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pc

081: Batman: The Telltale Series (Episode 5 – City of Light)

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Gotham becomes uncaged in Batman: The Telltale Series (Episode 5). Will it become re-caged?

Developer: Telltale Games | Publisher: Telltale Games | Initial Release Date: December 13, 2016

Jacob, Mike and Moe face off with their remaining foes, make weighty choices about body parts and look to fix all of Gotham’s issues.

Players: Jacob McCourt (@JacobMcCourt), Mike Ruffolo (@ruffolom) & Moe Murtadi (@mmurtadi)

Web: LeftBehindGame.Club | Twitter: @LeftBehindClub | Instagram: @LeftBehindGameClub

SHOW NOTES:

  • 2:05 Recap of Episode 4’s Endings
  • Episode 5 Thoughts:
    • 2:25 Chapter 1: Loose Ends & Chapter 2: Revelations (Penguin)
    • 9:30 Chapter 1: Loose Ends & Chapter 2: Revelations (Harvey Dent)
    • 20:10 Chapter 3: On The Trail
    • 25:10 Chapter 4: The Legacy
    • 33:10 Chapter 5: Executive Decision
    • 42:45 Chapter 6: A New Day in Gotham
  • 47:55 What style of Batman were we?
  • 51:10 Our final thoughts about Episode 5 and the whole series

NEXT SHOWS:

  • Gato Roboto w/ Jacob, Moe and special guests Arsene Lakpa and Joseph Hooper from the Player Player Podcast: March 4th
  • Broken Age w/ Jacob and special guests Katie Lesperance, Travis Colenutt and Jessica Fantauzzo: March 18th

DISCORD: The Left Behind Game Club is a monthly game club podcast with a focus on positivity & community. To talk to members of the community, join our Discord server!

TIP JAR: If you’re feeling generous and love the show, we have a PayPal tip jar! Any funds raised will go towards hosting our site and paying for games and equipment as we look to bring you higher quality content every month.

063: Bastion

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We deal with the aftermath of the calamity and all things Bastion.

Developer: Supergiant Games | Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment | Release Date:  July 20, 2011

Jacob, Moe, Mike and Nick do their part in rebuilding civilization while admiring the designs and sounds of the game

Join our Discord server! Go to LeftBehindGame.Club and scroll down to the Discord section of the homepage! If you love the show, please consider a review on iTunes. It helps a lot.

Website: LeftBehindGame.Club | Twitter: @LeftBehindClub | Instagram: @LeftBehindGameClub

Show Notes (spoilers):

  • 1:56 – We’re playing Bastion… on Vita?
  • 2:30 – What we knew coming into the game
  • 4:45 – XBLA… remember that? what we played on
  • 6:50 – What IS Bastion?
  • 9:50 – The audio and Narrator are great, I don’t care what you say
  • 10:40 – Action RPGs and Platforming
  • 12:00 – Our choice of weapons
  • 14:52 – What is THE Bastion?
  • 19:00 – Difficulty mods and the risk/reward of them
  • 30:00 – The enemies in this game feel natural
  • 33:42 – WE’RE ROLLIN ROLLIN ROLLIN ROLLIN (WOOO)
  • 34:40 – This devolves into a puddle of wrestling talk and references
  • 36:15 – The story and narrative
  • 43:00 – Zulf is like Thanos
  • 47:00 – The first choice and consequence of our actions
  • 49:30 – Supergiant sequels
  • 51:00 – The second choice you have to make
  • 54:00 – Do we recommend it?
  • 1:00:00 – The wrap-up and where you can find us

057: SOMA

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We question mankind’s remaining humanity in SOMA.

Developer: Frictional Games | Publisher: Frictional Games | Release Date: September 22, 2015

Jacob, Moe and special guest Jessica Fantauzzo look through everyone’s personal effects, dodge monsters, curl up into the fetal position and question everyone’s motives. Also, we flip a coin.

Join our Discord server! Go to LeftBehindGame.Club and scroll down to the Discord section of the homepage! If you love the show, please consider a review on iTunes. It helps a lot.

Players: Moe Murtadi (@mmurtadi) and Jacob McCourt (@JacobMcCourt)

Special Guest: Jessica Fantauzzo (@jfant)

Website: LeftBehindGame.Club | Twitter: @LeftBehindClub | Instagram: @LeftBehindGameClub

Show Notes (spoilers):

  • 3:00 The origins of SOMA
  • 8:30 SOMA’s Toronto connection
  • 9:15 A very explicit spoiler warning…
  • 10:10 Simon Jarrett’s start in Toronto
  • 12:00 The brain scan
  • 14:40 The physicality in the game (and Edward Scissorhands)
  • 18:30 What do you mean… they can use doors (like Resident Evil 2’s Mr. X)?
  • 21:20 The first enemy and friendly encounter
  • 26:45 Carl Semken and moral choice
  • 29:25 First contact with Catherine Chun and her “heavenly robotic voice” aka “Pokedex Catherine”
  • 31:05 The room floods… and we question everything…
  • 33:35 Meeting Catherine
  • 37:15 Where we are, what happened to Earth
  • 39:50 Moe made so many notes
  • 41:40 The ARK
  • 44:25 The WAU
  • 46:00 Sarah Lindwall
  • 54:45 “A brand new you”
  • 1:00:50 “Flip a coin”
  • 1:03:35 The “cat buttholes” scattered throughout the game, structure gel and Dr. Johan Ross
  • 1:09:00 Walking on the ocean floor is super dope
  • 1:11:00 Moe wants a kick or a punch in this game (and we sneak in some anime)
  • 1:16:00 Finding Catherine and the final sequence of the game
  • 1:21:20 The ARK survey
  • 1:25:30 The “mirror moment”
  • 1:27:10 The WAU’s end was disappointing
  • 1:29:50 The Left Behind Quiz Corner
  • 1:36:00 Wrap-up

055: Ori and the Blind Forest

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We air dash, double jump and float out of harm’s way in Ori and the Blind Forest.

Developer: Moon Studios | Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios | Release Date: March 11, 2015

Mike, Jacob and special guest Nick O’Hagan-Wong get caressed by the game’s wonderful art and music, died over a thousand times collectively and enter the Left Behind Quiz Corner for the first time. Do they exit? Listen to the end to find out!

Join our Discord server! Go to LeftBehindGame.Club and scroll down to the Discord section of the homepage! If you love the show, please consider a review on iTunes. It helps a lot.

Players: Michael Ruffolo (@ruffolom) and Jacob McCourt (@JacobMcCourt)

Special Guest: Nick O’Hagan-Wong

Website: LeftBehindGame.Club | Twitter: @LeftBehindClub | Instagram: @LeftBehindGameClub

Show Notes (spoilers):

  • 2:00 What is a Metroidvania game?
  • 3:00 The Rabbids invade the Left Behind Game Club
  • 3:20 The story of Ori and the Blind Forest and the name game
  • 5:55 Ori is Jesus and Sein is the Holy Spirit?
  • 6:40 The upgrade tree
  • 8:25 Who died the most through their playthrough?
  • 10:45 How about that jump?
  • 11:55 Jacob shares Alex Newhouse’s description of Ori and the Blind Forest
  • 12:35 Airborn Studios does stuff for everyone [Twitter]
  • 13:40 The crew talks about their favourite upgrades
  • 16:25 The gravity puzzles
  • 19:55 Using Soul Links well
  • 21:35 A Dark Souls comparison and other Metroidvania games
  • 23:45 This game looks so good.
  • 26:05 “Jacob’s gonna hate this.”
  • 29:20 What about the story and the characters?
  • 32:15 A Legend of Zelda connection?
  • 33:15 The game’s language
  • 34:05 Jacob brings in Home Alone 2 (somehow)
  • 35:25 Nick got fired up by the difficulty
  • 38:05 Mount Horu was tough
  • 42:00 Escaping Kuro again and the final sequence of the game
  • 46:00 The crew enters the Left Behind Quiz Corner
  • 49:20 Our final thoughts about Ori and the Blind Forest
  • 50:40 The podcast was nominated for three awards at the Canadian Podcast Awards!

045: What Remains of Edith Finch

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We climb our family tree (literally and figuratively) in What Remains of Edith Finch.

Developer: Giant Sparrow | Publisher: Annapurna Interactive | Release Date: April 25, 2017

Jacob, Mike and Moe crawl through doggy doors, chase birds, swing and hide in bunkers.

Join our Discord server! Go to LeftBehindGame.Club and scroll down to the Discord section of the homepage! If you love the show, please consider a review on iTunes. It helps a lot.

Players: Jacob McCourt (@JacobMcCourt), Michael Ruffolo (@ruffolom) and Moe Murtadi (@mmurtadi)

Website: LeftBehindGame.Club | Twitter: @LeftBehindClub | Instagram: @LeftBehindGameClub

Show Notes (spoilers):

  • 2:10 A warning about What Remains of Edith Finch
  • 3:30 Moe makes a surprising proclamation about this game
  • 4:10 What is a walking simulator?
  • 6:15 Why are we playing What Remains of Edith Finch?
  • 7:10 Jacob accidentally spoiled the game for Mike
  • 9:40 The opening of What Remains of Edith Finch
  • 11:50 The Finch’s house
  • 13:40 Introduction to the game’s narrator, Edith Finch
  • 15:20 Entering the house
  • 17:10 Jacob brings up Matilda, The Curious Case Benjamin Button and The Pagemaster
  • 18:30 We introduce the structure of the game and start with the story of Molly Finch
  • 21:20 Cats, owls, sharks and sea monsters
  • 26:30 The game’s toughest question
  • 29:00 Odin Finch and the history of the Finch family
  • 32:00 Calvin Finch
  • 35:00 Barbara Finch
  • 37:00 Moe compares this section to Telltale’s The Walking Dead and Jacob brings up XIII, Killer7 and Madworld
  • 39:35 Walter Finch
  • 43:30 Jacob compares this section to the Beginner’s Guide
  • 44:00 We looked down
  • 46:10 Sam Finch
  • 51:45 Gregory Finch
  • 54:30 Gus Finch
  • 57:00 Milton Finch
  • 59:20 Mike connects this game to Unfinished Swan
  • 1:00:35 Lewis Finch
  • 1:08:00 Content warning (suicide and self-harm)
  • 1:09:45 End of content warning
  • 1:10:05 The beginning of the end (of the story)
  • 1:13:30 Wait… who is Edith talking to?
  • 1:15:15 Jacob… the game has to come full circle!
  • 1:17:00 Moe brings it back to Lord of the Rings
  • 1:17:45 The crew wraps it up
  • 1:21:00 A question from the Ludonarrative Podcast
  • 1:25:05 We announce our next game: Superhot

044: Portal

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We enjoy cake (even though the cake is a lie) in Portal.

Developer: Valve Corporation | Publisher: Valve Corporation | Release Date: October 10, 2007

Jacob, Mike and Moe make some extreme trust leaps, talk extensively about Mirror’s Edge and laugh at some great comedic writing.

Join our Discord server! Go to LeftBehindGame.Club and scroll down to the Discord section of the homepage! If you love the show, please consider a review on iTunes. It helps a lot.

Players: Jacob McCourt (@JacobMcCourt), Michael Ruffolo (@ruffolom) and Moe Murtadi (@mmurtadi)

Website: LeftBehindGame.Club | Twitter: @LeftBehindClub | Instagram: @LeftBehindGameClub

Show Notes (spoilers):

  • 2:00 Remember when Valve made video games?
  • 2:15 Is Moe secretly the owner of @IsHL3OutYet?
  • 3:00 The Digipen connection & Narbacular Drop
  • 4:20 The Orange Box
  • 5:55 How does Portal start?
  • 7:45 The difficulty ramp
  • 9:00 Jacob compares Portal to The Witness
  • 11:20 Mike praises Erik Wolpaw and Mike Morasky’s writing
  • 14:20 Jacob avoided 11 years of Portal spoilers
  • 15:50 We talk about our favourite levels!
  • 19:00 Jacob used a walkthrough
  • 21:20 Jacob asks about the Weighted Companion Cube
  • 23:35 The Source engine was the engine for physics
  • 24:50 The final boss encounter with GLaDOS
  • 28:05 Connecting Portal and Mirror’s Edge
  • 30:45 Jacob brings up the PS3 version of the Orange Box
  • 31:25 Our final thoughts about Portal

038: Hitman Part 2 [Paris]

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We put on a great tuxedo and prepare for Parisian fashion in Hitman: Episode 1.

Developer: IO Interactive | Publisher: Square Enix, Feral Interactive (Linux, macOS) & Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment (Definitive Edition) | First Release Date: March 11, 2016

Jacob, Mike and Moe trespass, contemplate the best type of poison for our enemies, ride helicopters and throw bodies off of ledges.

Join our Discord server! Go to LeftBehindGame.Club and scroll down to the Discord section of the homepage! If you love the show, please consider a review on iTunes. It helps a lot.

Players: Jacob McCourt (@JacobMcCourt), Michael Ruffolo (@ruffolom) and Moe Murtadi (@mmurtadi)

Website: LeftBehindGame.Club | Twitter: @LeftBehindClub | Instagram: @LeftBehindGameClub

Show Notes (spoilers):

  • 2:05 A quick warning before we jump in
  • 2:25 Diana Burnwood provides our mission briefing
  • 4:15 We prepare for the mission
  • 6:05 Moe describes his approach
  • 9:10 Jacob explains the differences between types of poison
  • 11:15 We get into the different warning levels
  • 13:35 The first introduction to Helmut Kruger
  • 14:20 Jacob describes his personal “Kruger Method”
  • 17:20 Moe, Dalia Margolis & The Guest of Honor
  • 20:35 Jacob continues describing his method for killing Dalia…
  • 23:05 …and then gets Victor in a “screwy” way
  • 27:20 Moe talks about alternate methods for getting Victor
  • 28:35 Mike describes his Keys to Success
  • 32:25 Mike explains what you actually do with coins
  • 35:05 Mike meets up with Dalia and helps her get to sleep
  • 36:15 Mike makes a delicious Bare Knuckle Boxer for Victor
  • 38:30 A four-star victory for Mike
  • 41:05 Shoutout to Hitsmas, elusive targets and final thoughts (correction: for Elusive Targets, once you accomplish one objective, you only get one shot from there)
  • 43:25 The Glacier Engine

031: Grow Home

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We climb with B.U.D., listen to M.O.M. and drunkenly flail about in Grow Home.

Developer: Ubisoft Reflections | Publisher: Ubisoft | Release Date: February 4, 2015

Jacob, Mike and Moe rode beanstalks, used giant leaves as hang-gliders and collected crystals. Also, we decided unanimously that this game should always be played with a controller.

You can now join our Discord server! Go to LeftBehindGame.Club and scroll down to the Discord section of the homepage!

We had previously announced that this week would be our “The Witness” episode. We wanted more time with the game, so we shuffled our upcoming schedule around. Our next two episodes will be: The Witness (May 30) and Star Wars: Republic Commando (June 13). More June content announcements in the coming weeks!

Players: Jacob McCourt (@JacobMcCourt), Michael Ruffolo (@ruffolom) and Moe Murtadi (@mmurtadi)

Website: LeftBehindGame.Club | Twitter: @LeftBehindClub

Show Notes (spoilers):

  • 2:25 What is Grow Home?
  • 3:35 Who is Ubisoft Reflections?
  • 5:10 This game is on Unity; Moe gives his two cents on this game and Unity
  • 7:10 Mike didn’t have a great time; don’t play this game with a controller
  • 10:50 Jacob compares Grow Home to Katamari Damacy, QWOP and GIRP
  • 12:25 Moe talks about the ragdoll
  • 13:35 Some of the other mechanics and powers in the game
  • 15:55 What Moe and Jacob liked about Grow Home and the game’s reception
  • 18:15 Falling and tips for falling
  • 19:45 Grow Home isn’t, but Grow Up is on Xbox One (correction: the game is not on Mac)
  • 20:50 Jacob brings up Space Station Silicon Valley and Mike brings up Metal Arms: Glitch in the System (R.I.P. Swingin’ Ape Studios)
  • 22:30 What would make you play Grow Up?
  • 24:25 Final thoughts (and Jacob sets out his perfect Saturday)

028: Tomb Raider (2013)

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We raid some tombs and discover our inner Lara Croft in Tomb Raider (2013).

Developer: Crystal Dynamics with Eidos Montreal (Multiplayer), Nixxes (Next-Gen Console Ports), Feral Interactive (Mac/Linux Ports) and Square Visual Works (CGI) | Publisher: Square Enix | Release Date: March 5, 2013

Jacob, Mike, Moe and Special Guest Kevin Reaburn travel to the Dragon’s Triangle, reminisce about TressFX and miss spring game sales by two days.

You can now join our Discord server! Go to LeftBehindGame.Club and scroll down to the Discord section of the homepage! We launch our God of War (2005) episode on April 18th.

Players: Jacob McCourt (@JacobMcCourt), Michael Ruffolo (@ruffolom) and Moe Murtadi (@mmurtadi)

Special Guest: Kevin Reaburn (@ATribeCalledKev)

Website: LeftBehindGame.Club | Twitter: @LeftBehindClub

Show Notes (spoilers):

  • 1:30 Jacob re-introduces the audience to Kevin Reaburn
  • 2:40 Kevin starts with a big question: “which came first?” (correction: pre-Crystal Dynamics’ Tomb Raider games were developed by Core Design)
  • 5:30 Our exposure to the Tomb Raider franchise
  • 8:40 The writers of Tomb Raider: Rhianna Pratchett and Susan O’Connor
  • 9:30: So many credits in this game!
  • 10:05: The story of Tomb Raider (2013)
  • 11:20 It’s just called Tomb Raider, y’all
  • 13:00 What is the Definitive Edition? Also, TressFX
  • 14:50 This isn’t the “old Lara”
  • 18:35 The rest of the crew of the Endurance
  • 19:10 Hunting and gathering
  • 23:00 Survival Instinct
  • 24:15 We debate about the best weapon in the game
  • 25:20 This game is so violent and has much dirty rebar
  • 28:40 A bear trap and a wolf attack
  • 30:05 Tomb Raider’s world building
  • 31:20 Jacob’s Dad Moment
  • 33:20 Encounters with the supernatural
  • 35:50 Lara’s First Kill (“kills a deer, kills a man and kills everyone”)
  • 38:35 The game’s progression
  • 40:05 Slow-mo time (aka the Steady Shot), fire arrows and headshot reticle
  • 42:35 Combat puzzles & Tomb Raider vs. Uncharted
  • 45:05 Comparing the game to Indiana Jones
  • 46:15 Shantytown and difficulty
  • 49:00 The landscape and the tombs
  • 51:45 Smart AI
  • 53:20 Under-developed side characters
  • 54:20 Dual pistols are overrated
  • 55:30 Issues with the next-gen ports and great checkpoints
  • 59:55 The final confrontation
  • 1:04:40 The Final Hours of Tomb Raider & Jason Graves’ soundtrack/”The Instrument”
  • 1:06:25 Final thoughts
  • 1:11:00 Kevin missed the Xbox Spring Sale by two days. We tell him about for the first time here.

026: ZombiU & Zombi

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We smack some thick-skulled zombies with our cricket bat in ZombiU & Zombi.

Developer: Ubisoft Montpellier & Straight Right (Ports) | Publisher: Ubisoft | Release Date: November 18, 2012

Jacob, special guest Travis Colenutt and a fully-healthy Mike talk about horror games, prepare our Bug-Out-Bags and reminisce about the launch of the Wii U.

You can now join our Discord server! Go to LeftBehindGame.Club and scroll down to the Discord section of the homepage! Moe returns to the Left Behind Game Club for our FTL: Faster Than Light episode launching on March 21st.

Players: Jacob McCourt (@JacobMcCourt) and Michael Ruffolo (@ruffolom)

Special Guest: Travis Colenutt (@TravisColenutt)

Website: LeftBehindGame.Club | Twitter: @LeftBehindClub

Show Notes (spoilers):

  • 2:05 “Michael, what do you think of this game?”
  • 3:30 The setup and the story for ZombiU
  • 6:50 Jacob compares the game to Dark Souls & Bloodborne
  • 9:40 The thickest skulls in the world
  • 11:00 The game’s sound design
  • 12:55 “This game could have been so much more”
  • 13:40 Travis’ general thoughts about the game
  • 15:30 Our general feelings about horror games (we talk about Resident Evil, Silent Hill: Shattered Memories, Condemned, Shadows of the Damned and Until Dawn)
  • 18:00 The dread and the stress of ZombiU/Zombi
  • 22:35 The reason for the thick zombie heads
  • 23:55 How many times did we die in the game?
  • 26:20 We talk about the online features of the game and the glitches
  • 29:35 Wii and WiiU launch titles
  • 30:50 Favourite parts of the game
  • 33:45 The terrifying nursery
  • 35:15 Difference between the Wii U version and the remake
  • 38:30 All of the weapons and what we used
  • 42:00 What about flares, molotov cocktails, landmines and grenades?
  • 44:20 The exploding zombies
  • 45:30 How did you play the game?
  • 47:10 Who were the Ravens of Dee and why is the Prepper so angry all the time?
  • 49:20 Turret (not turd) sequences
  • 52:00 The endings and how would you make a ZombiU 2?
  • 54:35 Final thoughts and wrap-up

024: Interview with Victor Magnuson (Fatshark Games)

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After playing through Warhammer: The End Times – Vermintide, Moe and Jacob had a conversation over Discord with Victor Magnuson. Victor is a Game Designer and Producer at Fatshark Games in Stockholm, Sweden. The team at Fatshark is currently working on Warhammer: Vermintide 2, a sequel to the highly successful original game.

Moe and Jacob talk about Victor’s jump from finance to game design, the history of Fatshark Games, how they began work on the Warhammer IP, the community they have built around the franchise and the upcoming Warhammer: Vermintide 2.

An open beta for Warhammer: Vermintide 2 is launching soon and the release date for the game will be announced in the near future.

Player: Jacob McCourt (@JacobMcCourt) & Moe Murtadi (@mmurtadi)

Guest: Victor Magnuson (@Zarpan)

Website: LeftBehindGame.Club | Twitter: @LeftBehindClub

Show Notes:

  • 1:00 Victor and Moe talk about their shared transition away from the Finance Industry
  • 5:34 Victor’s journey at Fatshark Games (covering GRIN, Quality Assurance and Game Design)
  • 9:53 How did Fatshark get connected with Games Workshop?
  • 11:58 How do you interact with Games Workshop on the game?
  • 14:44 What’s the pitch and the pillars for Warhammer: Vermintide?
  • 18:00 Victor talks about why they supported Warhammer: Vermintide for so long with DLC (while comparing the game to Rainbow Six: Siege)
  • 20:45 How does Fatshark interact with their active community?
  • 23:23 We transition to Vermintide 2, Victor talks about the difference between V1 and V2
  • 25:50 Victor talks about the addition of the Chaos Faction to Vermintide 2
  • 27:57 The addition of Career Paths in Vermintide 2
  • 31:27 Victor talks about the difference between the loot systems in Vermintide 1 and Vermintide 2
  • 33:23 We talk about the game’s Spawn Director
  • 36:32 We ask Victor what he is most exciting to watch and play when development on Vermintide 2 wraps up
  • 37:39 Details about the game’s release date and beta

 

 

023: Hotline Miami

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We get ultra-violent in 1989 with Hotline Miami.

Developer: Dennation Games & Abstraction Games (PlayStation Ports) | Publisher: Devolver Digital | Release Date: October 23rd, 2012

Jacob, Mike and Moe ask questions about violence, throw knives and wear masks to hide their true feelings. “Moe Mask, Mo’ Bullets.” Our next episode features ZombiU and/or Zombi and launches on February 21st!

You can now e-mail us your questions! Send questions about past episodes or questions about us to questions@leftbehindgame.club!

Players: Jacob McCourt (@JacobMcCourt), Michael Ruffolo (@ruffolom) and Moe Murtadi (@mmurtadi)

Website: LeftBehindGame.Club | Twitter: @LeftBehindClub

Show Notes (spoilers):

  • 3:05 Our past experiences with Hotline Miami
  • 4:30 Using a mouse and keyboard vs. a controller (Jacob also brings up the Vita again)
  • 5:35 We take a crack at explaining the premise
  • 7:40 We bring up the Complex Hotline Miami documentary (hey, it’s good)
  • 8:00 We compare Hotline Miami to GTA/GTA 2
  • 10:05 The look of Hotline Miami (“it’s a vibe” *DJ Khaled voice*)
  • 11:15 The controls of Hotline Miami (including the lock-on feature)
  • 13:00 Hotline Miami’s Masks
  • 15:57 The knives of Hotline Miami and Mike tried a “no gun playthrough”
  • 18:00 The problem with multi-level complexes and Jacob’s true feelings come out
  • 20:00 A game that beats the poop out of you
  • 21:25 Are we sociopaths… bringing it back to Spec Ops: The Line
  • 24:25 Don’t play the game with the sound off
  • 27:30 Jacob brings up Cactus & “…this game is […] better than the sum of its parts.”
  • 29:00 Mike explains the story
  • 33:29 The shift from Jacket to Biker
  • 35:22 The end of the game
  • 38:20 Is the game about mental illness?
  • 40:30 How a developer’s break-up affected the game
  • 44:00 The four questions and tying this game to Bioshock and The Stanley Parable
  • 47:40 How our age affected our thoughts about the violence
  • 50:00 Jacob hates the doors
  • 51:13 How did we rank in the game & how we combo
  • 52:35 How would you recommend playing the game?

022: Warhammer: The End Times – Vermintide

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We conquer some virtual humanoid rats in Warhammer: The End Times – Vermintide.

Developer: Fatshark AB | Publisher: Fatshark AB | Release Date: October 23, 2015

Jacob, Mike, Moe and special guest Kevin Reaburn talk about Swedish video game developers, dopamine loops, crowd control and rolling dice. “Let me sell you some Vermintide, son.” Our February episodes are Hotline Miami (February 7th) and ZombiU/Zombi (February 21st)!

You can now e-mail us your questions! Send questions about past episodes or questions about us to questions@leftbehindgame.club!

Players: Jacob McCourt (@JacobMcCourt), Michael Ruffolo (@ruffolom) and Moe Murtadi (@mmurtadi)

Special Guest: Kevin Reaburn

Website: LeftBehindGame.Club | Twitter: @LeftBehindClub

Show Notes (spoilers):

  • 1:10 Introducing our guest, Kevin Reaburn
  • 2:20 What does Warhammer: The End Times – Vermintide mean?
  • 3:00 The story of Fatshark
  • 4:45 Licensing in video games 101
  • 5:30 Our experience with other Warhammer games (correction: the Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War series is developed by Relic and published by Sega)
  • 6:50 How did we play the game?
  • 8:30 This game is Left 4 Dead, yo.
  • 10:10 The game’s story
  • 13:20 The inn and drinking the beer
  • 14:00 Our first big take-home in 3… 2… 1…
  • 14:35 Kevin, Jacob and Mike talk about their guide
  • 15:10 We give you an introduction to the characters/classes/weapons
  • 19:45 Mike’s devious Kevin secret is revealed
  • 20:28 “Zero Dark Mike” aka when Kevin and Jacob screwed up
  • 21:25 Jacob explains Ranald’s Bones
  • 23:25 Mike, Jacob and Kevin thank our Vermintide guide, who restored our faith in humanity
  • 25:00 A breakdown of the enemy types
  • 27:22 The AI’s helpful cues and quips (ft. some helpful radio salesmen)
  • 29:38 The voice acting
  • 30:48 Subtitles and the PC centric UI (ft. Dead Rising)
  • 32:15 An aside about PC matchmaking
  • 33:25 Autodesk Stingray, Unreal and Unity
  • 35:00 Jacob hated this game at first
  • 37:15 Kevin chimes in
  • 38:40 “The game is in the rotation”
  • 40:50 We continue to talk through the enemy types
  • 46:25 The game’s weapon system, the Forge and the Shrine of Solace
  • 50:05 The game’s DLC and level structure
  • 50:45 Warhammer: Vermintide 2
  • 51:35 Level design in the game
  • 57:00 Mike was dragging our party along… Jacob needed better weapons
  • 58:10 The game’s graphics
  • 58:45 Jacob brings it back to Dead Island
  • 59:15 The satisfaction (and the sound) of a “clean cut”
  • 1:00:50 End of level stats breakdowns
  • 1:01:45 “The butt pat” and hanging out with friends
  • 1:03:20 Jacob, Mike and Kevin’s epic save and Olesya’s Coach
  • 1:05:00 Closing thoughts
  • 1:05:30 Jacob brings it back to “The Rock” and Jumanji

018: Spec Ops: The Line

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We travel head-first into a sandstorm in Spec Ops: The Line.

Developer: Yager Development | Publisher: 2K Games | Release Date: June 26, 2012

The OG crew (Jacob, Moe and Mike) rides in a helicopter, disobey direct orders and become the hero. “What is this “vault with B” malarkey?” Our next episode launches on December 13th and we are playing To The Moon!

You can now e-mail us your questions! Send questions about past episodes or questions about us to questions@leftbehindgame.club!

Players: Jacob McCourt (@JacobMcCourt), Michael Ruffolo (@ruffolom) and Moe Murtadi (@mmurtadi)

Website: LeftBehindGame.Club | Twitter: @LeftBehindClub

Show Notes (spoilers):

  • 1:12 What is Spec Ops: The Line?
  • 2:32 What is your past experience with Spec Ops: The Line?
  • 3:45 A warning about Spec Ops: The Line
  • 4:33 The game’s setup (Chapter 1-3)
  • 7:42 Jacob’s hypothesis about the game
  • 9:28 Moe jumps ahead to an important choice
  • 12:25 The game’s mechanics
  • 14:50 Favourite weapons
  • 18:10 We return to the first choice in the game (Rick Gould)
  • 19:45 Mike brings up Heart of Darkness & Apocalypse Now
  • 22:52 Mike brings it back to Spec Ops: The Line with “white phosphorus” (Chapter 8)
  • 27:27 We talk about how we played the game
  • 29:03 “There’s always a choice”
  • 30:15 Who is Konrad?
  • 31:30 Where’s the 9 volt battery?
  • 32:30 The game’s visuals
  • 35:18 Nolan North
  • 36:45 Jacob’s “tin hat” theory
  • 37:15 How would you market this game?
  • 41:05 The hanging men (Chapter 9)
  • 43:05 Is the game believable? Blame the sandstorms.
  • 44:25 The other hanging
  • 46:43 Tunnel vision
  • 48:17 The water truck choice
  • 49:42 The fourth wall
  • 50:40 Executions
  • 51:40 The game’s message
  • 53:25 The final sequence & hallucinations
  • 58:28 Konrad’s revelation and the final decision (“who is Konrad?”)
  • 1:02:50 The second set of endings
  • 1:04:36 Our final thoughts

016: Costume Quest

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Happy Halloween! We grab the coolest cardboard costumes we can find and jump skate first into Costume Quest. Jacob, Mike and special guest Andrew Perciballi pitch imaginary games to Tim Schafer, knocking on doors, dad taxes and General Mechanics. “I digress is the theme for today.” Our next episode launches on November 15th and we are playing Luigi’s Mansion!

A special thank you this episode to Lemuel Alquino; our raw audio was an inaudible mess and he was able to save the audio. You can check out his work at lalquino.com and on Twitter @LAlquinoProd.

You can now e-mail us your questions! Send questions about past episodes or questions about us to questions@leftbehindgame.club!

Players: Jacob McCourt (@JacobMcCourt) & Michael Ruffolo (@ruffolom)

Special Guest: Andrew Perciballi (@AndyofWindsor & Project Gateway Canada)

Additional Production: Lemuel Alquino (@LAlquinoProd)

Website: LeftBehindGame.Club | Twitter: @LeftBehindClub

Show Notes (spoilers):

  • 2:10 What is Costume Quest?
  • 3:50 Jacob and Andrew pitch Costume Quest to Mr. Schafer
  • 4:50 How do you play?
  • 7:20 How did we play the game?
  • 9:35 Knocking on doors?
  • 10:25 Sound direction
  • 12:40 Hypothesized time and place
  • 17:00 We start to dive deep into “general mechanics”
  • 19:00 The general progression
  • 22:00 Comparing the writing to Spielberg cartoon?
  • 25:50 Party make-ups
  • 29:50 Also, candy corn is garbage
  • 34:40 The fries costume
  • 38:00 “Let’s go to the mall”
  • 40:40 Video game malls, Bam Margera and jack**s
  • 43:15 Candy receptacles
  • 47:00 The maze
  • 50:10 The final bosses
  • 51:50 Andrew reveals his secret
  • 54:25 Andrew’s “teenagers” theory; it’s a Game Theory
  • 56:10 Dad Tax
  • 59:00 Jacob and Mike pile on Andrew’s 6 out of 10
  • 1:01:20 Our next game!

012: Thirty Flights of Loving

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Buckle up, sit back, and enjoy our take on 30 Flights of Loving. Special guest Rocco Tenaglia joins Moe, Jacob, and Michael to discuss the merits of nonalcoholic beverages, what makes a great credits sequence, and what a 20 minute game is worth. “This game was like a dream.” We start the first part of our Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker series on Wednesday, September 20th. Part 2 will release on Wednesday, September 27th.

Players: Jacob McCourt (@JacobMcCourt), Michael Ruffolo (@ruffolom) and Moe Murtadi (@mmurtadi)

Special Guest: Rocco Tenaglia

Website: LeftBehindGame.Club | Twitter: @LeftBehindClub

Show Notes (spoilers):

  • 1:35 What is Thirty Flights of Loving?
  • 5:20 Drinking all of the non-alcoholic alcohol
  • 16:35 How jump cuts make the game feel more cinematic
  • 18:45 Walking through dreams
  • 23:35 Oranges
  • 28:30 Gangster Gollum
  • 29:30 The loving part…
  • 29:55 …then the game gets weird
  • 30:20 The best credit sequences
  • 34:35 Is the story worth telling?
  • 37:55 What is the game worth?
  • 42:55 Frog fractions breakdown
  • 45:40 Final thoughts
  • 46:55 Moe is not disappointed
  • 48:15 Angry Alvin returns

011: Papers, Please

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We approach the border of Arstotzka to talk about Papers, Please. Moe, Jacob and Michael talk about the importance of proper documentation, Jorji Costava and why accountants shouldn’t be the head of the household in Arstotzka. “What did you do with your Tamagochi back in the day?” We called an audible with our content schedule and have pushed the first part of our Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker series to Wednesday, September 20th. Part 2 will release on Wednesday, September 27th.

Players: Jacob McCourt (@JacobMcCourt), Michael Ruffolo (@ruffolom) and Moe Murtadi (@mmurtadi)

Website: LeftBehindGame.Club | Twitter: @LeftBehindClub

Show Notes (spoilers):

  • 2:00 – Our past experience with the game
  • 4:20 – Structure of the game
  • 10:50 – Jorji Costava (#jorjithehero)
  • 15:30 – The subplots
  • 16:05 – The husband and wife
  • 16:55 – The psychology of Papers, Please
  • 18:35 – The “flow”
  • 20:15 – EZIC
  • 24:50 – What would you do with a thousand dollars?
  • 27:20 – Getting paid
  • 31:30 – The bomb
  • 36:25 – The psychology of Papers, Please (part 2)
  • 40:40 – Final thoughts
  • 45:50 – Question from the community
  • 49:00 – Our next game
  • 51:50 – Angry Alvin comes out