Video Games: Chris has finally decided it's time to talk about Shenmue 3, and asks the question on everyone's lips: can Shenmue survive in the modern world of gaming? Meanwhile, Dave has another games round up for us, starting off with Unheard, a detective game with an eavesdropping twist, and moves on to the Obsidian RPG The Outer Worlds (the less said the better), and goes back to enjoy the spectacular Witcher 3. Finally, Chris has a good chat about his new retro gaming console, the Retrostone 2, because Chris doesn't relive his childhood gaming enough apparently.
Enjoy!
Shenmue 3 (01:15)
Unheard (17:20)
The Outer Worlds (27:00)
Witcher 3 (29:05)
Retrostone 2 (38:00)
This episode hosted by Chris Hanratty and Dave McCreary
Music by the hosts, with Jokin Etxeberria
This episode produced by Chris Hanratty
Logo by Rebecca Horner
104 (VG) - 95 TON NOSTALGIA
It's the final episode of 2018, and video games are on the festive menu. Pawel spins a yarn about the high risk nature of future capitalism in Battletech, Dave tells a topical tale of the difficulties unifying a divided land in Reigns: Game of Thrones, and Chris happily delves back into the past, reliving his childhood in Road Redemption.
Battletech (05:18)
Christmas themed games chat (21:00)
Reigns: Game of Thrones (27:34)
Road Redemption (38:58)
This episode hosted by Chris Hanratty, Pawel Daruk, and Dave McCreary
Music by the hosts, with Jokin Etxeberria
This episode recorded and produced by Dave McCreary
103 (BG) - NON-REGULATION POGS
It's the final board games episode of 2018! The team have finally got their hands on Dinosaur Island, and give it a good in-depth review in which we ask: is it Dinosaury enough? We've also played a couple of older games, starting with K2, the mountain climbing game which has caused some grumbles in climbing circles, and Dixit, the party game with the weird and wonderful card art. Enjoy!
Dinosaur Island (01:45)
K2 (40:15)
Dixit (59:22)
This episode hosted by Chris Hanratty, Euan Glasgow, and Dave McCreary
Music by the hosts, with Jokin Etxeberria
This episode recorded and produced by Chris Hanratty
102 (VG) - STAGECOACH DRIVEBY
It's more video games chat this week, as Chris, Pawel and Dave talk about what there is to actually do in Red Dead Redemption 2's online beta, Dave gives possibly the shortest (and most obscure) review we've ever done for Burly Men at Sea, Pawel takes in cyberpunk Metroidvania game Ghost 1.0, and Chris has found a roguelite with an RTS twist in Renowned Explorers: International Society. But which bands are these games most like? Enjoy!
Red Dead Redemption 2 Online (02:24)
Burly Men at Sea (21:18)
Ghost 1.0 (25:40)
Renowned Explorers: International Society (47:05)
This episode hosted by Chris Hanratty, Pawel Daruk, and Dave McCreary
Music by the hosts, with Jokin Etxeberria
This episode recorded and produced by Chris Hanratty
101 (VG) - PARTYING 'TIL DAWN
Euan and Pawel are in recovery after the madness of Episode 100, so Chris and Dave have a more relaxed chat about their experiences with Red Dead Redemption 2 and Fallout 76, and also give a quick round up of how the new theme tune came to be and who played what! Enjoy!
Red Dead Redemption 2 (01:25)
Fallout 76 (38:15)
New theme tune chat (68:45)
This episode hosted by Chris Hanratty and Dave McCreary
Music by the hosts, with Jokin Etxeberria
This episode recorded and produced by Chris Hanratty
100 - FIFTY YEARS
It's 2065, and the team have decided to take a look back at fifty years in the gaming podcast business, sharing their favourite memories from the past. Warning: This episode contains extreme amounts of bullshit. And also a new theme tune. Enjoy!
Hosted by Chris Hanratty, Euan Glasgow, Pawel Daruk, and Dave McCreary
Music by the hosts, with Jokin Etxeberria
This episode recorded and produced by Chris Hanratty
098 (VG) - YOU'RE PLAYING IT WRONG
In the final pre-100 video games episode, Chris, Dave and Pawel compare Steam library play times, which brings us to a discussion about Pawel's ludicrous amount of time playing EVE Online completely differently from anyone else. Elsewhere, Dave has had a quick play of Red Dead Redemption 2 and has some controversial thoughts about modern gaming. Chris gives a short update on Pathfinder: Kingmaker, asks Pawel a question about Shenmue, then talks about The Bridge, a puzzle game enspired by the scribblings of MC Escher. Finally, Dave goes to his happy place as he has his own mini Retro Games Book Club with Ring of Red from the year 2000. Enjoy!
EVE Online (09:50)
Red Dead Redemption 2 (28:10)
Pathfinder: Kingmaker (40:20)
Shenmue (41:38)
The Bridge (43:58)
Ring of Red (50:50)
Hosted by Chris Hanratty, Pawel Daruk, and Dave McCreary
Music by Euan Glasgow
This episode recorded and edited by Chris Hanratty
097 (VG) - ESPIONAGE SOAP
In this week's video game episode, Chris talks about Pathfinder: Kingmaker, the classic-style RPG which is set in the Pathfinder universe; Dave has been playing Metal Gear Solid V and wants to tell us all about how the MGS series of games were made for him; and Pawel has played Ruiner, a top-down cyberpunk twin-stick pole-bashing bullet hell! Enjoy!
Pathfinder: Kingmaker (04:18)
Metal Gear Solid V (26:00)
Ruiner (56:34)
Hosted by Chris Hanratty, Pawel Daruk, and Dave McCreary
Music by Euan Glasgow
This episode recorded and edited by Chris Hanratty
065 - MEAT'S BACK ON THE MENU
We have a belter of an episode this week as Pawel admits defeat and gets stuck right in to Divinity: Original Sin 2, Chris tries not to spoil the interactive video-based game Her Story, Euan goes back to the 90s and plays the original Fallout, and Chris gives a quick overview of his first couple of hours in Middle-earth: Shadow of War. Enjoy!
Divinity: Original Sin 2: 01:40
Her Story: 22:30
Fallout: 34:30
Middle-earth: Shadow of War: 50:50
057 - ONE-EYED HONEY MONSTER
This week's video games episode begins with looking up Pawel's name on Urban Dictionary for kicks, before the lads actually start talking about some video games, starting with a very brief return to Neon Chrome and then a much, much longer chat about another roguelike, Unexplored, which Chris has been enjoying immensely. Euan then goes back a good few years to talk about Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth, in anticipation of a new Call of Cthulhu game being released later this year. Pawel brings us forward into the 2010s (or is it back to the 1940s?) as he chats about the RTS game Company of Heroes 2, set on the Eastern Front during World War 2, before Chris has some silly fun with one-vs-many horror survival game Friday the 13th: The Game. Enjoy!
Unexplored/Neon Chrome: 5:04
Call of Cthulhu: 23:40
Company of Heroes 2: 35:00
Friday the 13th: 47:03
045 - RUINING THE IMMERSION
This week, Pawel gets defensive over comments made by Chris in the last video games episode about Horizon Zero Dawn and gives a lengthy retort (while stopping Euan from giving an opinion), Euan gets his revenge by resorting to talking about a mobile port of the original Dragon Quest (or is it Dragon Warrior?) from 1986, and Chris accidentally ruins the early-access naval battle game Blackwake for a bunch of roleplayers. Enjoy!
043 - SHENMUE GAMBLING ADDICTS
In this video games episode, Chris and Euan follow up on the last one by talking some more about Horizon Zero Dawn and whether it's all it's cracked up to be, then have another look at the often ridiculous Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Wildlands. Next is an update on their journey through Shenmue II, which currently consists mainly of drunken gambling, and Chris finishes up by returning to Dwarf Fortress-esque survival/colony management game Rimworld, during which he gets totes emosh. Enjoy!
041 - TRIBALPUNK
In this video games episode, Chris and Pawel talk for a good bit about Horizon Zero Dawn, the action RPG set in the future in which humans have reverted to living in primitive tribes... and Pawel reveals it's also one of a handful of games he has taken time off work to play this year. Nerd that he is. Chris then gives a tongue-in-cheek review of new Tom Clancy game Ghost Recon Wildlands, an open world multiplayer squad shooter, which has everything you'd expect from a Tom Clancy game, such as guns, freedom, and offending an entire country. Last on the agenda is a brief chat about RIGS: Mechanized Combat League, the PSVR game of big mechs killing each other and occasionally playing American Football. Enjoy!
039 - GAME TIPS HOTLINE
In this video games episode, Chris, Euan and Pawel manage to cram a whole load of stuff in, including chat about the recently-released For Honor, questionable government surveillance game Orwell, old school point-and-click adventure The Beast Within: A Gabriel Knight Mystery, and updates on Resident Evil: Biohazard and Final Fantasy XV! Enjoy!
036 - CIVILIZATIONS, EAGLES AND BOYBANDS
This week's episode stuffs a long chat about Euan's playthrough of Final Fantasy XV down your throat, during which he admits he has a favourite boyband member, while Chris talks about Flying/Racing simulator Eagle Flight on PSVR, and also briefly chats about his return to Overwatch. The lads also have a lengthy chat about their epic game of Sid Meier's Civilization: The Board Game from the weekend, the 4x game based heavily on the video games of the same name.
Also, look out for an important announcement about the future of the podcast at the end of the show!
Enjoy!
033 - WARCRAFT AND DINOSAURS
Chris, Euan and Pawel are back once again (for the renegade master) with more gaming chat! This week's tabletop section involves a long chat about their day playing Fantasy Flight's epic World of Warcraft: The Board Game, the game of grinding, experience, loot, dungeons, and lots of lovely different coloured dice. In the video games section, Chris talks about DinoSystem, the bloody difficult survival game set in a world of dinosaurs which is currently in early access, Euan talks about PSVR platform game Windlands, and the lads finish up with VR horror/shooter game The Brookhaven Experiment. Enjoy!
032 - FALLING OVER TABLES
In this week's episode, fantasy dungeon-crawling game Exanima with its "realistic" combat takes centre stage in the video games section, followed by a return to video/board game Armello and an update on Chris and Euan's journey through the Shenmue series. In the tabletop section, Chris and Pawel have an in-depth chat about the new Arkham Horror Card Game by Fantasy Flight, Chris quickly talks about another play of Star Wars: Rebellion, and Pawel tells us about Swedish tabletop RPG Symbaroum! Enjoy!
BONUS EPISODE - PLAYSTATION VR
Chris, Euan and Pawel are here in this bonus episode to talk about Playstation VR! Includes a good chat about VR itself as an experience, and also specific games, such as VR Worlds, Job Simulator, Sports Bar VR, Windlands, Until Dawn: Rush of Blood and Harmonix Music VR. Enjoy!
031 - TRANSFORMERS, PREDATORS AND SLIMES
In this week's episode Chris and Euan begin with a shorter tabletop section, talking about Terraforming Mars, the most hyped board game from Essen this year. The video games section sees the podcast return to Don't Starve, with Euan deciding to give this mad survival game a go. Chris then chats about the surprisingly good Transformers Devastation, and gives a quick overview of the quirky fantasy farming simulator Slime Rancher. Next week: Bonus Playstation VR episode!
030- WE ARE BORG
Headquarters has officially moved, but the Unnecessary lads have still managed to squeeze in some epic-level gaming! A shorter video game segment has Pawel talking about cyberpunk/RPG game Dex which was released on consoles earlier this year, and Chris talks about the brutal online survival game Hurtworld in which the human players are the real monsters. Then a much, much longer tabletop section has the real meat of the episode: Twilight Imperium Third Edition, the epic sci-fi board game. Borg-like people save trading space cats from annihilation, barbarian lava-people take their vengeance on arrogant, intelligent aliens, politics close down the wormholes, full-on space battles take place over ancient worlds, and the meta-game rules all. Listen in to hear about Chris, Euan and Pawel's experience with this heavy-but-amazingly-fun game!