Checkpoint Radio: A Video Game Podcast

In our final episode for 2023, we take a look back at the year in gaming and discuss all the good, bad and everything in between. From the massively hyped GTA VI reveal, to Redfall, from Baldur's Gate 3 to The Day Before, it's been a year full of incredible highs and some real lows too. We've seen arguably the best year for high quality releases in some time, but we've also had constant news of re...

Alan Wake 2. Baldur's Gate 3. Spider-Man 2. Starfield. The Legend of Zelda, Tears of the Kingdom. Resident Evil 4. Dead Space. Hogwarts Legacy. Dredge. Forza Motorsport. Hi-Fi Rush. Dave the Diver. The list goes on... When we look back on 2023, it's safe to say this will be remembered as one of the iconic years in gaming. It feels like there has been a major release every month since the turn of t...

We've got a bumper episode today as we take a look at some recent news before heading into our main topic for this week! The release of Modern Warfare 3 has got Call of Duty fans in a spin, and we question what's next for this once iconic franchise. Valve give the Steam Deck a massive new upgrade as they surprisingly announce a refined version of the popular handheld device - an insult to early ad...

The Hall of Fame is back! For part 3 of this ongoing series, we're officially adding CD Projekt Red's incredible open world action RPG The Witcher 3 to our greatest games of all time list. The Witcher 3 is a special game for many people, and in this episode we get all gooey eyed and mushy over one of our all time favourites. From the writing to its characters, the open world design and truly impac...

Welcome to Checkpoint Radio's Halloween Special! Join us as we chat about our love-hate relationship with the weirdest holiday of the year! We'll be exchanging our own spooky ghost stories, reminiscing about Halloween growing up in 90s/00s Britain, and of course, talking about horror games! While we may not be avid players of horror games due to certain technical limitations (cough, definitely not...

From Goldeneye on the N64, to Call of Duty, from Battlefield to Halo, the First Person Shooter has had a long history of consistently delivering some of the greatest games of all time. But lately, it feels as though something from this genre is lacking... Thanks to the likes of Battle Royales like Warzone and Apex, shooters are arguably at their peak in terms of popularity, with these games alone...

In this episode 15, we delve into the ins and outs of what we think the real struggles are of turning some of the worlds most loved and adored games into a film or TV series. We've all heard someone say "it's not as good as the book", when talking about a film or TV series adaptation of a book, and you can probably swap out the word "book" for "game" and have a valid argument most of the time when...

Bethesda's first new IP in 25 years, it's fair to say that Starfield is one of 2023's most anticipated games. The Elder Scrolls and Fallout developer has been working on this ambitious new Sci Fi RPG for over seven years and during that time, the game has seen delays, been at the centre of a Microsoft takeover, and has continuously found itself the subject of furious internet debates. But now that...

In the midst of the success of Baldur's Gate 3, some developers have pushed back on the achievements Larian Studios have set out with their latest game, claiming that not all games should be measured against such high standards. Asking fans to lower their standards is a pretty wild take by any account, but do these developers have a point? With interference from publishers, investors and stakehold...

In today's episode, we get a bit more personal with something we're sure every gamer over a certain age contends with, and that's gaming and growing older! We discuss how we try and deal with the fact that getting older means new responsibilities, from bills and mortgages to careers and family, and whether or not gaming can still fit into our hectic, busy, grown-up lives. Is gaming still worth inv...

In episode 11, Connor's got a scenario for us - you are given a blank cheque and asked to create a new video game publisher, acquiring who you want and creating what you want. What do you do? Do you go full Xbox and buy out the big boys like Activision for that sweet Call of Duty revenue? Do you poach talent from multiple studios to create a new, cutting edge developer? Or do you take a famed stud...

In our return to the podcast, we're reopening the Checkpoint Radio Hall of Fame! The HoF is our very own list of the most iconic and memorable games we've ever played, the absolute cream-of-the-crop, and the titles we think deserve to be immortalised forever. Possibly the best game from the last generation and one that certainly holds up better than many triple A releases today - listen and enjoy...

It was Xbox's time to take the stage, as their 2023 Showcase aired with a number of announcements, lots of gameplay from upcoming games, some new hardware, and of course, a 50 minute long Starfield extravaganza. Luckily for us, the showcase aired just before our usual scheduled recording, so as a group, we watched the showcase, and then went straight into recording for our fresh and ripe opinions...

PlayStation has not held a showcase of any kind for two years. So, when they announced recently that they were doing a big May blow-out of video game announcements, the hype quickly hit 11. Unfortunately, we saw little in terms of first party reveals, and instead were bombarded with a bunch of third party games, some weird new hardware (seriously, though, PlayStation earbuds?!) and some VR stuff....

Redfall was pushed as a major AAA release for Xbox, and the first fully exclusive Bethesda title for Team Green. After a year-long delay, the pressure on Arkane Austin to deliver was absolutely huge, but unfortunately, the revered studio fell well short of its usual high standards. Redfall is a disaster and there is not much else to say about it. In today's episode, we chat a bit about the game, a...

In Episode 06, we take a look at Star Wars Jedi: Survivor's rocky launch and why PC ports are so bad, and what's next for Microsoft after the UK's Competition and Markets Authority blocks the Activision deal. And, for the first time, we're answering your questions! Make sure you stick around until the end for that! Want to see what we're up to? Click here to see our socials, YouTube and join our D...

If you could bring back any game from history and rework it for a new audience, what would it be and why? This is the question we're asking each other in this week's episode! Reboots and remakes are popular among all kinds of media and entertainment, so we thought we'd get creative and talk about our fantasy video game reboots. Also in this episode, we discuss the latest The Legend of Zelda: Tears...

It's episode 04 of Checkpoint Radio and it's a bumper news edition! This week, we're talking about the BAFTA Game Awards, Counter Strike 2, as well as giving some updates on the Activision & Xbox merger and what E3's cancellation means for the future of the gaming convention. Want to see what we're up to? Click here to see our socials, YouTube and join our Discord! Or if you want to get in tou...

The Last of Us is one of the greatest video games of all time, and questions marks over a possible live action adaptation have been lingering for years. But now that HBO have taken up the seemingly impossible task of adapting one of gaming's most iconic stories, how does it stack up? We get into a spoiler-filled review and give our thoughts on the epic, 9 part series. Also in this episode, we'll b...

It's episode 02 and we are officially launching the Checkpoint Radio Hall of Fame! This ongoing series will have us discussing (probably arguing) over which games we think deserve to be immortalised in our official greatest games of all time list. We'll also have some reaction to the Suicide Squad Kill the Justice League gameplay trailer, Sons of the Forest's early access launch success, and wheth...

Kicking off this brand new video game podcast we talk about the Embracer Group, the video game giant you've probably never heard of, as well as Apex Legends new seasonal update and how Sons of the Forest developers are tackling delays. We also get into a big discussion on Hogwarts Legacy and give our impressions of one of 2023's most anticipated titles. Want to see what we're up to? Click here to...

Welcome to Checkpoint Radio! A brand new, fan run, gaming podcast created by four friends who have been gaming since the 90s. With no professional experience in the industry, Checkpoint Radio is designed to be a "voice of the fans" outlet, with opinions, analysis, reviews and critiques coming from the people who matter the most - the gamers. Join us for Episode 00 - The Prologue, as we open up abo...