PlayStation Plus Game Club

PlayStation Plus Game Club

di ThePortlandKevin
Stagione 4
Until Dawn w/ The Game Dame
Kevin is joined by Kristen (TheGameDame on Twitch) to talk about Supermassive's first and arguably best “horror movie” game, Until Dawn. This episode covers both the original 2015 PS4 version and the 2024 PS5 remake by Ballistic Moon. They start off by talking about what made this particular game so special when it first released and how it took a niche genre and elevated it. They list off which characters and actors they love, hate, and absolutely love to hate. Then they rank this up against the other Supermassive games like Little Hope and House Of Ashes and recommend which ones you should play or skip. To wrap things up they go through a quick spoiler-filled breakdown of the story and list off which characters had some of the worst deaths in the game. Again, this covers both the original PS4 version and the remake on PS5, and we hope you enjoy this dive back into Until Dawn.
Skate Story w/ Nick Hyett-Schnell and FatePrime
Nick Hyett-Schnell and Brady (FatePrime) join Kevin to talk about Skate Story, a single developer game from Sam Eng that was released in December of last year. This episode is definitely not a spoilercast, but they do try to make sense of the story for a few minutes. They instead focus on the tone the game sets with its kaleidoscopic art style and laid back music by the band Blood Cultures. They cover their favorite songs, tricks, and decks to skate with. They also note how well the game mimics the feeling of owning a board and making it your own. Skate Story captured the essence of skate culture and this episode is all about how the game got it so right.
Metal Eden w/ Kenny Albanese and FatePrime
Kenny Albanese and Brady (FatePrime) join Kevin To talk about Metal Eden, a stylish and fast boomer shooter that came out just last year. First they talk about what they love about the core gameplay loop of shooting, running, and punching their way through hoards of enemies. They recognize how it features so many different aspects of some of the best shooters in the past few years, but it shows that the small team at Reikon Games knew what made all of those parts special. The three of them take a few minutes to try to make sense of the story, but even after a few playthroughs they still have a hard time piecing it together. That’s not important though because what really matters is the gameplay and how much fun they had, even if there were a few bugs. They each have their own glitchy stories and some are much worse than others. Looking past those bugs is very easy though because they all agree that almost every weapon in the game is arguably a favorite and has a place in the regular rotation. There is a lot they all have to say about Metal Eden and if you haven’t played it, we hope their enthusiastic discussion spurs you to try it. Give ‘em hell, Hyper.
The Invincible w/ Josh Demaris and Jordan Vickers
This time Kevin has Josh from the Trophy Talk Podcast and Jordan from The Sage Temple on to talk about The Invincible, a game based on the book of the same name by Stanislaw Lem. They start by talking about their first impressions of the game and how it wasn’t what any of them were expecting. They have a general discussion and review of the game, and then provide a few recommendations similar to it. After that they go through an in-depth breakdown of the entire story of the game and all the surprising reveals it has in store. They also have a deep discussion of which of the eleven different endings could be the one true ending, and what the implications of it mean. Thanks for listening and we hope you enjoy this analysis of The Invincible.
Gris w/ Kenny Albanese and TheGreenGorillaGamer
In this episode Kevin talks with Kade (@TheGreenGorillaGamer) and newcomer to the show Kenny Albanese about the beautiful game Gris from Nomada Studio. They break down the game from how it performs as a video game and an art piece, and then go through all of the elements that make up their arguments. They cover the meanings behind the game’s themes and then dive deep into how each chapter illustrates those meanings on various levels. They then each reveal their interpretation of the ending and how it fits into the artistic perspective the game presents. You’ll also hear a few hot takes throughout the episode, but don’t grab your pitchforks just yet. Just like all great art, this game can be seen in many different ways, and no interpretation is wrong.
Thank Goodness You're Here w/ FauxRambo and KingK6969
Thank goodness you’re here to catch another episode of the PS Plus Game Club! This time Kevin has KingK6969(Kyle) and FauxRambo(Ben) both from the Trophy Talk Discord to talk about the very funny game out of Yorkshire, England, Thank Goodness You’re Here. After a quick overview of the game’s mechanics, they get into what makes this unique game so special: the humor. They each talk about their favorite gags and running jokes while occasionally (poorly) imitating some of their favorite characters. You’ll hear all about what they loved in this game and what made them laugh the hardest. We hope you enjoy their review of the trip everyone should take to Barnsworth in Thank Goodness You’re Here.
Somerville w/ FatePrime
To kick off the new year Brady (FatePrime) joins the show to talk about Somerville, the first game from the indie studio Jumpship. Many on the Jumpship development team come from another indie studio, Playdead, who were famous for making Limbo and Inside, so you might recognize many elements of those famous games here. To start the show Both Kevin and Brady describe what made those early games so special and how they see the DNA of them in Somerville. Then they cover some of the puzzles that either fascinated or frustrated them and some of their favorite story moments in a semi-spoilery fashion. Near the end Brady posits a theory that helps make sense of all five possible endings and what they mean for the overall story of the game. We wish you a happy new year and hope you enjoy this discussion about just a regular guy trying to survive an alien invasion in Somerville.
Stagione 3
Blue Prince w/ Gary Scott and Jordan Vickers
Earlier this year Jordan Vickers recommended Blue Prince and Kevin sits down with him and newcomer to the podcast Gary Scott to extensively talk about it. If you’re afraid of being spoiled by anything in the game, don’t worry. After playing Blue Prince, they all agree that there is so much in here to discover that it’s hard to spoil everything and their discussion only briefly touches on the story elements of the game. This is more a collection of their own stories of exploring the Mount Holly Estate, finding our own paths to Room 46, and what else we discover after reaching it. The things they talk about may sound like nonsense to those who haven’t played the game, but even if you have, it may still confound you. This discussion may make the game sound like a very daunting puzzle, but be assured that Blue Prince feels much more relaxed and casual than you might think. The three of them recommend this game if you like puzzle boxes, board games, and mysteries. You can obsess over all of the details of every room with a corkboard and string like Gary did, or you can just take everything as it comes. Kevin recommends a small notebook to keep track of some of those more obtuse clues or if you discover a puzzle that spans the entire layout of your house. Speaking of discoveries, during this episode all three of them reveal something about the game that the others didn’t know. Kevin found a satellite dish for the house, Jordan may have discovered an extra safe to crack, and Gary suspected that a small animal was the key to everything. All of this proves our suspicions that there is always something more to discover in Blue Prince.
Sword of the Sea w/ TheSlyGCooper and MaXximumCARNAGE
Max from the Mooglecast and Gary from the Platinum Achievements Podcast slide in to talk about the newest artistic release from indie developer and publisher Giant Squid. Their game Sword of the Sea evoked feelings for all three of them in different ways. Max opens up his first impression thoughts with a point that neither Kevin nor Gary picked up on and it completely changes how they view an essential element of the game. They talk about how the art style, music, and gameplay make this more of an art experience than a game, and why it’s meant to be experienced by absolutely anyone. They also note how this game retains many elements that appear in the developers’ previous games and how the new pieces introduced in this game fit surprisingly well with them. They talk about the minimal story and a few ways to interpret it. Lastly they all talk about the extra challenges that a player can tackle if they want to earn the trophies and how all three of them had different experiences overcoming them - collectibles, no-damage fights, and speed-runs. We hope you enjoy this episode of a short but excellent piece of art. Bonus points if you start this episode with a speed-run of the game and roll the credits before the episode ends.
House of Ashes w/ Madeline Stanley
Madeline Stanley returns to talk with Kevin about what is arguably the best of the Dark Pictures series, House of Ashes. They first cover why they both love the “movie” style games and how Supermassive has perfected this sub-genre. They also talk about some of their favorite horror movies and games that this reminds us of and why any fans of those examples will love House of Ashes. Then they get into a full-on spoiler cast where they break down every major story beat. Along the way they explain who their favorite characters are, which characters have the most memorable relationships, and who has the best action-movie one-liners. They also discuss what makes the monsters in House of Ashes so special and how Supermassive has once again subverted our expectations of what the danger was. Surprise! It’s not exactly what you think it is.
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