Hollow Knight: Silksong Early Reaction Panel

In honor of the long awaited release of Hollow Knight: Silksong, we assembled a panel of Metroidvania enthusiasts and Hollow Knight players to discuss the first few days of playing Team Cherry's follow-up to 2017's original.

You can find our panel members on their Channel 3 pages:

corgimer

infocynic

jchizmad

rusty6713

saturnrogue

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Episode Transcript

(00:09):
Channel. 3. Is the future
welcome crew to one of your 3A podcast that is throwing its

(00:31):
format out the window for another time where we're talking
about something new. We did this once for the switch
too before and and tonight we'redoing it for the long-awaited
Hollow Night Silk song, finally here and ready to go.
So I I'm Dan Ray is Ray is stillhere, still here with me.
I see. I, I didn't think, you know,
we're screwed up. I didn't think I was going to be

(00:51):
able to say the word still, but alas, it wasn't me saying still
instead of still. So Ray take over.
I am still here. This is true.
It's me and it's a whole bunch of guests, people who have
played from all different perspectives of this game.
We've got Rusty. Rusty, say hi.
Hello and Rusty because that's the first name that I typed in
my little list here. Like how we said we had like

(01:13):
introduction pieces so people can identify the voice and he
did exactly not his real voice when he said hello, that was it
really served. That really served the subtle
purpose of this. Thank you, Rusty.
Somehow welcome we have youth correspondent who is going to be
the one making sure that we stayon task.
It is Korgomar. Korgomar, say hi as he waves in
the audio format. Hello.

(01:34):
We have J Chismod AKA Mr. AG. A.
KAJ, there he is. Who else on his list?
Info 6 on his list. Hey Info say hi everybody.
Hi, everybody. And Saturn.
Rogue. Hello everyone.
That's everybody. Everyone's here, Dan, we're
going to talk about. We brought a panel on and we

(01:56):
have to wrangle the panel. That's the fun.
The fun part again is as reference though Corgor McCain
with the notes prepared, ready to go full professional as he
waves the as he waves the notes of the audio podcast again, this
is beautiful. But you know, we here we are at
at long last. We spent much of I feel like
this was the year. No, we made some jokes last
year. I was looking at about a year

(02:17):
ago. We had the memes as the the
September Nintendo Direct was coming along.
And will we get hollow night? Will we not get hollow night?
I feel like about this time lastyear was really where the Silk
Song memes picked up. But alas, this, this started
back in 2019. The Hollow Knight team, team
Cherry down there in Australia, they said we're going to do ADLC

(02:40):
for Hollow Knight. It's popular, we're ready to go.
But mistakes were made. Mistakes were not made because
they realized the character sizes were going to be
different. They realized they wanted to do
a lot more than just a little bit of ADLC and they decided to
blow this thing out to an entiregame.
So it's been well documented Jason Schreier others have have

(03:00):
documented what's been going on over there while seems like it's
it's wild crazy off delayed really look at it's a pretty
normal game development cycle atthis point probably for a full
blown game of this style of animation made by a a truly
independent team not not backed by a $4 billion Hollywood
conglomerate. Sorry raised.

(03:23):
Are you saying Annapurna doesn'town I never.
I never said specifically who I'm talking about, but again, I,
I, I I really kind of love theirgames, but I just, I don't call
the $4 billion company an indie.That's all.
That's all. Sorry I let my pet peeves come
out here. But yeah, but alas, finally,
finally a couple of weeks ago, you know, we went through how
many times this summer do we go through?

(03:44):
We went through a couple of Nintendo Directs.
We had a PlayStation Direct. We had Xbox doing a Directs and
we just kept waiting and waiting.
Nintendo had an indie Direct during the course of all of this
and no news but the word just kept coming out because Hollow
Knight. I think when they switched to
was coming out they said it's going to be 2025 hard.
Line Well, the real the real problem was when the Xbox said

(04:07):
everything Xbox game passed day one and they put hollow Knight
footage in that one there. That's that's what really messed
up because then we had three announcements.
They said no, it's OK. It doesn't have to come out with
the with the Xbox rogue Ally. It was just there for fun.
It's coming at some point. Please, we're sorry, but it's
it's definitely coming. That's that's.

(04:28):
What really messed? Them up.
The the pot was boiling over on the stove basically Then finally
a couple weeks ago, work came down Team Cherry 48 hours, not
even 48 hours. They're doing it direct
themselves and sure enough, we got a few minutes of footage.
We got a date and here we are September 4th comes along and
they they managed to go 4 for four.

(04:48):
They naked every online store Xbox dead PlayStation, dead
Nintendo, no surprise dead steamdead.
They killed every online storefront available.
So you knew this game was popular.
You knew this game was was out there with the people and and
last year we are but Ray. Before we before we even get
the. Silks on you want to you want to

(05:10):
go back for us? Back back to Hollow Knight,
which was I can't, I don't even remember.
I forgot what year it came out. 2017. 20. 17 right I you help
him out here that's. When you had his head already.
I haven't written it down, but Ithink.
No, no, but this is you got to fake it, Corker tell 2017,
obviously give it. Do it to you, make it.

(05:32):
Fake it to you, make it. Tell him no, it's 2017, right?
Get your act together. 2017 but I didn't play it probably 2020
to 2021 before I played it because that's the 2017.
I didn't even have a Nintendo Switch in 20 in 2017.
I didn't get a Switch until 2019.
Hollow Knight's gotta be one of the last games I bought on the
Switch. That's not a Nintendo game that

(05:53):
I that I played through that I played third.
I think it's I have like 30 something hours in the game,
which is a lot for me in like a Metroidvania style game to play
through and I played that was with all the DLCS Mr. AG
judgmentally. I know, I know.
I'm like the. Anti Out of the corner of my eye
I saw a judgmental shake. I said no, it's not info cynic
making the judgmental shake. It's it's.

(06:15):
Mr. AG doing the I played all the DLCS too, besides the God
Home one. I've done a little bit of that
one now, but I played all the other DLCS and meet the bosses
and whatnot. It's just I don't explore as
much as everyone else. That's that's really where my
time comes in. But that game is just was I
remember playing it and it was super simple and I I can't
remember if I had played Elden Ring.

(06:35):
No, I played Elden Ring after, but so this might have been my
first kind of souls like game I've ever played where it was
shows. Hey, you don't you really can't
do a whole lot. You just have you just hit and
then you run away and then and then you you hit them one time
again and and then you run away some more and then you hit them
again and eventually you win or you die a lot in between
somewhere there. So that was that was kind of

(06:56):
like my whole first thought withit.
I mean, I love it, I love the game, I love the music.
I, I get into the lore cause a lot of it's written out.
And so if you, if you have to find stuff and write lore, I, I,
I'm the person that sits down and reads like I'll, I'll sit
and read and read all the signs and, and, and learn the story of
the game and all that stuff too.So that was, I mean, that was
big for me for that. So this silk song, I've been,

(07:18):
I've been sitting on it and waiting on it and reading up on
everything again. I'm all in on it.
Who, who has everyone here played Hollow Knight?
Did everyone play the first one?Yes, Corgamer.
Tell Corgamer, you tell me first.
I'll go with you. Tell me about the first Holo
Night game. First holo night game it.

(07:38):
It was weird. The first time I played it was
like 2020, I want to see three 'cause I was a small little
child in twenty 20/17/2021 and plus it was COVID 2021 and we
didn't really have too many switches.
So first time I played it, this was after I think I beat Dead

(08:01):
Cells for the first time. Amazing game by the way.
But Hollow Knight for me it was very challenging because then I
was, I was small, I was like 8 when I first played it.
I got I got through. I like most of the game good.
Thing is, you were used to deathfrom dead cells at least.

(08:24):
Yes. So I couldn't really, I didn't
really crash out as much. So I just kind of like, go to
this point, don't die on the waythere or else you lose all of
your stuff, which is very fun toget back.
You could spend 10 minutes traveling back to where it was.
'Cause your last bench was 5 miles away.

(08:46):
That's right. Did you did you finish Hollow
Night at that time or did it take some?
Time I finished it I think earlier this year though.
So you you took a break and cameback.
Yes, that's also what I did for Dead Cells the first two times
the beat. So because I was like I said, I
was a small little boy, I couldn't move my fingers as

(09:07):
fast. I understand whole point of me
coming back. Rusty, what was it like for you
playing this? Game.
I'm an old man and can't move myfingers that fast.
It's a it's a bell curve Corker bear.
It goes up and then it's going to start coming back down before
you know it. So I think I started it probably
around the same time as you guys.
Got to the first boss, couldn't figure it out and said forget

(09:29):
this game and just abandoned it.And then I got caught up in the
hype for Ori and played the Ori games.
And for some reason that clickedwith the whole Metroidvania
thing and the getting used to dying and still progressing.
And when I beat those, I said, you know what, why not let me
try Hall Night again. Did a little bit of online stuff

(09:51):
too to get some ideas. And it clicked better and I was
actually able to make my way through and complete the main
story, the DLC, not so much the whole God home thing.
I when I discovered that that was mind blowing and kicked my
face. So like that didn't didn't do
that. But no, it's I really enjoyed it

(10:11):
and the music is amazing. I was actually listening to the
soundtrack today, you know, driving around and just, they
just, I had to play a different game to kind of get me into the
mindset for this. Let me go.
I'll go to, to Jay and, and, andthen info goes, because these
are like our Metrovania players,players that are, are 100
percenters and all that stuff. So, so Jay, you, you tell me

(10:32):
first. You tell me about Hollow Knight.
Oh, dude. So I actually, I didn't even
realize the game existed. I was on Spotify listening to
video game soundtracks. Castor Garden, your new album's
amazing. Just throwing that out there.
But no, I so I was listening to Christopher Larkin's soundtrack
to Hollow Knight and that's whatgot me into the game.

(10:52):
I was like, holy crap, this is awesome.
And so I had to start playing it.
Is it? I have to harken back because
isn't that how you guys wanderedinto Undertale also?
Yes, this is just. Like the AG family?
Just wanders in via soundtrack to video.
Games, this is interesting. I I, you know, I'm a musician at
heart, so I, I love a good soundtrack and OST gets my heart

(11:16):
going and will grab me into a game or he's another one of
those so but yeah, no, that's what I first found.
I had played Dark Souls previously so this was right up
my alley and I was like, Oh yeah, 2D platformer slash, you
know, Metroidvania with a great soundtrack?
Count me in, I will play this till I die.
And the holiday will only take about 5 seconds.

(11:39):
That's right. Which which yeah, that that was
largely my experience. So I play lots of Metroidvanias,
especially the actual, you know,Metroid and Mania parts of those
and or wait. There's still Castlevania games?
What do you mean? There are there's.

(12:00):
They're called the Advanced Indominus Collections.
Oh yeah, OK, yeah, the 20 year old games.
Got it. Got it.
Sorry. Yeah, yeah, it's fine.
I played Holiday when it was like super high, like right,
right shortly out, like not launch, but like that launch
window where like it had kind ofthe suddenly built up this
momentum of like, holy crap, everybody's talking about this.

(12:23):
I should check this out. And it was like 10 bucks in the
E shop or something. It was like, sure, why not, you
know? And I did beat the game after
much wailing and gnashing of teeth because I don't play souls
like games and I do not play games that are nearly this
difficult. And yeah, Watcher Nights can

(12:43):
just just just go away somewhere, can I?
Interject there for a second. Didn't you be Orry with one life
though? So I've been told.
Did you say that plural? Did you say Ori beat Ori's with
1? He he did beat both of them.
Yes, both. Of them, Both of them.

(13:04):
Geez. That's hardcore.
That's a lot of very careful like you know, that's not single
segment in one life. That is, you know, say save and
go, you know, practice the segment until you can get it and
then go do the segment Florida State and save again.
I guess so, but that's still impressive.
It's very good. Saturn.
How are you? What?
What? How was Hollow Knight a new
style of game for you? Or was this something that you

(13:26):
had played before? Hollow Knight actually,
unfortunately I I didn't play the same time like you guys did
when it first came out or a few years after for Hollow Knight.
I actually started playing it this year.
Surprisingly it has been a game on my play.
You know, I must play list, but I just never got a chance to,

(13:49):
you know, give it a shot. But before, since I came out, I
actually play maybe about maybe 1/4 way through it.
I enjoy it, but I played other games similar to that style.
You know, I'm, I'm very familiarwith the old Metrovania game and
souls like style 'cause I am a Dark Souls fan.
I, I love Dark Souls. I'll play that anytime any day.

(14:15):
But you know, I actually like it.
I, I might give it another chance after I'm done with
Silksando and see what, you know, experience what you guys
experience or I'm actually looking forward to that.
Well, I'll say two things beforeDan jumps us into obviously the
game we're talking about here is1 is holiday really puts two

(14:36):
groups of people together, right, Because it puts the
Metrovania people together. And but, and that can be, you
know, it's kind of smooth combator, you know, exploring,
collecting stuff, 100% find the math.
And then it puts souls games people together, right.
And that they're not necessarilythe same group of people that
play those games because there'sdifferent, I guess, goals for

(14:58):
them. Like souls, like, you know, your
goal is I'm going to have a pretty basic set of stuff and
moves and I'm just and I'm learning patterns, right?
I'm, I'm playing a game for patterns as opposed, I'm playing
a game to explore. And and so Hall and I, I feel
like has really put two different groups of people
together and so everyone has hashad to learn a little bit of

(15:18):
each other style of game to to do that hollow.
Knight also does the dark soul. The thing I take from Dark Souls
more than anything with hollow Knight is the show don't tell
aspect of it that like they you know, we're going to comp Ori a
lot only because like it's a very it's a very pro.
It's a very pro Ori group and they're they're perfect games,

(15:40):
so fine, so be it. But Ori, you know, you get you
get kind of the open sections ofthe game or especially the
second one where you can kind ofgo wherever you want to and and
progress with the story. But like otherwise you're
getting mission point to missionpoint to mission point with a
little bit of the Venia to give you some extra exploration.
Hollow Knights just like, hey, figure it out.
Good luck. And I, you know, dark Soul, but

(16:03):
it's also the same thing as DarkSouls were like at at no point
do you get a a a not deity 6 mocking it, whatever the term is
for you don't get exposition dump and hollow night the same
way, right? You you find artifacts and
things like that, that the odds and ends that the way you do in
a souls like game, that in a, ina, in a specifically Dark Souls

(16:24):
game where it's like, OK, you got to piece things together by
the clues that are being left around.
I think that's the other pieces that really lends itself out and
you're going to miss. Storylines, but you have you
have to go out of your way to actually find all the
storylines. Last, I'll ask one last question
here real quick for this one. Is there any game?
Because I've played this one andI've done like I like 3 or 4 the

(16:47):
majority of the of the endings that people know for this game.
I I don't know how many games were.
I feel like every ending is sad,like like I there's no, like
there's there's no good feeling to the end of this story.
No matter which version get right.
Sometimes you get like a like the early version, you're like,

(17:08):
OK, I get it. You didn't do the full thing.
And it's like it's not the best of ways, but even the most full
one doesn't feel that happy. If if if if feel maybe it comes
more full circle. I feel like this game, it's just
very sad. The game was just sad the whole
time. Jay doesn't agree with me.
Jay wants to say my only. Question is what true ending are
you talking about? Because there's two different
ones if you completed God Home versus if you just completed

(17:30):
normal Radiance. Well, I was.
OK, so I would go with normal radiance as as the most main
line ending. So it's.
It's with God. Homecoming out later.
Obviously if you buy the game now, you get them all.
Are we? Are we drawing?
Late Resident Evil comps for like Resident Evil 7 now she's
like there's no good happy ending Is that worse?
I I. Don't I don't I mean, I guess
some endings are a little betterfor the world that the game is

(17:54):
in. That's what I.
Would say is like, you know whenyou beat Radiance, OK, the the
light doesn't keep spreading andinfection, right.
So OK, that's a positive and my mind was a positive.
That's that's like, that's the most positive we can get.
I I mean, yeah, you did this true.
You accomplished the the mission.

(18:16):
You killed. The infection right the.
Spirit did what it was supposed to do.
It was willed to existence to dothat's.
What you were made for, you accomplished what you were made
for. In my mind, that's a happy
ending, right? While while most of our
recordings in our podcast, we avoid trying to lock things down
to dates, besides talking about future games, hey, Silk Song's
not going to be one of them anymore, Ray.

(18:37):
We're done with Silk Song being a future game.
We might be done. With Metro, with Metroid Prime 4
soon maybe suppose, but we we will be by next week Dan, you
feel you feel good this this this upcoming week we're going
to get out next Tuesday the. Give me the 16th put put me down
for the 16th. Yeah, but but.

(18:57):
But here we are, you know, I'm going to specifically narrow
down our recording date here andsee we're on we recorded
September 7th. We're giving this three days
after release. And, and just kind of I'm going
to open up to the field and see who jumps in and say like, you
know what, what sticks out so far with this game?
What are you, what are your initial impressions?
What are your initial thoughts? Colour.
The amount of colour in the gamelike that to me jumped out right

(19:20):
away, like the fur, like I was just thinking about like there
are unique colour areas in Holloman, but this just right
off the bat is just colourful. For me, that stands out.
Simple. But it it's a big difference,
not unfair. So far for me, the soundtrack,
you know, in different area, different maps, the soundtrack

(19:41):
is just just beautiful. I couldn't, I, I, I kid you not,
I'll, I'll probably just stay there.
Just listen to it and just let it play for a while.
I I'm on The Voice acting. Because there's some.
It's for me the most stark difference from the first game
where obviously, you know, it was an indie game and it's which

(20:02):
is gonna put the game and we'll have some characters like do
little grumblings and whatnot, like like like Zote will will
ramble on forever or the map. You know, you hear the map maker
doing stuff. But this game, even in the
interactions of. What's, Oh my gosh, the main
character whose name is I've lost it now.

(20:22):
Hornet. Hornet, thank you.
Like Hornet has a voice when shetalks to people and they
actually they're speaking to each other and she speaks when
she's fighting and, and you know, the the characters there
singing and, you know, thank goodness for the singing.
And that's the open the gate forus.
Otherwise we'd never continue onwith the game if she didn't
believe and sing that song. So I find it funny there's an

(20:45):
option to turn off this the voices in the settings I went I
I check all the settings, right?I always check the settings I I
was suited for people who say I want the original style of game
where there isn't so much, but II to me it's just it adds it
adds so much to the game. So the voices I've.
Changed it, Cory. We had a look on your face.
What was your what were your thoughts?

(21:07):
Opening this my thoughts. My thoughts on Silk Song is just
it is the platforming for me is kind of difficult with like the
little the little like things that you have to like down
attack off of them. It's I've lost so, so many

(21:29):
beads, so many so much stuff to the to spikes in this in this
one area. It's like hunters something or
other hunters March. There's so many spikes there.
Do you do you feel I have been cracking up because I I find
myself frustrated Ray and I haveto look at a lot of the gaming

(21:51):
news cycle. Just trying to keep an eye on
Channel 3 stuff and like what's what's trending everywhere.
I've been losing my. Mind tell me because I'm sure I
I'm sure I I lost my mind on it.Too hollow.
Night hard, hollow night, Silk song hard.
Headlines galore all over the place like it's some sort of
breaking news. Hard.
How dare they not give people copies early to review it.

(22:14):
Oh, that they can. How?
It it served no best. How, how dare, how dare the
character, how, how dare the game be challenging?
Oh, I I love. I got to tell you a lot of those
stories. One of the PR.
Firms I've I've been working with they they had to send a
note out to everybody. Stop asking for hollow night.
Like we don't work with them. They're not.
They also didn't send them out to anybody, but like they're

(22:34):
like multiple PR firms are like stop asking.
We don't have it. But I was, I only, I only
brought this up like just to say, stop writing those
articles, people. It's hollow night.
This is, it's the deal you're getting.
But I want to ask you, Korgomer specifically because I, I'm very
curious and, and for the field here as well.
You know, you mentioned kind of going through the 1st hollow

(22:56):
night, you kind of had to walk away.
Do you feel, how are you processing it?
Do you feel frustrated? Or do you like kind of come into
this one saying like, I know this is what I bought into.
This is what I'm here for me. This Silk song, for me, it's, I
don't think I'm going to do the same thing that I do with Hollow
Knight as I'm going to do with Silk song because many

(23:16):
challenging games I played when I was like 8 or 7, I want to
say. And when I'm coming back to
them, like earlier last year, I beat Dead Cells twice.
So many, many challenging games have gotten better and easier,

(23:40):
mostly because I have a better like gain sense now, now that
I've been gaining you're. You're processing it
differently. Like, you know, this is part of
the. Oh yeah.
And I, I'm more, I'm more rational now.
So with with like with Hollow Knight, my big issue was there's

(24:04):
so much stuff going on. That's like a big thing for me
with like Silk Song and Hollow Night and everything like that.
When there's challenging game and there's a ton of stuff going
on because I one big boss I can take care of easily.
Tons of little guys. I can't.

(24:26):
I can't really do that because and they overwhelm.
You quickly. Because there's this one like
wave area where you have to takethese like four different ways.
And so many of the guys in that in those waves use projectiles.
And when I'm over here trying toheal and it takes like 2 seconds

(24:47):
to heal, I don't I don't know ifI'm going to get sniped across
the entire arena by this little guy throwing a javelin at me.
Like how am I supposed to know this more of the?
Enemies seem to be more aggressive at coming at you now.
Instead of just kind of. Bumbling around, these guys all
seem to beeline towards you. What?

(25:11):
Are what are other? What are their opening thoughts
here? For me, it was a little slow
until you get a certain ability.I won't do any spoilers here,
but there's a certain ability you get that opens up the game.
And I was like, Oh yeah, no, this is what I was expecting
this game to be. Yeah, I don't want to say
anything too much, but it just, it UPS the speed.

(25:33):
It UPS everything that I'm like,yes, so be patient.
Be patient through the. Opening at least for.
The first like hour, hour and a half, if you can make it through
that, the whole game opens up, at least in my mind.
Agreed. Oh.
I agree 100% on that. It took me a while to really get
into the momentum of the game. I mean, it was slow and I

(25:57):
probably was getting kind of kind of irritated, you know, in
the beginning, just like I know they got to be some type of
upgrade. There's they have to be some
kind of progression here. I can't get any further.
But once you you unlock those, those other new maps and those
abilities, then you're like, OK,this is a ball changer here, I
can do this. Here we go.

(26:19):
Rusty kind of nailed it the gamewith the with the enemies being
more aggressive, especially likea lot of these little ones are
just kind of 1 and they all diveat you.
They do this weird like jump at you every single time.
But also it seems they've made this real clear effort to give
you a bunch of horde bosses instead of just like it's not
just one big one every single time.
You're getting a lot of these little sections where you're

(26:41):
getting a couple mini waves and,and just having two enemies on
the screen has has changed the fights completely.
It's as opposed to 1 because just like, because you know, you
touch them and you get hurt. So they're having two on the
screen. All of a sudden there's less you
have a lot less room to move around.
Hey, I got AI, got a quick dumb question.

(27:01):
I just want to go around the horn here.
Ray, are you doing Game Pass on the PC for this?
Yeah. Mm hmm.
Yeah, I'm on Game Pass Court corn.
What are? You playing this on?
I'm playing. This on switch.
Switch to, switch to Mr. AG Switch to, switch to.
Rusty. Switch.
To Saturn what are? You doing on the game?
Pass Xbox like one of the. Xboxes of the like the one of

(27:23):
the Xboxes yeah, the Xbox SeriesXII know info is kind of
shifting between some stuff. I don't know if he's still with
us or not, but guessing OK, we may have we may have lost
everything. But so because I'm doing switch
too, because the one thing is I I I had to call it early is just
like they really fine tune the controls.
Like. It feels super responsive and I

(27:46):
I didn't play. I did download the switch one
version and the switch 2 version.
I have not tinkered with the switch one version just to see
like how much different it is. I I don't, but like I just have
to see overall like they it feels really responsive.
It feels really, really fine-tuned, which also means I'm
going to suck more because it's on it's on me.

(28:10):
Well, you know I. Feel like this is kind of a like
a lore thing because in hollow Knight, you're you're this
knight that's kind of basically been manifested for the very
like you've been like you've been forced into existence for
the sake of like doing this because like as a desperate last
attempt, because every other one's attempt has failed.

(28:32):
Like this is the best. We have left this little dude
and then but and horn. But Hornet is like a clearly
like trained warrior and and I feel like, and the games did
that really well. Like she's she's obviously
athletic. Were you playing with her?
And so you know that her her down air is that weird diagonal,
which is awful to bounce with. Like Korger said, those like

(28:57):
aiming is weird, but it's because she's athletic and and
you know, once she dashes, she gets the dash attack and kind of
flips. Everything she does has a little
bounce or a flip to it. So you all right?
So, yeah. So she's like, she's athletic
and, and it's like, Oh yes, she should be like she should be
better at everything than the Knight was because she's, this

(29:19):
is what she's like made to do and she's to practice doing it.
And just moves more elegantly, like just like it both like Dan
said with this, the actual controls and a three with like
the lore, she's just more elegant.
I, I and I want to expand on what Dan said there.
Like it for the older people in the crowd, Doom, where it is

(29:41):
just smooth. The whole freaking thing about
it was smooth, right? Fast, quick RIP and tear, right?
But like fast. This whole game is smooth and
fast and I love that they reallyfocused on the controls and I've
been really enjoying that I think.
Carrie cares about Castlevania, Dan, even if you don't care
about Castlevania. With her with.

(30:02):
Her little back dash frame thing.
They don't have an. Extensive history but they they
they spent every ounce of the last six years making sure this
thing's coming out and and you know what steam whiny baby shut
up I don't I don't want to hear it I don't want to hear it but
because I yes I get they've got their issues over there whatever
that's going to happen PC masterrace you get what you get OK

(30:24):
when I you want to flaunt it this is fine but all all kidding
aside like I I'm shouting them out when I say that like they
really you could tell me whatever lore whatever that is
lore absolutely makes perfect sense with the lore of it but
like I I feel like everything about this has improved upon
where they were eight years ago yes I the.

(30:46):
Game is. Is.
Better in like all the technicalsenses like the the the gameplay
is better than the first one. The, the one thing I like about
it, like you guys talking about,you know, the controllers and
stuff like this game actually tests your, your ability of how

(31:07):
to handle your controllers like what's going to work for you
with these maneuvers that you'rein each level.
I kid you not. I'm to a point that my thumb is
probably like blistering right now because it's just like I
can't, I can't move, it's hurting, it's been, it's been a
struggle, but it's, it's a, it'sa great game.

(31:29):
There are times it's very unforgiving, but.
It it's it's what I enjoy. The most about it, it's just the
challenge that that it gives youin every single section.
You're just like, all right, trial and error.
This didn't work for me. I'm going to try again.
I'm going to try a different way.
And you know, and those bosses that you guys were talking about
earlier, especially those ways when they just come all at once.

(31:51):
I mean, it tests just it tests your your your skill abilities
of how to defeat these bosses ofthese waves like just want to
know how how are you going to doit?
How are you going to beat them? And and they do come at you
aggressive. I I feel like at times they're
just like, this is not CPU. This this has to be a real
person targeting me specificallybecause I can't avoid it.

(32:11):
Like how did you know I was going to climb at that that
particular section? How did you know I was going to
hit that wall? How did you know I was going to
hide? How did you get me?
How is that even possible? You know, you're just like
questioning it. But it's what I enjoy about this
game so far. I will say the boss fights feel
a lot more. You can't just blitz them,

(32:33):
right? You got to you got to read a
little bit more like Shovel Knight.
If you for those who have playedthe that like you actually have
read it a little bit instead of just hammer them.
I feel, I feel attacked. By that commentary, because that
is absolutely, that's absolutelyme.
I'm like, I just, I always try and beef up enough to like I'm
just going to go in here and just wail on this thing.
Like, no, no you're not. There's no way around this.

(32:56):
You just got to use skill I. Can get the finger, I can get
the. Finger wag from Corgamer.
I was, yeah, I'm very, I'm very thankful for the for the extra
weapons that she gets in this game.
I've I've, I've used them for some of those, especially for

(33:17):
the waves after losing once or twice, like, oh, hang on a
second. I got like I get like 12 shots
out of this. Like I'm going to, I got to use
them and get as many hits as I can out of this because these
these enemies just keep getting in my face and I can't do
anything about it. Well, it's not infinite either,
right? You can't just rest at the
bench. You got to spend some stuff to

(33:38):
get them back and that's a little scary.
You have to be strategic when itcomes to that for sure.
I have to learn the hard way. Oh my, up Dan, this is the.
Point where Ray looks at his notes that Corgar was going to
point out he should have been paying attention to I.

(34:01):
I thought we were OK. I thought we talked about that,
right? I.
I didn't know if there's anything else.
We can, we can, we can move along.
I thought we hit it. That's why I in my head, we were
doing this already. All right, so we're so.
I'm good. So I'm just going to ask.
Let me. Ask and make sure.
Maybe I'm wrong I thought. All of this is.
Staying in this, I thought. I was on all.

(34:22):
Stage in the people. Who listen to the show?
Nowhere, nowhere looking at a page or certainness.
I thought we had moved on already.
I was supposed to ask what everyone's favorite feature was.
I thought we had gone over this right.
My favorite feature. Let's see, what is my favorite
feature? I honestly, I really I I like

(34:43):
the I like the voice work like II like hearing the characters
talking in their fake language much.
Much cooler. I think it gives I I absolutely
agree, really stuffy. About it, I appreciate it, it
really. Grows the environment more than
just like the there's the visualpiece of it, but the like,
that's where the whole thing feels like.

(35:03):
Not just the controls, but everything feels so much bigger
and finely tuned because the voice work, the animations, the
colors, the controls, it all comes together for the voice
work has to be shouted out again.
All right, Dan, what is your favorite feature?
No, I'm. I'm.
Just I'm jumping on your response and I'm agreeing with
you. All right, Jay, how about you?
What's? Your favorite feature so far in
this game? So as much.
As I want to like agree with both of you especially you know

(35:25):
Zelda fan the main character never talks right.
I I do love that Hornet actuallyhas her own voice.
Appreciate the crap out of that but, and I don't know how much I
can spoil here, but geez that that like I think it's the
second ability you get that justopens up the whole game and
makes it faster paced. It is just I loved it.

(35:48):
It was so expansive to the game.So I don't know if I can say
that or not. Not point the group, but it's
not. Too far it's.
Not you get the Sprint. You're not you're.
Not you're in Sprint. Gosh.
It is it is so much better than most sprints in most games.
It just it, it lets you everything.

(36:10):
I I don't know in the game. It just makes everything faster
paced and opens up the whole thing and you you just.
Have to hold a button? That's really nice.
You just hold the button. You're not.
You don't actually be pushing forward on your control stick
the whole time you jump. Farther you jump, quicker you
can dab the air with it like it is just it it.
It blew my mind. Sorry.
I loved it. So actually getting.

(36:31):
That level of mobility so early in a game like this is is not
the norm and it feels like you're going to have a lot more
time to appreciate and move around the game.
Totally agree. Rusty, what's been your favorite
feature so far? I mean I.
It's funny, like I was playing it and it was like it just feels
like more of hollow night and just and that's a great thing,

(36:51):
like just more of everything's. I mean, the dash is cool.
Like I just haven't I've just got it.
So like I haven't had a chance to really, you know, go through
the paces. I do.
I do like how powerful that needle throw is.
Like when you get that, that I right now has been like a
lifesaver. I really appreciate that.
But I mean, I will say that the color is the color palette has

(37:13):
just been so much. I mean so much of hollow and I
was drab and dark. I mean it fit the tone, but it
like it this, the sadness and the the the tone, but just the
color. It's just been real.
I I enjoy that. There's been a lot to that.
Saturn. What's been your favorite
feature? So far I'm not.

(37:35):
I I. Would this is more like AI don't
want to spoil it, but I'm I'm I'm kind of like at a point
where you're you're getting upgrades where her fighting
style changes. And for me it's her her
expressions when it comes to those fighting styles when she's
fighting against the enemies, the way it expresses like you

(37:56):
can feel like her style of fighting.
I don't know if I'm explaining it right.
I don't know. Is there some kind of connection
that I have with her? You know, but yeah, that that's
that's my favorite part of the game.
It's just you could see the personality of this character.
You could tell, you know, that she's a warrior and, you know,

(38:18):
she's learning and growing in each level, in each platform
that she she encounters. And the way she expresses is
when she's fighting those, the enemy, it's just like, wow,
she's going through. She's going through it.
Corgamer, how about you? What's been the favorite feature
so far? My.
Favorite feature? I'm it's it's definitely the

(38:41):
dash. So far it's the dash, Dash,
Sprint, whatever you call it. But.
That I was at, I was at a point I was stuck for like so long.
So I, this is what I always do in any Metroid video I play.

(39:04):
I go around and I look for secret little alcoves and stuff.
And as soon as I go down, I say I haven't been down here yet.
And then I then I go to this completely new area.
I don't think I'm supposed to bedown there yet.
So I backtrack. Then I finally, finally find it

(39:28):
and I'm like, hey, what's what'sthis little statue thing?
Oh, interact. What does that do?
Hi, you have a Sprint now. I go back, I fight the boss with
the Sprint. Guess what happened to third
try? And life got a lot easier.
I beat the. Boss, that's right.
That's. That's good.
You knew not to just like give up because that that's the

(39:49):
thing. Like if if if you don't come
into this game with a right attitude, be like, I must have
missed something. I I need to go back.
I need to look for something else.
Like, yeah, that's where these games lose, I think.
Cor Corbett kind of hit it. There was a couple times where I
thought. I feel like I wasn't supposed to
be here yet and now, and now I've made it harder on myself

(40:10):
and I ended up going, I'm going the opposite direction that the
arrow signs are telling me to goin because the game thought I
was going to come from the otherdirection and I was suffering
trying to find a bench to sit on.
I was like, I definitely was notsupposed to be here yet.
I feel like in every section, every new section, I'm like, oh,

(40:31):
should I be here yet? Should I be here yet?
Oh, oh, oh. Exactly how it goes every single
time. New area?
Where's the nearest bench? Yes.
Where's the? Bench, I'm in.
Danger. Yes.
All right, well, I'm going to ask, I'm going to ask the the
other side the tougher question.What?

(40:51):
I always like going negative, but you know, we're we're giving
opening thoughts here and just going to ask, you know, what
isn't working for you? What's kind of grading you the
wrong way so far? What's what's a miss Corgamer
brought the finger wag out rightaway.
You got something ready to go? The I said this before, I've
already nagged about it like 2-3times already.

(41:13):
The platforming without OK, without the dash, it's it's good
because in the prior areas it thinks you shouldn't have the
dash. So it's pretty easy little
jumps. Except with the dash it expects
you to do so much with it, you have to.
So many times I've skipped things with the dash because it

(41:35):
doesn't expect me to have it yet.
So I can just run backwards, runforwards, jump over like.
A far. Gap and I just skip like a whole
section and the the little like Berry things that you've to
bounce off of to change the other ones I know.
Exactly what you're talking about, Corey, the red things,

(41:58):
the. Little red things.
Those. Are so Dang hard I I I can't
kill you I I can't tell you how many times I've died to falling
off of those or like getting hitby a flying little bum I just.

(42:20):
Dave, is that what you're going to jump in there with 'cause
you, you. Your your fingers shot.
Up. And then they hit the red
things, yeah. The red things and then that
other little part they put Spikes under.
It's like, no, no, we're not going to make this just hard for
you, but here's Spikes too. Like, yeah.
Here's Here's a risk as well. If you missed this, you can die
so it. It feels like they put some

(42:41):
spite, some spite UMS into this one, is what you're saying?
Yes. Oh yeah, just this.
Just this dash of spite. Well, Korma.
Hit it because they said it Theyexpects you to chain different
abilities together so that yeah OK you're going to bounce on
these but then after the third bounce which is really tight you
got to do it on the highest jumpwe need you to dash over and

(43:02):
then flip up the legs so you canget to the next one as I.
And this is the way you're goingto do it.
It's not like, oh, you'll kind of do piece by piece.
You have to put these three skills together or you don't
continue this game. And there's no.
Alternate option so you're. Going up This is the only way up
for now. Also, the ledge that you jump
on, it disintegrates in a second, so like and.

(43:26):
There might be a flying enemy inthe right in front of the the
platform and nowhere for you to go.
So yeah, bounce off the enemy ifyou want to maybe, but that,
that's really more of AU problem.
Then you go backwards. Then you fall all the way back
down. Oh my God, I did that.
How long I had the? Bouncing thing better like I

(43:48):
like the the bouncing down. That's my complaint is like that
the angle versus the straight down like that look.
Duck Tales taught me well back on the NES.
Like I don't need to go sidewaysor diagonal now, just let me go
down. The diagonal about this stuff.
I'm a Pogo this thing, yes, but.In the game, you know the charms

(44:11):
like the little perks that you can get, They're actually is one
that turns your down thing into the Hollow Knight little slash
instead of the angled 1. Which makes it. 10 times.
Easier. The the the.
Panel's raining down. Oh, I got to go.
Like this, immediately I have togo buy this thing.

(44:33):
My thing and and the game and the game is not wrong.
It's it's me that has a problem.The game is correct in doing it
is and maybe it upgrades you later.
I have to choose between healingor use or throwing my needle to
attack because I use the same thing and if you throw the
needle once you automatically don't have enough to heal.

(44:54):
Where in Hollow Knight I could get one blast off and still heal
at least one. So by for that reason, I don't
throw the needle ever. I, I basically I, I don't throw
it. I, I will sit there and fight as
long as it takes because I am not giving up my heels.
I lose two things of health. It's time to heal.

(45:16):
I'm not, I'm not living life on the edge and throwing this
needle around. It's just not I'm.
Not doing it. The needle.
'S so beautiful he. Looks great.
Looks great, not it works. It works.
Well. Like the best.
Part about the nail is it pierces and it does more damage
than your regular nail. Listen, that's.
All well and good but I need to heal but I just.

(45:40):
But I just got hit again becauseI was trying to jump in between
2 flying enemies at the same time.
Like I have healing with shield around me healing like I need to
heal there. Have been so many times where I
try to heal except either a an enemy interrupts me or BI
accidentally throw my nail. Got to get the shield.

(46:02):
Got to get the shield to heal around you when you're.
Healing. Saturn, India, OH.
Sorry. Oh yeah, Saturn.
Oh. The voice of God.
Must shine in on us. What's what's not working?
Pretty much. You guys.
You guys nailed it. I mean, every single thing that
you guys mentioned is pretty much what wasn't working for me
at the time, especially in the beginning too, where you're

(46:25):
like, oh man, there have to be some upgrades here.
So this is this is this is getting really tough on me.
But one of the things is that whole, you know what he
mentioned earlier about going Pogo?
If you don't. Have the correct style.
It it it doesn't. Does it hit the same way?

(46:45):
Yeah. Like I'm always struggling that
either if I miss by inch, I fallinto the spikes.
If I don't time it right, I'm falling into the spikes or an
enemy gets me and I'm just like,OK, we go again.
And the amount of times I've died, I mean, I've lost count.
And you know what? There's been times where.
I was. I, I, I ended up in an area I'm

(47:07):
not even supposed to be at. And it took me a while to
actually realize that I was supposed to bounce in those
areas. And I gave up trying to get to
that area. That actually left all my those
beads. I had about 500 of them.
I was like, yo, I'm not. I just left them like, Oh well,
I'm just going to lose the 500. I'm just going to go elsewhere.

(47:28):
Forget I can't go back. And that you know, the bouncing
is like fairly early. You just.
Enter this what like third section maybe as like hey, by
the way, the only way you're getting across is just bouncing
all these things. We're not going to tell you.
It's just you see the. Problem with that is that I

(47:48):
didn't know. I didn't know that I that was
like an early on. I found out later that I was
supposed to explore that sectionand I was supposed to bounce on
those areas. I actually went further to other
areas where I needed skills to progress.
That's so amazing. And so much and.

(48:10):
Luckily I progress in those areas, but then I'm like, I'm
stuck. I don't know what to do.
Like I can't, I can't beat this wave or I can't do this.
I can't do that. And then I go back and I
realized like, oh, I didn't. I needed this.
Ability. I needed this thing and I don't
know how I got far, but hey, I'mglad I came back.
Now it should be easy, but now it isn't.

(48:32):
It doesn't get any easier. It gets it gets a little harder
every single section, even if you go back, you're like, what?
This is too much. Oh man.
All right, early ratings and I feel like everybody here is
going to continue the game, but I ask early rating and are you

(48:52):
continuing on with the game? For me, it's a very simple, like
I said, I think in I think all aspects of the game is just
tactically better. Like, I think it's just a game
just plays better. And so my, my only question will
be, can the story hold up to thefirst game story?

(49:13):
Because I think the I think the first game story is so
excellent. And and so you know, like
you're, you're invested in this story and all the different
pieces and you care about the characters, you know, can this
game story live up to that levelof story?
Any And to me, even if it doesn't like, even if it's not
as good a story like to me, it'sstill, you know, it'll be a top

(49:35):
tier game. I I'm, I'm that's the DLC
question. Right.
Yeah, they expand. This beyond a DLC from a from a
narrative perspective too. I'll and I'll.
I'll say this much as my last comment and I'll and I'll throw
it around is when I'm when I'm rating games it for me.
If I'm playing a game and I put it out and I mean to think I, I
just, I need to pick it up againright away like that, that's

(49:58):
what that's the five star game for me.
Like if I split it down and I said, the next thing I need to
do is pick this one like a band.I don't want to do something
else because I have to play thisagain.
I I just, I need it. That's, that's the five star for
me. And this was immediate.
I was playing, yeah, I played anhour and a half the 1st and I
was like, when am I going to play it the next time again?
Like I have to play this game again.

(50:18):
I mean, I'm like, is this like, is this going to be the, the one
I vote for for game of the year?Like I'm like I'm, I'm invested
in it very early on. That's where I'm at.
Dan, where you at? I the only thing I have a
question of is it's the Breath of the wild, Tears of the
Kingdom. It's the like Spider Man, Spider

(50:40):
Man 2's the same way like everything was improved in
Spider Man 2. Everything was improved in Tears
of the Kingdom, but my soft spotis still for the first one and I
don't know that's something I'm curious, like will this
transcend and or he's the same way for me?
You and I had differ on that. We're not gonna go down that
Ave. And you're all wrong and.

(51:02):
Listen, that's not what we're here for now, but how about I
stick with it? I'll stick with my Spiderman and
my spider man 2/1. My.
Spider Man 2 comparison, my Zelda comparison and you're all
wrong. On that one too.
Like, oh, keep going again. Iterated and improved.
But that's not where the salt, that's not where like my
favorite memories are. That's what the nostalgia is.
Too. I'm gonna remember Breath of the

(51:23):
Wild much longer than I'll remember Tears to the Kingdom,
so that. That's my only question is just
trying to remember which one's gonna which one's gonna and I
think tears are. The kingdom's a better game to
me. It's not even close.
And I'll remember, brethren Waldmore, I'll remember.
That's my that's. My exact point, yes, I, you
know, Spider Man 2, everything'sbetter with it.
The characters are better, the acting's better and and they

(51:44):
were all great to begin with. Spider Man's one's still the one
I spent more time with and Spider Man 1's still the one
that like sticks and, and Jay's going to he's he's ready to
throw hands. I've got like. 6 questions but I
I spent. More time with Miles Morales.
I'm going to say that I actually, I think I like Miles
Morales more than the first fighter I gave, which I know is
a wild save by that all right before.
Before Korgomer lose, yeah. Korgomer's.

(52:05):
Going to lose his mind now, but Jay's going to lose his mind
first. Please, whatever personal attack
you have, I'll field them now that.
Would be good. Go, Jay.
Jay let. Jay let it out.
Let it out, all of me. Yeah, let.
It out right now. I'll keep it quick Gorgomer so
you can get it. My only question to all y'all is
do you think this game is set before or after?

(52:29):
I don't. Know, I don't know.
I'm really thinking. I'm really wondering.
I've been wondering this the whole time.
I don't know Corgamer. 'S kind of vindicated.
Look in the space, yeah? Let's do it.
Let's hear Corgamer. Corgamer knows.
Don't tell us, don't tell. Us I.

(52:49):
Won't tell what time it takes place but I'm just going to
share like my rating of it. So question like out of 10 or
just like we do 5? Stars here Korger and you don't
get hams either. You don't get.
We don't do hams. You either go 4, you go 5, you
go three, you do whatever. No hams.
He's here. For me it is a four-star.

(53:12):
It is so far great storyline, great animation, great all of
that. It took sure it took like what
5-7 years to make. Still so amazing game, amazing
storyline so far and amazing soundtrack.

(53:32):
I, I call myself listening to some of the soundtrack already
while just like playing other games because I have this thing
that I do where I play a game, except I listen to the
soundtrack of a different game. So my body goes, oh, you're
playing this game, so you're going to do this.

(53:53):
And so many games like Pizza Tower I can find myself
listening to all the time. But.
Overall amazing game. Shout out again, I I think Jay
brought up Christopher Larkin earlier and I only bring up
Chris Castor Garden brought up with the band camp Friday this

(54:14):
past week. Like he he's got the soundtrack
on his band camp. Which have you the means send
send the money directly to Mr. Larkin via bandcam.
Don't you know the other stuff? If if you haven't, so be it.
But the guy has the guy has put in top tier work again.
Again, just just shout out for cast regarding calling it out.

(54:36):
That's the that's the most artist friendly venue for taking
care of these. Things Saturn Where?
Where's the rating? Where you at?
It's, I'm going to go with four out of five.
I, I, I wanted to say 5 now justbecause where I'm at in the
progression of the game and how far I've gotten and how much

(54:58):
I've enjoyed it. But if I have to go from the
beginning to now, it will probably 4 out of five.
It's just. You like you said?
Earlier you, you pretty much hitthe nail on the coffin where
when it comes to games for me, Ihave to be able to pick it up
again. You know, if I could pick up
this game again the next day or two or three days later and keep

(55:22):
playing it, even if I beat it and play it again, you know that
that's where I want to give it afive stars.
And if I could connect with the story or if I see the the
emotion or the storyline that comes with it, if I could
connect to it, great. You know, not a lot of games can
get me there. I'm always picking and choosing
which one I'm going to play. I I have a very short attention

(55:45):
span when it comes to games. If you notice my post, sometimes
I'll have one game and I'm like,oh, I'm playing this game and
the next thing I'm playing something else.
I'm like, yeah, I did. It didn't catch my attention.
I got to, I got to try somethingelse, you know.
But yeah, 4 out of five, that's what I will give it.
I enjoy so far. Rusty round round it out for us.
Where? Where are you at four out of

(56:06):
five? I think the story, I actually
think the story here is better than Hollow Knight because it,
it's grabbed me more from the beginning.
I'm more curious as to why she'sin the predicament she's in and
all these things like that, likethat and Hollow Knight, like I
didn't know there was really much of a story for the longest
time, the way that game unfolded, at least to me.

(56:27):
So like this already feels more,and maybe it's because I know of
Hollow Knight that I know there's more to it.
So it's already helped me, but Ithink the story here is better.
And using what you said right about wanting to come back to
it, I think game of the year goes to Bonanza because like
that, that feeling that you saidwhat's up is how I felt about

(56:48):
Bonanza versus this. Like this is not a bad game by
any means, but I would say 4 outof five and there we go.
It'd be 5. Stars, they had more bananas.
Yes, it's got to have more bananas.
That's what I need. The little ants that are walking
across the floor I want I need one of them carrying a banana
while they're walking across. You got voice work in here, Just

(57:08):
have one of them say oh banana in Silkies there's.
First of all, the bonanza voice work top that's that's some top
line voice work in that game too.
Don't do it we. We can't do this now.
We cannot do this now. You don't want to jump.
In we've. Correspondent, we have already
kept up. Are we having game of the?
When's the Game of the Year podcast, Dan?

(57:29):
Predictions of what games will be nominated I.
I. I'm not no, because I I don't
want to do that. We can do our own because I
don't do the political Jeff Keely garbage.
Sorry, Jeff, I. Just, you know, I'm not.
Going to. Play a political game I got.
I know exactly which game did weget?
We can. Do our own discussion of things.
I'm not trying to, I don't ever try to predict what the Game
Awards and Keely you're doing over there because I can't

(57:50):
figure out what cash filled envelopes are involved.
So. Is this first of all, if this
game doesn't take Indie game of the year, we're going to have
real, I'm sorry, the five, the 500,000 players just on Steam
for I don't and who knows on every other platform where they,
you know, you got a couple, you got a million or 2 million

(58:10):
people playing it first. It broke all four stores.
All four. Stores broke.
I mean, as annoying as it was not to have pre-orders for this,
it was a very, I don't know whether they intentionally PR
wise, like we're going to break everybody.
But I. I'm curious to see if anybody
tries this again. We're not going to do pre-orders

(58:32):
and we're going to make the newsby breaking everyone.
Get Gabe. Get Gabe out of the scuba gear
back on the yacht and tell him he's got to put an extra server
on. Hi, this is Info Cynic coming to
you after the fact from the booth.
Due to technical difficulties I wasn't able to stay on the rest
with the podcast, but I wanted to get a couple of my thoughts

(58:52):
out for Solid 8 Silk Song. I played it a bit over launch
weekend and I just kind of bounced off of it, no pun
intended. That's not a Pogo joke, but I've
reached the third boss. Kind of.
If you follow a pretty straightforward sequence, you'll
probably know who that is, and Iimmediately got flashbacks to

(59:14):
Hornet one from Holiday. Like this is the kind of skill
check boss that's just going to wreck me.
I gave it a solid 11:50 tries. I had mostly been enjoying
things up to that point, but I was going to clearly not get
past this boss without a massiveamount of effort.
And so I'm done. And that makes me sad because I

(59:38):
was looking forward to this gameand it's obviously a beautiful
piece of art. There's gorgeous music, there's
gorgeous, you know, visuals, thegraphics, there's clearly an
interesting story there. I'd love to find out more about
what's going on in this world. But as it stands, there's
there's just no way for me to really experience this and.

(01:00:01):
I really feel like that's a messon Team Cherry's part.
It's not, you know, to call themout by name, although they are
the developers here, that's they're not exclusively the ones
doing this. This is a trend across all sorts
of video games these days. We are not seeing the
accessibility options that we could be having in games today.

(01:00:21):
It's 2025. You know, all of your damage
numbers, all of your figures, you know the incoming and
outgoing damage, they're all just numbers behind the scenes
you could implement without a lot of work.
You know, and I say this as a developer, I'm not a game
developer, but I am a software developer that you could just
put in, oh, hey, here's a slider.

(01:00:44):
It's going to adjust your difficulty based on making you
take less damage, making you deal more damage.
We saw this last year, 2024, with the fabulous principal
version of the Lost Crown for just that sort of thing.
Your incoming damage, outgoing damage, enemy health to, you

(01:01:05):
know, did you need an extended Perry window?
All those sorts of things. Just make the game customizable
to the option that users can make an enjoyable experience for
themselves. You're a creator, you're making
this gorgeous piece and you knowthis detailed work of art that
you've spent seven years and you're going to limit the

(01:01:28):
potential audience by saying no,you can only experience our art
if you are this amazing, you know, level of twitch like
reflexes. I just don't see what the value.
Is what do you get out? Of gatekeeping it that way.
I'm not saying they should be a flat out nerf difficulty across

(01:01:50):
the board. By no means.
I'm just saying they should giveus options.
Why can't we have options? It's 2025, give me some
difficulty sliders. That's all I have to say.
Thank you. All right.
Well, with that, we've made it to the end of a very special.
World Year 3 Thank you to the panel, to Rusty, to Korgmar, to

(01:02:10):
Jay, to Infos Dan and to Saturn.You can find a pack of some you
can find a pack as ACT dot GG slash podcast dropping every
Wednesday morning at 3:33 AM Eastern on all the blazer
platforms, including Spotify, YouTube Music and Apple podcast.
I'm Ray Dan puts this all together.
Our theme song is by cast regarded.
And I did all this without the notes on my screen as usual for

(01:02:33):
our executive producer Joel Willis.
Have a good day, everyone. And Dan's got a comment he's
gonna ruin my ending. No, you, I, I just had to shout
out like I want, I want the. World to know that like normally
Ray has this in front of him andhe just he nailed this off the
top of the Dome and that's not getting getting through that Ray
Ray likes to be prepared for that great job Ray.
Thank you, Ray. Are you drinking milk?

(01:02:57):
Special special lemonade. Because they're.
Still recording too, so that's going to be on the.
Podcast. Now that's a great that's a this
is a great post credit. Stinger I've been wondering that
for like the. Entire It looks like apple
juice. Looks like apple.
OK. So Artisan Lemonade's custom

(01:03:17):
food there so. One of the.
One of the kids that I tutor, his mom has a, it's a, it's a
desserts and lemonade kind of business.
It's like a like a 2 like, I don't know, there's two parts in
one thing, but she does these lemonades and so she sends them
to me all the time. This is a new one that she had
done so and she she didn't care for it, but I said it reminded

(01:03:40):
it reminded me of like sunny of like sunny D So I've been
enjoying it. It's blood orange and like
passion fruits or something likethat.
It, it, it, it tastes like sunnylight.
That's what it that's what it tastes like.
I've been enjoying this 10. They're great and she and she

(01:04:00):
makes some of these jugs like these jugs that she doesn't.
Man, I had this one, the one I like.
One of my favorite one that she does is a lavender lemonade,
which I would have never known if you wouldn't have soap in
your lemonade. There you go.
It's delicious. No, it's a different flavor.
It's a different flavor. It's good.
Stuff. So she does say when you said
it. When you said it's a very
special episode, all I could. Think of Is 90s sitcoms very

(01:04:24):
special for you dad? Yes.
All right, all right, well, good.
Run everybody. This will be this will be a
quick clean up and I'll be extracting more gifts from it
than I will. And so I'll probably I want, I
want. Are you drinking milk?

(01:04:46):
I don't know how that's. Going to work, but maybe I have
to make it. Happen you have to.
Splice like 2 of. Them or something.
All right, all right, you. Korgomer Go.
Get get to bed. Must get yell at me.
Your manager's upset. Goodbye.
See you guys. Channel 3 is the future.