Waypoint Radio

VICE is back with a new podcast exploring the subcultures and fringes that we are best known for. If you thought we were gone, looks like we have more to say. Each week we are sitting down with the internets most fascinating characters and getting to the bottom of cultural trends. Oscar award winners, internet oddities, and viral sensations. There has never been more culture to consume, so let us figure out what's worth checking out. Subscribe to VICE Culture Club.

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This month on Mannhunting, Alex and Rob are tackling Public Enemies, Michael Mann's dramatization of the FBI manhunt for notorious Depression-era bank robber John Dillinger. The film touches on the fascist sympathies of FBI founder J. Edgar Hoover and the prologue to the modern surveillance state. But fundamentally Public Enemies is about a bank robber and the way he is hunted and eventually cornered. In that story Rob finds a lot to love, but Alex sees a thematic muddle and doubtful execution of every idea. Like Dillinger and the FBI, they just have to settle this with a shootout.

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Miami Vice was regarded as a misfire for Michael Mann upon release, then reappraised by some critics as one of this best and most misunderstood works. Dia, Alex, and Rob all approach the 2006 motion picture adaptation with fresh eyes and see, to varying degrees, both sides of the argument. One thing everyone agrees on: you do not disrespect Phil Collins like that.

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Austin Walker takes a ride with Mannhunting as the gang discusses Michael Mann's 2004 Collateral, in which Jamie Foxx's shy LA cabdriver Max is forced to drive professional assassin Vincent (played by Tom Cruise) from killing to killing over the course of a long night. What role does Mann's early-adoption of digital cameras play in creating the indelible look of the film? What is the transformation to the two characters work on each other over the course of their journey? And most importantly, what is going on with the photo collection in Max's mother's hospital room? Every secret is revealed over the course of this hall of fame-level Mannhunting.

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Michael Mann walks the blurry lines between homage, imitation, and theft as he attempts to tell the stories of Muhammed Ali, Malcolm X, the 1960s, and the Cold War geopolitical order in a single sprawling biopic. Join as Rob and Alex Navarro take the movie to ten rounds discussing just how much Mann borrowed from Spike Lee's Malcolm Xand the documentary When We Were Kings,and to what degree he ends up directing poor stealth-remakes of both.

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You might not be shocked to learn Patrick loves Netflix’s Stranger Things. But could you have guessed Rob has also been hanging out in the Upside Down these past few years? With the most recent season—including that whopper of a two-and-a-half-hour finale that was really a normal episode with a LOTR-style epilogue—now concluded, Rob and Patrick felt it was time to dig into a show they think is often mediocre but always tremendously fun. Also, Patrick gets to explain to Rob what “vecnussy” is.

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When beginning Mannhunting, Rob made a hypothesis that (barring The Keep) any of Mann's films could be argued to be his Best Work. Now, one movie past the highly regarded Heat,the Mannhunters are in a position to really put that theory to the test. Join as Alex, Dia, and Rob take to the airwaves with Mann's drama about 60 Minutes, a Tobacco industry whistleblower, and corporate power over news media.

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The Waypoint Crew continues our watch along of the Twilight Saga with Twilight: New Moon!There were some wild moments in the first movie, but little did we know that we had barely seen the tip of the bizarre iceberg! So dig out your Twilight: New MoonDVD or MP4 or MKV and watch along with us as we return to the world of Vampires, Werewolves, and italian tribunals!

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Patrick really wanted to watch a movie with our audience during our recent Waypoint Summer Games Feast, and it just so happens that 3/5 Waypointers hadn't seen Twilight.Natalie would not let this stand, so we're leaning all the way in and starting our series of Twilight Watch Alongs with this inaugural episode, starting, of course, at the beginning. So dig out your TwilightDVD or MP4 or MKV and watch along with us as we enter the world of Vampires, Baseball, and Mormon Moments (TM).

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After an increasingly harrowing stream series, the Waypoint Radio crew is here to finally dig into The Thing (2002), a video game follow up to the horror film classic The Thing.We get into how the game plays with the themes of the film, how excited we were as it introduces its mechanics, and how it all falls apart by the endgame.

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It's finally time, the Mannhunters have reached what is often cited as one of Mann's greatest films, Heat! But does it live up to the hype, or is a stacked cast the reason it's so popular? Join Nextlander's Alex Navarro, Waypoint contributor Dia Lacina, and Waypoint's own Rob Zacny as they beat the summer heat by watching Heat,and admit that maybe Moby was right choice this ONE time.

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On this very special Waypoint + pod, Rob, Patrick, Ren, and Cado all sit around the warmth of their computer screens to watch The Thing From Another World, the 1951 film that inspired John Carpenter to make The Thing! First the crew answers a few questions from the live stream audience, then we begin our live commentary at 27:45. Sync up your own copy with the countdown to listen as we poke fun at the weird 1950's "romance" plot, laugh at the Obviously Evil Scientist, and talk about how Weirdly Horny it is for something from the 50's.

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The Manniacs are back at it again, Rob, Alex Navarro, and Dia Lacina drill into Michael Mann's LA Takedown,what ends up basically being a rough draft of his magnum opus Heat,emphasis on the rough. It’s surprising what a bigger budget and big name actors can do with what in some places is essentially the same script!

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Rob takes Ren, Patrick, and Cado on a journey to a different era: the late 90's. The crew has been playing Sid Meiier's Gettysburg!, a seminal strategy game that seems to be all but completely forgotten in the history of the genre. We discuss its context in the 90's Civil War pop culture boom, some of its strengths and weaknesses in UI design, and its massive manual which attempted to give context to the different playable scenarios and how they played out in history. We touch on simulation and history, and the particularity with which media depicting the Civil War requires to not fall into fraught ideological territory.

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Join Ren, Cado, and special guest Cameron Kunzelman as they dive into the world of NORCO, a point-and-click adventure game set in a magical realist future Louisiana and asks questions of place, home, identity, industry, and what we do at the end of it all.

NORCO on Steam - https://store.steampowered.com/app/1221250/NORCO/

NORCO OST On bandcamp - https://thou.bandcamp.com/album/norco-original-soundtrack

NORCO review by Cameron Kunzelman - https://www.vice.com/en/article/n7nmxz/norco-review-greatness-in-the-tenacious-weirdos-who-live-there

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Ren takes Rob, Patrick, and Cado through two of her favorite visual novels, We Know the Deviland Heaven Will Be Mine,two games about queer kids struggling with their queerness, queer adults with messy relationships, self acceptance in a hegemonic culture, and some of the possible futures of queer community.

Worst Girl Games: https://www.worstgirlsgames.com/

We Know the Devil Soundtrack : https://aleclambert.bandcamp.com/album/we-know-the-devil-ost

Heaven Will Be Mine Soundtrack : https://aleclambert.bandcamp.com/album/heaven-will-be-mine-ost

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The Manniacs are back at it, this time with Rob's introduction to the Manniverse: Last of the Mohicans.Special Guest Troy Goodfellow joins Alex, Dia, and Rob as they discuss the movie that very likely caused the existence of this podcast series: a period drama about colonists fighting other colonists and the first nation peoples caught up in the conflict of the Seven Years War. Come to question the historical accuracy, stay to learn more Mann-as-wife-guy deep lore!

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Mere days before Elden Ring finally drops, Patrick and Cado gathered around the bonfire with special guest LobosJr to talk all things King’s Field IV. The first franchise that From Software developed, the King's Fieldseries didn't make as big of a splash as the Souls franchise would eventually, but you can see all the trappings of Souls in King's Field IV,from dour NPCs to deliberate stamina based combat. We talk about From Soft's legacy, our favorite moments from the game, and answer listener questions!

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Content Warning: Discussions of alcohol consumption throughout.

Rob, Cado, and Patrick gather around the ole microphones with new Waypoint hire Renata Price! We get an introduction to who she is and what she’s excited to do here at Waypoint, and we roast Rob for some poor life decisions, it’s a blast!

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The Mannhunters Rob, Dia, and Alex are joined by special guest Jeff Green to talk about Crime Story, Michael Mann’s second foray into television. 

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It’s time to jack back in one last time. Gita Jackson is back alongside Rob, Patrick, and Cado to talk about The Matrix Resurrections,the latest movie in theMatrix franchise, and one who’s own inception is scrutinized within this film. While Gita, Patrick, and Cado left their initial viewings having enjoyed the film, Rob was ultimately left cold. We get into how our different reads diverged, the ways in which this Matrix fits into Lana Wachowski’s work since the original trilogy, queer text and subtext, and the true power of love.

Articles Discussed: Body Talk: Conversations on Transgender Cinema with Caden Mark Gardner, Hanya’s Boys by Andrea Long Chu

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Rob, Alex, and Dia are back at it again in the Manniverse! Join them as they dive into the world of Miami Vice,the hit TV show that often gets attributed to Mann despite the fact that he’s only the Producer for the show. Still, the show has some classic Mann-erisms with some killer soundtrack moments, men losing themselves in their jobs, and ridiculous premises that boarder on Saw-like near the end of the show’s run.

"punk" car : https://twitter.com/RobZacny/status/1461938920552345601

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Join Rob, Patrick, Cado, and special guest Gita Jackson as they jack back into The Matrix sequel(s). What arguably could’ve been one movie is instead two, and the crew discusses how the series POV shifts, the franchise’s new philosophical questions, and which fight scenes they’d cut out of Reloaded. 

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Patrick, Rob, Cado and special guest Gita Jackson are rewatching The Matrix trilogy in preparation for The Matrix Resurrections. They discuss why it’s such an enduring film, from it’s visually stunning production to it’s deeply meaningful and deft allegories for oppressive structures and a trans experience. We also try to figure out some names for this podcast, but ultimately they’re all cursed.

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Rob, Patrick, and Cado gather around the campfire to tell tales of their time in The Zone. Join as the crew gets deep into S.T.A.L.K.E.R.’sopen world design, its historical context as a shooter and open world game, and the ways its influence has spread over the years. 

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The Manhunting crew has finally reached their eponymous movie! Join Rob, Dia, Alex, and returning special guest Patrick Klepek as they discuss Michael Mann’s adaptation of the first of the Hannibal Lecter novels Red Dragon.It’s a fascinating look at one of the earliest serial-killer-profiler-gets-in-too-deep movies with a performance by William Petersen that would go on to inspire the TV version of Will Graham in the hit series Hannibal,a surprisingly grounded Brian Cox turn as Hannibal Lecter, and Tom Noonan being uncomfortably method as serial killer Francis Dolarhyde. Hell Fuzzy Yeah!

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We’ve got special guest Gita Jackson on the pod to talk through the beautiful meditative Stalker.Based on Roadside Picnic,this 2 hour and 41 minute long film uses the Zone to ask questions about the true shape of desire, hope, and faith.

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STALKTOBER IS HERE! Rob is leading the entire Waypoint crew on a grand journey through all things S.T.A.L.K.E.R, and first up Roadside Picnic,the novel that started it all. We discuss this seminal sci-fi text at length, from its striking and terrifying worldbuilding to its economic allegories, its existential questions of humanity's essential nature to the material realities of coming in contact with something beyond your comprehension, and who's life is placed in danger for others to step over.

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This time on Mannhunting, special guest Patrick Klepek joins Rob, Alex, and Dia to delve into Michael Mann's take on schlock horror: The Keep. Listen to find out why Mann has largely disowned this film, how it differs from the source material, and whether Ian Mckellen has been playing the same character for his entire Hollywood career? Come for the Tangerine Dream soundtrack, stay for the hilarious smoke monster.

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Here it is! Austin did one final podcast with Waypoint before riding off into the sunset for greener pastures. Rob, Patrick, and Cado join him in reminiscing over the last five years, the ways we’ve changed as people, and the ways the industry has changed (and stayed the same) around us. Also Rob has got a story to tell about a tailor, a wedding, and a pair of slacks. 

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It’s football season, so what better way to mark the occasion than watching … an NFL propaganda film? Rob and Patrick are joined by IGN’s Kat Bailey to discus Draft Day,an officially approved NFL movie that might actually work better as accidental satire than advertisement, even if there's a ton of product placement.

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Super Metroid popularized a genre that to this day bears it's name, but does it hold up after all these years? Join Austin, Patrick, and Cado as they re-examine one of the all time greatest games from the 16 bit era, how it's level design leads the player without sacrificing a sense of exploration, talk about it's killer soundtrack, and discuss it's lineage through to modern games like Dark Souls and others.

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Well folks, it’s come to this. Through highs and lows, Impacts and Near Impacts, Fantastic Fights and Groan inducing Fan service, the time has come to put a cap on our time with Neon Genesis Evangelion. Join as special guest Gita Jackson joins Rob, Patrick, Austin, and Cado to talk about the final impact this series has had on each of us, both intellectually and emotionally, both positively and negatively. It’s time to say goodbye.

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Join Austin, Patrick, Rob, and Cado as they re-enter and re-examine the world of Evangelion once again. What starts as something familiar begins to shift, has us asking why this work is revisited, what all the differences amount to, and where we think Evangelion might go from here.

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Content Warning - Threat of Rape and Racial Slurs in a movie clip at 2:16:48

Special guests Dia Lacina and Alex Navarro join Rob to discuss and dissect Michael Mann’s feature film debut Thief. They talk through the subtle ways Mann characterizes the main character, the killer soundtrack, and the film’s somewhat surprising take on the value of labor.

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Join Rob, Patrick, and Cado as they discuss the seminal survival horror game, Resident Evil, after playing it on stream for all to see. They get into the design decisions behind fixed camera angles and tank controls, the uneven second half (now a franchise staple), and just who or what the evil resident is in Resident Evil.

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The Purge franchise has been a staple of Waypoint's various movie podcasts, so of course we had to watch the newest one as soon as it came out. Unfortunately, this might be the worse Purge yet? Listen as Austin, Patrick, Rob, and Cado discuss the movie's boring action sequences, centrist politics, and overall misuse of it's Mexican protagonists.

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As part of our new Waypoint 101 initiative, Patrick has invited Alex Aniel, Author of “Itchy, Tasty: An Unofficial History of Resident Evil,” on to talk all things Resident Evil. They chat about where they started with the franchise, how RE has influenced the gaming landscape, and discuss Alex’s intensive interviews with many of the creative minds behind the early Resident Evil games.

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Welcome back, Waypoint + subscribers, to the movies. It’s with your generous support that we’re able to return to the world of TV and Film just as we’re slowly returning to watching movies in actual theaters. Up first however is No Sudden Move,an HBO Max release from director Steven Soderbergh, who is popularly known for his modern remake of Ocean’s 11. His new film was partially marketed as a heist film, but quickly reveals itself to be a dark comedy more interested in how race, gender, and wealth intersect more broadly than the particulars of one heist gone wrong. Join Rob, Austin, Patrick, and Cado as they dig deep into what worked, what fell flat, and why the extreme wide angle lenses kinda make sense.

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Rob and Patrick talked about basketball before this recording and thankfully left it out, which is why you, dear listener, get to hear this conversation about our Waypoint Plus plans for July technically before any of them happen! (Well, at least if you listened right away....) With that classic After Dark casual swagger, they tell you what streams and podcasts to expect in July, reminisce about the console wars, and consider how many movies is too many movies to watch (and record podcasts on) in a month.

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Waypoint 101 is back! And to kick it all off, we have special guest Cameron Kunzleman on to talk all things noir with Rob. They discuss LA Noire's troubled development, uneven movie references, surprisingly bleak ending, and answer your LA Noire questions!

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These are difficult words to type, but welcome to the final episode of Waypoint Radio. After sharing some thoughts on the excellent Street Fighter 6 and the promising but technically challenged new Telltale-style Star Trek game, the final Waypoint lineup–Rob, Ren, Patrick, and Cado–reminisce about the end of Waypoint. It’s as much a trip down memory lane as it is a signpost towards the future, as we reveal our post-Waypoint plans. Thanks for the memories.

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Patrick misses the start of the podcast so Rob hits the crew with his Persuadertron and gets everyone excited to talk about Syndicate (2012). Then the gang discusses the grim tidings around Relic and Company of Heroes 3. Fortunately, Alan Wake is here to save the day, along with some other highlights from the PlayStation State of Play Showcase.

Discussed: Syndicate 6:32, Relic Layoffs 28:56, break 50:15, Playstation Showcase 50:38, Dragon's Dogma 2 1:13:41, Outro and Announcements 1:21:24

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Rob and Patrick talk sports, perhaps for the last time. They discuss the Chicago Bears' regular season schedule and discover some shocking overlap on their predictions, then discuss a disappointing season of Ted Lasso and a creeping undercurrent of misogyny to its subplots. Then they discuss the NBA and Playoff Jimmy Butler.

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It’s the penultimate week of Waypoint, and the crew is having a normal one—more normal than Overwatch 2, anyway. But first, Patrick’s checking out Humanity, where you help guide human souls to the afterlife…as a dog. Then, we dive into the confusing Mortal Kombat "1," Rob’s second (??) playthrough of Resident Evil 2, and praise the new cinematic platformer Planet of Lana. Finally, Patrick has concluding thoughts on Jedi: Survivor, and we debate a few contraptions people have made in Tears of the Kingdom before dipping into the question bucket.

Discussed: Humanity 2:06, Overwatch 2 Cancels its PvE Mode 16:53, Mortal Kombat 1 33:28, Resident Evil 2 44:50, Planet of Lana 58:06, Astro’s Playroom 1:07:49, Star Wars Jedi Survivor 1:17:26, The Question Bucket 1:36:33, Tears of the Kingdom 1:37:13, The Question Bucket 1:46:40

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Why is Waypoint crying? No, it’s not because we’re only 2.5 weeks from being laid off, despite that being very sad. It’s because we’ve beheld the beauty of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom,and it’s ability to produce a flying contraption that is three birds kissing. Patrick, Ren, and Cado have all put varying amounts of time into the sequel to Breath of the Wild, and have some surprisingly different feelings about its opening areas. Uneven tutorialization aside, listen in as we regale you with stories of ridiculous inventions, surprising darkness, and turning Link into a human bullet. Then we (re)consider the question bucket, revisiting an older question (I still pick the moon), and then talk about our relationship to collector’s editions.

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The time has come to put an end to a cycle. My Turn’s final movie aptly cover’s Arrival (2016), Denis Villeneuve’s Sci-Fi take on alien life, language, and living with grief.We discuss the film’s gripping emotional core, stellar soundtrack, and not-really-a-twist twist that make this an enduring film. We answer listener questions, and also reminisce about future My Turns that could’ve been.

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The show is off the rails as it begins without warning mid-conversation around tales of retail work. Then we dig into the evolving experiences of Darkest Dungeon 2, and check back in with Rob to try and understand why Redfall feels like a completely different game playing alone. Then Patrick has found the true weapon of the Jedi in Jedi: Survivor, and it's basically a great axe, not a lightsaber. Finally, the crew returns to the bucket.

Discussed: Question Bucket 20:48, Darkest Dungeon 2 32:50, Question,Bucket? 42:11, Redfall 51:03, Jedi Survivor 1:23:10, Question Bucket! 1:42:02, Outro and Announcements 1:49:43

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As we wind down our podcasts here at Waypoint Radio, segments have started to take on a mind of their own. The Question Bucket demands satisfaction, and Rob is going to try his damnedest to please it. Speaking of pleasing, unfortunately that is exactly what Redfallis not, even when the whole crew got together to give the multiplayer a go. After the break, Ren managed to make it out to a preview event for Street Fighter VI, and is happy to learn that the new systems in the game make it much more interesting than its predecessor. Then we dip back into the question bucket to discuss criticism and the concept of "making up a guy to who likes things to write a review for."

Discussed: The question bucket 00:00, Redfall 4:20, The Question Bucket 56:12, Street Fighter VI 1:00:21, The Question bucket 1:18:02, Outro and announcements 1:33:59

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Everything at Waypoint Radio is fine. A question bucket episode in the middle of the intro? A two-minute “Redfall” “segment”? Pay no mind to Rob’s outro, where he definitely remembers everyone! Do pay attention to our chat on Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard acquisition being blocked in the UK. Enjoy Patrick and Cado discussing Star Wars Jedi: Survivor. Delight in Patrick’s interview with Mojang’s Craig Leigh about working on Minecraft. Finally, enjoy a regularly-placed question bucket, where we tackle anxieties around talking at a bus stop.

Discussed: The Question Bucket? 6:28, Microsoft's Activision-Blizzard blocked by the UK 8:59, Redfall 26:49, Star Wars Jedi Survivor 28:10, Interview with Mojang's Principle Design Director Craig Leigh 1:07:47, Amored Core VI Trailer 1:41:52, The Question Bucket 1:57:13, Outro and Announcements 2:21:04

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The Waypoint crew dive into the prog rock/heavy metal/horror movie gore of Panos Cosmatos’ 2018 film, Mandy, starring Andrea Riseborough and Nicolas Cage. The two are living a life of relative domestic bliss deep in the woods, until a passing cult leader takes an interest in Mandy—and all hell breaks loose. Listen as we discuss the fascinating structure, stellar soundtrack, weird goo, and absolutely wild kills of this captivating revenge movie.

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The NBA playoffs are fast, furious, and have absolutely ruled so far. Patrick and Rob convene the sports council to discuss the many, many ups of round one, and lament the end of the Bulls. We briefly preview the NFL draft and say goodbye to Aaron “just asking questions” Rodgers, before pouring one out for the tortured fans of the Oakland A’s, who are losing their (crappy) stadium and (crappy) team. Lastly, Patrick discovers Cincinnati Chilli.

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Well, the time has finally come. Waypoint is closing up shop on June 2nd, and the crew is here to talk through how it all went down, and what we may or may not be doing next. We have a month so a lot of that is still in the air, but we get out some grief and step forward into our final month as a Website. 

Discussed: So, Waypoint is Ending 0:20, Patrick’s Review on Reviews 49:31, Cado’s Mystery Bag 56:52, Outro and Announcements 1:00:31

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Rob spent his weekend repairing an old PC, and before you ask: yes, it went according to plan and was very easy! No further questions, please! Then, Ren brings us Square Enix’s bizarre and borderline disrespectful AI experiment, The Portopia Serial Murder Case. After the break, Patrick checks in with the delightful indie games MoonleapandTeslagrad 2, Cado is enjoying Advanced Wars 1+2 Reboot Camp but has some aesthetic questions, and we get into the nitty gritty of waste management in the question bucket.

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What began as an offhand recommendation has become a full-on, HOTAS-driven fever with Everspace 2. Then, Ren’s checked out OTXO, a Hotline Miami-inspired game that’s more than a clone. After the break, Patrick spoke with Zombies, Run! designer Adrian Hon about getting into gaming through ARGs, the rise of gamified fitness, and his new game, Marvel Move. We round out the pod discussing piracy, Nintendo, and disproportionate punishments.

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Patrick and Rob have set their clocks to island time early, as they’ve both been checking out Dead Island 2, the long-waited follow-up to the 2011 zombie game. The crew then laments the death of Media Molecule’s Dreams, and wonders about the future of Halo, following the departure of 343 leader Frank O’Connor. After the break, Rob and Ren have been checking Wartales, a tactical medieval mercenary game that has you balancing the books and emotions of a band of mercenaries. Then, we dip into the question bucket to wax nostalgic over lost bits of gaming culture, and to learn about the secret rules of hockey fist fights.

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Rob gets caught up with Redfallafter seeing a lot of anger over the lack of a 60 FPS mode for the console version of that game. Patrick’s seen some early footage of Immortals of Aveum, a game that asks “What if COD had magic instead of guns and dragons instead of helicopters.” Cado’s been whacking robots to the beat in Infinite Guitars, the turn based RPG meets rhythm game with a killer soundtrack. Ren’s opinon on Everspace 2is [NBA JAM announcer voice] HEATING UP, and Patrick has finished what might be a surprise GOTY contender: Bayonetta Origins.Then we take a dip in the question bucket to talk hobby holes and how to dig out of them.

Discussed: Redfall performance mode delay 0:42, Dead Space 24:39, Immortals of Aveum 27:50, Battlefield 2042 41:24, Infinite Guitars 42:33, Everspace 2 1:00:59, Bayonetta Origins 1:14:05, The Question Bucket 1:16:48

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Patrick and Cado both saw Natalie Watson’s Mario movie, and Patrick is psyched it passed the “can I watch this 6 million times” parenting test. Ren is checking out Everspace 2, a promising arcade-y space combat game, and an ambitious fan-made expansion to Darkest Dungeon, Black Reliquary, that goes in a different direction from the sequel. Of course, Rob’s got buyer’s remorse around certain office upgrades, alongside some doors he hasn’t opened in Resident Evil 2 Remake. Separately, Patrick wrapped up the Resident Evil 4 remake, where Ren is absolutely loving her choice to play the game on hardcore difficulty.

Discussed: The Super Mario Bros. Movie 1:23, Everspace 2 25:32, Black Reliquary 46:24, Rob’s System Woes 1:04:21, Hunt:Showdown 1:31:56, Resident Evil 2 1:45:40, Resident Evil 4 1:53:23, The Question Bucket 2:06:24

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Motherboard editor-in-chief and resident Baltimore Orioles fan Jason Koebler joins Rob and Patrick on the latest episode of Sports!, where they talk through baseball’s opening day, the detrimental impact of analytics, and whether the controversial rule changes introduced are actually that big of a deal. And with the NFL in the midst of its quietest period, the podcast is forced to confront a new question: so, uh, are the Bulls back?

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Sony’s at it again with rumors of a new handheld console floating around. This time they’re looking to tether it to the PS5 as a remote play machine, but is that enough of a use case to justify it’s existence (let alone what it might cost?). The crew then discusses April fools joke games, learning to cope with Mr.X in RE 2, revisiting Breath of the Wild, and take a quick dip in the question bucket to answer some vintage questions.

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Patrick returns from his vacation with a sickness, but a new appreciation for the most recent Bayonetta game. Elsewhere, Rob’s new setup has growing pains, including the discovery that not even a mighty 4090 can overcome a botched PC port of The Last of Us. We also discuss online harassment campaigns and how they’re covered, the PSVR 2’s seemingly shaky launch, and different strategies for engaging with Roblox’s exploitative underbelly.

Discussed: PSVR 2 5:02, Rob’s New Setup 23:28, Resident Evil 4 Remake 58:10, Ada Wong’s Voice Actor Harrassed off Instagram 1:04:33, The Last of Us PC 1:21:37, Bayonetta Origins 1:35:55, The Question Bucket 1:40:53, Outro and Announcements 1:53:15

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Turns out the reports of its death weren’t exaggerated, as the ESA announced that E3 2023 was officially canceled mere minutes after we stopped our original podcast recording. Rob and Cado are flying solo this episode and certainly thought it was gonna be a short one, but it seems that the Five Star Runtimes ethos has a full grasp on both of them. Cado’s been living their best hacker life in DROP - System Breach, a fast paced puzzle game that manages to get stellar “hacker feel” out of a controller based game. Rob’s thinks MLB The Show’s new Storylines feature on the Negro leagues is almost a home run, despite getting into a pickle rounding third base. After the break, we learn that Rob’s partner has some hidden AV sicko tendencies, chat about how Destiny 2’scurrent storyline stacks up to previous seasons, and take a dip in the Question Bucket to talk about control schemes and wild PC rigs.

Discussed: RIP E3 00:18, DROP- System Breach 40:36, MLB The Show 23 54:35, Marvel’s Midnight Suns 1:42:14, Destiny 2 1:54:03, The Question Bucket 2:14:14

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Rob's back from his vacation, and he returns a changed man. He's taken advantage of his position as King of Executive Function to make some Extremely Key Hardware Upgrades while no one was around to judge him. Ren checked out the City Enviroment builder Terra Nil where you're tasked with reversing the effects of climate collapse. After the break, Patrick's checking in with T'chia,an indie Breath-of-the-Wild-like with a really interesting possession mechanic, and Rob's continued to be on one in The Great War: Western Front.

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Counter Strike 2 is real, proving that Valve can at least count to 2. Patrick has a delightful interview with lead Storytellerdeveloper Daniel Benmergui, then Ren finally lets the rest of the Waypoint crew know what Redfallis like to play. Then we take a quick dip in the bucket and learn that most of today's crew is clumsy as hell.

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Cado’s back from moving hell, with a broken phone and sore arms. We also take a moment to remember Lance Reddick. who passed last week, and his roles in TV and games that touched us. Then, Ren and Patrick recount their time with the beta for Exoprimal, where you don an exosuit and kill a crapload of dinosaurs. Oh, and Patrick’s been click-click-clicking around the Diablo IV beta, as well. Finally, we check in with the latest game to hurt Ren’s brain, Post Void, a lil’ Destiny 2, and Bayonetta Origins before dipping into the bucket.

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Rob and Patrick are joined by Phoenix Labs' Bob Colayco to discuss Lakers fandom vs. Bulls fandom, the Bubble Championship, the Bulls late-season run for the playoffs, and of course, the latest instalment of the Green Bay Packers' performance of Hamlet, starring Aaron Rodgers.

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Rob has a bad case of senioritis as he hosts one last podcast before his vacation. He's got big plans for this break, such as getting caught up on Resident Evil 2 and 3 so that he can fully appreciate the masterpiece Patrick describes now that he has played more of the remake. Ren discusses what happened with Bleak Faith's stolen Elden Ring animations. The gang talks about level design signposting, asset rips, platform capitalism, and of course, Rob's exposure to Roblox.

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My Turn returns to the well of beautifully shot, dreamlike psychological horror with Robert Egger's The Lighthouse. The film follows two lighthouse keepers, played by Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe, as they descend into madness while tending a remote lighthouse. The film, and our hosts, ponder the role of masculinity, labor, and eldritch horror in The Lighthouse's nuanced depiction of the two worst men you can imagine. Following a brief question bucket, Cado picks our next movie, and Patrick, true to The Lighthouse's subject matter, absolutely loses his shit about it.

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Rob, Ren, and Patrick discuss the season finale of The Last of Us and unpack the rushed feeling that characterized the second half of the season. But first, Patrick has gone back to Resident Evil 4 and could not be happier to be back there. Plus, Rob discusses arctic survival game The Pale Beyond and Ren discusses action roguelike Mortal Sin, which has terrific art and a great feel to its combat.

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Patrick has been lured back into the deep embrace of Destiny 2, and in true Destiny fashion, has become one with the cheese. We wrap up our coverage of the Lightfall campaign and discuss difficulty spikes, community expectations, and where Patrick might swing to next on his Destiny journey. But first, Ren’s bringing us a new take on Sekiro-like combat with Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty. Then Patrick checks in on Dead Cell’s new Castlevania DLC. After the break, Rob’s curious about some of the announcements at Paradox’s recent announcement stream, and then we dive into the bucket to ask “how many Boston squares are you willing to walk for good food?”

Discussed: Wo Long Fallen Dynasty 0:32, Dead Cells Castlevania DLC 39:15, Destiny 2 Lightfall 48:00, Paradox Announcement Show 1:27:37, Starfield Delay 1:40:27, Question Bucket 1:40:27, Outro and Announcements 2:00:44

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With Rob still out, Patrick and Ren discuss the latest episode of The Last of Us, and whether the level-like structure of the adaptation, nearing its finale, is causing problems. Elsewhere, Cado's played King of the Castle, a new party game that pits your friends against each other for some goofy Game of Thrones-style machinations, and Ren explains a very weird Olympics “esport” situation. Before a big dip into The Question Bucket, Patrick and Cado briefly swing back into the later half of Destiny 2's newest expansion, Lightfall.

Discussed: The Last of Us 09:51, King of the Castle 31:39, The Olympics Esports Games 47:00, Destiny 2 Lightfall 1:08:10, The Question Bucket 1:16:23, Outro and Announcements 1:40:08

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A new Destiny expansion means our resident Destiny “expert” (aka Cado) is unleashed, but wait…is that a grappling hook? (Patrick’s been playing it, too.) But first, Ren’s checking out a tactical roguelike called The Last Spell, where you defend a town trying to cast the, uh, last spell. After the break, we wade into the JRPG discourse, and Patrick has beaten Hi-Fi Rush and embraced Zwan. Then, we head into the question bucket to decide if a listener will become more like Rob (computer in living room) or more like Patrick (computer in office).

Discussed: The Last Spell 04:13, Destiny 2 - Lightfall 23:29, Resident Evil 4 Remake 1:08:12, Japanese Developers' thoughts on the phrase JRPG 01:10:14, Hi-Fi Rush 01:22:43, The Question Bucket 01:32:01

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It’s a big week for Waypoint, with two games primed to be favorites. The mech-centric Phantom Brigade is dropping, so Ren checked in with the latest early access build before 1.0. Patrick’s played a bit of Kirby’s Return to Dreamland Deluxe…and yep, it’s a Kirby game! Cado’s shuffling cards and playing poker in Aces and Adventures, where the Aces (game mechanics) are neat, but the Adventures leave much to be desired. Then, the crew talks about the last two episodes of The Last of Us, and speculate on where it’s all going.

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With the Super Bowl in the rearview mirror (sorry, Austin!), Rob and Patrick turn towards the next great sporting event: the XFL! It’s mostly an excuse to talk about surprisingly controversial beer snakes, before discussing sports’ relationship with long COVID, confusing Manchester City with Manchester United, and ponder several listener questions, including the whether a former Columbus Blue Jacket mascot, Boomer, looks too much like a penis.

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A specter is haunting Waypoint Radio—the specter of BioShock Infinite. That game’s influences are all over Atomic Heart, whose Russian origins (and sex robots) are its own discourse. After the break, we touch base on the ongoing Activision Blizzard acquisition, and the surprising raises across some of Japan’s larger gaming companies. Elsewhere, Rob’s reviewed Company of Heroes 3, and Patrick is happy to report Metroid Prime still whips. Then, a developer writes in to clear up why a studio wouldn’t make their own game engine.

Discussed: Atomic Heart 0:40, Microsoft Continues to Try to Acquire Activision 1:04:09, Big Gaming Companies Give Raises? 1:11:37, Metroid Prime Remake 1:35:35, The Question Bucket 1:44:49, Firaxis loses Studio Heads 1:53:42, The Question Bucket Again 2:01:45, Outro and Announcements 2:09:02

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Happy new VR headset to all who celebrate, though mostly Patrick, who’s reviewed Sony’s PlayStation VR2. Elsewhere, Rob’s murdering and tending gardens in Like a Dragon: Ishin, Ren’s checking back in with the perhaps too brutal Darkest Dungeon 2, and all of us were happy for the big boy to show up in the latest episode of The Last of Us. Before we jet, Patrick weighs in on beating Dead Space, and we revisit pranks in The Question Bucket.

Discussed: PSVR 2 1:39, Like a Dragon: Ishin! 31:26, Darkest Dungeon 2 1:04:40, The Last of Us Episode 5 1:18:15, Dead Space 1:43:49, The Question Bucket 1:48:37

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Patrick’s gone, time for 5-star runtimes about tactics, cover and concealment mechanics, and a game taking up Rob’s time, Broken Arrow. Then, Cado and Ren are having the cyber-noir time of their lives Shadows of Doubt, a detective game mashing up procedural generation with voxels. Later, Rob and Patrick have a joint conversation with the creative directors of the original Dead Space and its new remake. After the break, Ren takes us to the magical world of Wild Hearts, Koei-Tecmo’s attempt at a Monster Hunter-like that’s actually got something to say. Finally, Rob’s soaking in the Pacific Northwest vibes from Pacific Drive, aka STALKER in a station wagon.

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Austin Walker joins Rob and Patrick to preview the upcoming Super Bowl and the ways it could go catastrophically wrong for Austin, ponder how many buffalo wings are too many buffalo wings, and discover Austin’s history with the Eagles is more complicated than family. And because we can’t help ourselves, we end up chatting a bit about the recent media layoffs, Waypoint+, and Waypoint’s Ongoing Game of the Year, Marvel’s Midnight Suns.

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A Nintendo Direct made just for us?! Beyond a lengthy breakdown of the new Zelda trailer, we talk at length about the coverage of Hogwarts Legacy and the notion of accountability. After the break, Rob’s spending his “bachelor” time catching up on The Last of Us, so we spoil the first four episodes, discussing violence as storytelling and the endless delight of Pedro Pascal. Finally, a quick lightning round of our favorite Steam Next Fest games!

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My Turn has proved unpredictable, so it’s only natural that Patrick ended this cycle on The Green Knight, the 2021 film starring Dev Patel as pre-knighthood Gawain of the mythical roundtable of Camelot. The Green Knight is rife with actions turned into symbolism, otherworldly visuals, and a sense that magic and nature are one in the same. And ext time, it’s YOUR turn. Stay tuned for a poll!

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Rob’s parking garage is falling apart thanks to a cold snap, but still found another way to experience weather in Against the Storm, a roguelite city builder with beaver people. Ren’s checked out Your Only Move is Hustle, a turn-based fighting game that plays like an old stickfight animation, and Patrick’s bopping beats in Rhythm Sprout. Naturally, Rob’s found yet another way to talk tanks, thanks to The Great War: Western Front. After the break, we take a dive into the question bucket to talk pranks, gentrification, and coastal food fights.

Discussed: Against the Storm 15:17, Your Only Move is Hustle 20:45, Rhythm Sprout 26:44, The Great War: Western Front 32:13, The Question Bucket 58:33

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E3 is apparently happening, but some of the biggest companies aren’t attending, an unannounced Titanfall game got canceled, and 343 Industries is apparently starting from scratch. But don’t worry, we cut through the doom and gloom to bring you a special interview with John Johanas, director of the colorful upbeat rhythm action game Hi Fi Rush, about making music games and how Zwan (??) ended up on the soundtrack. After the break, Ren is checking out Nadir: A Grimdark Deckbuilder, Rob’s back on the boats with Ultimate Admiral: Dreadnought, and Patrick and Rob reflect on playing both versions of Dead Space.

Who's Gonna Be at E3 01:48, What's going on with Halo? 14:04, Titanfall Single Player Game Canceled 23:53, HI-Fi Rush Developer Interview 28:35, Nadir: A Grimdark Deckbuilder 56:36, Ultimate Admiral Deradnought 01:01:41, Dead Space Remake 01:01:41, Outro and Announcements 01:44:12

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Winter’s usually slow, but not now—we’ve got games! Ren’s checking out Freelancer, a chaotic roguelike mode added to the Hitman world, and Rob is returning to his established love of tall ships with Ultimate Admiral: Dreadnoughts. Cado’s checked out a preview for the Like a Dragon: Ishinremake and might just need to play the rest of the Yakuza games. After the break, Patrick dives into the latest, surprisingly divergent episode of The Last of Us, and Cado’s playing A Space for the Unbound, a slice-of-life magical realist game set in a small town in Indonesia that’s equal parts charming and foreboding. Then, in the question bucket, we ponder how deep Patrick is willing to go to live the Kirkland Signature lifestyle.

Discussed: Hitman:Freelancer 0:37, Like a Dragon: Ishin 8:52, Ultimate Admiral Dreadnoughts 21:06, Season: A Letter to the Future 44:28, The Last of Us EP. 3 47:54, A Space for the Unbound 1:08:03, The Question Bucket 1:26:04

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Today’s episode is extra meaty, in more ways than one, with Rob and Patrick discussing how good it feels to turn a space zombie into chunks in the Dead Space remake. Then, Ren has stories from the end of the world in Season, an emotional game about memories. Later, we reflect on the Xbox Developer Direct, which gave us new looks at Redfall, and dropped Patrick’s early GOTY contender, Hi-Fi Rush. Then, we dip in the bucket and consider what a Patrick/Rivers Cuomo interview would be like.

Discussed: Dead Space Remake 2:40, Proletariat Union Vote 1:04:38, Season 1:11:02, Spoilers for the Opening of Season 1:36:54, Xbox Developer Showcase 1:50:00, Hi-Fi Rush 2:00:12, The Question Bucket 2:21:14

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Rob’s got contractors coming, and we discuss solutions for his too-much-everything problem. Patrick’s finished A Plague Tale: Requiem, and what starts as a wrap up delves into needing to spoil the ending in every way possible. Then, we have a special interview from Patrick, where he talked to several devs behind the Dead Space remake about their history with horror and what defines “violence” in Dead Space. After the break, we dive into the question bucket to figure out what each person’s magically-enlarged mount would be.

Discussed: Marvel’s Midnight Suns 28:17, A Plague Tale: Requiem 30:48, Spoilers for A Plague Tale: Requiem 33:11, Rainworld 49:43, Interview with Dead Space remake devs 1:06:20, The Question Bucket 1:36:05

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The Bears are not back—they’re actually eliminated from the playoffs and have the first pick in the draft. But Rob, Patrick, and the Sports! podcast have returned with the NFL playoffs in full swing to discuss the tragedy of Damar Hamlin, what we misunderstand about football’s relationship to violence, the joy of watching aging men fail to be elite athletes, and more.

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Another round of layoffs has hit tech and gaming companies, the largest being Microsoft firing 10,000 employees this week. We discuss the cycles of yearly cuts in both games and tech and the underlying systems and practices that fuel the seemingly unending churn of labor being undervalued and peoples lives being upended. After the break, Rob’s disappointed to find that life on the high seas is a bit too monotonous in Sailing Era, we briefly tip our hats to the end of Stadia, and answer the question on everybody’s mind: does good steampunk exist?

Microsoft Layoffs 3:42. Sailing Era 58:37, High on Life 1:21:58, Stadia 1:29:22, 1:40:51 The Question Bucket

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Waypoint is going back to the fridge for more olive, and in this case olives are minutes of Andrei Tarkovsky movies! Ren's choice is Nostalghia, which has been called one of Tarkovsky's most personal films. Join us as we discuss time, memory, and the strange physics of carrying a lit candle across bodies of water.

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It’s 2023, which means we’re finally doing the Last Podcast of 2022! Last year, we asked listeners for Game of the Year Categories and y’all responded in droves…but our top ten list podcast went a little long. (C’mon, that never happens!) Learn which games we went goblin mode for, our favorite under 10 hours, what everyone’s favorite little guy in the margins of Pentiment was, the games we swear we’ll get back to in 2023 (but won’t), and much more!

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This week on waypoint! Rob's back and better than ever (for now), and so of course we get to hear about how much COVID sucks. Speaking of things sucking, Ren leads us on a look at Wizards of the Coast updating their Open Gaming License, the agreement that allowed games like Pathfinderto exist when D&D 4th edition shit the bed, which Wizards is basically threatening to undo in a 1.1 update. Patrick got early access to the first episode of HBO's The Last of Us,and has the scoop on how the already "cinematic" game translates to the small screen. Then we dive into the question bucket to discuss eating pizza off a plate. Like while it's still on there. Like just chomping down on the pizza while it's still on the plate.

26:34 Wizards Updates the OGL, 57:28 Pathfinder Wrath of the Righteous, 01:11:27 The Last of Us TV, 1:33:53 God of War Ragnarok, 1:38:20 The Question Bucket

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We’re emerging from our holiday cocoons! Join Patrick, Ren, and Cado as they talk through the holidays and the things they did (or wished they did). Then, a special interview from Rob: last time Josh Sawyer was on to talk Pentiment, Rob found out they had the same college professor. Now, we’ve invited that professor, Dr. Edmund Kern, alongside Dr. Winston Black, Josh’s classmate who consulted on Pentiment. They talk about applying their knowledge to consulting on the game, how medieval peasants are just like us, and the ways people figured out how to talk about “heretical” subjects without getting got.

Discussed: Fire Emblem Engage 28:23, Chained Echos 44:06, Signalis 53:02, The Calisto Protocol 51:41, 1:01:44 Interview with Dr. Edmund Kern, Dr. Winston Black, and Josh Sawyer, 2:10:43 The Question Bucket

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2022 is over, so what better way to send the longest year in history with the longest podcast of the year! Rob, Ren, Patrick, and Cado have gathered around their podcast mics to hash out their favorite games of 2022! Did Cado number their list? Who put Elden Ring the highest? How many narrative bangers are on Ren’s list? Listen to find out the answers to these questions and more!

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This is a re-release of a Waypoint After Dark episode from the early days of Waypoint+. You can get ad free pods and more exclusives at Waypointplus.com

Join Austin, Rob, and Patrick as they celebrate a successful first week of Waypoint Plus and answer all your questions about the service, their upcoming E3 plans, and more! Please note: This episode was recorded live on twitch.tv/waypoint, and was edited by Austin while Cado is on vacation, so please excuse any audio weirdness!

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As was foretold in ages long past, four tarnished have gathered around a lost grace to finally talk about how busted Moonveil is. Austin Walker joins Ren, Patrick, and Cado for this special Elden Ring spoiler cast, where we talk about what was arguably one of 2022’s biggest games, and we don’t just mean map size. We talk through our headcanons, favorite ashes, narrative stylings, and more!

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This is a re-release of our exclusive Waypoint+ podcast, Waypoint After Dark. You can subscribe to Waypoint + at www.waypointplus.com

Welcome dear listener to the first episode in our new series: Waypoint After Dark. Tonight we're joined by Rob Zacny, Austin Walker, and Patrick Klepek as they explain how we got here, reminisce over the past 5 years at Waypoint, and talk through that one time they almost launched a subscription service before this. Then they find a few choice quora questions to really get the mental juices flowing.

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It’s the holiday season and we here at Waypoint are giving y’all our first gift! We’ve had the chance to interview Robert Ashley, creator of one of the seminal video game podcasts: A Life Well Wasted. After nearly a decade, he’s releasing a new episode and we’re here to ask how it feels to return to a project after so long, how the podcast got started in the first place, and how being online has changed since the podcast started. Before we dive in though, Ren’s got new updates on her Dwarf Fortressfort, Patrick’s not feeling particularly high on High on Life, and Rob’s wishing there were maybe a little more strategy in Triangle Strategy. 

26:44 Dwarf Fortress, 34:57 High on Life, 44:08 Cyberpunk 2077, Triangle Strategy 45:04, Interview with Robert Ashley 53:59, The Question Bucket 2:10:49

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Last week the FTC surprised everyone when they actually took action towards stopping the Microsoft/Activision merger. So much so that Rob had to reach out to an expert to get into the nitty gritty about what this really means. He interviewed Matt Stoller, author of “Goliath: The 100-Year War Between Monopoly Power and Democracy,” and they discussed the history of monopolies in the US, and how Microsoft history weighs heavily on the FTC’s decision. But first, Ren has stories to tell from her time playing way too much Dwarf Fortress, including a late breaking story of a young dwarf that just loves to carry gems around. Patrick’s wrapped on Immortality, and while he’s had a great time with the game, he does wonder if it wouldn’t have benefited from something akin to Return to Monkey Island’s hint system. After the break, we dip into the question bucket to hear more pronunciation goofs, and our worst, potentially job-losing gaming habits.

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It’s finally here, the biggest release of 2022, a game decades in the making: Dwarf Fortress is finally released! Cado’s been checking the game out and is finding it much easier to parse after trying once back in 2008. Then we break the news that much to our surprise the FTC has actually filed a lawsuit to block the Microsoft/Activision merger. After the break, we check in with Patrick’s end of year sprint as he’s finishing Metal Hellsinger and starting Immortality.Then we dip into the question bucket to hear all about everyone’s personal “pseudonym” type mispronunciations. 

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Patrick and Cado welcome Ren back to the land of the living this week as she’s finally destroyed all the Covid in her body. Which is great timing because they both needed someone to explain the recent drama between Nintendo, licensed and unlicensed Smash Bros tournaments and one particularly over zealous CEO. Then Ren tells us of her time exploding heads with magic abilities in Warhammer 40k: Darktide.After the break, Cado and Ren chat about finishing SIgnalis,a game that seems destined for Patrick’s “Best 2022 game I played in 2023” slot. Then we revisit the world of Pillars of Eternity,the 2015 game that Ren fell into in the depths of being sick.

Fortnite 11:03, Super Smash Bros. Tournament Drama 15:46, ActiBlizzard Union vote in Albany 27:07, Warhammer 40k: Darktide 34:50, Signalis 49:17, Patrick's end of year dilemma 59:00, Pillars of Eternity 1:03:41, The Question Bucket 1:11:31

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