188: Outer Wilds: Echoes of the Eye (with Rick Firestone)
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As I said way back in The Outer Wilds episode, I respect the hell out of that game and think it's a miracle, but I didn't love it as much as others, and I kind of wish I could Eternal Sunshine that game out of my mind and try again. But as it turns out, the Echoes of the Eye expansion gave me just that chance. Did lightning strike twice? Did the game that "you can only truly play once" work again? Listen in and find out.
Guest info: Rick Firestone (he/him)
* Check out Pixel Project Radio https://linktr.ee/pixelprojectradio
* Follow Rick on Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/pixelprojectradio.bsky.social
TIMESTAMPS
* 0:00 Title Card
* 0:23 Introductions
* 6:08 Thoughts About Outer Wilds
* 9:11 Thoughts About Echoes of the Eye
* 24:14 Pixel Project Radio Podcast
* 26:42 SPOILER WALL and Patron Thank-Yous
* 28:40 Spoiler Section- Initial Discoveries
* 48:05 Spoiler Section- A New World to Explore
* 1:24:00 Spoiler Section- Story Analysis and Endings
Music used in the episode is credited to Andrew Prahlow. Tracks used: The River, River's End, Elegy for the Rings, Echoes of the Eye, Departure
Check out Dave on Retro Hangover's King of Games '99 series: https://linktr.ee/retrohangover
Check out Dave on The Tiny Game Chronicles: https://tinyurl.com/m5jhfat9
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Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures
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187: Fear & Hunger (with Adam Bucceri)
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Sometimes a game's reputation precedes it in a way that makes you question whether you want to play it at all, and Fear & Hunger (Miro Haverinen, 2018) certainly fits that bill. Punishing difficulty, harsh teaching, extreme content warnings and more put me off from playing the game for a while, but I'm glad to have played it now, and all of that made for a great conversation.
Content warnings for Fear & Hunger: https://www.doesthedogdie.com/media/17804
Guest info: Adam Bucceri (he/him)
* Check out Adam's games https://boocherry.itch.io/
TIMESTAMPS
* 0:00 Title Card
* 0:15 Intros
* 6:03 Our Histories with Fear & Hunger
* 9:55 Should We Play Fear & Hunger 1 or 2?
* 11:27 Opening Thoughts About Fear & Hunger
* 17:24 Content Warnings
* 26:15 Game Setup and Character Selection
* 31:15 Difficulty and Learning How to Play
* 44:55 Player-Hostile Design and Pressures
* 58:34 Immersive Sim Elements, Experimentation and Emergent Narrative
* 1:07:47 Combat
* 1:21:36 Visuals and Sound Design
* 1:27:20 Closing Thoughts and Recommendations
* 1:34:20 Adam's Games and Creative Works
* 1:37:18 SPOILER WALL and Patron Thank-Yous
* 1:39:18 Spoiler Section- The Girl, Le'garde and Fun Discoveries
* 2:26:35 Spoiler Section- Endings
Music used in the episode is credited to Miro Haverinen. Tracks used: Fear & Hunger, The Four Apostles, Pulse & Anxiety, Ancient City, Tomb of the Gods, Everyday Schoolday
Check out Dave's guest appearance on The Pre-Order Bonus about Rain World- https://www.patreon.com/c/preordercast
Social Media:
BlueSky- https://bsky.app/profile/tftblpod.bsky.social
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Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures
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2:53:57
186: Silent Hill 3 (with Kaye Ross)
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It's been a real joy working my way through the Silent Hill series alongside doing this show, starting all the way back in episode 10(!) with Silent Hill 2. Today, I'm playing the sequel to Silent Hill 1, which is NOT Silent Hill 2...it's Silent Hill 3, and I've brought on the perfect guest to discuss what many fans to agree to be the last truly good Silent Hill game for many years.
Guest info: Kaye Ross (she/her)
* Check out all of the wonderful Duckfeed podcasts https://duckfeed.tv/
* Check out Kaye's horror game streams https://www.twitch.tv/duckfeedtv
TIMESTAMPS
* 0:00 Title Card
* 0:28 Intros
* 4:56 Our Histories with Silent Hill 3
* 10:35 Opening Thoughts About Silent Hill 3
* 14:51 Story Setup
* 21:53 Aesthetics and Horror
* 30:25 Sound Design and Music
* 37:14 Heather As a Protagonist
* 43:37 Puzzles and Riddles
* 50:32 Tank Controls and Combat
* 1:03:49 Final Thoughts and Recommendations
* 1:06:36 The Many Podcasts at Duckfeed.tv
* 1:11:09 Spoiler Wall and Patron Thank-You's
* 1:13:11 Spoiler Section- Heather & The Cult
* 1:36:39 Spoiler Section- Heather & Harry
Music used in the episode is credited to Akira Yamaoka. Tracks used: You're Not Here, End of Small Sanctuary, Breeze- In Monochrome Night, Something Long Forgotten, Sickness Unto Foolish Death, Hometown
Social Media:
BlueSky- https://bsky.app/profile/tftblpod.bsky.social
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Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures
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185: Slay the Princess (with Matt aka Stormageddon)
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This year, we're kicking off horror month with a first- a visual novel! It's the first one I've covered on the show, though I enjoy them from time to time, and Slay the Princess (Black Tabby Games, 2023) is certainly an interesting one. It's a choose your adventure visual novel with memorable visuals and a very interesting opening choice- you were sent here to slay the princess, so...do you? Listen in to find out how we felt about it!
Guest info: Matt aka Stormageddon (they/them)
* Check out "Fun" and Games and Reignite podcasts https://linktr.ee/dj_stormagedddon
* Follow Matt on BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/djstormageddon.com
TIMESTAMPS
* 0:00 Title Card
* 0:22 Intros
* 4:33 Personal Histories with Slay the Princess and Visual Novels
* 8:21 Opening Thoughts About Slay the Princess
* 12:56 Story Setup and Choose Your Adventure Structure
* 27:53 Presentation
* 37:07 Closing Thoughts and Recommendations
* 41:40 "Fun" and Games, Reignite Podcasts
* 46:59 SPOILER WALL and Patron Thank-Yous
* 48:39 Spoiler Section- Our Many Diverse Playthroughs
* 1:18:45 Spoiler Section- The Shifting Mound and Endings
Music used in the episode is credited to Brandon Boone. Tracks used: The Princess, The World-Ender, Fragmentation, Reality Unwound, The Shifting Mound
Social Media:
BlueSky- https://bsky.app/profile/tftblpod.bsky.social
Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/talesfromthebacklog/
Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures
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184: Ultros (with John Rogers - Gaming in the Wild)
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Sometimes, all it takes to grab your attention is a single screenshot, and Ultros (Hadoque, Kepler Interactive, 2024) is definitely one of those games. Every screenshot drips with color and is so rich with detail, it beckons you to come see what's going on. And once you're in, a beautiful soundtrack, lush soundscape and layered story grabs hold, but that's not all that's waiting for you. Ultros is a singular type of game, the type of game that I'm always thrilled to discuss on the podcast.
Guest info: John Rogers (he/they)
* Check out everything Gaming in the Wild https://gaminginthewild.carrd.co/
* Check out Lost in Cult's Ultros: Design Works, written by John! https://www.lostincult.co.uk/ultros
TIMESTAMPS
* 0:00 Title Card
* 0:34 Intros
* 6:05 Our Histories with Ultros & Metroidvanias
* 9:06 Opening Thoughts About Ultros
* 13:55 Story/Setting Setup
* 15:01 Art and Visual Design
* 26:02 Music and Sound Design
* 38:00 Emergent Story
* 46:51 Gameplay- Combat and Plant Care
* 1:03:55 Closing Thoughts and Recommendations
* 1:06:51 Gaming in the Wild and Lost in Cult's Design Works- Ultros
* 1:13:49 SPOILER WALL and Patron Thank-You's
* 1:15:57 Spoiler Section- Business As Usual
* 1:32:11 Spoiler Section- A Change
* 1:45:13 Spoiler Section- A New Course of Action
Music used in the episode is credited to Ratvader. Tracks used: Ouji Saint, Dark Sleep, Gärdner’s Pilgrimage, Dream Lament, But This Time It's Something Different, Ultros Ahimsa
Social Media:
BlueSky- https://bsky.app/profile/tftblpod.bsky.social
Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/talesfromthebacklog/
Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures
A video games podcast where Dave Jackson and guests break down and discuss the games they play. Each episode looks at one game in depth, focusing on mechanics, story, music and other aspects, with no spoilers until a clearly marked spoiler wall in the middle.