Electronic Wireless Show

Oh no. This week we're forcing game characters into romantic couples. It's the shipping forecast. Alice L reckons Chell from Portal and Lara Croft would make a good couple, raiding tombs together. Brendan disagrees, putting Lara into a doomed relationship with Adam Jensen from Deus Ex. And Nate thinks the Stardew Valley protagonist would have a four-month affair with the engineer from Factorio. We’ve also been playing stuff. Brendan is clawing through rubbish bins in Pathologic 2. Alice L is enjoying the waves of The Sims 4: Island Living. And Nate has been off to the Baltic in both real life and in Crusader Kings 2. Nice. Links: Dance, Voldo, Dance: https://youtu.be/XNGjSll2_Uc No, they still make Matchmakers: https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/search?query=matchmakers Alice L flipping out in The Sims 4 Island Living: https://youtu.be/6NPSlsSUGyc Our Battlefleet Gothic Armada II review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/01/24/battlefleet-gothic-armada-2-review/ Pathologic 2’s spooky train summoning: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/05/24/pathologic-2-train-summoning/ The spooky Twitter video that scared Alice L: https://twitter.com/angelachavezz/status/1146116162305970176 The Vocal Coach videos Alice L likes on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CDCOdZKTU8 The Ants Man wot Nate likes, keeping them as pets: https://youtu.be/UUCoajYwo8s The Fixer by Barnard Malamud, just to remind you life is bad: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3066.The_Fixer

E3 2019 is finished! More importantly, we have almost recovered from E3 2019. To celebrate their convalescence, Alice B and Matt piled into the podcast studio for a 40-minute post-show chat about their favourite games from the show, their thoughts on the many E3 press conferences, and why it's all a bit cult-like, really. Games discussed: Ubisoft's roller derby-derived future sport Roller Champions, Obsidian's stop-getting-the-name-wrong open world RPG The Outer Worlds, and the turn-based tactics of Desperados 3. Plus we talk about Keanu Reeves, inevitably. Links: Roller Champions' E3 trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PYfi7DqJZ8 Matt's The Outer Worlds preview from E3: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/06/17/the-outer-worlds-preview/ Matt's Desperados 3 preview from E3: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/06/19/desparados-3-preview/ Brendan and Matt's liveblogs of all the E3 press conferences: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/tag/the-cheerer-and-the-jeerer/ All our E3 2019 coverage: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/tag/e3-2019/

E3 is getting started this weekend. Let us be your digital sherpa through the show. Matt and Brendan join Alice B to have a big group natter about the upcoming games. Halo Infinite has Brendan glancing furtively sideways. Alice B is pretending she hasn’t seen Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order when really she has. And Matt is bouncing his knee up and down with nervous excitement for his date with Cyberpunk 2077. Links: All the games confirmed for E3: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/?p=688727 Cyberpunk 2077 demo from last year: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/08/28/cyberpunk-2077-gamescom-2018-gameplay-video/ Halo Infinite is coming to PC: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/06/10/halo-infinite-announced-returning-to-pc/ Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is coming out in November: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/04/13/star-wars-jedi-fallen-order-emerges-from-hiding-this-november/ Watch Dogs 2 was good but probably didn’t need guns: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/12/06/watch-dogs-2-review-pc/ Xbox Games Pass for PC is a rental service basically: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/05/30/xbox-game-pass-the-monthly-subscription-games-buffet-is-coming-to-pc/ Bee Simulator is about being a bee: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40x46MWPdOE What Elder Scrolls VI should fix: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/11/04/elder-scrolls-5-skyrim-sequel/ But it should be set in Elsweyr (supporters only): https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/06/18/the-elder-scrolls-vi-will-be-set-in-elsweyr/ Dragon Age 4 was supposed to be about wizard heists: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/04/09/before-a-2017-reboot-dragon-age-4-was-about-wizard-heists/ Matt’s Apex Legends review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/02/19/apex-legends-review/ Dino Crisis 2 was the best one: https://youtu.be/vaEMpf-9Z7s?t=4091 Outer Wilds is really good: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/05/29/outer-wilds-review/ But The Outer WORLDS isn’t out yet: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/03/26/the-outer-worlds-release-date-trailer-gameplay-setting-details/ Borderlands 3 is due out in September: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/04/03/borderlands-3-release-date-announced/ Vampire Bloodlines empowered Alice B by accident: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/03/15/vampire-the-masquerade-bloodlines-accidentally-gave-me-a-power-fantasy/ Watch Dogs 3 will be set in London: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/06/04/watch-dogs-3-will-be-set-in-london-says-rogue-amazon-listing/ Good Omens is a good TV adaptation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUJoR4vlIIs Technique Critique is about professionals pointing out bad movie scenes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUqeBMP8nEg So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed is a good book: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22571552-so-you-ve-been-publicly-shamed

In this Soundbyte, we’re talking sexy, sexy sex games, why they’re interesting, and the queer erasure that comes along with blacklisting them from websites like Twitch. Astrid speaks to Robert Yang, NYU arts professor and renowned gay video game developer about the homophobic portion of his audience. Christine Love talks about the importance of consent through dialogue in her BDSM visual novel Ladykiller in a Bind. And Kenzie Stargrifter shares her excitement about trans cyberpunk porn game Hardcoded. But let's ask them: what makes a good sex game? Links: Robert Yang’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/radiatoryang Hurt Me Plenty itch.io page: https://radiatoryang.itch.io/hurt-me-plenty Christine Love’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/christinelove Ladykiller in a Bind Steam page: https://store.steampowered.com/app/560000/Ladykiller_in_a_Bind/ Kenzie Stargrifter’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/yoplatz Hardcoded Demo itch.io page: https://yoplatz.itch.io/hardcodeddemo My thoughts on Hardcoded: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/11/26/hardcoded-lets-trans-women-be-horny-without-being-a-fetish/ Tusks: The Orc Dating Sim itch.io page: https://hxovax.itch.io/orc-dating-sim

Let's chat about games about discovery! Matthew likes the oceans and scoundrels of Sea of Thieves. Alice B likes finding things in the smaller locale of Everybody’s Gone To The Rapture. And Brendan enjoys getting his flippers wet in Subnautica. But we’ve been playing some games that fit the theme too. Outer Wilds has got both Matthew and Brendan chewing their cheeks to tell people how good it is. Meanwhile Alice has been poking her head around another abandoned village in Draugen. Links: Sea of Thieves review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/03/23/sea-of-thieves-review-pc/ Everybody’s Gone To The Rapture review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/04/15/everybodys-gone-to-the-rapture-pc-review/ Doom 2016 digress-o-review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/05/16/doom-review-pc/ Thi4f review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2014/02/24/thief-review/ Subnautica review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/01/24/subnautica-review/ Sub Culture is an old Ubisoft game: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sub_Culture Journey is out on PC soon: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/12/07/journey-pc-release-announced/ Outer Wilds review in words: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/05/29/outer-wilds-review/ Outer Wilds review in video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kYtnjmpPg4 Edge of Tomorrow is a good sci-fi Groundhog Day: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vw61gCe2oqI Draugen is ut now: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/05/29/fjord-noir-mystery-adventure-draugen-is-out-now/ Chernobyl trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9APLXM9Ei8 Dead To Me trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwYBw1raC2o Lingo by Gaston Dorren: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23534636-lingo

This week: games you might have missed recently. Alice reckons you might like Glass Masquerades 2, a jigsaw puzzler about stained-glass windows. And Brendan wants more folks to try tiny chess game Pawnbarian. We’ve also been playing stuff. Alice is witholding her Life Is Strange 2 thoughts for another time, but Brendan is ready to spit with frustration at Pathologic 2. Links: Hurling is great: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmzivRetelE Pawnbarian is like Slay the Spire but chess: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/03/15/pawnbarian-is-slay-the-spire-with-less-math-and-more-chess/ John’s Baba Is You review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/03/14/baba-is-you-review/ Brendan’s Objects In Space review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/03/01/objects-in-space-review/ Glass Masquerades 2 is a stained-glass jigsaw puzzler: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/03/25/glass-masquerades-2-puzzle-game-released/ Skater XL is a skateboarding sim, but is it realistic? https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/01/16/skater-xl-is-a-prototype-skateboard-sim/ Alec’s early access review of Foundation: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/02/08/foundation-review-early-access/ Cities: Skylines has a pedestrian mod that lets you see things up close: https://www.pcgamer.com/see-your-city-up-close-with-this-cities-skylines-mod/ Brendan’s Pathologic 2 review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/05/23/pathologic-2-review/ Life Is Strange 2, episode 3 is out: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/05/09/life-is-strange-2-episode-3-released/ Alice’s review of Plague Tale: Innocence: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/05/13/a-plague-tale-innocence-review/ Hardcoded lets trans women be horny without being a fetish: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/11/26/hardcoded-lets-trans-women-be-horny-without-being-a-fetish/ Gestalt_OS is neat and we have no idea what’s going on: https://games.increpare.com/Gestalt_OS/ Contrapoints is a YouTube channel Alice likes: https://www.youtube.com/user/ContraPoints The Rise And Fall of the Dinosaurs is a book Brendan likes: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35068612-the-rise-and-fall-of-the-dinosaurs

We’re talking about good friends. Strong companions and fun-loving drinking buddies. Brendan reckons Biggs and Wedge from the Final Fantasies are a good pair. While Katharine enjoys the jibes of Aliya and her robot Six in Heaven’s Vault. But there's lots more. We’re also been playing stuff. Katharine has been rambling through Octopath Traveller, the Switch JRPG soon to be out on PC. And Brendan has been getting his head cut off in Mordhau. Links: The Biggses and Wedges throughout Final Fanatasy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4N0L-F3bdMQ Final Fantasy XV’s good boys:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_xTph8Ib_c Alice B’s Heaven’s Vault review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/04/16/hevaens-vault-review/ Brendan’s Pyre review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/07/28/pyre-review/ Lara’s friendship with Jonah is just one thing Katharine noticed when benchmarking (supporter’s only): https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/01/21/the-weird-things-ive-noticed-when-benchmarking-video-games/ Brendan’s Yakuza Kiwami review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/02/11/yakuza-kiwami-pc-review/ John’s Night In The Woods review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/02/27/night-in-the-woods-review/ Geralt gets drunk with his pals in The Witcher 3: https://youtu.be/csvhxvHZ1fw?t=532 Pip’s Life Is Strange review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2015/10/21/life-is-strange-review/ Matt’s Mordhau review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/05/08/mordhau-review/ SteamWorld Quest is coming out in a couple of weeks: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/05/14/steamworld-quest-hand-of-gilgamech-hits-pc-on-may-31st/ And Octopath Traveller is out in June: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/04/15/octopath-traveler-pc-release-confirmed/

"Time sinks". That’s what we're talking about this week. Games that eat up your precious minutes and hours and days. Nate says Civilization V is the worst contender. Alice B points a cannibalistic finger at Graveyard Keeper. And Graham turns the whole show into a sports podcast by talking about Football Manager. Links: The Yule Lads are terrifying: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Icelandic_Christmas_folklore#The_Yule_Lads Graveyard Keeper is like Stardew Valley but in a cemetery: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/08/15/graveyard-keeper-farming-sim-out-now/ Football Manager is best played when you take it too seriously: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/04/02/the-joy-of-taking-football-manager-far-too-seriously/ Sunderland ‘Til I Die trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLU7aNFp65M Forager review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/04/26/forager-review/ Spaceplan is the funny potato clicker game: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/08/11/spaceplan-is-cookie-clicker-launched-into-orbit/ The gang in Space Engineers are... Wastes of Space: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/05/01/space-engineers-diary-part-one-wolves/ Close to the Sun is basically BioShock with Tesla even if they say it isn’t: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/02/22/close-to-the-sun-is-a-horror-game-thats-definitely-not-bioshock-with-tesla/ Success is in your blood in Rise of Industry: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/02/27/rise-of-industry-early-access-review/ Open TTD is a free version of Transport Tycoon Deluxe: https://www.openttd.org/ The Empire is a LARP that Nate likes: https://www.profounddecisions.co.uk/empire?2 The OA is about a missing blind girl who reappears with her sight restored: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvHJtez2IlY The Song of Achilles is a book about Greek shagging: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11250317-the-song-of-achilles Circe is about a nice witch who turns men into pigs: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35959740-circe

This week is all about treachery, traitors and multiplayer backstabbing. Graham tells the story of his traitorous actions in sci-fi strategy game Neptune’s Pride. Brendan enjoys the double-crossing of Eve Online. And Nate remembers the turncoat star fighters of Star Wars: Tie Fighter. Links: Have you played… Star Wars: TIE Fighter? https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2014/10/30/have-you-played-star-wars-tie-fighter/ The Neptune’s Pride chronicles: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2012/01/02/neptunes-pride-the-complete-epic/ Subterfuge is the same sort of thing but not on PC boooo: http://subterfuge-game.com/ EVE Online is a game of constant betrayal: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/09/29/how-eve-online-theft-ended-in-death-threats/ Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas characters modded into Resident Evil 2: https://youtu.be/Rnd7kB8gkTg?t=12 Nate’s Imperator: Rome review: Toca Boca looks like a full-colour migraine: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DdfXVzhTDU Mario is a traitor: https://twitter.com/gamesbymanuel/status/1121348831994679296

You can watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/qIu_e75a6qs This podcast takes place in a real room in front of a real audience! At Rezzed in London, we thought it’d be fun to re-enact three of the most memorable scenes of PC gaming, exactly as you remember them. Three 100% faithful adaptations of the most notorious moments in our hobby. Honest. Links: Nate is our new writey man! https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/author/natecrowley/ He writes our Dwarf Fortress diary: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/tag/dwarf-fortress-diary/ And a let’s play of Ancient Greek Punishment: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/04/05/lets-play-ancient-greek-punishment-teaches-typing-is-as-hellish-as-it-sounds/ Our favourite games at Rezzed: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/04/11/our-favourite-games-at-egx-rezzed-2019/ The first EGX Rezzed Olympics: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/04/12/the-first-annual-rps-olympics-at-egx-rezzed-2019/ The weird controllers of the RPS room at Rezzed: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/04/08/rezzed-2019-rps-room-roundup/ Primetime Detective is Graham’s game so we shouldn’t even mention it but we’re very corrupt sorry: https://twitter.com/primetimedetect Frog Detective 2 is about an invisible wizard: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/03/09/frog-detective-2-announced/ The real famous scene from BioShock: https://youtu.be/8dL1kz6ojoQ?t=32 The real opening scene from Half-Life: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEgO16JaW4Y The real death scene of, uh, Aerosmith: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wx3duFYCcho

That quiet sobbing is coming from the RPS treehouse. Alec has left us. And John is leaving later this month. The boards will creak no more with the weight of their knowledge. The last of the old guard is waving goodbye. But we grabbed them for one last podcast, and forced them to tell us their proudest work, and to pass on their wisdom of over a decade in games journalism. They might be off, but the treehouse they’ve built will remain. (If you're wondering "where is episode 77?" - it was a live podcast, but don't worry, we'll upload it soon) Links: Alec is already gone :( https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/04/09/thank-you-and-goodbye-alec-meer/ The secret history of Rock Paper Shotgun: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/tag/the-secret-history-of-rps/ Telstar, the song that definitely started it all: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryrEPzsx1gQ RPS was once staunchly anti-ocean: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2011/03/22/no-oceans-call-for-worldwide-release-dates/ John’s interview with Peter Molyneux: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2015/02/13/peter-molyneux-interview-godus-reputation-kickstarter/ Godus’ undelivered promises: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2015/02/09/oh-godus-what-the-hells-going-on/ Bryan Henderson, the winner of Molyneux’s weird Curiousity cube, was forgotten: https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2015-02-11-the-god-who-peter-molyneux-forgot What it’s like to interview someone like Ken Levine: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2013/01/18/ken-levine-and-the-conversation-part-one/ Gone Home is a tale of two dads: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2013/08/16/gone-home-a-tale-of-two-dads/ Alec chooses his “least worst” writing: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/04/09/the-rps-omeerbus-alecs-least-worst-writing/ RPS’ stance on misogyny: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2013/04/06/misogyny-sexism-and-why-rps-isnt-shutting-up/ John writing about the death of his Dad, Hugh: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/01/13/rip-hugh-walker-1949-2016/ Have you played… Windows Solitaire? https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/12/24/have-you-played-windows-solitaire/ John’s Dos and Don’ts: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/tag/do-dont/ Horace is our infinite bear mascot who is drawn by John: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/search?q=horace

Sometimes you change your mind about a game partway through. John realised the caves of Spelunky weren’t so bad after all. Alice B’s feelings on the castles of Dark Souls flip-flopped all over the place. And Brendan’s early scepticism about the Yakuza games was eventually washed away. We also have time to talk more about Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. And the Bloodlines sequel! John and Alice recently saw a demo for the vampirism RPG , and they are quietly excited to see how it turns out. Links: What is in Cuphead’s cup head? https://www.videogamer.com/features/what-is-in-cupheads-cup-head Yakuza Kiwami won Brendan over: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/02/11/yakuza-kiwami-pc-review/ The Twin Princes from Dark Souls 3 are horse s***: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rk6mzf240Ew The best clips of Getting Over It: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/01/18/the-best-of-the-internets-attempts-at-getting-over-it/ Brendan’s review of Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/03/27/sekiro-shadows-die-twice-review/ Alice’s preview of Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/03/22/vampire-the-masquerade-bloodlines-2-preview/ Recommendations! The OA (TV show) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4635282/ Milkman by Anna Burns (novel) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36047860-milkman The Critter Shed (podcast) https://podtail.com/sv/podcast/the-critter-shed/

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is the new demi-Souls from those sadists at From Software. It’s about being a ninja with a sword and a grappling hook for an arm. Matthew and Brendan have played a few hours. Here’s what they think of it so far. They've also been playing some of The Division 2. They like the bullet-dodging and don’t care much about its vague political hand-waving. The shooty robots are what matter most. Links: Matthew and Alice L play a bit of Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rAJef6F4RY 7 ways Sekiro is cruel and kind: https://youtu.be/0U7LWvaFYhc Brendan’s review of The Division 2: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/03/19/the-division-2-review/ Where do you go after you Baumgartner? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvbN-cWe0A0

Warning: contains some icky eyeball chat... Be proud of your achievements! Even if they are just in a game. Matt is proud of getting all the achievements in Spelunky. Brendan is pleased he got through Alien: Isolation at all. And Alice B was proud of her victory over the deadly final boss in Fight Night Champion. We’ve also been playing stuff. Brendan clicks buttons in galactic sim Objects In Space. Alice is nosy in the 80s Britain of first-person snooper The Occupation. And Matt has been slicing up demons in action spectacle Devil May Cry 5. Links: Alien Isolation is scary: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2015/09/25/alien-isolation-game/ The eye bit in Dead Space 2 is horrible, but OK, if you must: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9crCGMh4j9g Spelunky speedrunning is impressive: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLYBtpwiE_M OlliOlli 2 is good: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vmkspv2Do_s This is a waveboard: https://youtu.be/1kmsFu24ivE?t=30 Fight Night Champions’ final boss is not messing around: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3hXOr8zuT4 Matt’s Devil May Cry 5 review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/03/06/review-devil-may-cry-5/ Brendan’s review of Objects in Space: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/03/01/objects-in-space-review/ The Occupation review from Alice: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/03/07/the-occupation-review/ Our listeners’ take pride on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rockpapershot/status/1103627206042046464 And Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rockpapershot/photos/pb.176784995741043.-2207520000.1551972940./2086384821447708/?type=3&theater Well done everyone.

LIES. Not a game is made without some use of smoke and/or mirror. Dave’s favourite lies come from Frog Fractions, which seems to be a child’s maths game. Brendan likes how enemies in shooters are programmed to miss. And Alice enjoys cheeky-but-friendly lies, such as the “chance to hit” something in XCOM. We’ve also been playing games. Alice and Dave have been frowning at Anthem. But we’ve also been liking Ape Out. Links: A good Twitter thread about developer trickery: https://twitter.com/Gaohmee/status/903510060197744640 Frog Fractions might be the best game of all time: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2012/10/25/frog-fractions-might-be-the-greatest-game-of-all-time/ Never heard of Frog Fractions 2 but here’s a cool game called Glittermitten Grove: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/01/05/frog-fractions-2-review/ The Frog Fractions 2 ARG spnned 23 other indie games and lasted two years: https://kotaku.com/the-two-year-mystery-is-over-this-is-frog-fractions-2-1790505179 The “permadeath” of Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice was a fib: https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2017-08-09-theres-more-to-hellblades-permadeath-than-meets-the-eye The Station is a sci-fi mystery: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/02/21/the-station-is-a-first-person-alien-mystery-with-an-intriguing-premise/ The ridiculous 12-minute AI phone call of Metal Gear Solid 2: https://youtu.be/eKl6WjfDqYA Alice’s Anthem review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/02/25/anthem-review/ Nate’s Fallout 76 review has many other good lines: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/12/13/fallout-76-review/ Alice’s Ape Out review: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/02/28/ape-out-review/ Locked in a room in Fallout New Vegas with “Ron the Narrator”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJnWwli3Thg Choice itself might be a lie according to brain scans, oh no: https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn23367-brain-imaging-spots-our-abstract-choices-before-we-do/