Mind Controllers

Join Craw and Joe as we discuss an interesting article about video games improving cognitive function. Then, Joe tells us more about his time with Monster Hunter and Craw dives into his love and subsequent frustrations with Blue Prince! Also, no episode next week due to some scheduling conflicts!

Games we talked about this week: Monster Hunter Wilds, Split Fiction, Erenshor, Blue Prince

Article of the Week: Effects of Action ...

Slight Mechanic Spoilers for Split Fiction

Craw and Joe start us off with an overview about an article that showed playing video games reduces stress! Then we discuss Monster Hunter Wilds and South of Midnight. Finally, we end it with some more Switch 2 updates! Hangout with us, we don’t bite!

Games we talked about this week: South of Midnight, Monster Hunter Wilds 

Article of the Week: Stress-Reducing Effects of Playing ...

Craw and Joe start us off with an article about playing video games as a form of acting. Then we discuss the biggest event of the week: the Nintendo Switch 2 direct! Come listen to why Craw and Joe are so salty about the big direct.

Games we talked about this week: Monster Hunter Wilds 

Article of the Week: Character immersion in video games as a form of acting.

If you are experiencing any sort of mental health distre...

Craw and Joe return to talk about an interesting Psych article about violent video games and social behavior. Then we catch up with the video games we’ve been enjoying this week! Lastly, we dive into a bit of Nintendo news happening this week. Did we get our predictions right? Come hang out with us during this journey!

Games we talked about this week: Assassin’s Creed Shadows, Monster Hunter Wilds

Article of the Week: The dar...

Craw and Joe are back and shaking things up! We first talk about an article that says it’s okay to play video games for long hours! Then we chat about our times with Pirate Yakuza, Avowed, a bit of Monster Hunter, and our thoughts on Split Fiction after being halfway through. Come hang out with us since it’s been a while!

Games we talked about this week: Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza, Avowed, Monster Hunter Wilds, Split Fiction

Spoilers for It Takes Two

Trigger Warnings: Divorce

Today we dive deep into It Takes Two, the award winning game of the year from 2021 that features the most extensive cooperative gameplay of any game we’ve seen. We chat about the foundations of Couples Therapy, what makes a strong relationship, and how the game  pivots our main characters, who are on the brink of divorce, into something more healthy. Come hang out with ...

Craw and Joe reunite to talk about Street Fighter League and this past weekend’s latest Fatal Fury beta. We then touch on Joe’s time with Pirate Yakuza, Craw’s debate over getting monster hunter, and speculate what occurred in the latest Pokemon Presents! We also touch on the (unfortunate) latest studio closures. We finish it up with an article on Problematic Video Game Use. So come hang out with us as we dive into games this week!

Craw, Joe, and Courture have come together to have a more focused discussion on Monster Hunter Wilds! We chat about our history with the franchise, what defines Monster Hunter, our likes and dislikes of the game, and what to expect from Wilds! Then we chat a bit about the other games we’ve been playing and the news from this week!

Games we talked about this week: Monster Hunter Wilds, Kingdom Come Deliverance 2, Avowed, Elden Ri...

Spoilers for Thank Goodness You’re Here

Craw has been having a crazy time with Thank Goodness You’re Here, a silly game filled with British humor that feels more like watching a cartoon than playing a video game (not a bad thing)! Joe is back on his favorite genre with Romancing Saga Minstrel Song, and spending some time with Street Fighter. And we both played a decent amount of Monster Hunter Wilds Beta this past weekend. We al...

Spoilers for Metaphor Refantazio

Trigger Warnings: Racism

Today, we talk about the world of Metaphor Refantazio and how it creates and manipulates anxiety as a key part of its story. We then apply Affect Control Theory to our favorite antagonist, Louis, and how that shapes our view of him throughout the game.

Timestamps:

• Introduction - 00:09
• Description - 01:10
• Experience with the Game - 03:48
• Spoiler Warning and Fictional...

Spoilers for Bleach and Alan Wake 2

It’s Joe and Craw, talking about the games they’ve played this week! Joe tells us about his latest obsession, Bleach, and Mega64’s The Room. Craw discusses a new metroidvania, his time with Ninja Gaiden Black 2, and a bit about Eternal Strands. Then we chatted about the recent gaming news. Come hang out with us!

Games we talked about this week: Zenless Zone Zero, Final Fantasy Pixel Collect...

HEAVY SPOILERS FOR METAPHOR REFANTAZIO

Joe and Craw teamed up to talk all about Metaphor ReFantazio, how much we loved it, and the impact some of the characters had on us.

If you are experiencing any sort of mental health distress, or just need someone to talk to, please call 988 contact some of these resources gathered on https://www.nimh.nih.gov/ 

Feel free to message us with suggestions for games or questions at ou...

It’s the first Scatterbrained of the year! And we have the whole squad on. We sat down and chatted a lot about Marvel Rivals, and some other games that came out last year that we are still getting through, in addition to some initial thoughts on Dynasty Warriors: Origins. Couture also schools us on Squirrel Girl Lore. Come hang out with us during our first Scatterbrained of the year!

Games we talked about this week: Void Crew, S...

We had a full house for this episode as the crew welcomed Memo to take part in the Fantasy Critics Draft. We all took turns choosing games we believe would rate well, made a few enemies along the way, and came out of it better people! Come listen to us as we try to build the best roster of video games coming out this year!

If you are experiencing any sort of mental health distress, or just need someone to talk to, please call 98...

Spoilers for Before Your Eyes (2021)

Today, we finally discussed our favorite games we played this year in 2024! We tried to keep it spoiler free, but there might be a bit of story spoilers, especially for an older game that Craw played. Thank you all so much for joining this year, and we can’t wait to continue hanging out with everyone in 2025! Bonus unrelated story at the end of this pod!

Timestamps:

• Intro - 00:09
• Vibe Ch...

Slight spoilers for Indiana Jones and the Great Circle

This week on Scatterbrained: Craw is flying solo this week! He tells us about his a bit lackluster time with Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, then talks about a puzzle game he does like: Case of the Golden Idol. He also enjoyed Path of Exile 2, a new diablo-like game that's in early access. Lastly, he tells us his quick thoughts on some Switch 2 rumors and The Game Awards...

This week on Scatterbrained: We're coming to you early take on The Game Awards! Joe tells us about his time learning about the Stalker lore, then goes into the fun of co-op Borderlands. Craw tells us about his time with puzzle games (ish?) Case of the Golden Idol and Indiana Jones. Then we end it by going through some of our favorite categories of the game awards! 

Games we talked about this week: Stalker 2, Borderlands, Me...

This week on Scatterbrained: It’s the Brandon duo! Courture chats about his current card obsession: Balatro. Craw played Case of the Golden Idol, an indie puzzle game that everyone was raving about when it was released a few years ago. And then we rant about our disappointment with Microsoft, Xbox, and Starfield

Games we talked about this week: Balatro, Legends of Runeterra, Metaphor Refantazio, Case of the Golden Idol, Starfiel...