Swapping Joysticks

DomsRoundtable joins us this week as Ben shares his latest obsession, Planet Zoo 2, which has been keeping him up until the early hours. But with the game receiving a mixed reception, is the criticism justified? We discuss what's changed from the original, why some players are frustrated and what makes it so difficult to put down. Ed's also been playing Castlevania: Belmont's Curse, and we get int...

This week, we're both playing Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave, but is it too easy, and does it take far too long to get going? Ben's finally finished The Blood of Dawnwalker and gives his verdict after 45 YouTube episodes, while Ed's looking forward to Phantom Blade Zero. We also chat about Dragon's Dogma, the frustrations of PC gaming, the return of Ben's Minecraft server and whether the Rides and R...

We've both been playing Star Wars: Galactic Racer, and it seems that mixing Star Wars, Burnout and a roguelite is very much our thing. Ed has also finished Control Resonant and has plenty to say about what worked and what really didn't, we've tried the Castlevania: Belmont's Curse demo, and we ask how many hours a game needs to give us to feel worth the money. Plus, Ed went to a Sonic concert and...

This week, Ed's been playing Control Resonant and has a few things to say about it, while Ben's very excited about the Destiny 2 news. We also went to Xbox FanFest (and missed out on playing Fable), Ed's seen the new Resident Evil film, and we look ahead to the games coming out in October. Timestamps: 00:00 Cold Open 00:25 Intro 00:45 Xbox FanFest and Fable 18:44 Resident Evil 29:26 Control Resona...

This week, Ed’s almost finished Wolverine and has some strong thoughts on whether it actually lives up to the hype, while Ben can’t stop playing Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave and has jumped into World of Warcraft Forever. We also get into the never-ending discourse around game reviews and critics, and look back at some of the best - and worst - video games based on films and TV shows. Timestamps: 0...

This week, Ed’s finished Onimusha: Way of the Sword after spending far too long fighting its final boss, while Ben’s still loving The Blood of Dawnwalker and experimenting with its day and night quests. We also chat Blizzard’s latest announcements, Nintendo’s latest Direct and why Ed really isn’t happy with the Ocarina of Time remake. Timestamps: 00:00 Cold Open 00:28 Intro 22:02 Onimusha: Way of...

This week, Ed’s been loving Onimusha: Way of the Sword, while Ben's been getting stuck into The Blood of Dawnwalker and discovering that becoming a vampire does terrible things to his usual moral compass. We also chat Star Wars Zero Company, Final Fantasy Resonance, Exodus, PlayStation’s latest State of Play and somehow end up arguing about the N64 controller. Timestamps: 00:00 Cold Open 00:28 Int...

We’re back from Gamescom 2026! After a week in Cologne, we’re talking through the best games we played and saw at the show, including Fable, The Blood of Dawnwalker, The Witcher 3: Songs of the Past, Castlevania and Gears of War. We also go through the biggest announcements from Gamescom Opening Night Live, before getting into GTA VI and whether Rockstar’s latest showing has made us any more excit...

The Duskbloods finally had its network test - and Ed has spent the weekend finding out exactly what FromSoftware's strange new Switch 2 exclusive actually is. Part Bloodborne, part Nightreign, part PvP game... and somehow part Mario Party. Ed breaks down how The Duskbloods works, why its combat and performance left him disappointed. Ben has started Kingdom Hearts for the first time, fallen even mo...

This week Ben's been hands-on with Star Wars Galactic Racer, the new high-speed racer from Fuse Games and Secret Mode. We chat about its Burnout DNA, roguelike structure, spectacular crashes and whether Star Wars and arcade racing might be a perfect combination. We also look to the future of Final Fantasy and ask what we actually want from Final Fantasy XVII. Fantasy or sci-fi? Turn-based or actio...

This week we're looking at what happens when Game Freak steps outside the world of Pokémon with Beast of Reincarnation, before getting hands-on with Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls. Ed has also dug out his PS3 to revisit Final Fantasy XIII. Has one of the series' most divisive entries aged better than its reputation suggests? We discuss its linearity, battle system, soundtrack and why some parts hold...

We weren't expecting Splatoon Raiders to become one of our favourite games of the summer, but Nintendo surprised us. We also dive into 007 First Light, discussing why IO Interactive might have nailed the James Bond formula while still making something very different to Hitman. Elsewhere we chat about our recent trips to Barcelona and Copenhagen, cinema arguments (what's new?), the other games we'r...

We've both been hooked by how incredible Forza Horizon 6 is. Ed, a non-racing game fan, and Ben who does dabble in them are loving this latest installment. Plus, we've both watched the latest Kylie doc and have mixed views. We also chat about games we're still playing 10 years later and ones we really ought to go back and finish. 00:00:00 - Intro 00:17:00 - Kylie Minogue documentary 00:27:20 - For...

In between challenging SAROS runs, Ed's played and completed Mixtape in one sitting and he's got a lot to say about it (and all the topics surrounding it). He's also get very strong opinions about the new Star Fox designs and Ben's been in a Satisfactory shaped hole that's swallowed every second of his time. We also chat about game difficulty and which games respect your time. 00:00:00 - Intro 00:...

There's only one game we've been playing this week and it's a good one - SAROS. Ed's even had a chance encounter with Rahul Kohli himself and has obviously whizzed past Ben in the game. We also chat about games where the sequels are better than the original, as well as looking ahead at games coming out this May. Your weekly dose of gaming news, views and inane chatter.  00:00:00 - Intro 00:13:41 -...

Your weekly dose of gaming news, views and inane chatter.  00:00:00 - Intro 00:02:32 - Final Fantasy XIV - EverCold announcement 00:31:42 - SAROS very early impressions 01:05:01 - Pragmata 01:21:10 - What you've been playing 01:27:27 - Outro Thank you to PlayStation for the SAROS code. #SAROS  ▼ Swapping Joysticks ▼ ● All previous episodes available at http://swappingjoysticks.com  ▼ Ben's links ▼...

We've both started new games this week - Ed's a couple of hours into Pragmata, and Ben's had a few cursed hours of playing Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream. We also chat through some surprising BAFTA Games Awards winners and this week's discussion is all about physical v digital games. 00:00:00 - Intro 00:03:09 - BAFTA Games Awards Winners 00:17:58 - Pragmata 00:26:00 - FC Pro 2 update 00:28:20 -...

Ed’s become a bit of a platinum hunter - he’s picked up Mass Effect 2, 3, and is close to finishing Returnal. Ben’s fully leaning into his weird management sim phase and is now hooked on CURE - A Hospital Simulator. We also have a go at predicting next week’s BAFTA Games Awards and judge your top 9 games of all time. 00:00:00 - Intro 00:15:15 - BAFTA Games Awards 00:35:42 - Mass Effect 2 & 3 0...

Ed's finished Mass Effect 2 and has the platinum! He's now playing through Plus we chat about what's coming out in April and what you've been playing this month.  00:00:00 - Intro 00:08:30 - Dreamhack and gaming cons 00:38:50 - Mass Effect 2 & 3 00:45:24 - Forza Horizon (series chat) 00:57:44 - The Division Resurgence 01:05:28 - Outro ▼ Swapping Joysticks ▼ ● All previous episodes available at...

Similar mix of games as last time, but with some actual endings this time round. Ben has rolled credits on Pokémon Pokopia, while Ed has some strong opinions about it. He’s also finished Resident Evil Requiem and, because he feels like it, has started playing through Mass Effect 2. Plus we chat about what's coming out in April and what you've been playing this month. 00:00:00 - Intro & chit-ch...

Pokémon Pokopia has grabbed Ben by the Pokéballs and will not let go. Also, Ed's been attached to Resident Evil Requiem and Minishoot' Adventures when he wanted a palette cleanser. After last week's gaming drought, we've made up for it now. Also - a chat about Reading and chicken restaurants. Plus we chat about what you've been playing. 00:00:00 - Intro & chit-chat 00:32:15 - Resident Evil Req...

We've not been playing a ton of games this week in anticipation of the Marathon Server Slam and Resident Evil Requiem, so let's talk about what's coming up in March! Plus this week's gaming news and what you've been playing. 00:00:00 - Intro 00:12:15 - Ed catch-up (Nioh 3 & Resident Evil 3) 00:13:13 - FC Pro 2 00:21:17 - Denshattack!, The Eternal Game of Goldman, Sledding Game & People of...

This time it's Ben's turn to play some Nioh 3 and unsurprisingly he's having a lot more trouble with it. Ed's been playing Resident Evil 3 Remake in anticipation of Requiem, and they also chat about what demos they're looking forward to playing during Steam Next Fest next week. Plus this week's gaming news and what you've been playing. 00:00:00 - Intro including Dreamhack and Guildford Games Festi...

We're back and hopefully better than ever! We chat about what we've been up to the past 6 months and chat about everything revealed at last night's PlayStation State of Play. 00:00:00 - Intro and life updates 00:32:00 - PlayStation State of Play 01:25:45 - Outro #StateofPlay ▼ Swapping Joysticks ▼ ● All previous episodes available at http://swappingjoysticks.com  ▼ Ben's links ▼ ● Follow on Twitch...

We're back and it's time to explain everything to those who haven't been watching the Twitch streams.   ▼ Swapping Joysticks ▼ ● All previous episodes available at http://swappingjoysticks.com  ▼ Ben's links ▼ ● Follow on Twitch - http://twitch.tv/biggusbennus ● Follow on Bluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/biggusbennus.bsky.social ● Follow on Instagram - http://instagram.com/biggusbennus ● Join th...