Hey! Look! Listen!

On this episode we select a number of games which we believe to have perfect endings. Our choices range from perfectly executed narrative wrap-ups, to fourth wall breaking tomfoolery, to plain old childhood nostalgia. So spoiler warning for everything we talk about, but honestly, everything we discuss is relatively old at this point.  

We're talking about main characters on this episode, namely the ones we really love and the ones we really hate. In discussing our favourite gaming protagonists, we talk about strong writing and relatability, as well as a character's design being married to gameplay. In discussing our least favourite gaming protagonists, we just sort of get a bit complainy.  

On this episode we tackle the nebulous topic of the depiction of food & drink in video games, starting off with food's classic roles as chunky pixelated health pickups. As the episode goes on, however, we are interested to discover that we nearly entirely forget to talk about games that are overtly about food or cooking, as our ideas of the best depictions of food in gaming seem to go hand-han...

On this episode we set out to have a discussion on the current subscription services that have come to define modern gaming for many, such as XBox Game Pass and Playstation Plus Premium, and the conversation dovetailed off in several directions. We hit topics such as brand loyalty, toxic fanbases, and the slew of recent broken game releases, as we finally 'solve' the Console Wars once and for all....

We dip back into the Resident Evil well to chat about the lauded Resident Evil 4, mainly because it received a phenomenal remake this year, which we also chat about obviously. We compare the two games, discussing our favourite moments, from the things they changed from the things that remained wonderfully untouched. There are some ropey impressions too.

On this episode we bounce from old first-person-shooters to Japanese visual novels as we talk about some games that are genuinely close to our hearts, but in which we cannot deny their ropier, more awkward elements. 

We get painfully nostalgic for Nintendo's first handheld device on this episode, as we share our fondest memories of the old grey brick, as well as the "Colors", "Pockets", and "Advances" it spawned. We discuss the franchises that defined the console for us, such as Pokemon, Tetris, Wario Land, and, uh, James Bond.   

On this episode we take a look at both of Rockstar Games' Western-themed epics, as we try to reconcile the quite sizable problems we have with both games with our love of their masterful storytelling and overall rootin' tootin' cowboy aesthetic. We also have find time to bellyache about the depiction of the Irish in these games, because obviously.  

All four of us gather for an episode in which we once again ask each other interview-like questions about the world of gaming. This time the questions have us discussing video game remakes, as well as what TV adaptations we would like to see in the wake of HBO's The Last of Us. We talk about the habits we have developed towards gaming as a hobby, both good and bad. And we recommend the games to ea...

This episode of Hey! Look! Listen! is all about everyone's favourite merchandisable plumber, Mario. Ignoring his penchant for karting and partying, this episode instead ranks each and every one of the traditional Mario platformers, which means it covers the length and breadth of both the history of Nintendo and the history of gaming as a whole.

On this episode we turn our back on video games to instead focus on video game adjacent media, as we discuss HBO's recent television adaptation of The Last Of Us, starring Pedro Pascal, Bella Ramsey, and a bunch of funky fungi. 

We play it a bit loose in this episode as we each bring two questions for each other in a general conversation about videogames. This leads to us chatting about topics that include childhood memories and divisive games, and whether or not romance exists in gaming, because we're all incurable romantics. We also ripoff Desert Island Disks wholesale. 

Positive outlooks are denied in this episode with a decidedly negative analysis of Far Cry 5, as its failures are held up to the standards of its own superior predecessors, as well as just to the concept of good quality game design. And exciting times, this marks the first episode of Hey! Look! Listen! to be posted on YouTube too, with some fancy-schmancy video accompaniment! So please find it the...

For our milestone 50th episode (kinda) we return to the franchise that we began this podcast with, as we discuss the colossal fourth entry in Hideo Kojima's Metal Gear Solid series. We discuss the game's position as an all-guns-blazing ending to a massive story, and how we both kind of love it and hate it for that.  

In this episode we reflect on the notion of putting faith in our fellow man, as we discuss some of our favourite co-op games, multiplayer games that have you team up rather than fight each other like god intended. Our cooperative experiences include: playing The Beautiful Game TM, exploring mysterious snowy ruins,  having meltdowns in the kitchen, and beating up punks on the mean streets of the 19...

Before setting off proper into a brand new year, why not take time to reflect on the games of 2022? On this episode we each select games that we loved from last year, with our choices ranging from Norse epics to feline escapades, from intimate murder mysteries to gigantic fantasy adventures...  

On this episode we discuss games that we went into with preconceived expectations, which turned out to be very different experiences than we imagined. We go both positive and negative: games that we didn't think we'd like that ended up blowing our minds, as well as games we expected to love that we just couldn't mind meld with.  

On this episode four of your hosts each choose a single moment from the litany of games that they have played throughout their lives, to shine a spotlight on and wax lyrical about. There was no rigid criteria given to the moments that could be chosen; they could have ranged from moments experienced through gameplay, to big action set pieces, to memorable cinematics... Three of the four moments cho...

A bit of introspection in this episode, as three of your hosts each choose a game that they once loved, but have found that their affection has diminished over time. We reckon with the changes in how games are made against the changes in our own personal tastes, as we march inexorably towards the grave.  

We once again dip our toes in the world of survival horror by taking a look at the latest two chapters in the Resident Evil series. The seventh entry managed to be both a radical upheaval and a return to the franchise's roots, and was then followed by a game that was a whole other kettle of fish again. We compare the two distinct flavours of these modern horror classics, and debate whether we pref...

On this episode, a returning host to the podcast does a deep dive on the latest bit of gaming tech: Valve's handheld devise, the Steam Deck. He analyses it as a modern piece of hardware, and compares it to other consoles on the market. But mostly he just waxes lyrical about the joys of having your entire Steam library in the palm of your hands.  

Happy Halloween! In honour of the spooky season, we present Ireland's most terrifying tale: The Limerick Shanker! Steel your courage, make sure you're not wearing your favourite pants, and strap into this 30 minute audiobook horror extravaganza! *Notice: This is something completely different, just for Halloween, and has exactly 0% to do with video games. This won't be affecting the Hey! Look! Lis...

Tis the season for existential dread and body horror, so it's time to take a look at the amazing and horrifying Silent Hill series. We handpick key titles from this iconic franchise; from the PS1 classic that started it all, to its narratively ambitious and emotionally draining PS2 sequel. From experimental remakes, to even more experimental "playable teasers". Trigger warning: this series is all...

Forget all the other episodes. This is the one. After foolishly ignoring him for so very long, we finally get around to the mighty Crash Bandicoot, in a discussion that mostly centres around the orange ragamuffin's PS1 classics. The conversation also spills out into the very idea of "mascot platformers" and Crash's indelible position as one of the most iconic of all time, as well as his importance...

On this episode we hand-select a few prominent examples of the "Walking Sim" genre, and discuss how although the name of this genre was originally meant as a bit of an insult, it has long become one of the best methods for games to tell smaller scale, more intimate stories. So, yes, while our selected games may mostly consist of just kind of pottering about, they are also our selections for some o...