Game in Hand

**Just a quick note, this was recorded on the weekend and as of July 6, it has apparently been more explained what is happening to the microsoft owned studios and more than a few are remaining active or buying back their studio so ignore any conflicting info from the speaking jerk** Forza always seems to fill a void of more arcade-y but car enjoyer racing games in my heart that The Crew once occup...

One of the must plays if you like retro games and like when people release games in a polished state. Had a solid experience playing this one, although I think having everything split up and uh... no clear good ending or notion of doing it, adds some saltiness to an otherwise amazing game. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

More than once you'll hear me compare it to a laptop and you should know, I culled like 10 more references to just buying laptops. I feel compelled to blurt out "why replace closed flat rectangle with cube?" Why "replace keyboard and mouse, or controller with... nothing?" "Why is it only a savings if you buy the controller at the same time?" "Why is the dbrand case $100 USD?" At least the good new...

One does not simply buy one reasonably priced handheld and then be content with their purchase. When you start spending what was originally a steam deck's worth of money chasing incremental upgrades or the desire for the "perfect" device, bank accounts empty quickly. Just don't be like me... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

While originally this was going to be the hardest crashing out games I've ever done, it's closer to a full games list of games I tried to force myself to enjoy, or did enjoy until developers/publishers ruined it for everyone. No low hanging fruit on this one like your Veilguards or e-sport shooters. These are all games I bought or was able to play with the intention of loving and then got scarred...

Face design? C+. Gameplay? A++. Average? hopefully an A-. I think we have a pretty strong May and June, then stuck waiting until August and September before I can see myself targeting some day 1 purchases. November GTA6 release is still the dooms day for other games but in our upside down world, even used consoles are going up in price. So probably a pass for me. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/pri...

I think coop reignited my love for simple deck building roguelikes. I did a solo run to start and felt like "not this again", and then suddenly having a group of people succeeding or sucking kinda finding a healthy balance as you try and make your run work. The love of RNG might be the factor if you love or hate this game but I've spent nearly 3 times the playtime of the original and feel I got wa...

Struggling through the initial few hours definitely gets you set for upgrade combos later on but if the intended difficulty isn't your jam, you can pump up your damage dealt or ramp down damage taken if you just want to get a win for once. I did like the longer burn before I felt comfortable getting near azra every run, but the more you skill up, the easier it is to get there every time. A very fu...

Not sure how a capcom game made it into nextfest demo front page but I guess you do what you gotta do. Probably over exaggerating but the selection of less than quality titles seems a lot higher this year. It definitely took a few days for the good titles to work their way to the top thanks to the steam community digging deep. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I think at this point they could add a 2026 honda civic as a playable character in diablo, and my primary response will still be "Okay... maybe I should go try and see what changes they made to my paladin and sorc?". The warlock is unnecessary pay to fun but I can give credit where credit is due. They made me pay full price for a game I bought 5 years ago and still makes me think path of diablo an...

Some mixed signals in there with the story. But overall a very fun and playful atmosphere borrowing from some very strong themes. Easy recommendation in my books for any Paper Mario series fan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

January off to a slow start for new games, and really, we could just be carrying on games from 2025 and still be in really good shape. February will size up better but for now, a lot of old junk is landing in xbox game pass ultimate.... not so ultimate calibre. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Seasons greetings friends. I can't remember the last time made a >1hr episode, so bare with me for the mega finale of 2025. A lot of content, a lot of feelings in reflection, a lot of comments, a lot of games. It was a strong year for all walks of gaming. Maybe we can thank GTAVI for being perpetually pushed as studios cracked the whip to get games released early this year. But that's it for me...

Here are some thoughts and sentiments after half a year with my switch 2. While I have at least enjoyed my time playing both new and old games, part of me wonders if we are seeing a bit of Nintendo slip-up in these 1st party titles developed through COVID. Whether it's dividings teams too thinly or following modern AAA garbage practices, I feel like Nintendo turned a new page on monetization. Befo...

What starts as just bunch of jerks becomes you and your lovable bunch of jerks. Just remember, your choices matter to a bunch of reject villains who are coming together as a team to take on the true evil of the world; unemployment and the rising cost of rent and food. Great looking game from start to finish and well worth the wait ever since playing the demo at nextfest in the spring/summer. Hoste...

I kept my expectations realistic because like most pokemon games, the thrill is in recapturing the same 60 pokemon from the generation pool and evolving them until you've seen just enough pokemon to know it's not worth it to catch them all. At its fundamentals, the battle system was a good pivot from turn based combat. But the failure comes in polish and finish. It is quite unexcusable this is our...

From over the moon feelings about Silksong, to realizing my half decade of having game pass is soon to end as I enter my final year of game pass ultimate. Soon this podcast is going to be called Dollars and (Common)Sense. The most insane thing to suggest is to continually buy switch 1 version of switch 2 games, using vouchers and discounted egift cards, until Nintendo 1st party titles start earnin...

As an EA Insider who has played this game for what I can now confirm is over ~2 years now, I still think there is much to love about this game. Rooftop and current unpatched insane physics are going to make meme worthy videos but there isn't a lot inherently going for downtown island city for anyone looking for the keystones of original skate 1,2, or 3 in this game. For better or for worse, it's a...

As someone who LOVES Donkey Kong, treated to a Mario Odyssey inspired Donkey Kong, how can I feel/be more positive? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

To say Silksong's 2 week heads up followed by path of exile 2's 4th act announcement was schedule disrupting would be an understatement. Definitely a whole bunch of cool games announced and some mid to less cool game DLC and updates announced. Overall I don't think we'll hit a lull of games to play any time soon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Enjoying a nice slow summer with only Donkey Kong Bananza on the go. The BF6 open beta was a nice surprise. Hopefully when it comes out in the fall it lives up to the beta expectations. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

THPS3 was as good as I remember. THPS4 was an improvement. THPS4 was culled for being poorly written and voice acted Definitely my hot take, the original THPS4 was a turn in the wrong direction for the series. That said, I just wish some of those stages like Hawaii and London didn't feel like they amputated half the content. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Filler episode! <3 see you in August. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Early celebration for the (unofficial) 50th episode and 1000 downloads of Game in Hand! As much as I complain, I really love this game, hope they continue to put out more characters and map events. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I think Funcom has a good recipe here, I love playing sandcastles in the desert. But the sum of all pieces in the current end game cycle just kinda makes me wonder what makes this their choice for definitive end game for players. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.