The Inner Gamer Podcast

This week on The Inner Gamer, we’re breaking down the big shifts in how we play, pay for, and perceive our games. First, we spend some time in Pokémon Pokopia, the life-sim spin-off that might actually be the best-crafted Pokémon experience in years. It’s Animal Crossing meets Minecraft, but with a surprisingly emotional "Ghibli-esque" heart.

Then, we tackle the tech controversy of the year: Nvidia DLSS 5. Is "Neural Rendering" the next great leap for graphics, or is it just an "AI Slop" filter that erases the hard work of game artists? We dig into J...

What happens when a legendary horror franchise finds its footing by looking backward? This week, we dive into Resident Evil Requiem, exploring why its tight, 10-hour dual-protagonist campaign is a masterclass in modern survival horror—and a perfect fit for gamers with a busy schedule. We also strap on our hover-skates for a review of High on Life 2, discussing how Squanch Games is navigating its new era and whether the controversial new traversal mechanics help or hinder the "Big Pharma" satire.

Then, we shift gears to the extraction shooter wars. We share our hands-on impressions from the Ma...

In this episode, we’re breaking down a week that has fundamentally shifted the tectonic plates of the gaming industry. First, we tackle the "Dream Team" success of Edmund McMillen’s Mewgenics—a 14-year labor of love that proves deep, uncompromising design still wins. We also check in on the "Indie Renaissance" with the undercover alien chaos of Roadside Research and the friendship-ending, $8 orbital-laser mayhem of Super Battle Golf.

Then, we shift to the "Big Two" and the strange decisions coming out of the corporate boardrooms. With Phil Spencer and Sarah Bond departing Xbox and Bluepoint Games offici...

In this episode of The Inner Gamer, we dive into the high-stakes world of modern hero shooters and the indie revolution of 2026. First, we tackle the polarizing launch of Highguard—discussing how its "PvP Raid" loop is surviving a rocky start through a massive Episode 2 update. Then, we flip the script to look at LORT, the breakout co-op roguelite from ex-Fortnite devs that proves small teams can build global hits on a budget. We also share our hype for the neon-drenched rhythm-brawler Dead as Disco before closing with the biggest news of the year: the total reboot of Overwatch. Wi...

We kick things off by mapping out the 2026 gaming calendar—not with rankings, but with a realistic survival guide. From early-year sequel grinds like Nioh 3 and Resident Evil Requiem, to spring’s speed-and-stealth energy with Forza Horizon 6 and 007 First Light, and all the way to an end-of-year showdown between Fable and Grand Theft Auto VI, we talk through when these games hit, which ones demand your time, and where busy gamers might actually squeeze them in. Along the way, we call out wildcards, potential shadow drops, and the titles we’re most excited—and most scared—to make room for.

Welcome to our first episode of 2026! In this episode we kick off with our official Game of the Year for 2025. Each one of us has our top 10 list and we explore all of our favorite games from 10 to our #1 game of the year. At the end, we aggregate the picks to reveal our official Game of the Year for 2025 which may surprise you!

After Game of the Year, we talk about a fun $20 game we played over the holidays called Jump Space. It's a great co-op space game that feels like Sea of Thieves in space.

It's our last episode of the year! We'll back back in 2026 on January 13th, 2026 with our Game of the Year episode.

In this episode, Jason reviews Dying Light the Beast. It's darker, more intense and hugely open. It follows Kyle from Dying Light 1 and highlights what happened to him after the events of the first. It also features up to 4 player co-op and it looks like the guys may join in and play with him too!

We recap The Game Awards 2025. It was so fun to see Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 sweep the awards with the...

In episode 436, Brett joins the Earth Directorate on a planet-hopping adventure in The Outer Worlds 2. Conspiracy is rampant and you must find and stop the people responsible. This game features a ton of player choice and the ability to shape your character in a variety of ways to suit your playstyle.

Brett also finished all 8 episodes of Dispatch and it continued to impress. The ending hit the landing and this is definitely a game you shouldn't miss playing in 2025. It brings back the magic of Telltale Games in a modern, cutting edge way.

Jason revisits...

Embark Studios is back and this time it's their shiny new extraction shooter called Arc Raiders. This is a long-anticipated game from Brett who fell in love with The Finals, also made by Embark. This is their next game which takes you topside from Speranza to loot and extract back with valuable resources. Fight Arc Robots and maybe enemy raiders (or befriend them) and make it out alive with all your gear. It's amazing multiplayer and you won't want to miss this.

Next, we talk about our review of PowerWash Simulator 2. It's more PowerWash Simulator but with...

You may not have heard of Dispatch but after this podcast you surely will wish you had. Dispatch is a new interactive narrative from former  Telltale Games devs about superheroes in a modern day office setting. It's one part Suicide Squad and one part The Office. AdHoc Studios shines in delivering animation that looks just like the best TV shows out there as well as some stellar writing and voice acting. We review Episodes 1-4 with no spoilers but hope that you jump out there and buy it because this is perfect for casual gamers. Bite sized chunks that a...

Note: We had audio issues with this podcast. You may hear a low buzzing sound. We had a card reader interfering with our camera and therefore the audio is not our normal quality. We will check more closely next time!

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Battlefield 6 is back! We are thrilled that Battlefield is back and that it seems to be delivering a quality experience out of the box. We're having a blast with multiplayer finding the game truly delivers on those Battlefield moments, while tightening gameplay fixing a lot of the issues people had with Battlefield 2042. We also...

This week on The Inner Gamer, Brett and Jason share their first impressions of Ghost of Yōtei — the long-awaited follow-up to Ghost of Tsushima. You now play as Atsu, a warrior on a brutal quest for revenge against the Yōtei Six who murdered her family. The tone is darker, the world more open, and the storytelling more grounded. It’s a different kind of Ghost game, but so far, we’re loving the shift in direction.

Brett also dives into the full 1.0 release of Hades II on the Switch 2. This sequel from Supergiant Games expands everythi...

Borderlands 4 has finally arrived and with it we have the giant open world of Kairos to explore. Armed with 4 new vault hunters and a slew of missions, side quests and LOTS of guns we share what makes this game a huge step in the right direction. The open world is vast with plenty to do, the game has brought a ton of new traversal mechanics and the story is better and more grounded than BL3. Despite some rough spots around the edges, we're going to see this one to the end.

Austin downloads the much anticipated Hollow...

007 First Light had it's first gameplay reveal. This is the new Bond game from IO Interactive, the creators of Hitman. It's looking good in some areas and not so much in others. How will it turn out when it releases next year?

Brett revisits some older games. He dives back into No Man's Sky Voyagers update with the new build-your-own Corvette's. It's an awesome update and No Man's Sky is a technical marvel, but it's daunting and Brett keeps realizing that every time he jumps back in.

Brett also went to see The Witcher in...

This week Austin is out for his birthday (happy birthday Austin) but Jason and Brett are here to dig into the games. We start with our first look of Mafia: The Old Country. This game takes us back to 1900's Sicily where the Italian mob got its start. You play Enzo working your way up in the family led by the Don  through the hills of beautiful Sicily. The story is great...but does the gameplay follow suit?

We also cover all the highlights from Gamescom 2025 particularly our surprise of the new Lego Batman game coming out i...

In this episode, we review the new game from Dreamhaven (former Blizzard devs) called Wildgate. It's a PvPvE shooter we're having a blast playing. You and 3 other players pilot a shop through The Reach with other ships in the battle with you. Find the artifact and take it through the Wildgate or destroy all the enemy ships. The moment to moment combat is fantastic and there's a lot of variety to gameplay that keeps us coming back for more.

Grounded 2 is out in early access. This is Obsidian Entertainment's sequel to the survival "Honey I Shrunk the...

Nintendo is back in the conversation with a banger of a game with Donkey Kong Bananza. Exclusive to the Switch 2, Donkey Kong Bananza is one of the best platformers probably ever featuring fully destructible environments and dopamine hits with every smash of a rock you do. With Pauline by your side, venture down into Earth the planet's core through a variety of sublayers that represent different types of terrains and styles. It's a dense game with a ton of fun, charming characters, incredible tech and great music.

Jason also surprises us by picking up Death Stranding 2. Not...

We have a great episode this week featuring our first look at Hideo Kojima's Death Stranding 2. We dive into this beautiful world and explore the early hours of the strand game. 

Brett dives into Sloclap's Rematch. These are the developers of Sifu entering into the competitive scene with a soccer game. It's a paid title with some solid mechanics, but is it enough to keep us engaged?

We also review Thronefall on the Steam Deck. It just released on mobile devices, but this game originally released in 2024 and is an RTS/tower defense mix. It h...

We have a returning guest on the podcast! Welcome back Joe Lambert from the Nerd Sloth Creative. He's here to talk about all the games we've been playing. Make sure and check out his podcast Indie Game Arcade, releasing weekly! 

We have an incredibly focused podcast today featuring 4 games. We start with Elden Ring Nightreign, the side project from From Software that takes us into a co-op experience in the Elden Ring universe fighting incredibly hard bosses in a battle royale style experience. Avoid the blue flames and fight to the center to face the boss and s...

The Switch 2 is finally here! We've had it a little over week and talk about our first impressions of the hardware, the game library and what's coming. We also review Mario Kart World which is the premiere launch title for the Nintendo Switch 2.

Jason reviews Mindseye, the new game from the larger experience Everywhere, but unfortunately the game doesn't quite deliver the big promise we had hoped. It has an interesting story and a beautiful world, but falls flat with the AI, gameplay and bugs.

There was also a ton of showcases for Summer Games...

We have a surprise review this week for a game called Revenge of the Savage Planet. This game was not on our radar, but we're glad we got it and played it. It's a third-person collect-a-thon where you fight bugs and other creatures, capture them and collect eggs, spool and more to level up your character. It's on Xbox Game Pass and can be easily played with a friend!

We also dove back into the 8 year old Star Wars Battlefront 2. It's been getting some popularity recently because of Star Wars in Fortnite, Andor Season 2 and Star Wars...

Doom the Dark Ages is here from iD Software. It's a prequel to Doom 2016 and is much more grounded than the previous entries but just as intense. The visceral action in this game and the technical gameplay is unlike anything else out there. The chain shield, the shotgun, the skullcrusher and more make for an epic game with a gorgeous world.

Elder Scrolls Oblivion got a full remaster. Travel back in time to the 2006 RPG from Bethesda and play the game in 4K 60FPS graphics with a lot of new enhancements to the UI, NPC's and more...

This week we try a new AA game from former Ubisoft developers called Clair Obscur Expedition 33. It's inspired by Belle Époque France and JRPG's. This is the best game we've played this year. From the art style, to the music to the complex turn-based combat, this game has it all to make for a great game. The storytelling is incredible and the world they built is stunning. You have to see it to believe it. It will be hard to beat this game this year!

We also review Split Fiction, the follow up to the 2021 Game of t...

This episode gets a little off the rails. We talk about drug dealing in the game Schedule 1. It couldn't be more perfect that it falls on Episode 420. Schedule 1 comes from Tyler's Video Game Studio and it's a simulator game where you start as a low-level drug dealer and work your way up in the criminal empire to operate your own distribution system in Hyland Point. It has a silly art style that makes for lots of laughter about trying to get the whole town high as a kite on everything imaginable. 

Brett dives into his puzzle game o...

Assassin's Creed Shadows is here! We really enjoyed Valhalla but it was an incredibly long game that had way too much content. The team behind Shadows recognized this and toned it down and brought us a feudal Japan story that is much more focused with an open world that's vast, but managable. The comparisons to Ghost of Tsushima can't be ignored, but this game does manage to find it's own identity. It's not Tsushima by any means but it is a game that brings through a story and a world that feels surprisingly mature for Ubisoft. Is this a...

You've played Lethal Company. You've played Content Warning. But you haven't yet played a game like R.E.P.O. This game is from a Swedish developer called Semiwork. It's an online, co-op horror game that supports up to 6 players. Find and retrieve objects to satisfy your creator. Use your physics hand to pick up things in the world and deliver them to the extraction zone. This game is a blast to play. With a variety of monsters, procedurally generated levels and hilarious talking robot characters, we're having so much fun playing with friends.

We also review...

In this episode, we record from Austin, TX because we're here for SXSW 2025! We talk about all the fun experiences from the brand activations, to the great panels to the fun parties. The biggest reveal being Death Stranding 2 revealing the release date alongside a world tour concert. We also got to see a great talk from Geoff Keighley and much more.

We also review Monster Hunter Wilds. This is an early review or first impressions of the follow up to Monster Hunter World. We're having a great time once we get past the poor menu design and...

We have a few reviews this week, a reaction to some recent news and a look at the upcoming PlayStation games straight out of the State of Play.

We review Avowed, the new game from Obsidian, the makers of Pillars of Eternity and The Outer Worlds. Some of us don't like it and some of us do so find out which one you agree with based on our discussion. We also review Citizen Sleeper 2. It's the indie dice-based game with an incredible story and immersive characters. Finally, we dig into Underward. It's a new co-op game with...

Brett reviews Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. This game has been a struggle as one part of it feels amazing and another part feels like it missed the mark. The game is beautiful, has some great cutscenes, interesting puzzles and worlds to explore but the combat leaves something to be desired. Is it worth buying into it or holding off for something else?

We also review Dicefolk, a dice-building roguelike creature game. You control Chimera's in battle, rolling dice to determine your attack and your opponents attacks. Fight through waves of bad guys, level up your...

Path of Exile 2 is a Diablo-like ARPG out now in early access. It has a price tag and we talk about whether or not this game is fun to play and if it's worth paying the price tag for early access or if you should wait until it's in full release where it switches to free to play.

Brett reviews the "slapformer" Thank Goodness You're Here. It's a little British comedy game that is a short jaunt through the town of Barnsworth. We also review Secret Level on Prime Video in its entirety and speculate what will...

Our Game of the Year Awards are here! The Inner Gamer's official 2024 GOTY awards have arrived. We all share our 10 top list and at the end you get to hear our official list aggregated from all our picks. There are some fun surprises in here you won't want to miss! 

We also take a look at the future and talk about our most anticipated games of 2025. However, we do it differently this time. We try out the website Fantasy Critic where we draft our own games into a "publishing house" with the hope that our games score h...

The Game Awards 2024 have concluded and they were quite the showcase this year. For the 10th anniversary, Geoff Keighley pulled out all the stops with some amazing reveals such as Naughty Dog's next game, the return of Okami, The Witcher 4 announcement and much more. 

We review NetEase's new game Marvel Rivals. This is pretty much an Overwatch clone but brings a lot of new features that Overwatch is lacking in a polished and fun hero shooter experience in third person. Featuring over 33 heroes and villians, this game is a blast to play.

As we near 1 y...

NOTE: We had some audio issues in this recording where everything sounded like an AM radio. We decided to try some new AI tech and this is the output. It cleaned up the AM radio sound quite a bit but you may notice us sounding a little...foreign or merging words together, that's the AI making assumptions :-D Fun experiment for sure, enjoy the show!

In this episode, we have a lot of reviews such as Pokemon TCG Pocket on iOS and Android and we have our full review of Dragon Age: The Veilguard. Brett also ventures...

Call of Duty Black Ops 6 is here! We never thought we'd have a Call of Duty game on this podcast again, but Treyarch and the other teams behind this game outdid themselves. Call of Duty Black Ops 6 is the full package. The campaign is solid, the multiplayer is super addicting and the zombies mode is a blast. Best of all? This is all available on Xbox Game Pass.

We also dig into Alan Wake 2's new DLC called The Lakehouse. This one follows a Federal Bureau of Control agent through The Lakehouse. Jason played this game and...

Brett reviews The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom. It's from the folks that brought us the remake of Link's Awakening. This game puts you in the shoes of Zelda creating "echoes" of enemies and objects in the world to rescue everyone from the rifts. We also talk about Jason's review of the PlayStation Portal. Does he agree with Austin?

We take a look at Delta Force: Hawk Ops in the Steam Next Fest. It's somewhat of a Battlefield clone, but it is a great holdover until we get the new Battlefield. We talk about all about...

In this episode, Brett gives an early review of Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth. This game dropped back in January but we're just now getting to it. He's only 8 hours in so there is still 50 some more hours to enjoy but we share a lot of the early gameplay, talk about the story, experience the minigames and more. 

Austin gets his hands on the early access of the Witchfire game which is a soulslike extraction style game. There's a lot going on here and it seems promising! 

Brett also talks about The Finals and how af...

In this episode, we review Sony's answer to Mario with their cute Astro Bot game made by Team ASOBI. This game is brilliant in so many ways and we talk about the innovative gameplay mechanics, the gorgeous graphics and the fun surprises celebrating Playstation's history. We also review Age of Mythology Retold available on Xbox Game Pass. This game released in 2002 and has been remastered for PC's. It was a successor to Age of Empires and was a ton of fun back then, does it hold up? Lastly, Brett continues the train of reviews with Monster Train now out...

Concord was killed by Sony so we didn't do a follow up review. Sorry to those looking forward to it! Maybe it'll come back in the future?

That being said, we have a great show for you. First, we review Warhammer 40k: Space Marine 2. This game from Saber is a truly brutal, action packed thrill ride. It features a campaign, cooperative missions and full PVP. We share why it's not our game of the year, but a damn good game worth picking up.

Brett reviews Star Wars Outlaws. A game not worth picking up. We...

We review the start to the World Saga called "World of Warcraft The War Within." Is it a huge step forward for the MMO? No. Is it fun to play? Sure is! We also share our first impressions of Black Myth Wukong. It's hard. But it looks amazing and apparently inspired Dragon-Ball Z! Brett gets into the alpha of Splitgate 2 and it's ready for primetime even though it's not coming out until 2025. We can't wait to play this!

Gamescom Opening Night Live took place in Cologne, Germany and had some fun surprises for us. We got Borderlands 4...

We saw the Borderlands movie so you didn't have to. It's a mess. This review will feature spoilers but let's be honest, we're helping you.

Brett also reviews Against the Storm, available on Xbox Game Pass. It's a dark fantasy citybuilder with roguelike elements and it's a ton of fun. He also reviews Teardown, a game where you literally tear things down. There is a lot of destruction all centered around heist gameplay. The best part? The mods ya'll. They're insane.

Jason also played Ghost of Tsushima 10 times. He walks through why it's timeless and...