Chapter Select

Despite their promises to the contrary, Randy and Jens only manage to play chapters 7-10 for this episode. The longer The Evil Within goes on, the more Randy appreciates its level and boss design. Meanwhile, Jens gets increasingly frustrated with every setback.

When it was first announced, Justin Kurzel’s ambitious $130 million adaptation of Assassin’s Creed seemed like it might break the mold for video game movies. Kurzel’s previous film MacBeth earned him considerable prestige, and practically the entire creative team and half that film’s cast came along to Assassin’s Creed as well. Why then is Assassin’s Creed one of the most disappointing video game...

After having successfully leveraged the Halloween season to subject Jens to The Evil Within, Randy begins to have doubts about the game he chose, lamenting its sub-par technical performance and frustrating encounter design. Meanwhile, Jens tries to make sense of its so far challenging story. It’s not all bad though, as Jens and Randy have also played 13 Sentinels, Crash Bandicoot 4, and Star Wars:...

In this premier installment of Chapter Select At the Movies, Randy and Jens discuss Takashi Miike’s 2007 adaptation of Ryū ga Gotoku: Gekijô-ban (aka "Like a Dragon" or "Yakuza" in the West). Jens wonders who this helter-skelter version of a once great story could possibly be for, while Randy enjoys himself despite the confusion.

Randy and Jens return from their vacation in Kamurocho with stories to tell. Stories about creeps. Many, many creeps just waiting to be tailed. Will Jens and Randy be defeated by excessive tailing, or will they break through Judgment’s crust of tedium to taste the creamy narrative core inside? Carrion, 13 Sentinels, and Among Us are also discussed.

Jens and Randy continue down the murder mystery rabbit hole that is Kamurocho. In part two of their play-through of Judgment, the guys discuss Chapters 5-8 and try and predict where they think the story will unfold. They also take some time to talk about some of the wild and wacky side missions that are littered around the world.

With their play-through of Judgment, Jens introduces Randy to the rich and wondrous world of Yakuza. Despite the grafting on of detective gameplay, Judgment ends up a typical example of the series’ gameplay conventions and narrative tropes. Who will end up appreciating it more, the jaded series veteran or the wide-eyed ingénue?

Randy and Jens close out their coverage of Ghost of Tsushima with a discussion of Acts 2 and 3. Do late additions to the game’s mechanics help maintain interest? How satisfied are Randy and Jens with the way Ghost of Tsushima’s various ongoing questlines end, and how did they each choose to conclude Jinn’s story? Listen to find out.

In this chapter Randy and Jens check out Ghost of Tsushima. The new open world game by Sucker Punch is just too big for one part, so the guys focus on Act 1. They discuss everything from the story to the gameplay. What found the target, and what was a swing and a miss?

In this inaugural episode of Chapter Select, Jens Dietrich and Randy Isbelle discuss The Last of Us Part 2 from beginning to end. While also covering their favorite gameplay sections and notable enhancements from the original. Although be warned, the primary focus is The Last of Us Part 2’s ambitious emotional roller-coaster of a narrative and how Jens and Randy feel about its many twists and turn...