Beyond

A Bloodborne animated feature film is in the works from Sony Pictures and Jacksepticeye, which is a better Bloodborne-related announcement than… no Bloodborne announcement. In any case, we’re stoked no matter what, but we have a lot of questions: what will this movie look like, or sound like? How will it tackle FromSoftware’s infamously dense lore and approach to storytelling in a linear narrative? In other news, Mouse: P.I. For Hire and Pragmata are both out this week, offering extremely different ways to shoot stuff. Mouse is at its best when it leans into throwback slapstick boomer-shooter gameplay, but underwhelms when it veers into detective adventure territory. Meanwhile, Pragmata seems like another banger for Capcom, with great visuals and presentation, but most importantly, really gratifying gameplay that feels good, from combat to basic movement.  00:00 - Intro 00:31 - Jada is BACK! 01:04 - Scan yourself into a PlayStation game...sort of 04:31 - Bloodborne’s Getting a Movie, We Have Some Questions 27:01 - Our Thoughts on Mouse: P.I. For Hire 37:59 - Our Thoughts on Pragmata 55:27 - Poll Results and IGN Live This weeks show is hosted by Max Scoville, Jada Griffin, and Brian Altano. It was produced by Nick Maillet Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week Max and Brian are joined by the legendary Goichi Suda, AKA SUDA51, and James Mountain from Grasshopper Manufacture, who’ll be translating! SUDA 51 is the director, designer, writer, and producer behind a ton of memeorable and often times weird (but in the best way possible) games such as No More Heroes, Killer is Dead, and recently Romeo is a Dead Man. We ask him all about the creative process of Romeo is a Dead Man, the direction he would take Grand Theft Auto in, his favorite games across all generations and much more. This is a fun one. Beyond! This weeks show is hosted by Max Scoville and Brian Altano, and is produced by Nick Maillet Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Once again, Sony has raised the price of PlayStation hardware, with a PS5 base model selling for $150 more than its 2020 launch price. The PS5 Pro, which had a hefty pricetag to begin with, is now 899.99. Usually, at this point in a console’s life-cycle, hardware is at least half the price it was at launch, but the PS5 has increased by almost a third. So, what does this mean for PlayStation 6? It’s supposedly still a ways off, and really, we can’t argue with that, but it makes us wonder if these current gen prices will come down, or if they’re just paving the way for a $1000+ next-gen console. In other absurd financial news, Sony and Honda’s PlayStation-enabled Afeela electric car has been officially scrapped ahead of its planned release later this year, and Capcom publicly audits the Resident Evil 4 Merchant’s business dealings, which don’t really seem like they’re panning out. Beyond! 00:00 - Intro 00:23 - Sony has raised the price of PlayStation hardware 16:44 - Sony & Honda Just Ain't Afeelin' It Anymore 40:14 - The RE4 Merchant Needs A Financial Audit 46:05 - Brian Went to Japan 53:31 - Final Thoughts This weeks show is hosted by Max Scoville and Brian Altano, and is produced by Nick Maillet Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

NOTE: due to some technical issues, this week’s episode is audio only. After almost 20 years, Sony is reportedly retiring The PlayStation Network’s name and logo. What they’ll call it now is anyone’s guess, but it’s as good an excuse as any to take a look back at the 2011 debacle that led to Sony getting hacked, millions of users having their data compromised, and the PSN being taken offline for almost a month. In other news, Valve made a weird change to Counter Strike 2 that not everyone’s wild about, which has us thinking about how much games are a moving target, from Crimson Desert’s rapid post-launch updates to Fornite’s gradual transformation since its early access days, before it was even a battle royale. Some games we’ve been playing include Kingdom Come: Deliverance’s shiny new PS5 upgrade, Romeo is a Dead Man, Yakuza Kiwami 3 and Dark Ties, and High on Life 2.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nintendo merged its handhelds and consoles into one device with the Switch, Microsoft loosened the definition of an Xbox to include mobile devices, smart TVs and PCs, and Valve is about to bring PC gaming into the console space with the Steam Machine. Meanwhile, Microsoft’s Project Helix is bridging the gap the other direction, bringing the next-gen Xbox into PC territory instead. In the middle of all this, Sony seems like the only console manufacturer that’s just focused on making consoles the old fashioned way. Will this continue with the PlayStation 6? We’ll have to wait and see. In other news, Sony showed off some upgraded PSSR tech for the PS5 Pro, which subtly improves the graphics of certain games. We’ll happily take that over NVIDIA’s DLSS 5 AI-powered video game makeover technology, which attempts to make games more realistic, but seems to pave over their original appearance. Leon and Grace were already very pretty, this was not necessary. Maybe AI can be used to make that big spider in Resident Evil Requiem less scary? We weigh in on the arachnophobia factor of one of the game’s creepiest crawliest boss fights. It also turns out that theres a Yakuza Live-Action Miniseries Debuting on IGN! Cool. Finally: Leprechauns, mythical nuisance, or just a legendary pest? We have thoughts. Beyond! 00:00 - Intro 00:43 - A Very Important Discussion 04:50 - AI Upscaling in Games Needs to Scale it Back 10:25 - Nvidia DLSS 5 Doesn't Look That Great... 25:29 - Is PlayStation The Only “Normal” Console Left? 40:16 - Resident Evil Requiem has a Scary Spider 51:09 - Yakuza Live-Action Miniseries Debuts on IGN Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week there’s plenty to talk about in the world of PlayStation: our first look at live-action Kratos and Atreus in Prime Video’s God of War series, as well as rumors of Sony Santa Monica developing a spin-off that follows their late wife/mother Faye. Meanwhile, the most obvious thing in the world seemed like a Bloodborne remake from the now-defunct Bluepoint Studios, and the reason we didn’t get one is frustrating - as is the news that no version of Bloodborne will likely ever come to PC, following Sony’s move back toward console exclusivity for all first-party single player games. Multiplayer’s fine, though, and Nick has some thoughts about his time with Marathon ahead of its cross-platform launch - but most importantly, the biggest question: how much does it cost to steal Leon S. Kennedy’s look, and how much are they paying him to be able to afford it all? We have some questions. Beyond! 00:00 - Intro 01:03 - Here’s How Much it Costs To Be Leon Kennedy 16:10 - Prime Video’s God of War Series Makes an Interesting First Impression 25:40 - New God of War Game Rumors 30:03 - A Bloodborne Remake Was Pitched... What Happened? 36:09 - Sony Has Reportedly Returned to Console Exclusivity 50:28 - Nicks Thoughts on Marathon 59:43 - Last Weeks Poll Results 01:13 - IGN Finds This weeks episode was hosted by Max Scoville, Brian Altano, and Nick Maillet. It was produced by Nick Maillet. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Resident Evil Requiem is almost here, and we’ve finished it. Well, one of us has - and as someone who’s been with the series since day one, Brian Altano has some strong feelings on the matter he’s eager to share. How does it compare to previous attempts to mix horror and action? Does it feel like a sequel to Village, Resident Evil 4, or something else entirely? How does it balance being a legacy sequel while also the start of something new? We discuss all this while steering clear of spoilers, as well as our thoughts on Reanimal, and the release date for Wolverine, which we’re so excited for we can’t read numbers anymore. Beyond! 00:00 - Intro 00:25 - Resident Evil Requiem Is One Hell of a Resident Evil 13:15 - Is Grace another Ethan? 20:53 - Which RE game should you play before RE9? 28:46 - Leon Drives A Porsche 32:02 - This Weeks Poll 34:10 - Our Thoughts on Reanimal 42:43 - Wolverine Has A Release Date 44:45 - An IMPORTANT Update On Alfred Chicken 46:51 - Last Weeks Poll Results This weeks show is hosted by Max Scoville and Brian Altano. It was produced by Nick Maillet. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Well, this sucks: Sony has closed Bluepoint, the semi-recently acquired studio behind some of the best remakes of PlayStation games to date, like Demon’s Souls and Shadow of the Colossus, plus a slew of remasters and ports like the Metal Gear Solid HD Collection, Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection, as well as bringing Gravity Rush from Vita to PS4. The last project we heard the studio was working on was a God of War live-service project, which seemed like the wrong fit, and even more so after the announcement that a remake of God of War’s original Greek trilogy is, in fact, in development. That remake is still a mystery, aside from a logo reveal and some tidbits of information from Kratos’ voice actor Christopher Judge (who is not in the remake.) Despite a complete lack of information, plenty of debate has sprung up around whether or not this eventual God of War Remake should include the sex minigames. A straight remake would be remiss to not include them, and a reboot would be likely need to retool them a bit. We’ll have to wait and see. Anyway, we also talk about Alfred Chicken, because it’s Friday and we’re a little loopy. Beyond! 00:00 - Intro 00:25 - If Remakes Are The Safest Bet, Why Close The Studio That Does Great Remakes? 31:14 - God of War 50:22 - Poll Results 52:22 - They Should Make an Alfred Chicken Reboot 52:53 - The Alfred Chicken Hotline 54:25 - More Poll Results 55:55 - Bubsy 3D This weeks show was hosted by Max Scoville and Brian Altano. It was Produced by Nick Maillet. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Sony’s first State of Play presentation of 2026, we got more than 30 trailers, gameplay reveals and announcements, plus plenty of release dates and even a surprise shadow drop of the 2D retro-styled God of War Sons of Sparta. This is a nice treat to hold us over until Kratos gets a fresh coat of warpaint in the remake of the original trilogy of games set in ancient greece. We also got a few surprises like Kena 2: Scars of Kosmora, Saber’s John Wick, and Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse. Really, Konami is in top form lately, with Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol. 2 coming later this year, and yes, that means Metal Gear Solid 4 is FINALLY off of the PlayStation 3 and landing on to the PS5, Silent Hill Townfall looking seriously creepy, and Darwin’s Paradox sneaking in some MGS references. Meanwhile, Project Windless is an epic open-world action RPG based on a Korean fantasy series, and we can’t wait to be a big chicken. Beyond! This weeks show is hosted by Max Scoville, Nick Limon, Brian Altano, and is produced by Nick Maillet Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After months of rumors, Horizon Hunters Gathering has finally been revealed: a cooperative multiplayer game set in the same universe as Aloy’s adventures, but not to be confused with the free-to-play Horizon Steel Frontiers. Hunters Gathering has a bold, cartoony art style that breaks away from the usual realism of the non-LEGO games, but we can’t help but feel like between these games, plus Zero Dawn, Forbidden West, and Call of the Mountain, Sony’s really putting a lot of focus on this particular series, despite having a deep bench of long-dormant properties. In other news, there’s a State of Play happening tomorrow at 2PM Pacific, and we’ll have a lot more to discuss after that, but in the meantime, Yakuza Kiwami 3 and Dark Ties seemed like it should’ve been a home run, but it has the Like a Dragon fanbase very angry for a long list of reasons. Beyond! 00:00 - Intro 00:41 - The Next Sony State of Play 02:58 - WHO is headed to Marvels Wolverine? 04:38 - Horizon Hunters Gathering Gives a Realistic Open-World Game a Cartoony Multiplayer Spin 11:23 - Is Aloy the new Sony Mascot? 26:21 - New Poll! 27:14 - Planet Pokemon 28:13 - Ep 932 Poll Results 34:19 - We dont need a PS6 yet 36:05 - Whats going on with Yakuza Kiwami 3 and Dark Ties? 49:24 - Beyond Update! This weeks show is hosted by Max Scoville, Brian Altano, and is produced by Nick Maillet Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The PlayStation 5 will have been out for six years this fall, which is usually when console manufacturers start looking ahead to next-gen hardware. But that might not be the case for Sony anytime soon, as one industry analyst claims a variety of factors will see the PlayStation 6’s launch pushed to 2029 or later. We have mixed feelings about this, but ultimately, we don’t really feel like the PS5 has hit its stride quite yet, and while it’s a great machine, there are plenty of players still able to play some of the most popular games on PS4. So, maybe the solution on the hardware front isn’t a new generation of powerful hardware, but some different iterations of current gen that take into account how people are playing. After all, 7% of PS5 owners in the US also picked up a PlayStation Portal, which suggests they’d be willing to sacrifice fidelity and screen real estate for a more intimate gaming experience. In other news, a new set of PlayStation accessories for Figma action figures includes a 1:12 scale replica of Bloodborne, and yet more evidence emerges that Assassin’s Creed Black Flag is getting a remake any day now, and it’s such an open secret, even Ubisoft is making jokes about it. Beyond! 00:00 - Intro 00:41 - Bloodborne for Ants 08:06 - Another Possible Assassin's Creed Black Flag Leak 23:17 - A PS6 Logo? 25:24 - We Don’t Need PlayStation 6 Yet 51:32 - Episode 931 Poll Results and a New Poll 55:42 - Thank you Iceland Go to https://surfshark.com/beyonddeal or use code BEYONDDEAL at checkout to get 4 extra months of Surfshark VPN. This weeks show is hosted by Max Scoville and Brian Altano, and is produced by Nick Maillet Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last week, Xbox held a Developer Direct showing off four-awesome looking games that are also coming to PlayStation: Forza Horizon 6, Fable, Kiln and Beast of Reincarnation. Considering Forza Horizon 5 was one of the best-selling PS5 games of 2025, it's safe to assume that we aren’t the only ones excited about the next open-world arcade racer, and we’re just as excited that this new cross-platform approach means we can talk about it on this show! In other news, Highguard’s weird reveal at The Game Awards and somehow even weirder launch have us reflecting on just how much the live-service game landscape has changed, and how games that launch to a mediocre or negative reception often turn themselves around, which makes them something of a moving target for criticism. Beyond! 00:00 - Intro 02:19 - PlayStation's Top Selling Games of 2025 13:40 - Forza Horizon 6 Is Our Most Anticipated Xbox Game of 2026 Coming to PS5 28:57 - Every Other Xbox Game Headed to PlayStation This Year 38:35 - Is Highguard Another Concord or The Next Apex Legends? 56:34 - Cory In The House This weeks show is hosted by Max Scoville and Brian Altano, and is produced by Nick Maillet Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our Resident Evil Requiem hype has reached critical mass, and while it remains to be seen if this ninth mainline entry can deliver on its ambitious promise, Capcom’s been making these games for three decades. This episode, we take a look back at the many variations on the survival-horror formula that’ve been attempted over the years, from the PS1 era’s tank-controlled classics, to the ill-fated action-centric efforts to one-up Resident Evil 4, to the various offshoots like Code Veronica, Outbreak and Revelations. Meanwhile, we got a look at Lara Croft’s manga-style redesign that she nearly got for the first game’s Japanese release, and our first glimpse of Sophie Turner in costume for the upcoming Prime Video series. The latest live-action Tomb Raider is hot on the heels of Fallout season 2, and Amazon’s still hammering away at the God of War series, with Ryan Hurst cast as Kratos, but these are just a couple entries on the very, very long list of video game movies and TV shows that are (or were) in some state of development. The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, Mortal Kombat 2, Street Fighter and Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil movie all seem like they’ll see the light of day, but some of these other ones have us a little skeptical. 00:00 - Intro 00:38 - A Manga Tomb Raider? 04:29 - 30 Years of Resident Evil 01:03:36 - There Are 80+ Video Game Movies & Shows In The Works… This weeks show is hosted by Max Scoville and Brian Altano and was produced by Nick Maillet #PlayStation #ResidentEvil #GodOfWarTVShow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hey, remember when consumer electronics giant Sony used to bring consumer electronics electronics to the annual Consumer Electronics Show? Well, this year, Sony’s showing was basically just Sony Honda Mobility’s upcoming EV, the Afeela. Which is technically an electronic thing you can consume, and also something you can use to play video games, as long as you’ve got a PS5 plugged in at home… but it’s a bit of a let down compared to previous years. On the bright (literally) side, some cool new PS5 plates and controllers are coming in very loud colors, including one particular shade usually reserved for Xbox gear. There are rumors that CD Projekt Red has plans for a third expansion to The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt sometime in the near future to help pave the way for The Witcher IV, which makes sense when you consider how many copies the last game has sold since 2015. We mutter softly to ourselves about some other games that could learn a thing or two from this hypothetical approach, like Bethesda’s big winners, Skyrim and Fallout 4, plus Persona 5 and maybe Star Wars Battlefront 2. Old games deserve love too, could this hold us over when the new ones take so long to make? In the meantime, we always have exciting crossovers between our favorite video games and popular consumer brands, like Ghost of Yotei and Sapporo beer, or Borderlands 4-branded Voodoo Ranger IPAs. The Last of Us mushroom coffee might be a little too on the nose, and Death Stranding 2 hot sauce might not be for the faint of heart, but it’s still a nice diversion from boring food and drink products that don’t have pictures of video games on them. Beyond! 00:00 - Intro 02:36 - Sony's New Car 09:35 - PlayStation...but Green? 22:29 - A New Witcher 3 Expansion? 30:08 - What Other Games Need An Update? 42:34 - Gaming Food Collabs and Product Placements This weeks show is hosted by Max Scoville and Brian Altano and was produced by Nick Maillet #PlayStation #Witcher3DLC #Witcher4 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The year is 2026 AD and cybergaming super-corporation Sony has created new technology that would allow video games to play themselves. Well, sort of. We dig into PlayStation’s latest tech patent that would provide AI-driven assistance to players, both in the form of “ghost” characters that demonstrate the right way to beat part of a game, or a feature that would allow the game to play itself, something it would be real good at after absorbing countless hours of YouTube gameplay and harvesting player data from PSN. Bear in mind, this is just a patent: it could be a major selling point of the PlayStation 6, or it could just get scrapped before we ever hear anything official. In other news, the 2019 Limited Run physical edition of the 2016 PS4 port of the lesser-known 2002 PlayStation 2 sequel to the N64’s beloved Star Wars Episode 1 Racer, Racer Revenge has suddenly skyrocketed in price after ne’er-do-wells discover it contains an exploit that can be used to jailbreak a PS5 and play pirated or otherwise ill-gotten games. We talk a bit about Anthems final days, did you play it? If not and you want to then you better get to jetpackin. Meanwhile, we unpack what Fortnite and Elden Ring have in common, and talk about the seminal John Travolta Nicholas Cage film, Face/Off. 00:00 - Intro 01:28 - Now THIS is Jailbreaking! 10:30 - Sony Patents New AI Tech That’ll Play Your Video Games For You! 23:23 - RIP Anthem 36:06 - Fortnite, Elden Ring, and other Wacky Games This weeks show is hosted by Max Scoville and Brian Altano and was produced by Nick Maillet Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we’re taking a look back at PlayStation’s 2025, from game releases to hardware announcements, corporate reorgs to global politics. The PS5 has had a wonderful year, breaking the 80 million sales mark, but it also saw price hikes at a time in the console life cycle when hardware usually gets cheaper. With this in mind, we’re in no hurry for a PlayStation 6, but Sony is definitely working on something behind the scenes. Beyond! 00:00 - Intro 02:38 - PlayStation’s 2025 Year in Review 05:49 - Do you Miss Your PS4? 27:49 - Brian is a BIG TIME MLB The Show fan 33:58 - PlayStation’s 2025 Year in Review Continued 34:29 - New PlayStation Hardware 38:40 - Did PlayStation Do a Good Job In 2025? 42:23 - PlayStation needs to get weird again 44:01 - Should PlayStation Make a New Handheld? This weeks show is Hosted by Max Scoville, Brian Altano, Jada Griffin, Nick Maillet, and is produced by Nick Maillet. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

2026 is shaping up to be a big year for games! Let’s take a look at just a few of the many upcoming releases slated to hit PlayStation 5 in the new year! From heavy hitters like Grand Theft Auto 6, Marvel’s Wolverine, 007 First Light and LEGO Batman Legacy of the Dark Knight to some weirder smaller titles like Romeo is a Dead Man, Mouse: P.I. For Hire and Screamer to the numerous massive RPGs expected to drop like Crimson Desert, Phantom Blade Zero, Mortal Shell 2 and Lords of the Fallen 2. We’re going to be very very busy! But one game we wish we could be more excited for is the recently (perhaps prematurely) revealed Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic, which got a shiny new trailer, but seems like it’s a long way off, assuming it’s not another Star Wars project that gets cancelled while still in development. 00:00 - Intro 06:00 - 26 Awesome PlayStation 5 Games Coming in 2026 01:06:36 - We’ve Been Burned By Star Wars Too Much To Be Excited This weeks show is Hosted by Max Scoville, Brian Altano, Jada Griffin, Nick Maillet, and is produced by Nick Maillet. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Game Awards are the last big gaming event of 2025, and they always come with a fair share of surprises and announcements, so why not have some fun with it? We’ve prepared an extremely unofficial Beyond edition of legally-distinct The Game Awards Bingo. What will we see this year? Muppets? (Yes) Hideo Kojima? Flute Guy? More importantly, will be get an big game reveals or shadow drops like the long-rumored Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Remake, which according to PEGI listings, is called Black Flag Resynced. Resident Evil fans are dying for a glimpse of Leon Kennedy in Requiem, which has been all but confirmed. Last year we got a look at Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, Project Robot, Okami 2, and more, so hopefully this year doesn’t disappoint. Plus, Nick had a chance to chat with Sam Eng, the developer of Devolver’s latest indie skateboarding game Skate Story. This weeks show is Max Scoville and Nick Maillet Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week Max and Brain look back on the recent crop of Marvel games that are suprisingly pretty good. From Spider-Man to Blade, theres a lot of cool stuff headed to consoles and PC if you're a Marvel fan (or just a fan of fun games). One could even say theres a cosmic invasion of superhero games that dont suck...speaking of cosmic invasions, Max and Brian also sat down with game director Frederic Gemus of the latest super hero beat-em-up, MARVEL Cosmic Invasion and learned a ton about the games influences, cool easter eggs, and why this spiritual successor to the original '90s beat-em-ups is worth checking out. But before all of that, the cast looks into the latest GTA 6 leaks and why a game all about stealing cars even needs to have rental bikes. Beyond! 00:00 - Intro 01:12 - GTA 6 Leaks and Renting Bikes 12:42 - The Cosmic Invasion of Marvel Games That Don't Suck 36:15 - MARVEL Cosmic Invasion 01:01:39 - Brian is REALLY good at Fortnite This weeks show is Max Scoville, Brian Altano, and is produced by Nick Maillet Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the holidays fast approaching and Black Friday just around the corner (or later this week if you're reading this when the episode releases) its finally that most wonderful time of the year where you can buy a bunch of games you didnt get a chance to play for dirt cheap. Brian and Max have compiled a list of recent PlayStation releases that are absolutley worth checking out now that they'll be heavily discounted such as Robocop Rogue City, Star Wars Outlaws, Resident Evil 4 Remake, Cyberpunk 2077, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, and a whole lot more. After that the boys discuss a bunch of games they've been happily wasting time on like Ball X Pit, Powerwash Simulator, and Arc Raiders. Which if you think about it, if you're having fun, is it a waste of time? What is time anyway...But before we get into that, we have to talk about a hidden, hyper-realistic looking horse that was cut from the box art of Atelier Lulua: The Scion of Arland. Why was this handsome horse removed from the box art? Max and Brian figure out why. Beyond! 00:00 - Intro 00:31 - Just Horsin Around 05:34 - 13 Awesome Games To Grab Cheap Black Friday 38:01 - Wasting Time Having Fun In Video Games This weeks show is Max Scoville, Brian Altano, and is produced by Nick Maillet. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a surprise move, Valve has announced plans for a Steam Machine console, taking PC gaming from desktops into living rooms in a big way. Sony’s had the market cornered this console generation, but does the introduction of a device that simplifies PC gaming for more casual players (while still allowing more tech-savvy ones to get under the hood) pose a threat to the future of PlayStation? With Sony putting more games on PC, that means a PS5 isn’t the only way to play Ghost of Yotei and Death Stranding 2 on your couch. At the very least, it’s new competition, and competition is good news for players. In other news, a bunch of games about mice came out this month, Morsels, Winter Burrow and Whiskerwood. What’s up with all these mice? This weeks show is Max Scoville, Brian Altano, and is produced by Nick Maillet Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Sony surprised us with a nice little State of Play presentation focusing on PlayStation games coming from Japanese and Asian studios, which included a tease of Elden Ring Nightreign’s first major DLC, The Forsaken Hollows as well as what’s in store for Marvel Tokon Fighting Souls’ upcoming closed beta test. We also got a look at some cool horror games like Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake, BrokenLore: Unfollow and Ascend, plus some JRPG stuff like Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined and Octopath Traveller 0. Plus, we reflect on Sony’s latest PlayStation hardware (which is more PC-related gear) and the state of Marvel Games, which is… really good? Tokon Fighting Souls, Cosmic Invasion and Insomniac’s Wolverine game being just a few of the promising looking additions to that universe. This weeks show is hosted by Max Scoville, Nick Limon, and is produced by Nick Maillet Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we’ve heard Rockstar games co-founder Dan Houser talking about cancelled GTA 5 story DLC and Saints Row 1 design director Chris Stockman sharing his pitch for a Saints Row reboot, which has us lamenting the lack of open-world action games set in contemporary settings. Specifically, the kind where you can steal cars and cause mayhem - you know, like in GTA. It feels like we used to get these all the time, and now, they’re few and far between, assuming they see the light of day. The Saints Row reboot was a flop, and Volition isn’t around anymore. Mindseye didn’t deliver on its ambitious premise. Contraband, the project from Just Cause developer Avalanche was cancelled. Sleeping Dogs might get a movie courtesy of Simu Liu, but it seems unlikely we’ll get a new game anytime soon. What happened? Will we ever see this kind of game make a comeback? What about The Simpsons Hit & Run? Plus, Sony has a new holiday ad campaign that harkens back to the weirdo marketing of the PlayStation 2. This weeks show is Max Scoville, Brian Altano, and is produced by Nick Maillet Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s almost Halloween, so what better excuse to geek out about horror games? Max and Brian take a look back at the horror franchises that dominated each generation of PlayStation console. From the birth of Resident Evil on the PS1 to Silent Hill and Fatal Frame’s numerous outings on the PlayStation 2, to the PS3/360 era that gave us Dead Space, Condemned and of course, The Last of Us. A few major games arrived right on the cusp between PlayStation 3 and PS4, The Evil WIthin and Alien Isolation. And, of course, Bloodborne, which is absolutely a horror game and I can’t believe we have to keep having this conversation. Anyway, we also ranked the best horror games on PlayStation in the worst way possible, blindly assigning them ranking on a list without knowing what other games are contenders. This weeks show is Max Scoville, Brian Altano, and is produced by Nick Maillet Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the video game equivalent of Hell freezing over or pigs flying, the original Halo is coming to PlayStation. Halo: Campaign Evolved is a full Unreal Engine 5 overhaul of the 2001 Xbox original, and in honor of the 25th anniversary, it’s going multi-platform sometime next year. Nick got a chance to play it, and shared his impressions about new features, control changes, UI improvements, and more, as well as some of the stuff we don’t know, like how four-player coop will change the experience, or when the actual release date is. Meanwhile, Jada breaks down the new Secret Lair x PlayStation Superdrop of Magic: The Gathering cards featuring some beloved Sony video came properties like God of War, The Last of Us, Horizon, and even Twisted Metal. In other rare collectible news, Sony’s dropping a gorgeous coffee table book about the history of the PlayStation 1, as well as some super limited edition Reeboks in that classic PS1 colorway. If you need a new way to compulsively make hours melt away, Ball x Pit might be for you, though if you have chores to do or loved ones to spend time with, it might not be advisable. Meanwhile, Max sucks at Battlefield 6 but loves it, Jada has issues with Digimon Story: Time Stranger’s UI, Nick went to a real haunted house, and complains about it being too scary until it wasnt, and probably something else I forgot to mention but you probably stopped reading by now so I think we’re in the clear. Beyond! This weeks show was Max Scoville, Jada Griffin, Nick Maillet, and is produced by Tom Jorgensen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

SPOILER ALERT! This week, we’re talking Ghost of Yotei yet again, but delving deep into late game content, including the ending. Joining us to unpack all that, and answer some more questions about how the open-world samurai epic came together are creative director Jason Connel and lead writer Ian Ryan from Sucker Punch Productions. We discuss story changes, their first impressions of Atsu, how Erika Ishii was cast, and what fan feedback about Ghost of Tsushima informed the direction of this sequel. Beyond! This weeks show is Max Scoville, Jada Griffin, and is produced by Nick Maillet Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Beyond Jada Griffin is hosting yet again! Joined by Michael Higham, and Nick Maillet to talk more about Ghost of Yotei. We dive into how the Japanese community is embracing Yotei for how it quintessentially feels like Hokkaido, a few of the smaller touches of things we liked such as the various minigames in Yotei, and a couple of platinum trophy tips from Jada. We also read some viewer questions and thoughts after their first weekend with Yotei, and finally talk about the things we’d like to see in the inevitable Legends mode that will come to Yotei in the future. All this and more on this week's BEYOND! This weeks epsiode is Jada Griffin, Michael Higham, and Nick Maillet. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ghost of Yotei is almost out, and this week we’re joined by to members of the team at Sucker Punch Productions who were behind it. Creative director Jason Connell and art director Joanna Wang tell us about how the studio approached their follow-up to Ghost of Tsushima, from the cinematic inspirations to the real world research that informed this new open-world vision of Japan, and its new protagonist Atsu, played by Erika Ishii. Plus, the hidden significance of the game’s logo, how collaboration with Takashi Miike and Shinichiro Watanabe came together, and the possibility of a Ghost game not set in feudal Japan. This weeks show is Max Scoville, Brian Altano, and is produced by Nick Maillet Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ghost of Yotei isn’t out for a little while, but the reviews are in, and we’re joined by IGN’s Michael Higham to discuss Sucker Punch’s highly anticipated samurai sequel stacks up compared to its predecessor. Ghost of Tsushima was one of the last great first-party exclusives of the PS4 era, but Ghost of Yotei takes full advantage of the PlayStation 5, and it’s definitely worth the wait. Join us as we discuss the improved visuals, open-world design, main story (without any spoilers) combat, and our handful of minor frustrations. How has stealth changed? What are the new weapons like? How does Atsu compare to Jin Sakai? How does Yotei’s climate and terrain compare to that of Tsushima? And, of course, how does this game feel after 2025’s other big open-world samurai game, but most importantly, why didn’t it get as high a review score at Ghost of Tsushima? We unpack all this and more in this week’s episode of Hosts of Yotei. This weeks show is Max Scoville, Jada Griffin, Brian Altano, Michael Higham and is produced by Nick Maillet Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sony suprised everyone with their September State of Play and Max, Jada, Brian, and Nick broke down every major game announced. Starting off with the first look at the long awaited Marvel's Wolverine, and it didnt dissapoint. Wolverine is definitely earning it's likely M rating, and everyone on the show (espically Jada) was impressed with the small amount of gameplay we saw today. It's safe to say that we cant wait to sink our claws into it next year. Take a minute to soak in how well crafted that last sentence was, but not for too long because the crew also broke down other notable games from the stream such as Halloween, Saros, Megaman in Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds, Zero Parades for Dead Spies, Nioh 3, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, and why the Sony Desktop Speakers are interesting. Beyond! This weeks show is Max Scoville, Jada Griffin, Brian Altano, Nick Limon and is produced by Nick Maillet Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we’re joined by notorious tie-guy Travis Northup, who just dropped his review of Borderlands 4, and who also went hands on with some large scale maps in Battlefield 6 at a preview event. What do these two games have in common, besides being shooters? They’re both shaping up to be returns-to-form for a couple series that haven’t stuck the landing with their core fanbase in recent installments. But sure enough, Gearbox has stuck to its guns (all bajllion of them) getting the looter-shooter in fighting shape, and it seems its first foray into the open-world space is fairly successful, aside from some rough technical edges. Meanwhile, EA and DICE clearly pulled out all the stops in making Battlefield 6 as big and loud as possible, but it also sounds like it’s going back to basics, cribbing from series highlights, going so far as featuring a beloved Battlefield 3 map, Operation: Firestorm. On a completely unrelated note, we were also joined by Bennett Foddy (of QWOP fame) to discuss the new open-world hiking game, Baby Steps, which is quite literally a walking simulator - and a very challenging one at that. Bennett discusses some of his inspirations and influences, which yes, include the Dark Souls games and their ilk, which seem downright easy compared to Baby Steps at times. Beyond! 00:00 - Intro 00:45 - Borderlands 4 Is No Bore 33:36 - IGN Fan Fest Returns This October 35:27 - Battlefield 6 Preview Impressions 51:07 - Baby Steps Developer Interview With Bennett Foddy 01:17:40 - BEYOND! This weeks show is Max Scoville, Jada Griffin, Travis Northup, and is produced by Nick Maillet Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The year is far from over, and some of the biggest game releases are still yet to come - so let’s run down 25 games of various shapes, sizes, genres, flavors and configurations that have our attention for one reason or another. From the obvious big sequels like Ghost of Yotei, Ninja Gaiden 4, and Vampire The Masquerade Bloodlines 2, to smaller offbeat indies like Baby Steps, Bye Sweet Carole and Mina the Hollower, we’ve got a lot to keep us busy in the coming months. The formerly PSVR 2-exclusive Alien Rogue Incursion gets a regular flat version, and Terminator 2 gets a retro-styled arcade side-scroller in Terminator 2D: No Fate. Double Dragon Revive puts the classic brawler in the capable and probably very calloused hands of the team at Arc System Works, Once Upon a Katamari lets us roll some new crap from throughout history into a big ball, and The Outer Worlds 2 indulges our worst decision-making abilities. 00:00 - Intro 01:12 - Skate 04:08 - Dying Light: The Beast 06:37 - Baby Steps 10:30 - Silent Hill f 13:44 - Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds 19:24 - Alien Rogue Incursion - Part One: Evolved Edition 23:16 - Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles 25:50 - Ghost of Yotei 26:46 - Digimon Story: Time Stranger 28:36 - Bye Sweet Carole 31:35 - Dreams of Another 33:13 - Little Nightmares III 35:45 - Ninja Gaiden 4 38:39 - Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 41:53 - Double Dragon Revive 44:37 - Once Upon a Katamari 46:48 - The Outer Worlds 2 49:11 - ARC Raiders 52:54 - Dragon Quest 1 & 2 HD - 2D Remake 54:28 - Terminator 2D: No Fate 57:38 - Mina The Hollower 01:00:40 - Satisfactory 01:03:30 - Where Winds Meet 01:06:16 - Outlaws & Handful of Missions 01:07:38 - Octopath Traveler 0 01:12:48 - Beyond Community Suggestions This weeks show is Max Scoville, Jada Griffin, Brian Altano, and is produced by Nick Maillet Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we break down Sony's surprise 007 First Light state of play and why the game looks like it's going to be Hitman With a Dash of Uncharted, Sleeping Dogs & GTA. It's been a while since we've had a good 007 game and thats looking to change thanks in part to the game's developers history making the Hitman games (which are basically 007 games without the goofiness and excellent hair). 007 First Light is looking promising, but we wont know fully until next year. As far as games you can play around now, Jada and Max talk about their imprsssions of Cronos: The New Dawn and Hell is Us and Brian talks about how hes been playing Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. All of which involve a guy wearing a cool outfit fighting very uncool monsters. They end the show with a discussion about the new Halloween game that was announced at gamescom and more importantly, John Carpenters love for the nintendo labo. Beyond! 00:00 - Intro 00:11 - 007: First Light Gameplay Reveal 33:19 - Hell is Us 45:38 - Cronos: The New Dawn 52:01 - Theres a new Halloween Game 55:34 - John Carpenter Loves Nintendo Cardboard This weeks show is Max Scoville, Jada Griffin, Brian Altano, and is produced by Nick Maillet Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re back from gamescom, jetlagged, but excited to have some new and upcoming games to discuss. Capcom had a solid lineup including Pragmata, which doesn’t put puzzles above shooting, but still has puzzles, and probably isn’t a Mega Man prequel. The Resident Evil Requiem demo we had didn’t blow us away, but it also didn’t show too much, and maybe the element of surprise will work in its favor, much as it does with the best horror movie trailers that don’t show too much. High on Life 2 contains playable retro games, and probably really bad ones, and you can do sword things sword of swordways in Onimusha: Way of the Sword. LEGO Batman Legacy of the Dark Knight was one of the biggest surprise announcements out of ONL, and we’re very much looking forward to it, though anyone expecting a serious Arkham game, or a conventional TT Games minifig collect-a-thon might want to adjust their expectations, as it seems to be a mix of the two. Finally, Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater is a damn good time, and it remakes one of the best games ever made with plenty of added bonuses, but without changing too much. Perhaps it could have benefitted from a few more changes, like Capcom’s recent Resident Evil remakes have taken liberties, but maybe keeping it simple is the first step in Konami winning back the trust of Metal Gear fans.  00:01:19 - Pragmata 00:06:33 - Resident Evil: Requiem 00:13:26 - High on Life 2 00:17:06 - Onimusha 00:19:09 - Road Kings 00:21:24 - LEGO Batman is Mixing Up The LEGO Game Formula 00:36:05 - Metal Gear Solid Delta is Really Good! 00:46:58 - Humble Bundle & Outro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we’re talking about the literally groundbreaking new destruction physics in Battlefield 6, which looks to be almost on par with Donkey Kong Bananza’s smashability, but in an obviously very different way. We’re also chatting with the developers of Ninja Gaiden Ragebound about the throwback platformer’s NES roots, and sharing some of the games we’ve been playing lately like the indie cycling racer Wheel World (which does not have pixies) and Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales (which does) and also unpacking why Resident Evil and Duolingo have formed an unlikely social media friendship in Japan. 00:00:00 - Intro 00:03:13 - Battlefield 6 00:12:09 - Duolingo vs. Resident Evil 00:14:25 - Horizon Zero Dawn Lawsuit 00:21:22 - Wheel World00:27:55 - The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales 00:34:00 - The King is Watching 00:34:55 - Ninja Gaiden Ragebound 00:41:00 - Ninja Gaiden Ragebound Dev Interview 01:10:58 - Outro This weeks show is Max Scoville, Jada Griffin, Nick Maillet, and is produced by Tayo Oyekan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From forgotten peripherals to bizarre trends, we're taking a wild trip through PlayStation's strangest hardware. Plus, Jada shares her early impressions of Wuchang: Fallen Feathers. This week we're going retro, weird, and very PlayStation. 00:00 - Intro 01:00 - Wuchang: Fallen Feathers 18:06 - PlayStation’s Best, Worst and Weirdest Experimental Products 39:24 - SDCC 2025 & Outro This week’s show is Max Scoville, Jada Griffin, Nick Maillet, and is produced by Tayo Oyekan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s a good time to be a fan of skateboarding video games, between Activision’s remakes fo Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 out now, plus EA’s long-awaited reboot of Skate (Sorry, “skate.”) arriving sometime in the foreseeable future. Nick had a chance to spend a few hours in the open world, and while the free-to-play live-service aspect is rubbing a lot of fans the wrong way, and the approach to monetization is still mostly under wraps, it sounds like it’s a fun enough time. Meanwhile, THPS3+4 features a cheeky little jab at Guitar Hero, with an easter egg featuring a familiar-looking rhythm game peripheral sitting in a garbage can. Some people think it’s funny, while others (like Activision) are less thrilled. In other news, Final Fantasy’s Naoki Yoshida offers a tidbit of insight on the future of the series’ combat folliowing the success of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Finally, we wax nostalgic about some old video game developer logos from the ancient past. 00:00:00 - Intro 00:00:47 - EA's Skate Is Like Forza Horizon With Skateboards 00:18:31 - How Does EA's Skate Compare to Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4 00:28:48 - Will Future Final Fantasy Games Be Turn-Based? 00:31:57 - From the Community: Best Developer Logos 00:40:11 - From the Community: Would you want to see another Fight Night game?  00:43:38 - Humble Bundle, IGN at SDCC 2025 & Outro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sucker Punch finally gave us our long-awaited look at Ghost of Yotei in action, and while it’s certainly looking like a gorgeous successor to Tsushima that’ll put the PS5 through its paces, it’s hard not to compare it to one of this year’s other big open-world samurai game, Assassin’s Creed Shadows. While there will definitely be some familiar themes, gameplay, and visuals, Yotei looks to have plenty of touches to set itself apart. Meanwhile, there’s clearly some anticipation for Yotei, because someone leaked footage of the game recorded through a window of Sucker Punch’s offices, and really, that’s probably a new low for leaks. We have some opaque new info from Mark Cerny about technology the PS6 will potentially by using - and which the PS5 pro already is - and spoilers, it’s AI frame generation. Naughty Dog dropped a surprise mode for The Last of Us Part 2 that puts the whole story on shuffle, which, uh, actually puts it in chronological order. Also we debate what Doom demon we would want to eat the most, and how we’d cook it - other than with a rocket launcher. 00:10 - Intro 00:36 - Ghost of Yotei 14:52 - Brian wants a Wu Tang Collab 15:08 - Is this worth buying a PS5 Pro for? 16:36 - More Ghost of Yotei 24:13 - July Humble Choice 24:52 - A new low for video game leaks 27:05 - The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered HD Story Intergrade 358/2 Days Remix 33:24 - The PlayStation 6 and Ai 39:09 - Turtle Talk 43:41 - Whats Brian Playin'? 47:43 - Max Likes Doom *** For thousands of years (or at least since the 90s) PlayStation has been pushing the boundaries of the video game medium. For almost as long, Beyond has been along for the ride. Join a panel of passionate playstation experts and enthusiasts including Max Scoville, Brian Altano, Jada Griffin and company. Each week we unpack the latest gaming news, gush about what we’re playing, chat with developers and voice actors and explore the ever-expanding world of PlayStation - and Beyond! Catch a new episode every Wednesday on IGN, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. This week’s show is Max Scoville, Jada Griffin, Brian Altano, and is produced by Nick Maillet Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Let’s get this out of the way: we’re happy there’s a new Resident Evil game on the way and we will absolutely be playing it day one. That said, the way Capcom is framing Resident Evil Requiem has us a bit skeptical - especially with them specifically bringing up the fact that Leon Kennedy (supposedly) isn’t in it. We discuss how Resident Evil’s latest installment has a lot of expectation to meet, and when something’s been around for thirty years and undergone as many changes and mutations as this one has, it becomes a very difficult balancing act making everyone happy. In other Capcom news, a new Street Fighter movie is in the works, and based on the cast that’s been announced and the director’s previous work, we’re very excited for… whatever the hell kind of movie this winds up being. The good news is that the bar is not very high, so best case scenario, it’s actually a good movie. Second-best, it’s bad in a fun way like the 1994 Jean-Claude Van Damme one. Worst case? It’s boring to the point of being unwatchable, like the 2009 film The Legend of Chun Li.  Oh, and this month’s Beyond game club game is Ghost of Tsushima. 00:00 - Intro 00:55 - Capcom Had A Stream 01:36 - Is Leon a "Bad Match" for Horror? 12:54 - How Can Resident Evil Requiem Keep The Series Fresh? 23:16 - Street Fighter Cast Discussion 33:21 - 50 Cent is Balrog 35:07 - The Tribal Chief is Headed To Street Fighter 36:57 - M. Bison Casting 41:04 - Street Fighter Movie Director 43:31 - The Original Street Fighter Movie 51:05 - BEYOND Game Club! *** For thousands of years (or at least since the 90s) PlayStation has been pushing the boundaries of the video game medium. For almost as long, Beyond has been along for the ride. Join a panel of passionate playstation experts and enthusiasts including Max Scoville, Brian Altano, Jada Griffin and company. Each week we unpack the latest gaming news, gush about what we’re playing, chat with developers and voice actors and explore the ever-expanding world of PlayStation - and Beyond! Catch a new episode every Wednesday on IGN, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. This week’s show is Max Scoville, Jada Griffin, Brian Altano, and is produced by Nick Maillet Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Death Stranding 2: On The Beach is finally almost here, and as one of 2025’s few big PlayStation exclusives, you can see why a lot of PS5 owners would be excited for this one. This week, we’re joined by Simon Cardy, who reviewed DS2 for IGN, to discuss the many things it does right, whether or not that’s enough to win over folks who didn’t live the first game, and also unpack a handful of criticisms of Hideo Kojima’s latest magnum opus. One thing’s for sure, it’s a step up in practically every way from the first game, with better visuals, better paced missions, and a whole arsenal of new gadgets, gear, and guns to help Sam Porter Bridges deliver the mail, fend off BTs, or terrorize roaming bands of ruffians throughout the Australian outback.  *** For thousands of years (or at least since the 90s) PlayStation has been pushing the boundaries of the video game medium. For almost as long, Beyond has been along for the ride. Join a panel of passionate playstation experts and enthusiasts including Max Scoville, Brian Altano, Jada Griffin and company. Each week we unpack the latest gaming news, gush about what we’re playing, chat with developers and voice actors and explore the ever-expanding world of PlayStation - and Beyond! Catch a new episode every Wednesday on IGN, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. This week’s show is Max Scoville, Jada Griffin, Nick Limon, Simon Cardy, and is produced by Nick Maillet Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The PlayStation 6 is still a long ways off, but Sony acknowledged they’re pushing the platform forward and exploring new ways for us to engage with it, but they’re well aware that streaming games from the cloud isn’t how most of us play our games. The PlayStation Portal might seem to suggest that’s the direction the company is taking things, but unfortunately, end-to-end network stability is out of their control - so, rest assured, it sounds like the next console generation will still be doing its thing locally. Death Stranding 2 is just a few weeks away, and we can’t talk about it quite yet, but we can talk about how weird of a game the first one was, and how its unconventional gameplay loop coupled with an extremely out-there story wasn’t exactly as accessible as your average AAA video game. But, if you’re antsy to take a hike and make some deliveries, we’ve got a list of other Death Stranding-likes that involve courier work, rough terrain, bleak post-apocalyptic landscapes, or some combination thereof. Beyond! *** 00:00 - Intro 01:23 - Sony Is Starting to Talk About Its Next-Generation PlayStation Console 23:55 - Death Stranding 2 44:16 - 13 Games To Play While You’re Waiting For Death Stranding 2 01:01:57 - Humble x IGN Live *** For thousands of years (or at least since the 90s) PlayStation has been pushing the boundaries of the video game medium. For almost as long, Beyond has been along for the ride. Join a panel of passionate playstation experts and enthusiasts including Max Scoville, Brian Altano, Jada Griffin and company. Each week we unpack the latest gaming news, gush about what we’re playing, chat with developers and voice actors and explore the ever-expanding world of PlayStation - and Beyond! Catch a new episode every Wednesday on IGN, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. This week’s show is Max Scoville, Brian Altano, and is produced by Nick Maillet Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Resident Evil Requiem (or Resident Evil 9, RE9uiem, or whatever we’re supposed to call it) got an official reveal during Summer Game Fest 2025, and shortly after that, a select few people got to play a demo behind closed doors. IGN’s Matt Kim was one of those lucky people, so he stopped by to tell us about the game’s newest features. There’s option to swap between first and third person perspective, but that’s not the only new POV. Grace Ashcroft is a new protagonist, and despite rumors that Leon Kennedy would make his return, there’s no sign of him quite yet, but that could always change. We also discuss the demo’s hospital like setting, a big creepy new monster that’s chasing Grace around, and a few other details. RE9 wasn’t the only big reveal, and we recap and discuss a few others, like CD Projekt Red’s unbelievable Unreal 5 tech demo showing off something that’s sort of like The Witcher 4, but not quite gameplay, so maybe we should take it with a grain of salt. Other heavy hitters include Invincible Vs., Dying Light The Beast, Romeo is a dead man, 007 First Light, and The Expanse: Osirus Reborn, which looks like Mass Effect, and is from the developers of Pathfinder: Kingmaker and the Warhammer 40k Rogue Trader games. Finally, there are a bunch of cool-looking games that haven’t gotten quite as much buzz, possibly because they have weird names, such as Luto, Holstin, Aphelion, Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream, Hela, and Mu Dang: Two Hearts. End of Abyss, Screamer, and Reach also look cool, though maybe their names aren’t weird enough. 00:00 - Intro 01:08 - Let's Talk About Resident Evil Requiem 14:30 - Grace vs Ethan 17:33 - The Rise and Fall of Capcom 19:34 - The Next Resident Evil Remake? 22:15 - What Other Games Did Matt Play At Summer Game Fest? 36:05 - The Witcher 4 47:45 - Invincible Vs 52:22 - Dying Light The Beast 56:54 - Other Cool Games With Weird Names 01:08:59 - Romeo is a Dead Man *** For thousands of years (or at least since the 90s) PlayStation has been pushing the boundaries of the video game medium. For almost as long, Beyond has been along for the ride. Join a panel of passionate playstation experts and enthusiasts including Max Scoville, Brian Altano, Jada Griffin and company. Each week we unpack the latest gaming news, gush about what we’re playing, chat with developers and voice actors and explore the ever-expanding world of PlayStation - and Beyond! Catch a new episode every Wednesday on IGN, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. This week’s show is Max Scoville, Jada Griffin, Brian Altano, Matt Kim, and is produced by Nick Maillet Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's our 900th episode! And we're at IGN Live! So, in honor of this momentous occasion, we invented a whole game show: Wheel of PS4-tune! Why? Because it was a good title. So, all the questions are about Sony's last console generation, its hardware, games, and so on. How well do Brian and Jada know deep-cut PlayStation 4-centric trivia? How are they at guessing video games based on their ESRB descriptions? Do they remember the whole launch lineup? How good are they at anagrams? Who can throw a teeshirt further? It's a big loud stupid birthday party episode, and I'm writing this before we actually shoot the dang thing so who knows how it'll go, so apologies in advance if it goes even further off the rails than we anticipated. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this very special episod eof Podcast Beyond, Max, Brian, and Jada are joined by John Davison to react to the latest PlayStation State of Play where Sony showed off a ton of games. This episodes highlights were the reveal of the new James Bond game from IO Interactve, 007 First Light, and the Arc System Works Marvel themed fighter MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls. After that the crew gives their thoughts on some of the other games announced like Silent Hill f, Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles, Nioh 3, Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, Ghost of Yōtei, Lumines Arise, and a whole lot more. Beyond! This week’s show is Max Scoville, Jada Griffin, Brian Altano, and is produced by Nick Maillet. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kojima is always up to something and this week is no different. On this week's very special epsiode of Podcast Beyond!, Jada, Nick, and Max break down their favorite Kojima games, why hes so influential, and why him preparing to keep his legacy going long after he dies via a USB stick isnt even the strangest thing hes said lately. *** IGN Live is nearly here and we have a limited number of complimentary tickets for it! Head here and use the code "BEYONDGUEST" to get a complimentary GA ticket for Saturday or Sunday: ⁠www.ign.com/live This week’s show is Max Scoville, Jada Griffin, Nick Limon and is produced by Nick Maillet Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sony’s big push for live-service games hasn’t exactly been a resounding success, and the news that Haven, the studio behind the upcoming extraction-shooter Fairgame$, recently lost its founder Jade Raymond doesn’t exactly instill confidence. But, on the bright side, Helldivers 2: Heart of Democracy update takes the battle to Super Earth, giving the Starship Troopers-like a bit of an Earth Defense Force spin. Jada reviewed Blades of Fire, which apparently has a great smithing minigame, but underwhelms otherwise, and Max has been playing Revenge of the Savage Planet, and Nick’s been ripping and tearing through Doom: The Dark Ages. Finally, we chatted with Sea of Stars creative director Thierry Boulanger about the upcoming DLC, Throes of the Watchmaker. 00:00 - Intro 00:53 - Will Fairgame$ be the next Helldivers 2 or Hyenas? 16:48 - Helldivers 2 New Patch Is Pretty Cool 22:06 - Come hang out at IGN Live 2025! 25:57 - Blades of Fire Review Discussion 35:28 - Max has been playing Revenge of the Savage Planet 43:40 - Nick’s Been Ripping and Tearing Through Doom: The Dark Ages 47:00 - Sea of Stars Creative Director Thierry Boulanger 01:03:29 - Outro *** For thousands of years (or at least since the 90s) PlayStation has been pushing the boundaries of the video game medium. For almost as long, Beyond has been along for the ride. Join a panel of passionate playstation experts and enthusiasts including Max Scoville, Brian Altano, Jada Griffin and company. Each week we unpack the latest gaming news, gush about what we’re playing, chat with developers and voice actors and explore the ever-expanding world of PlayStation - and Beyond! Catch a new episode every Wednesday on IGN, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. This week’s show is Max Scoville, Jada Griffin, Nick Limon and is produced by Nick Maillet Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we’re rippin’ and tearin’ into Doom: The Dark Ages - but in a nice way! id Software’s recent installments in the beloved FPS series have been heavy-hitters in their own right, but the latest entry offers a truly satisfying experience with some of the most brutally crunchy combat in recent memory, an arsenal of new weapons and abilities that keep it fresh, and bottomless monster closet of nightmare demon hellspawn to explode into blood. Meanwhile, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 and 4 are still hella sick, possibly even more so since getting a modern overhaul, and Nick had lots of nice things to say about his time with them, aside from the snow levels, which he has a problem with for some bizarre reason. Death Stranding 2: On The Beach will probably have some snowy areas, despite its title, and we unpack some of the details revealed in a recent preview event during which IGN Japan’s Koji Fukuyama got to play a whopping 30 hours of Hideo Kojima’s next magnum opus. Meanwhile, Jada and Michael Higham sat down the the developers of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 to get some insight into how one of the best games of 2025 came together. Beyond! 00:00 - Intro 01:19 - IGN LIVE! 02:16 - Death Stranding 2: On The Beach 13:34 - Tony Hawk 3 & 4 is pretty cool so far 20:03 - Rippin’ and Tearin’ into Doom: The Dark Ages 39:21 - Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Developer Interview 01:08:40 - Outro *** For thousands of years (or at least since the 90s) PlayStation has been pushing the boundaries of the video game medium. For almost as long, Beyond has been along for the ride. Join a panel of passionate playstation experts and enthusiasts including Max Scoville, Brian Altano, Jada Griffin and company. Each week we unpack the latest gaming news, gush about what we’re playing, chat with developers and voice actors and explore the ever-expanding world of PlayStation - and Beyond! Catch a new episode every Wednesday on IGN, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. This week’s show is Max Scoville, Jada Griffin, Nick Maillet, Nick Limon and is produced by Tayo Oyekan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

GTA 6 is set to redefine visual fidelity in gaming, but beyond the graphics, we have nine very specific questions about Jason and Lucia's adventure. From gameplay mechanics like Jason's in-game console and Lucia's ankle monitor to narrative possibilities like prison time and relationship dynamics, this episode dives deep into what Rockstar's trailer suggests about the experience. We also explore whether GTA 6 could be gaming's first true "lovers on the run" story, a trope well-established in film but rarely attempted in games. Join Max, Jada, and Brian as they analyze these details and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this weeks very special epsidoe of Beyond! Max, Nick, and Jada react to the Borderlands 4 State of Play where they share their thoughts on the games new direction, its gameplay improvements, Randy Pitchfords shirt choice, and if they think the game was moved forward to accomidate that one Florida simulator everybody is paitently waiting for. After that they get into their thoughts on the newest trailer for Ghost of Yotei, its similaraties to Assassins Creed Shadows, and how dang good that game is going to look when it releases this October. After that, Max and Jada give their honest reactions about the Until Dawn movie thats very much not like the game and Nick asks if this is worth watching if youre a fan of cheesy slashers. Finally, Jada reveals next months Game Club game, its Dave The Diver! Beyond! This week’s show is Max Scoville, Jada Griffin, Nick Maillet, and is produced by Red Rigos Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Whether you’d like a turn-based foray into a whole new fantasy realm, or a meticulously overhauled return trip to a familiar open-world, there’s plenty to keep you busy this week between Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered. We’ve got plenty to say about these role-playing games, which are both doing very different things very well (and which of course have their own shortcomings.) But overall, the role-playing game genre seems alive and well. Baldur’s Gate 3 proved there’s plenty of demand for old-school isometric turn-based dungeon crawling, while Final Fantasy XVI and FF7 Remake/Rebirth have both broken into realtime action-heavy combat. We’re getting brand new IP like Clair Obscur and Metaphor Re:Fantazio, but plenty of classics are getting new leases on life, whether it’s in fully modern overhauls like Persona 3 Reload, or Dragon Quest’s HD-2D remakes. Heck, even Like a Dragon decided to ditch beat-em-up action for a turn-based party system. In other news, Jada and Nick have nice things to say about Unbeatable, which has a free demo on PSN and PC, and Max is obsessed with Bionic Bay, a puzzle-platformer that’s reminiscent of Limbo and Inside, but with a dash of Portal thrown in for good measure. This week’s show is Max Scoville, Jada Griffin, Nick Maillet, and is produced by Marhyan Franzen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we’re joined by our pal Mike Drucker, stand-up comedian and writer, formerly of IGN, more recently of The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon and Full Frontal With Samatha Bee, and most recently the author of the book “Good Game, No Rematch: A Life Made of Video Games.” Drucker’s book is a semi-autobiographical trip down memory lane, recounting some hilarious and endearing anecdotes about growing up with gaming. So, we took the opportunity to reflect on some of our earliest memories of the PlayStation, and when we knew it would fare better than so many other Nintendo competitors. Looking ahead, there are rumors circulating yet again about a next-gen PlayStation Portable, or a portable PlayStation of some sort, which is in line with what everyone else is doing - but we do want Sony to do what everyone else is doing? The Steamdeck is an awesome machine, but it’s generous to call it handheld or portable device. The Nintendo Switch 2 is getting bigger, and more powerful, and for a lot of people, that’s great, but some of us are nostalgic for the days of gaming being a bit more… pocket sized. Meanwhile, we discuss this month’s Beyond Game Club game, Bloodborne. Have you heard of it? Well, too bad, you’re gonna hear even more about it. This week’s show is Max Scoville, Jada Griffin, Brian Atlano, Mike Drucker, and is produced by Nick Maillet Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’ve got a jam-packed episode this week! First order of business, Blue Prince just dropped and it’s currently the best-reviewed game of the year so far, so what’s the big deal? We invited IGN’s executive reviews editor and Blue Prince reviewer Tom Marks to discuss the many brilliant things this roguelite first-person puzzle game does right, and the handful of nitpicks that keep it from being a totally smooth experience. But fans of The Witness, Return of the Obra Dinn and Outer Wilds will likely find something here to love. One thing we don’t love is the announcement of a very Bloodborne-coded FromSoftware game that’s not a Bloodborne sequel or even coming to PlayStation. The Nintendo Switch 2-exclusive multiplayer game The Duskbloods looks cool, but with a lot of caveats. Bloodborne turned 10 a couple weeks ago, so we’re celebrating the milestone with a return to Yarnham in this month’s Beyond Game Club. Also in this episode, Jada and Akeem sat down with performance-capture actor and stuntman Eric Jacobus to talk about what it’s like bringing some of gaming’s most brutal actions to live, from punching like Kratos to performing Fatalities in Mortal Kombat without anyone getting hurt, Eric had a ton of insight. This week’s show is Max Scoville, Tom Marks, Jada Griffin, Akeem Lawanson, and is produced by Nick Maillet Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Beyond Jada Griffin is hosting yet again! Joined by Travis Northrup, Cameron Kingdom Hearts Hawken, Kevin Diaz and Brian Altano makes an appearance for an Atomfall Interview with Ben Fisher - Head of Design at Rebellion - and Rebellion CEO and modern day knight, Jason Kingsley. We talk about Sony’s appearance at Cinemacon with unveiling dates for not one but two Spider-Man Movies, we speculate on the tiniest of updates on Ghost of Yotei, and we spotlight six more games to keep an eye on that we hope to play before 2026. We also announce Aprils game for Beyond Game Club and we hope that you will all join us as we play it. All this and more on this week's BEYOND! 00:00:00 - Intro & Ghost of Yotei 00:06:35- Blue Prince 00:10:08 - Wildgate 00:15:58 - Sunderfolk 00:21:37 - Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter & Den of Wolves 00:31:15 - Spine 00:36:31 - Atomfall Developer Interview 01:00:01 - IGN Live & What We’re Playing 01:09:07 - Beyond Game Club Announcement 01:13:23 - Outro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Beyond Jada Griffin is back in the host chair along with Akeem and Brian for one of our longest episodes in a while. They talk about the numerous anniversaries happening over at Sony this month including Bloodborne's 10th which Brian gets nostalgic for, PSP’s 20th anniversary, and God of War’s 20th anniversary all with 67 inches of Jormungandr for your pleasure. We also picked out five plus one bonus game to keep your eye out for in 2025 and spoiler most of them are out in just a few months! Jada then shares her favorite games she got to play at GDC, including some with some really strange controllers. Finally March’s Beyond Game Club comes to an end as they give their final thoughts on returning to Batman: Arkham Asylum nearly 16 years later. All this and more on this week's BEYOND! This week’s show is Jada Griffin, Akeem Lawanson, Brian Altano, and is produced by Nick Maillet Beyond! is a part of Geek Media Podcast Network, an IGN Entertainment Brand. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s been in the works for years, and delayed by several months, but Assassin’s Creed Shadows is finally here, and it’s worth the wait. Y’know, assuming you like big huge open-world games, don’t mind when Assassin’s Creed games veer into RPG territory, and are interested in the feudal Japanese setting. We’re all having a blast, and while it doesn’t break the mold or color too far outside the lines of previous entries, specifically the one used to make Assassin’s Creed Origins, Odyssey and Valhalla, it does a great job refining what worked best, creating a big huge playground for ninja and samurai mayhem that look absolutely stunning on the latest gaming hardware. The dual protagonists are endearing, and the different approaches to combat and exploration that Yasuke and Naoe’s playstyles allow for should help keep things fresh, even dozens of hours into the game. Now, the big question: what does this mean for 2025’s OTHER big huge open-world samurai game, Ghost of Yotei? Will it be a samurai showdown, or will a rising tide raise all ships? Either way, anyone who likes running around killing dudes with a katana and shuriken is eating good this year. This week’s show is Max Scoville, Jada Griffin, Mark Medina, Brian Altano, and is produced by Nick Maillet, Beyond! is a part of Geek Media Podcast Network, an IGN Entertainment Brand. Eat smart with Factor. Get started at factormeals.com/FACTORPODCAST and use code FACTORPODCAST to get 50% off your first box plus free shipping. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last week, we got some major news about The Last of Us. Unfortunately, that news amounted to Neil Druckmann saying “don’t bet on” a third game, and then the announcement of a limited edition The Last of Us Part 2 Dualsense controller. Though there’s a new season of the HBO series on the horizon, that’s got to be a bit of a drag for TLOU fans – but was there ever going to be a happy ending for this series, which basically takes place in a bad ending for humans, in general? In any case, this is par for the course for Naughty Dog, which has typically moved on from each franchise after a few games. Crash Bandicoot and Jak & Daxter each got a trilogy and change, Uncharted stuck around for a fourth full installment, plus Lost Legacy, but considering the heavy subject matter and the amount of time the studio has spent on the series, maybe it’s time to move on to Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet? That’s what Naughty Dog’s up to right now, but what about the rest of PlayStation Studios? We know about a few upcoming projects like Sucker Punch’s Ghost of Yotei and Housemarque’s Saros, but the bulk of Sony’s first party development studios have been radio silent for quite some time - not counting a few closures, and announcements of cancelled projects. Finally, it’s not quite first party, but Death Stranding 2: On The Beach got a big 10 minute trailer gameplay reveal music video thing, and it looks gorgeous, but has us wondering how on board we are for more of Kojima’s drawn out cutscenes interspersed with trips to deliver peoples’ mail. Eat smart with Factor. Get started at factormeals.com/FACTORPODCAST and use code FACTORPODCAST to get 50% off your first box plus free shipping. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As part of this month’s Beyond Game Club, we’re revisiting Batman Arkham Asylum, Rocksteady’s debut game featuring the Dark Knight, which arrived in 2009 and laid the groundwork for Arkham City and Arkham Knight. As much as we adore the massive open-world Gotham City, in a lot of ways, Arkham Asylum is the perfect Batman game: a mix of action-packed combat and detective work in the form of puzzles and navigating the labyrinthine penitentiary for Gotham’s most twisted denizens. So, what went wrong? Suicide Squad Kill The Justice League swung for the fences in multiple directions at once and ultimately struck out, while Gotham Knights sent us back into Gotham, but not as the character we’d most like to play as. Is it so hard to make a good Batman game? Well, yes, it’s hard to make any game, good or otherwise, about anything, let alone a character with this much lore and history and reverence. But still, a Rocksteady take on Batman Beyond and/or the Arkham formula retooled in a Bruce Timm-style cel-shaded Gotham both seem like missed opportunities. This week’s show is Max Scoville, Jada Griffin, Akeem Lawanson, Brian Altano, and is produced by Nick Maillet Eat smart with Factor. Get started at factormeals.com/FACTORPODCAST and use code FACTORPODCAST to get 50% off your first box plus free shipping. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Monster Hunter Wilds will soon be out in the wild, and this week we’re joined by IGN’s reviewer Tom Marks and resident Monster Hunter expert Case DeFrietas to talk about how the latest installment in Capcom’s most popular series pushing the franchise forward, discuss the numerous things it does right, but address one common complaint among reviewers, in that it’s too easy compared to the previous games. Plus, bad news just broke about WB Games, namely the closure of three studios, including Monolith, unfortunately putting an end to the long-awaited Wonder Woman project. This week’s show is Max Scoville, Jada Griffin, Casey DeFreitas, Tom Marks, and is produced by Nick Maillet. Beyond is an IGN production and part of the Geek Media network. Eat smart with Factor. Get started at factormeals.com/FACTORPODCAST and use code FACTORPODCAST to get 50% off your first box plus free shipping. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we’ve got some games to talk about, including Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, the latest installment in the long-running organized crime series that’s a bit less organized than usual, namely because it ditches the criminal underworld for the high seas. It may feature plenty of familiar backdrops and a few familiar faces (like most games in the series) it keeps things fresh by getting creative. What can other publishers learn from RGG Studios’ scrappy re-purposing of existing environments and systems? We compare and contrast the Yakuza games’ reception to others, like certain semi-annualized Ubisoft franchises. Meanwhile, Jada played a bunch of Warriors: Abyss, the roguelike spin on Dynasty Warriors and Samurai Warriors. Max gave himself food poisoning in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, and Brian’s looking forward to Assassin’s Creed Shadows. In other news, a company called DevynPC is offering a way to make your PlayStation 5 look a little less like a funky spaceship and more like a stock image of a generic game console, if that’s your thing. This week’s show is Max Scoville, Jada Griffin, Brian Altano, and is produced by Tayo Oyekan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sony’s first PlayStation State of Play showcased almost thirty new games (or updates for existing games) but still left us feeling a bit disappointed. The reveal of Housemarque’s Saros, a PS5 remaster of Days Gone, and a long overdue release date for Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater were highlights, along with some proper reveals of relative unknown projects like the fast-paced FPS Metal Eden, the Arthurian Soulslike/Shadow of the Colossus-like Tides of Annihilation and Mindseye, the cyberpunk action adventure project from Grand Theft Auto series veteran Leslie Benzies. Borderlands fans have a Borderlands 4 State of Play to look forward to. Devil May Cry fans are likely going to be kept busy by Lost Soul Aside. Anyone feeling stranded without Death Stranding 2: On The Beach might appreciate the creepy vibes of Hell is Us. If you puppets, there’s Lies of P: Overture DLC, if you like cephalapods, there’s the octopuzzle-platformer Darwin’s Paradox, if you like pretty ladies in fancy outfits, there’s a Stellar Blade and Nikke: Goddess of Victory crossover, and if you’ve ever wanted to shoot a cloud with a gun and make it turn into something less abstract, there’s Dreams of Another. This week’s show is Max Scoville, Jada Griffin, Brian Altano, and is produced by Nick Maillet. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rumor has it, Sony’s doing a State of Play next week, which seems more likely than not based on the timing of previous years’ presentations, so we run down a list of predictions of what we expect to see. Ghost of Yotei seems like a safe bet, as does Death Stranding 2: On The Beach. Live-service is a bit of a touchy subject for PlayStation at the moment, but Bungie’s Marathon and Haven Interactive’s Fairgame$ are both in the works the last we heard. On the third-party front, Metal Gear Solid 3 Delta Triange: Snake Eater Remake has been aligning itself with Sony since the jump, and we expected it’d drop last fall, but there’s still no release date. Midnight Walk is that creeply-looking platformer that’s coming to PS5 and PSVR2 alike, and it’s expected sometime this year. And of course, there are a number of soulslike and soulslike-lookalikes including Where Winds Meet, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers, Hell is Us, Phantom Blade Zero, Ballad of Antara and The First Berzerker Khazan, and we reckon at least one of those will make an appearance. Anything’s possible, but we’re less convinced we’ll see anything from Housemarque, and Xbox has been putting more stuff on PlayStation, with the recent announcement of Forza Horizon 5 and Age of Empires 2 coming to PS5, but where will that get revealed? We have our reservations we’ll see anything related to Silent Hill Townnfall or Silent Hill F, and it seems too soon for Marvel’s Wolverine, Project Robot or more of Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, but we’d love to be wrong. And of course, a Bloodborne Remake or Remaster would be nice, but we’re not holding out breath. In other news Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 is out this week and Max and special guest Ronnie Barrier have lots of good things to say about this open-world RPG that’s more often than not just as much a medieval life simulator, but for anybody after a fast-paced action game, this ain’t it.  If you want to help support IGN and Humble Bundle in providing support to those in need affected by the LA wildfires, you can donate here: https://promo.humblebundle.com/lafirerelief This week’s show is Max Scoville, Jada Griffin, Akeem Lawanson, Ronny Barrier, and is produced by Nick Maillet. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we’re taking a minute to talk about Assassin’s Creed Shadows, which has a lot going for it, but also a lot working against it. Between Ubisoft’s financial woes, two delays, a bunch of other big games including but not limited to Ghost of Yotei, plenty of backlash online, and the fact that it’s yet another big open-world Assassin’s Creed game, it might not stick the landing. But hey, what’s wrong with yet another big open-world Assassin’s Creed game? We haven’t really gotten one of those since Valhalla in 2020, and it’s not like they’re putting out Far Cry games as quickly as they used to. Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora and Star Wars Outlaws were both technically big open-world Ubisoft games, but they didn’t quite scratch the same itch. Anyway, there are a bunch of big video game movies and TV shows coming out in 2025, like A Minecraft Movie and The Last of Us Season 2, plus some more later on, and then some that are supposedly in the works but which may never come out.This week, we’re taking a minute to talk about Assassin’s Creed Shadows, which has a lot going for it, but also a lot working against it. Between Ubisoft’s financial woes, two delays, a bunch of other big games including but not limited to Ghost of Yotei, plenty of backlash online, and the fact that it’s yet another big open-world Assassin’s Creed game, it might not stick the landing. But hey, what’s wrong with yet another big open-world Assassin’s Creed game? We haven’t really gotten one of those since Valhalla in 2020, and it’s not like they’re putting out Far Cry games as quickly as they used to. Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora and Star Wars Outlaws were both technically big open-world Ubisoft games, but they didn’t quite scratch the same itch. Anyway, there are a bunch of big video game movies and TV shows coming out in 2025, like A Minecraft Movie and The Last of Us Season 2, plus some more later on, and then some that are supposedly in the works but which may never come out. This week’s show is Max Scoville, Mark Medina, Brian Altano, and is produced by Tayo Oyekan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week Max is out on assignment and Akeem is filling in as host! We’re talking about Sony’s gamble on live-service games: with the cancellation of two unannounced titles, is it going well for them? Our review for Dynasty Warriors: Origins is in and we dive deep into the details with Jada. Plus the legendary Shuhei Yoshida’s thoughts on PlayStation’s live-service push. Beyond! This week’s show is Akeem Lawanson, Jada Griffin, Brian Altano, and is produced by Nick Maillet. Join our Facebook group at - facebook.com/groups/podcastbeyond/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we’re talking about Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, which is about.. Well, you can kind of figure it out from the name alone. Nick Maillet had a chance to go hands on, and shares some of the crazy stuff he encountered. The mainline Like a Dragon/Yakuza games are wacky enough under normal circumstances, but it sounds like Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is basically Like a Dragon: Blood Dragon in how overboard it’s willing to go. In other news Hideo Kojima sounds very tired, and Halo is probably coming to PlayStation 5 this holiday season, which is great for everyone. We also run down a few upcoming games that might not immediately be on your radar, including Date Everything, the sandbox dating sim in which you romance inanimate objects come to life, Hell is Us, a creepy looking third-person action game that’s taking some cues from the film Annihilation and the books it was based on, Baby Steps, which looks like open-world QWOP, or Mudrunner with a man instead of a truck, and Light No Fire, Hello Games’ fantasy-flavored follow-up to No Man’s Sky. This week’s show is Max Scoville, Brian Altano, Nick Maillet, Nick Limon, and is produced by Jobert Atienza. Join our Facebook group at - facebook.com/groups/podcastbeyond/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Happy New Year! 2025 kicks off with a bunch of news out of CES, and it seems like Sony announced basically everything except games, from feature film adaptations of Horizon Zero Dawn and Helldivers 2 to a Ghost of Tsushima anime series to an immersive and probably weird-smelling experience in The Last of Us. Meanwhile, in the interest of not having a ton of game news to discuss, we’re taking a look back at some of the biggest games that’ll be celebrating their 10th anniversary in 2025, weighing in on how those game franchises are doing a decade later, and speculating on how they might get some recognition this year. The big one, obviously, is Bloodborne, which Sony seems to be teasing - or at least acknowledging - a bit more than usual. The Witcher 3 just got big a sequel reveal at The Game Awards, Fallout 4 was followed up by Fallout 76, but anyone who’s excited about the Prime Video series might be waiting around for a while for Fallout 5. Metal Gear Solid 5 may very well be the last proper Metal Gear game we ever get, but that could always change, but at least Hideo Kojima is cooking up a new tactical espionage game with Physint. Undertale is gradually getting a sequel with Deltarune, Rocket League and Rainbow Six Siege are alive and well, Until Dawn’s just got a remake and has a movie on the way, but Batman fans hoping for a conventional Arkham game haven’t gotten much love since Arkham Knight. This week’s show is Max Scoville, Jada Griffin, Akeem Lawanson, Brian Altano, and is produced by Nick Maillet. Join our Facebook group at - facebook.com/groups/podcastbeyond/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s the holidays, which means spending time with loved ones, and probably getting into an argument with them too. So, we’re deciding on Beyond’s Top 10 PlayStation Games Ever, but we’re doing it in a stupid, convoluted way that will result in a list that no one, including us, agrees with entirely. Spoiler alert: this was an excuse to talk about some games we love for an hour. Hopefully we name at least one game you like, but if you don’t, don’t worry, it’s all made up and nothing we decide is legally binding or official in any capacity. We had fun making this episode, we hope you enjoy watching it! Happy holidays from all of us to all of you! This week’s show is Max Scoville, Jada Griffin, Akeem Lawanson, Brian Altano, and is produced by Nick Maillet. Join our Facebook group at - facebook.com/groups/podcastbeyond/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We sure do have a lot more games to look forward to than we did a week ago, huh? The Game Awards had quite a few big reveals, especially for PlayStation fans thanks to Naughty Dog finally letting the equally poorly behaved cat out of the bag and showing off Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, the first brand new IP since The Last of Us. Considering it’s been well over a decade since that was unveiled, it’s something to be excited about. A deep-space adventure set on distant planets is arguably more uncharted territory than the actual Uncharted games, which is awesome, plus it combines bubble-era anime and early 80s synthpop. Other major reveals include The Witcher 4, Team Ico mastermind Fumeto Ueda’s Project Robot, the Like a Dragon Team’s Project Century, and FromSoft’s multiplayer survival-centric spin on Elden Ring, Nightreign. As for our very own awards, we have the winner of IGN’s best PlayStation game of 2024, which probably won’t come as much of a surprise, and the winners of our very own Beyondcé awards. Finally, Jada shares her PlayStation wrapped stats, and odds are, she played more video games than you. This week’s show is Max Scoville, Jada Griffin, Akeem Lawanson, Brian Altano, and is produced by Nick Maillet. Join our Facebook group at - facebook.com/groups/podcastbeyond/ #GOTYwatch Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Some of the last big games of 2024 have finally dropped, including the open-world dress-up game Infinity Nikki, which is currently a PS5 console exclusive, and Indiana Jones and The Great Circle, which is currently Xbox console-exclusive, but which will be hitting PS5 next year. Both of these games are great in their own ways, and they’re each doing some new things that make them fun in ways we weren't expecting. Skydance’s Behemoth is also out for PSVR2, which promises Shadow of The Colossus-like monster fights. Meanwhile, Aliens: Dark Descent isn’t new, but it’s new to PlayStation Plus this month, and it’s an extremely nerve-racking survival horror spin on real-time strategy, and finally Entropy Survivors takes the Vampire Survivors formula but gives it a considerable visual bump, plus some cool physics-based power ups, plus a frog with a mech, which is pretty neat. This week’s show is Max Scoville, Jada Griffin, Brian Altano, and is produced by Nick Maillet. Join our Facebook group at - facebook.com/groups/podcastbeyond/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Between Nintendo Switch’s impending successor, Valve’s Steam Deck and its ilk, and Phil Spencer casually announcing an Xbox handheld is in development, portable gaming is in the midst of a revival. If recent rumors are to be believed, Sony will soon be following suit. So, what can be learned not just from the success of current handheld devices, but also Sony’s previous ventures into the pocket-sized gaming space? The PlayStation Portable and PS Vita were both wonderful devices, but a variety of factors kept them from achieving the same success as Nintendo’s handhelds. Speaking of last-gen Sony, the PS5 has gotten some 30th anniversary themes, which allow the startup and system noises to be changed, but sadly, it’s just for a limited time. Will we see more themes for the PS5 menu anytime soon? It’s award season, so we’ve got some categories to announce for our own very special award show, The Beyondcés, and Jada’s got her work cut out for her with a mountain of games to Platinum before the year is through. This week’s show is Max Scoville, Jada Griffin, Akeem Lawanson, Brian Altano, and is produced by Nick Maillet. Join our Facebook group at - facebook.com/groups/podcastbeyond/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Have you ever been asked by your family during the holidays what a Kingdom Hearts is or why Solid Snake is in fact, not a snake? This week we answer those questions and many more in this very special holiday episode of Podcast Beyond. We also talk about why younger gamers aren't familiar with Metal Gear Solid anymore, why Brian is glad he bought a bad Unicorn video game, Max's emails to his mom about his job and Kojima, and Jada's thoughts on this year in RPG's. This week’s show is Max Scoville, Jada Griffin, Brian Altano, and is produced by Nick Maillet. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Following the announcement of The Game Awards 2024 nominees for overall game of the year, the big debate right now is should Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree expansion be eligible? Yes, it’s great, but Elden Ring won this award in 2022, and not only is Erdtree not playable without the base game, it requires a substantial amount of amount of legwork (and a big of eggwork) to even access. Aside from that there’s other Elden Ring rumblings, with talk about Sony acquiring FromSoftware’s parent company Kadokawa. Meanwhile, Capcom reports Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess underperformed due to lack of buzz, and Square Enix promises not to half-ass the Highwind airship in part 3 of Final Fantasy 7 Remake, whatever they decide to call it. We also got to play some upcoming games: Max previewed Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita’s Rewind (which is from the team behind the recently-released Tetris Forever, which we also discuss) and Jada checked out Dynasty Warriors Origins. This week’s show is Max Scoville, Jada Griffin, Akeem Lawanson, Brian Altano, and is produced by Nick Maillet. Check out our facebook group at - facebook.com/groups/podcastbeyond/ 00:00 - Intro 01:21 - Final Fantasy 7 Remake Pt 3 Info 12:15 - Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess Underperformed 14:09 - FromSoftware’s parent company Kadokawa acquisition rublings 29:09 - Max previewed Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita’s Rewind 43:59 - Jada checked out Dynasty Warriors Origins 55:10 - Should DLC Be Game of the Year Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a recent investor call, Sony’s finance and IR chief Sadahiko Hayakawa announced that we should expect a major first party single-player game release at least once a year from the 2025 fiscal year onward, which is awesome news! However, aside form Ghost of Yotei, Death Stranding 2: On The Beach and Insomniac and Marvel’s Wolverine, that leaves lots of room for speculation about which of PlayStation’s numerous game studios will make an announcement next. There have been rumors and possibly in-game clues that Naughty Dog’s next project may be in the realm of fantasy, and things have been quiet over there since The Last of Us: Part I. Even quieter has been Bend Studio, whose last project was Days Gone, and quite a few days have gone by since that was released. Meanwhile, there’s also Santa Monica Studio, Housemarque, and Media Molecule, just to name a few. In other news, Sony patents a rewind button which probably sounds a lot cooler than it is, Akeem is getting weird in PSVR, and Jada reviewed LEGO Horizon Adventures, which sounds just fine. This week’s show is Max Scoville, Jada Griffin, Akeem Lawanson, Brian Altano, and is produced by Nick Maillet. Check out our facebook group at - facebook.com/groups/podcastbeyond/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The PlayStation 5 Pro has finally arrived (or arrives very shortly) and we’ve got IGN’s reviewer Michael Higham joining us to break down how much of an improvement this mid-gen hardware refresh actually is, from enhanced performance modes to PSSR upscaling, Sony has definitely released a powerful machine, but it might not be enough of a leap to justify its pricetag. In other news, Wolverine’s creative director has left to oversee Perfect Dark instead, and Ratchet & Clank Rift Apart’s game director and creative director are taking over the much-anticipated gamification of everyone’s favorite adamantium-plated Canadian. In lieu of any concrete information about Wolverine, we have a list of outlandish demands of features the game should include, as well as some beloved Marvel characters Beyond community suggested. Monster Hunter Wilds is shaping up to be a behemoth of a game, and Jada shared some of what got her the most excited during her time with the beta this weekend. This week’s show is Max Scoville, Jada Griffin, Michael Higham, and is produced by Nick Maillet. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Call of Duty is here and we’re enjoying it! In fact IGN gave it great scores across the board so far with a 9 on the Campaign where you get to take pictures of Bill Clinton, and an 8 for the Multiplayer which feels pretty fun this year, Zombies hasn’t been scored yet but we talk about it a lot because Jada is having a great time with it full of Zombie raves, Bowling parties and other zany easter eggs that have been hidden in it. Jada also does her best to explain her early thoughts on Dragon Age: The Veilguard and the lore behind it, and Nick Maillet steps in front of the camera to discuss his review of Life is Strange: Double Exposure which he also gave a 9! We also discuss the shutdown of Firewalk Studios and Neon Koi by Sony and the removal of the Resume Activity button on PS5. So Join Max, Jada, Akeem, and Nick as we dive into yet another week of excellent game releases. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s true! The remake of the 2011 game heaps on a ton of new content that makes it one of Jada’s favorite entries in the series to date, as indicated by her 9 out of 10 review score. How can SEGA and Team Sonic keep this momentum going with future games? Meanwhile, Insomniac is hard at work at something, but that something isn’t story DLC for Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, and maybe that’s okay? At the very least, the wallcrawler’s last PS5 outing is coming to PC as well. Jada got hands on with LEGO Horizon Adventures, and says it’s more of a Horizon game than a LEGO game, Max is nuts for Squirrel With a Gun, Brian makes some noise about A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead, and Akeem is cutting through the fog in Silent Hill with his newly unlocked chainsaw. This week’s show is Max Scoville, Jada Griffin, Akeem Lawanson, Brian Altano, and is produced by Nick Maillet. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tis the season… No, the OTHER season. That’s right, it’s that time of year when everything is covered with bats and skeletons and fake cobwebs and other macabre and ghoulish decor. So, we took the opportunity to reach out to our listeners and have them share the stuff in video games that’s terrified, creeped out, haunted, startled, or otherwise scared the crap out of them. It’s an excuse to talk about some of our favorite games, from tried and true survival horror franchises like Silent Hill, Resident Evil, and Dead Space, to older favorites like Condemned: Criminal Origins, Cold Fear and Alien: Isolation, to games that we don’t think of primarily as horror, but which definitely have one foot in there, like Bloodborne (of course) and BioShock. What game has scared you the most? Share your video game scary stories in the comments. This week’s show is Max Scoville, Jada Griffin, Akeem Lawanson, Brian Altano, and is produced by Nick Maillet.  Opera GX: IGN Edition brings the Internet’s number one destination for news, reviews, gameplay, trailers and more, into your browser: https://operagx.gg/IGN_Article Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wow! That episode title uses a lot of words to list just three games, but those three games are all some of this year’s most anticipated releases. We’ve all gotten to delve into Silent Hill 2’s long-awaited remake courtesy of Layers of Fear studio Bloober Team, Persona and Shin Megami Tensei developers ATLUS’ brand new JPRG, Metaphor Re:Fantazio, and Dragon Ball Sparking! Zero, which is basically the 4th entry in the Budokai Tenkaichi series that fans have been asking for since 2005. Video games! You couldn’t find a more drastically different bunch of games, but they all have a whole lot to offer, whether you want to have the crap scared out of you, make the protagonist take a crap, or hear Chi-Chi talking crap about Super Saiyan hair. This week’s show is Max Scoville, Jada Griffin, and Akeem Lawanson. Opera GX: IGN Edition brings the Internet’s number one destination for news, reviews, gameplay, trailers and more, into your browser: https://operagx.gg/IGN_Article opera.com Opera GX | Gaming Browser Opera GX is the browser built specifically for gamers. Get unparalleled gaming and browsing features, packed in a powerful revolutionary browser. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The limited edition 30th Anniversary PlayStation 5 hardware that was announced last week went up for pre-order, and statistically speaking, you probably weren’t able to get one. On top of maybe TOO limited quantities of the very cool retro-style versions of the PlayStation 5, PS5 Pro, PlayStation portal and both DualSense and DualSense Edge, the whole online pre-order system turned out to be something of a disaster. People waiting in queues for an hour or more, just to be told everything was out of stock. Or worse, being able to add stuff to their card, but blocked from purchase by technical problems. Considering how much of a mess the launch of this generation was thanks to scalpers, you’d think Sony would’ve handled this better. Actually they did, but only in Japan, where pre-orders of the highly sought-after special editions were limited to PSN account holders with more than 30 hours logged playing games, which presumably helped make things a bit more orderly. We also scratch our heads about the pricing of Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered, which is only ten bucks for people who own the game on PS4, which mysteriously doubled in price overnight on the PlayStation Store. And like, we get it, but also: c’mon. In other news, Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ delay into next year puts in a literal Samurai Shodown with Ghost of Yotei, and that probably isn’t great for either game. We also reflect on how it’s going to be difficult to narrow down what this year’s game of the year will be. Despite a handful of really good games, there don’t seem to be any clear crowd-pleaser standouts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The latest PlayStation State of Play happened, and the Beyond crew broke down the biggest PS5 news and trailers from the event. There were various PlayStation 5 titles revealed, the biggest one showcased was Ghost of Yotei, which takes place in 1603 and is releasing in 2025. PlayStation is releasing various remasters, like Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 and 2 Remastered, Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered and Lunar Remastered Collection. Sega is apparently bringing back the whole movie tie-in trope with a special DLC coming to Sonic X Shadow Generations coming in the form of Keanu Reeves voicing Shadow, a special level and movie-accurate skin, which will be included in the digital deluxe edition. And more games were shown off on the #PS5Pro, including FF7 Rebirth, Horizon Forbidden West, The Last of Us Remastered, Jedi Survivor, Spider-Man 2, The Crew, Stellar Blade, Assassins Creed Snake Eater, Resident Evil Village, and many more. Listen in or watch as Akeem Lawanson, Brian Altano, Jada Griffin, and Nicolas Limon discuss all these and more in a very special #PlayStation State of Play #PS5 episode of BEYOND! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Now that the dust has settled on the PlayStation 5 Pro’s underwhelming reveal and overwhelming price tag, let’s actually discuss what it would take to get us seriously interested. Sure, Grand Theft Auto 6 at 4K 60FPS would be nice, but is it realistic? Will Rockstar save that for the inevitable PS6 version? We read some of the Beyond community’s thoughts on the matter. Speaking of PlayStation 6, we know basically nothing about the next generation of consoles, other than there will be one, and that it’ll feature an AMD chip, after Sony’s deal with Intel allegedly fell through. This would suggest backward compatibility, which is a blessing and a curse, considering the PS5 is still getting a lot of cross-gen games that also come to PS4. Meanwhile, they don’t make fall/holiday video game release lineups like they used to, and we wax nostalgic about a graphic showing all the amazing games that hit PlayStation 2 back in 2001… And maybe their timed exclusivity had more to do with the PS2 hitting the market a year before Xbox and GameCube than anything Sony was doing. Finally, Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster rises from its grave looking better than the last time we saw it, but showing its age in other ways. Beyond is Max Scoville, Brian Altano, Jada Griffin and Akeem Lawanson. Check out our facebook group at - https://www.facebook.com/groups/podcastbeyond/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After months of leaks and rumors, Sony finally revealed the PlayStation 5’s mid-gen refresh, the PS5 Pro. The 8-minute technical presentation from Mark Cerny spent its first three minutes singing the base PS5’s praises, and then highlighted the “big three” improvements the new model boastsl: a larger GPU, advanced ray tracing, and AI-driven upscaling. This new tech was showcased in a montage of side-by-side comparisons featuring some of the PS5’s most popular games, and while there’s some subtle but noticeable difference seeing how these games look running on new tech, nothing really blew us away… at least, until the price was announced. The PS5 Pro launches November 7th with an MSRP of $699 in the US, €799 in Europe. Bear in mind, the stand and the disc drive are sold separately, and the base PS5 isn’t getting any price cut that we’re aware of, which is usually what happens to consoles mid-generation. So many of the PS5’s games so far have been backwards compatible that it’s hard to justify a new console to begin with, let alone a more powerful one. We’re all riding high on Astro Bot, and while that game is gorgeous and technically impressive, at no point did it seem like more powerful hardware would improve the experience. As for what upcoming games can truly take advantage of the PS5 Pro, that remains to be seen. Grand Theft Auto 6 is obviously a big huge deal in 2025, and it’ll undoubtedly sell some PS5 Pros, but aside from Insomniac’s Wolverine game, so much of Sony’s first party lineup is still under wraps, which makes it hard to get excited about this thing, let alone justify spending money on it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Astro Bot is finally here, and surprise! It’s awesome! Simon Cardy joins us to discuss his review of Team Asobi’s full-sized follow-up to Astro’s Playroom, which is a rock-solid 3D platformer jam-packed with references, easter eggs and playful nods to thirty years of PlayStation history. We do our best to avoid spoiling any of the fun surprises, but really, it’s impossible to spoil the best part of this game, which is just the unadulterated joy of playing it for yourself. Anyway, if that was all that was going on, it’d be a good week for Sony, but we just got word that Concord had such an underwhelming launch that Sony is pulling the plug indefinitely, taking the game offline, and offering full refunds to the people who did actually buy it. This is part of the ongoing issue across the industry of live-service games not being able to sustain themselves. What’s next for Concord, a free-to-play relaunch, or is it just gone for good? We’ll have to wait and see. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re back to our normally scheduled Beyond program, and would you look at that! A few massive games came out for us to talk about. Star Wars Outlaws is full of high highs and low lows, and as much as we were hoping this would be Watch Dogs with Womp Rats or “Assassin’s Greedo,” its game design cherry picks mechanics from the Ubisoft’s stealthy open-world action adventure formula in odd ways. Still, zipping around that galaxy far, far away on a souped-up speeder bike with your alien Muppet sidekick is awesome when it clicks. Meanwhile, Mitchell reviewed Black Myth Wukong and thought it was great out of ten, but anyone thinking it’s a soulslike may want to adjust their expectations. Meanwhile, Concord may have launched with more of a bang than whimper, but Jada’s having a blast, which has us questioning the future of Sony’s latest live-service that’s been long in development. Oh yeah, and there’s some news too: the PS5 and a variety of accessories get a price hike in Japan, the Dualsense Edge now works on PC with the Accessories app, LEGO Horizon’s release date may have leaked, and Foamstars goes free-to-play. This week’s episode features Max Scoville, Brian Altano, Jada Griffin and Mitchell Saltzman Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Beyond and hello! Welcome to a very special gamescom edition of IGN’s weekly PlayStation show. This week, a whole bunch of the IGN team is in Germany covering the show, including Max, Brian, and our producer Nick, so putting together a regular Beyond episode was a little tricky. Instead, we’ve pulled together a bunch of our interviews about upcoming PlayStation games. We kick things off with Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, which we just learned is coming to PS5 next year. Then, Mouse: P.I. for Hire, which is sort of like if Cuphead was a first-person shooter about a rodent detective. To cap things off, we’ve got a trio of upcoming games based on some of our favorite movies that take place on barren, sandy desert planets: Starship Troopers: Extermination, Dune Awakening, and Star Wars Outlaws. We’ll be back with a normal episode next week, but we hope you enjoy some of what the team produced at Gamescom. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, it was announced that Stellar Blade sold a million copies, which has us optimistic we’ll see a sequel to ShiftUp’s much-discussed hack and slash. Something we definitely won’t be seeing is a PlayStation presence at gamescom 2024, which definitely doesn’t have us feeling particularly optimistic about Concord, the multiplayer FPS that Sony’s publishing that same week. A massive video game event with hundreds of thousands of attendees sure seems like a good spot to demo a brand new live-service game, but hey, what do we know? Helldivers 2 launched just fine without. Then again, is it fair to compare Helldivers 2 and Concord? They’re both Sony-published multiplayer live-service games that are hitting PS5 and PC day and date, but they’re clearly very different. One is a shameless knockoff slash heartfelt love-letter to Starship Troopers, a 27-year-old cult classic, that has a very clear idea of what kind of video game it is, while the other seems to be equal parts Guardians of the Galaxy and Overwatch, but combined in a way that’s ambitiously blending an ongoing narrative with multiplayer live-service. In other news, after all our grousing and moaning during the Ubisoft Forward post-show about Ubisoft’s failure to acknowledge Beyond Good & Evil in any way… they just released a 20th Anniversary 4K remaster of the game, with a bunch of bonus content and quality of life improvements. Why wasn’t this announced during that week when everybody was making big announcements? We don’t know. But here’s what we do know: Elden Ring is a good video game, so we’re gonna talk about that, and if you’re avoiding Shadow of the Erdtree spoilers, don’t worry, you’re probably farther along than most of us. Which is your favorite farming spot, Ball Hill or Bird Cliff? Sound off in the comments. This week’s Beyond is Max Scoville, Jada Griffin and one-man band/producer/panelist, Tom Jorgensen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we’re joined by the wonderful Jared Petty, formerly of IGN, currently of Limited Run Games, to talk about (among other things) Tomba! Special Edition. Who is this pink-haired feral child, and why is he biting all those pigs? We had questions, and Jared had some answers. Plus, Jada ventured into No Man’s Sky in VR and was very impressed, further highlighting just how much Hello Games managed to transform that game since it launched way back when. On a more serious note, we got word that Meta has shut down Ready At Dawn, the studio responsible for some beloved PlayStation games, including the ambitious and underrated The Order 1886, as well as some PSP bangers like God of War: Chains of Olympus and Daxter. Meanwhile, Bungie had a massive round of layoffs amid restructuring, which has us discussing the unrealistic expectations and unsustainable business models of the games industry. On the bright side, Krafton, publisher of PUBG and The Callisto Protocol, has scooped up Tango Gameworks, along with the Hi-Fi Rush rights, so maybe we haven’t seen the last of that rhythm-based hack-and-slash. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Jada makes her return to the hosting chair along with Taylor Lyles, Cam “Final Mix” Hawkins, and Kevin Diaz to talk about the biggest games coming out of China Joy 2024 and Sony’s China Hero Project. Ganes like Lost Soul Aside, Exiledge, AI Limit and many more that are building momentum as we get closer to their releases. We also talk about other games that showed up at China Joy 2024 not directly from Sony with new teasers and trailers including Monster Hunter Wilds, Dynasty Warriors: Origins, and Phantom Blade Zero. There was also a new teaser for Season 2 of The Last of Us tv series on Max, to discuss and theorize who Catherine O’Hara will be playing and what storylines could be expanded on beyond what we got in the games. And oh yeah Astrobot and his controller are almost here so we had to talk at least a little bit about one of our favorite up-and-coming mascots of PlayStation. We also acknowledge the PSVR2 PC adapter and hope that will help entice more people to play and make more things that are PSVR2 compatible. There is also a new segment called Out This Week highlighting all the games coming out this week that we are excited for like Twin-Stick shooter Cygni: All Guns Blazing, Volgarr the Viking 2, Steamworld Heist 2, and of course Cat’s Quest 3 where you can take over the Purribean, I’m not sure if that's a tagline for the game but either way that's the pun I’m going with in this description for it. Finally, we do a lightning round of what we’ve been playing recently. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we’ve got plenty to talk about. Jada just reviewed Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn, the open-world souls-like action RPG from the studio behind Ashen. She breaks down the combat, both ranged and melee, as well as traversal, how the world is laid out, and the novel approach of earning bonus experience by chaining together combos. We also delve into bosses, as well as what’s up with that little rat dog. Concord had its first Beta this weekend, and we discuss our early impressions of Firewalk’s relatively budget-priced but still pay-to-play live-service shooter. Will it have the same success as Helldivers 2, or attract disgruntled Apex Legends and Overwatch players? We’ll have to wait and see. Jada also spoke to Neil Jones the developer of, Aerial_Knight’s Never Yield, about the upcoming indie narrative runner. We also have time to weigh in on other stuff we’ve been playing, including Chants of Sennaar, Final Fantasy XIV Dawntrail, Alaskan Road Truckers, and yes, Elden Ring’s expansion, Shadow of the Erdtree. Have you heard of it? This week’s panel is Max Scoville, Jada Griffin and Brian Altano with special guest Neil Jones.  Presented by Wendy’s Saucy Nuggs 00:00:00 - Intro 00:01:17 - Concord First Impressions 00:14:35 - Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn Impressions 00:32:17 - Wendy's Saucy Nuggs Featuring Unnecessary Inventions 00:33:37 - Aerial_Knight's We Never Yield Interview with Neil Jones 00:50:56 - Brian likes Elden Ring 01:04:04 - Chants of Sennaar, Final Fantasy XIV Dawntrail, Alaskan Road Truckers Discussion Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree DLC is one of the more expansive expansions in recent memory, which has just pondering what exactly the sweet spot is for add-ons to games we love. Is waiting two years for a $40 expansion to a $70 game better than waiting five or six years for a full sequel? Regularly updated live-service games like Destiny 2 and Final Fantasy XIV have no trouble keeping existing players interested, but how do you attract new players when a game’s been going for over a decade? Grand Theft Auto: Vice City was nearly an expansion for GTA III before Rockstar made it a standalone release, and we got some wonderful expansions to Grand Theft Auto IV with The Lost & The Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony, and then GTAV’s story DLC was allegedly scrapped to focus on the more granular and lucrative updates added to GTA Online. Meanwhile, plenty more great games got their start as DLC, like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Halo 3: ODST and Hollow Knight: Silk Song… Though that last one is still MIA. In other PlayStation-adjacent news, Astro’s Playroom has been getting some free sneaky little updates ahead of the release of Astro Bot, including some indication that someone working at Sony actually remembers that Bloodborne exists and that people love it. The Shapes is a new line of collector-grade action figures from Spin Master, featuring some familiar faces from God of War, Ghost of Tsushima, and Horizon Forbidden West. We got a couple little updates on the Watch Dogs movie we forgot was in the works, as well as the Metal Gear Solid movie that’s been in the works for almost 20 years. This week’s episode features Max Scoville, Jada Griffin and Matt Kim. Presented by Wendy’s Saucy Nuggs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Capcom had a few surprises for us with this week’s Next showcase, including the full reveal of Dead Rising: Deluxe Remaster, the second time the 2006 survival-action-horror game has gotten a fresh coat of paint. Apparently a deluxe remaster is a little more involved that your run-of-the-mill HD upscale, but not quite on the same level of a remake, like Capcom’s recent Resident Evil do-overs. Whatever the case, it looks great, and we’ll happily jump back into Frank West’s shoes for some zombie mayhem when the Deluxe Remaster drops in September, and for anyone not excited about the news, rest assured Resident Evil 9 IS in development, so chill out. Aside from re-visiting the familiar to varying degrees, Capcom is also showing it’s not afraid to try something new, as demonstrated by Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess, an interesting hybrid of tower defense, real-time strategy and escort mission that’s surprisingly hard to explain, which is somewhat unusual in this day and age of established game genres checking boxes of what kind of mechanics they involve. Kunitsu-Gami drops in a few weeks, and while July isn’t particularly packed with big releases, it does have some coming up, like Final Fantasy XVI’s Dawntrail expansion, First Descendant, Zenless Zone Zero, Flintlock: Siege of Dawn, College Football 25, and Arranger: A Role-Puzzling Game. This week, Beyond is Max Scoville, Jada Griffin and Logan Plant. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Arise, once again, Tarnished! FromSoftware’s long-awaited DLC expansion to Elden Ring, Shadow of the Erdtree is almost upon us and Mitchell Saltzman joins us to give his spoiler-free thoughts on why it’s yet another 10 out of 10 review score for IGN. Obviously, FromSoft games are challenging from the jump, but it should be no surprise that an expansion for people who know their way around The Lands Between packs a punch for even the highest level players. Plus, we run down a couple games from the various Summer events that caught our eye, including Kunitsi-Gami: Path of the Goddess, which takes a novel approach to tower defense with an aesthetic somewhat reminiscent of Okami, as well as Starship Troopers: Extermination, which takes a more conventional approach to tower-defense, but with 16-player co-op in first-person, which should be more than enough to set it apart from Helldivers 2. Mixtape looks like a gorgeous whimsical indie adventure to let us relive our mischievous teenage glory days to the tune of a great soundtrack, and Metal Gear Solid 3 Delta Triangle Remake Eater has a gross mechanic that sounds like something Kojima would’ve dreamed up. This week’s Beyond is Max Scoville, Jada Griffin and Mitchell Saltzman. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to another very special episode of IGN's weekly PlayStation show. Today we’re taking a look back at our past coverage of Horizon Forbidden West, including a review discussion plus a spoiler-filled breakdown with some of the developers from Guerrilla Games. So, if you haven’t finished the game, this might ruin the ending, and if you haven’t played the game at all, it probably won’t make any sense. You have been warned! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This year’s Ubisoft Forward didn’t have much in the way of surprises, but it did have a ton of gameplay of two games that we’ll actually get to play in just a few months, Star Wars Outlaws and Assassin’s Creed Shadows. Outlaws in particular looks like a game we’ve been waiting our whole lives for, an open-world sandbox that lets us explore the grimiest corners of the most wretched hives of scum and villainy. It’s a premise we almost got in Star Wars 1313 and Amy Hennig and Visceral’s Project Ragtag, but both those got canceled. Unlike some past Ubisoft gameplay demonstrations, what we’ve seen of Outlaws seems like it’ll actually be representative of the game that’s coming out in August, so here’s hoping it delivers. Meanwhile, another much-demanded project is Assassin’s Creed Shadows, which takes Ubi’s flagship stealth adventure series to Japan, and in addition to the awesome setting, it looks like it’s introducing a number of ambitious gameplay systems and mechanics. We got a few updates on what’s coming soon to this year’s Prince of Persia games, The Lost Crown and The Rogue Prince of Persia, but we also got the somewhat underwhelming announcement that the remake of The Sands of Time, which was originally slated for 2021, won’t be out until 2026 - is that the first big game with a release date that far off? Beyond Good and Evil 2 was nowhere to be seen, which is unsurprising but still disappointing, and sadly, we got no updates on what’s going on with Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell remake/reboot, or the Ghost Recon series. Oh, and there was no Far Cry, but we hope the next one has dinosaurs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join us for "Beyond Battle Royale: Clash of PlayStation Titans," at IGN Live, where we dive into an epic debate to determine the ultimate PlayStation character. Hosted by Max Scoville, this special edition of Beyond brings together Max, Brian Altano, Jada Griffin, Akeem Lawanson, and you, the fans, to help the Beyond squad decide once and for all who reigns supreme in the PlayStation universe. Watch as characters like Kratos, Aloy, and Nathan Drake are pitted against each other in a showdown. Let’s crown the king or queen of the PlayStation All-Stars! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to a very special episode of IGN's weekly PlayStation show. Today we’re taking a look back at our past coverage of Ghost of Tsushima. Today’s discussion is a breakdown of Ghost of Tsushima’s opening moments, which is spoiler-free - but you’re probably going to get more out of it if you’ve played the game - plus, the game rules, so get on that. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After weeks of rumors and speculation and a couple leaks, Sony finally kicked off the summer gaming event season with a State of Play presentation, and while it didn’t exactly feel on par with some of the full-blown Showcases of years past, there was some cool stuff shown off. Join Akeem, Jada, Nick and Daemon as they unpack what was revealed. For starters, we got our first look at Firewalk’s FPS Concord, which is a 5v5 multiplayer FPS that leans heavily on a narrative that unfolds week after week. It’s got plenty of charm, but it’s hard to ignore how much of it resembles a Guardians of the Galaxy-flavored Overwatch-like. Meanwhile, we’re actually getting an officially licensed Marvel-flavored third-person Overwatch-like with Marvel Rivals, which is coming to PlayStation 5, starting with a closed beta in July. Until Dawn is getting a full remake for PS5 and PC this fall, and God of War Ragnarok will also be hitting Steam in September. We got a good look at some other games where you hit big epic monsters with cool weapons in new gameplay from Where Winds Meet, our first glimpse of Ballad of Antara, and Capcom’s first gameplay from Monster Hunter Wilds, which looks like more Monster Hunter in all the right ways. Speaking of monsters and Capcom, Resident Evil was sadly absent, but we got some more Silent Hill 2 Remake gameplay courtesy of Konami and Bloober Team, and it’s shaping up to be here just in time for Halloween. Shockingly, Sony remembered the PlayStation VR 2 exists, and showed off some gameplay from Skydance’s Behemoth, an epic medieval fantasy action game, as well as Alien: Rogue Incursion, an action-horror game from the Creed: Rise to Glory team. Dynasty Warriors Origins will let you shout “Die, you nasty warriors” at a whole lot of dudes with great hair and long flowing robes, while Infinity Nikki will let you run around a big whimsical open world having great hair and wearing long flowing robes. Did you know this is the fifth installment in the Nikki series? Well, it is, and it’s getting a beta on PS5 sometime soon. Now, arguably the reveal that had everyone the most excited was Astro Bot, a brand new full-fledged 3D platformer featuring the little PlayStation mascot who could (and sometimes does) taking the charming formula from the PS5 pack-in Astro’s Playroom, and expanding it across 80 levels, with tons of new enemies and abilities, and probably some great #Sony easter eggs. Astro Bot is coming to #PS5 and the #PlayStation5 owners can rejoice. EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/pobeyond Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hello and welcome to a very special episode of Beyond! Today, we’re taking a look back at some of our past coverage of God of War: Ragnarök. For starters, a spoiler-filled deep-dive on the game with director Eric Williams, followed by some 1-on-1 interviews with the cast, including Kratos himself, Christopher Judge. Spoilers ahead, so if you haven’t played Ragnarök… get on that. Otherwise, enjoy! EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/pobeyond Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s the time of year when Sony usually holds its big Summer Showcase presentation, giving us a look ahead at what’s coming to PlayStation in the coming months. As of this recording, there’s no official word on if or when such a showcase will be happening, but we figured it’s worth running down what we definitely expect to see and what we don’t think will make an appearance. Assuming they’re still slated for 2024 releases, we’re due for a closer look at the Snake Eater remake, Metal Gear Solid Delta, and a release date for Bloober Team’s Silent HIll 2 remake. On the first-party front, an actual reveal of the PVP multiplayer first-person shooter Concord would be nice, and maybe a release window for Death Stranding 2. Will PSVR 2 get any kind of love at all? We’re skeptical. As much as we’d love to see more of Grand Theft Auto 6 or Insomniac’s Wolverine game, or get word of a Bloodborne remaster, those seem extremely unlikely, but hey… we’ve been wrong before. This week’s Beyond cast is Max Scoville, Jada Griffin and Brian Altano. EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/pobeyond Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join us as we explore how Naughty Dog created the terrifying Rat King and revisit an interview with director Neil Druckmann and narrative lead Halley Gross. EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/pobeyond Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Once upon a time, video game consoles were defined by their exclusive game lineups… these days, that seems like less of a sure thing, and with the rising cost of game development, it’s not hard to see why. Between a simultaneous PC release making Helldivers 2 PlayStation’s fastest-selling game ever, to Square-Enix aggressively exploring a multi-platform strategy, to Xbox Game Studios games like Sea of Thieves topping PS5 sales charts, it sure looks like more publishers are ditching the idea of keeping their games on just one platform or device. On a semi-related note, back in our day, video game controllers were small enough for little kids to play them, and now they’re too darn big! But really, maybe Nintendo’s on to something by offering teeny-tiny Joycon, but also a Switch Pro Controller. Meanwhile, the DualSense is practically twice the size of the first three generations of DualShock controllers, could there be a market for a smaller controller? Animal Well is, well, a game about animals at the bottom of a well, and that’s all well and good. Little Kitty Big City is the latest adorable indie game that has entirely too much NPC dialogue for its own good, and if you don’t mind reading the Elden Ring manga is easily the funniest interpretation of a FromSoft game this side of Prepare To Try. Podcast Beyond this week is Max Scoville, Brian Altano, Jada Griffin, and Akeem Lawanson. EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/pobeyond Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Helldivers 2 is a hit, and thanks to its simultaneous PlayStation 5 and PC release, and not only is it the best-selling game of 2024, it’s Sony’s 7th most profitable game in dollar sales, just a couple months since it launched. So, what could go wrong? Well, with Arrowhead Studios’ shooter riding high, some powers-that-be at Sony decided to make the announcement that playing Helldivers 2 on Steam would soon require a PlayStation Network account. Unsurprisingly, the community was not happy about this news, and once again mobilized against a common enemy, though this time, it was unfortunately the game’s Steam reviews. Following this backlash, and the revelation that Helldivers 2 was now made unavailable in 177 territories where PSN isn’t supported, Sony reversed its decision. Live-service games are high risk endeavors to begin with, and Helldivers 2 managed to stake its claim to the time and money of gamers amidst some steep competition. Why mess with it? In other news, Elden Ring is still very good, but you might not be as good as you remember, so it might be prudent to get in fighting shape before Shadow of the Erdtree drops in June. The Fallout Prime Video series is probably better if you know some Fallout lore, but it’s not a requirement, and we discuss the pros and cons of an adaptation that’s directly translating an existing story from another medium, like HBO’s The Last of Us, or one that tells a brand new story in an established universe, like Fallout, and potentially the upcoming Death Stranding movie from A24, as well as the Netflix Horizon series. Most importantly, does Ray-Man wear socks? And how does he eat? We had fun this week, we hope you did too. EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/pobeyond Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode, we’re chatting about Sand Land, the open-world (“sandbox”) action RPG based on the late and great Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama’s manga. While it’s got exploration and melee combat and sidequests, at its core Sand Land is all about its vehicles, which are playable and heavily customizable versions of some of Toriyama’s coolest creations. We reflect on the toyetic kitbashed aspect of the game as well as the charm of cel-shading compared to realistic graphics. Plus, Stellar Blade’s new game plus patch and Fallout 4’s next gen update both dropped, the former jam-packed with bonus costumes and added content, the latter with technical hiccups and confusing issues for PlayStation Plus subscribers. A couple other recent games caught our attention, Another Crab’s Treasure, which swaps the grim and gloomy trappings of your usual soulslike for colorful undersea fun, while still maintaining a solid challenge. Then there’s Botany Manor, which feels like a game full of Resident Evil puzzles without any of the horror stuff, and Nour which is a pretty and colorful food toy game thing where you throw snacks around. This week, it’s just Max Scoville and Brian Altano. Congratulations, you have read this whole episode description! EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/pobeyond Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stellar Blade is finally upon us! The verdict? The long-awaited and surprisingly controversial PS5 exclusive from Shift Up solidly delivers on its promise of a visually stunning action game, though it falls short of greatness in a few other areas. IGN’s reviewer Mitchell Saltzman joins us to have a nice spoiler-free chat about what he loved about the game, and what didn’t blow him away. We break down what makes the combat so satisfying, the awesome boss fights, the many collectibles and costumes, but also some of the frustrations, like wonky platforming, convoluted backtracking, and a nothing-burger cast of characters. This week podcast Beyond is Max Scoville, Brian Altano, Jada Griffin and Mitchell Saltzman. EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/pobeyond Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Tales of Kenzera: ZAU creative director, Surgent Studios founder and former assassin Abubakar Salim joins us to discuss his upcoming Metroidvania, and the journey from starring in a video game to developing one. Meanwhile, more PS5 Pro details leak, including its cool codename, “Project Trinity,” continuing the Matrix-esque naming convention started with PSVR’s “Project Morpheus.” Video game monsters are rarely rooted in practical effects, but Stellar Blade’s Naytibas began as clay sculptures from Hee-Cheol Jang, whose previous work includes Bong Joon Ho’s creature features The Host and Okja. Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth sales aren’t anywhere near its predecessor’s, which isn’t that surprising when you dig into the different circumstances they released under. If demo downloads are any indication of sales, Stellar Blade should do well, Ratchet & Clank’s Bouncer weapon has been added to the 2016 game in honor of its 8th anniversary. Finally, some cool games are hitting PS+ this month, including Dave The Diver, Animal Well, Nour and Misma Chronicles. Podcast Beyond is Max Scoville, Brian Altano, Jada Griffin and this week features special guests Abubakar Salim and Max’s disruptive epoxy-stealing toddler. EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/pobeyond Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We just got a brand new trailer for Star Wars Outlaws, Ubisoft’s open-world action adventure set in the beloved galaxy far, far away. Specifically, it’s set in the grimy criminal underworld between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, hitting some similar beats to 1996’s beloved (but no longer canon) Shadows of The Empire. As much as we’d love revolutionary leaps and bounds in game design, we’re totally fine if this is one of Ubisoft’s patented “climb the tower, clear the outpost” Assassin’s Creed Far Cry Watch Dogs-likes, since the subject matter does a lot of heavy lifting. In other news, Bloodborne Kart is now Nightmare Kart and it’s out at the end of next month (but only on PC) and the most-played PlayStation games of 2023 were mostly from a few years earlier, people just kept playing them. Helldivers 2 gets yet another war bond this week, Democratic Detonation, just in time for those no-good Automatons striking back with a vengeance. This week, Beyond is Max Scoville, Jada Griffin, Brian Altano and Matt Kim. We had fun, we hope you did too. EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/pobeyond Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We would love Sony to make a successor to the PlayStation Portable and PS Vita, but does it make sense? On the one hand, portable consoles are all the rage, between Nintendo Switch’s record-breaking success and a Switch 2 (or whatever it’s called) waiting in the wings, Valve’s surprise entry into the gaming hardware race with the Steam Deck and now, Xbox head Phil Spencer talking about how he’d love a dedicated way to take Xbox on the go. So, there’s demand for new dedicated portable PlayStation device, but there’s also a lot of competition. Does it make sense for Sony to hop on the bandwagon, or rest on the PS5’s laurels and stick to home consoles, plus the occasional weirdo accessory. The PlayStation Portal was sort of portable, and it was technically a PSP, was Sony testing the waters? Hmm. In other news, a new feature in the PS App is being beta-tested that would let you take in-game lore on the go, letting you access stuff like journal entries, character databases, and that sort of thing through your phone or mobile device. Not something we were demanding, but cool nonetheless, and definitely a fun way to supplement games we’re playing when we’re not actually playing them. Helldivers 2 got a patch that adds blizzards, sandstorms, and makes fire hurt more. Stellar Blade’s demo just dropped, and it’s undeniably a good-looking game, but the discourse around its protagonist’s appearance makes it hard to be remotely critical of any other aspects like the story, creature design, mechanics or combat. Still, that won’t stop us from stumbling across this week’s most explosive minefield. In other news, Suicide Squad Kill The Justice League’s first DLC is here, and Jada and Akeem have strong feelings, good and bad, about how it handles DC’s clown prince of crime: Captain Boomerang. Just kidding, it’s about… The Joker. Ha Ha Ha Why So Serious? Hey if you read all this, thanks for sticking around. How do you feel about little neckties? EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/pobeyond Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we’re eatin’ good! Two massive sprawling open-world action RPGs just dropped, Dragon’s Dogma II and Rise of the Ronin but… which one is worth your time? Join Brian Altano, Jada Griffin and Mitchell Saltzman as they compare and contrast Capcom and Koei Tecmo’s latest contributions to the run-around-and-fight-stuff genre. Ultimately, both games are packed with tons of great gameplay, mechanics, systems, features, moments, all that good stuff you’d expect from an open-world game, but they both offer dramatically different experiences, so it’s really just a matter of taste. Meanwhile, Jada checked out a bunch of cool games at the annual Game Developers Conference in San Francisco last week, including Tales of Kenzara: Zau, Hyper Light Breaker, Little Kitty Big City, Luna Abyss, The Sinking City 2, Dungeons of Hinterburg, Angerfoot, and South Park Snow Day, and she also got to try out some unconventional means of interacting with games at the ALT.CTRL.GDC exhibit, which showcases unusual game controllers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There’s plenty to talk about this week! The leaked PlayStation 5 Pro specs have Max and Brian speculating about who exactly needs a mid-century modern mid-generation refresh, aside from people who want the best possible console experience for Grand Theft Auto 6. Mostly, though, the thing we’re most excited to talk about is Dragon’s Dogma 2. Reviews are out, and the consensus is this new chapter improves upon what made the first game great, but what does that mean for people who didn’t play the original when it came out in 2012? Capcom’s long-awaited sequel to the cult-classic action RPG might have a lot in common with FromSoftware’s Dark Souls and Elden Ring games, but the moment-to-moment gameplay is extremely different, largely in part to more more of an emphasis on unpredictable emergent moments, chaotic battles, and wacky antics thanks to the unique pawn system. Meanwhile, Brian played through Alone In The Dark, the reimagining of the survival-horror classic, and while it falls short of the experience provided by Capcom’s excellent Resident Evil remakes, it’s still a good time for anyone who prefers puzzle solving in a spooky house to just shooting monsters in the head. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Helldivers 2 kicks ass. This isn’t news, obviously. You probably know that already and you’re probably one of the millions of players spreading democracy throughout the galaxy at this very moment. That said, WHY is this game such a hit? Join Max Scoville, Brian Altano, Jada Griffin and Akeem Lawanson as they unpack the many charms of Arrowhead’s cooperative bug-zapper bot-blaster hit that seems to be Sony’s secret weapon in the ongoing war of live-service games that seems to dominate the gaming space more and more every year. But, there are other games to talk about! Unicorn Overlord is Vanillaware’s answer to Nintendo’s Fire Emblem for non-tendo players, and it applies the studio’s trademark painterly aesthetic to the turn-based tactical strategy genre that seems to have plenty of Ogre Battle DNA. Speaking of Unicorns, because we were, Brian gives an impromptu review of Unicorn Princess, which probably wasn’t designed with any of us in mind, but that still doesn’t mean children should have to play a game about picking up garbage in order to appease Unica the Unicorn or whatever. Because the uphill battles of adulthood and parenting aren’t enough, Max has been playing Expeditions: A Mudrunner game, which is a game about making clunky old slow trucks drive slowly up little hills so you can look for rocks, and if it sounds tedious, that’s because it is, but in a way that’s oddly soothing and enjoyable. Are you still reading this? Does anybody read these? Do you think the truck game sounds like fun, or would you rather just zap the space bugs and mean robots? It’s nice that we have so many options when it comes to video games. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What’s happening in the video game industry? The BEYOND crew discuss the recent layoffs happening in the games industry, including Sony announcing a significant amount of layoffs hitting PlayStation. The #PlayStation layoffs affected 900 staff members, with Jim Ryan issuing a statement about the situation - but what does it all mean? Max, Brian and Akeem break it all down, plus touching upon the EA Games layoffs that hit 670 workers. This also led to EA sunsetting a few games, and announcing it’ll be moving away from future licensed IP. The BEYOND crew also dive into the updates heading to Insomniac’s Spider-Man 2 on the #PlayStation5 with the addition of New Games Plus content on the #PS5, as well as exploring the rumored PS5 Pro. Not to mention the potential of PSVR2 having PC compatibility - what will it mean for PlayStation in the VR space moving forward? Plus, Respawn’s canceled Star Wars FPS was rumored to be about a Mandalorian bounty hunter, much like Lucasarts’ Star Wars 1313. Sadly, it seems like games about intergalactic bounty hunters have a hard time getting made, even beyond Star Wars: Metroid Prime 4 is in development hell, the original Prey 2 was shelved, and High on Life came out, but not without its share of controversy. Is the genre cursed? All this and more in this episode of BEYOND! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is almost here, and the reviews are in! Michael Higham joins us to discuss his thoughts on the game (which he scored a 9 out of 10, something we totally forgot to mention on the show) and there’s a lot to say about this massive installment in such a beloved series - which we’ll do while steering clear of story spoilers as much as possible. We discuss new additions to combat, like Synergy Abilities, and how the expanded roster shakes up the experience when swapping between Cloud, Tifa, Barrett, Aerith, Yuffie, Red XIII and the rest of the game. Mostly, though, we praise Rebirth for turning us loose in a mostly open-world Gaia that feels leaps and bounds more ambitious than Remake’s Midgar. While there are plenty of fun minigames, they’re not all winners, which is ultimately a minor nitpick - especially considering how much fun Queen’s Blood is - it’s safe to say this is one of the biggest games of the year, and one we’ll be thinking and talking about for quite some time. Podcast beyond is Max Scoville, Nick Limon and Jada Griffin with special guest Michael Higham. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Beyond, we dive deep into the thrilling possibility of Xbox games launching on PlayStation platforms, marking a potential shift in the console wars as we know them. With rumors swirling about Hi-Fi Rush, Pentiment, Sea of Thieves, Starfield, and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle making their way to the PS5, we unpack what this could mean for gamers everywhere. Phil Spencer's recent comments hint at an exciting future for Xbox, and we're here to analyze every detail ahead of the planned business update event. Plus, we discuss the unique case of Bethesda's PS5 exclusives prior to the Xbox acquisition, exploring the implications for future cross-platform releases. We also shine a spotlight on Helldivers 2, delving into the game's 'unspoken' co-op etiquette and what it adds to the gaming experience. Additionally, get our first impressions of Skull & Bones as Travis takes the helm for its review, and join Brian as he navigates the world of Yakuza. Don't miss our preview of Fanfest 2024, where we tease what to expect from the full days of trailers, exclusive reveals, and interviews. It's an episode packed with insights, speculation, and excitement for the future of gaming across consoles. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sony’s second State of Play of 2024 was a feast of details on the next chapter of Square Enix’s Final Fantasy VII revival, not the least of which was the confirmation of the game's demo (which you can download now!) From games at the Gold Saucer, dolphin racing, polygonal recreations of the characters’ PS1 models, and of course, changes to the familiar story of the original, Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth looks to be one of the most exciting games of the year. It’s a good thing it looks like there’s so much to do, because there will be plenty JRPGs that'll be competing for attention in 2024. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The first PlayStation State of Play of 2024 is the topic of discussion in this episode of BEYOND! Akeem, Max, Brian and Jada break down what we saw, from titles like Helldivers 2, Stellar Blade, Sonic x Shadow Generations, Silent Hill: The Short Message, Silent Hill 2 Remake, Judas from the creator of BioShock, Metro Awakening VR for PSVR2, the PSVR 2 title, Legendary Tales, Dragon’s Dogma 2, Rise of the Ronin from Team Ninja, Until Dawn, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, a new action espionage game by Kojima, and so much more in this episode of BEYOND! #PS5 #StateofPlay Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The entire Beyond crew is finally back together again and this time, we talk about Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth and how much of a breath of fresh air it is. As if the year hasn't already gotten off to a good start, we also find that Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is exactly what we're looking for in a quality Metroidvania and we tell you why it's worth diving into. We also dip into more Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League's plans for the future and what exactly is the deal with Dragon's Dogma 2's lack of fast travel. Join Max Scoville, Jada Griffin, Akeem Lawanson, and Brian Altano in this jam packed episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Metal Gear Solid has no shortage of memorable boss fights, but which boss is the best boss of all? Is it The Boss, or is that too obvious? This week, your regularly scheduled PlayStation discussion takes a back seat in favor of something much more esoteric and absurd, so if you’re not a Metal Gear fan, you may want to sit this one out. Join tactical espionage fanboys Max Scoville, Nick Limon and Nick Maillet as they debate this hallowed series’ iconic rogue’s gallery using the newly revamped Face-Offs function on IGN.com. Our esteemed judges will be reaching decisions by weighing a variety of extremely scientific criteria, such as how cool each boss looks, how many weird ways they can be killed, and most importantly, the age-old playground debate of who would beat whom in a fight. From infamous showdowns like Psycho Mantis and Metal Gear Rex to absurd encounters like Fatman and The Pain, this series has plenty of great bad guys, many of whom become recurring characters between games, like Revolver Ocelot, Vamp, and Liquid Snake (in one form or another) so there’s a lot to talk about, and if nothing else, this’ll help Kojima fans pass another hour or so until we get more news on Metal Gear Solid 3 Delta Triangle: Snake Eater, Death Stranding 2, and Overdose.  Check out the Metal Gear Solid boss face-off right here: https://www.ign.com/faceoffs-new/face-off-best-metal-gear-solid-bosses Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

SPOILER WARNING! We absolutely spoil stuff that happens in The Last of Us Parts 1 and 2, so if you haven’t played either of those games… Go do that before watching/listening to this week’s show. Anyway, in addition to fiercely debating the seemingly simple hypothetical question of who’d win in a fight, Leon S. Kennedy from Resident Evil, or Joel Miller from The Last of Us. Speaking of The Last of Us, the HBO series has found Season 2’s Abby Anderson in Kaitlyn Dever, and we also got a faint glimpse of the Gravity Rush movie, plus non-updates on Prime Video’s God of War series and Netflix’s live-action Horizon prequel show. Meanwhile, Sony and Honda showed off some new features of the AFEELA electric vehicle, which can be driven with a DualSense controller. Ya know, on stage at CES 2024 for tech demo purposes, but also later this year when the EV comes to Gran Turismo 7. Speaking of first-party PlayStation studios games, there aren’t man first-party exclusives coming out in 2024 that we’re aware of, but there are still a bunch of huge third-party PS5 console exclusives, and we’re gonna be eating good for the next few months at least. Finally, Jada flexes about the mountain of Platinum Trophies she racked up in the final weeks, days, and hours of 2023. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Happy New Year! In this week’s Beyond, which we pre-recorded two weeks ago, we discuss how there’s a ton of potential for A24 and Kojima Productions’ upcoming Death Stranding live-action feature film adaptation to capture a lot of the game’s best qualities while leaving out some of the stuff that turned people off of playing it. In other news, we take a look back at Sony’s 2023, and discuss what PlayStation did right, and what left us scratching (or shaking) our heads in confusion and dismay. Aside from Insomniac and Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, the most exciting stuff happening on or around PlayStation this year was either third-party, multi-platform, or not a game at all. PlayStation Productions’ big push into movies and TV was a lot more exciting than PlayStation Studios’ offerings, which is especially frustrating when you factor in that Sony basically shipped a new console this year with the PlayStation VR2. It’s a cool high-tech hat, but even its most staunch defenders have to admit that the company that made it isn’t doing much to support it these days (or really at any point this year.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Last of Us Online is officially not happening, according to a disappointing but unsurprising announcement from Naughty Dog. We reflect on how this call is ultimately probably for the best, but still a bummer, and one that is symptomatic of a larger problem in how big and ambitious multiplayer games have become since The Last of Us’ original Factions mode was released. In other news: Insomniac announced that Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is getting some much-requested updates next year and the gang’s all been playing Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora. A Far Cry game reskinned to look like Avatar seemed like the easiest win possible, but it either plays it too safe, or doesn’t get creative enough, depending who you’re asking. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There were a ton of incredible games to play on PlayStation in 2023, so join us as we highlight a few of our favorites from this massive year. In March, Resident Evil 4 Remake was one of the first games of the year we really got excited about, and it’s only gotten more updates since launch. Star Wars Jedi Survivor continued Cal Kestis’ journey and harkened back to some classics Lucasarts adventures while also forging its own path - and unfortunately, battling some rough technical issues at launch. Street Fighter 6 proved that Capcom still knew how to let players have a great time, and Final Fantasy XVI showed that the team behind FF14 could jam just as much epic fantasy into a single player experience. Baldur’s Gate 3 captured the fun of an analog pen-and-paper game of Dungeons & Dragons, and the hearts of both die-hard RPG nerds and first-time adventurers alike. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 was yet another astounding technical feat from the team at Insomniac and Alan Wake 2 is just a flat out amazing example of games as a narrative and artistic medium, while also being fun and scary as hell. Really, this year had so many great games, what was your favorite? Also! Hot on the heels of last week’s GTA 6 trailer leak and subsequent reveal, this week we’ve got some more substantial news to talk about - though it’s not exactly fun. For starters, the ESA has officially pulled the plug on E3, which has been on varying degrees of life support for a while now. It’s not a huge surprise but it’s still a major loss for the games industry. Meanwhile, hackers breached Insomniac Games and allegedly stole a bunch of data, including info on the upcoming Wolverine PS5 game, as well as a bunch of developers’ personal information, which isn’t a very nice thing to do. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You’ve probably heard by now that Grand Theft Auto VI has been revealed, first unofficially (again) and then officially, by way of an incredibly slick trailer courtesy of Rockstar Games. It’s been a decade and change since GTA V was first released, so hype is understandably through the roof, but it’s worth discussing exactly HOW monumental the excitement around this trailer is. In under 24 hours, its views on YouTube alone eclipsed the combined lifetime views of trailers Red Dead Redemption 2, Cyberpunk 2077, and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom - and it’s very possible the reveal trailer for GTA 6 will have gotten more views in a day than GTA 5 got in twelve years. Considering the last game was the fastest-selling entertainment of all time, raking in a billion dollars just a few days after it launched, it’s safe to assume that GTA VI will be a milestone event when it drops in 2025. In a world where Rockstar didn’t have anything to announce this week, The Game Awards would’ve been what everyone was talking about. There’ll still be plenty to see, and hopefully some surprises, but it’s hard to even imagine an announcement that would come close to one-upping a sequel to one of the most popular games ever that’s been under wraps for ten solid years. Anyway, Tom Marks joins us to discuss a game that’ll be playable (well, it already is, mostly) very soon, The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered on PS5 - specifically, the all new roguelike mode, No Return. It doesn’t sound like it’s going to take the roguelike world by storm, but it sounds like a phenomenal way to get a little more mileage out of Naughty Dog’s subtly complex combat system, and maybe unlock a few new shirts for Ellie and Abbie along the way. Finally, we have the winners for last week’s first annual Beyondcé awards. Did Bluey win “Bluest Video Game Character of 2023?” Yes, yes she did. But it was a three way tie with two other blue people/animals. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Beyond, we unpack the long-rumored official reveal of The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered, which might cost a few extra bucks, but seems to actually have more going for it than good looks. The roguelike “No Return” mode looks like a blast for anyone who enjoys the tense brutal combat, while the new guitar free play mode will likely be fun for, well, people who liked playing guitar in the PS4 version. Meanwhile, getting developer commentary on cut content and lost levels is a neat peek behind the curtain, and over on the Spider-Man 2 front, Tony Todd continues to make public statements that may or may not tease what Insomniac has planned. Anyway, the real meat of this episode is our first annual Beyond Game Of The Year Awards That Nobody Else Is Doing, AKA “The Beyondcés” (unless that’s a legal minefield in which case we’re sorry.) Like all awards shows, this is all completely meaningless and made-up, but in this case, especially so - but, it’s an excuse to reflect back on some of the little details from our favorite games of the year, and some general absurdity from 2023’s big wet blue greasy smorgasbord of video games, many of which had sand in them. Like all good awards shows, Baldur’s Gate 3 is nominated for almost every category, but we’re also taking time to celebrate Street Fighter 6 and Mortal Kombat 1 for reasons the fighting game community couldn’t care less about and reflect on whether or not Spider-Man 2’s slime made up for its lackluster puddle graphics last gen? Is Gollum’s hair a liquid? Is grease a liquid? And hey, how about those Star Wars Jedi Survivor chickens? We go into all of this, and more, but we’d love your input as well, dear listener/viewer/reader! Hop on over to our poll and make your voice heard. If our nominations suck, throw some of your own into the proverbial hat and we’ll announce the winners next week. Cast your vote with this legally binding Google Form! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1e-wue5y021mMtugwPedAMBRL5ZyiR_4d3wtD5zf-8z8/viewform?edit_requested=true#responses Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In honor of the PlayStation Portal, the latest addition to Sony’s ever-growing menagerie of bizarre ways to play games, we decided to hold a little tournament to pick the one true best controller. Y’know, from the dozen arbitrarily selected contestants that were randomly pitted against one another in a confusingly designed bracket. How does the DualShock 4 stack up against the original non-DualShock PS1 controller? How does that yogurt covered pretzel-lookin’ PlayStation VR Aim zapper fare against the PlayStation Portal, a brand new device that none of us have physically touched? What about that whackadoo prototype PS3 controller that looked like a banana or a boomerang? We had fun debating all of these things, so hopefully you enjoy listening. This week’s Beyond features Max Scoville, Brian Altano and Jada Griffin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After much discussion of PlayStation Portal, Sony’s dedicated remote play device for PlayStation 5, the reviews are in, and according to IGN’s reviewer Seth Macy, it sounds like a surprisingly well-designed accessory aside from a few odd shortcomings. Seth joins Max Scoville and Jada Griffin to talk about how Sony’s next-gen PSP is a lot more impressive if you think of it as a specialized controller rather than an attempt at a handheld device. Meanwhile, The Game Awards nominees have been announced and the Game of the Year competition is stiff, with Baldur’s Gate 3, Alan Wake 2, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Resident Evil 4 Remake in the running - plus a couple other games that don’t work on PS5. One of these games is not like the other: should remakes be allowed to win GOTY, or should there be a separate category entirely? We discuss. Meanwhile, a lot of people have their issues with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, but Seth and his Beef Lords clan are having a blast with multiplayer, in part thanks to COD’s pivot to basically being M-Rated Fortnite. Do Snoop Dogg, Nicki Minaj, Spawn and Skeletor make sense in a realistic military shooter? Not really, but when’s the last time COD multiplayer was about realism? Finally, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s ESRB rating promises a healthy amount of violence, drinking, swearwords, and “Deep Cleavage,” plus some dialogue that (in conjunction with the announcement of swimming) suggests there might be some bawdy beach party bikini antics. Beyond! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Beyond, there’s plenty to talk about! We’ve got a laundry-list of missing gameplay features in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 that were present in previous games that Insomniac hopefully patches. Okay, maybe stealing The Vulture’s wallet wasn’t a feature. There are rumors of a potential Bloodborne movie in the works as well as a release date for the very unofficial fan-made Bloodborne Kart racing game, and we have strong feelings about both of these things, since they relate to Bloodborne, even though we’d love to hear about an official remaster or sequel. We’ve been playing some of the many games recently released, including Alan Wake 2, which is undeniably gorgeous, smart, and incredibly well-made, as well as Robocop: Rogue City, which is debatably none of the above, but still a ton of gruesome hilarious fun. Thirsty Suitors is the Scott Pilgrim game we didn’t know we wanted, and Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Own Name has erased Max’s brief bout of Yakuza franchise-fatigue. This week’s Beyond crew is Max Scoville, Jada Griffin and Brian Altano. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We invade Kinda Funny's studio for a special Beyond and P.S. I Love You XOXO crossover featuring Greg Miller and Blessing Adeoye Jr. in our lead up to IGN vs. Kinda Funny Charity event! What's the greatest PlayStation 5 game so far? We've got a bracket of 32 games including: Astro's Playroom, God of War: Ragnarok, Marvel's Spider-Man 2, Elden Ring, Resident Evil 4 Remake, Sifu, Ghostwire: Tokyo, The Last of Us: Part 1, Demon's Souls, Balder's Gate III, Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade and so many more! Which game will come out on top in this ultimate PS5 game smackdown? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

SPOILER ALERT!!! On this week’s episode of Podcast Beyond, Insomniac’s Creative Director Bryan Intihar stopped by to discuss everything Spider-Man 2. We explore the reveals we saw coming, the twists that caught us off-guard, the stuff that was planned for this sequel since day one and the ideas that got left on the cutting room floor. We also touch on how Insomniac Games teased the return of a major villain and how the studio approaches MCU-style crossovers with other projects like Beyond The Spider-Verse and Insomniac’s upcoming Wolverine video game. We also dig into the creative choices that veer from comic book lore, discover the suit that almost made the cut, and get the lowdown on why MJ’s role in the game packs a punch - but again, SPOILERS ahead, so if you haven’t finished this massive PS5 game, go do that! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Podcast Beyond crew joins Simon Cardy with a deep dive into our Marvel's Spider-Man 2 Review. There's so much to unpack here from the good, the bad, and the ugly with Spider-Man 2's technical achievements, how it differs from previous Spider-Man entries, and things we wish Insomniac improved on. This has been one of the most anticipated PS5 games of the year, and it's finally here! Could it be the best superhero game of all time, or does it just fall short? Strap in, true believers!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The PlayStation 5 Slim has finally been revealed and... it definitely looks like a PS5. We've got some words about the PS5 Slim's higher price point, too! But with the announcement also comes PS2's 23rd anniversary and we dive into another Memory Card episode, thinking back to our fondest and most fun moments with the console, and our favorite games on it as well as what you, the community, have to say! Lastly, we top the episode off with 3 of our favorite underappreciated and underrated Playstation games ever. 00:00:00 - Intro & PlayStation 5 Slim Revealed! 00:11:42 - Movies Coming to PlayStation Plus 00:15:02 - Community Memory Card: PS2 Memories 00:35:52 - IGN Icons Leaderboard 00:44:29 - Underrated Open-World Games & Outro   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join Max Scoville, Jada Griffin, Brian Altano, and Akeem Lawanson as we delve into another packed episode of Podcast BEYOND! We kick things off with the seismic news of Jim Ryan's upcoming retirement from Sony, examining his legacy with the PS5 and more. The conversation then shifts to Naughty Dog's troubling halt on The Last of Us multiplayer project amid some concerning layoffs. We wrap up with some lighter fare: the Adidas and Spider-Man 2 collaboration that's got everyone talking.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Podcast Beyond, we  discuss Sony's recent investigation following claims of a breach by a ransomware group and what this could mean for the company's systems. Next, we venture into the neon-lit streets of Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty as we examine how the game has evolved over the past three years. Join us as we explore the gritty, futuristic landscapes inspired by classic cyberpunk literature and films. And if that's not enough, we also take a look at the Resident Evil 4 Remake DLC: Separate Ways and discuss what sets it apart from the original.00:00:00 - Intro & Sony Hit with Ransomware Hack? 00:04:12 - Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty Rules 00:38:30 - 6 Things To Check Out After Phantom Liberty 00:43:50 - Resident Evil 4: Separate Ways Also Rules 00:50:40 - Outro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Insomniac’s Spider-Man 2 preview took place recently, and we jump in and break down Spider-Man gameplay, combat, city traversal and more. Akeem and our guest, IGN’s very own Benjamin Watts, share their Spider-Man 2 first impressions, what it’s like controlling the symbiote and utilizing Miles’ venom blasts and new abilities. We dive into what we could possibly expect next from #PlayStation; will we get another State of Play this year? What’s next for the #PS5? Max shares his experience with Baldur’s Gate 3, as he shares his romantic co-op experience with his wife. Baldur’s Date, anyone? Ben goes head first into Mortal Kombat One, some PlayStation Portal talk, and so much more this episode of BEYOND!   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The State of Play had a number of new trailers starring some familiar upcoming games and the Podcast Beyond crew dives in! Foamstars continues to be something that looks better and better the more we see of it, and Spider-Man 2 has us more hyped than ever! Plus, we have so much to say about the new trailers for Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth and Resident Evil 4 Remake DLC. What was your favorite game of the show?   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's no secret that Lies of P has a lot of  FromSoftware DNA, specifically that of the beloved PlayStation-exclusive Bloodborne. This week Beyond's resident Bloodborne fanboys Max Scoville and Brian Altano are joined by Travis "Tie Guy" Northup, who reviewed the new Pinocchio-inspired action-RPG for IGN, and they break down what this game gets right (a lot) and what it does differently from the gothic horror soulsborne classic. We dive into the gameplay, boss fights, systems, weapon customization and general lore, keeping things spoiler-free. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Podcast Beyond, brace yourselves, PlayStation Plus subscribers, because a price hike is on the horizon! Is there any silver lining in these cost adjustments, or are we in for the same old story with this month's "free" games? And since we're talking about big numbers, what's up with treating yourself to 19 inches of Venom?  Also, Jada brings back exciting tidbits from PAX! From the gripping fun of 30XX to the timelessly fantastic Prince of Persia, and the engaging Dragon Quest: Adventures of Dai - we’re covering it all. But wait, Foamstars might just be the unexpected gem of the show??? Let's dive in with your host Max Scoville and show regulars Jada Griffin, Brian Altano, and Akeem Lawanson!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a very special post-gamescom 2023 episode of Beyond, we discuss some of the coolest games (and other stuff) we saw at the world’s largest gaming convention. While we were very happy to get new details on games like Little Nightmares 3, Neill Blomkamp’s Off The Grid, Wayfinder, Where Winds Meet, The Thaumaturge and Cyberpunk 2077's upcoming 2.0 update and Phantom Liberty expansion, PlayStation’s absence was extremely noticeable. Xbox had an awesome booth showcasing new games, but also giving some love to games that are already out. Nintendo, on the other hand, had literally nothing new to show, but still gave fans a place to congregate and get hands-on, take pictures, and generally have a good time.  If Sony had nothing to show, this might make sense, but not only is Spider-Man 2 out next month, while gamescom was taking place, the Project Q was given an official price and title in a blog post. This week’s episode features Max Scoville and Brian Altano, as well as their dear friends Stella Chung and Seth Macy, who you can catch regularly on IGN’s Xbox and Nintendo shows, Podcast Unlocked and Nintendo Voice Chat. This week’s episode description was written 36,000 feet above Canada on very slow $27 wifi.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With half the Beyond crew off to gamescom 2023 in Germany, Akeem Lawanson and Jada Griffin hold down the fort with very special guests Kat Bailey and Parris Lilly, talking about the biggest reveals coming out of gamescom Opening Night Live! Join us for some big reveals and deep dive interviews with the devs of Tekken 8, The First Descendant, Warhaven, and reacting to a brand new trailer from Lords of the Fallen! It's an EXTRA long special gamescom bonus episode of Beyond, so you won't wanna miss this! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

00:00:10 - Intro & the PS5 Slim Was Leaked?  00:21:10 - We've Played Lords of the Fallen  00:36:18 - What Are the Stupidest Things You've Done in Baldur's Gate 3?  00:50:54 - Mitchell Competed at EVO 2023!  01:02:05 - Gran Turismo Movie Impressions & Outro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rockstar’s recently announced re-release of Red Dead Redemption has a lot of fans feeling seriously disappointed, with good reason. Some of the backlash is a result of high expectations, but this latest port doesn’t do Rockstar’s legacy justice. That said, what other older Rockstar games need to be playable on modern consoles while we’re waiting around for GTA 6? Max, Jada and special guest MrMidasGames share their picks. In other news, Baldur’s Gate III is shaping up to be one of the densest RPGs in ages, and its deep systems might be a bit daunting to newcomers unfamiliar with D&D rules. Despite so many traditionally turn-based games making the shift to real time combat, we’re happy Larian Studios didn’t try to reinvent the wheel (or the D20) for this long-anticipated sequel. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge was a fitting successor to the original TMNT Arcade Game, so we wax nostalgic about which beloved 80s and 90s cartoons are deserving of modern throwback video games. Plus, some amusing features have been introduced in the PS5’s latest update beta, and a discussion of usefulness of the Sony’s upcoming cloud handheld slash glorified controller, the Project Q. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

00;01;03;29 Twisted Metal 00;19;25;15 Lords of the Fallen 00;30;06;17 Remnant II 00;47;30;06 All Hail Glorbo 00;53;21;25 More News 01;04;21;14 Capcom stuff 01;13;51;00 Outro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Get ready for a supercharged San Diego Comic-Con edition of IGN's Beyond! Join us, Max Scoville, along with Brian Altano, Akeem Lawanson, and the awesome Lisa Wallen - a stand-up comedian, Twitch streamer, and fellow weeb! We learned more about Spider-Man 2, Venom, and touch on fan-buzz regarding reused animations in the game. Then, we'll jump to the galaxy far, far away with Star Wars Outlaws - exciting new updates await! We also take a trip to Sand Land and discuss Mortal Kombat 1's Bad Superhero DLC, including Homelander, Peacemaker, and Omni-Man. We've got al our favorite highlights wrapped up in this episode, so you don't wanna miss this!   00:00:10 - Intro & New Updates on Spider-Man 2 + Venom! 00:10:23 - Star Wars: Outlaws is an Open World Game 00:19:43 - Akeem Played Sand Land! 00:29:58 - Mortal Kombat 1 Revealed Their Bad Superheroes DLC 00:40:04 - Our SDCC Highlights & Outro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're busy with SDCC this week, so we wanted to resurface this deep dive look at Star Wars Jedi: Survivor with game director Stig Asmussen. With everything from why we couldn't change Cal's hair color to the crazy [REDACTED] with [REDACTED], there's a lot of surprising new info we have in store for you! Join Max Scoville, Jada Griffin, and Josh Du as they dig into what made Star Wars Jedi: survivor such a hit with its audience.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week's show, we'll dive into EA's highly anticipated Black Panther game and explore its potential to stand out among other superhero games. We'll also discuss future Marvel games, sharing our wishlist and realistic expectations for characters like Blade, Ghost Rider, and the Fantastic 4. But that's not all! We'll delve into the delightfully weird Baldur's Gate 3, a game that captures the comedic essence of Dungeons & Dragons. We'll also take a look at "The Last Hope - Dead Zone Survival," a hilarious ripoff that puts a unique spin on "The Last of Us" on Switch.  00:00:10 - Intro & Video Game of the Year w/ Jordan Minor 00:11:02 - EA Announces a New Black Panther Game 00:19:18 - What Will the Next Marvel Game Look Like? 00:28:00 - Baldur's Gate III Lets You Seduce Bears 00:40:38 - The Story Behind Street Shark's Mandella Effect 00:44:48 - "The Last Hope" is "The Last of Us at Home" & Outro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jump into the world of Final Fantasy XVI with us as we pull back the curtain on what makes this game tick. From the insane boss battles to the incredibly well-realized characters and their relationships that, believe it or not, pack more punch than the actual story – we've got the scoop. And hey, if you're new to Final Fantasy or character action games, FF16 might just be your perfect starting point. It's accessible without being too hand-holdy for the seasoned players. Ever wondered if Final Fantasy XVI could bring in a new wave of fans? Or if it’s the most on-point Final Fantasy we've seen in over a decade? We sure did. After all, it's been a wild ride with the FF series, from the mixed bag that was FFXIII, the near-miss cancellation of FF14, to FF15's incomplete run, and the long wait for the rest of the FF7 Remake. But FF16? It's been different, in a good way – announced with the PS5, steady updates, and a launch just under 3 years later that's been met with a whole lot of love from fans and critics alike. But that's not all. We've got some juicy PlayStation gossip fresh from the Xbox Activision trial, and a rundown of 2023's best games so far (yes, "Final Fantasy XVI" makes the cut). So grab your controller, and let's dive in! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

But also: does it even matter? This week join Max Scoville along with IGN’s Kat Bailey and Ben Watts, plus special guest Kahlief Adams from the podcast SpawnOnMe. We frantically recap some of the highlights of the vaguely E3-shaped blob of showcases, presentations and virtual events, including: Mortal Kombat 1 striking a balance between being charmingly cartoony and disgustingly realistic, while also appealing to both hardcore and casual fighting game fans. Sidenote, which is grosser: a man being cleaved in half by a hat made out of a razor-sharp saw blade, or casually blowing a snot rocket in polite company? Star Wars Outlaws looks awesome, and we could probably prattle on about that until we’re blue in the face, but why do that when we can have a serious discussion about how successful Foamstars will be in the already crowded service game space? On a less enthusiastic note, we reflect on Sony’s recent PlayStation Showcase, which effectively kicked off the summer event season, but paled in comparison to some of the big reveals that followed. Does it matter? There are plenty of new games coming out, PlayStation 5 is selling well.  Sure, PSVR 2 owners are being woefully neglected, and the Project Q is something nobody asked for, but it’d be nice if Sony was as willing to put on a show like some of the competition. In other news, Diablo 4 is a massive game in a year full of massive games, and we reflect upon how it’s hooking new and old players alike. As IGN’s resident Armored Core fan, Kat has strong feelings about the rapidly approaching Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon. It seems to be taking a few cues from FromSoftware’s recent games, but it’s staying faithful to the original games, not trying to be a mecha-flavored Soulsborne. As IGN’s resident Yakuza (er, Like a Dragon) fan, Max has some strong feelings about the reveal trailer for Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, and feels it is easily the best video game trailer featuring a nude man on a beach since Death Stranding’s debut. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this special IGN Summer of Gaming and Capcom Showcase post-show, the Podcast Beyond team dives into their favorite game reveals of the week! From tons of surprise announcements including Star Wars Outlaws, Path of the Goddess, and Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth as well as a number of disappointments to talk about, so you're not gonna wanna miss out with Max Scoville, Jada Griffin, Matt Kim, and Akeem Lawanson! #IGNSummerOfGaming Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this spoiler-filled episode of Podcast Beyond, we have Star Wars Jedi: Survivor's game director Stig Asmussen along with us on a deep dive on how the game came together. With everything from why we couldn't change Cal's hair color to the crazy [REDACTED] with [REDACTED], there's a lot of surprising new info we have in store for you! Join Max Scoville, Jada Griffin, and Josh Du as they dig into what made Star Wars Jedi: survivor such a hit with its audience.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sony's PlayStation May Showcase had some excellent reveals like Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater Remake, and Spider-man 2, but it left us with a lot more questions about the other first party Sony studios. Did the showcase live up to the hype of other showcases or was it a glorified State of Play? Can the Snake Eater Remake succeed without Hideo Kojima? Who is the target audience for Project Q? Why didn't we at least get a tease from other studios like Bluepoint, Housemarque, or Bend Studios? Join Jada Griffin, Taylor Lyles, Benny Watts, and Jeffrey Vega for their thoughts about the Playstation Showcase after giving it a second look.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sony's PlayStation Showcase was packed full of exciting new trailers, we're here to talk about some of our favorite reveals! We saw everything from a new gameplay trailer for Dragon's Dogma II (FINALLY!!!!!! - Red, the Producer) to tons of new Spider-Man 2 gameplay, a Metal Gear Solid 3 surprise reveal, as well as a remake of Bungie's classic franchise, Marathon! There's just so much to talk about, you won't want to miss this. Join Max Scoville, Brian Altano, Jada Griffin, and Akeem Lawanson for their PlayStation Showcase reactions!00:00:00 - Intro & the Best New Trailers! 00:16:40 - Our favorite 3rd Party Trailers   00:35:00 - Is the PSVR 2 Worth Getting Yet?   00:41:55 - Project Q and New PlayStation Hardware 00:46:50 - Grading the PlayStation Showcase   00:56:52 - Metal Gear Solid 3 Delta Trailer Breakdown & Outro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week's episode of Podcast Beyond, we check out a fun new game from Rez Infinite developer, Enhance!  Humanity is the latest PS5 release that puts you in control of a dog made of light, guiding a stream of humans along a variety of challenging levels. It reminds us of old-school Lemmings mixed with... Snake, Katamari, and Intelligent Qube! Yeah, you have to see it yourselves. We also dive into some Zelda alternatives for PlayStation now that the gaming world is now deep into Tears of the Kingdom fever since last weekend. Can't jump into Hyrule?  Check out these other Zelda-likes that are also worth checking out! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

🎉Welcome to EPISODE 800 of Podcast Beyond🎉! From the days of PS1 to the latest PS5, from "Play B3yond" to "Play Has No Limits," we've journeyed through the entire evolution of PlayStation. We've seen the birth, rise, and sometimes fall of beloved games, consoles, and even some quirky slogans. Join Max, Brian, and Jada as they reminisce about their personal stories from back when Beyond Episode 1 premiered.  We also take a trip down memory lane, revisiting the evolution of PlayStation with its varying consoles and slogans over the years. Join us as we get nostalgic about PlayStation classics like GTA IV, BioShock, Mass Effect, and more. We also debate the best gaming years – was it Jada's 2017 with Nier Automata and HZD, Brian's 2020 featuring The Last of Us Part 2 and Doom Eternal, or Max's 2015 that gave us Bloodborne and The Witcher 3?  Join us for Episode 800 packed with more PlayStation memories than you can shake a PSVR Move Controller at.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, join Max Scoville, Jada Griffin, Josh Du and Mitchell Saltzman as they chat Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, which is an excellent game despite its widespread technical issues and bugs at launch. We debate which lightsaber stance is superior, Crossguard or Dual Wield? What hairstyle is least stupid? Plus, Cal Kestis doesn’t exactly follow the Jedi Code, but maybe Survivor’s lack of morality system is why it’s so much fun. In other news, Mitchell interviewed FromSoftware devs about Armored Core 6, and we ponder how it’ll resonate with Dark Souls and Elden Ring fans. If you need a giant robot/mech game to keep you busy until Fires of Rubicon release date (August 25th) also recommend a pile of other giant mech games to help pass the time till Fires of Rubicon’s release date, like Titanfall 2. Jada and Mitchell went hands-on with Street Fighter 6 and have a lot of great things to say about the new beat-’em-up, story-based World Tour mode. Is it a Streetroidvania? Finally, we asked an AI to design Bloodborne 2’s boxart and tell us what it’s about, and it definitely sounds… interesting?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With Sony’s acquisition of Firewalk Studios, the Beyond crew breaks down the long list of AAA-games the 20+ game studios have under its belts. Xbox and PlayStation are neck and neck in regards to the amount of studios each own, and the crew goes over the top 5 studios from each and some of each’s top video game titles. Horizon Forbidden West’s DLC is out now, so the topic is: Is Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores too hot to handle? And with a Horizon 3 game somewhere on the horizon, what’re some of the improvements gamers would like to see in the sequel? A retrospective look at the God of War game release, Star Wars Jedi Survivor’s file size is massive, and the crew reminiscences on the classic PlayStation memory card screens. This and more on Beyond! - with Jada Griffin, Akeem Lawanson, and Mark Madina rounding out the episode.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Beyond, we're catching up on new Final Fantasy XVI reveals as well as Dead Island 2's impending release and our recent review on it! Colin Stevens joins Max Scoville and Jada Griffin, looking back on 10 bizarre PlayStation products you may or may not have owned. Also, with Dreams set to end future support, what will that mean for the community? Could they possibly have something else cooking in place of it? There's much to remember about this excellent sandbox of creativity. We trust Media Molecule is working on something great behind the scenes.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week's episode of Podcast Beyond, the crew discusses Sony's new controller patent that looks absolutely bonkers... and we LOVE it! But that isn't the end of weird hardware Sony is planning to put out. We also dive into rumors about a new Sony handheld dubbed the "Q Lite" and why we hope it isn't real. We continue the RE4 Remake madness with thoughts on Mercenaries and what's missing. And finally, if you're looking forward to new indies comping to PlayStation, Jada talks about her hands-on time with a handful of them after attending GDC! It's a packed episode full of chaos, so don't miss it! 00:00:00 - Intro & Sony's Latest Patents 00:16:33 - What's with the Sony Handheld Rumors? 00:29:32 - What's Missing from RE4 Remake's Mercenaries Mode? 00:41:20 - Why the RE4 Merchant Rules 00:46:00 - 6 Reasons the Duke is Actually Better than the Merchant 00:56:42 - Meet Your Maker & Other Indies 01:17:33 - Outro   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week's episode of Podcast Beyond, IGN's John Davison joins Max Scoville, Jada Griffin, and Josh Du to reminisce about their favorite moments of E3. Is this the last we'll ever see what was once the biggest video game event of the year? We also discuss some Souls-likes on the horizon including The Lords of the Fallen and Remnant II. Will they live up to the hype? Only time will tell. Also, what's the deal with the TMNT - The Last Ronin game? How will it compare to God of War which it is supposedly inspired by? Share your thoughts in the comments!   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Podcast Beyond, it's a Resident Evil 4 Remake extravaganza! Max, Brian, and Jada have played the game from beginning to end (in Brian's case, several times), and they have some thoughts. Brian's gonna wax nostalgic about the content cut from the original game, and Max has a little game for the crew the play. Beyond!00:00:00 Intro 00:01:15 How is Jada enjoying her PSVR 2? 00:12:18 Resident Evil 4 talk 00:27:14 Cut content from RE4 00:34:38 Max's RE4 sound effects challenge 00:38:31 RE4's Hollywood connection 00:45:35 A very long outro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Podcast Beyond, IGN's flagship PlayStation show, our crew welcomes special guest Simon Cardy from IGN UK. We dive into the idea of a PlayStation 5 Pro and debate its potential appeal. Would a PS5 Slim be a more attractive option? Also, Max shares his experience with the upcoming, wholesome Breath of the Wild-like game, Tchia and we dive into Diablo 4 Beta Impressions. Don't miss this jam packed episode! 00:00:10 - Intro00:03:23 - Do We Want the PlayStation 5 Pro/Slim?00:19:13 - The Dark Pictures: Switchback VR Impressions00:28:13 - Tchia Gameplay Impressions Look Good!00:38:56 - Diablo IV Beta00:47:50 - VR Not Amused & Outro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

HBO’s The Last of Us Season 1 has come to an end and the Podcast Beyond crew dives into everything that made the episode so great. The Last of Us Episode 9 takes us through the finale of Part 1’s story, so if you haven’t seen it yet, you’re entering SPOILER territory! But for those that have seen it, the question as to whether or not the series lived up to the game’s ending will naturally come up. Let’s talk about it! Plus, Jada has spent a lot of time with Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty and fills us in on her favorite things about the game. And speaking of favorites and games…? The PlayStation Store is having a big sale! While it’s easy to just list off the biggest popular games you can pick up for chicken strips, we wanted to touch on lesser known titles to make sure you aren’t missing out on some gems!   00:00:10 - Intro & The Last of Us Episode 9 Reactions 00:21:52 - Dead Island 2 is Coming! 00:28:10 - Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty Impressions 00:32:00 - Akeem’s Thoughts on the PS Plus Collection Leaving 00:43:24 - Our Favorite Gems in the PlayStation Store Sale & Outro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today’s Podcast Beyond episode, the crew discusses the state of Sony’s properties and how many games they currently have in the works compared to their movies and shows. With the success of The Last of Us, Sony has big shoes to fill when it comes to upcoming movies and shows including the God of War movie, Gran Turismo, and whatever Gravity Rush is going to be. Also, we explore the best and the worst of quick time events and share our thoughts on them. (Any excuse to showcase some Asura’s Wrath gameplay is good enough for me! - Red, the Producer) 00:00:10 - Intro & Sony’s Games vs Movies/Shows 00:24:52 - Some of the Most Underrated PS2 Games  00:42:00 - What Makes a Great Quick Time Event? 01:05:23 - Dragon Ball Z: Tenkaichi 4 is Coming! 01:09:38 - Final Fantasy XVI and the PS5 & Outro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Podcast Beyond, the crew celebrates Elden Ring's 1-year anniversary along with the announcement of upcoming Elden Ring DLC called "Shadow of the Erdtree". Were there any other games in February we're missing? I'm sure we're good, right Akeem? And speaking of, Akeem LOVES the PSVR 2 and fills us in with some details on why he likes it more than the Meta Quest 2! We also haven't forgotten about the February State of Play and react to Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League falling into the realm of Games as a Service.   00:00:10 - Intro & Elden Ring DLC Announced (HBD!) 00:16:37 - Akeem Thinks PSVR2 is Better than the Quest 2  00:43:45 - Our Thoughts on the February State of Play 00:56:23 - Suicide Squad vs Superhero Games 01:10:49 - Max’s Crime Boss: Rockay City Early Impressions & Outro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the eve of PSVR2’s launch, Max Scoville and Jada Griffin are joined by Taylor Liles and Simon Cardy, both of whom have had a chance to take Sony’s next-gen virtual reality headset for a spin. Cardy talks Horizon Call of the Mountain, which unsurprisingly involves a lot of climbing, but also has pan flutes. Meanwhile, Kayak VR sounds appropriately relaxing and What The Bat is as silly as you might expect. We took Wild Hearts for a spin and it’s definitely a Monster Hunter-like, but there’s nothing wrong with that. Plus, let’s spin the wheel and pitch our most disappointing VR add-ons for non-VR games.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Happy Valentines Day! In this episode of Beyond, the crew takes us on a look back at some of our favorite video game romances. But why stop there? We also took a deep dive into which video game characters are the worst kissers. Fair warning, it gets a bit… messy? You’ll laugh, you’ll cringe, and you will definitely ask why we left out Ebrietas in our list. Jada also talks about her preview of Pacific Drive and reviewing Theatrhythm Final Bar Line… please don’t just how we pronounce that. 00:00:10 - Intro 00:05:43 - Curse of the Licensed Games  00:27:20 - Romance in Video Games 00:39:39 - The Worst Kissers in Video Games According to Max & Jada 00:52:28 - Pacific Drive Impressions 01:06:27 - Theatrhythm Final Bar Line Review 01:11:43 - The Last of Us: Episode 5 Reactions & Outro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor has been delayed 6 weeks to April 28th, 2023! Though that means more waiting for us, we're hoping it means the game will get more love and polish with that extra time. On this episode of Podcast Beyond, we talk about improvements we'd love to see in Jedi: Survivor that would possibly turn it into a solid GOTY contender. We also dive into new PS5 updates, more DualSense Edge talk, and what happens when games-as-a-service shut down. Back 4 Blood and Knockout City were so fun! IT's sad to see them go, but what's next for GAAS? Join Max Scoville, Jada Giffin, Josh Du, and returning guest and former host Mark Medina on BEYOND! 00:00:00 Intro 00:01:57 Star Wars Jedi: Survivor 00:21:34 PS5 gets a new update 00:32:26 More games-as-service games are shutting down 00:48:35 DualSense Edge talk 00:57:55 HBO's The Last of Us Episode 4 talk 01:10:19 Gran Turismo 7's PSVR 2 update 01:21:19 Outro   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sony has recently announced that they will NOT be attending E3 2023. With Xbox and Nintendo also not making any plans on showing, what does this mean for E3 and ESA as a whole? Also, Naughty Dog says we won't be seeing Nathan Drake as part of Uncharted in future games. Uncharted as a SERIES, however, still has all of us guessing as to what's next. Let's talk about it! We also dive into great games getting stealth released out of nowhere as well as taking a deeper look into what did and didn't work between Dead Space Remake and The Callisto Protocol. TONS of interesting topics, this week, folks! Don't miss out on this week's episode of Podcast Beyond! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Forspoken is finally here! Since its release, the internet has lit up with very polarizing reviews, but the Podcast Beyond crew also have their two cents on the subject. Forspoken is very ambitious, but is that enough to make it worth picking up day one? Max has also had time to play with the DualSense Edge! Will you be getting one yourself? It's a nice piece of hardware, but battery life still seems to be an issue. Perhaps it'll be the perfect fit for the PSVR 2 which we now know of 30 new games announced for it! How will they live up to what we've seen on the original PSVR? Finally, what was up with that ending to The Last of Us Episode 2? Stick around for a spoiler-filled quick reactions chat about it, because it was a lot to take in. BEYOND!   00:00:10 - Intro 00:01:09 - Forspoken: Is It Any Good? 00:24:33 - DualSense Edge Impressions 00:27:58 - The 30 PSVR 2 Games Announced 00:47:06 - Dragon Ball Z Kakarot Deserves a Prequel, Not a Sequel 00:58:25 - PlayStation ModLibs 01:03:58 - The Last of Us Episode 2 Reactions & Outro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the release of the PSVR 2 just on the horizon coming February 22, 2023, the Podcast Beyond crew get into what the different things that will make or break its release. Will the PSVR 2 be worth the wait or has the ball been dropped due to the momentum of the first generation's game releases slowing to a crawl? Plus, the release of the first episode of HBO's The Last of Us series has us all in its grips, but what does the Beyond audience think about it? Jada Griffin gives us the lowdown. And speaking of Jada, our resident trophy hunter, what game is currently on her s--- list on her quest to racking up her trophy count? Join Max Scoville, Jada Griffin, and Brian Altano in our latest episode of Podcast Beyond!   00:00:10 - Intro 00:01:54 - Where’s the PSVR 2 Hype? 00:22:04 - Beyond Community Impressions of The Last of Us HBO Series 00:36:01 - F This Trophy: Final Fantasy Crisis Core 00:42:30 - God of War: Ragnarok Gets New Game Plus & Our Favorite NG+’s 00:51:50 - Outro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Podcast Beyond, the Beyond crew talk about whether or not the orientation of your PS5, vertical or horizontal, might be detrimental to the lifespan of your gaming console. There have been reports that apparently keeping the PlayStation 5 upright leading to long-term problems for internal pieces in the #PS5. The #PlayStation5 is readily available in retail stores, and Max Scoville invites an actual “PS5 scalper” on the podcast to both confront and ask him how his PS5 reselling business is going in 2023 given the news. There’s a big reveal, and Akeem Lawanson discusses his disdain for PS5 resellers, along with his very own version of the PlayStation Project Leonardo controller kit. The Beyond crew then dives into a non-spoiler discussion of The Last of Us HBO series. Sony’s AFEELA is a car that’ll be in the wild, Brian Altano hates shimmying through cracks in video games, Jada Griffin breaks down the games she Platinumed over the holidays, and so much more on this episode of BEYOND! 00:00:00 Intro 00:01:00 PS5, vertical or horizontal? 00:07:00 Interview with a real-life PS5 scalper 00:10:12 Akeem buys a Project Leonardo controller 00:13:08 Non-spoiler-y discussion of HBO's The Last of Us 00:27:52 Brian hates shimmying through cracks 00:36:36 Sony and Honda introduce AFEELA 00:38:57 Jada's 3rd Annual Trophy Gauntlet 00:51:24 Outro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Podcast Beyond, Max Scoville, Brian Altano, Josh Du, and Akeem Lawanson runs us through some of the third-party and first-party PlayStation exclusives coming out in 2023, including Horizon Call of the Mountain for PSVR2, Insomniac’s Spider-Man 2 #PS5 game, Forspoken and many more. Hitman 3 is being rebranded as World of Assassination, and the Beyond crew break down what this means for both newcomers and those returning to the Hitman franchise. With the entire Hitman trilogy soon to be in one package, this might be the time for Josh Du to hop into the slacks of Agent 47.  00:00:00 - Intro00:01:19 - PSVR 2  talk 00:11:43 - Other big games of 2023 00:23:55 - Hitman 3 gets rebranded 00:29:24 - Konami's mystery games 00:41:42 - PS Plus games for January 2023 00:47:11 - Outro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Podcast Beyond, Jada Griffin talks us through on what she loved about the DualSense Edge in her hands-on preview at PlayStation HQ. Is it more than meets the eye? What are the best features on it and how customizeable is the DualSense Edge? Will it be great for accessibility? Join the crew as they ask the important questions of whether the new controller for the PS5 is worth it. Also, with the announcement of Death Stranding 2, Josh questions whether or not he should FINALLY start playing Death Stranding. How does it hold up? And what does Brian Altano think of Callisto Protocol? As you can see, there are TONS of questions waiting to be answered in this jam packed Holiday episode. 00:00:10 - Intro 00:50:00 - DualSense Edge Controller Hands-On Impressions 00:12:42 - DS2: Should I Play Death Stranding? 00:27:09 - PlayStation Mod Libs 00:33:29 - Brian & Callisto Protocol  00:43:34 - IGN’s Best PlayStation Characters & Outro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Will Armored Core 6 be anything like the Soulsborne games we've grown accustomed to? How has Elden Ring's success affected FromSoftware's approach to the latest Armored Core game? In this episode of Podcast Beyond, Max scoville, Jada Griffin, Brian Altano, and Akeem Lawanson dive into what makes Armored Core so different to FromSoft's most successful games. Whether you've played previous Armored Core games in the past or not, we're still very curious whether anything will change with the series, especially considering how successful Elden Ring was this year, even taking home the Game of the Year award from The Game Awards last week!   Also, Akeem has had something brewing for years now that he's FINALLY able to talk about! What's with this beef with Brian? Find out in today's episode of Podcast Beyond!     Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Will gamers choose Elden Ring for 2022's GOTY, or will God of War: Ragnarok swoop in at the end of the year and take it from them? It's a question everyone's had on their minds well into 2022. Elden Ring is a massive open-world phenomenon that will stick with gamers for its unforgiving, yet memorable world with rich lore, and God of War: Ragnarok is a story for the ages that takes you across the nine realms with some of the best acting ever put in a video game. Max Scoville and Brian Altano on Team Elden Ring go head-to-head-to-head-to-head with Jada Griffin and Akeem Lawanson on Team Ragnarok as they debate their points on which game they believe deserves the crown.   00:00:10 - Intro 00:00:55 - The Great Elden Ring vs. God of War: Ragnarok Debate 00:49:50 - Outro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The original Witcher game is 15 years old, and recently CD Projekt Red has announced that it will be getting a complete open-world remake! In this episode of Podcast Beyond, Max Scoville, Jada Griffin, and Colin Stevens talk about other games they think would benefit from open-world remakes as well. Also, we take a look at some hilarious Platinum-farming shovelware that requires you to... stroke a turtle? Yeah, we're as confused as you are. Wait till you see Italian Journey! You won't believe what kind of games have managed to make it into the PlayStation Store. Finally, Max comes to a realization that Bloodborne is like parenting? Utter madness.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Podcast Beyond, the crew joins Eric Williams, director of God of War: Ragnarok and reveal some new information about things like easter eggs that you DEFINITELY missed, why Ragnarok breaks God of War tradition, and the story behind Ragnarok's biggest optional secret! Join Max Scoville, Jada Griffin, and Josh Du as we break open God of War: Ragnarok in this spoiler-heavy and incredibly fun chat with game director Eric Williams! You're not gonna want to miss this one! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The PlayStation 5 is two (2) years old, and the Podcast Beyond crew is back, this time going through each of the PS5’s biggest features and how well they’ve held up over the years. Does the PlayStation get a passing grade for what it promised us back during its release in 2020, or have certain things simply fizzled out over the years? Join Max Scoville, Brian Altano, Jada Griffin, and Josh Du as they talk about everything PS5 including the DualSense controller, Pulse 3D headset, and its high-speed SSD.    We also look forward to 2023 and the amount of games releasing as a result of 2022’s delays. Next year is already looking out of control and we’re here for it! And finally, Brian tells us why he thinks now is the perfect time for Sony to announce a new PlayStation handheld. Could it compete with the likes of the Nintendo Switch and Steam Deck? Join us and find out! BEYOND!   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s a big week for the PS5 with God of War: Ragnarok’s release on the horizon. We talked with Simon Cardy, the game’s reviewer and dive deep into how he came to call God of War: Ragnarok a masterpiece. But that’s not all! This episode is jam packed with God of War bits  including Kartos’ history of video game cameos along with something about a stealth horror God of War vs Predator game? Anyway… BEYOND! 00:00:00 - Intro & God of War: Ragnarok Review Discussion 00:12:16 - The Callisto Protocol: Helix Station Podcast Preview 00:14:56 - God of War: Ragnarok Discussion Pt. 2 00:20:41 - God of War vs God of War 00:24:45 - God of Wheel! 00:39:28 - Will GTA 6 Disappoint Vice City Fans? 00:46:23 - Community Spotlight & Outro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Subscribe to the horror series set in the universe of “The Callisto Protocol,” the hotly anticipated game from Striking Distance Studios.   Helix Station was once the jewel of the Jovian system, but it’s been a decaying ghost ship ever since its Carpenter drive went supercritical. When a dangerous escaped criminal seeks refuge there, officers of the Black Iron Prison force a pair of veteran skip tracers to help recover him. But once on Helix, they discover murderous alien life forms, as well as unspeakable horrors from their past. Starring Gwendoline Christie and Michael Ironside. IGN is publishing and distributing Helix Station in partnership with Striking Distance Studios, creator of the game The Callisto Protocol. The first two episodes of The Callisto Protocol: Helix Station are available now, with new episodes dropping every Thursday. You can find it wherever you get your podcasts.  Listen & Subscribe here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A recent financial report revealed that PlayStation Plus has lost a few million subscribers since June. Is this a sign of the end times? Should Sony worry? Is this Game Pass’s fault? It’s complicated! But we have our theories. Aside from that, we’re talking about how Call of Duty Modern Warfare II’s record-breaking sales on PlayStation might never reach the same heights, playing another round of Pollstation Plus - and discussing how Crash Bandicoot, literal mascot for the PS1, is now an Xbox property, plus (no pun intended) new PlayStation Plus games for November as well as some news about EA inking a ten-year deal with Marvel to make games… We’ve got a bad feeling about this. This week’s Beyond is Max Scoville, Jada Griffin, Josh Du, and Akeem Lawanson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we’ve all been playing one of the most anticipated PlayStation games of the year: God of War Ragnarok. If you’ve got questions, we’ve got answers - don’t worry, they’re spoiler free. Meanwhile, Brian got to take Capcom’s upcoming Resident Evil 4 Remake for a spin, and dozens of full playthroughs of the original RE4, there were lots of surprises in store. Much has been said about Gotham Knights’ lack of Batman, but what about its lack of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles? Halloween is around the corner, so let’s discuss horror games - or rather, what makes a horror game? Amidst all this very serious discourse, we also found time to have some fun. Let’s spin the wheel and see what genre the next God of War reboot will be - and then give our best elevator pitch for it. Plus, hundreds of you answered our poll and now we have to see how well we know YOU, our audience. What kind of animal do you think Crash Bandicoot is? What American city should get the Grand Theft Auto treatment that hasn’t already? You know, assuming you forgot two thirds of GTA: San Andreas? This week’s Beyond is Max Scoville, Brian Altano, Jada Griffin, and Josh Du. 00:00:10 - Intro 00:02:38 - Resident Evil 4 Remake Impressions 00:19:53 - What Makes a Horror Game a Horror Game? 00:27:28 - Gotham Knights is a Better TMNT Game Than a Batman Game 00:36:19 - PollStation Plus 00:48:50 - Your God of War: Ragnarok Questions Answered! 01:09:15 - Pitching the Next God of War Reboot & Outro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Dualsense Edge, Sony’s high-end PlayStation 5 controller, is officially priced at $199.99 - is that too much for a controller? Join Max Scoville, Brian Altano, Jada Griffin and Akeem Lawanson as we unpack our conflicted thoughts on the matter and look back at some of the more expensive controllers in the history of gaming, from Microsoft’s Xbox Elite controller, to Steel Battalion’s infamous Mega Jockey 9000, to Nintendo’s iconic Power Glove. Plus, new Silent Hill might be on the way, but it’s been a quiet (and crappy) decade for Silent Hill fans as the PS Vita-exclusive Book of Memories turns 10. Why hasn’t Konami treated survival horror fans as lovingly as Capcom has with Resident Evil’s new games and remakes?  Speaking of spooky remakes, can we get a PS5 version of Bloodborne, already? If we’re getting overhauled versions of modern Sony classics like The Last of Us: Part One (which already got remastered once) and the much-rumored PS5 port of Horizon Zero Dawn, how about giving one of the best PS4 exclusives some 4K 60-frames-per-second love, too? Demon’s Souls shows Bluepoint can handle a FromSoft game. Bloodborne needs a next-gen transfusion next. Oh, and Horizon Forbidden West is getting its own clothing line thanks to a collaboration with ASOS - it’s taking a more fashion-forward approach than most gaming merch, but we have mixed feelings overall. 00:00:00 - Intro00:01:34 - News & Stuff00:10:48 - Is the DualSense Edge Worth $200?00:22:28 - A Decade of NO Silent Hill00:34:44 - What's That Sound?00:39:36 - Remaster Bloodborne, You Cowards!00:43:20 - ASOS + Horizon Forbidden West + Outro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Beyond and hello! This week on IGN’s PlayStation podcast, Podcast Beyond, the crew gives their impressions on the somewhat messy, but still really fun – Overwatch 2. Also discussed is the current state of PlayStation Stars, which turns out is kind of a bummer, but sounds like it has some fun bits of trivia. And of course, Mark says his goodbye as the host and permanent cast member on the show.    00:00:10 - Intro 00:02:01 - Overwatch 2 Impressions 00:24:59 - What Exactly is PlayStation Stars? 00:29:21 - PS Stars Quizathon! 00:37:39 - What We’re Playing 00:43:50 - Mark’s Signoff & Outro! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Beyond and hello! This week’s episode of IGN’s PlayStation podcast covers the controversial reports that 2017’s Horizon Zero Dawn could in fact be receiving the remaster, or even remake, treatment. So ride along with Mark Medina, Alex Stedman, and Matt Kim as we go over these rumors and try to make sense of it all. Is it corporate greed? Or is it movie and TV show related? You’ll have to watch to find out! (but…yes, probably to both) Also discussed was the surprise news of a brand new Witcher trilogy in the works, as well as the followup to Cyberpunk 2077. 00:00 - Intro03:20 - Horizon Zero Dawn Is Getting a Remake??10:46 - PlayStation TV Shows and Movies Discussion25:16 - CD Projekt Red Just Announced a TON of Games!38:52 - We Talked About the Game of Thrones on a PlayStation podcast43:00 - The PS5 Is Jailbroken?? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

00:00:00 - Intro  00:07:32 - PS4 Games We Want to Come to PS5 00:22:49 - HBO’s The Last of Us Teaser Revealed! 00:35:45 - E3 Returns in 2023, But Will it Be the Same? 00:49:30 - Outro  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Beyond! Whelp, it turns out Rockstar has once again had some of the details of their highly-anticipated future installment in the GTA series make its way onto the internet before it was ready. This one, however, has seemingly claimed the crown of being one of the biggest video game leaks of all time. Yikes! So ride along with this week’s Beyond crew – Mark Medina, Matt Kim, Jada Griffin, and Kenneth Shepard – as they speculate how this leak could’ve happened, and the ripple it may have on the future of remote game development.   Also discussed is the increased player count in Cyberpunk 2077 thanks to Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, EA Motive is making a brand new Iron Man game, and how PS VR2 won’t have backward compatibility. Boo!   00:00:00:00 Intro 00:27:27:05 PSVR2 Hands-On 00:40:09:02 The Last of Us Part 1 00:48:52:01 What We've Been Playing Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mark is joined by Jada Griffin, Brian Altano and John Davison as they discuss a much juicier than anticipated September Sony State of Play. There were plenty of surprises in Tekken 8, God of War: Ragnarok and a Star Wars PSVR 2 game in Tales From the Galaxies Edge Enhanced Edition, plus plenty of new reveals that piqued our interest in Pacific Drive, Syn Duality and Like a Dragon. All of that and we take a closer look at the flood of Assassin’s Creed games that were revealed during the weekend’s Ubisoft Forward.   Beyond! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The holidays are fast approaching, and with them comes a lot of chatter about what the best video game of the year was. Is the best Game of the Year already out, or is it still on the way? Ride along with IGN’s Jada Griffin, Tom Marks, Matt Kim, and Mark Medina as they speculate wildly about which PlayStation game is going to come out on top when 2022 finally comes to a close.   Also, Cyberpunk 2077 is back in the headlines, not only with a brand new expansion announcement, but also the news that it's essentially a...next-gen game only going forward? Strange times!     00:00 - Intro  01:23 - What We've Been Playing  15:54 - Cyberpunk 2077 Update and DLC  33:57 - PS5 Update  36:30 - Camo PS5 Accessories  38:44 - Fromsoftware Investors  49:10 - PlayStation GOATY Watch  01:15:34 - Outtro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The seemingly impossible has happened! After nearly two years of being on the market, the PlayStation 5 is receiving a price INCREASE in many major regions. While it might seem like a shock to some folks, it seems like nothing is unprecedented in these….unprecedented times! So join IGN’s Matt Kim, Jada Griffin, and Mark Medina as we theorize why this happened at all, and what it could mean for PlayStation’s current console production shortages.   Also, The Last of Part 1 is almost here, and we’ve been playing it. So if you’re curious about this strange new title and want to know what we think of it, then this might be the episode for you!     00:00:10 - Intro & News! 00:05:43 - PS5 Getting a Price Hike??? 00:29:10 - The Last of Us: Part I Impressions 00:51:26 - Outro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week's episode of IGN's PlayStation show, Podcast Beyond!, host Jonathon Dornbush is joined by Jada Griffin and Mark Medina to bid farewell to Jonathon's time as host of Beyond!   After nearly four years as host, Jonathon is leaving IGN and Beyond!, too, and so Mark and Jada wanted to send Jonathon off by walking down memory lane, discussing PlayStation and IGN memories with each other, talking about what's to come in the world of PlayStation, and reflecting back on his time hosting Beyond! (We try to sneak in a little news talk in there about the DualSense Edge, the PSVR 2 launch window, and some surprising PlayStation movie adaptions. But look, this episode is a more reflective, personal one for the crew, they'll be back to normal PlayStation discussions next week!) Brian and Max also join Jonathon for a segment to discuss their time on Beyond! together, wrapping up and bookmarking this era of Beyond! (Parental warning, a couple of curses are said during this segment! Timecodes below if you need) And then, Jonathon bids his final farewell to the show, to the audience, to the co-hosts, and producers. And from Jonathon himself (hi, me here!), thank you so much to everyone who has supported the show during my time hosting. Beyond! has meant so, so much to me throughout my life as both a fan and someone on the show. I am so proud and grateful of the show we've made, and grateful to anyone who's tuned in.   As always, BEYOND!   00:00 - Intro and Jonathon’s Big Announcement!11:21 - PlayStation Memories from the Past22:44 - State of Play Speculation33:11 - Memories of Jonathon’s Time Hosting Beyond37:35 - Max and Brian Say Their Farewells to Jonathon50:12 - Outro and Tons of Tears Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week’s episode of IGN’s PlayStation show Podcast Beyond!, host Jonathon Dornbush is joined by Mark Medina and Jada Griffin to dive into the latest PlayStation news, discuss some classic PlayStation memories, plus a deep dive on the new game Rollerdrome with one of the developers behind it!   First, Jonathan, Jada, and Mark dig into the latest PS4 and PS5 news, including Astro’s Playroom devs Team Asobi working on their biggest project yet, , Spider-Man having a pretty successful PC launch, Marvel Games holding a panel during D23, and some updates on live-service and multiplayer games, like Fortnite getting Dragon Ball and Multiversus getting Black Adam and Stripe. And that really gets us on a weird Gremlins tangent.   Then, we dig into a discussion about our histories with PlayStation, and specifically discuss when PlayStation became our platform of choice. We dig into the games, consoles, and general eras of PlayStation that have had us coming back for years. And we want to hear your stories as well! Write in to [email protected] with the subject line “PlayStation Origin Story” to tell yours!   Then, Jonathon speaks to Simon Bennett of Roll 7 to discuss the studio’s awesome new skating-meets-shooter game Rollerdrome, how the studio put this strange yet fun idea together, and why it made such a smart fit alongside the developers other games like OlliOlli.   00:00:00 - Intro & News! 00:19:23 - What Made You a PlayStation Player? 00:50:36 - Rollerdrome Dev Interview 01:16:53 - Outro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week’s episode of IGN’s PlayStation show, Podcast Beyond!, host Jonathon Dornbush is joined by Jada Griffin and Mitchell Saltzman to talk about the latest news in the world of PlayStation, and the excitement of EVO and why it’s the best time to get into fighting games.   First, the cast runs down some of the big news in the world of PlayStation, including the new PlayStation Plus extra lineup, including Yakuza games, Monopoly, and more; the casting of new and familiar characters in The Last of Us HBO TV show, Marvel Midnight Suns’ delay out of October, and the Call of Duty Modern Warfare II beta.   Then, we dig into some thoughts on fighting games. With EVO having recently concluded, the first time since PlayStation acquired a stake in the tournament. Mitchell offers some of his thoughts from actually competing in and attending EVO, Jada offers her thoughts on watching as a fighting game fan, and Jonathon discusses his experience watching as someone who has never really been into fighting games. The cast talks about why now is perhaps the best time to get into fighting games, given the positivity and support around the scene, the success of free-to-play fighters like MultiVersus, which the panel has all been playing, and what upcoming and older fighting games might be good starting points for players who want to get into the fighting game scene.   Then, Jonathon speaks with two of the developers behind Cult of the Lamb, which hits PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 this week. Julian Wilton, Massive Monster Creative Director, and Jay Armstrong, the studio's Design Director, join Jonathon to dig into Cult of the Lamb’s development process, the joys of it’s combination of game genres, and whether the team always knew it had to be a lamb at the center of it all. The cast then discusses some of the comments we received from last week’s show, the games we’ve been playing, including MultiVersus, Cult of the Lamb, and Nobody Saves the World, and Jonathon reads a wonderful Memory Card. And we do it all while accidentally creating like six portmanteaus.   Want to be part of the show? Write in to [email protected].   00:00:00 - Intro & News! 00:14:45 - Mitchell Attended EVO 2022! 00:27:53 - Multiversus’ Success & Jumping Into Fighting Games 00:40:54 - What’s the Best Fighting Game to Start With? 00:52:13 - Cult of the Lamb Dev Interview 01:21:13 - Memory Card & Outro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Timecodes: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:02:50 - The Great Game Length Debate 00:51:30 - PS5 Accolades Going Away? 00:54:16 - What’s the Best Yakuza Game to Start With? 01:01:52 - Outro   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

00:00:00 - Intro   00:03:47 - GTA VI Gets its First Female Protagonist   00:20:54 - Knights of the Old Republic Remake Indefinitely Delayed 00:25:49 - PSVR 2 Gets New Features 00:34:56 - August PS Plus Games 00:40:45 - Stray Developer Interview 01:06:35 - What We’re Playing & Outro   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

00:00:00 - Intro  00:03:50 - PlayStation Stars Announced! 00:15:54 - God of War: Ragnarok Gets a Story Synopsis 00:21:18 - Stray is Finally Here! 00:57:19 - Memory Card & Outro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

00:00:00 - Intro  00:03:58 - PS Plus Gets its First Big Update for Extra & Premium 00:28:28 - Haven is Officially a PlayStation Studio 00:34:45 - TLOU: Part I Remake Goes Gold 00:42:40 - Indie Release Dates Announced! 00:46:35 - Q3 & Q4 2022 Game Updates 00:58:15 - Memory Card & Outro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

00:00:00 - Intro 00:02:58 - God of War Ragnarok release date & Collector’s Edition revealed! 00:29:57 - Forspoken delayed to 2023 00:45:31 - SuckerPunch is NOT working on Sly Cooper & Infamous 00:49:30 - GTA 4 and Red Dead Redemption remasters are no more 00:52:39 - Memory Card & Outro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on one of IGN's most popular PlayStation shows, bumbling substitute host Max Scoville is joined by rowdy Italian Brian Altano and award-winning journalist Matt Kim. Full disclosure: we initially planned this week's episode to be a live God of War Ragnarok State of Play post-show, but we still hadn't heard anything so that got scrapped last minute. Bear with us as we goof around and discuss this week's PlayStation-adjacent news, such as a leaked Skull & Bones release date, the Horizon Zero Dawn/Forbidden West Netflix show's leaked title ("Horizon 2074") and news that FromSoftware's next unannounced game is in final stages of development. Is it Armored Core 6? Very possibly, but how do you make an Armored Core game in a post-Dark Souls gaming landscape? PlayStation Plus games for july have been revealed, along with some hot new musical additions to the official PlayStation Plus Spotify playlist that we learned is a thing. A former Days Gone director announced his next project, Ashfall, which sounds cool until you get to the part about NFTs. A new law in Quebec requiring immigrants to learn French to access government services, which might cause problems for the many Montreal-based video game studios' efforts to recruit new talent. None of us can speak French very well, but we try. Plus, we chatted a little about Plague Tale: Requiem, which is coming to PS5 later this year, and Neon White, which isn't announced for any PlayStation devices, but Matt wanted to talk about it so don't blame me. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on the number one PlayStation Podcast produced by IGN, join substitute host Max Scoville, Jada Griffin, and Matt Kim as they discuss the latest goings-on including (but not limited to) job listings posted by Sucker Punch that suggest the studio might be making an open-world game with stealth and melee combat. So, Ghost of Tsushima 2? Or Ghost of some other Japanese island? Or hey, maybe it’s Sly Cooper. We can dream. We also have some new details on Final Fantasy 16, which will not be an open-world game or too similar to Final Fantasy 14, but it sounds cool nonetheless. The Birdman himself revealed that Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 and 4 almost got remakes, but apparently those got scrapped. Meanwhile, PlayStation is skipping Gamescom, YouTuber DIYperks made his own PS5 Slim, and Creative Assembly’s new game Hyenas sounds pretty cool. Plus, we talk about Ape Escape and Metal Gear Solid 3 and Dragon’s Dogma, which Max is still very excited about. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week's episode of IGN's PlayStation show, host Jonathon Dornbush is joined by Max Scoville and, for her final episode as a cast member, Lucy O'Brien, to discuss all the news in the world of PlayStation. The panel begins by jumping into the recent Final Fantasy news, including confirmation of FF7 Remake Part 2 being Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, a Crisis Core remake, and where to start if you're looking to get into Final Fantasy. Then, the panel discusses a bit about the confirmation of Dragon's Dogma 2, and why Max is really excited to revisit the franchise. The panel then dives into a few PlayStation first-party topics, including the wild rumors about God of War Ragnarok delays, the reports about God of War Ragnarok's potential alleged release date, and why we're OK not hearing too much about the sequel so far. Next, we dip into some impressions about the new PlayStation Plus, its offerings, and our hopes for its future, and then we discuss The Last of Us remake, also known as The Last of Us Part 1, and our interest in Naughty Dog's future with the franchise. We also discuss some of the games we're playing, including Max's surprising interest in Fortnite, before we give a tearful goodbye to Lucy, who we'll miss dearly and are so grateful for her many wonderful years on the show. Timecode: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:01:50 - 2 More Final Fantasy Games Revealed! 00:11:52 - Dragon's Dogma 2 is Coming! 00:18:35 - The Mystery of God of War Ragnarok 00:27:42 - PS Plus News 00:42:39 - The Last of Us: Part I Remake Revealed 00:54:15 - What We're Playing! 01:01:16 - Goodbye Lucy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week’s episode of IGN’s weekly PlayStation show, Podcast Beyond!, host Jonathon Dornbush is joined by Joseph Moran and Kyle Stephenson of The Trophy Room podcast to discuss all the latest and greatest in the world of PlayStation. As the PlayStation podcast streams collide, the trio dig into some of the newest reveals of the summer, like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II’s reveal trailer, Joseph’s thoughts on the COD sequel, and why he’s excited to return to the Modern Warfare series. Then, hot off the reveal of Sony Bend’s new logo and the promise of its next game built on the open world ideas of Days Gone and featuring multiplayer, we dig into the larger promise of PlayStation’s multiplayer future. With reported or rumored multiplayer, live-service, or social projects at Naughty Dog, Insomniac, Haven, London Studio, and many more, we discuss what our actual hopes are with PlayStation’s plans to ramp up its multiplayer focus. We discuss why we think there’s hope for new PlayStation multiplayer games, especially with past successes like Ghost of Tsushima: Legends and The Last of Us: Factions, the lineage of PlayStation multiplayer, why we don’t think this will be the end of PlayStation’s single-player focus, and our expectations for the variety in PlayStation multiplayer games we hope to see in the future. We also take a look at the announcement that E3 will be returning in 2023, but what we expect from PlayStation as the gaming events landscape continues to change. Are we expecting Sony to return to E3, or will it continue to go its own way? And do we hope that means eventually bringing back PSX as a part of its larger events plan for the future. Plus, Kyle and Joseph share Memory Card stories, the trio reminisces about old controllers, and much more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week's episode of IGN's weekly PlayStation show, Podcast Beyond!, host Jonathon Dornbush is joined by Brian Altano, Max Scoville, and Jada Griffin to break down the June State of Play live, immediately after it aired. The group digs into all the big reveals from the show, what we loved most, what surprised us, and how we think the State of Play stacked up to past ones. We discuss the thrill of Resident Evil 4, Street Fighter 6, and Final Fantasy XVI being announced or showcased. Then, we dig into some of the PS VR 2 reveals, like a better like at Horizon Call of the Mountain, Resident Evil 8, and more. Plus, we take a look at the lineup of awesome indies like Stray, Season, and Rollerdrome coming in the next few months, while also covering everything else we saw at the showcase. (This episode was filmed live right after the State of Play, and had to be cut down due to some live show hiccups, so apologizes for any skips in the audio you hear!) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices