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084: Oxenfree

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We experience John Hughes’ version of Goosebumps in Oxenfree.

Developer: Night School Studios | Publisher: Night School Studios | Initial Release: January 15, 2016

Jacob, Mike, Moe and special guest Kam Konek from the New Entertainment System Podcast try and remember what it’s like to be a rebellious teen, explore a cool/freaky deserted island and talk a lot about fate.

Technical note: Mike knocked the cable out of his microphone partway through recording, so we are using a back-up for his track. The audio quality is a little bit lower than usual.

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

Special Guest: Kam Konek (@TheKamdyman)

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

The NES Pod: Website | Apple Podcasts | Spotify

SHOW NOTES:

  • 2:00 Kam tells us about the New Entertainment System Podcast
  • 3:15 Fast Pitch: Oxenfree Edition
  • 4:55 What did you know about Oxenfree before we started recording?
  • 6:55 What platforms did we play Oxenfree on?
  • 7:35 What is the gameplay of Oxenfree?
  • 9:40 Mike compares the game to Night in the Woods, Jacob compares the game to coming-of-age movies like Perks of Being a Wallflower and the Spectacular Now and Moe talks about Unity
  • 11:55 The game’s characters
  • 16:05 An explanation of the game’s multiple endings and “Clarissa [expletive] sucks”
  • 18:10 The start of Oxenfree and Mike explains the dialogue/speech bubble system
  • 22:25 The game’s big spooky twist [major spoilers start here]
  • 25:45 Comparing Oxenfree to a VHS player
  • 28:15 The game’s music and scenery were tranquil, but the lack of fast travel made Moe rage
  • 30:45 The map is frustratingly hard to use
  • 32:05 Bugs
  • 34:45 What the heck is actually going on?
  • 37:30 “What did you all think of the dialogue and writing?”
  • 42:55 The game starts funnelling you towards the end of the game
  • 50:00 We compares Oxenfree to Stranger Things and Interstellar
  • 54:05 The final choice and time loops?
  • 1:04:15 “Is leave possible”, New Game+ and the Oxenfree ARG (the ARG documentary that Jacob mentioned)
  • 1:08:00 Other players entering your experience?
  • 1:10:10 Mike brings up Nietzsche and Amor Fati… Moe brings up Frozen
  • 1:17:00 We cap off the episode with some sound talk and our final thoughts
  • 1:24:30 A solo version of the Left Behind Game Show and a blooper

Thank you to @jacobdekk, @storyeverpod and @LudonarrativeFM for the questions!

NEXT SHOWS:

  • A Short Hike w/ Jacob, Moe, Mike: April 15th
  • The Last of Us w/ Jacob, Moe, Mike and Matt Storm (aka Stormageddon): April 29th

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.

080: Batman: The Telltale Series (Episode 4 – Guardian of Gotham)

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We stan Troy Baker in Batman: The Telltale Series (Episode 4).

Developer: Telltale Games | Publisher: Telltale Games | Initial Release Date: November 22, 2016

Jacob, Mike and Moe rage at civilians, meet a new friend and finally get a W in these trying times.

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

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

SHOW NOTES:

  • 2:15 Recap of Episode 3’s Cliffhanger Ending
  • Episode 4 Thoughts:
    • 2:40 Chapter 1 – Price of Admission
    • 6:00 Chapter 2 – A Serious House
    • Chapter 3 – Home Sweet Home
      • 15:25 The Checkpoint
      • 23:15 The Vale Home
    • 34:55 Chapter 4 – Back to Business
    • 38:50 Chapter 5 – Another Night in the Office
    • Chapter 6 – The Good, The Bat and The Ugly
      • 49:55 Wayne Enterprises Route
      • 54:10 Wayne Manor Route

NEXT SHOWS:

  • Batman: The Telltale Series Episode 5: February 26th
  • Gato Roboto: March 4th
  • Broken Age: 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.

033: Our Top 3 of E3 2018 Special!

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This week, we bring you a very special bonus E3 2018 episode of the Left Behind Game Club.

Jacob, Mike and Moe each picked their top 3 most anticipated games of the show and talked about them! #detailsaresparse

We return to regular programming later this month. Here is our updated June release schedule:

  • June 20th: Star Wars: Republic Commando (moved from June 13 to avoid E3 week)
  • June 27th: Vanquish
  • June 29th: The 1-Year Anniversary of the Podcast!

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

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

Show Notes (spoilers):

  • Moe’s Top 3:
    • 2:25 Super Smash Brothers for Switch (we chat about single player, The Smash Brothers and our fond Smash memories)
    • 5:55 Pokemon: Let’s Go Pikachu and Pokemon: Let’s Go Eevee (don’t throw your Joy-Cons, describing the game’s format and Switch success)
    • 9:35 Spider-Man (we talk through Insomniac Games’ pedigree)
  • Jacob’s Top 3
    • 12:05 Ghost of Tsushima (we reminisce about Sly Cooper and Infamous)
    • 14:40 The Last of Us Part II (#detailsaresparse, Uncharted 4 and why Jacob is excited)
    • 17:15 Rage 2 (John Carmack and his Ferrari woes, Avalanche Studios, De Blob and #BE3)
  • Mike’s Top 3
    • 20:45 Anthem (a new EA and the size/scale of this game)
    • 25:10 Fallout 76 (the Bethesda hooks, Fallout Shelter and adding Bethesda RPGs to our “must-play” list)
    • 30:10 Beyond Good and Evil 2 (Michel Ancel’s Instagram, the original 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

020: Virginia

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We “press to X to take a trip” in Virginia.

Developer: Variable State | Publisher: 505 Games | Release Date: September 22, 2016

Jacob, Mike and special guest Jarrett McCourt talk about the grandest little town in Virginia, skip the stairs with jump cuts and look into mirrors at ourselves very deeply. “You need to have some life experiences, Jacob.” Our first episode of 2018 launches on January 10th and we are playing Guacamelee!

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) and Michael Ruffolo (@ruffolom)

Special Guest: Jarrett McCourt (Instagram @jarrettmccourt & @jmccourtphotography)

Website: LeftBehindGame.Club | Twitter: @LeftBehindClub

Show Notes (spoilers):

  • 1:29 Special Guest Jarrett McCourt introduces himself
  • 4:23 We introduce Virginia
  • 6:00 A little bit about Variable State
  • 6:35 Mike, Jacob and our music expert, Jarrett start on the soundtrack
  • 11:57 “I see this game as more of a piece of art”
  • 12:48 This game as a movie
  • 13:55 Past experience with the game
  • 15:30 The story begins
  • 16:43 “Did you find that the jump cuts were jarring?”
  • 17:56 The look of the game
  • 20:25 Cord McCarren and the X-Files
  • 22:38 Meeting Maria Halperin
  • 24:30 Spoilers start here
  • 24:46 Flipping on your partners
  • 26:10 Jacob comments about the back third of the game
  • 27:38 Jacob gets an education about stamps and “stamps”
  • 29:01 Getting to Kingdom, VA
  • 30:58 The cardinal and the game’s symbolism
  • 34:00 Bull vs. Bison vs. Buffalo
  • 36:50 Is this whole game a trip?
  • 38:23 Jarrett brings up Warhol and the tuba
  • 40:07 What is Virginia’s intention?
  • 43:21 The gas station scene
  • 46:16 The cult thing
  • 48:14 Sojourner’s Truth
  • 49:00 Jacob compares the music to the Super Mario 64 Water Theme (with proof)
  • 50:22 Waking up in Maria’s house
  • 52:03 The game unfurls
  • 53:39 Jacob’s best video game sequence of the 2010s…
  • 56:27 …then you take the drugs
  • 57:40 A hospital bedside, a shoe box and a key
  • 1:01:22 Aliens.
  • 1:02:10 The pastor
  • 1:05:08 Closing thoughts about the game

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

010: Mike’s Game Club Most Wanted List

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Next week, we share our thoughts about Papers, Please. This week, it’s finally time for Mike’s list of the Top 10 games we should play on the Left Behind Game Club! He had a really hard time narrowing the list down to 10, but here it is. “What is Firewatch?”

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

Website: LeftBehindGame.Club | Twitter: @LeftBehindClub

The Complete List of Mike’s Games (spoilers):

  • Firewatch
  • Papers, Please (we play this game next week)
  • Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
  • Star Wars: Republic Commando
  • Bully
  • Zeno Clash
  • Guacamelee!
  • Resident Evil 4
  • The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask
  • Dead Space

009: Super Mario Galaxy

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We “stay woke” and play Super Mario Galaxy. Moe, Jacob and Michael talk about star bits, the complicated Bowser-Peach relationship and debate who is the greatest Mario brother. “Is this game not for us?” Come back on Wednesday, September 13th for Episode 007 – we are playing through the first half of the Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker.

Please note: the first half of this podcast was recorded live with a different setup, so the audio quality is not up to our normal standard. The second half sounds better.

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

Website: LeftBehindGame.Club | Twitter: @LeftBehindClub

Show Notes:

  • 2:10 Why did we choose Super Mario Galaxy?
  • 3:35 Past experience with Super Mario Galaxy
  • 4:30 The story
  • 6:10 Start of the game
  • 18:30 Mario vs. Luigi
  • 21:05 A big revelation about Princess Peach
  • 22:25 What is “stay woke”?
  • 27:00 Galaxies you didn’t like
  • 31:50 The music
  • 34:25 The bosses
  • 36:55 Jacob’s snarky Super Mario Galaxy notes
  • 40:00 End of Part 1
  • 40:10 Start of Part 2
  • 41:05 Mario vs. Luigi Part 2
  • 43:15 Our final notes
  • 47:30 We fly high
  • 56:40 Wrap-up

008: Moe’s Game Club Most Wanted List

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Next week, we jump into our two-part Super Mario Galaxy series. This week, it’s Moe’s turn to give you his list of the ten games we should play on the Left Behind Game Club. “It’s-a-me, mystery!”

Please note: we recorded this podcast live with a different setup, so the audio quality is not up to our normal standard.

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

Website: LeftBehindGame.Club | Twitter: @LeftBehindClub

The Complete List of Moe’s Games (spoilers):

  • Ratchet and Clank: Going Commando
  • Portal
  • God of War 2
  • Luigi’s Mansion
  • Timeshift
  • Okami
  • Grow Home
  • Hitman
  • Pokemon Snap
  • Uncharted 2

007: Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons

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We create the marketing strategy for our new goat businesses while talking about Starbreeze’s Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons. Shane Chiasson joins Moe, Jacob and Michael for (mostly) happy brotherly tales. Just don’t play the game on mobile. “At the Left Behind Goat Club, we’ll jump for joy with goats.” Come back on Wednesday, August 23rd for Episode 006 – we are playing through the first half of Super Mario Galaxy.

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

Special Guests: Shane Chiasson (@chiassoo)

Website: LeftBehindGame.Club | Twitter: @LeftBehindClub

Show Notes (minor spoilers):

  • 2:50 What is Brothers about?
  • 4:40 What is our experience with Brothers?
  • 9:30 Intro of the Game
  • 13:05 Opening Section
  • 20:05 “The Giant”
  • 23:00 “The Underground”
  • 29:05 “The Sky Section”
  • 33:00 “The Hanging Man”
  • 39:45 “The Hang Glider”
  • 41:50 “The Sky Castle”
  • 46:10 “The Battlefield”
  • 48:35 “The Blood Ritual”
  • 51:30 “The Snowy Area”
  • 54:20 “The Hole”
  • 1:00:10 “The End Sequence”
  • 1:06:35 “Final Thoughts”

005: Braid

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We try to re-create the Xbox Live Summer of Arcade by playing through Number None’s Braid. In this episode, we rewind and go forward, rewind and go forward but then Moe has to separate the kids. “I never thought I would talk about Soulja Boy on this podcast but Crank Dat, I guess?” Come back on Wednesday, August 9th for Episode 005 – we are playing through Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons.

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

Website: LeftBehindGame.Club | Twitter: @LeftBehindClub

Show Notes (minor spoilers):

  • 1:45 Why is Braid important?
  • 2:35 Who is Jonathan Blow?
  • 4:00 Our past experiences with the game
  • 8:50 “Summer of Arcade was dope”
  • 13:10 Opening/World 2
  • 23:48 World 3
  • 25:55 Jacob “opens the floodgates”
  • 37:15 World 4
  • 44:15 World 5/6
  • 47:25 World 1/The End
  • 1:08:15 Should Braid be Left Behind?
  • 1:21:00 Our Next Game

003: Gone Home

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The team travels back to 1995 to play through The Fullbright Company’s Gone Home. In this episode, we talk about walking, Christmas ducks, ghosts and teen angst. “It’s a ghostttttttttt!” Come back on Wednesday, July 26th for Episode 004 – we are playing through Braid.

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

Website: LeftBehindGame.Club | Twitter: @LeftBehindClub

Show Notes:

  • 1:30 Our experience with the game
  • 2:50 What is Idle Thumbs (https://www.idlethumbs.net/)?
  • 4:30 Where should you start with Idle Thumbs?
  • 6:50 How did you play Gone Home?
  • 8:18 The start of the game
  • 12:46 A great moment: the note that gets taken away
  • 13:52 The game’s characters
  • 16:05 How Moe felt coming into the house (aka murderous thoughts)
  • 19:02 Mike’s thoughts about walking into the house
  • 20:40 How Jacob felt about the 101 Dalmatians-esque house
  • 22:47 Reading notes
  • 25:10 The Christmas Duck
  • 26:45 Our “Goosebumps” moments
  • 30:04 Sam and Lonnie 4eva
  • 32:05 The Red Hair Dye moment
  • 33:05 Is the game nudging you in a certain order?
  • 36:10 Mike compares the game to the original Max Payne
  • 38:00 The basement
  • 38:37 The game’s climax
  • 40:30 The kitchen, the garage and the notes
  • 42:00 Moe’s opinions on “is this a game”
  • 44:30 A rough patch in Janice’s marriage #wildfire
  • 45:58 Moe compares Gone Home to Disneyland
  • 47:45 Everybody has smut
  • 49:30 The family portrait
  • 52:56 Stories in the Pacific Northwest & the 90s
  • 55:45 Sexuality, the army and religion
  • 58:30 More shows that evoke the Pacific Northwest
  • 59:30 Our final thoughts about the game

002: Shadow of the Colossus Pt. 2

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We continue on our discussion around Shadow of the Colossus by talking through the second half of the game. Listen to Episode 001 before you dive into this episode! “No horse left behind!” In our upcoming Episode 003, we play through Gone Home.

Left Behind Game Club is a bi-weekly podcast where friends gather to re-create the feeling of getting a game on day-one and talking it about with friends. It’s our neverending quest to make sure that no game left behind.

You can also listen to the show on Apple Podcasts, Google Play and Stitcher.

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

Show Notes:

  • 1:29 The discussion starts with a “WooooooW”
  • 3:35 Jacob talks “forgettable” Colossi and Mike talks PS2 issues
  • 5:30 The thirteenth Colossi, Phalanx
  • 7:20 That flippin’ turtle – the ninth Colossi: Basaran
  • 9:44 Those loose controls
  • 10:36 The tenth Colossi, Dirge
  • 13:58 The eleventh Colossi, Celosia
  • 16:55 The other small Colossi; the fourteenth Colossi, Cenobia
  • 18:30 Mike brings up the cut content from the game
  • 20:15 Jacob brings up Gone Home and the Arkham games
  • 22:28 The fifteenth Colossi, Argus
  • 23:50 The final Colossi, Malus
  • 28:05 Comparing the 13th and 14th Colossi & final two Colossi
  • 29:10 Jacob’s struggle with the final Colossi
  • 31:37 The save system
  • 32:14 The end of the game
  • 35:15 The horsey #nohorseleftbehind
  • 37:05 Is this a prequel to ICO?
  • 40:23 Did the twist at the end hit us?
  • 41:30 The main question: “would you recommend this game?”
  • 48:00 We wrap it up and talk about our next game: Gone Home

Website: LeftBehindGame.Club | Twitter: @LeftBehindClub

You can e-mail us your questions! Send questions to questions@leftbehindgame.club!

001: Shadow of the Colossus Pt. 1

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Shadow of the Colossus is the first game in the Left Behind Game Club and Jacob, Mike and Moe dive into the first half of the game. “It feels like we are killing babies.”  Episode 002 covers the second half of the game.

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

Website: LeftBehindGame.Club | Twitter: @LeftBehindClub

Show Notes:

0:17 Host Introductions
0:55 Why the Left Behind Game Club?
3:40 Intro to Shadow of the Colossus & why did we start with this game?
7:22 Does the game feel dated?
8:45 How does the game start?
12:26 How about the controls?
13:19 Using strategy guides and wikis to solve puzzles
15:05 The in-game camera & horse controls
17:39 Does the game just look washed out?
19:40 Favourite moment in the first half?
24:40 The fourth Colossi: Phaedra
26:30 Some hot tips from Moe
27:14 The sixth Colossi: Barba
31:03 Traversing the world
32:25 The eighth Colossi: Kuromori
34:48 Moe’s dirty little secret
36:00 “This game gives me the creeps” & “feels like I’m killing babies”
41:08 A dark spaghetti spirit attacks!
43:10 Our own personal storytelling within the game
44:25 Unanswered questions
46:55 Horse legs #realistichorses
49:30 Final thoughts