Waypoint Radio

Rob, Patrick, and Cado come together on this Keighly’s Eve to talk about the things that, well, The Game Awards probably won’t talk about. We catch up with the continuing stories coming out of Activision-Blizzard, and the current strike and strike fund to combat against horrible working conditions and the layoffs that happened at Raven Software. After the break, Rob and Cado are taking to the stars in CHOPVS. Er, sorry CHORVS. Wait no, I’m hearing word that it’s actually Chorus? An arcady open world space shooter with some questionable marketing decisions around their name, but some pretty fun (well for Cado at least) arcady space shooting action. Patrick’s been diving into the XBOX Demo Festival and checked out a few new games, and Rob is playing a game from 2017 that he didn’t know had been unlisted from the store, Forza Motorsport 7. Then we take a quick dip in the question bucket to see how deep the roast-your-own-coffee rabbit hole goes.Discussed: Activision-Blizzard 4:13, Chorus 34:36, Xbox Demo Fest 57

Patrick is falling dangerously close to a genre he swears he’ll never touch… MOBAs. He’s been checking out Arcane, but instead of talking about it, Natalie, Rob, and Cado derail him into an extended news segment? Then, Cado’s living his best hacker life in Midnight Protocol, a tactical hacking game you control completely from a command line prompt. After the break, Patrick is back on his platforming bullshit with Solar Ash, the new game from developer Heart Machine that’s one part Jet Set Radio, one part Shadow of Colossus, and a whole bunch of parts awesome. Rob’s rallying the troops in Company of Heroes 3 multiplayer alpha, the latest in the storied RTS franchise which is now getting a little bit better about giving newer players tools for learning. Then we dip into the question bucket and get to the bottom of Who is dune?Discussed: Midnight Protocol 19:14, Solar Ash 37:42, Company of Heroes 3 45:47, The Question Bucket 1:09:34  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We’re back! After our half week break we’re here and ready to talk about… HDMI splitters and their accidental “perks” if you know what I’m saying. Of course a story about a TV from Patrick was going to lead us into an entire segment on the structure of our entertainment systems and how hard it is to digitally back up our physical media collections. Then, Patrick has wrapped up the end of Unpacking, and find that thankfully the game didn’t skew as dark as he once feared it might. After the break, Cado has been checking out Get In The Car, Loser!, an RPG that tells the story of a queer road trip to defeat the Machine Devil while the Divine Order is on your tail, with an interesting Valkyrie Profile-esq battle system and hilarious writing. Rob on the other hand, has more questions than answers as he dives once more into the world of Sherlock Holmes with Frogware’s Sherlock Holmes Chapter One. Watson is a ghost? You have to equip your thoughts??? Then we round out the pod with a dive into the question bucket with

Well folks, it’s come to this. Through highs and lows, Impacts and Near Impacts, Fantastic Fights and Groan inducing Fan service, the time has come to put a cap on our time with Neon Genesis Evangelion. Join as special guest Gita Jackson joins Rob, Patrick, Austin, and Cado to talk about the final impact this series has had on each of us, both intellectually and emotionally, both positively and negatively. It’s time to say goodbye.This podcast is brought to you by Waypoint Plus.We're offering 25% off annual subscriptions to Waypoint+ between Friday, November 26th and Monday, November 29th. Just go to vice.com/waypoint and apply code WAYPOINTHOLIDAY.If you’re upgrading from monthly to annual just be sure to click "Already have an account? Sign in" at checkoutIf you’re giving as a gift to a friend or family member, go to vice.com/waypointgift and apply WAYPOINTHOLIDAY promo code for 25% off.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Join Austin, Patrick, Rob, and Cado as they re-enter and re-examine the world of Evangelion once again. What starts as something familiar begins to shift, has us asking why this work is revisited, what all the differences amount to, and where we think Evangelion might go from here.This podcast is brought to you by Waypoint Plus.We're offering 25% off annual subscriptions to Waypoint+ between Friday, November 26th and Monday, November 29th. Just go to vice.com/waypoint and apply code WAYPOINTHOLIDAY.If you’re upgrading from monthly to annual just be sure to click "Already have an account? Sign in" at checkoutIf you’re giving as a gift to a friend or family member, go to vice.com/waypointgift and apply WAYPOINTHOLIDAY promo code for 25% off.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We’ve got some real chaos energy on this pod, so get ready! We sprinkle emails in amongst some games we’re playing, like Patrick checking out the orb game Exo One, a chill game about being a space orb that is sometimes not an orb. Natalie and Cado have been checking out Voice of Cards, the card based RPG that maybe didn’t need to be card based at all. Rob is suffering through his time with Battlefield 2042, wondering if a co-op crew might be the answers to his multiplayer woes. Then we fully dive into the Question Bucket to figure out some fast food drive through faux pas, getting into Team Fortress 2 in the year of our lord 2021, and what Class Archetypes the crew kins.Discussed: Exo One 10:24, Voice of Cards: The Dragon Isle Roars 22:16, Dungeon Encounters 37:41, Battlefield 2042 48:59, The Question Bucket 1:08:19  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Rob, Patrick, and Cado gather today to talk about the allegations of abuse at Activision-Blizzard. They discuss the ways corporate structures aid abusers, the possibility of ousting Bobby Kotick, and what levers of power workers have to enact lasting change. Then we go stream spoiler mode for Inscryption, the digital card game that ends up being more than meets the eye. After the break, Patrick checks in with Halo Infinite, the latest Halo game from 343 Industries, which takes the Halo franchise open world for the first time. Then Cado and Patrick have a quick check in with Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, a game that is harder than Cado remembers, and uglier than Patrick would like.Discussed: Abuse at Activision-Blizzard 1:08, Inscryption 33:47, Inscryption Stream Spoilers 35:17, Xbox Response to Activision 56:06, Halo Infinite 1:05:18, Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl 1:33:02  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Today we are sharing an episode from one of VICE's newest series -- A Show About Animals. This season, we tell the strange and wonderful story of the wildly famous Koko the “talking” Gorilla. In the early 1970s, a grad student named Penny Patterson set out to investigate a big question: is language unique to humans? So she begins an ambitious experiment -- with the help of a young gorilla named Koko. Pretty soon, Penny says Koko is learning sign language. But, of course, that’s not the whole story. You can listen to our weekly series, A Show About Animals, in all the places you get your podcasts. A Show About Animals is hosted and reported by Arielle Duhaime-Ross and produced by Julia Nutter and Pete Lang-Stanton. Our associate producer is Leily Rezvani. Sound design and original score by Pran Bandi, with additional support from Steve Bone. Annie Aviles is our executive editor. Our executive producer and VP of Vice Audio is Kate Osborn. Special thanks to Maximo Anderson for fact-check

Natalie and Rob went on a tear through Inscryption on last week’s stream, and so now the whole crew has to talk about how awesome this game is. Then special guest Austin Walker joins Cado and Patrick to talk through their time in the Elden Ring network test, and try to contain their hype as they discuss what worked and what questions still remain unanswered about the full game. After the break, the crew talks about the first two episodes of Otherside Picnic, the Roadside Picnic inspired anime about two women who find each other (and quite possibly themselves) in a creepypasta infused version of The Zone.Discussed: Inscryption 3:30, Elden Ring 26:32, Xbox Back Compatibility 1:02:09, Otherside Picnic 1:05:13, Shin Megami Tensei V 1:42:36, Question Bucket 1:45:25  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The crew is fully on their bullshit this week, some of it good, some of it great, and some utterly disappointing. First up, Cado is becoming the pilot he always hoped he could be in Mobile Suit Gundam Battle Operation: Code Fairy, a game about a group of young women that form a secret elite squad of Zeon pilots that were always just off to the side of the original Gundam anime’s story. It’s got a convincing weight to it that has Cado chomping at the bit to play the next volume (or maybe hop into the multiplayer game it’s mechanics come from). Patrick regales us mere mortals with tales of his time in Elden Ring, the upcoming From Soft open world game. He’s enjoyed his time checking out all sorts of fun bullshit in the surprisingly dense world. After the break, Rob is back from an extremely uneven review event for Battlefield 2042. Even looking past the technical issues the event had, the main game modes he played left a lot to be desired, that is until DICE let him at Battlefield: Portal, a build your own game

The Waypoint Radio crew welcomes Motherboard senior editor Jordan Pearson onto the show to talk about gaming NFTs. We discuss how some of the current trends portend a grim future, the NFT games that already exist and how they operate, and what a AAA developer might do with this technology. Come along and listen as we collectively stare into the abyss! After the break, Rob, Patrick, and Cado talk about two recent sci-fi epics: Foundation and Dune, and how they both tackle the way empires oppress people on different timescales.Discussed: Games and NFTs 5:19, Foundation and Dune 53:00  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We’ve got an extra beefy episode today, because guess what, it’s JRPG time! Gita Jackson joins the pod to talk Shin Megami Tensei V, a game we totally don’t call “the dark souls of Pokemon” in any serious way but it was too cursed to not get out of my head I’m sorry. It is, however, a traditional JRPG in a lot of ways that most other franchises have moved on from, for better and for worse. After the break, Rob and Patrick have been revving up their engines in the new Forza Horizon 5. Patrick is enjoying it as a first time Horizon player but Rob has a bone to pick both with some electronic break models and the ghost of Cado’s drivatar haunting his races. After the outro stick around to hear Patrick and Cado, then Patrick and Austin, gush over the 15 minute Elden Ring gameplay video. #potboygangDiscussed: Shin Megami Tensei V 9:32, Forza Horizon 5 52:35, Darkest Dungeon II 1:29:59, Question Bucket 1:36:58, The Elden Ring Minute 1:58:50  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We’re back and boy, do we have GAMES to talk about! Natalie is taking the traditional Animal Crossing walk of shame, as all her villagers berate her for being gone so long, but the real problem with being away for so long is much worse, and flower shaped, and might have its roots in some real life, uh, tendencies that everyone except Patrick share. Patrick is finding time for gaming with his kid in Zookeeper World, a solid match three game. Rob has the answers to all of our organizational worries, just play hybrid Basebuilder/ARPG Riftbreaker, at least you can make a neatly organized base! Natalie and Cado have been having pretty different experiences with Eastward, a beautifully produced action RPG that shines in it’s world building and story but lacks something in its combat. Patrick has been bitten by the Inscryption bug, he and Cado try their best to communicate how cool the game is without any major spoilers, and Natalie and Rob may have been intrigued by this discussion enough to stream it. Then, Natali

Rob, Patrick, and Cado are joined by special guest Yussef Cole to talk about Guardians of the Galaxy, a surprisingly not horrible action game that has flown over expectations by being just … fine. Patrick and Yussef break down the game’s workable combat, and the way side stories let these characters breath in a way the movies don’t. After the break, Rob has been enjoying a dip into history, both his own and that of medieval Europe in Age of Empires IV, an RTS that not only throws back the clock with its setting, but some of it’s RTS design choices as well. Cado has finally finished Metroid Dread, and is about as high on the movement and combat as he is low on the overall map structure. This leads us into a discussion over MercurySteam's crediting practices and labor practices across the industry.Discussed: Guardians of the Galaxy 2:54, Age of Empires IV 54:11, Metroid Dread 1:23:28, Labor in the Games Industry 1:33:55  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The bucket calls to us, and we must answer. We’re doing a heft dive into the question bucket today, but first! We hit some news stories, like “Does Tom Holland Age?” and “Hey, wtf is up at Bungie?” Patrick is also getting back into VR with Resident Evil 4 VR. After the break, we take a quick look at the trailer for Haunted Chocolatier, the newly announced game from the creator of Stardew Valley, and get into the new home Chocolatier fad that Rob has the skinny on. Then we dive into the question bucket to answer some questions about… well fish, that’s why we’re diving obviously. Discussed: News 5:06, VR 36:01, Resident Evil 4 VR 40:47, Question Bucket 1:04:34  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It’s a new Monday in October, which means we’re one week closer to the spooky apex of the season. We’re slowly ratcheting up the spookiness this week by immersing ourselves in S.T.A.L.K.E.R: Shadow of Chernobyl. We discuss the early game as Patrick continues to play on stream, and we start to reach some of the scarier moments of the game. Rob is being Rob by reaching back in time to play Medal of Honor Airborne, a game that has Rob considering a path that Military FPS games could’ve taken in a different world. Cado’s playing … well a roguelike deck builder of course. Inscryption is his game of choice for this spooky season, with some immaculate scary vibes, even though it’s missing one or two Content Warnings up front. After the break, Rob, Patrick, and Cado wrap up their Ted Lasso discussion and hit on the “surprise” villain of season two, and just how off the extra episodes ended up landing for us.Discussed: S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 1:40, Medal of Honor Airborne 13:56, Inscryption 21:37, Elechead 41:50, Ted Lasso 46:

The WPR crew is back from their day off on Monday recharged and ready to discuss the finer points of … the best way to make a PB&J. The crew talks about their time with Back 4 Blood, the new iteration on the Left 4 Dead formula made by some of the people who created it. While it has an uneven first showing, as with most co-op games it’s often better with friends. After the break, Natalie and Cado dive into their time with Deltarune Chapter 1+2, and discuss the ways the game continues to play with themes set up in Undertale in new ways. Then, Rob is colliding into his past as a matchbox kid by checking out Hot Wheels Unleashed, an almost too brutal arcade racer that has a bizarre home decoration component? And Patrick wraps up his time with Kena: Bridge of Spirits, and finds the back half challenging in a satisfying way that the first half was not.Discussed: Back 4 Blood 13:42, World Flipper 43:18, Deltarune 50:30, Hot Wheels Unleashed 1:04:13, Kena: Bridge of Spirits 1:25:01  See acast.com/priva

The fall game season is in full swing! Gita is on today's pod to talk all things Remedy, but first! We talk about Far Cry 6 and the Ubisoft franchise fatigue so many of us have felt at one point or another. Patrick has been checking out Metroid Dread, a good game that is limited by the conventions that the Metroid franchise introduced to games as a whole. After the break, Gita has been diving back into the world of Alan Wake Remastered, and ended up taking a tour through many other Remedy games. Then there's the Cado Destiny Minute, where they discuss the new vaulting announcement and how Destiny 2 is one of the only MMOs that gets rid of content.Discussed: Far Cry 6 1:15, Metroid Dread 32:24, Alan Wake Remastered 56:38, Destiny 2 Vaulting 1:34:06  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The SPOOKS never end! The podcast is haunted by the spirits of Waypoints past, and one particularly tenacious intern is making a surprise appearance! Natalie is back on Waypoint Radio today to talk about her Waypoint hiatus, how she was briefly in the world of e-sports, and her current job in game dev. Then the whole crew dives into the question bucket to talk buying the same game multiple times, moon trips, and favorite life hacks. Oh also Rob played a Poirot mystery game.Discussed: Death Stranding 28:44, Agatha Christie: Hercule Poirot - The First Cases 37:22, The Question Bucket 48:23  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

WE'RE TAKING OVER! Special Guest Cameron Kunzelman was lured him onto the podcast to supposedly talk about Sable, which he reviewed for Waypoint but instead Patrick took it upon himself to take over Just King Things and rebrand it "KingPoint." Listen as the crew dives into everything Steven King, and who knows, we might even talk about a few video games.Discussed: Sable 6:58, Unsighted 52:36, Demon's Souls 58:02, The Question Bucket 1:02:12  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.