The Best Games Ever Podcast http://www.vg247.com en Your favourite people at VG247.com chat about the best games ever - with a twist. This is a game show where our regular panellists have to pitch their pick for the best game in a very specific category, such as "the best game where you get to eat pie", or "the best game with the worst cars". Our host Jim Trinca then has to pick his favourite, and then has to spend the rest of the week having annoyed two of his colleagues. Usually Connor. It's good, you should listen to it. https://megaphone.imgix.net/podcasts/ca4b71f6-90fc-11ed-8224-3b07c63e752a/image/SQUARE_LOGO.jpg?ixlib=rails-4.3.1&max-w=3000&max-h=3000&fit=crop&auto=format,compress The Best Games Ever Podcast http://www.vg247.com no episodic The best games ever, but not like you think. VG247 Your favourite people at VG247.com chat about the best games ever - with a twist. This is a game show where our regular panellists have to pitch their pick for the best game in a very specific category, such as "the best game where you get to eat pie", or "the best game with the worst cars". Our host Jim Trinca then has to pick his favourite, and then has to spend the rest of the week having annoyed two of his colleagues. Usually Connor. It's good, you should listen to it. Your favourite people at VG247.com chat about the best games ever - with a twist. This is a game show where our regular panellists have to pitch their pick for the best game in a very specific category, such as "the best game where you get to eat pie", or "the best game with the worst cars". Our host Jim Trinca then has to pick his favourite, and then has to spend the rest of the week having annoyed two of his colleagues. Usually Connor. It's good, you should listen to it.

]]> VG247 podcasts@ign.com https://feeds.megaphone.fm/GNL9671786412 Episode 118: The best game that lets YOU control the narrative Interactivity is this medium's entire thing. It's a composite of many other art forms: everything from prose, to sculpture, to television. What it cribs from those things is often its weakest work, but what it does brilliantly and almost singularly is give the audience some control within the experience. All art is interactive on some level, in that the relationship between a creative work, its author, and its enjoyer is always a conversation of sorts. We project our own world view onto motionless hunks of marble. Our own life experiences onto flat planes of pigmented acrylics. Our own cultural conditioning onto Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway. And there's those Choose Your Own Adventure books that give you some sense of a branching narrative and are also rubbish. But games? You may inhabit entire worlds beyond the screen via a proxy. An avatar quite often of our own design. An effective physical presence. Games don't just tell us what Narnia is like: they let us stick a steel toe-capped size twelve through the fucking wardrobe, mate. We all get to be Dorothy, except instead of a nippy wee dug we've got an AK-47 and a bandolier of frag grenades. This medium doesn't need to be better at imparting meaning through narrative than all the places it steals from, because it does something that none of those other things can: freedom to change the script. Whether it's through small, inconsequential choices like whether to shoot a guy in the bonce or the willy, or full-on branching narratives with multiple possible origin stories, middles, and endings, games are more or less what you put into them. Namely, you. But what is the best game that lets you control the narrative? Let's ask our esteemed panel of professional Game Likers from VG247, which is sort of like Eurogamer but communist.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Sat, 02 Nov 2024 21:38:01 -0000 The best game that lets YOU control the narrative full 2 2 VG247 STORY TIME Interactivity is this medium's entire thing. It's a composite of many other art forms: everything from prose, to sculpture, to television. What it cribs from those things is often its weakest work, but what it does brilliantly and almost singularly is give the audience some control within the experience. All art is interactive on some level, in that the relationship between a creative work, its author, and its enjoyer is always a conversation of sorts. We project our own world view onto motionless hunks of marble. Our own life experiences onto flat planes of pigmented acrylics. Our own cultural conditioning onto Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway. And there's those Choose Your Own Adventure books that give you some sense of a branching narrative and are also rubbish. But games? You may inhabit entire worlds beyond the screen via a proxy. An avatar quite often of our own design. An effective physical presence. Games don't just tell us what Narnia is like: they let us stick a steel toe-capped size twelve through the fucking wardrobe, mate. We all get to be Dorothy, except instead of a nippy wee dug we've got an AK-47 and a bandolier of frag grenades. This medium doesn't need to be better at imparting meaning through narrative than all the places it steals from, because it does something that none of those other things can: freedom to change the script. Whether it's through small, inconsequential choices like whether to shoot a guy in the bonce or the willy, or full-on branching narratives with multiple possible origin stories, middles, and endings, games are more or less what you put into them. Namely, you. But what is the best game that lets you control the narrative? Let's ask our esteemed panel of professional Game Likers from VG247, which is sort of like Eurogamer but communist.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Interactivity is this medium's entire thing. It's a composite of many other art forms: everything from prose, to sculpture, to television. What it cribs from those things is often its weakest work, but what it does brilliantly and almost singularly is give the audience some control within the experience. All art is interactive on some level, in that the relationship between a creative work, its author, and its enjoyer is always a conversation of sorts. We project our own world view onto motionless hunks of marble. Our own life experiences onto flat planes of pigmented acrylics. Our own cultural conditioning onto Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway. And there's those Choose Your Own Adventure books that give you some sense of a branching narrative and are also rubbish.

But games? You may inhabit entire worlds beyond the screen via a proxy. An avatar quite often of our own design. An effective physical presence. Games don't just tell us what Narnia is like: they let us stick a steel toe-capped size twelve through the fucking wardrobe, mate. We all get to be Dorothy, except instead of a nippy wee dug we've got an AK-47 and a bandolier of frag grenades. This medium doesn't need to be better at imparting meaning through narrative than all the places it steals from, because it does something that none of those other things can: freedom to change the script.

Whether it's through small, inconsequential choices like whether to shoot a guy in the bonce or the willy, or full-on branching narratives with multiple possible origin stories, middles, and endings, games are more or less what you put into them. Namely, you.

But what is the best game that lets you control the narrative? Let's ask our esteemed panel of professional Game Likers from VG247, which is sort of like Eurogamer but communist. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 2018 Episode 117: The best game that is HATED by its publisher Sometimes a game comes along that is, for reasons, a bit a of a black sheep as far as its parent company is concerned. It could be a passion project that doesn't tick any zeigeisty boxes, a legacy IP that the current owners have no clue what to do with, sometimes even a perfectly decent game that the court of public opinion has turned sour on and therefore must be canned. Video games are big, unwieldy projects that only ever release in a working state through a combination of talent, grit, and extraordinary good luck, and it's the latter that often pushes one into precarious waters. And yet, there are a number of examples of games that are brilliant, beloved, fine ambassadors of their genre despite being a full-on headache for anyone involved in having to sell them. Which of these, according to our esteemed panel of Alex Donaldson and Tom Orry, is the best ever? Host Jim Trinca will decide in this edition of The Best Games Ever Podcast, a show that is loved by all including its parent company and associated stakeholders. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Tue, 22 Oct 2024 11:39:26 -0000 The best game that is HATED by its publisher full 2 1 VG247 BORN 2 DIE Sometimes a game comes along that is, for reasons, a bit a of a black sheep as far as its parent company is concerned. It could be a passion project that doesn't tick any zeigeisty boxes, a legacy IP that the current owners have no clue what to do with, sometimes even a perfectly decent game that the court of public opinion has turned sour on and therefore must be canned. Video games are big, unwieldy projects that only ever release in a working state through a combination of talent, grit, and extraordinary good luck, and it's the latter that often pushes one into precarious waters. And yet, there are a number of examples of games that are brilliant, beloved, fine ambassadors of their genre despite being a full-on headache for anyone involved in having to sell them. Which of these, according to our esteemed panel of Alex Donaldson and Tom Orry, is the best ever? Host Jim Trinca will decide in this edition of The Best Games Ever Podcast, a show that is loved by all including its parent company and associated stakeholders. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Sometimes a game comes along that is, for reasons, a bit a of a black sheep as far as its parent company is concerned. It could be a passion project that doesn't tick any zeigeisty boxes, a legacy IP that the current owners have no clue what to do with, sometimes even a perfectly decent game that the court of public opinion has turned sour on and therefore must be canned. Video games are big, unwieldy projects that only ever release in a working state through a combination of talent, grit, and extraordinary good luck, and it's the latter that often pushes one into precarious waters.

And yet, there are a number of examples of games that are brilliant, beloved, fine ambassadors of their genre despite being a full-on headache for anyone involved in having to sell them. Which of these, according to our esteemed panel of Alex Donaldson and Tom Orry, is the best ever? Host Jim Trinca will decide in this edition of The Best Games Ever Podcast, a show that is loved by all including its parent company and associated stakeholders.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 2382 Episode 116: Expansions that are better than the main game Add-on content for video games is often worthless, but it can sometimes go very, very right: just look at the DLC catalogue for The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. It infamously introduced the gaming landscape to the concept of horse armour, or paid cosmetic items in single player titles, which was widely condemned as a cynical cash-grab (even so, the concept ended up being so lucrative that it survives to this day). But it also gave us Knights of the Nine and Shivering Isles, establishing a familiar pattern of big games having a medium sized expansion set within the existing map, and a larger, quasi-sequel sized one set in its own brand new area. Starfield's recent DLC, Shattered Space, hasn't gone down as a vast improvement on the base game, but it may well be the vanguard of a much bigger (and potentially better) expansion coming down the road. Lord knows the potential is there. But that's by the by. The question I'm asking our esteemed podcast panel today is: which DLC expansions have been better than the base game? To find out what they picked, and who I chose as the winner, check out this podcast here what we recorded. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Mon, 07 Oct 2024 14:25:26 -0000 Expansions that are better than the main game full 1 116 VG247 From The Shivering Isles to Toussaint: some downloadable content is worth every penny twice. Add-on content for video games is often worthless, but it can sometimes go very, very right: just look at the DLC catalogue for The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. It infamously introduced the gaming landscape to the concept of horse armour, or paid cosmetic items in single player titles, which was widely condemned as a cynical cash-grab (even so, the concept ended up being so lucrative that it survives to this day). But it also gave us Knights of the Nine and Shivering Isles, establishing a familiar pattern of big games having a medium sized expansion set within the existing map, and a larger, quasi-sequel sized one set in its own brand new area. Starfield's recent DLC, Shattered Space, hasn't gone down as a vast improvement on the base game, but it may well be the vanguard of a much bigger (and potentially better) expansion coming down the road. Lord knows the potential is there. But that's by the by. The question I'm asking our esteemed podcast panel today is: which DLC expansions have been better than the base game? To find out what they picked, and who I chose as the winner, check out this podcast here what we recorded. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Add-on content for video games is often worthless, but it can sometimes go very, very right: just look at the DLC catalogue for The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. It infamously introduced the gaming landscape to the concept of horse armour, or paid cosmetic items in single player titles, which was widely condemned as a cynical cash-grab (even so, the concept ended up being so lucrative that it survives to this day). But it also gave us Knights of the Nine and Shivering Isles, establishing a familiar pattern of big games having a medium sized expansion set within the existing map, and a larger, quasi-sequel sized one set in its own brand new area.


Starfield's recent DLC, Shattered Space, hasn't gone down as a vast improvement on the base game, but it may well be the vanguard of a much bigger (and potentially better) expansion coming down the road. Lord knows the potential is there.


But that's by the by. The question I'm asking our esteemed podcast panel today is: which DLC expansions have been better than the base game? To find out what they picked, and who I chose as the winner, check out this podcast here what we recorded.


Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 2838 Episode 114: Rings of Power? Gaming is full of rings of power: from RPG trinkets that give your character a small but pivotal buff to a critical stat, warp rings that provide instantaneous transport for Sonic the Hedgehog, and beastly racing circuits. Not to mention, er, the actual rings of power from Lord of the Rings. Season 2 of Amazon Prime's Rings of Power inspired this topic, obviously. Well I like it anyway. That makes one of us. So, which is the best game that features a ring of power, or Powerful Ring? To find out, we assembled this panel of VG247's finest talking heads in order to record this, the latest episode of our pokey little panel game. Featuring Jim Trinca, Tom Orry, Connor Makar, and Alex Donaldson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Sun, 29 Sep 2024 10:46:00 -0000 Rings of Power? full 1 114 VG247 Another ring-themed podcast! But this time nothing to do with broken xboxes. Or Ian Higton. Gaming is full of rings of power: from RPG trinkets that give your character a small but pivotal buff to a critical stat, warp rings that provide instantaneous transport for Sonic the Hedgehog, and beastly racing circuits. Not to mention, er, the actual rings of power from Lord of the Rings. Season 2 of Amazon Prime's Rings of Power inspired this topic, obviously. Well I like it anyway. That makes one of us. So, which is the best game that features a ring of power, or Powerful Ring? To find out, we assembled this panel of VG247's finest talking heads in order to record this, the latest episode of our pokey little panel game. Featuring Jim Trinca, Tom Orry, Connor Makar, and Alex Donaldson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Gaming is full of rings of power: from RPG trinkets that give your character a small but pivotal buff to a critical stat, warp rings that provide instantaneous transport for Sonic the Hedgehog, and beastly racing circuits. Not to mention, er, the actual rings of power from Lord of the Rings. Season 2 of Amazon Prime's Rings of Power inspired this topic, obviously. Well I like it anyway. That makes one of us.


So, which is the best game that features a ring of power, or Powerful Ring? To find out, we assembled this panel of VG247's finest talking heads in order to record this, the latest episode of our pokey little panel game. Featuring Jim Trinca, Tom Orry, Connor Makar, and Alex Donaldson.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 2683 Episode 113: The best game that outlived its biggest competitor Who won out of Star Citizen and Elite Dangerous, the crowdfunded space sim sensations pitched to us a decade ago by two of the genre's most celebrated game directors? Star Citizen being a spiritual follow up to Wing Commander and Privateer, and Elite Dangerous being a direct sequel to Elite, Frontier: Elite 2 and Frontier: First Encounters. Well, it depends how you define "win". Or, indeed, "exists". This is just one of the Enthusiastic Disagreements we have in this week's Best Games Ever Podcast, along with GTA vs Saints Row, Call of Duty vs Medal of Honor, and another one that we can't remember. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Sat, 21 Sep 2024 18:02:58 -0000 The best game that outlived its biggest competitor full 1 113 VG247 Star Citizen vs Elite Dangerous Who won out of Star Citizen and Elite Dangerous, the crowdfunded space sim sensations pitched to us a decade ago by two of the genre's most celebrated game directors? Star Citizen being a spiritual follow up to Wing Commander and Privateer, and Elite Dangerous being a direct sequel to Elite, Frontier: Elite 2 and Frontier: First Encounters. Well, it depends how you define "win". Or, indeed, "exists". This is just one of the Enthusiastic Disagreements we have in this week's Best Games Ever Podcast, along with GTA vs Saints Row, Call of Duty vs Medal of Honor, and another one that we can't remember. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Who won out of Star Citizen and Elite Dangerous, the crowdfunded space sim sensations pitched to us a decade ago by two of the genre's most celebrated game directors? Star Citizen being a spiritual follow up to Wing Commander and Privateer, and Elite Dangerous being a direct sequel to Elite, Frontier: Elite 2 and Frontier: First Encounters. Well, it depends how you define "win". Or, indeed, "exists". This is just one of the Enthusiastic Disagreements we have in this week's Best Games Ever Podcast, along with GTA vs Saints Row, Call of Duty vs Medal of Honor, and another one that we can't remember.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 2259 Episode 112: The best games that BRICKED consoles If you were lucky enough to have lived through the 7th console generation as a young adult with enough disposable income to buy a couple of games per month, you ate damn well. You probably have countless fond memories of each big new watercooler game that the studios of the day were firing out with alarming regularity, and you had no idea what the hell "games as a service" meant. Bliss. What wasn't blissful, though, was how unreliable the machines were. The Xbox 360 of course was blighted by the Red Ring of Death scandal, a vast and expensive tech design and consumer rights blunder that cost Microsoft billions to put right. The PS3 similarly had the Yellow Light of Death, which wasn't as bad or as widespread as Microsoft's issue, but still affected a lot of people and is pretty much a guaranteed certainty if you're still lucky enough to have a working PS3 Fat: clean that thing religiously and change the thermal paste. Honestly. Do it. It will die eventually whatever you do, but don't tempt fate. Not that the 7th gen was the only era with widespread tech issues. Every generation of games machine has had some kind of common problem, usually caused or exacerbated by excessive heat, and therefore often associated with games that drive the hardware particularly hard. So which of these system-busting games is the best one? Well, that's what we're here to get to the bottom of in this panel show, featuring Jim Trinca as your host, Tom Orry and Sherif Saed as your regular panellists, and Ian Higton from Eurogamer as a Special Guest (he's my favourite, very handsome, doesn't smell usually). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Sat, 14 Sep 2024 16:03:26 -0000 The best games that BRICKED consoles full VG247 Red Ring of Death? Yellow Light of Death? Dodgy disc slots? The best console generation ever had some of the least reliable hardware. If you were lucky enough to have lived through the 7th console generation as a young adult with enough disposable income to buy a couple of games per month, you ate damn well. You probably have countless fond memories of each big new watercooler game that the studios of the day were firing out with alarming regularity, and you had no idea what the hell "games as a service" meant. Bliss. What wasn't blissful, though, was how unreliable the machines were. The Xbox 360 of course was blighted by the Red Ring of Death scandal, a vast and expensive tech design and consumer rights blunder that cost Microsoft billions to put right. The PS3 similarly had the Yellow Light of Death, which wasn't as bad or as widespread as Microsoft's issue, but still affected a lot of people and is pretty much a guaranteed certainty if you're still lucky enough to have a working PS3 Fat: clean that thing religiously and change the thermal paste. Honestly. Do it. It will die eventually whatever you do, but don't tempt fate. Not that the 7th gen was the only era with widespread tech issues. Every generation of games machine has had some kind of common problem, usually caused or exacerbated by excessive heat, and therefore often associated with games that drive the hardware particularly hard. So which of these system-busting games is the best one? Well, that's what we're here to get to the bottom of in this panel show, featuring Jim Trinca as your host, Tom Orry and Sherif Saed as your regular panellists, and Ian Higton from Eurogamer as a Special Guest (he's my favourite, very handsome, doesn't smell usually). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices If you were lucky enough to have lived through the 7th console generation as a young adult with enough disposable income to buy a couple of games per month, you ate damn well. You probably have countless fond memories of each big new watercooler game that the studios of the day were firing out with alarming regularity, and you had no idea what the hell "games as a service" meant. Bliss.


What wasn't blissful, though, was how unreliable the machines were. The Xbox 360 of course was blighted by the Red Ring of Death scandal, a vast and expensive tech design and consumer rights blunder that cost Microsoft billions to put right. The PS3 similarly had the Yellow Light of Death, which wasn't as bad or as widespread as Microsoft's issue, but still affected a lot of people and is pretty much a guaranteed certainty if you're still lucky enough to have a working PS3 Fat: clean that thing religiously and change the thermal paste. Honestly. Do it. It will die eventually whatever you do, but don't tempt fate.


Not that the 7th gen was the only era with widespread tech issues. Every generation of games machine has had some kind of common problem, usually caused or exacerbated by excessive heat, and therefore often associated with games that drive the hardware particularly hard. So which of these system-busting games is the best one? Well, that's what we're here to get to the bottom of in this panel show, featuring Jim Trinca as your host, Tom Orry and Sherif Saed as your regular panellists, and Ian Higton from Eurogamer as a Special Guest (he's my favourite, very handsome, doesn't smell usually).

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 2834 Episode CXI: The best Star Wars game that isn't a Star Wars game? Inspired by the recent release of Star Wars Outlaws, this week's podcast is all about what makes Star Wars, something we're exploring via the unorthodox path of picking a bunch of things that aren't Star Wars and pointing out the ways they are like Star Wars. Confused? Don't be, it's just an excuse to have arguments. Star Wars is a massive media franchise that's had so many ideas chucked into it by various writers, directors, showrunners, and every other type of creative over the years that it's hard to really pin down what its true essence is. Which is what makes the question "What's the best Star Wars game that isn't a Star Wars game?" such a fun topic: you can conceivably make an argument for anything. Yes, even Football Manager. So what does our panel most associate with Star Wars: is it laser swords and space wizards, or a beleaguered resistance movement against a tyrannical empire? Is it the things that famously influenced the young George Lucas, such as Flash Gordon adventure serials, the films of Akira Kurosawa, and living through the Vietnam war? Special guest Ian Dransfield from Games Media joins host Jim and regular panellists Connor and Mark. No Tom this week cos he was on holiday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 30 Aug 2024 15:10:50 -0000 The best Star Wars game that isn't a Star Wars game? full 1 111 VG247 Beam us up! Inspired by the recent release of Star Wars Outlaws, this week's podcast is all about what makes Star Wars, something we're exploring via the unorthodox path of picking a bunch of things that aren't Star Wars and pointing out the ways they are like Star Wars. Confused? Don't be, it's just an excuse to have arguments. Star Wars is a massive media franchise that's had so many ideas chucked into it by various writers, directors, showrunners, and every other type of creative over the years that it's hard to really pin down what its true essence is. Which is what makes the question "What's the best Star Wars game that isn't a Star Wars game?" such a fun topic: you can conceivably make an argument for anything. Yes, even Football Manager. So what does our panel most associate with Star Wars: is it laser swords and space wizards, or a beleaguered resistance movement against a tyrannical empire? Is it the things that famously influenced the young George Lucas, such as Flash Gordon adventure serials, the films of Akira Kurosawa, and living through the Vietnam war? Special guest Ian Dransfield from Games Media joins host Jim and regular panellists Connor and Mark. No Tom this week cos he was on holiday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Inspired by the recent release of Star Wars Outlaws, this week's podcast is all about what makes Star Wars, something we're exploring via the unorthodox path of picking a bunch of things that aren't Star Wars and pointing out the ways they are like Star Wars. Confused? Don't be, it's just an excuse to have arguments.


Star Wars is a massive media franchise that's had so many ideas chucked into it by various writers, directors, showrunners, and every other type of creative over the years that it's hard to really pin down what its true essence is. Which is what makes the question "What's the best Star Wars game that isn't a Star Wars game?" such a fun topic: you can conceivably make an argument for anything. Yes, even Football Manager.


So what does our panel most associate with Star Wars: is it laser swords and space wizards, or a beleaguered resistance movement against a tyrannical empire? Is it the things that famously influenced the young George Lucas, such as Flash Gordon adventure serials, the films of Akira Kurosawa, and living through the Vietnam war?


Special guest Ian Dransfield from Games Media joins host Jim and regular panellists Connor and Mark. No Tom this week cos he was on holiday.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 2526 Episode 110: Best game with the most pointless feature Sometimes video games include the most random things, but who doesn't love that stuff? We all get excited when you can flush a toilet or turn on a tap, even though these are the most mundane actions possible in the 'real world'. Jim, in his wisdom(?), decided that these neat little features are pointless and made everyone pick the most useless of all found in the best video game. How did this go? Well, you'll find out when you listen to this week's episode of the Best Games Ever Podcast. To help make these 30 minutes or so more tolerable we are this week joined by everyone's favourite dated video game journo d-lister, Steve Burns. If you know who he is, brilliant, if you don't, he's hard to explain so we won't bother. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 23 Aug 2024 10:23:00 -0000 Best game with the most pointless feature full 1 110 VG247 Let's not talk about horse balls again! Sometimes video games include the most random things, but who doesn't love that stuff? We all get excited when you can flush a toilet or turn on a tap, even though these are the most mundane actions possible in the 'real world'. Jim, in his wisdom(?), decided that these neat little features are pointless and made everyone pick the most useless of all found in the best video game. How did this go? Well, you'll find out when you listen to this week's episode of the Best Games Ever Podcast. To help make these 30 minutes or so more tolerable we are this week joined by everyone's favourite dated video game journo d-lister, Steve Burns. If you know who he is, brilliant, if you don't, he's hard to explain so we won't bother. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Sometimes video games include the most random things, but who doesn't love that stuff? We all get excited when you can flush a toilet or turn on a tap, even though these are the most mundane actions possible in the 'real world'. Jim, in his wisdom(?), decided that these neat little features are pointless and made everyone pick the most useless of all found in the best video game. How did this go? Well, you'll find out when you listen to this week's episode of the Best Games Ever Podcast.


To help make these 30 minutes or so more tolerable we are this week joined by everyone's favourite dated video game journo d-lister, Steve Burns. If you know who he is, brilliant, if you don't, he's hard to explain so we won't bother.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 2114 Episode 109: Best game on the worst console Video games are great, but sometimes you just have to admit that some of them are only available on consoles that, well, aren't great. Rubbish, even. You can guarantee an argument if you ask people to pick the worst games console, so that's what we did. But what is the best game on this worst console? Who showed their ineptitude and picked a game on a great console? Who picked something so perfect it could never be argued with? Did Jim say anything of interest or just stir things up? Truth is, depending on your exposure to certain consoles you're likely to have different views on this to everyone else, but we had to make a definitive choice over the best game on the worst console. It absolutely won't annoy anyone! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Wed, 14 Aug 2024 11:01:00 -0000 Best game on the worst console full 1 109 VG247 No one say Dreamcast challenge. Video games are great, but sometimes you just have to admit that some of them are only available on consoles that, well, aren't great. Rubbish, even. You can guarantee an argument if you ask people to pick the worst games console, so that's what we did. But what is the best game on this worst console? Who showed their ineptitude and picked a game on a great console? Who picked something so perfect it could never be argued with? Did Jim say anything of interest or just stir things up? Truth is, depending on your exposure to certain consoles you're likely to have different views on this to everyone else, but we had to make a definitive choice over the best game on the worst console. It absolutely won't annoy anyone! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Video games are great, but sometimes you just have to admit that some of them are only available on consoles that, well, aren't great. Rubbish, even. You can guarantee an argument if you ask people to pick the worst games console, so that's what we did. But what is the best game on this worst console? Who showed their ineptitude and picked a game on a great console? Who picked something so perfect it could never be argued with? Did Jim say anything of interest or just stir things up?


Truth is, depending on your exposure to certain consoles you're likely to have different views on this to everyone else, but we had to make a definitive choice over the best game on the worst console. It absolutely won't annoy anyone!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 2445 Episode 108: What's the best game where you can do a wee wee Video games are unparalleled in recreating real and fictional experiences. Only when both are channelled well, with love and passion, can a game transcend its place as merely a product and become art. For this reason being able to take a piss in-game is paramount to the merits of the medium. Where would we be without Norman Reedus widdling onto the grass in celebrated Art Game Death Stranding? Or that bit in Postal 2 where you can take a wizz on Gary Coleman, and he gets really cross with you? God rest him. Anyway. Fact is, there are loads of games which, for some reason, include the act of doing a Big Wee as part of their suite of player interactions. But which of these games is the best? To find the answer, listen to the latest episode of The Best Games Ever show: a podcasted parlour game about arguing over metacritic scores. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Tue, 06 Aug 2024 12:39:00 -0000 What's the best game where you can do a wee wee full 1 108 VG247 WATER RELIEF Video games are unparalleled in recreating real and fictional experiences. Only when both are channelled well, with love and passion, can a game transcend its place as merely a product and become art. For this reason being able to take a piss in-game is paramount to the merits of the medium. Where would we be without Norman Reedus widdling onto the grass in celebrated Art Game Death Stranding? Or that bit in Postal 2 where you can take a wizz on Gary Coleman, and he gets really cross with you? God rest him. Anyway. Fact is, there are loads of games which, for some reason, include the act of doing a Big Wee as part of their suite of player interactions. But which of these games is the best? To find the answer, listen to the latest episode of The Best Games Ever show: a podcasted parlour game about arguing over metacritic scores. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Video games are unparalleled in recreating real and fictional experiences. Only when both are channelled well, with love and passion, can a game transcend its place as merely a product and become art. For this reason being able to take a piss in-game is paramount to the merits of the medium. Where would we be without Norman Reedus widdling onto the grass in celebrated Art Game Death Stranding? Or that bit in Postal 2 where you can take a wizz on Gary Coleman, and he gets really cross with you? God rest him. Anyway.


Fact is, there are loads of games which, for some reason, include the act of doing a Big Wee as part of their suite of player interactions. But which of these games is the best? To find the answer, listen to the latest episode of The Best Games Ever show: a podcasted parlour game about arguing over metacritic scores.





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]]> 1923 Episode 107: Best game that should have been an email It's time for another episode of the Best Games Ever Podcast. This time we've got a great topic as Tom picked it. Join Jim, Tom, Connor, and Sherif as the gang ponders such a brilliant topic and attempts to come up with suitably amazing answers. Spoiler: Only Tom has a good answer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Thu, 25 Jul 2024 09:01:24 -0000 Best game that should have been an email full 107 VG247 Just make everyone's lives easier and tell us what happened in an email. It's time for another episode of the Best Games Ever Podcast. This time we've got a great topic as Tom picked it. Join Jim, Tom, Connor, and Sherif as the gang ponders such a brilliant topic and attempts to come up with suitably amazing answers. Spoiler: Only Tom has a good answer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices It's time for another episode of the Best Games Ever Podcast. This time we've got a great topic as Tom picked it. Join Jim, Tom, Connor, and Sherif as the gang ponders such a brilliant topic and attempts to come up with suitably amazing answers. Spoiler: Only Tom has a good answer.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 2252 Episode 106: Put Biden In Smash It seems like nothing will convince Biden to step down and let someone else run against Trump., but we don't care about any of that because we're a video game quiz show. Unless... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Tue, 16 Jul 2024 15:40:06 -0000 Put Biden In Smash full 106 VG247 What's the best game that could convince Biden to step down? It seems like nothing will convince Biden to step down and let someone else run against Trump., but we don't care about any of that because we're a video game quiz show. Unless... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices It seems like nothing will convince Biden to step down and let someone else run against Trump., but we don't care about any of that because we're a video game quiz show. Unless...

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]]> 2327 Episode 105: The best game you were glad to see the back of You wait years and years for something to finally be over, and once that day comes, you’re left not with a sense of joy, but with a deep-set anxiety about what comes after. Bereft. Unable to enjoy the simple joy of being free, because you’ve been around the block a bit, and you know how these things go. Sigh. But enough about finishing Morrowind. Recently the UK had an election and kicked out some of the worst people to ever be in charge of anything, replacing them with a default option that nobody actually likes that much. Which is rather like when you finish a video game. Except it isn’t. It’s nothing like that. It’s not remotely like that at all. Forgive the rubbish conceit, and please enjoy The Best Game You Were Glad To See The Back Of, a podcast episode which you can watch or listen to on this very web page and/or app! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Tue, 09 Jul 2024 12:58:44 -0000 The best game you were glad to see the back of full 1 105 VG247 We put politics in a video game (podcast) You wait years and years for something to finally be over, and once that day comes, you’re left not with a sense of joy, but with a deep-set anxiety about what comes after. Bereft. Unable to enjoy the simple joy of being free, because you’ve been around the block a bit, and you know how these things go. Sigh. But enough about finishing Morrowind. Recently the UK had an election and kicked out some of the worst people to ever be in charge of anything, replacing them with a default option that nobody actually likes that much. Which is rather like when you finish a video game. Except it isn’t. It’s nothing like that. It’s not remotely like that at all. Forgive the rubbish conceit, and please enjoy The Best Game You Were Glad To See The Back Of, a podcast episode which you can watch or listen to on this very web page and/or app! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices You wait years and years for something to finally be over, and once that day comes, you’re left not with a sense of joy, but with a deep-set anxiety about what comes after. Bereft. Unable to enjoy the simple joy of being free, because you’ve been around the block a bit, and you know how these things go. Sigh.


But enough about finishing Morrowind. Recently the UK had an election and kicked out some of the worst people to ever be in charge of anything, replacing them with a default option that nobody actually likes that much. Which is rather like when you finish a video game. Except it isn’t. It’s nothing like that. It’s not remotely like that at all. Forgive the rubbish conceit, and please enjoy The Best Game You Were Glad To See The Back Of, a podcast episode which you can watch or listen to on this very web page and/or app!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 2800 Episode 104: The Best Game that has aged like a Fine Wine Most games age like milk in the hot sun. But some are so bold, so brilliant, that they transcend their contemporary era, remaining relevant and highly playable for years or even decades following their release. But which of these has most aged like a fine bottle of fermented grapes, mashed between someone's manky toes? To find out you'll simply have to knock back a tall glass of The Best Games Ever podcast episode 104: The Best Game that has aged like a Fine Wine via the methods handily listed below. Or not, it's up to you, I'm not your mum. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Tue, 02 Jul 2024 13:00:00 -0000 The Best Game that has aged like a Fine Wine full 1 104 VG247 There's nothing graceful about this podcast. Most games age like milk in the hot sun. But some are so bold, so brilliant, that they transcend their contemporary era, remaining relevant and highly playable for years or even decades following their release. But which of these has most aged like a fine bottle of fermented grapes, mashed between someone's manky toes? To find out you'll simply have to knock back a tall glass of The Best Games Ever podcast episode 104: The Best Game that has aged like a Fine Wine via the methods handily listed below. Or not, it's up to you, I'm not your mum. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Most games age like milk in the hot sun. But some are so bold, so brilliant, that they transcend their contemporary era, remaining relevant and highly playable for years or even decades following their release. But which of these has most aged like a fine bottle of fermented grapes, mashed between someone's manky toes? To find out you'll simply have to knock back a tall glass of The Best Games Ever podcast episode 104: The Best Game that has aged like a Fine Wine via the methods handily listed below. Or not, it's up to you, I'm not your mum.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 1943 Episode 103: Ian Higton's Bum Guffs, or Best Rubbish Game with a Good Reveal Trailer There's now a premium, extended version of this podcast that you can get as a VG247.com paid subscriber - check out our Support Us page for more info. Doing so helps ensure that we can keep making the show! But don't worry if that's not for you, the main show will always be free. Still inspired by last week's topic, we thought we'd flip it on its head an ask perhaps an even more pertinent question in an age of decade-long marketing campaigns: what's the best rubbish game that had a great reveal trailer? Baffled by the concept of how a rubbish game can be "best"? Listen, don't worry about it. Games media is full of this contradictory rubbish. We often say things like, for example, "a good 7/10 game is better than a bad 9/10 game". And it makes a perverse sort of sense. Except when it doesn't. Speaking of perverse, this week we're lucky enough to welcome Eurogamer's Ian Higton onto our humble little show. He's only the second person from Eurogamer we've managed to snag, because those guys are usually too busy coming up with cheap puns, but his showdown with Tom in his debut episode is one for the ages. We're also joined by Connor, who seemed determined to sabotage himself this week but blame it on Jim (me). Typical. To find out why Connor lost, and who won out of Tom Orry and Ian Higton, you'll just have to watch or listen to this week's excitig installment of The Best Games Ever podcast via one of the handy methods below. And no, we don't know why Jim is once again wearing sunglasses and a bandana. Apart from the fact that he's a riddy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Tue, 25 Jun 2024 13:00:00 -0000 Ian Higton's Bum Guffs, or Best Rubbish Game with a Good Reveal Trailer full 1 103 VG247 ARE SOULS? There's now a premium, extended version of this podcast that you can get as a VG247.com paid subscriber - check out our Support Us page for more info. Doing so helps ensure that we can keep making the show! But don't worry if that's not for you, the main show will always be free. Still inspired by last week's topic, we thought we'd flip it on its head an ask perhaps an even more pertinent question in an age of decade-long marketing campaigns: what's the best rubbish game that had a great reveal trailer? Baffled by the concept of how a rubbish game can be "best"? Listen, don't worry about it. Games media is full of this contradictory rubbish. We often say things like, for example, "a good 7/10 game is better than a bad 9/10 game". And it makes a perverse sort of sense. Except when it doesn't. Speaking of perverse, this week we're lucky enough to welcome Eurogamer's Ian Higton onto our humble little show. He's only the second person from Eurogamer we've managed to snag, because those guys are usually too busy coming up with cheap puns, but his showdown with Tom in his debut episode is one for the ages. We're also joined by Connor, who seemed determined to sabotage himself this week but blame it on Jim (me). Typical. To find out why Connor lost, and who won out of Tom Orry and Ian Higton, you'll just have to watch or listen to this week's excitig installment of The Best Games Ever podcast via one of the handy methods below. And no, we don't know why Jim is once again wearing sunglasses and a bandana. Apart from the fact that he's a riddy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices There's now a premium, extended version of this podcast that you can get as a VG247.com paid subscriber - check out our Support Us page for more info. Doing so helps ensure that we can keep making the show! But don't worry if that's not for you, the main show will always be free.


Still inspired by last week's topic, we thought we'd flip it on its head an ask perhaps an even more pertinent question in an age of decade-long marketing campaigns: what's the best rubbish game that had a great reveal trailer?

Baffled by the concept of how a rubbish game can be "best"? Listen, don't worry about it. Games media is full of this contradictory rubbish. We often say things like, for example, "a good 7/10 game is better than a bad 9/10 game". And it makes a perverse sort of sense. Except when it doesn't.

Speaking of perverse, this week we're lucky enough to welcome Eurogamer's Ian Higton onto our humble little show. He's only the second person from Eurogamer we've managed to snag, because those guys are usually too busy coming up with cheap puns, but his showdown with Tom in his debut episode is one for the ages. We're also joined by Connor, who seemed determined to sabotage himself this week but blame it on Jim (me). Typical.

To find out why Connor lost, and who won out of Tom Orry and Ian Higton, you'll just have to watch or listen to this week's excitig installment of The Best Games Ever podcast via one of the handy methods below. And no, we don't know why Jim is once again wearing sunglasses and a bandana. Apart from the fact that he's a riddy.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 2449 Episode 102: What’s the best game that had the worst reveal trailer? https://www.vg247.com/best-games-with-bad-reveal-trailers Many great games have suffered from poor marketing. Sometimes they’re advertised to entirely the wrong demographic. Other times, they’re partnered with uncool or problematic brands. A lot of the time they’re just hard to explain, and need to be experienced to properly understand, so unless you can get a significant number of people to try a demo you’re going to struggle. This, incidentally, is why our much maligned profession still has value for consumers in the age of YouTube. At least that’s what I tell myself at night when the existential dread kicks in. But sometimes there are good games that are just hobbled by a botched first impression. A pre-rendered reveal trailer, perhaps, that contains no actual scenes or assets from the game in question and doesn’t even work as a tone piece. The recent reveal trailer for Dragon Age: The Veilguard, which inspired the theme of this episode, seemed like one of these. Indeed, some people initially wondered if it was some kind of Fortnite tie-in, given how removed it felt from the Dragon Age they knew. However, a proper twenty minute gameplay reveal the following day has, thankfully, eased a lot of people's concerns. Phew. So, what have our esteemed panel come up with for good games that had crap reveal trailers? Find out in the latest edition of The Best Games Ever Podcast, handily presented to you right here on this web page or app that you’re reading this on. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Tue, 18 Jun 2024 22:00:51 -0000 What’s the best game that had the worst reveal trailer? full 1 102 VG247 First impressions, and all that. Many great games have suffered from poor marketing. Sometimes they’re advertised to entirely the wrong demographic. Other times, they’re partnered with uncool or problematic brands. A lot of the time they’re just hard to explain, and need to be experienced to properly understand, so unless you can get a significant number of people to try a demo you’re going to struggle. This, incidentally, is why our much maligned profession still has value for consumers in the age of YouTube. At least that’s what I tell myself at night when the existential dread kicks in. But sometimes there are good games that are just hobbled by a botched first impression. A pre-rendered reveal trailer, perhaps, that contains no actual scenes or assets from the game in question and doesn’t even work as a tone piece. The recent reveal trailer for Dragon Age: The Veilguard, which inspired the theme of this episode, seemed like one of these. Indeed, some people initially wondered if it was some kind of Fortnite tie-in, given how removed it felt from the Dragon Age they knew. However, a proper twenty minute gameplay reveal the following day has, thankfully, eased a lot of people's concerns. Phew. So, what have our esteemed panel come up with for good games that had crap reveal trailers? Find out in the latest edition of The Best Games Ever Podcast, handily presented to you right here on this web page or app that you’re reading this on. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Many great games have suffered from poor marketing. Sometimes they’re advertised to entirely the wrong demographic. Other times, they’re partnered with uncool or problematic brands. A lot of the time they’re just hard to explain, and need to be experienced to properly understand, so unless you can get a significant number of people to try a demo you’re going to struggle. This, incidentally, is why our much maligned profession still has value for consumers in the age of YouTube. At least that’s what I tell myself at night when the existential dread kicks in.


But sometimes there are good games that are just hobbled by a botched first impression. A pre-rendered reveal trailer, perhaps, that contains no actual scenes or assets from the game in question and doesn’t even work as a tone piece. The recent reveal trailer for Dragon Age: The Veilguard, which inspired the theme of this episode, seemed like one of these. Indeed, some people initially wondered if it was some kind of Fortnite tie-in, given how removed it felt from the Dragon Age they knew. However, a proper twenty minute gameplay reveal the following day has, thankfully, eased a lot of people's concerns. Phew.


So, what have our esteemed panel come up with for good games that had crap reveal trailers? Find out in the latest edition of The Best Games Ever Podcast, handily presented to you right here on this web page or app that you’re reading this on.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 2641 yes The Wonderful 101: Best game where everyone's mad at you but you did nothing wrong It won't have escaped your notice, dear viewer or listener, that the last episode - our incredible two-part 100th episode special quickfire edition - featured six contestants instead of the usual three. It may have escaped your notice, however, that 50% of them were not actually VG247 staff. This has caused certain ripples at VG247 Towers. Realising I may have triggered a full-on staff revolt, with its ire pointed squarely in my direction, I felt it wise last week to pretend to be ill and get Tom to host the podcast instead. Tom, being the great mediator that he is, not only stepped seamlessly into the host role but also managed to get everyone to calm down and thwarted a live mutiny attempt during the recording. With everyone suitably placated, we'll back to normal next week. But what's the best game where everyone's mad at you even though you've done nothing wrong? To find out, you'll have to listen to this.... unorthodox edition of The Best Games Ever Podcast. The extended bit for subs only is *very* special this week, so if you want in on that, become a Bestie for just £2.99 a month! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Tue, 11 Jun 2024 17:55:30 -0000 The best game where everyone's mad at you but you did nothing wrong full 1 101 VG247 IT'S ONLY GAME It won't have escaped your notice, dear viewer or listener, that the last episode - our incredible two-part 100th episode special quickfire edition - featured six contestants instead of the usual three. It may have escaped your notice, however, that 50% of them were not actually VG247 staff. This has caused certain ripples at VG247 Towers. Realising I may have triggered a full-on staff revolt, with its ire pointed squarely in my direction, I felt it wise last week to pretend to be ill and get Tom to host the podcast instead. Tom, being the great mediator that he is, not only stepped seamlessly into the host role but also managed to get everyone to calm down and thwarted a live mutiny attempt during the recording. With everyone suitably placated, we'll back to normal next week. But what's the best game where everyone's mad at you even though you've done nothing wrong? To find out, you'll have to listen to this.... unorthodox edition of The Best Games Ever Podcast. The extended bit for subs only is *very* special this week, so if you want in on that, become a Bestie for just £2.99 a month! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices It won't have escaped your notice, dear viewer or listener, that the last episode - our incredible two-part 100th episode special quickfire edition - featured six contestants instead of the usual three. It may have escaped your notice, however, that 50% of them were not actually VG247 staff. This has caused certain ripples at VG247 Towers. Realising I may have triggered a full-on staff revolt, with its ire pointed squarely in my direction, I felt it wise last week to pretend to be ill and get Tom to host the podcast instead.


Tom, being the great mediator that he is, not only stepped seamlessly into the host role but also managed to get everyone to calm down and thwarted a live mutiny attempt during the recording. With everyone suitably placated, we'll back to normal next week.


But what's the best game where everyone's mad at you even though you've done nothing wrong? To find out, you'll have to listen to this.... unorthodox edition of The Best Games Ever Podcast. The extended bit for subs only is *very* special this week, so if you want in on that, become a Bestie for just £2.99 a month!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 1703 Episode 100: The Big Quickfire Special PART TWO To recap: for the 100th episode we decided to come up with 100 episode topics and blow them all on one huge quiz round, with individual buzzers and everything. Inviting some favourite guests to return (Owen, Richie, and Burns) with the promise that, yes, however many points you score in this mammoth episode will be added to your overall total for the series. This has caused some friction at VG247 Towers, which you'll get to enjoy the fallout from in Episode 101: The best game for losers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Tue, 04 Jun 2024 17:47:29 -0000 The Big Quickfire Special PART TWO full 1 100 VG247 BUZZ A ROUND To recap: for the 100th episode we decided to come up with 100 episode topics and blow them all on one huge quiz round, with individual buzzers and everything. Inviting some favourite guests to return (Owen, Richie, and Burns) with the promise that, yes, however many points you score in this mammoth episode will be added to your overall total for the series. This has caused some friction at VG247 Towers, which you'll get to enjoy the fallout from in Episode 101: The best game for losers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices To recap: for the 100th episode we decided to come up with 100 episode topics and blow them all on one huge quiz round, with individual buzzers and everything. Inviting some favourite guests to return (Owen, Richie, and Burns) with the promise that, yes, however many points you score in this mammoth episode will be added to your overall total for the series. This has caused some friction at VG247 Towers, which you'll get to enjoy the fallout from in Episode 101: The best game for losers.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 2412 Episode 100: The Big Quickfire Special PART ONE One-hundred episodes. 100 weeks of The Best Games Ever podcast. I can scarcely believe it. On a personal note, it's been wonderful to host this stupid, daft, funny, sometimes even informative show about games past and present, with its mad politics and meta-games, running gags, plot twists, special guests, and so on. Tom asked me to host it on a freelance basis at first, and it was working with the brilliant VG247 team on this ad-hoc basis that convinced me to snap up the opportunity when he later invited me to put throw my hat in to replace the brilliant Dorrani Williams as VG247's Video Person. We're definitely not the biggest gaming podcast in the world, or England, or Basingstoke, but we are as far as I'm concerned one of the best. Onto business, then. For the 100th episode we decided to come up with 100 episode topics and blow them all on one huge quiz round, with individual buzzers and everything. Inviting some favourite guests to return (Owen, Richie, and Burns) with the promise that, yes, however many points you score in this mammoth episode they will be added to your overall total for the series. If you want to know who came out on top, you'll have to wait for part two next week. But this here part one that you can watch or listen to below is, in and of itself, an extremely fun time that we hope you enjoy listening to as much as we enjoyed recording it. Prepare for bickering. Prepare for petty arguments and appeals to a non-existent rulebook. Prepare for Connor managing to score some points despite technically not even competing. Here's to another 100! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Wed, 29 May 2024 10:54:39 -0000 The Big Quickfire Special PART ONE full 1 100 VG247 It's been a long road... One-hundred episodes. 100 weeks of The Best Games Ever podcast. I can scarcely believe it. On a personal note, it's been wonderful to host this stupid, daft, funny, sometimes even informative show about games past and present, with its mad politics and meta-games, running gags, plot twists, special guests, and so on. Tom asked me to host it on a freelance basis at first, and it was working with the brilliant VG247 team on this ad-hoc basis that convinced me to snap up the opportunity when he later invited me to put throw my hat in to replace the brilliant Dorrani Williams as VG247's Video Person. We're definitely not the biggest gaming podcast in the world, or England, or Basingstoke, but we are as far as I'm concerned one of the best. Onto business, then. For the 100th episode we decided to come up with 100 episode topics and blow them all on one huge quiz round, with individual buzzers and everything. Inviting some favourite guests to return (Owen, Richie, and Burns) with the promise that, yes, however many points you score in this mammoth episode they will be added to your overall total for the series. If you want to know who came out on top, you'll have to wait for part two next week. But this here part one that you can watch or listen to below is, in and of itself, an extremely fun time that we hope you enjoy listening to as much as we enjoyed recording it. Prepare for bickering. Prepare for petty arguments and appeals to a non-existent rulebook. Prepare for Connor managing to score some points despite technically not even competing. Here's to another 100! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices One-hundred episodes. 100 weeks of The Best Games Ever podcast. I can scarcely believe it. On a personal note, it's been wonderful to host this stupid, daft, funny, sometimes even informative show about games past and present, with its mad politics and meta-games, running gags, plot twists, special guests, and so on. Tom asked me to host it on a freelance basis at first, and it was working with the brilliant VG247 team on this ad-hoc basis that convinced me to snap up the opportunity when he later invited me to put throw my hat in to replace the brilliant Dorrani Williams as VG247's Video Person. We're definitely not the biggest gaming podcast in the world, or England, or Basingstoke, but we are as far as I'm concerned one of the best.

Onto business, then. For the 100th episode we decided to come up with 100 episode topics and blow them all on one huge quiz round, with individual buzzers and everything. Inviting some favourite guests to return (Owen, Richie, and Burns) with the promise that, yes, however many points you score in this mammoth episode they will be added to your overall total for the series. If you want to know who came out on top, you'll have to wait for part two next week. But this here part one that you can watch or listen to below is, in and of itself, an extremely fun time that we hope you enjoy listening to as much as we enjoyed recording it. Prepare for bickering. Prepare for petty arguments and appeals to a non-existent rulebook. Prepare for Connor managing to score some points despite technically not even competing. Here's to another 100!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 3161 Podcast Audit 4: Sorry Kelsey Ahead of our big 100th Episode Quickfire Special Featuring Steve Burns, which is going to irrevocably change the scoreboard forever, Tom and I decided to do another one of our Best Games Ever Podcast audits, where we review everyone's picks in the last few months, reveal who ranks best in overall wins and win percentages, and maybe... just maybe... Tom will successfully lobby to get the scores changed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Tue, 21 May 2024 21:45:43 -0000 Sorry Kelsey full 1 VG247 We don't have office politics, apart from the half hour per week that we record and publish for your entertainment. Ahead of our big 100th Episode Quickfire Special Featuring Steve Burns, which is going to irrevocably change the scoreboard forever, Tom and I decided to do another one of our Best Games Ever Podcast audits, where we review everyone's picks in the last few months, reveal who ranks best in overall wins and win percentages, and maybe... just maybe... Tom will successfully lobby to get the scores changed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Ahead of our big 100th Episode Quickfire Special Featuring Steve Burns, which is going to irrevocably change the scoreboard forever, Tom and I decided to do another one of our Best Games Ever Podcast audits, where we review everyone's picks in the last few months, reveal who ranks best in overall wins and win percentages, and maybe... just maybe... Tom will successfully lobby to get the scores changed.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 2530 Episode 99: The best game with WET guys that DRY OFF Realistic water and wetness were seen for years as a litmus test for photorealistic graphics, but by the PS3 generation, developers had it nailed: water shaders had become so sophisticated that Nathan Drake would emerge from a full dousing of seawater and slowly dry off, with his clothes soaked, and skin glistening. It was a mesmerising effect: it’s difficult to describe to younger people how incredible it was to see this mundane environmental phenomenon happening, in real time, to a video game character. Of course, now these graphical effects are so commonplace that they scarcely raise an eyebrow. Aloy’s clothing dries off at varying rates, does it? Who cares. Seen it, mate. But given that, I thought it would be a challenge for our regular panel to come up with the best game ever where your character gets wet and stays wet for a bit. To find out how they got on, you’ll simply have to watch or listen to this week’s Best Games Ever podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Tue, 14 May 2024 13:20:23 -0000 The best game with WET guys that DRY OFF full 1 99 VG247 WATER PALAVER Realistic water and wetness were seen for years as a litmus test for photorealistic graphics, but by the PS3 generation, developers had it nailed: water shaders had become so sophisticated that Nathan Drake would emerge from a full dousing of seawater and slowly dry off, with his clothes soaked, and skin glistening. It was a mesmerising effect: it’s difficult to describe to younger people how incredible it was to see this mundane environmental phenomenon happening, in real time, to a video game character. Of course, now these graphical effects are so commonplace that they scarcely raise an eyebrow. Aloy’s clothing dries off at varying rates, does it? Who cares. Seen it, mate. But given that, I thought it would be a challenge for our regular panel to come up with the best game ever where your character gets wet and stays wet for a bit. To find out how they got on, you’ll simply have to watch or listen to this week’s Best Games Ever podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Realistic water and wetness were seen for years as a litmus test for photorealistic graphics, but by the PS3 generation, developers had it nailed: water shaders had become so sophisticated that Nathan Drake would emerge from a full dousing of seawater and slowly dry off, with his clothes soaked, and skin glistening. It was a mesmerising effect: it’s difficult to describe to younger people how incredible it was to see this mundane environmental phenomenon happening, in real time, to a video game character.

Of course, now these graphical effects are so commonplace that they scarcely raise an eyebrow. Aloy’s clothing dries off at varying rates, does it? Who cares. Seen it, mate. But given that, I thought it would be a challenge for our regular panel to come up with the best game ever where your character gets wet and stays wet for a bit. To find out how they got on, you’ll simply have to watch or listen to this week’s Best Games Ever podcast.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 2110 Episode 98: The best game with shooting where you don't get a gun for ages Whatever your attitude to guns in real life (for the record, they’re awful and civilians shouldn’t have them), it’s hard not to become a sort of virtual gun nut when you’re a gaming enthusiast because, inevitably, our primary interaction with game worlds is shooting bullets into them. Even games which emphatically are not shooters often feature guns as a tool or special attack. And sometimes – not hugely often, but more regularly than you might think – we get games which have fully developed shooting mechanics and a range of guns that you don't even get to use until many hours in. Perhaps making you wait until the final act before it grants you the right to bear arms (note: nothing to do with bears, see previous episode). There’s always a very good narratively justified reason for this. Perhaps the game is set somewhere where firearms are naturally scarce, like The Past, or Shropshire. Perhaps the developers are making a clever point about the instant, maximum violence that automatic weapons afford vs the nuanced, patient art of having to stab or punch people instead. Whatever the reason, this week our esteemed panel of professional game enjoyers are tasked with deciding which is the best of these rare treats. If you want to know what they came up with, there are handy ways to watch or listen to the show below. What a coincidence! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Tue, 07 May 2024 12:38:00 -0000 The best game with shooting where you don't get a gun for ages full 1 97 VG247 What's the point in having guns if they won't let us shoot people? Eh? Whatever your attitude to guns in real life (for the record, they’re awful and civilians shouldn’t have them), it’s hard not to become a sort of virtual gun nut when you’re a gaming enthusiast because, inevitably, our primary interaction with game worlds is shooting bullets into them. Even games which emphatically are not shooters often feature guns as a tool or special attack. And sometimes – not hugely often, but more regularly than you might think – we get games which have fully developed shooting mechanics and a range of guns that you don't even get to use until many hours in. Perhaps making you wait until the final act before it grants you the right to bear arms (note: nothing to do with bears, see previous episode). There’s always a very good narratively justified reason for this. Perhaps the game is set somewhere where firearms are naturally scarce, like The Past, or Shropshire. Perhaps the developers are making a clever point about the instant, maximum violence that automatic weapons afford vs the nuanced, patient art of having to stab or punch people instead. Whatever the reason, this week our esteemed panel of professional game enjoyers are tasked with deciding which is the best of these rare treats. If you want to know what they came up with, there are handy ways to watch or listen to the show below. What a coincidence! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Whatever your attitude to guns in real life (for the record, they’re awful and civilians shouldn’t have them), it’s hard not to become a sort of virtual gun nut when you’re a gaming enthusiast because, inevitably, our primary interaction with game worlds is shooting bullets into them. Even games which emphatically are not shooters often feature guns as a tool or special attack. And sometimes – not hugely often, but more regularly than you might think – we get games which have fully developed shooting mechanics and a range of guns that you don't even get to use until many hours in. Perhaps making you wait until the final act before it grants you the right to bear arms (note: nothing to do with bears, see previous episode).


There’s always a very good narratively justified reason for this. Perhaps the game is set somewhere where firearms are naturally scarce, like The Past, or Shropshire. Perhaps the developers are making a clever point about the instant, maximum violence that automatic weapons afford vs the nuanced, patient art of having to stab or punch people instead. Whatever the reason, this week our esteemed panel of professional game enjoyers are tasked with deciding which is the best of these rare treats.


If you want to know what they came up with, there are handy ways to watch or listen to the show below. What a coincidence!


Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 2072 The best game in which you fight a bear Hello and welcome to episode 97 of the Best Games Ever Podcast. As is traditional, let us give you some information about the show. This week we are looking for our contestants to think of the best game in which you fight a bear. Let's see if anyone decides to subvert the topic in ways that cause mutiny within the ranks. As ever, host Jim Trinca must decide who has picked the best game by judging on an unknown list of criteria he most likely makes up as he sees fit on the day. A true professional. If you want more of the Best Games Ever Podcast, we have an extended edition in which Jim picks a game and the rest of the team tells him how much of a terrible choice he's made. You can get this by becoming a paid member. Head to VG247.com and click on the "support us" section in the top right (in the menu on mobile) for all the details. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Tue, 30 Apr 2024 13:31:12 -0000 Episode 97: The best game in which you fight a bear full 1 97 VG247 Winne the Poo Hello and welcome to episode 97 of the Best Games Ever Podcast. As is traditional, let us give you some information about the show. This week we are looking for our contestants to think of the best game in which you fight a bear. Let's see if anyone decides to subvert the topic in ways that cause mutiny within the ranks. As ever, host Jim Trinca must decide who has picked the best game by judging on an unknown list of criteria he most likely makes up as he sees fit on the day. A true professional. If you want more of the Best Games Ever Podcast, we have an extended edition in which Jim picks a game and the rest of the team tells him how much of a terrible choice he's made. You can get this by becoming a paid member. Head to VG247.com and click on the "support us" section in the top right (in the menu on mobile) for all the details. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Hello and welcome to episode 97 of the Best Games Ever Podcast. As is traditional, let us give you some information about the show. This week we are looking for our contestants to think of the best game in which you fight a bear. Let's see if anyone decides to subvert the topic in ways that cause mutiny within the ranks.


As ever, host Jim Trinca must decide who has picked the best game by judging on an unknown list of criteria he most likely makes up as he sees fit on the day. A true professional.


If you want more of the Best Games Ever Podcast, we have an extended edition in which Jim picks a game and the rest of the team tells him how much of a terrible choice he's made. You can get this by becoming a paid member. Head to VG247.com and click on the "support us" section in the top right (in the menu on mobile) for all the details.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 2326 The best game they wouldn't get away with these days!!!! You can’t say anything these days! Is what silly people say, a lot. You can actually say whatever you like. You can say, for example, and with confidence, that there are certain things you could get away with in gaming thirty years ago that simply wouldn’t fly now. Like… racing games with only one track. Platformers with a length of 20mins if you’re good at them. Games with terrible representation of anyone who isn’t a straight white male. Attitudes and expectations change with time – sometimes it’s progress, sometimes it’s regression. But whatever the reason, it does lead to a lot of otherwise good games being cast into the shame cupboard of history. Games which would be a tough sell or borderline offensive now, but play great. So what’s the best one of those, according to our esteemed panel? This week Tom and I are joined once again by Richie Morgan from I Hate Doctor Who and Owen O’Donnell from The Infinite Review, two people who also remember the past. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Tue, 23 Apr 2024 15:06:00 -0000 Episode 96: The best game they wouldn't get away with these days!!!! full VG247 ATTITUDES NIGHT You can’t say anything these days! Is what silly people say, a lot. You can actually say whatever you like. You can say, for example, and with confidence, that there are certain things you could get away with in gaming thirty years ago that simply wouldn’t fly now. Like… racing games with only one track. Platformers with a length of 20mins if you’re good at them. Games with terrible representation of anyone who isn’t a straight white male. Attitudes and expectations change with time – sometimes it’s progress, sometimes it’s regression. But whatever the reason, it does lead to a lot of otherwise good games being cast into the shame cupboard of history. Games which would be a tough sell or borderline offensive now, but play great. So what’s the best one of those, according to our esteemed panel? This week Tom and I are joined once again by Richie Morgan from I Hate Doctor Who and Owen O’Donnell from The Infinite Review, two people who also remember the past. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices You can’t say anything these days! Is what silly people say, a lot. You can actually say whatever you like. You can say, for example, and with confidence, that there are certain things you could get away with in gaming thirty years ago that simply wouldn’t fly now. Like… racing games with only one track. Platformers with a length of 20mins if you’re good at them. Games with terrible representation of anyone who isn’t a straight white male.


Attitudes and expectations change with time – sometimes it’s progress, sometimes it’s regression. But whatever the reason, it does lead to a lot of otherwise good games being cast into the shame cupboard of history. Games which would be a tough sell or borderline offensive now, but play great.


So what’s the best one of those, according to our esteemed panel? This week Tom and I are joined once again by Richie Morgan from I Hate Doctor Who and Owen O’Donnell from The Infinite Review, two people who also remember the past.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 2146 The best game where your family DITCHES you Inspired by the (frankly excellent) Fallout TV show, this week on VG247's Best Games Ever podcast I've tasked my colleagues with finding the best game where a family member ditches you. With the prerequisite understanding that none of them are allowed to pick Fallout 3, the quintessential "dad's buggered off" simulator. As it turns out, being forsaken by a family member is a fairly common scenario in video games, especially if you widen the concept of family out to any sort of fraternity or gang. Which didn't stop racer-obsessed Mark trying to crowbar in a racing game, of all things. Or Tom from bringing up the usual guff. To find out which specific guff, you'll have to listen to this, which is presumably what you're doing here in the first place, which means I've essentially wasted the last five minutes of my life typing this out. Thanks for that. Thanks. I could have spent that doing something nice, like cradling my laughing child, or eating crisps, or any number of things that we do while the reaper waits. Anyway, watch Fallout, it's good. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Tue, 16 Apr 2024 12:52:03 -0000 Episode 95: The best game where your family DITCHES you full 1 95 VG247 Blood and water are of equal consistency when irradiated. Inspired by the (frankly excellent) Fallout TV show, this week on VG247's Best Games Ever podcast I've tasked my colleagues with finding the best game where a family member ditches you. With the prerequisite understanding that none of them are allowed to pick Fallout 3, the quintessential "dad's buggered off" simulator. As it turns out, being forsaken by a family member is a fairly common scenario in video games, especially if you widen the concept of family out to any sort of fraternity or gang. Which didn't stop racer-obsessed Mark trying to crowbar in a racing game, of all things. Or Tom from bringing up the usual guff. To find out which specific guff, you'll have to listen to this, which is presumably what you're doing here in the first place, which means I've essentially wasted the last five minutes of my life typing this out. Thanks for that. Thanks. I could have spent that doing something nice, like cradling my laughing child, or eating crisps, or any number of things that we do while the reaper waits. Anyway, watch Fallout, it's good. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Inspired by the (frankly excellent) Fallout TV show, this week on VG247's Best Games Ever podcast I've tasked my colleagues with finding the best game where a family member ditches you. With the prerequisite understanding that none of them are allowed to pick Fallout 3, the quintessential "dad's buggered off" simulator.


As it turns out, being forsaken by a family member is a fairly common scenario in video games, especially if you widen the concept of family out to any sort of fraternity or gang. Which didn't stop racer-obsessed Mark trying to crowbar in a racing game, of all things. Or Tom from bringing up the usual guff. To find out which specific guff, you'll have to listen to this, which is presumably what you're doing here in the first place, which means I've essentially wasted the last five minutes of my life typing this out. Thanks for that. Thanks. I could have spent that doing something nice, like cradling my laughing child, or eating crisps, or any number of things that we do while the reaper waits.


Anyway, watch Fallout, it's good.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 1791 A free game we’d love to pay for – The Best Games Ever Podcast episode 94 Inspired by the recent free drop of current viral sensation Content Warning – a co-op survival “shooter” about making spooky FauxTube videos with three of your mates – this week’s Best Games Ever podcast is all about freebies that we’d happily pay for. It’s a happy coincidence that this topic coincides with the launch of our extended podcast: a paid version of the show which includes an extra segment where you get to heart the host’s pick, and its subsequent demolishing by the rest of the panel. To paraphrase one recent YouTube commenter, “so this is the idiot whose opinions you plan to monetise?”. Well, yes, but the point is that they get kicked around like a sheep’s bladder, so I’m actually nobly offering myself up as the waste organ in question. For more information on how to become a paid VG247 subscriber, which comes with other benefits such as silky-smooth ad-free browsing, check out our Support Us page: https://www.vg247.com/subscribe/standard Anyway, some rules for this episode are: we’re talking about actual free games. Not free-to-play games that aren’t actually free once you factor in the entire economic model. So free as in beer, not free as in The NHS. Also, stealing doesn’t count, Connor. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Tue, 09 Apr 2024 11:13:35 -0000 A free game we’d love to pay for? full VG247 The best things in life have a flat upfront cost and no microtransactions. Inspired by the recent free drop of current viral sensation Content Warning – a co-op survival “shooter” about making spooky FauxTube videos with three of your mates – this week’s Best Games Ever podcast is all about freebies that we’d happily pay for. It’s a happy coincidence that this topic coincides with the launch of our extended podcast: a paid version of the show which includes an extra segment where you get to heart the host’s pick, and its subsequent demolishing by the rest of the panel. To paraphrase one recent YouTube commenter, “so this is the idiot whose opinions you plan to monetise?”. Well, yes, but the point is that they get kicked around like a sheep’s bladder, so I’m actually nobly offering myself up as the waste organ in question. For more information on how to become a paid VG247 subscriber, which comes with other benefits such as silky-smooth ad-free browsing, check out our Support Us page: https://www.vg247.com/subscribe/standard Anyway, some rules for this episode are: we’re talking about actual free games. Not free-to-play games that aren’t actually free once you factor in the entire economic model. So free as in beer, not free as in The NHS. Also, stealing doesn’t count, Connor. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Inspired by the recent free drop of current viral sensation Content Warning – a co-op survival “shooter” about making spooky FauxTube videos with three of your mates – this week’s Best Games Ever podcast is all about freebies that we’d happily pay for.


It’s a happy coincidence that this topic coincides with the launch of our extended podcast: a paid version of the show which includes an extra segment where you get to heart the host’s pick, and its subsequent demolishing by the rest of the panel. To paraphrase one recent YouTube commenter, “so this is the idiot whose opinions you plan to monetise?”. Well, yes, but the point is that they get kicked around like a sheep’s bladder, so I’m actually nobly offering myself up as the waste organ in question. For more information on how to become a paid VG247 subscriber, which comes with other benefits such as silky-smooth ad-free browsing, check out our Support Us page: https://www.vg247.com/subscribe/standard


Anyway, some rules for this episode are: we’re talking about actual free games. Not free-to-play games that aren’t actually free once you factor in the entire economic model. So free as in beer, not free as in The NHS. Also, stealing doesn’t count, Connor.



Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 1783 Episode 93: Best game everyone on social media says you should hate but is actually good The Best Games Ever podcast is a game show where three totally normal and socially acceptable panellists have to find the best game in a peculiar category such as "Best game with a breakfast buffet", or "Best game with loads of vandalism". They have to pitch their pick to our host, Jim, who uses his power to decide the winner. But there's a lot of office politics, backstabbing, and meta-gaming going on which makes this mild-mannered panel game fraught with real danger. These days the overwhelming consensus about a game can act as this great opinion hammer, used by the masses to beat down the oddballs, wildcards, and those with loud voices and poor taste. With review scores aggregated together into one gleaming numerical figure, games can be effectively ranked with a superscore that'll be chiselled into its tombstone forever. A positive score may be a gleaming eulogy, whereas a negative one traps a game in an eternal cycle of being bashed on. But there are misses! Games that weren't loved, or perhaps still aren't loved, but are really good! You probably have one or two personal faves that fall into this category. A lot of this stuff is personal taste after all, what may work for you may not work for thousands of other perfectly sane gamers out there. The result, a pantheon of underdogs. Games that may not have the gleam of all-time classics in the eyes of the many, but are gems in the hands of the few. What, then, is the best game that is actually good despite loads of people hating on it? Does it sounds a little bit like Garfield? To find out, watch or listen to our esteemed panel argue about it for like an hour - we're still giving away our extended section, although be warned that this is going behind the paywall soon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Tue, 02 Apr 2024 12:35:39 -0000 Best game everyone on social media says you should hate but is actually good full 1 93 VG247 Listen, you shouldn't take what anyone says on social media as anything other than bluster. The Best Games Ever podcast is a game show where three totally normal and socially acceptable panellists have to find the best game in a peculiar category such as "Best game with a breakfast buffet", or "Best game with loads of vandalism". They have to pitch their pick to our host, Jim, who uses his power to decide the winner. But there's a lot of office politics, backstabbing, and meta-gaming going on which makes this mild-mannered panel game fraught with real danger. These days the overwhelming consensus about a game can act as this great opinion hammer, used by the masses to beat down the oddballs, wildcards, and those with loud voices and poor taste. With review scores aggregated together into one gleaming numerical figure, games can be effectively ranked with a superscore that'll be chiselled into its tombstone forever. A positive score may be a gleaming eulogy, whereas a negative one traps a game in an eternal cycle of being bashed on. But there are misses! Games that weren't loved, or perhaps still aren't loved, but are really good! You probably have one or two personal faves that fall into this category. A lot of this stuff is personal taste after all, what may work for you may not work for thousands of other perfectly sane gamers out there. The result, a pantheon of underdogs. Games that may not have the gleam of all-time classics in the eyes of the many, but are gems in the hands of the few. What, then, is the best game that is actually good despite loads of people hating on it? Does it sounds a little bit like Garfield? To find out, watch or listen to our esteemed panel argue about it for like an hour - we're still giving away our extended section, although be warned that this is going behind the paywall soon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices The Best Games Ever podcast is a game show where three totally normal and socially acceptable panellists have to find the best game in a peculiar category such as "Best game with a breakfast buffet", or "Best game with loads of vandalism". They have to pitch their pick to our host, Jim, who uses his power to decide the winner. But there's a lot of office politics, backstabbing, and meta-gaming going on which makes this mild-mannered panel game fraught with real danger.


These days the overwhelming consensus about a game can act as this great opinion hammer, used by the masses to beat down the oddballs, wildcards, and those with loud voices and poor taste. With review scores aggregated together into one gleaming numerical figure, games can be effectively ranked with a superscore that'll be chiselled into its tombstone forever. A positive score may be a gleaming eulogy, whereas a negative one traps a game in an eternal cycle of being bashed on.


But there are misses! Games that weren't loved, or perhaps still aren't loved, but are really good! You probably have one or two personal faves that fall into this category. A lot of this stuff is personal taste after all, what may work for you may not work for thousands of other perfectly sane gamers out there. The result, a pantheon of underdogs. Games that may not have the gleam of all-time classics in the eyes of the many, but are gems in the hands of the few.


What, then, is the best game that is actually good despite loads of people hating on it? Does it sounds a little bit like Garfield? To find out, watch or listen to our esteemed panel argue about it for like an hour - we're still giving away our extended section, although be warned that this is going behind the paywall soon.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 3596 Episode 92: The best Deep Impact to another game's Armageddon? Big Western style open-world RPGs from beloved Japanese studios who tend to be known for other things (inhale) are like buses: there's none for ages, and then two come along at once! See also: Clinton-era disaster movies about Earth getting clobbered by an asteroid. See also: Clinton-era disaster movies about America getting clobbered by volcanoes. See also: those ones about the White House (former home of Bill Clinton) getting clobbered by some guys with guns. I dunno. You don't read this anyway. The gist is this: there are two games with superficial similarities that have come out at the same time, and so I'm asking our regular panel to come up with previous games that have followed this pattern, and to add a further layer of meta grief, asking them to specifically pitch me on the Deep Impact equivalent of the pair. As in, the less good one. The less well known one. The one that didn't have an associated Aerosmith song, if you will. Listen. It's just an excuse for everyone to shout at me. Listen at your own inconvenience here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Tue, 26 Mar 2024 13:16:13 -0000 The best Deep Impact to another game's Armageddon? full 1 92 VG247 They're like buses, in the sense that they're quite big and a lot of people are along for the ride? Big Western style open-world RPGs from beloved Japanese studios who tend to be known for other things (inhale) are like buses: there's none for ages, and then two come along at once! See also: Clinton-era disaster movies about Earth getting clobbered by an asteroid. See also: Clinton-era disaster movies about America getting clobbered by volcanoes. See also: those ones about the White House (former home of Bill Clinton) getting clobbered by some guys with guns. I dunno. You don't read this anyway. The gist is this: there are two games with superficial similarities that have come out at the same time, and so I'm asking our regular panel to come up with previous games that have followed this pattern, and to add a further layer of meta grief, asking them to specifically pitch me on the Deep Impact equivalent of the pair. As in, the less good one. The less well known one. The one that didn't have an associated Aerosmith song, if you will. Listen. It's just an excuse for everyone to shout at me. Listen at your own inconvenience here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Big Western style open-world RPGs from beloved Japanese studios who tend to be known for other things (inhale) are like buses: there's none for ages, and then two come along at once! See also: Clinton-era disaster movies about Earth getting clobbered by an asteroid. See also: Clinton-era disaster movies about America getting clobbered by volcanoes. See also: those ones about the White House (former home of Bill Clinton) getting clobbered by some guys with guns. I dunno. You don't read this anyway.


The gist is this: there are two games with superficial similarities that have come out at the same time, and so I'm asking our regular panel to come up with previous games that have followed this pattern, and to add a further layer of meta grief, asking them to specifically pitch me on the Deep Impact equivalent of the pair. As in, the less good one. The less well known one. The one that didn't have an associated Aerosmith song, if you will.


Listen. It's just an excuse for everyone to shout at me. Listen at your own inconvenience here.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 4224 Episode 91: The best unofficial adaptation of a movie or TV show It’s clear from Helldivers 2’s marketing that the game is directly inspired by Blair-era Dutch arthouse anti-war movie Starship Troopers. It’s also clear from playing it that Warhammer 40,000 and the future war bits of Terminator have made their mark on the project, and with its sprawling, player led, strictly PVE campaign engendering a keen sense of community among players, it’s rather like a wholesome war-themed social club for 90s teenagers. As a Nearly 40 it feels laser-targeted at my exact levels of pop culture cutoff, shooting skill, and associated decrepitness. It takes a lot of willpower after a play session to not immediately open Netscape Navigator and e-commerce that poster of the grey alien that says “take me to your dealer” and also one of Gillian Anderson doing a pout. But my wife wouldn’t let me put them up anywhere, so it would be a waste of £18.98 plus shipping. I would advise current teenagers to never grow up and move out: that freedom is an illusion. Stay at home where it’s cheaper and nobody bats an eyelid if you cover your bedroom walls with folk off the telly in sultry poses. What the actual fuck was I talking about. Oh, yeah, podcast. So which other games are Secret and/or Unofficial Adaptations of films or TV shows? And of them, which are the best? In order to find out what our expert panel thinks, you should watch or listen to this week’s Best Games Ever podcast. Methods for doing so are handily listed below, so you don’t have any excuses. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Tue, 19 Mar 2024 11:10:18 -0000 The best unofficial adaptation of a movie or TV show full 1 91 VG247 Not a single mention of Twin Peaks, tsk. It’s clear from Helldivers 2’s marketing that the game is directly inspired by Blair-era Dutch arthouse anti-war movie Starship Troopers. It’s also clear from playing it that Warhammer 40,000 and the future war bits of Terminator have made their mark on the project, and with its sprawling, player led, strictly PVE campaign engendering a keen sense of community among players, it’s rather like a wholesome war-themed social club for 90s teenagers. As a Nearly 40 it feels laser-targeted at my exact levels of pop culture cutoff, shooting skill, and associated decrepitness. It takes a lot of willpower after a play session to not immediately open Netscape Navigator and e-commerce that poster of the grey alien that says “take me to your dealer” and also one of Gillian Anderson doing a pout. But my wife wouldn’t let me put them up anywhere, so it would be a waste of £18.98 plus shipping. I would advise current teenagers to never grow up and move out: that freedom is an illusion. Stay at home where it’s cheaper and nobody bats an eyelid if you cover your bedroom walls with folk off the telly in sultry poses. What the actual fuck was I talking about. Oh, yeah, podcast. So which other games are Secret and/or Unofficial Adaptations of films or TV shows? And of them, which are the best? In order to find out what our expert panel thinks, you should watch or listen to this week’s Best Games Ever podcast. Methods for doing so are handily listed below, so you don’t have any excuses. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices It’s clear from Helldivers 2’s marketing that the game is directly inspired by Blair-era Dutch arthouse anti-war movie Starship Troopers. It’s also clear from playing it that Warhammer 40,000 and the future war bits of Terminator have made their mark on the project, and with its sprawling, player led, strictly PVE campaign engendering a keen sense of community among players, it’s rather like a wholesome war-themed social club for 90s teenagers. As a Nearly 40 it feels laser-targeted at my exact levels of pop culture cutoff, shooting skill, and associated decrepitness.


It takes a lot of willpower after a play session to not immediately open Netscape Navigator and e-commerce that poster of the grey alien that says “take me to your dealer” and also one of Gillian Anderson doing a pout. But my wife wouldn’t let me put them up anywhere, so it would be a waste of £18.98 plus shipping. I would advise current teenagers to never grow up and move out: that freedom is an illusion. Stay at home where it’s cheaper and nobody bats an eyelid if you cover your bedroom walls with folk off the telly in sultry poses. What the actual fuck was I talking about.


Oh, yeah, podcast. So which other games are Secret and/or Unofficial Adaptations of films or TV shows? And of them, which are the best? In order to find out what our expert panel thinks, you should watch or listen to this week’s Best Games Ever podcast. Methods for doing so are handily listed below, so you don’t have any excuses.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 3721 Episode 90: The best game with a load of sand in it It's been long and arduous road to something resembling a worthy adaptation of Frank "dirty" Herbert's sand-based epic Dune, but with the recent release of Denis Villeneuve's Dune 2, we can safely call that one done. I just hope we get enough sequels for the films to start covering such nonsense as half-worm emperors and chair dogs. Aside from the various video game adaptations of Dune - from classic RTS games to modern upcoming survival games - there have been plenty of games that effectively use the desolation and devastation of desert sand. Who can forget the arresting third act of Uncharted 3, or the Tatooine section of KOTOR, or the grand majesty of Assassin's Creed Origins, with its ambitious recreation of sun-drenched North Africa? But which sandy game is the best one, according to our lovely panel? If Alex Donaldson was in this episode, he'd have picked Fifty Cent: Blood on the Sand, but he isn't. To find out what was actually pitched, listen to The Best Games Ever Podcast! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Tue, 12 Mar 2024 15:21:10 -0000 The best game with a load of sand in it full 1 90 VG247 What's course, rough, and irritating, but gets nowhere? It's the VG247 podcast! It's been long and arduous road to something resembling a worthy adaptation of Frank "dirty" Herbert's sand-based epic Dune, but with the recent release of Denis Villeneuve's Dune 2, we can safely call that one done. I just hope we get enough sequels for the films to start covering such nonsense as half-worm emperors and chair dogs. Aside from the various video game adaptations of Dune - from classic RTS games to modern upcoming survival games - there have been plenty of games that effectively use the desolation and devastation of desert sand. Who can forget the arresting third act of Uncharted 3, or the Tatooine section of KOTOR, or the grand majesty of Assassin's Creed Origins, with its ambitious recreation of sun-drenched North Africa? But which sandy game is the best one, according to our lovely panel? If Alex Donaldson was in this episode, he'd have picked Fifty Cent: Blood on the Sand, but he isn't. To find out what was actually pitched, listen to The Best Games Ever Podcast! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices It's been long and arduous road to something resembling a worthy adaptation of Frank "dirty" Herbert's sand-based epic Dune, but with the recent release of Denis Villeneuve's Dune 2, we can safely call that one done. I just hope we get enough sequels for the films to start covering such nonsense as half-worm emperors and chair dogs.

Aside from the various video game adaptations of Dune - from classic RTS games to modern upcoming survival games - there have been plenty of games that effectively use the desolation and devastation of desert sand. Who can forget the arresting third act of Uncharted 3, or the Tatooine section of KOTOR, or the grand majesty of Assassin's Creed Origins, with its ambitious recreation of sun-drenched North Africa?

But which sandy game is the best one, according to our lovely panel? If Alex Donaldson was in this episode, he'd have picked Fifty Cent: Blood on the Sand, but he isn't. To find out what was actually pitched, listen to The Best Games Ever Podcast!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 3393 Episode 89: The best live service game that you like despite itself If you're anything like me, nothing makes you lose interest in a game quicker than the words "always online". Or "free-to-play". Or "connected experience", or whatever other marketing terms they've come up with for "live service grindfest that sucks". Sometimes they don't even tell you upfront that it's a GAAS title, leaving it up to the prospective audience to divine this information from visual cues in gameplay trailers like... three distinct types of in-game currency, numbers popping out of enemies heads, and the whole thing having that unmistakable whiff of a project that no involved creative could ever muster real enthusiasm for. The core of a good idea spoiled by shareholder demands. Etc. It wouldn't be so bad if every single effing game didn't seem to ship with live service elements nowadays. But still, sometimes a s**t sandwich comes with sprinkles, and people can enjoy any old muck if they have to. Which brings us to the topic of today's Best Games Ever Podcast: what's the best live service game you begrudgingly like? Could it be Destiny 2, the series that many hold responsible for this genre? Could it be Genshin Impact, the poster-child for F2P games that are Good Actually? Or could it be Diablo 4, which leverages a beloved ARPG brand to lure people into its miasma of micro (and macro) transactions? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Tue, 05 Mar 2024 15:40:59 -0000 The best live service game that you like despite itself full 1 89 VG247 As if "always online" is a selling point for entertainment. I'm always online! Let me log off! If you're anything like me, nothing makes you lose interest in a game quicker than the words "always online". Or "free-to-play". Or "connected experience", or whatever other marketing terms they've come up with for "live service grindfest that sucks". Sometimes they don't even tell you upfront that it's a GAAS title, leaving it up to the prospective audience to divine this information from visual cues in gameplay trailers like... three distinct types of in-game currency, numbers popping out of enemies heads, and the whole thing having that unmistakable whiff of a project that no involved creative could ever muster real enthusiasm for. The core of a good idea spoiled by shareholder demands. Etc. It wouldn't be so bad if every single effing game didn't seem to ship with live service elements nowadays. But still, sometimes a s**t sandwich comes with sprinkles, and people can enjoy any old muck if they have to. Which brings us to the topic of today's Best Games Ever Podcast: what's the best live service game you begrudgingly like? Could it be Destiny 2, the series that many hold responsible for this genre? Could it be Genshin Impact, the poster-child for F2P games that are Good Actually? Or could it be Diablo 4, which leverages a beloved ARPG brand to lure people into its miasma of micro (and macro) transactions? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices If you're anything like me, nothing makes you lose interest in a game quicker than the words "always online". Or "free-to-play". Or "connected experience", or whatever other marketing terms they've come up with for "live service grindfest that sucks". Sometimes they don't even tell you upfront that it's a GAAS title, leaving it up to the prospective audience to divine this information from visual cues in gameplay trailers like... three distinct types of in-game currency, numbers popping out of enemies heads, and the whole thing having that unmistakable whiff of a project that no involved creative could ever muster real enthusiasm for. The core of a good idea spoiled by shareholder demands. Etc.

It wouldn't be so bad if every single effing game didn't seem to ship with live service elements nowadays. But still, sometimes a s**t sandwich comes with sprinkles, and people can enjoy any old muck if they have to. Which brings us to the topic of today's Best Games Ever Podcast: what's the best live service game you begrudgingly like? Could it be Destiny 2, the series that many hold responsible for this genre? Could it be Genshin Impact, the poster-child for F2P games that are Good Actually? Or could it be Diablo 4, which leverages a beloved ARPG brand to lure people into its miasma of micro (and macro) transactions?

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 4036 Episode 88: The best game that shipped on multiple discs Physical game releases have been in danger of disappearing for a long time, what with Steam all but killing the PC optical drive, a cheaper discless PS5, and the rumoured incoming Xbox Series refresh which will do away with bluray even on the premium model. They're not likely to die off entirely: there will always be holdouts in the die-hard enthusiast sector, there are still people releasing Mega Drive carts now in 2024. But there will come a time when, for all intents and purposes, the era of major game releases on disc will come to an end. It makes sense for publishers. It makes sense for the environment. It makes sense for people trying to live in a small flat (hello). But it will be a shame when it finally succumbs to the inevitable, because there's nothing quite like the tactile appeal of holding a new game box. Reading the manual on the bus home. Slipping it in amongst its new shelf siblings in the correct alphabetical order, its colourful spine adding to the cacophony of Cool Logos that adorn your living space. Digital libraries try to simulate this, but they just don't scratch that particular itch. Perhaps the most exciting aspect of the physical game that will be lost is the thrill of a multi-disc release. The promise of a grand old time, an endless adventure too big to be contained on but one measly piece of landfill fodder. Two discs? Cor, what a treat. THREE discs? Man, this has gotta be good! EIGHT DISCS? What could POSSIBLY... oh, about an hour of crappy FMV. Still, you can't put a price on that initial excitement. What, then, is the best multi-disc game of all time? And does it have Final Fantasy in the title? To find out, listen to our esteemed panel argue about it for approximately forty of your earth minutes in this here program. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Tue, 27 Feb 2024 11:01:00 -0000 The best game that shipped on multiple discs full 1 88 VG247 Most games shipped on multiple discs, if you think about it... Physical game releases have been in danger of disappearing for a long time, what with Steam all but killing the PC optical drive, a cheaper discless PS5, and the rumoured incoming Xbox Series refresh which will do away with bluray even on the premium model. They're not likely to die off entirely: there will always be holdouts in the die-hard enthusiast sector, there are still people releasing Mega Drive carts now in 2024. But there will come a time when, for all intents and purposes, the era of major game releases on disc will come to an end. It makes sense for publishers. It makes sense for the environment. It makes sense for people trying to live in a small flat (hello). But it will be a shame when it finally succumbs to the inevitable, because there's nothing quite like the tactile appeal of holding a new game box. Reading the manual on the bus home. Slipping it in amongst its new shelf siblings in the correct alphabetical order, its colourful spine adding to the cacophony of Cool Logos that adorn your living space. Digital libraries try to simulate this, but they just don't scratch that particular itch. Perhaps the most exciting aspect of the physical game that will be lost is the thrill of a multi-disc release. The promise of a grand old time, an endless adventure too big to be contained on but one measly piece of landfill fodder. Two discs? Cor, what a treat. THREE discs? Man, this has gotta be good! EIGHT DISCS? What could POSSIBLY... oh, about an hour of crappy FMV. Still, you can't put a price on that initial excitement. What, then, is the best multi-disc game of all time? And does it have Final Fantasy in the title? To find out, listen to our esteemed panel argue about it for approximately forty of your earth minutes in this here program. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Physical game releases have been in danger of disappearing for a long time, what with Steam all but killing the PC optical drive, a cheaper discless PS5, and the rumoured incoming Xbox Series refresh which will do away with bluray even on the premium model. They're not likely to die off entirely: there will always be holdouts in the die-hard enthusiast sector, there are still people releasing Mega Drive carts now in 2024. But there will come a time when, for all intents and purposes, the era of major game releases on disc will come to an end. It makes sense for publishers. It makes sense for the environment. It makes sense for people trying to live in a small flat (hello). But it will be a shame when it finally succumbs to the inevitable, because there's nothing quite like the tactile appeal of holding a new game box. Reading the manual on the bus home. Slipping it in amongst its new shelf siblings in the correct alphabetical order, its colourful spine adding to the cacophony of Cool Logos that adorn your living space. Digital libraries try to simulate this, but they just don't scratch that particular itch.


Perhaps the most exciting aspect of the physical game that will be lost is the thrill of a multi-disc release. The promise of a grand old time, an endless adventure too big to be contained on but one measly piece of landfill fodder. Two discs? Cor, what a treat. THREE discs? Man, this has gotta be good! EIGHT DISCS? What could POSSIBLY... oh, about an hour of crappy FMV. Still, you can't put a price on that initial excitement.


What, then, is the best multi-disc game of all time? And does it have Final Fantasy in the title? To find out, listen to our esteemed panel argue about it for approximately forty of your earth minutes in this here program.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 3077 Episode 87: Blackbeard's syphilitic pinger The Best Games Ever podcast is a game show where three regular panellists have to find the best game in a weirdly specific category such as "Best game with a named horse", or "Best game with a terrible British accent". They have to pitch their pick to our host, Jim, who then decides the winner. But there's a lot of office politics, backstabbing, and meta-gaming going on which makes this mild-mannered panel game fraught with real danger. This week, inspired by the recent release (finally) of Skull & Bones, we're asking: what's the best Pirate Game that isn't Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag? We're asking like that because of two things: 1) Black Flag is arguably the best pirate game of all time. Well, it's either Black Flag or Sid Meier's Pirates!, and the latter isn't connected to a recent game launch, so. 2) It definitely isn't Skull & Bones, because that game frankly deserves to walk the plank. And how do you define a pirate game? Does it have to involve flintlock pistols, cutlasses, and sailing the actual caribbean? Or can it be something that features acts of piracy in an entirely different setting? Well, figuring that out is part of the game, so watch this. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Tue, 20 Feb 2024 11:10:19 -0000 Blackbeard's syphilitic pinger full 1 87 VG247 What's the best Pirate Game that ISN'T Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag? find out in The Best Games Ever Podcast The Best Games Ever podcast is a game show where three regular panellists have to find the best game in a weirdly specific category such as "Best game with a named horse", or "Best game with a terrible British accent". They have to pitch their pick to our host, Jim, who then decides the winner. But there's a lot of office politics, backstabbing, and meta-gaming going on which makes this mild-mannered panel game fraught with real danger. This week, inspired by the recent release (finally) of Skull & Bones, we're asking: what's the best Pirate Game that isn't Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag? We're asking like that because of two things: 1) Black Flag is arguably the best pirate game of all time. Well, it's either Black Flag or Sid Meier's Pirates!, and the latter isn't connected to a recent game launch, so. 2) It definitely isn't Skull & Bones, because that game frankly deserves to walk the plank. And how do you define a pirate game? Does it have to involve flintlock pistols, cutlasses, and sailing the actual caribbean? Or can it be something that features acts of piracy in an entirely different setting? Well, figuring that out is part of the game, so watch this. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices The Best Games Ever podcast is a game show where three regular panellists have to find the best game in a weirdly specific category such as "Best game with a named horse", or "Best game with a terrible British accent". They have to pitch their pick to our host, Jim, who then decides the winner. But there's a lot of office politics, backstabbing, and meta-gaming going on which makes this mild-mannered panel game fraught with real danger.


This week, inspired by the recent release (finally) of Skull & Bones, we're asking: what's the best Pirate Game that isn't Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag? We're asking like that because of two things:


1) Black Flag is arguably the best pirate game of all time. Well, it's either Black Flag or Sid Meier's Pirates!, and the latter isn't connected to a recent game launch, so.


2) It definitely isn't Skull & Bones, because that game frankly deserves to walk the plank.


And how do you define a pirate game? Does it have to involve flintlock pistols, cutlasses, and sailing the actual caribbean? Or can it be something that features acts of piracy in an entirely different setting? Well, figuring that out is part of the game, so watch this.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 2675 The best game you hate that everyone loves Sometimes it's just really baffling why certain games are popular. And you wonder to yourself if it's just because you're broken in some way. What malfunction or defect from birth would lead someone to, say, think Horizon Zero Dawn is a load of cobblers? We're here to reassure you that it's fine, actually, to just not get Mass Effect. To look on in bewilderment as your colleagues all obsess over Death Stranding or Mass Effect. To be left cold by everyone's incessant overtures about Breath of the Wild. Some things just aren't for you! And that's ok! The healthy way to deal with it is to accept that you're just, in some small way, better or smarter or more discerning than everyone else. But which of our distinguished panel has picked the best game that everyone except them loves? To find out, watch this. Watch this! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Mon, 12 Feb 2024 18:03:00 -0000 The best game you hate that everyone loves full 1 86 VG247 Some popular games are actually real stinkers. Sometimes it's just really baffling why certain games are popular. And you wonder to yourself if it's just because you're broken in some way. What malfunction or defect from birth would lead someone to, say, think Horizon Zero Dawn is a load of cobblers? We're here to reassure you that it's fine, actually, to just not get Mass Effect. To look on in bewilderment as your colleagues all obsess over Death Stranding or Mass Effect. To be left cold by everyone's incessant overtures about Breath of the Wild. Some things just aren't for you! And that's ok! The healthy way to deal with it is to accept that you're just, in some small way, better or smarter or more discerning than everyone else. But which of our distinguished panel has picked the best game that everyone except them loves? To find out, watch this. Watch this! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Sometimes it's just really baffling why certain games are popular. And you wonder to yourself if it's just because you're broken in some way. What malfunction or defect from birth would lead someone to, say, think Horizon Zero Dawn is a load of cobblers?


We're here to reassure you that it's fine, actually, to just not get Mass Effect. To look on in bewilderment as your colleagues all obsess over Death Stranding or Mass Effect. To be left cold by everyone's incessant overtures about Breath of the Wild. Some things just aren't for you! And that's ok! The healthy way to deal with it is to accept that you're just, in some small way, better or smarter or more discerning than everyone else.


But which of our distinguished panel has picked the best game that everyone except them loves? To find out, watch this. Watch this!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 2620 Do NOT mention this game on the podcast https://www.vg247.com/bad-game-for-podcasting What's the best game that has no business being brought up on a podcast that's all about the Best Games Ever? If you can get your head around that, you're already way ahead of our regular panel. Some of the worst games ever made are also the most interesting. Take Night Trap, for example: it's arguably one of the most important games in the history of the medium. Questions were asked about it in congressional hearings: it was, despite narrative overtures to the contrary, a peeping-tom simulator where you, the player, spied on a house full of teenage girls having a sleepover via a bank of (extremely rubbish quality) video feeds. Your objective was ostensibly to save the girls from vampires, or something, but it doesn't matter, because few people actually played Night Trap and even fewer would admit it. What's interesting about it is that it caused such a moral panic in the US that it led directly to video games having their own age ratings systems, which is an important thing in the evolution of the medium, because now it's an accepted fact that the video game audience isn't solely comprised of impressionable children. Which means we get mature, grown-up games like The Last of Us, which is about headshotting zombies and chucking bricks. The point is that a game doesn't have to be good to be interesting. So what heaps of absolute rubbish have our regular panellists Tom, Alex, and Billcliffe brought to the table today? Find out by watching or listening to The Best Games Ever podcast via these handy methods, and enjoy our extended SUBSCRIBERS ONLY podcast for FREE until February: Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Mon, 29 Jan 2024 16:54:03 -0000 Do NOT mention this game on the podcast full 1 85 VG247 Don't say you weren't warned! What's the best game that has no business being brought up on a podcast that's all about the Best Games Ever? If you can get your head around that, you're already way ahead of our regular panel. Some of the worst games ever made are also the most interesting. Take Night Trap, for example: it's arguably one of the most important games in the history of the medium. Questions were asked about it in congressional hearings: it was, despite narrative overtures to the contrary, a peeping-tom simulator where you, the player, spied on a house full of teenage girls having a sleepover via a bank of (extremely rubbish quality) video feeds. Your objective was ostensibly to save the girls from vampires, or something, but it doesn't matter, because few people actually played Night Trap and even fewer would admit it. What's interesting about it is that it caused such a moral panic in the US that it led directly to video games having their own age ratings systems, which is an important thing in the evolution of the medium, because now it's an accepted fact that the video game audience isn't solely comprised of impressionable children. Which means we get mature, grown-up games like The Last of Us, which is about headshotting zombies and chucking bricks. The point is that a game doesn't have to be good to be interesting. So what heaps of absolute rubbish have our regular panellists Tom, Alex, and Billcliffe brought to the table today? Find out by watching or listening to The Best Games Ever podcast via these handy methods, and enjoy our extended SUBSCRIBERS ONLY podcast for FREE until February: Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices What's the best game that has no business being brought up on a podcast that's all about the Best Games Ever? If you can get your head around that, you're already way ahead of our regular panel.

Some of the worst games ever made are also the most interesting. Take Night Trap, for example: it's arguably one of the most important games in the history of the medium. Questions were asked about it in congressional hearings: it was, despite narrative overtures to the contrary, a peeping-tom simulator where you, the player, spied on a house full of teenage girls having a sleepover via a bank of (extremely rubbish quality) video feeds. Your objective was ostensibly to save the girls from vampires, or something, but it doesn't matter, because few people actually played Night Trap and even fewer would admit it.


What's interesting about it is that it caused such a moral panic in the US that it led directly to video games having their own age ratings systems, which is an important thing in the evolution of the medium, because now it's an accepted fact that the video game audience isn't solely comprised of impressionable children. Which means we get mature, grown-up games like The Last of Us, which is about headshotting zombies and chucking bricks.


The point is that a game doesn't have to be good to be interesting. So what heaps of absolute rubbish have our regular panellists Tom, Alex, and Billcliffe brought to the table today? Find out by watching or listening to The Best Games Ever podcast via these handy methods, and enjoy our extended SUBSCRIBERS ONLY podcast for FREE until February:

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 2401 Episode 84: Best Game that you can't stop going back to despite having a huge pile of shame to work through Honestly, we've got no idea what episode this is. Jim thinks this is Season 2, which is news to everyone else, but it's also sort of episode 84. This week we pick the games that we just can't stop going back to. The games that, despite knowing we have newer titles to work through, we play at every opportunity. Do you have one? Oh, and we introduce a new segment: Jim's Pick. Get it free for now, but in the near future we're going to be launching a subscriber's edition of the show that features this extra content. It won't cost much. On the show you can hear the choices of Tom Orry, Rebecca Jones, and Mark Warren. And, as it turns out, Jim Trinca. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 19 Jan 2024 14:28:46 -0000 Best Game that you can't stop going back to despite having a huge pile of shame to work through full 2 2 VG247 The games we just can't keep away from. Honestly, we've got no idea what episode this is. Jim thinks this is Season 2, which is news to everyone else, but it's also sort of episode 84. This week we pick the games that we just can't stop going back to. The games that, despite knowing we have newer titles to work through, we play at every opportunity. Do you have one? Oh, and we introduce a new segment: Jim's Pick. Get it free for now, but in the near future we're going to be launching a subscriber's edition of the show that features this extra content. It won't cost much. On the show you can hear the choices of Tom Orry, Rebecca Jones, and Mark Warren. And, as it turns out, Jim Trinca. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Honestly, we've got no idea what episode this is. Jim thinks this is Season 2, which is news to everyone else, but it's also sort of episode 84. This week we pick the games that we just can't stop going back to. The games that, despite knowing we have newer titles to work through, we play at every opportunity. Do you have one? Oh, and we introduce a new segment: Jim's Pick. Get it free for now, but in the near future we're going to be launching a subscriber's edition of the show that features this extra content. It won't cost much.

On the show you can hear the choices of Tom Orry, Rebecca Jones, and Mark Warren. And, as it turns out, Jim Trinca.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 2519 2023 games you FORGOT about So much STUFF game out in 2023 - we had Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, a new Baldur's Gate, a Skyrim sequel which introduced such innovations to the series as: Guns and Boring. Starfield, I'm talking about. And you knew that, but I have to spell it out in the body text because a certain tech giant has taken wordplay, nuance, and creativity out onto the back porch and shot them all in the head as a sacrifice to the god of Endless Growth. Which doesn't exist. The god, or the concept. Heh! We even got a sequel to Dead Island (it was called Dead Island 2). Some of the very best games frankly of all time came out last year. Outrageously, though, many of them came and went with minimal fanfare, because within DAYS of their release, the news and hype cycle was onto the next thing. Whether that was yet another huge, record-breaking franchise entry or a team getting laid off after having made one. Yes, for the games industry, last year ruled and sucked in equal measure. It truly was the best of times and the worst of times. Anyway, the point is, there were so many amazing games coming out last year that you've forgotten most of them. And of those games you forgot, which is the best? Let's find out by asking our panel, Rebecca Jones, Connor Makar, and Alex Donaldson. They're experts, they like video games for a living. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Mon, 15 Jan 2024 14:45:00 -0000 2023 games you FORGOT about full 2 1 VG247 Remember when we had a new Zelda - A NEW ZELDA - and everyone forgot about it within a week? So much STUFF game out in 2023 - we had Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, a new Baldur's Gate, a Skyrim sequel which introduced such innovations to the series as: Guns and Boring. Starfield, I'm talking about. And you knew that, but I have to spell it out in the body text because a certain tech giant has taken wordplay, nuance, and creativity out onto the back porch and shot them all in the head as a sacrifice to the god of Endless Growth. Which doesn't exist. The god, or the concept. Heh! We even got a sequel to Dead Island (it was called Dead Island 2). Some of the very best games frankly of all time came out last year. Outrageously, though, many of them came and went with minimal fanfare, because within DAYS of their release, the news and hype cycle was onto the next thing. Whether that was yet another huge, record-breaking franchise entry or a team getting laid off after having made one. Yes, for the games industry, last year ruled and sucked in equal measure. It truly was the best of times and the worst of times. Anyway, the point is, there were so many amazing games coming out last year that you've forgotten most of them. And of those games you forgot, which is the best? Let's find out by asking our panel, Rebecca Jones, Connor Makar, and Alex Donaldson. They're experts, they like video games for a living. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices So much STUFF game out in 2023 - we had Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, a new Baldur's Gate, a Skyrim sequel which introduced such innovations to the series as: Guns and Boring. Starfield, I'm talking about. And you knew that, but I have to spell it out in the body text because a certain tech giant has taken wordplay, nuance, and creativity out onto the back porch and shot them all in the head as a sacrifice to the god of Endless Growth. Which doesn't exist. The god, or the concept. Heh! We even got a sequel to Dead Island (it was called Dead Island 2).


Some of the very best games frankly of all time came out last year. Outrageously, though, many of them came and went with minimal fanfare, because within DAYS of their release, the news and hype cycle was onto the next thing. Whether that was yet another huge, record-breaking franchise entry or a team getting laid off after having made one. Yes, for the games industry, last year ruled and sucked in equal measure. It truly was the best of times and the worst of times.


Anyway, the point is, there were so many amazing games coming out last year that you've forgotten most of them. And of those games you forgot, which is the best? Let's find out by asking our panel, Rebecca Jones, Connor Makar, and Alex Donaldson. They're experts, they like video games for a living.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 2276 The Best Games Ever Show Christmas Special 2023 Well, for the six of you who kept asking, Merry Christmas. For this festive episode on VG247’s Best Games Ever Show, Tom and Jim are reunited with friends and former colleagues Simon Miller and Steve Burns. Since they all parted ways from their infamous stint at VideoGamer.com, Simon has gone on to become a professional wrestler, in-demand presenter, and all-round online personality with seemingly endless energy for building his brand. He recently made his IMPACT! Wrestling debut and we’ve got no doubt that he’ll just keep getting bigger. Burns sits around in a big house eating pizza and playing PES. He also co-directs a production company and regularly kicks off on Twitter about the state of Man Utd. But listen. We’re not here to reminisce. We’re here to throw down in the toughest dojo in town: the Best Games Ever podcast. Who’s pitch will convince Jim to grant them a coveted BGEP Win? Will Tom be robbed once again? And how will Miller crowbar Gears of War into this? Does Burns really keep a copy of Atlus Shrugged on his bedside table or is he just doing a bit? Find out the answers to most of these question by listening to this... exciting installment of The Best Games Ever show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 22 Dec 2023 14:00:11 -0000 The Best Games Ever Show Christmas Special 2023 full 1 83 VG247 Who is the best Santa in video games? Well, for the six of you who kept asking, Merry Christmas. For this festive episode on VG247’s Best Games Ever Show, Tom and Jim are reunited with friends and former colleagues Simon Miller and Steve Burns. Since they all parted ways from their infamous stint at VideoGamer.com, Simon has gone on to become a professional wrestler, in-demand presenter, and all-round online personality with seemingly endless energy for building his brand. He recently made his IMPACT! Wrestling debut and we’ve got no doubt that he’ll just keep getting bigger. Burns sits around in a big house eating pizza and playing PES. He also co-directs a production company and regularly kicks off on Twitter about the state of Man Utd. But listen. We’re not here to reminisce. We’re here to throw down in the toughest dojo in town: the Best Games Ever podcast. Who’s pitch will convince Jim to grant them a coveted BGEP Win? Will Tom be robbed once again? And how will Miller crowbar Gears of War into this? Does Burns really keep a copy of Atlus Shrugged on his bedside table or is he just doing a bit? Find out the answers to most of these question by listening to this... exciting installment of The Best Games Ever show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Well, for the six of you who kept asking, Merry Christmas. For this festive episode on VG247’s Best Games Ever Show, Tom and Jim are reunited with friends and former colleagues Simon Miller and Steve Burns.


Since they all parted ways from their infamous stint at VideoGamer.com, Simon has gone on to become a professional wrestler, in-demand presenter, and all-round online personality with seemingly endless energy for building his brand. He recently made his IMPACT! Wrestling debut and we’ve got no doubt that he’ll just keep getting bigger.


Burns sits around in a big house eating pizza and playing PES. He also co-directs a production company and regularly kicks off on Twitter about the state of Man Utd.


But listen. We’re not here to reminisce. We’re here to throw down in the toughest dojo in town: the Best Games Ever podcast. Who’s pitch will convince Jim to grant them a coveted BGEP Win? Will Tom be robbed once again? And how will Miller crowbar Gears of War into this? Does Burns really keep a copy of Atlus Shrugged on his bedside table or is he just doing a bit?


Find out the answers to most of these question by listening to this... exciting installment of The Best Games Ever show.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 2291 Podcast Audit #3: Tom reveals the guest he hates the most We have a lot of guests on the VG247 podcast because we know a lot of Games Media Personalities and most of them are too polite and/or socially inept to say "no" when we ask them to be on our podcast. In the last year we've had such Talented Greats as Mike Channel from Outside Xbox And Things and James Batchelor who has written some books. But which guest is Tom's favourite? And who can he stand the least? And is forty minutes of one-on-one with Tom Orry enough to shut up all the Tom Orry fans in the comments who keep moaning that he's never on? Find out in this week's inflammatory installment of VG247's Best Games Ever Podcast : the show that panders to its horrid audience. Or just that one guy in Wales who really likes Tom, for some reason. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Mon, 18 Dec 2023 14:15:59 -0000 Tom reveals the guest he hates the most full 1 82 VG247 Find out who's winning the game, and Tom's affection, in this explosively candid episode. We have a lot of guests on the VG247 podcast because we know a lot of Games Media Personalities and most of them are too polite and/or socially inept to say "no" when we ask them to be on our podcast. In the last year we've had such Talented Greats as Mike Channel from Outside Xbox And Things and James Batchelor who has written some books. But which guest is Tom's favourite? And who can he stand the least? And is forty minutes of one-on-one with Tom Orry enough to shut up all the Tom Orry fans in the comments who keep moaning that he's never on? Find out in this week's inflammatory installment of VG247's Best Games Ever Podcast : the show that panders to its horrid audience. Or just that one guy in Wales who really likes Tom, for some reason. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices We have a lot of guests on the VG247 podcast because we know a lot of Games Media Personalities and most of them are too polite and/or socially inept to say "no" when we ask them to be on our podcast. In the last year we've had such Talented Greats as Mike Channel from Outside Xbox And Things and James Batchelor who has written some books.

But which guest is Tom's favourite? And who can he stand the least? And is forty minutes of one-on-one with Tom Orry enough to shut up all the Tom Orry fans in the comments who keep moaning that he's never on? Find out in this week's inflammatory installment of VG247's Best Games Ever Podcast : the show that panders to its horrid audience. Or just that one guy in Wales who really likes Tom, for some reason.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 2602 Episode 81: Best game that's a Spin-off into a completely different genre The VG247 crew is back to decide on yet another Best Game Ever. In this week's show we're looking at games that are spin-off from a game in a totally different genre. So, things like how Mario Kart is a 'Mario' game but not a 2D platformer that the series became famous for. You get the idea. As always, our host Jim Trinca makes a complete mess of picking the correct winner, but you can be the judge of that without me, a simple person writing these description, influencing you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 08 Dec 2023 11:53:19 -0000 Best game that's a Spin-off into a completely different genre full 1 81 VG247 No one pick a Mario game, alright? The VG247 crew is back to decide on yet another Best Game Ever. In this week's show we're looking at games that are spin-off from a game in a totally different genre. So, things like how Mario Kart is a 'Mario' game but not a 2D platformer that the series became famous for. You get the idea. As always, our host Jim Trinca makes a complete mess of picking the correct winner, but you can be the judge of that without me, a simple person writing these description, influencing you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices The VG247 crew is back to decide on yet another Best Game Ever. In this week's show we're looking at games that are spin-off from a game in a totally different genre. So, things like how Mario Kart is a 'Mario' game but not a 2D platformer that the series became famous for. You get the idea. As always, our host Jim Trinca makes a complete mess of picking the correct winner, but you can be the judge of that without me, a simple person writing these description, influencing you.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 3358 Episode 80: Shock Betrayals and Other Gaming Tropes Tom's back by popular demand, but also to answer for his crimes against a previous guest: James Batchelor, author of The Best Non-Violent Video Games. For weeks following James' deserved win, Tom and Conner said some Very Mean things about him and his book, and even implied that virtuous host Jim Trinca (who is fair and kind) would let anyone win if they were on to plug some coffee table book that you can already read as tweets. Did Tom back down, or double down? And how did Connor manage to escape justice? Find out in this week's delectable installment of The Best Games Ever Podcast, the least embarassing podcast to blare out on the bus when your headphone jack gets ripped out. Of your "MP3 player". In 2006. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 01 Dec 2023 19:02:35 -0000 Shock Betrayals and Other Gaming Tropes full 1 80 VG247 Getting screwed over is just part of the deal as a video game protagonist. Tom's back by popular demand, but also to answer for his crimes against a previous guest: James Batchelor, author of The Best Non-Violent Video Games. For weeks following James' deserved win, Tom and Conner said some Very Mean things about him and his book, and even implied that virtuous host Jim Trinca (who is fair and kind) would let anyone win if they were on to plug some coffee table book that you can already read as tweets. Did Tom back down, or double down? And how did Connor manage to escape justice? Find out in this week's delectable installment of The Best Games Ever Podcast, the least embarassing podcast to blare out on the bus when your headphone jack gets ripped out. Of your "MP3 player". In 2006. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Tom's back by popular demand, but also to answer for his crimes against a previous guest: James Batchelor, author of The Best Non-Violent Video Games. For weeks following James' deserved win, Tom and Conner said some Very Mean things about him and his book, and even implied that virtuous host Jim Trinca (who is fair and kind) would let anyone win if they were on to plug some coffee table book that you can already read as tweets.


Did Tom back down, or double down? And how did Connor manage to escape justice? Find out in this week's delectable installment of The Best Games Ever Podcast, the least embarassing podcast to blare out on the bus when your headphone jack gets ripped out. Of your "MP3 player". In 2006.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 2455 Episode 79: What’s the best game that we’d give a kicking? Recently, our friend and long time VG247 contributor Sherif Saed gave Pinnochio-themed soulslike Lies of P a bit of a pasting in his review. Our two star score prompted a lot of backlash from some quarters, and also a bit of internal discussion about the nature of opinion pieces. How reviews can sometimes be a flashpoint of controversy, and how scores don’t reflect any of the nuance that led the author to their conclusion. Personally, I’m always a bit baffled by the phenomenon of people who haven’t played a game kicking off online about the views of someone who has. As a wise man once said: “it’s only game, why you have to be mad?” Anyway, I thought it would be funny to do an entire podcast episode on the question of other highly acclaimed games that Sherif would give two stars to. What sacred cow would he slayeth, given the task? To find out, you’ll have to watch or listen to this podcast here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 24 Nov 2023 16:21:45 -0000 What’s the best game that we’d give a kicking? full 1 79 VG247 Sometimes your review is an outlier, but that’s ok. Recently, our friend and long time VG247 contributor Sherif Saed gave Pinnochio-themed soulslike Lies of P a bit of a pasting in his review. Our two star score prompted a lot of backlash from some quarters, and also a bit of internal discussion about the nature of opinion pieces. How reviews can sometimes be a flashpoint of controversy, and how scores don’t reflect any of the nuance that led the author to their conclusion. Personally, I’m always a bit baffled by the phenomenon of people who haven’t played a game kicking off online about the views of someone who has. As a wise man once said: “it’s only game, why you have to be mad?” Anyway, I thought it would be funny to do an entire podcast episode on the question of other highly acclaimed games that Sherif would give two stars to. What sacred cow would he slayeth, given the task? To find out, you’ll have to watch or listen to this podcast here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Recently, our friend and long time VG247 contributor Sherif Saed gave Pinnochio-themed soulslike Lies of P a bit of a pasting in his review. Our two star score prompted a lot of backlash from some quarters, and also a bit of internal discussion about the nature of opinion pieces. How reviews can sometimes be a flashpoint of controversy, and how scores don’t reflect any of the nuance that led the author to their conclusion. Personally, I’m always a bit baffled by the phenomenon of people who haven’t played a game kicking off online about the views of someone who has. As a wise man once said: “it’s only game, why you have to be mad?”


Anyway, I thought it would be funny to do an entire podcast episode on the question of other highly acclaimed games that Sherif would give two stars to. What sacred cow would he slayeth, given the task? To find out, you’ll have to watch or listen to this podcast here



Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 2671 Episode 78: The best game you can finish in one sitting Hours of gameplay is a deceptive stat. We’re conditioned to think that a bigger number is better in all things when it comes to this hobby, and how long it takes to complete something is seen as part of its value proposition. If a full price game launches with a six hour campaign, for example, there’s hell to pay. Doesn’t matter how good those six hours are. But video games aren’t inherently a long form medium. Some of the best games of all time are 25 minutes long (if you’re good, or cheating). Many more can be completed in one sitting. Within reason. Technically you could play World of Warcraft for 600 hours straight in one “sitting”. Don’t split hairs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 17 Nov 2023 18:07:26 -0000 The best game you can finish in one sitting full 1 78 VG247 Sometimes you just need a quick one. Hours of gameplay is a deceptive stat. We’re conditioned to think that a bigger number is better in all things when it comes to this hobby, and how long it takes to complete something is seen as part of its value proposition. If a full price game launches with a six hour campaign, for example, there’s hell to pay. Doesn’t matter how good those six hours are. But video games aren’t inherently a long form medium. Some of the best games of all time are 25 minutes long (if you’re good, or cheating). Many more can be completed in one sitting. Within reason. Technically you could play World of Warcraft for 600 hours straight in one “sitting”. Don’t split hairs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Hours of gameplay is a deceptive stat. We’re conditioned to think that a bigger number is better in all things when it comes to this hobby, and how long it takes to complete something is seen as part of its value proposition. If a full price game launches with a six hour campaign, for example, there’s hell to pay. Doesn’t matter how good those six hours are.

But video games aren’t inherently a long form medium. Some of the best games of all time are 25 minutes long (if you’re good, or cheating). Many more can be completed in one sitting. Within reason. Technically you could play World of Warcraft for 600 hours straight in one “sitting”. Don’t split hairs.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 2604 Episode 77: The best game set in London London shows up in a lot of games. It’s in a lot of Call of Dutys, which is the biggest shooter franchise in the world. It has the distinction of being the only non-US city ever depicted in GTA, which is the biggest crime franchise in the world after the royal family. Blimey, Ubisoft have done London four times, they can’t get enough of it. It even pops up at the end of Mass Effect 3. But very few London-based video games are made by London-based teams, such is the nature of a global industry such as ours, and so many of London’s virtual facsimiles often don’t quite hit the mark. We’re not talking about botched geography here: it’s one of the biggest and densest cities in the world, so we can certainly forgive a bit of artistic license when it comes to shrinking it down to manageable proportions for a game map. No, we’re talking about the cultural details and foibles that most of a global audience wouldn’t notice. Watch Dogs Legion, for example, is an incredibly accurate recreation of Central London in terms of its geography, probably the best that’s ever been conceived. But there are some story contrivances and missed memos that betray the game’s Not London origins. The tuna puns that adorn every fish and chip shop. The fact that all the national railway terminals are closed off completely, virtually abandoned, accessible only in some story missions. When in reality, spaces like Waterloo and Liverpool Street are enormously important in London life. They are bustling hubs that serve as vital transport connections, but they’re also grand cathedrals of the city’s vast lunch n’ breakfast based economy. Most of Britain’s wealth is shuffled around by people in those big glass towers, you see, and they don’t have time to make a packed lunch. London isn’t really a Driving City, but Watch Dogs Legion is a Driving Game set in a location where traffic rarely gets above 20mph and the vast majority of UK drivers I know actively avoid going into it. It’s a Train City, but in Legion, there are no trains. The tube is relegated to set dressing for the fast travel system. Essentially a set of loading screens. It’s not London, it’s a London-esque reskin of a North American city. I’m keen to see what the Fallout: London people come up with, because that project looks like it really understands how to leverage London as a location. And it has a lot of real-world history that could easily be folded into Fallout lore. Hey, you like underground bunkers? Mate, London’s got loads of ‘em. There used to be one in the back of every garden. Anyway, to find out which London-based game is the best ever, you’ll need to watch or listen to this here podcast here. Handily, we’ve provided several ways to do so. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 10 Nov 2023 12:30:53 -0000 The best game set in London full 1 77 VG247 England’s capital is gaming’s second city, but some games get it so wrong. London shows up in a lot of games. It’s in a lot of Call of Dutys, which is the biggest shooter franchise in the world. It has the distinction of being the only non-US city ever depicted in GTA, which is the biggest crime franchise in the world after the royal family. Blimey, Ubisoft have done London four times, they can’t get enough of it. It even pops up at the end of Mass Effect 3. But very few London-based video games are made by London-based teams, such is the nature of a global industry such as ours, and so many of London’s virtual facsimiles often don’t quite hit the mark. We’re not talking about botched geography here: it’s one of the biggest and densest cities in the world, so we can certainly forgive a bit of artistic license when it comes to shrinking it down to manageable proportions for a game map. No, we’re talking about the cultural details and foibles that most of a global audience wouldn’t notice. Watch Dogs Legion, for example, is an incredibly accurate recreation of Central London in terms of its geography, probably the best that’s ever been conceived. But there are some story contrivances and missed memos that betray the game’s Not London origins. The tuna puns that adorn every fish and chip shop. The fact that all the national railway terminals are closed off completely, virtually abandoned, accessible only in some story missions. When in reality, spaces like Waterloo and Liverpool Street are enormously important in London life. They are bustling hubs that serve as vital transport connections, but they’re also grand cathedrals of the city’s vast lunch n’ breakfast based economy. Most of Britain’s wealth is shuffled around by people in those big glass towers, you see, and they don’t have time to make a packed lunch. London isn’t really a Driving City, but Watch Dogs Legion is a Driving Game set in a location where traffic rarely gets above 20mph and the vast majority of UK drivers I know actively avoid going into it. It’s a Train City, but in Legion, there are no trains. The tube is relegated to set dressing for the fast travel system. Essentially a set of loading screens. It’s not London, it’s a London-esque reskin of a North American city. I’m keen to see what the Fallout: London people come up with, because that project looks like it really understands how to leverage London as a location. And it has a lot of real-world history that could easily be folded into Fallout lore. Hey, you like underground bunkers? Mate, London’s got loads of ‘em. There used to be one in the back of every garden. Anyway, to find out which London-based game is the best ever, you’ll need to watch or listen to this here podcast here. Handily, we’ve provided several ways to do so. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices London shows up in a lot of games. It’s in a lot of Call of Dutys, which is the biggest shooter franchise in the world. It has the distinction of being the only non-US city ever depicted in GTA, which is the biggest crime franchise in the world after the royal family. Blimey, Ubisoft have done London four times, they can’t get enough of it. It even pops up at the end of Mass Effect 3.


But very few London-based video games are made by London-based teams, such is the nature of a global industry such as ours, and so many of London’s virtual facsimiles often don’t quite hit the mark. We’re not talking about botched geography here: it’s one of the biggest and densest cities in the world, so we can certainly forgive a bit of artistic license when it comes to shrinking it down to manageable proportions for a game map.


No, we’re talking about the cultural details and foibles that most of a global audience wouldn’t notice. Watch Dogs Legion, for example, is an incredibly accurate recreation of Central London in terms of its geography, probably the best that’s ever been conceived. But there are some story contrivances and missed memos that betray the game’s Not London origins. The tuna puns that adorn every fish and chip shop. The fact that all the national railway terminals are closed off completely, virtually abandoned, accessible only in some story missions. When in reality, spaces like Waterloo and Liverpool Street are enormously important in London life. They are bustling hubs that serve as vital transport connections, but they’re also grand cathedrals of the city’s vast lunch n’ breakfast based economy. Most of Britain’s wealth is shuffled around by people in those big glass towers, you see, and they don’t have time to make a packed lunch.


London isn’t really a Driving City, but Watch Dogs Legion is a Driving Game set in a location where traffic rarely gets above 20mph and the vast majority of UK drivers I know actively avoid going into it. It’s a Train City, but in Legion, there are no trains. The tube is relegated to set dressing for the fast travel system. Essentially a set of loading screens. It’s not London, it’s a London-esque reskin of a North American city.


I’m keen to see what the Fallout: London people come up with, because that project looks like it really understands how to leverage London as a location. And it has a lot of real-world history that could easily be folded into Fallout lore. Hey, you like underground bunkers? Mate, London’s got loads of ‘em. There used to be one in the back of every garden.


Anyway, to find out which London-based game is the best ever, you’ll need to watch or listen to this here podcast here. Handily, we’ve provided several ways to do so.


Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 2599 Episode 76: The best game where the protagonist has a stupid pun for a name From Alan Wake (he’s A. Wake, get it? Get it?) to Miles Prower, there are loads of video game protagonists whose names are rubbish puns. Well, actually there isn’t, but it’s happened just often enough that there’s sufficient material for this edition of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Halloween fell between the gaps of our posting schedule, so we couldn’t really justify doing a Best Spooky Game That You Couldn’t Finish episode, and Guy Fawkes night also doesn’t occur for another couple of days, so we can’t do a Best Game That Makes Light Of Religious Persecution either. But here’s the next best thing – a topic that we can link to the year’s best horror game, Alan Wake 2, on account of developer Remedy’s penchant for giving their characters the most entertainingly daft names despite putting them in serious games with mature themes. Like “staying up past your bedtime”, or “doing that cool thing from The Matrix where you leap across a room firing guns”. But which game featuring a protagonist with a stupid punny name is the best one? And what exactly is a pun? Why is that if I say “talking skull”, you imagine something like Boney from Trap Door or Murray from Monkey Island, where it’s the bleached skull of a dead person reanimated by supernatural means, rather than thinking of the talking skull that you yourself actually live in, or the dozens of talking skulls that you interact with on a daily basis? Not a single one of these questions is answered in this episode, but we do argue a lot, so you’ll probably like it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Sat, 04 Nov 2023 00:11:14 -0000 The best game where the protagonist has a stupid pun for a name full VG247 DAFT PUNT From Alan Wake (he’s A. Wake, get it? Get it?) to Miles Prower, there are loads of video game protagonists whose names are rubbish puns. Well, actually there isn’t, but it’s happened just often enough that there’s sufficient material for this edition of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Halloween fell between the gaps of our posting schedule, so we couldn’t really justify doing a Best Spooky Game That You Couldn’t Finish episode, and Guy Fawkes night also doesn’t occur for another couple of days, so we can’t do a Best Game That Makes Light Of Religious Persecution either. But here’s the next best thing – a topic that we can link to the year’s best horror game, Alan Wake 2, on account of developer Remedy’s penchant for giving their characters the most entertainingly daft names despite putting them in serious games with mature themes. Like “staying up past your bedtime”, or “doing that cool thing from The Matrix where you leap across a room firing guns”. But which game featuring a protagonist with a stupid punny name is the best one? And what exactly is a pun? Why is that if I say “talking skull”, you imagine something like Boney from Trap Door or Murray from Monkey Island, where it’s the bleached skull of a dead person reanimated by supernatural means, rather than thinking of the talking skull that you yourself actually live in, or the dozens of talking skulls that you interact with on a daily basis? Not a single one of these questions is answered in this episode, but we do argue a lot, so you’ll probably like it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices From Alan Wake (he’s A. Wake, get it? Get it?) to Miles Prower, there are loads of video game protagonists whose names are rubbish puns. Well, actually there isn’t, but it’s happened just often enough that there’s sufficient material for this edition of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast.

Halloween fell between the gaps of our posting schedule, so we couldn’t really justify doing a Best Spooky Game That You Couldn’t Finish episode, and Guy Fawkes night also doesn’t occur for another couple of days, so we can’t do a Best Game That Makes Light Of Religious Persecution either. But here’s the next best thing – a topic that we can link to the year’s best horror game, Alan Wake 2, on account of developer Remedy’s penchant for giving their characters the most entertainingly daft names despite putting them in serious games with mature themes. Like “staying up past your bedtime”, or “doing that cool thing from The Matrix where you leap across a room firing guns”.

But which game featuring a protagonist with a stupid punny name is the best one? And what exactly is a pun? Why is that if I say “talking skull”, you imagine something like Boney from Trap Door or Murray from Monkey Island, where it’s the bleached skull of a dead person reanimated by supernatural means, rather than thinking of the talking skull that you yourself actually live in, or the dozens of talking skulls that you interact with on a daily basis? Not a single one of these questions is answered in this episode, but we do argue a lot, so you’ll probably like it.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 2183 Episode 75: The Best New York Game Gimme ham steak on rye with extra pickles and a dozen egg whites on the side. Hold the pickles. Who's uncle do I gotta bribe to get a parking space around here? Get outta here. And so on. Yes, this week we're asking our esteemed panel: what the best game set in New York (or a facsimile thereof)? There are an absurd number of games to choose from. The Big Apple is probably the most depicted city in the medium, and it's not hard to understand why: beyond the fact that it's an enormously influential media hub (the "capital of the world", or so the saying goes), where a disproportionate percentage of the world's most successful creatives hail from, it's also just has an intoxicating allure. Everyone wants to explore its streets, its hip neighbourhoods, its melting pot of cultures and cuisine. And what better way to explore it than from the comfort of your own home, in video game form, where you don't even have to go through security at Heathrow first. Anything is worth avoiding that, frankly. New York, or close approximations of it, serves as backdrop to a huge number of the greatest games of all time. Its stunning photorealistic recreation in Sony's Spider-Man games is one of the most intricate game locations ever constructed, as is the painting-like autumnal metropolis of GTA IV's Liberty City, a deft imitation that absolutely nails the vibe of the real world city and many of its signature landmarks, despite being completely unlike it in terms of its layout and geography. New York crops up in places you'd hardly expect, too. Mario Odyssey, anyone? Despite literally featuring a character who is canonically from Brooklyn, the last 3D Mario adventure has an entire sequence set in New Donk City, meaning that the Mario universe has at least two New Yorks. It's so good, they built it twice. But which New York-based game is the best of all? Well, to find out, you'll have to watch or listen to this podcast here. Handily, below are several methods for doing so. So keep your frickin' hair on, aight? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 27 Oct 2023 14:49:00 -0000 The Best New York Game full 1 75 VG247 Hey, I'm podcastin' here. What am I, Howard Stern? Fuhgeddaboudit Gimme ham steak on rye with extra pickles and a dozen egg whites on the side. Hold the pickles. Who's uncle do I gotta bribe to get a parking space around here? Get outta here. And so on. Yes, this week we're asking our esteemed panel: what the best game set in New York (or a facsimile thereof)? There are an absurd number of games to choose from. The Big Apple is probably the most depicted city in the medium, and it's not hard to understand why: beyond the fact that it's an enormously influential media hub (the "capital of the world", or so the saying goes), where a disproportionate percentage of the world's most successful creatives hail from, it's also just has an intoxicating allure. Everyone wants to explore its streets, its hip neighbourhoods, its melting pot of cultures and cuisine. And what better way to explore it than from the comfort of your own home, in video game form, where you don't even have to go through security at Heathrow first. Anything is worth avoiding that, frankly. New York, or close approximations of it, serves as backdrop to a huge number of the greatest games of all time. Its stunning photorealistic recreation in Sony's Spider-Man games is one of the most intricate game locations ever constructed, as is the painting-like autumnal metropolis of GTA IV's Liberty City, a deft imitation that absolutely nails the vibe of the real world city and many of its signature landmarks, despite being completely unlike it in terms of its layout and geography. New York crops up in places you'd hardly expect, too. Mario Odyssey, anyone? Despite literally featuring a character who is canonically from Brooklyn, the last 3D Mario adventure has an entire sequence set in New Donk City, meaning that the Mario universe has at least two New Yorks. It's so good, they built it twice. But which New York-based game is the best of all? Well, to find out, you'll have to watch or listen to this podcast here. Handily, below are several methods for doing so. So keep your frickin' hair on, aight? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Gimme ham steak on rye with extra pickles and a dozen egg whites on the side. Hold the pickles. Who's uncle do I gotta bribe to get a parking space around here? Get outta here.


And so on. Yes, this week we're asking our esteemed panel: what the best game set in New York (or a facsimile thereof)? There are an absurd number of games to choose from. The Big Apple is probably the most depicted city in the medium, and it's not hard to understand why: beyond the fact that it's an enormously influential media hub (the "capital of the world", or so the saying goes), where a disproportionate percentage of the world's most successful creatives hail from, it's also just has an intoxicating allure. Everyone wants to explore its streets, its hip neighbourhoods, its melting pot of cultures and cuisine. And what better way to explore it than from the comfort of your own home, in video game form, where you don't even have to go through security at Heathrow first. Anything is worth avoiding that, frankly.


New York, or close approximations of it, serves as backdrop to a huge number of the greatest games of all time. Its stunning photorealistic recreation in Sony's Spider-Man games is one of the most intricate game locations ever constructed, as is the painting-like autumnal metropolis of GTA IV's Liberty City, a deft imitation that absolutely nails the vibe of the real world city and many of its signature landmarks, despite being completely unlike it in terms of its layout and geography. New York crops up in places you'd hardly expect, too. Mario Odyssey, anyone? Despite literally featuring a character who is canonically from Brooklyn, the last 3D Mario adventure has an entire sequence set in New Donk City, meaning that the Mario universe has at least two New Yorks. It's so good, they built it twice.


But which New York-based game is the best of all? Well, to find out, you'll have to watch or listen to this podcast here. Handily, below are several methods for doing so. So keep your frickin' hair on, aight?

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 2766 Episode 74: The Best Detective Game Inspired by the recent-ish release of Detective Pikachu Returns, the topic of this week’s Best Games Ever show is: what’s the best Detective Game? And it’s a doozy of a topic, because there’s so many to choose from. Investigative gameplay crops up in so many things. Even the recent Assassin’s Creed games could arguably qualify, if you’re happy to define “detective work” as “pressing a special button to highlight environmental clues”. We’ll just get it out of the way right now: nobody picked Disco Elysium, so that’s the pseud’s favourite out, and nobody picked the smart-arse Batman Arkham Asylum option either. I was as shocked as you are. It just goes to show, though, how broad and open a topic it is. It’s unsurprising, really, given how solving mysteries is probably the most prevalent way of interacting with virtual worlds aside from doing violence. Hunting for clues and hidden objects, following threads until you reach a conclusion, making informed decisions based on a combination of hard evidence and your own gut instinct. There are lots of games out there that feature detective work, but no actual detectives. Likewise, there are plenty that star detectives, but contain no actual detective work. It's perhaps an historical oddity that, of all the Pokemon games to get a big Hollywood live-action adaptation, Detective Pikachu was the one that made it to the silver screen. Until the success of the movie, in the west at least, it was a relatively obscure spin-off for proper enthusiasts: an imported curio with a cult following, but nothing like the reach of a mainline Pokemon game. It's also an oddity in that it's Ryan Reynolds' only decent film in a career of absolute toilet, but it's also a role that everyone wanted Danny Devito to play, so Ryan Reynolds isn't even that much of an asset to the thing. Anyway. What on earth was I saying. Oh yeah, detective games. So, which of these bewildering number of games is the best one, according to our esteemed panel? Well, in order to fine out, you’ll have to watch or listen to this here podcast, which you can do via several approved methods below. Cor, aren’t we good to you. Special thanks to David Bulmer for performing "Jim's Theme". Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 20 Oct 2023 16:02:25 -0000 The Best Detective Game full 1 74 VG247 Fans of sleuthing are well catered for by video games, but which is the best of the best? Inspired by the recent-ish release of Detective Pikachu Returns, the topic of this week’s Best Games Ever show is: what’s the best Detective Game? And it’s a doozy of a topic, because there’s so many to choose from. Investigative gameplay crops up in so many things. Even the recent Assassin’s Creed games could arguably qualify, if you’re happy to define “detective work” as “pressing a special button to highlight environmental clues”. We’ll just get it out of the way right now: nobody picked Disco Elysium, so that’s the pseud’s favourite out, and nobody picked the smart-arse Batman Arkham Asylum option either. I was as shocked as you are. It just goes to show, though, how broad and open a topic it is. It’s unsurprising, really, given how solving mysteries is probably the most prevalent way of interacting with virtual worlds aside from doing violence. Hunting for clues and hidden objects, following threads until you reach a conclusion, making informed decisions based on a combination of hard evidence and your own gut instinct. There are lots of games out there that feature detective work, but no actual detectives. Likewise, there are plenty that star detectives, but contain no actual detective work. It's perhaps an historical oddity that, of all the Pokemon games to get a big Hollywood live-action adaptation, Detective Pikachu was the one that made it to the silver screen. Until the success of the movie, in the west at least, it was a relatively obscure spin-off for proper enthusiasts: an imported curio with a cult following, but nothing like the reach of a mainline Pokemon game. It's also an oddity in that it's Ryan Reynolds' only decent film in a career of absolute toilet, but it's also a role that everyone wanted Danny Devito to play, so Ryan Reynolds isn't even that much of an asset to the thing. Anyway. What on earth was I saying. Oh yeah, detective games. So, which of these bewildering number of games is the best one, according to our esteemed panel? Well, in order to fine out, you’ll have to watch or listen to this here podcast, which you can do via several approved methods below. Cor, aren’t we good to you. Special thanks to David Bulmer for performing "Jim's Theme". Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Inspired by the recent-ish release of Detective Pikachu Returns, the topic of this week’s Best Games Ever show is: what’s the best Detective Game? And it’s a doozy of a topic, because there’s so many to choose from. Investigative gameplay crops up in so many things. Even the recent Assassin’s Creed games could arguably qualify, if you’re happy to define “detective work” as “pressing a special button to highlight environmental clues”.


We’ll just get it out of the way right now: nobody picked Disco Elysium, so that’s the pseud’s favourite out, and nobody picked the smart-arse Batman Arkham Asylum option either. I was as shocked as you are. It just goes to show, though, how broad and open a topic it is.


It’s unsurprising, really, given how solving mysteries is probably the most prevalent way of interacting with virtual worlds aside from doing violence. Hunting for clues and hidden objects, following threads until you reach a conclusion, making informed decisions based on a combination of hard evidence and your own gut instinct. There are lots of games out there that feature detective work, but no actual detectives. Likewise, there are plenty that star detectives, but contain no actual detective work.


It's perhaps an historical oddity that, of all the Pokemon games to get a big Hollywood live-action adaptation, Detective Pikachu was the one that made it to the silver screen. Until the success of the movie, in the west at least, it was a relatively obscure spin-off for proper enthusiasts: an imported curio with a cult following, but nothing like the reach of a mainline Pokemon game. It's also an oddity in that it's Ryan Reynolds' only decent film in a career of absolute toilet, but it's also a role that everyone wanted Danny Devito to play, so Ryan Reynolds isn't even that much of an asset to the thing. Anyway. What on earth was I saying. Oh yeah, detective games.


So, which of these bewildering number of games is the best one, according to our esteemed panel? Well, in order to fine out, you’ll have to watch or listen to this here podcast, which you can do via several approved methods below. Cor, aren’t we good to you.


Special thanks to David Bulmer for performing "Jim's Theme".

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 1939 Episode 73: The Best Ultraviolent Spectacle Video games and excessive violence go together like cheese and crackers. Laurel and Hardy. Beer and nuts. Bacon and, er, rolls. Playstation exclusives and the concept of mediocrity. We love simulated violence here at VG247, but not the real stuff, so when it came to the task of deciding which notably ultraviolent game is the best one of all we decided to solve our differences via the medium of a weekly panel show format that goes out on all the major podcast platforms and YouTube. Conveniently, we already had one, which is this show: The Best Games Ever Podcast, which you're probably listening to now if you're reading this. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 13 Oct 2023 13:23:46 -0000 The Best Ultraviolent Spectacle full 1 73 VG247 GREATEST HITS Video games and excessive violence go together like cheese and crackers. Laurel and Hardy. Beer and nuts. Bacon and, er, rolls. Playstation exclusives and the concept of mediocrity. We love simulated violence here at VG247, but not the real stuff, so when it came to the task of deciding which notably ultraviolent game is the best one of all we decided to solve our differences via the medium of a weekly panel show format that goes out on all the major podcast platforms and YouTube. Conveniently, we already had one, which is this show: The Best Games Ever Podcast, which you're probably listening to now if you're reading this. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Video games and excessive violence go together like cheese and crackers. Laurel and Hardy. Beer and nuts. Bacon and, er, rolls. Playstation exclusives and the concept of mediocrity. We love simulated violence here at VG247, but not the real stuff, so when it came to the task of deciding which notably ultraviolent game is the best one of all we decided to solve our differences via the medium of a weekly panel show format that goes out on all the major podcast platforms and YouTube. Conveniently, we already had one, which is this show: The Best Games Ever Podcast, which you're probably listening to now if you're reading this.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 2369 Episode 72: What's the best driving (not racing) game? I don't have a driving licence. I can't drive a car. People assume I can because I like games with cars in them. I don't bother to correct people anymore, as I'm almost 41 years old and I simply can't be bothered. If you've ever imagined me driving a car because you assumed I could drive a car and this revelation has shaken you to your core, changing your worldview and altering your very existence on this earth, I'm sorry. To be clear, I have been in cars, just not driven them. I mostly walk places. What a perfect intro to this week's Best Games Ever Podcast, in which we decide (or Jim picks based on no actual sense whatsoever) the best driving (not racing) game. I've also never raced in a car, unless you count go-karts, which I've done several times. To find out if Jim made the right choice, you’ll have to listen to The Best Games Ever Podcast episode 72. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 06 Oct 2023 13:22:06 -0000 What's the best driving (not racing) game? full 1 72 VG247 Join us as we go on a lovely little drive (not race). I don't have a driving licence. I can't drive a car. People assume I can because I like games with cars in them. I don't bother to correct people anymore, as I'm almost 41 years old and I simply can't be bothered. If you've ever imagined me driving a car because you assumed I could drive a car and this revelation has shaken you to your core, changing your worldview and altering your very existence on this earth, I'm sorry. To be clear, I have been in cars, just not driven them. I mostly walk places. What a perfect intro to this week's Best Games Ever Podcast, in which we decide (or Jim picks based on no actual sense whatsoever) the best driving (not racing) game. I've also never raced in a car, unless you count go-karts, which I've done several times. To find out if Jim made the right choice, you’ll have to listen to The Best Games Ever Podcast episode 72. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices I don't have a driving licence. I can't drive a car. People assume I can because I like games with cars in them. I don't bother to correct people anymore, as I'm almost 41 years old and I simply can't be bothered. If you've ever imagined me driving a car because you assumed I could drive a car and this revelation has shaken you to your core, changing your worldview and altering your very existence on this earth, I'm sorry. To be clear, I have been in cars, just not driven them. I mostly walk places.


What a perfect intro to this week's Best Games Ever Podcast, in which we decide (or Jim picks based on no actual sense whatsoever) the best driving (not racing) game. I've also never raced in a car, unless you count go-karts, which I've done several times.


To find out if Jim made the right choice, you’ll have to listen to The Best Games Ever Podcast episode 72.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 2361 Episode 71: What's the best Cyberpunk Game that isn't Cyberpunk 2077? We all love a bit of Cyberpunk don't we? And did you know that there are loads of games that use that setting and aesthetic that aren't Cyberpunk 2077? Sure, CD Projekt Red's game has just received a massive update, making it better than ever alongside a brilliant expansion, but if you had to pick a Cyberpunk game that isn't that, what would you choose? That's exactly what we're doing here in this week's Best Games Ever Podcast. As ever, Jim has to pick a winner, with Tom, Alex, and Connor doing their best to get his vote. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 29 Sep 2023 10:39:27 -0000 What's the best Cyberpunk Game that isn't Cyberpunk 2077? full 1 71 VG247 Cyberpunk has been a Thing for a long, long time. We all love a bit of Cyberpunk don't we? And did you know that there are loads of games that use that setting and aesthetic that aren't Cyberpunk 2077? Sure, CD Projekt Red's game has just received a massive update, making it better than ever alongside a brilliant expansion, but if you had to pick a Cyberpunk game that isn't that, what would you choose? That's exactly what we're doing here in this week's Best Games Ever Podcast. As ever, Jim has to pick a winner, with Tom, Alex, and Connor doing their best to get his vote. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices We all love a bit of Cyberpunk don't we? And did you know that there are loads of games that use that setting and aesthetic that aren't Cyberpunk 2077? Sure, CD Projekt Red's game has just received a massive update, making it better than ever alongside a brilliant expansion, but if you had to pick a Cyberpunk game that isn't that, what would you choose?


That's exactly what we're doing here in this week's Best Games Ever Podcast. As ever, Jim has to pick a winner, with Tom, Alex, and Connor doing their best to get his vote.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 2344 Episode 70: The best game with a surprise guest star or cameo Whether it’s Patrick Stewart in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Sean Bean in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, or Terrence Stamp in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, there are numerous examples of big name hollywood actors showing up in video games, and it’s always an exciting little surprise to hear a familiar voice that isn’t Troy Baker. But sometimes, there are cameos or guest starring roles that aren’t even particularly well advertised. Did you know, for example, that Lynda Carter of Wonder Woman fame played every female Nord and Orc NPC in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion? But what is the best game that features one of these surprise guest appearances, cameos, easter eggs, or whatevers? To find out, we consulted a top panel of non-experts in the form of podcast regular Tom Orry (my boss), Owen O’Donnell from The Infinite Review, and in his first ever appearance on our show, Richie Morgan: videographer, podcaster, twitch streamer, and Greggs Liker with a devoted cult following in the Scottish gaming podcast scene. Despite this impressive CV, Tom is furious with me for once again filling the podcast with my mates. To find out if he was wrong to doubt me, you’ll have to watch or listen to The Best Games Ever Podcast episode 70, conveniently available on this very page! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 22 Sep 2023 11:25:00 -0000 The best game with a surprise guest star or cameo full 1 70 VG247 Jeff Goldblum? Professor X? General Zod? They’ve all shown up in video games where we least expected them. Whether it’s Patrick Stewart in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Sean Bean in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, or Terrence Stamp in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, there are numerous examples of big name hollywood actors showing up in video games, and it’s always an exciting little surprise to hear a familiar voice that isn’t Troy Baker. But sometimes, there are cameos or guest starring roles that aren’t even particularly well advertised. Did you know, for example, that Lynda Carter of Wonder Woman fame played every female Nord and Orc NPC in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion? But what is the best game that features one of these surprise guest appearances, cameos, easter eggs, or whatevers? To find out, we consulted a top panel of non-experts in the form of podcast regular Tom Orry (my boss), Owen O’Donnell from The Infinite Review, and in his first ever appearance on our show, Richie Morgan: videographer, podcaster, twitch streamer, and Greggs Liker with a devoted cult following in the Scottish gaming podcast scene. Despite this impressive CV, Tom is furious with me for once again filling the podcast with my mates. To find out if he was wrong to doubt me, you’ll have to watch or listen to The Best Games Ever Podcast episode 70, conveniently available on this very page! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Whether it’s Patrick Stewart in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Sean Bean in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, or Terrence Stamp in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, there are numerous examples of big name hollywood actors showing up in video games, and it’s always an exciting little surprise to hear a familiar voice that isn’t Troy Baker. But sometimes, there are cameos or guest starring roles that aren’t even particularly well advertised. Did you know, for example, that Lynda Carter of Wonder Woman fame played every female Nord and Orc NPC in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion?


But what is the best game that features one of these surprise guest appearances, cameos, easter eggs, or whatevers? To find out, we consulted a top panel of non-experts in the form of podcast regular Tom Orry (my boss), Owen O’Donnell from The Infinite Review, and in his first ever appearance on our show, Richie Morgan: videographer, podcaster, twitch streamer, and Greggs Liker with a devoted cult following in the Scottish gaming podcast scene. Despite this impressive CV, Tom is furious with me for once again filling the podcast with my mates.


To find out if he was wrong to doubt me, you’ll have to watch or listen to The Best Games Ever Podcast episode 70, conveniently available on this very page!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 2401 Episode 69: The Best Easter Game If you didn't listen to last week's show you might be confused as to why we're doing a an Easter episode in September. Well, Jim was goaded into it (like he was with the Christmas episode), so we're doing it. We also reserve the right to do another one when it's actually Easter (we're smart like that). What constitutes an "Easter Game" is even more wooly a concept than an "Easter Movie", because examples of entire games themed around Easter are few and far between. This is probably because game development takes longer, is harder, and is less likely to actually make a planned release date for the holiday season. And even if it did, it would have a very short window to make money in. So the idea of pitching an Easter game is probably a laughable one in the halls of a game publisher. While a lot of this text was re-used from the Christmas episode blurb, I just can't think of how to shoehorn in Die Hard, so that part is being cut. Still, there are plenty of games with Easter elements: rolling hills with bunnies, Easter Bunny costumes, eggs, Jesus, seasonal events. While there are examples of coverdisc games from decades past that were xmas versions of existing titles - think Christmas Nights Into Dreams, or Cannon Soccer - I can't remember any Easter ones. Can you? Unless you're old and decrepit like I am you won't remember what a coverdisc is, if so, it's sort of like a magazine with DLC, but the DLC is included from the start. So, what's the best Easter Game according to our esteemed panel? To find out, you'll have to watch or listen to our show. Which, handily, is probably what you're here to do. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 15 Sep 2023 12:29:12 -0000 The Best Easter Game full 1 69 VG247 Why are we talking about Easter in September? Why not? If you didn't listen to last week's show you might be confused as to why we're doing a an Easter episode in September. Well, Jim was goaded into it (like he was with the Christmas episode), so we're doing it. We also reserve the right to do another one when it's actually Easter (we're smart like that). What constitutes an "Easter Game" is even more wooly a concept than an "Easter Movie", because examples of entire games themed around Easter are few and far between. This is probably because game development takes longer, is harder, and is less likely to actually make a planned release date for the holiday season. And even if it did, it would have a very short window to make money in. So the idea of pitching an Easter game is probably a laughable one in the halls of a game publisher. While a lot of this text was re-used from the Christmas episode blurb, I just can't think of how to shoehorn in Die Hard, so that part is being cut. Still, there are plenty of games with Easter elements: rolling hills with bunnies, Easter Bunny costumes, eggs, Jesus, seasonal events. While there are examples of coverdisc games from decades past that were xmas versions of existing titles - think Christmas Nights Into Dreams, or Cannon Soccer - I can't remember any Easter ones. Can you? Unless you're old and decrepit like I am you won't remember what a coverdisc is, if so, it's sort of like a magazine with DLC, but the DLC is included from the start. So, what's the best Easter Game according to our esteemed panel? To find out, you'll have to watch or listen to our show. Which, handily, is probably what you're here to do. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices If you didn't listen to last week's show you might be confused as to why we're doing a an Easter episode in September. Well, Jim was goaded into it (like he was with the Christmas episode), so we're doing it. We also reserve the right to do another one when it's actually Easter (we're smart like that).


What constitutes an "Easter Game" is even more wooly a concept than an "Easter Movie", because examples of entire games themed around Easter are few and far between. This is probably because game development takes longer, is harder, and is less likely to actually make a planned release date for the holiday season. And even if it did, it would have a very short window to make money in. So the idea of pitching an Easter game is probably a laughable one in the halls of a game publisher. While a lot of this text was re-used from the Christmas episode blurb, I just can't think of how to shoehorn in Die Hard, so that part is being cut.


Still, there are plenty of games with Easter elements: rolling hills with bunnies, Easter Bunny costumes, eggs, Jesus, seasonal events. While there are examples of coverdisc games from decades past that were xmas versions of existing titles - think Christmas Nights Into Dreams, or Cannon Soccer - I can't remember any Easter ones. Can you? Unless you're old and decrepit like I am you won't remember what a coverdisc is, if so, it's sort of like a magazine with DLC, but the DLC is included from the start.


So, what's the best Easter Game according to our esteemed panel? To find out, you'll have to watch or listen to our show. Which, handily, is probably what you're here to do.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 1998 Episode 68: The Best Christmas Game If you didn't listen to last week's show you might be confused as to why we're doing a Christmas episode in September. Well, Jim was goaded into it, so we're doing it. We also reserve the right to do another one when it's actually Christmas. What constitutes a "Christmas Game" is even more wooly a concept than a "Christmas Movie", because examples of entire games themed around Christmas are few and far between. This is probably because game development takes longer, is harder, and is less likely to actually make a planned release date for the holiday season. And even if it did, it would have a very short window to make money in. So the idea of pitching a Christmas game is probably a laughable one in the halls of a game publisher. As is the idea of pitching a Die Hard game, probably, although given how much this industry runs on empty nostalgia we're probably about due another one of those. Still, there are plenty of games with christmassy elements: winter levels, santa costumes, seasonal events. There are even examples of coverdisc games from decades past that were xmas versions of existing titles - think Christmas Nights Into Dreams, or Cannon Soccer. Unless you're old and decrepit like I am you won't remember what a coverdisc is, if so, it's sort of like a magazine with DLC. So, what's the best Christmas Game according to our esteemed panel? To find out, you'll have to watch or listen to our show. Which, handily, is probably what you're here to do. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 08 Sep 2023 10:32:00 -0000 The Best Christmas Game full 1 68 VG247 It's not even halloween yet, but we're extremely efficient here at VG247. If you didn't listen to last week's show you might be confused as to why we're doing a Christmas episode in September. Well, Jim was goaded into it, so we're doing it. We also reserve the right to do another one when it's actually Christmas. What constitutes a "Christmas Game" is even more wooly a concept than a "Christmas Movie", because examples of entire games themed around Christmas are few and far between. This is probably because game development takes longer, is harder, and is less likely to actually make a planned release date for the holiday season. And even if it did, it would have a very short window to make money in. So the idea of pitching a Christmas game is probably a laughable one in the halls of a game publisher. As is the idea of pitching a Die Hard game, probably, although given how much this industry runs on empty nostalgia we're probably about due another one of those. Still, there are plenty of games with christmassy elements: winter levels, santa costumes, seasonal events. There are even examples of coverdisc games from decades past that were xmas versions of existing titles - think Christmas Nights Into Dreams, or Cannon Soccer. Unless you're old and decrepit like I am you won't remember what a coverdisc is, if so, it's sort of like a magazine with DLC. So, what's the best Christmas Game according to our esteemed panel? To find out, you'll have to watch or listen to our show. Which, handily, is probably what you're here to do. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices If you didn't listen to last week's show you might be confused as to why we're doing a Christmas episode in September. Well, Jim was goaded into it, so we're doing it. We also reserve the right to do another one when it's actually Christmas.


What constitutes a "Christmas Game" is even more wooly a concept than a "Christmas Movie", because examples of entire games themed around Christmas are few and far between. This is probably because game development takes longer, is harder, and is less likely to actually make a planned release date for the holiday season. And even if it did, it would have a very short window to make money in. So the idea of pitching a Christmas game is probably a laughable one in the halls of a game publisher. As is the idea of pitching a Die Hard game, probably, although given how much this industry runs on empty nostalgia we're probably about due another one of those.


Still, there are plenty of games with christmassy elements: winter levels, santa costumes, seasonal events. There are even examples of coverdisc games from decades past that were xmas versions of existing titles - think Christmas Nights Into Dreams, or Cannon Soccer. Unless you're old and decrepit like I am you won't remember what a coverdisc is, if so, it's sort of like a magazine with DLC.


So, what's the best Christmas Game according to our esteemed panel? To find out, you'll have to watch or listen to our show. Which, handily, is probably what you're here to do.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 2220 Episode 67: The Best German Game Germany isn't especially known for its game development, but there's a huge amount of stuff that gets made there. You've got Astragon, which you might not have heard of, but you’ve definitely heard of the range of simulators it publishes. You've got Piranha Bytes, who’ve been making incredibly 6/10 RPGs since before most of the VG247 crew were on solids, and you got you've got Egosoft constantly squirrelling away on the X series, which is nothing to do with Elon Musk, but is essentially Starfield but for poindexters. If this all sounds like Germany is Europe's largest purveyor of slightly janky games that have really niche audiences then yeah, uh, actually, that's about the size of it. There might well be more games set in Germany than are made there, though. Predictably there's a lot of World War Two shooters on the list, but there's also racing games, murder mysteries, a surprising amount of Point & Click adventures, and an upcoming Assassin's Creed game that's about witches or something. Also Pentiment, which is a masterpiece. And so, in celebration of this vibrant gaming powerhouse, and honestly not just because I got my dates wrong and did the Gamescom episode a week late, we're asking our esteemed panel today: what is the best German game? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 01 Sep 2023 17:59:03 -0000 The Best German Game full 1 67 VG247 BEST WURST GAME Germany isn't especially known for its game development, but there's a huge amount of stuff that gets made there. You've got Astragon, which you might not have heard of, but you’ve definitely heard of the range of simulators it publishes. You've got Piranha Bytes, who’ve been making incredibly 6/10 RPGs since before most of the VG247 crew were on solids, and you got you've got Egosoft constantly squirrelling away on the X series, which is nothing to do with Elon Musk, but is essentially Starfield but for poindexters. If this all sounds like Germany is Europe's largest purveyor of slightly janky games that have really niche audiences then yeah, uh, actually, that's about the size of it. There might well be more games set in Germany than are made there, though. Predictably there's a lot of World War Two shooters on the list, but there's also racing games, murder mysteries, a surprising amount of Point & Click adventures, and an upcoming Assassin's Creed game that's about witches or something. Also Pentiment, which is a masterpiece. And so, in celebration of this vibrant gaming powerhouse, and honestly not just because I got my dates wrong and did the Gamescom episode a week late, we're asking our esteemed panel today: what is the best German game? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Germany isn't especially known for its game development, but there's a huge amount of stuff that gets made there. You've got Astragon, which you might not have heard of, but you’ve definitely heard of the range of simulators it publishes. You've got Piranha Bytes, who’ve been making incredibly 6/10 RPGs since before most of the VG247 crew were on solids, and you got you've got Egosoft constantly squirrelling away on the X series, which is nothing to do with Elon Musk, but is essentially Starfield but for poindexters. If this all sounds like Germany is Europe's largest purveyor of slightly janky games that have really niche audiences then yeah, uh, actually, that's about the size of it.


There might well be more games set in Germany than are made there, though. Predictably there's a lot of World War Two shooters on the list, but there's also racing games, murder mysteries, a surprising amount of Point & Click adventures, and an upcoming Assassin's Creed game that's about witches or something. Also Pentiment, which is a masterpiece. And so, in celebration of this vibrant gaming powerhouse, and honestly not just because I got my dates wrong and did the Gamescom episode a week late, we're asking our esteemed panel today: what is the best German game?



Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 2423 Episode 66: The Best Bethesda game that isn't a Bethesda game With the imminent release of Starfield, people the world over are about to fill their boots once again with Bethesda’s signature style of go anywhere, do anything game. Unless they don’t have an Xbox or a decent PC, that is. But Bethesda aren’t the only studio who have had a crack at that particular style of vast open-world RPG: indeed, they’ve inspired plenty of copycats and homages over the years, and are often namechecked by other developers when talking about open world game design. So Bethesda aren’t the only studio who create Bethesda-style games. Who, then, aside from them, has made the best one? That’s the question we’re asking our esteemed panel on this, the latest episode of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast, the show where we performatively argue about this sort of thing for your entertainment. Or bemusement. Whichever. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 25 Aug 2023 14:50:02 -0000 The Best Bethesda game that isn't a Bethesda game full 1 66 VG247 NO LIFE STYLE With the imminent release of Starfield, people the world over are about to fill their boots once again with Bethesda’s signature style of go anywhere, do anything game. Unless they don’t have an Xbox or a decent PC, that is. But Bethesda aren’t the only studio who have had a crack at that particular style of vast open-world RPG: indeed, they’ve inspired plenty of copycats and homages over the years, and are often namechecked by other developers when talking about open world game design. So Bethesda aren’t the only studio who create Bethesda-style games. Who, then, aside from them, has made the best one? That’s the question we’re asking our esteemed panel on this, the latest episode of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast, the show where we performatively argue about this sort of thing for your entertainment. Or bemusement. Whichever. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices With the imminent release of Starfield, people the world over are about to fill their boots once again with Bethesda’s signature style of go anywhere, do anything game. Unless they don’t have an Xbox or a decent PC, that is. But Bethesda aren’t the only studio who have had a crack at that particular style of vast open-world RPG: indeed, they’ve inspired plenty of copycats and homages over the years, and are often namechecked by other developers when talking about open world game design.


So Bethesda aren’t the only studio who create Bethesda-style games. Who, then, aside from them, has made the best one? That’s the question we’re asking our esteemed panel on this, the latest episode of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast, the show where we performatively argue about this sort of thing for your entertainment. Or bemusement. Whichever.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 2104 Episode 65: The best game where nobody gets killed Video games and murder are like cheese and crackers. Vic and Bob. The Edinburgh Fringe and disgruntled locals. A classic partnership, but hardly inseparable: though our chief interaction with these virtual worlds is to deal death to their residents, it doesn't have to be that way. In fact, there are thousands of video games out there where you aren't compelled to kill anyone. Or stab them. Or even lightly maim them. Farming simulators, for example, where the only thing resembling violence is the application of combine harvester to corn. Relationship simulators, where the only conflict to be found is that between heart and head. Or Assassin's Creed 3, where you tend to just kill British colonisers, which most people agree is fair game. Our guest this week is James Batchelor, editor-in-chief of our sister publication Gamesindustry.biz, and someone who is keen to spread awareness of the fact that video gaming is a broad and eclectic art form which includes plenty of non-violent titles, over 300 of which he has documented in his book The Best Non-Violent Video Games. So, which is the best game where nobody gets killed, according to our esteemed panel? To find out, you'll have to listen to this podcast here. Which is handy because if you're reading this you're almost definitely already doing that. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 18 Aug 2023 09:13:00 -0000 The best game where nobody gets killed full 1 65 VG247 Can't we all just be friends? Or just maim each other a little? Video games and murder are like cheese and crackers. Vic and Bob. The Edinburgh Fringe and disgruntled locals. A classic partnership, but hardly inseparable: though our chief interaction with these virtual worlds is to deal death to their residents, it doesn't have to be that way. In fact, there are thousands of video games out there where you aren't compelled to kill anyone. Or stab them. Or even lightly maim them. Farming simulators, for example, where the only thing resembling violence is the application of combine harvester to corn. Relationship simulators, where the only conflict to be found is that between heart and head. Or Assassin's Creed 3, where you tend to just kill British colonisers, which most people agree is fair game. Our guest this week is James Batchelor, editor-in-chief of our sister publication Gamesindustry.biz, and someone who is keen to spread awareness of the fact that video gaming is a broad and eclectic art form which includes plenty of non-violent titles, over 300 of which he has documented in his book The Best Non-Violent Video Games. So, which is the best game where nobody gets killed, according to our esteemed panel? To find out, you'll have to listen to this podcast here. Which is handy because if you're reading this you're almost definitely already doing that. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Video games and murder are like cheese and crackers. Vic and Bob. The Edinburgh Fringe and disgruntled locals. A classic partnership, but hardly inseparable: though our chief interaction with these virtual worlds is to deal death to their residents, it doesn't have to be that way. In fact, there are thousands of video games out there where you aren't compelled to kill anyone. Or stab them. Or even lightly maim them. Farming simulators, for example, where the only thing resembling violence is the application of combine harvester to corn. Relationship simulators, where the only conflict to be found is that between heart and head. Or Assassin's Creed 3, where you tend to just kill British colonisers, which most people agree is fair game.


Our guest this week is James Batchelor, editor-in-chief of our sister publication Gamesindustry.biz, and someone who is keen to spread awareness of the fact that video gaming is a broad and eclectic art form which includes plenty of non-violent titles, over 300 of which he has documented in his book The Best Non-Violent Video Games.


So, which is the best game where nobody gets killed, according to our esteemed panel? To find out, you'll have to listen to this podcast here. Which is handy because if you're reading this you're almost definitely already doing that.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 1938 Episode 64: The best game you love despite itself Welcome to the Best Games Ever show Episode 64: The best game you love despite itself. Some games make it hard to love them. My beloved Assassin's Creed, for example, is often hard to recommend to people, because so many of the games get bogged down in icon janitor nonsense, obscuring the feelgood sense of motion at the heart of the gameplay, and the epic meta-narrative that's essentially an olympian love story set across time, space, death, and reality. But the tailing missions are annoying, so. This week we're joined by someone who I consider an expert on loving things despite themselves, given that he's a committed fan of the long-defunct Dreamcast, a console that died such a definitive death that it took SEGA's entire status as a platform holder with it. And it died for a reason. The reason was that it was bobbins, and nothing on the machine was as good as the whale bit in Sonic Adventure, but by the time it came out everyone had already seen that bit on telly, so there was no actual reason to buy the console. Still, it had a good light gun, as our guest Owen O'Donnell in this video on his excellent Infinite Review youtube channel where he has set himself the task of critically appraising every idea, concept, object, and creative work in the galaxy. We gave him a break from that burden though to come and tell us what he would pick as the best game you love despite itself, along with panel regulars Tom Orry and Sherif Saed, and your host: me. Jim Trinca. You know I'm important because I have my own theme tune. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 11 Aug 2023 14:28:00 -0000 The best game you love despite itself full 1 64 VG247 TOUGH LOVE Welcome to the Best Games Ever show Episode 64: The best game you love despite itself. Some games make it hard to love them. My beloved Assassin's Creed, for example, is often hard to recommend to people, because so many of the games get bogged down in icon janitor nonsense, obscuring the feelgood sense of motion at the heart of the gameplay, and the epic meta-narrative that's essentially an olympian love story set across time, space, death, and reality. But the tailing missions are annoying, so. This week we're joined by someone who I consider an expert on loving things despite themselves, given that he's a committed fan of the long-defunct Dreamcast, a console that died such a definitive death that it took SEGA's entire status as a platform holder with it. And it died for a reason. The reason was that it was bobbins, and nothing on the machine was as good as the whale bit in Sonic Adventure, but by the time it came out everyone had already seen that bit on telly, so there was no actual reason to buy the console. Still, it had a good light gun, as our guest Owen O'Donnell in this video on his excellent Infinite Review youtube channel where he has set himself the task of critically appraising every idea, concept, object, and creative work in the galaxy. We gave him a break from that burden though to come and tell us what he would pick as the best game you love despite itself, along with panel regulars Tom Orry and Sherif Saed, and your host: me. Jim Trinca. You know I'm important because I have my own theme tune. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Welcome to the Best Games Ever show Episode 64: The best game you love despite itself.


Some games make it hard to love them. My beloved Assassin's Creed, for example, is often hard to recommend to people, because so many of the games get bogged down in icon janitor nonsense, obscuring the feelgood sense of motion at the heart of the gameplay, and the epic meta-narrative that's essentially an olympian love story set across time, space, death, and reality. But the tailing missions are annoying, so.


This week we're joined by someone who I consider an expert on loving things despite themselves, given that he's a committed fan of the long-defunct Dreamcast, a console that died such a definitive death that it took SEGA's entire status as a platform holder with it. And it died for a reason. The reason was that it was bobbins, and nothing on the machine was as good as the whale bit in Sonic Adventure, but by the time it came out everyone had already seen that bit on telly, so there was no actual reason to buy the console. Still, it had a good light gun, as our guest Owen O'Donnell in this video on his excellent Infinite Review youtube channel where he has set himself the task of critically appraising every idea, concept, object, and creative work in the galaxy.


We gave him a break from that burden though to come and tell us what he would pick as the best game you love despite itself, along with panel regulars Tom Orry and Sherif Saed, and your host: me. Jim Trinca. You know I'm important because I have my own theme tune.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 3367 Episode 63: The best game that you can't bring up at parties Baldur's Gate 3 is finally upon us if you're a PC gamer, in which case, this episode is especially for you, because it's all about good games that you wouldn't dare bring up in polite company. Or impolite company. Gaming, despite its mainstream acceptance in recent years, is still an extremely nerdy hobby, full of very niche stuff that rarely makes headlines beyond the enthusiast press. Yes, that's right, I'm sorry to break it to you, but if you're reading this that's what you are: an enthusiast. But never mind, because one thing worth being enthusiastic about is VG247's Best Games Ever Podcast, where you need not fear the prospect of social ostracisation from being too into niche video games. Or boring ones. Or, er, risque ones. Because we're nerds too. This is a safe space. There's no judgement here. Unless you're Connor, but the less said about his contribution this week the better, frankly. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 04 Aug 2023 18:00:55 -0000 The best game that you can't bring up at parties full 1 63 VG247 Not that any of us get invited to parties Baldur's Gate 3 is finally upon us if you're a PC gamer, in which case, this episode is especially for you, because it's all about good games that you wouldn't dare bring up in polite company. Or impolite company. Gaming, despite its mainstream acceptance in recent years, is still an extremely nerdy hobby, full of very niche stuff that rarely makes headlines beyond the enthusiast press. Yes, that's right, I'm sorry to break it to you, but if you're reading this that's what you are: an enthusiast. But never mind, because one thing worth being enthusiastic about is VG247's Best Games Ever Podcast, where you need not fear the prospect of social ostracisation from being too into niche video games. Or boring ones. Or, er, risque ones. Because we're nerds too. This is a safe space. There's no judgement here. Unless you're Connor, but the less said about his contribution this week the better, frankly. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Baldur's Gate 3 is finally upon us if you're a PC gamer, in which case, this episode is especially for you, because it's all about good games that you wouldn't dare bring up in polite company. Or impolite company.


Gaming, despite its mainstream acceptance in recent years, is still an extremely nerdy hobby, full of very niche stuff that rarely makes headlines beyond the enthusiast press. Yes, that's right, I'm sorry to break it to you, but if you're reading this that's what you are: an enthusiast. But never mind, because one thing worth being enthusiastic about is VG247's Best Games Ever Podcast, where you need not fear the prospect of social ostracisation from being too into niche video games. Or boring ones. Or, er, risque ones. Because we're nerds too. This is a safe space. There's no judgement here. Unless you're Connor, but the less said about his contribution this week the better, frankly.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 2151 Episode 62: The best game that's a shameless rip off As a medium, video games are often a vast fabric of inspiration-taking, borrowed ideas, and of course shameless rip offs. Some of the biggest and best games in decades have been the result of a lot of hard work coupled with the healthy practice of nabbing what's popular during development. A tad dishonest? Maybe - but it's how some of the biggest game developers in the business got to where they are today. This week we're asking: What's the best game that's a shameless rip-off of another game? You'd see it a lot especially in the olden era of games, early MMOs, shooters, and RTS games. Even today you occasionally see a bit of idea thievery - with Genshin Impact being perhaps the most egregious case of stolen ideas. As such, there's a huge selection of games on offer this week for our brave contestants. What will they pick? There's only one way to know. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 28 Jul 2023 15:33:16 -0000 The best game that's a shameless rip off full 1 62 VG247 What's wrong with a little idea theft? As a medium, video games are often a vast fabric of inspiration-taking, borrowed ideas, and of course shameless rip offs. Some of the biggest and best games in decades have been the result of a lot of hard work coupled with the healthy practice of nabbing what's popular during development. A tad dishonest? Maybe - but it's how some of the biggest game developers in the business got to where they are today. This week we're asking: What's the best game that's a shameless rip-off of another game? You'd see it a lot especially in the olden era of games, early MMOs, shooters, and RTS games. Even today you occasionally see a bit of idea thievery - with Genshin Impact being perhaps the most egregious case of stolen ideas. As such, there's a huge selection of games on offer this week for our brave contestants. What will they pick? There's only one way to know. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices As a medium, video games are often a vast fabric of inspiration-taking, borrowed ideas, and of course shameless rip offs. Some of the biggest and best games in decades have been the result of a lot of hard work coupled with the healthy practice of nabbing what's popular during development. A tad dishonest? Maybe - but it's how some of the biggest game developers in the business got to where they are today. This week we're asking: What's the best game that's a shameless rip-off of another game?

You'd see it a lot especially in the olden era of games, early MMOs, shooters, and RTS games. Even today you occasionally see a bit of idea thievery - with Genshin Impact being perhaps the most egregious case of stolen ideas. As such, there's a huge selection of games on offer this week for our brave contestants. What will they pick? There's only one way to know.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 2732 Episode 61: The best management sim Welcome to The Best Games Ever Show episode 61: The best management sim. Video games are a treasure trove if you like managing things. People. Buildings. Civilisations. Transport networks. Space programs (as in NASA, not as in Star Trek). Whatever organisational or logistic problem you can imagine, there's probably some kind of video game that attempts to let you solve it. And of those there must surely be a Best One. So what, according to our esteemed panel, is the best management sim? And how on earth do we say goodbye to Tom Orry, the very heart and soul of our podcast? Probably by doing an entire episode that's tailor made for him to do his little joke with. Ah, we'll miss this. Honest. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 21 Jul 2023 19:04:31 -0000 The best management sim full 1 61 VG247 It's Tom's final episode, and we're just about managing. Welcome to The Best Games Ever Show episode 61: The best management sim. Video games are a treasure trove if you like managing things. People. Buildings. Civilisations. Transport networks. Space programs (as in NASA, not as in Star Trek). Whatever organisational or logistic problem you can imagine, there's probably some kind of video game that attempts to let you solve it. And of those there must surely be a Best One. So what, according to our esteemed panel, is the best management sim? And how on earth do we say goodbye to Tom Orry, the very heart and soul of our podcast? Probably by doing an entire episode that's tailor made for him to do his little joke with. Ah, we'll miss this. Honest. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Welcome to The Best Games Ever Show episode 61: The best management sim.


Video games are a treasure trove if you like managing things. People. Buildings. Civilisations. Transport networks. Space programs (as in NASA, not as in Star Trek). Whatever organisational or logistic problem you can imagine, there's probably some kind of video game that attempts to let you solve it. And of those there must surely be a Best One.


So what, according to our esteemed panel, is the best management sim? And how on earth do we say goodbye to Tom Orry, the very heart and soul of our podcast? Probably by doing an entire episode that's tailor made for him to do his little joke with. Ah, we'll miss this. Honest.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 2461 Episode 60: The best game with a reptile. Welcome to The Best Games Ever Show episode 60: The best game with a reptile. With Gex making his grand return, now seems like the perfect opportunity to take a look at video game reptiles. There are loads, obviously, of various levels of importance. So this episode is a real toss up! Who will win... who knows! You'll have to give it a watch or listen in order to determine how things will turn out. Reptiles can be snakes, turtles, dragons, dinosaurs... but not frogs! If you were thinking of your favourite video game frog right now, you lose. Sorry. There are millions of reptiles in games, making this one of the least restrictive podcasts of all time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 14 Jul 2023 17:06:24 -0000 The best game with a reptile. full VG247 Sneaky snakes and lazy lizards, reptiles are all around us. There's one behind you right now! Welcome to The Best Games Ever Show episode 60: The best game with a reptile. With Gex making his grand return, now seems like the perfect opportunity to take a look at video game reptiles. There are loads, obviously, of various levels of importance. So this episode is a real toss up! Who will win... who knows! You'll have to give it a watch or listen in order to determine how things will turn out. Reptiles can be snakes, turtles, dragons, dinosaurs... but not frogs! If you were thinking of your favourite video game frog right now, you lose. Sorry. There are millions of reptiles in games, making this one of the least restrictive podcasts of all time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Welcome to The Best Games Ever Show episode 60: The best game with a reptile.

With Gex making his grand return, now seems like the perfect opportunity to take a look at video game reptiles. There are loads, obviously, of various levels of importance. So this episode is a real toss up! Who will win... who knows! You'll have to give it a watch or listen in order to determine how things will turn out.

Reptiles can be snakes, turtles, dragons, dinosaurs... but not frogs! If you were thinking of your favourite video game frog right now, you lose. Sorry. There are millions of reptiles in games, making this one of the least restrictive podcasts of all time.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 2324 Episode 59: The best game with the worst gimmick Welcome to The Best Games Ever Show episode 59: The best game with the worst gimmick. There are plenty of crap games with bad gimmicks. Tony Hawk: RIDE, for example, which was built around a terrible skateboard-shaped controller peripheral and was basically a terrible game as a result. Or Crime Boss: Rockay City, which is a painfully bottom tier heist game which boasts “Vanilla Ice is in this” as its entire USP. Then, of course, there’s the Kinect library. The entire Kinect library. But still, look, just because something has a bad gimmick, doesn’t mean it isn’t otherwise great. Wade Barrett was weighed down with the Bad News Barrett gimmick for ages, but he was talented enough to somehow make it work. Alfred Hitchcock had a rubbish gimmick of always giving himself a cameo in his films, depriving legitimate actors of vital cameo appearances. But what of video games? What are the otherwise superb video games that are saddled with rubbish gimmicks, and of them, which is the best? To find out what our esteemed panel thinks, you’ll have to watch or listen right here. Right here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 07 Jul 2023 12:00:00 -0000 The best game with the worst gimmick full 1 59 VG247 GIMMICK A BREAK Welcome to The Best Games Ever Show episode 59: The best game with the worst gimmick. There are plenty of crap games with bad gimmicks. Tony Hawk: RIDE, for example, which was built around a terrible skateboard-shaped controller peripheral and was basically a terrible game as a result. Or Crime Boss: Rockay City, which is a painfully bottom tier heist game which boasts “Vanilla Ice is in this” as its entire USP. Then, of course, there’s the Kinect library. The entire Kinect library. But still, look, just because something has a bad gimmick, doesn’t mean it isn’t otherwise great. Wade Barrett was weighed down with the Bad News Barrett gimmick for ages, but he was talented enough to somehow make it work. Alfred Hitchcock had a rubbish gimmick of always giving himself a cameo in his films, depriving legitimate actors of vital cameo appearances. But what of video games? What are the otherwise superb video games that are saddled with rubbish gimmicks, and of them, which is the best? To find out what our esteemed panel thinks, you’ll have to watch or listen right here. Right here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Welcome to The Best Games Ever Show episode 59: The best game with the worst gimmick.


There are plenty of crap games with bad gimmicks. Tony Hawk: RIDE, for example, which was built around a terrible skateboard-shaped controller peripheral and was basically a terrible game as a result. Or Crime Boss: Rockay City, which is a painfully bottom tier heist game which boasts “Vanilla Ice is in this” as its entire USP. Then, of course, there’s the Kinect library. The entire Kinect library.


But still, look, just because something has a bad gimmick, doesn’t mean it isn’t otherwise great. Wade Barrett was weighed down with the Bad News Barrett gimmick for ages, but he was talented enough to somehow make it work. Alfred Hitchcock had a rubbish gimmick of always giving himself a cameo in his films, depriving legitimate actors of vital cameo appearances.


But what of video games? What are the otherwise superb video games that are saddled with rubbish gimmicks, and of them, which is the best? To find out what our esteemed panel thinks, you’ll have to watch or listen right here. Right here!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 2039 Episode 58: The best use of a mega-popular license Welcome to The Best Games Ever Show episode 58: The best use of a mega popular license. Licensed games are big business. The richest studios and publishers in the galaxy all have a foothold in the gaming space because, as countless CEOs and market analysts tell us every year, video games make more money than Hollywood, musical theatre, gardening programmes, the broadcasting rights for Shinty, and the GDP of Wales combined. It is for this reason that everyone working in video games lives in a castle with a moat and a bentley on the driveway. All of the biggest media brands are represented in our humble medium. Star Wars. Star Trek. Stargate. Star Fox. America. Andy Kelly’s tweets. The list goes on. But not every licensed property is leveraged effectively for maximum engagement (that’s CEO speak for “used properly”). Some licensed games are better than others. So which one is the best, according to our esteemed panel? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 30 Jun 2023 12:30:35 -0000 The best use of a mega-popular license full VG247 DISNEY MATTER Welcome to The Best Games Ever Show episode 58: The best use of a mega popular license. Licensed games are big business. The richest studios and publishers in the galaxy all have a foothold in the gaming space because, as countless CEOs and market analysts tell us every year, video games make more money than Hollywood, musical theatre, gardening programmes, the broadcasting rights for Shinty, and the GDP of Wales combined. It is for this reason that everyone working in video games lives in a castle with a moat and a bentley on the driveway. All of the biggest media brands are represented in our humble medium. Star Wars. Star Trek. Stargate. Star Fox. America. Andy Kelly’s tweets. The list goes on. But not every licensed property is leveraged effectively for maximum engagement (that’s CEO speak for “used properly”). Some licensed games are better than others. So which one is the best, according to our esteemed panel? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Welcome to The Best Games Ever Show episode 58: The best use of a mega popular license.


Licensed games are big business. The richest studios and publishers in the galaxy all have a foothold in the gaming space because, as countless CEOs and market analysts tell us every year, video games make more money than Hollywood, musical theatre, gardening programmes, the broadcasting rights for Shinty, and the GDP of Wales combined. It is for this reason that everyone working in video games lives in a castle with a moat and a bentley on the driveway.


All of the biggest media brands are represented in our humble medium. Star Wars. Star Trek. Stargate. Star Fox. America. Andy Kelly’s tweets. The list goes on. But not every licensed property is leveraged effectively for maximum engagement (that’s CEO speak for “used properly”). Some licensed games are better than others. So which one is the best, according to our esteemed panel?

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 2039 Episode 57: The best game where you play a dead guy Welcome to The Best Games Ever Show episode 57: The best game where you play a dead guy. Gaming is stuffed to the coffin lid with undead protagonists. Vampires. Poltergeists. Murdered detectives with unfinished business. Starship captains resurrected from death by a rogue human supremacist terrorist organisation with a trillionaire CEO. The list goes on. And indeed, on. But what’s the best game with an undead protagonist? And why on earth did nobody pick Grim Fandango? Only one of these questions is answered in this week’s Best Games Ever Show, which is a bit short this week because the recording didn’t quite work and Jim’s on paternity leave so there isn’t any time to fix it. Still, at least the situation is framed by an ironic symmetry. Y’know, births, deaths, all that sort of thing. To find out who won and what with, you’ll just have to listen to the episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 23 Jun 2023 12:00:00 -0000 The best game where you play a dead guy full VG247 PLAYING DEAD Welcome to The Best Games Ever Show episode 57: The best game where you play a dead guy. Gaming is stuffed to the coffin lid with undead protagonists. Vampires. Poltergeists. Murdered detectives with unfinished business. Starship captains resurrected from death by a rogue human supremacist terrorist organisation with a trillionaire CEO. The list goes on. And indeed, on. But what’s the best game with an undead protagonist? And why on earth did nobody pick Grim Fandango? Only one of these questions is answered in this week’s Best Games Ever Show, which is a bit short this week because the recording didn’t quite work and Jim’s on paternity leave so there isn’t any time to fix it. Still, at least the situation is framed by an ironic symmetry. Y’know, births, deaths, all that sort of thing. To find out who won and what with, you’ll just have to listen to the episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Welcome to The Best Games Ever Show episode 57: The best game where you play a dead guy.

Gaming is stuffed to the coffin lid with undead protagonists. Vampires. Poltergeists. Murdered detectives with unfinished business. Starship captains resurrected from death by a rogue human supremacist terrorist organisation with a trillionaire CEO. The list goes on. And indeed, on.

But what’s the best game with an undead protagonist? And why on earth did nobody pick Grim Fandango? Only one of these questions is answered in this week’s Best Games Ever Show, which is a bit short this week because the recording didn’t quite work and Jim’s on paternity leave so there isn’t any time to fix it. Still, at least the situation is framed by an ironic symmetry. Y’know, births, deaths, all that sort of thing.

To find out who won and what with, you’ll just have to listen to the episode.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 1444 Episode 56: The best globetrotting travel game Welcome to The Best Games Ever Show episode 56: the best globetrotting travel game. This week we welcome our first guest panellist, the ever endearing Bertie Purchese from Eurogamer! If you've ever gone to EGX you may know Bertie as the eccentric host of the Eurogamer Pub Quiz, and if you're generally interested in games writing you'll have come across his tireless work as an Associate Editor of Eurogamer, where he covers news, conjures up features, records podcasts, and looks after their Supporter Programme. He loves RPGs, which often have a fabulous globe-trotting aspect to them (though not necessarily of our globe), so we asked him to bring that expertise to today's topic. And he actually turned up! Video games are a wonderful medium for virtual travel. They don't just show you new places, they let you interact with them. Live in them. Breathe their air. Talk to the people who live there. I mean, sure, usually your chief form of interaction with a game world is violence, but that's not always the case. And, as well as inviting us to adventure in realms of fantasy, video games have gotten extraordinarily good at depicting real life places too. Contemporary locations like modern day New York, Tokyo, and London are extremely well represented as video game locations. Untethered from linear time, historical action adventure games like the Assassin's Creed series and Ghost of Tsushima allow us a glimpse into the world as it was, not just as it is now, which is a thrilling aspect of the medium for anyone with an interest in the past. But what is the best game for digital tourism? Which game truly makes you feel like a globetrotting citizen of the world, according to our esteemed panellists? Well, to find out, you’ll have to listen to this here podcast. Which you're presumably doing already otherwise you won't have seen this. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 16 Jun 2023 12:00:00 -0000 The best globetrotting travel game full VG247 From Yakuza to Flight Simulator, there are a wealth of options for the couchbound traveller. Welcome to The Best Games Ever Show episode 56: the best globetrotting travel game. This week we welcome our first guest panellist, the ever endearing Bertie Purchese from Eurogamer! If you've ever gone to EGX you may know Bertie as the eccentric host of the Eurogamer Pub Quiz, and if you're generally interested in games writing you'll have come across his tireless work as an Associate Editor of Eurogamer, where he covers news, conjures up features, records podcasts, and looks after their Supporter Programme. He loves RPGs, which often have a fabulous globe-trotting aspect to them (though not necessarily of our globe), so we asked him to bring that expertise to today's topic. And he actually turned up! Video games are a wonderful medium for virtual travel. They don't just show you new places, they let you interact with them. Live in them. Breathe their air. Talk to the people who live there. I mean, sure, usually your chief form of interaction with a game world is violence, but that's not always the case. And, as well as inviting us to adventure in realms of fantasy, video games have gotten extraordinarily good at depicting real life places too. Contemporary locations like modern day New York, Tokyo, and London are extremely well represented as video game locations. Untethered from linear time, historical action adventure games like the Assassin's Creed series and Ghost of Tsushima allow us a glimpse into the world as it was, not just as it is now, which is a thrilling aspect of the medium for anyone with an interest in the past. But what is the best game for digital tourism? Which game truly makes you feel like a globetrotting citizen of the world, according to our esteemed panellists? Well, to find out, you’ll have to listen to this here podcast. Which you're presumably doing already otherwise you won't have seen this. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Welcome to The Best Games Ever Show episode 56: the best globetrotting travel game.

This week we welcome our first guest panellist, the ever endearing Bertie Purchese from Eurogamer! If you've ever gone to EGX you may know Bertie as the eccentric host of the Eurogamer Pub Quiz, and if you're generally interested in games writing you'll have come across his tireless work as an Associate Editor of Eurogamer, where he covers news, conjures up features, records podcasts, and looks after their Supporter Programme. He loves RPGs, which often have a fabulous globe-trotting aspect to them (though not necessarily of our globe), so we asked him to bring that expertise to today's topic. And he actually turned up!

Video games are a wonderful medium for virtual travel. They don't just show you new places, they let you interact with them. Live in them. Breathe their air. Talk to the people who live there. I mean, sure, usually your chief form of interaction with a game world is violence, but that's not always the case. And, as well as inviting us to adventure in realms of fantasy, video games have gotten extraordinarily good at depicting real life places too. Contemporary locations like modern day New York, Tokyo, and London are extremely well represented as video game locations. Untethered from linear time, historical action adventure games like the Assassin's Creed series and Ghost of Tsushima allow us a glimpse into the world as it was, not just as it is now, which is a thrilling aspect of the medium for anyone with an interest in the past.

But what is the best game for digital tourism? Which game truly makes you feel like a globetrotting citizen of the world, according to our esteemed panellists? Well, to find out, you’ll have to listen to this here podcast. Which you're presumably doing already otherwise you won't have seen this.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 2211 Episode 55: The best game with horse armour (but you can't have Oblivion) Welcome to The Best Games Ever Show episode 55: The best game with horse armour (but you can't have Oblivion) 2006 feels like a lifetime ago. I’m sure for at least some of you reading, it literally was. In which case you won’t remember the utter stink that was kicked up over the concept of – get this – paying actual real money for in-game cosmetic items, on top of the money you’d already forked out for the game itself. It seemed unthinkable, until Bethesda went and did it, releasing the infamous Horse Armour pack for Oblivion for 200 Microsoft Points, the equivalent of about £2 in real money today.  The DLC was fairly innocuous in itself. Though hardly substantial, it added a short quest to the game directing you to a particular merchant, and eight different sets of equine armour similar in style to the player character variants available in the game. Though these are generally believed to be purely cosmetic, they actually generously increased the health of any horse they were applied to, reducing the chances of losing your mount in a fight. Though marginally useful, the DLC was dirt cheap and completely ignorable. By today’s standards, it seems quaint that it would cause such a fuss.  But it was a canary in the coalmine for the gratuitous aftermarket monetisation of single-player games, and a fairly notable contributor to the fact that almost every conceivable release nowadays, 17 years later, is some kind of live service bollocks with three sets of premium currency and a battle pass. At the time, Bethesda was experimenting with a new idea, which had been made possible by the relatively new fields of digital distribution and microtransactions. Todd Howard probably didn’t mean for it to be a Sliding Doors moment in which the industry chose the path to hell. But, in the 17 years since Oblivion’s most infamous transgression, which games with Horse Armour have stood above the rest? What is the best game with Horse Armour, premium or otherwise, aside from The Elder Scrolls IV? This a question that I put to our regular panellists on The Best Games Ever Show, and in order to find out what everyone came back with, you’ll have to watch or listen to it. Luckily, you’ve stumbled upon one of the ways of doing just that. Cor! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 09 Jun 2023 09:28:55 -0000 The best game with horse armour (but you can't have Oblivion) full VG247 Diablo 4’s $8 Horse Armour is a hell we created for ourselves Welcome to The Best Games Ever Show episode 55: The best game with horse armour (but you can't have Oblivion) 2006 feels like a lifetime ago. I’m sure for at least some of you reading, it literally was. In which case you won’t remember the utter stink that was kicked up over the concept of – get this – paying actual real money for in-game cosmetic items, on top of the money you’d already forked out for the game itself. It seemed unthinkable, until Bethesda went and did it, releasing the infamous Horse Armour pack for Oblivion for 200 Microsoft Points, the equivalent of about £2 in real money today.  The DLC was fairly innocuous in itself. Though hardly substantial, it added a short quest to the game directing you to a particular merchant, and eight different sets of equine armour similar in style to the player character variants available in the game. Though these are generally believed to be purely cosmetic, they actually generously increased the health of any horse they were applied to, reducing the chances of losing your mount in a fight. Though marginally useful, the DLC was dirt cheap and completely ignorable. By today’s standards, it seems quaint that it would cause such a fuss.  But it was a canary in the coalmine for the gratuitous aftermarket monetisation of single-player games, and a fairly notable contributor to the fact that almost every conceivable release nowadays, 17 years later, is some kind of live service bollocks with three sets of premium currency and a battle pass. At the time, Bethesda was experimenting with a new idea, which had been made possible by the relatively new fields of digital distribution and microtransactions. Todd Howard probably didn’t mean for it to be a Sliding Doors moment in which the industry chose the path to hell. But, in the 17 years since Oblivion’s most infamous transgression, which games with Horse Armour have stood above the rest? What is the best game with Horse Armour, premium or otherwise, aside from The Elder Scrolls IV? This a question that I put to our regular panellists on The Best Games Ever Show, and in order to find out what everyone came back with, you’ll have to watch or listen to it. Luckily, you’ve stumbled upon one of the ways of doing just that. Cor! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Welcome to The Best Games Ever Show episode 55: The best game with horse armour (but you can't have Oblivion)


2006 feels like a lifetime ago. I’m sure for at least some of you reading, it literally was. In which case you won’t remember the utter stink that was kicked up over the concept of – get this – paying actual real money for in-game cosmetic items, on top of the money you’d already forked out for the game itself. It seemed unthinkable, until Bethesda went and did it, releasing the infamous Horse Armour pack for Oblivion for 200 Microsoft Points, the equivalent of about £2 in real money today. 


The DLC was fairly innocuous in itself. Though hardly substantial, it added a short quest to the game directing you to a particular merchant, and eight different sets of equine armour similar in style to the player character variants available in the game. Though these are generally believed to be purely cosmetic, they actually generously increased the health of any horse they were applied to, reducing the chances of losing your mount in a fight. Though marginally useful, the DLC was dirt cheap and completely ignorable. By today’s standards, it seems quaint that it would cause such a fuss. 


But it was a canary in the coalmine for the gratuitous aftermarket monetisation of single-player games, and a fairly notable contributor to the fact that almost every conceivable release nowadays, 17 years later, is some kind of live service bollocks with three sets of premium currency and a battle pass. At the time, Bethesda was experimenting with a new idea, which had been made possible by the relatively new fields of digital distribution and microtransactions. Todd Howard probably didn’t mean for it to be a Sliding Doors moment in which the industry chose the path to hell.


But, in the 17 years since Oblivion’s most infamous transgression, which games with Horse Armour have stood above the rest? What is the best game with Horse Armour, premium or otherwise, aside from The Elder Scrolls IV? This a question that I put to our regular panellists on The Best Games Ever Show, and in order to find out what everyone came back with, you’ll have to watch or listen to it. Luckily, you’ve stumbled upon one of the ways of doing just that. Cor!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 2095 Episode 54: The best game that's a sequel to a bad game Because we live in a meritocracy, rubbish things never get sequels. Except we don't live in a meritocracy, we live in hell, and therefore rubbish things often get nine sequels and a spin-off TV show while good things are busy getting rejected in board rooms. Such is life. But it's not necessarily a bad thing, because every now and then, sequels far outstrip their progenitors. It's a phenomenon that occurs most often in the world of video games, where sequels will often build on the bare bones of games that perhaps have good ideas but leave a lot of refinement to be desired in the execution. The old Hollywood adage that "the sequel is never as good as the original" simply doesn't apply to our medium. In fact, quite the opposite. Consider, to pluck two completely random examples out of the air, Assassin's Creed 2 and Watch_Dogs 2. Both are highly regarded as great games in their own right, and they're both sequels to games which were considered lacklustre in their day. But, when you get right down to it, they're not entirely different from the games they follow on from: the mechanics are all there, the mission design, the visual style: it's generally present and correct in the first Assassin's Creed as it is in the first Watch_Dogs. The execution, however, is vastly improved. This is a medium of iteration and experimentation. Sometimes things work, sometimes they don't, but generally, developments in technology and game design crawl toward better ways of doing things. I think. Maybe not always. Just like how every episode of this podcast builds on the last one as we find more of our groove. To find out which sequels our panellists think are much better than the originals, you need to watch or listen to The Best Games Ever show episode 54. Luckily for you, there are a bewildering number of ways to do so below. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 02 Jun 2023 13:41:00 -0000 The best game that's a sequel to a bad game full VG247 Flip off the old block Because we live in a meritocracy, rubbish things never get sequels. Except we don't live in a meritocracy, we live in hell, and therefore rubbish things often get nine sequels and a spin-off TV show while good things are busy getting rejected in board rooms. Such is life. But it's not necessarily a bad thing, because every now and then, sequels far outstrip their progenitors. It's a phenomenon that occurs most often in the world of video games, where sequels will often build on the bare bones of games that perhaps have good ideas but leave a lot of refinement to be desired in the execution. The old Hollywood adage that "the sequel is never as good as the original" simply doesn't apply to our medium. In fact, quite the opposite. Consider, to pluck two completely random examples out of the air, Assassin's Creed 2 and Watch_Dogs 2. Both are highly regarded as great games in their own right, and they're both sequels to games which were considered lacklustre in their day. But, when you get right down to it, they're not entirely different from the games they follow on from: the mechanics are all there, the mission design, the visual style: it's generally present and correct in the first Assassin's Creed as it is in the first Watch_Dogs. The execution, however, is vastly improved. This is a medium of iteration and experimentation. Sometimes things work, sometimes they don't, but generally, developments in technology and game design crawl toward better ways of doing things. I think. Maybe not always. Just like how every episode of this podcast builds on the last one as we find more of our groove. To find out which sequels our panellists think are much better than the originals, you need to watch or listen to The Best Games Ever show episode 54. Luckily for you, there are a bewildering number of ways to do so below. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Because we live in a meritocracy, rubbish things never get sequels. Except we don't live in a meritocracy, we live in hell, and therefore rubbish things often get nine sequels and a spin-off TV show while good things are busy getting rejected in board rooms. Such is life.


But it's not necessarily a bad thing, because every now and then, sequels far outstrip their progenitors. It's a phenomenon that occurs most often in the world of video games, where sequels will often build on the bare bones of games that perhaps have good ideas but leave a lot of refinement to be desired in the execution. The old Hollywood adage that "the sequel is never as good as the original" simply doesn't apply to our medium. In fact, quite the opposite. Consider, to pluck two completely random examples out of the air, Assassin's Creed 2 and Watch_Dogs 2. Both are highly regarded as great games in their own right, and they're both sequels to games which were considered lacklustre in their day. But, when you get right down to it, they're not entirely different from the games they follow on from: the mechanics are all there, the mission design, the visual style: it's generally present and correct in the first Assassin's Creed as it is in the first Watch_Dogs. The execution, however, is vastly improved.


This is a medium of iteration and experimentation. Sometimes things work, sometimes they don't, but generally, developments in technology and game design crawl toward better ways of doing things. I think. Maybe not always. Just like how every episode of this podcast builds on the last one as we find more of our groove. To find out which sequels our panellists think are much better than the originals, you need to watch or listen to The Best Games Ever show episode 54. Luckily for you, there are a bewildering number of ways to do so below.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 2103 Episode 53: The best game with a terrible name The video game industry has a long and legendary history of awful names. Several developers have spent literally millions of dollars on otherwise excellent games just to slap the most staggeringly awful title on the final product. Boring names are common enough, with tepid words like War, Quest or Royale thrown in there more as a tone setter than anything remotely interesting. Then there's the wild stuff! Metal Gear Rising: Revengence is a truly mythical example, and the recently announced Metal Gear Solid (Delta Symbol) is raising smirks in its pseudo-intellectual absurdity. But if you look hard enough you can find some wonderful gibberish out there. UNDER NIGHT IN-BIRTH Exe:Latest is a real game that exists, and despite how good it may be, even the most confident and knowledgeable of us would struggle to explain what that's supposed to mean. Imagine your da finding that. So there's a lot of room to work with on this topic, and multiple interesting angles to attack it from. If you want to know our picks for the best game with a terrible name, you should listen to The Best Games Ever Show. Luckily for you, you wouldn't be reading this if that wasn't literally what you were doing right now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 26 May 2023 13:54:00 -0000 The best game with a terrible name full 1 53 VG247 What's in a name? Loads, actually. The video game industry has a long and legendary history of awful names. Several developers have spent literally millions of dollars on otherwise excellent games just to slap the most staggeringly awful title on the final product. Boring names are common enough, with tepid words like War, Quest or Royale thrown in there more as a tone setter than anything remotely interesting. Then there's the wild stuff! Metal Gear Rising: Revengence is a truly mythical example, and the recently announced Metal Gear Solid (Delta Symbol) is raising smirks in its pseudo-intellectual absurdity. But if you look hard enough you can find some wonderful gibberish out there. UNDER NIGHT IN-BIRTH Exe:Latest is a real game that exists, and despite how good it may be, even the most confident and knowledgeable of us would struggle to explain what that's supposed to mean. Imagine your da finding that. So there's a lot of room to work with on this topic, and multiple interesting angles to attack it from. If you want to know our picks for the best game with a terrible name, you should listen to The Best Games Ever Show. Luckily for you, you wouldn't be reading this if that wasn't literally what you were doing right now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices The video game industry has a long and legendary history of awful names. Several developers have spent literally millions of dollars on otherwise excellent games just to slap the most staggeringly awful title on the final product.

Boring names are common enough, with tepid words like War, Quest or Royale thrown in there more as a tone setter than anything remotely interesting. Then there's the wild stuff! Metal Gear Rising: Revengence is a truly mythical example, and the recently announced Metal Gear Solid (Delta Symbol) is raising smirks in its pseudo-intellectual absurdity. But if you look hard enough you can find some wonderful gibberish out there. UNDER NIGHT IN-BIRTH Exe:Latest is a real game that exists, and despite how good it may be, even the most confident and knowledgeable of us would struggle to explain what that's supposed to mean. Imagine your da finding that.

So there's a lot of room to work with on this topic, and multiple interesting angles to attack it from. If you want to know our picks for the best game with a terrible name, you should listen to The Best Games Ever Show. Luckily for you, you wouldn't be reading this if that wasn't literally what you were doing right now.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 1928 Episode 52: The best game with a ginger protagonist Welcome to the Best Games Ever show Episode 52: the best game with a ginger protagonist. Cal Kestis of Star Wars: Jedi Survivor is just the latest in a long line of Gaming Redheads, an esteemed group that includes such celebrated characters as Official Femshep, Joanna Dark, and what's-her-face out of Heavenly Sword. And it makes me swell with pride to see this proud tradition continuing. Listen. I'm not even a proper ginger, but my beard has the reddish hue of muddled European stock, and I look a bit auburn with edge lighting, so I think that basically makes me part of the ginger community. Therefore I can confidently say that growing up ginger, especially in the UK, is a mixed bag. As prejudices go, it's a fairly innocuous one to be at the receiving end of: mostly just daft banter, nothing particularly harrowing or sinister. But you are relentlessly considered fair game. Barely a day goes by where you don't hear a joke about gingers on the TV. It's a feature of your genetics that marks you out for endless ribbing and bullying, but it so rarely tips over into anything more sinister that it feels almost petty to complain about it. It's not remotely like living as part of a minority that experiences real prejudice, racism, or persecution. And so, the Ginger Experience is sort of like living with a permanently stuck sneeze: a source of perennial bother that you can't do anything about. Where we are endowed with enormous privilege, though, is in representation in the media. Loads of the coolest people alive are gingers. Bryce Dallas Howard, Conan O'Brien, Shirley Manson, Michael friggin' Fassbender? The list is endless. Nicole Kidman, there's another one. Damien Lewis. Ed, er, Ed Sheeran. Um. Ignore that one, we're not claiming him. The point is, gingers do pretty well in the media, and enjoy much more positive representation than plenty of other minority groups. This holds double true for the world of video games, where you can't swing a sporran without smacking a dozen ginger protagonists. There are more ginger video game characters than there are people in Wales. Probably. I haven't done the numbers. For a group that makes up less than two percent of the global population, we do extraordinarily well at getting ourselves on screen. But which is the best game with a Ginger protagonist? Our panellists, as we've discussed, have a bounty of options for this one. But which redheaded games stand above the rest? And how exactly is everyone interpreting the word "ginger"? Who, out of Kelsey, Connor, and Tom, is going to be this week's biggest smart-arse? In order to find out, you need to watch or listen to this podcast here. Handily, we have an absurd number of ways of doing so below: Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 19 May 2023 10:30:00 -0000 The best game with a ginger protagonist full 1 52 VG247 It's a mutation. It's a very groovy mutation. Welcome to the Best Games Ever show Episode 52: the best game with a ginger protagonist. Cal Kestis of Star Wars: Jedi Survivor is just the latest in a long line of Gaming Redheads, an esteemed group that includes such celebrated characters as Official Femshep, Joanna Dark, and what's-her-face out of Heavenly Sword. And it makes me swell with pride to see this proud tradition continuing. Listen. I'm not even a proper ginger, but my beard has the reddish hue of muddled European stock, and I look a bit auburn with edge lighting, so I think that basically makes me part of the ginger community. Therefore I can confidently say that growing up ginger, especially in the UK, is a mixed bag. As prejudices go, it's a fairly innocuous one to be at the receiving end of: mostly just daft banter, nothing particularly harrowing or sinister. But you are relentlessly considered fair game. Barely a day goes by where you don't hear a joke about gingers on the TV. It's a feature of your genetics that marks you out for endless ribbing and bullying, but it so rarely tips over into anything more sinister that it feels almost petty to complain about it. It's not remotely like living as part of a minority that experiences real prejudice, racism, or persecution. And so, the Ginger Experience is sort of like living with a permanently stuck sneeze: a source of perennial bother that you can't do anything about. Where we are endowed with enormous privilege, though, is in representation in the media. Loads of the coolest people alive are gingers. Bryce Dallas Howard, Conan O'Brien, Shirley Manson, Michael friggin' Fassbender? The list is endless. Nicole Kidman, there's another one. Damien Lewis. Ed, er, Ed Sheeran. Um. Ignore that one, we're not claiming him. The point is, gingers do pretty well in the media, and enjoy much more positive representation than plenty of other minority groups. This holds double true for the world of video games, where you can't swing a sporran without smacking a dozen ginger protagonists. There are more ginger video game characters than there are people in Wales. Probably. I haven't done the numbers. For a group that makes up less than two percent of the global population, we do extraordinarily well at getting ourselves on screen. But which is the best game with a Ginger protagonist? Our panellists, as we've discussed, have a bounty of options for this one. But which redheaded games stand above the rest? And how exactly is everyone interpreting the word "ginger"? Who, out of Kelsey, Connor, and Tom, is going to be this week's biggest smart-arse? In order to find out, you need to watch or listen to this podcast here. Handily, we have an absurd number of ways of doing so below: Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Welcome to the Best Games Ever show Episode 52: the best game with a ginger protagonist.


Cal Kestis of Star Wars: Jedi Survivor is just the latest in a long line of Gaming Redheads, an esteemed group that includes such celebrated characters as Official Femshep, Joanna Dark, and what's-her-face out of Heavenly Sword. And it makes me swell with pride to see this proud tradition continuing.


Listen. I'm not even a proper ginger, but my beard has the reddish hue of muddled European stock, and I look a bit auburn with edge lighting, so I think that basically makes me part of the ginger community. Therefore I can confidently say that growing up ginger, especially in the UK, is a mixed bag. As prejudices go, it's a fairly innocuous one to be at the receiving end of: mostly just daft banter, nothing particularly harrowing or sinister. But you are relentlessly considered fair game. Barely a day goes by where you don't hear a joke about gingers on the TV. It's a feature of your genetics that marks you out for endless ribbing and bullying, but it so rarely tips over into anything more sinister that it feels almost petty to complain about it. It's not remotely like living as part of a minority that experiences real prejudice, racism, or persecution. And so, the Ginger Experience is sort of like living with a permanently stuck sneeze: a source of perennial bother that you can't do anything about.


Where we are endowed with enormous privilege, though, is in representation in the media. Loads of the coolest people alive are gingers. Bryce Dallas Howard, Conan O'Brien, Shirley Manson, Michael friggin' Fassbender? The list is endless. Nicole Kidman, there's another one. Damien Lewis. Ed, er, Ed Sheeran. Um. Ignore that one, we're not claiming him. The point is, gingers do pretty well in the media, and enjoy much more positive representation than plenty of other minority groups. This holds double true for the world of video games, where you can't swing a sporran without smacking a dozen ginger protagonists. There are more ginger video game characters than there are people in Wales. Probably. I haven't done the numbers. For a group that makes up less than two percent of the global population, we do extraordinarily well at getting ourselves on screen. But which is the best game with a Ginger protagonist? Our panellists, as we've discussed, have a bounty of options for this one. But which redheaded games stand above the rest? And how exactly is everyone interpreting the word "ginger"? Who, out of Kelsey, Connor, and Tom, is going to be this week's biggest smart-arse?


In order to find out, you need to watch or listen to this podcast here. Handily, we have an absurd number of ways of doing so below:

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 1620 Episode 51: The best Zelda game that isn't a Zelda game Almost every action adventure game with RPG elements and dungeons, that's set in an open or semi-open world, can trace its roots – a link to the past, if you will – back to the original Legend of Zelda game on the NES. And this is surprising, because that game is 37 years old. That’s roughly as old as I am, which in human terms is “should probably start thinking about life insurance” levels of decrepit. In the context of a medium driven by technological advancement, it might as well be an eternity. And yet, it endures. Not only is the series still going strong, with the latest entry The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom still finding ways to innovate and move the medium forward, but traces of its DNA can be found absolutely everywhere. From the prestige third person narrative-em-ups that have become Sony’s USP, to every Ubisoft Open World Game and their numerous non-Ubisoft derivatives, to your Witchers and Skyrims, Zelda’s profound influence on game design can be seen wherever one cares to look. It’s often cited by game developers as a long-standing inspiration, and for good reason. And so, the scope of this week’s Best Games Ever topic is enormous: almost every modern action adventure game owes something to Zelda, consciously or otherwise. But it’s also inspired plenty of direct, unabashed clones. What is Fable if not a Zelda game with Monty Python gags? What is Oceanhorn if not Zelda on a budget? What is Darksiders if not Zelda for goths? And what is Football Manager if not… no. He can’t do it again this week. There’s no way Tom can crowbar Football Manager into this week’s episode. Surely. Surely? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 12 May 2023 11:55:00 -0000 The best Zelda game that isn't a Zelda game full 1 51 VG247 The Legend of Zelda is a hugely influential series, but which of its many copycats is the best? Almost every action adventure game with RPG elements and dungeons, that's set in an open or semi-open world, can trace its roots – a link to the past, if you will – back to the original Legend of Zelda game on the NES. And this is surprising, because that game is 37 years old. That’s roughly as old as I am, which in human terms is “should probably start thinking about life insurance” levels of decrepit. In the context of a medium driven by technological advancement, it might as well be an eternity. And yet, it endures. Not only is the series still going strong, with the latest entry The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom still finding ways to innovate and move the medium forward, but traces of its DNA can be found absolutely everywhere. From the prestige third person narrative-em-ups that have become Sony’s USP, to every Ubisoft Open World Game and their numerous non-Ubisoft derivatives, to your Witchers and Skyrims, Zelda’s profound influence on game design can be seen wherever one cares to look. It’s often cited by game developers as a long-standing inspiration, and for good reason. And so, the scope of this week’s Best Games Ever topic is enormous: almost every modern action adventure game owes something to Zelda, consciously or otherwise. But it’s also inspired plenty of direct, unabashed clones. What is Fable if not a Zelda game with Monty Python gags? What is Oceanhorn if not Zelda on a budget? What is Darksiders if not Zelda for goths? And what is Football Manager if not… no. He can’t do it again this week. There’s no way Tom can crowbar Football Manager into this week’s episode. Surely. Surely? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Almost every action adventure game with RPG elements and dungeons, that's set in an open or semi-open world, can trace its roots – a link to the past, if you will – back to the original Legend of Zelda game on the NES. And this is surprising, because that game is 37 years old. That’s roughly as old as I am, which in human terms is “should probably start thinking about life insurance” levels of decrepit. In the context of a medium driven by technological advancement, it might as well be an eternity.


And yet, it endures. Not only is the series still going strong, with the latest entry The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom still finding ways to innovate and move the medium forward, but traces of its DNA can be found absolutely everywhere. From the prestige third person narrative-em-ups that have become Sony’s USP, to every Ubisoft Open World Game and their numerous non-Ubisoft derivatives, to your Witchers and Skyrims, Zelda’s profound influence on game design can be seen wherever one cares to look. It’s often cited by game developers as a long-standing inspiration, and for good reason.


And so, the scope of this week’s Best Games Ever topic is enormous: almost every modern action adventure game owes something to Zelda, consciously or otherwise. But it’s also inspired plenty of direct, unabashed clones. What is Fable if not a Zelda game with Monty Python gags? What is Oceanhorn if not Zelda on a budget? What is Darksiders if not Zelda for goths?


And what is Football Manager if not… no. He can’t do it again this week. There’s no way Tom can crowbar Football Manager into this week’s episode. Surely. Surely?

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 2012 Episode 50: The best game that is uncomfortably pro-monarchy Welcome to the Best Games Ever Show episode 50: The best game that is uncomfortably pro-monarchy. Video games are absurdly monarchist. Nintendo's biggest franchises both have you running around after a princess. Final Fantasy is littered with royals showing up as quest givers, party members, and protagonists. Fable III is entirely about seizing your divine right to rule, and leads to an infamous sequence where you are tasked with deciding the fate of the kingdom through a series of binary decisions: the point of the sequence is, arguably, to show how difficult it is for a sovereign to keep all of their subjects happy and/or alive. For the most part, video game monarchies are treated sympathetically: the medium plays host to more pro-Royal sentiment than the home stands at Ibrox. So games are, therefore, hostile ground for most republicans (not to be confused with Republicans, who tend to love video games because they're also full of guns). But which games are the most uncomfortably regal? The most odiously knee-bending? The most simperingly crown-pilled? And of them, which is the best, according to our esteemed panel? In order to find out, you'll have to listen to this here podcast here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 05 May 2023 12:52:02 -0000 The best game that is uncomfortably pro-monarchy full 1 50 VG247 It turns out that the medium largely based on creating individual power fantasies is, in fact, full of royalism. Welcome to the Best Games Ever Show episode 50: The best game that is uncomfortably pro-monarchy. Video games are absurdly monarchist. Nintendo's biggest franchises both have you running around after a princess. Final Fantasy is littered with royals showing up as quest givers, party members, and protagonists. Fable III is entirely about seizing your divine right to rule, and leads to an infamous sequence where you are tasked with deciding the fate of the kingdom through a series of binary decisions: the point of the sequence is, arguably, to show how difficult it is for a sovereign to keep all of their subjects happy and/or alive. For the most part, video game monarchies are treated sympathetically: the medium plays host to more pro-Royal sentiment than the home stands at Ibrox. So games are, therefore, hostile ground for most republicans (not to be confused with Republicans, who tend to love video games because they're also full of guns). But which games are the most uncomfortably regal? The most odiously knee-bending? The most simperingly crown-pilled? And of them, which is the best, according to our esteemed panel? In order to find out, you'll have to listen to this here podcast here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Welcome to the Best Games Ever Show episode 50: The best game that is uncomfortably pro-monarchy.


Video games are absurdly monarchist. Nintendo's biggest franchises both have you running around after a princess. Final Fantasy is littered with royals showing up as quest givers, party members, and protagonists. Fable III is entirely about seizing your divine right to rule, and leads to an infamous sequence where you are tasked with deciding the fate of the kingdom through a series of binary decisions: the point of the sequence is, arguably, to show how difficult it is for a sovereign to keep all of their subjects happy and/or alive. For the most part, video game monarchies are treated sympathetically: the medium plays host to more pro-Royal sentiment than the home stands at Ibrox.


So games are, therefore, hostile ground for most republicans (not to be confused with Republicans, who tend to love video games because they're also full of guns). But which games are the most uncomfortably regal? The most odiously knee-bending? The most simperingly crown-pilled? And of them, which is the best, according to our esteemed panel? In order to find out, you'll have to listen to this here podcast here.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 1860 Episode 49: The best game with the worst difficulty spike Welcome to the Best Games Ever Show episode 49: The Best Game with the Worst Difficulty Spike. High difficulty is one thing. As long as it's consistent, it can be an asset. Souls games are essentially all about providing a big mountain to climb. But sometimes games have difficulty spikes that, frankly, take the proverbial Michael. Games which aren't supposed to be mountains to climb, but gentle slopes to meander along. They lull you into a false sense of security, providing a moderate challenge but nothing you can't handle as long as you're keeping your wits about you. And then you turn a corner, and some horrid boss with a billion hit points who can dodge all your attacks comes swanning in to ruin your weekend. We all have a traumatic memory of one of those. Whether it's the annoying bullet sponge guy in Alpha Protocol, General Raam at the end of Gears of War, or just any of the atrocious boss fights in Deus Ex: Human Revolution, high-powered bosses are usually the cause of such a difficulty spike. But it isn't necessarily about combat: sometimes a particularly tricky platforming section or QTE can stump you to the point where you rage quit. But which games have stumped our panellists? What has made James, Sherif, and Tom turn the console off and go to bed out of sheer of frustration? Well, to find out you'll have to watch or listen to this show. Which is handy, because if you're reading this, you're probably doing that right now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 28 Apr 2023 08:05:00 -0000 The best game with the worst difficulty spike full 1 49 VG247 Everyone has their own traumatic memory of an Annoying Bit. Welcome to the Best Games Ever Show episode 49: The Best Game with the Worst Difficulty Spike. High difficulty is one thing. As long as it's consistent, it can be an asset. Souls games are essentially all about providing a big mountain to climb. But sometimes games have difficulty spikes that, frankly, take the proverbial Michael. Games which aren't supposed to be mountains to climb, but gentle slopes to meander along. They lull you into a false sense of security, providing a moderate challenge but nothing you can't handle as long as you're keeping your wits about you. And then you turn a corner, and some horrid boss with a billion hit points who can dodge all your attacks comes swanning in to ruin your weekend. We all have a traumatic memory of one of those. Whether it's the annoying bullet sponge guy in Alpha Protocol, General Raam at the end of Gears of War, or just any of the atrocious boss fights in Deus Ex: Human Revolution, high-powered bosses are usually the cause of such a difficulty spike. But it isn't necessarily about combat: sometimes a particularly tricky platforming section or QTE can stump you to the point where you rage quit. But which games have stumped our panellists? What has made James, Sherif, and Tom turn the console off and go to bed out of sheer of frustration? Well, to find out you'll have to watch or listen to this show. Which is handy, because if you're reading this, you're probably doing that right now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Welcome to the Best Games Ever Show episode 49: The Best Game with the Worst Difficulty Spike.


High difficulty is one thing. As long as it's consistent, it can be an asset. Souls games are essentially all about providing a big mountain to climb. But sometimes games have difficulty spikes that, frankly, take the proverbial Michael. Games which aren't supposed to be mountains to climb, but gentle slopes to meander along. They lull you into a false sense of security, providing a moderate challenge but nothing you can't handle as long as you're keeping your wits about you. And then you turn a corner, and some horrid boss with a billion hit points who can dodge all your attacks comes swanning in to ruin your weekend.


We all have a traumatic memory of one of those. Whether it's the annoying bullet sponge guy in Alpha Protocol, General Raam at the end of Gears of War, or just any of the atrocious boss fights in Deus Ex: Human Revolution, high-powered bosses are usually the cause of such a difficulty spike. But it isn't necessarily about combat: sometimes a particularly tricky platforming section or QTE can stump you to the point where you rage quit. But which games have stumped our panellists? What has made James, Sherif, and Tom turn the console off and go to bed out of sheer of frustration? Well, to find out you'll have to watch or listen to this show. Which is handy, because if you're reading this, you're probably doing that right now.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 2110 Episode 48: The best game set on a horrible island As most of us are residents of a horrible island, we at VG247 have raised a suspicious eyebrow at Dead Island 2 for being not set on an island or, frankly, horrible enough for our liking. Which has led us to ask the question: what is the best game set on a horrible island? There are so many to choose from, as islands are a popular setting in video games: their size is naturally limited, so it's much easier to proportion them realistically without surrounding the map with invisible walls. Everything from Morrowind to GTA V could potentially fit the bill. But none of our panellists picked those. In order to find out what they actually picked, you'll have to listen to it. Which is presumably what you're already doing if you're actually reading this. Image credit: Jim Purvis, creator of Thatcher's Techbase. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 21 Apr 2023 10:42:39 -0000 The best game set on a horrible island full 1 48 VG247 The clever subtext here is that the definitive horrible island is Great Britain, hope that helps. As most of us are residents of a horrible island, we at VG247 have raised a suspicious eyebrow at Dead Island 2 for being not set on an island or, frankly, horrible enough for our liking. Which has led us to ask the question: what is the best game set on a horrible island? There are so many to choose from, as islands are a popular setting in video games: their size is naturally limited, so it's much easier to proportion them realistically without surrounding the map with invisible walls. Everything from Morrowind to GTA V could potentially fit the bill. But none of our panellists picked those. In order to find out what they actually picked, you'll have to listen to it. Which is presumably what you're already doing if you're actually reading this. Image credit: Jim Purvis, creator of Thatcher's Techbase. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices As most of us are residents of a horrible island, we at VG247 have raised a suspicious eyebrow at Dead Island 2 for being not set on an island or, frankly, horrible enough for our liking. Which has led us to ask the question: what is the best game set on a horrible island? There are so many to choose from, as islands are a popular setting in video games: their size is naturally limited, so it's much easier to proportion them realistically without surrounding the map with invisible walls. Everything from Morrowind to GTA V could potentially fit the bill. But none of our panellists picked those.


In order to find out what they actually picked, you'll have to listen to it. Which is presumably what you're already doing if you're actually reading this. Image credit: Jim Purvis, creator of Thatcher's Techbase.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 2238 Episode 47: An Audit of Current Winners and Losers Winning this podcast is easy: you just have to convince me, Jim Trinca, that your submission for the topic du jour is better than anyone else's. The tricky part is that I'm fickle and unknowable, and also, Donaldson knows everything, so he's usually uncovered an angle that you haven't thought of. The fact that it's almost always about 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand is immaterial. In the cut and thrust of the Best Games Ever Podcast, finding the weirdest or daftest angle is where the game lies. That or having the biggest sob story. So far only one of our panellists has wins in the double figures: but they're also on nearly every episode. One of them has only half a dozen wins, but from half a dozen appearances. Arguably, they're at the top of the game. However, Tom and I are too stupid and bad at maths to figure out what the ratios are, so in the pig-headed traditional of the British Isles, we're using a first-past-the-post system to determine the winners and losers, and aren't bothering to consider any nuances in the data. Please enjoy our discussion below in the second ever Best Games Ever Podcast Audit. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 14 Apr 2023 12:17:00 -0000 An Audit of Current Winners and Losers full 1 47 VG247 Who on our panel has taken the most wins? Let's find out. Winning this podcast is easy: you just have to convince me, Jim Trinca, that your submission for the topic du jour is better than anyone else's. The tricky part is that I'm fickle and unknowable, and also, Donaldson knows everything, so he's usually uncovered an angle that you haven't thought of. The fact that it's almost always about 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand is immaterial. In the cut and thrust of the Best Games Ever Podcast, finding the weirdest or daftest angle is where the game lies. That or having the biggest sob story. So far only one of our panellists has wins in the double figures: but they're also on nearly every episode. One of them has only half a dozen wins, but from half a dozen appearances. Arguably, they're at the top of the game. However, Tom and I are too stupid and bad at maths to figure out what the ratios are, so in the pig-headed traditional of the British Isles, we're using a first-past-the-post system to determine the winners and losers, and aren't bothering to consider any nuances in the data. Please enjoy our discussion below in the second ever Best Games Ever Podcast Audit. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Winning this podcast is easy: you just have to convince me, Jim Trinca, that your submission for the topic du jour is better than anyone else's. The tricky part is that I'm fickle and unknowable, and also, Donaldson knows everything, so he's usually uncovered an angle that you haven't thought of. The fact that it's almost always about 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand is immaterial.


In the cut and thrust of the Best Games Ever Podcast, finding the weirdest or daftest angle is where the game lies. That or having the biggest sob story. So far only one of our panellists has wins in the double figures: but they're also on nearly every episode. One of them has only half a dozen wins, but from half a dozen appearances. Arguably, they're at the top of the game. However, Tom and I are too stupid and bad at maths to figure out what the ratios are, so in the pig-headed traditional of the British Isles, we're using a first-past-the-post system to determine the winners and losers, and aren't bothering to consider any nuances in the data. Please enjoy our discussion below in the second ever Best Games Ever Podcast Audit.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 4017 Episode 46: The best game that features a 90s star For all of its faults, the one thing you can say about Crime Boss: Rockay City is that Vanilla Ice is in it. Which reminded us of a thing that happened a while back: it was called "the nineties", and it had loads of good stuff, like the Amiga, Fido Dido, and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. But the nineties were a great time for personalities. Snoop Dogg. Pamela Anderson. Tony Blair. Loads of them. Chyna from the wrestling. The Churchill insurance dog. Bob Mortimer. I could go on. But it was a long decade and there were literally billions of people involved (George Clooney, there's another one). The question we're asking today is: what is the best video game that features a 90s star? As ever, the game is in how you interpret the question. To find out which game (and 90s Sleb) gets inducted into the VG247 Hall of Fame, you'll have to listen to our podcast. Luckily for you, this is it here. Just FYI, not a single person said Rise of the Tomb Raider, which would obviously have been the winning choice, given that it's excellent, features possibly the most 90s star imaginable in Lara Croft, and represents a late 20th century new-media fusion of art and personality the likes of which we had never experienced before, but nowadays we have vtubers and Damon Albarn pretending to be a cartoon, so. Anyway. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 07 Apr 2023 12:58:32 -0000 The best game that features a 90s star full 1 46 VG247 It was the best decade between the 80s and the 2000s For all of its faults, the one thing you can say about Crime Boss: Rockay City is that Vanilla Ice is in it. Which reminded us of a thing that happened a while back: it was called "the nineties", and it had loads of good stuff, like the Amiga, Fido Dido, and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. But the nineties were a great time for personalities. Snoop Dogg. Pamela Anderson. Tony Blair. Loads of them. Chyna from the wrestling. The Churchill insurance dog. Bob Mortimer. I could go on. But it was a long decade and there were literally billions of people involved (George Clooney, there's another one). The question we're asking today is: what is the best video game that features a 90s star? As ever, the game is in how you interpret the question. To find out which game (and 90s Sleb) gets inducted into the VG247 Hall of Fame, you'll have to listen to our podcast. Luckily for you, this is it here. Just FYI, not a single person said Rise of the Tomb Raider, which would obviously have been the winning choice, given that it's excellent, features possibly the most 90s star imaginable in Lara Croft, and represents a late 20th century new-media fusion of art and personality the likes of which we had never experienced before, but nowadays we have vtubers and Damon Albarn pretending to be a cartoon, so. Anyway. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices For all of its faults, the one thing you can say about Crime Boss: Rockay City is that Vanilla Ice is in it. Which reminded us of a thing that happened a while back: it was called "the nineties", and it had loads of good stuff, like the Amiga, Fido Dido, and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.


But the nineties were a great time for personalities. Snoop Dogg. Pamela Anderson. Tony Blair. Loads of them. Chyna from the wrestling. The Churchill insurance dog. Bob Mortimer. I could go on. But it was a long decade and there were literally billions of people involved (George Clooney, there's another one). The question we're asking today is: what is the best video game that features a 90s star? As ever, the game is in how you interpret the question. To find out which game (and 90s Sleb) gets inducted into the VG247 Hall of Fame, you'll have to listen to our podcast. Luckily for you, this is it here.


Just FYI, not a single person said Rise of the Tomb Raider, which would obviously have been the winning choice, given that it's excellent, features possibly the most 90s star imaginable in Lara Croft, and represents a late 20th century new-media fusion of art and personality the likes of which we had never experienced before, but nowadays we have vtubers and Damon Albarn pretending to be a cartoon, so.


Anyway.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 2063 Episode 45: The best game that's rubbish after ten hours Video games are very long-form pieces of entertainment, and as such, they have to work hard to hold our attention. Statistically, most single-player games are left unfinished by a staggering majority of the people who buy them, as much as 90% by some estimates. But is it any wonder, when a lot of games just get a bit naff after the first act? Once the New Game Novelty wears away, you'd better be introducing some huge plot twist, or engaging new mechanic, or something to switch things up and keep it interesting, otherwise people are going to go back to Skyrim. There are some games that start off so well that it's genuinely surprising when they go bad. Assassin's Creed III is my usual go-to example of this: for the first 8-10 hours or so, which is an unfathomably long time for a prologue (that's two Ben Hur's and half a season of Curb), you play a suave sort-of Georgian James Bond character in the form of Haytham Kenway, and it rules. Then some stuff happens and you have to play his extremely less charismatic son for the rest of the game. It's fine because you get to kill a lot of redcoats, but ugh. But what do our panel think is the best game that exemplifies this phenomenon? Which game, ultimately, has the best opening ten hours before it turns to sludge? To find out you'll have to listen to VG247's Best Games Ever Podcast: the only podcast called that. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 31 Mar 2023 14:59:00 -0000 The best game that's rubbish after ten hours full 1 45 VG247 Some games are incredibly front-loaded, but which has the best, er, front? Video games are very long-form pieces of entertainment, and as such, they have to work hard to hold our attention. Statistically, most single-player games are left unfinished by a staggering majority of the people who buy them, as much as 90% by some estimates. But is it any wonder, when a lot of games just get a bit naff after the first act? Once the New Game Novelty wears away, you'd better be introducing some huge plot twist, or engaging new mechanic, or something to switch things up and keep it interesting, otherwise people are going to go back to Skyrim. There are some games that start off so well that it's genuinely surprising when they go bad. Assassin's Creed III is my usual go-to example of this: for the first 8-10 hours or so, which is an unfathomably long time for a prologue (that's two Ben Hur's and half a season of Curb), you play a suave sort-of Georgian James Bond character in the form of Haytham Kenway, and it rules. Then some stuff happens and you have to play his extremely less charismatic son for the rest of the game. It's fine because you get to kill a lot of redcoats, but ugh. But what do our panel think is the best game that exemplifies this phenomenon? Which game, ultimately, has the best opening ten hours before it turns to sludge? To find out you'll have to listen to VG247's Best Games Ever Podcast: the only podcast called that. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Video games are very long-form pieces of entertainment, and as such, they have to work hard to hold our attention. Statistically, most single-player games are left unfinished by a staggering majority of the people who buy them, as much as 90% by some estimates. But is it any wonder, when a lot of games just get a bit naff after the first act? Once the New Game Novelty wears away, you'd better be introducing some huge plot twist, or engaging new mechanic, or something to switch things up and keep it interesting, otherwise people are going to go back to Skyrim.


There are some games that start off so well that it's genuinely surprising when they go bad. Assassin's Creed III is my usual go-to example of this: for the first 8-10 hours or so, which is an unfathomably long time for a prologue (that's two Ben Hur's and half a season of Curb), you play a suave sort-of Georgian James Bond character in the form of Haytham Kenway, and it rules. Then some stuff happens and you have to play his extremely less charismatic son for the rest of the game. It's fine because you get to kill a lot of redcoats, but ugh. But what do our panel think is the best game that exemplifies this phenomenon? Which game, ultimately, has the best opening ten hours before it turns to sludge? To find out you'll have to listen to VG247's Best Games Ever Podcast: the only podcast called that.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 1672 Episode 44: The best game where you'd swap places with the main character You’d think that swapping lives with any video game protagonist would be preferable to  continuing as a regular ol’ human in the real world. After all, we don’t have magic, or spaceships, or unfettered access to military grade ordinance. But most video game protagonists have to live through things that the vast majority of us would need years of therapy to process. Monster attacks. Wars. Alien invasions. Having to go on dates. Still: plenty of game protagonists get to do nice things, like driving boats or growing turnips. So, who would our regular panellists swap places with if they could? In order to find out, you’ll have to listen to this podcast, which is pretty handy, because there are several ways of doing that which we have generously listed below. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 24 Mar 2023 12:50:50 -0000 The best game where you'd swap places with the main character full 1 44 VG247 Surviving most video games would be hell, but some of them let you just chill out on a beach. You’d think that swapping lives with any video game protagonist would be preferable to  continuing as a regular ol’ human in the real world. After all, we don’t have magic, or spaceships, or unfettered access to military grade ordinance. But most video game protagonists have to live through things that the vast majority of us would need years of therapy to process. Monster attacks. Wars. Alien invasions. Having to go on dates. Still: plenty of game protagonists get to do nice things, like driving boats or growing turnips. So, who would our regular panellists swap places with if they could? In order to find out, you’ll have to listen to this podcast, which is pretty handy, because there are several ways of doing that which we have generously listed below. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices You’d think that swapping lives with any video game protagonist would be preferable to 

continuing as a regular ol’ human in the real world. After all, we don’t have magic, or spaceships, or unfettered access to military grade ordinance. But most video game protagonists have to live through things that the vast majority of us would need years of therapy to process. Monster attacks. Wars. Alien invasions. Having to go on dates.


Still: plenty of game protagonists get to do nice things, like driving boats or growing turnips. So, who would our regular panellists swap places with if they could? In order to find out, you’ll have to listen to this podcast, which is pretty handy, because there are several ways of doing that which we have generously listed below.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 1838 Episode 43: The best game that takes ten or more hours to get good Welcome to VG247's Best Games Ever Podcast: Episode 43 - The best game that takes ten or more hours to get good Let's face it: games are too long these days. I'm over 160 hours into Assassin's Creed Valhalla and I still haven't finished the bloody thing. But, perhaps worse than games that outstay their welcome are games that don't even get to the good part until you've put in a few shifts. The post child for this phenomenon is, of course, Final Fantasy XIII, a game which infamously funnels you down a narrow corridor for 30 or so gruelling hours before depositing you into a beautiful open world area for the game's penultimate act. Alex described it beautifully in this week's podcast as a sewage pipe that leads to an ocean. But, surprising everyone, Final Fantasy XIII wasn't actually his pick for this topic. To find that out, you'd best listen to it. It's fortunate then that there are several ways to do so on this very web page. So strap in for a mercifully short 30 minutes of VG247's Best Games Ever Podcast, the only podcast called that. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 17 Mar 2023 12:01:00 -0000 full 1 43 VG247 Welcome to VG247's Best Games Ever Podcast: Episode 43 - The best game that takes ten or more hours to get good Let's face it: games are too long these days. I'm over 160 hours into Assassin's Creed Valhalla and I still haven't finished the bloody thing. But, perhaps worse than games that outstay their welcome are games that don't even get to the good part until you've put in a few shifts. The post child for this phenomenon is, of course, Final Fantasy XIII, a game which infamously funnels you down a narrow corridor for 30 or so gruelling hours before depositing you into a beautiful open world area for the game's penultimate act. Alex described it beautifully in this week's podcast as a sewage pipe that leads to an ocean. But, surprising everyone, Final Fantasy XIII wasn't actually his pick for this topic. To find that out, you'd best listen to it. It's fortunate then that there are several ways to do so on this very web page. So strap in for a mercifully short 30 minutes of VG247's Best Games Ever Podcast, the only podcast called that. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Welcome to VG247's Best Games Ever Podcast: Episode 43 - The best game that takes ten or more hours to get good


Let's face it: games are too long these days. I'm over 160 hours into Assassin's Creed Valhalla and I still haven't finished the bloody thing. But, perhaps worse than games that outstay their welcome are games that don't even get to the good part until you've put in a few shifts.


The post child for this phenomenon is, of course, Final Fantasy XIII, a game which infamously funnels you down a narrow corridor for 30 or so gruelling hours before depositing you into a beautiful open world area for the game's penultimate act. Alex described it beautifully in this week's podcast as a sewage pipe that leads to an ocean. But, surprising everyone, Final Fantasy XIII wasn't actually his pick for this topic. To find that out, you'd best listen to it. It's fortunate then that there are several ways to do so on this very web page. So strap in for a mercifully short 30 minutes of VG247's Best Games Ever Podcast, the only podcast called that.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 2322 Episode 42: The best game you could complete as your real self Welcome to VG247's Best Games Ever Podcast: Episode 42 - The best game you could complete as your real self  Video games allow us to live our wildest power fantasies, such as "plumber", or "murderer". But what if you had to endure a game world not as some souped-up avatar, but just as yourself? You? Little, pathetic ol' you, with your savings account, and your Nissan Qashqai? You wouldn't last two minutes in the mushroom kingdom, mate. But if our panellists had a choice, which game worlds would they have themselves parachuted into? Somewhere nice? Somewhere nasty? To find out, you'll have to listen to the latest VG247's Best Games Ever Podcast, the only podcast called that. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 10 Mar 2023 13:11:48 -0000 The best game you could complete as your real self full 1 42 VG247 Could you be... a plumber? Welcome to VG247's Best Games Ever Podcast: Episode 42 - The best game you could complete as your real self  Video games allow us to live our wildest power fantasies, such as "plumber", or "murderer". But what if you had to endure a game world not as some souped-up avatar, but just as yourself? You? Little, pathetic ol' you, with your savings account, and your Nissan Qashqai? You wouldn't last two minutes in the mushroom kingdom, mate. But if our panellists had a choice, which game worlds would they have themselves parachuted into? Somewhere nice? Somewhere nasty? To find out, you'll have to listen to the latest VG247's Best Games Ever Podcast, the only podcast called that. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Welcome to VG247's Best Games Ever Podcast: Episode 42 - The best game you could complete as your real self 


Video games allow us to live our wildest power fantasies, such as "plumber", or "murderer". But what if you had to endure a game world not as some souped-up avatar, but just as yourself? You? Little, pathetic ol' you, with your savings account, and your Nissan Qashqai? You wouldn't last two minutes in the mushroom kingdom, mate.


But if our panellists had a choice, which game worlds would they have themselves parachuted into? Somewhere nice? Somewhere nasty? To find out, you'll have to listen to the latest VG247's Best Games Ever Podcast, the only podcast called that.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 2015 Episode 41 - The best game that you can't forgive Welcome to VG247's Best Games Ever Podcast: Episode 41 - The best game that you can't forgive Sometimes even great video games are associated with bad memories. Maybe the last boss was just too annoying for you to finish. Maybe it was the game that made your 360 red ring. Maybe the day you got it was the day your dog died. Whatever it is, we all have that one game we can never go back to because it's just too traumatic. Or, you know, difficult. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 03 Mar 2023 13:00:00 -0000 The best game that you can't forgive full 1 41 VG247 Welcome to VG247's Best Games Ever Podcast: Episode 41 - The best game that you can't forgive Sometimes even great video games are associated with bad memories. Maybe the last boss was just too annoying for you to finish. Maybe it was the game that made your 360 red ring. Maybe the day you got it was the day your dog died. Whatever it is, we all have that one game we can never go back to because it's just too traumatic. Or, you know, difficult. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Welcome to VG247's Best Games Ever Podcast: Episode 41 - The best game that you can't forgive

Sometimes even great video games are associated with bad memories. Maybe the last boss was just too annoying for you to finish. Maybe it was the game that made your 360 red ring. Maybe the day you got it was the day your dog died. Whatever it is, we all have that one game we can never go back to because it's just too traumatic. Or, you know, difficult.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 1836 Episode 40 - The best game with the most juvenile feature Welcome to VG247's Best Games Ever Podcast: Episode 40 - The best game with the most juvenile feature. Look. Video games are often, y'know, full of stupid nonsense. Whether they're actually for kids or not, quite a lot of them have bum, willy, or fart jokes (which is actually good), but more sinister than that, a lot of them betray immature or undeveloped attitudes on the writer's part. You know exactly what I'm talking about. Anyway, this is a podcast in which a stirring defense of 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand is attempted, on the grounds that for all its problematicness and immaturity, it's actually a decent game at the core. It's also a podcast in which it's decided, definitively, that a dog urinating on something is funnier than a person breaking wind. And it's a podcast in which Staff Writer Connor disgraces himself in order to win: but does it work? Well, to find that out, you'll have to listen to it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 24 Feb 2023 12:09:05 -0000 The best game with the most juvenile feature full 1 40 VG247 Welcome to VG247's Best Games Ever Podcast: Episode 40 - The best game with the most juvenile feature. Look. Video games are often, y'know, full of stupid nonsense. Whether they're actually for kids or not, quite a lot of them have bum, willy, or fart jokes (which is actually good), but more sinister than that, a lot of them betray immature or undeveloped attitudes on the writer's part. You know exactly what I'm talking about. Anyway, this is a podcast in which a stirring defense of 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand is attempted, on the grounds that for all its problematicness and immaturity, it's actually a decent game at the core. It's also a podcast in which it's decided, definitively, that a dog urinating on something is funnier than a person breaking wind. And it's a podcast in which Staff Writer Connor disgraces himself in order to win: but does it work? Well, to find that out, you'll have to listen to it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Welcome to VG247's Best Games Ever Podcast: Episode 40 - The best game with the most juvenile feature.

Look. Video games are often, y'know, full of stupid nonsense. Whether they're actually for kids or not, quite a lot of them have bum, willy, or fart jokes (which is actually good), but more sinister than that, a lot of them betray immature or undeveloped attitudes on the writer's part. You know exactly what I'm talking about.

Anyway, this is a podcast in which a stirring defense of 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand is attempted, on the grounds that for all its problematicness and immaturity, it's actually a decent game at the core. It's also a podcast in which it's decided, definitively, that a dog urinating on something is funnier than a person breaking wind. And it's a podcast in which Staff Writer Connor disgraces himself in order to win: but does it work? Well, to find that out, you'll have to listen to it.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 1873 Episode 39 - The best game that completely flopped Welcome to VG247's Best Games Ever Podcast: Episode 39 - The best game that was a huge flop. Sometimes, it doesn't matter how good something is, it just never gets the right break, or it arrives at entirely the wrong time. An artist may die a pauper, unappreciated in their time, but be considered among the greatest painters in history in the centuries following their demise. This is a form of cruelty we call "existing". Anyway, this is a podcast about Shenmue and things. It's good. “What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask? Well, it is essentially a 30-minute panel show where people (Jim Trinca and associates) decide on the best game in a specific category. That's it. It's good. Listen to it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 17 Feb 2023 10:11:00 -0000 The best game that completely flopped full 1 39 VG247 Welcome to VG247's Best Games Ever Podcast: Episode 39 - The best game that was a huge flop. Sometimes, it doesn't matter how good something is, it just never gets the right break, or it arrives at entirely the wrong time. An artist may die a pauper, unappreciated in their time, but be considered among the greatest painters in history in the centuries following their demise. This is a form of cruelty we call "existing". Anyway, this is a podcast about Shenmue and things. It's good. “What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask? Well, it is essentially a 30-minute panel show where people (Jim Trinca and associates) decide on the best game in a specific category. That's it. It's good. Listen to it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Welcome to VG247's Best Games Ever Podcast: Episode 39 - The best game that was a huge flop.

Sometimes, it doesn't matter how good something is, it just never gets the right break, or it arrives at entirely the wrong time. An artist may die a pauper, unappreciated in their time, but be considered among the greatest painters in history in the centuries following their demise. This is a form of cruelty we call "existing".

Anyway, this is a podcast about Shenmue and things. It's good.

“What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask? Well, it is essentially a 30-minute panel show where people (Jim Trinca and associates) decide on the best game in a specific category. That's it. It's good. Listen to it.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 2569 Episode 38 - The best game you'd never believe was from that developer Welcome to VG247's Best Games Ever Podcast: Episode 38 - The best game you'd never believe was from that developer Hi-Fi Rush is a joyous cel-shaded rush of a rhythm combat game with a tone and art style not unlike Jet Set Radio, and it's surprising, because it comes from a studio most widely known for Evil Within, a spiritual follow-up to Resident Evil, and Ghostwire Tokyo, which is sort of like Far Cry: Shibuya via Siren Blood Curse. It's not the only example of a surprising or incongruous game from a developer, or studio, that is mostly known for one type of thing. But what's the best game that you'd never believe was from a particular developer? That's what we're here to find out! “What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask? Well, it is essentially a 30-minute panel show where people (Jim Trinca and associates) decide on the best game in a specific category. That's it. It's good. Listen to it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 10 Feb 2023 12:54:32 -0000 The best game you'd never believe was from that developer full 1 38 VG247 Welcome to VG247's Best Games Ever Podcast: Episode 38 - The best game you'd never believe was from that developer Hi-Fi Rush is a joyous cel-shaded rush of a rhythm combat game with a tone and art style not unlike Jet Set Radio, and it's surprising, because it comes from a studio most widely known for Evil Within, a spiritual follow-up to Resident Evil, and Ghostwire Tokyo, which is sort of like Far Cry: Shibuya via Siren Blood Curse. It's not the only example of a surprising or incongruous game from a developer, or studio, that is mostly known for one type of thing. But what's the best game that you'd never believe was from a particular developer? That's what we're here to find out! “What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask? Well, it is essentially a 30-minute panel show where people (Jim Trinca and associates) decide on the best game in a specific category. That's it. It's good. Listen to it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Welcome to VG247's Best Games Ever Podcast: Episode 38 - The best game you'd never believe was from that developer

Hi-Fi Rush is a joyous cel-shaded rush of a rhythm combat game with a tone and art style not unlike Jet Set Radio, and it's surprising, because it comes from a studio most widely known for Evil Within, a spiritual follow-up to Resident Evil, and Ghostwire Tokyo, which is sort of like Far Cry: Shibuya via Siren Blood Curse. It's not the only example of a surprising or incongruous game from a developer, or studio, that is mostly known for one type of thing.

But what's the best game that you'd never believe was from a particular developer? That's what we're here to find out!

“What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask? Well, it is essentially a 30-minute panel show where people (Jim Trinca and associates) decide on the best game in a specific category. That's it. It's good. Listen to it.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 2335 Episode 37 - The best game with followers you would never hang out with IRL Welcome to VG247's Best Games Ever Podcast: Episode 37 - The best game with followers you would never hang out with IRL Video Games often, through necessity, make us hang out with people we wouldn't necessarily want to in any other context.. Looking after rich idiots? Helping demon-possessed adventurers find peace in hell? Chatting with disembodied skulls who have terrible behavioural issues? (it's amazing how often that last one crops up). NPC followers or party members might be useful in a scrape, usually, but they're generally not the sort of people you'd like to spend your downtime with. Or your uptime, tbh. But which games have the worst folllowers? And of them, which is the best? If those are questions that you have, then you're in luck, because that's what this podcast is all about. Yes, this one here. You lucky people! “What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask? Well, it is essentially a 30-minute panel show where people (Jim Trinca and associates) decide on the best game in a specific category. That's it. It's good. Listen to it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 03 Feb 2023 11:49:28 -0000 The best game with followers you would never hang out with IRL full 1 37 VG247 Welcome to VG247's Best Games Ever Podcast: Episode 37 - The best game with followers you would never hang out with IRL Video Games often, through necessity, make us hang out with people we wouldn't necessarily want to in any other context.. Looking after rich idiots? Helping demon-possessed adventurers find peace in hell? Chatting with disembodied skulls who have terrible behavioural issues? (it's amazing how often that last one crops up). NPC followers or party members might be useful in a scrape, usually, but they're generally not the sort of people you'd like to spend your downtime with. Or your uptime, tbh. But which games have the worst folllowers? And of them, which is the best? If those are questions that you have, then you're in luck, because that's what this podcast is all about. Yes, this one here. You lucky people! “What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask? Well, it is essentially a 30-minute panel show where people (Jim Trinca and associates) decide on the best game in a specific category. That's it. It's good. Listen to it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Welcome to VG247's Best Games Ever Podcast: Episode 37 - The best game with followers you would never hang out with IRL


Video Games often, through necessity, make us hang out with people we wouldn't necessarily want to in any other context.. Looking after rich idiots? Helping demon-possessed adventurers find peace in hell? Chatting with disembodied skulls who have terrible behavioural issues? (it's amazing how often that last one crops up). NPC followers or party members might be useful in a scrape, usually, but they're generally not the sort of people you'd like to spend your downtime with. Or your uptime, tbh.


But which games have the worst folllowers? And of them, which is the best? If those are questions that you have, then you're in luck, because that's what this podcast is all about. Yes, this one here. You lucky people!


“What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask? Well, it is essentially a 30-minute panel show where people (Jim Trinca and associates) decide on the best game in a specific category. That's it. It's good. Listen to it.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 2162 Episode 36: The best game that really needs a remake Welcome to VG247's Best Games Ever Podcast: Episode 36 - The best game that really needs a remake. It's a simple fact that video games, unlike almost every other art form, just don't age very well. Some games desperately need a remake because they're so outdated that they're insurmountably ugly, impossible to find, difficult to get working, or challenging to operate. The original Dead Space, however, still holds up beautifully in the art department, is readily available on digital storefronts, is backwards compatible with Xbox Series consoles and Windows 11 PCs, and its controls and interface are still considered modern. So we're a bit stumped on that one. Anyway, here's a podcast all about the best games EVER that really, actually, properly need remakes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 27 Jan 2023 16:19:33 -0000 The best game that really needs a remake full 1 36 VG247 Welcome to VG247's Best Games Ever Podcast: Episode 36 - The best game that really needs a remake. It's a simple fact that video games, unlike almost every other art form, just don't age very well. Some games desperately need a remake because they're so outdated that they're insurmountably ugly, impossible to find, difficult to get working, or challenging to operate. The original Dead Space, however, still holds up beautifully in the art department, is readily available on digital storefronts, is backwards compatible with Xbox Series consoles and Windows 11 PCs, and its controls and interface are still considered modern. So we're a bit stumped on that one. Anyway, here's a podcast all about the best games EVER that really, actually, properly need remakes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Welcome to VG247's Best Games Ever Podcast: Episode 36 - The best game that really needs a remake.

It's a simple fact that video games, unlike almost every other art form, just don't age very well. Some games desperately need a remake because they're so outdated that they're insurmountably ugly, impossible to find, difficult to get working, or challenging to operate. The original Dead Space, however, still holds up beautifully in the art department, is readily available on digital storefronts, is backwards compatible with Xbox Series consoles and Windows 11 PCs, and its controls and interface are still considered modern. So we're a bit stumped on that one.

Anyway, here's a podcast all about the best games EVER that really, actually, properly need remakes.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 2476 Episode 35: The best game that shouldn't be made into a TV show Welcome to VG247's Best Games Ever Podcast: Episode 35 - The best game that shouldn't be made into a TV show The Last of Us has finally made it to television screens. Well, it was always on television screens. Um. Let me rephrase. Television finally has a prestige drama about zombies. What? Oh yeah. Fine. OK. Television addicts finally have a zombie show that's already been going for like ten years in another medium if they wanna skip ahead, Really? Hmm. Ah. Hmm. Well, fine, let's at least make sure the TV people don't try and adapt anything stupid: Our picks this week (SPOILERS AHEAD): . . . . . . Tom - The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim The lore of Tamriel is arguably a great starting point for a fantasy TV show, but Tom thinks it would be rubbish. James - Journey The whole point of Journey is to make a deeply human connection to whoever is controlling the other avatar on screen, but without exchanging any words. A brilliant game, but would be a hard watch. Kelsey - Fortnite It's already a garish mess of clashing pop-culture licenses and dance memes, a TV version would just be insufferable. Please do let us know what you think of the show – and if this is your first time listening, do go back to listen to the previous episodes. If you’ve got suggestions for topics, send them our way.  “What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask? Well, it is essentially a 30-minute panel show where people (Jim Trinca and associates) decide on the best game in a specific category. That's it. It's good. Listen to it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 20 Jan 2023 13:09:04 -0000 The best game that shouldn't be made into a TV show full 1 35 VG247 Welcome to VG247's Best Games Ever Podcast: Episode 35 - The best game that shouldn't be made into a TV show The Last of Us has finally made it to television screens. Well, it was always on television screens. Um. Let me rephrase. Television finally has a prestige drama about zombies. What? Oh yeah. Fine. OK. Television addicts finally have a zombie show that's already been going for like ten years in another medium if they wanna skip ahead, Really? Hmm. Ah. Hmm. Well, fine, let's at least make sure the TV people don't try and adapt anything stupid: Our picks this week (SPOILERS AHEAD): . . . . . . Tom - The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim The lore of Tamriel is arguably a great starting point for a fantasy TV show, but Tom thinks it would be rubbish. James - Journey The whole point of Journey is to make a deeply human connection to whoever is controlling the other avatar on screen, but without exchanging any words. A brilliant game, but would be a hard watch. Kelsey - Fortnite It's already a garish mess of clashing pop-culture licenses and dance memes, a TV version would just be insufferable. Please do let us know what you think of the show – and if this is your first time listening, do go back to listen to the previous episodes. If you’ve got suggestions for topics, send them our way.  “What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask? Well, it is essentially a 30-minute panel show where people (Jim Trinca and associates) decide on the best game in a specific category. That's it. It's good. Listen to it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Welcome to VG247's Best Games Ever Podcast: Episode 35 - The best game that shouldn't be made into a TV show

The Last of Us has finally made it to television screens. Well, it was always on television screens. Um. Let me rephrase.


Television finally has a prestige drama about zombies.


What? Oh yeah. Fine. OK.


Television addicts finally have a zombie show that's already been going for like ten years in another medium if they wanna skip ahead,


Really? Hmm. Ah. Hmm. Well, fine, let's at least make sure the TV people don't try and adapt anything stupid:


Our picks this week (SPOILERS AHEAD):

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.


Tom - The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

The lore of Tamriel is arguably a great starting point for a fantasy TV show, but Tom thinks it would be rubbish.


James - Journey


The whole point of Journey is to make a deeply human connection to whoever is controlling the other avatar on screen, but without exchanging any words. A brilliant game, but would be a hard watch.


Kelsey - Fortnite


It's already a garish mess of clashing pop-culture licenses and dance memes, a TV version would just be insufferable.


Please do let us know what you think of the show – and if this is your first time listening, do go back to listen to the previous episodes. If you’ve got suggestions for topics, send them our way. 

“What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask? Well, it is essentially a 30-minute panel show where people (Jim Trinca and associates) decide on the best game in a specific category. That's it. It's good. Listen to it.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 1766 no Episode 34: The best game that suffers from bloating Welcome to VG247's Best Games Ever Podcast: Episode 34 - the best game that suffers from bloating Bloat was clearly on all our minds in the afterglow of the christmas season, so we did an entire podcast about the concept. But we're not talking about being full of mince pies, here: we're on about video game bloat. The scourge of modern times, that has turned what used to be a fun escapist hobby into the full time job of icon janitoring. Games are so rammed with the dreaded "content" now that dev cycles are starting to be measured in decades instead of years. It's an industry-wide problem, and we're all tired of it. But which game is the worst offender, according to our esteemed panel of turkey-stuffed commentators? Our picks this week (SPOILERS AHEAD): . . . . . . Tom - The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Nintendo's most Ubisofty game, but one with a reputation for having fixed open-world design problems, actually. This will be a hard one to pitch. Alex - Persona 4: Golden Persona games are fairly meaty when they first come out, but ATLAS has a habit of re-issuing them with a load of extra stuff glued on, crammed in, and smeared over, to the point where the games actually become worse: more unwieldy, more of a chore, and less fun. But these updates are usually bundled with a suite of QoL updates that make the initial releases very hard to go back to. It's a very special form of torture, as Alex explains. Connor - Final Fantasy XV Final Fantasy games have absolutely ballooned in recent years to the point where the cost and time it takes to make one has spiraled out of control in an alarming way. And according to Connor, XV's boring side-content is one of the most miserable side effects of this. Please do let us know what you think of the show – and if this is your first time listening, do go back to listen to the previous episodes. If you’ve got suggestions for topics, send them our way.  “What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask? Well, it is essentially a 30-minute panel show where people (Jim Trinca and associates) decide on the best game in a specific category. That's it. It's good. Listen to it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 13 Jan 2023 12:53:19 -0000 The best game that suffers from bloating full 1 34 VG247 Welcome to VG247's Best Games Ever Podcast: Episode 34 - the best game that suffers from bloating Bloat was clearly on all our minds in the afterglow of the christmas season, so we did an entire podcast about the concept. But we're not talking about being full of mince pies, here: we're on about video game bloat. The scourge of modern times, that has turned what used to be a fun escapist hobby into the full time job of icon janitoring. Games are so rammed with the dreaded "content" now that dev cycles are starting to be measured in decades instead of years. It's an industry-wide problem, and we're all tired of it. But which game is the worst offender, according to our esteemed panel of turkey-stuffed commentators? Our picks this week (SPOILERS AHEAD): . . . . . . Tom - The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Nintendo's most Ubisofty game, but one with a reputation for having fixed open-world design problems, actually. This will be a hard one to pitch. Alex - Persona 4: Golden Persona games are fairly meaty when they first come out, but ATLAS has a habit of re-issuing them with a load of extra stuff glued on, crammed in, and smeared over, to the point where the games actually become worse: more unwieldy, more of a chore, and less fun. But these updates are usually bundled with a suite of QoL updates that make the initial releases very hard to go back to. It's a very special form of torture, as Alex explains. Connor - Final Fantasy XV Final Fantasy games have absolutely ballooned in recent years to the point where the cost and time it takes to make one has spiraled out of control in an alarming way. And according to Connor, XV's boring side-content is one of the most miserable side effects of this. Please do let us know what you think of the show – and if this is your first time listening, do go back to listen to the previous episodes. If you’ve got suggestions for topics, send them our way.  “What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask? Well, it is essentially a 30-minute panel show where people (Jim Trinca and associates) decide on the best game in a specific category. That's it. It's good. Listen to it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Welcome to VG247's Best Games Ever Podcast: Episode 34 - the best game that suffers from bloating

Bloat was clearly on all our minds in the afterglow of the christmas season, so we did an entire podcast about the concept. But we're not talking about being full of mince pies, here: we're on about video game bloat. The scourge of modern times, that has turned what used to be a fun escapist hobby into the full time job of icon janitoring. Games are so rammed with the dreaded "content" now that dev cycles are starting to be measured in decades instead of years. It's an industry-wide problem, and we're all tired of it.

But which game is the worst offender, according to our esteemed panel of turkey-stuffed commentators?

Our picks this week (SPOILERS AHEAD):

.

.

.

.

.

.


Tom - The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Nintendo's most Ubisofty game, but one with a reputation for having fixed open-world design problems, actually. This will be a hard one to pitch.

Alex - Persona 4: Golden


Persona games are fairly meaty when they first come out, but ATLAS has a habit of re-issuing them with a load of extra stuff glued on, crammed in, and smeared over, to the point where the games actually become worse: more unwieldy, more of a chore, and less fun. But these updates are usually bundled with a suite of QoL updates that make the initial releases very hard to go back to. It's a very special form of torture, as Alex explains.


Connor - Final Fantasy XV


Final Fantasy games have absolutely ballooned in recent years to the point where the cost and time it takes to make one has spiraled out of control in an alarming way. And according to Connor, XV's boring side-content is one of the most miserable side effects of this.


Please do let us know what you think of the show – and if this is your first time listening, do go back to listen to the previous episodes. If you’ve got suggestions for topics, send them our way. 

“What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask? Well, it is essentially a 30-minute panel show where people (Jim Trinca and associates) decide on the best game in a specific category. That's it. It's good. Listen to it.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 1947 no Episode 33: The best game that could have been made by an AI https://the-vg247-podcast.libsyn.com/episode-33-the-best-game-that-could-have-been-made-by-an-ai Welcome to VG247's Best Games Ever Podcast: Episode 33 - the best game that could have been made by an AI Join our panel of gaming experts as they discuss and debate the greatest video games of all time. Each week, we'll tackle a new theme and share our picks for the best games in that category. This week on VG247's Best Games Ever Podcast, we have a special treat for you! In the spirit of the holiday season, our host Jim decided to take it easy and let an AI do some of the work for him. That's right, all of this week's notes, intro, and outro were written by an advanced language model trained by OpenAI. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the show as Jim continues to embrace his "holiday mode" and let the AI do the heavy lifting. In this week's episode, we'll be discussing what existing video game we think could have been made by an AI. From innovative game design to cutting-edge graphics and gameplay, we'll explore the games that push the boundaries of what's possible in the world of gaming. And as an added bonus, this episode's intro and outro were written by an AI! So grab your controller and join us for a lively and irreverent discussion on the best games ever, brought to you in part by the hardworking (and possibly sentient) artificial intelligence at VG247! Our picks this week (SPOILERS AHEAD): Tom - Star Wars: Dark Forces Dark Forces is a classic first-person shooter that was released in the mid-1990s and is known for its immersive gameplay, engaging story, and innovative level design. While it is possible that an AI could have played a role in the development of this game, it is unlikely that an AI alone could have been responsible for creating a game of this complexity and scope. Creating a first-person shooter like Dark Forces would likely require a high level of creative vision, design expertise, and technical skill, as well as a deep understanding of the conventions and tropes of the first-person shooter genre. It is possible that an AI could have been used to assist with certain tasks, such as level design or AI programming, but it is unlikely that an AI alone could have created a game like Dark Forces without significant human input and oversight. Alex - Minecraft One game that may be particularly well-suited to being made by an AI is Minecraft. This iconic sandbox game is known for its open-ended gameplay and procedurally generated worlds, which allow players to build and explore to their heart's content. The game's block-based construction and simple graphics may have made it easier for an AI to design and develop, as it would not have needed to worry about creating highly realistic graphics or complex physics simulations. Additionally, the game's focus on player creativity and exploration could have allowed an AI to design a world that is rich in content and possibilities, while still being open-ended enough to allow players to create their own experiences. Overall, it is possible that an AI could have been responsible for designing and developing a game like Minecraft, although it would still require human input and oversight in order to bring the final product to fruition. Sherif - Spore Spore is a unique and ambitious game that allows players to control the evolution of a species from a single-celled organism all the way up to a space-faring civilization. With its complex gameplay, procedurally generated content, and focus on evolution and adaptability, it is possible that an AI could have played a role in the development of this game. The game's procedurally generated content, in particular, could have been created by an AI using algorithms that are designed to create diverse and interesting environments and creatures. Additionally, the game's focus on evolution and adaptability could have allowed an AI to design gameplay mechanics and challenges that are based on these concepts. However, it is likely that an AI would still need human input and oversight in order to create a game like Spore, as the development of such a complex and expansive game would likely require a high level of creative vision and design expertise. Please do let us know what you think of the show – and if this is your first time listening, do go back to listen to the previous episodes. If you’ve got suggestions for topics, send them our way.  “What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask? Well, it is essentially a 30-minute panel show where people (Jim Trinca and associates) decide on the best game in a specific category. That's it. It's good. Listen to it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 06 Jan 2023 08:15:00 -0000 Episode 33: The best game that could have been made by an AI full 1 33 VG247 Welcome to VG247's Best Games Ever Podcast: Episode 33 - the best game that could have been made by an AI Join our panel of gaming experts as they discuss and debate the greatest video games of all time. Each week, we'll tackle a new theme and share... Welcome to VG247's Best Games Ever Podcast: Episode 33 - the best game that could have been made by an AI Join our panel of gaming experts as they discuss and debate the greatest video games of all time. Each week, we'll tackle a new theme and share our picks for the best games in that category. This week on VG247's Best Games Ever Podcast, we have a special treat for you! In the spirit of the holiday season, our host Jim decided to take it easy and let an AI do some of the work for him. That's right, all of this week's notes, intro, and outro were written by an advanced language model trained by OpenAI. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the show as Jim continues to embrace his "holiday mode" and let the AI do the heavy lifting. In this week's episode, we'll be discussing what existing video game we think could have been made by an AI. From innovative game design to cutting-edge graphics and gameplay, we'll explore the games that push the boundaries of what's possible in the world of gaming. And as an added bonus, this episode's intro and outro were written by an AI! So grab your controller and join us for a lively and irreverent discussion on the best games ever, brought to you in part by the hardworking (and possibly sentient) artificial intelligence at VG247! Our picks this week (SPOILERS AHEAD): Tom - Star Wars: Dark Forces Dark Forces is a classic first-person shooter that was released in the mid-1990s and is known for its immersive gameplay, engaging story, and innovative level design. While it is possible that an AI could have played a role in the development of this game, it is unlikely that an AI alone could have been responsible for creating a game of this complexity and scope. Creating a first-person shooter like Dark Forces would likely require a high level of creative vision, design expertise, and technical skill, as well as a deep understanding of the conventions and tropes of the first-person shooter genre. It is possible that an AI could have been used to assist with certain tasks, such as level design or AI programming, but it is unlikely that an AI alone could have created a game like Dark Forces without significant human input and oversight. Alex - Minecraft One game that may be particularly well-suited to being made by an AI is Minecraft. This iconic sandbox game is known for its open-ended gameplay and procedurally generated worlds, which allow players to build and explore to their heart's content. The game's block-based construction and simple graphics may have made it easier for an AI to design and develop, as it would not have needed to worry about creating highly realistic graphics or complex physics simulations. Additionally, the game's focus on player creativity and exploration could have allowed an AI to design a world that is rich in content and possibilities, while still being open-ended enough to allow players to create their own experiences. Overall, it is possible that an AI could have been responsible for designing and developing a game like Minecraft, although it would still require human input and oversight in order to bring the final product to fruition. Sherif - Spore Spore is a unique and ambitious game that allows players to control the evolution of a species from a single-celled organism all the way up to a space-faring civilization. With its complex gameplay, procedurally generated content, and focus on evolution and adaptability, it is possible that an AI could have played a role in the development of this game. The game's procedurally generated content, in particular, could have been created by an AI using algorithms that are designed to create diverse and interesting environments and creatures. Additionally, the game's focus on evolution and adaptability could have allowed an AI to design gameplay mechanics and challenges that are based on these concepts. However, it is likely that an AI would still need human input and oversight in order to create a game like Spore, as the development of such a complex and expansive game would likely require a high level of creative vision and design expertise. Please do let us know what you think of the show – and if this is your first time listening, do go back to listen to the previous episodes. If you’ve got suggestions for topics, send them our way.  “What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask? Well, it is essentially a 30-minute panel show where people (Jim Trinca and associates) decide on the best game in a specific category. That's it. It's good. Listen to it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Welcome to VG247's Best Games Ever Podcast: Episode 33 - the best game that could have been made by an AI

Join our panel of gaming experts as they discuss and debate the greatest video games of all time. Each week, we'll tackle a new theme and share our picks for the best games in that category. This week on VG247's Best Games Ever Podcast, we have a special treat for you! In the spirit of the holiday season, our host Jim decided to take it easy and let an AI do some of the work for him. That's right, all of this week's notes, intro, and outro were written by an advanced language model trained by OpenAI. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the show as Jim continues to embrace his "holiday mode" and let the AI do the heavy lifting.

In this week's episode, we'll be discussing what existing video game we think could have been made by an AI. From innovative game design to cutting-edge graphics and gameplay, we'll explore the games that push the boundaries of what's possible in the world of gaming. And as an added bonus, this episode's intro and outro were written by an AI! So grab your controller and join us for a lively and irreverent discussion on the best games ever, brought to you in part by the hardworking (and possibly sentient) artificial intelligence at VG247!

Our picks this week (SPOILERS AHEAD): Tom - Star Wars: Dark Forces

Dark Forces is a classic first-person shooter that was released in the mid-1990s and is known for its immersive gameplay, engaging story, and innovative level design. While it is possible that an AI could have played a role in the development of this game, it is unlikely that an AI alone could have been responsible for creating a game of this complexity and scope.

Creating a first-person shooter like Dark Forces would likely require a high level of creative vision, design expertise, and technical skill, as well as a deep understanding of the conventions and tropes of the first-person shooter genre. It is possible that an AI could have been used to assist with certain tasks, such as level design or AI programming, but it is unlikely that an AI alone could have created a game like Dark Forces without significant human input and oversight.

Alex - Minecraft One game that may be particularly well-suited to being made by an AI is Minecraft. This iconic sandbox game is known for its open-ended gameplay and procedurally generated worlds, which allow players to build and explore to their heart's content. The game's block-based construction and simple graphics may have made it easier for an AI to design and develop, as it would not have needed to worry about creating highly realistic graphics or complex physics simulations. Additionally, the game's focus on player creativity and exploration could have allowed an AI to design a world that is rich in content and possibilities, while still being open-ended enough to allow players to create their own experiences. Overall, it is possible that an AI could have been responsible for designing and developing a game like Minecraft, although it would still require human input and oversight in order to bring the final product to fruition.

Sherif - Spore

Spore is a unique and ambitious game that allows players to control the evolution of a species from a single-celled organism all the way up to a space-faring civilization. With its complex gameplay, procedurally generated content, and focus on evolution and adaptability, it is possible that an AI could have played a role in the development of this game.

The game's procedurally generated content, in particular, could have been created by an AI using algorithms that are designed to create diverse and interesting environments and creatures. Additionally, the game's focus on evolution and adaptability could have allowed an AI to design gameplay mechanics and challenges that are based on these concepts. However, it is likely that an AI would still need human input and oversight in order to create a game like Spore, as the development of such a complex and expansive game would likely require a high level of creative vision and design expertise.

Please do let us know what you think of the show – and if this is your first time listening, do go back to listen to the previous episodes. If you’ve got suggestions for topics, send them our way. 

“What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask? Well, it is essentially a 30-minute panel show where people (Jim Trinca and associates) decide on the best game in a specific category. That's it. It's good. Listen to it.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 1996 no Episode 32: The best game of 2023 https://the-vg247-podcast.libsyn.com/episode-32-the-best-game-of-2023 Welcome to VG247's Best Games Ever Podcast: Episode 32 - the best game of 2023 The future is unknowable. As are the minds of our deranged panellists, who were asked to pick their nod for next year's GOTY based on the scraps of info we know about 2023's game releases and, somehow, none of them picked Starfield. It's obviously Starfield, you idiots. Cast: Tom Orry, Alex Donaldson, Connor Makar, and Jim Trinca. . . . . . . . . . . Our picks this week (SPOILERS AHEAD): Tom - Resident Evil 4 Remake Tom tried to cheat death and reality by crowbarring a known quantity into his Nostradamusing, but failed to consider that if a remake is close enough to the source material to be sure bet, then it barely counts as a new game. Which is obviously a load of rubbish, but this podcast is a panel game about semantic bickering, so take it or leave it.  Alex - Cyberpunk 2077 Ah, Donaldson, you cheeky so-and-so. Connor - Baldur's Gate 3 A solid pick from Connor, but ultimately all it did was open a can of worms about whether or not early access counts as a release. See? Semantics. That's all it is.  Please do let us know what you think of the show – and if this is your first time listening, do go back to listen to the previous episodes. If you’ve got suggestions for topics, send them our way.  “What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask? Well, it is essentially a 30-minute panel show where people (Jim Trinca and associates) decide on the best game in a specific category. That's it. It's good. Listen to it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 30 Dec 2022 10:00:00 -0000 Episode 32: The best game of 2023 full 32 VG247 Welcome to VG247's Best Games Ever Podcast: Episode 32 - the best game of 2023 The future is unknowable. As are the minds of our deranged panellists, who were asked to pick their nod for next year's GOTY based on the scraps of info we know about... Welcome to VG247's Best Games Ever Podcast: Episode 32 - the best game of 2023 The future is unknowable. As are the minds of our deranged panellists, who were asked to pick their nod for next year's GOTY based on the scraps of info we know about 2023's game releases and, somehow, none of them picked Starfield. It's obviously Starfield, you idiots. Cast: Tom Orry, Alex Donaldson, Connor Makar, and Jim Trinca. . . . . . . . . . . Our picks this week (SPOILERS AHEAD): Tom - Resident Evil 4 Remake Tom tried to cheat death and reality by crowbarring a known quantity into his Nostradamusing, but failed to consider that if a remake is close enough to the source material to be sure bet, then it barely counts as a new game. Which is obviously a load of rubbish, but this podcast is a panel game about semantic bickering, so take it or leave it.  Alex - Cyberpunk 2077 Ah, Donaldson, you cheeky so-and-so. Connor - Baldur's Gate 3 A solid pick from Connor, but ultimately all it did was open a can of worms about whether or not early access counts as a release. See? Semantics. That's all it is.  Please do let us know what you think of the show – and if this is your first time listening, do go back to listen to the previous episodes. If you’ve got suggestions for topics, send them our way.  “What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask? Well, it is essentially a 30-minute panel show where people (Jim Trinca and associates) decide on the best game in a specific category. That's it. It's good. Listen to it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Welcome to VG247's Best Games Ever Podcast: Episode 32 - the best game of 2023

The future is unknowable. As are the minds of our deranged panellists, who were asked to pick their nod for next year's GOTY based on the scraps of info we know about 2023's game releases and, somehow, none of them picked Starfield. It's obviously Starfield, you idiots.

Cast: Tom Orry, Alex Donaldson, Connor Makar, and Jim Trinca.

.

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.

.

.

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.

.

.

Our picks this week (SPOILERS AHEAD): Tom - Resident Evil 4 Remake

Tom tried to cheat death and reality by crowbarring a known quantity into his Nostradamusing, but failed to consider that if a remake is close enough to the source material to be sure bet, then it barely counts as a new game. Which is obviously a load of rubbish, but this podcast is a panel game about semantic bickering, so take it or leave it.  Alex - Cyberpunk 2077 Ah, Donaldson, you cheeky so-and-so.

Connor - Baldur's Gate 3 A solid pick from Connor, but ultimately all it did was open a can of worms about whether or not early access counts as a release. See? Semantics. That's all it is. 

Please do let us know what you think of the show – and if this is your first time listening, do go back to listen to the previous episodes. If you’ve got suggestions for topics, send them our way. 

“What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask? Well, it is essentially a 30-minute panel show where people (Jim Trinca and associates) decide on the best game in a specific category. That's it. It's good. Listen to it.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 2102 no Episode 31: The best game that reminds you of Christmas https://the-vg247-podcast.libsyn.com/vg247s-best-games-ever-podcast-episode-31-the-best-game-that-reminds-you-of-christmas Welcome to VG247's Best Games Ever Podcast: Episode 31 - the best game that reminds you of Christmas Christmas is a time of togetherness, of sharing your table with family, friends, and strangers. In that spirit, we invited a number of our friends and colleagues from across the games media to contribute to this, our first ever Christmas edition of the VG247 Best Games Ever podcast. We hope you enjoy listening to it as much as we enjoyed making it, and wish you all a joyful holiday season. Cast: Tom Orry, Alex Donaldson, James Billcliffe, and Jim Trinca. . . . . . . . . . . Our picks this week (SPOILERS AHEAD): Tom - FOOTBALL MANAGER Tom once again ignored or upset his family. Alex - Christmas NiGHTS Into Dreams Having won far away more episodes than anyone else, Alex decided in his hubris to try and slip a magazine coverdisc past us as a "best game ever". And he didn't even pick Cannon Soccer. The brass neck on this lad, honestly.  Billcliffe - Fallout 3 Somehow the least christmassy game here, and yet, no youngster wanted anything else under their tree in 2008. Unfortunately, it was 18 rated: but Young Billcliffe had a plan.  Please do let us know what you think of the show – and if this is your first time listening, do go back to listen to the previous episodes. If you’ve got suggestions for topics, send them our way.  “What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask? Well, it is essentially a 30-minute panel show where people (Jim Trinca and associates) decide on the best game in a specific category. That's it. It's good. Listen to it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 23 Dec 2022 10:00:00 -0000 Episode 31: The best game that reminds you of Christmas full 31 VG247 Welcome to VG247's Best Games Ever Podcast: Episode 31 - the best game that reminds you of Christmas Christmas is a time of togetherness, of sharing your table with family, friends, and strangers. In that spirit, we invited a number of our friends and... Welcome to VG247's Best Games Ever Podcast: Episode 31 - the best game that reminds you of Christmas Christmas is a time of togetherness, of sharing your table with family, friends, and strangers. In that spirit, we invited a number of our friends and colleagues from across the games media to contribute to this, our first ever Christmas edition of the VG247 Best Games Ever podcast. We hope you enjoy listening to it as much as we enjoyed making it, and wish you all a joyful holiday season. Cast: Tom Orry, Alex Donaldson, James Billcliffe, and Jim Trinca. . . . . . . . . . . Our picks this week (SPOILERS AHEAD): Tom - FOOTBALL MANAGER Tom once again ignored or upset his family. Alex - Christmas NiGHTS Into Dreams Having won far away more episodes than anyone else, Alex decided in his hubris to try and slip a magazine coverdisc past us as a "best game ever". And he didn't even pick Cannon Soccer. The brass neck on this lad, honestly.  Billcliffe - Fallout 3 Somehow the least christmassy game here, and yet, no youngster wanted anything else under their tree in 2008. Unfortunately, it was 18 rated: but Young Billcliffe had a plan.  Please do let us know what you think of the show – and if this is your first time listening, do go back to listen to the previous episodes. If you’ve got suggestions for topics, send them our way.  “What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask? Well, it is essentially a 30-minute panel show where people (Jim Trinca and associates) decide on the best game in a specific category. That's it. It's good. Listen to it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Welcome to VG247's Best Games Ever Podcast: Episode 31 - the best game that reminds you of Christmas

Christmas is a time of togetherness, of sharing your table with family, friends, and strangers. In that spirit, we invited a number of our friends and colleagues from across the games media to contribute to this, our first ever Christmas edition of the VG247 Best Games Ever podcast. We hope you enjoy listening to it as much as we enjoyed making it, and wish you all a joyful holiday season.

Cast: Tom Orry, Alex Donaldson, James Billcliffe, and Jim Trinca.

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.

.

.

.

.

.

Our picks this week (SPOILERS AHEAD): Tom - FOOTBALL MANAGER

Tom once again ignored or upset his family. Alex - Christmas NiGHTS Into Dreams Having won far away more episodes than anyone else, Alex decided in his hubris to try and slip a magazine coverdisc past us as a "best game ever". And he didn't even pick Cannon Soccer. The brass neck on this lad, honestly. 

Billcliffe - Fallout 3 Somehow the least christmassy game here, and yet, no youngster wanted anything else under their tree in 2008. Unfortunately, it was 18 rated: but Young Billcliffe had a plan. 

Please do let us know what you think of the show – and if this is your first time listening, do go back to listen to the previous episodes. If you’ve got suggestions for topics, send them our way. 

“What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask? Well, it is essentially a 30-minute panel show where people (Jim Trinca and associates) decide on the best game in a specific category. That's it. It's good. Listen to it.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 2437 no Episode 30: The best game that made you uninstall https://the-vg247-podcast.libsyn.com/episode-30-the-best-game-that-made-you-uninstall Welcome to VG247's Best Games Ever Podcast: Episode 30 - the best game that made you uninstall Uninstalling crap games is one thing. But uninstalling a game that would qualify in some way as a "best ever"? That's a difficult thing to imagine, or determine. Unfortunately for our panellists, that's the game. Cast: Tom Orry, Alex Donaldson, Connor Makar, and Jim Trinca. . . . . . . . . . . Our picks this week (SPOILERS AHEAD): Tom - TUNIC Tom didn't like this so he uninstalled it. That's it. That's the story. Alex - Street Fighter V When Alex came out with this I had to double check that it really was Alex speaking and not Connor via some sort of elaborate Alex Donaldson Snapchat Filter. Connor - Guilty Gear Strive Imagine getting battered by a 12yr old? Honestly, this is one of the most harrowing tales we've heard all year. Please do let us know what you think of the show – and if this is your first time listening, do go back to listen to the previous episodes. If you’ve got suggestions for topics, send them our way.  “What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask? Well, it is essentially a 30-minute panel show where people (Jim Trinca and associates) decide on the best game in a specific category. That's it. It's good. Listen to it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 16 Dec 2022 06:14:00 -0000 Episode 30: The best game that made you uninstall full VG247 Welcome to VG247's Best Games Ever Podcast: Episode 30 - the best game that made you uninstall Uninstalling crap games is one thing. But uninstalling a game that would qualify in some way as a "best ever"? That's a difficult thing to imagine, or... Welcome to VG247's Best Games Ever Podcast: Episode 30 - the best game that made you uninstall Uninstalling crap games is one thing. But uninstalling a game that would qualify in some way as a "best ever"? That's a difficult thing to imagine, or determine. Unfortunately for our panellists, that's the game. Cast: Tom Orry, Alex Donaldson, Connor Makar, and Jim Trinca. . . . . . . . . . . Our picks this week (SPOILERS AHEAD): Tom - TUNIC Tom didn't like this so he uninstalled it. That's it. That's the story. Alex - Street Fighter V When Alex came out with this I had to double check that it really was Alex speaking and not Connor via some sort of elaborate Alex Donaldson Snapchat Filter. Connor - Guilty Gear Strive Imagine getting battered by a 12yr old? Honestly, this is one of the most harrowing tales we've heard all year. Please do let us know what you think of the show – and if this is your first time listening, do go back to listen to the previous episodes. If you’ve got suggestions for topics, send them our way.  “What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask? Well, it is essentially a 30-minute panel show where people (Jim Trinca and associates) decide on the best game in a specific category. That's it. It's good. Listen to it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Welcome to VG247's Best Games Ever Podcast: Episode 30 - the best game that made you uninstall

Uninstalling crap games is one thing. But uninstalling a game that would qualify in some way as a "best ever"? That's a difficult thing to imagine, or determine. Unfortunately for our panellists, that's the game.

Cast: Tom Orry, Alex Donaldson, Connor Makar, and Jim Trinca.

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Our picks this week (SPOILERS AHEAD): Tom - TUNIC

Tom didn't like this so he uninstalled it. That's it. That's the story. Alex - Street Fighter V When Alex came out with this I had to double check that it really was Alex speaking and not Connor via some sort of elaborate Alex Donaldson Snapchat Filter.

Connor - Guilty Gear Strive Imagine getting battered by a 12yr old? Honestly, this is one of the most harrowing tales we've heard all year.

Please do let us know what you think of the show – and if this is your first time listening, do go back to listen to the previous episodes. If you’ve got suggestions for topics, send them our way. 

“What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask? Well, it is essentially a 30-minute panel show where people (Jim Trinca and associates) decide on the best game in a specific category. That's it. It's good. Listen to it.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 1782 yes Episode 29: The best game where you don't do much https://the-vg247-podcast.libsyn.com/episode-29-the-best-game-where-you-dont-do-much Welcome to VG247's Best Games Ever Podcast: Episode 29 - the best game where you don't do much. This is a topic that's very close to my heart because I love sitting doing naff all. In that spirit, I haven't borthered writing an elaborate podcast description this week. This is yer lot. Bliss. I'm going to have a mince pie later after a long and productivity-free morning. You can't sack me Tom, I'm just being thematically consistent.   Cast: Tom Orry, Alex Donaldson, Kelsey Raynor, and Jim Trinca. Our picks this week (SPOILERS AHEAD): Tom - Vampire Survivors Tom played this for ten minutes and decided on this week's topic soon after. Coincidence, or corruption? Alex - Dive Kick When Alex came out with this I had to double check that it really was Alex speaking and not Connor via some sort of elaborate Alex Donaldson Snapchat Filter. Kelsey - Animal Crossing: New Horizons Possibly the game most culturally associated with doing nothing, given that it arrived when half of society was closed for business and a lot of people simply had to sit around in their houses. Bad times. Still, it's all behind us now and the pandemic is definitely over. Right? Right? Oh. Please do let us know what you think of the show – and if this is your first time listening, do go back to listen to the previous episodes. If you’ve got suggestions for topics, send them our way.  “What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask? Well, it is essentially a 30-minute panel show where people (Jim Trinca and associates) decide on the best game in a specific category. That's it. It's good. Listen to it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 09 Dec 2022 11:04:00 -0000 Episode 29: The best game where you don't do much full 29 VG247 Welcome to VG247's Best Games Ever Podcast: Episode 29 - the best game where you don't do much. This is a topic that's very close to my heart because I love sitting doing naff all. In that spirit, I haven't borthered writing an elaborate podcast... Welcome to VG247's Best Games Ever Podcast: Episode 29 - the best game where you don't do much. This is a topic that's very close to my heart because I love sitting doing naff all. In that spirit, I haven't borthered writing an elaborate podcast description this week. This is yer lot. Bliss. I'm going to have a mince pie later after a long and productivity-free morning. You can't sack me Tom, I'm just being thematically consistent.   Cast: Tom Orry, Alex Donaldson, Kelsey Raynor, and Jim Trinca. Our picks this week (SPOILERS AHEAD): Tom - Vampire Survivors Tom played this for ten minutes and decided on this week's topic soon after. Coincidence, or corruption? Alex - Dive Kick When Alex came out with this I had to double check that it really was Alex speaking and not Connor via some sort of elaborate Alex Donaldson Snapchat Filter. Kelsey - Animal Crossing: New Horizons Possibly the game most culturally associated with doing nothing, given that it arrived when half of society was closed for business and a lot of people simply had to sit around in their houses. Bad times. Still, it's all behind us now and the pandemic is definitely over. Right? Right? Oh. Please do let us know what you think of the show – and if this is your first time listening, do go back to listen to the previous episodes. If you’ve got suggestions for topics, send them our way.  “What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask? Well, it is essentially a 30-minute panel show where people (Jim Trinca and associates) decide on the best game in a specific category. That's it. It's good. Listen to it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Welcome to VG247's Best Games Ever Podcast: Episode 29 - the best game where you don't do much.

This is a topic that's very close to my heart because I love sitting doing naff all. In that spirit, I haven't borthered writing an elaborate podcast description this week. This is yer lot. Bliss. I'm going to have a mince pie later after a long and productivity-free morning. You can't sack me Tom, I'm just being thematically consistent.

 

Cast: Tom Orry, Alex Donaldson, Kelsey Raynor, and Jim Trinca.

Our picks this week (SPOILERS AHEAD): Tom - Vampire Survivors Tom played this for ten minutes and decided on this week's topic soon after. Coincidence, or corruption? Alex - Dive Kick When Alex came out with this I had to double check that it really was Alex speaking and not Connor via some sort of elaborate Alex Donaldson Snapchat Filter.

Kelsey - Animal Crossing: New Horizons Possibly the game most culturally associated with doing nothing, given that it arrived when half of society was closed for business and a lot of people simply had to sit around in their houses. Bad times. Still, it's all behind us now and the pandemic is definitely over. Right? Right? Oh.

Please do let us know what you think of the show – and if this is your first time listening, do go back to listen to the previous episodes. If you’ve got suggestions for topics, send them our way. 

“What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask? Well, it is essentially a 30-minute panel show where people (Jim Trinca and associates) decide on the best game in a specific category. That's it. It's good. Listen to it.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 1617 no Episode 28: The best game to play while you wait for Starfield https://the-vg247-podcast.libsyn.com/episode-28-the-best-game-to-play-while-you-wait-for-starfield Welcome to VG247's Best Games Ever Podcast: Episode 28 - the best game to play while you wait for Starfield. This week's topic has come about because of two things: Firstly, we're desperate to do anything Starfield related because we are a games website and people click on articles about Starfield. But, rudely, it hasn't come out yet, so we have to get creative. I say creative. I mean, we have to go on about it on podcasts and things. Secondly, we're scraping the barrell and letting Jim pick them now, and he won't ever shut up about Star Trek or Morrowind, so obviously he won't shut up about Bethesda's upcoming blend of those things either. It's like they're making a game for him specifically, as if he deserves it. Where's my Bethesda game about stuff I like? Why can't I have an open world RPG about pining for Project Gotham Racing and watching Lovejoy? Cast: Tom Orry (me), Alex Donaldson, Dom Peppiatt, and Jim Trinca. Our picks this week (SPOILERS AHEAD): Alex - No Man's Sky Alex chose this because it's an open world game set in space. Hahaha. Loser. Dom - FTL Dom has this to say about FTL, a rubbish game that should have lost: “I have never let myself gamble; I’m too compulsive, and I have an addictive personality. So I scratch that itch with other things – 1000+ lifetime hours in Binding of Isaac say hello. So if I want to placate the craving in my brain for risk/reward and harvest that lovely dopamine payoff, I use games… and what better way to prime my mind for Starfield than a space game that gives me intermittent rewards,   keeps things random (but logical), and makes failure feel fair. FTL: Faster Than Light is a phenomenal, top-tier video game… that just so happens to be about space exploration and science.”   Tom (me) - Morrowind I don't even like Morrowind. I just chose it because Jim loves it and I wanted to win the podcast for once. Please do let us know what you think of the show – and if this is your first time listening, do go back to listen to the previous episodes. If you’ve got suggestions for topics, send them our way.  “What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask? Well, it is essentially a 30-minute panel show where people (Jim Trinca and associates) decide on the best game in a specific category. That's it. It's good. Listen to it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 02 Dec 2022 12:49:00 -0000 Episode 28: The best game to play while you wait for Starfield full 28 VG247 Welcome to VG247's Best Games Ever Podcast: Episode 28 - the best game to play while you wait for Starfield. This week's topic has come about because of two things: Firstly, we're desperate to do anything Starfield related because we are a games... Welcome to VG247's Best Games Ever Podcast: Episode 28 - the best game to play while you wait for Starfield. This week's topic has come about because of two things: Firstly, we're desperate to do anything Starfield related because we are a games website and people click on articles about Starfield. But, rudely, it hasn't come out yet, so we have to get creative. I say creative. I mean, we have to go on about it on podcasts and things. Secondly, we're scraping the barrell and letting Jim pick them now, and he won't ever shut up about Star Trek or Morrowind, so obviously he won't shut up about Bethesda's upcoming blend of those things either. It's like they're making a game for him specifically, as if he deserves it. Where's my Bethesda game about stuff I like? Why can't I have an open world RPG about pining for Project Gotham Racing and watching Lovejoy? Cast: Tom Orry (me), Alex Donaldson, Dom Peppiatt, and Jim Trinca. Our picks this week (SPOILERS AHEAD): Alex - No Man's Sky Alex chose this because it's an open world game set in space. Hahaha. Loser. Dom - FTL Dom has this to say about FTL, a rubbish game that should have lost: “I have never let myself gamble; I’m too compulsive, and I have an addictive personality. So I scratch that itch with other things – 1000+ lifetime hours in Binding of Isaac say hello. So if I want to placate the craving in my brain for risk/reward and harvest that lovely dopamine payoff, I use games… and what better way to prime my mind for Starfield than a space game that gives me intermittent rewards,   keeps things random (but logical), and makes failure feel fair. FTL: Faster Than Light is a phenomenal, top-tier video game… that just so happens to be about space exploration and science.”   Tom (me) - Morrowind I don't even like Morrowind. I just chose it because Jim loves it and I wanted to win the podcast for once. Please do let us know what you think of the show – and if this is your first time listening, do go back to listen to the previous episodes. If you’ve got suggestions for topics, send them our way.  “What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask? Well, it is essentially a 30-minute panel show where people (Jim Trinca and associates) decide on the best game in a specific category. That's it. It's good. Listen to it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Welcome to VG247's Best Games Ever Podcast: Episode 28 - the best game to play while you wait for Starfield.

This week's topic has come about because of two things:

Firstly, we're desperate to do anything Starfield related because we are a games website and people click on articles about Starfield. But, rudely, it hasn't come out yet, so we have to get creative. I say creative. I mean, we have to go on about it on podcasts and things. Secondly, we're scraping the barrell and letting Jim pick them now, and he won't ever shut up about Star Trek or Morrowind, so obviously he won't shut up about Bethesda's upcoming blend of those things either. It's like they're making a game for him specifically, as if he deserves it. Where's my Bethesda game about stuff I like? Why can't I have an open world RPG about pining for Project Gotham Racing and watching Lovejoy? Cast: Tom Orry (me), Alex Donaldson, Dom Peppiatt, and Jim Trinca.

Our picks this week (SPOILERS AHEAD): Alex - No Man's Sky Alex chose this because it's an open world game set in space. Hahaha. Loser. Dom - FTL Dom has this to say about FTL, a rubbish game that should have lost: “I have never let myself gamble; I’m too compulsive, and I have an addictive personality. So I scratch that itch with other things – 1000+ lifetime hours in Binding of Isaac say hello. So if I want to placate the craving in my brain for risk/reward and harvest that lovely dopamine payoff, I use games… and what better way to prime my mind for Starfield than a space game that gives me intermittent rewards,   keeps things random (but logical), and makes failure feel fair. FTL: Faster Than Light is a phenomenal, top-tier video game… that just so happens to be about space exploration and science.”

 

Tom (me) - Morrowind I don't even like Morrowind. I just chose it because Jim loves it and I wanted to win the podcast for once.

Please do let us know what you think of the show – and if this is your first time listening, do go back to listen to the previous episodes. If you’ve got suggestions for topics, send them our way. 

“What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask? Well, it is essentially a 30-minute panel show where people (Jim Trinca and associates) decide on the best game in a specific category. That's it. It's good. Listen to it.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 2263 no The 6-month Inquisition Special https://the-vg247-podcast.libsyn.com/the-6-month-inquisition-special The VG247 Best Games Ever Podcast has been going for six months! Can you believe it? The show that was spawned out of a random Slack message has gone from mild strength to ever-so-slightly-less-mild strength. To celebrate this milestone I sat down with host Jim Trinca to berate him about the choices he's made so far. Welcome to VG247's Best Games Ever Podcast: The 6-month Inquisition Special.Cast: Tom Orry and Jim Trinca. That's it. We definitely didn't do this because we ran out of time to do a proper episode due to various illnesses and things. It was 100% always planned. Please enjoy it. Please do let us know what you think of the show – and if this is your first time listening, do go back to listen to the previous episodes. If you’ve got suggestions for topics, send them our way. They honestly can't be any worse than what we come up with. “What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask? Well, it is essentially a 30-minute panel show where people (Jim Trinca and associates) decide on the best game in a specific category. That's it. It's good. Listen to it. This one isn't like that, obviously. This is like those Christmas specials that you see that round things up, only we put it out a month before Christmas. Come back in a week for another exciting instalment of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 25 Nov 2022 13:44:00 -0000 The 6-month Inquisition Special full VG247 The VG247 Best Games Ever Podcast has been going for six months! Can you believe it? The show that was spawned out of a random Slack message has gone from mild strength to ever-so-slightly-less-mild strength. To celebrate this milestone I sat down... The VG247 Best Games Ever Podcast has been going for six months! Can you believe it? The show that was spawned out of a random Slack message has gone from mild strength to ever-so-slightly-less-mild strength. To celebrate this milestone I sat down with host Jim Trinca to berate him about the choices he's made so far. Welcome to VG247's Best Games Ever Podcast: The 6-month Inquisition Special.Cast: Tom Orry and Jim Trinca. That's it. We definitely didn't do this because we ran out of time to do a proper episode due to various illnesses and things. It was 100% always planned. Please enjoy it. Please do let us know what you think of the show – and if this is your first time listening, do go back to listen to the previous episodes. If you’ve got suggestions for topics, send them our way. They honestly can't be any worse than what we come up with. “What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask? Well, it is essentially a 30-minute panel show where people (Jim Trinca and associates) decide on the best game in a specific category. That's it. It's good. Listen to it. This one isn't like that, obviously. This is like those Christmas specials that you see that round things up, only we put it out a month before Christmas. Come back in a week for another exciting instalment of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices The VG247 Best Games Ever Podcast has been going for six months! Can you believe it? The show that was spawned out of a random Slack message has gone from mild strength to ever-so-slightly-less-mild strength. To celebrate this milestone I sat down with host Jim Trinca to berate him about the choices he's made so far.

Welcome to VG247's Best Games Ever Podcast: The 6-month Inquisition Special.Cast: Tom Orry and Jim Trinca.

That's it. We definitely didn't do this because we ran out of time to do a proper episode due to various illnesses and things. It was 100% always planned. Please enjoy it.

Please do let us know what you think of the show – and if this is your first time listening, do go back to listen to the previous episodes. If you’ve got suggestions for topics, send them our way. They honestly can't be any worse than what we come up with.

“What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask? Well, it is essentially a 30-minute panel show where people (Jim Trinca and associates) decide on the best game in a specific category. That's it. It's good. Listen to it. This one isn't like that, obviously. This is like those Christmas specials that you see that round things up, only we put it out a month before Christmas.

Come back in a week for another exciting instalment of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 3759 no Episode 26: The best game that crashed at the worst possible time https://the-vg247-podcast.libsyn.com/the-best-game-that-crashed-at-the-worst-possible-time I've given up writing brilliant intros to these, now. If you want them to return, simply leave a bag containing £100k in unmarked bank notes on the hill at the top of the road near the church, behind the bin. Thanks. Alternatively, write a comment saying how much you miss the wonderful intros. Or leave a review for this podcast. You have exactly one week. Welcome to VG247's Best Games Ever Podcast: Episode 26 - The best game that crashed at the worst possible time. Cast: Tom Orry, Alex Donaldson, James Billcliffe, and Jim Trinca. Can you guess who picked which games? MechAssault 2, Runescape, and Dead Rising. Please do let us know what you think of the show – and if this is your first time listening, do go back to listen to the previous episodes. If you’ve got suggestions for topics, send them our way. I came up with this weeks, but hated it so much I picked the first game that came to mind despite knowing it wouldn't win. “What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask? Well, it is essentially a 30-minute panel show where people (Jim Trinca and associates) decide on the best game in a specific category. That's it. It's good. Listen to it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 18 Nov 2022 12:30:00 -0000 The best game that crashed at the worst possible time full 26 VG247 I've given up writing brilliant intros to these, now. If you want them to return, simply leave a bag containing £100k in unmarked bank notes on the hill at the top of the road near the church, behind the bin. Thanks. Alternatively, write a comment... I've given up writing brilliant intros to these, now. If you want them to return, simply leave a bag containing £100k in unmarked bank notes on the hill at the top of the road near the church, behind the bin. Thanks. Alternatively, write a comment saying how much you miss the wonderful intros. Or leave a review for this podcast. You have exactly one week. Welcome to VG247's Best Games Ever Podcast: Episode 26 - The best game that crashed at the worst possible time. Cast: Tom Orry, Alex Donaldson, James Billcliffe, and Jim Trinca. Can you guess who picked which games? MechAssault 2, Runescape, and Dead Rising. Please do let us know what you think of the show – and if this is your first time listening, do go back to listen to the previous episodes. If you’ve got suggestions for topics, send them our way. I came up with this weeks, but hated it so much I picked the first game that came to mind despite knowing it wouldn't win. “What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask? Well, it is essentially a 30-minute panel show where people (Jim Trinca and associates) decide on the best game in a specific category. That's it. It's good. Listen to it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices I've given up writing brilliant intros to these, now. If you want them to return, simply leave a bag containing £100k in unmarked bank notes on the hill at the top of the road near the church, behind the bin. Thanks. Alternatively, write a comment saying how much you miss the wonderful intros. Or leave a review for this podcast. You have exactly one week.

Welcome to VG247's Best Games Ever Podcast: Episode 26 - The best game that crashed at the worst possible time.

Cast: Tom Orry, Alex Donaldson, James Billcliffe, and Jim Trinca.

Can you guess who picked which games? MechAssault 2, Runescape, and Dead Rising.

Please do let us know what you think of the show – and if this is your first time listening, do go back to listen to the previous episodes. If you’ve got suggestions for topics, send them our way. I came up with this weeks, but hated it so much I picked the first game that came to mind despite knowing it wouldn't win.

“What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask? Well, it is essentially a 30-minute panel show where people (Jim Trinca and associates) decide on the best game in a specific category. That's it. It's good. Listen to it.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 2218 no Episode 25: The best game with a Welsh actor in it https://the-vg247-podcast.libsyn.com/episode-25-the-best-game-with-a-welsh-actor-in-it Michael Sheen is good, isn't he? Welcome to VG247's Best Games Ever Podcast: Episode 25 - The best game with a welsh actor in it. Please do let us know what you think of the show – and if this is your first time listening, do go back to listen to the previous episodes. If you’ve got suggestions for topics, we’d love to hear them, because we're just picking countries now and running with it. “What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask? Well, it is essentially a 30-minute panel show where people (Jim Trinca and associates) decide on the best game in a specific category. That's it. It's good. Listen to it. We’ve got some details on the show’s content below, so don't skip this warning if you hate spoilers: W A R N I N G The best game with a welsh actor in it That is the topic of Episode 25 of this podcast. Here’s a rundown of who picked what. Tom - Planet Zoo Look, I was very ill when we recorded this and I got absolutely zero thanks for being a hero and carrying on, just so we could deliver a good podcast - unlike the terrible one that happened when I wasn't here and Jim was left in charge. Alex - Elden Ring I'm Alex so I'm going to win regardless of what I pick. Anyway, I went with the big obvious choice because my mind is mostly filled with JRPG battle strategies and arcade cabs I want shipping over from Japan on a big boat. Elden Ring has loads of welsh people in it. Connor - Total War Warhammer 2 Full disclosure, I couldn't think of a single Welsh actor for this podcast until right at the last minute. But, a quick google and peruse of the list of valid picks landed me with a pick so good I had to take it. A proper combo of a great Welsh actor and a great game. Iwan Rheon in Total War Warhammer 2. Iwan Rheon is great. They're mostly known for their performance as Ramsey Bolton in Game of Thrones, where they play an antagonistic, people-skinning, ambitious son who literally feeds a baby to dogs to rack up those evil boy points. However, I knew them first from Misfits, a British comedy drama where a bunch of juvenile delinquents get super powers. I'm sure he'd done other stuff but that's all I knew him from, and it was plenty to warrant him as my pick. As for Total War Warhammer 2, I mean, what a banger. It's this incredibly vast CRPG where you take control of various diverse fantastical factions and attempt to state a claim on the world through conquest, diplomacy, and big ol' magic spells. Iwan Rheon's character, Beastlord Rakarth, is a cruel Dark Elf warlord, travelling the world and amassing a growing circus of dangerous animals that he can use in battle to run over any armies he has an issue with. He's also a prick, and is essentially an unsubtle send up to Iwan's Game of Thrones role, but it fits damn well in Warhammer so no one really cared. He's even playable in Total War Warhammer 3, and even bigger game with more races and lands to explore, but I didn't pick it since I don't think it's quite as good as 2 yet. Nonetheless, a great game, with a great Welsh actor doing a great job. In the past, I've been accused of wiggling around (or just straight up missing the point) of the podcast question. But with this one, I've surely nailed it. Come back in a week for another exciting instalment of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 11 Nov 2022 11:56:00 -0000 The best game with a Welsh actor in it full 25 VG247 Michael Sheen is good, isn't he? Welcome to VG247's Best Games Ever Podcast: Episode 25 - The best game with a welsh actor in it. Please do let us know what you think of the show – and if this is your first time listening, do go back to listen to... Michael Sheen is good, isn't he? Welcome to VG247's Best Games Ever Podcast: Episode 25 - The best game with a welsh actor in it. Please do let us know what you think of the show – and if this is your first time listening, do go back to listen to the previous episodes. If you’ve got suggestions for topics, we’d love to hear them, because we're just picking countries now and running with it. “What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask? Well, it is essentially a 30-minute panel show where people (Jim Trinca and associates) decide on the best game in a specific category. That's it. It's good. Listen to it. We’ve got some details on the show’s content below, so don't skip this warning if you hate spoilers: W A R N I N G The best game with a welsh actor in it That is the topic of Episode 25 of this podcast. Here’s a rundown of who picked what. Tom - Planet Zoo Look, I was very ill when we recorded this and I got absolutely zero thanks for being a hero and carrying on, just so we could deliver a good podcast - unlike the terrible one that happened when I wasn't here and Jim was left in charge. Alex - Elden Ring I'm Alex so I'm going to win regardless of what I pick. Anyway, I went with the big obvious choice because my mind is mostly filled with JRPG battle strategies and arcade cabs I want shipping over from Japan on a big boat. Elden Ring has loads of welsh people in it. Connor - Total War Warhammer 2 Full disclosure, I couldn't think of a single Welsh actor for this podcast until right at the last minute. But, a quick google and peruse of the list of valid picks landed me with a pick so good I had to take it. A proper combo of a great Welsh actor and a great game. Iwan Rheon in Total War Warhammer 2. Iwan Rheon is great. They're mostly known for their performance as Ramsey Bolton in Game of Thrones, where they play an antagonistic, people-skinning, ambitious son who literally feeds a baby to dogs to rack up those evil boy points. However, I knew them first from Misfits, a British comedy drama where a bunch of juvenile delinquents get super powers. I'm sure he'd done other stuff but that's all I knew him from, and it was plenty to warrant him as my pick. As for Total War Warhammer 2, I mean, what a banger. It's this incredibly vast CRPG where you take control of various diverse fantastical factions and attempt to state a claim on the world through conquest, diplomacy, and big ol' magic spells. Iwan Rheon's character, Beastlord Rakarth, is a cruel Dark Elf warlord, travelling the world and amassing a growing circus of dangerous animals that he can use in battle to run over any armies he has an issue with. He's also a prick, and is essentially an unsubtle send up to Iwan's Game of Thrones role, but it fits damn well in Warhammer so no one really cared. He's even playable in Total War Warhammer 3, and even bigger game with more races and lands to explore, but I didn't pick it since I don't think it's quite as good as 2 yet. Nonetheless, a great game, with a great Welsh actor doing a great job. In the past, I've been accused of wiggling around (or just straight up missing the point) of the podcast question. But with this one, I've surely nailed it. Come back in a week for another exciting instalment of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Michael Sheen is good, isn't he?

Welcome to VG247's Best Games Ever Podcast: Episode 25 - The best game with a welsh actor in it.

Please do let us know what you think of the show – and if this is your first time listening, do go back to listen to the previous episodes. If you’ve got suggestions for topics, we’d love to hear them, because we're just picking countries now and running with it.

“What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask? Well, it is essentially a 30-minute panel show where people (Jim Trinca and associates) decide on the best game in a specific category. That's it. It's good. Listen to it. We’ve got some details on the show’s content below, so don't skip this warning if you hate spoilers:

W

A

R

N

I

N

G

The best game with a welsh actor in it That is the topic of Episode 25 of this podcast. Here’s a rundown of who picked what.

Tom - Planet Zoo

Look, I was very ill when we recorded this and I got absolutely zero thanks for being a hero and carrying on, just so we could deliver a good podcast - unlike the terrible one that happened when I wasn't here and Jim was left in charge.

Alex - Elden Ring I'm Alex so I'm going to win regardless of what I pick. Anyway, I went with the big obvious choice because my mind is mostly filled with JRPG battle strategies and arcade cabs I want shipping over from Japan on a big boat. Elden Ring has loads of welsh people in it.

Connor - Total War Warhammer 2

Full disclosure, I couldn't think of a single Welsh actor for this podcast until right at the last minute. But, a quick google and peruse of the list of valid picks landed me with a pick so good I had to take it. A proper combo of a great Welsh actor and a great game. Iwan Rheon in Total War Warhammer 2.

Iwan Rheon is great. They're mostly known for their performance as Ramsey Bolton in Game of Thrones, where they play an antagonistic, people-skinning, ambitious son who literally feeds a baby to dogs to rack up those evil boy points. However, I knew them first from Misfits, a British comedy drama where a bunch of juvenile delinquents get super powers. I'm sure he'd done other stuff but that's all I knew him from, and it was plenty to warrant him as my pick.

As for Total War Warhammer 2, I mean, what a banger. It's this incredibly vast CRPG where you take control of various diverse fantastical factions and attempt to state a claim on the world through conquest, diplomacy, and big ol' magic spells. Iwan Rheon's character, Beastlord Rakarth, is a cruel Dark Elf warlord, travelling the world and amassing a growing circus of dangerous animals that he can use in battle to run over any armies he has an issue with. He's also a prick, and is essentially an unsubtle send up to Iwan's Game of Thrones role, but it fits damn well in Warhammer so no one really cared.

He's even playable in Total War Warhammer 3, and even bigger game with more races and lands to explore, but I didn't pick it since I don't think it's quite as good as 2 yet. Nonetheless, a great game, with a great Welsh actor doing a great job. In the past, I've been accused of wiggling around (or just straight up missing the point) of the podcast question. But with this one, I've surely nailed it.

Come back in a week for another exciting instalment of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 1763 yes Episode 24: The best game based on a book that nobody who played it has actually read https://the-vg247-podcast.libsyn.com/the-best-game-based-on-a-book-that-nobody-who-played-it-has-actually-read I played the Discworld video game, remarkably, before I'd read a single Terry Pratchett book. I don't know if that speaks more to the cultural cache of video games, or to my own literary ignorance growing up, but getting to the age of 11 in the United Kingdom of the late twentieth century without having read a Terry Pratchett book is quite an astonishing un-achievement. One that I quickly remedied, of course. This was decades ago (I am old), and you'd think that, if anything, the acceptance of video games as a valid form of artistic expression would have progressed somewhat since then. I'm not sure it has, although mercifully we do seem to have seen the back of the dreaded "are games art?" debate, if only because everyone who ever got involved in it either died or got so bored of the subject that they happily conceded that it didn't matter either way. Who cares, just shoot the demons dumbass (or, indeed, the demon's dumb ass). But I can't help but think that Pratchett, by all accounts a deeply thoughtful, kind hearted, and forward-thinking man, would have had a more progressive attitude toward my getting into his work via a PS1 game starring Eric Idle rather than, say, by being made to read Only You Can Save Mankind as part of a syllabus. More progressive than, say, Andrzej Sapkowski's, who is on record about his view that gaming is an unserious form of entertainment that has trivialised his work.  Terry loved games. He adored The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, and at the time when I was playing the point and click adventure based on his Rincewind novels, he was enjoying Tomb Raider on the PS1, and in the process helping to forge his daughter Rhianna's deep love of the medium. She would, of course, go on to become a titan of this industry, whose extensive CV includes modernising Lara's character and origins for the acclaimed 2013 reboot, and writing an extremely rare example of genuinely funny video game fantasy in the form of the Overlord series. Books and games are always doing this little dance, it seems. They pilfer each other for characters, settings, themes, and concepts. Their respective industries feed each other with talent. And, most importantly of all, their intertwined relationship inspired the topic for this very podcast, which is: The best game based on a book that nobody who played it has actually read That is the topic of Episode 24 of this podcast.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 04 Nov 2022 13:35:00 -0000 Episode 24: The best game based on a book that nobody who played it has actually read full 25 VG247 I played the Discworld video game, remarkably, before I'd read a single Terry Pratchett book. I don't know if that speaks more to the cultural cache of video games, or to my own literary ignorance growing up, but getting to the age of 11 in the United... I played the Discworld video game, remarkably, before I'd read a single Terry Pratchett book. I don't know if that speaks more to the cultural cache of video games, or to my own literary ignorance growing up, but getting to the age of 11 in the United Kingdom of the late twentieth century without having read a Terry Pratchett book is quite an astonishing un-achievement. One that I quickly remedied, of course. This was decades ago (I am old), and you'd think that, if anything, the acceptance of video games as a valid form of artistic expression would have progressed somewhat since then. I'm not sure it has, although mercifully we do seem to have seen the back of the dreaded "are games art?" debate, if only because everyone who ever got involved in it either died or got so bored of the subject that they happily conceded that it didn't matter either way. Who cares, just shoot the demons dumbass (or, indeed, the demon's dumb ass). But I can't help but think that Pratchett, by all accounts a deeply thoughtful, kind hearted, and forward-thinking man, would have had a more progressive attitude toward my getting into his work via a PS1 game starring Eric Idle rather than, say, by being made to read Only You Can Save Mankind as part of a syllabus. More progressive than, say, Andrzej Sapkowski's, who is on record about his view that gaming is an unserious form of entertainment that has trivialised his work.  Terry loved games. He adored The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, and at the time when I was playing the point and click adventure based on his Rincewind novels, he was enjoying Tomb Raider on the PS1, and in the process helping to forge his daughter Rhianna's deep love of the medium. She would, of course, go on to become a titan of this industry, whose extensive CV includes modernising Lara's character and origins for the acclaimed 2013 reboot, and writing an extremely rare example of genuinely funny video game fantasy in the form of the Overlord series. Books and games are always doing this little dance, it seems. They pilfer each other for characters, settings, themes, and concepts. Their respective industries feed each other with talent. And, most importantly of all, their intertwined relationship inspired the topic for this very podcast, which is: The best game based on a book that nobody who played it has actually read That is the topic of Episode 24 of this podcast.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices I played the Discworld video game, remarkably, before I'd read a single Terry Pratchett book. I don't know if that speaks more to the cultural cache of video games, or to my own literary ignorance growing up, but getting to the age of 11 in the United Kingdom of the late twentieth century without having read a Terry Pratchett book is quite an astonishing un-achievement. One that I quickly remedied, of course.

This was decades ago (I am old), and you'd think that, if anything, the acceptance of video games as a valid form of artistic expression would have progressed somewhat since then. I'm not sure it has, although mercifully we do seem to have seen the back of the dreaded "are games art?" debate, if only because everyone who ever got involved in it either died or got so bored of the subject that they happily conceded that it didn't matter either way. Who cares, just shoot the demons dumbass (or, indeed, the demon's dumb ass).

But I can't help but think that Pratchett, by all accounts a deeply thoughtful, kind hearted, and forward-thinking man, would have had a more progressive attitude toward my getting into his work via a PS1 game starring Eric Idle rather than, say, by being made to read Only You Can Save Mankind as part of a syllabus. More progressive than, say, Andrzej Sapkowski's, who is on record about his view that gaming is an unserious form of entertainment that has trivialised his work. 

Terry loved games. He adored The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, and at the time when I was playing the point and click adventure based on his Rincewind novels, he was enjoying Tomb Raider on the PS1, and in the process helping to forge his daughter Rhianna's deep love of the medium. She would, of course, go on to become a titan of this industry, whose extensive CV includes modernising Lara's character and origins for the acclaimed 2013 reboot, and writing an extremely rare example of genuinely funny video game fantasy in the form of the Overlord series.

Books and games are always doing this little dance, it seems. They pilfer each other for characters, settings, themes, and concepts. Their respective industries feed each other with talent. And, most importantly of all, their intertwined relationship inspired the topic for this very podcast, which is:

The best game based on a book that nobody who played it has actually read

That is the topic of Episode 24 of this podcast. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 1606 yes Episode 23: The best 6/10 that's better than The Last of Us https://the-vg247-podcast.libsyn.com/episode-23-the-best-610-thats-better-than-the-last-of-us “Look, it’s very simple”, said Jim. “Review scores aren’t a flat scale, they’re all sort of, rubbery and compartmentalised.”“What on EARTH are you going on about now” replied Burns, already tired of this.Jim thought for a second, looking down at his floppy Meatball Marinara, freshly purchased from Croydon’s worst Subway (which takes some doing). “Well, consider food.”“The stuff you eat?” said Burns.   “Yeah”, Jim clarified. “So like, the best thing you can get from McDonald’s-”“Big Tasty”, Burns interrupted.“Yeah so -” Jim continued: “The Big Tasty with bacon,”“No, just the Big Tasty” Burns interrupted again.“No bacon?” inquired Jim. “Donalds bacon is too smokey, it overpowers the beef.” said Burns, with the authority of a man who had, on several occasions, had more than one meal per day from McDonald’s: very possibly the only person to ever do so without being staff.“OK fine”, sighed Jim, now regretting the entire conversation, and possibly the decision to take the job alongside Burns, moving to Croydon, all of it. All of it. “So the Big Tasty is a McDonald’s ten out of ten, right?” Burns nodded reverently.“So,” Jim continued: “if you’d gone to a good Italian restaurant and ordered the rissoto, you’d end up with something perfectly nice, but you know by the standards of Italian cuisine, it’s a solid seven. Nothing to sniff at, it’s just in a different league. A seven out of ten meal from an Italian restaurant is just better than a ten out of ten burger from Donald’s. And that’s the theory. Like how Kane and Lynch 2: Dog Days is a cracking 7 but The Last of Us is a crap 9.”Burns considered this for what seemed like several minutes, and eventually came to a conclusion: “No. I don’t agree.”“Wait, what? Kane and Lynch 2: Dog Days is great but its inherent seven-out-of-ten-ness is undeniable, and as for The Last of Us -” Jim protested, until Burns cut him off again.“No, not that.” Burns clarified, reassuringly. “I don’t accept that a Big Tasty is worse than some Tory porridge you got in Carluccios. I don’t accept, frankly, that anything is better than a Big Tasty: the Ronseal of burgers.” Anyway, welcome to VG247's The Best Games Ever Podcast: Ep.23: The best 6/10 that’s better than The Last of Us. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Thu, 27 Oct 2022 23:46:00 -0000 Episode 23: The best 6/10 that's better than The Last of Us full 24 VG247 “Look, it’s very simple”, said Jim. “Review scores aren’t a flat scale, they’re all sort of, rubbery and compartmentalised.”“What on EARTH are you going on about now” replied Burns, already tired of this.Jim thought for a second,... “Look, it’s very simple”, said Jim. “Review scores aren’t a flat scale, they’re all sort of, rubbery and compartmentalised.”“What on EARTH are you going on about now” replied Burns, already tired of this.Jim thought for a second, looking down at his floppy Meatball Marinara, freshly purchased from Croydon’s worst Subway (which takes some doing). “Well, consider food.”“The stuff you eat?” said Burns.   “Yeah”, Jim clarified. “So like, the best thing you can get from McDonald’s-”“Big Tasty”, Burns interrupted.“Yeah so -” Jim continued: “The Big Tasty with bacon,”“No, just the Big Tasty” Burns interrupted again.“No bacon?” inquired Jim. “Donalds bacon is too smokey, it overpowers the beef.” said Burns, with the authority of a man who had, on several occasions, had more than one meal per day from McDonald’s: very possibly the only person to ever do so without being staff.“OK fine”, sighed Jim, now regretting the entire conversation, and possibly the decision to take the job alongside Burns, moving to Croydon, all of it. All of it. “So the Big Tasty is a McDonald’s ten out of ten, right?” Burns nodded reverently.“So,” Jim continued: “if you’d gone to a good Italian restaurant and ordered the rissoto, you’d end up with something perfectly nice, but you know by the standards of Italian cuisine, it’s a solid seven. Nothing to sniff at, it’s just in a different league. A seven out of ten meal from an Italian restaurant is just better than a ten out of ten burger from Donald’s. And that’s the theory. Like how Kane and Lynch 2: Dog Days is a cracking 7 but The Last of Us is a crap 9.”Burns considered this for what seemed like several minutes, and eventually came to a conclusion: “No. I don’t agree.”“Wait, what? Kane and Lynch 2: Dog Days is great but its inherent seven-out-of-ten-ness is undeniable, and as for The Last of Us -” Jim protested, until Burns cut him off again.“No, not that.” Burns clarified, reassuringly. “I don’t accept that a Big Tasty is worse than some Tory porridge you got in Carluccios. I don’t accept, frankly, that anything is better than a Big Tasty: the Ronseal of burgers.” Anyway, welcome to VG247's The Best Games Ever Podcast: Ep.23: The best 6/10 that’s better than The Last of Us. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices “Look, it’s very simple”, said Jim. “Review scores aren’t a flat scale, they’re all sort of, rubbery and compartmentalised.”“What on EARTH are you going on about now” replied Burns, already tired of this.Jim thought for a second, looking down at his floppy Meatball Marinara, freshly purchased from Croydon’s worst Subway (which takes some doing). “Well, consider food.”“The stuff you eat?” said Burns.

 

“Yeah”, Jim clarified. “So like, the best thing you can get from McDonald’s-”“Big Tasty”, Burns interrupted.“Yeah so -” Jim continued: “The Big Tasty with bacon,”“No, just the Big Tasty” Burns interrupted again.“No bacon?” inquired Jim.

“Donalds bacon is too smokey, it overpowers the beef.” said Burns, with the authority of a man who had, on several occasions, had more than one meal per day from McDonald’s: very possibly the only person to ever do so without being staff.“OK fine”, sighed Jim, now regretting the entire conversation, and possibly the decision to take the job alongside Burns, moving to Croydon, all of it. All of it. “So the Big Tasty is a McDonald’s ten out of ten, right?” Burns nodded reverently.“So,” Jim continued: “if you’d gone to a good Italian restaurant and ordered the rissoto, you’d end up with something perfectly nice, but you know by the standards of Italian cuisine, it’s a solid seven. Nothing to sniff at, it’s just in a different league. A seven out of ten meal from an Italian restaurant is just better than a ten out of ten burger from Donald’s. And that’s the theory. Like how Kane and Lynch 2: Dog Days is a cracking 7 but The Last of Us is a crap 9.”Burns considered this for what seemed like several minutes, and eventually came to a conclusion: “No. I don’t agree.”“Wait, what? Kane and Lynch 2: Dog Days is great but its inherent seven-out-of-ten-ness is undeniable, and as for The Last of Us -” Jim protested, until Burns cut him off again.“No, not that.” Burns clarified, reassuringly. “I don’t accept that a Big Tasty is worse than some Tory porridge you got in Carluccios. I don’t accept, frankly, that anything is better than a Big Tasty: the Ronseal of burgers.” Anyway, welcome to VG247's The Best Games Ever Podcast: Ep.23: The best 6/10 that’s better than The Last of Us.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 1945 no Live Special: The best game where you get to eat pie https://the-vg247-podcast.libsyn.com/live-special-the-best-game-where-you-get-to-eat-pie What is the best game where you get to eat pie? Because it's the opening line of our theme tune, it's the first question anyone ever heard asked on our acclaimed Best Games Ever podcast: a five star rated show which some critics have described as "safe as badgers" and "short running time". So we decided to ask it for our first ever live podcast, recorded at EGX London earlier this year, with an open mic for members of the audience to chime in with their suggestions. After several arguments about Breath of the Wild, and whether or not pizza constitutes a pie, one member of the audience stepped up and made such a perfect suggestion that they won a prize and our eternal gratitude. We'd like to thank everyone who showed up, it was truly special to see those seats with actual people in them, and we loved how enthusiastic everyone was about taking part. Please do let us know what you think of the show – and if this is your first time listening, do go back to listen to the previous episodes. If you’ve got suggestions for topics, we’d love to hear them, so please comment below or tweet them at us. The best game where you get to eat pie, according to the panel The best suggestions came from the audience, but this is what our staff picked, the idiots: Tom - Breath of the Wild Tom reckons Breath of the Wild is one of the best games of all time, and you can cook and eat pies in it. I can't actually fault him on this, but I do like mugging him off, so it didn't win. Connor - Spider-Man 2 Connor entered this on the basis of a pizza delivery mini-game, running immediately into two semantic but fatal flaws: firstly, distributing pie isn't the same as eating it. Secondly, pizza isn't pie (don't write in). Donaldson - Dead Rising and or Final Fantasy (various) Of course Donaldson came out swinging with the weeb picks, and in fairness, both are brilliant pitches: Final Fantasy for it's delectable photorealistic pies that look scrumptious enough to make you lick the TV, and Dead Rising, where you not only get to eat pie but also brandish it as a weapon. On this basis, he won the for the panel. Audience - Celeste But the audience won with Celeste, a beautiful retrovania platformer where you spend the entire game collecting strawberries which get baked into a big pie that everyone eats at the end. An insightful and prize-worthy suggestion! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Wed, 26 Oct 2022 11:56:00 -0000 Live Special: The best game where you get to eat pie full 23 VG247 What is the best game where you get to eat pie? Because it's the opening line of our theme tune, it's the first question anyone ever heard asked on our acclaimed Best Games Ever podcast: a five star rated show which some critics have described as... What is the best game where you get to eat pie? Because it's the opening line of our theme tune, it's the first question anyone ever heard asked on our acclaimed Best Games Ever podcast: a five star rated show which some critics have described as "safe as badgers" and "short running time". So we decided to ask it for our first ever live podcast, recorded at EGX London earlier this year, with an open mic for members of the audience to chime in with their suggestions. After several arguments about Breath of the Wild, and whether or not pizza constitutes a pie, one member of the audience stepped up and made such a perfect suggestion that they won a prize and our eternal gratitude. We'd like to thank everyone who showed up, it was truly special to see those seats with actual people in them, and we loved how enthusiastic everyone was about taking part. Please do let us know what you think of the show – and if this is your first time listening, do go back to listen to the previous episodes. If you’ve got suggestions for topics, we’d love to hear them, so please comment below or tweet them at us. The best game where you get to eat pie, according to the panel The best suggestions came from the audience, but this is what our staff picked, the idiots: Tom - Breath of the Wild Tom reckons Breath of the Wild is one of the best games of all time, and you can cook and eat pies in it. I can't actually fault him on this, but I do like mugging him off, so it didn't win. Connor - Spider-Man 2 Connor entered this on the basis of a pizza delivery mini-game, running immediately into two semantic but fatal flaws: firstly, distributing pie isn't the same as eating it. Secondly, pizza isn't pie (don't write in). Donaldson - Dead Rising and or Final Fantasy (various) Of course Donaldson came out swinging with the weeb picks, and in fairness, both are brilliant pitches: Final Fantasy for it's delectable photorealistic pies that look scrumptious enough to make you lick the TV, and Dead Rising, where you not only get to eat pie but also brandish it as a weapon. On this basis, he won the for the panel. Audience - Celeste But the audience won with Celeste, a beautiful retrovania platformer where you spend the entire game collecting strawberries which get baked into a big pie that everyone eats at the end. An insightful and prize-worthy suggestion! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices What is the best game where you get to eat pie?

Because it's the opening line of our theme tune, it's the first question anyone ever heard asked on our acclaimed Best Games Ever podcast: a five star rated show which some critics have described as "safe as badgers" and "short running time".

So we decided to ask it for our first ever live podcast, recorded at EGX London earlier this year, with an open mic for members of the audience to chime in with their suggestions. After several arguments about Breath of the Wild, and whether or not pizza constitutes a pie, one member of the audience stepped up and made such a perfect suggestion that they won a prize and our eternal gratitude.

We'd like to thank everyone who showed up, it was truly special to see those seats with actual people in them, and we loved how enthusiastic everyone was about taking part.

Please do let us know what you think of the show – and if this is your first time listening, do go back to listen to the previous episodes. If you’ve got suggestions for topics, we’d love to hear them, so please comment below or tweet them at us.

The best game where you get to eat pie, according to the panel

The best suggestions came from the audience, but this is what our staff picked, the idiots:

Tom - Breath of the Wild

Tom reckons Breath of the Wild is one of the best games of all time, and you can cook and eat pies in it. I can't actually fault him on this, but I do like mugging him off, so it didn't win.

Connor - Spider-Man 2

Connor entered this on the basis of a pizza delivery mini-game, running immediately into two semantic but fatal flaws: firstly, distributing pie isn't the same as eating it. Secondly, pizza isn't pie (don't write in).

Donaldson - Dead Rising and or Final Fantasy (various)

Of course Donaldson came out swinging with the weeb picks, and in fairness, both are brilliant pitches: Final Fantasy for it's delectable photorealistic pies that look scrumptious enough to make you lick the TV, and Dead Rising, where you not only get to eat pie but also brandish it as a weapon. On this basis, he won the for the panel.

Audience - Celeste

But the audience won with Celeste, a beautiful retrovania platformer where you spend the entire game collecting strawberries which get baked into a big pie that everyone eats at the end. An insightful and prize-worthy suggestion!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 1704 yes Episode 22: The best game about gods that isn't God of War https://the-vg247-podcast.libsyn.com/episode-22-the-best-game-about-gods-that-isnt-god-of-war I don't believe in any god. I don't think that's a particularly unusual point of view in 2022, at least in some parts of the world, but if I did there are certainly some moments that stick with me as things I'd have potentially given a deity credit for. I was once sat under a tree watching a game of amateur cricket. From the tree fell the largest pinecone I'd ever seen and to probably ever exist in the history of the world. The kind of pinecone that if it were to land on a head, would crush it like a hammer on a watermelon. This pinecone got so close to my head I heard it woosh past my ear. Death by pinecone avoided, but was it a god that saved me? I walk the same route every weekday as I take my son to school. Not too long ago, on a surprisingly warm morning in September, my brisk walk was brought to a sudden halt as a heavy droplets pummeled the pavement just a few feet in front of me. Bam, bam, bam, bam, bam, they hit. I checked myself. I checked my son. No bird shit had hit us. We were safe. Was this a god? Years ago I was brushing my teeth. This wasn't anything out of the ordinary, but what happened mid-way through was quite unbelievable. Brushing away, like I always do, I got a bit carried away. The brush zooming in and out too fast to be able to fully control, it launched out of my grasp and into the air. Where was it to land? That's right... on my head! It just sat there, perfectly balanced. The work of a god? As I said, I don't believe in a god, but you must agree that these incredible moments really are hard to rationally explain. Anyway. Welcome to VG247's The Best Games Ever Podcast: Ep.22 - The best game about gods that isn't God of War. Please do let us know what you think of the show – and if this is your first time listening, do go back to listen to the previous episodes. If you’ve got suggestions for topics, we’d love to hear them. 22 episodes in and let's just say the ideas aren't coming thick and fast. Jim is soon likely to suggest something like, "Best game a cat would look at and do a meow" and I wouldn't immediately dismiss it. “What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask while pondering if you could deliberately throw a toothbrush up and have it land on your head. Anyway, this podcast, which is why you're on this page, is essentially a 30-minute panel show where people (me and some others on VG247) decide on the best game in a specific category. That's it. It's good. Listen to it. We’ve got some details on the show’s content below (if you want to get a refresher before heading to the comments to make a wonderful, considered post or don’t want to listen but do want to know what games we picked), so if you want to avoid spoilers, don’t scroll past this warning. W A R N I N G The best game about gods that isn't God of War This is the topic of Episode twenty-two of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Here’s a rundown of who picked what. Tom - Immortals Fenyx Rising Enough with the "oh, it's a Breath of the Wild clone" talk. Immortals Fenyx Rising is a great, fun adventure game that mixes elements of the open-world design of Breath of the Wild with God of War/action game-ish combat. It doesn't take itself too seriously, it looks great, has a load of interesting stuff to do, and deserves to be remembered more fondly than it is. It also features lots of gods. Alex – Black & White Right, listen. This is definitely Alex talking (Brummies!). Don't listen to anyone that tells you Black & White isn't a classic. It's a god game where the whole concept is about believing a god into existence. It's not watching some AI wander around a house and use a microwave. This absolutely deserves to win. Up the Birmingham FC! Kelsey - The Sims 4 The Sims 4 is a god game, despite what Tom may think. You, the player, are an omnipotent being who gets to determine whether your Sims live out happily ever after, or merely become a Peeping Tom. Better yet, if someone isn't co-operating, you can also find some creative ways of making your Sims miserable, or worse, in receipt of a visit from the Grim Reaper. Come back in a week for another episode of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 21 Oct 2022 11:30:00 -0000 The best game about gods that isn't God of War full 22 VG247 I don't believe in any god. I don't think that's a particularly unusual point of view in 2022, at least in some parts of the world, but if I did there are certainly some moments that stick with me as things I'd have potentially given a deity credit... I don't believe in any god. I don't think that's a particularly unusual point of view in 2022, at least in some parts of the world, but if I did there are certainly some moments that stick with me as things I'd have potentially given a deity credit for. I was once sat under a tree watching a game of amateur cricket. From the tree fell the largest pinecone I'd ever seen and to probably ever exist in the history of the world. The kind of pinecone that if it were to land on a head, would crush it like a hammer on a watermelon. This pinecone got so close to my head I heard it woosh past my ear. Death by pinecone avoided, but was it a god that saved me? I walk the same route every weekday as I take my son to school. Not too long ago, on a surprisingly warm morning in September, my brisk walk was brought to a sudden halt as a heavy droplets pummeled the pavement just a few feet in front of me. Bam, bam, bam, bam, bam, they hit. I checked myself. I checked my son. No bird shit had hit us. We were safe. Was this a god? Years ago I was brushing my teeth. This wasn't anything out of the ordinary, but what happened mid-way through was quite unbelievable. Brushing away, like I always do, I got a bit carried away. The brush zooming in and out too fast to be able to fully control, it launched out of my grasp and into the air. Where was it to land? That's right... on my head! It just sat there, perfectly balanced. The work of a god? As I said, I don't believe in a god, but you must agree that these incredible moments really are hard to rationally explain. Anyway. Welcome to VG247's The Best Games Ever Podcast: Ep.22 - The best game about gods that isn't God of War. Please do let us know what you think of the show – and if this is your first time listening, do go back to listen to the previous episodes. If you’ve got suggestions for topics, we’d love to hear them. 22 episodes in and let's just say the ideas aren't coming thick and fast. Jim is soon likely to suggest something like, "Best game a cat would look at and do a meow" and I wouldn't immediately dismiss it. “What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask while pondering if you could deliberately throw a toothbrush up and have it land on your head. Anyway, this podcast, which is why you're on this page, is essentially a 30-minute panel show where people (me and some others on VG247) decide on the best game in a specific category. That's it. It's good. Listen to it. We’ve got some details on the show’s content below (if you want to get a refresher before heading to the comments to make a wonderful, considered post or don’t want to listen but do want to know what games we picked), so if you want to avoid spoilers, don’t scroll past this warning. W A R N I N G The best game about gods that isn't God of War This is the topic of Episode twenty-two of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Here’s a rundown of who picked what. Tom - Immortals Fenyx Rising Enough with the "oh, it's a Breath of the Wild clone" talk. Immortals Fenyx Rising is a great, fun adventure game that mixes elements of the open-world design of Breath of the Wild with God of War/action game-ish combat. It doesn't take itself too seriously, it looks great, has a load of interesting stuff to do, and deserves to be remembered more fondly than it is. It also features lots of gods. Alex – Black & White Right, listen. This is definitely Alex talking (Brummies!). Don't listen to anyone that tells you Black & White isn't a classic. It's a god game where the whole concept is about believing a god into existence. It's not watching some AI wander around a house and use a microwave. This absolutely deserves to win. Up the Birmingham FC! Kelsey - The Sims 4 The Sims 4 is a god game, despite what Tom may think. You, the player, are an omnipotent being who gets to determine whether your Sims live out happily ever after, or merely become a Peeping Tom. Better yet, if someone isn't co-operating, you can also find some creative ways of making your Sims miserable, or worse, in receipt of a visit from the Grim Reaper. Come back in a week for another episode of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices I don't believe in any god. I don't think that's a particularly unusual point of view in 2022, at least in some parts of the world, but if I did there are certainly some moments that stick with me as things I'd have potentially given a deity credit for.

I was once sat under a tree watching a game of amateur cricket. From the tree fell the largest pinecone I'd ever seen and to probably ever exist in the history of the world. The kind of pinecone that if it were to land on a head, would crush it like a hammer on a watermelon. This pinecone got so close to my head I heard it woosh past my ear. Death by pinecone avoided, but was it a god that saved me?

I walk the same route every weekday as I take my son to school. Not too long ago, on a surprisingly warm morning in September, my brisk walk was brought to a sudden halt as a heavy droplets pummeled the pavement just a few feet in front of me. Bam, bam, bam, bam, bam, they hit. I checked myself. I checked my son. No bird shit had hit us. We were safe. Was this a god?

Years ago I was brushing my teeth. This wasn't anything out of the ordinary, but what happened mid-way through was quite unbelievable. Brushing away, like I always do, I got a bit carried away. The brush zooming in and out too fast to be able to fully control, it launched out of my grasp and into the air. Where was it to land? That's right... on my head! It just sat there, perfectly balanced. The work of a god?

As I said, I don't believe in a god, but you must agree that these incredible moments really are hard to rationally explain. Anyway. Welcome to VG247's The Best Games Ever Podcast: Ep.22 - The best game about gods that isn't God of War.

Please do let us know what you think of the show – and if this is your first time listening, do go back to listen to the previous episodes. If you’ve got suggestions for topics, we’d love to hear them. 22 episodes in and let's just say the ideas aren't coming thick and fast. Jim is soon likely to suggest something like, "Best game a cat would look at and do a meow" and I wouldn't immediately dismiss it.

“What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask while pondering if you could deliberately throw a toothbrush up and have it land on your head. Anyway, this podcast, which is why you're on this page, is essentially a 30-minute panel show where people (me and some others on VG247) decide on the best game in a specific category. That's it. It's good. Listen to it.

We’ve got some details on the show’s content below (if you want to get a refresher before heading to the comments to make a wonderful, considered post or don’t want to listen but do want to know what games we picked), so if you want to avoid spoilers, don’t scroll past this warning.

W

A

R

N

I

N

G

The best game about gods that isn't God of War

This is the topic of Episode twenty-two of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Here’s a rundown of who picked what.

Tom - Immortals Fenyx Rising

Enough with the "oh, it's a Breath of the Wild clone" talk. Immortals Fenyx Rising is a great, fun adventure game that mixes elements of the open-world design of Breath of the Wild with God of War/action game-ish combat. It doesn't take itself too seriously, it looks great, has a load of interesting stuff to do, and deserves to be remembered more fondly than it is. It also features lots of gods.

Alex – Black & White

Right, listen. This is definitely Alex talking (Brummies!). Don't listen to anyone that tells you Black & White isn't a classic. It's a god game where the whole concept is about believing a god into existence. It's not watching some AI wander around a house and use a microwave. This absolutely deserves to win. Up the Birmingham FC!

Kelsey - The Sims 4

The Sims 4 is a god game, despite what Tom may think. You, the player, are an omnipotent being who gets to determine whether your Sims live out happily ever after, or merely become a Peeping Tom. Better yet, if someone isn't co-operating, you can also find some creative ways of making your Sims miserable, or worse, in receipt of a visit from the Grim Reaper.

Come back in a week for another episode of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 1899 no Episode 21: The best dead game you'd buy a console for if it came back https://the-vg247-podcast.libsyn.com/episode-21-the-best-dead-game-youd-buy-a-console-for-if-it-came-back The PlayStation 3 was a strange thing. The console, arriving late to the party that the Xbox 360 kicked off quite brilliantly, was a big deal. Certainly, in Sony-owned countries like the UK, it seemed everyone was waiting for it. It didn't really matter that the launch line-up was a bit naff, that the console itself looked hideous, or that it was ridiculously expensive. The follow-up to perhaps the greatest console of all time, the PS2, was a huge deal. But what exactly were people desperate to play on their new PS3? I was at the March 2006 UK launch, somewhere in London, probably in a store that no longer exists and is now a Greggs. While there we interviewed the now Stadia-failer Phil Harrison – who is essentially a giant. I'd never spoken to a man so intimidatingly large before. Phil, as big a deal as he was in his PlayStation days (lots of ducks, etc) was not my highlight of the evening. Oh no. It was the public. More specifically, the actual batshit reasons some of them were buying a new PS3 a billion pounds. One person, a young man with a pencil-thin moustache, quite enthusiastically told me: "Sonic." This took me by great surprise, so much so that I almost laughed for the first time since BBC2 comedy show "Fist of Fun" aired in 1995. But I digress. This person was queueing for hours in order to spend £425 (plus the price of the game) to play a utterly terrible Sonic game, which everyone knew was terrible as it had been released on the Xbox 360 the previous year. A lot of people in the queue couldn't even name a single game they were buying, simply saying something about Blu-ray and FIFA – although the first FIFA on PS3 was some six months away from releasing. No bother. Ridge Racer 7 was right there, at launch. But no, of course no one mentioned it. However, of all the reasons I was told as to why people were buying a PS3 at launch, one took the crown as the most bizarre, nonsensical bit of accounting I'd ever heard. "Yeah, I worked out that I can save the money I was going to spend on a laptop by just buying a PS3," a man told me. "I'll do all my work on the PS3. Just need to plug in a keyboard. Got a printer ready to go," he added. I nodded politely and walked away. To my knowledge, no wordprocessor of any form was released for the PS3 (not unless you got Linux installed on it). I hope you installed Linux and worked your little heart off, man. I really do. Anyway. Welcome to VG247's The Best Games Ever Podcast: Ep.21 - The best dead game you'd buy a console for if it came back. Please do let us know what you think of the show – and if this is your first time listening, do go back to listen to the previous episodes. If you’ve got suggestions for topics, we’d love to hear them. To be clear, here, no one has sent in a single suggestion. I'm starting to think no one reads this. Which is rather sad. “What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask while pondering just how awful the PS3 launch line-up was and how the whole thing was saved by it being a blu-ray machine. Anyway, this podcast, which is why you're on this page, is essentially a 30-minute panel show where people (me and some others on VG247) decide on the best game in a specific category. That's it. It's good. Listen to it. We’ve got some details on the show’s content below (if you want to get a refresher before heading to the comments to make a wonderful, considered post or don’t want to listen but do want to know what games we picked), so if you want to avoid spoilers, don’t scroll past this warning. W A R N I N G The best game dead game you'd buy a console for if it came back This is the topic of Episode twenty-one of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Here’s a rundown of who picked what. Tom - Ridge Racer Is there another game series that screams launch title more than Ridge Racer? It was not only a launch game for the original PlayStation; it was THE launch game for the original PlayStation. It proved what that console could do and sold an entire generation on the new console in a market that had been dominated by SEGA and Nintendo. Alex – Time Crisis I've picked Time Crisis, but I have to level with you: this pick is really all about a whole genre, which is home ports of light gun arcade shooters. These things have been around since the days of the NES and Duck Hunt, and entered a sort of heyday during the PS1 and PS2 eras, but then in the PS3 era it seemed to die out. For my money, it also died out through no fault of its own. Light gun games were the victim of a range of circumstances. For a start, they're incompatible with modern LCD and LED flat-screen displays without a whole truck-load of cumbersome sensors - which is how Time Crisis 4 shipped on PS3. I'd also wager that the genre suffered as a result of the great Guitar Hero crash - that is, the period when, after years of plastic guitars, drums, fitness boards, skateboards, and even Wii Remote enclosures in the shape of guns to play crappy-feeling pointer-based shooters, people just got bored of buying plastic tat. All of that stuff went down the pan, and took Light Guns down with it. But the time is now for their return. A technical solution has been created for the hardware incompatibility problem, and there are many thirty-somethings with huge light gun nostalgia. I'd buy any machine that managed to get a new Time Crisis, Point Blank, Virtua Cop, or even just remasters of the classic games. I'd pay a king's random. Connor – Def Jam Look, let's not mess around here. Def Jam was only really good once. However, it was damn good with Def jam: Fight for NY. It was the full package, a wild idea pulled off perfectly. Sure it's a bit dated but it's old as heck, man. That's why if they made a new one, with a new cast of modern artists, updated gameplay, and the same slick style I'd buy a whole new console quicker than you could throw Snoop Dogg out of a three story window. I'd even buy a Nintendo Console. Makes it even worse, more so than the other good suggestions, is that every now and again some guy on the official Def Jam Twitter account will post something like "Hey, where would you like the next Def Jam game to be set, Chicago or Philly?" They've done this like 10 times now. It's gone from raising hype to rubbing it in our faces. Make a new one, please. Come back in a week for another episode of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 14 Oct 2022 11:17:00 -0000 The best dead game you'd buy a console for if it came back full 21 VG247 The PlayStation 3 was a strange thing. The console, arriving late to the party that the Xbox 360 kicked off quite brilliantly, was a big deal. Certainly, in Sony-owned countries like the UK, it seemed everyone was waiting for it. It didn't really... The PlayStation 3 was a strange thing. The console, arriving late to the party that the Xbox 360 kicked off quite brilliantly, was a big deal. Certainly, in Sony-owned countries like the UK, it seemed everyone was waiting for it. It didn't really matter that the launch line-up was a bit naff, that the console itself looked hideous, or that it was ridiculously expensive. The follow-up to perhaps the greatest console of all time, the PS2, was a huge deal. But what exactly were people desperate to play on their new PS3? I was at the March 2006 UK launch, somewhere in London, probably in a store that no longer exists and is now a Greggs. While there we interviewed the now Stadia-failer Phil Harrison – who is essentially a giant. I'd never spoken to a man so intimidatingly large before. Phil, as big a deal as he was in his PlayStation days (lots of ducks, etc) was not my highlight of the evening. Oh no. It was the public. More specifically, the actual batshit reasons some of them were buying a new PS3 a billion pounds. One person, a young man with a pencil-thin moustache, quite enthusiastically told me: "Sonic." This took me by great surprise, so much so that I almost laughed for the first time since BBC2 comedy show "Fist of Fun" aired in 1995. But I digress. This person was queueing for hours in order to spend £425 (plus the price of the game) to play a utterly terrible Sonic game, which everyone knew was terrible as it had been released on the Xbox 360 the previous year. A lot of people in the queue couldn't even name a single game they were buying, simply saying something about Blu-ray and FIFA – although the first FIFA on PS3 was some six months away from releasing. No bother. Ridge Racer 7 was right there, at launch. But no, of course no one mentioned it. However, of all the reasons I was told as to why people were buying a PS3 at launch, one took the crown as the most bizarre, nonsensical bit of accounting I'd ever heard. "Yeah, I worked out that I can save the money I was going to spend on a laptop by just buying a PS3," a man told me. "I'll do all my work on the PS3. Just need to plug in a keyboard. Got a printer ready to go," he added. I nodded politely and walked away. To my knowledge, no wordprocessor of any form was released for the PS3 (not unless you got Linux installed on it). I hope you installed Linux and worked your little heart off, man. I really do. Anyway. Welcome to VG247's The Best Games Ever Podcast: Ep.21 - The best dead game you'd buy a console for if it came back. Please do let us know what you think of the show – and if this is your first time listening, do go back to listen to the previous episodes. If you’ve got suggestions for topics, we’d love to hear them. To be clear, here, no one has sent in a single suggestion. I'm starting to think no one reads this. Which is rather sad. “What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask while pondering just how awful the PS3 launch line-up was and how the whole thing was saved by it being a blu-ray machine. Anyway, this podcast, which is why you're on this page, is essentially a 30-minute panel show where people (me and some others on VG247) decide on the best game in a specific category. That's it. It's good. Listen to it. We’ve got some details on the show’s content below (if you want to get a refresher before heading to the comments to make a wonderful, considered post or don’t want to listen but do want to know what games we picked), so if you want to avoid spoilers, don’t scroll past this warning. W A R N I N G The best game dead game you'd buy a console for if it came back This is the topic of Episode twenty-one of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Here’s a rundown of who picked what. Tom - Ridge Racer Is there another game series that screams launch title more than Ridge Racer? It was not only a launch game for the original PlayStation; it was THE launch game for the original PlayStation. It proved what that console could do and sold an entire generation on the new console in a market that had been dominated by SEGA and Nintendo. Alex – Time Crisis I've picked Time Crisis, but I have to level with you: this pick is really all about a whole genre, which is home ports of light gun arcade shooters. These things have been around since the days of the NES and Duck Hunt, and entered a sort of heyday during the PS1 and PS2 eras, but then in the PS3 era it seemed to die out. For my money, it also died out through no fault of its own. Light gun games were the victim of a range of circumstances. For a start, they're incompatible with modern LCD and LED flat-screen displays without a whole truck-load of cumbersome sensors - which is how Time Crisis 4 shipped on PS3. I'd also wager that the genre suffered as a result of the great Guitar Hero crash - that is, the period when, after years of plastic guitars, drums, fitness boards, skateboards, and even Wii Remote enclosures in the shape of guns to play crappy-feeling pointer-based shooters, people just got bored of buying plastic tat. All of that stuff went down the pan, and took Light Guns down with it. But the time is now for their return. A technical solution has been created for the hardware incompatibility problem, and there are many thirty-somethings with huge light gun nostalgia. I'd buy any machine that managed to get a new Time Crisis, Point Blank, Virtua Cop, or even just remasters of the classic games. I'd pay a king's random. Connor – Def Jam Look, let's not mess around here. Def Jam was only really good once. However, it was damn good with Def jam: Fight for NY. It was the full package, a wild idea pulled off perfectly. Sure it's a bit dated but it's old as heck, man. That's why if they made a new one, with a new cast of modern artists, updated gameplay, and the same slick style I'd buy a whole new console quicker than you could throw Snoop Dogg out of a three story window. I'd even buy a Nintendo Console. Makes it even worse, more so than the other good suggestions, is that every now and again some guy on the official Def Jam Twitter account will post something like "Hey, where would you like the next Def Jam game to be set, Chicago or Philly?" They've done this like 10 times now. It's gone from raising hype to rubbing it in our faces. Make a new one, please. Come back in a week for another episode of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices The PlayStation 3 was a strange thing. The console, arriving late to the party that the Xbox 360 kicked off quite brilliantly, was a big deal. Certainly, in Sony-owned countries like the UK, it seemed everyone was waiting for it. It didn't really matter that the launch line-up was a bit naff, that the console itself looked hideous, or that it was ridiculously expensive. The follow-up to perhaps the greatest console of all time, the PS2, was a huge deal.

But what exactly were people desperate to play on their new PS3? I was at the March 2006 UK launch, somewhere in London, probably in a store that no longer exists and is now a Greggs. While there we interviewed the now Stadia-failer Phil Harrison – who is essentially a giant. I'd never spoken to a man so intimidatingly large before. Phil, as big a deal as he was in his PlayStation days (lots of ducks, etc) was not my highlight of the evening. Oh no. It was the public. More specifically, the actual batshit reasons some of them were buying a new PS3 a billion pounds.

One person, a young man with a pencil-thin moustache, quite enthusiastically told me: "Sonic." This took me by great surprise, so much so that I almost laughed for the first time since BBC2 comedy show "Fist of Fun" aired in 1995. But I digress. This person was queueing for hours in order to spend £425 (plus the price of the game) to play a utterly terrible Sonic game, which everyone knew was terrible as it had been released on the Xbox 360 the previous year.

A lot of people in the queue couldn't even name a single game they were buying, simply saying something about Blu-ray and FIFA – although the first FIFA on PS3 was some six months away from releasing. No bother.

Ridge Racer 7 was right there, at launch. But no, of course no one mentioned it. However, of all the reasons I was told as to why people were buying a PS3 at launch, one took the crown as the most bizarre, nonsensical bit of accounting I'd ever heard.

"Yeah, I worked out that I can save the money I was going to spend on a laptop by just buying a PS3," a man told me. "I'll do all my work on the PS3. Just need to plug in a keyboard. Got a printer ready to go," he added. I nodded politely and walked away.

To my knowledge, no wordprocessor of any form was released for the PS3 (not unless you got Linux installed on it). I hope you installed Linux and worked your little heart off, man. I really do.

Anyway. Welcome to VG247's The Best Games Ever Podcast: Ep.21 - The best dead game you'd buy a console for if it came back.

Please do let us know what you think of the show – and if this is your first time listening, do go back to listen to the previous episodes. If you’ve got suggestions for topics, we’d love to hear them. To be clear, here, no one has sent in a single suggestion. I'm starting to think no one reads this. Which is rather sad.

“What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask while pondering just how awful the PS3 launch line-up was and how the whole thing was saved by it being a blu-ray machine. Anyway, this podcast, which is why you're on this page, is essentially a 30-minute panel show where people (me and some others on VG247) decide on the best game in a specific category. That's it. It's good. Listen to it.

We’ve got some details on the show’s content below (if you want to get a refresher before heading to the comments to make a wonderful, considered post or don’t want to listen but do want to know what games we picked), so if you want to avoid spoilers, don’t scroll past this warning.

W

A

R

N

I

N

G

The best game dead game you'd buy a console for if it came back

This is the topic of Episode twenty-one of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Here’s a rundown of who picked what.

Tom - Ridge Racer

Is there another game series that screams launch title more than Ridge Racer? It was not only a launch game for the original PlayStation; it was THE launch game for the original PlayStation. It proved what that console could do and sold an entire generation on the new console in a market that had been dominated by SEGA and Nintendo.

Alex – Time Crisis

I've picked Time Crisis, but I have to level with you: this pick is really all about a whole genre, which is home ports of light gun arcade shooters. These things have been around since the days of the NES and Duck Hunt, and entered a sort of heyday during the PS1 and PS2 eras, but then in the PS3 era it seemed to die out. For my money, it also died out through no fault of its own.

Light gun games were the victim of a range of circumstances. For a start, they're incompatible with modern LCD and LED flat-screen displays without a whole truck-load of cumbersome sensors - which is how Time Crisis 4 shipped on PS3. I'd also wager that the genre suffered as a result of the great Guitar Hero crash - that is, the period when, after years of plastic guitars, drums, fitness boards, skateboards, and even Wii Remote enclosures in the shape of guns to play crappy-feeling pointer-based shooters, people just got bored of buying plastic tat. All of that stuff went down the pan, and took Light Guns down with it.

But the time is now for their return. A technical solution has been created for the hardware incompatibility problem, and there are many thirty-somethings with huge light gun nostalgia. I'd buy any machine that managed to get a new Time Crisis, Point Blank, Virtua Cop, or even just remasters of the classic games. I'd pay a king's random.

Connor – Def Jam

Look, let's not mess around here. Def Jam was only really good once. However, it was damn good with Def jam: Fight for NY. It was the full package, a wild idea pulled off perfectly. Sure it's a bit dated but it's old as heck, man. That's why if they made a new one, with a new cast of modern artists, updated gameplay, and the same slick style I'd buy a whole new console quicker than you could throw Snoop Dogg out of a three story window. I'd even buy a Nintendo Console.

Makes it even worse, more so than the other good suggestions, is that every now and again some guy on the official Def Jam Twitter account will post something like "Hey, where would you like the next Def Jam game to be set, Chicago or Philly?" They've done this like 10 times now. It's gone from raising hype to rubbing it in our faces. Make a new one, please.

Come back in a week for another episode of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 2221 no Episode 20: The best game you played on your phone https://the-vg247-podcast.libsyn.com/episode-20-the-best-game-you-played-on-your-phone Do you ever think about the time before mobile phones? The era of calling your the landline in your mate's house, only for their mum to answer. "Can I talk to Jimmy, please?" "Is that Tom? OK, I'll get Jimmy." "... JIMMY! JIMMY! TOM IS ON THE PHONE." "Hello." "Hello. Do you want to come round my house?" "... MUM! CAN I GO ROUND TOM'S HOUSE?" "... ARE YOU HAVING TEA THERE?" "Mum says am I having tea there?" "... MUM, CAN JIMMY HAVE TEA HERE?" "... YES." "Yes." "OK." "OK." "Bye." We had such wonderful conversations on phones, before everything became texts and WhatsApp messages. My granddad didn't even talk to his friends using a landline. He used a CB radio. "Mike, this is Tom. Over (note: everyone in my family is called Tom!)" "Mike, this is Tom. Over." "Tom, this is Mike. Over." "Hello, Mike. Over." "Did you watch the football? Over." "Yes. Over." "Ian Rush is a C**T! Over." "C**T! Over" My granddad had such wonderful conversations on his CB radio, before everything became texts and WhatsApp messages. His mind would have blown had he realised what future lay ahead for phones. Anyway. Welcome to VG247's The Best Games Ever Podcast: Ep.20 - The best game you played on your phone. Please do let us know what you think of the show – and if this is your first time listening, do go back to listen to the previous episodes. If you’ve got suggestions for topics, we’d love to hear them. If you're a Billcliffe fan (I've heard there are some), he'll be back on soon, so stop messaging me about him. “What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask while wondering how I remembered, verbatim, those conversations from 30 years ago. I'll level with you. Those conversations came out of my brain about five minutes ago. But they are accurate in tone, feel, and language. Anyway, this podcast, which is why you're on this page, is essentially a 30-minute panel show where people (me and some others on VG247) decide on the best game in a specific category. That's it. It's good. Listen to it. We’ve got some details on the show’s content below (if you want to get a refresher before heading to the comments to make a wonderful, considered post or don’t want to listen but do want to know what games we picked), so if you want to avoid spoilers, don’t scroll past this warning. W A R N I N G The best game you played on your phone This is the topic of Episode twenty of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Here’s a rundown of who picked what. Tom - New Star Soccer Before mobile phone games became all fancy pants, New Star Soccer blazed the way with simple, but perfect touchscreen gameplay, tidy management simulation mechanics, and that hard to pin-down moreishness. It was simply brilliant, and the game I've put more hours into on a phone than any other. Alex – Retro Bowl Retro Bowl is an astonishingly good game, a great expression of what made the classic 8-bit arcade-era sports games great, compressed down to a mobile game that ultimately feels surprisingly deep despite its simple presentation and budget price. I'd heartily recommend it to anyone - fan of American Football or not. But better still, honestly, is my personal connection to this game, where it was directly responsible for keeping me sane during an enormously stressful 48 hours. It's brilliant, but if keeping your head screwed on while you're trapped away from home as the world crumbles around you isn't a great demonstration of mobile gaming, I don't know what is. Connor – Pokemon Go I know it was the obvious pick, but Pokemon Go stood out to me as the best phone game I've ever played, and the only one that actually got me out and, well, mobile. As opposed to sitting away at home tapping away. It really was in its early days an explosive entity in the gaming space. Everyone was playing — everyone! You, me, your work mates, your boss, my boss (probably). Everyone has their own stories of seeing crowds of people walking around, face in phones, searching for pokemon. In those early days, before Niantic figured out people were walking Looney Toons style into pits and across construction sites, there was a real wild energy about the bloody thing. Factional rivalries were real: not online weak sauce cosmetic beef, I'm talking the real deal! You could see those suckers on the other team, you could spot them walk up and claim a spot, and you could stair them down as you took it back. Glorious, social gaming. The mobile platform at its best. Come back in a week for another episode of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 07 Oct 2022 10:23:22 -0000 The best game you played on your phone full 20 VG247 Do you ever think about the time before mobile phones? The era of calling your the landline in your mate's house, only for their mum to answer. "Can I talk to Jimmy, please?" "Is that Tom? OK, I'll get Jimmy." "... JIMMY! JIMMY! TOM IS ON THE PHONE."... Do you ever think about the time before mobile phones? The era of calling your the landline in your mate's house, only for their mum to answer. "Can I talk to Jimmy, please?" "Is that Tom? OK, I'll get Jimmy." "... JIMMY! JIMMY! TOM IS ON THE PHONE." "Hello." "Hello. Do you want to come round my house?" "... MUM! CAN I GO ROUND TOM'S HOUSE?" "... ARE YOU HAVING TEA THERE?" "Mum says am I having tea there?" "... MUM, CAN JIMMY HAVE TEA HERE?" "... YES." "Yes." "OK." "OK." "Bye." We had such wonderful conversations on phones, before everything became texts and WhatsApp messages. My granddad didn't even talk to his friends using a landline. He used a CB radio. "Mike, this is Tom. Over (note: everyone in my family is called Tom!)" "Mike, this is Tom. Over." "Tom, this is Mike. Over." "Hello, Mike. Over." "Did you watch the football? Over." "Yes. Over." "Ian Rush is a C**T! Over." "C**T! Over" My granddad had such wonderful conversations on his CB radio, before everything became texts and WhatsApp messages. His mind would have blown had he realised what future lay ahead for phones. Anyway. Welcome to VG247's The Best Games Ever Podcast: Ep.20 - The best game you played on your phone. Please do let us know what you think of the show – and if this is your first time listening, do go back to listen to the previous episodes. If you’ve got suggestions for topics, we’d love to hear them. If you're a Billcliffe fan (I've heard there are some), he'll be back on soon, so stop messaging me about him. “What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask while wondering how I remembered, verbatim, those conversations from 30 years ago. I'll level with you. Those conversations came out of my brain about five minutes ago. But they are accurate in tone, feel, and language. Anyway, this podcast, which is why you're on this page, is essentially a 30-minute panel show where people (me and some others on VG247) decide on the best game in a specific category. That's it. It's good. Listen to it. We’ve got some details on the show’s content below (if you want to get a refresher before heading to the comments to make a wonderful, considered post or don’t want to listen but do want to know what games we picked), so if you want to avoid spoilers, don’t scroll past this warning. W A R N I N G The best game you played on your phone This is the topic of Episode twenty of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Here’s a rundown of who picked what. Tom - New Star Soccer Before mobile phone games became all fancy pants, New Star Soccer blazed the way with simple, but perfect touchscreen gameplay, tidy management simulation mechanics, and that hard to pin-down moreishness. It was simply brilliant, and the game I've put more hours into on a phone than any other. Alex – Retro Bowl Retro Bowl is an astonishingly good game, a great expression of what made the classic 8-bit arcade-era sports games great, compressed down to a mobile game that ultimately feels surprisingly deep despite its simple presentation and budget price. I'd heartily recommend it to anyone - fan of American Football or not. But better still, honestly, is my personal connection to this game, where it was directly responsible for keeping me sane during an enormously stressful 48 hours. It's brilliant, but if keeping your head screwed on while you're trapped away from home as the world crumbles around you isn't a great demonstration of mobile gaming, I don't know what is. Connor – Pokemon Go I know it was the obvious pick, but Pokemon Go stood out to me as the best phone game I've ever played, and the only one that actually got me out and, well, mobile. As opposed to sitting away at home tapping away. It really was in its early days an explosive entity in the gaming space. Everyone was playing — everyone! You, me, your work mates, your boss, my boss (probably). Everyone has their own stories of seeing crowds of people walking around, face in phones, searching for pokemon. In those early days, before Niantic figured out people were walking Looney Toons style into pits and across construction sites, there was a real wild energy about the bloody thing. Factional rivalries were real: not online weak sauce cosmetic beef, I'm talking the real deal! You could see those suckers on the other team, you could spot them walk up and claim a spot, and you could stair them down as you took it back. Glorious, social gaming. The mobile platform at its best. Come back in a week for another episode of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Do you ever think about the time before mobile phones? The era of calling your the landline in your mate's house, only for their mum to answer.

"Can I talk to Jimmy, please?" "Is that Tom? OK, I'll get Jimmy." "... JIMMY! JIMMY! TOM IS ON THE PHONE." "Hello." "Hello. Do you want to come round my house?" "... MUM! CAN I GO ROUND TOM'S HOUSE?" "... ARE YOU HAVING TEA THERE?" "Mum says am I having tea there?" "... MUM, CAN JIMMY HAVE TEA HERE?" "... YES." "Yes." "OK." "OK." "Bye."

We had such wonderful conversations on phones, before everything became texts and WhatsApp messages.

My granddad didn't even talk to his friends using a landline. He used a CB radio.

"Mike, this is Tom. Over (note: everyone in my family is called Tom!)" "Mike, this is Tom. Over." "Tom, this is Mike. Over." "Hello, Mike. Over." "Did you watch the football? Over." "Yes. Over." "Ian Rush is a C**T! Over." "C**T! Over"

My granddad had such wonderful conversations on his CB radio, before everything became texts and WhatsApp messages. His mind would have blown had he realised what future lay ahead for phones.

Anyway. Welcome to VG247's The Best Games Ever Podcast: Ep.20 - The best game you played on your phone.

Please do let us know what you think of the show – and if this is your first time listening, do go back to listen to the previous episodes. If you’ve got suggestions for topics, we’d love to hear them. If you're a Billcliffe fan (I've heard there are some), he'll be back on soon, so stop messaging me about him.

“What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask while wondering how I remembered, verbatim, those conversations from 30 years ago. I'll level with you. Those conversations came out of my brain about five minutes ago. But they are accurate in tone, feel, and language. Anyway, this podcast, which is why you're on this page, is essentially a 30-minute panel show where people (me and some others on VG247) decide on the best game in a specific category. That's it. It's good. Listen to it.

We’ve got some details on the show’s content below (if you want to get a refresher before heading to the comments to make a wonderful, considered post or don’t want to listen but do want to know what games we picked), so if you want to avoid spoilers, don’t scroll past this warning.

W

A

R

N

I

N

G

The best game you played on your phone This is the topic of Episode twenty of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Here’s a rundown of who picked what.

Tom - New Star Soccer

Before mobile phone games became all fancy pants, New Star Soccer blazed the way with simple, but perfect touchscreen gameplay, tidy management simulation mechanics, and that hard to pin-down moreishness. It was simply brilliant, and the game I've put more hours into on a phone than any other.

Alex – Retro Bowl

Retro Bowl is an astonishingly good game, a great expression of what made the classic 8-bit arcade-era sports games great, compressed down to a mobile game that ultimately feels surprisingly deep despite its simple presentation and budget price. I'd heartily recommend it to anyone - fan of American Football or not.

But better still, honestly, is my personal connection to this game, where it was directly responsible for keeping me sane during an enormously stressful 48 hours. It's brilliant, but if keeping your head screwed on while you're trapped away from home as the world crumbles around you isn't a great demonstration of mobile gaming, I don't know what is.

Connor – Pokemon Go

I know it was the obvious pick, but Pokemon Go stood out to me as the best phone game I've ever played, and the only one that actually got me out and, well, mobile. As opposed to sitting away at home tapping away. It really was in its early days an explosive entity in the gaming space. Everyone was playing — everyone! You, me, your work mates, your boss, my boss (probably).

Everyone has their own stories of seeing crowds of people walking around, face in phones, searching for pokemon. In those early days, before Niantic figured out people were walking Looney Toons style into pits and across construction sites, there was a real wild energy about the bloody thing.

Factional rivalries were real: not online weak sauce cosmetic beef, I'm talking the real deal! You could see those suckers on the other team, you could spot them walk up and claim a spot, and you could stair them down as you took it back. Glorious, social gaming. The mobile platform at its best.

Come back in a week for another episode of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 2009 no Episode 19: The best game with an acronised name like 'FIFA' that isn't FIFA https://the-vg247-podcast.libsyn.com/episode-19-the-best-game-with-an-acronised-name-like-fifa-that-isnt-fifa It’s Barking, 1978. We’re playing an away match against the Under 9 Tigers, and I’m in goal, being the team’s only goalkeeper, and despite my repeated request for new kneepads being consistently denied. “Ain’t got the funds, lad” was the constant refrain from the manager, Keith, ever clad in his suede coat, gold chains, and cashmere polo neck: the standard uniform at the time of people who had large status in small towns. Last minute penalties. Unprotected joints. A striker four years my senior, having been kept back several years in school on account of his behavioural issues. Why his academic progression was reflected by the local football league is and will remain a mystery, but you must accept it for the purposes of this narrative. The point is: he was three times my size, and his legs were pneumatic pistons that could boot my head clean off and barely notice. Mercifully, he booted the ball, rather than my skull, which was saved from his kinetic anger only by virtue of not being the object on the ground in front of him. The ball soared toward the back of the net, and would have punched a hole through the stand and into the dry cleaners across the main road outside, were it not for my left knee. My unprotected left knee. Which, as it happens, did not impede the ball’s journey into the net. We lost, naturally. The parents of my squad were furious at Keith for his reckless spendthriftery: for just 89 new pence, a brand new set of knee pads could have saved both my leg from breaking and our place in the junior league. “FIFA, you idiot, Keith!” they screamed. “FIFA doesn’t apply to amateurs, Terry!” screamed Keith back at them. “It’s a universal principle, Keith! Football in, football 'aht!” added Manky Paul, the groundsman, by way of explanation. “If yer don’t invest, you’ll never see a return!”. And he added: "You plonker!". “Piffle” said Keith, before an angry mob kicked his head in. And from that day to this, I’ve understood a fundamental principle of life: you only get out what you put in. Whether that’s funding, enthusiasm, or taking the time to leave little five star reviews of your favourite gaming podcasts so the people involved can continue producing this wonderful content. Welcome to VG247's The Best Games Ever Podcast: Ep.19 - The Best Game With An Acronised Name Like 'FIFA' That Isn't FIFA. “What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask while wondering if the intro story is what you think it is and if it really happened. Yes and yes. I don't recommend it. Anyway, this podcast, which is why you're on this page, is essentially a 30-minute panel show where people (me and some others on VG247) decide on the best game in a specific category. That's it. It's good. Listen to it. We’ve got some details on the show’s content below (if you want to get a refresher before heading to the comments to make a wonderful, considered post or don’t want to listen but do want to know what games we picked), so if you want to avoid spoilers, don’t scroll past this warning. W A R N I N G The Best Game With An Acronised Name Like 'FIFA' That Isn't FIFA This is the topic of Episode nineteen of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Here’s a rundown of who picked what. Alex - SSX Tricky Before we get into if we're morons for choosing games that have an acronym rather than an initialism, let's put that to one side for a moment and talk about which of these games are the best. It has to be SSX Tricky, right? Hailing from an era when it was just cooler to have an abbreviated name, SSX actually stands for Snowboard Supercross. As well as being a good game, it abbreviates 'cross' into X - which is even cooler. It is the obvious winner based on that alone - tack on the soundtrack and a generally killer feel-good attitude, and it's tough to argue against. James – DDR (Dance Dance Revolution) The ultimate party game, the ultimate arcade game, DDR is as much kinetic fun whether you're playing on a giant silver stage with credits on the line or a crinkly dance mat in front of the TV. With tons of classic pop songs and funky original numbers building out an awesome roster of tunes you just can't help but stomp along to, there's no better game for getting up, getting down, and moving all around (especially when there's booze in your body). With myriad entries over a 20 year history, Dance Dance Revolution is one of gaming's great underrated franchises; instantly recognisable and loved by all ages, casual and hardcore gamers alike. Sherif - F.E.A.R Dead or Alive Xtreme 2 is a game for perverts, but I had no idea I swear. I swear to god I didn't know. I, a pure 13 year old, thought I was buying a cheap fighting game. So what if it had bikinis on the front, how was I supposed to know it was softcore porn? The lads at the GameStation let me buy it, it's their fault when you think about it. If you like beach volleyball it's allegedly the focus of the game. You're meant to build up a friendship with a variety of women in order to improve your overall performance at seaside sports. You can also play tug of war and "butt battles" by the pool, but you can't even parry incoming ass blasts so what's the point, to be honest. You can, believe it or not, also do jet ski races. In fact, it was one of the major selling points for the game, according to revered DOA historians. It did have a casino though, which was fun, but the game was a totally different package than what I was expecting. In hindsight I probably should have thought of a thought-provoking genre-twisting game, but the moment I saw the podcast brief Dead or Alive Xtreme 2 was the only thing that came to mind. I am sorry.   Come back in a week for another episode of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 30 Sep 2022 12:55:31 -0000 The best game with an acronised name like 'FIFA' that isn't FIFA full 19 VG247 It’s Barking, 1978. We’re playing an away match against the Under 9 Tigers, and I’m in goal, being the team’s only goalkeeper, and despite my repeated request for new kneepads being consistently denied. “Ain’t got the funds, lad” was the... It’s Barking, 1978. We’re playing an away match against the Under 9 Tigers, and I’m in goal, being the team’s only goalkeeper, and despite my repeated request for new kneepads being consistently denied. “Ain’t got the funds, lad” was the constant refrain from the manager, Keith, ever clad in his suede coat, gold chains, and cashmere polo neck: the standard uniform at the time of people who had large status in small towns. Last minute penalties. Unprotected joints. A striker four years my senior, having been kept back several years in school on account of his behavioural issues. Why his academic progression was reflected by the local football league is and will remain a mystery, but you must accept it for the purposes of this narrative. The point is: he was three times my size, and his legs were pneumatic pistons that could boot my head clean off and barely notice. Mercifully, he booted the ball, rather than my skull, which was saved from his kinetic anger only by virtue of not being the object on the ground in front of him. The ball soared toward the back of the net, and would have punched a hole through the stand and into the dry cleaners across the main road outside, were it not for my left knee. My unprotected left knee. Which, as it happens, did not impede the ball’s journey into the net. We lost, naturally. The parents of my squad were furious at Keith for his reckless spendthriftery: for just 89 new pence, a brand new set of knee pads could have saved both my leg from breaking and our place in the junior league. “FIFA, you idiot, Keith!” they screamed. “FIFA doesn’t apply to amateurs, Terry!” screamed Keith back at them. “It’s a universal principle, Keith! Football in, football 'aht!” added Manky Paul, the groundsman, by way of explanation. “If yer don’t invest, you’ll never see a return!”. And he added: "You plonker!". “Piffle” said Keith, before an angry mob kicked his head in. And from that day to this, I’ve understood a fundamental principle of life: you only get out what you put in. Whether that’s funding, enthusiasm, or taking the time to leave little five star reviews of your favourite gaming podcasts so the people involved can continue producing this wonderful content. Welcome to VG247's The Best Games Ever Podcast: Ep.19 - The Best Game With An Acronised Name Like 'FIFA' That Isn't FIFA. “What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask while wondering if the intro story is what you think it is and if it really happened. Yes and yes. I don't recommend it. Anyway, this podcast, which is why you're on this page, is essentially a 30-minute panel show where people (me and some others on VG247) decide on the best game in a specific category. That's it. It's good. Listen to it. We’ve got some details on the show’s content below (if you want to get a refresher before heading to the comments to make a wonderful, considered post or don’t want to listen but do want to know what games we picked), so if you want to avoid spoilers, don’t scroll past this warning. W A R N I N G The Best Game With An Acronised Name Like 'FIFA' That Isn't FIFA This is the topic of Episode nineteen of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Here’s a rundown of who picked what. Alex - SSX Tricky Before we get into if we're morons for choosing games that have an acronym rather than an initialism, let's put that to one side for a moment and talk about which of these games are the best. It has to be SSX Tricky, right? Hailing from an era when it was just cooler to have an abbreviated name, SSX actually stands for Snowboard Supercross. As well as being a good game, it abbreviates 'cross' into X - which is even cooler. It is the obvious winner based on that alone - tack on the soundtrack and a generally killer feel-good attitude, and it's tough to argue against. James – DDR (Dance Dance Revolution) The ultimate party game, the ultimate arcade game, DDR is as much kinetic fun whether you're playing on a giant silver stage with credits on the line or a crinkly dance mat in front of the TV. With tons of classic pop songs and funky original numbers building out an awesome roster of tunes you just can't help but stomp along to, there's no better game for getting up, getting down, and moving all around (especially when there's booze in your body). With myriad entries over a 20 year history, Dance Dance Revolution is one of gaming's great underrated franchises; instantly recognisable and loved by all ages, casual and hardcore gamers alike. Sherif - F.E.A.R Dead or Alive Xtreme 2 is a game for perverts, but I had no idea I swear. I swear to god I didn't know. I, a pure 13 year old, thought I was buying a cheap fighting game. So what if it had bikinis on the front, how was I supposed to know it was softcore porn? The lads at the GameStation let me buy it, it's their fault when you think about it. If you like beach volleyball it's allegedly the focus of the game. You're meant to build up a friendship with a variety of women in order to improve your overall performance at seaside sports. You can also play tug of war and "butt battles" by the pool, but you can't even parry incoming ass blasts so what's the point, to be honest. You can, believe it or not, also do jet ski races. In fact, it was one of the major selling points for the game, according to revered DOA historians. It did have a casino though, which was fun, but the game was a totally different package than what I was expecting. In hindsight I probably should have thought of a thought-provoking genre-twisting game, but the moment I saw the podcast brief Dead or Alive Xtreme 2 was the only thing that came to mind. I am sorry.   Come back in a week for another episode of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices It’s Barking, 1978. We’re playing an away match against the Under 9 Tigers, and I’m in goal, being the team’s only goalkeeper, and despite my repeated request for new kneepads being consistently denied. “Ain’t got the funds, lad” was the constant refrain from the manager, Keith, ever clad in his suede coat, gold chains, and cashmere polo neck: the standard uniform at the time of people who had large status in small towns.

Last minute penalties. Unprotected joints. A striker four years my senior, having been kept back several years in school on account of his behavioural issues. Why his academic progression was reflected by the local football league is and will remain a mystery, but you must accept it for the purposes of this narrative. The point is: he was three times my size, and his legs were pneumatic pistons that could boot my head clean off and barely notice.

Mercifully, he booted the ball, rather than my skull, which was saved from his kinetic anger only by virtue of not being the object on the ground in front of him. The ball soared toward the back of the net, and would have punched a hole through the stand and into the dry cleaners across the main road outside, were it not for my left knee. My unprotected left knee. Which, as it happens, did not impede the ball’s journey into the net.

We lost, naturally. The parents of my squad were furious at Keith for his reckless spendthriftery: for just 89 new pence, a brand new set of knee pads could have saved both my leg from breaking and our place in the junior league. “FIFA, you idiot, Keith!” they screamed. “FIFA doesn’t apply to amateurs, Terry!” screamed Keith back at them. “It’s a universal principle, Keith! Football in, football 'aht!” added Manky Paul, the groundsman, by way of explanation. “If yer don’t invest, you’ll never see a return!”. And he added: "You plonker!".

“Piffle” said Keith, before an angry mob kicked his head in. And from that day to this, I’ve understood a fundamental principle of life: you only get out what you put in. Whether that’s funding, enthusiasm, or taking the time to leave little five star reviews of your favourite gaming podcasts so the people involved can continue producing this wonderful content.

Welcome to VG247's The Best Games Ever Podcast: Ep.19 - The Best Game With An Acronised Name Like 'FIFA' That Isn't FIFA. “What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask while wondering if the intro story is what you think it is and if it really happened. Yes and yes. I don't recommend it. Anyway, this podcast, which is why you're on this page, is essentially a 30-minute panel show where people (me and some others on VG247) decide on the best game in a specific category. That's it. It's good. Listen to it.

We’ve got some details on the show’s content below (if you want to get a refresher before heading to the comments to make a wonderful, considered post or don’t want to listen but do want to know what games we picked), so if you want to avoid spoilers, don’t scroll past this warning.

W

A

R

N

I

N

G

The Best Game With An Acronised Name Like 'FIFA' That Isn't FIFA This is the topic of Episode nineteen of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Here’s a rundown of who picked what.

Alex - SSX Tricky

Before we get into if we're morons for choosing games that have an acronym rather than an initialism, let's put that to one side for a moment and talk about which of these games are the best. It has to be SSX Tricky, right? Hailing from an era when it was just cooler to have an abbreviated name, SSX actually stands for Snowboard Supercross. As well as being a good game, it abbreviates 'cross' into X - which is even cooler.

It is the obvious winner based on that alone - tack on the soundtrack and a generally killer feel-good attitude, and it's tough to argue against.

James – DDR (Dance Dance Revolution)

The ultimate party game, the ultimate arcade game, DDR is as much kinetic fun whether you're playing on a giant silver stage with credits on the line or a crinkly dance mat in front of the TV.

With tons of classic pop songs and funky original numbers building out an awesome roster of tunes you just can't help but stomp along to, there's no better game for getting up, getting down, and moving all around (especially when there's booze in your body).

With myriad entries over a 20 year history, Dance Dance Revolution is one of gaming's great underrated franchises; instantly recognisable and loved by all ages, casual and hardcore gamers alike.

Sherif - F.E.A.R

Dead or Alive Xtreme 2 is a game for perverts, but I had no idea I swear. I swear to god I didn't know. I, a pure 13 year old, thought I was buying a cheap fighting game. So what if it had bikinis on the front, how was I supposed to know it was softcore porn? The lads at the GameStation let me buy it, it's their fault when you think about it.

If you like beach volleyball it's allegedly the focus of the game. You're meant to build up a friendship with a variety of women in order to improve your overall performance at seaside sports. You can also play tug of war and "butt battles" by the pool, but you can't even parry incoming ass blasts so what's the point, to be honest. You can, believe it or not, also do jet ski races. In fact, it was one of the major selling points for the game, according to revered DOA historians.

It did have a casino though, which was fun, but the game was a totally different package than what I was expecting. In hindsight I probably should have thought of a thought-provoking genre-twisting game, but the moment I saw the podcast brief Dead or Alive Xtreme 2 was the only thing that came to mind. I am sorry.

 

Come back in a week for another episode of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 1846 no Episode 18: The best game you thought was one genre but turned out to be another https://the-vg247-podcast.libsyn.com/episode-18-the-best-game-you-thought-was-one-genre-but-turned-out-to-be-another Having kids is wonderful when it's not the most tiring, life-changing thing you can do to yourself - and even then you only remember the wonderful bits. When your child smiles at you for the first time and it isn't a build up of gas... wonderful. When your child says "dada" not as part of a string of completely random sounds... wonderful. When your child laughs at you for doing something only they would laugh at... wonderful. As I said, it's not always wonderful. Waking up four times a night... not wonderful. Standing in a stress position to hold the hands of a tiny child trying to walk... not wonderful (but also wonderful). Constantly tidying things that are never actually tidy... not wonderful. But if there's one thing that sums up having young children it's this: It's 4pm on a Saturday. Essentially the evening if you're a parent. It's a little too early for dinner, but you at least know that that's soon and then after that bed time isn't far off. The sweet release of bed time. Anyway, you see a crumb of chocolate just sat in a crevice of your shirt. Given that dinner, as established is still some minutes away, you fancy a small snack. Yum! Chocolate. But you've forgotten, just for a split-second, that you have a baby. Welcome to VG247's The Best Games Ever Podcast: Ep.18 - The best game you thought was one genre but turned out to be another. Please do let us know what you think of the show – and if this is your first time listening, do go back to listen to the previous episodes. If you’ve got suggestions for topics, we’d love to hear them. If you're a Connor fan (there must be some of you out there), make them Fighting Game related or at least adjacent, as that's pretty much all he knows about.   “What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask while wondering if the intro story is what you think it is and if it really happened. Yes and yes. I don't recommend it. Anyway, this podcast, which is why you're on this page, is essentially a 30-minute panel show where people (me and some others on VG247) decide on the best game in a specific category. That's it. It's good. Listen to it. We’ve got some details on the show’s content below (if you want to get a refresher before heading to the comments to make a wonderful, considered post or don’t want to listen but do want to know what games we picked), so if you want to avoid spoilers, don’t scroll past this warning. W A R N I N G   The best game you thought was one genre but turned out to be another This is the topic of Episode eighteen of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Here’s a rundown of who picked what. Tom - Bugsnax Look. Loads of you are going to be all "that's not really a different genre, is it?" and to that I say: "poo poo." If you've not experience the horror of Bugsnax you can't comment on it. Simple. It's harrowing. The PlayStation Access video above explains it all brilliantly if you have no intention to ever play the game yourself. Alex – Brutal Legend It might seem like the obvious choice - and that's because it is. But honestly, who cares? Brutal Legend is absolutely the best example of a game that you think is one thing... but turns out to be another. Publisher EA is partially to blame for this, too - almost all of this game's marketing beats sold it as an action-packed hack-and-slash game set in a heavy metal world. And it is that... for a while. But part-way through Brutal Legend, it reveals its secret Ace of Spades - it's not just an action game set in a world inspired by heavy metal album covers - it's a real-time strategy game. Soon, you're taking part in wild battles with masses of troops, fighting demons for the fate of a world populated by Ozzy, Lemmy, and other metal greats. It's brilliant - even in the hard turn into RTS turned a lot of players off. Connor - Dead or Alive Xtreme 2 Dead or Alive Xtreme 2 is a game for perverts, but I had no idea I swear. I swear to god I didn't know. I, a pure 13 year old thought I was buying a cheap fighting game. So what if it had bikinis on the front how was I supposed to know it was softcore porn. The lads at the Game Station let me buy it, it's their fault when you think about it. If you like beach volleyball it's allegedly the focus of the game. You're meant to build up a friendship with a variety of women in order to improve your overall performance at seaside sports. You can also play tug of war and "but battles" by the pool, but you can't even parry incoming ass blasts so what's the point to be honest. You can, believe it or not, also do jet ski races. In fact, it was one of the major selling points for the game, according to revered DOA historians. It did have a casino though, which was fun, but the game was a totally different package than what I was expecting. In hindsight I probably should have thought of a thought-provoking genre-twisting game, but the moment I saw the podcast brief Dead or Alive Xtreme 2 was the only thing that came to mind. I am sorry" Come back in a week for another episode of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 23 Sep 2022 11:30:00 -0000 The best game you thought was one genre but turned out to be another full 18 VG247 Having kids is wonderful when it's not the most tiring, life-changing thing you can do to yourself - and even then you only remember the wonderful bits. When your child smiles at you for the first time and it isn't a build up of gas... wonderful. When... Having kids is wonderful when it's not the most tiring, life-changing thing you can do to yourself - and even then you only remember the wonderful bits. When your child smiles at you for the first time and it isn't a build up of gas... wonderful. When your child says "dada" not as part of a string of completely random sounds... wonderful. When your child laughs at you for doing something only they would laugh at... wonderful. As I said, it's not always wonderful. Waking up four times a night... not wonderful. Standing in a stress position to hold the hands of a tiny child trying to walk... not wonderful (but also wonderful). Constantly tidying things that are never actually tidy... not wonderful. But if there's one thing that sums up having young children it's this: It's 4pm on a Saturday. Essentially the evening if you're a parent. It's a little too early for dinner, but you at least know that that's soon and then after that bed time isn't far off. The sweet release of bed time. Anyway, you see a crumb of chocolate just sat in a crevice of your shirt. Given that dinner, as established is still some minutes away, you fancy a small snack. Yum! Chocolate. But you've forgotten, just for a split-second, that you have a baby. Welcome to VG247's The Best Games Ever Podcast: Ep.18 - The best game you thought was one genre but turned out to be another. Please do let us know what you think of the show – and if this is your first time listening, do go back to listen to the previous episodes. If you’ve got suggestions for topics, we’d love to hear them. If you're a Connor fan (there must be some of you out there), make them Fighting Game related or at least adjacent, as that's pretty much all he knows about.   “What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask while wondering if the intro story is what you think it is and if it really happened. Yes and yes. I don't recommend it. Anyway, this podcast, which is why you're on this page, is essentially a 30-minute panel show where people (me and some others on VG247) decide on the best game in a specific category. That's it. It's good. Listen to it. We’ve got some details on the show’s content below (if you want to get a refresher before heading to the comments to make a wonderful, considered post or don’t want to listen but do want to know what games we picked), so if you want to avoid spoilers, don’t scroll past this warning. W A R N I N G   The best game you thought was one genre but turned out to be another This is the topic of Episode eighteen of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Here’s a rundown of who picked what. Tom - Bugsnax Look. Loads of you are going to be all "that's not really a different genre, is it?" and to that I say: "poo poo." If you've not experience the horror of Bugsnax you can't comment on it. Simple. It's harrowing. The PlayStation Access video above explains it all brilliantly if you have no intention to ever play the game yourself. Alex – Brutal Legend It might seem like the obvious choice - and that's because it is. But honestly, who cares? Brutal Legend is absolutely the best example of a game that you think is one thing... but turns out to be another. Publisher EA is partially to blame for this, too - almost all of this game's marketing beats sold it as an action-packed hack-and-slash game set in a heavy metal world. And it is that... for a while. But part-way through Brutal Legend, it reveals its secret Ace of Spades - it's not just an action game set in a world inspired by heavy metal album covers - it's a real-time strategy game. Soon, you're taking part in wild battles with masses of troops, fighting demons for the fate of a world populated by Ozzy, Lemmy, and other metal greats. It's brilliant - even in the hard turn into RTS turned a lot of players off. Connor - Dead or Alive Xtreme 2 Dead or Alive Xtreme 2 is a game for perverts, but I had no idea I swear. I swear to god I didn't know. I, a pure 13 year old thought I was buying a cheap fighting game. So what if it had bikinis on the front how was I supposed to know it was softcore porn. The lads at the Game Station let me buy it, it's their fault when you think about it. If you like beach volleyball it's allegedly the focus of the game. You're meant to build up a friendship with a variety of women in order to improve your overall performance at seaside sports. You can also play tug of war and "but battles" by the pool, but you can't even parry incoming ass blasts so what's the point to be honest. You can, believe it or not, also do jet ski races. In fact, it was one of the major selling points for the game, according to revered DOA historians. It did have a casino though, which was fun, but the game was a totally different package than what I was expecting. In hindsight I probably should have thought of a thought-provoking genre-twisting game, but the moment I saw the podcast brief Dead or Alive Xtreme 2 was the only thing that came to mind. I am sorry" Come back in a week for another episode of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Having kids is wonderful when it's not the most tiring, life-changing thing you can do to yourself - and even then you only remember the wonderful bits. When your child smiles at you for the first time and it isn't a build up of gas... wonderful. When your child says "dada" not as part of a string of completely random sounds... wonderful. When your child laughs at you for doing something only they would laugh at... wonderful.

As I said, it's not always wonderful. Waking up four times a night... not wonderful. Standing in a stress position to hold the hands of a tiny child trying to walk... not wonderful (but also wonderful). Constantly tidying things that are never actually tidy... not wonderful.

But if there's one thing that sums up having young children it's this: It's 4pm on a Saturday. Essentially the evening if you're a parent. It's a little too early for dinner, but you at least know that that's soon and then after that bed time isn't far off. The sweet release of bed time. Anyway, you see a crumb of chocolate just sat in a crevice of your shirt. Given that dinner, as established is still some minutes away, you fancy a small snack. Yum! Chocolate. But you've forgotten, just for a split-second, that you have a baby.

Welcome to VG247's The Best Games Ever Podcast: Ep.18 - The best game you thought was one genre but turned out to be another.

Please do let us know what you think of the show – and if this is your first time listening, do go back to listen to the previous episodes. If you’ve got suggestions for topics, we’d love to hear them. If you're a Connor fan (there must be some of you out there), make them Fighting Game related or at least adjacent, as that's pretty much all he knows about.

 

“What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask while wondering if the intro story is what you think it is and if it really happened. Yes and yes. I don't recommend it. Anyway, this podcast, which is why you're on this page, is essentially a 30-minute panel show where people (me and some others on VG247) decide on the best game in a specific category. That's it. It's good. Listen to it.

We’ve got some details on the show’s content below (if you want to get a refresher before heading to the comments to make a wonderful, considered post or don’t want to listen but do want to know what games we picked), so if you want to avoid spoilers, don’t scroll past this warning.

W

A

R

N

I

N

G

 

The best game you thought was one genre but turned out to be another

This is the topic of Episode eighteen of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Here’s a rundown of who picked what.

Tom - Bugsnax

Look. Loads of you are going to be all "that's not really a different genre, is it?" and to that I say: "poo poo." If you've not experience the horror of Bugsnax you can't comment on it. Simple. It's harrowing. The PlayStation Access video above explains it all brilliantly if you have no intention to ever play the game yourself.

Alex – Brutal Legend

It might seem like the obvious choice - and that's because it is. But honestly, who cares? Brutal Legend is absolutely the best example of a game that you think is one thing... but turns out to be another. Publisher EA is partially to blame for this, too - almost all of this game's marketing beats sold it as an action-packed hack-and-slash game set in a heavy metal world. And it is that... for a while.

But part-way through Brutal Legend, it reveals its secret Ace of Spades - it's not just an action game set in a world inspired by heavy metal album covers - it's a real-time strategy game. Soon, you're taking part in wild battles with masses of troops, fighting demons for the fate of a world populated by Ozzy, Lemmy, and other metal greats. It's brilliant - even in the hard turn into RTS turned a lot of players off.

Connor - Dead or Alive Xtreme 2

Dead or Alive Xtreme 2 is a game for perverts, but I had no idea I swear. I swear to god I didn't know. I, a pure 13 year old thought I was buying a cheap fighting game. So what if it had bikinis on the front how was I supposed to know it was softcore porn. The lads at the Game Station let me buy it, it's their fault when you think about it.

If you like beach volleyball it's allegedly the focus of the game. You're meant to build up a friendship with a variety of women in order to improve your overall performance at seaside sports. You can also play tug of war and "but battles" by the pool, but you can't even parry incoming ass blasts so what's the point to be honest. You can, believe it or not, also do jet ski races. In fact, it was one of the major selling points for the game, according to revered DOA historians.

It did have a casino though, which was fun, but the game was a totally different package than what I was expecting. In hindsight I probably should have thought of a thought-provoking genre-twisting game, but the moment I saw the podcast brief Dead or Alive Xtreme 2 was the only thing that came to mind. I am sorry"

Come back in a week for another episode of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 2136 no Episode 17: Best Assassin's Creed game that isn't an Assassin's Creed game and you can't pick Ghost Of Tsushima https://the-vg247-podcast.libsyn.com/episode-17-best-assassins-creed-game-that-isnt-an-assassins-creed-game-and-you-cant-pick-ghost-of-tsushima It's not common knowledge, but international mega star, Beyoncé, is a huge Assassin's Creed fan. I'm quite surprised more hasn't been made about this, given her influence, but now you know. Her 2006 stratospheric chart topper, Irreplaceable, was at one point all about Assassin's Creed - a game she played an early build of and loved so much she simply had to pen a song about it, even before it hit stores. The song, which went on to the biggest tune of 2007 in the US, originally talked about how the star loved Assassin's Creed so much that it could never be replaced by another game. In a strange turn of events, however, Beyoncé has a phobia of flags, so was quite shocked to see so many in the game when she played it just prior to the release of Irreplaceable. This shocking twist resulted in the song hastily being rewritten to focus on a relationship, and the original song never saw the light of day. Bizarrely, she also has an irrational dislike of first-party PlayStation exclusives. At one point, then, Beyoncé thought Assassin's Creed was irreplaceable. But was it? Welcome to VG247's The Best Games Ever Podcast: Ep.17 - Best Assassin's Creed game that isn't an Assassin's Creed game and you can't pick Ghost Of Tsushima. Please do let us know what you think of the show – and if this is your first time listening, do go back to listen to the previous episodes. If you’ve got suggestions for topics, we’d love to hear them. Just please suggest topics that I can easily write soon-to-be-award-winning short stories about. Thanks. This one was a right nightmare - thanks, Jim! “What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask while wondering if the dates in the above story are accurate in any way. They are, I think, although I had to do some rewrites when discovering the song was released in 2006 and not 2007. Anyway, this podcast, which is why you're on this page, is essentially a 30-minute panel show where people (me and some others on VG247) decide on the best game in a specific category. That's it. It's good. Listen to it. We’ve got some details on the show’s content below (if you want to get a refresher before heading to the comments to make a wonderful, considered post or don’t want to listen but do want to know what games we picked), so if you want to avoid spoilers, don’t scroll past this warning. W A R N I N G The best Assassin's Creed game that isn't an Assassin's Creed game and you can't pick Ghost Of Tsushima This is the topic of Episode seventeen of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Here’s a rundown of who picked what. Tom - Mirror's Edge Yes, if you just look at Mirror's Edge without my level of intellect you'll likely wonder what I'm on about. It's all about the parkour. Such a big deal was made about the free-running in the original Assassin's Creed, and rightly so, and Mirror's Edge feels like a first-person take on this. It's brilliant, and just like AC, the combat is a bit ropey. Alex – The Saboteur The Saboteur was one of those games that came about in what I feel was a sort of golden age of experimental open world games - of which Assassin's Creed was one. It has a lot in common with Grand Theft Auto as well, to be fair, but the similarities to Assassin's Creed are also pretty undeniable. There's stealth, clambering around buildings, and an open-ended approach that feels much like the earliest entries in the AC series. The primary difference, of course, is that you're killing nazis. Which is a video game staple we don't get to do enough of, honestly. Toss in some really interesting and artistic visual choices, a fun protagonist, and the general originality of the project, and the result is pretty strong. It's a shame it never had any chance of getting a sequel - cruel parent EA closed down its development studio before the game even released. James - Sly 2: Band of Thieves If you think about it, Sly 2: Band of Thieves (Sucker Punch Productions' best game imo) is basically an Assassin's Creed game, but with a racoon. Sly is the hereditary heir to the Cooper gang, an clandestine organisation of gentleman thieves who have been fighting against the evil Klaww gang for generations, and the similarities don't stop there. Between the three playable characters, Sly, the stealthy parkour master, Bentley, the ingenious gadget specialist, and giant pink hippo Murray, the brawn to the others' brains, you have all of the main pillars of Assassin's Creed's gameplay too. What's more, on your globe-trotting adventure around real-world cities like Paris and Prague, you're breaking up criminal organisations who're abusing the semi-mythical Clockwerk parts to further their nefarious aims - just like the Pieces of Eden in Assassin's Creed. Come back in a week for another episode of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 16 Sep 2022 10:07:43 -0000 Best Assassin's Creed game that isn't an Assassin's Creed game and you can't pick Ghost Of Tsushima full 17 VG247 It's not common knowledge, but international mega star, Beyoncé, is a huge Assassin's Creed fan. I'm quite surprised more hasn't been made about this, given her influence, but now you know. Her 2006 stratospheric chart topper, Irreplaceable, was at... It's not common knowledge, but international mega star, Beyoncé, is a huge Assassin's Creed fan. I'm quite surprised more hasn't been made about this, given her influence, but now you know. Her 2006 stratospheric chart topper, Irreplaceable, was at one point all about Assassin's Creed - a game she played an early build of and loved so much she simply had to pen a song about it, even before it hit stores. The song, which went on to the biggest tune of 2007 in the US, originally talked about how the star loved Assassin's Creed so much that it could never be replaced by another game. In a strange turn of events, however, Beyoncé has a phobia of flags, so was quite shocked to see so many in the game when she played it just prior to the release of Irreplaceable. This shocking twist resulted in the song hastily being rewritten to focus on a relationship, and the original song never saw the light of day. Bizarrely, she also has an irrational dislike of first-party PlayStation exclusives. At one point, then, Beyoncé thought Assassin's Creed was irreplaceable. But was it? Welcome to VG247's The Best Games Ever Podcast: Ep.17 - Best Assassin's Creed game that isn't an Assassin's Creed game and you can't pick Ghost Of Tsushima. Please do let us know what you think of the show – and if this is your first time listening, do go back to listen to the previous episodes. If you’ve got suggestions for topics, we’d love to hear them. Just please suggest topics that I can easily write soon-to-be-award-winning short stories about. Thanks. This one was a right nightmare - thanks, Jim! “What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask while wondering if the dates in the above story are accurate in any way. They are, I think, although I had to do some rewrites when discovering the song was released in 2006 and not 2007. Anyway, this podcast, which is why you're on this page, is essentially a 30-minute panel show where people (me and some others on VG247) decide on the best game in a specific category. That's it. It's good. Listen to it. We’ve got some details on the show’s content below (if you want to get a refresher before heading to the comments to make a wonderful, considered post or don’t want to listen but do want to know what games we picked), so if you want to avoid spoilers, don’t scroll past this warning. W A R N I N G The best Assassin's Creed game that isn't an Assassin's Creed game and you can't pick Ghost Of Tsushima This is the topic of Episode seventeen of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Here’s a rundown of who picked what. Tom - Mirror's Edge Yes, if you just look at Mirror's Edge without my level of intellect you'll likely wonder what I'm on about. It's all about the parkour. Such a big deal was made about the free-running in the original Assassin's Creed, and rightly so, and Mirror's Edge feels like a first-person take on this. It's brilliant, and just like AC, the combat is a bit ropey. Alex – The Saboteur The Saboteur was one of those games that came about in what I feel was a sort of golden age of experimental open world games - of which Assassin's Creed was one. It has a lot in common with Grand Theft Auto as well, to be fair, but the similarities to Assassin's Creed are also pretty undeniable. There's stealth, clambering around buildings, and an open-ended approach that feels much like the earliest entries in the AC series. The primary difference, of course, is that you're killing nazis. Which is a video game staple we don't get to do enough of, honestly. Toss in some really interesting and artistic visual choices, a fun protagonist, and the general originality of the project, and the result is pretty strong. It's a shame it never had any chance of getting a sequel - cruel parent EA closed down its development studio before the game even released. James - Sly 2: Band of Thieves If you think about it, Sly 2: Band of Thieves (Sucker Punch Productions' best game imo) is basically an Assassin's Creed game, but with a racoon. Sly is the hereditary heir to the Cooper gang, an clandestine organisation of gentleman thieves who have been fighting against the evil Klaww gang for generations, and the similarities don't stop there. Between the three playable characters, Sly, the stealthy parkour master, Bentley, the ingenious gadget specialist, and giant pink hippo Murray, the brawn to the others' brains, you have all of the main pillars of Assassin's Creed's gameplay too. What's more, on your globe-trotting adventure around real-world cities like Paris and Prague, you're breaking up criminal organisations who're abusing the semi-mythical Clockwerk parts to further their nefarious aims - just like the Pieces of Eden in Assassin's Creed. Come back in a week for another episode of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices It's not common knowledge, but international mega star, Beyoncé, is a huge Assassin's Creed fan. I'm quite surprised more hasn't been made about this, given her influence, but now you know. Her 2006 stratospheric chart topper, Irreplaceable, was at one point all about Assassin's Creed - a game she played an early build of and loved so much she simply had to pen a song about it, even before it hit stores.

The song, which went on to the biggest tune of 2007 in the US, originally talked about how the star loved Assassin's Creed so much that it could never be replaced by another game. In a strange turn of events, however, Beyoncé has a phobia of flags, so was quite shocked to see so many in the game when she played it just prior to the release of Irreplaceable. This shocking twist resulted in the song hastily being rewritten to focus on a relationship, and the original song never saw the light of day.

Bizarrely, she also has an irrational dislike of first-party PlayStation exclusives.

At one point, then, Beyoncé thought Assassin's Creed was irreplaceable. But was it? Welcome to VG247's The Best Games Ever Podcast: Ep.17 - Best Assassin's Creed game that isn't an Assassin's Creed game and you can't pick Ghost Of Tsushima.

Please do let us know what you think of the show – and if this is your first time listening, do go back to listen to the previous episodes. If you’ve got suggestions for topics, we’d love to hear them. Just please suggest topics that I can easily write soon-to-be-award-winning short stories about. Thanks. This one was a right nightmare - thanks, Jim!

“What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask while wondering if the dates in the above story are accurate in any way. They are, I think, although I had to do some rewrites when discovering the song was released in 2006 and not 2007. Anyway, this podcast, which is why you're on this page, is essentially a 30-minute panel show where people (me and some others on VG247) decide on the best game in a specific category. That's it. It's good. Listen to it.

We’ve got some details on the show’s content below (if you want to get a refresher before heading to the comments to make a wonderful, considered post or don’t want to listen but do want to know what games we picked), so if you want to avoid spoilers, don’t scroll past this warning.

W

A

R

N

I

N

G

The best Assassin's Creed game that isn't an Assassin's Creed game and you can't pick Ghost Of Tsushima

This is the topic of Episode seventeen of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Here’s a rundown of who picked what.

Tom - Mirror's Edge

Yes, if you just look at Mirror's Edge without my level of intellect you'll likely wonder what I'm on about. It's all about the parkour. Such a big deal was made about the free-running in the original Assassin's Creed, and rightly so, and Mirror's Edge feels like a first-person take on this. It's brilliant, and just like AC, the combat is a bit ropey.

Alex – The Saboteur

The Saboteur was one of those games that came about in what I feel was a sort of golden age of experimental open world games - of which Assassin's Creed was one. It has a lot in common with Grand Theft Auto as well, to be fair, but the similarities to Assassin's Creed are also pretty undeniable. There's stealth, clambering around buildings, and an open-ended approach that feels much like the earliest entries in the AC series.

The primary difference, of course, is that you're killing nazis. Which is a video game staple we don't get to do enough of, honestly. Toss in some really interesting and artistic visual choices, a fun protagonist, and the general originality of the project, and the result is pretty strong. It's a shame it never had any chance of getting a sequel - cruel parent EA closed down its development studio before the game even released.

James - Sly 2: Band of Thieves

If you think about it, Sly 2: Band of Thieves (Sucker Punch Productions' best game imo) is basically an Assassin's Creed game, but with a racoon.

Sly is the hereditary heir to the Cooper gang, an clandestine organisation of gentleman thieves who have been fighting against the evil Klaww gang for generations, and the similarities don't stop there. Between the three playable characters, Sly, the stealthy parkour master, Bentley, the ingenious gadget specialist, and giant pink hippo Murray, the brawn to the others' brains, you have all of the main pillars of Assassin's Creed's gameplay too. What's more, on your globe-trotting adventure around real-world cities like Paris and Prague, you're breaking up criminal organisations who're abusing the semi-mythical Clockwerk parts to further their nefarious aims - just like the Pieces of Eden in Assassin's Creed.

Come back in a week for another episode of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 1931 no Episode 16: Best game that uses that FMV that was all the rage in the '90s https://the-vg247-podcast.libsyn.com/episode-16-best-game-that-uses-that-fmv-that-was-all-the-rage-in-the-90s Games who ape films Who like films to be games Who make films like they're games Who make games like they're films Always should be something you really love You couldn't go anywhere in 1994 without Blur's classic, Games and Films, wriggling through the airwaves and into your ears. No other song captured the mood of the era better. Video games were rising, but wanted to get the credibility of films, while films were looking at the growing success of games and wondering if they should be keeping an eye on them. Games with bits of movies in them were the result. A lot of them were naff, but we still enjoyed them. The school playgrounds at the time became battlegrounds. The "filmers" of the time insisted that films are art and shouldn't be disrespected by these new "computer games," which to be fair was a common view of children up and down the country, likely the world, who had deep admiration for classic movies like Baby's Day Out and Problem Child. A fringe group, though, calling themselves "gamers," stood up for their exciting new hobby. Games didn't have to be art. They could be anything they wanted to be. Sadly, this rhetoric was paper-thin, with the "gamers" acting like complete pillocks over games that attempted to welcome newcomers. This clique didn't want these uneducated casuals coming in and having fun. Oh no. The gatekeepers had been self-elected, forever dirtying the term "gamers" with their insistence on all games requiring guns or things that weren't guns but acted just like guns. It was an age I'll never forget. Welcome to VG247's The Best Games Ever Podcast: Ep.16 - Best game that uses that FMV that was all the rage in the '90s. Please do let us know what you think of the show – and if this is your first time listening, do go back to listen to the previous episodes. If you’ve got suggestions for topics, we’d love to hear them. If we don't come up with some new ideas soon we'll have to start just talking about current events, which no one wants to listen to. “What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask while wondering if you were one of those video game gatekeepers back in the 90s - you might have been. It's OK. Kids are mostly awful. Hopefully you grew into a more reasonable person. Anyway, this podcast, which is why you're on this page, is essentially a 30-minute panel show where people (me and some others on VG247) decide on the best game in a specific category. That's it. It's good. Listen to it. We’ve got some details on the show’s content below (if you want to get a refresher before heading to the comments to make a wonderful, considered post or don’t want to listen but do want to know what games we picked), so if you want to avoid spoilers, don’t scroll past this warning. W A R N I N G The best game that uses that FMV that was all the rage in the '90s This is the topic of Episode sixteen of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Here’s a rundown of who picked what. Tom – Realms of the Haunting I'm not interested in FMV games so bad they're good, or just FMV games that are just a few clicks now and again. Realms of the Haunting combines very impressive video sequences (for the time) with a super ambitious FPS-point-and-click-adventure set-up that was truly ahead of what most studios were doing in the mid '90s. A superb game. Alex – Contradiction: Spot the Liar As you'll hear me argue in this episode, Contradiction: Spot the Liar is a classic. Yes, it's a bit crap, a bit rough, and has cinematography and acting that would be happily at home in an extremely low-rent daytime TV soap opera - but that's sort of the point. It's a charming labour of love, with both utterly diabolical and delightfully wonderful acting performances that deliver a fairly fun and fanciful interactive murder mystery. It's no Her Story, like, but it's a great example of what I think is one of the best elements of FMV games: when they're slightly cheap, slightly crap, but brimming with Hollywood ambitions. Don't just take my word for it, either - in user reviews, it's the third-highest rated game in the FMV category on Steam - even above Her Story. It isn't as good as that game, to be clear - but that's not the point. It's just wonderfully mad. I love it. Kelsey - Immortality Immortality is Sam Barlow's latest FMV game, and it's one that sets itself apart from the genre when it comes to production quality and execution. As you attempt to get to the bottom of whatever could've happened to actor, Marissa Marcel, there are countless secrets to uncover. It's a game that has you questioning everything, all the time. In fact, it's somewhat exhausting, but this is an FMV game where the player is more involved than ever before, and every emotion you experience feels intended by design. Come back in a week for another episode of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 09 Sep 2022 11:30:00 -0000 Best game that uses that FMV that was all the rage in the '90s full 16 VG247 Games who ape films Who like films to be games Who make films like they're games Who make games like they're films Always should be something you really love You couldn't go anywhere in 1994 without Blur's classic, Games and Films, wriggling through... Games who ape films Who like films to be games Who make films like they're games Who make games like they're films Always should be something you really love You couldn't go anywhere in 1994 without Blur's classic, Games and Films, wriggling through the airwaves and into your ears. No other song captured the mood of the era better. Video games were rising, but wanted to get the credibility of films, while films were looking at the growing success of games and wondering if they should be keeping an eye on them. Games with bits of movies in them were the result. A lot of them were naff, but we still enjoyed them. The school playgrounds at the time became battlegrounds. The "filmers" of the time insisted that films are art and shouldn't be disrespected by these new "computer games," which to be fair was a common view of children up and down the country, likely the world, who had deep admiration for classic movies like Baby's Day Out and Problem Child. A fringe group, though, calling themselves "gamers," stood up for their exciting new hobby. Games didn't have to be art. They could be anything they wanted to be. Sadly, this rhetoric was paper-thin, with the "gamers" acting like complete pillocks over games that attempted to welcome newcomers. This clique didn't want these uneducated casuals coming in and having fun. Oh no. The gatekeepers had been self-elected, forever dirtying the term "gamers" with their insistence on all games requiring guns or things that weren't guns but acted just like guns. It was an age I'll never forget. Welcome to VG247's The Best Games Ever Podcast: Ep.16 - Best game that uses that FMV that was all the rage in the '90s. Please do let us know what you think of the show – and if this is your first time listening, do go back to listen to the previous episodes. If you’ve got suggestions for topics, we’d love to hear them. If we don't come up with some new ideas soon we'll have to start just talking about current events, which no one wants to listen to. “What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask while wondering if you were one of those video game gatekeepers back in the 90s - you might have been. It's OK. Kids are mostly awful. Hopefully you grew into a more reasonable person. Anyway, this podcast, which is why you're on this page, is essentially a 30-minute panel show where people (me and some others on VG247) decide on the best game in a specific category. That's it. It's good. Listen to it. We’ve got some details on the show’s content below (if you want to get a refresher before heading to the comments to make a wonderful, considered post or don’t want to listen but do want to know what games we picked), so if you want to avoid spoilers, don’t scroll past this warning. W A R N I N G The best game that uses that FMV that was all the rage in the '90s This is the topic of Episode sixteen of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Here’s a rundown of who picked what. Tom – Realms of the Haunting I'm not interested in FMV games so bad they're good, or just FMV games that are just a few clicks now and again. Realms of the Haunting combines very impressive video sequences (for the time) with a super ambitious FPS-point-and-click-adventure set-up that was truly ahead of what most studios were doing in the mid '90s. A superb game. Alex – Contradiction: Spot the Liar As you'll hear me argue in this episode, Contradiction: Spot the Liar is a classic. Yes, it's a bit crap, a bit rough, and has cinematography and acting that would be happily at home in an extremely low-rent daytime TV soap opera - but that's sort of the point. It's a charming labour of love, with both utterly diabolical and delightfully wonderful acting performances that deliver a fairly fun and fanciful interactive murder mystery. It's no Her Story, like, but it's a great example of what I think is one of the best elements of FMV games: when they're slightly cheap, slightly crap, but brimming with Hollywood ambitions. Don't just take my word for it, either - in user reviews, it's the third-highest rated game in the FMV category on Steam - even above Her Story. It isn't as good as that game, to be clear - but that's not the point. It's just wonderfully mad. I love it. Kelsey - Immortality Immortality is Sam Barlow's latest FMV game, and it's one that sets itself apart from the genre when it comes to production quality and execution. As you attempt to get to the bottom of whatever could've happened to actor, Marissa Marcel, there are countless secrets to uncover. It's a game that has you questioning everything, all the time. In fact, it's somewhat exhausting, but this is an FMV game where the player is more involved than ever before, and every emotion you experience feels intended by design. Come back in a week for another episode of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Games who ape films Who like films to be games Who make films like they're games Who make games like they're films Always should be something you really love

You couldn't go anywhere in 1994 without Blur's classic, Games and Films, wriggling through the airwaves and into your ears. No other song captured the mood of the era better. Video games were rising, but wanted to get the credibility of films, while films were looking at the growing success of games and wondering if they should be keeping an eye on them. Games with bits of movies in them were the result. A lot of them were naff, but we still enjoyed them.

The school playgrounds at the time became battlegrounds. The "filmers" of the time insisted that films are art and shouldn't be disrespected by these new "computer games," which to be fair was a common view of children up and down the country, likely the world, who had deep admiration for classic movies like Baby's Day Out and Problem Child. A fringe group, though, calling themselves "gamers," stood up for their exciting new hobby. Games didn't have to be art. They could be anything they wanted to be.

Sadly, this rhetoric was paper-thin, with the "gamers" acting like complete pillocks over games that attempted to welcome newcomers. This clique didn't want these uneducated casuals coming in and having fun. Oh no. The gatekeepers had been self-elected, forever dirtying the term "gamers" with their insistence on all games requiring guns or things that weren't guns but acted just like guns.

It was an age I'll never forget.

Welcome to VG247's The Best Games Ever Podcast: Ep.16 - Best game that uses that FMV that was all the rage in the '90s.

Please do let us know what you think of the show – and if this is your first time listening, do go back to listen to the previous episodes. If you’ve got suggestions for topics, we’d love to hear them. If we don't come up with some new ideas soon we'll have to start just talking about current events, which no one wants to listen to.

“What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask while wondering if you were one of those video game gatekeepers back in the 90s - you might have been. It's OK. Kids are mostly awful. Hopefully you grew into a more reasonable person. Anyway, this podcast, which is why you're on this page, is essentially a 30-minute panel show where people (me and some others on VG247) decide on the best game in a specific category. That's it. It's good. Listen to it.

We’ve got some details on the show’s content below (if you want to get a refresher before heading to the comments to make a wonderful, considered post or don’t want to listen but do want to know what games we picked), so if you want to avoid spoilers, don’t scroll past this warning.

W

A

R

N

I

N

G

The best game that uses that FMV that was all the rage in the '90s

This is the topic of Episode sixteen of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Here’s a rundown of who picked what.

Tom – Realms of the Haunting

I'm not interested in FMV games so bad they're good, or just FMV games that are just a few clicks now and again. Realms of the Haunting combines very impressive video sequences (for the time) with a super ambitious FPS-point-and-click-adventure set-up that was truly ahead of what most studios were doing in the mid '90s. A superb game.

Alex – Contradiction: Spot the Liar

As you'll hear me argue in this episode, Contradiction: Spot the Liar is a classic. Yes, it's a bit crap, a bit rough, and has cinematography and acting that would be happily at home in an extremely low-rent daytime TV soap opera - but that's sort of the point. It's a charming labour of love, with both utterly diabolical and delightfully wonderful acting performances that deliver a fairly fun and fanciful interactive murder mystery.

It's no Her Story, like, but it's a great example of what I think is one of the best elements of FMV games: when they're slightly cheap, slightly crap, but brimming with Hollywood ambitions. Don't just take my word for it, either - in user reviews, it's the third-highest rated game in the FMV category on Steam - even above Her Story. It isn't as good as that game, to be clear - but that's not the point. It's just wonderfully mad. I love it.

Kelsey - Immortality

Immortality is Sam Barlow's latest FMV game, and it's one that sets itself apart from the genre when it comes to production quality and execution. As you attempt to get to the bottom of whatever could've happened to actor, Marissa Marcel, there are countless secrets to uncover.

It's a game that has you questioning everything, all the time. In fact, it's somewhat exhausting, but this is an FMV game where the player is more involved than ever before, and every emotion you experience feels intended by design.

Come back in a week for another episode of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 1968 no Episode 15: Best game with a wedding in it https://the-vg247-podcast.libsyn.com/episode-15-best-game-with-a-wedding-in-it I’ll come clean. I’m writing this well in advance of publication as I’m going on holiday. I usually spend literal minutes coming up with a brilliant way to segue into the topic of the week’s podcast. It is often very brilliant and hilarious. The relationship between me and the podcast article is complicated. It’s not easy. It requires work for it to be the best it can be. You can’t just turn up and hope to have a great podcast article without trying your hardest. Sometimes I even hold a little ceremony before I write the article, just to show how serious I am about writing it. It’s a big deal, so I have to make sure I’ve thought it through properly. But I’m not doing that today, because of the holiday reason I mentioned above – a holiday I’m taking after writing the article, which is in no way related to the topic of the podcast. Welcome to the VG247 Best Games Ever Podcast, Episode 15: Best game with a wedding in it. Please do let us know what you think of the show – and if this is your first time listening, do go back to listen to the previous episodes. If you’ve got suggestions for topics, we’d love to hear them. If we don't come up with some new ideas soon we'll have to create some kind of device for Jim’s cat to use that converts cat thoughts into concepts humans can understand. “What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask while wondering what that intro was all about. Marriage, weddings, OK?! Get it now? It wasn’t labored at all. Anyway, this podcast, which is why you're on this page, is essentially a 30-minute panel show where people (me and some others on VG247) decide on the best game in a specific category. That's it. It's good. Listen to it. We’ve got some details on the show’s content below (if you want to get a refresher before heading to the comments to make a wonderful, considered post or don’t want to listen but do want to know what games we picked), so if you want to avoid spoilers, don’t scroll past this warning. W A R N I N G The Best game with a wedding in it This is the topic of Episode fifteen of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Here’s a rundown of who picked what. Tom – Super Mario Odyssey I think this is the best wedding scene in a video game, not only because of the journey to it on the Moon, but also the action sequences that follow and Peach's decision at the end of it all. Absolutely brilliant, and anyone who, for example, chooses a farming game over this is simply wrong. Alex – Final Fantasy IX This is Alex, resident JRPG fan/nerd. This definitely isn't Tom pretending to be Alex. Final Fantasy rules! All JRPGs are wonderful, but Final Fantasy IX is even more wonderful thanks to its wedding sequence. Turn-based weddings are the best! Kelsey - Stardew Valley Stardew Valley is the stylised farming simulator that combines all of the best bits from games like Harvest Moon, Rune Factory, and more. In this sim, though, harvesting your crops and working tirelessly in the mines isn't all that there is to do. There's also 12 marriage candidates to choose from, get to know, and live happily ever after alongside until you divorce them so that you can marry another. You don't simply have to be a farmer, but you can be a serial wedder too. Come back in a week for another episode of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 02 Sep 2022 11:30:00 -0000 Best game with a wedding in it full 15 VG247 I’ll come clean. I’m writing this well in advance of publication as I’m going on holiday. I usually spend literal minutes coming up with a brilliant way to segue into the topic of the week’s podcast. It is often very brilliant and hilarious.... I’ll come clean. I’m writing this well in advance of publication as I’m going on holiday. I usually spend literal minutes coming up with a brilliant way to segue into the topic of the week’s podcast. It is often very brilliant and hilarious. The relationship between me and the podcast article is complicated. It’s not easy. It requires work for it to be the best it can be. You can’t just turn up and hope to have a great podcast article without trying your hardest. Sometimes I even hold a little ceremony before I write the article, just to show how serious I am about writing it. It’s a big deal, so I have to make sure I’ve thought it through properly. But I’m not doing that today, because of the holiday reason I mentioned above – a holiday I’m taking after writing the article, which is in no way related to the topic of the podcast. Welcome to the VG247 Best Games Ever Podcast, Episode 15: Best game with a wedding in it. Please do let us know what you think of the show – and if this is your first time listening, do go back to listen to the previous episodes. If you’ve got suggestions for topics, we’d love to hear them. If we don't come up with some new ideas soon we'll have to create some kind of device for Jim’s cat to use that converts cat thoughts into concepts humans can understand. “What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask while wondering what that intro was all about. Marriage, weddings, OK?! Get it now? It wasn’t labored at all. Anyway, this podcast, which is why you're on this page, is essentially a 30-minute panel show where people (me and some others on VG247) decide on the best game in a specific category. That's it. It's good. Listen to it. We’ve got some details on the show’s content below (if you want to get a refresher before heading to the comments to make a wonderful, considered post or don’t want to listen but do want to know what games we picked), so if you want to avoid spoilers, don’t scroll past this warning. W A R N I N G The Best game with a wedding in it This is the topic of Episode fifteen of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Here’s a rundown of who picked what. Tom – Super Mario Odyssey I think this is the best wedding scene in a video game, not only because of the journey to it on the Moon, but also the action sequences that follow and Peach's decision at the end of it all. Absolutely brilliant, and anyone who, for example, chooses a farming game over this is simply wrong. Alex – Final Fantasy IX This is Alex, resident JRPG fan/nerd. This definitely isn't Tom pretending to be Alex. Final Fantasy rules! All JRPGs are wonderful, but Final Fantasy IX is even more wonderful thanks to its wedding sequence. Turn-based weddings are the best! Kelsey - Stardew Valley Stardew Valley is the stylised farming simulator that combines all of the best bits from games like Harvest Moon, Rune Factory, and more. In this sim, though, harvesting your crops and working tirelessly in the mines isn't all that there is to do. There's also 12 marriage candidates to choose from, get to know, and live happily ever after alongside until you divorce them so that you can marry another. You don't simply have to be a farmer, but you can be a serial wedder too. Come back in a week for another episode of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices I’ll come clean. I’m writing this well in advance of publication as I’m going on holiday. I usually spend literal minutes coming up with a brilliant way to segue into the topic of the week’s podcast. It is often very brilliant and hilarious.

The relationship between me and the podcast article is complicated. It’s not easy. It requires work for it to be the best it can be. You can’t just turn up and hope to have a great podcast article without trying your hardest.

Sometimes I even hold a little ceremony before I write the article, just to show how serious I am about writing it. It’s a big deal, so I have to make sure I’ve thought it through properly. But I’m not doing that today, because of the holiday reason I mentioned above – a holiday I’m taking after writing the article, which is in no way related to the topic of the podcast.

Welcome to the VG247 Best Games Ever Podcast, Episode 15: Best game with a wedding in it.

Please do let us know what you think of the show – and if this is your first time listening, do go back to listen to the previous episodes. If you’ve got suggestions for topics, we’d love to hear them. If we don't come up with some new ideas soon we'll have to create some kind of device for Jim’s cat to use that converts cat thoughts into concepts humans can understand.

“What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask while wondering what that intro was all about. Marriage, weddings, OK?! Get it now? It wasn’t labored at all. Anyway, this podcast, which is why you're on this page, is essentially a 30-minute panel show where people (me and some others on VG247) decide on the best game in a specific category. That's it. It's good. Listen to it.

We’ve got some details on the show’s content below (if you want to get a refresher before heading to the comments to make a wonderful, considered post or don’t want to listen but do want to know what games we picked), so if you want to avoid spoilers, don’t scroll past this warning.

W

A

R

N

I

N

G

The Best game with a wedding in it This is the topic of Episode fifteen of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Here’s a rundown of who picked what.

Tom – Super Mario Odyssey

I think this is the best wedding scene in a video game, not only because of the journey to it on the Moon, but also the action sequences that follow and Peach's decision at the end of it all. Absolutely brilliant, and anyone who, for example, chooses a farming game over this is simply wrong.

Alex – Final Fantasy IX

This is Alex, resident JRPG fan/nerd. This definitely isn't Tom pretending to be Alex. Final Fantasy rules! All JRPGs are wonderful, but Final Fantasy IX is even more wonderful thanks to its wedding sequence. Turn-based weddings are the best!

Kelsey - Stardew Valley

Stardew Valley is the stylised farming simulator that combines all of the best bits from games like Harvest Moon, Rune Factory, and more. In this sim, though, harvesting your crops and working tirelessly in the mines isn't all that there is to do. There's also 12 marriage candidates to choose from, get to know, and live happily ever after alongside until you divorce them so that you can marry another. You don't simply have to be a farmer, but you can be a serial wedder too.

Come back in a week for another episode of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 1787 no Episode 14: Best game you’d fire into space to prove the Earth isn’t worth saving https://the-vg247-podcast.libsyn.com/episode-14-best-game-youd-fire-into-space-to-prove-the-earth-isnt-worth-saving In my final year of Primary School the whole of Year 6 worked together to create a time capsule. This was nothing new, I’m sure. No doubt that school field is now almost impossible to navigate with stepping on precious artifacts of a bygone era. But, the point is, we were attempting to put together a package that one day would be looked at by future children (probably with hover boots, and hover cars, and hover food, and hover dogs), so they could appreciate the wonderful world we lived in. My memory is a little hazy about the exact specifics of the items included, but there was definitely a Troll with bright orange hair. There was a piece of a sponge football (useful!), some braided string, a packet of pickled onion Space Raiders crisps (Best Before Date well before the capsule was due to be uncovered), and one of those bike reflectors that you got in packets of Frosties cereal. All absolutely perfect examples of early ‘90s childhood, I think you’ll agree. Unfortunately, there wasn’t room for everyone in Year 6 to donate an item, but because I was undoubtedly the most popular, smartest child in the school at that time I was given the opportunity to put forth an item. I was well into football by that stage, but given that someone else had already put in the quite frankly absurd and idiotic “bit of a used football” I had to think outside the box. I had the idea. Childhood was essentially pretty simple back then. Playing outside, rolling up newspapers to hit people with, and collecting football stickers. The thing was, though, that I didn’t fancy giving up any of my precious swapsies collection. I did have a massive dislike of Manchester United, though, buoyed by my classmates being the worst glory supporters of all time. So, I waved goodbye to my 1993 Merlin's Premier League #56 Lee Sharpe sticker. I hope one day a child will see your face and discover how you went on to throw a BBQ for your fans, hosted at your own house. So, with that wholesome tale of a world worth preserving, welcome to the VG247 Best Games Ever Podcast, Episode 14: Best game you’d fire into space to prove the Earth isn’t worth saving. That segue was so severe I’m sorry if it caused you whiplash. Please do let us know what you think of the show – and if this is your first time listening, do go back to listen to the previous episodes. If you’ve got suggestions for topics, we’d love to hear them. If we don't come up with some new ideas soon we'll have to create some kind of random topic generator - not a bad idea actually. “What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask while wondering which football sticker you'd be willing to entomb in a time capsule. Or L.O.L. Surprise sticker, whatever the stickers you chose to collect. Anyway, this podcast, which is why you're on this page (not to run over impossible choices in your mind), is essentially a 30-minute panel show where people (me and some others on VG247) decide on the best game in a specific category. That's it. It's good. Listen to it. We’ve got some details on the show’s content below (if you want to get a refresher before heading to the comments to make a wonderful, considered post or don’t want to listen but do want to know what games we picked), so if you want to avoid spoilers, don’t scroll past this warning. W A R N I N G The Best game you’d fire into space to prove the Earth isn’t worth saving This is the topic of Episode fourteen of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Here’s a rundown of who picked what. Tom – Most Roblox games Roblox is full of mindless games that are designed to encourage in-game spending to reach an arbitrary goal. Most have little gameplay other than repeatedly pressing a button, such as Strongman Simulator. It's tedious in the extreme and an example of why we don't deserve video games. Alex – Gal Gun I'm not even embedding a video for this one. Just listen to us talk about it on the podcast and you'll understand why. If you Google it, maybe don't do it on a work computer. Connor - Detroit: Become Human Detroit: Become Human is a game that makes me very, very sad. I don't understand how Quantic Dreams keeps getting away with it. Every time they release a game, you get a visually impressive product with a few golden nuggets, just washed down with the most obnoxious writing and narrative direction in the world. But they keep coming back! Somehow dragging big names like Clancy Brown (voice of Mr Krabs) for amazing performances in so-so games. It's the perfect example of missed potential, of numerous second chances given to people who in my opinion shouldn't have them. If you shot this into space and aliens got their hands on it, they'd probably feel super disappointed at it all and drift away towards exploding suns, a comet, or a million other things more interesting. Come back in a week for another episode of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 26 Aug 2022 11:30:00 -0000 Best game you’d fire into space to prove the Earth isn’t worth saving full 14 VG247 In my final year of Primary School the whole of Year 6 worked together to create a time capsule. This was nothing new, I’m sure. No doubt that school field is now almost impossible to navigate with stepping on precious artifacts of a bygone era.... In my final year of Primary School the whole of Year 6 worked together to create a time capsule. This was nothing new, I’m sure. No doubt that school field is now almost impossible to navigate with stepping on precious artifacts of a bygone era. But, the point is, we were attempting to put together a package that one day would be looked at by future children (probably with hover boots, and hover cars, and hover food, and hover dogs), so they could appreciate the wonderful world we lived in. My memory is a little hazy about the exact specifics of the items included, but there was definitely a Troll with bright orange hair. There was a piece of a sponge football (useful!), some braided string, a packet of pickled onion Space Raiders crisps (Best Before Date well before the capsule was due to be uncovered), and one of those bike reflectors that you got in packets of Frosties cereal. All absolutely perfect examples of early ‘90s childhood, I think you’ll agree. Unfortunately, there wasn’t room for everyone in Year 6 to donate an item, but because I was undoubtedly the most popular, smartest child in the school at that time I was given the opportunity to put forth an item. I was well into football by that stage, but given that someone else had already put in the quite frankly absurd and idiotic “bit of a used football” I had to think outside the box. I had the idea. Childhood was essentially pretty simple back then. Playing outside, rolling up newspapers to hit people with, and collecting football stickers. The thing was, though, that I didn’t fancy giving up any of my precious swapsies collection. I did have a massive dislike of Manchester United, though, buoyed by my classmates being the worst glory supporters of all time. So, I waved goodbye to my 1993 Merlin's Premier League #56 Lee Sharpe sticker. I hope one day a child will see your face and discover how you went on to throw a BBQ for your fans, hosted at your own house. So, with that wholesome tale of a world worth preserving, welcome to the VG247 Best Games Ever Podcast, Episode 14: Best game you’d fire into space to prove the Earth isn’t worth saving. That segue was so severe I’m sorry if it caused you whiplash. Please do let us know what you think of the show – and if this is your first time listening, do go back to listen to the previous episodes. If you’ve got suggestions for topics, we’d love to hear them. If we don't come up with some new ideas soon we'll have to create some kind of random topic generator - not a bad idea actually. “What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask while wondering which football sticker you'd be willing to entomb in a time capsule. Or L.O.L. Surprise sticker, whatever the stickers you chose to collect. Anyway, this podcast, which is why you're on this page (not to run over impossible choices in your mind), is essentially a 30-minute panel show where people (me and some others on VG247) decide on the best game in a specific category. That's it. It's good. Listen to it. We’ve got some details on the show’s content below (if you want to get a refresher before heading to the comments to make a wonderful, considered post or don’t want to listen but do want to know what games we picked), so if you want to avoid spoilers, don’t scroll past this warning. W A R N I N G The Best game you’d fire into space to prove the Earth isn’t worth saving This is the topic of Episode fourteen of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Here’s a rundown of who picked what. Tom – Most Roblox games Roblox is full of mindless games that are designed to encourage in-game spending to reach an arbitrary goal. Most have little gameplay other than repeatedly pressing a button, such as Strongman Simulator. It's tedious in the extreme and an example of why we don't deserve video games. Alex – Gal Gun I'm not even embedding a video for this one. Just listen to us talk about it on the podcast and you'll understand why. If you Google it, maybe don't do it on a work computer. Connor - Detroit: Become Human Detroit: Become Human is a game that makes me very, very sad. I don't understand how Quantic Dreams keeps getting away with it. Every time they release a game, you get a visually impressive product with a few golden nuggets, just washed down with the most obnoxious writing and narrative direction in the world. But they keep coming back! Somehow dragging big names like Clancy Brown (voice of Mr Krabs) for amazing performances in so-so games. It's the perfect example of missed potential, of numerous second chances given to people who in my opinion shouldn't have them. If you shot this into space and aliens got their hands on it, they'd probably feel super disappointed at it all and drift away towards exploding suns, a comet, or a million other things more interesting. Come back in a week for another episode of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices In my final year of Primary School the whole of Year 6 worked together to create a time capsule. This was nothing new, I’m sure. No doubt that school field is now almost impossible to navigate with stepping on precious artifacts of a bygone era. But, the point is, we were attempting to put together a package that one day would be looked at by future children (probably with hover boots, and hover cars, and hover food, and hover dogs), so they could appreciate the wonderful world we lived in.

My memory is a little hazy about the exact specifics of the items included, but there was definitely a Troll with bright orange hair. There was a piece of a sponge football (useful!), some braided string, a packet of pickled onion Space Raiders crisps (Best Before Date well before the capsule was due to be uncovered), and one of those bike reflectors that you got in packets of Frosties cereal. All absolutely perfect examples of early ‘90s childhood, I think you’ll agree.

Unfortunately, there wasn’t room for everyone in Year 6 to donate an item, but because I was undoubtedly the most popular, smartest child in the school at that time I was given the opportunity to put forth an item.

I was well into football by that stage, but given that someone else had already put in the quite frankly absurd and idiotic “bit of a used football” I had to think outside the box. I had the idea. Childhood was essentially pretty simple back then. Playing outside, rolling up newspapers to hit people with, and collecting football stickers.

The thing was, though, that I didn’t fancy giving up any of my precious swapsies collection. I did have a massive dislike of Manchester United, though, buoyed by my classmates being the worst glory supporters of all time.

So, I waved goodbye to my 1993 Merlin's Premier League #56 Lee Sharpe sticker. I hope one day a child will see your face and discover how you went on to throw a BBQ for your fans, hosted at your own house.

So, with that wholesome tale of a world worth preserving, welcome to the VG247 Best Games Ever Podcast, Episode 14: Best game you’d fire into space to prove the Earth isn’t worth saving. That segue was so severe I’m sorry if it caused you whiplash.

Please do let us know what you think of the show – and if this is your first time listening, do go back to listen to the previous episodes. If you’ve got suggestions for topics, we’d love to hear them. If we don't come up with some new ideas soon we'll have to create some kind of random topic generator - not a bad idea actually.

“What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask while wondering which football sticker you'd be willing to entomb in a time capsule. Or L.O.L. Surprise sticker, whatever the stickers you chose to collect. Anyway, this podcast, which is why you're on this page (not to run over impossible choices in your mind), is essentially a 30-minute panel show where people (me and some others on VG247) decide on the best game in a specific category. That's it. It's good. Listen to it.

We’ve got some details on the show’s content below (if you want to get a refresher before heading to the comments to make a wonderful, considered post or don’t want to listen but do want to know what games we picked), so if you want to avoid spoilers, don’t scroll past this warning.

W

A

R

N

I

N

G

The Best game you’d fire into space to prove the Earth isn’t worth saving

This is the topic of Episode fourteen of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Here’s a rundown of who picked what.

Tom – Most Roblox games

Roblox is full of mindless games that are designed to encourage in-game spending to reach an arbitrary goal. Most have little gameplay other than repeatedly pressing a button, such as Strongman Simulator. It's tedious in the extreme and an example of why we don't deserve video games.

Alex – Gal Gun

I'm not even embedding a video for this one. Just listen to us talk about it on the podcast and you'll understand why. If you Google it, maybe don't do it on a work computer.

Connor - Detroit: Become Human

Detroit: Become Human is a game that makes me very, very sad. I don't understand how Quantic Dreams keeps getting away with it. Every time they release a game, you get a visually impressive product with a few golden nuggets, just washed down with the most obnoxious writing and narrative direction in the world. But they keep coming back! Somehow dragging big names like Clancy Brown (voice of Mr Krabs) for amazing performances in so-so games.

It's the perfect example of missed potential, of numerous second chances given to people who in my opinion shouldn't have them. If you shot this into space and aliens got their hands on it, they'd probably feel super disappointed at it all and drift away towards exploding suns, a comet, or a million other things more interesting.

Come back in a week for another episode of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 2241 no Episode 13: Best game that was called a clone of another game https://the-vg247-podcast.libsyn.com/episode-13-best-game-that-was-called-a-clone-of-another-game My daughter has a favourite toy. It's a Squishmallow called Serene. Serene is a round-ish turquoise squirrel. If you're not into soft toys, you may not know how popular Squishmallows are, but to give you an idea... the last time I was in the local toy shop, every one of the four people in the queue to pay had hold of a Squishmallow. But the popularity of Squishmallows isn’t the point of this little story. Serene goes everywhere with my daughter and is her best friend - as much as a wannabe toddler can have a best friend. Given how Serene can sometimes be thrown from the buggy with the complete lack of foresight and comprehension of possible events that only a baby has, and the extreme love she has for her, we thought it best to buy a second Serene. "Let's buy a clone of Serene, a new one, just in case," I said to my wife while browsing the toy store and walking past the sizable Squishmallow display. And so it was. This new, untarnished, blemish-free squirrel sits wrapped in a plastic bag on top of the wardrobe in my bedroom. The hope, of course, is that clone Serene, imposter Serene, will never be needed. But if the worst was to happen and OG Serene went to *wink* "stay with Grandma for a while" *wink* or *wink* "went to keep Mummy company at work" *wink*, this currently lifeless squishy toy would be subbed in. She'd look the same ("Serene has had a bath, how lovely!"), but we'd know. Forever, we'd know what we’d done. I'd miss Serene, but I'd never say anything. Occasionally I'd lay awake at night thinking about her, wondering what life she's leading, "living with Grandma." Maybe I'd glance over at a pile of toys, Serene 2.0 staring at me, eyes lifeless but piercing. “Noooooo!” I’d attempt to cry out, but it would be too late. She'd attempt to suck the soul from my body. I'd resist, but she'd be too strong. I'd become trapped inside the lovable squirrel’s impossibly soft body. New Serene, inhabiting my body, would glance at me now and again with a look of victory. She'd won. Then one night she’d walk downstairs into the dimly lit living room, calmly and without saying a word placing original Serene down next to me. "You never should have called me a fucking clone," she'd whisper. I can't say a word. Welcome to the VG247 Best Games Ever Podcast, Episode 13: Best game that was called a clone of another game. Please do let us know what you think of the show – and if this is your first time listening, do go back to listen to the previous episodes. If you’ve got suggestions for topics, we’d love to hear them. If we don't come up with some new ideas soon we'll have to go down the road of topics like, "Best game that James Billcliffe thought was wonderful but every other sentient being on the planet accepted was terrible" (not at all related to this week's podcast!). “What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask while trying to imagine life inside a soft toy. You can't imagine it. It's a concept ripped straight out of what would be the best episode of The Twilight Zone ever made, such is the quality of the idea. Anyway, this podcast, which is why you're on this page (not to read my pitches for horror fiction), is essentially a 30-minute panel show where people (me and some others on VG247) decide on the best game in a specific category. That's it. It's good. We’ve got some details on the show’s content below (if you want to get a refresher before heading to the comments to make a wonderful, considered post or don’t want to listen but do want to know what games we picked), so if you want to avoid spoilers, don’t scroll past this warning. W A R N I N G The Best Game that was once called a clone of another game This is the topic of Episode thirteen of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Here’s a rundown of who picked what. Tom – Axiom Verge Honestly, this game is so good I'm not sure why the others bothered to argue against it. Axiom Verge is an absolutely brilliant Metroid clone that mixes pin-sharp gameplay with a superb sense of adventure and discovery. Please, please, please give it a look if you've yet to. It's on all current platforms, so there's really no excuse. There's a sequel, too, although I'm yet to be sucked in by it in the same way. Alex – Mortal Kombat For my money, Mortal Kombat is the original video game clone. Everybody described this game as a Street Fighter clone back in the day, even though its core developers maintain to this day that it was primarily inspired by an even older fighting game, with Street Fighter holding little influence over the spine-ripping game that turned arcades upside down in the nineties. One thing was undeniable, however: Midway only greenlit MK due to the success of Street Fighter. The two are inexorably linked, forever. Whatever the truth of inspiration was didn't matter to the press or the public anyway. MK was Street Fighter's brasher, louder, attention-grabbing cousin. Arguably, MK was resolutely American just as Street Fighter was unabashedly Japanese. The two engaged in a war that was as potent and as divisive as Mario vs Sonic. Street Fighter launched the fighting game genre as we know it today, and MK solidified its potential for mass-market success. But even so... people continued to call MK a Street Fighter clone. It's a moniker that will follow it forever - deserved or not. James – Untold Legends: Brotherhood of the Blade When it comes to Diablo clones it's hard to go wrong. All you need is some made-up fantasy words, tons of loot and more spiders and rats than you could fit in the world's largest, spookiest terrarium. The loop of picking up green things, then blue things, then purple things, then orange things as the loot rarity goes up is so insatiably moreish that you're good for at least 80 hours of gameplay regardless of the wrapping. A premium example of this comes in the form of 2005 PSP launch title, Untold Legends: Brotherhood of the Blade - a rock solid Diablo clone with the added bonus of being on an awesome portable console with retro-futuristic discs that still spin inside their plastic cases as you eject them - still hot - from inside the handheld. Come back in a week for another episode of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 19 Aug 2022 11:30:00 -0000 Best game that was called a clone of another game full 13 VG247 My daughter has a favourite toy. It's a Squishmallow called Serene. Serene is a round-ish turquoise squirrel. If you're not into soft toys, you may not know how popular Squishmallows are, but to give you an idea... the last time I was in the local toy... My daughter has a favourite toy. It's a Squishmallow called Serene. Serene is a round-ish turquoise squirrel. If you're not into soft toys, you may not know how popular Squishmallows are, but to give you an idea... the last time I was in the local toy shop, every one of the four people in the queue to pay had hold of a Squishmallow. But the popularity of Squishmallows isn’t the point of this little story. Serene goes everywhere with my daughter and is her best friend - as much as a wannabe toddler can have a best friend. Given how Serene can sometimes be thrown from the buggy with the complete lack of foresight and comprehension of possible events that only a baby has, and the extreme love she has for her, we thought it best to buy a second Serene. "Let's buy a clone of Serene, a new one, just in case," I said to my wife while browsing the toy store and walking past the sizable Squishmallow display. And so it was. This new, untarnished, blemish-free squirrel sits wrapped in a plastic bag on top of the wardrobe in my bedroom. The hope, of course, is that clone Serene, imposter Serene, will never be needed. But if the worst was to happen and OG Serene went to *wink* "stay with Grandma for a while" *wink* or *wink* "went to keep Mummy company at work" *wink*, this currently lifeless squishy toy would be subbed in. She'd look the same ("Serene has had a bath, how lovely!"), but we'd know. Forever, we'd know what we’d done. I'd miss Serene, but I'd never say anything. Occasionally I'd lay awake at night thinking about her, wondering what life she's leading, "living with Grandma." Maybe I'd glance over at a pile of toys, Serene 2.0 staring at me, eyes lifeless but piercing. “Noooooo!” I’d attempt to cry out, but it would be too late. She'd attempt to suck the soul from my body. I'd resist, but she'd be too strong. I'd become trapped inside the lovable squirrel’s impossibly soft body. New Serene, inhabiting my body, would glance at me now and again with a look of victory. She'd won. Then one night she’d walk downstairs into the dimly lit living room, calmly and without saying a word placing original Serene down next to me. "You never should have called me a fucking clone," she'd whisper. I can't say a word. Welcome to the VG247 Best Games Ever Podcast, Episode 13: Best game that was called a clone of another game. Please do let us know what you think of the show – and if this is your first time listening, do go back to listen to the previous episodes. If you’ve got suggestions for topics, we’d love to hear them. If we don't come up with some new ideas soon we'll have to go down the road of topics like, "Best game that James Billcliffe thought was wonderful but every other sentient being on the planet accepted was terrible" (not at all related to this week's podcast!). “What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask while trying to imagine life inside a soft toy. You can't imagine it. It's a concept ripped straight out of what would be the best episode of The Twilight Zone ever made, such is the quality of the idea. Anyway, this podcast, which is why you're on this page (not to read my pitches for horror fiction), is essentially a 30-minute panel show where people (me and some others on VG247) decide on the best game in a specific category. That's it. It's good. We’ve got some details on the show’s content below (if you want to get a refresher before heading to the comments to make a wonderful, considered post or don’t want to listen but do want to know what games we picked), so if you want to avoid spoilers, don’t scroll past this warning. W A R N I N G The Best Game that was once called a clone of another game This is the topic of Episode thirteen of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Here’s a rundown of who picked what. Tom – Axiom Verge Honestly, this game is so good I'm not sure why the others bothered to argue against it. Axiom Verge is an absolutely brilliant Metroid clone that mixes pin-sharp gameplay with a superb sense of adventure and discovery. Please, please, please give it a look if you've yet to. It's on all current platforms, so there's really no excuse. There's a sequel, too, although I'm yet to be sucked in by it in the same way. Alex – Mortal Kombat For my money, Mortal Kombat is the original video game clone. Everybody described this game as a Street Fighter clone back in the day, even though its core developers maintain to this day that it was primarily inspired by an even older fighting game, with Street Fighter holding little influence over the spine-ripping game that turned arcades upside down in the nineties. One thing was undeniable, however: Midway only greenlit MK due to the success of Street Fighter. The two are inexorably linked, forever. Whatever the truth of inspiration was didn't matter to the press or the public anyway. MK was Street Fighter's brasher, louder, attention-grabbing cousin. Arguably, MK was resolutely American just as Street Fighter was unabashedly Japanese. The two engaged in a war that was as potent and as divisive as Mario vs Sonic. Street Fighter launched the fighting game genre as we know it today, and MK solidified its potential for mass-market success. But even so... people continued to call MK a Street Fighter clone. It's a moniker that will follow it forever - deserved or not. James – Untold Legends: Brotherhood of the Blade When it comes to Diablo clones it's hard to go wrong. All you need is some made-up fantasy words, tons of loot and more spiders and rats than you could fit in the world's largest, spookiest terrarium. The loop of picking up green things, then blue things, then purple things, then orange things as the loot rarity goes up is so insatiably moreish that you're good for at least 80 hours of gameplay regardless of the wrapping. A premium example of this comes in the form of 2005 PSP launch title, Untold Legends: Brotherhood of the Blade - a rock solid Diablo clone with the added bonus of being on an awesome portable console with retro-futuristic discs that still spin inside their plastic cases as you eject them - still hot - from inside the handheld. Come back in a week for another episode of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices My daughter has a favourite toy. It's a Squishmallow called Serene. Serene is a round-ish turquoise squirrel. If you're not into soft toys, you may not know how popular Squishmallows are, but to give you an idea... the last time I was in the local toy shop, every one of the four people in the queue to pay had hold of a Squishmallow.

But the popularity of Squishmallows isn’t the point of this little story.

Serene goes everywhere with my daughter and is her best friend - as much as a wannabe toddler can have a best friend. Given how Serene can sometimes be thrown from the buggy with the complete lack of foresight and comprehension of possible events that only a baby has, and the extreme love she has for her, we thought it best to buy a second Serene. "Let's buy a clone of Serene, a new one, just in case," I said to my wife while browsing the toy store and walking past the sizable Squishmallow display.

And so it was. This new, untarnished, blemish-free squirrel sits wrapped in a plastic bag on top of the wardrobe in my bedroom. The hope, of course, is that clone Serene, imposter Serene, will never be needed. But if the worst was to happen and OG Serene went to *wink* "stay with Grandma for a while" *wink* or *wink* "went to keep Mummy company at work" *wink*, this currently lifeless squishy toy would be subbed in. She'd look the same ("Serene has had a bath, how lovely!"), but we'd know. Forever, we'd know what we’d done.

I'd miss Serene, but I'd never say anything. Occasionally I'd lay awake at night thinking about her, wondering what life she's leading, "living with Grandma." Maybe I'd glance over at a pile of toys, Serene 2.0 staring at me, eyes lifeless but piercing. “Noooooo!” I’d attempt to cry out, but it would be too late. She'd attempt to suck the soul from my body. I'd resist, but she'd be too strong. I'd become trapped inside the lovable squirrel’s impossibly soft body. New Serene, inhabiting my body, would glance at me now and again with a look of victory. She'd won. Then one night she’d walk downstairs into the dimly lit living room, calmly and without saying a word placing original Serene down next to me.

"You never should have called me a fucking clone," she'd whisper. I can't say a word.

Welcome to the VG247 Best Games Ever Podcast, Episode 13: Best game that was called a clone of another game.

Please do let us know what you think of the show – and if this is your first time listening, do go back to listen to the previous episodes. If you’ve got suggestions for topics, we’d love to hear them. If we don't come up with some new ideas soon we'll have to go down the road of topics like, "Best game that James Billcliffe thought was wonderful but every other sentient being on the planet accepted was terrible" (not at all related to this week's podcast!).

“What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask while trying to imagine life inside a soft toy. You can't imagine it. It's a concept ripped straight out of what would be the best episode of The Twilight Zone ever made, such is the quality of the idea. Anyway, this podcast, which is why you're on this page (not to read my pitches for horror fiction), is essentially a 30-minute panel show where people (me and some others on VG247) decide on the best game in a specific category. That's it. It's good.

We’ve got some details on the show’s content below (if you want to get a refresher before heading to the comments to make a wonderful, considered post or don’t want to listen but do want to know what games we picked), so if you want to avoid spoilers, don’t scroll past this warning.

W

A

R

N

I

N

G

The Best Game that was once called a clone of another game

This is the topic of Episode thirteen of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Here’s a rundown of who picked what.

Tom – Axiom Verge

Honestly, this game is so good I'm not sure why the others bothered to argue against it. Axiom Verge is an absolutely brilliant Metroid clone that mixes pin-sharp gameplay with a superb sense of adventure and discovery. Please, please, please give it a look if you've yet to. It's on all current platforms, so there's really no excuse. There's a sequel, too, although I'm yet to be sucked in by it in the same way.

Alex – Mortal Kombat

For my money, Mortal Kombat is the original video game clone. Everybody described this game as a Street Fighter clone back in the day, even though its core developers maintain to this day that it was primarily inspired by an even older fighting game, with Street Fighter holding little influence over the spine-ripping game that turned arcades upside down in the nineties. One thing was undeniable, however: Midway only greenlit MK due to the success of Street Fighter. The two are inexorably linked, forever.

Whatever the truth of inspiration was didn't matter to the press or the public anyway. MK was Street Fighter's brasher, louder, attention-grabbing cousin. Arguably, MK was resolutely American just as Street Fighter was unabashedly Japanese. The two engaged in a war that was as potent and as divisive as Mario vs Sonic. Street Fighter launched the fighting game genre as we know it today, and MK solidified its potential for mass-market success. But even so... people continued to call MK a Street Fighter clone. It's a moniker that will follow it forever - deserved or not.

James – Untold Legends: Brotherhood of the Blade

When it comes to Diablo clones it's hard to go wrong. All you need is some made-up fantasy words, tons of loot and more spiders and rats than you could fit in the world's largest, spookiest terrarium. The loop of picking up green things, then blue things, then purple things, then orange things as the loot rarity goes up is so insatiably moreish that you're good for at least 80 hours of gameplay regardless of the wrapping.

A premium example of this comes in the form of 2005 PSP launch title, Untold Legends: Brotherhood of the Blade - a rock solid Diablo clone with the added bonus of being on an awesome portable console with retro-futuristic discs that still spin inside their plastic cases as you eject them - still hot - from inside the handheld.

Come back in a week for another episode of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 2127 no Episode 12: Best game that you hated for a very specific reason https://the-vg247-podcast.libsyn.com/episode-12-best-game-that-you-hated-for-a-very-specificreason We can't help it when something rubs us the wrong way. Disclaimer: For legal reasons some of the names of the people involved in this story have been altered. ”Steve,” exclaimed the supply teacher, Miss Personality Vacuum. ”Yes, Miss,” replied Steve. ”Frank.” ”Here, Miss,” replied Frank. ”George.” ”Yes, Miss,” replied George. ”Stacey.” ”Yes, Miss, here” replied Stacey. ”Dickhead,” continued Miss Personality Vacuum. There was silence, only broken by the slight sound of heads turning and necks rubbing against shirt collars. ”Dickhead,” Miss Personality Vacuum stated once more, this time accompanied by a vague look out across the classroom. Still only skin on cotton could be heard, but the turned heads might as well have been drawing an arrow pointing straight at Dickhead. ”Dickhead, if that is you, please can you reply,” asked Miss Personality Vacuum quite politely. ”My name isn’t Dickhead,” said Dickhead with all the petulance of talking baby Jack Russell. ”I’m sorry,” said Miss V. “What is your name?” ”Dick,” sneered Dickhead. ”OK, thank you,” said Miss V, letting the tone go unpunished to just get through the register. ”Kate,” enquired Miss V. ”Aren’t you going to call my name?” interrupted Dickhead. ”OK, yes,” said Miss V now a little flustered and clearly slightly annoyed but trying not to show it. “Dick.” Silence. Miss V stared at Dickhead with the kind of stare that would either turn you to stone or burn a hole straight through you. ”My name is Dickhead,” said Dickhead. I fucking hated Dickhead. And with that, Welcome to the VG247 Best Games Ever Podcast, Episode 12: Best game you hated for a very specific reason. Please do let us know what you think of the show – and if this is your first time listening, do go back to listen to the previous episodes. If you’ve got suggestions for topics, we’d love to hear them. I don't want to say we’re scraping the barrel, but well... someone suggested “Best game with a duck” the other day and for a moment I thought it was the best idea of all time. “What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask while trying to work out what Dickhead’s real name was. Three syllables and could be shortened to two. That’s the only clue you’re getting. I expect he's gone on to star in a 30-minute panel show where people decide on the best game in a specific category, just like this podcast – although unlike this podcast, that show is likely mean spirited, clueless, and not as smart as it thinks it is. We’ve got some details on the show’s content below (if you want to get a refresher before heading to the comments to make a wonderful, considered post or don’t want to listen but do want to know what games we picked), so if you want to avoid spoilers, don’t scroll past this warning. W A R N I N G The Best Game that you hated for a very specific reason This is the topic of Episode twelve of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Here’s a rundown of who picked what. Tom – Final Fantasy 7 (original release) Yes, I have picked one of the most loved games of all time, but no, I haven’t gone for the reason that the game’s marketing sold people a game that wasn’t as it seemed. Essentially, I got stuck on disc one, OK? Maybe I was bored and really couldn’t be bothered to figure out what I was meant to be doing, but in my mind the Saucer area was so bad that I just gave up. Alex – From Russia With Love Sean Connery providing his voice and likeness to a new Bond game! What could go wrong? Well, it seems the performance could. As much as Sean is loved in the classic James Bond movies, his acting in the PS2-era video game is borderline terrible. Such a shame. James – Persona 4 Persona 4 is a fantastic game where you find out that rural life can be more exciting than you ever imagined, as you solve the enigmatic case of an otherworldly killer and make the kind of friendships that last a lifetime. The only trouble is you can throw all of that away in the space of a single conversation, along with potentially hours-upon-hours of progress and invested time. Nowhere inside of the game does it tell you any of this, but you should've worked at the corner shop more, idiot. Let us know what game you’d pick and if you think James writes jokes in advance so he can read off a script? If you like the podcast, please subscribe and leave a review saying how wonderful it is, and tell all your friends. Do a tweet about it, post on Facebook, or be one of those people that walk around town with a boombox and rig it to play the latest episode at an obscene volume. Come back in a week for another episode of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 12 Aug 2022 11:30:00 -0000 Best game that you hated for a very specific reason full 12 VG247 We can't help it when something rubs us the wrong way. Disclaimer: For legal reasons some of the names of the people involved in this story have been altered. ”Steve,” exclaimed the supply teacher, Miss Personality Vacuum. ”Yes, Miss,”... We can't help it when something rubs us the wrong way. Disclaimer: For legal reasons some of the names of the people involved in this story have been altered. ”Steve,” exclaimed the supply teacher, Miss Personality Vacuum. ”Yes, Miss,” replied Steve. ”Frank.” ”Here, Miss,” replied Frank. ”George.” ”Yes, Miss,” replied George. ”Stacey.” ”Yes, Miss, here” replied Stacey. ”Dickhead,” continued Miss Personality Vacuum. There was silence, only broken by the slight sound of heads turning and necks rubbing against shirt collars. ”Dickhead,” Miss Personality Vacuum stated once more, this time accompanied by a vague look out across the classroom. Still only skin on cotton could be heard, but the turned heads might as well have been drawing an arrow pointing straight at Dickhead. ”Dickhead, if that is you, please can you reply,” asked Miss Personality Vacuum quite politely. ”My name isn’t Dickhead,” said Dickhead with all the petulance of talking baby Jack Russell. ”I’m sorry,” said Miss V. “What is your name?” ”Dick,” sneered Dickhead. ”OK, thank you,” said Miss V, letting the tone go unpunished to just get through the register. ”Kate,” enquired Miss V. ”Aren’t you going to call my name?” interrupted Dickhead. ”OK, yes,” said Miss V now a little flustered and clearly slightly annoyed but trying not to show it. “Dick.” Silence. Miss V stared at Dickhead with the kind of stare that would either turn you to stone or burn a hole straight through you. ”My name is Dickhead,” said Dickhead. I fucking hated Dickhead. And with that, Welcome to the VG247 Best Games Ever Podcast, Episode 12: Best game you hated for a very specific reason. Please do let us know what you think of the show – and if this is your first time listening, do go back to listen to the previous episodes. If you’ve got suggestions for topics, we’d love to hear them. I don't want to say we’re scraping the barrel, but well... someone suggested “Best game with a duck” the other day and for a moment I thought it was the best idea of all time. “What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask while trying to work out what Dickhead’s real name was. Three syllables and could be shortened to two. That’s the only clue you’re getting. I expect he's gone on to star in a 30-minute panel show where people decide on the best game in a specific category, just like this podcast – although unlike this podcast, that show is likely mean spirited, clueless, and not as smart as it thinks it is. We’ve got some details on the show’s content below (if you want to get a refresher before heading to the comments to make a wonderful, considered post or don’t want to listen but do want to know what games we picked), so if you want to avoid spoilers, don’t scroll past this warning. W A R N I N G The Best Game that you hated for a very specific reason This is the topic of Episode twelve of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Here’s a rundown of who picked what. Tom – Final Fantasy 7 (original release) Yes, I have picked one of the most loved games of all time, but no, I haven’t gone for the reason that the game’s marketing sold people a game that wasn’t as it seemed. Essentially, I got stuck on disc one, OK? Maybe I was bored and really couldn’t be bothered to figure out what I was meant to be doing, but in my mind the Saucer area was so bad that I just gave up. Alex – From Russia With Love Sean Connery providing his voice and likeness to a new Bond game! What could go wrong? Well, it seems the performance could. As much as Sean is loved in the classic James Bond movies, his acting in the PS2-era video game is borderline terrible. Such a shame. James – Persona 4 Persona 4 is a fantastic game where you find out that rural life can be more exciting than you ever imagined, as you solve the enigmatic case of an otherworldly killer and make the kind of friendships that last a lifetime. The only trouble is you can throw all of that away in the space of a single conversation, along with potentially hours-upon-hours of progress and invested time. Nowhere inside of the game does it tell you any of this, but you should've worked at the corner shop more, idiot. Let us know what game you’d pick and if you think James writes jokes in advance so he can read off a script? If you like the podcast, please subscribe and leave a review saying how wonderful it is, and tell all your friends. Do a tweet about it, post on Facebook, or be one of those people that walk around town with a boombox and rig it to play the latest episode at an obscene volume. Come back in a week for another episode of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices We can't help it when something rubs us the wrong way. Disclaimer: For legal reasons some of the names of the people involved in this story have been altered.

”Steve,” exclaimed the supply teacher, Miss Personality Vacuum.

”Yes, Miss,” replied Steve.

”Frank.”

”Here, Miss,” replied Frank.

”George.”

”Yes, Miss,” replied George.

”Stacey.”

”Yes, Miss, here” replied Stacey.

”Dickhead,” continued Miss Personality Vacuum.

There was silence, only broken by the slight sound of heads turning and necks rubbing against shirt collars.

”Dickhead,” Miss Personality Vacuum stated once more, this time accompanied by a vague look out across the classroom.

Still only skin on cotton could be heard, but the turned heads might as well have been drawing an arrow pointing straight at Dickhead.

”Dickhead, if that is you, please can you reply,” asked Miss Personality Vacuum quite politely.

”My name isn’t Dickhead,” said Dickhead with all the petulance of talking baby Jack Russell.

”I’m sorry,” said Miss V. “What is your name?”

”Dick,” sneered Dickhead.

”OK, thank you,” said Miss V, letting the tone go unpunished to just get through the register.

”Kate,” enquired Miss V.

”Aren’t you going to call my name?” interrupted Dickhead.

”OK, yes,” said Miss V now a little flustered and clearly slightly annoyed but trying not to show it. “Dick.”

Silence.

Miss V stared at Dickhead with the kind of stare that would either turn you to stone or burn a hole straight through you.

”My name is Dickhead,” said Dickhead.

I fucking hated Dickhead. And with that, Welcome to the VG247 Best Games Ever Podcast, Episode 12: Best game you hated for a very specific reason.

Please do let us know what you think of the show – and if this is your first time listening, do go back to listen to the previous episodes. If you’ve got suggestions for topics, we’d love to hear them. I don't want to say we’re scraping the barrel, but well... someone suggested “Best game with a duck” the other day and for a moment I thought it was the best idea of all time.

“What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask while trying to work out what Dickhead’s real name was. Three syllables and could be shortened to two. That’s the only clue you’re getting. I expect he's gone on to star in a 30-minute panel show where people decide on the best game in a specific category, just like this podcast – although unlike this podcast, that show is likely mean spirited, clueless, and not as smart as it thinks it is.

We’ve got some details on the show’s content below (if you want to get a refresher before heading to the comments to make a wonderful, considered post or don’t want to listen but do want to know what games we picked), so if you want to avoid spoilers, don’t scroll past this warning.

W

A

R

N

I

N

G

The Best Game that you hated for a very specific reason

This is the topic of Episode twelve of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Here’s a rundown of who picked what.

Tom – Final Fantasy 7 (original release)

Yes, I have picked one of the most loved games of all time, but no, I haven’t gone for the reason that the game’s marketing sold people a game that wasn’t as it seemed. Essentially, I got stuck on disc one, OK? Maybe I was bored and really couldn’t be bothered to figure out what I was meant to be doing, but in my mind the Saucer area was so bad that I just gave up.

Alex – From Russia With Love

Sean Connery providing his voice and likeness to a new Bond game! What could go wrong? Well, it seems the performance could. As much as Sean is loved in the classic James Bond movies, his acting in the PS2-era video game is borderline terrible. Such a shame.

James – Persona 4

Persona 4 is a fantastic game where you find out that rural life can be more exciting than you ever imagined, as you solve the enigmatic case of an otherworldly killer and make the kind of friendships that last a lifetime. The only trouble is you can throw all of that away in the space of a single conversation, along with potentially hours-upon-hours of progress and invested time. Nowhere inside of the game does it tell you any of this, but you should've worked at the corner shop more, idiot.

Let us know what game you’d pick and if you think James writes jokes in advance so he can read off a script? If you like the podcast, please subscribe and leave a review saying how wonderful it is, and tell all your friends. Do a tweet about it, post on Facebook, or be one of those people that walk around town with a boombox and rig it to play the latest episode at an obscene volume.

Come back in a week for another episode of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 2468 no Episode 11: Best game that you were ridiculously hyped for as a teen https://the-vg247-podcast.libsyn.com/episode-11-best-game-that-you-were-ridiculously-hyped-for-as-a-teen Teenage independence brought with it the chance to shape our own gaming futures. Goodbye England's rose May you ever grow in our hearts You were the grace that placed itself Where lives were torn apart You called out to our country And you whispered to those in pain Now you belong to heaven And the stars spell out your name   As the news of Diana’s death forced itself into the homes of everyone in Great Britain, royalist tears flooding the carpets and dampening the underside of sofas, some people had other things on their minds.   It takes a lot to get a teenager out of bed on a Sunday morning, and if there’s no money involved it takes even more. ”Princess Diana has died,” Mum put out there as I stumbled down the stairs, bleary eyed having stayed up too late playing Dungeon Keeper.   ”Is snooker practice cancelled then?” I asked, not really reading the room.   ”I don’t know,” said Mum. “No one has said anything. Diana has died.”   A bowl of Crunchy Nut later and a car tooted its horn outside.   Diana was dead. But snooker practice was on. As a teenager, I was as hyped for snooker as modern kids are for Fortnite Nerf guns and YouTube videos of someone blowing up a million pounds.   Welcome to VG247 Best Games Ever Podcast, Episode 11: Best game that you were ridiculously hyped for as a teen. Please do let us know what you think of the show – and if this is your first time listening, do go back to listen to the previous episodes. If you’ve got suggestions for topics, we’d love to hear them. I promise to not claim them as my own works of genius – I'll give you credit way down the page, like those people that get viral tweets only to tell you who made the image two tweets under the main one a week later.   “What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask while thinking about where you were on Sunday, August 31, 1997. Wouldn’t it be funny if you were watching a 30-minute panel show where people decided on the best game in a specific category? As that’s just what this podcast is! We’ve got some details on the show’s content below (if you want to get a refresher before heading to the comments to make a wonderful, considered post or don’t want to listen but do want to know what games we picked), so if you want to avoid spoilers, don’t scroll past this warning.   W A R N I N G The Best Game that you were ridiculously hyped for as a teen This is the topic of Episode eleven of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Here’s a rundown of who picked what.   Tom – Formula 1 (1996)   F1 was just a thing that was seemingly always there when I was a kid. Broadcast on the BBC in the UK, every weekend we’d sit and watch it while eating a Sunday lunch. As such, the first game on the PlayStation was a huge deal that I was super hyped for. Turns out I wasn’t very good at it, but it looked incredible back in the day.   Alex – Dead Rising The Xbox 360 had some real killer games early on in its life, and Dead Rising is right up there with the best of them. A brand-new zombie game Capcom, the masters of the zombie genre, and one where you had seemingly endless ways to kill the undead monstrosities. Few games of the era managed this level of hype, and the game itself didn’t disappoint.   Kelsey – Resident Evil 7 After Resident Evil 6 something had to change, and Capcom (second appearance in this week’s pod) duly delivered the goods. Resident Evil 7 is a masterstroke in game design, player progression, and horror. With the weight of the franchise on its shoulders, Resi 7 thrust the series into the upper echelons of modern AAA releases, and ushered in a new era of quality Resident Evil releases.   Let us know what game you’d pick and if you think young people should be banned from showing how young they are? If you like the podcast, please subscribe and leave a review saying how wonderful it is, and tell all your friends. Do a tweet about it, post on Facebook, put a podcast banner on your drive so it looks like we’ve sponsored it (we won’t do that). Come back in a week for another episode of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 05 Aug 2022 11:00:00 -0000 Best game that you were ridiculously hyped for as a teen full 11 VG247 Teenage independence brought with it the chance to shape our own gaming futures. Goodbye England's rose May you ever grow in our hearts You were the grace that placed itself Where lives were torn apart You called out to our country And you whispered... Teenage independence brought with it the chance to shape our own gaming futures. Goodbye England's rose May you ever grow in our hearts You were the grace that placed itself Where lives were torn apart You called out to our country And you whispered to those in pain Now you belong to heaven And the stars spell out your name   As the news of Diana’s death forced itself into the homes of everyone in Great Britain, royalist tears flooding the carpets and dampening the underside of sofas, some people had other things on their minds.   It takes a lot to get a teenager out of bed on a Sunday morning, and if there’s no money involved it takes even more. ”Princess Diana has died,” Mum put out there as I stumbled down the stairs, bleary eyed having stayed up too late playing Dungeon Keeper.   ”Is snooker practice cancelled then?” I asked, not really reading the room.   ”I don’t know,” said Mum. “No one has said anything. Diana has died.”   A bowl of Crunchy Nut later and a car tooted its horn outside.   Diana was dead. But snooker practice was on. As a teenager, I was as hyped for snooker as modern kids are for Fortnite Nerf guns and YouTube videos of someone blowing up a million pounds.   Welcome to VG247 Best Games Ever Podcast, Episode 11: Best game that you were ridiculously hyped for as a teen. Please do let us know what you think of the show – and if this is your first time listening, do go back to listen to the previous episodes. If you’ve got suggestions for topics, we’d love to hear them. I promise to not claim them as my own works of genius – I'll give you credit way down the page, like those people that get viral tweets only to tell you who made the image two tweets under the main one a week later.   “What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask while thinking about where you were on Sunday, August 31, 1997. Wouldn’t it be funny if you were watching a 30-minute panel show where people decided on the best game in a specific category? As that’s just what this podcast is! We’ve got some details on the show’s content below (if you want to get a refresher before heading to the comments to make a wonderful, considered post or don’t want to listen but do want to know what games we picked), so if you want to avoid spoilers, don’t scroll past this warning.   W A R N I N G The Best Game that you were ridiculously hyped for as a teen This is the topic of Episode eleven of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Here’s a rundown of who picked what.   Tom – Formula 1 (1996)   F1 was just a thing that was seemingly always there when I was a kid. Broadcast on the BBC in the UK, every weekend we’d sit and watch it while eating a Sunday lunch. As such, the first game on the PlayStation was a huge deal that I was super hyped for. Turns out I wasn’t very good at it, but it looked incredible back in the day.   Alex – Dead Rising The Xbox 360 had some real killer games early on in its life, and Dead Rising is right up there with the best of them. A brand-new zombie game Capcom, the masters of the zombie genre, and one where you had seemingly endless ways to kill the undead monstrosities. Few games of the era managed this level of hype, and the game itself didn’t disappoint.   Kelsey – Resident Evil 7 After Resident Evil 6 something had to change, and Capcom (second appearance in this week’s pod) duly delivered the goods. Resident Evil 7 is a masterstroke in game design, player progression, and horror. With the weight of the franchise on its shoulders, Resi 7 thrust the series into the upper echelons of modern AAA releases, and ushered in a new era of quality Resident Evil releases.   Let us know what game you’d pick and if you think young people should be banned from showing how young they are? If you like the podcast, please subscribe and leave a review saying how wonderful it is, and tell all your friends. Do a tweet about it, post on Facebook, put a podcast banner on your drive so it looks like we’ve sponsored it (we won’t do that). Come back in a week for another episode of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Teenage independence brought with it the chance to shape our own gaming futures.

Goodbye England's rose May you ever grow in our hearts You were the grace that placed itself Where lives were torn apart You called out to our country And you whispered to those in pain Now you belong to heaven And the stars spell out your name

 

As the news of Diana’s death forced itself into the homes of everyone in Great Britain, royalist tears flooding the carpets and dampening the underside of sofas, some people had other things on their minds.

 

It takes a lot to get a teenager out of bed on a Sunday morning, and if there’s no money involved it takes even more.

”Princess Diana has died,” Mum put out there as I stumbled down the stairs, bleary eyed having stayed up too late playing Dungeon Keeper.

 

”Is snooker practice cancelled then?” I asked, not really reading the room.

 

”I don’t know,” said Mum. “No one has said anything. Diana has died.”

 

A bowl of Crunchy Nut later and a car tooted its horn outside.

 

Diana was dead. But snooker practice was on. As a teenager, I was as hyped for snooker as modern kids are for Fortnite Nerf guns and YouTube videos of someone blowing up a million pounds.

 

Welcome to VG247 Best Games Ever Podcast, Episode 11: Best game that you were ridiculously hyped for as a teen.

Please do let us know what you think of the show – and if this is your first time listening, do go back to listen to the previous episodes. If you’ve got suggestions for topics, we’d love to hear them. I promise to not claim them as my own works of genius – I'll give you credit way down the page, like those people that get viral tweets only to tell you who made the image two tweets under the main one a week later.

 

“What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask while thinking about where you were on Sunday, August 31, 1997. Wouldn’t it be funny if you were watching a 30-minute panel show where people decided on the best game in a specific category? As that’s just what this podcast is!

We’ve got some details on the show’s content below (if you want to get a refresher before heading to the comments to make a wonderful, considered post or don’t want to listen but do want to know what games we picked), so if you want to avoid spoilers, don’t scroll past this warning.

 

W

A

R

N

I

N

G

The Best Game that you were ridiculously hyped for as a teen This is the topic of Episode eleven of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Here’s a rundown of who picked what.

 

Tom – Formula 1 (1996)

 

F1 was just a thing that was seemingly always there when I was a kid. Broadcast on the BBC in the UK, every weekend we’d sit and watch it while eating a Sunday lunch. As such, the first game on the PlayStation was a huge deal that I was super hyped for. Turns out I wasn’t very good at it, but it looked incredible back in the day.

 

Alex – Dead Rising

The Xbox 360 had some real killer games early on in its life, and Dead Rising is right up there with the best of them. A brand-new zombie game Capcom, the masters of the zombie genre, and one where you had seemingly endless ways to kill the undead monstrosities. Few games of the era managed this level of hype, and the game itself didn’t disappoint.

 

Kelsey – Resident Evil 7

After Resident Evil 6 something had to change, and Capcom (second appearance in this week’s pod) duly delivered the goods. Resident Evil 7 is a masterstroke in game design, player progression, and horror. With the weight of the franchise on its shoulders, Resi 7 thrust the series into the upper echelons of modern AAA releases, and ushered in a new era of quality Resident Evil releases.

 

Let us know what game you’d pick and if you think young people should be banned from showing how young they are? If you like the podcast, please subscribe and leave a review saying how wonderful it is, and tell all your friends. Do a tweet about it, post on Facebook, put a podcast banner on your drive so it looks like we’ve sponsored it (we won’t do that).

Come back in a week for another episode of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 1909 no Episode 10: Best game that is really bad https://the-vg247-podcast.libsyn.com/episode-10-best-game-that-is-really-bad We all love things we shouldn't love. Video games are no different. ”I can’t believe you!” she screamed, having caught him in the act.   She’d left work to surprise him. A lovely little act of kindness on what would have otherwise been a completely ordinary day. Just another feature-less weekday blended in with all the rest – the palatable home-made protein smoothie of life.   A posh afternoon tea from the local fancy-for-the-area cafe that sits on the park. Sandwiches with pickle that isn’t Branston’s. Cheese that isn’t 40% lighter cheddar. Scones with a hint of cinnamon. Homemade tray bakes the likes of which you usually only see on the TV that are the size of an eight-year-old's hand. How lovely. At least that was the intention.   ”I didn’t...” he stumbled. “I...” he added completely without point or reason.   ”Get out,” she yelled, barely able to look at them together, the coffee table a mess of where they’d been.   ”But...” he blurted out. “I was weak while picking up some bits from CO-OP. I’m sorry.   ”I don’t know why I did it. I’m sorry. I really am,” the chided man muttered, repentantly as he walked out the door.   The woman sat down. She wasn’t going to let this ruin her lunch. She pushed the empty Rustlers microwave burger wrappers into the bin and started eating her sandwiches.   Welcome to VG247 Best Games Ever Podcast, Episode 10: Best game that is really bad. Please do let us know what you think of the show – and if this is your first time listening, do go back to listen to the previous episodes. If you’ve got suggestions for topics, we’d love to hear them. We've got a vault full of existing ideas, but about 98% of them are terrible, 1% are unrecordable, and the rest are just about passable in a pinch.   “What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask while pondering a Rustlers for lunch. To get straight to the point and to quote myself from last week: “It’s a 30-minute panel show where we decide the best game in a specific category.” More importantly, please don’t eat a Rustlers. You could pick almost any other item of food and come out the other side in a better place. We’ve got some details on the show’s content below (if you want to get a refresher before heading to the comments to make a wonderful, considered post or don’t want to listen but do want to know what games we picked), so if you want to avoid spoilers, don’t scroll past this warning.   W A R N I N G The Best Game that is really bad This is the topic of Episode ten of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Here’s a rundown of who picked what. Tom – Operation Wolf A much-loved video game of the 90s, porting from arcades to pretty much every console and system that was around at the time, Operation Wolf on the Master System is the perfect game that’s good but also bad. You see, it was rock hard, and had to be played with a light gun to experience it at its best. Most people, me included, used a control pad. Sad times. Alex – Deadly Premonition So bad it’s good. Has any game ever perfectly summed up this saying more than Deadly Premonition. It somehow manages to combine a lot of fairly terrible things into a game that has a sizable, dedicated fan following. The fact that the sequel (seen above) so badly misses the mark is another testament to how all the planets must have aligned perfectly for this gem to come into the world.   Sherif - EDF   Earth Defense Force (EDF) is a long-running series where you essentially have to shoot waves of giant ants (and other giant things). That’s it. And it’s amazing. Give it a look and you might not get what’s so great about it, but trust when we say that this is one of the most fun you can have with a video game. It’s technically a mess (every version) and feels quite bizarre compared to the standards set and adhered to in most video games, but that is part of its charm.   Let us know what game you’d pick and if you think all old games are bad, actually? If you like the podcast, please subscribe and leave a review saying how wonderful it is, and tell all your friends. Do a tweet about it, post on Facebook, hire one of those planes to fly a banner promoting it over a big sporting event.   Come back in a week for another episode of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 29 Jul 2022 11:00:00 -0000 Best game that is really bad full 10 VG247 We all love things we shouldn't love. Video games are no different. ”I can’t believe you!” she screamed, having caught him in the act.   She’d left work to surprise him. A lovely little act of kindness on what would have otherwise been a... We all love things we shouldn't love. Video games are no different. ”I can’t believe you!” she screamed, having caught him in the act.   She’d left work to surprise him. A lovely little act of kindness on what would have otherwise been a completely ordinary day. Just another feature-less weekday blended in with all the rest – the palatable home-made protein smoothie of life.   A posh afternoon tea from the local fancy-for-the-area cafe that sits on the park. Sandwiches with pickle that isn’t Branston’s. Cheese that isn’t 40% lighter cheddar. Scones with a hint of cinnamon. Homemade tray bakes the likes of which you usually only see on the TV that are the size of an eight-year-old's hand. How lovely. At least that was the intention.   ”I didn’t...” he stumbled. “I...” he added completely without point or reason.   ”Get out,” she yelled, barely able to look at them together, the coffee table a mess of where they’d been.   ”But...” he blurted out. “I was weak while picking up some bits from CO-OP. I’m sorry.   ”I don’t know why I did it. I’m sorry. I really am,” the chided man muttered, repentantly as he walked out the door.   The woman sat down. She wasn’t going to let this ruin her lunch. She pushed the empty Rustlers microwave burger wrappers into the bin and started eating her sandwiches.   Welcome to VG247 Best Games Ever Podcast, Episode 10: Best game that is really bad. Please do let us know what you think of the show – and if this is your first time listening, do go back to listen to the previous episodes. If you’ve got suggestions for topics, we’d love to hear them. We've got a vault full of existing ideas, but about 98% of them are terrible, 1% are unrecordable, and the rest are just about passable in a pinch.   “What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask while pondering a Rustlers for lunch. To get straight to the point and to quote myself from last week: “It’s a 30-minute panel show where we decide the best game in a specific category.” More importantly, please don’t eat a Rustlers. You could pick almost any other item of food and come out the other side in a better place. We’ve got some details on the show’s content below (if you want to get a refresher before heading to the comments to make a wonderful, considered post or don’t want to listen but do want to know what games we picked), so if you want to avoid spoilers, don’t scroll past this warning.   W A R N I N G The Best Game that is really bad This is the topic of Episode ten of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Here’s a rundown of who picked what. Tom – Operation Wolf A much-loved video game of the 90s, porting from arcades to pretty much every console and system that was around at the time, Operation Wolf on the Master System is the perfect game that’s good but also bad. You see, it was rock hard, and had to be played with a light gun to experience it at its best. Most people, me included, used a control pad. Sad times. Alex – Deadly Premonition So bad it’s good. Has any game ever perfectly summed up this saying more than Deadly Premonition. It somehow manages to combine a lot of fairly terrible things into a game that has a sizable, dedicated fan following. The fact that the sequel (seen above) so badly misses the mark is another testament to how all the planets must have aligned perfectly for this gem to come into the world.   Sherif - EDF   Earth Defense Force (EDF) is a long-running series where you essentially have to shoot waves of giant ants (and other giant things). That’s it. And it’s amazing. Give it a look and you might not get what’s so great about it, but trust when we say that this is one of the most fun you can have with a video game. It’s technically a mess (every version) and feels quite bizarre compared to the standards set and adhered to in most video games, but that is part of its charm.   Let us know what game you’d pick and if you think all old games are bad, actually? If you like the podcast, please subscribe and leave a review saying how wonderful it is, and tell all your friends. Do a tweet about it, post on Facebook, hire one of those planes to fly a banner promoting it over a big sporting event.   Come back in a week for another episode of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices We all love things we shouldn't love. Video games are no different.

”I can’t believe you!” she screamed, having caught him in the act.

 

She’d left work to surprise him. A lovely little act of kindness on what would have otherwise been a completely ordinary day. Just another feature-less weekday blended in with all the rest – the palatable home-made protein smoothie of life.

 

A posh afternoon tea from the local fancy-for-the-area cafe that sits on the park. Sandwiches with pickle that isn’t Branston’s. Cheese that isn’t 40% lighter cheddar. Scones with a hint of cinnamon. Homemade tray bakes the likes of which you usually only see on the TV that are the size of an eight-year-old's hand. How lovely. At least that was the intention.

 

”I didn’t...” he stumbled. “I...” he added completely without point or reason.

 

”Get out,” she yelled, barely able to look at them together, the coffee table a mess of where they’d been.

 

”But...” he blurted out. “I was weak while picking up some bits from CO-OP. I’m sorry.

 

”I don’t know why I did it. I’m sorry. I really am,” the chided man muttered, repentantly as he walked out the door.

 

The woman sat down. She wasn’t going to let this ruin her lunch. She pushed the empty Rustlers microwave burger wrappers into the bin and started eating her sandwiches.

 

Welcome to VG247 Best Games Ever Podcast, Episode 10: Best game that is really bad.

Please do let us know what you think of the show – and if this is your first time listening, do go back to listen to the previous episodes. If you’ve got suggestions for topics, we’d love to hear them. We've got a vault full of existing ideas, but about 98% of them are terrible, 1% are unrecordable, and the rest are just about passable in a pinch.

 

“What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask while pondering a Rustlers for lunch. To get straight to the point and to quote myself from last week: “It’s a 30-minute panel show where we decide the best game in a specific category.” More importantly, please don’t eat a Rustlers. You could pick almost any other item of food and come out the other side in a better place.

We’ve got some details on the show’s content below (if you want to get a refresher before heading to the comments to make a wonderful, considered post or don’t want to listen but do want to know what games we picked), so if you want to avoid spoilers, don’t scroll past this warning.

 

W

A

R

N

I

N

G

The Best Game that is really bad

This is the topic of Episode ten of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Here’s a rundown of who picked what.

Tom – Operation Wolf

A much-loved video game of the 90s, porting from arcades to pretty much every console and system that was around at the time, Operation Wolf on the Master System is the perfect game that’s good but also bad. You see, it was rock hard, and had to be played with a light gun to experience it at its best. Most people, me included, used a control pad. Sad times.

Alex – Deadly Premonition

So bad it’s good. Has any game ever perfectly summed up this saying more than Deadly Premonition. It somehow manages to combine a lot of fairly terrible things into a game that has a sizable, dedicated fan following. The fact that the sequel (seen above) so badly misses the mark is another testament to how all the planets must have aligned perfectly for this gem to come into the world.

 

Sherif - EDF

 

Earth Defense Force (EDF) is a long-running series where you essentially have to shoot waves of giant ants (and other giant things). That’s it. And it’s amazing. Give it a look and you might not get what’s so great about it, but trust when we say that this is one of the most fun you can have with a video game. It’s technically a mess (every version) and feels quite bizarre compared to the standards set and adhered to in most video games, but that is part of its charm.

 

Let us know what game you’d pick and if you think all old games are bad, actually? If you like the podcast, please subscribe and leave a review saying how wonderful it is, and tell all your friends. Do a tweet about it, post on Facebook, hire one of those planes to fly a banner promoting it over a big sporting event.

 

Come back in a week for another episode of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 2420 no Episode 9 - Best Game With Balls That Isn’t a Sports Game https://the-vg247-podcast.libsyn.com/episode-9-best-game-with-balls-that-isnt-a-sports-game When this topic was decided, we overestimated our ability to ignore the obvious crude options.   This was the moment. Time to be a hero, to go down as a legend, forever remembered in the history books as the person who took the team into the final.   He stepped up to the penalty spot, placed the ball and shuffled back. The goalkeeper looked nervous, but then so was the penalty taker. It was a cold afternoon, but inside this arena (a field), things had reached boiling point.   Thoughts flashed through his mind: why is a defender taking this penalty? Why is one of the strikers crying on the sidelines? Who’s dad is that shouting and hollering about how “he’s going to go to your right”? What happens if he misses? Using the aggro dad’s words against him, he struck the ball to the keeper’s right, and it worked. The goalie dived the wrong way, the ball sailing clearly into the net... until a leg popped up, seemingly stretched out beyond all boundaries of human contortion. A foot... a toe even, impossibly bulging out of a football boot, nudging the ball onto the post.   The boy had missed.   Time accelerated in a blur, so in an instant the Under 11s Cubs football team was out of the tournament. Steve was still crying on the sidelines, more now, perhaps knowing he’d bottled it as the team’s main attacker.   The defender collapsed to his knees. Heartbreak, the same felt by so many of his sporting idols. Glory wasn’t to be. Game over.   In that moment the boy vowed that, should it ever come to pass in his future, he’d never take part in a 30-minute (or thereabouts) podcast about balls in sports video games, so welcome to the VG247 Best Games Ever Podcast, Episode 9: Best game with balls that isn’t a sports game. Please do let us know what you think of the show – and if this is your first time listening, do go back to listen to the previous episodes. You can listen to them in any order you like as there’s no rhyme or reason to the topics. If you’ve got suggestions for topics, we’d love to hear them. I won’t lie. Coming up with new topics each week is harder than I imagined, and I could do with a break. Otherwise, we’ll be doing shows like Best game with a character that wears trousers.   “What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask, still a bit confused about the genre-defying opening to this podcast article. I’ve tended to say something like “It’s a 30-minute panel show where we decide the best game in a specific category,” but given that some of these episodes now touch 40 minutes that’s a blatant lie, although still a goal – sometimes we just get a bit carried away. I’m sorry, OK? It’s easy to point fingers and say things should have been different. Don’t be one of those people. “The boy” knows he should have kept the ball lower. Leave it be. We’ve got some details on the show’s content below (if you want to get a refresher before heading to the comments to make a wonderful, considered post or don’t want to listen but do want to know what games we picked), so if you want to avoid spoilers, don’t scroll past this warning.   W A R N I N G   The Best Game with balls that isn’t a sports game This is the topic of Episode nine of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Here’s a rundown of who picked what. Tom – Red Dead Redemption 2 Great game? Check! Perhaps one of the greatest of all time, even. Features balls? Yep. Rockstar modelled those horses accurately. Not a sports game? Check! This one is a full-on western. Surely even Jim can’t snatch this victory away from me?   Alex – Conker's Bad Fur Day   When this topic was chosen for the podcast, I obviously decided to interpret balls as testicles, because I am a fully-grown, 33-year-old adult. When I think of bollocks in games, my first thought went right to N64 classic Conker's Bad Fur Day, which is utterly packed with balls. My primary argument is for the Bourgeois Big Bollocked Boiler, a memorable boss that's a giant furnace that happens to have "balls of brass, polished to the nth degree". And what do you do? Well, you get between the boiler's legs and smash its balls with a house brick. This is just one example of the glorious use of balls in Conker, too; there's more in the podcast. A feast for the ears!   Connor - Lethal League   Lethal League is a brilliant fighting game where instead of smacking each other in the faces directly, players must land blows on their opponent via a baseball placed in the centre of the screen. The more the ball is hit, the faster it goes, leading to high intensity matches where spacing is crucial. It's got brilliant music, enticing visuals, a cast of characters each with their own special moves and super attacks. It is also not a sports game! Just because a baseball is present, doesn't make it a sport! If you kick a football through a school window, are you playing football? No way.   Let us know what game you’d pick and if you think Tom was right, again? If you like the podcast, please subscribe and leave a review saying how wonderful it is, and tell all your friends. Do a tweet about it, post on Facebook, write an obituary for Eurogamer’s podcast(s) for the local paper, and ask people to listen to this instead.   Come back in a week for another episode of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 22 Jul 2022 10:10:51 -0000 Episode 9 - Best Game With Balls That Isn’t a Sports Game full 9 VG247 When this topic was decided, we overestimated our ability to ignore the obvious crude options.   This was the moment. Time to be a hero, to go down as a legend, forever remembered in the history books as the person who took the team into the... When this topic was decided, we overestimated our ability to ignore the obvious crude options.   This was the moment. Time to be a hero, to go down as a legend, forever remembered in the history books as the person who took the team into the final.   He stepped up to the penalty spot, placed the ball and shuffled back. The goalkeeper looked nervous, but then so was the penalty taker. It was a cold afternoon, but inside this arena (a field), things had reached boiling point.   Thoughts flashed through his mind: why is a defender taking this penalty? Why is one of the strikers crying on the sidelines? Who’s dad is that shouting and hollering about how “he’s going to go to your right”? What happens if he misses? Using the aggro dad’s words against him, he struck the ball to the keeper’s right, and it worked. The goalie dived the wrong way, the ball sailing clearly into the net... until a leg popped up, seemingly stretched out beyond all boundaries of human contortion. A foot... a toe even, impossibly bulging out of a football boot, nudging the ball onto the post.   The boy had missed.   Time accelerated in a blur, so in an instant the Under 11s Cubs football team was out of the tournament. Steve was still crying on the sidelines, more now, perhaps knowing he’d bottled it as the team’s main attacker.   The defender collapsed to his knees. Heartbreak, the same felt by so many of his sporting idols. Glory wasn’t to be. Game over.   In that moment the boy vowed that, should it ever come to pass in his future, he’d never take part in a 30-minute (or thereabouts) podcast about balls in sports video games, so welcome to the VG247 Best Games Ever Podcast, Episode 9: Best game with balls that isn’t a sports game. Please do let us know what you think of the show – and if this is your first time listening, do go back to listen to the previous episodes. You can listen to them in any order you like as there’s no rhyme or reason to the topics. If you’ve got suggestions for topics, we’d love to hear them. I won’t lie. Coming up with new topics each week is harder than I imagined, and I could do with a break. Otherwise, we’ll be doing shows like Best game with a character that wears trousers.   “What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask, still a bit confused about the genre-defying opening to this podcast article. I’ve tended to say something like “It’s a 30-minute panel show where we decide the best game in a specific category,” but given that some of these episodes now touch 40 minutes that’s a blatant lie, although still a goal – sometimes we just get a bit carried away. I’m sorry, OK? It’s easy to point fingers and say things should have been different. Don’t be one of those people. “The boy” knows he should have kept the ball lower. Leave it be. We’ve got some details on the show’s content below (if you want to get a refresher before heading to the comments to make a wonderful, considered post or don’t want to listen but do want to know what games we picked), so if you want to avoid spoilers, don’t scroll past this warning.   W A R N I N G   The Best Game with balls that isn’t a sports game This is the topic of Episode nine of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Here’s a rundown of who picked what. Tom – Red Dead Redemption 2 Great game? Check! Perhaps one of the greatest of all time, even. Features balls? Yep. Rockstar modelled those horses accurately. Not a sports game? Check! This one is a full-on western. Surely even Jim can’t snatch this victory away from me?   Alex – Conker's Bad Fur Day   When this topic was chosen for the podcast, I obviously decided to interpret balls as testicles, because I am a fully-grown, 33-year-old adult. When I think of bollocks in games, my first thought went right to N64 classic Conker's Bad Fur Day, which is utterly packed with balls. My primary argument is for the Bourgeois Big Bollocked Boiler, a memorable boss that's a giant furnace that happens to have "balls of brass, polished to the nth degree". And what do you do? Well, you get between the boiler's legs and smash its balls with a house brick. This is just one example of the glorious use of balls in Conker, too; there's more in the podcast. A feast for the ears!   Connor - Lethal League   Lethal League is a brilliant fighting game where instead of smacking each other in the faces directly, players must land blows on their opponent via a baseball placed in the centre of the screen. The more the ball is hit, the faster it goes, leading to high intensity matches where spacing is crucial. It's got brilliant music, enticing visuals, a cast of characters each with their own special moves and super attacks. It is also not a sports game! Just because a baseball is present, doesn't make it a sport! If you kick a football through a school window, are you playing football? No way.   Let us know what game you’d pick and if you think Tom was right, again? If you like the podcast, please subscribe and leave a review saying how wonderful it is, and tell all your friends. Do a tweet about it, post on Facebook, write an obituary for Eurogamer’s podcast(s) for the local paper, and ask people to listen to this instead.   Come back in a week for another episode of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices When this topic was decided, we overestimated our ability to ignore the obvious crude options.

 

This was the moment. Time to be a hero, to go down as a legend, forever remembered in the history books as the person who took the team into the final.

 

He stepped up to the penalty spot, placed the ball and shuffled back. The goalkeeper looked nervous, but then so was the penalty taker. It was a cold afternoon, but inside this arena (a field), things had reached boiling point.

 

Thoughts flashed through his mind: why is a defender taking this penalty? Why is one of the strikers crying on the sidelines? Who’s dad is that shouting and hollering about how “he’s going to go to your right”? What happens if he misses?

Using the aggro dad’s words against him, he struck the ball to the keeper’s right, and it worked. The goalie dived the wrong way, the ball sailing clearly into the net... until a leg popped up, seemingly stretched out beyond all boundaries of human contortion. A foot... a toe even, impossibly bulging out of a football boot, nudging the ball onto the post.

 

The boy had missed.

 

Time accelerated in a blur, so in an instant the Under 11s Cubs football team was out of the tournament. Steve was still crying on the sidelines, more now, perhaps knowing he’d bottled it as the team’s main attacker.

 

The defender collapsed to his knees. Heartbreak, the same felt by so many of his sporting idols. Glory wasn’t to be. Game over.

 

In that moment the boy vowed that, should it ever come to pass in his future, he’d never take part in a 30-minute (or thereabouts) podcast about balls in sports video games, so welcome to the VG247 Best Games Ever Podcast, Episode 9: Best game with balls that isn’t a sports game.

Please do let us know what you think of the show – and if this is your first time listening, do go back to listen to the previous episodes. You can listen to them in any order you like as there’s no rhyme or reason to the topics. If you’ve got suggestions for topics, we’d love to hear them. I won’t lie. Coming up with new topics each week is harder than I imagined, and I could do with a break. Otherwise, we’ll be doing shows like Best game with a character that wears trousers.

 

“What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask, still a bit confused about the genre-defying opening to this podcast article. I’ve tended to say something like “It’s a 30-minute panel show where we decide the best game in a specific category,” but given that some of these episodes now touch 40 minutes that’s a blatant lie, although still a goal – sometimes we just get a bit carried away. I’m sorry, OK? It’s easy to point fingers and say things should have been different. Don’t be one of those people. “The boy” knows he should have kept the ball lower. Leave it be.

We’ve got some details on the show’s content below (if you want to get a refresher before heading to the comments to make a wonderful, considered post or don’t want to listen but do want to know what games we picked), so if you want to avoid spoilers, don’t scroll past this warning.

 

W

A

R

N

I

N

G

 

The Best Game with balls that isn’t a sports game

This is the topic of Episode nine of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Here’s a rundown of who picked what.

Tom – Red Dead Redemption 2

Great game? Check! Perhaps one of the greatest of all time, even. Features balls? Yep. Rockstar modelled those horses accurately. Not a sports game? Check! This one is a full-on western. Surely even Jim can’t snatch this victory away from me?

 

Alex – Conker's Bad Fur Day

 

When this topic was chosen for the podcast, I obviously decided to interpret balls as testicles, because I am a fully-grown, 33-year-old adult. When I think of bollocks in games, my first thought went right to N64 classic Conker's Bad Fur Day, which is utterly packed with balls. My primary argument is for the Bourgeois Big Bollocked Boiler, a memorable boss that's a giant furnace that happens to have "balls of brass, polished to the nth degree". And what do you do? Well, you get between the boiler's legs and smash its balls with a house brick. This is just one example of the glorious use of balls in Conker, too; there's more in the podcast. A feast for the ears!

 

Connor - Lethal League

 

Lethal League is a brilliant fighting game where instead of smacking each other in the faces directly, players must land blows on their opponent via a baseball placed in the centre of the screen. The more the ball is hit, the faster it goes, leading to high intensity matches where spacing is crucial. It's got brilliant music, enticing visuals, a cast of characters each with their own special moves and super attacks. It is also not a sports game! Just because a baseball is present, doesn't make it a sport! If you kick a football through a school window, are you playing football? No way.

 

Let us know what game you’d pick and if you think Tom was right, again? If you like the podcast, please subscribe and leave a review saying how wonderful it is, and tell all your friends. Do a tweet about it, post on Facebook, write an obituary for Eurogamer’s podcast(s) for the local paper, and ask people to listen to this instead.

 

Come back in a week for another episode of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 1860 no Episode 8 - Best Game That Journos Love But Most People Think Is A Bit Naff https://the-vg247-podcast.libsyn.com/episode-8-best-game-that-journos-love-but-most-people-think-is-a-bit-naff Look, we know this is pushing the term "most," but just go with it. It was February, 1996. A coke-filled, overweight 13-year-old me was reading about CES in issue 148 of CVG and salivating over the ultra-positive review of Sonic 3. CVG gave out some high scores, but a 94 was pretty exciting for a SEGA boy like me. What a life I’d have as a games journalist, I thought to myself. Not high on drugs, just full of the hope only a child can possess. I would make this dream a reality and live like a king, never having to buy a video game again. And then, screaming out of the tinny speaker in my Philips radio alarm clock, came a song that was, unknown to me at the time, foretelling my future. Ironic, by Alanis Morissette. A traffic jam when you're already late A "No Smoking" sign on your cigarette break It's like ten thousand spoons when all you need is a knife It’s being a games journo yeah, and then turning on them in a radio show And isn't it ironic, don't you think? A little too ironic, and yeah I really do think 18 years later, and here we are. The prophecy has been fulfilled in the quest for hits. It’s the VG247 Best Games Ever Podcast, episode 8: Best game that journos love but most people think is a bit naff. Please do let us know what you think of the show – and if this is your first time listening, do go back to listen to the previous episodes. You can listen to them in any order you like as there’s no rhyme or reason to the topics. If you’ve got suggestions for topics, we’d love to hear them – but please keep in mind that I’ll have to write some award-winning-worthy fiction for each one. “What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask, hoping it’s not going to trigger another ill-conceived nostalgic segway. Well, imagine you are watching a TV panel show from the early 200s. One of the good ones. But the TV is broken so there’s only audio, and all the famous panelists were off ill so they had to bring some randos down from the audience. The TV network also started to care about video games, so dedicated a whole show to it, rather than just having one person reference Mario as if he’s to be talked about with the same disdain as Fred West. It’s also only about 30 minutes long, so if you don’t like it you’ll be over it in no time at all. We’ve got some details on the show’s content below (if you want to get a refresher before heading to the comments to make a wonderful, considered post or don’t want to listen but do want to know what games we picked), so if you want to avoid spoilers, don’t scroll past this warning. W A R N I N G The Best Game that journos love but most people think is a bit naff This is the topic of Episode eight of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Here’s a rundown of who picked what. Tom – Yakuza 6 (or just any Yakuza game) Right, listen before you start having a go. I am here to get people talking, to be the contrarian jester of the group. So I picked a game from a franchise that I full-well know people love, but Yakuza is a game series that journos adore, yet I don’t really get. OK? It’s on me, but I’m projecting onto others. Alex – Quantum Break Hello, I’m Alex, definitely not Tom writing words for me as I’m not working today. I apologise for choosing excellent 8/10 sci-fi action banger, Quantum Break, as my game for this week. I have come to understand, since this podcast was recorded, that Quantum Break is a wonderful game that most people love. It’s destined to go down in history as one of the greats of the genre. Sherif - Deathloop Everyone in games media has been raving about Deathloop since it came out. When I finally sat down to play it towards the end of last year, I realised that I just don’t see what everyone is enamoured by! Deathloop has always been pitched, and advertised, as a time loop game. This is what I went in expecting. I was left in disbelief yet again when I started playing and found that it’s not a god damn time loop game! Let us know what game you’d pick and if you think the treatment of Tom is now getting out of hand? If you like the podcast, please subscribe and leave a review saying how wonderful it is, and tell all your friends. Do a tweet about it, post on Facebook, call into local radio shows and say nothing but the podcast page URL. Come back in a week for another episode of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 15 Jul 2022 10:51:08 -0000 Episode 8 - Best Game that Journos Love But Most People Think Is A Bit Naff full 8 VG247 Look, we know this is pushing the term "most," but just go with it. It was February, 1996. A coke-filled, overweight 13-year-old me was reading about CES in issue 148 of CVG and salivating over the ultra-positive review of Sonic 3. CVG gave out some... Look, we know this is pushing the term "most," but just go with it. It was February, 1996. A coke-filled, overweight 13-year-old me was reading about CES in issue 148 of CVG and salivating over the ultra-positive review of Sonic 3. CVG gave out some high scores, but a 94 was pretty exciting for a SEGA boy like me. What a life I’d have as a games journalist, I thought to myself. Not high on drugs, just full of the hope only a child can possess. I would make this dream a reality and live like a king, never having to buy a video game again. And then, screaming out of the tinny speaker in my Philips radio alarm clock, came a song that was, unknown to me at the time, foretelling my future. Ironic, by Alanis Morissette. A traffic jam when you're already late A "No Smoking" sign on your cigarette break It's like ten thousand spoons when all you need is a knife It’s being a games journo yeah, and then turning on them in a radio show And isn't it ironic, don't you think? A little too ironic, and yeah I really do think 18 years later, and here we are. The prophecy has been fulfilled in the quest for hits. It’s the VG247 Best Games Ever Podcast, episode 8: Best game that journos love but most people think is a bit naff. Please do let us know what you think of the show – and if this is your first time listening, do go back to listen to the previous episodes. You can listen to them in any order you like as there’s no rhyme or reason to the topics. If you’ve got suggestions for topics, we’d love to hear them – but please keep in mind that I’ll have to write some award-winning-worthy fiction for each one. “What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask, hoping it’s not going to trigger another ill-conceived nostalgic segway. Well, imagine you are watching a TV panel show from the early 200s. One of the good ones. But the TV is broken so there’s only audio, and all the famous panelists were off ill so they had to bring some randos down from the audience. The TV network also started to care about video games, so dedicated a whole show to it, rather than just having one person reference Mario as if he’s to be talked about with the same disdain as Fred West. It’s also only about 30 minutes long, so if you don’t like it you’ll be over it in no time at all. We’ve got some details on the show’s content below (if you want to get a refresher before heading to the comments to make a wonderful, considered post or don’t want to listen but do want to know what games we picked), so if you want to avoid spoilers, don’t scroll past this warning. W A R N I N G The Best Game that journos love but most people think is a bit naff This is the topic of Episode eight of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Here’s a rundown of who picked what. Tom – Yakuza 6 (or just any Yakuza game) Right, listen before you start having a go. I am here to get people talking, to be the contrarian jester of the group. So I picked a game from a franchise that I full-well know people love, but Yakuza is a game series that journos adore, yet I don’t really get. OK? It’s on me, but I’m projecting onto others. Alex – Quantum Break Hello, I’m Alex, definitely not Tom writing words for me as I’m not working today. I apologise for choosing excellent 8/10 sci-fi action banger, Quantum Break, as my game for this week. I have come to understand, since this podcast was recorded, that Quantum Break is a wonderful game that most people love. It’s destined to go down in history as one of the greats of the genre. Sherif - Deathloop Everyone in games media has been raving about Deathloop since it came out. When I finally sat down to play it towards the end of last year, I realised that I just don’t see what everyone is enamoured by! Deathloop has always been pitched, and advertised, as a time loop game. This is what I went in expecting. I was left in disbelief yet again when I started playing and found that it’s not a god damn time loop game! Let us know what game you’d pick and if you think the treatment of Tom is now getting out of hand? If you like the podcast, please subscribe and leave a review saying how wonderful it is, and tell all your friends. Do a tweet about it, post on Facebook, call into local radio shows and say nothing but the podcast page URL. Come back in a week for another episode of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Look, we know this is pushing the term "most," but just go with it.

It was February, 1996. A coke-filled, overweight 13-year-old me was reading about CES in issue 148 of CVG and salivating over the ultra-positive review of Sonic 3. CVG gave out some high scores, but a 94 was pretty exciting for a SEGA boy like me. What a life I’d have as a games journalist, I thought to myself. Not high on drugs, just full of the hope only a child can possess. I would make this dream a reality and live like a king, never having to buy a video game again.

And then, screaming out of the tinny speaker in my Philips radio alarm clock, came a song that was, unknown to me at the time, foretelling my future. Ironic, by Alanis Morissette.

A traffic jam when you're already late A "No Smoking" sign on your cigarette break It's like ten thousand spoons when all you need is a knife It’s being a games journo yeah, and then turning on them in a radio show And isn't it ironic, don't you think? A little too ironic, and yeah I really do think

18 years later, and here we are. The prophecy has been fulfilled in the quest for hits. It’s the VG247 Best Games Ever Podcast, episode 8: Best game that journos love but most people think is a bit naff.

Please do let us know what you think of the show – and if this is your first time listening, do go back to listen to the previous episodes. You can listen to them in any order you like as there’s no rhyme or reason to the topics. If you’ve got suggestions for topics, we’d love to hear them – but please keep in mind that I’ll have to write some award-winning-worthy fiction for each one.

“What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask, hoping it’s not going to trigger another ill-conceived nostalgic segway. Well, imagine you are watching a TV panel show from the early 200s. One of the good ones. But the TV is broken so there’s only audio, and all the famous panelists were off ill so they had to bring some randos down from the audience. The TV network also started to care about video games, so dedicated a whole show to it, rather than just having one person reference Mario as if he’s to be talked about with the same disdain as Fred West. It’s also only about 30 minutes long, so if you don’t like it you’ll be over it in no time at all.

We’ve got some details on the show’s content below (if you want to get a refresher before heading to the comments to make a wonderful, considered post or don’t want to listen but do want to know what games we picked), so if you want to avoid spoilers, don’t scroll past this warning.

W A R N I N G

The Best Game that journos love but most people think is a bit naff This is the topic of Episode eight of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Here’s a rundown of who picked what.

Tom – Yakuza 6 (or just any Yakuza game)

Right, listen before you start having a go. I am here to get people talking, to be the contrarian jester of the group. So I picked a game from a franchise that I full-well know people love, but Yakuza is a game series that journos adore, yet I don’t really get. OK? It’s on me, but I’m projecting onto others.

Alex – Quantum Break

Hello, I’m Alex, definitely not Tom writing words for me as I’m not working today. I apologise for choosing excellent 8/10 sci-fi action banger, Quantum Break, as my game for this week. I have come to understand, since this podcast was recorded, that Quantum Break is a wonderful game that most people love. It’s destined to go down in history as one of the greats of the genre.

Sherif - Deathloop

Everyone in games media has been raving about Deathloop since it came out. When I finally sat down to play it towards the end of last year, I realised that I just don’t see what everyone is enamoured by! Deathloop has always been pitched, and advertised, as a time loop game. This is what I went in expecting. I was left in disbelief yet again when I started playing and found that it’s not a god damn time loop game!

Let us know what game you’d pick and if you think the treatment of Tom is now getting out of hand? If you like the podcast, please subscribe and leave a review saying how wonderful it is, and tell all your friends. Do a tweet about it, post on Facebook, call into local radio shows and say nothing but the podcast page URL.

Come back in a week for another episode of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 2517 no Episode 7 - Best Game You wanted As A Child But Never Got https://the-vg247-podcast.libsyn.com/episode-7-best-game-you-wanted-as-a-child-but-never-got It's hard being a kid. There are so many games but rarely do you have the cash to get them all. It was 4:45 pm on Tuesday. The moon was visible in the blue sky, motionless and distant but looming large. Like an egg in the ocean, that you happened to be viewing through some binoculars you accidentally had the wrong way round. This, I thought, was the world manifesting my brain’s turmoil. My noggin had stopped working and the spectre of the impending deadline was high in my mind. What is a person to do when tasked with a near-impossible question? Was I forever doomed to see the world through reverse-binocular vision? I just had to think of a game I wanted as a child but didn’t get. Find out if I answered this question in the VG247 The Best Games Ever Podcast, episode 7. “What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask, hoping I’m not about to start talking about eggs or binoculars again. Well, imagine your standard video game podcast, but you’re listening to it through a kaleidoscope for the ears, and all the bits that make the funny shapes are hilarious TV panel shows. It’s also only about 30 minutes long, so if you don’t like it you’ll be over it in no time at all. We’ve got some details on the show’s content below (if you want to get a refresher before heading to the comments to make a wonderful, considered post or don’t want to listen but do want to know what games we picked), so if you want to avoid spoilers, don’t scroll past this warning. W A R N I N G The Best Game you wanted as a child but never got This is the topic of Episode seven of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Here’s a rundown of who picked what. Tom – FIFA Internation Soccer on 3DO What could be better a better choice than a game only released on a system that was doomed to fail and was far too expensive? FIFA on the 3DO was a visual spectacle that was hard to believe back in ‘94. Seeing the FIFA we knew but with a 3D camera was astonishing, and a lot of people were desperate to get their hands on this back in the day. Alex – Chrono Trigger (SNES) In the 90s, Chrono Trigger was probably the perfect game. It was made by some of the best and brightest artists and creators in Japan – Hironobu Sakaguchi, creator of Square's Final Fantasy series; Yuji Horii, creator of Enix's Dragon Quest series; and Akira Toriyama, character designer of Dragon Quest and author of the Dragon Ball manga series. Seeing that art – so full of life, so full of character, so intriguing –on the boxart for the game, your mind would race: what on Earth could this game, with its mages, beasts, spiky-haired protagonists and, err, frogs, be about? I never got to find out, until much later as it wasn’t released in Europe. Kelsey – Silent Hills Silent Hills, and the Playable Teaser (P.T.), are an enigma. They set up a mass of horror fans for some real disappointment when we found that the full game would never see the light of day, and the Playable Teaser for many is still unavailable. There's no better choice than the Silent Hill game that nobody could get their hands on, and never will. Let us know what game you’d pick and if you think Jim should be replaced as the host due to his strained relationship with Tom that is causing him to make irrational choices? If you like the podcast, please subscribe and leave a review saying how wonderful it is, and tell all your friends. Do a tweet about it, post on Facebook, print out copies of the podcast URL and leave them on empty train seats. Come back in a week for another episode of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 08 Jul 2022 09:31:42 -0000 Episode 7 - Best Game You wanted As A Child But Never Got full 7 VG247 It's hard being a kid. There are so many games but rarely do you have the cash to get them all. It was 4:45 pm on Tuesday. The moon was visible in the blue sky, motionless and distant but looming large. Like an egg in the ocean, that you happened to... It's hard being a kid. There are so many games but rarely do you have the cash to get them all. It was 4:45 pm on Tuesday. The moon was visible in the blue sky, motionless and distant but looming large. Like an egg in the ocean, that you happened to be viewing through some binoculars you accidentally had the wrong way round. This, I thought, was the world manifesting my brain’s turmoil. My noggin had stopped working and the spectre of the impending deadline was high in my mind. What is a person to do when tasked with a near-impossible question? Was I forever doomed to see the world through reverse-binocular vision? I just had to think of a game I wanted as a child but didn’t get. Find out if I answered this question in the VG247 The Best Games Ever Podcast, episode 7. “What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask, hoping I’m not about to start talking about eggs or binoculars again. Well, imagine your standard video game podcast, but you’re listening to it through a kaleidoscope for the ears, and all the bits that make the funny shapes are hilarious TV panel shows. It’s also only about 30 minutes long, so if you don’t like it you’ll be over it in no time at all. We’ve got some details on the show’s content below (if you want to get a refresher before heading to the comments to make a wonderful, considered post or don’t want to listen but do want to know what games we picked), so if you want to avoid spoilers, don’t scroll past this warning. W A R N I N G The Best Game you wanted as a child but never got This is the topic of Episode seven of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Here’s a rundown of who picked what. Tom – FIFA Internation Soccer on 3DO What could be better a better choice than a game only released on a system that was doomed to fail and was far too expensive? FIFA on the 3DO was a visual spectacle that was hard to believe back in ‘94. Seeing the FIFA we knew but with a 3D camera was astonishing, and a lot of people were desperate to get their hands on this back in the day. Alex – Chrono Trigger (SNES) In the 90s, Chrono Trigger was probably the perfect game. It was made by some of the best and brightest artists and creators in Japan – Hironobu Sakaguchi, creator of Square's Final Fantasy series; Yuji Horii, creator of Enix's Dragon Quest series; and Akira Toriyama, character designer of Dragon Quest and author of the Dragon Ball manga series. Seeing that art – so full of life, so full of character, so intriguing –on the boxart for the game, your mind would race: what on Earth could this game, with its mages, beasts, spiky-haired protagonists and, err, frogs, be about? I never got to find out, until much later as it wasn’t released in Europe. Kelsey – Silent Hills Silent Hills, and the Playable Teaser (P.T.), are an enigma. They set up a mass of horror fans for some real disappointment when we found that the full game would never see the light of day, and the Playable Teaser for many is still unavailable. There's no better choice than the Silent Hill game that nobody could get their hands on, and never will. Let us know what game you’d pick and if you think Jim should be replaced as the host due to his strained relationship with Tom that is causing him to make irrational choices? If you like the podcast, please subscribe and leave a review saying how wonderful it is, and tell all your friends. Do a tweet about it, post on Facebook, print out copies of the podcast URL and leave them on empty train seats. Come back in a week for another episode of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices It's hard being a kid. There are so many games but rarely do you have the cash to get them all.

It was 4:45 pm on Tuesday. The moon was visible in the blue sky, motionless and distant but looming large. Like an egg in the ocean, that you happened to be viewing through some binoculars you accidentally had the wrong way round. This, I thought, was the world manifesting my brain’s turmoil. My noggin had stopped working and the spectre of the impending deadline was high in my mind. What is a person to do when tasked with a near-impossible question? Was I forever doomed to see the world through reverse-binocular vision? I just had to think of a game I wanted as a child but didn’t get. Find out if I answered this question in the VG247 The Best Games Ever Podcast, episode 7.

“What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask, hoping I’m not about to start talking about eggs or binoculars again. Well, imagine your standard video game podcast, but you’re listening to it through a kaleidoscope for the ears, and all the bits that make the funny shapes are hilarious TV panel shows. It’s also only about 30 minutes long, so if you don’t like it you’ll be over it in no time at all.

We’ve got some details on the show’s content below (if you want to get a refresher before heading to the comments to make a wonderful, considered post or don’t want to listen but do want to know what games we picked), so if you want to avoid spoilers, don’t scroll past this warning.

W A R N I N G

The Best Game you wanted as a child but never got

This is the topic of Episode seven of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Here’s a rundown of who picked what.

Tom – FIFA Internation Soccer on 3DO

What could be better a better choice than a game only released on a system that was doomed to fail and was far too expensive? FIFA on the 3DO was a visual spectacle that was hard to believe back in ‘94. Seeing the FIFA we knew but with a 3D camera was astonishing, and a lot of people were desperate to get their hands on this back in the day.

Alex – Chrono Trigger (SNES)

In the 90s, Chrono Trigger was probably the perfect game. It was made by some of the best and brightest artists and creators in Japan – Hironobu Sakaguchi, creator of Square's Final Fantasy series; Yuji Horii, creator of Enix's Dragon Quest series; and Akira Toriyama, character designer of Dragon Quest and author of the Dragon Ball manga series. Seeing that art – so full of life, so full of character, so intriguing –on the boxart for the game, your mind would race: what on Earth could this game, with its mages, beasts, spiky-haired protagonists and, err, frogs, be about? I never got to find out, until much later as it wasn’t released in Europe.

Kelsey – Silent Hills

Silent Hills, and the Playable Teaser (P.T.), are an enigma. They set up a mass of horror fans for some real disappointment when we found that the full game would never see the light of day, and the Playable Teaser for many is still unavailable. There's no better choice than the Silent Hill game that nobody could get their hands on, and never will.

Let us know what game you’d pick and if you think Jim should be replaced as the host due to his strained relationship with Tom that is causing him to make irrational choices? If you like the podcast, please subscribe and leave a review saying how wonderful it is, and tell all your friends. Do a tweet about it, post on Facebook, print out copies of the podcast URL and leave them on empty train seats.

Come back in a week for another episode of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 2051 no Episode 6 - Best Game Someone Not In The Know Would Think you Made Up https://the-vg247-podcast.libsyn.com/episode-6-best-game-someone-not-in-the-know-would-think-you-made-up Video games can be ridiculous, but which ones would the average Joe think you'd completely made up? Someone please save me from writing something here every week. Is there a not an AI capable of doing this, albeit without my amazing sense of humour? We’ve got games that let you explore procedurally generated worlds! Someone procedurally generate some words for me! On that happy note, the VG247 The Best Games Ever Podcast returns, with episode 6. This week I was concerned that we’d be unable to put ourselves in the shoes of the average plebeian, what with us being superstar games journo types, but my fear was unwarranted. That’s right, it’s time for the Best game someone not in the know would think you’d made up. “What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask. I’m not sure I want to tell you. Why don’t you take a chance on it and find out for yourself? Each episode of the Best Games Ever Podcast is only about 30 minutes, so what have you got to lose? It’s bound to be better than an episode of Eastenders (that’s a terrible London-set soap opera for our US readers). Hopefully you can find room in your podcast-listening schedule for it. Wouldn’t it be great to be there at the start of something great? To be able to tell your friends and family that you were there when Jim, Tom, and co were unknowns and not the millionaires they become? Also, you’ll hopefully have some fun for half an hour. We’ve got some details on the show’s content below (if you want to get a refresher before heading to the comments to make a wonderful, considered post), so if you want to avoid spoilers, don’t scroll past this warning. W A R N I N G Best game someone not in the know would think you’d made up This is the topic of Episode six of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Here’s a rundown of who picked what. Tom – Mount Your Friends A real classic of the Xbox Live Arcade era, back on the Xbox 360 days. This multiplayer party game asked you to master a tricky individual limb control scheme to climb up your friends and reach a higher point than they did. It’s a nailed-on all-timer, this, but did it win this very particular category? Alex – Katamari Damacy When you think of quirky video games, Katamari Damacy is likely right near the top of your brain. This joyful game is essentially built around one simple idea: roll up objects to make a huge ball. That's it really. And it’s brilliant. It helps that the game has one of the best soundtracks ever and that you can now play a version of it on pretty much every platform available. Connor – Dong Dong Never Die Right, Connor isn’t here to explain this to me, so just watch the video above. It’s a fighting game that is unlike anything you’ve ever seen before. Enough said. Let us know what game you’d pick and if you think Jim must be stopped at all costs. If you like the podcast, please subscribe and leave a review saying how wonderful it is, and tell all your friends. Do a tweet about it, post on Facebook, print out copies of the podcast URL and leave them on park benches. Come back in a week for another episode of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 01 Jul 2022 10:30:23 -0000 Episode 6 - Best Game Someone Not In The Know Would Think you Made Up full 6 VG247 Video games can be ridiculous, but which ones would the average Joe think you'd completely made up? Someone please save me from writing something here every week. Is there a not an AI capable of doing this, albeit without my amazing sense of humour?... Video games can be ridiculous, but which ones would the average Joe think you'd completely made up? Someone please save me from writing something here every week. Is there a not an AI capable of doing this, albeit without my amazing sense of humour? We’ve got games that let you explore procedurally generated worlds! Someone procedurally generate some words for me! On that happy note, the VG247 The Best Games Ever Podcast returns, with episode 6. This week I was concerned that we’d be unable to put ourselves in the shoes of the average plebeian, what with us being superstar games journo types, but my fear was unwarranted. That’s right, it’s time for the Best game someone not in the know would think you’d made up. “What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask. I’m not sure I want to tell you. Why don’t you take a chance on it and find out for yourself? Each episode of the Best Games Ever Podcast is only about 30 minutes, so what have you got to lose? It’s bound to be better than an episode of Eastenders (that’s a terrible London-set soap opera for our US readers). Hopefully you can find room in your podcast-listening schedule for it. Wouldn’t it be great to be there at the start of something great? To be able to tell your friends and family that you were there when Jim, Tom, and co were unknowns and not the millionaires they become? Also, you’ll hopefully have some fun for half an hour. We’ve got some details on the show’s content below (if you want to get a refresher before heading to the comments to make a wonderful, considered post), so if you want to avoid spoilers, don’t scroll past this warning. W A R N I N G Best game someone not in the know would think you’d made up This is the topic of Episode six of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Here’s a rundown of who picked what. Tom – Mount Your Friends A real classic of the Xbox Live Arcade era, back on the Xbox 360 days. This multiplayer party game asked you to master a tricky individual limb control scheme to climb up your friends and reach a higher point than they did. It’s a nailed-on all-timer, this, but did it win this very particular category? Alex – Katamari Damacy When you think of quirky video games, Katamari Damacy is likely right near the top of your brain. This joyful game is essentially built around one simple idea: roll up objects to make a huge ball. That's it really. And it’s brilliant. It helps that the game has one of the best soundtracks ever and that you can now play a version of it on pretty much every platform available. Connor – Dong Dong Never Die Right, Connor isn’t here to explain this to me, so just watch the video above. It’s a fighting game that is unlike anything you’ve ever seen before. Enough said. Let us know what game you’d pick and if you think Jim must be stopped at all costs. If you like the podcast, please subscribe and leave a review saying how wonderful it is, and tell all your friends. Do a tweet about it, post on Facebook, print out copies of the podcast URL and leave them on park benches. Come back in a week for another episode of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Video games can be ridiculous, but which ones would the average Joe think you'd completely made up?

Someone please save me from writing something here every week. Is there a not an AI capable of doing this, albeit without my amazing sense of humour? We’ve got games that let you explore procedurally generated worlds! Someone procedurally generate some words for me! On that happy note, the VG247 The Best Games Ever Podcast returns, with episode 6. This week I was concerned that we’d be unable to put ourselves in the shoes of the average plebeian, what with us being superstar games journo types, but my fear was unwarranted. That’s right, it’s time for the Best game someone not in the know would think you’d made up.

“What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask. I’m not sure I want to tell you. Why don’t you take a chance on it and find out for yourself? Each episode of the Best Games Ever Podcast is only about 30 minutes, so what have you got to lose? It’s bound to be better than an episode of Eastenders (that’s a terrible London-set soap opera for our US readers).

Hopefully you can find room in your podcast-listening schedule for it. Wouldn’t it be great to be there at the start of something great? To be able to tell your friends and family that you were there when Jim, Tom, and co were unknowns and not the millionaires they become? Also, you’ll hopefully have some fun for half an hour.

We’ve got some details on the show’s content below (if you want to get a refresher before heading to the comments to make a wonderful, considered post), so if you want to avoid spoilers, don’t scroll past this warning.

W A R N I N G

Best game someone not in the know would think you’d made up

This is the topic of Episode six of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Here’s a rundown of who picked what.

Tom – Mount Your Friends

A real classic of the Xbox Live Arcade era, back on the Xbox 360 days. This multiplayer party game asked you to master a tricky individual limb control scheme to climb up your friends and reach a higher point than they did. It’s a nailed-on all-timer, this, but did it win this very particular category?

Alex – Katamari Damacy

When you think of quirky video games, Katamari Damacy is likely right near the top of your brain. This joyful game is essentially built around one simple idea: roll up objects to make a huge ball. That's it really. And it’s brilliant. It helps that the game has one of the best soundtracks ever and that you can now play a version of it on pretty much every platform available.

Connor – Dong Dong Never Die

Right, Connor isn’t here to explain this to me, so just watch the video above. It’s a fighting game that is unlike anything you’ve ever seen before. Enough said.

Let us know what game you’d pick and if you think Jim must be stopped at all costs. If you like the podcast, please subscribe and leave a review saying how wonderful it is, and tell all your friends. Do a tweet about it, post on Facebook, print out copies of the podcast URL and leave them on park benches.

Come back in a week for another episode of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 1908 no Episode 5 - Best Game You Got For An Odd Reason https://the-vg247-podcast.libsyn.com/episode-5-best-game-you-got-for-an-odd-reason Sometimes we seek out games. Other times they seek out us. It's another brilliant VG247 podcast. Hello again I won’t lie. As I attempt to write some general blurb about this podcast for the fifth time and not make it the dullest thing imaginable, I’m struggling. But hey, ho, the VG247 The Best Games Ever Podcast returns, with episode 5. This week I worried we’d end up talking about how Steve from over the road lent a copy of Advance Wars on the GBA, but instead we soon became a blip on the radar of the local constabulary. That’s right, it’s time for the Best game you got for an odd reason. Not the best title, I admit, but stick with it. “What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask, presumably because you read the words I’d written and not because you really wanted to ask. It's really quite simple, so listen up and please don’t ask again: Each week three of us must present our choice for the best game ever that fits the title of the show (this week it must be a game that we reckon is great but came into our possession through odd means). Then our host/judge, Jim Trinca, will use his complete lack of objectivity to declare a winner and annoy at least one of us – most likely me. Each episode of the Best Games Ever Podcast skirts around the 30-minute mark. We’ve got a small number of things to talk about, and we don’t go on random tangents about the latest video game news (unless it’s somehow relevant to the games and stories being discussed). We feel 30 minutes is the perfect length. If we were doing this live and asked you to pay for a ticket, of course we’d make it longer, but we’d likely take the easy option and deviously put multiple Best Games into one show. Smart. Hopefully you can find room in your podcast-listening schedule for 30 minutes. If not, just cut one of the dull ones. Do you really need 12 shows about decluttering, or that one about talking to the artists that paint all the knock-off art onto funfair rides? Fair enough, that one sounds great. But you can get rid of one of the others. If this is your first time listening, do go back to listen to the previous episodes. They’re not topical in the least, so go wild. We’ve got some details on the show’s content below (if you want to get a refresher before heading to the comments to make a wonderful, considered post), so if you want to avoid spoilers, don’t scroll past this warning. W A R N I N G Best game you got for an odd reason – Crimestoppers Edition This is the topic of Episode five of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Here’s a rundown of who picked what. Tom – Sam and Max Hit the Road (1993) The Point and Clink adventure game was all the rage back in the early ‘90s. LucasArts was at the very top of its craft, knocking out classic after classic, and this wacky adventure featuring the “Freelance Police” duo was another slam dunk. As not only one of the best games of its genre, but also with a strong case for being one of the best games ever made, surely this piece of video game history has got the competition sewn up? Alex – Perfect Dark (2000) It’s hard to believe Perfect Dark released in 2000. By that time the Dreamcast was on its way to failure (sad eyes), and the PS2 was just around the corner. Nintendo was still happy to release Rare’s classic sci-fi FPS on the N64, though, even with its own follow-up console, the GameCube due the following year. As the successor to the much-loved GoldenEye, Perfect Dark had a lot to live up to, and for the most part developer Rare absolutely smashed it. James – Metal Gear Solid 2 (2001) Who can forget that first look at Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty? It was a big moment for the PS2 and pretty much cemented Kojima as the top-tier creator he is known as today. The game itself held quite a few surprises, of course, some that didn’t go down well with fans, but generally MGS2 is held in very high esteem as one of the greatest games of all time. Let us know what game you’d pick and if you agree that Jim has completely gone off the rails. If you like the podcast, please follow/subscribe and leave a review saying how wonderful it is, and tell all your friends. Do a tweet about it, post on Facebook, leave the podcast page open on the laptop screen in your local tech store. Come back in a week for The Best Game someone now in the know would think you’d made up. #podcast #videogames #funny Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 24 Jun 2022 10:13:29 -0000 Episode 5 - Best Game You Got For An Odd Reason full 5 VG247 Sometimes we seek out games. Other times they seek out us. It's another brilliant VG247 podcast. Hello again I won’t lie. As I attempt to write some general blurb about this podcast for the fifth time and not make it the dullest thing imaginable,... Sometimes we seek out games. Other times they seek out us. It's another brilliant VG247 podcast. Hello again I won’t lie. As I attempt to write some general blurb about this podcast for the fifth time and not make it the dullest thing imaginable, I’m struggling. But hey, ho, the VG247 The Best Games Ever Podcast returns, with episode 5. This week I worried we’d end up talking about how Steve from over the road lent a copy of Advance Wars on the GBA, but instead we soon became a blip on the radar of the local constabulary. That’s right, it’s time for the Best game you got for an odd reason. Not the best title, I admit, but stick with it. “What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask, presumably because you read the words I’d written and not because you really wanted to ask. It's really quite simple, so listen up and please don’t ask again: Each week three of us must present our choice for the best game ever that fits the title of the show (this week it must be a game that we reckon is great but came into our possession through odd means). Then our host/judge, Jim Trinca, will use his complete lack of objectivity to declare a winner and annoy at least one of us – most likely me. Each episode of the Best Games Ever Podcast skirts around the 30-minute mark. We’ve got a small number of things to talk about, and we don’t go on random tangents about the latest video game news (unless it’s somehow relevant to the games and stories being discussed). We feel 30 minutes is the perfect length. If we were doing this live and asked you to pay for a ticket, of course we’d make it longer, but we’d likely take the easy option and deviously put multiple Best Games into one show. Smart. Hopefully you can find room in your podcast-listening schedule for 30 minutes. If not, just cut one of the dull ones. Do you really need 12 shows about decluttering, or that one about talking to the artists that paint all the knock-off art onto funfair rides? Fair enough, that one sounds great. But you can get rid of one of the others. If this is your first time listening, do go back to listen to the previous episodes. They’re not topical in the least, so go wild. We’ve got some details on the show’s content below (if you want to get a refresher before heading to the comments to make a wonderful, considered post), so if you want to avoid spoilers, don’t scroll past this warning. W A R N I N G Best game you got for an odd reason – Crimestoppers Edition This is the topic of Episode five of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Here’s a rundown of who picked what. Tom – Sam and Max Hit the Road (1993) The Point and Clink adventure game was all the rage back in the early ‘90s. LucasArts was at the very top of its craft, knocking out classic after classic, and this wacky adventure featuring the “Freelance Police” duo was another slam dunk. As not only one of the best games of its genre, but also with a strong case for being one of the best games ever made, surely this piece of video game history has got the competition sewn up? Alex – Perfect Dark (2000) It’s hard to believe Perfect Dark released in 2000. By that time the Dreamcast was on its way to failure (sad eyes), and the PS2 was just around the corner. Nintendo was still happy to release Rare’s classic sci-fi FPS on the N64, though, even with its own follow-up console, the GameCube due the following year. As the successor to the much-loved GoldenEye, Perfect Dark had a lot to live up to, and for the most part developer Rare absolutely smashed it. James – Metal Gear Solid 2 (2001) Who can forget that first look at Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty? It was a big moment for the PS2 and pretty much cemented Kojima as the top-tier creator he is known as today. The game itself held quite a few surprises, of course, some that didn’t go down well with fans, but generally MGS2 is held in very high esteem as one of the greatest games of all time. Let us know what game you’d pick and if you agree that Jim has completely gone off the rails. If you like the podcast, please follow/subscribe and leave a review saying how wonderful it is, and tell all your friends. Do a tweet about it, post on Facebook, leave the podcast page open on the laptop screen in your local tech store. Come back in a week for The Best Game someone now in the know would think you’d made up. #podcast #videogames #funny Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Sometimes we seek out games. Other times they seek out us. It's another brilliant VG247 podcast.

Hello again I won’t lie. As I attempt to write some general blurb about this podcast for the fifth time and not make it the dullest thing imaginable, I’m struggling. But hey, ho, the VG247 The Best Games Ever Podcast returns, with episode 5. This week I worried we’d end up talking about how Steve from over the road lent a copy of Advance Wars on the GBA, but instead we soon became a blip on the radar of the local constabulary. That’s right, it’s time for the Best game you got for an odd reason. Not the best title, I admit, but stick with it.

“What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask, presumably because you read the words I’d written and not because you really wanted to ask. It's really quite simple, so listen up and please don’t ask again: Each week three of us must present our choice for the best game ever that fits the title of the show (this week it must be a game that we reckon is great but came into our possession through odd means). Then our host/judge, Jim Trinca, will use his complete lack of objectivity to declare a winner and annoy at least one of us – most likely me.

Each episode of the Best Games Ever Podcast skirts around the 30-minute mark. We’ve got a small number of things to talk about, and we don’t go on random tangents about the latest video game news (unless it’s somehow relevant to the games and stories being discussed). We feel 30 minutes is the perfect length. If we were doing this live and asked you to pay for a ticket, of course we’d make it longer, but we’d likely take the easy option and deviously put multiple Best Games into one show. Smart.

Hopefully you can find room in your podcast-listening schedule for 30 minutes. If not, just cut one of the dull ones. Do you really need 12 shows about decluttering, or that one about talking to the artists that paint all the knock-off art onto funfair rides? Fair enough, that one sounds great. But you can get rid of one of the others.

If this is your first time listening, do go back to listen to the previous episodes. They’re not topical in the least, so go wild.

We’ve got some details on the show’s content below (if you want to get a refresher before heading to the comments to make a wonderful, considered post), so if you want to avoid spoilers, don’t scroll past this warning.

W A R N I N G

Best game you got for an odd reason – Crimestoppers Edition This is the topic of Episode five of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Here’s a rundown of who picked what.

Tom – Sam and Max Hit the Road (1993)

The Point and Clink adventure game was all the rage back in the early ‘90s. LucasArts was at the very top of its craft, knocking out classic after classic, and this wacky adventure featuring the “Freelance Police” duo was another slam dunk. As not only one of the best games of its genre, but also with a strong case for being one of the best games ever made, surely this piece of video game history has got the competition sewn up?

Alex – Perfect Dark (2000)

It’s hard to believe Perfect Dark released in 2000. By that time the Dreamcast was on its way to failure (sad eyes), and the PS2 was just around the corner. Nintendo was still happy to release Rare’s classic sci-fi FPS on the N64, though, even with its own follow-up console, the GameCube due the following year. As the successor to the much-loved GoldenEye, Perfect Dark had a lot to live up to, and for the most part developer Rare absolutely smashed it.

James – Metal Gear Solid 2 (2001)

Who can forget that first look at Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty? It was a big moment for the PS2 and pretty much cemented Kojima as the top-tier creator he is known as today. The game itself held quite a few surprises, of course, some that didn’t go down well with fans, but generally MGS2 is held in very high esteem as one of the greatest games of all time.

Let us know what game you’d pick and if you agree that Jim has completely gone off the rails. If you like the podcast, please follow/subscribe and leave a review saying how wonderful it is, and tell all your friends. Do a tweet about it, post on Facebook, leave the podcast page open on the laptop screen in your local tech store.

Come back in a week for The Best Game someone now in the know would think you’d made up.

#podcast #videogames #funny

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 1903 no Episode 4 - Best Game With a Pub https://the-vg247-podcast.libsyn.com/episode-4-best-game-with-a-pub Hello again listeners. It’s hard to believe it’s been a whole week since I rewrote the last one of these, but the calendar does not lie. The VG247 The Best Games Ever Podcast returns, with episode 4. This week we’re talking about the most British of things: pubs. And by “talking” I mean, arguing about the best game with a pub. Are the games good, and what makes for a good pub? That and more will be conveyed to you by the medium of talking people in this podcast. “What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask, presumably because you’ve not read one of these pages before, as if you had you’d know already. Anyway, if you still need to be told, here’s the lowdown: Each week three of us must present our choice for the best game ever that fits the title of the show (this week it must be a game that we reckon is actually very good, has a pub in it – or a bar/drinking establishment of some sort). Then our host/judge, Jim Trinca, will use his biased views to declare a winner and leave two of us with the hump. Each episode of the Best Games Ever Podcast will be about 30 minutes long. Enough that you can eat a whole Share Size bag of chocs without having to pace yourself too much, but not so long that you then have to reach for the Doritos. Hopefully you can find room in your podcast-listening schedule for 30 minutes. If not, just cut one of the boring ones. Do you really need 15 true crime shows, one about the lives of dog walkers, and the rantings of one man who only dines at all-you-can-eat restaurants? Fair enough, I’d listen to that final one. Please do let us know what you think of the show – and if this is your first time listening, do go back to listen to the previous episodes. They’re not topical in the least, so go wild. We’ve got some details on the show’s content below (if you want to get a refresher before heading to social media to make a wonderfully considered post), so if you want to avoid spoilers, don’t scroll past this warning. W A R N I N G Best game with a pub This is the topic of Episode four of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Here’s a rundown of who picked what. Tom – Prey 2006 Prey, the 2006 game not the entirely different an altogether more po-faced Arkane reboot, is very much of its time – all big guns, mega violence, and ghastly human/machine hybrids, but It was a really fun shooter that had a superb portal mechanic – way before the likes of Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart did something similar (and better). It also had a brilliant pub, complete with bar fight and Fear the Reaper playing on the jukebox. It’s a proper classic of the era. Alex – The Secret of Monkey Island When I think of pubs in games, most of the games that immediately come to mind do so because their pubs are awful caricature, or entirely unrealistic. While I've never actually been to a real-life pirate bar, I have to imagine that the Scumm Bar wouldn't elicit that reaction even if I had - it just feels like a real, legitimate location that absolutely fits within its world. Mainly, it's all about the atmosphere - with a limited color palette, a single screen and a music track, it sells itself as a believable location. It has that in common with much of the game from where it hails, the excellent The Secret of Monkey Island. I could listen the bar's jaunty music all day. Connor – Everybody's Gone to the Rapture The first game that came to mind when I had to think of a game with a pub was Everyone's Gone to the Rapture, a cool little walkabout game that won plenty of awards back when it first came out back in 2015. Not only is it pretty interesting narratively, as well as genuinely quite lovely to look at, it's got multiple British country pubs that you can go inside and take a look at! We're talking tiled roofs, white outside paint job, wooden interior, and proper tap handles built into the bar. You've even got the sketchy bottles of red and gin out of reach. For me, it perfectly captures the actual look and feel of British pubs better than any other game! Let us know what game you’d pick and if you agree that Jim must be stopped. If you like the podcast, please subscribe and leave a review saying how wonderful it is, and tell all your friends. Do a tweet about it if you fancy, or a post on Facebook – we'll take whatever exposure we can get. Come back in a week for another Best Game Ever.. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 17 Jun 2022 11:58:01 -0000 Episode 4 - Best Game With a Pub full 4 VG247 Hello again listeners. It’s hard to believe it’s been a whole week since I rewrote the last one of these, but the calendar does not lie. The VG247 The Best Games Ever Podcast returns, with episode 4. This week we’re talking about the most... Hello again listeners. It’s hard to believe it’s been a whole week since I rewrote the last one of these, but the calendar does not lie. The VG247 The Best Games Ever Podcast returns, with episode 4. This week we’re talking about the most British of things: pubs. And by “talking” I mean, arguing about the best game with a pub. Are the games good, and what makes for a good pub? That and more will be conveyed to you by the medium of talking people in this podcast. “What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask, presumably because you’ve not read one of these pages before, as if you had you’d know already. Anyway, if you still need to be told, here’s the lowdown: Each week three of us must present our choice for the best game ever that fits the title of the show (this week it must be a game that we reckon is actually very good, has a pub in it – or a bar/drinking establishment of some sort). Then our host/judge, Jim Trinca, will use his biased views to declare a winner and leave two of us with the hump. Each episode of the Best Games Ever Podcast will be about 30 minutes long. Enough that you can eat a whole Share Size bag of chocs without having to pace yourself too much, but not so long that you then have to reach for the Doritos. Hopefully you can find room in your podcast-listening schedule for 30 minutes. If not, just cut one of the boring ones. Do you really need 15 true crime shows, one about the lives of dog walkers, and the rantings of one man who only dines at all-you-can-eat restaurants? Fair enough, I’d listen to that final one. Please do let us know what you think of the show – and if this is your first time listening, do go back to listen to the previous episodes. They’re not topical in the least, so go wild. We’ve got some details on the show’s content below (if you want to get a refresher before heading to social media to make a wonderfully considered post), so if you want to avoid spoilers, don’t scroll past this warning. W A R N I N G Best game with a pub This is the topic of Episode four of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Here’s a rundown of who picked what. Tom – Prey 2006 Prey, the 2006 game not the entirely different an altogether more po-faced Arkane reboot, is very much of its time – all big guns, mega violence, and ghastly human/machine hybrids, but It was a really fun shooter that had a superb portal mechanic – way before the likes of Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart did something similar (and better). It also had a brilliant pub, complete with bar fight and Fear the Reaper playing on the jukebox. It’s a proper classic of the era. Alex – The Secret of Monkey Island When I think of pubs in games, most of the games that immediately come to mind do so because their pubs are awful caricature, or entirely unrealistic. While I've never actually been to a real-life pirate bar, I have to imagine that the Scumm Bar wouldn't elicit that reaction even if I had - it just feels like a real, legitimate location that absolutely fits within its world. Mainly, it's all about the atmosphere - with a limited color palette, a single screen and a music track, it sells itself as a believable location. It has that in common with much of the game from where it hails, the excellent The Secret of Monkey Island. I could listen the bar's jaunty music all day. Connor – Everybody's Gone to the Rapture The first game that came to mind when I had to think of a game with a pub was Everyone's Gone to the Rapture, a cool little walkabout game that won plenty of awards back when it first came out back in 2015. Not only is it pretty interesting narratively, as well as genuinely quite lovely to look at, it's got multiple British country pubs that you can go inside and take a look at! We're talking tiled roofs, white outside paint job, wooden interior, and proper tap handles built into the bar. You've even got the sketchy bottles of red and gin out of reach. For me, it perfectly captures the actual look and feel of British pubs better than any other game! Let us know what game you’d pick and if you agree that Jim must be stopped. If you like the podcast, please subscribe and leave a review saying how wonderful it is, and tell all your friends. Do a tweet about it if you fancy, or a post on Facebook – we'll take whatever exposure we can get. Come back in a week for another Best Game Ever.. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Hello again listeners. It’s hard to believe it’s been a whole week since I rewrote the last one of these, but the calendar does not lie. The VG247 The Best Games Ever Podcast returns, with episode 4. This week we’re talking about the most British of things: pubs. And by “talking” I mean, arguing about the best game with a pub. Are the games good, and what makes for a good pub? That and more will be conveyed to you by the medium of talking people in this podcast.

“What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask, presumably because you’ve not read one of these pages before, as if you had you’d know already. Anyway, if you still need to be told, here’s the lowdown: Each week three of us must present our choice for the best game ever that fits the title of the show (this week it must be a game that we reckon is actually very good, has a pub in it – or a bar/drinking establishment of some sort). Then our host/judge, Jim Trinca, will use his biased views to declare a winner and leave two of us with the hump.

Each episode of the Best Games Ever Podcast will be about 30 minutes long. Enough that you can eat a whole Share Size bag of chocs without having to pace yourself too much, but not so long that you then have to reach for the Doritos. Hopefully you can find room in your podcast-listening schedule for 30 minutes. If not, just cut one of the boring ones. Do you really need 15 true crime shows, one about the lives of dog walkers, and the rantings of one man who only dines at all-you-can-eat restaurants? Fair enough, I’d listen to that final one.

Please do let us know what you think of the show – and if this is your first time listening, do go back to listen to the previous episodes. They’re not topical in the least, so go wild.

We’ve got some details on the show’s content below (if you want to get a refresher before heading to social media to make a wonderfully considered post), so if you want to avoid spoilers, don’t scroll past this warning.

W

A

R

N

I

N

G

Best game with a pub This is the topic of Episode four of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Here’s a rundown of who picked what.

Tom – Prey 2006

Prey, the 2006 game not the entirely different an altogether more po-faced Arkane reboot, is very much of its time – all big guns, mega violence, and ghastly human/machine hybrids, but It was a really fun shooter that had a superb portal mechanic – way before the likes of Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart did something similar (and better). It also had a brilliant pub, complete with bar fight and Fear the Reaper playing on the jukebox. It’s a proper classic of the era.

Alex – The Secret of Monkey Island

When I think of pubs in games, most of the games that immediately come to mind do so because their pubs are awful caricature, or entirely unrealistic. While I've never actually been to a real-life pirate bar, I have to imagine that the Scumm Bar wouldn't elicit that reaction even if I had - it just feels like a real, legitimate location that absolutely fits within its world. Mainly, it's all about the atmosphere - with a limited color palette, a single screen and a music track, it sells itself as a believable location. It has that in common with much of the game from where it hails, the excellent The Secret of Monkey Island. I could listen the bar's jaunty music all day.

Connor – Everybody's Gone to the Rapture

The first game that came to mind when I had to think of a game with a pub was Everyone's Gone to the Rapture, a cool little walkabout game that won plenty of awards back when it first came out back in 2015. Not only is it pretty interesting narratively, as well as genuinely quite lovely to look at, it's got multiple British country pubs that you can go inside and take a look at! We're talking tiled roofs, white outside paint job, wooden interior, and proper tap handles built into the bar. You've even got the sketchy bottles of red and gin out of reach. For me, it perfectly captures the actual look and feel of British pubs better than any other game!

Let us know what game you’d pick and if you agree that Jim must be stopped. If you like the podcast, please subscribe and leave a review saying how wonderful it is, and tell all your friends. Do a tweet about it if you fancy, or a post on Facebook – we'll take whatever exposure we can get.

Come back in a week for another Best Game Ever..

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 2063 no Episode 3 - Best Game With a Mini Game Better Than The Main Game https://the-vg247-podcast.libsyn.com/episode-3-best-game-with-a-mini-game-better-than-the-main-game This one is going to cause some arguments. What defines a mini-game? The VG247 The Best Games Ever Podcast returns once more, with episode 3. This week we’re arguing (quite a lot, actually) over the best game with a mini-game better than the main game. This brought up some good choices, but also posed the eternal question: what defines a mini-game? Have a listen to see if you agree. “What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask, with the child-like glee usually reserved for when you find some money down the back of the sofa or see that someone at work has brought doughnuts into the office. Here's the lowdown: Each week three of us must present our choice for the best game ever that fits the title of the show (this week it must be a game that we reckon is actually very good, but isn’t as good as a mini-game you can play in it). Then our host/judge, Jim Trinca, will use his limited wisdom to declare a winner and leave two of us with the hump. Each episode of the Best Games Ever Podcast will be about 30 minutes long. Enough that you can zone out while also browsing Twitter on your phone for 5 minutes and not miss the whole thing, but not so long that you a week’s worth of commutes to get through it. Hopefully, you can find room in your podcast-listening schedule for 30 minutes. If not, just cut Eurogamer’s - we won’t tell them. If you’ve cut Eurogamer’s already, I’m sure one of the identikit US shows can be disposed of. That is it.. Please do let us know what you think of the show – and if this is your first time listening, do go back to listen to the previous episodes. They’re not topical in the least, so go wild. We’ve got some details on the show’s content below (if you want to get a refresher being heading to the comments to make a wonderful, considered post), so if you want to avoid spoilers, don’t scroll past this warning. W A R N I N G Best game with a mini-game better than the main game This is the topic of Episode three of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Here’s a rundown of who picked what. Tom – Burnout 2: Point of Impact This brilliant arcade racing game from 2002 set up Criterion as a true racing studio powerhouse. Not only is the core racing a big step up from the original, but it also has Crash mode. Tom (that’s me) insists this is a mini-game as it’s not the core part of the experience. Crash mode became a real fan favourite, and ended up being radically built upon in the third game, and even got its own full standalone game. It’s definitely a mini-game. No one can say otherwise. Alex – Shenmue In many ways, Shenmue is Mini Game: The Game, where its slew of mini games and side activities are the glue that sticks the world together. Some might argue that makes it a bit of a cheap pick here, but I disagree, especially since there's one stand-out: Ryo's iconic stint as a forklift driver. The forklift driving mini game inexplicably features races around the boxy tracks formed by the Yokosuka docks, and is explained in-universe as a way of letting drivers blow off some steam between shifts. But, honestly, who expected a racing experience from some of the minds behind Daytona USA and Sega Rally to be buried in the middle of an adventure RPG? Perhaps that's why it's so memorable... Kelsey – New Super Mario Bros. Wii Renowned for being some fresh Mario fun, while remaining faithful to the franchise, New Super Mario Bros. boasts 26 mini games that offer a dozen more hours of fun than the base game does. Platforming between worlds was entertaining, but these mini-games appear to be the true host of fond memories for so many; 6-year-old Kelsey spent years comparing high scores with friends and still tries to beat them on her DS now. Most importantly, long after you tire of the base game, Luigi is always up for some poker, even 16 years on. Let us know what game you’d pick and if you agree with Tom that Crash mode is a mini-game. If you like the podcast, please subscribe and leave a review saying how wonderful it is, and tell all your friends. Do a tweet about it if you fancy. Come back in a week for another Best Game Ever. Next up we fight over the best game with a pub. #podcast #videogames #funny Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Thu, 09 Jun 2022 12:32:04 -0000 Episode 3 - Best Game With a Mini Game Better Than The Main Game full 3 VG247 This one is going to cause some arguments. What defines a mini-game? The VG247 The Best Games Ever Podcast returns once more, with episode 3. This week we’re arguing (quite a lot, actually) over the best game with a mini-game better than the main... This one is going to cause some arguments. What defines a mini-game? The VG247 The Best Games Ever Podcast returns once more, with episode 3. This week we’re arguing (quite a lot, actually) over the best game with a mini-game better than the main game. This brought up some good choices, but also posed the eternal question: what defines a mini-game? Have a listen to see if you agree. “What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask, with the child-like glee usually reserved for when you find some money down the back of the sofa or see that someone at work has brought doughnuts into the office. Here's the lowdown: Each week three of us must present our choice for the best game ever that fits the title of the show (this week it must be a game that we reckon is actually very good, but isn’t as good as a mini-game you can play in it). Then our host/judge, Jim Trinca, will use his limited wisdom to declare a winner and leave two of us with the hump. Each episode of the Best Games Ever Podcast will be about 30 minutes long. Enough that you can zone out while also browsing Twitter on your phone for 5 minutes and not miss the whole thing, but not so long that you a week’s worth of commutes to get through it. Hopefully, you can find room in your podcast-listening schedule for 30 minutes. If not, just cut Eurogamer’s - we won’t tell them. If you’ve cut Eurogamer’s already, I’m sure one of the identikit US shows can be disposed of. That is it.. Please do let us know what you think of the show – and if this is your first time listening, do go back to listen to the previous episodes. They’re not topical in the least, so go wild. We’ve got some details on the show’s content below (if you want to get a refresher being heading to the comments to make a wonderful, considered post), so if you want to avoid spoilers, don’t scroll past this warning. W A R N I N G Best game with a mini-game better than the main game This is the topic of Episode three of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Here’s a rundown of who picked what. Tom – Burnout 2: Point of Impact This brilliant arcade racing game from 2002 set up Criterion as a true racing studio powerhouse. Not only is the core racing a big step up from the original, but it also has Crash mode. Tom (that’s me) insists this is a mini-game as it’s not the core part of the experience. Crash mode became a real fan favourite, and ended up being radically built upon in the third game, and even got its own full standalone game. It’s definitely a mini-game. No one can say otherwise. Alex – Shenmue In many ways, Shenmue is Mini Game: The Game, where its slew of mini games and side activities are the glue that sticks the world together. Some might argue that makes it a bit of a cheap pick here, but I disagree, especially since there's one stand-out: Ryo's iconic stint as a forklift driver. The forklift driving mini game inexplicably features races around the boxy tracks formed by the Yokosuka docks, and is explained in-universe as a way of letting drivers blow off some steam between shifts. But, honestly, who expected a racing experience from some of the minds behind Daytona USA and Sega Rally to be buried in the middle of an adventure RPG? Perhaps that's why it's so memorable... Kelsey – New Super Mario Bros. Wii Renowned for being some fresh Mario fun, while remaining faithful to the franchise, New Super Mario Bros. boasts 26 mini games that offer a dozen more hours of fun than the base game does. Platforming between worlds was entertaining, but these mini-games appear to be the true host of fond memories for so many; 6-year-old Kelsey spent years comparing high scores with friends and still tries to beat them on her DS now. Most importantly, long after you tire of the base game, Luigi is always up for some poker, even 16 years on. Let us know what game you’d pick and if you agree with Tom that Crash mode is a mini-game. If you like the podcast, please subscribe and leave a review saying how wonderful it is, and tell all your friends. Do a tweet about it if you fancy. Come back in a week for another Best Game Ever. Next up we fight over the best game with a pub. #podcast #videogames #funny Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices This one is going to cause some arguments. What defines a mini-game?

The VG247 The Best Games Ever Podcast returns once more, with episode 3. This week we’re arguing (quite a lot, actually) over the best game with a mini-game better than the main game. This brought up some good choices, but also posed the eternal question: what defines a mini-game? Have a listen to see if you agree.

“What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask, with the child-like glee usually reserved for when you find some money down the back of the sofa or see that someone at work has brought doughnuts into the office. Here's the lowdown: Each week three of us must present our choice for the best game ever that fits the title of the show (this week it must be a game that we reckon is actually very good, but isn’t as good as a mini-game you can play in it). Then our host/judge, Jim Trinca, will use his limited wisdom to declare a winner and leave two of us with the hump.

Each episode of the Best Games Ever Podcast will be about 30 minutes long. Enough that you can zone out while also browsing Twitter on your phone for 5 minutes and not miss the whole thing, but not so long that you a week’s worth of commutes to get through it. Hopefully, you can find room in your podcast-listening schedule for 30 minutes. If not, just cut Eurogamer’s - we won’t tell them. If you’ve cut Eurogamer’s already, I’m sure one of the identikit US shows can be disposed of.

That is it.. Please do let us know what you think of the show – and if this is your first time listening, do go back to listen to the previous episodes. They’re not topical in the least, so go wild.

We’ve got some details on the show’s content below (if you want to get a refresher being heading to the comments to make a wonderful, considered post), so if you want to avoid spoilers, don’t scroll past this warning.

W A R N I N G

Best game with a mini-game better than the main game This is the topic of Episode three of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Here’s a rundown of who picked what.

Tom – Burnout 2: Point of Impact

This brilliant arcade racing game from 2002 set up Criterion as a true racing studio powerhouse. Not only is the core racing a big step up from the original, but it also has Crash mode. Tom (that’s me) insists this is a mini-game as it’s not the core part of the experience. Crash mode became a real fan favourite, and ended up being radically built upon in the third game, and even got its own full standalone game. It’s definitely a mini-game. No one can say otherwise.

Alex – Shenmue

In many ways, Shenmue is Mini Game: The Game, where its slew of mini games and side activities are the glue that sticks the world together. Some might argue that makes it a bit of a cheap pick here, but I disagree, especially since there's one stand-out: Ryo's iconic stint as a forklift driver. The forklift driving mini game inexplicably features races around the boxy tracks formed by the Yokosuka docks, and is explained in-universe as a way of letting drivers blow off some steam between shifts. But, honestly, who expected a racing experience from some of the minds behind Daytona USA and Sega Rally to be buried in the middle of an adventure RPG? Perhaps that's why it's so memorable...

Kelsey – New Super Mario Bros. Wii

Renowned for being some fresh Mario fun, while remaining faithful to the franchise, New Super Mario Bros. boasts 26 mini games that offer a dozen more hours of fun than the base game does. Platforming between worlds was entertaining, but these mini-games appear to be the true host of fond memories for so many; 6-year-old Kelsey spent years comparing high scores with friends and still tries to beat them on her DS now. Most importantly, long after you tire of the base game, Luigi is always up for some poker, even 16 years on.

Let us know what game you’d pick and if you agree with Tom that Crash mode is a mini-game. If you like the podcast, please subscribe and leave a review saying how wonderful it is, and tell all your friends. Do a tweet about it if you fancy.

Come back in a week for another Best Game Ever. Next up we fight over the best game with a pub.

#podcast #videogames #funny

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 1883 no Episode 2 - Best Game That Nobody Cares About https://the-vg247-podcast.libsyn.com/vg247s-the-best-games-ever-podcast-episode-2-best-game-that-nobody-cares-about Can you think of a great game that everyone seemed to ignore? We came up with three. The VG247 The Best Games Ever Podcast is back with episode 2, following the tradition of going after episode 1. This week we’re fighting over the best game that nobody cares about. Hmm, tricky one, that. Have a listen to see if you agree with our choices and which game was victorious. “What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask, with the child-like glee usually reserved for when you see a new limited edition flavour Coke or a Transformer cameo in a new Chip ‘n Dale film. Here's the format: Each week three of us must present our choice for the best game ever that meets certain criteria (this week it must be a game that we believe is great but nobody cares about). Then our host/judge, Jim Trinca, will decide who has made the best case and declare a winner, most likely annoying two of us in the process. We’re aiming to make each episode about 30 minutes long. Enough to feel like you've invested some time into something more than an audio sneeze, but not so long that you need a whole box of Kleenex to make it through. Hopefully that means you can squeeze the show into whatever busy podcast schedule you already have going on in your life. If not, just cut Eurogamer’s - we won’t tell them. That is it. Check out VG247's The Best Games Ever Podcast on Apple Podcasts and subscribe. Or listen on Spotify. It's even on YouTube if that's your thing. Please do let us know what you think of the show – and if this is your first time listening, do go back to listen to Episode 1. We’ve got some details on the show’s content below (mostly for SEO if I’m being honest, but you might want a bit of info on the games we picked), so if you want to avoid spoilers, don’t scroll past this warning. W A R N I N G Best game nobody cares about This is the topic of Episode two of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Here’s a rundown of who picked what. Tom – Quantum Break The Xbox was in a pretty bad way back in 2016. The console was clearly underpowered compared to the PS4, the system had put a focus on Kinect and TV (?!), and Sony had a better line-up of exclusives. So It’s no surprise that people generally didn’t care about part video game part TV show Quantum Break. Which is a shame, as Tom reckons you should have. It’s from Remedy (Max Payne, Control, Alan Wake) and is awesome, both in terms of visual splendor and action-oriented gameplay. The TV stuff, wasn’t even that bad – it has Lance Reddick in it, so it must be good when he’s on the screen. Dom – Pokemon Conquest Have you ever heard of Pokemon Conquest? Nah, we didn’t think so. And fair enough, really; it was a spinoff crossover game with the Nobunaga’s Ambition tactical-RPG series. Obviously a great fit for Pokemon, right? You play as a warlord in Feudal Japan, and using Pokemon in grid-based strategy battles, you slowly take over the empire. Not only do you have moves as well as your Pokemon, you can also evolve, too, for some reason. Dom reckons that despite barely anyone playing it (it was a DS game that launched after the 3DS, in the same year as Black 2/White 2, d’oh), it’s the best Pokemon game out there. And it’s particularly relevant now, with Arceus being out in the wild. Alex – Disaster: Day of Crisis A weird and wonderful mix of Metal Gear, Time Crisis, disaster movies, and post-9/11 rah-rah chest-thumping action, Disaster: Day of Crisis is a bit of a mess. But it's also a modern masterpiece. Developed by Xenoblade studio Monolith Soft, Disaster is emblematic of a golden age of the Wii - warts and all - of a period before Nintendo saw the sheer amount of dosh to be made from casual 'waggle' games, when it was still green-lighting more traditional games and asking developers to find a way to work motion controls in. Thus enters Day of Crisis, a game with light gun shooting, driving segments where you turn the controller on its side, tense bomb defusal mini-games, and motion-controlled CPR on endangered victims. It's by no means polished perfection, but it's the B-movie video game at its best - and somehow, one of Alex’s favourite games of its generation. Let us know what game you’d pick and which of the three you think should win in the comments below (It’s Quantum Break, right?). If you like the podcast, please subscribe and leave a review saying how wonderful it is, and tell all your friends, who can then tell all their friends who are hopefully big players on social media. #podcast #videogame #funny Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 03 Jun 2022 11:04:58 -0000 full 2 VG247 Can you think of a great game that everyone seemed to ignore? We came up with three. The VG247 The Best Games Ever Podcast is back with episode 2, following the tradition of going after episode 1. This week we’re fighting over the best game that... Can you think of a great game that everyone seemed to ignore? We came up with three. The VG247 The Best Games Ever Podcast is back with episode 2, following the tradition of going after episode 1. This week we’re fighting over the best game that nobody cares about. Hmm, tricky one, that. Have a listen to see if you agree with our choices and which game was victorious. “What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask, with the child-like glee usually reserved for when you see a new limited edition flavour Coke or a Transformer cameo in a new Chip ‘n Dale film. Here's the format: Each week three of us must present our choice for the best game ever that meets certain criteria (this week it must be a game that we believe is great but nobody cares about). Then our host/judge, Jim Trinca, will decide who has made the best case and declare a winner, most likely annoying two of us in the process. We’re aiming to make each episode about 30 minutes long. Enough to feel like you've invested some time into something more than an audio sneeze, but not so long that you need a whole box of Kleenex to make it through. Hopefully that means you can squeeze the show into whatever busy podcast schedule you already have going on in your life. If not, just cut Eurogamer’s - we won’t tell them. That is it. Check out VG247's The Best Games Ever Podcast on Apple Podcasts and subscribe. Or listen on Spotify. It's even on YouTube if that's your thing. Please do let us know what you think of the show – and if this is your first time listening, do go back to listen to Episode 1. We’ve got some details on the show’s content below (mostly for SEO if I’m being honest, but you might want a bit of info on the games we picked), so if you want to avoid spoilers, don’t scroll past this warning. W A R N I N G Best game nobody cares about This is the topic of Episode two of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Here’s a rundown of who picked what. Tom – Quantum Break The Xbox was in a pretty bad way back in 2016. The console was clearly underpowered compared to the PS4, the system had put a focus on Kinect and TV (?!), and Sony had a better line-up of exclusives. So It’s no surprise that people generally didn’t care about part video game part TV show Quantum Break. Which is a shame, as Tom reckons you should have. It’s from Remedy (Max Payne, Control, Alan Wake) and is awesome, both in terms of visual splendor and action-oriented gameplay. The TV stuff, wasn’t even that bad – it has Lance Reddick in it, so it must be good when he’s on the screen. Dom – Pokemon Conquest Have you ever heard of Pokemon Conquest? Nah, we didn’t think so. And fair enough, really; it was a spinoff crossover game with the Nobunaga’s Ambition tactical-RPG series. Obviously a great fit for Pokemon, right? You play as a warlord in Feudal Japan, and using Pokemon in grid-based strategy battles, you slowly take over the empire. Not only do you have moves as well as your Pokemon, you can also evolve, too, for some reason. Dom reckons that despite barely anyone playing it (it was a DS game that launched after the 3DS, in the same year as Black 2/White 2, d’oh), it’s the best Pokemon game out there. And it’s particularly relevant now, with Arceus being out in the wild. Alex – Disaster: Day of Crisis A weird and wonderful mix of Metal Gear, Time Crisis, disaster movies, and post-9/11 rah-rah chest-thumping action, Disaster: Day of Crisis is a bit of a mess. But it's also a modern masterpiece. Developed by Xenoblade studio Monolith Soft, Disaster is emblematic of a golden age of the Wii - warts and all - of a period before Nintendo saw the sheer amount of dosh to be made from casual 'waggle' games, when it was still green-lighting more traditional games and asking developers to find a way to work motion controls in. Thus enters Day of Crisis, a game with light gun shooting, driving segments where you turn the controller on its side, tense bomb defusal mini-games, and motion-controlled CPR on endangered victims. It's by no means polished perfection, but it's the B-movie video game at its best - and somehow, one of Alex’s favourite games of its generation. Let us know what game you’d pick and which of the three you think should win in the comments below (It’s Quantum Break, right?). If you like the podcast, please subscribe and leave a review saying how wonderful it is, and tell all your friends, who can then tell all their friends who are hopefully big players on social media. #podcast #videogame #funny Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Can you think of a great game that everyone seemed to ignore? We came up with three.

The VG247 The Best Games Ever Podcast is back with episode 2, following the tradition of going after episode 1. This week we’re fighting over the best game that nobody cares about. Hmm, tricky one, that. Have a listen to see if you agree with our choices and which game was victorious.

“What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask, with the child-like glee usually reserved for when you see a new limited edition flavour Coke or a Transformer cameo in a new Chip ‘n Dale film. Here's the format: Each week three of us must present our choice for the best game ever that meets certain criteria (this week it must be a game that we believe is great but nobody cares about). Then our host/judge, Jim Trinca, will decide who has made the best case and declare a winner, most likely annoying two of us in the process.

We’re aiming to make each episode about 30 minutes long. Enough to feel like you've invested some time into something more than an audio sneeze, but not so long that you need a whole box of Kleenex to make it through. Hopefully that means you can squeeze the show into whatever busy podcast schedule you already have going on in your life. If not, just cut Eurogamer’s - we won’t tell them.

That is it. Check out VG247's The Best Games Ever Podcast on Apple Podcasts and subscribe. Or listen on Spotify. It's even on YouTube if that's your thing. Please do let us know what you think of the show – and if this is your first time listening, do go back to listen to Episode 1. We’ve got some details on the show’s content below (mostly for SEO if I’m being honest, but you might want a bit of info on the games we picked), so if you want to avoid spoilers, don’t scroll past this warning.

W A R N I N G

Best game nobody cares about This is the topic of Episode two of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Here’s a rundown of who picked what.

Tom – Quantum Break The Xbox was in a pretty bad way back in 2016. The console was clearly underpowered compared to the PS4, the system had put a focus on Kinect and TV (?!), and Sony had a better line-up of exclusives. So It’s no surprise that people generally didn’t care about part video game part TV show Quantum Break. Which is a shame, as Tom reckons you should have. It’s from Remedy (Max Payne, Control, Alan Wake) and is awesome, both in terms of visual splendor and action-oriented gameplay. The TV stuff, wasn’t even that bad – it has Lance Reddick in it, so it must be good when he’s on the screen.

Dom – Pokemon Conquest Have you ever heard of Pokemon Conquest? Nah, we didn’t think so. And fair enough, really; it was a spinoff crossover game with the Nobunaga’s Ambition tactical-RPG series. Obviously a great fit for Pokemon, right? You play as a warlord in Feudal Japan, and using Pokemon in grid-based strategy battles, you slowly take over the empire. Not only do you have moves as well as your Pokemon, you can also evolve, too, for some reason. Dom reckons that despite barely anyone playing it (it was a DS game that launched after the 3DS, in the same year as Black 2/White 2, d’oh), it’s the best Pokemon game out there. And it’s particularly relevant now, with Arceus being out in the wild.

Alex – Disaster: Day of Crisis A weird and wonderful mix of Metal Gear, Time Crisis, disaster movies, and post-9/11 rah-rah chest-thumping action, Disaster: Day of Crisis is a bit of a mess. But it's also a modern masterpiece. Developed by Xenoblade studio Monolith Soft, Disaster is emblematic of a golden age of the Wii - warts and all - of a period before Nintendo saw the sheer amount of dosh to be made from casual 'waggle' games, when it was still green-lighting more traditional games and asking developers to find a way to work motion controls in. Thus enters Day of Crisis, a game with light gun shooting, driving segments where you turn the controller on its side, tense bomb defusal mini-games, and motion-controlled CPR on endangered victims. It's by no means polished perfection, but it's the B-movie video game at its best - and somehow, one of Alex’s favourite games of its generation.

Let us know what game you’d pick and which of the three you think should win in the comments below (It’s Quantum Break, right?). If you like the podcast, please subscribe and leave a review saying how wonderful it is, and tell all your friends, who can then tell all their friends who are hopefully big players on social media. #podcast #videogame #funny

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 2228 no Episode 1 - Best Game With a Named Horse https://the-vg247-podcast.libsyn.com/episode-1-best-game-with-a-named-horse For quite some time we’ve wanted to produce a podcast on VG247, but for assorted reasons nothing ever got off the ground. That has now changed. VG247's The Best Games Ever Podcast is here. “What is this new podcast?” you ask, with the child-like glee usually reserved for when you spot a new type of M&M or an ice cream version of a favourite childhood sweet. Well, it’s quite simple, really. Each week three of us must present our choice for the best game ever that meets certain criteria. Then our host/judge, Jim Trinca, will decide who has made the best case and declare a winner. We’ll never do something so simple as “Best horror game,” or “Best PS2 game.” That’s just not what this show is about. We’re trying to do something a little different, on the off-chance it’s more fun than just a bunch of us sat around talking. Each week we’ll have something specific to talk about, and that’s it. There might be the odd hilarious segue, but the aim is to be more panel show-like. We’re also trying to deliver a show that’s about 30 minutes long. Enough to feel like you’ve been a part of something, but not so long that you need a week’s worth of commutes/park walks to get through one episode. Hopefully, that’s something you can get onboard with. That is it. We’ve got some details on the show’s content below, so if you want to avoid spoilers, don’t scroll beyond this warning. W A R N I N G Best game with a named horse This is the topic of Episode one of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Here’s a rundown of who picked what. Tom – Shadow of the Colossus This one is pretty obvious, and no doubt a favourite amongst readers/listeners. Shadow of the Colossus is a brilliant game that is considered by many to be a true classic. And it has a named horse in the shape of Agro. Team Ico’s game is so good it’s been remade/remastered twice, so has appeared on PS2, PS3, and PS4. Do you agree with Tom? Dorrani – Elden Ring Dorrani went for something more recent, with Elden Ring. Released earlier in 2022, Elden Ring is already considered a classic of the open-world genre, offering intense and challenging battles along with a world that is a joy to discover. The horse in Elden Ring is named Torrent, and has among other talents a rather incredible double-jump. What do you think? Is Elden Ring better than Shadow of the Colossus or is it too early to say? Alex – Final Furlong Out of nowhere, Alex produced this gem of an arcade game. Final Furlong sums up what arcade games can offer that consoles and PC’s can’t: huge peripherals. In this case, it’s a massive plastic horse you must ride on. Alex insists that this is the best game with a named horse, but does one of many named racehorses really count? His favorite is called Miracle Thunder. Let us know what game you’d pick and which of the three you think should win in the comments below. If you like the podcast, please subscribe and leave a review, and tell all your friends, who can then tell all their friends. #podcast #videogames #funny Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 27 May 2022 08:29:04 -0000 Best Game With a Named Horse full 1 1 VG247 For quite some time we’ve wanted to produce a podcast on VG247, but for assorted reasons nothing ever got off the ground. That has now changed. VG247's The Best Games Ever Podcast is here. “What is this new podcast?” you ask, with the child-like... For quite some time we’ve wanted to produce a podcast on VG247, but for assorted reasons nothing ever got off the ground. That has now changed. VG247's The Best Games Ever Podcast is here. “What is this new podcast?” you ask, with the child-like glee usually reserved for when you spot a new type of M&M or an ice cream version of a favourite childhood sweet. Well, it’s quite simple, really. Each week three of us must present our choice for the best game ever that meets certain criteria. Then our host/judge, Jim Trinca, will decide who has made the best case and declare a winner. We’ll never do something so simple as “Best horror game,” or “Best PS2 game.” That’s just not what this show is about. We’re trying to do something a little different, on the off-chance it’s more fun than just a bunch of us sat around talking. Each week we’ll have something specific to talk about, and that’s it. There might be the odd hilarious segue, but the aim is to be more panel show-like. We’re also trying to deliver a show that’s about 30 minutes long. Enough to feel like you’ve been a part of something, but not so long that you need a week’s worth of commutes/park walks to get through one episode. Hopefully, that’s something you can get onboard with. That is it. We’ve got some details on the show’s content below, so if you want to avoid spoilers, don’t scroll beyond this warning. W A R N I N G Best game with a named horse This is the topic of Episode one of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Here’s a rundown of who picked what. Tom – Shadow of the Colossus This one is pretty obvious, and no doubt a favourite amongst readers/listeners. Shadow of the Colossus is a brilliant game that is considered by many to be a true classic. And it has a named horse in the shape of Agro. Team Ico’s game is so good it’s been remade/remastered twice, so has appeared on PS2, PS3, and PS4. Do you agree with Tom? Dorrani – Elden Ring Dorrani went for something more recent, with Elden Ring. Released earlier in 2022, Elden Ring is already considered a classic of the open-world genre, offering intense and challenging battles along with a world that is a joy to discover. The horse in Elden Ring is named Torrent, and has among other talents a rather incredible double-jump. What do you think? Is Elden Ring better than Shadow of the Colossus or is it too early to say? Alex – Final Furlong Out of nowhere, Alex produced this gem of an arcade game. Final Furlong sums up what arcade games can offer that consoles and PC’s can’t: huge peripherals. In this case, it’s a massive plastic horse you must ride on. Alex insists that this is the best game with a named horse, but does one of many named racehorses really count? His favorite is called Miracle Thunder. Let us know what game you’d pick and which of the three you think should win in the comments below. If you like the podcast, please subscribe and leave a review, and tell all your friends, who can then tell all their friends. #podcast #videogames #funny Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices For quite some time we’ve wanted to produce a podcast on VG247, but for assorted reasons nothing ever got off the ground. That has now changed. VG247's The Best Games Ever Podcast is here.

“What is this new podcast?” you ask, with the child-like glee usually reserved for when you spot a new type of M&M or an ice cream version of a favourite childhood sweet. Well, it’s quite simple, really. Each week three of us must present our choice for the best game ever that meets certain criteria. Then our host/judge, Jim Trinca, will decide who has made the best case and declare a winner.

We’ll never do something so simple as “Best horror game,” or “Best PS2 game.” That’s just not what this show is about. We’re trying to do something a little different, on the off-chance it’s more fun than just a bunch of us sat around talking. Each week we’ll have something specific to talk about, and that’s it. There might be the odd hilarious segue, but the aim is to be more panel show-like.

We’re also trying to deliver a show that’s about 30 minutes long. Enough to feel like you’ve been a part of something, but not so long that you need a week’s worth of commutes/park walks to get through one episode. Hopefully, that’s something you can get onboard with.

That is it.

We’ve got some details on the show’s content below, so if you want to avoid spoilers, don’t scroll beyond this warning.

W A R N I N G

Best game with a named horse This is the topic of Episode one of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Here’s a rundown of who picked what.

Tom – Shadow of the Colossus

This one is pretty obvious, and no doubt a favourite amongst readers/listeners. Shadow of the Colossus is a brilliant game that is considered by many to be a true classic. And it has a named horse in the shape of Agro. Team Ico’s game is so good it’s been remade/remastered twice, so has appeared on PS2, PS3, and PS4. Do you agree with Tom?

Dorrani – Elden Ring

Dorrani went for something more recent, with Elden Ring. Released earlier in 2022, Elden Ring is already considered a classic of the open-world genre, offering intense and challenging battles along with a world that is a joy to discover. The horse in Elden Ring is named Torrent, and has among other talents a rather incredible double-jump. What do you think? Is Elden Ring better than Shadow of the Colossus or is it too early to say?

Alex – Final Furlong

Out of nowhere, Alex produced this gem of an arcade game. Final Furlong sums up what arcade games can offer that consoles and PC’s can’t: huge peripherals. In this case, it’s a massive plastic horse you must ride on. Alex insists that this is the best game with a named horse, but does one of many named racehorses really count? His favorite is called Miracle Thunder.

Let us know what game you’d pick and which of the three you think should win in the comments below. If you like the podcast, please subscribe and leave a review, and tell all your friends, who can then tell all their friends.

#podcast #videogames #funny

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 2196 yes VG247's The Best Games Ever Podcast Jingle https://the-vg247-podcast.libsyn.com/vg247s-the-best-games-ever-podcast-jingle VG247's The Best Games Ever Podcast First Episode will launch Friday, May 27, 2 PM BST.  Here's our brilliant intro jingle to set the tone. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Mon, 23 May 2022 14:10:13 -0000 The Best Games Ever Podcast Jingle full VG247 VG247's The Best Games Ever Podcast First Episode will launch Friday, May 27, 2 PM BST.  Here's our brilliant intro jingle to set the tone. VG247's The Best Games Ever Podcast First Episode will launch Friday, May 27, 2 PM BST.  Here's our brilliant intro jingle to set the tone. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices VG247's The Best Games Ever Podcast

First Episode will launch Friday, May 27, 2 PM BST. 

Here's our brilliant intro jingle to set the tone.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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