Unlocked

Xbox boss Phil Spencer reaffirms his commitment to supporting the Japanese game market and Japanese-developed games. We discuss what needs to happen and what we'd like to see. Plus: our impressions of Big Team Battle in Halo Infinite's second weekend of multiplayer test flight #2, and more!

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Two big topics dominate this week's episode. First and foremost is our recap and analysis of the first weekend of the second Halo Infinite multiplayer test flight. We were all incredibly impressed by what 343 has put together so far. And second, we discuss the unexpected news that Square Enix-owned Crystal Dynamics, makers of Tomb Raider, will be partnering with Microsoft's The Initative studio on development of Perfect Dark. Join us!

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Battlefield 2042's short delay has set up a heck of a Fall/holiday season for first-person shooter fans. We discuss each of the five major FPS games out between now and the end of the year: Far Cry 6, Back 4 Blood, Call of Duty: Vanguard, the aforementioned Battlefield 2042, and Halo Infinite. And please welcome back guest panelist NeoGameSpark!

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Beloved original Xbox classic Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (aka KOTOR) is back as...a timed PlayStation 5 exclusive? We discuss the strange circumstances of this long-awaited revival, from the exclusivity deal to the developer behind it and more. Plus: we get psyched for Halo Infinite's next multiplayer test flight, Grand Theft Auto 5's next-gen edition gets delayed, and more!

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Alan Wake is back and we are incredibly excited. Will this lead to the long-awaited sequel? We discuss... Plus: it's time to give Psychonauts 2 its flowers after an incredible journey that began in the early days of the original Xbox, so we do just that on this episode. Also: Miranda's "meh" reaction to Call of Duty: Vanguard's multiplayer beta, and more!

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Halo Infinite finally has a release date, and it's not what any of us would've guessed. We analyze what the December date may or may not mean, celebrate both the unsurprising special-edition Halo controller and the definitely-surprising special-edition Halo Infinite Xbox One, discuss the negative reaction to the Saints Row reboot, give our hands-on impressions of Far Cry 6, and more!

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We recorded this episode live immediately following the Xbox Showcase at Gamescom. We discuss why we thought this was a poor overall showing for Xbox due to pacing and notable game absences like Halo Infinite, Bright Memory Infinite, Scorn, and CrossfireX. But we also go over the really cool stuff, like the Forza Horizon 5 custom controller, xCloud coming to console, new indies like Midnight Fight Express, and more!

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A credible rumor suggests that Rockstar is preparing to release an Unreal Engine remaster of the Grand Theft Auto 3/Vice City/San Andreas trilogy. We discuss the technical side of that, the financial side of it, which one we're most excited to dive back into, and more. Plus: a spoiler-free discussion of the latest Xbox exclusive, Twelve Minutes, now that the review embargo has lifted, our thoughts on Call of Duty apparently going back to WWII once again for Call of Duty: Vanguard, and more!

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Xbox announces its big Gamescom event. We make our predictions for what we think we're going to see, along with what we think we might not see at this particular event. Plus: our highlights from the second Xbox Twitch indie showcase, Dead Space's maybe-earlier-than-expected release date, what we want from Trey Parker and Matt Stone's new South Park game, what Mass Effect: Legendary Edition's strong sales mean for Mass Effect 4, and more!

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It was a big weekend for Xbox. In this episode we break down the different modes and experiences we tried in the Halo Infinite tech preview, share thoughts on The Ascent, and explore the question that will never die: does Halo need a Battle Royale?

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