Before there was Fallout, there was Wasteland. And after there was Fallout, there was Wasteland. In this combat heavy tactical RPG, we see many of the seeds that blossomed into the flowers of Fallout, while still having a distinct flavor all their own. This game is goofy, cynical, and generally wants you to have a bad time while you laugh.
Upcoming WOFF GamesDecember:Wasteland 3January:The Legend of Zelda (Bonefireside Chat Rerun)The Binding of Isaac (Guest-hosted episode with Gary and Will Hughes)Theif II: The Metal AgeRoboCop: Rogue City (Premium)
We love Hitman so much, we had to see where our little, bald, perfect clone with a barcode came from. The levels are smaller, but a lot of the core concepts of what makes Hitman good are still here in the DNA of the series in a more rudimentary form.
[Audio Disclaimer: Gwen here. All of the OST audio I could find for Unpacking had some skips in the audio files themselves. I tried to minimize this, but I can still hear them in the finished audio. If you hear it as well, just know that I worked with the best versions I could find.]What stories do our objects tell us about ourselves? Unpacking attempts to get the player to connect to an unseen person who's objects we become intimately familiar with. It's also a game about chores. Does it make you cry?
Our beloved Hell Train is back, but this time... it's a Heaven Train. Monster Train 2 throws out the whole deck and asks you to start again with five new clans before allowing you to unlock the clans from the original. It's a confident, sleek, and well-considered sequel.
Release the emergency question valve! We're drowning in here!
We read your responses to:Silent Hill 2 (2024)CryptmasterF.E.A.R.Upcoming Games:November:November:Monster Train 2UnpackingHitman: Blood Money (Premium)December:Wasteland 3PRGE Live Episode (Premium)
Paxton Fettel isn't going to catch himself, operative. That's why you're on a squad with the unlikely name of F.E.A.R. (First Encounter Assault Recon), to hunt down the psychic commander of an army of clones. That's Paxton, the commander. F.E.A.R. does not hold up as a horror game because it's way too modal, but it's a very solid first person shooter with enemy AI that is still spookily good.For our highlight this week, we have a time sensitive call to action: Save the date for Saturday, November 9 at 9:00am Eastern. That's when our fans at catgirls.cam will be holding a 24 hour live stream to raise money for the Mockingbird Meadows & Chicago Food Depository. The event is called BD4PP and it's addressing an urgent need for people dealing with food scarcity in Chicago.
Behold! Four monosyllabic zombies must type their way through legions of enemies, all while showing off their incredible typing/riddle prowess. In this unique typing/horror/blobber hybrid, a blend of thrills and chills await you. Dare you enter the realm of the Cryptmaster?
How far would you go to run away from your own guilt? Team Bloober takes a swing at reimaging the uncontested horror game classic that is Silent Hill 2. The game looks great, but does it overstay its welcome attempting to scare you senseless? This game is massive, which can lead to the horror it's attempting to peddle becoming a little stale by the end.
This isn't so bad. We can fix this. We are definitely not in a catastrophe.Mouthwashing is a bit-sized walking sim horror game that asks how do we handle the worst possible news. The answer is not well.
Upcoming Games October: Mouthwashing Silent Hill 2make Cryptmaster F.E.A.R. (Premium) November: Monster Train 2 Unpacking Hitman: Blood Money (Premium)
There's a storm acomin', and all the animal-folk need to band together if we want to survive this one. Against the Storm is a unique city builder where saving up for big events it's what's going to keep you afloat. Dare you attempt to survive the storm?
Outer Wilds is a cozy adventure game about the thrill of exploration and the triumph of curiosity. You walk in the footsteps of a long-gone civilization to find your way out of a deadly time loop, ultimately triumphing and being reborn. The game's expansion, Echoes of the Eye, takes a bit of a darker tone. You explore an artificial world haunted by precursors who aren't quite as gone as you've been led to believe.There are some real design missteps here, and we talk about them, but also talk about what makes Outer Wilds in general work for us in spite of them.Support Watch Out for Fireballs!
Bob Mackey of the Retronauts joins Kaye this week to talk about Majora's Mask, whose pitch is that you only have three days to save the world, but you have as many three days as you want. This is the bleaker and more ambitious sibling to the beloved Ocarina of Time, and it's a standout title in its own right even if it's (wrongly, in our opinion) divisive. The inhabitants of Termina walk daily under a reminder of their pending doom, and Link and his many transformation masks are their only hope against Skull Kid and his mysterious cursed mask.Note: The first version of this episode cut off early. Redownload it to hear the last five minutes or so!Support Watch Out for Fireballs!
Howdy do! We've got heaps of questions today, so let's not waste any time dilly-dallying!Upcoming GamesSeptember:Majora’s Mask (w/ Bob Mackey of Retronauts) Outer Wilds: Echoes of the EyeAgainst the StormOctober:MouthwashingSilent Hill 2 RemakeCryptmasterF.E.A.R.Support Watch Out for Fireballs!
What if a video game really, fully embodied that you can just blow shit up? Welcome to Mercenaries. Earn tons of money, explode some bad people, and generally play however the hell you want. Join as we explore this expression-first mission-based sandbox.
For the first time since 2019, Watch Out for Fireballs! is going to have a panel at the Portland Retro Gaming Expo this October, the weekend of October 17-19!We will be giving an updated version of our 7/10 Games talk, with new games and new guests (we'll have at least one Retronaut with us). We don't currently know when our slot is, but we will announce it when we have more details.We will not have a table set up at the show this year, but Gary and I will be present and carrying around swag to give out (swag will be available at our panel, and at our meetup).To sweeten the pot if you're thinking of attending, we will also be holding a meetup at a nearby establishment, time and place to be determined.So I guess this post is more just serving as a "save the date", or a call to buy your tickets now if you're thinking of going. We'd love to see you there, and the show itself is always a good time.
This week Gary welcomes acquaintance of the network Will Hughes (Everything to Guppy) to the co-host chair to discuss Hazelight Studios' Split Fiction.This podcast is half science fiction, half fantasy. In the fantasy half, we pretend that stories aren't based on a writer's experiences in life. In the sci-fi half, we send you this podcast through the power of space lasers. Split Fiction has a lot of really cool ideas, but still fails as a story in some fundamental ways. We want to praise the game, but also give it some slaps on the wrist for it's less-than-par writing.Support Watch Out for Fireballs!
What happens when you give the original Metroid a glow-up with the Super Metroid engine? A lot of cool stuff, and some weird stuff. It's not a perfect fit, but the result is still the second best Metroid game ever made.Support Watch Out for Fireballs!
Okay! We'll talk, we'll talk! Just please stop with the questions!
You are a body. In a video game, you are a body sometimes. Other times, you are a menu, representing a body. What does a game really need to get you to embody the story it wants to tell?Upcoming Games:August:-Metroid Zero-Split Fiction (Gary and Will)-Mercenaries: PlaygroundSeptember:-Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask (Kaye and Bob Mackey)-Outer Wilds: Echoes of the Eye-Against the StormSupport Watch Out for Fireballs!
Can a robot's heart beat like a man's? What makes us human? Probably puzzle solving. Robots can't solve puzzles. Prove me wrong, kids.
We return to Night City to embark on a new mission in the slums of Dogtown. V gets mixed up in the whacky adventures of a sitting president. Does Phantom Liberty return to the heights once-achieved by the Witcher 3 DLC? Join us and find out!Support Watch Out for Fireballs!
Does this have the least good soundtrack of the original run of Tony Hawk games? Probably! Does it still kick a good amount of ass? Yes. THPS3 continues broadening the scope of the beloved skateboarding franchise, with one key idea: More. More secret areas, more goofy levels, more ways to extend your combo! Check out this sweet kickflip!Support Watch Out for Fireballs!
You've seen immersive sims before, but have you ever played one where you sneeze? Skin Deep is a cute, weird, immersive sim with indie sensibilities. Your character doesn't wear shoes, you carry the heads of your enemies around in your inventory, and it all takes place on a spaceship.Support Watch Out for Fireballs!
We spilled the bowl, and only questions came out.Upcoming Games:July:-Skin Deep-Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3-Cyperpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty-The Talos PrincipleAugust:-Metroid: Zero Mission-Split Fiction (with Will Hughes)-Mercenaries: World of DestructionSupport Watch Out for Fireballs!
Back when Fromsoft used to experiment in the B-tier game mines, they made a bizarre Real Time card battle game. That game is Lost Kingdoms, and this is our Summer JRPG. Sometimes life takes you to unexpected places.
In this spin-off of a spin-off, C&C assumes the Allies are victorious in C&C Red Alert 2, which is why Yuri is out for Revenge. Use your units and strategic wits to outsmart the enemy, and as a reward you will get to see some of the silliest cutscenes ever made.Support Watch Out for Fireballs!
We found a few more doors to check. The Last Door returns with a few more episodes to show off it's unique lo-fi adventure game style. While we're still fans, the second game doesn't work for us quite as much as the first. Still lots of cool stuff to talk about though!Support Watch Out for Fireballs!
