The Experience Points Podcast

When's the last time you gave a hearty thumbs up to an opponent who successfully trounced your entire team?  If the answer is probably somewhere between "never" and "one time by accident," Blizzard is trying to change that.  We're continuing our Overwatch discussion by talking about the things that help keep peace between teammates and opponents.

We did it! Scott and I have linked the flame (maybe), and beaten Dark Souls III . How does it hold up to Bloodborne ? Did I ever figure out Sorcery? Has Scott stopped spamming R1 attacks all day in PVP? These questions and more in our epic Dark Souls III debrief.       Show Notes: - Runtime: 1 hr 8 mins - Music from the Official Dark Souls III Soundtrack - You Died: The Dark Souls Companion   by K...

Horse warfare or robot warfare?  You must choose a side.  Unless you're like us and are holding out for robot horse warfare.  The recent  Battlefield 1 and  Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare  trailers whipped the Internet in a frenzy, so we're here to help.  And by help I mean reveal our new pitch for a basketball dating sim starring Prince. 

Never count out Blizzard. Right when we think they can't take up more of our time, they come out with  Overwatch . But will  Overwatch replace other competitive games? Should we thinking about  Overwatch as a lifestyle? All this and more!   Show Notes:   - Runtime: 35 mins 52 secs - Music by  Brad Sucks - " Should 'Overwatch'Just Cut Bastion from the Game Entirely? " by Paul Tassia via Forbes 

After dozens of hours, a whole bunch of graph paper, and more than a little frustrated cursing, we've come to the end of The Witness.  Then again, maybe you never really finish The Witness.  I know I'm still seeing line puzzles hidden within every day objects.  In any case, it's time to debrief and discuss what we learned about technological hubris, metaphysics, and maddening line puzzles.

Welcome, Ashen One, to another Experience Points Debrief. This week on the podcast, Scott and I eat some ember and get fired up about Dark Souls III . This is a hefty game, and it will take us both some time to complete our journey through Lothric, but we want to bring you some early thoughts on the game as we regain our footing in the Dark Souls universe. There are some tough new lessons to be le...

Ah college: a place where young minds realize their potential and where young wallets are mercilessly emptied by a combination of questionable self restraint and an unfeeling academic bureaucracy.  While you're out of luck if you spend your book money on booze, you might be able to pay your tuition with the very skills you have cultivated during all those hours in which you played games instead of...

I just recently fulfilled a longtime dream of mine to visit Japan, the home place of Mario, Link, and whatever those creepy anime masks things are. It's a place I've visited in anime and games since I was a child, so there's something surreal about visiting a new but familiar landscape. This week on the show, we discuss our gaming ties to Japan and why cultural experiences through gaming are impor...

Remember that one game you loved oh so very much?  Well have you played it lately?  Maybe it's still a classic, but maybe the mists of your memory have obscured a harsher reality?  This week, we talk about the games we remember liking, even though they might not be as flawless in the present day's harsh light.

Ryan Green, one of the creators behind the heartbreaking and stunning  That Dragon, Cancer recently published a blog post that discussed the use Let's Plays from the perspective of a game developer struggling to recoup development expenses. It's a complex morass of fair-use, exploitation, and the struggle to make ends meet as an indie game designer. Nevertheless, it's time we wade in...   Show Not...

It's true: Jorge and I have been sleeper agents of a para-military organization all this time.  We've been activated and have taken our posts in The Division.  However, our role is limited exclusively to playing video games and making videos and podcasts about them.  Hey, someone has to keep everyone occupied while roving bands of pyromaniacs fight with spec ops teams right?  This week we head int...

Grab your shovel and put on your work boots, it's time to dig into farm games. This week on the podcast, we ponder the allure of  Stardew Valley , the smoking habits of rural towns, and how to make mundane games a little more adult.   Show notes: Length: 32 mins 37 secs Music: Brad Sucks

A dark shadow passes over you.  Not a cloud, but a vulture.  A tumbleweed rolls by and you watch it spin into the distance.  You keep waiting for it to go out of site, but the barren desolation means you can watch it for miles.  What happened here?  This place was the site of true opulence, but now you'd have a hard time convincing someone that it ever existed.  For a moment you think you can hear...

We've all earned our fair share of bumps, scrapes, and bruises in real life. Some of us have persistent aches and pains, some of us have suffered all sorts of injuries, big and small. It's a common occurrence, but how well do games actually model injury? This week on the EXP Podcast, we discuss how it feels to be "unwell" and whether or not games are any good at modeling the strange experience of...

The forest can be a beautiful place.  Centuries-old trees shade your path as you walk through a sprawling valley.  The river has carved this place out the eons and its serene, yet unyielding presence reminds you that it was here before any human set foot in here and it will remain here long after the last human is gone.  The forest can also be a scary place.  One missed step and you're just anothe...

Quantum Break  is coming to PC, which for some reason infuriates some Xbox One owners who feel mislead. Why so sensitive about the console vs PC market? Is something amiss on the world of console gaming? This week on the podcast, we discuss computer gaming, my recent PC build, and more. Join us, won't you?     Show Notes: - Runtime: 32 mins 27 secs - Music by  Brad Sucks

Activision is facing a lawsuit, probably not uncommon considering their size, this time from the family of Angolan resistance leader Jonas Savimbi . There are a lot of reasons his children might be angry, some of which make for an excellent conversation starter about historical figures in war games and the changing landscape of warfare in games. Oh, and generic moms.      Show Notes:   - Runtime:...

Did you hear that?  It was as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced.  Actually, it’s the opposite of that: those voices turned into a roiling stew of outrage and disappointment.  Yes, we’re talking about the Oculus Rift’s price announcement.  Don’t worry, we get over that pretty fast and then get down to the real issues: which platforms we’re investing in, w...

Happy New Year everyone! We're ringing in 2016 with a look at the games to come. This week on the podcast, we discuss what we are most excited to play, what we think might not even come out this year, and the rich lore of Captain Planet . Show Notes: - Runtime: 41 mins 19 secs - Music by  Brad Sucks

Our Game of the Year plates were just too full to accommodate everything last week, so this week we talk about some more of our favorite games from 2015.  It's like a delicious, unending plate of leftovers, so pile it high and indulge yourself.  Don't worry, the squid is totally fine to eat; it's only been in the fridge for a few months...

What a year is has been for gaming! We've browsed through police interviews, parachuted through the sky, and dug deep into the earth. Now, as 2015 draws to a close, Scott and I return for our annual Game of the Year discussion. As always, we encourage you to share your favorite games that you've played. Yes, even if that includes The Witcher .   Show Notes: - Runtime: 56 mins 30 secs - Intrio & Ou...

It seems like anyone and everyone can have an awards show these days, so we've decided to test that theory.  This week, we introduce our very own, highly serious, and extremely dignified awards show that will from here onwards be referred to as "The Gamies."  Ever wanted to know what was the most tempting money-waster or who was the best waifu/husbandu of 2015?  No?  Well too bad because we're goi...

Winter has come at long last! This week on the EXP Podcast, Scott and I revisit the cold north of Telltale's Game of Thrones . This marks the end of Season 1. Did it achieve the great heights we've come to expect from Telltale? Does Mira get ahead of the drama at King's landing? Is there an actual  Ice Dragon? All this and more! Quick technical note, due to some unfortunate audacity issues there a...

It just wouldn't be the holiday season without a little Call of Duty, now would it?  Black Ops 3 is coming at you like swarm of angry bees.  Don't worry though: we're here to guide you through this near-future dystopia.  Rule number one: don't ever trust robots.

It's nearly Thanksgiving here in America. Today, Scott and I are both thankful we are not the last survivors of humanity wandering an irradiated wasteland. It's the small things, y'know? Let's celebrate by discussing the game everyone's been playing: Fallout 4 . And what would Fallout 4 be without bugs? They define Bethesda games! But do they break them? All this and more in this week's EXP Podcas...