Ever wonder why so few games include features like, say, Shadow of Mordor's Nemesis system, or minigames you can play during loading events? It's because they are or were locked behind patents - and this week, Jesse "Street Cleaner" Bishop joins us to talk about five such features - as well as the launch of Street Cleaner 3. Then we'll get into Monster Hunter Wilds, Two Point Museum, Everhood 2, the reveal of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4, and your personal feelings about game demos.

Question of the Week: If it weren't patent-protected, what game or series do you think could benefit from something like the Nemesis system?

Break song is It Ain't Safe by Street Cleaner & NormallyRetro. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

Landing a celebrity to star in your game is usually a huge deal - but like a lot of things, celebrities can go bad over time, turning their games into weird cultural artifacts with unpleasant associations. This week, Anthony Abatte joins us to talk about five games with stars who probablly seemed like a great idea at the time, after which we'll get into Street Cleaner 3, Steam Next Fest, Monolith's closure, and the games you'd like to see do a pirate-themed sequel.

Question of the Week: With Steam Next Fest launching a ton of demos onto the service, do you typically play demos to sample games, or do you just jump right in and buy ones you’re interested in? (And did you have a favorite from Next Fest?)

Break song is Although the Sky by Dorkus64. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

With Avowed's launch casting a spotlight on Obsidian this week, we got to thinking about the studio's unique trajectory, and so Trone Dowd — who reviewed Avowed for Inverse — joins us to talk about about studios who got nudged off series they created (for whatever reason), and used their ideas to make something new (but familiar). We'll also get into Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza Pirate in Hawaii, the Street Fighter movie's new director, Nintendo discontinuing the Gold Points program, and the obscure games you'd like to see return via a streaming service.

Question of the Week: Zelda did it. Assassin’s Creed did it. Yakuza did it. What game series should take to the high seas for a pirate adventure next?

Break song is Fly Me To The Moon (∞ Climax Mix) by Bart Howard and Helena Noguerra. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

Mikel's away this week, so Matt and Chris (with accompanying soundboard) invited the Welcome to the Thing crew to break format a bit with a top 5 that doesn't focus so much on games, but rather game distribution services, technologies, and platforms old and new -- the cable companies of games, if you will. After that, we talk about Civilization VII, more Rift of the Necrodancer, and break down all the big news from this week's State of Play. It's a fun one, we promise! (Did we mention Chris is manning the soundboard this week?)

Question of the Week: What obscure or impossible-to-play game do you want to be playable on modern platforms?

Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

Hero-ing can be a thankless business (apart from all the improbable material rewards for rescuing hapless villagers or whatever), so it's uplifting when games try to show you've made a difference by bringing back all the friends you've made and people you've helped to support you in the final hour. TL Foster of Welcome to the Thing joins us to talk about five of our favorite such moments, after which we'll get into Kingdom Come: Deliverance II, Rift of the NecroDancer, Sniper Elite: Resistance, news from the Capcom Spotlight, and the times you've gone full "dark side" in games.

Question of the Week: What’s your least favorite gaming trend that wore out its welcome quickly?

Break song is MGMT - Kids But It's September By Earth, Wind & Fire by William Maranci Mashups. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

Sometimes it's really empowering to embody a pissed-off rage junkie, the kind of human chainsaw who can charge wildly into every confrontation and savagely batter everything in their path. This week, Jesse Cox joins us for a look at five games that let you do exactly that. Then we'll get our hands bloody with Ninja Gaiden II Black and Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap, discover Shady Part of Me, Virtua Fighter 5 REVO, and Eternal Strands, and talk about GTA 6 news, the Microsoft Developer Direct, and your favorite videogame prequels.

Question of the Week: Have you ever enjoyed going full "dark side" in a game, whether because of a linear story, moral choices, or just free-form sadism (a la Sims)? Tell us about it.

Break song is Berserker by Love Among Freaks. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

Last week's release of Dynasty Warriors Origins inspired us to spend this episode looking at five of the best games to bear one of the industry's most-overused words in their titles (Origins, of course). Then we'll get into Lonely Mountains: Snow Riders, reactions to the Switch 2 reveal, Marvel Snap getting temporarily swallowed by the TikTok ban, and the earliest games you remember adding to your backlog.

Question of the Week: What's your favorite prequel and/or origin-story game?

Break song is Black Betty/Castle Rock (as performed in Rayman Legends). Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

Some release dates loom especially large in videogame history (mostly because they factored heavily into marketing), and this week Anthony Abatte joins us as our first guest of 2025 to talk about five of the most significant ones. Then we'll get into Dynasty Warriors Origins, Hyper Light Breaker, the DICE Awards nominees, and the gaming innovations you think are the most important, 

Question of the Week: What's the first game you remember adding to your backlog?

Break song is Supersonics by The Presidents of the United States of America. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

The announcements at CES (and their heavy push toward AI) this week inspired us to resurrect the debate-format Top 5 to decide what the five most important technical innovations in gaming are. Did we get it right? Probably not, but you can tell us what we missed. Then we'll get into Sony's freshly announced slate of game adaptations, alleged Nintendo leaks, and the games you're most looking forward to in 2025.

Question of the Week: What do you think is the most important innovation in gaming?

Break song is Push a Little Button by Ninette. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

We're a quarter of the way into the 21st century, and kicking off a new year of shows the way we always do: with a look ahead to the five announced games we're looking forward to the most. Then we'll get into January's PS+ games, how Riot measures Arcane's success, and your personal Games of the Year for 2024.

Question of the Week: What upcoming game are you most looking forward to in 2025?

Break song is Love is a Long Road by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.