Video Games 2 the MAX

In our latest episode, what has been a rather sour week of gaming with major layoffs in two different gaming industry sectors, amid more disappointing figures for Xbox on the Console side, games not selling well enough and yeah... just less than wonderful news in general. Sean is joined by Randy Isbelle on this episode to discuss all of these things, and also actual video games too. Firstly, Bungi...

Apologies, we've been having issues with our feed, so this is why this is just now being posted. * This was originally recorded on 07/29/2024 * The advent of digital gaming has been a great convenience and has opened up so many different avenues for gaming to thrive, especially when it comes to indie games. However, this also means that entire stores can be shut down once the console's lifecycle h...

Apologies, we've been having issues with our feed, so this is why this is just now being posted. * This was originally recorded on 07/22/2024 * For 11 years, college football fans have been without a video game to call their own, and a court case effectively made it impossible to create a licensed CFB game. However, after three years of development, last week, EA College Football 25 became a reali...

Apologies, we've been having issues with our feed, so this is why this is just now being posted. * This was originally recorded on 07/15/2024 * Has the day finally happened when Xbox Game Pass is no longer the best deal in gaming? Sean and Marc discuss Microsoft's big decision to not only raise up the price of their subscription service but also elected to remove Day 1 Games from their middle tier...

Apologies, we've been having issues with our feed, so this is why this is just now being posted. * This was originally recorded on 07/08/2024 * It's National Video Game Day so why not discuss one of the biggest things happening to the medium and that's the surplus of adaptations. Sean and Marc rank their Top 5 Most Wanted Video Game Adaptations, which can include unreleased TV shows or movies that...

Apologies, we've been having issues with our feed, so this is why this is just now being posted. * This was originally recorded on 07/01/2024 * It is yet another week in Video Games and the summer of Elden Ring continues as Marc has been playing more of the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC. However, this week he's also been playing the Director's Cut version of another game he enjoyed very much, Shin Meg...

Apologies, we've been having issues with our feed, so this is why this is just now being posted. * This was originally recorded on 06/24/2024 * It is finally here the long-awaited DLC for the smash hit Elden Ring called Shadow of the Erdtree has arrived for everyone to buy, download, and play. Marc has put some hours into it and he has some thoughts. Is this the new defacto game of the year? Is th...

Apologies, we've been having issues with our feed, so this is why this is just now being posted. * This was originally recorded on 06/17/2024 * Just ahead of a looming Nintendo Direct comes this week's edition of Video Games 2 the MAX where Sean and Marc discuss some older games that may finally be coming out like Final Fantasy Tactics Remaster, A Quiet Place game, and the Beyond Good & Evil 20th...

Apologies, we've been having issues with our feed, so this is why this is just now being posted. * This was originally recorded on 06/10/2024 * Well, the Summer Game Fest weekend of showcases has officially come and gone. And they certainly were a mixed bag of goodness. Geoff Keighley kicked things off and delivered some interesting games, but wound up being much more indie-focused than it has bee...

Apologies, we've been having issues with our feed, so this is why this is just now being posted. * This was originally recorded on 06/03/2024 * In the calm before the storm week, Sean and Marc discuss the PlayStation State of Play that occurred last Thursday and how it is a mixed bag once again. The big game we discussed in the previous episode was announced in the form of the PlayStation 5 Astro...

Apologies, we've been having issues with our feed, so this is why this is just now being posted. * This was originally recorded on 05/29/2024 * Hopefully, everyone had a great Memorial Day Weekend. This wasn't the biggest news week but at least there are a few things to talk about including Microsoft finally confirming that Call of Duty Black Ops 6 will be coming to Xbox Game Pass. Could this be t...

Apologies, we've been having issues with our feed, so this is why this is just now being posted. * This was originally recorded on 05/17/2024 * This week is packed with news from all sorts of gaming channels. Let's see if Sean and Marc can even get close to touching most of it. PlayStation made some big moves at the CEO level and announced 59.3 Million PS5's sold. They also might have a surprise H...

This week in gaming showcased a bombshell announcement from one of the big pillars of the industry. Microsoft and Xbox announced the closure of three Bethesda studios and the consolidation of another one. Arkane Austin, Alpha Dog, Tango Gameworks, and Roundhouse are all gone. Although some of the employees will be put into other places or studios, many of these wonderful developers are now out of...

This week saw a quieter period for gaming with everyone still catching up on the deluge of games released in the last few weeks and also some showcases highlighting upcoming games too. Marc has now been playing Stellar Blade and makes up for Sean not getting to make any progress in the game this week. With Marc having more familiarity with the Souls genre how does his opinion differ from Sean's la...

Gaming season has arrived at the end of April and the guys have some games to talk about on this episode of Video Games 2 the MAX. Sean's been playing Stellar Blade Another Crab's Treasure, and Tales of Kenzera Zau, and Marc's been playing No Rest For the Wicked. Quite a bit of Souls on this show. Also, Blizzard announced they will not have Blizzcon in 2024. Is this really a big deal? Or does it s...

As we await the big game releases of next week, there are a few minor ones that have already made their way out to PC and Consoles. Sean's played Stop Motion narrative wonder Harold Halibut and the Final Fantasy XVI Rising Tide DLC. Does the Rising Tide serve as a seemingly fitting finale to FF16's content? Is Harold Halibut another indie darling that everyone should play? There's quite a bit of v...

* Apologies for the audio version coming out a little later than usual. Sean had some family matters to attend to. * This week saw the premiere of the Fallout TV Series on Amazon Prime and Marc has binged through it all, while Sean has watched the first few episodes. So the duo discusses their impressions of the series that's already received the greenlight for a second season. Also, this was a we...

We are now fully into April and as we wait for the big games coming at the end of the month, there are some demos out for some of them. So, Sean has some Stellar Blade Impressions to share on this episode. Along with that, he's also played two versions of the Saga: Emerald Beyond. As well as a beloved game that was released bout a month ago in Unicorn Overlord impressions too. Marc is also just en...

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is so massive Sean had to bring in five guests to break down their thoughts on various parts of the game including The Ending and where we go from here into Part 3. So, if you didn't catch the title, there will be SPOILERS for the game on this special edition of Video Games 2 the MAX. Sean is joined by the man who loves Bad Brackets Randy Isbelle and two members of The Ou...

After a week that saw some big releases and exciting announcements, we have a week of interesting announcements, and more layoffs, Gearbox is free from Embracer Group, and Phil Spencer has a big interview talking about Xbox. Sean and Marc discuss it all in this edition of Video Games 2 the MAX. Phil Spencer had an interview with Polygon while at the Game Developer's Conference (links further below...

A huge week in gaming with some major releases all occurring on the same day and also big gaming news with GDC and PAX East happening this week as well. Right before recording Square-Enix had their Final Fantasy XVI: Rising Tide DLC panel and they gave some new info on what we'll be doing in the DLC, an all-important release date and so much more! Sean tries to go through the gist of it, probably...

It's another week in gaming and another week of Video Games 2 the MAX as Sean and Marc are near the end of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, (actually, Marc beat it before we started recording), so the guys have some more thoughts on the game (without spoilers). And something that will help FFVII Rebirth look even better is a PlayStation 5 Pro as more rumors abound about the specs and insides of the futu...

Sadly a huge loss was announced to the world late Thursday/Early Friday with the passing of the legendary Akira Toriyama. The creator of Dragon Ball undoubtedly leaves a huge legacy not just in the Manga/Anime world, but also in video games with his character art for Dragon Quest, Chrono Trigger, and Blue Dragon among others. Sean is joined by Marc and The Outerhaven's SithScott as they discuss wh...

This week has been absolutely incredible in showing the duality of the games industry at the moment. Two giants of video games, Sony and EA both have layoffs within a day of each other, closing studios, and echoing the same refrain of needing to reassess their strategies going forward. Embracer Group entered an agreement with Sabre Interactive so they can be owned by private investors. Borderlands...

It is nearly upon us, the moment Final Fantasy VII fans have been eagerly anticipating, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is mere days away. Sean is joined by Gaming Trends Writer at Inverse Hayes Madsen. Hayes has reviewed and played the full game already ahead of its official release. In this SPOILER-FREE discussion about the game, Hayes gives his thoughts on the new additions, what's improved from Fina...