The Inner Gamer Podcast

Modern Warfare 4 tells one war from three perspectives: Captain Price going rogue, the North Korean side of the invasion, and a private fighting alongside South Korean forces. Halfway through the campaign, the intensity hasn’t let up. On PC, though, getting into multiplayer and DMZ can mean a motherboard firmware update first, and we get into what that means for players on older hardware.

Next, we say goodbye to BioWare. We look back at the studio that made Knights of the Old Republic, Mass Effect and Dragon Age, why EA chose Star Wars over the next Mass Ef...

Episode 458 is all about fresh starts. Star Wars: Galactic Racer takes the most tired part of racing games, the campaign, and rebuilds it as a roguelite with real stakes, a revenge story that actually lands, and a boost system that makes every straightaway a decision. From there, we jump into Gears of War: E-Day through the eyes of a PlayStation player who never grew up with the series, starting the franchise on PC with no nostalgia attached. We dig into the Emergence Day setting, the new movement and gear, and whether a prequel is the right front door for...

Control Resonant dropped the Service Weapon, swapped the Oldest House for a warped Manhattan, and became a character-action game. We dig into whether Remedy's shapeshifting melee combat and Dylan Faden's story make it one of the boldest sequels of the year, and who it's for now. Then we go back to WARDOGS one season in: why squads are building fortresses instead of fighting for the hot zone, how hard it is to join late, and what the October 15 wipe means for players who can't grind every night.

In the second half, we cover Xbox's biggest reorganization yet...

This week we dig into The Blood of Dawnwalker, the debut RPG from Rebel Wolves, where Coen is human by day and vampire by night and the whole game is built around that split. Different powers, different routes, separate skill trees, and a time system where every quest you take closes the door on another. We get into how the clock actually works, why it makes choices land harder.

Then it's our full review of Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy. Asobo traded the rats and stealth for swords, parries, and a smuggler exploring the Minotaur's Island, with...

Star Wars Zero Company reviewed well, hit number one on Steam, and shipped with roughly 80% of its studio furloughed and unpaid. We came out of it in different places — one of us thinks the story is fine and the mechanics are genuinely great, one of us couldn't get past the characters and the story premise — and the argument leads somewhere neither of us expected. The gap between a seven and a nine here is mostly patch work, which raises an uncomfortable question: who's left to do it?

Then we go smaller. Grain Rot is ten dollars, it's a fu...

This episode, Brett, Austin, and Jason open with Fields of Mistria, the cozy farming RPG that just closed out two years of Early Access with a full 1.0 launch. Rather than just recapping the new features, the crew digs into what two years of visibly community-shaped development actually produced, and why that kind of patience is rarer than it should be. From there, they turn to Mouse: P.I. For Hire, the rubberhose noir shooter that turned into one of 2026's biggest surprise hits — breaking down the critical split between outlets, where the praise is genuinely earned, and where a st...

This week, Brett, Austin, and Jason cover four very different corners of gaming — starting with Halo: Campaign Evolved. Brett played the entire thing with zero nostalgia, and the remake genuinely won him over. But the three new prequel missions, the only original content in the release, tell a different story: reused assets, thin characters, and a baffling choice to have a new character openly dismiss Master Chief. That firsthand breakdown gets weighed against the discourse, the layoffs that hit the studio a week after launch, and what it all means for a $50 price tag.

From there, the cr...

Palworld just did something almost no Early Access game manages — it actually finished. Roughly a quarter of Early Access games on Steam ever reach a full release, and Pocketpair's 60-person team crossed the line with a doubled map, a reworked progression system, and no price increase for existing owners. We dig into why the survival-crafting, creature-collecting, base-automation mashup works when it shouldn't, and whether 1.0 is a "come back" moment or a "start fresh" commitment that busy players should think twice about.

Then it's Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced, where the critics and the players are pointing in op...

This episode, Brett, Austin, and Jason open with Soulframe, Digital Extremes' fantasy follow-up to Warframe — a game that's rough in the first few hours and genuinely unlike anything else once its combat and story systems click. With TennoCon 2026 just wrapped, they cover what's coming next for the game, including mounts, a new Fable, and a surprisingly candid comment from the dev team about building in public. From there, the conversation shifts to Gothic 1 Remake, a faithful rebuild of the 2001 cult classic that refused to modernize the one thing everyone expected it to: the total lack of hand-holding. Austin makes th...

This week on The Inner Gamer, Brett, Jason and Austin start with the indie story nobody saw coming: Meccha Chameleon, a $6 hide-and-seek party game from a nearly-solo Japanese dev team, sold millions of copies in days with zero marketing spend. They break down the skill-based mechanic that made it perfect for viral clips, the conspiracy theories that followed its success, and whether a tiny team can actually sustain support for a player base this size.

From there, the conversation shifts to Empulse, 1047 Games' early access movement shooter chasing that old Titanfall feeling. The gameplay genuinely delivers — but wi...

This week on The Inner Gamer, we tackle a massive crossroad for the entire video game industry. We lead off with an in-depth review of 007 First Light, breaking down how IO Interactive successfully stepped away from their classic Hitman sandbox formula to deliver a tight, narrative-driven James Bond origin story that balances high-octane spy craft with incredible narrative momentum. Then, we are joined by a special guest to brave the waters of Windrose, the breakout Early Access pirate survival RPG, exploring whether its phenomenal "Soulslite" ground combat makes up for its arcade naval physics and the distinct lack of...

Welcome back to The Inner Gamer, the roundtable podcast dedicated to analyzing the ideas, trends, and time-value decisions shaping modern video games. This week, we are kicking things off by driving straight into the stunning landscape of Japan with our full critique of Forza Horizon 6. While Playground Games has delivered an absolute mechanical and visual masterpiece, we examine the concept of "excellence fatigue". For busy professionals with tight schedules, does the game's relentless dopamine loop and identical progression structure turn a quick driving session into a trend-chasing live-service project that you've already experienced?

Next, a special guest...

In this episode of The Inner Gamer, we pull back the curtain on the widening gap between stylistic hype and mechanical execution. We kick things off with a raw review of Mixtape, balancing its immaculate stop-motion aesthetic and killer soundtrack against a disappointing lack of player agency and core gameplay systems. We then shift our focus to the reality of live-service development sustainability through the lens of Embark Studios, discussing why their recent dev schedule slowdown is a necessary reality check for titles like The Finals and ARC Raiders.

In the second half of the show, we...

Is it possible for a $70 blockbuster to feel like it was actually designed for people with jobs and families? This week, we review Capcom's Pragmata and discuss why its bite-sized mission structure and emotional "Dad Hook" make it a gold standard for time-value in 2026. Then, we dive into the surreal world of Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream. We talk about why this "digital ant farm" is the ultimate zero-stress management sim and how its new inclusivity updates have modernized a cult classic. 

We also take a look at Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment, a game that was o...

Is a game only worth it if you can play it forever, or is "fun" enough? This week on The Inner Gamer, we’re diving into the blood-soaked, synth-wave world of John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando to see if this vehicle-combat hybrid is the perfect "popcorn game" for your squad. We also head back to the Spire for an early look at Slay the Spire 2, discussing whether the controversial new balance patches are breaking the game or just making it better.

Then, we revisit the stars. Three years after launch, Starfield has landed on PS5 with major upda...

This week on The Inner Gamer, we dive into the "everything game" problem with our review of Crimson Desert. While it’s one of the most visually stunning open worlds ever made, does its overstuffed MMO-inspired DNA respect the time of a busy player, or is it just a beautiful collection of shallow systems? We also revisit Bungie’s Marathon a month after launch. The UI and art style are finally clicking for us, but with player counts stabilizing at a "niche" level and Sony’s $3.6 billion investment looming large, we ask: is this a slow-burn success or a corpor...

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...