Waypoint Radio

It's finally happened. Austin Walker has finally finished Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn. Which means he's only got 100 quests to go before getting to the first expansion! Rob, Austin, and Patrick have all dove into The Outer Worlds, and they get deep into spoiler territory for the first area in the game, it's various choices, and how they play out in the long run. After the break we have on Motherboards Emanuel Maiberg to discuss the new Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, the spectacle it presents, and the forever war. Then we check in with Luigi's Mansion 3, a game about acquiring large amounts of wealth for no particular reason.Discussed: Super Mario Maker 2 0:33, Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn 7:36, The Outer Worlds 15:44, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 1:09:03, Luigi's Mansion 3 2:25:47  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The walls of the Embargo Zone are starting to crumble. Rob is back from Paradox Con and he's got some great stories to tell. No, not about Paradox games, but about... an anti-socialist game in a Berlin museum? Then, Austin and Rob have both been playing The Outer Wil... Worlds, the new fallout-like from Obsidian games. We then discuss the recent slew of delays, making spring 2020 suddenly an extremely crowded time. Cado and Austin drop by the MMOzone to talk about the crystals in Final Fantasy XIV, and the "shortcuts" you can take to get to the Waking Sands.Discussed: Paradox Con 1:09, The Outer Worlds 14:53, The Last of Us 2 Delay 1:18:25, Crusader Kings III 1:30:14, MMO minute 1:41:04, Death Stranding 1:50:21, A Bewitching Revolution 1:51:22, Sea Salt 1:55:26  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Rob went to Paradox Con and was able to snag an interview with Johan Anderson, Creative Director at Paradox Development Studio. They talk about the company's IPO, failed game systems, his creative goals, and his long career making grand strategy games.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Embargo Zone continues, but luckily our question bucket overfloweth! First up, we touch on the letter from a handful of congress people to Blizzard, and the new kerfuffle regarding Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore in Japan. Austin and Cado take a MMOment to talk about their time in Final Fantasy XIV this past weekend, and Patrick has played more Valfaris. Then we take another dip into the question bucket, which it turns out was full of kickle juice. We take a break in the middle of all that to dunk on Michael Pachter and the ESA.Discussed: Tokyo Mirage Sessions FE Encore 7:51, Watchmen 13:52, Final Fantasy XIV 21:29, Valfaris 43:39, Question Bucket 46:47, Michael Pachter 1:10:15, Question Bucket 2 1:18:05  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We’ve got a real bucket-full of questions from our listeners this week, but first! Austin has been playing more Card of Darkness, and is starting to see stacks everywhere he goes. Cado dipped back into Life is Strange 2, and found a surprising look at the complex backgrounds that make up Latinidad. Patrick has been running his mind through the gravity-bending Manifold Garden. Then, we answer your questions, from pizza preferences to fantasy archetypes, we'll answer 'em all!Discussed: Card of Darkness 10:16, Life is Strange 2 16:45, Manifold Garden 26:10, Luigi's Mansion 3 36:00, Question Bucket 46:22  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

You have now entered THE EMBARGO ZONE. Most of the crew is playing new things they can't talk about yet, so we spend some time talking about The Mangler, a movie about a ... laundry folding machine? That's possessed by demon energy? Luckily, Austin played a game out of embargo, Disco Elysium, a CRPG with interesting mechanics but a fuzzy point of view. Patrick has been playing more Valfaris, the Metal album art inspired Contra-like, and Cado is still playing Indivisible, where he's made a new friend with a badass pirate. Then we have our MMO Minutes as Cado and his team of community Raiders have finished the new Destiny 2 Raid, and Austin has unlocked his new job as a Bard in Final Fantasy XIV.Discussed: Disco Elysium 28:55, Divinity Fallen Heros 1:11:58, Valfaris 1:13:51, Indivisible 1:20:48, Destiny 2 Shadowkeep 1:29:22, Final Fantasy XIV 1:30:52  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We're finally at the end of this long ass week. Rob is back from vacation to talk through his Ghost Recon: Breakpoint review, and the general reaction to that game. Austin checks back in with Final Fantasy XIV and the grind to the DLC. After the break, Cado and Austin have been checking out the tactical John Wick Hex, while Patrick has been fighting a fever in bed while playing Grindstone. Then we have a lengthy news section going over the PS5 announcement and Blizzard's response to the recent slew of Hong Kong protests from Hearthstone players.Discussed: Ghost Recon: Breakpoint 1:22 , Final Fantasy XIV 14:31 , John Wick Hex 26:52 , Grindstone 38:47 , Warsaw 41:22 , Playstation 5 52:10 , Blizzard's reaction to the Hong Kong Protests 1:02:46  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The fall games season continues, server issues and all. Now that Austin has a bunch of free time, he's been seriously considering getting into that MMO that everyone's talking about... Final Fantasy XIV. Patrick tried out this other game you may have heard of, Destiny 2, and was immediately confused by the new player onboarding. Cado has been playing Indivisible alongside leveling for the new Destiny raid, a new "metroidvania-ish" "jrpg" with a really neat combat system and solid writing. Patrick's data-cap situation is getting out of hand, luckily the "iron maiden cover turned contra" game Valfaris wasn't too big of a download.Discussed: Final Fantasy XIV, Destiny 2: New Light, Indivisible, Valfaris, Pilgrims, Apple Arcade Games, Data-caps, Untitled Goose Game  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Waypoint Radio crew is staying in the spooky spirit this week, as Cado reports back from the Moon (still haunted) in Destiny 2: Shadowkeep. Austin was going to try to join him, but he got spooked by the lack of clarity in Destiny's UI. Danielle brings us the horror of the gig economy in Neo Cab. Rob was both spooker and spookee in Ghost Recon: Breakpoint, a game with problematic story, but extremely compelling mechanics. And Patrick regales us with the horrors of ISP data caps!At the end of the podcast, we talk about a few big changes to the Waypoint Radio crew. Danielle is bidding farewell to her time at Vice, and Austin is stepping back from his editorial role. Austin will continue to host Waypoint Radio, but Danielle will be moving on to bigger and better things. We'll miss you, Danielle!  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

September is over and that means it’s time to get SPOOKY. The crew checks back in on Untitled Goose Game to ask the hard questions: does revolution ever really end? Rob’s getting into the spirit by playing Ghost Recon: Breakpoint as the Panther, which apparently is the stealth class if you weren’t aware. Austin is getting spooked by the terrors of urban planning in Mini-Motorway, and Patrick is having a surprisingly un-spooky time with the Switch Lite. Stick around after the outro for the weekly NFL check-in.Discussed: Untitled Goose Game, Ghost Recon: Breakpoint, Apple Arcade, What The Golf, Mini Motorway, Switch Lite, Close Combat: The Bloody First, Football  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

As the fall game’s deluge rages on, Rob Zacny’s got his sights set on the beach, and totally not at all on that one player that ruined a perfectly good race in GRID. Austin is exploring new biomes and getting loot in Cube World, a game that most people figured would never come out, but Austin always believed. Patrick’s been running out of gas in the post-apocalyptic Overland, and Cado is just waiting for Shadowkeep to finally drop.Discussed: Cube World, GRID, Overland, The Last of Us Part 2, Destiny 2:Shadowkeep, Link's Awakening  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Fall is finally here. The leaves are changing. There's a chill in the air. And the games harvest is plentiful. So plentiful, that Austin went back and played ... a racing game from 1990? He's got a contract out, can you help him understand the physics in F-Zero? Cado and Patrick then comisserate over the best god damn golf game of all time, Kirby's Dreamcourse. After the break, Patrick and Austin talk about the nuanced differences between EDM and pop music. Also Sayonara Wild Hearts. Austin talks about some game that has a goose in it, and Patrick takes us through his journey with Apple Arcade.Discussed: F-Zero, Super Mario Maker 2, Kirby's Dreamcourse, Link's Awakening, Sayonara Wild Hearts, Untitled Goose Game, Apple Arcade, Destiny 2, Google Play Pass  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Content Warning for discussion of Sexual Assault from approximately 1:52:00 - 2:07:00On this week's Waypoints, Austin watched all of Netflix's Mindhunter while he was on vacation and couldn't wait to talk about it with the rest of the crew. It's a look at the FBI during the late 70's, before the term "serial killer" existed, and how some of that methodology was invented. Rob brings us Arrival, Denis Villeneuve's 2016 movie about aliens landing on earth and language, communication, and trauma. Danielle visited Halloween Horror Nights and brings us the scoop on the design and craft of the various haunted houses. After the break, Austin, Patrick, and Rob discuss last week's NFL news, including a segment on Antonio Brown's sexual assault allegations.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Sometimes, despite all your best efforts, you fail. This week, Rob has the misfortune of sharing with us the sad tale of the Krummetses. A humble bread/pastry (breastry? Pastread?) born of misunderstandings and faulty equipment. Luckily, Patrick has had a little more luck with The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening, one of the weirder 2D Zelda games, finally dropping on Switch this week. Austin and Cado have been playing (surprise surprise) two new roguelike deckbuilders, Meteorfall: Krumit's Tale and Sign of the Sojourner, and Rob is still finding new surprises in Control. We regret to inform you: Cado will not be acquiring a destiny shirt this year.Discussed: Link's Awakening, Control, Meteorfall: Krumit's Tale, Sign of the Sojourner, Borderlands III, Mutazione, Kind Words, Destiny 2  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It's fall, and even if the weather doesn't know it, the games industry sure does. Austin takes a quick dip out from his vacation to join us on this episode and talk about mechs, as he's spent some of his vacation playing Daemon X Machina. Rob and Patrick have also been playing Greedfall, a game about colonizing an island. Cado has been playing Monster Hunter World: Iceborne, a game about colonizing an island. Then after the break we dive into the latest Pewdiepie scandal, the new Death Stranding trailer, and that wild Nintendo Fit Ring thing. Also Control still slaps.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Mild Kingdom Heart III spoilers from two minutes in through to 7 minutes in.We've got some BREAKING NEWS on this pod, there's a NEW KINGDOM HEARTS III DLC TRAILER OUT! Listen in as Danielle, Patrick, and Cado react live to the new trailer while Rob pours himself some 15 year old scotch. He then regales us with tales of his new enormous speakers as he gently swirls the drink in his hand, ice lightly clinking against the cold glass. Danielle brings us tales from the woods of Blair Witch, and how great the dog is, while Cado's dealing with the cold in Monster Hunter World: Iceborne. Patrick is nearing the end of Fire Emblem: Three Houses, and realizing how cordoned off the endgame is for the different houses. Then we take a dip in the question bucket, before Rob and Patrick spend 20 minutes talking about sports.Discussed: Kingdom Hearts III Re Mind, Blair Witch, Iceborne, Fire Emblem: Three Houses, Control  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

So, Rob somehow got the keys to Nintendo. The Nintendo Direct this week is evidence of that, and we do a pretty extensive overview of all the wild new things this Rob Zacny led Nintendo is getting up to. Patrick and Danielle give us a history of Deadly Premonition and how good/bad it is. Motherboard's own Emanuel Maiberg joins us to give us his thoughts on the Star Wars Jedi Knight competitive scene, as well as thoughts on Gears 5. Cado spends probably too much time defending Taco Bell. Discussed: Nintendo Direct, Deadly Premonition, Return of the Obra Dinn, Assassin's Creed, Pokemon, Doom 64, Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, SNES on Nintendo Switch Online, Gears 5, Blair Witch  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It's Madden season! Which means it's time for Patrick, Rob, and Austin to confront pro football and all its ugly contradictions and compromises. First, they're as shocked as anyone by the "in his prime" retirement of star quarterback Andrew Luck. But should they be? What does Luck's decision reveal about changing attitudes among football players toward the game they play? There's a class element to it as well, but that's even more salient with the crass partnership between Jay-Z and the NFL. The gang discuss how Jay-Z has helped the league "move on" from its embarrassing standoff with allegedly blackballed quarterback Colin Kaepernick, and why it's a move that makes all the sense in the world for billionaire like Jay-Z. Making somewhat less sense is the long fight Antonio Brown waged on behalf of a beloved helmet. It was an odd hill to die on but on the other hand, how important are helmets really to keeping players safe? Finally, Rob and Patrick spent the summer mesmerized by the Chicago Bears' unprecedented

Content Warning for discussions of Sexual Harassment and Sexual Assault - segment ends 27 minutes in.In the past week, we've seen a slew of survivors of sexual assault and harassment in the games industry take to social media to speak about their traumas. As this wave of accusations began, Motherboard's Lauren Kaori Gurley spoke with three of the survivors. She's joined by Danielle, Rob, Patrick, and Cado as they discuss sexual harassment in the workplace and the power dynamics that surround it.After the break, Danielle brings us the aptly seasonal Knights and Bikes, with a touch of nostalgia for times past and summer's end. Rob, Patrick, and Cado are playing Control, or is the game playing them? Then Patrick and Cado talk about the Pinball Roguelike Creature in the Well, and just how imprecise the Switch's analog sticks feel all of a sudden. Then we take a quick dip in the question bucket, and pour one out for all our lost save files.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Three major embargoes dropped today, so we're gonna dive straight in! Rob brings us his thoughts on Control, and how it's wild lore is integrated in a satisfying way, much more satisfying than Destiny, a game he hasn't played since 2017, that has totally stayed the same since then and not at all delivered on any of it's lore. [/s] Then Austin talks about the parts of Astral Chain that he can talk about, which apparently don't include some of his favorite missions because embargoes can be weird! Patrick checks back in with Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey. Cado played some Destiny, but you probably already knew that.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.