Nathan Drake falling on every platform he sees? Are the first two games better than the next two? And are Uncharted 4 and Lost Legacy worth playing today?

One More Thing: 

Kirk: Dan Olson’s video on NFTs

Maddy: First Reformed

Jason: The craziest football weekend of all time

Links:

“Drake’s Theme” by Greg Edmonson from Uncharted 3 

“Line Goes Up: The Problem with NFTs” by Dan Olson at Folding Ideas: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQ_xWvX1n9g&t=2344s

Paris Hilton and Jimmy Fallon talking about NFT apes: https://twitter.com/etienneshrdlu/status/1485956332989693953

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Will the metaverse of Ready Player One ever exist in our world? Has a bad ending ever ruined a video game? And just how does one get into Monster Hunter? This week, Jason, Kirk, and Maddy open up the listener mailbag and answer some of YOUR questions on all sorts of things.

(Note: We recorded this episode BEFORE Tuesday's bombshell news that Microsoft is buying Activision!)

One More Thing: 

Kirk: Free Guy

Maddy: Death Note

Jason: Don’t Look Up

Links:

Tips for Suikoden II: https://kotaku.com/tips-for-playing-suikoden-and-suikoden-ii-1670446047

Polygon’s honestly very good (no bias) tips for Monster Hunter Rise: https://www.polygon.com/monster-hunter-rise-guide/22348967/weapons-armor-wirebug-wyvern-riding-best-controller-beginners-tips-tricks

MH: Rise Longsword tutorial by Arekkz Gaming, whose MH videos are all excellent: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jscDTUOHdw&t=2s

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The year's only started but it's already full of GAMING NEWS! Join Jason, Maddy, and Kirk for a breakdown of this year's biggest headlines: Take-Two buying Zynga, E3 essentially dying, and the trials and tribulations of BioShock director Ken Levine. Plus: a cool new mystery show and the return of Jason's NFL stories!

One More Thing: 

Kirk: Only Murders in the Building

Maddy: Homestuck Made This World

Jason: Chargers vs. Raiders

Links:

Jason’s report on Ken Levine’s Ghost Story Games: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-01-03/bioshock-creator-s-next-game-and-its-narrative-legos-in-turmoil

The two-hour Sarah Z Homestuck video that Kirk watched: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohFyOjfcLWQ&t=1518s

Music from Only Murders in the Building, composed by Siddhartha Khosla

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It's time! Kirk, Jason, and Maddy revisit their predictions for 2021, determine who won the big bet (and what game they'll all play this year), and then lay down some predictions for 2022.

One More Thing: 

Kirk: The Frustration of Wanting to Play Cyberpunk 2077

Maddy: Wordle

Jason: Final Fantasy XIV

Links:

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As we all say farewell (and good riddance) to 2021, it's time to go through the BEST games of the year!!! Kirk, Maddy, and Jason each break down their ten (or more) favorites, from Metroid Dread to The Great Ace Attorney.

KIRK'S LIST:

• Returnal
• Hitman 3
• Deathloop
• Inscryption
• Wildermyth
• Halo Infinite
• Death’s Door
• Metroid Dread
• Psychonauts 2
• Monster Hunter Rise
• Subnautica: Below Zero
• Outer Wilds: Echoes of the Eye

MADDY'S LIST:

• Metroid Dread
• Chicory: A Colorful Tale
• Psychonauts 2
• Wildermyth
• Halo Infinite
• Unpacking
• Outer Wilds: Echoes of the Eye
• FF7 Remake Intergrade
• Overboard!
• Inscryption

[Honorable Mention: Deathloop, Get in the car loser]

JASON'S LIST:

• Overboard!
• The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles
• Psychonauts 2
• The Forgotten City
• Metroid Dread
• Bravely Default 2
• Tales of Arise
• Deathloop
• The House in Fata Morgana
• Outer Wilds: Echoes of the Eye

One More Thing: 

Kirk: Yellowjackets

Maddy: Dark Souls

Jason: Hawkeye

Links:

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