Unassorted Pixels (Game Flab)

The Pixel by Pixel podcast hosts discuss their final thoughts on the game Final Fantasy XVI. They talk about the gameplay, side quests, and the narrative of the game. They mention that the game is a fantastic experience, with great combat and interesting characters. They also discuss the value of doing side quests and how they add depth to the story. The hosts share their overall rating of the game, which is a four out of five, and recommend that everyone should play it. They also have a conversation about open-world games and the saturation of the genre. They express their excitement for upcoming games like Starfield. Welcome back, everybody, to the Pixel by Pixel podcast where we take you pixel by pixel through the latest and greatest in gaming. I'm one of your hosts, Ryan Bendick, and, you know, working this podcast alongside me, we've got Spencer Norris and Chandler Foote. I am also one of your hosts. But Spencer isn't hosting, he's just supervising. I just hang out. I just make sure it doesn't go off the rails. He just sits on his phone, makes sure we don't get too off track. He's not even really here, you know. He's just phoning in. But anyways, welcome back, everybody, to another installment. We are actually today just having a candid conversation. We are just gabbing and gaming, talking simply about whatever it is that comes across our brains because, quite frankly, we didn't have an episode for this week. We didn't know what to do. So we're just going to fill the air with some hot takes, some cold takes, some good takes, some bad takes. I think that's the same exact thing, a cold take and a hot take. Yeah, what is a cold take? A cold take is, like, I think everyone agrees with that. Oh, yeah. I've never really thought about it. Yeah, I've been thinking about that a lot because I see you on Twitter. It's always, like, hot take, hot take. And then I saw someone say cold take, and I was like, oh, that makes sense because then they said something that I was, like, I agreed with. I'm like, okay, I get it. So, yeah, it's an agreeable. So we're going to have hot and cold takes. Exactly, exactly. But, you know, I did think that it would be a good idea. So instead of, you know, game gab and transitioning over the topics of the show and whatnot, we're literally, I'm going to give you guys my final thoughts on Final Fantasy XVI. Whoa. Final thoughts. There you go. And so I'm going to give you guys my final thoughts, and then we're going to just gab about whatever we want to gab about. So is it the last fantasy that there will ever be? Listen. Oh, man. Like, listen. I just want to say I wish that I could say that this game was a five out of five because there was a specific moment at the end that made me say. So, look, I'm just going to tell you guys right now. My final score is still exactly what it was. It is a four out of five game. I really thought something. I would even go as far if I could to say 4.5 because ultimately what it comes down to is my very first criticism. I talked about how the side quests felt like MMO. We just really transitioned into this review. What do you think? Let's go. So my biggest criticism was that those side quests felt very surface level, felt very much like an MMO fetch quest, just go here, do the thing. Now, the structure of the quest never really changes. You're still talking to other, you know, random NPCs. You're still getting quests to go here and there. But I will say literally right after that review, that's when I told you guys, I kind of like I felt like there was a twist. I felt like the game was like kind of going to that second half. And I was right because these side quests, you know, like I said, nothing really moved the needle for me in terms of, oh, this is like, you know, you have your God of War side quest. You have your Red Dead side quest. Like those things, like those are a whole other level. Even, you know, Choose the Kingdom. But what really got me was, and this is kind of the through line of, you know, how I'll talk about the rest of the review, the narrative of these quests. I remember right when I got home after that review and I played the game, there was this quest about like, you know, this boy was telling you he needs help with his dog. And so you got to this field and you're a bearer. You know, you have the slave marking. So then you find out that this boy and his father sent people out into the field to help the dog. But really it's like a wolf. So it kills the people. So they just do it for sport. So it's like, it was just like a really cool moment there. And then you kill the dog. And then, long story short, they go and try to get another dog and it kills them. And it's just, it's a cool like, you know, commentary on the cycle of violence there and everything. But it's that same kind of deal that it just goes even deeper. You meet more characters. You start to care more and more about the soul of Balestia, you know, the continent that you're on. And it's because, I mean, I'll just say, the reason why it's four out of five for me is because the gameplay sings. The gameplay is phenomenal and the narrative carried it the entire way. Those are the two things that despite, you know, traversing the world isn't the most exciting thing. Despite the fact that these side quests aren't, you know, the greatest thing since Lifespread. I'm not saying, oh, you know, these have changed my life. It was still, you know, like I said, these characters, their emotions, their ambitions, everything that they did felt realistic. It felt like they lived in this world. It felt like it was breathing that I was a part of it and helping it. So, you know, ultimately it's just, it wrapped up in this bow for me of just fantastic gameplay systems in terms of combat. Melding with just every second that I wasn't, you know, in combat, I was ready for that next story beat. Ready to learn more about this world and what was going on. Nice little bow. Yeah. Nice little bow wrapped around it. Yeah. And, you know, like, you know, I could go on and on, but ultimately the points I want to get across to really say why this game, you know, yeah, it may not be a five out of five masterpiece of all time, but this is a fantastic game. Like, I don't want, you know, that one number difference to take away from just because it isn't the most perfect game. It is still, like, I'm going to think about this game forever. In terms of those boss fights, the pure spectacle and fun factor, some of the best times I've had in gaming ever. And that's coming off the heels of, you know, six months ago playing God of War Ragnarok, the peak of so many of what I was expecting from boss fights and spectacle. This game took that and just blew it out of the water. And, you know, that's not a comparison saying, oh, which one's the better game. It's just simply, like, the stuff that happens in this game, I still will think about it. My jaw just drops. Like, I can't believe that happened. I can't believe I actually played that out in a story moment, right? And then, yeah, just by the end of the game, the story wraps up, and it gets to this crazy point, but it has so many crazy commentaries, you know, just so many. It really capitalizes on the characters, who they are, their, you know, their motivations, and they're kind of their through lines through the entire story about this homeman and, you know, sacrifice and all these things. And it just comes together to straight up have, like, this Avengers end game ending where it's like everything comes together and it makes sense. And I was, by the end, like, I mean, this is the last thing I'll say. Clive Rossfield, the main character, he's up there with the Geralt of Rivia and the Master Chief. Like, I love that character so much. He's just so much more than what we thought he was going to be, just this gruff, like, angry guy. He's just, he has so much character. He makes the game playable. Exactly. So, you know, I won't go on more because it's just going to be me gushing about the game, but ultimately I landed on a four out of five, a fantastic game. I think everyone needs to play it. It's a beefy, long, long game for sure, but it's a world worth immersing yourself in. It's a world, it's a story I think worth experiencing for sure. Yeah, that was, I mean, that's what I was going to ask, too, was whether your score changed or not. Because four out of five is still, like, that's really good. And I think I might be gearing up to play it pretty soon, too, honestly. So, but I'm also, since you just came off of it, almost like advice, because you kind of talked about the side quests being up and down. Would you say, like, would you recommend to do, like, are the side quests still worth it? Yes. Or would it almost be, if you were to replay the game, would you just do, like, a more linear style of it? So, this is what I'll say. There are some side quests that, like, tell you that they're pretty important because they, like, you know, increase your inventory or give you a special weapon or something like that, and they have, like, plus marks. Obviously those ones I say always do because they usually have a little bit more deeper story meaning, too. But, you know, it comes down to this. If you are playing that game, and, like, the reason why I kept doing all the side quests, I didn't do every single one. By the end I did kind of was like, I was like, okay, this is too much. I just want to get to the end. So I did leave a lot, definitely, not a lot. I think there was 75 in total, and I think I got to, like, 60 of them, something like that. That's all right. Yeah. So, you know, it's not a big deal. But I think if you are playing the game, if you feel like, okay, I want to, you know, I want to immerse myself in this world more, I want to understand the characters, because that's really where, I told you, you know, you get a lot of, I mean, you know, Clive shines through the story. It's a long story anyway. He's going to shine. But, you know, you have little small moments of him talking to a child or just some random person on the street, and it's just, you know, those little moments that will make you smile or chuckle real quick, that just add to the overall, you know, just the overall atmosphere of the game. So for me, personally, I would say I'd probably take it linear until the ending to those side quests that I missed, because I would want to fill it out to, like, be like, okay, I did all the side quests, and, like, I experienced that entire world. I'd care about the game that much. But just to answer your question, I would say it's worth it in terms of if you want to understand the world more, and they do give you certain, you know, good enough rewards to, you know, craft stuff and whatnot. Yeah. Yeah, just like you said, with it being such a beefy game, you know, because we just had our anticipated games list, right? So, like, I've almost been, like, road mapping in my head the rest of the year. It's like, okay, when am I going to have time for this game? When does this game come out and all that? So I'm like, I want to get in Final Fantasy. You know, Ryan's been hyping it up. And, you know, just got a PlayStation 5. We'll talk about that. I'm not sure. Yeah. Well, yeah. You know, this actually gets into the conversation I wanted to start off with with this whole thing. But just to finish, cap that off with what you were talking about, you know, it is a huge game, but I learned by the end it really is as big as you make it. Because the side quests, they're all kinds of different characters across Alistair. So it's like, I finished a lot of the quest lines for certain characters that I really enjoyed or really liked their character, you know? Like, I was like, oh, I'm going to go to them every single time I see an exclamation point. Yeah. But then there was others. I was like, you know, I get your shtick, but I'm not really interested in that. So it really is, like, the length of what you want it to be, regardless of it. It is still a beefy game, but it's like, if you didn't do those side quests, it would cut your time in half. It depends on how, like, Elden Ring is. Yeah. There's just plenty of characters that are just like, I don't really care what you're saying to me right now. Like, after contrasting that with, like, actual, like, valuable experiences that you've had that you can kind of go back to, and then do you get cool stuff by, like, associating with certain characters? Yeah, for certain specific quests, yeah. Cool. You know, that actually, like, goes into another thing I was thinking about. It's like, you know, part of me was thinking, oh, if I don't do all side quests, you know, I got that completion, so maybe we've talked about it. And, like, oh, if I don't do all the side quests, I really beat the game. And it's like, it's exactly what you said. It was kind of like the value of time. I was like, am I enjoying everything I'm doing right now? And I got to a point of, I'm like, I was looking at the side quests, looking at the descriptions, and I was like, do I really want to go give eggs to this guy? And, like, I know it'll probably open up into something cool, but, like, do I really want to do that? And I was like, no. I felt like I got what I needed from all the side quests I'd done already. I felt like I'd invested the time into all the characters I wanted to, whether they were important to the story or not. And so, by the end, I definitely, you get gear, you get stuff, but I feel like the main story progresses you enough that you're kind of going to get that as you go. Yeah. I mean, like, in reality, the rest is just, like, possibly really fun fluff. But, like, all you need in a video game is a linear story. Yeah. And then, like, the rest is just, like. It's icing on the top. Yeah, exactly. And this game, oh, go ahead. So, I guess the question is, does, do the side quests, like, add weight or anything, like, to the actual main linear story, would you say? Or is it sort of. I would say, yeah. I would say yes. Because by the end of the game. By the scope of the story gets so big, and just the things that they talk about. I feel like the reason why I was so invested is because I cared about the world. I cared about the people living in this world, regardless of if I did all their quests or not. I still felt like, oh, I knew who that guy was, so maybe he popped up at a cutscene and died real quick. And it was just some side character, but I was like, I had a small interaction with him, and he just, like, he just got blown away. Like, I'm fighting for him, whatever. Like, I think it's worth it to invest yourself in the story. But, like, yeah, for me, I'll just leave that. I don't want to say if or whatever. Like, yeah, for me, I would say it's worth it, for sure. It's kind of like Zelda, where it's like. Yeah. That's how you guys hyped that up for me. You guys were talking about seeing different characters, like, or just, like, wondering if different characters are going to be in the same place or whatever. Yeah. And, like, that's why I'm excited to go back to Breath of the Wild, because, well, I mean, I got to beat Tears of the Kingdom first. Yes. But go back to Breath of the Wild, because it's like, what were they doing up to that point? And this game takes place over the course of years, like, years in-game. So, I mean, you do have moments of that, of like, oh, I mean, I won't be getting into specifics, but, oh, a year has passed. Where's their time at? What are they doing? Yeah. So, you know, again, I would ultimately say it's like, it's however you're feeling. I feel like if you didn't want to do the side quests, you're not even, you're not, you probably wouldn't be really feeling the game. Because, like I said, the side quests, that's where you get into the combat and stuff, and you do have those character moments. But, like, the combat, I just, man. If the combat's fun enough, then, like, I'll do any of the dub side quests. By the end of that game, some of the moves you pull off are so visually appealing. So good to, like, oh, I can't even describe to you guys the utter giddiness of, because I don't want to, I don't want to spoil it. Because by the end of the game, there's just these abilities you get that, like, they're spoilers just inherently. But there's just this one move that I'll say that I was doing it almost every fight thinking, this is all I've ever wanted to do in a game. This is all I've ever wanted to do and had it feel this good and look this good. Alright, alright. So, yeah. And I know that sounds like a really hype thing, but it's because this game, you know, like I've said, you have the God of War meaty, connective, like, you feel that. And then you have this one where it's just like, you feel like you just are playing with your food. Like, you are just dancing across the battlefield. It's insane. Yeah, I'm excited to get into that, because, yeah, I just want to know what you're getting at here. Especially because there's no, when you don't have a touchstone for Final Fantasy, it's just hard to even imagine, like, what this specific thing does. After I'm out on the other side, and, I mean, I do want to cap it off with this. There's just this one piece of dialogue, a singular piece of dialogue. I recorded it on PS5, and I tried to upload it on Discord and said, you need Discord Nitro. I bought Discord Nitro and uploaded it onto my server. I put a spoiler warning, obviously. But it was a 30-second clip of probably one of my favorite moments ever in gaming. Like, it is up there now, like, top three. Cheesy, but also dope as hell. And that's all I'm going to say. Anybody who's played this game and has beaten it knows the exact same I'm talking about, and I'll leave it at that. Because I, you know, that's why this is a five out of five game. Anyway, I'm done with the Final Fantasy talk. Play that game, four out of five. Loved it. Dope. We might not be done on the podcast talking about it if I'm starting it up in a couple weeks. We can talk about it. We can talk about it. Yeah. We'll be there. Honestly, and, you know, I've been thinking, you know, actually, that's the conversation throughout the podcast. I got it. I got ideas. All right. We'll move on. But, I mean, kind of in that same vein of we were talking about, you know, games being too big, and you were talking about, like, planning out your year. I have been thinking a lot about that, right? Because after playing, you know, Tears of the Kingdom and then jumping to Final Fantasy XVI, I've been playing Halo Combat Evolved and Halo 2. And there is something that, Chandler, you hit it, like a linear story and just kind of linear gameplay, but, like, a freedom within that scope. Yeah. It's kind of what I've been craving in this world of just massive open world games. Yeah. Just giving your own flair. Yeah. Exactly. I don't know. I feel like, I don't know. What do you guys think? Are you guys feeling like open world is becoming, like, a heavily saturated, like, do you feel like they could slow down on that? Are you loving it? Like, are you thinking, no, keep having that kind of cadence? I mean, you know, as long as there's open world games coming out, that just kind of stokes the flame. You know, it's just so, like, I think, I feel like it's a new, it's still, like, newer, like, newer perfected. Yes. You know, so I don't think you can really gauge. We got to just see what Starfield brings. Yeah. And that's the next stage. Yeah. So, I mean, in a sense, it's just hard to say because the future could, like, allow for some of the coolest games possible in open world. Yeah. And, like, and I've been thinking about that because, like, with Starfield, I mean, I'm as hyped as anybody else. I mean, that's my 10 most anticipated game. Go listen to that episode, you know. But I just think there's, you know, I've been thinking a lot about, I love video games, but they're, like, you have, I just try to think of things like God of War and Spider-Man that, like, I play those games and I'll play them forever. Like, I just, I love that gameplay loop. Give me a 150-hour story, I'll play that. And then, like, with, you know, like, Tears of the Kingdom, very specifically in Breath of the Wild, I loved that game and I'll put, I dumped hours into that. And then by the end of those hours, I'm kind of like, all right, I'm ready for this game to end. Not because of quality, not because of that, but because I'm like, I've done what I need to. How much more can I possibly do? And obviously, Spence, you've done pretty much everything. And it speaks to people, like, I mean, each game is going to speak to people differently. But, like, that's my entire point of, like, I, for one, lately have realized that I love spending time in worlds, but, like, there does, no matter what, how much I enjoy it, there comes, like, a cap where I just, like, feel like, okay, I've done everything. Even if there is still more to do, I'm like, all right, I need to beat this game. But I don't know if that's just a me thing. No, there's, I get that sense, too, for sure. And I don't, I can't really even explain it because it just kind of creeps up on you. You, like, just get little hints of it doing certain things and then all of a sudden you're like, all right, it's story time. Like, there's no other side quest that can entice me enough to, like, make me stop playing this story. So, I don't know. Yeah, I mean, I kind of feel that, like, I mean, I don't even know if I'd say that we're, like, oversaturated. I just, like, I find myself wishing that I didn't have so many, like, so many of my backlog games being, like, these huge open world games because they have been releasing a lot and they're, like, constantly coming out with, like, bigger and better upgrades. So, it's, like, it's hard to say if it's, like, they should just go away from that if, like, if certain people are making better open worlds. Like, we just got another Zelda which is going to be, like, another, like, just foundation for open world design and then Starfield's coming. So, like, I don't know if I'd say that, like, you know, we're oversaturated in that way. But I do find myself just being, like, like, man, like, I wish there were more games that was just, like, give me that linear story to just run through and, like, just have direct levels. And even, like, in some ways, Tears of the Kingdom even contributed to that feeling because, I mean, I came to the end and I mentioned how, like, you know, I have, like, these mixed feelings on the ending and just the way the story was presented overall where I'm, like, like, man, I do really just want, like, I mean, in that realm, you know, like, the linear style Zelda but then I also, like, I just want more games to be just a good story that's, like, 30, 40 hours or less even. Yeah. And to just do that because I do, you know, like, the more games I play, like, I get satisfaction out of that too. Yeah. But, like, when a game is really good, I'll spend all the hours in it that I want to but then it's, I don't know, it's this constant, like, mix. Yeah. It's, like, sometimes you're, like, oh, I could do this forever and then the other times you play a game, you're, like, okay, well, I could do it a little less. Like, it's always a constant battle for sure. Yeah. So, it's definitely, yeah, like, it's good. Like, I mean, I just spent 270 hours on Tears of the Kingdom. Yeah. So, like, and I don't feel like I got burnt out but it's definitely, like, after that, it's, like, man, okay, give me, like, I need less open world for a little while, I guess. Yeah. So, what is a good example of, like, recently of a confined game? Okay. Yeah. So, I'll lead into that. So, the reason why I brought this up in the first place is because, you know, I played Tears of the Kingdom and then I jumped into Final Fantasy XVI. Remember, you guys remember I was telling you guys, I was thinking this game is going to be linear, quick, I'm going to be done in and out. Yeah. Like, quick in and out, quick adventure in and out and I'm at the end. And that's, like, true story. But, no, for real. You know, by the end, I'm clunking in at 75 hours and, you know, for this game, it made sense because the story, it is, granted, as big as the game is, there's a bunch of hub areas, you know, a bunch of side quests, it is a very linear story. You can just jump to the story beats each, on the map where they just jump to them every single time. So, in that way, it worked for me. So, like, I would even say that's kind of a good example of it. But even further than that, I'd say perfect examples right off the rip for me are God of War, God of War Ragnarok, Jedi Survivor, Jedi Fallen Order, and Star Wars Spider-Man. And I know we can kind of get into that conversation of what's an open world. So, even if you want to trim off the fat more from that, I'd say Spider-Man is my perfect open world. It's an open world, but it is very concise in what it does, even more so in Miles Morales, but that's because it's more of a spin-off. But even in 2018, I still feel like they give you so many activities, give you so much to do, and it's a big, I mean, it's a lot of New York. It's a big map, but obviously you're traversing it in such a quick, fast, fantastic way. It's so much fun to do just to get across that world. And then all the activities you do, they're varied enough, whether it's research stations or stopping crimes or fighting Black Cat. Like, I feel like they give you enough while still, like, populating this world with enough to do, not making it feel like filler. If I were going to just give a concise answer, I'd say Spider-Man is, like, the perfect open world for me, the length and everything. I was literally going to bring that up because I actually just came off of that. Also, you know, from what I was saying earlier, trying to figure out what I'm doing for the rest of the year, and with Spider-Man 2 being my top game, I was like, I'm going to replay the original Spider-Man and Miles Morales. Like, I guess now's the time. Yes, sir. I actually just played and beat Spider-Man 2018, and I was thinking the exact same thing because, like, this was kind of the moment where, like, as I was playing it, you know, I had, like, sort of that post-Tuesday depression of, like, man, you know, like, there's a lot of games I want to play, but, you know, it's never going to be like this again. I'm going to play a couple other things. But then it's like, I was playing Spider-Man, and it definitely hits in a very different way, but it was like, oh, okay, like, this is actually perfect because it is still, like, open. So, you can have your, you just kind of, like, go in wherever you want, but it's not, like, I wouldn't say it's, like, exploration heavy because everything you want to find is, like, presented to you on the map, which normally would, like, kind of sound like a bad thing to me, but with Spider-Man, because of your movement, it's actually, it's perfect because I just want to just have a destination and just go there. Get there the coolest, even the fastest, coolest, whatever way you want. Yeah, just enjoying the fantastic movement of the game. Yeah. And, yeah, it's a fairly, it's a shorter story. It's not a big map. Like, you can get across the map without fast travel in, like, a few minutes. Yeah. Especially when you get better and better at web swinging and all that stuff. So, that, I was thinking the same thing. That's a really good mix of, like, of not just being, like, so overwhelming, but, like, you know, still, like, you can put off the story and just go do a bunch of, like, side quests and fight crime and all this stuff. Exactly. There's plenty to do. Like, it's not just a five-minute ordeal. I mean, some crimes can be, but, like, you know, research stations take a little longer. Even some, you have actual side missions in that game, too, that are interesting. You know, and to that point, I thought it was a good thing to bring up, you know, in speaking of that conciseness, a perfect marriage for me, I think, would think about Halo's transition into Infinite in that open world and how that world was open. There was so much to do, but think about the story beats, how you were just going, you know, concisely to each story beat. And I think Zelda would benefit from something like that, where it's still Zelda. And, again, Tears of the Kingdom, this is more of just, like, a really hardcore critique, more so. This game's still a five out of five. But take that same idea of everywhere you go is, like, a linear story. You're following a path. Like, there's not, like, discovering the story. I don't think that when it comes to discovery, that's how the story should work, right? Like, I don't think you should randomly find story bits. I think they should have it set up in a way that it's unfolding for everyone the same way. And then have the more, you know, offbeat and lore beats you want to know. That's the stuff you explore, and that's the stuff you discover. Yeah, I pretty much agree with that, too, because, I mean, the way I see it, the open world Zeldas were definitely, like, it was the right choice. But, I mean, that's part of why I, like, want you guys to play some of those old 3D games. Because, I mean, the biggest example, like, a big reason why they even went to this is because of Skyward Sword, the last, like, main linear 3D game they did. And for me, like, story-wise, it's, like, easily one of the best stories. Like, it hits so hard at the end, and, like, there's so much great symbolism, which I love about those games. But it also, like, it can be, like, painfully linear. Like, doing, like, fetch quests almost at some point, and you have to go back to your main hub area of the Sky Island or whatever, like, between each quest. And then you can only access the areas from there. And so it's, like, it does, like, it starts to feel, like, a bit of a slog in that way. So, like, that led to the completely open. So, like, you kind of sacrifice the, like, the super well-structured linear story for, like, you know, probably, you know, better and even the best gameplay of the series. But there, it's, like, sacrifice that. Yeah. The way the narrative and linear storytelling can, like, hit, especially for me personally. Yeah. You were on a single branch, but now you're experiencing the whole tree. Yeah. Like, yeah. I don't know. The traversal, I think, plays a big part in making a good open-world game. But, like, does the, I guess, does the traversal in the old, like, when Zelda first started open-world games, how does it feel like traversing the world, I guess? Well, Breath of the Wild was the first open-world game. Oh, I thought open. I mean, they're all, like, they're all big. No, he was just saying, like, it was super linear. Okay. That was, like, the game before Breath of the Wild. And then, like, it got a lot of criticism for being just super linear, like, this is the same format you guys are doing. Okay. And then, yeah, then you get Breath of the Wild, which is totally different, just completely open. Like, you can ignore the story in Breath of the Wild pretty much if you want to. Yeah. So, yeah, it's definitely, like, there's just that two sides of the coin to just video games in general. Like, I want both. You know, I want the big games that give me this, like, sense of exploration, but I also like games that are just, like, here's a level, here's a story. You know, let me just go through and not, like, think too hard about, like, where I want to go or do or whatever. Yeah, yeah. It's nice to have some direction, some, like, shackle. That's what you're doing. That can be part of the fun, too. Yeah. Like, you know, you have restrictions, so, like, how are you going to work with that? How do you play within that? Yeah. And, yeah, and, you know, it's funny because as we're talking about this, I'm thinking it really is exactly what you said. It's a dual sides of the coin type thing where it kind of almost is, like, a personal issue of, like, just play the games you want to play at that point. It's just kind of, like, for me, I'm just thinking the whole time we're talking about this, I'm like, oh, well, Spider-Man 2 is coming, and I would love if that was 175 hours. I'm like, cool, like, give me every single morsel of that game. And so it's exactly that of it's whatever games are going to speak to the people that are going to play it the longest. It just comes down to play what you want. Like, for me, my biggest thing of, like, so Tears of the Kingdom is on the shelf for me right now. I'm ready to jump in. Right now I'm just playing Halo, but, like, the game I'm going to finish next is going to be Tears of the Kingdom. And, like, my thing is I'm thinking, oh, man, if I jump into that game, I've got to do everything. And it's, like, I'm finally realizing after curating my experience of gaming for the last, my whole life, but, like, mainly these last two years, like, really knowing what I like, I finally got into this rhythm of I don't need to do everything to say I'm a fan of it. I don't need to do everything to say I love this game. It's just, like, if you want to, do it. It's hard to do. It's hard not to sometimes when you're in the game. Like, you'll go and you'll be like, I'm really not trying to just waste all my time on all this side stuff, and then you just end up doing it anyway. Exactly. And Tears of the Kingdom is the perfect culprit for that because that is exactly, every time I get on that game, I'm like, I'm going to do all these quests. I'm going to get to the very final thing. I'm done. I'm done with this game. And it's like, dude, you just spent 10 hours building things. You didn't even do anything. It's like, all right, well, and that's where it comes down to. It's like the fun of that game. Exactly. Probably that's more fun than, like, doing the main story is just running off and doing your own thing. Yeah. And that's the exact point I was going to make with the ending that is, like, it comes down to are you having fun? And, like, that's what I'm really starting to, like, care about more than, like, where my time is going in terms of, like, oh, did I really progress the story? Because, like, ultimately that only matters if you want it to matter. But ultimately when I'm playing Tears of the Kingdom, the fun I have is when I get knocked off a cliff and I'm falling down. I'm like, okay, well, I just climbed all the way up there. I'm going to stick a rocket back on, fly up there, and then get knocked off again. Like, maybe that whole deal took 15 minutes, but it was, like, such a fun 15 minutes of, like, fuck this game. It's so dope. Yeah. I don't know. And then there's the aspect that, like, sorry, I've been playing Doom, so I'm thinking about, like, just how it kind of ties into Doom. Because you have in that game just little side things that are just, like, you just know them as you've played Doom. So, like, if you see a little crack in the wall, you punch the damn crack and it bursts open and boom, 30 seconds and you're one step closer and, like, 100%ing a level. And, like, just that acing a level is, like, the core of that, like, branching out and just doing your own thing. Yeah. Like, once you ace a game, there's no better feeling, in my opinion, like, especially a game that you love. Like, I would argue that does say that you're the realist fan, especially, like, the Red Dead 100%, man. Yeah. Come on. Well, yeah, and I think that's something I think about, like, when I'm playing a game is I'm, like, okay. Like, Jedi Survivor is that for me of, like, where I'm, like, I love that game. It's my favorite game of all time. It's still not 100%. I still have stuff I can go back and do. I suppose, but, like, it's just such a weird, and it literally just comes down to preference and, like, what you want to put your time into. But, like, I love that idea exactly you said of, like, when you're playing a game and, like, you decide I love this so much that I want to 100% it. I have so many games in the back of my mind. I'm, like, Ghost of Tsushima, Assassin's Creed 3 even. Like, I think games that far back, one day I'm going to 100% it. Am I really going to 100% Assassin's Creed 3 one day? Probably not. Probably not, but my brain's, like, nah, dog, you're going to 100% that game someday. That's just how the brain works. We want a 100% life, but we know we won't be able to. Yeah, and it's, like, but, like, then you have the games that really, and I think that's something also is, like, you have the games that really, like, are telling you no, you have to. Like, when I played God of War 2018, when I played Ragnarok, when I played Spider-Man, those games are saying the only time I don't feel the need to get the platinum or whatever is if it says replay the game. That's when I'm, like, mm, all right, chief, see you in a couple years. Don't egg me. Yeah, because, like, I like achievement lists, and I like 100% goals that are, like, curated for that, like, specific, like, things you're doing in the game that are fun, not just, oh, replay the entirety of the game on the harder difficulty, even though I get those achievements, but then I'll just play the game through the entirety on the hard difficulty the first time or whatever. Yeah. That's a whole other conversation on what's a good platinum or whatever, but yeah. No, I don't even know. I just feel like it does come down to we have so many open worlds. There's so many experiences, but it really just is, like, what are you wanting to experience in that moment rather than an oversaturation. I think that I did get my answer. If we're not really oversaturated, it's more of just a kind of embarrassment of riches. Yeah. Yeah. It's like you mentioned Ghost of Tsushima, and, like, I've been trying to play that. You've been telling me we've got to do multiplayer, and I really do want to play it, but it's also like a man. Like, I've got all these other open worlds. Like, I just want to do some linear stuff, so it just keeps, like, getting on, like, the back burner. Yeah. And now I'm, like, I think it could be later this year or something. I mean, it depends. Yeah. You've got the PlayStation now. Yeah. I've got the PS5, so it's like, okay, it's on the radar, but it's still like a, like, well, maybe I'll do, like, a Final Fantasy because that's, like, a little more linear, but also it could end up being a big thing where I'm doing all the side quests. So, I don't know. It's just like a, it's just a constant thing of, that's why I want to start mixing in, like, playing a second game that's, like, a shorter game while also playing maybe, like, a big open world or something. Well, that's actually perfectly in line with what I want to talk about next because, to your exact point of, you know, mixing these games in together, you know, I finally, I mean, I've kind of been trying to do this over the last year, but, like, now I feel like I finally got a hand on it of, like, I was playing Final Fantasy, and I was loving every second of it, but then, like, there was points where I was, like, this is so much, this is, I just did this crazy boss fight, I need to, like, I need to decompress somehow. And, you know, I was, like, I don't want to start up some random new big open world game. I don't want to even do another third person game. And so, I finally landed on, all right, I want to play first person games. So, I played a lot of multiplayer games, started playing, you know, Battle Bit, played some Apex. I loved those, but I was, like, I'm still not scratching the itch I need. And I realized the perfect, at least for now, the perfect game to play alongside all these huge games, like Tears of the Kingdom, and I'm going to jump back into, Halo. Like, Halo has been a godsend. Yes, the ultimate palate cleanser. Literally, it's, like, I cannot believe that I jumped, so I was already part way through Combat Evolved, but I jumped back into my save, and I was, like, immediately just enraptured with how, I was, like, oh, I don't have to traverse an entire map. I don't have to go collect all this. It's just, oh, the Covenant are there? Throw a grenade, kill them. Oh, the Flutter right there? It's, like, all right, I can do this. I can do this. And now, you know, I played Combat Evolved, and I just soared through that game. Like I said, I was already, I think I was on level two or something, but I soared through that game, and now I'm on Halo 2. And, I mean, the only thing I wanted to say about Halo 2, I mean, this isn't, like, a review or anything, but that opening, the juxtaposition of Master Chief and Johnson getting commendations and, like, being rewarded, and then Arbiter getting his armor stripped off and getting branded. Bro, like, one of the coldest, dopest openings to a game, and then, of course, sir, permission to leave the station. Give the Covenant back their bomb. Bro, like, get out of here. And he does it. He doesn't just, like, shoot at them. He flies through space, through an exploding ship, and then just goes, mm, I'm going to jump off this thing and then land back on my ship. Dog, Halo is incredible, all right? And a perfect, as epic as these games are, they're linear. It's just a nice breath of fresh air to be, like, I'm getting such an epic story while still, like, being able to digest it in a thorough way. Yeah, that's exactly, like, I've been thinking about Halo specifically, but maybe, like, just, like, any, like, FPS, like, campaign type of thing would really be perfect for me right now for those exact reasons. But then, like, with a game like Halo, like, I used to play Halo, like, almost once a year. But now I'm, like, at a point where I'm, like, oh, I'm trying to catch up on all these games. New games are coming out. So I'm, like, I don't want to make time for a game I played a bunch of times. But, like, sometimes, you know, maybe that's a good call. Yeah, like, just to get that, just to do some levels, shoot some guys, don't think about it too hard. Yeah, and it's, like, for me, I'm playing right now for the story, but, like, that's the thing. If I were to remove the story right now, bro, I'm John Halo right now. I have the definition of John Halo. I jump in that game, and when I hear them call me the demon, I'm, like, yeah, you are right. You're right, I'm the demon. You guys should run. It's just because you can, it's almost, like, doom in that way, in a crazy way of, I mean, obviously, it's an FPS. It's an easy, you know, comparison. But you jump into Halo, and if you are just, like, I'm just going to fuck shit up, whether it's a multiplayer or single player, it's such an easy game to jump in and play and just do. No thought, no, like, I need to be the best. It's just, you just play it and have fun. Can I just have this level in, like, my own way? Yeah, and Halo is a perfect example of that sandbox-y style of gameplay while still keeping that linearity. Linear-ality? Linearity. Linearity, yeah. Yeah. We'll just say that's right. There was a part when I was on the Halo, it was Halo 1, Covenant Evolved, and it was just Covenant everywhere, Flood everywhere, they're fighting, and I can hijack a Banshee and then, like, fly around the map and then go dive off and then I have time to get to the specific, you know, the bomb that's about to go off. And it's, like, just such a cool moment of, I could have handled that anyway. I could have gotten a Warthog driven off. I could have gotten a ghost. I could have just ran. And it's, like, just so many ways you can tackle that while, again, maintaining that straight linearity and, you know, straight story to your face. So I just, I appreciate a game that, again, coming off the heels of Tears of the Kingdom of Final Fantasy, even games like God of War that are super big, Jedi Survivor, like, it is nice to have a game that, from the old days, is just like, hey, here's the story, here's some fun, have at it, eight hours or so, let's go. Yeah, I haven't had many hours in the Halo campaign department. I don't know why I simped so much for, like, multiplayer. It's drawn Halo, bro. Dude, I, like, even with Call of Duty, I've just had a hard time, like, sticking to, like, playing a multiplayer, or not a multiplayer, like, the single player, unless it's, like, co-op or something. I don't know why. That's not, like, an isolated thing. I think, I mean, you look at stats, like, half the people that play Halo and Call of Duty, some of them don't ever, ever touch the campaign, which is, to me, so crazy because that's, like, my, as soon as any game comes out that I'm looking at. It's, like, the single player is what I'm looking forward to, that multiplayer is just the cherry on top. And even when the Halo, you know, Halo Reach, Halo 4, all that was coming out, I was like, oh, campaign, campaign, campaign, and then I'd finish the campaign, then I'd jump into multiplayer. Now, obviously, these days, I'll mix it in, but back then, it was, I don't play the multiplayer until I'm done with the campaign. Well, and lately, I've been feeling more, like, just more, the more I hear about this shit, I, like, the more enticed I am to just say, okay, I'll just play this entire series. Why not? Because these campaigns make it so, like you're saying, how linear they are and how on track you stay, you will finish them in the allotted time that they are, like, saying that you will. Yeah, you, and you can explore, I mean, even the earlier Halo games, you can explore a bit, but that would be more for, like, Easter eggs. Like, you're looking for skulls, you're looking for, which is fun if you want it at that time, but, like, otherwise, if you're just playing how you should, you're getting the full story. You're getting everything, which is, again, I feel like games sometimes are almost too clever these days where some of the coolest story moments are hidden behind some things. It's like, that's great, obviously, because you're playing the game, but, and you reveal that to yourself, but, you know, it's cool that you can play Halo, and it's just all in your face. Like, you don't have to go searching for anything, really, unless you want to. Yeah. I don't know. We'll see. Yeah. I like, yeah, because for me, with Halo, I only grew up on the campaign. Well, I play split-screen multiplayer, but, like. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, that's where I was all the time. And that was a blast, of course, but, yeah, it was like, for me, the campaigns is what makes it so iconic, and the story's good. So, we've got to change that. If one of us has got to co-op with you on some Halo campaign, because. If I didn't know, if I knew that you hadn't played them at all, I would have just played Combat Evolved with you, because I'm playing through them all. Like, I'm on Halo 2, obviously, but, like, I'm now so, because the last time I played the campaigns, the last campaign I played that, like, I can remember is Halo, and, see, even Halo 5 is kind of rigid for me. Because that was, what, 2015? Yeah. Like, that was a long time ago. And so, the last time I played a campaign was Halo Reach, which was last year, and then before that was Halo 5 in 2015, whatever it was. I mean, Halo Infinite, but I'm talking about the old campaigns. So, now, I mean, playing Halo Combat Evolved, I even forgot, you won't get this, but, like, Spence, I've told you, I already told you this off-air, but, like, I completely forgot the Flood show up in Combat Evolved. I thought that they didn't even show up until Halo 2. I know about, like, the main. Yeah, you know the Flood and stuff, okay. But, like, I just, I didn't know that the Flood show up in the first Halo. I thought it was the second Halo. And even then, it's like, it got kind of in my head. I was like, I don't know, is it just three? So, now it's just nice as an adult with 24-year-old eyes to be able to play these games and, A, they're still holding up incredibly well. Like, when I was hitting Combat Evolved, that last, the final level with the Warthog run on the Pillar of Autumn, I was like, all right, I don't know why this is, like, I was like, I just played Final Fantasy 16 having some of the dopest things I've ever seen. Yeah, I'm sitting here like, let's go! Like, I was like, let's go, baby! Like, it's Halo. That's what I was looking for. Man, I might have to play those games because, I mean, I've been thinking about, because, like, in that realm of just, like, a short game, I was like, well, I could do, like, Metroid Dread or something. Yeah, yeah. Which would hit, like, I could just kind of, like, do it faster. But it's also still, like, it's the exploration and, like, figuring out where to go, like, the puzzle aspect of it. So, like, I don't know. I don't know if it would be fully to that just, like, just straight linear or what. I know it wouldn't be. But, like, so I've been thinking about doing that to, like, be another palette cleanser. But Halo is just, like, literally exactly what we described. Yeah, it's exactly what, what we're all kind of, like, talking about that we're craving. Halo has been that from what I've been playing, what you guys know, obviously. Like, where you just, you don't, and I don't think this is a bad thing, but you don't have to think, you know. It sounds like, oh, I don't have to think. Yeah. You know, but I. I think it's very good. Yeah, like, it's really, really nice to just straightforward, like, I'm killing some aliens, bro. And, you know, I think that's what's hard for me the most in any game. Because for me, when I'm playing a game, half of the reason I play any game I do, especially if it's single player, is because I want to know about the entirety of the thing I'm experiencing. And so, like, that's why it's so hard for me to get into. Like, I don't, I'll jump to so many different games, but it's like, I know I won't stick to it because I know I'm like, I'm already invested in Zelda, so I want to be in that world, so I'm not going to play it. So, like, a perfect example of that is I wanted to play an FPS game because, like I said, I was playing all these third person games, playing these huge open worlds. And I was like, I'll play Crysis. I told you guys about the Crysis games a little bit. And so I booted up Crysis 2, and, like, I started playing it, played for like an hour, and I was like, man, this game is fucking awesome. I remember these story beats, but I know that, like, I'm so invested in so many other stories right now, I can't dig into this story, can't appreciate the characters in the world. So I threw it on the back burner again. It's another game that I'm like, I'll get to one of these days. Because as someone like me that likes to experience the entirety of the world, it's so hard for me to, like, just jump into all these games, but I crave so many different experiences at a time. It's a hard life being a gamer. That's the thing about you, though, man. You just throw yourself into these worlds like you exist as these characters, and, I mean, you're extracting the most out of video games when you're doing that, or any story. And I appreciate that, because, like, that's, like, what I feel like, I mean, this gets into, I mean, we're having a candid conversation, might as well. I feel like, especially when it comes to games, but, like, this is kind of anything that's being made, art is there to be experienced, and to be, like, it deserves your attention, it deserves... An interpretation. Exactly. So, like, for me, I'm like, if I'm in Final Fantasy XVI, I want to, and they're putting me in the shoes of Clive Rosfield. I want to know why I'm this character, know his motivations, I want to know the world I'm in and inhabiting, and so it's, like, so hard for me, Ben, to, like, peel myself away and be like, alright, I'm also in Tears of the Kingdom exploring this whole world, and I'm Link. So it's like, it's just, I have to be so ingrained in those worlds, otherwise it's like a what's the point, why am I doing any of this? Which you could say that, of course, but it's just, I don't know, I feel like it's giving justice to the art itself, but also just makes me feel so, like, I'm in this world, I can do whatever I want in this world. And, I mean, Halo is that, but it's, like, given to you rather than searching for it, so I see that, that's, like, a good duality to maintain, like, both sides of it. That is a really good point. Like, they're telling you, you're Master Chief, and they don't, I mean, they tell you that through cutscenes, they tell you that through the way you play the game, like, you're Master Chief, you're the demon of the Covenant, like, you are, you are the guy who's gonna get shit done, and then you just go and do it. And I just, I, there's something special about being able to just live that instead of having to search for it, but that's just a kind of testament to all the games of, like, sometimes I love that. Red Dead is the perfect example. I love the journey of being the asshole, being the outlaw, and as the game goes, the more you experience the side quests, the story progressing into the, do I want to be this shitty person forever, do I want to? Then you get your Red Dead Redemption 2. Yeah. But, no, it's fantastic, bro, I just, I don't know, there's just so many different experiences to be had that it's just hard to commentate on all of them like that. Like, to put a blanket statement. Yeah, I, like, I feel the same way, like, I have the same feeling as you, but it, like, kind of manifests different because, like, if I'm really into a game, like, because I, you know, here and there, like, I'll try to maybe have, like, two games going so that, like, if I want to, you know, like, mix it up, then I will, but, like, if I get really into something, then it's, like, I can't do anything else until I've done all that. Yeah. Because, like you said, you just want to give it the time that it deserves, and, like, if you are that sucked in, then you are, so then it's, like, like, I'll be thinking about what I want to do next, but I'm never, like, oh, I can't do anything else until I do that. Yeah. But then, like, for you, you'll, like, get drawn to something, like, oh, I need to do this and this too, and it's, like, that's how I'm feeling, but I'm more, like, it makes me just, like, rush through the game I'm in sometimes where I'm, like, okay, this is really good, but I've got to, like, do it all so I can do the next one. Yeah. You know. Yeah. First world gamer problems. Yeah. Yeah. We're not, like, saying our lives are so hard. You know, man, we've got all these games. We can't possibly play them. Damn. Have to go to work. Got to work. I have a family, bro. Like, come on. But to your point, you know, and I think I'm kind of realizing this just, again, as I've been going through my gaming journey, you know, getting older, getting wiser, there are those games for me. Like, when Spider-Man drops, I'm there. Nothing will peel me away from that. Nothing will give me away. But, like, then you have the star fields of the world of, like, I'm going to play that game. I'm going to play the shit out of that game. But I'll be peeled away. I know I will. I know that that game, well, I mean, maybe it does. I don't know. Actually, I can't speak on that. But, like, I'm just saying I've had, in my past, I know that there's games, like, when God of War 2018 dropped, there was nothing else I'd play. When Ragnarok dropped, nothing else I'd play. Spider-Man dropped, nothing else I'd play. Red Dead. There are some games that do that. Even though, like, Tears of the Kingdom is a game that I hold to the highest esteem. It's a five out of five for me. It's still, like, a, I want to play this game, but I don't want to play it forever. And it's just, again, that's just me finally, like, coming to the realization of, I'm a gamer, but, like, for very specific... Actually, that's a lie. I'm a gamer overall. But, like, I have very specific experiences that I crave that I need. And others are, like, I want this in my life, but I need to mix something else in there just to change it up. Yeah. Or it's just, like, a FOMO of, like, a new game that's coming out. Yeah. Final Fantasy came out, and it was, like, you know, we saw the hype around the demo, and you're, like, oh, let me just try a demo. And it's, like, then you're stuck. You're, like, fuck, I'm playing Tears of the Kingdom. This is what people are going to be talking about now. I straight almost wish I didn't play that demo, because I was, like, I had it in my mind. I was, like, I'm going to finish Tears of the Kingdom. Then I'll jump to Final Fantasy. Then I played the demo. I was, like, I can't believe this. Yeah, you had to know. You had to know somehow. I mean, you played the game, and, I mean, now the world's yours. Yeah, I can't believe I'm at the end. Like, that experience, oh, man, I really wish I could just tell you guys that part. It's just, that game, man, I can't, and that's the thing, I actually forgot to bring it. You know, you guys, I was going to tell you this after the podcast, but I completely forgot to bring the game, and I was going to bring it for you, because I'm done with it. I'm dusting my hands with it. I know I'm good, so I'm handing it off to you for whenever you're ready to unbox that masterpiece, bro. Sure, shout out to Ryan for letting me borrow the game so I don't have to pay for it. Bro, this is like, bro, if we live in the same neighborhood type shit, like, I'd be saucing these games. For, like, family sharing. Yeah, ever since we got to, yeah, I mean, I was going to say, we basically do that on PC. It's just in the more updated 2023 version, sharing the games, but, like, it's kind of nice to be like, here's a game, bro. Like, hand it off, disk in the fucking tray type shit. Yeah, I know. Just for that reason, I was like, man, maybe I need to start getting more physicals. But I also realized, at least, like, with PlayStation, can't you just, like, put each other's accounts on there, and then, like, you can't, like, be able to play each other? I've never, because I'm the only one who's ever really had a PlayStation, so I've never tried it. We could definitely try that. I'm down, because I have plenty of games you can do. I'm literally, like, playing, because I'm playing Models of Morales now, and I didn't buy it, but my roommate had it on his account, and just, like, we put it on there, and then we just had to download it through his account. PlayStation, look, don't listen to this part of the podcast. We can definitely try putting your profile. Is it game sharing? Okay. So, like, even if we have digital games, we should just share each other's libraries. I'm down. I don't care. Give me your login, your password, your security code, your credit card number, give me all that stuff, and then we'll definitely, we'll get some games out. Yeah, no worries. In fact, I'll share it with everyone on the podcast. Yeah, actually, guys, so my social security, if you guys want to... You know, actually, I'll put a picture up on Instagram. But, no, you know, I honestly, I'm not really sure what else I have to bring to the table. We've really just been gabbing about the games we've been playing and talking. Yes, sir. I don't know. You guys got anything else? I mean, if you guys got... I'm happy to keep going. We've been going, but... I mean, I'm almost done with Doom. Hey, man. And I do have one thing to say. Go ahead. The con maker ain't no thing. Like, I mean, yeah, the con maker's sick and all. I'm about to meet... I'm about to catch up with the Icon of Sin. And I know for a fact that dude ain't got shit on the con maker, bro. Look, can we just get real, champ? How you got 54 hours in that game? Can you just explain that to me? No, no, no, no, no. I just want to know how you haven't beat in this game. Are you getting fucked up? I've been 24 hours getting fucked up. Is it hard? Is it just hard? I'm on a hard difficulty for my skill level, yes. All right, dude. But that's just because I want to get good at Doom. Hey, I just wanted to know if it was like a... Are you just walking through every level looking at every detail? Is it like... Are you enjoying yourself? Actually, yeah, I am. I don't look at the map to find the secrets. That is one thing. Look, it's not a... Look, everybody take your time beating the games you should. And, you know... Not Doom. It's like three years after Doom Eternal has come out and you have 54 hours and you haven't even beat the game or played the DLC. Maybe it's time to wrap that shit up. Hey, I beat Doom 2018, all right? Yeah, yeah, yeah, all right. And I guess, actually, I should be not talking. Because remember when Doom 2016 came out and I didn't beat it until 2019? Yeah. So maybe I shouldn't be talking. But I'm speaking from experience. You still leave so many things unfinished, too. I still... I mean, I leave like shows unfinished. But there's like a difference between a show that you can just jump off and then video games that I'm like... I mean, don't get me wrong. I have a backlog, right? I've got backlogs of things I've left. But I feel like if I'm into it, I love it, I'm not going to be like... Three years later, I'll be... I don't know, man. No, but I get it. I get it, man. It's literally just... I just joke because it's just a little... I just love that you like... You are the Doom guy. You love Doom. And it's not done yet. I just fucking love that. It's Doom baby, all right? He's not a Doom guy. He's just Doom baby right now. Well, I mean... I've been... I mean, you left Tears of the Kingdom and then have... All right, yeah, yeah. You know what? I'm only slightly offended. You know what? If we're getting real, all right? Look, we're getting real. It really grinds my gears that you beat Doom Eternal and haven't even turned on that DLC yet. All right, look. Because I've been telling Chad, beat this game. I want to talk about that DLC. And bro, I've been letting you off the hook. When did I need to play the DLC? All right, look. Let me keep it a buck with you. You go back anytime in the near future before 2023 is over. Do that DLC. It's not super long. It's dope as hell. I'll beat Tears of the Kingdom. The world will be right. Chad won't beat Doom Eternal. The world will be right, all right? It'll be okay. The flowers will grow. Exactly. Thing is, I like... Because I just played it free on Game Pass, so I'm like, oh, I'd have to buy the game again. That's the only... And obviously, it'd be worth it because Doom Eternal... You have to buy the game again? Well, to get the DLC, wouldn't I need the game? Well, if you have Game Pass, I think you just buy the DLC and it would work with the Game Pass. I'm pretty sure, yeah. Maybe I'm just dumb, man. I'll pay you. I think it's like $10 part one, $10 part two. Oh, yeah. I mean, I know I'll do it. Yeah. No, no. I kept thinking like, oh, well, I played it for free, so maybe I'll do DLC later. And, you know, I'll have to look into that because now, like, I'm racking my brain. I'm like, maybe they don't let you do DLC. Maybe that's part of the Game Pass shtick of like, oh, buy this game so you can play the DLC. You know, I'll have to look into that. So we'll look. But, look, I'm not even like, I feel like I hype it up way too much. I'm not saying this DLC is, like, going to blow your mind. But it's a good Doom DLC. It's a good Doom DLC and a good cap to the story. Like, it gets me really, really excited for whatever's next. Well, and that's the other thing is, I mean, I was kind of hoping Chandler would finish so we could talk about the story. Yeah. No worries. I mean, just to be fully upfront and honest, when it comes to the story in Doom Eternal, I have no idea. I was straight up. I did not even, like, try. However, I'm here to rip and tear. That got me so off guard. I was thinking this guy. Because even I was thinking, I was like, Doug, I don't really know much about the stories. I don't know if he's going to go in about the gun makers. No, that is hilarious. No, because Doug, look, I know something about Samuel Hayden. I know something about rip and tear. And I know something about heavy metal music. I don't know the story of Doom, man. There's no, like, all I know is, you know, maybe there's some heaven, maybe there's some hell. Maybe even a little bit of Mars. You go to hell. Mars is in there. Mars is in there. There's some red stuff in there. Look, when it comes down to it, we don't play Doom. We don't put Doom as a five out of five masterpiece because we're sitting there thinking, you know, Doom guy's characterization. He was a really moving performance. One line when he says... That's about the extent of his dialogue. Barely, he barely even grunts. Yeah, you don't even need to grunt, bro, exactly. That just caught me off guard. You know, I don't know a thing about this shit. I love that. Yeah, just, like, to that point, though, because, I mean, you've told me, like, it's really great crap off of the story, and I'm like, bro, I don't know. Yeah, no, okay. Okay, and, like, let me, and I'll even, I'll curate that statement a little bit more. I, you know what I love about myself? I will find a word, and I will carry that word for months. So, curate will be a part of my vocab for so long, and it's gonna drop off one day and be like, wait, why are you saying perpendicular so much now? Anyway. I think you have said that, like, quite a bit. I hate myself. Anyway, so, when I say it's a good cap off to the story, I mean two things. One, it's just fun to play through more Doom, and two, it's, like, what they do, what they do with, I'm not saying, like, story-wise, I'm like, oh, shit, it's just, like, epic moments. It's, like, spectacle. I mean, but spectacle's going a little too far. It's more so, like, of a, oh, holy shit, like, this is just dope as hell that they would even do this, but I'm not saying, like, a, oh, you know, Kratos is coming to terms with the monsters, the Doom guy's coming to terms with the Doom Slayer inside. Like, no, nothing like that. Well, it's more of a just, like, it's so, like, crazy, bombastic, you're like, whoa, imagine what they would do next. Imagine what they would do next. Exactly, yeah, it literally was just, like, there's moments where I'm like, okay, like, how, like, this is just dope as hell, let's go. I just want to just revel in those moments and then, you know, talk about what possibly be coming next, which, that's the crazy thing is, Doom Eternal is now, what, four? It's going to be three, it's going to be four years old next year, which, how long was, so 2016? It was four years in between Doom? Oh, yeah, yeah. 2016, Doom Eternal? Wow. Huh, makes you think. That's weird. Interesting. They definitely make you think. Thinking about it, I mean, as of, I mean, I'm almost done with Doom. That step up from 2016 to Eternal, just, like, I mean, it was exactly what I'm sure Ragnarok did with God of War. Yeah, no, that's a perfect allegory, metaphor, simile, whatever the hell you want to say. Because I think that same thing, I think obviously God of War is a different, because that's like a more story-based, and how they capitalize on that story is insane. Yeah. But the way that Doom 2016 was able to capitalize on its gameplay and make it that much better in four years, and like, it's not even just like a, oh, it's a little bit better, you know, it's still Doom 2016. I guess you could say that, but it is almost still, like, when you jump from game to game, Doom Eternal, to your point, you were saying, the last fourth of that game is hard as fuck. Yeah. No matter what, I think I was even on normal difficulty, and I was getting my ass beat constantly. Hard, man. Yeah. I mean, and you do get better. Oh, yeah. You don't necessarily get better weapons, though, towards the end. Yeah. Even your most upgraded weapons are still, they're taking all that damage. Yeah. So, and you do have your sword, so. Oh, baby. I mean, it's just hard to say, like, exactly how much better Doom Eternal is than 2016, just because I'd have to go back. But. I think sequels are hard to account for anyways. Yeah. I've gone back and forth so much of, do I like 2018 more, do I like Ragnarok more? And it's, I think I will always have that back and forth, because it's just, but I mean, that's kind of the great thing about them, is, like, they're both masterpieces. Yeah. That I can constantly be like, oh, well, this did this better, oh, well, this did this better. I think 2016 and Eternal, you can have that same conversation. Absolutely. Spider-Man's going to be a really fun one to dissect, especially if you replay. Yeah. You got it. Listen, let's get real again, all right? We're getting real a couple times on the podcast today. Starfield, who gives a shit? Sorry, come on. No, but listen, I'm going to diss myself, too. Starfield, who gives a shit? That hurt me, too. But, dog, play Spider-Man. Play Spider-Man Miles Morales, because we need, when that, when that game comes out, we got to do the spoiler cast, we got to do the retrospective. Hey, dude. We got to get in it, bro. I finished that well before October. I'll tell you that. I believe in you. And Miles Morales, so, like, Spider-Man 2018 is the full game. Miles Morales is, like, you'll see. It's not a super long game at all. Okay. Even if you were to do everything, it's really not a long game. Would you say it's closer to a DLC to Spider-Man? Yeah, for sure. And I, and that's, and I don't, like, there's always a comment of, why does it cost $40 when it's a DLC? It has a lot more merit to it than that. Yeah, I mean, that's, yeah, I'm not, I'm not putting, like, heavy stance on that. Like, I'm saying, like, this is a game within itself, but it's not Spider-Man. If you love Spider-Man, if you are itching for that world, it's worth 40 bucks. If you're not itching for it right away, wait for a sale. But it's a good game. It's, of course, it's shorter, because it was, it literally is a tie-in to the game. And they even said in the, they said when it was releasing, all the shit, that it's a spin-off, that it's literally just a, it's Miles Morales, like, a stepping stone to Marvel's Spider-Man 2. So, if you take it as that, you're gonna appreciate it, for sure. Cool. So, yeah, I, I, we, we've been, we've been gabbing. We've been saying all the stuff. I think we've said all the stuff. I don't got much else. Any, anything else? I've, I've done this once before, so I'm just making sure. Yeah, man. I mean, I can't really, uh... Got my eyes crossed for my tees. Yeah. I think that's, uh, we're just hitting an hour here. I think, uh, I think that feels pretty well-rounded to me. Yeah. I think that's a pretty good hour. We got some shit off, you know? Yeah. And, you know, I don't think we had too many hot takes. I feel like that was a pretty, some pretty... Yeah, we lied. Yeah, we lied. No, no hot takes. Sorry. They're all pretty cool. Two warm takes. Yeah. You know what? Let me just say. I think I got a hot take. What's up? I would say, since we were talking about Doom, I, I like Doom 2016, but I feel like Doom Eternal is just, like, way better. Okay, okay, okay. No, that's not a... I don't think that's a hot take. I don't... Yeah, maybe it's not. I think I told you... I mean, it depends on who you talk to, I think. I think I, I told you guys for so long I like 2016 more, and then when I went back last year and played 2016 and Doom Eternal back-to-back, I like Doom Eternal far, way better. Yeah. Well... Like, I just, I love it a lot more. The, I think I've only said the one thing I like more is that Fury ability where you can tear him apart and stuff. And I think Spence has the best say on this, because he didn't experience 2016 fresh. Yeah. And you still had the, you had the goggles of, oh, this could be like Doom Eternal without even playing Doom Eternal, just because you're at that, like, stage of games while you're playing 2016. So, like, like, now thinking about it, that you say that, Doom 2016 is stale compared to Doom Eternal. Yeah. Like, it's... That's actually a really good way to put it. It's stale in the colors, in the fighting. I hope that is, like... Actually, I guess that's a question. Would you say, like, would you find it harder to replay 2016 after playing Doom Eternal? That's a question for both of y'all, I guess. Without mods, yeah. Probably. I mean, after I played Doom Eternal, I think I figured I probably won't play Doom 2016 again, because I could just play Doom Eternal. Okay. And, I mean, maybe, maybe if I wanted to do a run of it, but... And to your point, too, because I just remember when you were saying, it's, like, kind of bland. I remember, like, when I first started Doom, I was like, why is this first level, everything's so orange, and, like, blending together. I remember that, yeah. I'm like, oh, this isn't, like, as cool as I thought. And there's, like, just kind of some weird platforming. But Doom Eternal has, like, it does have, like, kind of that weird, like, puzzle platforming that always would throw me off. I was like, oh, I thought it was just going to be fun. Yeah, mentally, yeah. You've got to creep past the first level for sure. And you know what? You guys just hit on it. You guys, I love this. Just let you guys talk. You hit on exactly what I want. To your exact point about that platforming, my literal wish list, back when I played Doom Eternal, I thought, you know what would make this game perfect? I already five out of five, but you know what would make it perfect? If they would have kept it more like 2016 in the terms of, because in 2016, yeah, there are the slight platforms, but you mostly are just running and gunning and killing. Yeah. If they kept, I liked it more that way, even though it did divvy it up, did give a lot of, you know, did give a lot of verticality. I liked it more when it was just straight running, gunning, having little arenas, not with the swingy bars and jumping to different platforms. I like the straight just, I'm here to kill. That's all I'm here to do. Yeah. You can get up a little bit higher and then shoot down, but they're still coming at you. You can't cheese it too well. Yeah, platforming in those games for me is like, it's kind of that thing you said. It hits and I'm like, oh, this is kind of weird in this game, but I guess it's part of the game, whatever. But for me, whatever they do next for Doom, I'm like, just give me the straight running. I don't need the crazy jumping around level stuff. Yeah. I think what I felt with Doom 2016 was, it wasn't necessarily the, because you bring up a good point, because in Eternal, you're doing platforming while you're fighting. You're swinging it around. I actually really enjoyed that aspect. I felt like in Doom 2016, and, you know, probably a skill issue, but between the fights, when I'm just trying to get to the next area or figure out where to go, I'm trying to jump up these platforms. You don't have your double jump at the beginning and you don't have certain things. Do you not have mantling in 2016? I don't think mantling's in, because I know in Doom Eternal, you can climb over. Oh, yeah. I don't think you even had that, so I would just be falling off, just trying to get to the next area. That kind of stuff adds up. It gets frustrating. I'm like, dog, this is kind of annoying. I'm just trying to go and do this, but Doom is like, even when you would kind of get stuck on a puzzle, I'd be sort of annoyed, because my mindset was like, I'm here to shoot and kill. It's the drug that's like, I gotta kill, I gotta kill. How do I get out of that killing section? Yeah, but it wasn't as much of like, I'm falling off this stage into a lava pit or something. It's like being prevented from something that looks like it should be easy, but I'm just like, and I'm also rushing it, because I'm like, come on, just fucking rip it down. Rip it down, exactly. Yeah, but still. Doom 2016, I really enjoyed it when I played it. I just remember, once I went to Doom Eternal, I was like, oh, okay, this is what they were talking about with the masterpiece levels. That's what I'm starting to wonder with Spider-Man 2, because I have played so much of the first Spider-Man. So much. I know that game like the back of my hand. I've played it so much on Playstation 4, Playstation 5, now PC, and I'm like, is Spider-Man 2 going to be so good? That's kind of the hope of like, but that's kind of weird. With Ragnarok, I could go back to 2018 just fine. I wouldn't go back to 2018 and be like, I feel like I'm missing something, because they both have different flavors of what they do that I like more than the other, and I'm thinking like, maybe Spider-Man 2 is that same thing. Maybe they changed up certain mechanics and whatnot, that make, obviously, it's probably going to be, it's obviously going to most likely be an upgrade over number one, but I just, I don't know. It may have that quality of, it's so good, I can't go back to the past game, but I just haven't had that experience with many games other than Doom Eternal and Doom 2016. Yeah. I can't really think of, I mean. Yeah. Well, then you get into, I mean, because as I say, I got Halo 2, now I'm playing Halo 2, I'm like, I wouldn't go back to coming at all, but yeah, that's a whole different thing, I mean, I'd go back to Red Dead 1. Yeah, I'd go back to, yeah, exactly, Red Dead 1 still holds up to this day. I have it on my computer, I don't know if I'm allowed to legally say that, I have it on a device that's legally allowed to be there, somewhere. It exists in your wrist. I paid for it at some point in my life, so there you go, but no, like Red Dead 1 definitely is a good example too, like I would play that game the shit out of the game, whether, we talked about it, if they have that remake, dope, but if they were to just say, hey, here's the game re-released and it's still, it's like 1920 by 1080, we'll still play that game. More BN for me, yes sir. But yeah, yeah. Alright, well, ladies and gentlemen, we've been running this episode. We've been running our hot takes for later. Yeah, we'll, you know, we'll, next time we don't have any ideas, we'll have another candid conversation. I like this, I like just talking, just literally no objective, nothing to do, just talking and gabbing. It's been a great time. That's what we do. Yes sir. We just gab, and then, you know, just a possible structure, and then we, we stop gabbing for a little bit, and start gabbing about the structure more, and here we are, structure-less. Yeah, and get it done somehow. I don't know, I don't know how we made it through here without the house burning down, but we're, we're here doing it. But, you know, it's like Chen said, it's what we do, you know, we take you pixel by pixel to the latest and greatest in gaming because we're pixel by pixel podcast. Thank you for joining us on this fantastic Monday night, but it'll probably be a Wednesday night, but it'll probably be a Wednesday night, but it'll probably be a Wednesday night, but it'll probably be a Wednesday night, but it'll probably be a Wednesday night, but it'll probably be a Wednesday night, but it'll probably be a Wednesday night, but it'll probably be a Wednesday night, but it'll probably be a Wednesday night, but it'll probably be a Wednesday night, but it'll probably be a Wednesday night, but it'll probably be a Wednesday night, but it'll probably be a Wednesday night, but it'll probably be a Wednesday night, but it'll probably be a Wednesday night, but it'll probably be a Wednesday night, but it'll probably be a Wednesday night, but it'll probably be a Wednesday night, but it'll probably be a Wednesday night, but it'll probably be a Wednesday night, but it'll probably be a Wednesday night, but it'll probably be a Wednesday night, but it'll probably be a Wednesday night, but it'll probably be a Wednesday night,