Low Five Gaming

Elden Ring

• Studio Low Five • Episode 42

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Alex and Luke Talk Elden Ring.

In this episode, Alex and Luke finally tackle Elden Ring, FromSoftware’s 2022 open-world epic that took the gaming world by storm. Directed by Hidetaka Miyazaki, with worldbuilding contributions from George R.R. Martin, Elden Ring expands the Soulsborne formula into a sprawling, unforgiving landscape—the Lands Between—where death is certain, but victory is oh so sweet. 

At the time of this recording, Elden Ring holds a Metacritic score of 96, solidifying its place as one of the highest-rated games of all time. According to HowLongToBeat, a standard playthrough takes around 60 hours (a complete and utter lie), while completionists can expect well over 134+ hours of brutal bosses, deep lore, and relentless challenge. 

Both Alex and Luke played on Xbox Series X, comparing notes on their builds, the moments that broke them, and the bosses that left them questioning their life choices. From first steps into Limgrave to taking down some of Elden Ring’s most infamous enemies, they share their highs, lows, and what makes this game such a landmark title. 

This episode is unofficially brought to you in part by Banging with the Bros. 

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Alex:

Yo, what up, everybody? Welcome to another episode of Low Five Gaming. This is Alex, your host, and I am joined by the one, the only Lucas Dukith.

Luke:

Lucas Duthic. Hello, foul maiden list tarnished. How are how are all of you after our much anticipated controversial departure from the podcasting space? How are we doing?

Alex:

Oh my gosh, indeed.

Luke:

I'm doing pretty well. We even had extra content available and then we destroyed it just for scarcity's sake, dude. We just wanted to be edgy. We like made that one Wu-Tang album that they made and sold to the one guy. Do you remember that? I do remember that.

Alex:

We basically got leaked, dude. Did you know that?

Luke:

Uh I think I heard, but I haven't heard the music. But I I mean it makes sense. You give somebody the thing that only they can listen to, they're probably gonna leak it eventually. But regardless, no one will leak our secret super awesome episode because we destroyed it. I know. It was too good, dude. It was too juicy.

Alex:

A couple years deep into the uh podcasting sphere, you'd think we'd have these things figured out, but no, we recorded the dead air, we got sick. Things happen in life.

Luke:

Alex got vicious diarrhea, like motive times.

Alex:

Well, for real though, I I mean, I don't know if that was involved with our recording, like, but I did have the Noro. Might have to cut a little bit of this off the intro.

Luke:

Nope. Because it's the truest Elden Ring experience, dude, because no matter if you have norovirus, you cannot pause. You must continue. Load. Load. So we made it one minute into this pod before I bitched about being unable to pause. You're welcome.

Alex:

Indeed. So if you haven't picked it up by now, we are we're talking Elden Ring. Yes. In the year of our Lord, 2025.

Luke:

Because we're edgy.

Alex:

Three three years late to the party? Roughly.

Luke:

Yeah, three years and not even talking about the DLC, which would be most people's expectations.

Alex:

I think this dropped in February.

Luke:

Like almost to the date, three years. That's hilarious. And we just get into it.

Alex:

Get into it. I'm still fighting through it, man, to be honest. Yeah. But no, it's dope. Uh Elden Ring. Is it dope? I don't know. We'll we'll get there. Elden Ring, developed by From Software. This is my first From Soft experience.

Luke:

Same. We usually reference it a lot in pods because it's definitely part of the Zame, but we mostly mock and make fun of it. So this is us truly getting our Capital G gamer creds with perhaps the most accessible game in the series, but right. That's what I'm gonna say.

Alex:

I'm tuned in enough to know that this is although this is a From Software game, it is the most approachable, is what folks will say. Even though I thought this was uh the pretty difficult, dude. Apparently the other ones are um are worse. Yeah.

Luke:

I mean, I haven't gotten to like the deepest depths of the late game stuff or the DLC, which I heard is bonkers, but um I always remember this game being compared to Breath of the Wild, and I just thought that was the most bonkers thing in the world because I hadn't played it. And uh mild spoiler, I get it now. We'll get into that later. Certainly not as friendly of that game, but you get the hang of it, and it is pick-upable. It is it is approachable. Uh and as much as there's a learning curve, it is it is cool. I liked it a lot. Elden Ring?

Alex:

Mm-hmm.

Luke:

Pick-upable, approachable. Once you're 20 hours deep, maybe. I'd say like I have very fond memories of the opening like struggle where there's that first encampment and running up to that encampment and trying to figure it out. Like I I remember that stuttering phase very fondly. Uh, and then from around that area, once I cleared the camp, I was pretty much up and running. Now, early shouts out. I've had some uh some wise guides, some sage experiences from some pretty funny sources. Do you want me to get into that now or should we do that later?

Alex:

We can jump into it real shortly, just to get the house housekeeping out of the way. This did drop on PlayStation 4, 5, Xbox One, Series X and S and Windows. Tight. Mm-hmm. So that if you if you don't got one of those, you're not playing.

Luke:

Right. Um Buddy of mine, Aaron, he shared with me a sweet map and also was just kind of like helping me out with like some initial early game stuff because he was a good good chunk ahead of me. Shouts out him, it was really dope to have him help me out. So that kind of helped me with a lot of like the early early game like stuttering, like, hey, should I be sucking this bad answer? Yes, try this, me being like actually super dope helpful. Uh Ace, early reference. Boing. He got it as a gift, so he picked it up around the same time. So it was actually really cool to talk through some of the stuff as we were parallel going through a lot of the same challenges. And then most hilarious, I got a little homie, one of my students, who today actually told me that he's like put 500 hours total into this game. Get out. It's Buck Wild, but if you think about it, you know, we always talk about like how much more we would have played of a game if that's the only game we had and we were kids, and that's so that's him, right? And like it's like talking to a wiki page. I'll be like, Yeah, I'm in this area, and he'll like say the name of like the bosses, and he understands the dialogue going on, which rant incoming later there. So I've basically had like ace parallel playing, I've had Aaron as a bit of a guide, and then I've had my little nerdy homie as another sage-like little guide for me, and he's done it all. I actually have found the community of it really cool, and then like my initial stumbles were eventually rewarded, and I got super duper into it.

Alex:

Nice. Yeah, I don't really have an Elden Ring Sherpa. You are a little bit. Yeah, a little bit, yeah. Uh I helped you, I helped you.

Luke:

We did some as a whole recent. We did some coop. We did some coop a little bit. It's been a long time since we've coped.

Alex:

That was actually honestly, that was probably the turning point for me. Um, having you come in and help me through with a couple a couple of little little bad little baddie bosses, and uh that like that sparked that session. Our first like co-op session first and last, maybe correct.

Luke:

Um, but that's as you can tell from this extremely late pod, our coordination skills are fantastic these days.

Alex:

Yeah, 2025. Yeah, baby. Uh but no, man, that like that actually that did spark like that. That's what churned. I just wasn't sold on this game, dude. And then like when we connected and did that session, like that's kind of what that's what made it click for me. I was like, all right, cool, like this is cool. You know, you helped me get past a couple like pain point bosses that I was dealing with.

Luke:

And yeah, it just like turned on the it just it flipped the switch where it's like okay, where I was kind of like by some douche who wants to wreck noobs who were just trying to figure out a stupid fucking convoluted system. That was so wild. That was so wild. I couldn't believe it. We thought it was a computer too. We were like, wait, what? No, or like are you punished for sticking in here too long? And I believe only in bosses can you not be invaded.

Alex:

Otherwise, if you're doing that co-op shit, you're vulnerable to invasions, which is it's yeah, we were trying to like find our find our grounding, like just like before we went into the to take on that boss, and also some dude just pops out of nowhere, like just way open throwing bombs and shit. I don't remember who died first, me or you, but like you definitely just like mopped the floor with us. And I was like, what the fuck was that? Is it because we were sitting there for too long?

Luke:

The game just booed us, that's how it does it, or it wasn't even like a thing that warned us it was coming. And like classic this game, dude. Uh, I really admire that they just throw you into things and you figure things out, but it's also the stupidest shit in the world. Cause I'm like, you're like, was that supposed to happen? What's going on? Yeah, what? Why?

Alex:

But yeah, quite a little rant there, but I think a lot of folks listening are probably they've either dabbled in this, they probably know I mean it won't a bunch of game of the years. This this game has been making its rounds, like it's got a little bit of new life because they just dropped like a it's not even DLC, it's like a brand new game, Night Rain. It's like uh it's like an Elden Ring takes place in the Elden Ring like realm, but it's like a roguelike multiplayer or some shit.

Luke:

I recently heard it compared to Hades, like a roguelike, like 3D Hades, and I was like, oh, that I wasn't interested, but now I kinda am.

Alex:

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Uh so that's there. I mean, they I think earlier this year, maybe no, not this year, so like late last year, I think they they dropped, or who knows, time, but they dropped DLC that people love for it. Correct.

Luke:

Yeah.

Alex:

So yeah, man, the bird tree. Yeah, exactly. And that that was like highly lauded as well. Like people are stoked on that shit.

Luke:

Well, it was so big awards. It's like too big to be its own new game, but it's or it's too small to be its whole brand new game. Right. But it's also, you know, it's DLC, but it's the chonkiest of DLC. It's like in this weird middle ground.

Alex:

And I asked for forgiv forgiveness in advance, but Hideyteka Miyazaki is the director of this game. My Japanese not great, bro. You know what? They'll know who you're talking about. Indeed. But and then uh what's kind of cool though is the the world buildings. They they reached out to George R.R. Martin to work on the world building of this game, which I think is like a fun collab.

Luke:

I feel like they just got him to make silly names that start with G, but I could be wrong. Like that dude needed to be pulled away from all of his projects. He was so happy for a distraction. He's never finishing them books. Uh, it is a cool name to put on, and it is like a good I don't know at all what's going on. I swear to god, if I ever beat this game, I'll spend some hours on YouTube learning all of it to appreciate it. Uh-cause I guess the people who are into it are so into it. Little homie, you're just talking about 500 hours, bro. Mm-hmm. And I asked him, like, like, how much time have you spent on YouTube? And he said, like, not a bunch, but I don't believe him. I swear he's been reading about it. It's dense digging through the wikis or something. He's gotta be because I have no idea what the fuck is going on. They don't really I actually find it.

Alex:

I mean, yes and no. Yes and no. Like, there's things that I like about it, things that I don't. I think that was one thing that it took me longer to kind of latch on to it because I'm just gonna juxtapose it to the Witcher 3. Very like I love the Witcher 3, and I think the story in that game is fucking dope. I love, you know, Geralt Aribia. Uh, this is like very you you get to create your character. I think that is fun. You get to choose from a bunch of classes, a whole like a whole bunch of classes. Curious, who you went to with what the I'm a samurai, right?

Luke:

And I went with the warrior. How do you not? How do you not, samurai? I'm shocked you walked past a samurai and you're like, near well, the warrior's pretty dope.

Alex:

Like, I often will end up being like in a in a game like this. I'll choose like you know, I default to to the you know, what do you what do you call it? The well the warrior, but I'm I want to say beast. Yeah, exactly. So it made sense to me. I think if I had to do it again, I would either do the samurai, maybe the vagabond. Um, I don't know if I would start with warrior, like it just didn't it didn't quite do it for me. Like even now, I'm like, kind of wish that my dude looked different.

Luke:

Yeah, yeah. I'm I mean the samurai starting armor is cool. I haven't run into anything to replace the armor yet. Okay, yeah. I know there's some stuff people suggest to do, so I kind of you have a little bit more flexibility where you're probably running into some of the are you still with the same armor you started with?

Alex:

No, I switched it up pretty early on. I've run into a couple of sets that are are nice.

Luke:

This game's interesting, there's a it's dense, so like there is two different yeah, so like so many systems I still have zero percent grasp over, and I'm like 60 to 70 hours deep. Exactly.

Alex:

So, like, I mean, I have picked up armor that is like good, uh, and it is like elevated my character, but it's not good, like you know, I can't remember what it's called right now, but there's like two sets of like there's like two sat sets that every piece of like armor has. It's uh has to do with like its durability, not its durability, but like I don't know, like it has like basically uh base stats and then scaling.

Luke:

Exactly, or something.

Alex:

I don't know. See that there's like levels about levels that I'm just like I don't know, man. Like which which so I haven't put it this way, I have not sold my original armor set because there's certain pieces of it that like are actually better. I don't I don't know.

Luke:

Yeah, we're in the weeds on that one. Uh, which speaks to the game, which is like at one hand, it's unlike The Witcher, where you feel like it's weird that you're in this cataclysmic, like apocalypse, like this crazy apocalyptic event, and yet you're just like fucking around playing Gwent. There's always that weird juxtaposition of that. What I love in this game is like there's no text anywhere, there's no like missions. Uh, we'll get to that later, but like you're just kind of there. You're fucking around, poking around, feels like pretty natural, and it is super comparable. That sensation of just like looking over on a map and you're like, I bet you there's some cool shit over there. It feels the only game that comes close to touching that and being better than that is Breath of the Wild, the original one. Yeah, I was gonna say Scrim, dude, Skyrim. Like, yeah, that's that's how I get loaded down with loot, and I'm like digging through barrels and dumb shit like that. So I would say that like you know what the fuck I mean, though. You know what the fuck is that? Oh, for sure, dude.

Alex:

I was playing Starfield last night, and I was like, you're wearing down of cheese, and you're like, well, I can't get rid of my block of cheese.

Luke:

Like, so I'd say this game like streamlines some of that adventure better. Uh but yeah, I did feel like I felt the joy of like when I first played some scrimming and I was like digging through a cave and like getting into shenanigans. It's a hundred percent like that. It's a hundred percent like Breath of the Wild. You're not as fluid in getting around like you are in Breath of the Wild, but the environments are just straight up gorgeous, dude. The art is so fucking cool, and like it's got a really good video game map. It's like, oh, if you want me to nerd on on some good video game map, like it's not too informative, but you can definitely study it and be like, there's some cool shit over there. And then you go over there and like oh I'm so spoiled.

Alex:

It's totally like I feel like modern day video game graphics has spoiled me. I know this game is beautiful, but I think like after playing Red Dead Redemption 2, like I don't know if there's a prettier game.

Luke:

No, but like graphic fidelity is I mean, Red Dead 2 is just fucking bonkers, but I mean like the art direction is fucking sick. Okay, like to be fair. The enemy designs, the character designs, like your environment that you're literally in is it's pretty close to like perfect's the wrong thing because this is more of a subjective deal. Pretty master class for like how the game vibes look and feel and like the things you run into, like the environments are crazy cool.

Alex:

A little too dark for me. Where's the rainbows? Yeah, no, I mean, like, to be fair, like you look off in the distance and there's some cool shit going on, the err trees and all that shit. Like, yeah, I mean it's dope. Like, I see what you're saying 100%. I and I agree with you. Um, I just don't know if it's my vibe.

Luke:

Dude, that's still a fucking castle you're in right now, that first legacy dungeon, that thing's so sick. Like, I oh, dude, I that'll be that'll be a video game space that I'll I'll take with me for a long time. I think clearly I'm more pilled. I'm more I'm like I'm fully in. I there's some nitpicking that I have with it, but like if we're talking like things I like about it, I could go on and on.

Alex:

Yeah, it's funny though. Before we jumped on the mics like earlier today, I was thinking and I was like, because I have come, I have warmed up to this game quite a bit. Yeah, and I was like, I have to I have to channel some of my fucking grumpy energy because like to the majority of my playthrough, I was like not really feeling it. So I was like, I gotta bring that back. I can't just come in, I can't just be glowing for Elden Ring because like this shit fucking pissed me off for like a good solid like 10-15 hours. Damn.

Luke:

Maybe it's just because of my Sherpas, but uh now it does that classic video game thing where like I remember the early struggles, it's charming now. I've also like, I mean, it's so it's such a big part of the gaming zeitgeist. People generally know about the game and they've heard a lot of tidbits and a lot of like, oh, this is how you should handle it. Like, you should just run away. Like the tree sentinel. I knew through various podcasts and media that he was there to wreck me and teach me to run away when I can't handle something and go fuck off. I still try to run software trope, right? Yeah, that's kind of like that. I still did it. I still try to like fuck him up, and he still just absolutely murdered me. I saw a meme today that was like, hey, where should we put this place? We have our nice little starter area of the map. Which which like place should we make that's like literally hell? Where should we locate it? Oh, right next to the starter place. Like, so you did that. Didn't you wander off heading east and then you like ran into like the place that's basically hell, and you're like you just got destroyed and you were like disheartened and confused?

Alex:

Yeah, that was what that was before that was like not too far before we had our our little collapse session the session you had before it.

Luke:

And there's even a treasure chest that traps you, sends you over there in a cave, so you can't even get out. You have to run out of the cave, get to like a safe spot for a second, and then fast travel back. So like the game's constantly trying to piss you off. Yeah, I think dragon borrow or some shit like that, or Khalid. It's Khalid, yeah. Uh Khalid.

Alex:

I think I went up into I went into both DJ Khalid. Uh I went I went into both those there because basically I did the at that point, I was like, you know what? I'm just not gonna try and beat any of these bosses, I'm just gonna explore. And like that was fun, like because you I figured it's kind of similar to um to Breath of the Wild where you have your towers. So, like, same thing. There's these uh there's these, I don't know what they are pillars or whatever. Yeah, yeah. So you go find a pillars, yeah. Yeah, you can usually find it like there is it is signaling to you where those are, so you can go find them. And then I was kind of just revealing parts of the map. And I found myself over in DJ Khalid zone, dude. And fucking, I was like, this is not hype. This is this is very not DJ Khalid. This is like this is like hell, and everybody's really scary, and like I'm getting my ass kicked.

Luke:

Well, it's like certain games you play, you just run over and you hack and you roll around. And I definitely do that now, but like you have to learn the patience and the cadence and how the enemies come at you. And I know that's like the dumb shit the fucking sweats will yell at you on the internet, but it it's true.

Alex:

Uh also I did the classic, like I Googled when does Elden Ring become fun?

Luke:

Why am I not having a good time?

Alex:

Of course, I of course, like there's a whole bunch of hits. Like, I am not the only person that has Googled this before. And I I ended up on some Reddit thread and I was reading through it. It was it was kind of fun to see because there's a couple folks who are like, Look, I'm sorry that I'm gonna say this, but it's it's just the way it is with this game. Like, you gotta get good. Well, dude, I was talking about it. And then it's fun, and then that's what they say. Then it's fun, and it's like I get it.

Luke:

Um I was talking to my little homie today about the last boss I faced. Then I one-shot the boss, and he goes, Oh, yeah, cool. No, that's that's awesome. It's awesome to hear. And I was like, What's up? He goes, That boss took me three hours. Oh shit. And I think he just got to that boss way earlier than I did because I like really I like the you know, at I don't like the storyline stuff of The Witcher, the side quests are sick, but I didn't really care about like the main mission. The best part of Breath of the Wild, people complain that it wasn't linear and didn't have a strong enough story. I just love to fuck off and explore things in games. So like in this game, I get not over-leveled, but I get pretty high leveled. So I'm usually not totally overwhelmed for a task, and that helps me have a lot more fun when I'm just wrecking enemies. You can go back to an early area and some the enemies will still catch you off guard and fuck you up. So you never feel like you're playing unfair, you know, but like when you feel really powerful, it it pays off and feels really fucking cool. Yeah, 100%. I mean, reaching that point.

Alex:

Reaching that point is always great in these types of games. Um, I think what's interesting about this game, and like I had to assume that there are other games that like this as well, um, is you have to be in that mindset. Like they are punishing games, and it's it's just a type, it's a type of gameplay that some people love. I'm little lukewarm on it, but it's I respect it, I guess. It's interesting because I am here for like a grueling platformer, like I will do that.

Luke:

But but like, but for whatever reason is way less, way less frustrating for me than Celeste was. And Celeste is a good ass game, yeah.

Alex:

So like for I'm Celeste is like my or like um another good example around that would be like Prince of Persia or like uh Metroid or something, you know, like some of those bosses were really tough, like and I'm here for for running through the paces on one of those games and trying to to learn how to beat those bosses, and for whatever reason, in the 3D action um realm that that Elden Ring lives in, it's I don't know. I'm just not sold. But at the same time, like Skyrim, like see this game, I see so many parallels to Skyrim, and I was uh so much easier for me to like roleplay Skyrim, you know?

Luke:

Yeah, because there's things to roleplay in this game, you're just this fucking thing running around fucking shit up, and like we don't know yet what's going on. I haven't uh read the PhD text 400 level class to understand what the fuck George R. Martin and crew were getting at. But like you're just fucking around and finding out constantly. And one thing into the the map are you, like the whole world map? Like, are you like I'm not I'm very because I'm pretty careful about like not a hundred percenting things because I'm not into that, but like I the game is dense, the map is dense, so I probably have a third of it unlocked, including the underground stuff, so like which is crazy because I'm like 60, 70 hours in, but like there's so much to go. I don't think there's a bigger lie on how long to beat than this game. What is how long to be say? Oh, I haven't seen it. Probably like 40 to 60 hours. Let's get uh let's get IT on that. Yeah, sixty hours is what they're saying. Yeah, that's out of control, dude. I've beat two legacy dungeons. Two legacy dungeons. And for those of you uninitiated, legacy dungeons are like those old school linear dungeons within uh the kind of the more modern uh 3D, like Zelda-like games, I guess. You know what I mean? So like this is honestly more of a Zelda game than Breath of the Wild, because those stupid fucking divine beasts that were like an okay uh temple, right? Like the castle that you're on right now, that first one, I just think it's sick, dude. You have to be like you just kind of keep exploring and picking away and doing all these different things, and there's so many different types of enemies and different challenges and moments and weird platforming and like sections that you gotta get to and checkpoints, and I just fucking love that. But then when that's overwhelming, I just go fuck off back. I'm saying fuck a lot on this bot. I guess I'm just so riled up about it. Uh but then I just like I go dick around. I got to a choke point in that castle, and I could not get any further. I saw this big enemy and I was like, nope, can't do this anymore. So then I didn't even notice that island to the south where I helped you with that boss, and I cleared that whole island and castle and stuff, like a little mini deal, and then I went back and like that was so gratifying. Sorry, what was that rant even about? Uh just how much I love the legacy dungeons. Yeah, I suppose. Yeah, so I don't know. Uh no, you bring up metals are fucking epic, they're way too hard sometimes, but you have those assists, like I felt dirty the first time I used the the summoning.

Alex:

I've never been able to use a summoning for like computer summoning. There's been a couple spots where it's been obvious to me how it works, but I I was under the impression you could do that like easier. I think you can, yeah.

Luke:

I I don't know, because once again, I'd have to spend 20 minutes on the internet figuring out how the fuck to operate anything.

Alex:

So here's the deal like uh like it sounds like I'm fucking like complaining about this, and it I am.

Luke:

This is Luke explains Elden Ring to a boomer. Continue, dude.

Alex:

I I'm ex I like I am complaining to an extent, but you brought up like so the whole like summoning thing that we went through to figure out how to make summoning work. Like I had the instructions on the start menu or whatever, I had a YouTube thing playing, like I also had like a uh like a wiki page open trying to figure out how to make it all work. It still wasn't super clear, and like that it's just frustrating. Like, and that's like that's just this game to a T. It is unclear and frustrating, but then when you get it to work, it's fucking dope.

Luke:

Yeah, it I've brought it up on this pod, but it's like my favorite meme of like some nerdy sweat just being like Elder Ring are so good, like you need a notebook to play, like it doesn't hold your hand. Like you have to decipher the information yourself, and then they're playing on a computer and they have two monitors with all this different text and things telling them how everything works, and it's like it's frustrating. I would like a quest log or something. Like, I love that I don't have this map littered with fucking icons and just clutter, and I love that I can just derp around as I've mentioned a few times, but there's some times when someone's like, Have you done this quest? And I'm like, The fuck do you mean? I didn't I talked to the person, but you have to talk to them three times, and I'm like, that was convoluted and strange for them to open up this quest line, and then like was I playing at night, and then the next day I forgot what I was up to, and there's nothing to remind me of what I was on. So, like, whenever I accomplish something, I have to like be so focused and like using an online guide. So that's kind of fucking silly.

Alex:

I have like mixed feelings about that too. Like, I think it's pretty cool, but like I I don't know. I think like just be nice to the player, man. Like, give them like I don't I don't need everything on my map, but a nice little like checklist would be all right.

Luke:

What's funny is this is the nicest to the player game they've made.

Alex:

I know, right? For for real. For real. I'm such a weirdo too, though, because like I I've I've like dabbled in Elden Ring now, and I'm not like I'm not a stan, but I think it's cool. But I'm but I still want to go back and play Dark Souls. Like that's how this is that's what I'm saying. Like, I'm such a weirdo.

Luke:

I understand my I want to because I'm pretty pretty pilled on the experience. So and I feel like I've learned some of the language, so to speak. Like we've talked a lot about the semiotic domain that you are, you know, involved with here, and how you just learn the language of a game and you understand and you get become fluid, and like I respect that. I've totally gotten way better at that myself. So like I think that Dark Souls eventually, maybe if I get that itching. I have never played a game where I've fought this many different enemy types this late into the game. Breath of the Wild is a comparison that you'll heal me hear me keep bringing up because of the adventuring, the exploration. But I got so tired of fighting the same five Zelda enemies. The bosses were pretty cool, but in this game you have super sick bosses, like that's a whole conversation of its own. But the fact that like I go to a new area and I'm not just fighting the same skeletons, the same trolls, the same like Skyrim is an almost perfect game, one of my favorites ever. But like you fade a lot, fight a lot of the same dudes, and you're almost tickled when you see something new. In this game, I get to a new area, I'm like, what the hell is this thing's deal? Is it even friendly? It's usually not. And then I have to figure out what in the fuck I need to do. What in the hell is even that? And how do I handle it, you know? Indeed.

Alex:

No, I I agree with that 100%. And they're like fucking weird ass things, and they're all over the place and have you got stuff.

Luke:

Deep enough in the castle to see the big like spider evil crazy thing that's not even just a boss, it's just this big crazy thing you gotta. Well, I guess it's kind of a boss because it doesn't regenerate, but like I haven't seen this yet, but um I can't wait.

Alex:

I do that's how I saw that and I was like fuck, what am I supposed to do about this? Dog, that's what's really cool about this game, though, is that you know, even there's just regular baddies. Super good example. This is the spider you bring up, is a good example. Really great example is like very early in the game after that um that like turning point for you or the the camp or whatever. Yeah, when you go past, there's that big gate that you know, and then you go in there and there's a troll on top of this bridge looking down at you, and there's a bunch of archers or whatever. But it's this massive troll. It's the first troll that I think it's the first troll that you run into. But dude, it's like just imposing, staring down at you. I was like, oh, this is the little boss, and like, no. It's it's just like baddie. It's just like a really big, crazy, cool place to like environmental baddie.

Luke:

I think I got him to drop like not on my head. I think some people have like run into that area and he literally lands on him and kills him. Uh the first time I did it, I actually defeated him, but that's just because like I got some weird thing where I was being a little sneaky penis and he dropped down but didn't immediately attack. Interesting, yeah. So I like attacked him and then I survived. I was able to draw out the archers. I like got way more leveled and then came back and like could not do that area. I was like, how the hell did I get past this the first time?

Alex:

The first time that uh like I've been back there since, and it's it's still difficult, but it's manageable now.

Luke:

That's the nice thing about talking to people is because people just tell you to fuck off from that area and go find a cave somewhere else and like get way stronger. I feel like no one was telling you to fuck off, and you kept running into the strongest of walls.

Alex:

Dude, well, that's the thing, though, is uh I would just bounce off everything though. Like, no matter which direction I ran in, I'd be like, that's too hard. That's too hard. And then you got to Margot way early.

Luke:

I was like, How'd you even get up there? You're like, you know, because I just you go past enemies if you just run.

Alex:

Yeah, totally. Which is you know, there's like a little bit of that's fun too, though. Like, it's like it's just it's silly, dude. It's a weird game. You really gotta be in the mindset. I think that's just it. Like, you had to know that you're like getting ready for some punishment. You have to be ready to and like it's the same thing with Metroid, dude. It's like when you're like uh when you're fighting a boss, like you just know it's gonna whoop your ass a bunch of times, and then you're gonna learn and you're gonna get it, and that's super rewarding, and that's it's similar in this sense as well. Only you really do have to like level up.

Luke:

Yeah, I'd compare it to Super Metroid in the sense where it has like that old school sensibility of like obscureness, where like you're like, I was able to break that was a glass tube that I was able to bomb and explode. You remember that point in Super Metroid? Yeah, and I was like playing it in the year of our lord, maybe 22, 23, and uh 21, and I was like, how the fuck was I supposed to know that that was a break of like nothing had led me to believe that's how you prior to that happening, and I wasn't talking to anybody about it because it's a schoolyard, yeah. Yeah, so like this game's kind of that way too. Like you jump on the internet and you're like, you need to use this emote, and then the guy will jump down. The way you get it is after you've heard him the first time, you talk to the merchant and you bring up the howling at this place, and then he'll teach you the finger snap, and then you go back there and you snap your fingers. And I'm like, how the fuck does anybody know this ever? Yeah, and I but it's made for the five.

Alex:

If you found that out organically, it would feel sick, but I don't know how anyone could do that. Well, that's what's an interesting thing about this game, and to my understanding, some of the other FREM software games is the okay, so we talked about the co-op multiplayer we did where you were summoned into my game and you're able to help me out with stuff.

Luke:

Yeah.

Alex:

There's another earlier layer to the multiplayer and the more like I don't know, constant multiplayer that's always happening is if you're connected to the internet, you get left messages by folks and things like that, right?

Luke:

Um, that's the most expensive $20 game I've ever bought. Because I now feel the online is absolutely crucial to playing, so I have to keep it. Oh, funny. Yeah.

Alex:

Yeah, yeah, yeah. You got that gold pass. I know the cheapy cheapy. Yeah, if you had it on PC. I know, isn't that silly? But continue. Extremely silly. But so, anyways, there's these like messages that get left behind and these like cool little like uh what they're almost like ghosts, you know. It's just dick jokes. There's lots of them aren't most of them, lots of homoerotic jokes. Yeah. Oh my gosh, it's everything's about being done in the butt or like in some head. It's like wow.

Luke:

Finger butthole. Yeah, you have like this limited list of things to say, and people have just figured out every perverted thing to say at every perverted moment, and it's dude, it's clouding when you hit me up and you're like, I haven't quite figured out like all the lingo yet.

Alex:

I don't really know what they're getting at. I'm like a and like I I remember you read like texting me that and I've reading it. I'm like, I'm pretty sure these are just butt jokes. Like, I don't know.

Luke:

Yeah, I love how I'm like I'm out here being like, Al, you don't get it. You just gotta, you just gotta hang, you gotta figure out the language. And you're like, Luke, it's it's dick jokes, they're just the fingers doesn't mean anything other than then try fingers just means like you know, butt stuff.

Alex:

I was like, uh-oh, okay. Oh man, but it's you know, like the it's the internet, so you of course are gonna get that there, which you know, no surprise. Uh but that that layer though, that like multiplayer aspect of it, I think that's really cool. Like I think it's fun. It makes you feel like in a in a world where we're all separated and we're playing games by ourselves, like it's cool to like have that connection in a way.

Luke:

It's funny because part of the reason the game's so cool is because it doesn't always feel video gamey because the UI is so stripped down and the you know there's no quest log and all these things. But then it feels intensely video gaming because you see other gamers like shadows essentially rolling around, and sometimes I think it's an enemy coming to sneak up on me and it's just some other person doing something similar as me, or sometimes you can see somebody platforming a section you're in, you're like, Oh, that is doable, or like they leave a little message like I did it, and you're like, Okay, and then sometimes someone jumps down to some space that you can stand on for a second, leaves a message, and then you jump down there and die, and you're like, You fucking buckle.

Alex:

Yeah, yeah, for sure. Dude, I think uh the only I yeah, right. I can I can forgive all of this game's like what I'm saying are shortcomings or pain points or whatever, like because I I do think it's cool, and I think they add it, they like make it different, they make it a different experience, they make it really cool. The only thing I can't forgive is the fact you can't pause, bro.

Luke:

Oh my god. Any defense, any defense of this is a gameplay mechanic. Just I would stare at them and I would like to be like, I like to pee. I like to take the amount of times I'll be like taking a drink thinking I'm safe, and then like something attacks me. I'm like, okay, or like you know, my wife being a reasonable human being asking something to me or conversing with me. I'm like, not fucking right now, okay? Can't you see what's happening?

Alex:

Clauding. I had a we won't go into the full story, like, but like my furnace went out. I mean the coldest day of the year and like made some smoke smells, so we had to get the fire department to come through, and I was at the round this time just trying to play some Elden Ring, and like some firemen are coming through my house, and the game's just fucking rocking and rolling. I'm like, this is ridiculous.

Luke:

I was uh I would just like to pause. I mean, I get it where like you can't switch a weapon out in the middle of a fight. I'm not arguing about that, but just like quite simply, dog. Sometimes I just want to like get up and do something or acknowledge the other humans in my existence in life, or like rock a text, or look up one of the many obscure things I have to look up for this stupid fucking game that doesn't tell me. Nah, dude, you gotta live in the land between, or whatever they call it. Yeah. Foul tarnished. I get it. I get it. Um, you have any other grievances with the game, or have you already emptied your clip, old man?

Alex:

Uh, there's a couple in the chamber, but no, I'm just playing. I I pretty much I think I've got them out there. Like, I am, you know, I've I came with some like gonna give this game some negative energy, but at the same time, like uh that's not actually where I'm at with this game. Like, I am enjoying this game, I think it's cool. I understand why it got all the game of the year awards, I understand why people love it. It's just for me, it's not a game that I want to plow through, and I don't think that's like a good or a bad thing necessarily. Um, you know, I really enjoy not playing this game for like five days, and then being like, I am in the mood to get my ass kicked. Yeah, and then I'll and then I'll you know get in, get my ass kicked, or maybe like you know, not, and then I'm like, wow, that was great. And I and it's so for me, dude, like I'm totally happy to have this game just be a game that I will go and explore and like have some fun and push through, and like who knows if I'll ever beat it, but like I would just like to plug through it. And I think that it's not a game, and then I think it's almost a knock, or I look at it as almost a knock that it's that it the story doesn't like capture me to at least not yet, to like want to push through and finish. Like normally I would cast that as a knock, but like it's almost a boon in some ways.

Luke:

I find it becomes so liberating, dude. I find it so refreshing to just not be caught in some fucking cutscene or some stupid dialogue or like just plowing through text. Like I'm just I'm just derping, dude. I'm just gripping it and ripping it, brother. I'm just exploring.

Alex:

See, you've committed, and that's just I think like whereas I'm still like I'm still not like uh I'm not 100% there, but I'm like I'm I'm tasting it. I can I can feel it, and I'm like you understand the the the vibe.

Luke:

Uh it's crazy, and this isn't practical as 30-year-old men, uh, one of us soon to be 40. Um, but like if you had a roommate that was playing it, or like if we lived together back at mom and dad's, like you would either be inspired to play it, or love watching me play it, or like you'd see me do something, you'd be like, Oh shit, okay, that's what I need to do when I get to play next. Like but we don't have that in our lives, and I've been able to kind of recapture that with some of the conversations I've had with some people. Whereas like for you, I feel like when we did the co-op, that sparked it a little bit for you, but like, you know, there's like a big chunk that like you're just left to fill in the blank, and if you don't have any assistance on that and you have to completely do it from the internet, I can see where you're just like, I just want to vibe with my one hour of free time today. I don't want to fucking die to the same boss. Uh which I do die to the bosses a lot, and you do learn their things. It's like a Metroid is the closest one. Like Metroid where you learn to dance with the boss, it's like that. I find it intensely liberating that I just pick it up and I'm like, I'm gonna head over there and I'm gonna do some stuff over there, and I'm gonna see if I can find anything cool. Yeah, not fair. And there usually is something cool and I'm gonna level this up, I'm gonna see something cool, I'm gonna like laugh at how fucked something got. But I I will like run into things and I'll just like die. And the way I die, I'll know that I have to be done playing. I'm like, I'm like, that was pretty fucking stupid. And I'm like, yeah, you should probably just be done. And then I pick it up the next day and I'm way better. It's kind of silly, dude.

Alex:

And that's uh that's like another like at first it used to really bug me the like the checkpoint type things, the little fire pits or whatever, uh how you get sent back to those or whatever statue, depending if you're closer to one of those, but then you have to go back and get your credits. It's like you know, Shovel Knight and shit, like does it as well. That's like a it's um that's like the type of whereas like I really don't like them not being able to pause. Like, I don't mind that mechanic. Like it's it's an interesting enough thing and like challenging enough where it's like, well man, I just shouldn't have died my sec when I was trying to go retrieve my credits, you know. Like, how are you gonna die twice? You fucking my runes.

Luke:

Yeah, I actually lost a huge bag of runes lately. Uh a particularly egregious thing where like I just shouldn't have done what I did, and I was like, Oh, like you that's what it always is. You took so much fall damage because you just were being impatient to get back to it, and you're like, oh, that was that was so much.

Alex:

But that's see, and that's that's whereas like I'm like the the pause button is unforgivable, but like this stuff, I'm like, you know what? That like does add an element to this game that I'm like I'm actually here for it, yeah, you know.

Luke:

Yeah, I'm not mad about that. The leveling systems are actually pretty fun and rewarding, and like the replayability, you you might pick it up. We've talked about it off mic before. You're like, I might plow through it, I might get through like a different chunk of it someday. We'll see. Whereas, like, my question is like I definitely think I'll beat it or at least get very far to get most of the map. But it'd be cool if like I did a magic build someday. Oh, sure. The game is you can learn the language, but it's also like it's like just because you can converse casually in Spanish doesn't mean you know Spanish. And then like there's Mexican Spanish and there's Spain Spanish. There's a difference. It's like, did you do a magic build? Oh, you did I did this type of build, did you do this? And there's like there's so much complexities that like I admire. I find it frustrating when like there's mechanics that I've just like I know like crafting items and like using bombs and other consumables, I know I can do stuff like that, but I'm like, that's just too much for me right now. I'm just a simple man. Uh but I also like respect and like find it intriguing that like if I really needed that itch, that I could just keep going and going and going. And I'm tired of people on the internet when I'm looking up like different build things telling me to just have fun. No, I'm trying to get good. I want to know it's affecting it. I only have so many resources to put into my weapons. Like, tell me if this weapon is worth it, you fucking nerd. I understand that I'm just having fun, and this is how I'm having fun, trying to optimize my build in a way that's fun. I want to use the cool weapon. Hey, tell me if it's worth it. Let me know.

Alex:

Are you gonna give this game?

Luke:

Dude, I want to go up to scale to ten, so I know you don't want that, but here's the reason why. I'll give you a 4.75, because I wanted to give the game a nine and a half. Right on. And here's the deal. I've never played a game with cooler enemies. Uh, it rivals the best part of Breath of the Wild, which is maybe my favorite game ever, where of the exploration and the freedom, and I love the pared down quest stuff. I love that you're just out there and then you're jamming. But I cannot give a game a 10 out of 10 that I cannot pause. That is I have to give it a 0.5. And there's other small, small grievances like I wish there was something that did like a quest log. I wish there was something less obscure with figuring out how to do missions and not being online for it. So check back in to see if I ended it, but maybe someday after beating it or keep playing it, I'd put it in my top ten games because it's that good. To certainly be considered, but just the tiniest of little checks, check marks against it have made me hesitant to say how much I loved it. But as far as like sometimes we say, like, five you can pause it, dog. Right. Uh sometimes we say, like, who would you recommend this game for? That becomes more complicated because of the things like the accessibility. Like it has to be someone who like knows what the fuck they're getting into and like is a not like a capital G toxic gamer, but just like a bit of a masochist. Yeah, or even just like someone who knows what they're signing up for. It's like you don't if someone's into Legos, you don't give them the most complex set possible if it's their first build. So this is like a more intricate build. You gotta be in the Elden Ring mindset, right? You gotta be ready, you gotta know. It's dense. If you gave somebody a book and you gave them war and peace, they're gonna be like, hey buddy, I was looking for a light read. Like, you really have to read the room on what someone's asking from you. So sorry. Uh what do you rate the game? Like a two out of five, you fucking boomer dude. Nah, dog, I'm gonna give it a four out of five.

Alex:

Dog, I I I respect this game. Like I was a little sour on it during the talk, but I kind of wanted to come with that energy to kind of juxtapose. I knew you were really like keen on it.

Luke:

Just constantly be a circle jerk for the game we've played, so I respect that.

Alex:

And uh, and you know, like it did frustrate me. Like, I don't think there's been a game that we've played for this podcast or a game that I've ever played that I've been like, I don't know, so conflicted with. I'm like, do I like this game? Do I not like this game? But I'm looking at like this the scenery or I'm exploring the map and I'm like getting my little like dopamine hits when I like, you know, like but at the same time, like I'm also like fuck this. I'm I'm gonna play 2K. I can't right now. Uh you know, it's like and it's and it's it's totally the mindset, dude. You and like so I'm gonna get four out of five because it's not the perfect game for me. This isn't my game of the year. I respect it, I can see why it is. I just don't think it's player-friendly enough, and I don't think it needs to be. Like, that's another thing, you know. Like, I don't think that all games necessarily have to respect the player, you know. It makes it we need games like this to, you know, just to like push things forward to like be able to have the the variety out there.

Luke:

It's like when a grunge or a metal band or like a punk band goes pop, yeah, but they still have their roots of like being grimy and shit, you know. So like it's not for everybody, but like the music critics are about it and it pulled in a general audience, but they still have they're still fucking grimy, dude.

Alex:

Totally.

Luke:

That's a weird comp I had to throw in, but hell yeah.

Alex:

And it's and it's interesting, dude, because like when you you know, who would you recommend this game to? Like, I gotta if you're looking for like kind of like a uh like a gritty, dark, open world experience, like just go get into it, like check it out. I think it's definitely part of like people should people should taste Elden Ring. Especially like if you're if you're from Soft Curious, like like I have been, like I think this is the this is the sampling you want. It's the perfect entry point into the yeah.

Luke:

If you like this, then you should go back to their early garage band punk shit. Indeed.

Alex:

Play some Sekiro, play some some bloodborne.

Luke:

You know? I hope you don't like pausing. And I hope you don't have a wife and children, because then you should definitely play this game, dude. Dog, I'm just I'm gonna like your maidenless dude, play this game, dude.

Alex:

Maidenless. With that, let's take a little break, come back with our unsanctioned sponsor.

Luke:

Hell yeah. For our unspanctioned sponsor, unspanctioned sponsor, I do not recommend spanking unless that's what you're into. I'm not here to king shame. We are not we are not sponsored by spanking today. We are unofficially brought to you by guys being dudes, dudes being spanning. Guys being dudes, just a bunch of guys being dudes. And a sub-sponsor of that is so I, as Alex knows, I had I had what we call men's retreat affectionately. We're just guys being dudes getting RB, and do we do anything? No, we just hang out and it's dope. So I sent this delightful text to my wife where it was a little homemade meme template where I sent her what we were doing, and I was like, she thinks you're out having like causing trouble, what you're actually doing. And it was a very nerdy picture of Settlers of Catan, which somehow my nerdy ass has never played. That's a fun game, dude. It's like Age of Empires board game. I know. So, like anytime I would tell people that I had never played it, they're like, How are you, the social studies teacher, gonna tell me that plays video games and shit all the time? Yeah, you're like all hard over maps and things. Like, how have you not played? I'm like, I just haven't run into it. Well, I finally played. There's this uh wonderful card kind of board group game called Bang. Have you heard of Bang? I feel like you've done enough. Um made in this once again. But uh no, Bang is like this super cool card game. I encourage you or the listeners to look it up. It's like a fun group game where you kind of have a role. There's a sheriff, there's a renegade, there's multiple outlaws, and then there's a deputy. The deputy's job is to protect the sheriff, the sheriff's job is to kill all outlaws in the renegade. The renegade, highest degree of difficulty, needs to have all of the uh outlaws or needs to kill everybody, I guess, but you have to do it sequentially because if the sheriff loses, then the outlaws win. Uh and you don't know everybody's role except for the sheriff. Um, so that's like a fun thing to do when you're hanging out with dudes. So just a bunch of guys being dudes, playing board games, uh hanging out, eating too much, living it up, cold weather. It's pretty tight, dude. Guys being dudes. This is a guys being dudes podcast, and we're usually a dad pod, but now we're a guys being dudes pod. Unofficially brought to you in part by bros. Just bro love is the only love, you know what I'm saying, dude.

Alex:

I can dig it, man. No, that's that's cool. I get fed this ad all the time. Not I don't know what's in the ad, you gotta fed this article all the time that says that uh for men's uh for their mental health to like to maintain solid mental health, the bros should be hanging out at least two times a week.

Luke:

Whoa, they should not feed that to us, dude. They should feed that to others.

Alex:

It looks like how do I how do I push this to my wife?

Luke:

How do I forward this? Nah, dude, it was it was tight, dude, because I I came home, I was happy to be home, and then it's just every once in a while to just you never know when your last your last sleepover with the boys is, your last hang with the boys is. You never know when your last one is, but we all have a last your last land party. You didn't know it was gonna be your last land party, Al. The good times, good times they're over. So just a bunch of guys getting together being dudes. Al doesn't have much to contribute because he's jealous over there, dude. He's like, why don't I?

Alex:

Where the fuck's my invite? Where's my invite to my cabin full of dudes, dude? What the fuck, dude? Oh, I feel you. That's that's cool. Uh, I'm jealous of your your recent bro spirits.

Luke:

The bro spa farts and cheese, dude. Not a vegetable in sight, dude. That's actually a problem, but for another day.

Alex:

Banging stuff. What was it? Just banging with dude playing bang, dude. What do you what's weird about that? This episode is brought to you by Luke bangin' bros. Dude, Luke bangin' with bros, dude. It's different. Sorry, banging, banging with bros. Yeah, not banging with bros, dude.

Luke:

Banging with bros and beers. Beers, bros, banging. It's more of a whiskey, but you get the point. Beers too filling with all the cheese I was consuming. You been side questing, Did? Dude. You go first. I got a nerd rant. I've been pretty full of those today, so you hit us first. You know I've been side questing.

Alex:

Please tell me about NBA banned from the pot, just like NCAA football. I haven't I haven't been playing much 2K. I mean, I got it in, like I got in a couple, like I had to play, uh, I had to, you know, see what Luca looked like on the Lakers. That was the most what it is.

Luke:

Uh The Ringer is doing like an expansion week when it comes to NBA. So just thought piece to articles on NBA expansion. And yeah, it did give me huh. Should there even be one? I would say so, yeah. Um, but I would love to pick up 2K simply for doing a franchise or dynasty or GM mode, whatever they call it now, and uh doing an expansion team with an expansion draft. So you might you might see me on there one of these days for that deep, deep nerd deal. What were you gonna say before I hit you with that?

Alex:

Oh man, I have been I'm about 15 hours into Pokemon Emerald. So that's that's a big, a big side quest for me. It's been a lot of fun. Yeah, a little bit, dude. Yeah, you know me. I I love my handhelds. I recently uh yeah. What gen is that? Three five? Uh that would be three-ish, I think. So it's Game Boy Advance. Um I think it's third gen. So I recently picked up uh maybe, maybe. But I've I picked up uh so it's uh you know Pokemon like um oh man, I can't I think it's Ruby. And I can't remember what the the other color is, but those two came out, but it's not so there's leaf green and like red, whatever. So but those are remakes, yeah. Fire red. So those are remakes of the originals, right? Yes, but so that's like kind of like Gen 2-ish. Well, Gen 2 would be like crystal, who cares, dude? We're not Pokemon Podcast, but this this uh this game's been fun, dude. It's been it's been fun to like because it's like more polished than the ones that I really love, like red and blue, yellow and shit. It's been fun to be in uh was the Hanto region or whatever. I don't know. The hentai, but it's yeah, it's it's cool, man. It's fun. It's like I love that stuff. It's uh it's been cool to like I'm watching. I mean, you bring up 2K, but I've been watching the NBA. I watched uh to a little bit of my chagrin, the all-star weekend stuff. Dude, it was I I wouldn't watch again unless they change it back to some yeah, we don't need to get into that, but like don't love the format. Uh uh, but it's fun, like to you know, get uh get a shot. I've been watching um the USA basketball Olympics thing on Netflix, like watching that. It's like a documentary produced by your boy Obama. Um it was good, dude. Um yeah, they're about three episodes in on that when I just playing Pokemon while I do that. I love like if if if uh Anna's got some trash TV rocking, like I might sit down on the couch next to her, play some Pokemon. Like, it's it's great. It's great for like mindlessly grinding, pushing along, making it happen in the Pokemon world. And that's uh primary.

Luke:

It's like a grind that you're so built into your childhood that like it's so forgivable. Like if you picked up one of those games now, you might have a rough time, but like just everything that comes with it is so fluid. I mean, the random encounters and some of that nonsense, like that might not be forever, but true.

Alex:

But I think because we I grew up on that, and that's like my Pokemon experience. Like for me, I think to your point, like it works. Yeah, uh, but the reason I I think the reason that I kind of dove into that is because I I got myself a new handheld toy. I got the Ambernik RG34XX or some shit. I don't remember what the bottom is.

Luke:

Are you other handheld toys jealous, or is this like a polyamorous relationship with your various handhelds?

Alex:

Dude, you want to get in the weeds on it? Kind of poly, because I also got this Game Boy SP right here, right? Yeah, clamshell. And uh, so I've got this game, I've got the cart, and then I'm able to make a ROM because I've got this, I've got the stuff to do that. Sure. And basically, I so I duplicated the game and was able to use emulators on my computer. Uh so I was able to rip the save file from the cart, put it on my computer, get an emulator going up in a dual windows, dual emulators, and I was able to trade Pokemon back and forth. Like I was able to create the trade system going. Speaking of dense, he can't figure out how to scale with dexterity, but he's like, I got my double emulators up here. The only thing is, like, I didn't like I didn't have the foresight because like I didn't realize that you could get the other starters later in this game by breeding. I didn't understand that the breeding was in the part of this game. Uh, so I spent probably a solid like two hours because it doesn't let you trade uh any of the starters like at the first like uh Pokey Center or whatever. You have to actually get your first badge before trading actually becomes unlocked. So like I so I poured and like dude, I picked up one of the games off of uh I picked up the game off eBay. So someone had a save file with somebody I was able to trade, which is nice. And on mine, uh, so I was able to get that starter. And then on mine, I like I grinded for like two hours to be able to get to the point where I could trade the other starter. So I got all three starters, only to find out later on that I could have just bred them later, but who cares? It was about it was about being able to like play with the tech, like, and then to move the save file back onto the Amber Nick, dude. I just like you know me. I was Alex's farm system for this game. Yeah, continue. Uh but dude, so like it's been fun. Like it was fun to do that. It was fun to play with the tech, get all the fucking all the uh handhelds kind of synced up with the computer, all the save files pushed around, tinkering with that stuff. Uh, and I've been playing Pokemon. And now that I've got those, you know, I probably won't do much more trading because what am I gonna do? Like grind out 30 hours on one so I can get some more.

Luke:

You got three coolest ones in the game. Well, that's it.

Alex:

Like I'm also I'm like, I'm not a completionist, but like you gotta catch them all, right? So, like a part of me is like wants to get all of them, but I'm like, nah, dude, like you just gotta let go, just push through to the end. You don't need to have them all.

Luke:

But as an adult, I'm like, I gotta catch this beetle. I don't have one yet, dude.

Alex:

For sure. So that's that's a major side quest. Another major side quest. I got myself a PS3. Uh and that's been a lot of fun, man. So I picked that up off on eBay. I don't know, dude. eBay kind of got me the last couple months, I guess. But I've been tinking around with the PS3 and playing some like PS3 is like a cool system, man. It's uh I had one uh back, you know, around the 2008 ish, I guess. Um is when I got mine, then I sold it, and then I think maybe we went in on one when I came back from Spain or something. I'm not really sure. But um, so I've had one in my life, but uh I haven't had it hasn't been like a mainstay, so that's like a big like gap in my gaming background. Like, there's a lot of cool games. Games that came out in that era that I haven't played, so it's been cool to be able to uh dabble with some of those games. And I've just kind of been tweaking this thing. Uh and it's fun, dude. And like, you know me, I'm a sucker for for hardware. The PS3's got a very interesting controller with the pressure sensitive buttons.

Luke:

Yeah.

Alex:

Um, and you know, so that's uh it's cool. Two major side quests for me. PS3, I'm gonna do three major side quests. Well, because PS1, PlayStation Dog, I've been like, dude, so I got the PlayStation Classic. I've been messing with it.

Luke:

I now regret clearing out for this, dude. I'm antsy to talk about my game.

Alex:

Yeah, but then I've also been setting up the emulators for PlayStation on uh on my PC. So I like got my classic going, that's really fun. But then on the PC, dude, like it's so much dude. This is some stuff that like maybe doesn't like mean anything to you, but like the fact that I can upscale a PS1 game and get it to like look beautiful on my on my computer and play it, like it just gets it like and run it 60 frames per second, get that thing looking nice, like, dude, it's just so fun. It's so cool to like sounds like you enjoy maintaining your motorcycle.

Luke:

Uh yes, this is correct. That's hilarious. What's a PS1 game and a PS3 game that you've enjoyed playing since getting it booted up?

Alex:

Uh Little Big Planet is like one that I've been fun been having fun with on PS3.

Luke:

I played a little bit of that, but unfortunately I never beat it. I think I got it for free when PlayStation Network was hacked and then it was down for like ever. Oh, sure. I never beat it, and I kind of regret that. I sometimes in life I didn't understand what a game was, so I yeah, I don't know how to describe that. That's a mission for a different day. So how about PS1?

Alex:

PS1. I played about 40 minutes of Final Fantasy VII, which is a game I've never played, and that's like to taste that one a little bit was fun, and it's like, I don't know, there's so many games, and it's like hard to be like, I want to go spend 30 hours to beat this game, but I kind of do. Yeah, like I've I've been tasting the RPG, like the old school RPGs. Like Pokemon's like Pokemon's that end like that gateway drug for me, dude. It's like maybe you are ready to do some Chrono Trigger. Chrono Trigger's supposed to be pretty, like, pretty approachable, I guess. But like maybe you are ready to do like biomedication routines, beating them up and stuff.

Luke:

Yeah. Um, well tight. Love the gear talk. Uh jokes aside, PS3. Um, I loved the Assassin's Creeds, but there's other ways to play those now. I feel like Uncharted the same. So has anything else caught your eye from my collection back in the day or no?

Alex:

Uh I mean, you do have all the Ask Creeds, which is dope. I and I mean you just said it right there. The Ass Creeds and the Uncharted. I mean, like, I've I've played the Ass Creeds, so like I don't have a and I do have them on Switch now, and I have like a couple other ways to play them, so like I'm probably won't dive back into those, especially because I have I've played them on Switch now. Uh I haven't played any of the Uncharted stuff, so like I'm very intrigued to like jump into the Uncharted.

Luke:

Lord of the Rings Conquest is one of my weirdest purchases, but that game's kind of fucking cool in hindsight. How about skate? Do I have the old skate games in there?

Alex:

You have skate two.

Luke:

Fucking that's the best one.

Alex:

Oh, and you have skate. Yep. So you have skate and skate two. You know, those are classics. What else? The Batman? Do you have a couple of the Batman? Or no, you just had the one Batman game. Yeah, that's a good one. So Arkham City is the one that you got in there. Um for me, for the for these, what I'm oh, you've got uh Arkham Asylum as well. You should play Asylum. So I have both of those games on the PC, but I probably play them on the PS3 because why not? So those are those are for me, dude. See, I'm I'm excited to check out the Uncharteds because I've never really dabbled in that stuff. I think there's Call of Duty Black Ops and stuff like that that I'll play a little bit. I've never played the Kill Zone stuff. You're telling me the Kill Zone was very much of its time.

Luke:

Yeah, it's supposed to be the Halo Killer. Uh you bought me Black Ops for Christmas. Oh, that's for me? Yeah, dude. It's kind of funny because neither one of us uh is a Call of Duty guy, but you had just moved back, you were living at home for a little bit, and it was one of those deals where you're like, dude, I got you black ops. Now let's play a bunch of black ops for me too.

Alex:

I don't really remember that. That's cloudy.

Luke:

It had one of the good original, not the original, but it might have been like the second attempt at zombies. It's a really good zombies. Um do remember that now. And uh we would do the online, and I just sucked balls at the online. You you definitely did too. Uh so we were never good. We but we we hung out together. It was tight. Well, that's cool. Good trip down memory lane there. Also, if you have physical media, hold on to it, guys. So for me, my side quest, I'll keep mine shorter. Uh, we have to do another pod because we're so backlogged. I'll save my larger uh big deal for the next one. So I'll go with a smaller one, which is that I've been playing around on the Steamy D, as always, in my bed. Um, and I have recently given the the rogue Prince of Persia a decent few hours. Oh yeah. And it's cool. Um I have, if you're a fan of the pod, you'll know that I have a nostalgic soft spot for Prince of Persia IP. Yeah. And also you'll know that we're you especially, but I liked it too. Big Dead Cells fan. So basically the people who made Dead Cells got the IP from Ubisoft. So if you don't like the Ubisoft stank, please ignore that when it comes to these last two. This one and um Prince what's the what's the one that came out last January, February?

Alex:

Um Prince of Persia?

Luke:

Yeah, what's that? The most recent Prince of Persia. We did a pod on it and everything. Um blanket on the name. But that game is fucking cool too, and it didn't get enough glow because I think there's just Ubisoft stank on it. But that was a really good game, and this is a really cool fun game. Uh Lost Crown. Thank you. Um, but the rogue Prince of Persia is cool um because it is a 2D roguelike platformer action combat, very similar to Dead Cells, but a little bit more platforme focused. So you do like this wall run thing, and then you combine wall running with some other stuff, and it's just cool. And I'm just getting into the just getting into the beginning. I wouldn't say it's like super slick like Dead Cells, but it is in early access, so give it some time, and I think it'll be a totally worthwhile game. I wouldn't say for you to buy it just yet. Uh look for a a nice little sale or maybe that 1.0 release. But I like early access games a lot more than you, and I kind of like being a part of that little journey, and I'd say it's the build currently, especially, is definitely fluid enough where you don't feel like you're playing some sort of unfinished jank. You know what I mean? I don't know. No, for sure. So I think that's pretty gnar. I've been reading a lot of graphic novels that's been tight. I just finished Anthony de Bournay's ghost book. Don't recommend that, but the art's cool. Oh, really? Yeah. Got it from my public library. Sir. And I just finished blankets, which is a graphic novel classic, but I don't feel like trauma dumping on anybody what that's about, but it's tight. And I've been in the middle of East of West, which I realize now that I'm balls deep into the 10-part series that number nine is impossible to find. So I'll have to figure out how to handle that. So I know an eBay addict, so maybe he just needs to look out for me. Um, but that's been really cool, and I really wish they would turn that IP into either a show. It was picked up at one point, but I think it's been canceled. And they need to turn that IP into like a show or a game or something, because yeah, that would be tight. And I eagerly look forward to the last Ronin Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Have we talked about that on this pod, or have we been so out of commission that we haven't talked about that journey?

Alex:

I can't remember if I mentioned or not, but I I love The Last Ronin, dude, and got that for you for Christmas. I'm glad you glad you read it. Have you read the second one yet?

Luke:

No, I want to get a little bookstop near your house. I just was overspent the last time we were there. So next time I go there, I'll go there knowing that I'll at least buy that book. So I'll have been mentally prepared to just continue to blow money locally. Yeah, dude. But yeah.

Alex:

That's a that's a super fun, super fun book or whatever. And the I'm I'm about halfway into the prequel, the prequel now. That's a lot of fun. Um, yeah, yeah.

Luke:

Uh digitally from the library, yes. Yeah. So I just can't wait to either see them turn that into a movie, TV show. Fucking, I know there's a game coming out, like I'm just very excited for that. Dude, you you brought up books, man. I gotta throw this book out there.

Alex:

Uh let you yeah, doc. It's it's called Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson. Okay. So if folks are hungry for a book that's like pretty, it's like a quick, like written so well, dude. Like, it's such a fun read. Reads pretty quickly. Fiction. So it's called Nothing to See here by Kevin Wilson. And it's a book about this woman who ends up becoming a nanny for uh her like an old friend of hers from college. I'm not gonna like give away too much of the story here, but these kids catch on fire, like they like spontaneous, they like spontaneously combust. That's like a thing that just happens with these kids, but it doesn't hurt them or anything, right? But that's just like a weird quirk about these kids, and it is just like the most wild, ridiculous like story about her, like I don't know, living with these kids, and like it's just like it is so funny, dude. Like you just gotta check it out. Like, it's a big recommend for me. Uh, it's like a comedy, a fiction comedy.

Luke:

All right. Um, I do it's easy for me to find nonfiction books, and it's easy for me to find graphic novels, but I struggle with uh finding fit good fiction, so I I wrote that down as you wrote or as you spoke. So that's cool.

Alex:

Yeah, yeah, it was good. It kind of greased my gears to get me back into to reading like actual book books again. So I'd like so I've been reading that one I plugged through real fast. Uh, and then I've been kind of chugging through um some Kurt Vonnegut because he's a favorite author of mine. But I haven't uh I mean he's great, like don't get me wrong, but like I had like this the I had to like uh see to the finish, uh nothing to see here.

Luke:

Whereas like I'm I'm running player piano.

Alex:

What's that? You some sort of fucking English major, dude. What are you sounding, chuck. But like with player piano, though, it's like in I'm enjoying it, but it's like I'm not like okay, it's not I can't wake to like go to bed at night so I can fucking read, you know what I mean? Yeah, I feel that word.

Luke:

Go read a book, everybody. Alex was an English major if you didn't pick up on that. I'm not a dick to English majors, just this one.

Alex:

Indeed. Much love, everybody. Thanks for listening. Welcome back. We're glad to be back after the technical difficulties, the sicknesses, the schedule bananas, whatever stuff. Yeah. Life, but uh good to hang, dude. Fun to talk about this game, fun to play this game. Just two guys. If you want to check out some bros banging.

Luke:

Well, check out the game bang. I doubt it's like huge mainstream, so they could probably use some people who are into board games. If you like, if you got a game night, you know what bang is, and if you don't, you should get it. Bang bang. Check out no5gaming.com.

Alex:

Bang bang. Till next time, y'all. Peace.

Head Shot

Alex

Host
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Luke

Host